Last week we heard about what Baptism means for daily life. Baptism is not just a once in a lifetime bath, but an ongoing dying and rising of the Christian. Daily the sinner dies in the death of Jesus. Daily the saint rises in the life of Jesus. Daily the washing…
Last week we heard about what Baptism is. It is water that is comprehended in the mandate of Christ to make disciples; it is water combined with God’s Word, His promise to be present in Baptism and to save us through Baptism. We considered what gave Baptism its great power - the Word…
God’s Word concerning Baptism is from the third chapter of Titus:
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another; but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, …
The court of Religion has found Him guilty of blasphemy. Now the court of Politics has its turn with Jesus. Religion says He is worthy of death, but only the state could do the killing. The Kings of kings stands before Pontius Pilate, an appointed governor of the Roman state.
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Peter stood outside in the high priest’s courtyard. A servant girl, the high priest’s maid, picks him our of the crowd. “You were with Jesus the Nazarene, weren’t you?” All eyes turn to Peter. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, denying Jesus as Jesus had predicted. Peter hurries…
The crowd that arrested Jesus in the garden now takes Him to the high priest, the head of the religious supreme court, together with the scribes and the elders of the people. Religion will judge Jesus and render its verdict. Don’t think for a moment that this is a fair hearing, or that…
Jesus goes to pray, taking His three closest disciples - Peter, James, and John. They were with Him on the mountain of His glory. Now He invites them to join in His hour of prayer. They go to a place called Gethsemane, “the olive press,” a little garden on the slope of…
It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, preparation day for the Passover meal. As room is prepared in the house of a certain man. Everything was set in place long before the disciples arrived. Remember that the next time you think God hasn’t been at work until…
Over the next six Wednesday evenings, we will consider the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion as we prepare for Holy Week. Together, these events are the Passion of Our Lord, His passion to save us from sin and death, what He endured to put our sin as far as the east is from…
The man had leprosy. Not necessarily what today is called Hanson’s Disease, but some kind of skin disease. He had been examined by the priest and declared to be “unclean.” To touch him was to become unclean yourself. The man was cut off, isolated from family, friends, community, congregation. He was…