" Savior of the Nations Come"

     During the course of a Sunday service, you might find yourself flipping through the Lutheran Hymnal and fall upon hymn #95.  Hymn 95 or titled as "Savior of the Nations"is  written by Martin Luther.  Luther's message is that God sent His only Son into the world to be crucified so that we sinners may live in His eternal kingdom. Jesus is the Savior of World yet He arrived by a humble birth.  Christ, unlike us,was born holy and pure, by means of a virgin. Since we are born into sin, we are slaves to it. To free us from our bondage, Jesus conquered sin, death, and the devil. So by His blood all people can be in His holy kingdom.
     In the hymn Luther celebrates God's gift to mankind: Jesus. To engage the reader he uses the tool of description. In which the he describes the manger as brightly shining because Christ is the light of world who takes aways the sin of the world.  Christ's light is so bright that no power of hell or schemes of men could ever snuff it out.  Since having the joy of Jesus in our hearts we should allow our daily life to reflect that light. When the final days of our lives come we have the comfort to know Christ conquered all so that we may join Him in everlasting happiness.

Sermon Diagnostic

      Rev. Borghardt and Jonanthan Edwards are both influential men of God's church. But their central message's are vastly different.  Edwards lived in the time of the Great Awakening and desired to return to orthodoxy and the ardent faith of the Puritans. His approach was the "fire and brimstone" technique , in which he would focus on the horrors of hell for sinners in is sermon. His way to increase and maintain piety was to subject fear into his congregation. His sermon conveyed God's vengeance toward sinners and the fierceness of His wrath. Edward preaches of the horrendous consequences of hell and Christans to be in constant fear of punishment.
     Whereas Rev. Borghardt preached a message of  hope and the great love of our God. His sermon was given on All Saints Day assuming the sermon would honor the saints. But Rev. Broghardt gave all honor and glory to the creator of the saints, God. In order for us to be seen as saints in God eyes, the Lamb was slain. Through Christ's death and resurrection we are set apart as God's holy ones. Jesus died so that we may live and reign forever with Him. Rev. Borghardt stresses that God wanted us and got us through baptism. We belong to Him.  Also he explains we should not fear the troubles of this earth. Because Christ came therefore there are blessings and we are going to a better place.  As Rev. Borghart says so beautifully " when we are told we don't have time left, it's God's way of saying He can't bare to live without you anymore."