Three Forms Podcast

Episode 19: Heidelberg Lord's Day 19 There are plenty of examples of poor leaders and bad kings throughout history, but Lord's Day 19 encourages us that Christ now rules and reigns, and soon will return to judge the living and the dead!Lord’s Day 19

Q & A 50

Q. Why the next words:“and is seated at the right hand of God”?

A. Because Christ ascended to heaven to show there that he is head of his church, the one through whom the Father rules all things.

Q & A 51

Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us?

A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out gifts from heaven upon us his members.

Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies.

Q & A 52

Q. How does Christ’s return “to judge the living and the dead” comfort you?

A. In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head, I confidently await the very judge who has already offered himself to the judgment of God in my place and removed the whole curse from me. Christ will cast all his enemies and mine into everlasting condemnation, but will take me and all his chosen ones to himself into the joy and glory of heaven.

Episode 18: Heidelberg Lord's Day 18 Focusing on the benefits of Christ Ascension, Tyler is reminded of important lessons he learned in childhood, which help us grasp or picture a few of the many blessings of our Lord's Ascension!Lord’s Day 18

Q & A 46

Q. What do you mean by saying, “He ascended to heaven”?

A. That Christ, while his disciples watched, was taken up from the earth into heaven and remains there on our behalf until he comes again to judge the living and the dead.

Q & A 47

Q. But isn’t Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised us?

A. Christ is true human and true God. In his human nature Christ is not now on earth; but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is never absent from us.

Q & A 48

Q. If his humanity is not present wherever his divinity is, then aren’t the two natures of Christ separated from each other?

A. Certainly not. Since divinity is not limited and is present everywhere, it is evident that

Christ’s divinity is surely beyond the bounds of the humanity that has been taken on, but at the same time his divinity is in and remains personally united to his humanity.

Q & A 49

Q. How does Christ’s ascension to heaven benefit us?

A. First, he is our advocate in heaven in the presence of his Father.

Second, we have our own flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that Christ our head will also take us, his members, up to himself.

Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a corresponding pledge. By the Spirit’s power we seek not earthly things but the things above, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand.

Episode 17: Heidelberg Lord's Day 17Lord's Day 17 gives us three benefits, or points, that God's people realize by Christ's Resurrection from the dead!Lord’s Day 17

Q & A 45

Q. How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us?

A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he obtained for us by his death.

Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life.

Third, Christ’s resurrection is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection.

Today the Catechism moves past the suffering of our Lord, focusing on our Lord's death! In these five questions and answers, we walk through Jesus death, crucifixion, burial, and descent into hell!Lord’s Day 16

Q & A 40

Q. Why did Christ have to suffer death?

A. Because God’s justice and truth require it: nothing else could pay for our sins except the death of the Son of God.

Q & A 41

Q. Why was he “buried”?

A. His burial testifies that he really died.

Q & A 42

Q. Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?

A. Our death does not pay the debt of our sins. Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life.

Q & A 43

Q. What further benefit do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross?

A. By Christ’s power our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may offer ourselves as a sacrifice of gratitude to him.

Q & A 44

Q. Why does the creed add, “He descended to hell”?

A. To assure me during attacks of deepest dread and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from hellish anguish and torment.

Episode 13: Heidelberg Lord's Day 13Today we explore the realities of Jesus being the only begotten Son of God, our adoption into God's family, and the call to recognize Jesus as Lord!

Q & A 33

Q. Why is he called God’s “only begotten Son”when we also are God’s children?

A. Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God— adopted by grace through Christ.

Q & A 34

Q. Why do you call him “our Lord”?

A. Because—

not with gold or silver,but with his precious blood—

he has set us free

from sin and from the tyranny of the devil,

and has bought us,

body and soul,

to be his very own.

Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King. In Lord's Day 12, we consider the job descriptions of both our Lord as well as our own, and ask if we are living up to the name that we have received!

Lord’s Day 12

Q & A 31

Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?

A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance; our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.

Q & A 32

Q. But why are you called a Christian?

A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.

Hark, as the Catechism begins considering the second person of the Trinity, our Savior Jesus Christ. If we are trying to add anything to His work, it only proves we do not yet understand who He is!

Lord’s Day 11

Q & A 29

Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,”meaning “savior”?

A. Because he saves us from our sins, and because salvation should not be sought and cannot be found in anyone else.

Q & A 30

Q. Do those who look for their salvation in saints,in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only savior Jesus?

A. No.Although they boast of being his,by their actions they deny the only savior, Jesus.

Either Jesus is not a perfect savior,or those who in true faith accept this savior have in him all they need for their salvation.

The death of the teaching of Deism, we focus in on the providence of God, and how those that know Him as their Father, can receive both blessings as well as trials from His hand! Lord’s Day 10

Q & A 27

Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?

A. The almighty and ever present power of God by which God upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty— all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.

Q & A 28

Q. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well,and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Fatherthat nothing in creation will separate us from his love. For all creatures are so completely in God’s hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.