First Trinity Lutheran Church

5 January 2025

The Epiphany of Our Lord

Ringing of the Bell

– The bell rings as the call to worship, reminding us to discontinue conversation and reverently prepare for worship.

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Lutheran Service Book Divine Service Setting Three

Stand

397 As with Gladness Men of Old LSB 397

1 As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright;
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Evermore be led by Thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to Thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
Thee, whom heav’n and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

3 As they offered gifts most rare
At Thy cradle, rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heav’nly King.

4 Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

5 In the heav’nly country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
Thou its sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King.

Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the TSon and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

Exhortation

P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.

Confession of Sins

P O almighty God, merciful Father,

C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

Absolution

P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the TSon and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

P Let us pray.

O God, by the leading of a star You made known Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles. Lead us, who know You by faith, to enjoy in heaven the fullness of Your divine presence; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

Sit

Psalm Psalm 72:1–11

Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!

May they fear you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
May desert tribes bow down before him
and his enemies lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 60:1–6

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Epistle Ephesians 3:1–12

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel Matthew 2:1–12

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the second chapter.

C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

Sit

398 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed LSB 398

1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.

2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.

3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.

4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever—
That name to us is Love.

Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon - Pastor Eric Ash

The Epiphany C January 5, 2025 Matthew 2:1-12

To the Motion Be True

Today, as we said, is the Epiphany of Our Lord, the day we recall the visit of the Wise Men to the Christ child. There are certain points that pastors almost always bring up about the narrative of the Wise Men whenever they preach on this text. Let’s look at those first.

Often the Wise men are called Kings. The Wise Men are not called Kings in Matthew’s gospel. Both the Old Testament reading and our Psalm talk about kings coming to worship the Lord. That is probably where the tradition of calling the Wise Men Kings comes from. While they may not have been literal kings, they do appear to have been from the educated upper class of the day. They might have been royalty.

The Bible doesn’t say how many Wise Men there were. Three was inferred by the number of gifts that are mentioned, which we’ll say more about later. But there could have been two Wise Men or a hundred Wise Men. We simply don’t know. Not knowing the exact number of Wise Men and knowing they are not called Kings, may explain why the hymn We Three Kings of Orient Are is not found in our hymnal. I grew up singing that hymn; I rather like it despite the inaccuracy.

One of the things I like about We Three Kings of Orient Are is that it explains the meaning behind the three gifts. Isiash’s prophecy, our Old Testament reading, mentions frankincense and gold. Gold is easy to explain. It a gift fit for a king. The gift of gold represents Christ’ kingship. Frankincense was not an ancient Middle Eastern horror movie. Frankincense was burned in temples as an offering to a deity. The gift of frankincense says to us that Jesus is God. Years ago, my daughter gave me a bar of soap infused with frankincense and myrrh, that I keep in my office. I love the aroma. Whenever I smell it, it lifts my spirits.

Myrrh can be used as a perfume or an ointment. It could also be used be as a pain killer. Myrrh points to Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. As the song We Three Kings puts it: Myrrh is… bitter perfume; Breathes of life of gathering gloom; Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying; Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. The three gifts taken together show us Jesus Christ as King and God and Sacrifice.

The Wise Men studied the stars. We might call them astronomers or astrologers. The line between science, astrology, and the occult was not clearly drawn then. The study of science grew out of theology, as people of faith attempted to understand God’s Creation better. We do not approve of astrology, but it is easy to see how someone could imagine that the movement of bodies in the heavens might affect events here on earth, like the moon affects the tides. Certainly God, the Creator of all, can choose to use physical signs to convey messages if He so desires. Jesus said there will be signs in the heavens before his return.

Whatever the Wise Men saw, it convinced them that a new King was born in Judea. The Wise men were wise enough to know that. What they saw exactly, we don’t know. Artists and hymn writers and others have guessed that they saw a comet or an alignment of stars and planets or some other dramatic celestial event, maybe a super nova. I’ve looked at star charts for December 25, 1 A.D., and nothing unusual can be found there. Perhaps this was a one-of-a-kind phenomenon that God cooked up just for that occasion. That seems likely to me, but we simply don’t know.

The typical Nativity scene with the angles and Wise men all at the manger together is not exactly what the Bible describes. Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth has angels and shepherds, but no wise men. Matthew’s account has no shepherds or angels but has the Wise Men finding Jesus in a house. When King Herod realizes the Wise men had tricked him, he sends out his death squads to kill all male babies in Bethlehem under two years old. The arrival of the Wise men then must have happened sometime well after Jesus was born. That is why in the Church Year we celebrate the Epiphany 12 days after Christmas, to represent the passage of time.

Despite whenever they arrived, and whatever the star was, or how many Wise Men there were, what is most significant about the Wise Men visiting the Christ child is that they were the first gentiles to worship Jesus. The Jews were chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world. But salvation was not for the Jews alone. God expanded the reach of His salvation to all peoples and nations through Jesus. The Good news of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrections is for everyone. That’s what the Epiphany tells us.

Now let’s change gears a little bit. Imagine the experience of the Wise Men when they first saw that star and understood what it meant. Perhaps that is what they had been looking for their whole lives. They wanted to follow that star and find that newborn infant King. But they knew the journey would be long and hard. It meant leaving their homes and families. They couldn’t be sure exactly where they were going or what they would find when they got there. Attentive to the Holy Spirit, trusting a God they barely knew, they decided to embark on the journey.

God’s people always seem to be going somewhere. God called Abraham to leave his home and go to a far-off land he had never seen. That must have been hard for Abraham to do, but he had faith in God. In his new homeland, God guarded and prospered Abraham. Abaham’s son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob, both had to travel great distances to find wives. Through their children, God’s promises were passed from one generation to the next. Jacob’s son Joseph, through nasty circumstances, found himself far from home in Egypt as a slave. But God was with Joseph even there, and God raised him to a position of power and authority. When famine struck his father’s and brothers’ homeland, they went to Egypt and there Joseph provided for them. It was all God’s plan.

When a new Pharoah took the throne in Egypt, he enslaved the Israelites living there. But God heard His people’s cries and sent Moses to free them. God led His people through the Red Sea to freedom. Then God led them by a pillar of cloud and by a pillar of fire by night, for forty years, feeding them manna along the way, until He had them take possession of the Promised Land.

Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. The prophecy was fulfilled that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. Like Joseph in the Old Testament, Jesus’ foster father Joseph also went to Egypt. In that way God saved the Holy Family from Herod’s wrath. When the time was right, God told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back home. Jesus never traveled the world, but his ministry took him all over what we call the Holy Land, culminating in Jerusalem, the capital city, where he would be capitally punished but would rise again. His Apostles took his message of grace and salvation all over the world.

Our forbearers in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod came to the United States from the German territory of Prussia in the 1820s to escape oppression and practice their confessional Lutheran faith. Immigrants from Germany, including the Vossler, Gallman, and Brandes families founded this congregation in the 1850s. This church has been a beacon of Christian orthodoxy for people who came to Wellsville to work in the tanning industry, the oil companies, Dresser-Rand, Jones Memorial Hospital, and other places.

Many of you here today have made journeys; off to college or the military, off to new jobs and careers, and then sometimes home again. Our congregation has supported missions in foreign lands, taking the gospel there when we could not go ourselves. Who knows where God will lead us next? God’s people do seem to be at their best when they are willing to step out in faith to go wherever it is God is leading them.

Lately I have found that song lyrics can sometimes express my thoughts better than I can myself. This is from a song by a musician named Bruce Cockburn. I think it summarizes our Christian mission and calling:

These shoes have seen some strange streets, stranger still to come.

Sometimes the prayers of strangers, are all that keep them from,

Trying to stay static, something even death can’t do.

Everything is motion, to the motion be true.

How is God moving in your life? Where is God calling you to in 2025? What does He have for you to do? In His grace, He will give you answers in his time, just as He did for the Wise Men. And may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Votum

P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

C Amen.

Stand

Apostles' Creed

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life T everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS

In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For humble and grateful hearts enlightened by the Gospel, that we would always bow down and worship the King and willingly offer Him the most precious gifts we have to give, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the Church, that God’s people may be united in doctrine, live in harmony and peace, and labor together to bring the light of Christ to those still dwelling in darkness and death, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the leaders of the nations, that God would endow them with justice and fill them with wisdom, compassion and care; and that, unlike Herod, they would seek to uphold life and watch over the welfare of the governed, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For those who need the comfort of the Lord’s presence, healing according to His will, relief of suffering, and an end to the terrors of mind and heart, [especially those for whom our prayers have been requested, _____________, and those we name in our hearts,] that He would sustain the weary with His Word, the wounded with hope and the dying with peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

May Your light shine on us and bring forth the fruits of repentance in our daily lives. Give us confidence in Your Word, that we would embrace Your holy will without fear. Hear and answer us, we pray, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Pax Domini LSB 197

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

Sit

Offertory Invitation

Scripture tells us "God loves a cheerful giver." Let us with gladness, then, now give our tithes and offerings to the Lord.

The Choir sings the Offertory as the offerings are being collected.

Stand

955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful LSB 955

1 Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
And fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
That we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and the dreams of all;
Unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with Your presence, and give us
A foretaste of the feast to come.

Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004199

Offertory Prayer

Almighty Father, accept and bless these gifts which we offer in thanksgiving in the Eucharist, free us from our sins and prepare us for the glorious coming of your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT

Preface LSB 194

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them up unto the Lord.

P Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.

C It is meet and right so to do.

Proper Preface

P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Sanctus

C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;

heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

The Words of Our Lord

P On the night, in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same also, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Lord's Prayer Invitation

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. . .

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven;

give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those

who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory

forever and ever. Amen.

Fraction

P Come for all things are now ready, the gifts of God for the people of God.

C Amen.

Agnus Dei

C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.

Sit

The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:

Distribution

The body of Christ, given for you.

Amen.

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

Amen.

Stand

In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:

The Dismissal

P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart Tin peace.

C Amen.

Nunc Dimittis

C Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,

for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,

a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thanksgiving

P O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,

C and His mercy endureth forever.

Post Communion Prayer

P We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

C Amen.

Post-Communion Collect

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

Benediction

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and Tgive you peace.

C Amen, amen, amen.

411 I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light LSB 411

1 I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus. Refrain

ref In Him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

2 I want to see the brightness of God.
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path,
And show me the way to the Father. Refrain

3 I’m looking for the coming of Christ.
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
We shall know the joy of Jesus. Refrain

CLOSING RESPONSE

P Go in Peace! Serve the Lord!

C Praise be to God!

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.