December 20, Sem. Harvey Peters

“Savior of the Nations, Come,” (LSB 332, st. 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.

St. Ambrose (339-397) here describes the cyclical nature of Jesus’ ministry. He came down to us from the Father at His incarnation and returned to His Father at His ascension. After His death, He descended into hell to proclaim His victory over sin and death, and then made good on His promise and rose from the dead, accomplishing victory for us. As any good king does, Christ marched ahead of His subjects into battle, becoming as one of us in every way, so that “we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). When our Lord trod His path to the cross and then returned to His Father, He created a path for us to follow: “We were therefore buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

He truly is King of kings, and “there will be no end of the increase of His government and peace, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom” (Is. 9:7). The Servant of the Lord, to whom God Himself once said, “sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1), will be given “as a light to the Gentiles…my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Is. 49:6). Our Lord reigns at His Father’s right hand, and He has brought His people with Him.

Seminarian Harvey Peters

Christ Academy: High School Student 2018 Christ Academy: College Student 2018, 2021 Christ Academy: High School Proctor 2019, 2022 Christ Academy Assistant Student Director 2022-2023