Mark 16:19: Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God the Father

Our Lord’s ascension is a continuing celebration of His incarnation. It celebrates that Jesus, true God of true God, became man. Jesus became man to save us from our sins. […]

1 Peter 3:13-22: Confessing and Defending the Faith

In today’s Church, probably for about the last 200 years, we’ve often heard about Christian “witnessing,” telling others about Jesus, and how every Christian is supposed to be a witness. […]

Exodus 29, 1 Peter 2:9: You are a Royal Priesthood

If you and I were living when Jesus still walked the earth–and if we were Jews, we could go into the Temple. Now, Gentiles couldn’t, but Jews could. Yet, even […]

1 Peter 1:17-25: Loving Others with a Pure Heart

What is love? How would you define it? If we were to ask people that question, many, maybe most of them would say, “Love is a feeling,” and then go […]

John 20:19-23: Jesus Still Speaks His Forgiveness Today

The Lenten season is finished.  And yet, we don’t move on to something better, even though we have broken our Lenten fast with the Easter feast.  For what can be […]

Christ is risen! John 20:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Christos anesti!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed.  Alleluia! From St. John’s Gospel and the other gospel writers, Mary Magdalene, with some other women, went to the tomb early […]

Good Friday Sermon: Isaiah 53:3-7

We live in a market-driven, entertainment-fixated world.  Shallow, entertaining sound-bites have replaced deep reflection.  And in such a world, Good Friday is not merely a misstep but a different dance […]

Maundy Thursday Sermon

Today, we rarely use the word “mercy” in our everyday speech.  But in the Church, it’s as common as the air we breathe.  We pray in the liturgy: “Lord, have […]

Matthew 21:1-11: Jesus Still Comes to Us

People confess what is within them by what they do.  People show what they believe by what they do with their hands, feet, and head.  For example, when a Lutheran […]

Psalm 22:6-8: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

All true Christians trust that Jesus is pure and holy.  But not everyone agrees.  And it was the same at Calvary, 2,000 years ago.  Those who passed by that day, […]