"So from that day on they made plans to put Him to death" (John 11:53).
Sunday morning in church the children and I practiced saying the days of the week: "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...." I taught them, then, that while every week is special, only one is called "Holy Week," and it's almost here!
According to the above verse from John, the seventy-member Jewish Council, or Sanhedrin, made plans to put Jesus to death. They were not the first. Long before, God made plans to give and sacrifice His Son for our sins.
The question now is, Have you made plans?
Holy Week is the heart and highpoint of the Christian year. Everything moves either toward it or away from it.
Take time this week to make a plan. Plan to attend the special services. Plan to invite a friend to go with you. Plan extra Scripture and devotional reading at home. Plan to turn off the TV. Plan possibly to see your pastor for individual confession. Plan to clean the house on Holy Saturday in joyful preparation for Easter!
Plan to be strengthened in your faith and love.
Make a Holy Week plan, for it's almost here!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Luther on Annunciation
In 1532 Luther concluded his Annunciation sermon this way. It's as though he spoke these words this morning.
"It almost seems as though God is at enmity with the world. Present conditions are so shameful all around us in the world, as God allows murderous mobs and rabble, so much violence and so much misfortune to prevail, so that we might think God is only Lord and God of the angels and that He has forgotten about mankind. But here in our text we see that He befriends us humans like no other creatures, in the very closest relationship, and, in turn, we humans have a closer relationship with God than with any creature. Sun and moon are not as close to us as is God, for He comes to us in our own flesh and blood. God not only rules over us, not only lives in us, but personally became a human being.
This is the grace which we celebrate today, thanking God that He has cleansed our sinful conception and birth through His holy conception and birth, and removed the curse from us and blessed us. By nature our conception and birth are flawed and laden with sin. In contrast, Christ's conception and birth were holy and pure. Through His holy conception and birth our sinful nature, flesh, and blood are blessed and made holy. It is on this basis that we are baptized, so that by means of God's Word, the sacraments, and the Holy Spirit we might have the fruit of His holy conception and birth. May we always thank Him for His grace and never become weary or surfeited in hearing and learning this. Unfortunately, most people in the world think they know it all, after they have heard it once."
"It almost seems as though God is at enmity with the world. Present conditions are so shameful all around us in the world, as God allows murderous mobs and rabble, so much violence and so much misfortune to prevail, so that we might think God is only Lord and God of the angels and that He has forgotten about mankind. But here in our text we see that He befriends us humans like no other creatures, in the very closest relationship, and, in turn, we humans have a closer relationship with God than with any creature. Sun and moon are not as close to us as is God, for He comes to us in our own flesh and blood. God not only rules over us, not only lives in us, but personally became a human being.
This is the grace which we celebrate today, thanking God that He has cleansed our sinful conception and birth through His holy conception and birth, and removed the curse from us and blessed us. By nature our conception and birth are flawed and laden with sin. In contrast, Christ's conception and birth were holy and pure. Through His holy conception and birth our sinful nature, flesh, and blood are blessed and made holy. It is on this basis that we are baptized, so that by means of God's Word, the sacraments, and the Holy Spirit we might have the fruit of His holy conception and birth. May we always thank Him for His grace and never become weary or surfeited in hearing and learning this. Unfortunately, most people in the world think they know it all, after they have heard it once."
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