332 Savior of the Nations, Come:
Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our savior and savior of the nations, of the whole world. Amen.
When pastor Eckels told Case and myself, that each of us needs to preach on an advent hymn during the midweek services, I came up with this hymn "Savior of the Nations, Come", the very next day. And he said, that quick?
Yes. He didn't know that it's not my idea. It just happened my son Enyan and I had been doing devotions with the children's hymnal book, "My first hymnal" from cph. Every time he pointed to this hymn, "hm, hm," here I translate for him, "sing this song dad, this song".
I don't know how much of the text he understands, or maybe it's more of the melody that attracts him so much. Don't get me me wrong. It's one of my favorite hymns as well. Any good hymn such as this one is already a good sermon, preaching on its own.
So here we are. This hymn was written by Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century, at least stanzas 1-7, as the last stanza "doxology" somewhere existed already towards the end of 2nd century.
Originally it was written in Latin. Martin Luther translated it into German in the 16th century. Our English edition was based on Luther's German text. We will go through this hymn bit by bit, reflecting upon this greatest mystery in human history, which we call in theology "incarnation," God became Man, and reflecting on its implication for you and me, and for the whole world, for all nations.
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
"Stanza 1 is a call for the Virgin's Son to come and make His home among us and for all creation, heaven and earth, to marvel that the Lord of all 'chose such a birth'; that is, He took on human flesh and became one of us except without sin."
This call, or petition was probably the reason why Luther put this hymn in Advent rather than in Christmas, although you can tell the whole hymn is very Christmasy.
What's marvelous is not just that our Lord Savior came here on earth from heaven, or that Joseph and Mary gave Jesus a temporary home in a stable, or that they parented Jesus in their humble home, just as all other parents did at that time, or just that he came among us, but also, especially that He came into Virgin Mary's Womb, calling it home, home, at least for the whole pregnancy, roughly 9-10 months.
I want to stretch on that further. Anyone who has experienced or witnessed childbirth knows that it's bloody and even messy, yet the Lord chose such a birth.
When the Lord of life, the Lord of creation, chose such a way to be born here, what does it mean for you and me? It meant a different way of rebirth, regeneration for us, that is through clear water of baptism, without blood, birth into Heaven, our eternal home, away from this messy world, away from the natural birth that is always marred by birth pain, illnesses, and even death, since the fall of Adam and Eve.
2 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.
"Stanza 2 proclaims that the Word of God, Christ the Lord, who was 'in the beginning' (John 1:1), became flesh like us not through any human agency but 'by the Spirit of our God."
Christ has real human flesh and blood through Mary, yet He was not conceived by the will of man nor the will of flesh, but by the Spirit of God. So that we who believe in Him, as John says in John 1:12-13 "To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
He is the Woman's offspring as God promised to Adam and Eve after the fall. Genesis 3:15 "I will put enmity between you (that is Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring." The Only Woman's Offspring who is pure and fresh, apart from sin, is the promised Savior for Adam and Eve and all who are born in sin, including us. The Promise was fulfilled in Jesus, Son of Virgin Mary.
In a sense, we are offsprings or children of the Woman, that is Christ's bride, the Church. Luther explains in the third article of our Creed: "In this Christian church He, the Holy Spirit, daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers." We become pure and fresh by the ministry of Christ's church, through the Word and Sacraments.
3 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.
"Stanza 3 continues the thought that while 'here a maid was found child,' she remained a virgin and that the child in the mother's womb was the God who was 'there upon His throne.'"
It resonates with stanza 1. God was not only making Mary's Womb His temporary home but also setting up His throne there. When the world sees throne as a symbol of power in military or economic strength, God sets His throne in vulnerability, in a virgin's Womb. He is the Truth, being shown, revealed to the whole humanity, as He was encircled by human flesh.
You see in this stanza, Mary seems to be the primary focus: she was found with child, yet remaining a virgin. In the church tradition, Mary was called "Mother of God." Mary should be honored in every way, yet this title for Mary is to defend Christ's divinity. It is always about Christ, about who He is and what He has done for us. We Lutherans also uphold this doctrine. The Book of Concord says in the Formula of Concord (Solid Declaration): Article VIII, concerning the person of Christ paragraph 24:
"He demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother's womb, in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore, she remained truly the Mother of God and at the same time a virgin."
Some may say, how could it be? Nothing is impossible with God. The Gospels also record that Jesus walked into the room while the doors were shut, and He walked away from the tomb without the door ever opened for him. Matthew 28 said it's the angel who rolled away the giant stone afterwards.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
Philippians 2:6-8 "Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Stepping forth, coming down, His heroic course began at His incarnation, the moment of His conception in His mother Mary's womb. His home and throne were in heaven with God the Father, yet He chose a temporary home and set up His throne here on earth, in Mary's Womb.
This “stepping forth” can also refer to His birth, out of the womb, from His pure and kingly hall, since in the previous stanza, it says: "God was there upon His throne." What a marvelous birth.
Yet, we also see at this moment, that the mystery and the might of His power has always been hidden in a sense. Imagine that Rumors were going around when Mary was pregnant. When Jesus was born, surely, the humble living condition did not match His glorious dignity as the Lord of All.
And today, we know Jesus only through the preaching of His words, the holy scriptures. It seems weak to the world. When the Gospel reaches our ears and through ears into our heart, Christ has built His pure and kingly hall again and set up His throne there. Christ's true glory is hidden as well, in our Christian life.
Christians, and Christ's church, what do we look like to the rest of the world? Nothing to brag about, probably only weaknesses and humility in the eyes of the unbelieving world. It may seem messy and even bloody as well, as the church suffers persecution, consequences of sins, apostasy, unbelief, and, etc.
The world may only hear our confession of sins, but pay no attention to the Absolution, forgiveness of sins announced to us every Sunday. The world does not quite understand that, until they also receive Him through faith. Afterall, the church is in labor-pain, giving birth to new life that awaits the final day.
John 16: 21 "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." Thus, we are also looking forward to the final deliverance, into the new world God prepares for us.
Finally, He would lift us up into His eternal home and His kingly hall in heaven where the true glory dwells. His humility means our glory, His coming down means our going up, God became son of Man, means that we become children of God. This heroic course has a beginning and an end, from Heaven, down earth, into Virgin Mary's Womb, into our heart, and back in Heaven.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
His heroic course pierces through death and Hell and makes its way back to God the Father, back to "His throne and crown" in heaven, so that whoever follows His course, His Way, will not perish but will be delivered from hell and death, and gifted with heaven and eternal life. Matthew 16:18b "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 1 Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
If Christ has already went down into hell, then there is really no part of the earth where He has not touched with His flesh. This is His mission and also our mission, to declare His Way of salvation to all nations, to shout out loud, at every corner here on earth. We are forerunners and heralds, like John the Baptist, for our King, and the King of the whole world.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
Victory has been won, in flesh, on the heroic cross and in the empty tomb. God must die in flesh because it is our humanity, our sick body and soul that need cure, healing, and salvation. His mighty power is revealed in flesh and through flesh: His conception, birth and ministry, His suffering, death, and resurrection, to "make whole all our ills of flesh and soul."
In stanza 1, you see the earthly identity of Jesus: Virgin's Son; and here in stanza 6, you see the heavenly identity of Him: the Father's Son. The mortal flesh and soul become immortal, as we become children of God the Father through His Son.
The victory is won for us, in flesh. He ascended into Heaven, not without flesh, for this is the whole point of our salvation. Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father, in flesh, with whole humanity, praying for us daily, asking for mercy and all the goodness we need. Sick bodies and sinful souls are cured, glorified, and restored to its wholeness in Christ. Ephesians 2:4-6 "God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ... raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
Stanza 7 is a recap of the whole salvation story: The image of the light has not been used, at least not directly, in this hymn until now in this stanza. It seems like a sudden shift in its thematic contour. Womb, flesh, home, throne, birth, etc. Yet, the image of the light has been there in the background.
Afterall, the hymn relies so much on the beginning chapter of the Gospel of John. "In the beginning was the Word... In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
Every home needs light during the night. The eternal Light was hidden in the Womb. God was there in the womb upon His throne," and the womb was "His pure and kingly Hall," which must be full of light. If it's so for every earthly king, then it must be so for the King of kings, our Lord savior Jesus Christ. And He is the Light shining in this pure and kingly Hall, just as Revelation 22:5 "And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light."
Then, "From the manger newborn light," this Light stepped forth into this world, shining through the night, the very first night when He was born, when there was no room for him and his family. Yet, "darkness there no more resides." Luke 1:78 "because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."
How do we live in this light? By faith, not by sight. "In this light faith now abides." We still experience darkness in this world, around us, and even in us sometimes. Death still happens here and there, everyday, every second. Yet, by faith, we know, this Light has conquered darkness and death, sin and hell. Thus, we are waiting in hope for the final revelation of this Light, our Savior Jesus Christ who will come as promised.
8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
This stanza is everywhere, in our liturgy, in many hymns as a closing stanza. I will only say this: Why do we constantly give glory to each person of the Holy Trinity? It is because our salvation is accomplished by all three persons in one: God the Father sends God the Son to be born on earth and die for our sins and the sins of the world. God the Holy Spirit causes the conception of the Son in flesh through Virgin Mary and continues giving life and new-birth to us by calling us to the Son Jesus through the proclamation of the Gospel, forgiving us and renewing us daily.
So, we say and sing: Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and through eternity. Amen.
332 Savior of the Nations, Come:
圣诗讲道：“万民救主到世上”
刘富涛 12-11-2024
恩惠、平安从父上帝和主耶稣基督归于你们，耶稣基督是我们的救主，也是万国万民、全世界的救赎主。阿们。
主任牧师Eckels告诉Case和我，我们每个人需要基于一首将临期圣诗讲一篇道的时候，我第二天就告诉他我要使用的圣诗：“万民救主到世上”。他说，这么快就确定了？
是的，但是他不知道的是，这不是我选的。我的儿子恩言和我在家里一起灵修的时候，他每次都指着这首诗歌说，“嗯、嗯、嗯，”我给的翻译是：“爸爸，唱这首，唱这首圣诗”。
我不知道他对歌词意思理解多少，或许只是这首圣诗的旋律吸引了他。不要误会，这也是我最喜欢的圣诗之一。任何一首类似的圣诗本身就是一篇好的讲道，让我们受益匪浅。
下面我们看下这首圣诗的背景。这首圣诗是第四世纪的米兰主教安波罗修，至少前七节是他写的，最后一节我们称为“荣耀颂”，第二世纪末就已经流传了。
最开始的时候安波罗修是用拉丁文写的，第16世纪的时候，马丁路德把它翻译成德语。我们所读到的英语版本是基于路德的德语文本翻译来的。我们接下来会一节挨着一节讲解此圣诗，默想人类历史上这最伟大的奥秘，我们神学上称为“道成肉身，”就是上帝成为人，并且一起默想这对我们意味着什么，对全世界和万国万民来说意味着什么。
1 万民救主到世上，童女之子此为乡。
天上地下齐惊叹，主竟卑微从天降。
"第一节是呼求童女之子的到来，并且恳求祂居住在我们中间，所有受造物，天上地下都要惊叹，万有的主竟然选择如此的降生，祂取了肉身，成为我们的一员，只是没有罪。”
这呼求和祈祷可能是路德把这首圣诗用在将临期而不是圣诞节的原因，当然我们可以看到，整首圣诗非常适合圣诞节。
我们惊叹，我们的主救主从天上降下来到地上，惊叹约瑟和马利亚在马棚里给耶稣预备了临时的家，惊叹他们就像当时的其他家庭一样在不富裕的家中养育主耶稣，我们惊叹祂也来到我们中间，但我们特别应该惊叹的是，祂来到童女马利亚的子宫中，将之成为家，至少是马利亚怀胎9-10个月期间是如此的。
我想在这个思路上延伸一下。任何经历过或者亲眼目睹过孩子出生的都知道，那个场面是血腥的，甚至有点凌乱不堪，但主选择了这样的降生。
当赐生命的主，万有的主，选择这样的方式降生的时候，这对你我来说意味着什么呢？意味着我们以另外一种不同的方式重生，就是藉着圣洗礼清洁的水，没有血，如此重生进入天国，我们永恒的家园，脱离这凌乱不堪的世界，从我们天然的出生中拯救出来，因为我们天然的出生自从亚当和夏娃堕落以来，总是伴有产痛，疾病，甚至死亡。
2. 非从血气人意生，乃靠圣灵而成孕。
女人后裔纯而真，道成肉身恩丰盛。
“第二节宣讲上帝的道，主基督，祂就是“太初”（约翰福音1:1），取了肉身跟我们一样，却不是藉着人成孕的，而是藉着我们的神的灵。”
我们知道基督藉着马利亚拥有真实的血肉之躯，但祂不是靠着人意或凭着血气，而是藉着上帝的圣灵成孕的。好让我们信靠祂的人，就像约翰福音1:12-13所说的“凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄作 神的儿女。这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从 神生的。"
祂是那女人的后裔，上帝在亚当夏娃犯罪之后曾应许给他们的。创世记3:15 "我又要叫你(撒旦）和女人彼此为仇； 你的后裔和女人的后裔也彼此为仇。 女人的后裔要伤你的头； 你要伤他的脚跟。"这唯一没有罪，纯而真的女人后裔，只能是应许给亚当和夏娃的救赎主，也是我们所有生在罪中之人的救赎主。这应许在耶稣，童女马利亚儿子的身上成就了。
也可以说，我们是另外一位女人的后裔和儿女，她就是基督的新娘，教会。路德在我们信经的第三部分中这样讲解：“在这基督教会，圣灵每日多多的赦免我和众信徒一切的罪。”我们成为纯而真的，是藉着基督教会的事工，就是透过圣道和圣礼实现 的。
3. 圣母圣婴圣善夜，童女生子纯无邪，
她腹中显出真理，上帝宝座在那里。
“第三节继续这个主题，童女生子，然而她仍然“纯无邪”，意思就是仍然是童女，而她腹中的婴孩就是上帝，祂的宝座在那里。”
这个主题呼应了第一节。上帝不仅使马利亚的子宫成为了祂临时的家，而且也在其中设立祂的宝座。当这个世界以为宝座一定是权力的符号，军事或者经济的力量的时候，上帝却在脆弱中设立祂的宝座，就是在童女的子宫里。主基督是真理，显出，启示给整个人类，正如祂被血肉之躯完全包裹一样。
在这一节，马利亚看起来是我们的焦点：她怀孕生子，仍然“纯无邪”。教会传统中，马利亚被称为“上帝之母。”马利亚应该被尊敬，任何方式都不过分，但是这个给马利亚的称呼是为了捍卫基督的神性。一切都是关于基督的，关于祂是谁，祂为我们做了什么。我们路德会也高举这个教义。我们的认信文件协同式第八款论到基督位格有这样的话：
“祂在祂母亲的子宫中显明了祂的神性威荣，因为祂从童女而出却没有破坏她的童真。因此，她应当确实被尊称为‘上帝之母，’同时仍然是童女。”
有些人会说，这怎么可能呢？在神是无所不能的。福音书也记载这样的事：1 门徒们出于恐惧紧闭门栓，而耶稣径直走了进去；2 祂复活的时候墓门是关着的却径直走了出来。马太福音28记载，是天使之后把墓门大石头移开的。
4. 万有之主离天庭，舍弃荣华成肉身，
真神之神亦为人，救赎之路已启程。
腓立比书2:6他本有 神的形象， 不以自己与 神同等为强夺的； 7反倒虚己， 取了奴仆的形象， 成为人的样式； 8既有人的样子，就自己卑微， 存心顺服，以至于死， 且死在十字架上。
离天庭，降下，祂的救赎之路从在祂的母亲马利亚的子宫里就开始，从道成肉身就开始。祂的家和宝座本来是在天上父上帝的面前，然而祂选择一个临时的家，并且在地上设立了祂的宝座，特别是在马利亚的子宫中。
这“离天庭，”也可以说是指着祂的出生，从马利亚的腹中出来，从荣华的天庭中出来，因为上第一节说了，“上帝宝座在那里。”
是的，我们这个时候也看到，祂权柄的奥秘和能力某种意义上总是隐藏的。我们可以想象：马利亚怀孕期间，有多少的流言蜚语。当耶稣降生的时候，卑微寒舍也肯定配不上祂作为万有之主的荣耀尊位。
而今天，我们知道，只有藉着祂话语的宣讲，圣经的宣读，我们才认识耶稣。这对世人来说是太软弱。当福音传进我们的耳朵，藉着耳朵进入我们的心，基督也在我们心里设立祂的宝座，使其成为祂的天庭。而基督真正的荣耀，在我们基督徒的生命中也是隐藏的。
基督徒啊，基督的教会啊，我们对这个世界来说算什么呢？没有一点可以夸耀的，或许在不信的世人眼中，他们看见的只是软弱和卑微。教会看起来也是凌乱不堪，甚至有些血腥，因为教会历史历代以来都是在经受逼迫，罪的后果，不信和背道，等等。
然而这个世界仅仅听到我们认罪的声音，却不曾留意宣赦的信息，每个主日，每一次聚会主向我们宣告赦免。这个世界不能理解这一点，除非他们也凭着信心迎接主耶稣。事实上，教会总是在经历产痛，赐下新生命，等候最终得赎的日子。
约翰福音16:21 " 妇人生产的时候就忧愁，因为她的时候到了；既生了孩子，就不再记念那苦楚，因为欢喜世上生了一个人。"同样，我们也在等候最终的得赎，进入上帝为我们预备的新世界。
最后，耶稣再来的时候，祂一定会带领我们进入祂永恒的天家和天庭，那里是祂真正的荣耀完全彰显的地方。祂如今的降卑意味着我们得荣耀，祂降下意味着我们高升，上帝成为人子，好让我们成为神的儿女。这救赎之路有起点，也有终点，从天上，到地上，进入马利亚的子宫，进入我们的心，返回天堂。
5. 从父而来归父去，击败死亡和地狱。
阴间之门曾走过，凯旋荣耀回宝座。
祂的救赎之路穿过死亡和地狱，返回天父上帝面前，“凯旋荣耀回宝座。”以致于我们跟随祂的道路和脚踪的人，不至灭亡，反得永生，脱离地狱和死亡，获得天堂和永生。马太福音16:18下“阴间的权柄不能胜过他。”哥林多前书15:55 “死啊！你得胜的权势在哪里？ 死啊！你的毒钩在哪里？"
如果基督已经下到地狱，那么这世上就不再有任何一块地方是祂没有用自己的身体触摸过的。这就是祂的事工，也是我们的事工，向万国万民宣扬祂的救恩之路，在世上每一个角落高呼。我们就像施洗约翰一样，是我们王的开路先锋，我们的王也是所有世人的王。
6 天父所爱独生子，赢得赦免胜罪恶。
求主大能医治我，身体灵魂得存活。
胜利已经为我们赢得，在肉身中赢得的，在祂救赎的十字架上，在空坟墓中。上帝必须在肉身中死亡，因为是我们的人性，我们有病的身体和灵魂需要医治和救赎。祂的大能是在肉身中，也是藉着肉身显现的：祂的成孕，出生和事工，祂的受难，死亡和复活，要让我们得医治，“身体灵魂得存活。”
第一节你看到的事耶稣属地的身份：童女之子；在这一节，你看见祂属天的身份：天父爱子。会朽坏的身体和灵魂成为不朽坏的，而我们也藉着父上帝的爱子成为祂所爱的儿女。
这胜利是在肉身中为我们赢得的。祂升入天堂，并非是不带着肉身，因为这是我们救赎的全部。基督带着整个人性坐在父上帝的右边，每日为我们代祷，为我们祈求怜悯和所需的一切良善。有病的身体和有罪的灵魂得医治，得了荣耀，并且重新复原，都是在基督里发生的。以弗所书2:4-6 "然而， 神既有丰富的怜悯，因他爱我们的大爱，当我们死在过犯中的时候，便叫我们与基督一同活过来。你们得救是本乎恩。他又叫我们与基督耶稣一同复活，一同坐在天上。”
7 卑微马槽明又亮，神圣荣耀放光芒。
驱散乌云和黑暗，信心永住在真光。
第七节是我们整个救赎历史的总结：光这个形象在这节之前几乎没有直接使用。所以这里看起来是一个突兀的转折。子宫，肉身，家，宝座，等等。然而这光的形象就隐藏在背景中。
毕竟，这首圣诗非常依赖约翰福音的开篇经文。“太初有道...生命在祂里头，这生命就是人的光。光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光。”
每一个家在夜晚都需要光。而永恒之光就隐藏在马利亚的子宫里。“上帝宝座在那里。”马利亚的子宫是祂的“天庭，”一定是充满了光。如果每个地上的君王的宫殿是如此的，那么对于万王之王来说更是如此，祂是我们的主救主耶稣基督。祂就是那真光，照耀在天庭中，正如启示录22:5 “不再有黑夜；他们也不用灯光、日光，因为主神要光照他们。”
“卑微马槽明又亮，”这真光踏进了这个黑暗的世界，在夜晚发光，在耶稣出生的那个夜晚，既使没有地方给祂和祂的家人。然而，“乌云和黑暗”不再。路加福音1:78-79 "因我们 神怜悯的心肠， 叫清晨的日光从高天临到我们， 要照亮坐在黑暗中死荫里的人， 把我们的脚引到平安的路上。"
我们如何居住在这真光中？不是凭着眼见，而是凭着信心。“信心永住在真光。”我们或许在世上仍然经历黑暗，在我们身旁，甚至也在我们里面。死亡仍然到处发生，每一天，甚至每一秒。但，凭着信心，我们知道，这真光已经胜过黑暗和死亡，罪和地狱。因此，我们在盼望中等候这真光最终的显现，祂是我们的救主耶稣基督，必要按照应许的再来。
8 颂扬天父齐歌唱，颂扬神子新生王。
颂扬圣灵保惠师，三一真神永久长。
最后一节称为“荣耀颂，”经常在我们的崇拜仪文中出现，也常常作为圣诗的末尾一节。我会简单说下：为什么我们要常常归荣耀给圣三一上帝的每一位格呢？因为我们的救赎是这同为一的三位格共同完成的：天父上帝差遣圣子上帝来降生到地上，为我们的罪死，为全人类的罪死。圣灵上帝使圣子在肉身中成孕，由童女马利亚所生，并且继续藉着福音的宣讲带领我们亲近圣子耶稣，带领我们归回天父上帝，祂赐给我们生命和新生，每一天赦免更新我们。
因此我们高唱：颂扬天父，神子和圣灵，永久长。阿们。