July 5, 2023

Today's Reading: Table of Duties, Luther’s Small Catechism: Second Article Part 1

Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 17:1-28, John 16:17-33

And [I believe] in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christology (what we have to say about Jesus) can be one of the more complex areas of theology. But before you get lost in all of the minutiae of the communication of attributes, it is important to remember that as rigorous as the topic can be, discussion of who Jesus is need not be overly tedious. In fact, for Luther, the Second Article of the Creed is the centerpiece of his catechism. This is the most important part of the entire thing. Another way to put it would be to say that the entire Lutheran theological system centers in Jesus. 

What this means is that your salvation does not come from the Ten Commandments, nor does it come from any part of the Law. Your salvation does not come from your saying the Lord's Prayer a certain number of times or with the right emotional inflection. Nor does your salvation come from participating in the Sacraments as if they were simply ceremonies that must be performed. Without Jesus the whole thing falls apart and you are left holding a half cooked bratwurst at a potluck in a church basement for no particular reason. 

With Jesus, however, the whole thing comes together. With Jesus the Law loses its condemnations because He fulfilled it for you; with Jesus God becomes your dear Father who hears your prayers, with Jesus the Sacraments become means of grace where He is present for you. He may not make the half cooked bratwurst better, but you will know why you are there. Jesus is the place where time and eternity come together. He is at the same time both man and God. When you say that Jesus is your Lord you are saying that Jesus is the God who saved you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Gentle Mary laid her child Lowly in a manger, He is still the Undefiled, But no more a stranger, Son of God of humble birth, Beautiful the story; Praise His name in all the earth; Hail the King of glory! (Gentle Mary Laid Her Child, LSB 374:3)

-Pastor Grant Knepper is Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Modesto, California.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

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.