The Journey Begins - Part 3
Zechariah 9:9
03/27/2024
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud,
O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is
coming to you; righteous and having salvation is
he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the
foal of a donkey. (ESV)
Five hundred and twenty years before the birth of Jesus, the
prophet Zechariah wrote:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O
daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to
you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and
mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Kings and priests were anointed with oil to show that they
were chosen for their exalted positions. Jesus was anointed with
the water of baptism to be both our eternal King and our eternal
high priest. As the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ, He
was indeed holy and righteous. He, and only He, can bring
salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
Martin Luther commented:
Here there is no violence, no armor, no power, no
anger, no wrath. All these, you see, are proper for
kings of this world. Here there are only kindness,
justice, salvation, mercy, and every good thing.[2]
To call the king righteous is to say that He rules on behalf
of the righteous God, Himself. Not only does this King rule
according to God's holy will, He brings salvation from the
bondage of sin. This is unlike human rulers, even good rulers,
who are tainted in all things with the sin of Adam.
The Holy Week journey to the cross continued. As the shouts
of the crowds faded, Jesus taught His disciples about the end of
the world, about the last days of both Jerusalem and His return
to judge the living and the dead. The King of Righteousness
continued to prepare His people for their salvation.
May our Lord grant that we recognize this king. Amen.
____________________
2. Luther's Works, American Edition, vol 20, p. 94Author: admin
The Journey Begins — Part 2: 03/26/2024
The Journey Begins - Part 2
Zechariah 9:9
03/26/2024
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud,
O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is
coming to you; righteous and having salvation is
he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the
foal of a donkey. (ESV)
People in exile, people in the bondage of slavery, have two
questions about their God. First, does God have the power to
free us from our oppressors? Second, does He have the compassion
to free us from our bonds? During Holy Week we see the answer.
God created us in His own image, perfect, holy, and in
fellowship with Him and one another. In Eden's paradise, that
perfection was shattered when our first parents defied God,
seeking to overthrow Him. They, and their descendants, were
bound in the chains of sin and death.
The promised seed of the woman, the second Adam, would bear
the punishment of that sin. Truly God and truly man, He would
crush the serpent's head while suffering a bruised heel. God
told the serpent:
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring and her offspring; he shall
bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.[1]
Now the day has come. As foretold by Zechariah, Jesus
entered the city gates as the King, the God who has the power and
compassion to save all people from their bondage to sin and
death.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O
daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to
you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and
mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
May our Lord grant us faith to see both the power and love
of our Savior. Amen.
____________________
1. Genesis 3:15 (ESV)The Journey Begins — 03/25/2024
The Journey Begins - Part 1
Zechariah 9:9
03/25/2024
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud,
O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is
coming to you; righteous and having salvation is
he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the
foal of a donkey. (ESV)
This week commemorates the turning point in history, the
fulfilling of God's promises. Yesterday began Holy Week, the
week when the Church remembers the actions of Jesus on the days
leading to His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. This week
is the most important week in the Church Year, for this week
marks our redemption from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
The journey to the cross began, not in a Bethlehem stable,
but with a deceiving serpent. As Eve accepted the lie that
knowing good and evil would be a blessing, as Adam looked on, the
world was cursed.
For Jesus, the final stages of the journey began as He
entered Jerusalem as foretold by the prophet Zechariah over five
hundred years before.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O
daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to
you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and
mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
On the Sunday of Holy Week, the crowds began the journey
from Bethany to Jerusalem carrying palm branches, placing their
cloaks on the road, and paying homage to Jesus as the Son of
David. Their cry, ``Hosanna,'' was a prayer for God's salvation.
Their prayer would be answered, once and for all time and for all
people, within a few short days. Our journey to the cross begins
with the humble Jesus riding on a donkey. Behold, your king is
coming to you, a king who will reign forever.
May our Lord richly bless you this week with the sure and
certain knowledge that Jesus entered Jerusalem to bear your sins,
and to give to you everlasting life. Amen.The LORD Will Provide — Part 5: 03/22/2024
The LORD Will Provide - Part 5
Genesis 22:13-14
03/22/2024
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and
behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket
by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of
his son.
14 So Abraham called the name of that place, ``The
LORD will provide;'' as it is said to this day,
``On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.''
(ESV)
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,
behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.
And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as
a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called
the name of that place, ``The LORD will provide;'' as
it is said to this day, ``On the mount of the LORD it
shall be provided.''
The ram was caught in the thorn bush as the branches
encircled his head. Jesus also wore a crown of thorns as He was
sacrificed near the site of Isaac's redemption from death.
During this coming week we will remember our Lord Jesus
Christ and His suffering on our behalf. This coming Sunday marks
the day when He rode into Jerusalem to the shouts of the crowds
and the waving palm branches. He rode in, fulfilling Old
Testament prophecy, to bear our sins upon the cross.
Every day this coming week Trinity Lutheran Church will be
holding a special service to commemorate our Lord's passion. On
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will meet at 9:15 a.m. to
listen to the passion accounts from the Gospel writers. Thursday
and Friday evening are services to commemorate Jesus' actions on
the night He was betrayed, and to ponder His crucifixion. These
are at 7:00 p.m.
Please join us for any or all of these services, and for the
service on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
May our Lord comfort you with the assurance that your sins
are forgiven for the sake of the innocent suffering and death of
Jesus Christ. Amen.The LORD Will Provide — Part 4: 03/21/2024
The LORD Will Provide - Part 4
Genesis 22:9-12
03/21/2024
9 When they came to the place of which God had told
him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the
wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him
on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the
knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from
heaven and said, ``Abraham, Abraham!'' And he
said, ``Here am I.''
12 He said, ``Do not lay your hand on the boy or do
anything to him, for now I know that you fear God,
seeing you have not withheld your son, your only
son, from me.'' (ESV)
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in
order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the
altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out
his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But
the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and
said, ``Abraham, Abraham!'' And he said, ``Here am I.''
He said, ``Do not lay your hand on the boy or do
anything to him, for now I know that you fear God,
seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son,
from me.''
Abraham trusted in God. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was in the act of
offering up his only son, of whom it was said,
``Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'' He
considered that God was able even to raise him from the
dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive
him back.[2]
Here the stories of Isaac and Jesus take different paths.
Isaac was spared, his life was preserved. Jesus died as the
ransom for sinners. The anguish of Abraham turned to joy. The
anguish of our heavenly Father caused darkness to cover the earth
as His Son bore the pain of the cross.
May our Lord open our hearts and minds to know of His love,
a love so deep as to give His only-begotten Son for our
redemption. Amen.
____________________
2. Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV)The LORD Will Provide — Part 3: 03/20/2024
The LORD Will Provide - Part 3
Genesis 22:7-8
03/20/2024
7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ``My
father!'' And he said, ``Here am I, my son.'' He
said, ``Behold, the fire and the wood, but where
is the lamb for a burnt offering?''
8 Abraham said, ``God will provide for himself the
lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'' So they went
both of them together. (ESV)
And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ``My father!''
And he said, ``Here am I, my son.'' He said, ``Behold,
the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a
burnt offering?'' Abraham said, ``God will provide for
himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'' So
they went both of them together.
Abraham and Isaac slowly walked up Mount Moriah to the top
where the sacrifice was to take place. Everything was ready.
The sacrificial lamb carried the wood for the fire on his back.
Years later, Jesus climbed the same hill. His disciples
were unaware that again the Lamb of God was ascending the mount
to offer Himself as the ransom for all people. Although Jesus
had warned them that He would be crucified, the disciples did not
understand.
Although the sacrifices looked different, one was a burnt
offering, the other a crucifixion, the result was the same.
Innocent blood was shed. The sacrifice was complete.
Isaac's question, ``Where is the lamb?'' echoed Jesus'
prayer in Gethsemane, ``Not my will, but Yours be done.'' Isaac
was not aware of the identity of the lamb, Jesus knew that the
words of John the Baptizer were true, ``Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.''[1]
May our heavenly Father grant us the understanding of the
cost of giving His only-begotten Son for our salvation. Amen.The LORD Will Provide — Part 2: 03/19/2024
The LORD Will Provide - Part 2
Genesis 22:3-6
03/19/2024
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him,
and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the
burnt offering and arose and went to the place of
which God had told him.
4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and
saw the place from afar.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, ``Stay here
with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there
and worship and come again to you.''
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering
and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his
hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of
them together. (ESV)
So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his
son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering
and arose and went to the place of which God had told
him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and
saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his
young men, ``Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy
will go over there and worship and come again to you.''
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and
laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the
fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
For three days, Abraham looked upon his son, Isaac, and
considered him already dead. This child of promise, the one
through whom the world would be blessed would soon be sacrificed
at the command of God. Imagine the anguish that Abraham felt as
he, his servants, and his son traveled the three days to Mount
Moriah, the place where, in the future, the Temple in Jerusalem
would be built.
Again we find several parallels between the sacrifice of
Isaac and the sacrifice of Jesus. Abraham mourned the coming
death of his son for three days. Jesus lay three days in the
tomb, mourned by those who loved Him. Both the sacrifice of
Isaac and the sacrifice of Jesus were in the area of Jerusalem,
the place where God established His holy altar. Both Isaac and
Jesus carried the wood used for their own sacrifice.
Without complaint, both Isaac and Jesus bore their burdens.
Both Isaac and Jesus were commended into the hand of God. May
our Lord show us His love and mercy as we watch the sacrifice of
His Son for our redemption. Amen.The LORD Will Provide — Part 1: 03/18/2024
The LORD Will Provide - Part 1
Genesis 22:1-2
03/18/2024
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to
him, ``Abraham!'' And he said, ``Here am I.''
2 He said, ``Take your son, your only son Isaac,
whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and
offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains of which I shall tell you.'' (ESV)
This past Sunday, the Fifth Sunday in Lent, is often called
the ``Sunday of the Passion.'' Traditionally the Gospel is from
the eighth chapter of John where the rulers of the Temple seek to
stone Jesus for saying He is the Son of God. The Old Testament
lesson is Abraham sacrificing Issac at God's command.
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him,
``Abraham!'' And he said, ``Here am I.'' He said,
``Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a
burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall
tell you.''
How does this Old Testament lesson remind us of the passion
of Jesus as He was sacrificed for our sins? There are many
parallels between Isaac and Jesus. First, both were the ``only-
begotten'' son, the legitimate heir of their father. Second,
both were innocent of any wrongdoing. We will see other
parallels as we discuss this reading.
From now until Easter the focus of our readings, the focus
of everything we do in the church, is on the innocent suffering
and death of Jesus Christ for our redemption from sin, death, and
the power of the devil. Jesus is our substitute, the Lamb of God
who died in our place, taking upon Himself the guilt and eternal
punishment of our sin.
May our Lord grant us faith to behold the Son of God who
take away the sins of the world. Amen.Manna — Part 5: 03/15/2024
Manna - Part 5
Exodus 16:19-20
03/15/2024
19 And Moses said to them, ``Let no one leave any of
it over till the morning.''
20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part
of it till the morning, and it bred worms and
stank. And Moses was angry with them. (ESV)
We pray, ``Give us this day our daily bread.'' In this
prayer we confess that God will continue to provide for us, even
if we are not sure of how He will do so. Did the children of
Israel trust that God would continue to provide the daily
nourishment provided by the manna, the ``what is it?'' which they
gathered each morning?
And Moses said to them, ``Let no one leave any of it
over till the morning.'' But they did not listen to
Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it
bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
Our first parents doubted God's Word. The serpent asked
Eve, ``Did God really say?'' The children of Israel asked, ``Did
God really mean not to leave any manna for the next day?'' We
ask, ``Will God continue to provide us with clothing, shoes,
meat, drink, shelter, and all we need to sustain this life?''
Therefore we worry, we don't fully trust God, we go against
His commands because we think we know more than He knows. It
always turns out that God's plans, God's will, is best, even if
we are unsure of the outcome.
Thus it is with our salvation from sin, death, and the power
of the devil. We think we can save ourselves, but God has told
us there is only one answer to our transgressions. That answer
is the cross of Christ Jesus. If we trust God for our daily
bread, should we not trust Him for our eternal salvation?
Please join us on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity
Lutheran Church to learn more of God's rich love, grace, and
mercy. May our Lord continue to richly bless you in all things.
Amen.Manna — Part 4: 03/14/2024
Manna - Part 4
Exodus 16:16-18
03/14/2024
16 ``This is what the LORD has commanded: `Gather of
it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You
shall each take an omer, according to the number
of the persons that each of you has in his
tent.' ''
17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered,
some more, some less.
18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever
gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever
gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered
as much as he could eat. (ESV)
In the morning the children of Israel arose to find a fine,
flake-like thing on the ground. ``What is it?'' they asked.
``This is what the LORD has commanded: `Gather of it,
each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each
take an omer, according to the number of the persons
that each of you has in his tent.' '' And the people of
Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.
But when they measured it with an omer, whoever
gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever
gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as
much as he could eat.
Our Lord provides for our physical and spiritual needs. He
works through means. Yes, the manna could have simply appeared
in their tents, but by gathering the manna the children of Israel
showed their faith in God.
We gather our manna, not by looking for something on the
ground, but by arising, going to work, and using the talents God
has given us to earn our daily bread. That is as much a gift
from God as the manna outside the camp. By faith we trust that
God will continue to provide enough for our needs.
May our Lord grant us the faith to recognize His love,
grace, and mercy as He gives to us our daily bread. Amen.