Reflections

March 10, 2024

Today's Reading: John 3:14-21 

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:28-57, Mark 11:20-33

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believed are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:17-18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus does not come to the world for condemnation, but for salvation, rescue from sin, death and the devil. For many people the name of Jesus sounds like condemnation and judgment, so it is met with anger. This happened too in Jesus’ day, some people rejoiced at the gifts He freely gave from physical healing, bread, deliverance from demons, to forgiveness of sin itself, while others recoiled at these gifts, declaring the words and actions of the only Son of God blasphemous. How ironic is that, to accuse God of blasphemy? Yet to the spirit of the age, whether our age or theirs in the first century, Jesus is indeed blasphemous. 

This spirit of the age would tell us many things, like we don’t need salvation because we’re great just the way we are so we really only need acceptance, not forgiveness. Or the spirit of the age may declare that there are many paths to salvation, all equally warranted, a religious ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ of sorts. Or the spirit of the age may declare that salvation can come to the world if we band together and work hard enough to save it all. To sheep without a shepherd any degree of shepherding can feel like condemnation, even if the Good Shepherd is there for rescue not punishment. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who has come to us for salvation not condemnation, and the way to receive this salvation is to believe in the name of the Son of God. 

To believe in the name of Jesus means to believe in everything He says and does and shows us regarding the character of God. It means believing that we all need rescuing from sin, death, and the devil, and that it is in God’s nature to provide us with that rescue. Our sins condemn us, but only inasmuch as we wrestle them away from Jesus to fix them ourselves, instead of surrendering them in faith in His promise of forgiveness. Jesus has come into the world to save sinners, and that is good news for all who place themselves in that number. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 9, 2024 

Today's Reading: Psalm 27:3-5; antiphon: Psalm 27:1

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:1-27, Mark 11:1-19

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever watched a scary movie then that night had innocuous things in your bedroom transform into something creepy and sinister? Suddenly that chair in the corner becomes something much darker, the creaking pipes sound like footsteps in the hallway, and on it goes until you either talk some sense to yourself, turn on the light, or completely give way to fear and resign yourself to sleeplessness. Because of a mixture of darkness and imagination, a place of safety and rest becomes the habitat of various monsters that are probably under the bed or in the closet. 

Fear is powerful. Fear can lead us to see things that aren’t there, take actions to protect ourselves that look silly in the light of day, and can lead us to put the worst possible construction on our neighbor’s actions. There’s a reason people say you shouldn’t yell “fire!” in a crowded theater—and it’s not because people are concerned that the occupants of the theater will quietly exit, but rather because they will panic and cause harm to themselves or others. Fear is a strong motivation to make many ill-informed choices, and people know this. So much of our cultural and information landscape now is constructed to make people afraid, we even have a word for mindlessly scrolling on our phones, sucked into increasingly bad news: doomscrolling. Fear holds us captive, and it is easy to begin to take counsel of it, using fear as a justification for greed, lovelessness, and despair. When we are formed by fear it is difficult to see the goodness and provision of the Lord, and to feel utterly lost in the doom and the darkness.

But God interrupts our doomscrolling to tell us a different story, a story where we need not be afraid. The LORD is our light, entering into that darkness, where we see monsters under the bed or on our social media, and disperses the shadows. We can rest in that comfort and joy, that though there surely are monsters in this world, and it may look a bit like they are winning, the greatest of these monsters has already been defeated. Salvation is ours, the victory has been won, and our lives are secure in the Lord’s stronghold. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O little flock, fear not the foe  Who madly seeks your overthrow;  Dread not his rage and pow’r.

And though your courage sometimes faints,  His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints  Lasts but a little hour. (LSB 666:1)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 8, 2024 

Today's Reading: Mark 10:32-52

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 40:1-23, Mark 10:32-52

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:43-45)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In today’s reading we come across the disciples who are once again bickering, frustrated that James and John are asking to be seated at Jesus’ left and right hands in His glory. This raises a question of how to achieve greatness in the new kingdom Jesus is inaugurating. Jesus once again subverts expectations by contrasting how the world works and how His kingdom works. He reminds them that for the Gentiles greatness is marked by rulers who exercise their power for the control and submission of those below them. This is the way of the world, and it’s natural to assume that in God’s economy power dynamics would look similar to the world’s. Yet exactly the opposite is true, as Jesus indicates, greatness among them comes through service, which requires a relinquishing of power and control. 

Service comes from a love for others, a recognition of their needs, and response to fulfill their needs. This service is largely invisible to the world, and when it is seen, it doesn’t look like anything particularly spectacular and laudatory, which is probably precisely the point. Instead it comes in small moments, not grand gestures. Service comes at an emptying of ourselves, our own comfort, ego, desires, plans, and instead is a voluntary submission to our neighbor’s needs, only to be really seen, understood, or acknowledged by our Father in heaven. Because of how unspectacular this greatness is to our eyes, it’s easy to miss those who are living quiet, sanctified lives, serving their neighbors.  Think of how Jesus serves us. First, He serves us with a criminal’s shameful death, then He gives us the forgiveness won there in spoken words, splashes of water, a sip of wine and a bit of bread. It doesn’t look spectacular, and sometimes it doesn’t even feel spectacular, at times even boring and mundane. But this is where we access the greatness of Jesus’ kingdom, because only after we have been served by Him, being washed in His mercy and forgiveness, can we see rightly our needs that are met only in Him.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, greatest at the table,  The almighty Son of Man,  Laid aside His outer clothing,

Poured some water in a pan;  As the Twelve lay, hushed in silence, He the servant’s task began. (LSB 446:1)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 7, 2024

Today's Reading: Mark 10:13-31

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 39:1-23, Mark 10:13-31

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:25-27)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  It is natural that when we find a hard word from Jesus that we try to find the loophole. The saying about the camel and the eye of the needle is an example—people find many creative ways to explain why it doesn’t mean what it says. For example I remember hearing that the “eye of a needle” was a special gate into Jerusalem, and camels couldn’t go through it while they were piled high with the things they often carried for travelers, so the trick was to take off the camel’s saddle and provisions. So what Jesus really means here is that we can have stuff, we just shouldn’t be too attached to it. It’s a nice story, but it’s completely made up, to, again, find us a loophole around the clear saying of Jesus. It’s harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. 

Well, maybe the Good News is this doesn’t apply to you or me because we aren’t rich. It’s not as if any of us is Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos building rockets into space for fun with our spare change. Most of us are more in the bracket of people who still watch the fluctuating gas prices and food prices with trepidation. Surely, we’re not rich, so we’ve escaped this word of condemnation. Sorry, but if you had something to eat today, you’re richer than vast swathes of the world’s population. There aren’t many people in the world this warning doesn’t apply to. It’s okay if that troubles you, it troubled the apostles as well. Do you see how they respond, immediately recognizing the implications of Jesus’ statement? They wonder if this is the standard then who could possibly be saved. But Jesus does what Jesus so often does, instead of pointing us to a path to save and sanctify ourselves by keeping the Law, instead He points to the goodness and mercy of God. It is impossible for us to keep the Law, try as we might. But behold, with God the impossible becomes possible. Just as the lame walk, the dead rise, and the sinful are forgiven, you are saved not by your poverty but by the overflowing prosperity of God’s exceeding mercy. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Now my conscience is at peace; From the Law I stand acquitted. 
Christ hath purchased my release

And my ev’ry sin remitted.  Naught remains my soul to grieve;  
Jesus sinners doth receive (LSB 609:6)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 6, 2024

Today's Reading: Mark 10:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 37:1-36, Mark 10:1-12

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.” (Mark 10:2-5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  This is one of those hard passages of Scripture that makes people cringe at how out of date Jesus is. Surely Jesus isn’t telling us that divorce is unlawful, because Jesus understands that we all live in the real world. Even Moses and the Pharisees understood this reality, so surely Jesus would provide a little more leeway. But Jesus claps back, informing them that the only reason Moses allowed for the “certificate of divorce” loophole was because of their hardness of heart. 

Jesus doesn’t take the easy way out and try to untangle the legal mess, instead He points out that the primary issue here is the hardness of heart in regard to the will of God. Hard hearts are not receptive to the will of God, which means they cause us to sin, cause others to sin against us, and cause us to compound each other’s sins. Hard hearts are not hearts softened by the Word of God, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control.  Instead of treating each other according to the fruit of the Spirit, even in our marriages, hard hearts have marriages shaped by the works of the flesh marked by such things as idolatry, sexual immorality, jealousy, enmity, anger, etc. It’s easy to see why marriages formed this way would lead to divorce. 

Yet, it’s also clear that this supposed loophole isn’t really a loophole at all. This is because the answer to the fruits of our hard hearts and prevalent sin is not a loophole in the Law that we can claim to avoid accountability. In the face of God’s Law the answer is not a good lawyer to argue our case, pull some fancy legal maneuver, and get us acquitted on a technicality. No. The answer to the Law’s condemnation, to the hardness of all of our hearts, is to plead our guilt, and beg the mercy of our judge. But thanks be to God it is His joy to have mercy on His beloved in the name of Jesus, His only begotten Son.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

On my heart imprint Your image  Blessed Jesus, King of grace,

That life’s riches, cares, and pleasures  Never may Your work erase;

Let the clear inscription be: Jesus crucified for me,

Is my life, my hope’s foundation, and my glory and salvation (LSB 422)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 5, 2024 

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 35:1-29, Mark 9:33-50

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Shame is pervasive, and many of us wrestle with it. Shame has strange ways of revealing itself, sometimes as anxiety, sometimes as anger, sometimes it looks like perfectionism and a need to please all the people around us. Shame is much more deeply rooted than simple embarrassment; instead of saying “I did something terrible” it says, “I am terrible.” Shame becomes tangled in our self-identity, driving how we see ourselves and how we see our place in the world. Those who experience shame imagine that no one could understand how bad they are, not the wise and strong of the world, and certainly not our God, because shame feels like a weakness, an earned disfigurement. 

In contrast there are the wise and strong of our age, people who seem to have it all together, who made all the right choices, who are shining examples of success and well-being. Paul tells us that God chose what is weak and foolish in the world to shame the wise and strong, because even they will inevitably run to the end of their own strength and wisdom, shocked to find it in fleeting supply. This is the true place of shame, the truly earned disfigurement is a life shaped by one’s own limited power and wisdom that leaves no place for the mercy of God. 

In response to our shame and weakness God’s mercy is inextricably poured out in abundance in countless ways. Here Saint Paul shows us that gospel-land is backwards-land. Let me say that again. Gospel-land is backwards-land. In the reign of Jesus, the world looks like the last being first, the first being last, the weak being strong, the rich sent away empty. In God’s economy the foolishness of Christmas and Easter conquer the seemingly insurmountable powers of death and hell. Jesus doesn’t conquer as we expect a king to conquer, instead He conquers as a helpless baby and a crucified victim. Today He conquers in a bit of water, bread and wine, His Word. It’s foolish to think these things could conquer a bingo game in a nursing home, much less the powers of sin and hell arrayed against us each day, yet this is the promise of our God. Our God takes the dead and makes them alive, He takes the shame of the cross and makes it a throne, He takes our shame and calls us beloved, He takes sinners and makes them saints.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When the woes of life o’er take me,  Hopes deceive, and fears annoy

Never shall the cross forsake me;   Lo, it glows with peace and joy. (LSB 427:2)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 4, 2024 

Today's Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 29:1-30, 31-34, Mark 9:14-32

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Exodus 20:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today’s reading is the Ten Commandments. Honestly, this section of Scripture can be a bit of a hard slog, where God is viewed as the great cosmic killjoy, setting out the rules we are to follow to keep Him happy. And as we try to follow these rules sometimes it can seem deeply unfair, as the harder we try the worse it can get, as we try to white-knuckle our way to holiness. And when we inevitably fail and mess up, we seemingly receive little consolation in God’s declaration that He’s a jealous God who will punish the children for the iniquity of their parents (Exodus 20:5). 

None of this seems fair at all. Then the temptation can be to maybe ignore some of the rules, perhaps God didn’t really mean what he said? Or maybe major in the rules you know you can keep, downplaying the ones you can’t, and hoping no one will notice, least of all God. In all this wrestling with the Ten Commandments and our sinful nature though it’s easy to forget where God starts when He begins to speak. He does not say you are all a mess, and here’s a plan to clean up your life. Nor does He say you are all having too much fun and I’m jealous so I’m going to ruin it for you. He does the opposite, He tells us about His character and His love for His people. He is a God who rescues from bondage, from certain death, He is a God interested in the delivery of His people. Here, He reminds His people, very freshly delivered out of slavery in Egypt by God through the hands of Moses, that He is their rescuer, their protector, their guardian, who wants to keep them safe and free. 

It can be easy to look at the Law as a new form of bondage, and it certainly does serve to keep our sinful natures corralled, but we are not free when our sinful natures are liberated, we are free in our new life in Christ. In our Baptism we are rescued from the bondage of sin, as our old selves are drowned, and raised to live in new life. That new life sees the danger in letting our sinful selves run free, and rejoices in the freedom in Christ to live the life He has called us to. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Save by His grace through faith alone. (LSB 579:6) 

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 3, 2024 

Today's Reading: John 2:13-22 (23-25) 

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 27:30-45; 28:10-22; Mark 9:1-13

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. (John 2:19-21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The temple in Jerusalem that Jesus references here was originally built by Solomon, David’s son, and was central to the worship life of the Jewish people. It had, over the centuries, suffered destruction and desecration, but had finally been rebuilt to be even more grand than it had been in the days of Solomon. As Jesus’ detractors here say, it had been under reconstruction for forty-six years. That amount of time represents a great deal of money, sweat, and labor dedicated to refashioning the temple. Rebuilding the temple mattered because it was understood to be the place where God promised to dwell with His people and the reconstruction was considered a fulfillment of that promise.

It makes sense to us that we would find God in the beautiful and magnificent, perhaps in a spectacular sunset or in a gorgeous building. Indeed, Christians have also built beautiful churches to house, direct, and inform our worship of God. Jesus is not saying here that beautiful buildings are wrong, but He does what He so often does—takes what seems very straightforward, that we should invest our time and money on constructing something beautiful for the worship of God, and reverses it. Instead of pointing to the temple as the central aspect of worship, as would perhaps be expected, He points to His body, a body which will soon be broken and killed, but on the third day rises in fulfillment of an even greater promise. Jesus is saying here that God’s promise to be with His people is no longer connected to a particular geographic spot or building but is instead connected to where His crucified and risen body is to be found. 

Where can we find Jesus’ body today? A beautiful church or cathedral is no guarantee of His presence; however, we can be assured of His body broken for us in the bread and wine of His Supper given to us. We can find His body in the two or three gathered in His name to receive His gifts. Look not to what you can see with your eyes for assurance of your God with you, but instead look for His body where it has promised to be for you. In the Name + of Jesus.

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people. 

March 2, 2024 

Today's Reading: Psalm 69:14-16; antiphon: Psalm 69:9 

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 27:1-29, Mark 8:22-38

Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. 

(Psalm 69:16)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever felt like God was silent? You cry it in the dead of night as the walls close in and yet it appears that there was no answer? Maybe you look around the world and you see all the suffering, chaos, and tragedy and wonder where God is amid this mess. Or maybe your life is not going the way you imagined it would at this point, it has not gone as planned, and when you look around you wonder if God is really there. Whoever is reading this, I do not know what your life looks like or where you have been, but I can imagine maybe you have cried out to God and pleaded for an answer as the Psalmist does here. 

Satan loves when we feel isolated and alone. He wants you to look for answers in other places. He wants you to turn to other means of spirituality. He wants you to search for answers in Astrology, different crystals, palm reading, and Tarot Cards, but God cannot be found in any of these places. God does not answer by means of these pagan practices; these are a false god. Instead, if you look for God’s answer, if you cry out, know that He has already answered. He has answered you in Christ. 

Jesus is the answer to you. Jesus is God’s yes. It is His assurance that He loves you, that He cares for you, and that He draws near to you. In Christ God turns toward you and He offers you forgiveness and mercy in your nights of anguish. When you look around the world and wonder where God is amid the mess you can look to the cross and see that He has taken on the suffering, chaos, and tragedy. So, when you are looking for an answer, I encourage you to look to God’s Word, visit your Pastor and receive forgiveness, attend the Divine Service and feast on the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the answer God gives out of His goodness and mercy. And it is found only in Christ, and it is good news for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, advocate on high, Sacrificed on Calv’rys altar,  Through Your priestly blood we cry:

Hear our prayers, though they may falter;  Place them on Your Father’s throne as your own. (LSB 773:3)

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

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

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people. 

March 1, 2024

Today's Reading: Mark 8:1-21

Daily Lectionary: Genesis. 24:32-52, 61-67; Genesis 25:1-26:35; 

Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? (Mark 8:18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There were numerous signs pointing to Jesus being the long-awaited Messiah. It always baffles me that they couldn’t see and they couldn’t hear; they were blinded by their own self-righteousness. Of course, on this side of the Resurrection we can see the signs clearly. Here Jesus points to twelve and seven loaves. Numbers with great significance for Israel, twelve being the twelve tribes, and seven being a number of completion and fulfillment. Yet, these Pharisees do not see what is before them, but you do. 

This Jesus at the end of Lent would bring about the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He would go to the cross, where He would be smitten, stricken, and afflicted. He would pour out His blood on the cross like a lamb led to the slaughter. He would be mocked, yet no objection would leave His mouth. There the sinless Son of God would take upon Himself the sin of the world. Not only does He fulfill the prophets, but He would fulfill the promise God made to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 and He would crush the head of Satan, and He would slam the door closed on death and open wide the graves. As we walk towards Holy Week, this remains at the center. Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, the one whom the prophets speak, is the Messiah in which all things find fulfillment and completion, including you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see Him dying on the tree! 'Tis the Christ by man rejected;

yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He! 'Tis the long-expected Prophet, David's Son, yet David's Lord;

by His Son God now has spoken; 'tis the true and faithful Word.  (LSB 451:1)

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

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

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.