Reflections

November 22, 2024 

Today's Reading: Daniel 2:24-49

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:24-49; Revelation 19:1-21

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

History reveals that even the mightiest nations, no matter how long they reign, no matter how much they prosper, rise and fall like waves raging in a sea. It seems that no kingdom is immune to one day crumbling. The great nations of history are proof of this. The Mongols, Romans, Ottomans, and Persians are all examples of this. There was a time when it was said that the sun didn’t set on the Roman empire, but eventually, it would. The once mighty Rome would crumble and become simply a footnote in the annals of history. This is how it goes with kingdoms made by the hands of men. Just like everything, sin infects and causes even the firmest of foundations to decay. Leaders become corrupt, those who serve to keep order abuse their authority, and greed gets a stranglehold on the best of us. Eventually, the infection kills. 

 Daniel speaks of such things in this dream that he interprets. While it talks about a specific group of nations, nothing has changed. But with this word of law comes a promise that in a world where nations rise and fall, where sinners rule and reign, there will come a kingdom that will conquer all. There will come a kingdom that is holy and righteous, and this kingdom will have no end but instead will endure forever. This kingdom is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom that Christ will bring with Him, the one that He begins to usher in at His incarnation, the kingdom which He fights for in His death, the kingdom He secures in His resurrection, and the kingdom He rules since His ascension. 

 This kingdom has yet to be fulfilled. It will come to completion when Christ returns on the Last Day. This kingdom will be a kingdom where there is no more death, pain, or tears. It will be glorious. Until that day, though, the kingdom of God is established through Christ’s church. It rules with the Gospel, the preaching and teaching of Jesus, who died and was resurrected. It wars against sin, death, and the devil through Word and Sacrament. Christ’s church brings about this kingdom one Baptism at a time. One day, Christ will return, and all who believe will dwell in His kingdom forever. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O sweet and blessed country, The home of God’s elect! O sweet and blessed country That faithful hearts expect! In mercy, Jesus, bring us To that eternal rest With You and God the Father And Spirit, ever blest. (LSB 672:4)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 21, 2024

Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To Youth

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:1-23; Revelation 18:1-24

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you (1 Peter 5:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When you are a “youth,” it can be a difficult time of life. There is a lot going on in your world. You strive to navigate the ever-changing world. You go through changes emotionally and physically. You try to navigate the halls of schools, the social scene, and then, of course, the sort of coming of age in finding yourself, whatever that means. The world will heap expectations on you and upon your shoulders. You will carry the weight of the future with you every step of the way, and it can be a heavy load to bear. There are a lot of expectations for the youth of every generation. There can also be a lot of arrogance.

Generational conversations often look like this: the older generations tell the younger generations how wrong and lazy they are, and the younger generations tell the older generations how they screwed up the world they are entering into. It is easy to think that as a youth, you know better than your elders; after all, you understand the latest trends, you understand technology and its advances, and you understand the new lingo that is being used in conversation. You feel like you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, and once you are in charge when you’re older, the world will finally be the way it ought to be.

This isn’t everyone's experience, but there is a warning. It can be easy to fall into arrogance when you are young. You may not think you need the words of those who are older than you and who have lived life longer than you. You might not think you need God’s word, that you will be just fine on your own. My dear brothers and sisters who read this do not believe this lie. Instead, humble yourselves before God, to His Word of law and instruction, and the word of his freeing Gospel. Find yourselves in Him, in who He has declared you to be, His child. Walk in His ways and learn the scriptures. Instead of following your heart, follow Jesus because when you follow Jesus, it leads to eternal life and eternal joy. When you follow the ways of the world, it leads to death and torment. So, humble yourselves before God, and he will lift you up. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Law of God is good and wise And sets His will before our eyes, Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress. (LSB 579:1)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 20, 2024

Today's Reading: Matthew 28:1-20

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 1:1-21; Matthew 28:1-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

 It’s only been a few weeks since the election. This is being written months before it ever takes place, but that doesn’t change the message. Elections always end up the same way: there is a winner and a loser. There will be people who rejoice and people who are angry, sad, and maybe even afraid. There will be people who will think their savior has come and those who think doom has come. Maybe you don’t pay too close attention to elections, maybe you do, maybe they bring you anxiety and fear, or maybe you feel uncertain about the future. Well, if so, Jesus brings you Good News. Regardless of which nations rise and which nations fall, Jesus Christ is the King on the throne. 

Christ has all authority not only in heaven but on earth as well. Christ has made the world his footstool, and He is the Lord over all things. But unlike the leaders of this world, elected or not, He is not a greedy ruler. He is not cruel, He is not selfish, He is not corrupt, and He does not fall in any other way to sin that affects those who hold the office or those who rule. Instead, Jesus is gracious. He is merciful, He is just, He is gentle, He is perfect, He is eternal. To confess that Christ is king is a confession of confidence and hope. Jesus is the Lord over your life, and He is a good and gracious Lord. 

One can imagine the disciples were rather anxious about going out into the world after Jesus ascended into heaven. Their teacher, master, and Lord left them alone on that hilltop following the great commission. Yet, they would go into the world clinging to the promise He gave them. They would go on teaching and preaching the Good News of Jesus before hostile rulers, councils, emperors, and more. They would go on confessing Jesus Christ and Him crucified, holding to the promise that He made them. They would know that Christ the King would be with them always, to the end of the age, because He promised them. This is who Christ is: He is the Lord of all, the Lord who keeps his promises. To all people, and Christ keeps his promises to you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ be my leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness for He is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. (LSB 861:1)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

November 19, 2024 

Today's Reading: Hebrews 10:11-25

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 38:1-28; Jeremiah 39:1-44:30; Matthew 27:57-66

 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Being a Christian is not as easy as some may think. The world rejects the Gospel of Jesus. In some places, it is outlawed; in others, it is frowned upon; in our own nation, it is no longer the cultural force it used to be. The church in America faces new challenges as it loses some of the privileges it once had. Yet, there is no reason to fear. Christ will sustain His church no matter what it looks like. He is Lord over all. Yet, as you go through life following Jesus, there is no doubt that fear, anxiety, and struggle will greet you. Satan will poke at your wounds, whisper poisonous lies in your ears, and remind you of old sins that have been forgiven. He will assault you relentlessly, especially those who follow Christ. This is all the more reason to heed the words of Hebrews, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

Christ has conquered all things. He has conquered the sin Satan throws in your face, He has conquered death that awaits you, and He has conquered the devil himself. He has kept His promises, of that you can be sure. Yet, if you find yourself doubting, go to church and, along with your fellow brothers and sisters, hear the promises of Jesus spoken and proclaimed. This church spurs one another along in love and good works, prays and cares for one another, and rejoices and weeps with one another. Do not try to stand against sin, death, and the power of the devil alone, but instead stand with Christ and all the faithful. 

So, do not forsake the gathering together of the church. Do not forsake attending the Divine Service on Sundays. The less you go, the more weak spots you have, the more lies you’ll believe, and you’ll forget the forgiveness Christ has won for you. Instead, run to the house of the Lord as often as possible. Go and have your sins forgiven by your Pastor in Christ’s stead, receive Christ’s true Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, and rest assured in the promises of Jesus. This world is rough, life is difficult, and the burdens can be heavy, but Jesus will lead you on. He will carry the load, and He will invite you to rest.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We share our mutual woes, We pour our ardent prayers; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. (LSB 649:3)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 18, 2024 

Today's Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 37:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Matthew 27:33-56

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Here, at the end of Daniel, we have yet another vision of what the end times will bring— something that tends to bring many people fear and trepidation. But for the Christian, there is a beautiful truth here in Daniel 12 of what awaits us. Now, I know there is a lot of preaching and teaching done proclaiming that the goal of the Christian life is to “die and go to heaven,” but this isn’t what Christ’s eventual return will bring. At least, not according to Daniel. 

 If we remember well enough, Daniel is filled with some of our favorite Bible stories. There is the account of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, who were thrown into the fiery furnace, only to be joined by a fourth person, and the fire left them miraculously unharmed. There is the account of Daniel praying, even though it was against the law and his punishment was to be thrown into a den filled with hungry lions, and God miraculously shut their mouths. But did you know that Daniel also has the account of Easter? 

 Of course, it isn’t the account of Jesus rising from the dead, but it points to the final Easter, the ultimate Resurrection when all who believe in Christ will be called out of their graves. This is the ultimate hope of the Christian life. To not only “die and go to heaven” but to be raised from the dead, body and soul reunited, being raised to new life wholly human. On Easter, Christ defeated death for all, and on the Last Day, death will be swallowed up forever. Only then will all creation be made new, and only then will every tongue confess, and every knee will bow. Daniel, so many years before Jesus is born, reveals to us the end, the goal. He reveals the Resurrection, your Resurrection. This is the end goal of the Christian life. In Baptism, we receive the Gift of heaven. When we die, we will rest in the arms of the Father, and on the Last Day, we will be raised from the dead in body and soul and will spend eternity in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

City of God, Easter forever, Golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb, River of life, Saints and archangels, Sing with creation to God the I Am! Jesus is risen and we shall arise, Give God the glory! Alleluia! (LSB 474:5)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 17, 2024 

Today's Reading: Mark 13:1-13

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 33:1-22; Jeremiah 34:1-36:32; 45:1-51:64; Matthew 27:11-32

And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Mark 13:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is no shortage of people who have claimed to be the Messiah throughout history. A quick Wikipedia search will bring up over forty names of people who have claimed to be some kind of “messiah.” This is not a surprising thing. It is actually expected if we read the scriptures and take Jesus’ words seriously. He already has warned of this. People will come and they will make false claims, not only about being the messiah but about the end times as well. 

Most recently, the Eclipse brought out all the conspiracy theories and doomsday preppers on places like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It was flooded with calls to get right with God because the time is drawing near. Clearly, the signs tell us this. Maybe you rolled your eyes at the predictions. After all, Jesus makes it clear that no one knows the day or the hour of His return except for the Father. Or maybe you found yourself struck with fear. After all, wars, national disasters, persecution– all of those things sound scary. I, for one, can admit if I had the choice, I would rather not live through wars, natural disasters, and persecution. Yet, we ought not be afraid of the things to come. Instead, we stay vigilant, discerning against the voices proclaiming false truths and listening to the Voice of Truth. Listen to Jesus and what He has to say to you. 

My mind goes to the Gospel of Saint John, where Jesus speaks to His disciples. Allow these words to speak to you who find yourself worried about what the future holds. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christ continues to overcome the world, Christ continues to bring peace, Christ continues to give himself to you. So go where He promises to be, receive His Body and Blood, hear His Word preached, and be at peace; Jesus has overcome the world. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, by your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

November 16, 2024

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 26 - Ps. 48:11-14; antiphon: Mark 13:13b

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 31:1-17, 23-34; Revelation 16:1-21; Matthew 27:1-10

Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. (Psalm 48:11-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Zion is the city of David. It’s the city of promise. The Lord promised David that his throne would not end. The promise goes not just to David but to all Israelites, for from David’s lineage will come forth the Messiah, the Savior. 

In this way, the Canaanite woman, pleading to Jesus to help her daughter, rightly addresses Jesus as Son of David: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon” (Matthew 15:22).

Psalm 48 gives us to rejoice, “Let Mount Zion be glad, let the daughters of Judah rejoice … consider her ramparts, go through her citadels … tell the next generation that this is God, our God, forever and ever.”

The promise to Zion is “forever and ever.” We don’t reduce the Zion promise to a political action of establishing a powerful government in Jerusalem. The promise is that Mt. Zion will be the everlasting throne of David’s greater Son, and He will be the everlasting King of Mercy for every sinner. The promise of a “forever and ever” Zion is the promise, then, of the cross. At the cross, Jesus establishes His Throne of Grace for all those who, like the Canaanite woman, turn to the Son of David for mercy. 

Jesus is the Son of David. Those who belong to His cross are His “city of Zion,” the city of the Living God. When Jesus called you into his Church, He gathered you into the assembly of all those who belong to Him. That is the promise of Zion brought to you and me and our families.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new [testament], and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24).

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Jesus, Son of David, bless your holy Church on Earth. Let us be glad in the Gifts of your Church and rejoice in your judgments of salvation by which you justify us. According to your promise, keep us in the assembly of your people gathered to your Name to receive your blood of the new testament for the forgiveness of sins. Amen.

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 15, 2024 

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:57-75 

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 30:1-24; Revelation 15:1-8; Matthew 26:57-75 

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

A great spiritual battle in the history of the world is unfolding. On the one side, Satan and the demons. Along with Satan are those who serve him as they work to bring Jesus to the cross: the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the chief priests, Caiaphas, Herod, and, of course, Judas. On the other side is Jesus, and those who belong to Him, foremost would be His Apostles. 

Of the Apostles, Peter stands out. He had promised Jesus, “Though [the other Apostles] fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33).

Who can Jesus depend on? As it turns out, not Peter. This preeminent Apostle folds under pressure: “Then [Peter] began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man [Jesus].’ And immediately the rooster crowed” (Matthew 26:74).  

Is there any hope for Peter? If it depends on Peter, no, there is no hope. 

But if it depends on Jesus, there is hope. He’s the One going to the cross for Peter’s sin and the sin of the world. He’s the One who made the promise to keep all those the Father has given to Him (John 17:6-12), and that includes Peter. 

For Peter, it is the Word of the cross; it is life and salvation, even over against his doubting and denial.

The Word of the cross comes to you and me. Over against our doubting and denial, we hear the Lord’s promise. We hear His Word forgiving our sin, and where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. (Small Catechism, “The Benefit of the Sacrament of the Altar”)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Praise for Your great apostle So eager and so bold, Thrice falling, yet repentant, Thrice charged to feed your fold. Lord, make your pastors faithful To guard Your flock from harm, And hold them when they waver With Your almighty arm. Amen. (LSB 517:10)

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 14, 2024 

Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To Employers and Supervisors

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 29:1-19; Revelation 14:1-20; Matthew 26:36-56

Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (Ephesians 6:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

It can be fun to consider the changes in descriptive language from the time of the Bible and the Catechism to our current generation. 

The Bible speaks of farm and ranch life. A man’s wealth was his sheep, his olive orchard, and his water wells. At the time of the writing of the Catechism (the 1500s), the descriptive titles at the workplace included master and servant. Even words such as slave had meanings ranging from household servants to indentured servants and also those slaves captured as bounty in war.

Now, we don’t often speak of masters and servants. The titles might be Executive, administrative assistant, clerk, shift supervisor, project engineer, janitor, owner, or franchisee. You can probably think of many more.

The titles change (just as a farmer now plows a field with a tractor, not a pair of oxen), but we can still discern our Lord’s desire for us. He gives us to love our neighbor as ourselves (e.g., Mark 12:30-31). How do we love our neighbor? Love for neighbor flows from the heart of faith— faith that clings to Jesus’ love and mercy for the sinner and then brings forth the fruit of that faith in words and acts of love toward one another.

This love for neighbor has practical results in our lives. Our minds and hands produce actual, real-world benefits. This is how we may understand our vocations in life. We are the Lord’s servants to our neighbor. So, if we are employees, we serve our vocation well by rejoicing in our work and being productive employees. If we are employers or supervisors, if we’re given the job of boss at the workplace, then we serve our neighbors by treating our employees with respect, honoring our contract with them, and rejoicing in helping them to be productive in their employment. 

The language has certainly changed since the days of speaking of master and servant, but the Lord has not changed. He still uses us in our many and various vocations to provide for our neighbors. We know that the Lord who has redeemed us with His own blood is using our lives, even our minds, and hands, to provide food and home, safety, and honor for those He loves. And our Lord loves our neighbor. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, help us walk Your servant way Wherever love may lead And, bending low, forgetting self, Each serve the other’s need. (LSB 857:1)

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 13, 2024 

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:20-35

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 26:1-19; Revelation 13:1-18; Matthew 26:20-35

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 [new testament], which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Jesus is with His Apostles in the Upper Room, preparing to go to the cross to die. Three days later, He will be raised from the dead. Forty days later, He will ascend to Heaven, leaving His Apostles and His church here on Earth.

Jesus is the Lord who will not leave His people alone. Ascended to Heaven, He will never not be with His church. So, on the night when He was betrayed, He gave His church a mandate. He instituted the Gift by which He would bodily be with His church until he comes again.

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 [new testament], which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Until that day, when He comes with glory to judge both the living and the dead, He remains with His Church. He brings us again and again into His remembrance, forgiving our sin.

In the midst of the church, He is with us in his Body and Blood. Among the people He loves, He is proclaiming His Father’s Name (cf. Hebrews 2:11-13), cleansing us of all sin, declaring us innocent of all guilt, and covering all of our shame. Here, among us, with us, He is bestowing on us the wealth of His cross.

That’s what Jesus was doing in that Upper Room with his Apostles. A Man on His way to death— He was instituting His Last Will and Testament so that upon His death, the wealth of His cross would be freely given out to His beneficiaries, to all those He calls into His Church (cf. Hebrews 9:15-16). 

It’s His Gift. Christ instituted it. It is life itself, instituted by Christ for us Christians to eat and drink.

The sureness and certainty of this Gift depends upon Him alone. We do not make the Sacrament, nor does it derive any authority or worthiness from us. It is His Body and His Blood. Your sins are forgiven.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me, Are taken at Your table, Lord, In blest reality. (LSB 628:3)

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

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

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.