April 13, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 22:1-23:56 or Luke 23:1-56 or John 12:20-43

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32; Psalm 118; Hebrews 1:1-14

“So Jesus said to them, ‘The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’” (John 12:35-36)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Spelunking is a unique activity. Inside a cave, where the light of the world cannot reach, pure darkness exists. No light. The only light present is the temporary light that humans bring into the darkness by means of a headlamp, a light dependent upon batteries, or some other form of stored energy. If you lose your light while spelunking, you will get lost.

In our lives today, it may seem like we are lost. We feel that we are aimlessly wandering through each day, unsure of what tomorrow will bring. We struggle in family relationships, friendships seem superficial, our bodies do not look the way we want them to, and our lives seem really dark.

The Gospel of John teaches us about a tension between light and darkness. The darkness that has overcome the world is sin. God’s creation no longer walks in the light as Adam and Eve did at the beginning of creation. Now, man walks in darkness. We try hard to create our own light in this world of darkness, but in the end, it is only temporary and leaves us lost in this world of sin.

Christ came into this world of darkness as the light of the world. His light is not temporary but eternal. It shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not (and cannot) overcome it. In your Baptism, you are connected to Christ. You are connected to the light of the world. Sin, satan, and the world want you to believe that the darkness is permanent in your life, but Christ gives to us the defeat of darkness. His ride into Jerusalem was the beginning of the end for darkness.  

Today, you can boldly and confidently say, “I am baptized into Christ!”  Darkness tries to prevail, but Christ has already overcome it. In your Baptism, you walk in the light of Christ.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Palm Sunday)

-Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!