The Psalms are the prayerbook of the church. They are the songs which Jesus sang about the history of Israel as He went to worship in the temple at the festivals for 33 years. They are the words which Jesus clung to as He went to His crucifixion. As baptized into His death and resurrection, we the church can cling to these same words as well, trusting in the faithfulness of the Crucified One.

What is the Lord's Supper? What are it's benefits? How do we rightly receive it? For this, we must look to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed." Christ shows especially in Luke the nature of His kingdom as upside down from the world. The disciples argue about who is the greatest. Pilate and Herod plot against Jesus. But Jesus comes as One Who Serves.

We see from Judas that those who oppose Jesus act as if love is a zero-sum game, there are winners are losers. Jesus' complete self-giving shows that the one who is lifted up, who goes into the earth and dies, bears enough fruit for the entire world.

Sermon for Holy Monday with the Passion According to St. Mark

What were the disciples expecting when they went to Gethsemane? An ascension like Elijah? A conquest like David? They certainly were not spiritually prepared. This is why Christ must go to the cross for sinners, to take our sin, and give His strength and life.

Jesus goes to His cross as it is written. Nothing in His passion takes him by surprise. Just as He showed the disciples He knew where the donkey's colt would be, He knew that He must be delivered over to the Gentiles, suffer, be crucified, and on the third day rise.

We face many dangers in this world, even from other people. If God had not been on our side, we would never be able to overcome temptation or oppression from man. Thanks be to God, our help is in the name of the Lord, the name we are given in our baptism.

"Assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My Words, he will never see death." This word enrages Christ's enemies, but is sweet comfort to those who trust in Him. For we will all face death, but in Christ, we do not face it alone, nor forever.

Who is the Christ? When the man born blind is healed, no one is allowed to say. If the leaders of the Jews had read Psalm 132 rightly, they would have seen Jesus. Jesus is the true Son of God, who now makes His place in the Zion of the church, where people gather to receive His Word and Sacrament.

Laetare, the fourth Sunday in Lent, is a day of refreshment before Passion Week and Holy Week. On this day, as we consider Christ's miraculous feeding in the wilderness, we realize that we have physical and spiritual needs which can only be fulfilled by faith in Jesus Christ.