Reflections

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 4:7-14

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22; Luke 19:11-28 

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Peter sure has a lofty goal for us, that we love one another earnestly. Clearly Peter never had any enemies and he certainly hasn't met our enemies before, those people who are unworthy of our love. There's a good reason why they're our enemies and we don't love them; all you have to do is ask us and we'll tell you all about it. 

Sadly, that's not the way that it is supposed to be. God does not want us to love some and hate others. That's not what Jesus teaches us in the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." No, God wants us to love all people, despite who they might be and what they may have done. This is because of who we were: enemies of God. Paul tells us, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). 

Since we are sinners, we know that we have a multitude of sins. What does God do with those sins? Does He condemn us for them? No, He forgives them, each and every one of them. He does that out of love for us, His creation. That is because He is our loving Father, and as our Father, God does nothing but love us, loving us to the point of the death of His Son Jesus. 

We see just how much love covers our multitude of sins. They are covered in Jesus' holiness and righteousness, so much so that God does not see our sins, but only sees Jesus. Every person, from all times and all places have received the forgiveness of their sins on account of Jesus' death and resurrection. They are all people whom God has loved and for whom Christ has died. God doesn't play favorites with regards to His love. If God has created them, then God loves them; and since God has created all, God loves all. 

That idea of loving everyone is contrary to how we want to behave. God sees us for who we are: sinners in need of salvation. And because we are all sinners, God shows His love to all of us by sending Christ. That is the unconditional love that God has for us, and the same love which we should show others. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-28

Daily Lectionary:  Numbers 14:25-45; Luke 18:35-19:10 

"You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:28) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are advantages when you belong to something. Belonging to something often means that there are perks. If you're really fortunate, you get rewarded with free stuff just for belonging. You do belong to something, or rather, to someone: God. And when you belong to God, there are some great perks that go with it. You have God's Name placed on you, marking you as part of Him. You receive the free Gift of the forgiveness of your sins. Let's not forget the Gift of everlasting life that you receive by belonging to God. The best part of this: All of it is freely given to you, no punch card required! 

When you belong to God, everything is freely given to you. That's the promise God gave when He made us His people and He our God. The only thing necessary on your part is faith, and even that is given to you by the Holy Spirit. All of this is yours as a free gift. 

This is what God had done in the very beginning with Adam and Eve. They were God's people and He their God. They lived together in perfect harmony. Through man's fall into sin, all of that went away. Track throughout the Old Testament how many times God's people walked away from Him, believing in false idols and rejecting God. While the people strayed from God, He never strayed from them. He would remain faithful to them despite the fact that they were unfaithful to Him. 

That's the great difference between man and God. Man is faithful today but faithless tomorrow. We are easily tempted by the bright and shiny things of this world. We can and do easily forget that we belong to God. Fortunately for us, God does not lose faith in us and forget us. God can't forget us because He made a promise to us, to be our God, and that's not a promise that God takes likely. In fact, God doesn't take any of His promises lightly. Every promise made is a promise kept. You are His people and He is your God, now and forevermore. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

O Lord, keep Your Church with Your perpetual mercy; and because of our frailty we cannot but fall, keep us ever by Your help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Trinity 14)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: John 15:26-16:4

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34 

"I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away." (John 16:1) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you wondered why Jesus spends so much time with His disciples? If He wanted to get His message out to the mass population, you would think that He would devote more time to being amongst the people, though He does spend His fair share of time with them. In order for the disciples to be strengthened and prepared to go and spread the Word of God, Jesus needs to convey that Word to them. The best way He knows how to do that is to bring them with Him and teach them as much as He can in a short amount of time. 

The Word of God that was taught to the disciples is that same Word that has been and continues to be taught to you. There is so much that is contained within God's Word, you could never mine every nugget of God's wisdom. What we have recorded in Scripture is what God has decided we need to have–nothing more and nothing less. The purpose is simple according to John: "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). 

The devil is quite crafty and continues to try to cause doubt in the believer. Anyone who will doubt God and His Word is a win for Satan. This will continue until the day that Jesus returns. Luther tells us, "He will certainly have the devil also around him, who with his lying and murdering day and night will let him have no peace, within or without. . . " (Small Catechism). The only sure defense we have against Satan is God's Word. 

It is for that reason that Jesus spends so much time with His disciples, to teach them God's Word. It is for that reason that you and I remain in God's Word, and that we will always have before us God's promise of forgiveness and salvation. God's Word, both in its written form and through the Word made flesh, has been given to us, to lead and guide us into the truth. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Introit for the Seventh Sunday of Easter

        (Psalm 27:1, 11a, 12; antiphon: v.7a, 8b, 9a)

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33; Luke 18:1-17 

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is my stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (From the Introit for the Seventh Sunday of Easter) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Children tend to be fearful of many things, especially of the dark. It's likely because they can't see anything and are afraid of what might happen to them. As we get older, our fears tend to subside and we aren't so easily frightened. When it comes to this present darkness in which we live, it would be easy for us to fear, but there is no reason for us to fear. Though there is darkness, there is Light: Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overcome (John 8:12, 1:5). 

Satan tried desperately to extinguish this Light, to snuff out our salvation. Try as he might, Satan could not succeed. Tempting Jesus failed. Leading Judas to betray Jesus failed. Crucifying Jesus failed to extinguish the Light. All that Satan could do was sit and watch God's promise of salvation come to fruition. 

Despite knowing that he has already lost, Satan doesn't go down without a fight. He musters all of his wicked strength to go after the children of God, causing all sorts of trials and temptations to rise up against us. Throughout the darkness, we must remember that we have God for us. That means that nothing can harm us; it means that nothing can be against us (Romans 8:31). 

As the blood-bought and redeemed children of God, we would do well to remember all that God has done for us, continues to do for us, and will do for us. God has spared us from eternal death and damnation by the sending of Jesus. God protects you from all the assaults of Satan and whatever he can throw at you because Jesus has conquered the darkness. There is nothing that you need to be fearful of because God is your stronghold. 

God is our salvation. God is your hope. God is your everything. In this earthly life, He provides you everything you need. But more importantly, He grants to you the forgiveness of your sins and the privilege of being called a child of God. There is nothing for you to fear, for the LORD Almighty is with you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon; He helps us free from ev'ry need That hath us now o'er taken. The old evil foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal. ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" LSB 656, st.1)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Acts 1:1-11

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29; 12:1-16; Luke 17:20-37 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "You heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:4-5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Baptism. Baptized with water. Now, baptized with the Holy Spirit. Obviously, this is significant, not just for Jesus, but for the Church as a whole. This is an important point in the lives of the disciples. Jesus has risen from the dead and appeared to them, as well as to many others. In short order, though, Jesus will leave the disciples again. But He promises not to leave them lacking; He promises to send them the Holy Spirit. 

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, something else will be coming: the gift of faith. Jesus sends the Spirit of truth to guide the disciples into all truth. The truth is nothing short of God's divine plan of salvation that is meant for His creation. The truth is of Jesus Christ, and His salvation of us through His life, death, and resurrection. The work of the Holy Spirit is to create faith in a person. Note that the Spirit does not speak on His own, but rather speaks on behalf of the Father and Jesus, and testifies about Jesus. It's all about Jesus. For the Holy Spirit, it has to be all about Jesus because Jesus is the sole means of salvation. 

If there is a single message that we need to hear and take to heart, it is that of Jesus Christ, for He is our sole means of salvation. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to create this wonderful Gift in us called faith. It is that faith which believes in Jesus, believes in His atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

All of this was promised by God to His people of old, from Adam and Eve all the way up to the disciples and to the early Church. This promise was extended to all peoples of all times and in all places; this promise extends to you as well. God's promise was the promise of salvation, to undo the damning effects of sin at the Fall. God's promise had been made and it was fulfilled. Jesus has come and forgiven us our sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

O Lord, You have made the promise of salvation to Your people of old and fulfilled in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Strengthen the faith of Your people, that they would look alone to Jesus for their salvation, trusting in Your great mercy for Your creation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35; Luke 17:1-19 

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:51) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We all are familiar with the saying, "Here today, gone tomorrow." Whether we like it or not, what is today will not be tomorrow. This same thought applies to Jesus as well, whether you like it or not. 

After His three years of ministry, there were people who were more than happy to see Jesus die; this was the prevailing sentiment from the beginning of His ministry. But for as many people who wanted to see Jesus dead, there were just as many who wanted to see Jesus live forever. Their reasons varied: Some admired His teaching, some looked to Jesus as a means of healing the sick. For the disciples, Jesus was their Teacher. He was their Master. He was their Friend. Regardless of who Jesus was, He was not destined to live a long life on earth. He was destined to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

As much as the disciples did not want to hear of Jesus' death, it was necessary. Following our Lord's resurrection, all seemed well with the disciples–Jesus had returned to them! Though the disciples had Jesus back again, Jesus had other plans–He would return to the Father. All of this had been taught to them. All of this was according to God's divine plan for salvation. 

Luke's Gospel gives us just a glimpse of our Lord's Ascension. In fact, the Ascension itself comprises a single verse: "While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven." Jesus was here yesterday and gone tomorrow. But then, Jesus was here again following the resurrection. How happy the disciples must have been to have Jesus with them once again. But that would not last long, as Jesus needed to return to the Father. All would not be lost after Jesus' Ascension, though, as He would grant to them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. 

Because Christ has ascended unto the Father, so we will ascend as well. We will be with Him in glory. We will enjoy all of the benefits Christ has won for us. We have life because Christ has laid down His life and taken it up again in order to grant life for all believers. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Ascension of Our Lord)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Apostles' Creed, First Article part 2

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36; Luke 16:19-31 

He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. (Small Catechism: Apostles' Creed, First Article) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Did you know that you are rich? It doesn't matter if you don't have a dime in your pocket. You are rich, but that's because your wealth doesn't involve money. We are rich because God has provided everything that we need to support our earthly life. That means the clothes on our backs and the shoes on our feet, the food in our stomachs and the roofs over our heads. Luther sums up our First Article gifts with three simple words: "all I have." But what is that? 

We know the things we have because we can see them and touch them. But what about the things we can't see and touch? Do we have those as well? Not only does God provide us all that we see, He also provides all that we do not see, namely, our salvation. 

When a person looks at you, do they see that you are covered in the blood of the Lamb which forgives you all of your sins? Do they see God's Name placed upon you in your Baptism? Do they see that your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ? None of that is visible to the naked eye, and yet, that is what we have as well. 

We are wealthy beyond all measure because of the sacrifice that was made for us by Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, all that God intended for creation to have, all that was lost because of sin, has been restored. Everything that was meant for you from before the creation of the world is yours once again because Jesus has died and is risen again. He has made full satisfaction for your sins. All that we need in this life is given to us by God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. All that you need for the life of the world to come, is yours because of Jesus. The best part of all of this is that you don't need to wait until Christ comes again to receive the full benefit of Christ's death and resurrection. It is yours now, for Christ has died for you. All that Christ has to give is yours; all of your sins are forgiven and salvation is yours now. God has richly provided for you, now and forevermore. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

We all believe in one true God. . .  He in soul and body feeds us; All we need His hand provides us. . .  He cares for us by day and night; All things are governed by His might. ("We All Believe in One True God" LSB 954 st.1)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: James 1:22-27

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23; Luke 16:1-18 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How do you "do" the Word of God? Martin Luther tells us that we "hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it" (Explanation to the Third Commandment). That's the hearing which James speaks of, but what about the doing of the Word? What does that mean? What does it look like? 

To be a doer of the Word means to do what the Word says. And what does that Word say? "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). To be perfect means to do all that God has commanded of you. It means to do all that His Law says and to do it exactly as He has said to do it, to the letter. But you and I are not capable of keeping the Law perfectly. The only thing we are good at is failing to do what God has commanded of us. 

If we expect to be perfect, to do all that God commands of us, someone else will have to bring that about. A thought like that goes against everything the world would have us believe. The world wants you to think that you are certainly capable of doing what God tells you to do, that you are capable of saving yourself. The harsh truth is that the world lies to you. The world builds you up, sets you up for something that you are not capable of doing. 

Fortunately for us, we have One who does set us up, but not for failure. God our heavenly Father sets us up for salvation by making a promise and keeping that promise. There was nothing that Adam and Eve could do to save themselves, just like there is nothing that you can do to save yourself. Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, was sent into this world. He who is the Word is also the doer of the Word. His Word created and His Word saves. He does exactly what God sets out for Him to do: to redeem creation from the devastating and destructive forces of sin, death, and the devil. Jesus does all that the Father commands: He keeps the Word of God perfectly. so He keeps that Law of God perfectly. He keeps all things perfectly, including His sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Lord, Your mercy will not leave me; Ever will Your truth abide. Then in You I will confide. Since Your Word cannot deceive me, My salvation is to me Safe and sure eternally. ("Oh, How Great Is Your Compassion" LSB 559, st.4)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Numbers 21:4-9

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32 

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. (Numbers 21:4) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "I don't want to!" "No!" "You can't make me!" Does this sound familiar to you? Do you remember ever saying those words yourself? I don't know about you, but I've said those phrases a time or two, probably more recently than I'd want to admit. 

As God's people began to voice this sentiment, they probably all jumped into the cadence of complaint. But to whom was their complaint directed? Of course this was directed against Moses, because it was Moses who issued the command to move. But where did Moses get the command? "And the people spoke against God and against Moses. . . "(Numbers 21:5). 

Clearly, all of this was God's fault. It was God's fault that the people were impatient. It was God's fault that the people didn't want to listen to God. It was God's fault that they had no food or water. Blame God for everything and everything will work out for the better, right? That's how God's people thought then and that's how people tend to think today, isn't it? Things go well and we think we were the cause; things go bad and we blame God. 

What good is there in blaming God? What good is there in trying to go around God and do things our own way? Whenever we try to do things without God, the results are never promising. In fact, we make things worse for ourselves all because we don't want to listen to what God has to say about this and that. 

What happened to God's people when they chose not to listen? God sent fiery serpents to the people and many died. It was then that the people repented and returned to Moses, asking what they needed to do to be saved. The answer: Look to the fiery serpent and live. 

You and I do not have a fiery serpent to look at in order to be saved. We have Jesus. We see our salvation as He is lifted high upon the Cross. We see our Jesus in the breaking of the bread. We see Jesus in the waters of Holy Baptism. We see our salvation high and lifted up for us, that we may gaze upon Jesus and be saved. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim Til all the world adore His sacred name. O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, As Thou hast promised, draw us all to Thee. ("Lift High the Cross" LSB 837, st.4)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: John 16:23-33

Daily Lectionary:Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48; Luke 14:25-15:10 

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Many will say that life changed in March 2020 and has not returned to normal. Instead, we are learning what the "new normal" is, whatever that means. But life changed long before 2020. Life changed in the Garden of Eden, and it didn't change for the better. 

It didn't take long for God's creation to go from perfect to not perfect. There was no in-between with regard to creation's state of being. It wasn't not-quite-perfect; it wasn't mostly perfect; it wasn't anything having to do with perfect, because perfect was left in the rearview mirror. In other words, there was no chance of getting perfection back. In its place, we were left with the complete opposite of perfection: sin. 

Sin was not meant to be part of God's creation. However, because man chose to listen to the serpent rather than God, sin became intertwined with creation to the point that there would be no way to separate the two. Because of sin, we are left with all sorts of things that God did not desire for us. Sin leads to tribulation, and in this world, there will be no shortage of it. Jesus tells the disciples as much. Sin leads us away from God, eternally separating us from God. Without God, there can be nothing but tribulation. All would seem lost: "seem" being the key word. 

We have something or rather, someone, working in our favor: Jesus. He has conquered sin, and with it, He has conquered tribulation. Whatever was done by the Fall into sin was undone by Jesus' death upon the Cross. We hear in our communion liturgy, ". . .  through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. . . "

For the Christian, the joys of Easter cannot be confined to a single day, or even to a single single season of the Church year. Instead, every day is a little Easter, a day of rejoicing in Christ's victory over sin and death, once and for all. 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. Amen. (Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter)

-Rev. Jared Tucher is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, IN, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dewberry, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.