April 24, 2025

Today's Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16; Hebrews 11:1-29

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

He is Risen! His is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. A new creation sure sounds like a great idea. The people of the southern kingdom were certainly wanting a new creation as the creation that they were living in was not ideal. The Babylonians had ransacked the kingdom. The temple was destroyed. The deportation had taken place. The land flowing with milk and honey had been ravaged by the Baal worshippers. A message of a new creation resonated in the ears of God’s people. A new creation where the old things are not remembered sounds even better—no memory of the calamity and desolation that was experienced under Babylonian rule. God’s people were anxiously waiting for a restoration to take place.

We, too, are waiting for a restoration. Right now, we live in a world that is full of chaos and uncertainty. The Holy Law of God is redacted to almost oblivion. People bend the knee to the various gods of this world, from wealth and power to self-indulgence and selfish behaviors. The concept of “love thy neighbor” is transactional. I will love my neighbor only if I can get something out of it. What’s in it for me is the way we live our lives with our neighbors. The world today seeks ways in which to exploit God’s creation, especially the crown of His creation: mankind. We post comments on social media platforms that hurt and harm our neighbor’s reputation. We share information that was meant to be private and confidential in order to make ourselves look better. Hope seems lost, and we are left feeling abandoned, lonely, and destitute in this world.

The words of Isaiah are for us, too. As God writes through the prophet, He points His people not only to the immediate restoration of the kingdom of Judah but also to the return of the Messiah. In the end, God will restore the entire creation to how He had made it. He will declare once again that it is very good. He will send His son, our savior Jesus Christ, as the final sacrifice. He will rise from the dead. Death will be conquered. We hear the words of Isaiah and are pointed back to the cross and resurrection, while at the same time, we are pointed forward to the return of Christ. As the people of Isaiah’s time waited anxiously for their restoration, we, too, anxiously wait for the return of Jesus. Our hope and focus is not of this world but in the promises given to us that we will rise from the grave and stand upon a new earth. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Sing with all the saints in glory, Sing the resurrection song! Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story, To the former days belong. All around the clouds are breaking; Soon the storms of time shall cease; In God’s likeness we awaken, Knowing everlasting peace. (LSB 671:1)

-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.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 23, 2025

Today's Reading: John 21:1-14

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 16:13-35; Hebrews 10:19-39

“Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.” (John 21:13-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Jesus gives them bread and fish to eat. The first time that John records the use of fish and bread to feed the people, the local people wanted to make Him the Bread King. In John chapter 6, Christ reminds them that the purpose of the miracle was not so that their bellies could be filled and that they would never go hungry but that He is God incarnate right there in their midst. Standing before them was the creator of all things. Unfortunately, the people did not want to hear this message. The people were more interested in this man because He could feed them forever. 

We want signs and wonders to know God’s will for us. In sin, we see Jesus as the handyman who has come to fix our lives. He will feed our bellies. He will explicitly show us what decisions we are to make about life choices. We look for the mysterious and the unexplained events in our lives as God speaking to us. We want God to speak clearly to us about His will for us and His desires for us. We search for His voice in places where He has not promised to speak. We cry out, “Show me a sign!” when we want to know what He wants us to do in our lives. 

He does speak to us. He speaks to us through the means that He has already promised to work. He reveals Himself to us through His word and sacraments. He speaks His words of Absolution upon us. He gives to us His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins. He takes water and His word and marks us as His children. He takes ink and paper and gives to us a living, breathing document that reveals His son as our Savior. In His word is the true testament of our Savior, who has paid the price for our sins and given to us the resurrection from the dead. No longer does death prevail. It is conquered. The war is won. Christ is victorious. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light. Grant that we who have been raised with Him may abide in His presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Easter Wednesday)

-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.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 22, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 24:36-49

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:19-16:12; Hebrews 10:1-18

“See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:39)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. In the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed, we confess that we believe in the resurrection of the dead. It is a confession that has deep implications in our lives as children of God. When we confess the resurrection of the dead, we are saying that death is conquered. We are saying that in our bodies, in our flesh, we will come from the dead. We will not be spirits, we will not be ghosts, we will not be angels— we will be human beings in the flesh.

In the resurrection of Christ, we are given what will happen to us in the resurrection. The language of the narratives from the Gospels give witness to what the disciples and followers of Jesus saw after His resurrection. They saw Jesus. They heard Jesus. They touched Jesus. Yes, touched Jesus. He was not a ghost or some anomaly from the proverbial spirit world. He was fully human. He was alive and breathing, eating and drinking as humans do every day. He completely rose from the dead.

Oftentimes, we hear about life everlasting in some existential context. Life everlasting is taught as something that is “way out there.” We cannot grasp it, so it is taught like fairytales and make-believe stories. Life everlasting becomes supernatural, where the dead end up as ghosts or angels. We are to believe that eternal life is really an experience in nirvana, where we do not have bodies and that we become one with the universe. 

All of these false teachings take us away from the Scriptures and what we confess in our creeds. We believe, teach, confess, and practice that on the Last Day, we will rise from the dead in our flesh. We will be able to see, taste, touch, smell, and hear. We will walk again upon a restored earth. No longer will there be death. In Christ’s resurrection is our resurrection.

In Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection. Death is conquered. Death is destroyed. Right now, you have eternal life. Jesus invites His followers to touch Him after the resurrection. He is in the flesh, resurrected from the dead. When you confess, “I believe in the resurrection of the dead.” you confess that you will rise from the dead as Christ rose from the dead. In the flesh. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, through the resurrection of Your Son You have secured peace for our troubled consciences. Grant us this peace evermore that trusting in the merit of Your Son we may come at last to the perfect peace of heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Easter Tuesday)

-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.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 21, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 24:13-35, 36-49

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:1-18; Hebrews 9:1-28

“When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.” (Luke 24:30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. For the disciples, their world had just been rocked. The Messiah had been crucified, and now they were potentially in the crosshairs of the local leaders. Their world was one of chaos and uncertainty as they worked to navigate the aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus. They were not given a pamphlet or a grief book from the local church to contend with their feelings and emotions after the crucifixion. The two travelers did not know that it was Jesus who walked with them, who spoke to them, who inquired of their conversation, and who accepted their invitation into their home to spend the night. They did not know that it was Jesus sitting in their midst that evening. Finally, their eyes are opened, and they see Jesus in the blessing and breaking of the bread. 

Our lives are filled with the uncertainty that a fallen creation gives us. We are told that true order comes from following the right philosophies of this world. If we just follow the suggested steps that the latest life-coach sensation advocates, then the chaos will cease our lives. We are pointed to the influencers on social media, advised to watch this reel or subscribe to a certain channel, and then we will have the answers we need to experience true joy and happiness. We have a lot of people, ideologies, and philosophies that want to be the center of our lives.

The presence of Christ in the middle of the disciples brought them order in the midst of their chaos. In our world today, we are given Christ in the breaking of bread. As we bend the knee at the Communion rail, our Pastor places in our mouth the Body and Blood of Jesus. The true presence of Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine. He speaks words of comfort and order to us when he says, “Take and eat” and “Take and drink.” In the reception of His Body and Blood, forgiveness is delivered to you. Our eyes are opened, and our hearts are filled with the peace that this world cannot give. His promises are delivered, and we are restored. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, in the paschal feast You restore all creation. Continue to send Your heavenly gifts upon Your people that they may walk in perfect freedom and receive eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Easter Evening/Easter Monday)

-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.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 20, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 24:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 14:10-31; Hebrews 7:23-8:13

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen…” (Luke 24:5b-6a)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The question asked by the angel is a peculiar question. The ladies have arrived to finish the burial process. The last couple of days were very unpredictable for the disciples and the followers of Jesus. They were prepared to celebrate the Passover, but then everything went sideways for them. Jesus is arrested, He is tried, He is crucified, and He is buried. The ladies did not have time to attend to the burial process faithfully. Then, when they arrive at the tomb, they are greeted with, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” I am sure the ladies were thinking, “Well, we are not looking for the living; we are looking for the dead.”

It is a change of events that takes place on Easter morning. The ladies were looking for the dead, but the angels corrected them by saying, “...you seek the living…” Jesus is Alive! Death is conquered. The tomb is open. The angels are present to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus. If they wanted to see Jesus, they would not find Him with the dead.

We, too, can look for life among the dead. In our own deadness from sin, we search for life in a fallen world. We look to the popular philosophies that surround us for comfort and peace. Popular thought teaches that we need to find peace within ourselves in order to be truly alive. Life is redefined as joy, happiness, wealth, and popularity set by worldly standards. We are inundated with the cries of the world to conform to these worldly standards.

Real life only comes through Jesus Christ. The life He gives is not of this world. As the ladies were looking for Jesus, they were still of the mindset of the world. He died and is, therefore, “only” dead. Christ conquered death! No longer does the one thing that all of us succumb to prevail. Death is conquered. In your Baptism, you are made alive in Christ Jesus. Paul reminds His readers in Romans 6 that as we are Baptized into His death, we are Baptized into His resurrection. Your Baptism connects you to the resurrection of life. Your Baptism connects you to life in Christ. His life is your life. His resurrection from the grave is your resurrection from the grave. Because of your Baptism, right now you have eternal life. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen!    

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Easter 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.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 19, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22

“Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:64)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The church leaders go to great lengths to make sure that there will be no confusion about the death of Jesus. Jesus died and is buried. Saturday is a day of silence. Nothing is written about what transpires from Friday evening until Sunday morning other than the placing of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. Silence covers the world. The Son of God is silent. The Son of Man, The Son of God, rests on the seventh day. He rests on the Sabbath. He will rise from the dead on the eighth day, finalizing His work of conquering death.

On this day, Christians all around the world are reflecting on the time of Christ in the tomb. Vigils are held, and Scriptures are read in the sanctuaries. In Christian homes, there is silence as the death of the Son of Man is remembered. In the midst of our silence, there is a lot of noise. Noise from sin, satan, and the world. The noise of a fallen creation is the complete corruption of God’s Holy creation. The chaos we experience in life. The reality of broken homes. The struggle with broken relationships. The confrontation of death at any age. The Old Adam in us reminds us that we are tired from all the chaos. Satan still lays out his temptations before us as we are drawn into secular activities surrounding Easter. We feel as if the world is against us, and we are flailing in the deep end of the pool of life. The desire for silence consumes us, but it does not come.

On this day, many of our sanctuaries are preparing for the Easter Services. As post-pentecost churches, we know the rest of the story. We know that the silence is not permanent. The tomb will be opened, and Christ will rise from the dead. Death is conquered. No longer is there silence in the world as the gates of the grave are burst open. All of Christ’s words come to fruition. He will suffer, He will die, and on the third day, He will rise from the dead. His rest in the tomb on the Sabbath is the final rest He takes. Today, as we enter into His Sanctuaries, He works while we rest and receive the Gifts He gives to us in His Means Of Grace. We receive the promise that we, too, will rise from the grave on the Last Day.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, creator of heaven and earth, grant that as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Holy Saturday)

-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!

April 18, 2025

Today's Reading: John 19:17-30

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16; Lamentations 5:1-22, Hebrews 6:1-20, Psalm 22

“he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (John 19:26b-27)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Dying is very deadly. Dead is dark. The light of the world is no longer shining. Darkness has covered the world. The curtain in the temple is torn. The clothes of Christ have been divided up between the pagan Roman soldiers. The disciples have all fled but one. Peter has denied knowing the savior. Jesus hangs naked between two thieves in the local landfill with only one disciple and His mother nearby. He entrusts His mother to John and declares that His father has forsaken Him. He drinks and breathes His last. Dying is very deadly.

His final words on the cross are comforting. His final words on the cross are words that draw our attention to the garden of Eden when God gave us the gift of marriage. In Genesis 2:24, God gives us the fundamental premise of marriage when He says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” From the cross, Christ separates himself from His earthly mother in John 19:26-27: “…he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!...” Christ has left His mother. In Matthew 27:46, Christ calls from the cross, “...My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Christ is separated from His Father. The son leaves His father and mother and holds fast to his wife. In the death of Christ, a marriage vow is fulfilled. The groom has loved His bride to the point that He dies for her. Scripture is fulfilled in the final sacrifice. When His side is pierced, blood and water pour from His side. In the first Adam, his wife comes from his side. Adam stands by as she eats from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Death is ushered in through their disobedience. The marks of the church in word and sacrament come from the side of the second Adam, Jesus, as water and blood pour out. He is bound to His bride, the church, in the fulfillment of Scripture. Where Adam failed to die for his bride, Christ has fulfilled the debt owed by us in His death on the cross.

All our sins went to the cross on Good Friday. All our sins went to the tomb when He was buried. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Sin is buried. All your sins are covered in the blood of Christ. All your sins are atoned for in His deadly dying on the cross. All your sins went to the grave on Good Friday and were buried. The covenant is complete; the atonement for the sins of the world is finished.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Good Friday)

-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!

April 17, 2025 

Today's Reading: Luke 22:7-20

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28; Lamentations 4:1-22; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 31

“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.” (Luke 22:7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The meal is ready. The week is coming to a close around the table of the Lord. Lazarus is resurrected from the dead. The temple is cleansed. The disciples have been taught about the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus is anointed by Mary. The disciples’ feet are washed. The table is set; let us break bread together. The Passover is at hand. It is time for the lamb to be sacrificed.

A lot of preparation has taken place this week to get us to the table of the Lord. The work of Christ is not complete. Today, a New Covenant is instituted—a covenant between God and His people, a covenant that requires the shedding of blood. Covenant-making is very bloody. The blood of Jesus will be the blood of the Lamb, which is the final shedding of blood for the sins of the world.  

In the Words of Institution, a New Covenant is brought forth that nullifies the Old Covenant. No longer will the sacrifice of bulls, lambs, and goats be necessary. The words are spoken, and the covenant is established. Christ declares himself to be in, with, and under the bread and wine. His words, “take and eat, this IS” and “take and drink, this IS” are words of comfort for us today.

Today, we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in His blessed sacrament. We receive forgiveness of sins in His sacrament. We come to the altar beaten down. We come to the altar covered in our sins. We come to the altar with illnesses and life struggles. Our shame, our guilt, our sins are all exposed.  

In preparing to come to the altar, we sing the Sanctus, reminding us that a three-times-Holy God that comes to us. As we approach the altar, it is the Agnes Dei that we sing as we prepare to receive the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He has mercy on us! He gives to us His Body and Blood of the New Covenant for the forgiveness of sins. Your sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb. All your sins are removed before God. No longer does God see your sin. He sees only the blood of Jesus over you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, in this wondrous Sacrament You have left us a remembrance of Your passion. Grant that we may so receive the sacred mystery of Your body and blood that the fruits of Your redemption may continually be manifest in us; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Thursday of Holy Week)

-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!

April 16, 2025

Today's Reading: John 13:16-38

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10; Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 4:1-16

“So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” (John 13:30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The time is drawing near for the Son of Man to be lifted up. His betrayal is imminent. The betrayer has dipped his hand with Christ. He has put on a facade of friendship and loyalty, but underneath, the “cha-ching” of the 30 pieces of silver is echoing in the background. He sold the savior of the world, the Son of God, the Son of Man, for 30 pieces of silver. John writes, “And it was night.”

As we approach the beginning of the Passion of Christ, John draws us back to the tension between day and night. When Judas left the disciples and Jesus, night was setting in. Darkness was coming in the form of a crucifixion. The Son of God was going to be handed over and killed. Darkness was going to prevail. Night was going to cover the world, and mankind’s hatred of his creator was going to come to fruition in the death of Christ.

Sin loves the night. Throughout the scriptures, and especially in John, we hear repeatedly the use of night. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night in John 3, and in the opening chapter of John, darkness is used to show the condition of the world on account of sin. Our lives are filled with darkness, and we live in the night each day. We struggle with chaos all around us. We desire order, but uncertainty prevails. Families are in chaos. Friendships are unpredictable. Finances are tumultuous. We may feel that our church life and walk with Christ is even in want.  

Christ sends Judas out to do what needs to be done at night. In the darkness of the pending crucifixion, there is light. The light of the world will be lifted up. Darkness will come, but it will not prevail. Satan’s work of bringing death into this world is going to be overcome. Christ is going to the cross as the final sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is going to the cross for your darkness. He turns night into day. In the Revelation to St. John, the New Jerusalem is described as having no sun as the Glory of God and the Lamb of God are its light (Revelation 20:23). Now, we live in the light of Christ, waiting for His return.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Merciful and everlasting God, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all to bear our sins on the cross. Grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we fear not the power of sin, death, and the devil; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Wednesday of Holy Week)

-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!

April 15, 2025

Today's Reading: John 12:23-50

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:29-10:20; Lamentations 2:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“If you are going to love someone, you first must love yourself.” The saying is popular among relationship gurus in our world today. The focus on yourself must be first if you are to give love. It is a profound thought to think of yourself first, but in the world of humanism, that is exactly what is advocated. The first-person personal pronouns reign supreme. The “I,” the “me,” the “my,” the “myself” all take precedence over everyone else. It is how we are taught and even wired on account of sin. Love yourself first.

Jesus’ words to those in His midst were certainly contrary to their way of thought. We must hate our lives in order to keep it. Those words certainly did not make sense to the audience listening to Jesus. Christ’s words were counter-cultural. No one is to hate their life and, in doing so, gain eternal life. The Jews in His midst have reminded Him that they are children of Abraham and that they are set apart as God’s people. They are the chosen people of God. Hating our lives would be a ridiculous thought. On account of their hardness of heart, they did not hear the true meaning behind Christ’s words.

Our own sin deafens our ears to the Good News of Christ. We hear over and over the words of the world and how we are to place ourselves first and pursue our own desires. Christ’s words address our own pride and self-centeredness by taking the focus off of the things of this world and pointing them to God’s work in Christ. Every day, we are encouraged in this world to pursue the desires of the flesh. In the Scriptures, we are pointed to the works of Christ. It is Christ who gave His life so that we have life eternal in His name.  

In your Baptism, you have been separated from the world. You are in the world, but you are not of the world. You are in Christ and of Christ through the washing and renewal in the waters of Holy Baptism. As you arise each day, the sign of the cross is made, reminding you of your Baptism. No longer does the world prevail in your life. It is Christ who has delivered you out of this world and into life everlasting.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, grant us by Your grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s passion that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Tuesday in Holy Week)

-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!