Easter Sunday 2019

The Salutary Gift: Feast of Victory

Acts 10:34–43; Colossians 3:1–4; Mark 16:1-8

April 21, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Easter Vigil/Sunrise 2019

The Salutary Gift: Paschal Food

Exodus 12:1–14

April 21, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Good Friday 2019

Sacrificial Banquet

Isaiah 52:13–53:12: Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9; John 18:1–19:42

April 19, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Holy Thursday 2019

The Salutary Gift: Covenant Meal

Exodus 24:3–11; Hebrews 9:11–22; Matthew 26:17–30

April 18, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Palm Sunday 2019 Palmarum

Matthew 27

The Humility of the Cross

April 14, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

What a day Palm Sunday is! There is no other day in the church year quite like it.  We hear the stark contrast today in the Service, the joy of Palm Sunday, the darkness of Good Friday.  As the children sing, “Hosanna” He rides on to do just that, to save them, to save us. 

Let’s go together to meet Christ. We hear how He returns from Bethany and proceeds of His own free will toward His holy and blessed passion.  He who came from heaven to raise us up from the depths of sin, to raise us with Himself, now comes of His own free will to make His journey to Jerusalem. He comes lowly and riding upon a donkey, an animal of peace and humility.

He’s met by shouts and songs of Hosanna, come and save us, we pray, O Lord.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  This is straight from Psalm 118 which we sang today.  That Psalm is the last of the five Hallel psalms, which are Psalms of Thanksgiving for national deliverance.  But it finds its true fulfillment as it is sung at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and when He refers to it regarding His death and resurrection.   And it finds meaning for us here and now as we sing it every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  Combined with the angelic song of the Sanctus from Isaiah, we cry out for Jesus to save us, as He comes to us bringing day of salvation which the Lord has made and we bow our knees at the rail to receive on our confessing tongues the very body and blood of Christ.  In receiving this salutary gift in the Lord’s Supper, we confess that Jesus comes to us here and now in His Sacramental presence offering the full benefits of His suffering, death, and resurrection. 

Jesus knew that this glad song would turn to hate before too long.  He saw the cross on ahead, as do we this morning and throughout this week. We read in Psalm 118, and Jesus’ quotes this later on in Holy Week to the leaders of Israel, that He is the rejected stone who is vindicated and exalted to the highest place of honor. And still He rode on to death and grave and resurrection, He rode on to save.  Too often we look at ourselves, where we should be looking at Christ.  Too often we consider only ourselves.  Holy Week directs our attention to Jesus, to lift up our eyes and our hearts to Him.  Jesus wanted the people to see Him riding on a donkey. He didn’t want them to think He was a military ruler or a social reformer or a political activist.  He wanted them to see Him as a humble and lowly king that they could receive.

Jesus wanted the people to see Him hanging upon the cross. He didn’t want them to think that He came to overthrow by military might or social reform or politics. He wanted them to see Him as a humble and lowly king they could receive by faith.. The kingdom of heaven has come in the person of Jesus, and all people are invited to come under the blessing of the reign, to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Although many people today still reject Jesus and His kingdom, He continues to offer us life in that kingdom.  Jesus proves the Pharisees wrong, for we do not go after Jesus and gain nothing, but He comes and we gain everything. 

In His humility Christ entered our dark and fallen world, and He is glad that He become humble for our sake, glad that He came and lived among us and shared in our human nature to raise us up to Himself. Jesus was obedient unto death, and we add the joy that “it is finished.”  It is through this work that God has exalted Him and that the name of Jesus is name above every name. And even though we are told that He has ascended to heaven, His love will never rest until He has raised us to glory and gathered us to Himself at the Resurrection.

Let us run to accompany Him as He sets His eyes upon the cross, to imitate those who met Him on the road, not covering His path with clothes, olive branches or palms, but by humble faith living according to His will. Then we will be able to receive the Word at His coming, and God will be with us.  Let us join together before Christ throughout this Holy Week, not to funeralize Jesus, but to remember the depths of God love in sending His Son for us, to prepare for the joy of Jesus’ resurrection, and the future hope of our resurrection with Him; to receive Him and all He has to give.

So let us spread before His feet, not the clothes and the branches which wither, but ourselves, but ourselves, clothed in His grace, clothed in His righteousness, clothed in Christ Himself.  Now that the stains of our sins have been washed in the saving waters of baptism, and we have been become white and pure, let us confess Him who is the conqueror of death, not with palm branches, but with the real rewards of His victory: the forgiveness of sins, life, and eternal salvation. Let us join the children throughout the ages in singing their holy song, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Midweek of Lent 5 2019

The Salutary Gift: Nuptial Feast

Isaiah 61:10–62:5; Matthew 22:1–14

April 10, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Lent 5 2019 Judica

John 8:42-59

April 7, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID