Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

            Within the next month, God willing, we are going to have another granddaughter.  Isn’t it amazing what can be known now!  Parents can have pictures taken with an ultrasound machine and see their little one months before it is born.  Not much guessing if it is a boy or a girl. 

            With the wonders of technology and with the wonders of science doctors are able to work wonders within the womb that was not available when I was born.  Though there are many skills of the doctor they are not able resolve all the troubles that can happen, the tears when a little one is lost. 

            Ever so often we have reminders of who really is in charge or life itself.  The Bible shows us God’s hand in people’s lives.  In the pages of Holy Scripture we read, (Gen 30:22 NIV)  Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. (1 Sam 1:5 NIV)  But to Hannah … the LORD had closed her womb.  The Psalmist proclaims, (Psa 139:13 NIV)  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  God spoke to Jeremiah:  (Jer 1:5 NIV)  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

            We see God’s hand in the plans, the preparation and a purpose for the child that is born.  We are to see God’s hand in our lives, and today an interesting text that causes us to reflect on God’s planning for Jesus. 

I. The Lord at work

            Some wonder who is speaking, is it Israel, is it a foreign ruler, but when we look at verse six, and we see that the person is a light for the Gentiles, we know it is speaking about Jesus. Our text is unique because we have God the Father and God the Son talking about his birth and his work 700 years before it would happen, yet they are talking like it is in the past.  There is a technical term for this kind of writing, it is called the prophetic perfect.  It is the future written in the past tense.   Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.  In verse 5 we hear the Son say: And now the LORD says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength--   The Father then says: I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

            At times the Lord had awesome ways of proclaiming his presence.  The thunder and lightening on Mt. Sinai, the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night might lead us to expect an awesome display for our salvation.  In contrast the Lord came as an infant lowly.  There was a special reason.  The Lord had prophecies to fulfill, work to be accomplished.  If Jesus was to be “wounded for our transgressions” then he would need a back to feel the whip, a side to be pierced and hands and feet to have nail prints.  To have the Lord’s Supper he would have to have a body given for you and blood shed for you. 

            So there in the womb of Mary God’s plan was at work.  His heart began beating around twenty-four days.  Blood flowed in his veins at thirty days.  He produced brain waves at forty three days.  By seven weeks he had little feet and little hands complete with finger prints.  By eight weeks, he like all of us, was a tiny baby one and an eighth inches long and weighing one-thirteenths of an ounce. 

            Jesus was just like us.  The Bible puts it this way: (Heb 2:14-15 NIV)  Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- {15} and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

            Can we not read these words and wonder about all the thought the Lord put into our lives and the roles we would play in the world and in his kingdom?  As we hear these words, we are reminded to be at peace about our lives.  When we might be jealous or envious of another person and their gifts, we are reminded that the Lord was the one who chose and determined our gifts, talents and abilities, all before he formed us in the womb.  He also is the one who determined in what century and in what country we would be living.

II. Understand God’s Hand in our purpose

            As we turn back to our text we find some interesting descriptions:  He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.  Jesus did have a mouth like a sharpened sword, for he spoke the word of God, which is sharper than any two edged sword.  Jesus was not afraid to call out hypocrisy, lovelessness and hardness of heart.  He made many people so uncomfortable they killed him. 

            An arrow is a picture of God’s judgment.  (Deu 32:23 NIV)  "I will heap calamities upon them and spend my arrows against them.  At times the arrow is hidden in the quiver another time it will be drawn and the judgment of God will come.  God sometimes will bring instant and complete judgment, at other times he will wait, as though hidden, but it will be coming.

            Our text continues: But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God."  Aren’t those strange words to be found on the lips of Jesus?  There were times during Jesus’ ministry that he expressed frustration.  We hear him say to his disciples: when many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (John 6:67 NIV) "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.  (Mat 23:37 NIV)  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.  (Mat 16:9 NIV)  Do you still not understand?  When we hear him speak in the Old Testament, spent my strength in vain, we hear him in the New Testament: (Mat 26:38-39 NIV)  Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  With sweat dropping he cried,  "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." So the Father’s will was done, I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."  Salvation was accomplished for the whole world.

            Isn’t this an amazing picture of Jesus!  This picture is for our own hearts!  Have we felt the sharpened sword cut into our hearts?  For then Jesus’ word has done its task, it has cut to the very heart, exposing sins and calling us to repentance and faith. Have we also been a source of frustration for the Lord?  He knows what his plans were and his gifts and abilities for each of us.  Yet has he seen us waste time, waste the gifts, waste opportunities to serve him.   Knowing that the Lord Jesus is waiting and has not returned in judgment, we see the patience as the Lord seems hidden, but be assured he will return.  In his amazing plan we have now experienced the salvation. 

            For what purpose then do we fit in for the whole world wide ministry of Jesus.  He has placed us here, for a purpose.  He has given each of us gifts and abilities and opportunities to serve him and each other.  Every time I have a baptism, I wonder about the infant, what does God have in store for this little one?  Here he is pouring out his salvation, calling a child his own and blessing the next generation.  God wants us to use the eyes and ears to see and hear opportunities to serve him and a heart that will respond.  To this end may we rededicate our lives to living for Jesus!  Amen.