Title: Savior of the Nations, Come!
Text: Isaiah 25:9, Matthew 21:11
Text: Isaiah 25:9, Matthew 21:11
Facebook live: Savior of the Nations, Come!
9 It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
Having recently celebrated the Reformation, the restoration of the gospel, and beginning of the Lutheran church on Reformation Sunday, it seemed to me a good time to celebrate Advent - in light of the new freedom of the gospel enjoyed through the lens of the hymns that that our church sung early in its life.
Savior of the Nation’s Come is the theme for our Advent midweek series this year. Over the next few midweek services, we will look at a few of the seasonal hymns that followed shortly after the reformation of the church, either written by Martin Luther, or brought into the church during Luther’s life time, and other important times in the life of our own church, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Before we begin, I believe that it is good to remember why we, as Lutherans, sing hymns. Here is what Martin Luther once wrote in 1524:
“That singing hymns is good and acceptable to God is, I think, known to every Christian; for everyone is aware not only of the example of the prophets and kings in the Old Testament who praised God with song and sound, with poetry and psaltery, but also of the common and ancient custom of the Christian church to sing Psalms.
9 It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
Having recently celebrated the Reformation, the restoration of the gospel, and beginning of the Lutheran church on Reformation Sunday, it seemed to me a good time to celebrate Advent - in light of the new freedom of the gospel enjoyed through the lens of the hymns that that our church sung early in its life.
Savior of the Nation’s Come is the theme for our Advent midweek series this year. Over the next few midweek services, we will look at a few of the seasonal hymns that followed shortly after the reformation of the church, either written by Martin Luther, or brought into the church during Luther’s life time, and other important times in the life of our own church, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Before we begin, I believe that it is good to remember why we, as Lutherans, sing hymns. Here is what Martin Luther once wrote in 1524:
“That singing hymns is good and acceptable to God is, I think, known to every Christian; for everyone is aware not only of the example of the prophets and kings in the Old Testament who praised God with song and sound, with poetry and psaltery, but also of the common and ancient custom of the Christian church to sing Psalms.
St Paul himself exhorted the Colossians to sing spiritual songs and Psalms heartily unto the Lord, so that God’s word and Christian doctrine might be instilled and implanted in many ways.
Therefore I, too, in order to make a start and to give an incentive to those who can do better, have with the help of others compiled several hymns, so that the holy Gospel which now by the grace of God has risen anew may be noised and spread abroad.”
Martin Luther 1524 (LW 53:315-316)
According to Luther, we sing hymns for two reasons:
First, to instill and implant God’s word and Christian doctrine, and second to spread abroad the gospel.
In other words, Luther viewed hymns as a way to teach the faith and to spread the word about Jesus.
In short, Luther’s purpose in writing hymns and editing hymnals was to “promote and popularize the Gospel.” And so, he wrote in 1545 near the end of his life, that Christians sang of Christ - “so that others, too, may come and hear.”
Christopher Boyd Brown, singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation Cambridge: Harvard University Press 2005, pg 9-10
Christopher Boyd Brown in Singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation, writes:
Because of these doctrinal and evangelistic focuses, it’s been observed that “when Luther and his successors placed German hymns in the hands and on the lips of the laity, they did so in the conviction that the people were brought into contact with the word of God, which was to be spread and applied not only through sermons preached by pastors, but through the hymns sung by the laity …
Through the hymns, God’s Word was applied to instruct, comfort and encourage, in the streets, in the churches and in the homes, both for those who could read and for those who could not … the Lutheran hymns conveyed doctrine (which is teaching) in a way intended to be not only understood by the people but also actively applied to them, to impart not only information but comfort.”
Brown 14-15
Knowing that Luther wrote hymns to teach about Jesus and to comfort Christians, we look tonight at hymn 332, Savior of the Nations Come.
You may have seen after the hymn on the bottom of the bulletin’s page, that this hymn didn’t originate with Luther.
Therefore I, too, in order to make a start and to give an incentive to those who can do better, have with the help of others compiled several hymns, so that the holy Gospel which now by the grace of God has risen anew may be noised and spread abroad.”
Martin Luther 1524 (LW 53:315-316)
According to Luther, we sing hymns for two reasons:
First, to instill and implant God’s word and Christian doctrine, and second to spread abroad the gospel.
In other words, Luther viewed hymns as a way to teach the faith and to spread the word about Jesus.
In short, Luther’s purpose in writing hymns and editing hymnals was to “promote and popularize the Gospel.” And so, he wrote in 1545 near the end of his life, that Christians sang of Christ - “so that others, too, may come and hear.”
Christopher Boyd Brown, singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation Cambridge: Harvard University Press 2005, pg 9-10
Christopher Boyd Brown in Singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation, writes:
Because of these doctrinal and evangelistic focuses, it’s been observed that “when Luther and his successors placed German hymns in the hands and on the lips of the laity, they did so in the conviction that the people were brought into contact with the word of God, which was to be spread and applied not only through sermons preached by pastors, but through the hymns sung by the laity …
Through the hymns, God’s Word was applied to instruct, comfort and encourage, in the streets, in the churches and in the homes, both for those who could read and for those who could not … the Lutheran hymns conveyed doctrine (which is teaching) in a way intended to be not only understood by the people but also actively applied to them, to impart not only information but comfort.”
Brown 14-15
Knowing that Luther wrote hymns to teach about Jesus and to comfort Christians, we look tonight at hymn 332, Savior of the Nations Come.
You may have seen after the hymn on the bottom of the bulletin’s page, that this hymn didn’t originate with Luther.
Using the original Latin, Luther translated it into German. With the exception of stanza 5 which Luther did write; it was – not Luther – but a lawyer who wrote the entire hymn. A lawyer would come to be know as St. Ambrose.
Ambrose lived in the Fourth Century, a long time ago. He lived in the northern Italian town of Milan.
Not long after Ambrose moved to Milan, the bishop of Milan died. Since the bishop had favored false teachers, the Roman Church was concerned about who the next bishop should be. While a great crowd was debating what should be done, someone shouted out that Ambrose should be bishop.
At the time, Ambrose was a layman, not a priest. He wasn’t even baptized! But in December of 374, Ambrose was elected bishop of Milan. He was consecrated bishop just one week after he was baptized which is certainly not the normal practice of selecting bishops!
Ambrose oversaw a church that battled false teaching, the teaching that Jesus was not fully God and not coequal to the father, the same teaching that his predecessor seemed to favor. By God’s grace, Ambrose faithfully confessed the truth. Jesus is true God and true man!
Because Ambrose was interested in teaching the laity Christian doctrine, he combined his love of music and theology to write hymns that proclaimed Christian truths.
Savior of the Nations Come is one of the hymns Ambrose wrote to combat bad teaching. The hymn teaches the truth that Jesus is God, “God of God yet fully man.”
Now, about 1200 years later, Luther, like Ambrose, also wanted to teach the people Christian doctrine.
He wanted to teach his people the truth.
Luther, aware of Ambrose’s Latin hymn, translated it into German, so that the German people could sing it.
Luther probably translated this hymn and reconstructed its tune for Advent 1523, just six years after nailing the 95 theses to the castle church door. Several individuals also have then translated Luther’s German hymn into English so that we too can sing it today.
(see Peter Reske, The Hymns of Martin Luther CPH 2016)
When we sing Savior of the Nations Come, we should ask ourselves,
“What does this hymn teach us about Jesus?”
First it teaches us that Jesus is true God, that he is Divine.
This first teaching shouldn’t surprise us, given Ambrose’s context and bold confession of Jesus’ divinity. And so, we sing,
“Not by human flesh and blood, By the Spirit of our God was the Word of God made flesh – Woman’s offspring pure and fresh.”
Word of God is a divine title found in the beginning of John’s gospel in Chapter 1.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Stanzas 3 and 4 also confess Jesus’ divinity:
“Here a maid was found with child, yet remained a virgin mild. In her womb this truth was shown: God was there upon his throne.”
Mary’s womb was the divine and holy throne on God.
Her womb was God’s throne because life begins at conception, and by the Holy Spirit conceiving, the uncreated, infinite, and eternal God became flesh and truly dwelled inside Mary.
The second truth that the hymn teaches us about Jesus is that Jesus is King.
And so, we sing of thrones and halls.
Again, stanza 3, we sing of Mary’s womb serving as the throne of God.
To describe the incarnation, stanza 4: tells us that the Lord steps forth
“from his pure and kingly hall.”
With stanza 5, Luther writes, that we sing of Jesus leaving his source, the Father, but then eventually returning, at his Ascension, to “His throne and crown.”
Not long after Ambrose moved to Milan, the bishop of Milan died. Since the bishop had favored false teachers, the Roman Church was concerned about who the next bishop should be. While a great crowd was debating what should be done, someone shouted out that Ambrose should be bishop.
At the time, Ambrose was a layman, not a priest. He wasn’t even baptized! But in December of 374, Ambrose was elected bishop of Milan. He was consecrated bishop just one week after he was baptized which is certainly not the normal practice of selecting bishops!
Ambrose oversaw a church that battled false teaching, the teaching that Jesus was not fully God and not coequal to the father, the same teaching that his predecessor seemed to favor. By God’s grace, Ambrose faithfully confessed the truth. Jesus is true God and true man!
Because Ambrose was interested in teaching the laity Christian doctrine, he combined his love of music and theology to write hymns that proclaimed Christian truths.
Savior of the Nations Come is one of the hymns Ambrose wrote to combat bad teaching. The hymn teaches the truth that Jesus is God, “God of God yet fully man.”
Now, about 1200 years later, Luther, like Ambrose, also wanted to teach the people Christian doctrine.
He wanted to teach his people the truth.
Luther, aware of Ambrose’s Latin hymn, translated it into German, so that the German people could sing it.
Luther probably translated this hymn and reconstructed its tune for Advent 1523, just six years after nailing the 95 theses to the castle church door. Several individuals also have then translated Luther’s German hymn into English so that we too can sing it today.
(see Peter Reske, The Hymns of Martin Luther CPH 2016)
When we sing Savior of the Nations Come, we should ask ourselves,
“What does this hymn teach us about Jesus?”
First it teaches us that Jesus is true God, that he is Divine.
This first teaching shouldn’t surprise us, given Ambrose’s context and bold confession of Jesus’ divinity. And so, we sing,
“Not by human flesh and blood, By the Spirit of our God was the Word of God made flesh – Woman’s offspring pure and fresh.”
Word of God is a divine title found in the beginning of John’s gospel in Chapter 1.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Stanzas 3 and 4 also confess Jesus’ divinity:
“Here a maid was found with child, yet remained a virgin mild. In her womb this truth was shown: God was there upon his throne.”
Mary’s womb was the divine and holy throne on God.
Her womb was God’s throne because life begins at conception, and by the Holy Spirit conceiving, the uncreated, infinite, and eternal God became flesh and truly dwelled inside Mary.
The second truth that the hymn teaches us about Jesus is that Jesus is King.
And so, we sing of thrones and halls.
Again, stanza 3, we sing of Mary’s womb serving as the throne of God.
To describe the incarnation, stanza 4: tells us that the Lord steps forth
“from his pure and kingly hall.”
With stanza 5, Luther writes, that we sing of Jesus leaving his source, the Father, but then eventually returning, at his Ascension, to “His throne and crown.”
In stanza 8, we sing of Jesus as our King.
He descended from Kings and is a King in his own right,
a King whose throne will last forever,
a king whose kingdom will never end,
a King who reigns with no golden throne and wears no diamond encrusted crown,
a King whose kingdom is not one of boundaries and custom agents, but is, instead:
a kingdom of human hearts where he rules and reigns by the Gospel and the Sacraments.
The third and final teaching we sing of when we sing Savior of the Nations, Come, is the comforting message that Jesus has won the victory over sin and death, and that he won this victory for all nations.
Stanza 6
He descended from Kings and is a King in his own right,
a King whose throne will last forever,
a king whose kingdom will never end,
a King who reigns with no golden throne and wears no diamond encrusted crown,
a King whose kingdom is not one of boundaries and custom agents, but is, instead:
a kingdom of human hearts where he rules and reigns by the Gospel and the Sacraments.
The third and final teaching we sing of when we sing Savior of the Nations, Come, is the comforting message that Jesus has won the victory over sin and death, and that he won this victory for all nations.
Stanza 6
“For you are the Father’s Son who in flesh the victory won”
The victory is that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary redeemed us, lost and condemned people, purchased and won us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.
He purchased and won us by his “heroic course”: His life, holy and precious blood, and his innocent suffering and death, and a life restored in the resurrection.
Savior of the Nations, Come, is a wonderful hymn that teaches us that Jesus is God and King and that he gives us victory over sin and death.
In this way, the hymn helps us understand Christian doctrine (teaching) and also gives us the blessed Gospel comfort.
It’s for these reasons that we Christians continue to sing this wonderful hymn today.
So may we all find comfort in these gospel truths of this blessed hymn as so many others have over the centuries by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
During this Advent may we have our eyes focused on the Savior of the Nations, Come!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
The victory is that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary redeemed us, lost and condemned people, purchased and won us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.
He purchased and won us by his “heroic course”: His life, holy and precious blood, and his innocent suffering and death, and a life restored in the resurrection.
Savior of the Nations, Come, is a wonderful hymn that teaches us that Jesus is God and King and that he gives us victory over sin and death.
In this way, the hymn helps us understand Christian doctrine (teaching) and also gives us the blessed Gospel comfort.
It’s for these reasons that we Christians continue to sing this wonderful hymn today.
So may we all find comfort in these gospel truths of this blessed hymn as so many others have over the centuries by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
During this Advent may we have our eyes focused on the Savior of the Nations, Come!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment