Fourth Sunday In Advent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
Thirty-five years ago, a liturgical scholar, Edward T. Horn, III, said: "The Fourth and last Sunday in Advent has been an 'orphan' for centuries so far as its true nature is con-cerned. In contemporary America it is often called 'Christmas Sunday,' an intrusion from nonliturgical Protestantism of Puritan background which, having divorced all religious observances from Christmas, sought to salve its conscience by transferring these observances to the previous Sunday." He concludes: "As a result, in many Protestant churches this Sun-day is preempted by Christmas 'messages,' Christmas decorations and Christmas music, thus losing its own status as the culminating Sunday in the season of anticipation," and then makes something of an understatement, "Even liturgical churches have been hard put to keep Christmas out of the last Sunday in Advent." Actually, it is not simply the last Sunday in Advent that is given over to the celebration of Christmas; the entire Advent season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, has been taken over by the 'Christmas spirit' in churches as well as in commercial establishments and the media as people get ready to "welcome the baby Jesus at his birth (which, incidentally, is an event long past)." The Gospels (all three years) are clearly oriented toward the celebration of Jesus' birth - but in the total context of the resurrected Lord. The celebration of the eucharist reminds us that the Lord is alive and really is in our midst right now and always. The proclamation of the gospel within the Christian year always has the same perspective and content.
The Prayer Of The Day
The contemporary arrangement of a collect in The Book Of Common Prayer for the Fourth Sunday in Advent reminds us that the Lord is always present with his own people: "Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son, Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The contemporary version of the last "stir up" prayer is something of a confession that is 'geared' to the birth of Christ, but in the context of the resurrection: "Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Take away the hindrance of our sins and make us ready for the celebration of your birth, that we may receive you in joy and serve you always; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
We celebrate the birth of Christ by receiving him, as we always do, in his word and the eucharist, where he is host.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 80:1-7 (E, L); 80:1-2, 14-15, 17-18 (RC) (The Episcopal lectionary appoints the entire psalm for Morning and Evening Prayer, as is frequently the case.) It is the last part of the second verse that picks up the "stir up" theme, which came from the ancient collect from Isaiah 45:8a and Psalm 19:1, putting it in the perspective of the unfolding birth stories of John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. The versification appointed by the ORDO speaks more directly to the Christian than does the "Restore/Reveal/Save" motif of verses three to seven. Therefore, when the "Restore us, O Lord God of hosts" theme emerges in the last verse of the psalm, it speaks to the Christians who seek reassurance of their salvation in the advent of Jesus Christ. The psalm ends, "show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved."
Psalm Prayer (80 - LB W) - "Lord God, you so tend the vine you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest shore. Keep us in your Son as branches on the vine, that, rooted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Micah 5:2-4 (E, L); 5:2-5a (RC, C) - This, like Zephaniah last week, is Micah's only appearance in the three-year lectionary, but the lectionary seems to make the most of it, because it is central to the thought and prophecy of Micah and, also, because it is a perfect selection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Micah was a prophet concerned with social justice and reform in Judah; he doesn't seem to be very much concerned with the results of significant events, such as the invasion of Assyria, which brought destruction on the northern kingdom of Israel as well as invasion to Judah. His prophecy, that the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, found fulfillment in the birth of Jesus as reported in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. But the original prophecy looked for a Messiah who would rule over Judah ("one who is to be ruler in Israel"), restore the fortunes of Jerusalem and rebuild it, rather than a Messiah who would die on a cross outside the Holy City. Micah was correct in his assessment of the destiny of the Messiah: "And ... he shall be great to the ends of the earth." Of course, he saw his greatness as including the protection of the nation from Assyria (v. 5a) during the invasion.
Hebrews 10:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - Jesus comes to do God's will, according to this passage which is also appointed for the Annunciation (March 25) in most lectionaries (Lutherans are "odd-person out" in that 1 Timothy 3:16 is read on the Annunciation, although the older practice was to use the same second reading (the epistle) for the Fourth Sunday in Advent and the Annunciation; in Lutheran lectionaries, that was Philippians 4:4-7). Although the use of Philippians 4 highlights the "rejoice/peace" motif of Micah, Hebrews makes a better connection between the incarnation in Jesus' birth and his atonement on the cross. He was born a human being to live and die in perfect obedience to God, thereby offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God. His personal sacrifice abolishes the sacrificial system of the temple and, offered only once and for all people, "sanctifies" all sinners and restores them to God's favor.
Luke 1:39-45 (RC); 1:39-49 (50-56) (E); 1:39-55 (C); 1:39-45 (46-55) (L) - It has always seemed to me that this reading (and the other propers) might better have been placed on the Second Sunday in Advent. Not only would it give background for the appearance of John the Baptist, especially if more of the birth story of John were read, but it would also establish a better sequence of events during Advent and allow the Fourth Sunday in Advent really to speak of the future coming of the crucified, risen, and reigning Savior. The first part of the lection tells the story of Mary's visit and her three-month sojourn (why did she leave after three months, shortly before John was born?), to Elizabeth, whose baby "leaped in her womb" when she heard Mary's voice. She spoke the familiar "Hail, Mary" with its "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary's response, in the Magnificat, must have become part of the liturgy of the young church by the time that Luke wrote his gospel. Whether Mary actually said the entire song is really unimportant, because it is a magnificent song of the grace of God in allowing Mary to have this significant part in the redeeming activity of God through the birth of Christ, which will have significance for all people and forever.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Scenarios, And Stories
Luke 1:39-45 (RC); 1:39-49 (50-56) (E); 1:39-55 (C); 1:39-45 (46-55) (L) - "The Tale Of Two Pregnant Women." - One was married, really was too old to bear children, but God had told her husband, Zechariah the priest, that it would happen, and she, indeed, was pregnant. The other was unmarried, a young maiden, and she was pregnant, too, supposedly by the Lord God through the work of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel had told the young girl that her relative, Elizabeth was to bear a child, a son, but he didn't tell her to visit Elizabeth; she seems to have done that on her own, and the best we can do - should we wonder why she made that journey - is speculate about it. Perhaps she wanted to get out of town, away from the place where the people all knew her and could never understand - save for Joseph, who had been visited by the angel, too - the nature of her pregnancy. She might have been afraid of the gossip, of the ridicule and the jibes; she might even have been afraid for her life and the life of the child growing within her womb. That's the plot: Two pregnant women - the married one pregnant by her husband, miraculous because she was apparently past child-bearing age, the other one unmarried and pregnant by divine intervention.
1. An unborn baby, who was to become the "Preparer of the Way" for Jesus Christ in the world, began his work before he was born. He leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb when Mary greeted Elizabeth! And Elizabeth knew why; she knew that her child was to be a prophet, whose task was to announce the coming of the one sent by God. Imagine that! No wonder she said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Jesus)." That's the first reason for recording this incident for posterity.
2. Mary's response, as indicated in the Magnificat, was equally amazing: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... "To Gabriel, she had said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." That sort of spiritual posture is beyond the maturity of most of us, let alone teen-agers. The Scottish preacher, Ian Cowie, combined one of his poem-meditations with a bronze done by his sister, Jill Cowie Sanders. The poem and the bronze bear the same title, "Old Man on a Park bench." That's what the bronze depicts - an elderly man, slightly bent over, smoking a pipe, a cane held in front of his body, is seated on a park bench, obviously deep in thought. Writes Ian Cowie: "Just look at me, sitting here, for all the world like an onion, with layer after layer peeled off. All the outer layers I used to think were 'me', have been stripped off by the years, and now, there's not much left." Verse by verse, he reviews his life and the parts of it that have been stripped off, including the death of his wife. He thinks that everything is gone, when she dies, and he thinks about his own death. He muses: "Well, Lord, you and me - that's all I've got left. I wish I'd spent more time cultivating your friendship earlier. I'm a bit ashamed to start now." Mary never had to think thoughts like that, even when a "sword pierced her heart;" she knew God had visited her and would always be with her.
3. But every true believer is blessed to the same degree, if not in the same way, that Mary was favored by God. Even though "all generations shall call [her] blessed" because she was the mother of our Lord, every Christian receives the same and lasting gift from and through Jesus Christ - life in the kingdom that shall have no end.
4. Nevertheless, we are filled with wonder when we hear this story, learning how our salvation came about in "The Tale Of The Two Pregnant Women." How amazing it is that Elizabeth could proclaim that her son would be the servant of Mary's Son - after all, most of us want our children to be the best and most that they can be, first not second - and Mary could accept Elizabeth's blessing and gladly play her part in the work of salvation planned and perpetrated by God. And, as far as we know, she was faithful to that task until she died.
Micah 5:2-4 (E, L); 5:2-5a (RC, C) - "The Little Town That Fulfilled Its Destiny." - The late Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick once preached a Christmas sermon with a title like, "Great Babies of the World." He named and described some of the "great babies" and capped the list of them with the greatest baby of them all, Jesus Christ. Many of the "great babies" emerged from rather insignificant backgrounds; their environmental and hereditary heritage should not have produced the great persons they became. So it is with Bethlehem and a host of small towns. So many small towns have given the world great persons, leaders and servants of society and God when their backgrounds should not have produced important persons. Bethlehem, even in the days of Micah as it was when Jesus was born, was almost insignificant - except for this prophecy: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephratah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days." Bethlehem has one claim to fame: It is the town where Christ, as Micah prophesied, really was born!
The city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is many times larger than the town which gave it its name; it is one of the tri-cities located between Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. But there is a star on the side of a mountain, looking down on the city, and reminding every-one who passes that way how the city got its name. That little town in Israel is still a little town, but it will always be greater than the city or cities that bears its name, because Micah's prophecy actually came true; the promised Messiah was born in Bethlehem.
Isn't that the way that God often operates, using the unusual and the unlikely persons - little persons, as well as little towns - to accomplish his will and purposes? A man who came out of the desert and began to preach and lost his head for it and the One whose ministry he proclaimed, Jesus the Christ, born in that little town of Bethlehem of Judea, gave the world a cross and an empty tomb to testify to his greatness, which saved the world.
Hebrews 10:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Greatest Sacrifice Of All."
1. It had been going on for generations; people had sacrificed birds and animals to gain forgiveness for their sins, or to give thanks to God for his blessings; the whole ritual of the temple seemed to have been developed around the idea of sacrifices, including one's money and possessions, to God. No wonder the rulers of the temple were upset when Jesus "cleansed" the temple. It wasn't simply that he was threatening their income and livelihood (surely, they were back in business the next day), but they believed in the sacrificial system.
2. Jesus was born to do away with that sacrifice, which was not pleasing to God (after all, isn't all life "holy" and to be reversed, rather than needlessly sacrificed, to God? We can understand that today). Put another way, Jesus was born to die (the incarnation is connected to Jesus' atoning death on Calvary). And he died in the prime of his life, when his life was really just beginning.
3. Because God raised him on the third day, the ancient sacrificial system was wiped out forever. His was a one-time sacrifice, because it was offered in perfect obedience to the will of the Father. One person, the Son of God, has obeyed the Father, even though it cost him his life, and God has accepted that sacrifice, because it alone pleases him.
4. The once-for-all sacrifice is sufficient for us, and is renewed in us when we are baptized in Jesus' name and receive his body and blood in that sacrificial meal at his table. "Come and taste, for the Lord is good!"
Thirty-five years ago, a liturgical scholar, Edward T. Horn, III, said: "The Fourth and last Sunday in Advent has been an 'orphan' for centuries so far as its true nature is con-cerned. In contemporary America it is often called 'Christmas Sunday,' an intrusion from nonliturgical Protestantism of Puritan background which, having divorced all religious observances from Christmas, sought to salve its conscience by transferring these observances to the previous Sunday." He concludes: "As a result, in many Protestant churches this Sun-day is preempted by Christmas 'messages,' Christmas decorations and Christmas music, thus losing its own status as the culminating Sunday in the season of anticipation," and then makes something of an understatement, "Even liturgical churches have been hard put to keep Christmas out of the last Sunday in Advent." Actually, it is not simply the last Sunday in Advent that is given over to the celebration of Christmas; the entire Advent season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, has been taken over by the 'Christmas spirit' in churches as well as in commercial establishments and the media as people get ready to "welcome the baby Jesus at his birth (which, incidentally, is an event long past)." The Gospels (all three years) are clearly oriented toward the celebration of Jesus' birth - but in the total context of the resurrected Lord. The celebration of the eucharist reminds us that the Lord is alive and really is in our midst right now and always. The proclamation of the gospel within the Christian year always has the same perspective and content.
The Prayer Of The Day
The contemporary arrangement of a collect in The Book Of Common Prayer for the Fourth Sunday in Advent reminds us that the Lord is always present with his own people: "Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son, Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The contemporary version of the last "stir up" prayer is something of a confession that is 'geared' to the birth of Christ, but in the context of the resurrection: "Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Take away the hindrance of our sins and make us ready for the celebration of your birth, that we may receive you in joy and serve you always; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
We celebrate the birth of Christ by receiving him, as we always do, in his word and the eucharist, where he is host.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 80:1-7 (E, L); 80:1-2, 14-15, 17-18 (RC) (The Episcopal lectionary appoints the entire psalm for Morning and Evening Prayer, as is frequently the case.) It is the last part of the second verse that picks up the "stir up" theme, which came from the ancient collect from Isaiah 45:8a and Psalm 19:1, putting it in the perspective of the unfolding birth stories of John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. The versification appointed by the ORDO speaks more directly to the Christian than does the "Restore/Reveal/Save" motif of verses three to seven. Therefore, when the "Restore us, O Lord God of hosts" theme emerges in the last verse of the psalm, it speaks to the Christians who seek reassurance of their salvation in the advent of Jesus Christ. The psalm ends, "show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved."
Psalm Prayer (80 - LB W) - "Lord God, you so tend the vine you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest shore. Keep us in your Son as branches on the vine, that, rooted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Micah 5:2-4 (E, L); 5:2-5a (RC, C) - This, like Zephaniah last week, is Micah's only appearance in the three-year lectionary, but the lectionary seems to make the most of it, because it is central to the thought and prophecy of Micah and, also, because it is a perfect selection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Micah was a prophet concerned with social justice and reform in Judah; he doesn't seem to be very much concerned with the results of significant events, such as the invasion of Assyria, which brought destruction on the northern kingdom of Israel as well as invasion to Judah. His prophecy, that the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, found fulfillment in the birth of Jesus as reported in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. But the original prophecy looked for a Messiah who would rule over Judah ("one who is to be ruler in Israel"), restore the fortunes of Jerusalem and rebuild it, rather than a Messiah who would die on a cross outside the Holy City. Micah was correct in his assessment of the destiny of the Messiah: "And ... he shall be great to the ends of the earth." Of course, he saw his greatness as including the protection of the nation from Assyria (v. 5a) during the invasion.
Hebrews 10:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - Jesus comes to do God's will, according to this passage which is also appointed for the Annunciation (March 25) in most lectionaries (Lutherans are "odd-person out" in that 1 Timothy 3:16 is read on the Annunciation, although the older practice was to use the same second reading (the epistle) for the Fourth Sunday in Advent and the Annunciation; in Lutheran lectionaries, that was Philippians 4:4-7). Although the use of Philippians 4 highlights the "rejoice/peace" motif of Micah, Hebrews makes a better connection between the incarnation in Jesus' birth and his atonement on the cross. He was born a human being to live and die in perfect obedience to God, thereby offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God. His personal sacrifice abolishes the sacrificial system of the temple and, offered only once and for all people, "sanctifies" all sinners and restores them to God's favor.
Luke 1:39-45 (RC); 1:39-49 (50-56) (E); 1:39-55 (C); 1:39-45 (46-55) (L) - It has always seemed to me that this reading (and the other propers) might better have been placed on the Second Sunday in Advent. Not only would it give background for the appearance of John the Baptist, especially if more of the birth story of John were read, but it would also establish a better sequence of events during Advent and allow the Fourth Sunday in Advent really to speak of the future coming of the crucified, risen, and reigning Savior. The first part of the lection tells the story of Mary's visit and her three-month sojourn (why did she leave after three months, shortly before John was born?), to Elizabeth, whose baby "leaped in her womb" when she heard Mary's voice. She spoke the familiar "Hail, Mary" with its "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary's response, in the Magnificat, must have become part of the liturgy of the young church by the time that Luke wrote his gospel. Whether Mary actually said the entire song is really unimportant, because it is a magnificent song of the grace of God in allowing Mary to have this significant part in the redeeming activity of God through the birth of Christ, which will have significance for all people and forever.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Scenarios, And Stories
Luke 1:39-45 (RC); 1:39-49 (50-56) (E); 1:39-55 (C); 1:39-45 (46-55) (L) - "The Tale Of Two Pregnant Women." - One was married, really was too old to bear children, but God had told her husband, Zechariah the priest, that it would happen, and she, indeed, was pregnant. The other was unmarried, a young maiden, and she was pregnant, too, supposedly by the Lord God through the work of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel had told the young girl that her relative, Elizabeth was to bear a child, a son, but he didn't tell her to visit Elizabeth; she seems to have done that on her own, and the best we can do - should we wonder why she made that journey - is speculate about it. Perhaps she wanted to get out of town, away from the place where the people all knew her and could never understand - save for Joseph, who had been visited by the angel, too - the nature of her pregnancy. She might have been afraid of the gossip, of the ridicule and the jibes; she might even have been afraid for her life and the life of the child growing within her womb. That's the plot: Two pregnant women - the married one pregnant by her husband, miraculous because she was apparently past child-bearing age, the other one unmarried and pregnant by divine intervention.
1. An unborn baby, who was to become the "Preparer of the Way" for Jesus Christ in the world, began his work before he was born. He leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb when Mary greeted Elizabeth! And Elizabeth knew why; she knew that her child was to be a prophet, whose task was to announce the coming of the one sent by God. Imagine that! No wonder she said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Jesus)." That's the first reason for recording this incident for posterity.
2. Mary's response, as indicated in the Magnificat, was equally amazing: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... "To Gabriel, she had said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." That sort of spiritual posture is beyond the maturity of most of us, let alone teen-agers. The Scottish preacher, Ian Cowie, combined one of his poem-meditations with a bronze done by his sister, Jill Cowie Sanders. The poem and the bronze bear the same title, "Old Man on a Park bench." That's what the bronze depicts - an elderly man, slightly bent over, smoking a pipe, a cane held in front of his body, is seated on a park bench, obviously deep in thought. Writes Ian Cowie: "Just look at me, sitting here, for all the world like an onion, with layer after layer peeled off. All the outer layers I used to think were 'me', have been stripped off by the years, and now, there's not much left." Verse by verse, he reviews his life and the parts of it that have been stripped off, including the death of his wife. He thinks that everything is gone, when she dies, and he thinks about his own death. He muses: "Well, Lord, you and me - that's all I've got left. I wish I'd spent more time cultivating your friendship earlier. I'm a bit ashamed to start now." Mary never had to think thoughts like that, even when a "sword pierced her heart;" she knew God had visited her and would always be with her.
3. But every true believer is blessed to the same degree, if not in the same way, that Mary was favored by God. Even though "all generations shall call [her] blessed" because she was the mother of our Lord, every Christian receives the same and lasting gift from and through Jesus Christ - life in the kingdom that shall have no end.
4. Nevertheless, we are filled with wonder when we hear this story, learning how our salvation came about in "The Tale Of The Two Pregnant Women." How amazing it is that Elizabeth could proclaim that her son would be the servant of Mary's Son - after all, most of us want our children to be the best and most that they can be, first not second - and Mary could accept Elizabeth's blessing and gladly play her part in the work of salvation planned and perpetrated by God. And, as far as we know, she was faithful to that task until she died.
Micah 5:2-4 (E, L); 5:2-5a (RC, C) - "The Little Town That Fulfilled Its Destiny." - The late Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick once preached a Christmas sermon with a title like, "Great Babies of the World." He named and described some of the "great babies" and capped the list of them with the greatest baby of them all, Jesus Christ. Many of the "great babies" emerged from rather insignificant backgrounds; their environmental and hereditary heritage should not have produced the great persons they became. So it is with Bethlehem and a host of small towns. So many small towns have given the world great persons, leaders and servants of society and God when their backgrounds should not have produced important persons. Bethlehem, even in the days of Micah as it was when Jesus was born, was almost insignificant - except for this prophecy: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephratah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days." Bethlehem has one claim to fame: It is the town where Christ, as Micah prophesied, really was born!
The city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is many times larger than the town which gave it its name; it is one of the tri-cities located between Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. But there is a star on the side of a mountain, looking down on the city, and reminding every-one who passes that way how the city got its name. That little town in Israel is still a little town, but it will always be greater than the city or cities that bears its name, because Micah's prophecy actually came true; the promised Messiah was born in Bethlehem.
Isn't that the way that God often operates, using the unusual and the unlikely persons - little persons, as well as little towns - to accomplish his will and purposes? A man who came out of the desert and began to preach and lost his head for it and the One whose ministry he proclaimed, Jesus the Christ, born in that little town of Bethlehem of Judea, gave the world a cross and an empty tomb to testify to his greatness, which saved the world.
Hebrews 10:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Greatest Sacrifice Of All."
1. It had been going on for generations; people had sacrificed birds and animals to gain forgiveness for their sins, or to give thanks to God for his blessings; the whole ritual of the temple seemed to have been developed around the idea of sacrifices, including one's money and possessions, to God. No wonder the rulers of the temple were upset when Jesus "cleansed" the temple. It wasn't simply that he was threatening their income and livelihood (surely, they were back in business the next day), but they believed in the sacrificial system.
2. Jesus was born to do away with that sacrifice, which was not pleasing to God (after all, isn't all life "holy" and to be reversed, rather than needlessly sacrificed, to God? We can understand that today). Put another way, Jesus was born to die (the incarnation is connected to Jesus' atoning death on Calvary). And he died in the prime of his life, when his life was really just beginning.
3. Because God raised him on the third day, the ancient sacrificial system was wiped out forever. His was a one-time sacrifice, because it was offered in perfect obedience to the will of the Father. One person, the Son of God, has obeyed the Father, even though it cost him his life, and God has accepted that sacrifice, because it alone pleases him.
4. The once-for-all sacrifice is sufficient for us, and is renewed in us when we are baptized in Jesus' name and receive his body and blood in that sacrificial meal at his table. "Come and taste, for the Lord is good!"
