February 28, 2023 

Today's Reading: Romans 5:12-19 

Daily Lectionary: Gen. 7:11-8:12, Mark 3:20-35 

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18–19) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Yesterday we talked about the wrath of God falling upon Adam and Eve because of their sin of listening to the serpent instead of God in the Garden of Eden. And that God’s wrath falls upon us because of our own sin, too. 

But we also talked about how that wrath doesn’t end us. It doesn’t cast us away from our God and Father, our Savior and Redeemer. He doesn’t leave us alone to try and find our way back to Him in this world of darkness and despair on our own. Because there is no way we can manage that; we can’t claw our way back to Him by ourselves. The gap is too wide. 

One man (Adam) brought all of God’s wrath down upon creation, but one man (Jesus) also repaired what was destroyed. Actually, He didn’t repair it, he made it new, and He promised that newness to us, too. 

We won’t see it until the Last Day, but your Lord and God, made flesh in Jesus, took the rebellion and disobedience of every human being that ever lived (and ever will live) and soaked it up into himself to carry it to his cross on Golgotha. He wrestled that sin and death and disobedience and rebellion and back-talking and cheating into His grave and left it there when He rose again on Easter Sunday. 

Just one sin from one man set all of humanity on this path of death and destruction. And all it took was for Almighty God to look at one man’s perfect obedience to restore everything. And not just any man, but the God-Man; Jesus, the Christ. The Messiah, God made flesh. His only-begotten Son. 

In our everyday struggles and sins, it’s easy to forget the mercy and grace of God for you. But He always remembers. He always gives. He always blesses His children because of Jesus, who took all your sin from you, so that you could live forever with all the faithful. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

In Adam we have all been one, One huge rebellious man; We all have fled that evening voice That sought us as we ran. But Thy strong love, it sought us still And sent Thine only Son That we might hear His Shepherd’s voice And, hearing Him, be one. (In Adam We Have All Been One LSB 569:1, 3) 

-Pastor Duane Bamsch is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA  and the President of Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Patrick Sturdivant, Development and Marketing Executive at Higher Things.

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.