December 26, 2023   

Today's Reading: Matthew 23:34-39

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16; Matthew 1:18-25

For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:39)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Merry Second Day of Christmas!  Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr after Jesus’ resurrection, stoned to death for preaching Christ crucified.  Wait. What?  Christmas is a time to talk about birth.  Babies.  New life.  What’s this about death?  

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jerusalem would not see Jesus after He prophesied this until Palm Sunday, when He triumphantly entered the city as the Son of David, the King, coming for His enthronement on the cross.  

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Even when some saw Him, like many Pharisees, Sadducees, and others, they refused to join in this cry of faith.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  At the moment of Stephen’s death, he saw the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, and while the crowd surrounding Stephen to murder him would not exclaim the praise, Stephen could see the One who comes in the name of the Lord, ready to receive him into paradise.  As this cruel and painful end crushed him, Stephen had a peace beyond understanding, as Christ Jesus gathered him to our heavenly Father.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  We get a glimpse of Stephen’s heavenly vision as we gather around Christ’s altar week after week.  Singing both “Holy! Holy! Holy!” with the angels around God’s throne, and this quotation from the Psalms with the children of Jerusalem and the Church in every age, we feast upon the true body of Christ and drink His true blood.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Some day, when the Lord has brought our days to His perfect completion, He will gather us to Himself and bless us with this vision given to Stephen, seeing our Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.  The bloodshed and hardships of this world will be over, and we will have joy that is merrier than any Christmas we have known.  The One who has come in the name of the Lord to nourish, forgive, give life and salvation, will bring it to perfect completion at the Last Day – as He comes – for you.  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Praise for the first of martyrs   Who saw You ready stand  To help in time of torment,

To plead at God’s right hand  Like You, our suff’ring Savior  His enemies he blessed,

With “Lord, receive my spirit,”  His faith, by death, confessed. (LSB 517:7)

-Pastor Richard Heinz is pastor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.

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

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.