"Rejoice! The Prophet Greater Than Moses Advents!" Deuteronomy 18:15-19
December 19, 2021
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
The Prophet promised by Moses would be greater than him. He would speak God's comforting Word directly to sinners. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (John 1:16-18) Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Sermon Theme: "Rejoice! The Prophet Greater Than Moses Advents!" Preached for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, Rorate Coeli, 19-December-2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Tell City, Indiana by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.
Episode Notes
Rorate Coeli, Fourth Sunday In Advent 19-December-2021
Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 18:15-19
I.N.R.I. What gift would you give your children if you knew that this would be your last Christmas with them? What would a pastor gift his congregation if he knew soon he’d be dead? What would a teacher hold before his students - his disciples - if this was his last Christmas with them? What can we give that lasts? Last weeks storms and devastating tornados in Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas remind us of how suddenly all that we have can be blown away. Their dead cry out for us to repent and realize the deadliness of Adam’s sin which infects us all. They call us to repent and for fathers to turn their hearts to their children, and children to their parents. To live giving thanks for one another and the blessing of family. To bless one another with the One Gift that “stands forever.”
Moses, did not give birth to the children of Israel, but he was their spiritual father who had taught, led, fed, preached, and prayed for them for the past forty years. Soon the Lord God would call him up on Mount Nebo and Moses would die. It wasn’t a virus, or old age, that would end Moses’ life. It was the Lord’s call. He knew by what death Moses would bring glory to Christ Jesus. History records that at 120 years of age Moses’ natural vigor and strength had not abated. He was full of life, when he fell asleep trusting in his Savior Jesus.
Paul was imprisoned for a second time at Rome. John the Baptist would soon be arrested and thrown in the dungeon in wicked King Herod’s fortress. The government would try to silence the preaching and teaching of both men by beheading them. Still the preaching and teaching of John and Paul echo through our earth to this very day.
The Law was given by Moses. Deuteronomy means the second giving of the Law. The adult generation who heard the Lord God speak the Holy Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai had all died except for three men. Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were still alive. Joshua would lead the children of Israel into the promised land. Caleb would fight for it and settle in it with his family. Moses would not be allowed. In anger he had broken God’s command once by striking the rock for water instead of speaking to it as the Lord had told him. For that offense he would not step foot into the promised land. The Law of God is exact and He threatens to punish all who break His Ten Commandments. Therefore we should fear His wrath and not do anything contrary to them. Moses gifts the children of Israel with the moral, ceremonial, and civil law for their nation. The moral law - the Ten Commandments remains in effect for all generations - it is eternal. The civil law regulated their life together as citizens of their nation. It applied to them alone, still our founding fathers followed God’s wisdom in that law and applied many of its principals to our articles of confederation and later our constitution. The ceremonial law regulated the religious life of the Jews. Daily blood and flesh offerings for sin and feasting upon the sacrifice - fixed their eyes on the great Gift Moses had promised - The Prophet would come!
Today learn well to: “Rejoice! The Prophet Greater Than Moses Advents!”
St. John, a disciple first of John the Baptist, teaches, “Joh 1:17-18 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John the Baptist clearly confessed that he was not “The Christ,” nor was he “Elijah” physically returned from heaven, nor was he “The Prophet” promised by Moses.
Listen to Moses’ Christmas sermon preached nearly a millennia and a half before Jesus advents - a Baby Boy born in Bethlehem. (Vs.15) “Shower, O heavens from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness” Isaiah echos Moses’ promise in our introit for today. We do not climb up to the clouds forcing them to rain down life upon us. We are foolish to think that we can control the weather, or force God’s creation to do what we want. The rain descends from above as our Heavenly Father cares for both godly and ungodly by watering the earth that it may bring forth food to supply our daily bread.
This truth of our physical life reflects the saving reality of Christianity. It is the Lord who raises up the Prophet. Yahweh’s covenant of grace - His promise in Jesus is irrevocable. It is God’s Word and work. Elohim - the Almighty whose Word called our creation into existence and still upholds it to this second. His Word descends from above to raise up the Prophet.
Listen closer. He is raised up “for you!” He comes to call sinners back to their Creator. He is grace and truth in the flesh. In our flesh - for He comes from their midst. God becomes one with mankind in the Baby born of the Virgin Mary. He comes as our brother to bring us back into God’s family - reconcile us sinners to our sinless God and Father. How will He accomplish this? He will be “raised up.” Jesus - The Prophet preaches, Joh 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus the Prophet would be raised up on the cross. The Law’s just accusations against us would be laid upon His innocent head. John the Baptist at the Jordan taught this to his students. He fixed their eyes upon Jesus alone preaching, Joh 1:29 “....Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
“Him you shall hear!” Jesus’ divine nature shone through His human flesh and blood on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah talked with Him about the exodus He was about to accomplish for us on Calvary. Remember that when Peter thought he needed to build something for Jesus what God the Father said? Mat 17:5 ...., "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" Righteousness doesn’t come from your doings for God - it comes through your ears! Listen to Jesus’ Word. He preaches, Joh 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." He speaks signifying what death He would die to wash away all our sin with His holy precious blood. He alone reconciles us sinners to our heavenly Father raining down His righteousness from His spear pierced side in the rosy red water of our Baptism.
Listen- Moses preaches Jesus! (Vs.15-16) At Horeb the voice of the Lord God from the cloud filled the nation of Israel with fear and trembling. When Peter, James, and John heard God the Father speak from the cloud they fear made them fall down like dead men. Then Jesus came and touched them saying, “Arise, do not be afraid.”(Mt.17:7) Looking up they see no one but Jesus. His touch and voice takes away fear.
Listen to the Prophet, greater than Moses! He says, “I baptize you - you belong to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Satan, death, sin, and hell have lost all claim to you! You are Mine, I bought you with the price of My Sacrifice upon the Cross - I will save you!”
On the day when the children of Israel cowered at Sinai asking that God no longer speak from the cloud, they begged Moses to be their mediator. They feared the Lord’s Word spoken. The fire of God’s Holiness might break forth from the cloud and consume them all. They needed a flesh and blood mediator - one who was one with them. (Vs.17-18) The children of Israel had learned that they could not approach a Holy God through their own efforts at keeping the Law. Nor can you. Repent of thinking that you ‘advent’ into God’s favor by your gifts, planning, or preparation.
Rejoice instead in the Lord who advents into our flesh to save us. He is raised up to preach only God the Father’s Word to us. Listen to Him! Satan’s lie from the day of mankind’s rebellion is that God the Father is uncaring, unloving, and His Word is harsh stealing life from us. Listen to Jesus and you hear the Father’s voice. He calls to you, ‘Dear child, come Home! I have reconciled you to Myself through the flesh and blood of My Son! I gave Him to be born as your Brother, that by His one sacrifice He might bring you to Me!” You cannot know God the Father apart from the Prophet Jesus, your Brother Jesus, your Redeemer Jesus. No one comes to the Father except through the flesh and blood of Jesus. For His Words breath forth God the Holy Spirit and fill you with His life through sin forgiven and death forever broken.
Rejoice! The Prophet advents! (Vs19) The Lord God “promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.” That’s the rub - we can’t keep all these commandments. We are born dead in sin, alive in rebellious hatred of our Creator. The Lord holds us accountable for our hearing of Jesus’ Word. Repent and listen to the Prophet greater than Moses. Moses died on Mount Nebo - Jesus lives! He kept these commandments perfectly FOR YOU! He died for your debt. He is raised again preaching us forgiven - giving us a peace that is beyond all human understanding. He lives calling us by name in Holy Baptism. He advents here among us through His Word preached. He advents teaching us to pray as He kneels by your side no matter how dark your distress. He advents in bread and wine, filling you with His living flesh and blood - the food of immortality - better than the manna that fell from heaven - for you know what this meal is - life, salvation, the forgiveness of sins from the Prophet greater than Moses. The Prophet breathed us alive through His Word. He frees us to freely run in the path of His Ten Commandments - to serve one another in love where He has placed us.
What gift will you give your children this Christmas? Shut off the screens, lay aside your phones, take them by the hand and bring them where the Prophet Jesus advents among us in His House the Church. Pause before tearing into the wrapping paper, and read out loud the precious promises of God proclaimed at the birth of the Prophet in Luke 2. Pray the Prophet’s prayer together. Pray the 110th Psalm. Pray with the Prophet Jesus to your God and Father and let God the Holy Spirit fill you with peace, hope, and joy in this present evil age. The Prophet advents still among us. Soon, soon, He shall advent in all glory raining down His righteousness and bringing us up from the grave to live with Him face to face in new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. Amen. Even, So Come Lord Jesus! Amen.
Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Sermon Theme: “Rejoice! The Prophet Greater Than Moses Advents!”
by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. What gift would you give your children if you knew that this would be your last Christmas with them? What would a pastor gift his congregation if he knew soon he’d be dead? What would a teacher hold before his students - his disciples - if this was his last Christmas with them? What can we give that lasts? Last weeks storms and devastating tornados in Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas remind us of how suddenly all that we have can be blown away. Their dead cry out for us to repent and realize the deadliness of Adam’s sin which infects us all. They call us to repent and for fathers to turn their hearts to their children, and children to their parents. To live giving thanks for one another and the blessing of family. To bless one another with the One Gift that “stands forever.”
Moses, did not give birth to the children of Israel, but he was their spiritual father who had taught, led, fed, preached, and prayed for them for the past forty years. Soon the Lord God would call him up on Mount Nebo and Moses would die. It wasn’t a virus, or old age, that would end Moses’ life. It was the Lord’s call. He knew by what death Moses would bring glory to Christ Jesus. History records that at 120 years of age Moses’ natural vigor and strength had not abated. He was full of life, when he fell asleep trusting in his Savior Jesus.
Paul was imprisoned for a second time at Rome. John the Baptist would soon be arrested and thrown in the dungeon in wicked King Herod’s fortress. The government would try to silence the preaching and teaching of both men by beheading them. Still the preaching and teaching of John and Paul echo through our earth to this very day.
The Law was given by Moses. Deuteronomy means the second giving of the Law. The adult generation who heard the Lord God speak the Holy Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai had all died except for three men. Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were still alive. Joshua would lead the children of Israel into the promised land. Caleb would fight for it and settle in it with his family. Moses would not be allowed. In anger he had broken God’s command once by striking the rock for water instead of speaking to it as the Lord had told him. For that offense he would not step foot into the promised land. The Law of God is exact and He threatens to punish all who break His Ten Commandments. Therefore we should fear His wrath and not do anything contrary to them. Moses gifts the children of Israel with the moral, ceremonial, and civil law for their nation. The moral law - the Ten Commandments remains in effect for all generations - it is eternal. The civil law regulated their life together as citizens of their nation. It applied to them alone, still our founding fathers followed God’s wisdom in that law and applied many of its principals to our articles of confederation and later our constitution. The ceremonial law regulated the religious life of the Jews. Daily blood and flesh offerings for sin and feasting upon the sacrifice - fixed their eyes on the great Gift Moses had promised - The Prophet would come!
Today learn well to: “Rejoice! The Prophet Greater Than Moses Advents!”
St. John, a disciple first of John the Baptist, teaches, “Joh 1:17-18 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John the Baptist clearly confessed that he was not “The Christ,” nor was he “Elijah” physically returned from heaven, nor was he “The Prophet” promised by Moses.
Listen to Moses’ Christmas sermon preached nearly a millennia and a half before Jesus advents - a Baby Boy born in Bethlehem. (Vs.15) “Shower, O heavens from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness” Isaiah echos Moses’ promise in our introit for today. We do not climb up to the clouds forcing them to rain down life upon us. We are foolish to think that we can control the weather, or force God’s creation to do what we want. The rain descends from above as our Heavenly Father cares for both godly and ungodly by watering the earth that it may bring forth food to supply our daily bread.
This truth of our physical life reflects the saving reality of Christianity. It is the Lord who raises up the Prophet. Yahweh’s covenant of grace - His promise in Jesus is irrevocable. It is God’s Word and work. Elohim - the Almighty whose Word called our creation into existence and still upholds it to this second. His Word descends from above to raise up the Prophet.
Listen closer. He is raised up “for you!” He comes to call sinners back to their Creator. He is grace and truth in the flesh. In our flesh - for He comes from their midst. God becomes one with mankind in the Baby born of the Virgin Mary. He comes as our brother to bring us back into God’s family - reconcile us sinners to our sinless God and Father. How will He accomplish this? He will be “raised up.” Jesus - The Prophet preaches, Joh 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus the Prophet would be raised up on the cross. The Law’s just accusations against us would be laid upon His innocent head. John the Baptist at the Jordan taught this to his students. He fixed their eyes upon Jesus alone preaching, Joh 1:29 “....Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
“Him you shall hear!” Jesus’ divine nature shone through His human flesh and blood on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah talked with Him about the exodus He was about to accomplish for us on Calvary. Remember that when Peter thought he needed to build something for Jesus what God the Father said? Mat 17:5 ...., "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" Righteousness doesn’t come from your doings for God - it comes through your ears! Listen to Jesus’ Word. He preaches, Joh 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." He speaks signifying what death He would die to wash away all our sin with His holy precious blood. He alone reconciles us sinners to our heavenly Father raining down His righteousness from His spear pierced side in the rosy red water of our Baptism.
Listen- Moses preaches Jesus! (Vs.15-16) At Horeb the voice of the Lord God from the cloud filled the nation of Israel with fear and trembling. When Peter, James, and John heard God the Father speak from the cloud they fear made them fall down like dead men. Then Jesus came and touched them saying, “Arise, do not be afraid.”(Mt.17:7) Looking up they see no one but Jesus. His touch and voice takes away fear.
Listen to the Prophet, greater than Moses! He says, “I baptize you - you belong to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Satan, death, sin, and hell have lost all claim to you! You are Mine, I bought you with the price of My Sacrifice upon the Cross - I will save you!”
On the day when the children of Israel cowered at Sinai asking that God no longer speak from the cloud, they begged Moses to be their mediator. They feared the Lord’s Word spoken. The fire of God’s Holiness might break forth from the cloud and consume them all. They needed a flesh and blood mediator - one who was one with them. (Vs.17-18) The children of Israel had learned that they could not approach a Holy God through their own efforts at keeping the Law. Nor can you. Repent of thinking that you ‘advent’ into God’s favor by your gifts, planning, or preparation.
Rejoice instead in the Lord who advents into our flesh to save us. He is raised up to preach only God the Father’s Word to us. Listen to Him! Satan’s lie from the day of mankind’s rebellion is that God the Father is uncaring, unloving, and His Word is harsh stealing life from us. Listen to Jesus and you hear the Father’s voice. He calls to you, ‘Dear child, come Home! I have reconciled you to Myself through the flesh and blood of My Son! I gave Him to be born as your Brother, that by His one sacrifice He might bring you to Me!” You cannot know God the Father apart from the Prophet Jesus, your Brother Jesus, your Redeemer Jesus. No one comes to the Father except through the flesh and blood of Jesus. For His Words breath forth God the Holy Spirit and fill you with His life through sin forgiven and death forever broken.
Rejoice! The Prophet advents! (Vs19) The Lord God “promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.” That’s the rub - we can’t keep all these commandments. We are born dead in sin, alive in rebellious hatred of our Creator. The Lord holds us accountable for our hearing of Jesus’ Word. Repent and listen to the Prophet greater than Moses. Moses died on Mount Nebo - Jesus lives! He kept these commandments perfectly FOR YOU! He died for your debt. He is raised again preaching us forgiven - giving us a peace that is beyond all human understanding. He lives calling us by name in Holy Baptism. He advents here among us through His Word preached. He advents teaching us to pray as He kneels by your side no matter how dark your distress. He advents in bread and wine, filling you with His living flesh and blood - the food of immortality - better than the manna that fell from heaven - for you know what this meal is - life, salvation, the forgiveness of sins from the Prophet greater than Moses. The Prophet breathed us alive through His Word. He frees us to freely run in the path of His Ten Commandments - to serve one another in love where He has placed us.
What gift will you give your children this Christmas? Shut off the screens, lay aside your phones, take them by the hand and bring them where the Prophet Jesus advents among us in His House the Church. Pause before tearing into the wrapping paper, and read out loud the precious promises of God proclaimed at the birth of the Prophet in Luke 2. Pray the Prophet’s prayer together. Pray the 110th Psalm. Pray with the Prophet Jesus to your God and Father and let God the Holy Spirit fill you with peace, hope, and joy in this present evil age. The Prophet advents still among us. Soon, soon, He shall advent in all glory raining down His righteousness and bringing us up from the grave to live with Him face to face in new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. Amen. Even, So Come Lord Jesus! Amen.
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