A Little Faith Goes A Long Ways (Luke 17:1-10)
Christ’s teaching affirms the validity of Moses and the prophets, emphasizing the importance of a Christian walk as a servant before our gracious master. The apostles request more faith, but Christ emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, living in God’s service is a joy, knowing His favor is unearned. It is the assurance that we live for the greatest master.
Why the Lord's Supper? (1 Corinthians 11:17-34; LD 30)
The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament that nourishes believers with the benefits of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. We need to see and believe that we serve a risen and present Savior. Christ’s sacrifice is not repeated, but a spiritual meal where the Holy Spirit strengthens our faith. Christ invites us to do this in remembrance of him, not as an empty memorial. We think of the memorial stones set up by Israel, where they recognize the continual care, protection, and presence of their God with His people. So, we evaluate whether the truth of our faith, where we are grounded, and continue to seek our life in Christ. Ultimately, this sacrament pictures for us that our Lord continues to nourish, protect, and lead us to the heavenly banquet.
Behold Your King! (John 20)
John recounts Mary Magdalene's early morning visit to Jesus' tomb. She is showing her love for her savior. She expects to find Jesus’ body, she expects to grieve, but she discovers that he is not there. Initially, she blames the grave robbers, reports to Peter and John, and they go to investigate. They find an empty tomb, but also the precarious folded grave clothes that imply something greater has happened: Jesus' resurrection. Mary then encounters the risen Christ, recognizing him not as a thief but as her Lord. The narrative reflects on how Christ’s resurrection secures eternal life and confirms God's promises. Christ establishes his shalom kingdom. His promise to leave his disciples with peace is not an empty promise, but the resurrection confirms that the Lord’s shalom can never be shaken. Let us walk in the shalom of our Lord’s protective mercy.
Behold the Man! (John 19:5)
Pilate, unable to comprehend Christ’s claims, sees him as a delusional idealist ultimately handing him over to death. Pilate sees Christ as delusional rather than the Lamb of God. Pilate thinks he can dismiss the matter and resolve it with political wisdom. However, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross fulfills prophecies, ultimately confirmed in his resurrection and triumph as king.
Behold Your King! (Easter Morning Reading)
We conclude our Easter Readings with John 20. Here is the declaration and assurance that Christ is the King who came to redeem.
Good Friday Worship Reading
This is our reading for Good Friday. We hear this text and contemplate the sacrifice of our savior.
Good Friday: Psalm 22
Here is another important passage in the Old Testament that sets the stage for Good Friday. This is the lamenting suffering in the presence of God. We can think that God does not understand our suffering or that he is absent in our dark times. However, our Lord takes the words of the Psalmist upon his lips. We will be considering Pilate declaring Christ the man on Friday night. This Psalm is a call for us to consider what our Lord endured. We remember this Psalm and Isaiah 53 end with the assurance of life. Let us go in the assurance that Our Lord has done it.
Standing Over the Door (LD 19; Exodus 12:7-20)
The Lord’s Supper, like Passover, is a visible sign of Christ’s sacrifice, symbolizing believers’ participation in his suffering and death. It is not a re-sacrifice but a nourishment in Christ’s one-time sacrifice. Christ, as the Passover lamb symbolizes, protects his redeemed people, and the sacraments hold out his grace and power and they do not hold out a different grace or a different power. They represent the one true Gospel.
Good Friday Isaiah’s Fourth Song
We consider Good Friday from Isaiah’s perspective as we prepare for our sermon, “Behold the Man.”
Where Are Your Riches? (Luke 16:14-31)
Christ’s teachings emphasize the importance of understanding the deeper intentions because the law of God. Our temptation is to find the technicalities rather than really asking, “What pleases my Lord?” The parable of the rich man and Lazarus illustrates this point, showing that outward prosperity and self-righteousness do not guarantee eternal comfort, while long-suffering and faith in God lead to eternal reward as one holds onto Christ by faith.
Eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood (John 6:52-59; LD 28)
The sacrament of communion communicates the perfect, complete and once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. The bread and wine are symbols of his body and blood rather than a literal changing of the elements into Christ. While the elements remain bread and wine, Christ is truly present by His Spirit, nourishing believers in the same grace as the gospel and the same grace that Israel received in the wilderness. Communion is not merely symbolic or sentimental, but it is a means by which God mysteriously feeds and strengthens His people in this life. The Lord’s Supper is a visible sign of grace that points us to the risen Christ, who gives true and everlasting life. We see the sacrament as a real, spiritual participation in Christ by faith as we are united to him and nourished by him.
Using Ungodly Mammon to Make Eternal Friends? (Luke 16:1-13)
Jesus’ parable of the dishonest manager displays a manager’s shrewdness by scheming against his rich master. Unlike the prodigal son, this manager does not repent but shrewdly uses his worldly wisdom to ensure his survival in this world. Jesus commends the manager’s shrewdness in this age, but calls attention to how the sons of this world know how to survive. Christ exhorts the “sons of light” to exhibit a wisdom of using the things of this world for the glory of the Lord’s kingdom. The parable calls believers to faithful stewardship, wise use of resources, and loyalty to God rather than worldly prestige. Our call to live out the gospel is a challenge. We have to discern what is pleasing to the Lord in the Holy Spirit. It is a call to deliberately live before the face of God, empowered and united to our Savior, and living in light of him being our redeemer and master.
Baptism Now Saves You? (LD 27; 1 Peter 3:21)
Baptism is a powerful sign that points us to Christ, but it is not what saves us—only Jesus does. While baptism does not automatically bring salvation, we also recognize that the Holy Spirit works through it to strengthen our faith. As Peter connects baptism to the flood in 1 Peter 3:21, we see that just as Noah was saved through the waters by God's mercy, so too are believers assured of salvation through Christ’s work and especially his resurrection confirmation of his victory. Baptism serves as both a sign of God’s covenant faithfulness and a warning to those who reject Christ, reminding us that all of Scripture—from Noah to the prophets—points to the same Savior. Ultimately, both the Gospel and the sacraments point us to Christ, calling us to dwell in Him, be empowered by Him, and rejoice in our new life as part of His redeemed people joined together as the household of faith.
"You Always Had Me" (Luke 15:11-32)
The parable of the prodigal son highlights the contrast between a repentant sinner and a self-righteous individual. The younger son, after squandering his inheritance, returns home seeking forgiveness, possibly with a manipulative mindset, but ultimately accepts his father’s invitation to celebrate and enjoy their restored relationship. The older son, however, resents the grace shown to his brother. The older brother calls to his father’s attention his years of slaving for the family. He fails to see that his father never required him to slave for approval or acceptance but simply to enjoy the merciful status of sonship. This parable teaches that the Christian life is not about proving our worthiness to receive God’s favor but about pursuing our lord, living in communion with Him, and rejoicing in our relationship seeking to live out of gratitude and joy rather than boasting of one’s works.
A Blood Baptism? (LD 26; 1 Peter 1:2)
Baptism is the sacrament that initiates believers into the covenant of grace, symbolizing death, new life, and triumph in Christ. It represents the washing away of sin and the Spirit’s work in deliverance. The catechism links baptism to Christ’s death and resurrection, while 1 Peter connects it to the sprinkling of Christ’s blood, echoing Old Testament purification. Ultimately, baptism points to Christ’s redemptive work, calling believers to trust in Him rather than the sign itself.
The Sinners' Supper: Mercy in the Mess (Luke 15:1-10)
In this passage, Christ’s association with tax collectors and sinners challenges the Pharisees' understanding of holiness and reveals their self-righteousness. Christ responds with two parables: the shepherd who seeks out the one lost sheep, symbolizing his love for the lost, and the woman who finds a lost coin, emphasizing the joy of restoration. These parables contrast the Pharisees' lack of understanding of repentance and highlight the importance of seeking righteousness through Christ rather than self-reliance. It is remarkable that even the angels in heaven celebrate the repentance of sinners, urging believers to align with this divine celebration of redemption.
Two Graces or One Grace Through Two Means? (Gen. 17; Rom. 4:11; LD 25)
The means of grace—preaching the Gospel and the sacraments—are tools God uses to nourish believers, though they are not the source of life itself. Sacraments visibly communicate the Gospel and are given to strengthen weak faith, just as Abraham received circumcision as a seal of God’s promise amid his doubts. While sacraments are a means of grace, the preaching of the Gospel remains central, proclaiming God’s power to bring life from death like Ezekiel standing over the valley of dry bones. Ultimately, both the Word and sacraments point to and nourish us in the life-giving power of Christ through the Spirit, who sustains His people and the Spirit who raises Christ from the dead. This is the power at work in us.
Considering Christ's Call (Luke 14:25-35)
Normally, God is often associated with love.. However, Christ challenges this notion by calling His followers to hate their families and even their own lives, seemingly to contradict Moses' command to honor parents. Christ is teaching the cost of true discipleship—one that requires prioritizing Him every worldly comfort, bearing the cross, and seeking God’s will over worldly ambitions. He warns against a superficial understanding of His kingdom, calling believers to count the cost and commit fully, even at potentially great personal sacrifice. True discipleship means losing one's life in the sense of reprioritizing values according to the cross, and living as a sacrifice to God. Thus, Christians must conform to Christ’s image, discerning His wisdom through the Spirit and aligning their lives with His priorities in faith.
Motivated by Rewards? (LD 24; 2 Timothy 4:6-8)
The sermon explores the tension between grace and obedience in the Christian life, warning against two common errors: complacency due to grace and the other extreme where we engage in legalism to ensure obedience. It emphasizes that true union with Christ transforms believers, leading them to joyful obedience out of gratitude, not fear. Using Paul's example in 2 Timothy 4, the sermon highlights that perseverance in faith is a result of God's grace, not human merit. Although Scripture speaks of rewards, these are not earned but are gifts from Christ, recognizing His work in and through His people. Christ is crowing his works that he works in us. Ultimately, believers are called to rest in Christ's finished work while pursuing faithful obedience out of gratitude, motivated by grace and empowered by the Spirit.
Christ's Radical Feast (Luke 14:1-24)
We consider the transactional nature of social banquets in Rome, where guests were invited to elevate one’s status, with the radically different banquet of God's kingdom where the people too powerless to advance the host are invited. When Jesus dines with the Pharisees, they seek to trap Him, using a man with dropsy as bait. Yet Jesus, in healing the man, exposes the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and spiritual blindness. Through a parable, Jesus teaches that true honor comes not from self-exaltation but from humility and dependence on God. He calls His followers to invite and embrace the poor, crippled, and marginalized, reflecting the heart of God’s kingdom. Ultimately, the true banquet belongs to those who recognize their spiritual poverty and rely solely on Jesus for redemption, pointing to the fullness of peace and restoration believers that believers possess in Christ now and in the fullness when he returns.