February 18, 2026
Going to Jerusalem - Part 3
Luke 18:32-33
02/18/2026
32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and
will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit
upon.
33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on
the third day he will rise. (ESV)
Today, the first day of Lent, we pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You
have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent.
Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our
sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive
from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus
Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The excesses of Mardi Gras yesterday lead to the repentance
of Ash Wednesday. Today many people will wear the ashes which
symbolize our sinful nature. As the ashes are applied, the
pastor intones, ``Ashes to ashes, dust to dust'' to remind us of
the wages of sin.
Yet, even today, as we confess our sins, we have hope.
Jesus told His disciples:
For [the Son of Man] will be delivered over to the
Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and
spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him,
and on the third day he will rise.
The torture and death of the sinless Son of God paid the
price of our transgressions. Because of the cross of Jesus,
because of His empty tomb, we have the assurance of the
forgiveness of our sins.
Please join us this evening at Trinity Lutheran Church as we
begin the season of Lent with confession, absolution, and the
Word of God.
May our Lord grant you a blessed Lent as you come to learn
of God's rich love, grace, and mercy. Amen.