"Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” The Lord is the author and Creator of all things. He is above all creation, and yet He fills every bit of the cosmos with His Word and Spirit. By His Word the universe was made, and His gracious hand sustains all that is and all that shall ever be. From the tiniest subatomic particle to the largest star, the Lord has formed each and every one according to His design.

Who can declare the things of God? Who can do what He has done, or even speak of all the wonders of His works? No one. The Scriptures proclaim that the glory of the Lord is beyond description, beyond compare. The Lord is God, and there is none other. Confess, and do not deny, but confess the glory of the Lord, in all His overwhelming splendor and majesty.

And yet, the Spirit of the Lord says, “You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain”. Go up onto the heights and declare the indescribable. Shout aloud the glory of God. “Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'” Herald the coming of the Lord who comes to save His people. Lift up your voice to the King of Glory.

However, the Lord is forced to ask, “who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord?” Who is qualified to ascend to the holy mountain, to the place of God? Is it the strongest? The smartest? The one with the best voice? The richest? The most pious? “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”

But who does this describe? No one here. Every man “lifts up his soul to what is false.” Each of you has beating in his chest an idol-factory, churning out something, anything other than the worship of God. You lay hands on what the Lord has made and make it your god. You forsake the Creator for the creatures, and give up glory for guilt. Sure, you may not pick up a piece of wood, carve an image, and cover it with gold. But you are quite skilled at picking up the bits and pieces of life and assembling them into your very own build-a-god.

Do you want a god to make you wealthy? Then add this bit. Do you want a god to keep your children in line? Then add this attachment. Do you want a god to make you feel fulfilled? Paint this face on it. Maybe your god is cornmeal yellow or treasury green or republican red. Maybe your god has arms and legs, or maybe your god has tines and discs.

Will these things save you? No. The Prophet calls such gods falsehood, vanity, and emptiness. The idols formed by the hearts and hands of men are as empty and void as the universe before creation. It is the depth of depravity to pick up the scraps of your life and stick them together to make something, and then think it can save you from life's problems. Therefore, there is no one to ascend to the hill of the Lord, no one to get up into the high mountain, no one to declare the glory of the Lord.

And yet, God says, “Get up into the high mountain”, anyway. He tells those whose hearts have forsaken Him, “Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'” Go up to the hill of the Lord, because the One worthy has already ascended to the place of God.

The one who has ascended to the hill of the Lord is none other than the Son of Man. It is He, with clean hands and a pure heart, who ascends, not to Mount Zion, but to Calvary. He has ascended to the heights of the mountain, so that His clean hands might be pierced and bloodied. That His pure heart might be burdened with the sins of mankind. That His tongue might declare that salvation is accomplished for all mankind. Behold your God! See Him on the mountain-top, high and lifted up. See Him, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

But first, behold your God as He comes into the flesh. See your King of Glory lying in a manger. See your Lord of Hosts nursing at the breast of Mary. This is not a god constructed, but a God conceived. This is God with you, God for you, God in your flesh.

Therefore, as David says, “Lift up your heads!” Look not at the dust and filth of your former sins and trespasses. Rather, look up, and see the King of Glory who comes to meet you. Get up into the high mountain. “You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'” Ascend now, not to Calvary, but to Zion. For the Lamb of God has gone to Calvary to make you worthy to ascend to Zion. His Word-bound water has washed your hands and your heart. His Body and Blood have touched your lips and made them clean. He has opened your mouth and lifted up your head, that you may call out glad tidings. Lift up your voice with strength.

“Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory!” Lift up your heads and see. Lift up your hearts and hands and voices, and rejoice. Let the mountains and the hills break forth into singing. Let the high places and the valleys resound with praises. Look to Bethlehem, and behold your God! “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

How blest the land, the city blest,

Where Christ the ruler is confessed!

O peaceful hearts and happy homes

To whom this King in triumph comes!

The cloudless sun of joy is He

Who comes to set His people free.

To God the Spirit raise

Your happy shouts of praise. (LSB 340.3)

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.