God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will point out to you” (Genesis 22:2-3). Isaac was the son of the promise, the one born […]
Jesus’ Glory Hidden in His Stumbling and Falling: Mark 15:17-21
April 6, 2011 by
Is it not astonishing? It is just as Jesus said it would be. The soldiers mock Him. They beat and scourge Him. And to make sure Jesus’ humiliation is complete, they bow down to Him in mock worship. The angels, who love Jesus and have worshipped Him since their creation, do not intervene. The […]
Lent 4: Galatians 4:21-31
April 3, 2011 by
Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. They were both sons of Abraham, but there was an enormous difference in how they came to be born! Do you remember the promise God made to Abraham? God told Abraham that he would be the father of a nation with as many people as the stars in […]
Hidden in the Savior’s Rejection by the World: Luke 18:33-19:1
March 30, 2011 by
What a contrast we have between Jesus and Pilate? On one side is Jesus. He testifies that He is a king, but that His kingdom is not of this world. He testifies that all who are on the side of truth listen to Him: they hear and follow His Word, believe in Him, trust Him, […]
Lent 3: Baptism isn’t Magic: Luke 11:24-26
March 27, 2011 by
“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, he roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, he then says, ‘I’ll go back to the house I left.’ After returning, he finds the house swept and put in order. Then, he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, […]
Christ’s Glory is Hidden in the Rejection by His Own: Matthew 26: 57-68
March 23, 2011 by
Wherever and whenever Jesus and His cross appear, hostility will eventually follow. Opposition and, sometimes, even persecution will follow–not outward glory. For Christ hides His glory under the cross of rejection. What should surprise us, however, is the source of that opposition and persecution! Who is the most hostile and has the most hatred toward […]
The Forgotten Battle of Spiritual Warfare
March 21, 2011 by
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12) Martin Luther ends his Large Catechism with these words: “They [the contents of the Large Catechism] must all certainly help […]
Lent 2: Matthew 15:21-28
March 20, 2011 by
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between God and the devil. Think of Old Testament Abraham: was it God or some demonic voice that told him to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac? How could Abraham be sure that it was God and not Satan who was speaking to him? And closer to […]
Hidden in our Savior’s Sighs: Luke 22:39-46
March 16, 2011 by
Lent is a distinctive season of the Church year. In Lent, we follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross. Lent is also a glorious season of the Church year, but its glory is hidden in the cross. Those who don’t take Lent seriously will never see God’s glory. This evening, we examine how God’s […]
Lent 1: Genesis 3:1-21
March 13, 2011 by
Satan is smoldering in patience, slowly stoking the power of evil that he believes is stronger than God. He devises a scheme and becomes one with a snake. And there he waits. He will wait as long it takes to entrap and ensnare. And so he waits. He waits for Eve to walk past the […]
