Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-27 or Matthew 27:11-54

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32; Psalm 118; Hebrews 1:1-14

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?’” (Matthew 26:52-53)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It’s a response that makes sense to all of us. Of course, we would defend Jesus when evil men, armed with false charges, come to arrest the only One who could be called truly good. Matthew doesn’t tell us who draws the sword, but John spills the beans and names Peter. Poor Peter is so often caught between his devotion to his Lord, his impulsiveness, and his all too human fear. A lot of people feel like they can relate to Peter wanting to do the right thing, but falling flat on their faces.

Here, Peter reacts out of love but also fear. Jesus’ rebuke to Peter is not simply about some pacifistic ideals, though we would do well to consider our willingness to live and die by our modern swords; it is also a fierce reckoning with who Jesus is. It is not simply that Jesus will go meekly to his arrest and eventual death in submission to His Father’s will, but also that Jesus does not need Peter to defend Him. At a word, Jesus can call down twelve legions of angels. How much help is that? A legion is a unit of soldiers in the Roman army, consisting of approximately 6,000 soldiers. Therefore, twelve legions would be around 72,000 soldiers, or roughly half of the entire Roman army, composed of fierce heavenly warriors, not just men. The point is clear: if Jesus needed to be saved from arrest at that moment, he could have handled it himself. Peter was failing to submit his own plan to the will of God.

I think most of us can understand Peter in this moment. We want to defend Jesus; we don’t want to see him mishandled by evil men. We revile their intentions and can use this worthy impulse to justify all manner of lawlessness, hatred, violence, and even denial of the very nature of Jesus himself. It is hard for us to understand what Jesus is doing as we’re left in anguish in our various Gardens of Gethsemane, but our call is to follow a crucified God who has already told us how the story will end. In that story, there is no room for fear.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

March 28, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Palm Sunday - Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 11; antiphon: Psalm 22:19, 21

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25; Mark 16:1-20

“But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!” (Psalm 22:19)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The harvest full moon is one of creation's most profound optical illusions. As the moon comes up over the horizon, it looks daunting. The moon looks like it is bigger than the sun, and the red hue lights up the night sky. As the earth rotates and the moon rises in the sky, it begins to look smaller, and eventually, when the moon is at its peak, it looks like any other full moon on any given night. The optical illusion can be corrected by merely using your thumb extended in front of you as a point of reference when the moon is on the horizon and then again when the moon is at its peak. In both instances, the moon is the same size. It is not closer at the beginning and further away later in the night sky.

The trials and tribulations of this world can make the Lord seem far away. The sinful nature can be deceitful and lead one to believe that God is present in our lives, and we have been left all alone. The feeling of solitude is where Satan, sin, and the world work to pull our eyes away from an ever-present God. In those trials and tribulations, we are left to our own rationalization, where despair can set in, and in that despair, hopelessness. God can seem very distant.

Our God is not a distant God. He is not one who seems present and then appears far away. Our God is a God who is very present in our lives. In your Baptism, He has placed His name upon you. He has marked with the cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Our God is present in the Sacrament of the Altar. He is not “represented” but sacramentally united in, with, and under the bread and wine. In faith, we receive His true body and true blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. His Holy Word in the Scriptures is a living, breathing document. The Scriptures are not just mere ink on paper but the Holy Word of God that reveals our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our God is not far off. He is an everlasting, ever-present God.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life through– Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious confidence. (LSB 585:6)

March 27, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 15:33-47

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1; Mark 15:33-47

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The final words of Christ make a declaration. Christ is truly alone with the weight of all the sins of all people from all time bearing down upon him. He has completed the requirements of the law, and now the perfect sacrifice for all mankind is finished. “Why have you forsaken me?” is uttered, and He breathes his last. He is alone and dead. His father has turned His back on Him. The few that have come to the cross stand at a distance. All that is left is to bury Him.

It is not a glorious death. His death is a death of humiliation and torture. It is a bloody death filled with agony and pain. His disciples have left him but one, John. The local church leaders have stopped by to deride him and cast their insults upon Him. They truly kick Him when He is down. No mercy is shown to Him other than a bit of sour wine on a hyssop branch.

Often in our lives, we are left feeling all alone. We may cry out in a similar fashion, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” Various circumstances in our lives can leave us feeling as if no one is with us. We continually hear the shallow platitudes of those around us regarding the omnipresence of God. Yet the darkness in our lives seems overwhelming. The family is still fighting. The homework is still piling up. The parents are still divorced. The slanderous remarks still spew from fellow classmates in the hallways and on social media. We are left under the weight of our sin and abandonment.

It is in the sacrament of Holy Baptism that we are reminded that we are not alone. In all of the above circumstances, we see the separation and loneliness that exists on account of sin. In your Baptism, you are connected to the cross of Christ. His being forsaken by God the Father is your promise that God the Father will never abandon you or forsake you. Your Baptism is that seal, that promise that God never turns His back on you. It is not that you “were” Baptized but that you “are” Baptized. Daily, when the sins of this world bear down upon you, you can proclaim, “I am Baptized.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I bind unto myself the name, The strong name of the Trinity By invocation of the same, The Three in One and One in Three, Of whom all nature has creation, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word. Praise to the Lord of my salvation; Salvation is of Christ the Lord! (LSB 604:5)

March 26, 2026

Today's Reading: Catechism: Close of the Commandments

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:19-31; Mark 15:16-32

He says: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My Commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6) (The Close of the Commandments,Luther’s Small Catechism, pg. 15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our God is a jealous God. It is a peculiar statement. It is a characteristic of God that does not come first to our minds. We may think of God as being loving or gracious. We may think of God as being a God of wrath and a God who delivers punishment upon those who deny his existence. A God who is jealous, though, does not readily come first to our minds. Our God is a jealous God.

He does not like to share. When the people of Israel were brought out of Egypt, they gathered at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, God established His presence among His people. His words were very clear. He says, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” He continues with the Ten Commandments. He admonishes His people to be Holy as He is Holy. A Holy God has Holy people.

Daily, sin, satan, and the world tempt us with false gods. We are continually drawn away from the one true God. Social status, friends, money, possessions, clothing styles, compete for our attention, focus, and, dare we say, worship. We worship all the secular gods by coveting and desiring more than what we have already been given. Contentment is far from our thoughts and feelings. We come full circle from the First Commandment to the close of the Commandments. You shall have no other gods. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the only true God.

In the words from Exodus, we are reminded of the two works of God the Father. In the first part, the alien work of God is revealed when He speaks of punishing the children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generations. In the second part, the natural work of God is revealed when He speaks of showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. The epitome of His love came in the sacrificial death of His son for the salvation of mankind. We are set free from eternal damnation on account of Christ’s perfect obedience to the law.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All righteousness by works is vain; The Law rings condemnation. True righteousness by faith I gain; Christ’s work is my salvation. His death, that perfect sacrifice, Has paid the all sufficient price; In Him my hope is anchored. (LSB 568:4)

March 25, 2026

Today's Reading: Luke 1:26-38

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:1-18; Mark 15:1-15

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Merry Christmas! We are just a few days away from Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We are concluding the 40 days of Lent, and we hear those words that are far from our thoughts and lips. Merry Christmas! It is a strange greeting indeed to hear or read. It is, of course, March 25th. We are 9 months out from the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The words of the Christmas greeting do not roll off our tongue and lips with the same excitement as they will in 9 months. We have hesitation in those words as they are reminders of a season of joy. The end of the season of Lent tends not to be a joy-filled time. We are almost to the cross. Our reflection and meditation on our need for a savior began back at Ash Wednesday when the ashes of last year’s palm branches were placed on our heads. Now, on this day, we pause to reflect on the Annunciation of our Lord. The visitation of the Angel Gabriel with Mary, the mother of our Lord.

The visitation remembered during Lent is a stark reminder of why Jesus was conceived. The incarnation of our Lord is a profound teaching regarding God the Son becoming flesh. The incarnation is important enough that it is included in all of our creeds that we confess. In the Second Article, we confess, “He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Incarnation theology is one of the core components of our salvation. At that very moment, conception, He became man. He became human. The Son of Man and the Son of God now dwells in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. The Holy, Holy, Holy God is human.

In His humanity, the perfect sacrifice comes into the world. True man and True God. It will be the sacrifice of human flesh for the redemption of human flesh. No other human could fulfill what was necessary for our salvation. Our deadness, our separation from God in sin, could only be restored through the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Incarnation language is foreign to the secular world this time of year. We as confessing Lutherans boldly speak of the incarnation, because in the incarnation is the final sacrifice for our sins.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, as we have known the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, by the message of the angel to the virgin Mary, so by the message of His cross and passion bring us to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Annunciation of our Lord)

March 24, 2026

Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:23-3:22; Mark 14:53-72

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 11a, 12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The author of Hebrews presents the work of Christ through one of the threefold offices Christ fulfills—the office of the priest. The priestly role in the Old Testament provided the sacrifices for the people of God. The life of the priest revolved around the temple and pointing the people of Israel to the coming Messiah. In the sacrificial system, blood was shed, poured, and sprinkled upon the altar, upon the people, and upon the priests themselves. The work of the priest was very bloody.

As Christ fulfills the office of priest, the work is very bloody. The blood is not of male goats or bull calves, but by his very own blood. He enters into the holy place once for all. No longer do priests need to sacrifice animals. The final sacrifice is complete in Christ. Eternal redemption is secured for you.

Many churches in mainline Christianity speak of making sacrifices in order to appease God. We hear in podcasts, reels, memes, and various social media platforms the necessity to give up something so that your faithfulness can be demonstrated. We are inundated with the subtleties of self-righteousness every day. During the season of Lent, this perspective is amplified as more and more denominations diminish the work of Christ and lift up the work of man.

Today, as we bend the knee in the Divine Service to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, it is not a re-sacrifice of Christ. We participate in the resurrected Christ as His body is placed in our mouth and His blood is poured over our lips. The benefit of His sacrificial work is given to us. It is not that He is sacrificed again each time in the sacrament. He was sacrificed and now lives and reigns. The resurrected Jesus comes to you from the altar in the Sacrament of the Altar, forgiving your sins and strengthening your faith. The Holy Priest brings you the secured redemption from His shedding of blood on the cross. The sacrificial work of the priest is done.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The body of God’s Lamb we eat, A priestly food and priestly meat; On sin-parched lips the chalice pours His quenching blood That life restores. (LSB 624:6)

March 23, 2026

Today's Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:1-22; Mark 14:32-52

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”(Genesis 22:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Abraham is asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. He is asked to sacrifice his only son, whom he has waited years to receive. Now God says you are to sacrifice him. We know the whole narrative of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham takes Isaac and leaves for the region of Moriah. Abraham binds Isaac and is about to slaughter his son when the Lord intervenes and commands Abraham to do him no harm. Behind them is a ram caught in a thicket, which is then sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham names the place, “The Lord will provide.” On that mountain, the Lord provided the sacrifice.

As we spend the final week of Lent reflecting on our sins and the need for those sins to be reconciled, we are drawn to a mountain. On Calvary, Christ is sacrificed for the sins of the world. Without the sacrifice, we would perish eternally. In our sinful condition, we are not merely broken; we are dead. We are cut off from God the Father. As Jesus goes to the cross, He carries the sins of the whole world to the cross. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He is the substitute for us. God the Father provides the final sacrifice for your sins. As Jesus speaks those final words, “It is finished,” a declaration is made that there are no more sacrifices needed. The work of redemption is done through the blood of Christ. Abraham untied his son and sacrificed the ram that the Lord provided. The Lord nailed His son, Jesus, whom He loved and was well pleased with, to the cross that we may be set free from the bondage of sin and eternal damnation.

You are set free from eternal damnation and bound to the inheritance given to you through Christ’s work of redemption. You are baptized into the name of Christ, and you are baptized into His death. If you are Baptized into His death, you are also Baptized into His resurrection. No longer can sin, satan, and the world say you are lost. You are set free in Christ!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

If my sins give me alarm And my conscience grieve me, Let Your cross my fear disarm; Peace of conscience give me. Help me see forgiveness won By Your holy passion. If for me He slays His Son, God must have compassion! (LSB 440:5)

March 22, 2026

Today's Reading: John 8:(42-45) 46-59

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 1:1-22; Mark 14:12-31

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:58)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus’ interaction with the “Jews who believed in him” (John 8:31) comes to a boiling point in the temple. He is accused of having a demon, and He accuses the Jews of being in league with satan, the father of lies. He calls them liars. The volley of words goes back and forth until Jesus speaks very plainly in their language regarding who He is and His relationship to Abraham. Jesus says, “...before Abraham was, I AM.”

When Jesus speaks those words in John 8, he speaks of His deity and His everlasting presence. He is not merely man, but rather He is true God. He was before Abraham because He was at the beginning. He is present in their midst, and He will always be. He is from everlasting to everlasting. Two simple words, I AM, that drive His hearers to the point that they pick up stones to kill him.

As we approach the final week of Lent, we are on a journey to the cross. The cross where Jesus Christ, true God and true man, died for the sins of the world. We know what is coming in these final weeks of Lent. We will ride into Jerusalem with Christ on the donkey. We will shout Hosana and honor Him as our King by waving and laying down palm branches and cloaks. Yet as lifted up on the cross, only a handful of people are present. The rest of His loyal followers have scattered.

The Old Adam does not believe in the deity of Christ. Our sinful nature wants to pick up those stones and kill Jesus. In sin, we deny the divinity of Jesus and attribute our existence to ourselves. Our pride, our self-righteousness, stirs our hearts to see ourselves as our own god.

Christ’s response to this separation is not to leave us flailing about in our own damnation. A reconciliation has taken place. As Christ is lifted up on the cross, His blood is shed for our redemption. It is not just human blood, but it is the “I AM’s” blood that is poured out for His people. His side is pierced, and water and blood burst from His side. Your Baptism connects you to the cross of reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins. Your savior is more than just flesh and bones. Your savior is the “I AM.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (Collect for the 5th Sunday in Lent)