Creator Spirit, by whose aid the world’s foundations first were laid, come, visit every humble mind; come, pour Your joys on humankind; from sin and sorrow set us free; may we Your living temples be. Amen. (LSB 500:1)

Alleluia!

Dear Jesus, come soon.  I am weak and often stumble and I tremble on the way, and like a sheep too easily go astray, but You are my shepherd.  You are my Lord.  You have made me Your new creation.  Do not forsake the work of Your hands.  So I will praise You with the joy that You pour into my heart.  Amen.

Dear Jesus, teach my heart to claim Your victory over my sin, my death, and my grave. Amen.

We apologize for the delay today.

Paschal Victim, paschal bread.  He is the Passover sacrifice or victim.  He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Paschal is the Greek for Passover.  It is our feast.  We are Israel, and the Lamb that was sacrificed as the victim of all our sins is now given to us for food, for our souls to eat and our mouths to eat, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God that this Lamb has brought to us.

Luther sings elsewhere, “Do this, O ye of Israel’s seed, / Ye of the Spirit born indeed! / Wait for your Lord’s appearing.”  You wait with your baptism comforting you with the truth that you have been clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27).  You have passed out of slavery to sin and into the glorious freedom of the sons of God, the freedom to pour out all your anxieties to Him whose comforts delight your soul more than any earthly joy.  You wait with the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. You are safe in the Church, though death and Covid and cancer and all that kills and ruins life is stalking outside your door, yet you are safe, because you feast on the flesh that bore your sin, and you satisfy your thirst with the blood that tells you God is at peace with you and loves you and is pleased with you for Christ’s sake.

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV)

“Jesus said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”—Acts 1:7-8

When Elijah ascended he left his cloak and Elisha took it up. When Christ ascended his cross, his garments were dispersed among his assailants. But when Christ ascended into heaven, he left not merely an article of clothing, but the mysteries of heaven, his Word and Sacraments, His Law and Gospel, and with the promise of his presence and sending of his helper.