The Lutheran Hour
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"A Word From our Sponsor"
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Text: Mark 1:1-3
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! As the world and the Advent church prepare to remember the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem, it seems so out of place to speak words that describe the Savior’s empty tomb. “Cannot we just be content” people want to know, “with spending the season talking about family and babies and the miracle of life?” In answer, the Lord, our Divine sponsor, reminds us that the Christ cradle and cross belong together. He tells all who will hear that you cannot rightly celebrate the beautiful baby without also remembering the crucified Christ. You cannot, having seen a Child wrapped in swaddling clothes, ignore the suffering Savior and resurrected Lord.
“And now a word from our sponsor.” Do those words make you cringe? They do me. Anyone who listens to the radio, who spends anytime in front of the television, has heard “And now a word from our sponsor.”
I’ve been told by scientists there is nothing faster than the speed of light. If they believe that, it’s only because they’ve never measured the speed with which I can hit the “search” button on my car radio, or how fast my thumb can whack the “change channel” button on the remote. I don’t want to have a comedian tell me how to save money by calling 800-something-or-other. I don’t want to see a man so stupid that he actually drives halfway across the country to take a package to “Fargo” when he should be delivering it in his own office building. I don’t want to sit through Madame Cleo telling me to have my psychic fortune read. I don’t want to see a commercial that advertises the latest miracle drug guaranteed to cure an illness they never mention. I don’t care what kind of underwear Michael Jordan wears. I don’t want to see someone lick the door handle of a car so he can claim it as his own. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I go ballistic when I hear, “And now a few words from our sponsor.”
Our age has been swept away in a hurricane of advertising. Words from the world’s sponsors fill the radio and TV waves like suffocating smog. Like zombies, we sit through advertising on TV. Like a turntable playing a scratched record, our brains repeat the last radio jingle over and over. You understand what I mean. Rent a movie; there are words from a sponsor. Pay for a ticket to the movies; there are words from a sponsor. Watch a professional sports program on TV and words from the sponsor are computer generated onto the bleacher walls. Words from our sponsor are stenciled onto any material that can be penetrated by a chemical dye.
“And now a word from our sponsor.” Of course, I shouldn’t complain. My age puts me out of the demographic target for ads. Our children and grandchildren have to run a commercial gauntlet far longer and more difficult than we. Children know what cereal to buy, because they know what prizes are in what box. They know their lives will be meaningless and bereft of purpose unless they can have the right clothes or the most fashionable toy. Years ago, a word from the world’s sponsors had parents trampling each other to adopt a Cabbage Patch doll which now sits orphaned on the closet shelf. A word from the world’s sponsors motivated parents to beg, borrow and steal the “Tickle Me Elmo,” who has stopped laughing because no one has held him in years. A word from the world’s sponsors had parents embark on a jihad to obtain “Furbee,” the fuzzy friend whose batteries now have been pulled to shut him up. A word from our sponsor said you could poke any man to get him out of your way to obtain the right Pokemon. This year, as the merchants of the world gear up for the traditional make-or-break Christmas season, I wouldn’t dare guess what the latest “word from our sponsor” will tell children and adults what they really need.
The closer it gets to Christmas, the worse it becomes. Through the use of smooth talk and blatant flattery, the world’s sponsors manipulate us. It doesn’t make any difference if we know what they’re doing. We still buy. We still think somewhere, somehow, their product will make us more popular, more powerful, more influential, more appreciated, applauded and adored. We believe their product will clear up our skin, stop our hair from falling out, consolidate our debts, and make our friends appreciate us when we call them collect. All we have to do is create perfect abs, use the world famous Australian hair remover and buy from a shopping channel — no payments until 2010; no interest until the next century. Forget keeping up with the Joneses — you have to keep up with yourself.
Now, this is the point where I, the minister, am supposed to launch into a tirade against them, the merchants, and you, the buyers. This is where I’m supposed to say, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” as if anybody could keep Him out. But I’m not gonna do it. Instead, I would like to give you a few words from MY sponsor, who also happens to be YOUR sponsor. I would like you to listen to what He has to say. I would like you to listen, my friends, because this sponsor has Good News of great joy for you. This sponsor wants to tell you about that which can bring you lasting happiness and joy. And most amazingly of all, there is not a single false or exaggerated claim, in anything He says.
Now before I go too far in this, let me share why I call God our “Sponsor.” The very first words of the Bible read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light:’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). From those opening sentences, we quickly learn that not only light but everything, EVERYTHING you can see, taste, feel, smell, touch, and a whole lot more beyond the measurement of your senses, was created by God. There is nothing you own, NOTHING, that does not come directly or indirectly from His hand. Look to the skies. On a really dark night when there is a clear sky, you can see more than 2,000 stars at one time. There are more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone and uncounted galaxies beyond that. Look at the thickest Christmas wish book, and know that all you see has been made by His blessing. Listen to your favorite Christmas record, tape or CD and know that He is the One who provided the pitches, the notations, the rhythms of the music, and the sounds of the instruments. Savor your favorite foods and know they have been provided because He willed it. Each beat of your heart, each synapse of your brain, each chromosome that makes you into you, have been sponsored by Him. If we knew nothing more about His sponsorship than that, it would be enough. But there is more — so much more.
When sin came into this world, very much against the wishes of our divine Sponsor; when humankind overrode what our Sponsor willed, He might have given up. He might have said, “We voided the warranty.” But He didn’t. This is one Sponsor who stands by what He has made. So that we who were condemned might be rescued from our sins, the Sponsor decreed, “Through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man (Jesus Christ) the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). That is the word from our Sponsor. We can be saved by the work of someone who would fulfill the law that we had broken. That wonderful word from our Sponsor is so great, so gracious, so generous, even the angels could not contain their enthusiasm. On the night this Man was born, they brought a word from our Sponsor. “Good news of great joy,” they said. “Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior,” they said. And who can be this Savior, this Good News, this great joy? There is only One that can fulfill the Sponsor’s promise. The angels said it: “Christ the Lord.”
The regular sponsors of this world believe they can sell any product, if it has “eye appeal.” Because of eye appeal, you regularly bring home giant, super, jumbo-sized, new and improved boxes that are half-empty. That’s what eye appeal will do. It gives you an empty promise concerning something you don’t need. That is not the way God, our heavenly Sponsor works. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, described the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross. He is a Man who has “no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). When Jesus was born, His bedroom was a stable; His cradle, a rough manger. Artists have tried to cleanse that picture over the centuries, but there was little eye appeal that first Christmas night. Did things get better as Jesus lived His life? Isaiah tells us: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering; we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5). Only our heavenly Lord could give us hope from the hatred that hounded His Son throughout a horrible life; only our heavenly Sponsor, and His great love, could bring about our triumph from His Son’s tragic death.
And now a word from our Sponsor. That word we give to you is Savior. Savior is the word that brings comfort to widow and widower as they stand before a casket in the cold graveyard. Savior is the word which brings peace to parents as they watch by the bedside of a sick child. Savior is the word which intensifies and solidifies the love of a bride and groom as they make a lifelong commitment to each other. Savior is the word from our Sponsor that changes everything. Because of the Savior, we who know Him, no longer live for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). Because of the Savior, we no longer chafe under the supervision of the law (Galatians 3:25). Because of the Savior, we are free to live a life of thanksgiving and devotion to the Sponsor who has saved us.
The word from our Sponsor is Savior. He needs no catch phrase or jingle to promote Him. He simply said He was “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14: 6). He didn’t use radio, television, newspapers, and magazines to get His name out. He didn’t employ famous athletes, movie stars or supermodels to make Him a household word. No, His spokespeople were prophets and priests, a tax collector, a murderer, a few fishermen, and the voice of a camel-clad, wild-haired wilderness wanderer. Each of them, by the Spirit’s inspiration, gave a Word from our Sponsor. They said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” They said, “God so loved the world, He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have everlasting life.” Through their words and writings, the world has heard “All who were weary and burdened could come to Him for rest” (Matthew 11:28).
The word from our Sponsor is Savior. Ours is a Savior who never called in a make up man, professional hairstylist, or talented photographer to improve His image. Unconcerned with the outside of people, He said He had come to seek and save the lost (Matthew 18:11). Jesus never established a global headquarters from which to send out bulk mailings. On the contrary, He had no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Jesus never used flattery and smooth talk to sway folks into following Him. Instead, He called them to repentance and the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17).
Those of you who have turned a deaf ear to this Savior and our Sponsor, stop and think. Do not tune Him out when you hear Him speak to you. Instead, this Christmas, as you hear words coming from other hucksters of the transient, ask yourself, “Can any of them claim and then deliver forgiveness, happiness, peace, joy, contentment and eternal life?” They may offer you kissable breath, or buns, abs, and brains of steel, but none of them can offer you an eternity in heaven. The world’s sponsors try to create a need within you; our Sponsor fulfills a need for you. The world’s sponsors try to sell you something, but our Sponsor gives you everything. If you, this Sunday, feel empty; if the promises of Christmases past are stuffed away on the top shelf of a closet, or a back bin in the garage, then it is time to hear this Sponsor. If you know; if you feel and believe there is more to life than trying to accumulate a pile of stuff that breaks, is outgrown, or goes out of style, we have good news for you. A word from our Sponsor. That word is Savior. Call the number we give you before the end of this program. Let us introduce you to your Sponsor and your Savior. It will, believe it or not, cost you absolutely nothing. You will never hear any offer any better.
And for those of you who have heard this word from our Sponsor, then rejoice. Like Isaiah, Matthew, Paul, and John, let your life be a witness to the Savior who has been born for you in Bethlehem. This holiday season at the bargain bin, don’t repay a shove with a push. Share the Savior. This Christmas time, don’t spend all your time searching for the blue-light special. Rather, worship Him who is the living light of this dark world. This season of preparation, decorate your hearts with repentance just as faithfully as you decorate your houses and trees.
This holy day season–well, maybe this will sum it all up–Jeffrey John was 5 years old. He was one of the shepherds in the Sunday school Christmas service. You know the shepherds–they wear bathrobes and sandals and carry plywood crooks. Jeffrey John was not a lead shepherd. He was just a common shepherd, standing in the back. But when it came time for the nativity, he crowded around to the front so he could see. Then, having seen, he stepped out to the congregation, and looking around, he cried out: “Mommy! Daddy! Mary had her baby, and it’s my Savior!” That’s what our Sponsor wants. He wants you to tell the world, the Word: “Mary had her baby, and He’s my Savior.” Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 8, 2002
ANNOUNCER: What is Advent? Is Advent more than just a run-up to Christmas? I’m Mark Eischer and we’ll be talking about this with Pastor Ken Klaus. For Christians, this is the time of Christmas, but it involves more than just Christmas, right?
KLAUS: Absolutely. We remember Advent. That’s the season we’re in right now. Advent is a time of preparation. As you ride around your neighborhood, you will see lights on the outside, trees on the inside with presents underneath. People prepare their houses with decorations; Christians prepare the house of their hearts through repentance. We are sorry for the sins we have committed, the sins that brought Jesus into the world and eventually to a cross. Then we remember Christmas. At that time of the year, the world gives gifts. They’re not exactly sure why they give them, but they do. Christians are different. We give our small gifts to remember God’s great gift of His Son for us. Then comes Epiphany.
ANNOUNCER: What is Epiphany?
KLAUS: Epiphany comes from a foreign word meaning “appearing.” Epiphany is when we remember the coming of the wise men to worship the baby Jesus. We also are reminded of how Jesus came and appeared to manifest His divine nature.
ANNOUNCER: Is the story of the wise men really all that important?
KLAUS: It is. Because, with the coming of those wise men, everybody in this world is sure Jesus has come to seek and save all the lost of this world.
ANNOUNCER: Let’s get back to where we are today. This is the season of Advent. Would we be right in saying Advent is the time Christians prepare for Christmas?
KLAUS: Yes. That’s right.
ANNOUNCER: But there’s still more to it, isn’t there?
KLAUS: There is. We are not just preparing for the gift of life, a baby’s birth. That’s what the secular world would have us believe. We are also remembering how Jesus became incarnate.
ANNOUNCER: Incarnate. That’s a twenty-five cent word.
KLAUS: Sorry, it means Jesus “became flesh.” Jesus, true God, became a true human being, one of us, so that He might save us.
ANNOUNCER: Is there still more to Advent?
KLAUS: Even more. Advent is also a time to get ready for when Jesus will come again. We want to be as ready for the coming of that day as we are for any Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: I guess that’s the whole point, isn’t it? That’s why Advent is also about how Jesus comes to us now, through His Word and Sacraments. He wants us to be ready for His return. And when He comes back, He won’t return as a little baby, will He?
KLAUS: No, Mark. He won’t be coming back as a baby. He will come as the Judge of this world. That’s a pretty far cry from coming as an infant. And that is one time we want to be really prepared.
ANNOUNCER: And that ultimately is the purpose of the church calendar, isn’t it? To get us prepared, to keep us ready?
KLAUS: You’ve got it, Mark. The church calendar does a lot of things. It frees parishioners from a pastor who might be inclined to preach on his own pet peeves. It helps shape our lives. It unites believers around the world with a common time of sharing. But most of all it keeps us focused on Christ and His redeeming work. When we do that, we are truly prepared for the time when time will be banished, and believers in Jesus as their Savior begin an endless celebration of joy in heaven.
ANNOUNCER: And that will be better than any Christmas?
KLAUS: Better than the best earthly Christmas ever.
ANNOUNCER: As the Christmas angels said, that is “Good News of great joy.”
KLAUS: It is. Advent is a time to prepare for Christ’s coming — then, now, and at the end of time, preparing to meet Him who gave Himself for us.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor. With that we come to the end of our broadcast for another week. The next Lutheran Hour message is titled, “Always Joyful.”