Reflections

April 13, 2025

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

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

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

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

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

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

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

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

April 12, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Palm Sunday - Psalm 24:7-10; antiphon: Psalm 118:26

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25; Mark 16:1-20

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. (Psalm 24:7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever taken the time to notice the posture of someone who is struggling with death? As we mourn the loss of loved ones, friends, parents, grandparents, we have a tendency to bow our heads. We might bow our heads in reverence of the life lost, from utter despair, perhaps even from guilt and shame over unresolved conflict. It is not uncommon for this to happen. In His human nature, before He breathed His last and gave up His spirit, even our Lord bowed His head. 

But the reading today, which is the Introit for tomorrow, Palm Sunday, turns the posture of death on its head! Although we bow our heads and mourn, especially this next week, as we remember that it was for our sins that our Lord went to the cross, the Psalmist David tells us to do the opposite! He says to us, “Lift up your heads…” (Psalm 24:7). Lift up your heads, for “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he” (Zechariah 9:9).   

We must fix our focus outside of ourselves to see what happens. If, in our grief and shame, we look solely to ourselves for strength and comfort, we will be lost forever. Rather, strength, comfort, and salvation happen extra nos, that is, outside ourselves. In Christ, who has been lifted up for us on the cross of Calvary, death has been turned to life for His Children!

Even our Lord, as He journeyed closer to His death, continued to lift His eyes to heaven! At the beginning of His high priestly prayer in John 17, it is written, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.’” (John 17:1)   

In my church, we have the tradition that our midweek Lenten services always end with the same hymn, Abide with Me. The final stanza of that hymn will be the last thing we hear on Good Friday. 

We will sing:

Hold, Thou, Thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.

Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. 

What are we praying for in this stanza? We are praying that our Father would lift up our eyes, point them to the heavens, that we would see the Lord coming to us now, in the hour of our death, and on the Last Day. For in Him, the Lord of Life, we have our Salvation. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Hold, Thou, Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies. Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. (LSB 878:6)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 11, 2025

Today's Reading: Exodus 5:1-6:1

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1; Mark 15:33-47

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”  But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”” (Exodus 5:1-2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

If you are old enough or well-versed in classic “Biblical” cinema, you cannot hear these words from Exodus 5 without hearing the voice of Charlton Heston saying, “Let my people go.” Maybe you hear a really slow, confident “Let my Cameron go” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. 

What a privilege we have to prepare for what is to come by looking back at previous accounts of Scripture. Exodus 5 is a beautiful foreshadowing of what of what we will remember next week. God’s people were stuck in actual, physical slavery in the land of Egypt, and they longed for freedom.    

Forget Charlton Heston. Forget Ferris Bueller. What matters is that next week, we will relive and remember our Lord’s silent plea to the one who holds the Children of God captive. Don’t forget the words of the prophet Isaiah. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

Our Lord cried out upon the cross. He prayed for His enemies. He said, “I thirst” to fulfill the Scripture. But nothing was as powerful or as important as the final words He spoke.         

Unlike Moses, our Lord was not going to the cross to plead with the Devil to release His children from bondage to sin and death. Jesus wasn’t asking permission from anyone. He was silently taking back what was rightfully His, and His final words signaled that the fight was over. While hanging upon the cursed tree, right before giving up His spirit, Jesus cried out, “It is finished.”   

Prepare your heart well to remember the day. That day of victory is your day of victory. That was the day the Devil lost the fight over your soul. The Devil doesn’t have a choice in our release. Our Lord has put him in his place. Marked with the sign of the cross, you are HIS!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, send Your angel legions, When the foe would us enslave. Hold us fast when sin assaults us; Come, then. Lord, Your people save. Overthrow at last the dragon; Send him to his fiery grave (LSB 521:6)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 10, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Introduction

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:19-31; Mark 15:16-32

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It is no small thing that Luther is teaching us in the Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer. Read again what he writes in the explanation to the Introduction. “With these words (Our Father Who Art in Heaven) God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father” (Luther’s Small Catechism).  

Being able to call someone “father” is not insignificant. It doesn’t matter if we have a biological or adopted father; it is something we all need. Whether you have an earthly father or not, we all have a heavenly one! And oh, what our Heavenly Father does and how He cares for you. Think of all the things He does for you. Remember the First Article of the Apostles Creed? He gives you clothing, shoes, food, drink… well, you know the list. That is how God, your Father, provides for you. 

But there is so much more. These words of St. Paul are such a great reminder when talking about this. He writes, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32) 

This is the love John is talking about in 1 John 3. This love is shown in sending His own Son so that you would have all things. And what is meant by “all things?” It is more than those wonderful and important First Article Gifts. He gives us the forgiveness, life, and salvation, which our Lord won for us. He gives us the inheritance of the Son, eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. We have a seat at the banquet table of the marriage feast of the Lamb.   

Rejoice, for the Father loves you so much that He sent His Son to die to give you all that you need. 

In the name + of Jesus. Amen.

God loved the world so that He gave His only Son the lost to save, That all who would in Him believe Should everlasting life receive. (LSB 571:1)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 9, 2025

Today's Reading: Mark 15:1-15

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:1-18; Mark 15:1-15

“What evil has He done?” (Mark 15:14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It was a fair question. In fact, it is THE question that needs to be answered at every single trial that has ever been held or ever will be held. Everyone needs to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, whether the accused is guilty of the crime in question or not.

The trial of Jesus should have been no different. Unfortunately, by the time Pilate was able to ask this question, the trial of Jesus was fully off the rails, a political spectacle at that point. It had lost all sense of what was fair and just. Jesus was arrested in the night and tried at a time when no trials were supposed to happen. Nothing was as it should be.    

It had become so unfair and one-sided that when it came time to fulfill the tradition of releasing one criminal and sparing them from the bitter agony of death upon a cross, they did the unthinkable, even in Pilate’s eyes. The choice was between two men: Jesus of Nazareth, the innocent Son of God, or a man named Barabbas, who was convicted of murder. 

“The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?”” (Mark 15:8-14)

The evil actions of Barabbas were well-known and were atrocious. He was a murderer. It doesn’t matter where your moral compass points; murder is murder and is wrong 100 percent of the time. Demanding his release over Jesus is what befuddled Pilate!     

And yet, this is the very reason why Jesus came. To endure an unjust trial, to save sinners, even to save the murders, our Lord went innocently to His death for crimes He didn’t commit. His death satisfies the payment required for our sins. 

To use a verse quoted earlier this week, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). By His death and the blood He shed which covers us, it is as if those sins didn’t happen. He remembers them no more.

And what is more, when our time comes, when our time on earth ends, and we are put on trial before the throne of the Father, the question will be asked, “What evil has he done?” By the grace of God, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the answer will be, “This is my sinless child. You are perfect in the sight of God.”  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

In the name + of Jesus. Amen.

Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains Poured for me His lifeblood From His sacred veins! (LSB 433:1)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 8, 2025

Today's Reading: Philippians 3:4b-7, 8-14

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:23-3:22; Mark 14:53-72

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

In the name + of Jesus. Amen.   

For better or for worse, there are situations in life that play by the rule, “It’s all about who you know.” If you want to get a job, a promotion, or simply have privileges granted to you that others do not have, it can be very beneficial to know the right people.   

But reader beware, it is a finicky two-edged sword. Knowing the right person can, indeed, open many doors for you that would otherwise be shut. Knowing the wrong person can cause a lot of damage to your reputation.    

We often live as though having the right connection benefits us. And let’s be clear about this: Nothing depends on our ability to acquire the right knowledge or know the right earthly people in order to be saved. Be reminded of the explanation of the 3rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Luther leads us to confess: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.   

It IS about knowing the right person. But it doesn’t mean what you think it means. We must know the one who knows each one of us, who knows us by name! We must know Him who calls to us through Scripture and brings us into His fold.   

It is that knowledge that leads Paul to confidently speak as he does in our reading from Philippians today. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-11).    

It is FAR better to know Christ and reject the world than to be known by the world and be lost for all eternity. What is amazing and brings the best comfort is that even before we had a chance to know Him, from the foundation of the world, He knew us and saved us. 

In the name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect of the Day: Proper 15: Series B)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 7, 2025

Today's Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:1-22; Mark 14:32-52

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing;” (Isaiah 43:18-19a)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Perhaps our Lord misspoke when divinely inspiring Isaiah to write the words set forth for us in today’s reading. At best, it seems like the Lord God is contradicting Himself a bit with these words. Are we sure that God meant it when He said, “Remember not the former things?” Are we sure He wants us to forget what we have done? After all, this is the very God who knows all, makes all, directs all, and is all the omnis from Luther’s Small Catechism.    

How can THAT God tell us we should forget the past? Does He? Remember this is the same God who told Moses on Mt. Sinai, “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). Does the God who visits iniquity really forget what you have done?   

So, what is God trying to tell us? First, take note of His words in Exodus 20. Remember, and do not forget, that He is the Judge of the living and the dead. Meaning He remembers iniquity. Here, though, He is clearly talking to those who are lost in their sin, who see no need for repentance, and who have followed the ways of their forefathers. 

But He confidently calls us, who are called according to His purpose. We who are sanctified, redeemed, and marked to “Remember not the former things.”  Forget the past! Why? Because, as He says through the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:10a). You are the new thing! He is making you into His new creation. He does so once at your Baptism and daily through confession and Absolution.

Our Lord forgets the past. That is what the Psalmist David tells us. Remember what David did and the forgiveness and cleansing that he needed? After that, he wrote these familiar words: “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

Forget the past! Our Lord does! Kill the Old Man. Deny him every single day. And, by the grace of God, live in righteousness and purity forever in His presence.   

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Lord, on You I cast my burden— Sink it in the deepest sea! Let me know Your gracious pardon, Cleanse me from iniquity. Let Your Spirit leave me never; Make me only Yours forever. (LSB 608:4)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 6, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 20:9-20

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 1:1-22; Mark 14:12-31. 

“When the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’” (Luke 20:14)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

It makes no sense. This vineyard was perfect in every way. The ground was well cultivated and primed for production. It was planted with the choicest vines. When the fullness of time would arrive, it was going to produce the finest of wine. When everything was set, and the master saw that it was good, he went out to find tenants who would live in his beautiful creation, tend to its needs, harvest the fruit, and return it to the master. 

You would think that the master would have had a better vetting process and been more protective of his perfect garden. Although the master gave the tenants everything they needed to be successful, everything was laid out for them to a “t,” the agreement was broken. Greed overtook the tenants, and they decided to get what they thought they had coming to them.   

Now, the Master's response makes no sense. Having treated not just one or two but three servants terribly and sent them away empty-handed, the tenants thought they still had a chance at the ultimate prize, the son’s inheritance. What kind of people are they that they would enact such evil and expect no repercussions?   

What kind of people? Truth be told, you are the wicked tenants. You are among those who have treated servants, prophets, and pastors shamefully and sent them away and set your sights upon the master’s son. Yours are the actions which have caused the death of the Son of the Master, the very son of God. 

And although we have treated the Son so shamefully, though we have turned our back on the master, though we “daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment” (5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer), He has done something that makes no sense. He should bring to pass what He said in the parable. He should “come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Luke 20:16). He should cast us away from His presence and take His Holy Spirit from us. Yet, He does what is unexpected. 

Because it was always the Father’s desire to show mercy to His Creation, He sent His Son into a sin-filled world knowing “He would go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Matthew 16:22). And by His death and resurrection, we poor miserable sinners, would be made saints by His blood. Connected to His death and resurrection, we would receive full pardon and forgiveness for our sins, the inheritance that belonged to the Son, and the crown of eternal life. 

It's not fair, but such is the will of God. Praise Him for His continued mercy shown to sinners such as you and me.     

In the name of + Jesus. Amen. 

Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect of the Day for the Fifth Sunday in Lent)

-Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Truman, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Executive Director of Mission and Theology

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 5, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 5 - Psalm 3:3-6; antiphon: Psalm 3:8

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 49:29-50:7, 14-26; Mark 14:1-11

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.” (Psalm 3:3-4)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Shields” aren’t usually talked about in normal conversation. Some people think of shields as historical battle armor. Other people think about shields when they are used in games or video games. But outside of history and games, how often do you talk about shields? No matter how often you think about or talk about shields, the picture of God being the shield of a Christian comes up often. Here in Psalm 3, as well as in Psalm 46 (and the hymn “A Mighty Fortress” based on Psalm 46) and Ephesians 6, where the full armor of God is described, God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 15, Psalm 28, and in many other places, God is described as a shield around His people. Shields are used for protection during dangerous times and in dangerous places.  

In our modern world, it is tempting to think that we don’t need shields. We like to think that shields have been appropriately retired to history and games because there is nothing that threatens us. We like to think about ourselves as invincible, without anything that can harm us. We like to think that we aren’t in the middle of danger. But that’s not true. Psalm 3 mentions the Church’s enemies who battle against us, and the Church today has enemies and persecutors and many people who despise the Church and everything about her. That says nothing about our greatest enemy, the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) We also need to be protected from ourselves, because our sinful bodies and minds work against us and try to work against God.

God is indeed your shield. He protects and defends you. But your faith isn’t in a disc of metal or a wooden barrier, but in God Himself. God steps between you and your enemies with His grace and mercy. The Lord takes the place between you and danger. He steps between you and evil. The Lord is your protection and your safe place. He defends and protects you because He loves you. You don’t have a piece of armor, but the God of all creation to defend and preserve you. He will never fail, and He will keep your life intact forever.  

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Dear name! The rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place; My never-failing treasury filled With boundless stores of grace. (LSB 524:3)

-Rev. Peter Ill, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL.

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 4, 2025

Today's Reading: Mark 13:24-37

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 47:1-31; Genesis 48:1-49:28; Mark 13:24-37

[Jesus said,]“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:28-31)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

During Holy Week, Jesus foretold what the end of time would be like. Looking around, He mentioned the budding of the trees and the emerging leaves. If you look around you, you see that, too. Jesus wants springtime to remind you that Jesus and His return are near. He is coming again. That seems like a strange message just a few weeks before Easter. Usually, we think about the end of the world in the fall and winter as the days grow short and the darkness lengthens. Here, Jesus mentions it with new life and restoration and the plants growing again. The Last Day is, after all, a continuation of Easter and a celebration of new life.

Wait, you haven’t thought about the end of the world as a fulfillment of Easter and new life before? That’s fair. But do it now. Easter is a spring festival because Passover originally happened in the spring and was observed after that in the spring. As the leaves start to bud on the trees and flowers grow and people start to plant their gardens, reflect that this new growing season points ahead to the “new season” of God’s restoration when the current heavens and earth are replaced with the perfected, restored heavens and earth. In a couple of weeks, look at the Easter lilies and think, “Not only is it springtime, but Jesus’ resurrection is preparing me for eternal life!” As Jesus prepares you for Easter, He also prepares you for His return in glory when the Tree of Life will bear fruit every month (Revelation 22:1-2), and all things will be new and perfect. Springtime is great, but the eternal life of resurrection with God is even better! Look forward to that day of new life that began when Jesus rose from the grave to new life at Easter.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Herald, sound the note of triumph; Christ has come to share our life, Bringing God’s own love and power, Granting vict’ry in our strife. Sound the trumpet! Tell the message: Christ, the Savior king, is come! (LSB 511:4 and refrain)

-Rev. Peter Ill, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL.

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!