Septuagesima (2023-02-05)

Exodus 17:1–7
1 Corinthians 9:24—10:5
Matthew 20:1–16

Grace Alone

The people of Israel contended with the Lord in the wilderness (Ex. 17:1–7). They were dissatisfied with His provision. In the same way, the first laborers in the vineyard complained against the landowner for the wage he provided them (Matt. 20:1–16). They charged him with being unfair, but in reality he was being generous. For the Lord does not wish to deal with us on the basis of what we deserve but on the basis of His abounding grace in Christ. The first—those who rely on their own merits—will be last. “For they were overthrown in the wilderness” (1 Cor. 10:5). But the last, those who rely on Christ, will be first. For Christ is the Rock (1 Cor. 9:24–10:5). He is the One who was struck and from whose side blood and water flowed that we may be cleansed of our sin.

Transfiguration of Our Lord (2023-01-29)

Exodus 34:29–35 or Exodus 3:1–14
2 Peter 1:16–21
Matthew 17:1–9

Jesus Is Transfigured and Manifests His Glory

The Lord appeared to Moses in the light of the burning bush (Ex. 3:1–14). Later Moses’ face would shine with the light of God’s glory when he came down from Mount Sinai (Ex. 34:29–35). At the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with the One who is the Light of Light Himself (Matt. 17:1–9). Jesus’ glory as God shines with brilliant splendor in and through His human nature. By this epiphany, our Lord confirmed the prophetic word (2 Pet. 1:16–21), revealing that He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He manifested His majesty as the eternal Son of the Father, and He wonderfully foreshowed our adoption as sons (Collect). We who have been baptized into Christ’s body are given a glimpse of the glory that we will share with Him in the resurrection on the Last Day.

St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor (Jan. 26)

Acts 20:28–35
Titus 1:1–9
Luke 10:1–9

St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor

“Faith,” the “knowledge of the truth” and the “hope of eternal life” are manifested daily among us in His Word through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ Jesus (Titus 1:1–3). The times seem desperate: “Fierce wolves” are among us, “not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29), and “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2).The Lord, however, is diligent to build and care for the Church, “which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). We are not to fear, but rather to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest” (Luke 10:2). Send us faithful laborers! Preserve all pastors and teachers, that they “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught” so that they, like St. Titus, “may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9)! Give us ears to hear their preaching in repentance and faith. Preserve them from falsehood, greed and unholy living. We commend them to You and the Word of Your grace (Acts 20:32), that “when the chief Shepherd appears,” (1 Peter 5:4) He may declare, “Well done, good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

The Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 25)

Acts 9:1–22
Galatians 1:11–24
Matthew 19:27–30

God’s Enemies Are Conquered by the Revelation of Grace in Christ

Christ brings about a great reversal in St. Paul. “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Gal. 1:23). The enemy of the Gospel becomes its foremost preacher, and the last of the apostles becomes the first (Matt. 19:30). Paul is God’s “chosen instrument … to carry [His] name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). The conversion of Paul is only a more dramatic example of what God does in revealing Christ to us. The bondage of our sin makes saving faith impossible. “I believe that I cannot … believe” (Small Catechism, Third Article of the Creed). But even this is no obstacle for our Lord’s grace in Christ and the Holy Spirit’s power through the Gospel. Baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, and hearing the Word of Christ, our ears are opened and our spiritual blindness is lifted (Acts 9:17–19). It is dangerous to be a traitor to Christ’s enemies — “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16) — but everything that is left behind is “rubbish” compared to “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8) and the eternal life that we, with St. Paul, will at last inherit (Matt. 19:29).

St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor (Jan. 24)

Acts 16:1–5
1 Timothy 6:11–16
Matthew 24:42–47

St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor

Our Master, Jesus Christ, “is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44). He sets the servants of His Word as the watchmen and overseers of His household (Matt. 24:45). He commands them to keep, guard and “fight the good fight of the faith” entrusted to them (1 Tim. 6:12), “each according to his ability” (Matt. 25:15). Just as Christ “made the good confession” before Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13), so His servants stand before the Church and the world, and by their preaching the Lord strengthens faith and grants increase to His Church (Acts 16:5), the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). St. Timothy, Paul’s friend and son in the faith, is an example of such a faithful and wise servant, set over the household of God in Ephesus to nourish in “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11). The Lord still appoints men like Timothy to bear fruit that will abide (John 15:16), so that the whole household may confess and bear witness to the One “who gives life to all things” (1 Tim. 6:13).

Third Sunday after the Epiphany (2023-01-22)

2 Kings 5:1–15a
Romans 1:8–17 or Romans 12:16–21
Matthew 8:1–13

Jesus Came for Gentiles, Too

The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile (Rom. 1:8–17). Even in the Old Testament, the Gentiles were beneficiaries of God’s saving power. Though unimpressed at first with the Word of God, a Syrian commander is persuaded to receive that Word, and in the water he is cleansed and brought to faith in the God of Israel (2 Kings 5:1–15a). Evil is overcome by good (Rom 12:16–21). So also in the New Testament, a Roman centurion demonstrates great and humble faith in the Lord (Matt. 8:1–13). All he needs is the Word of Christ, for he trusts that Jesus’ Word of healing has authority to accomplish what it says. And indeed it does. The centurion’s faith is praised by our Lord above that of any Israelite. For the last shall be first, and the first last. Apart from faith in Christ, there is no salvation—not even for a Jew—but only weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Confession of St. Peter (Jan. 18)

Acts 4:8–13
2 Peter 1:1–15
Mark 8:27–35 (36–9:1)

Losing Ourselves in the Confession of the One Name of Salvation

St. Peter speaks for all disciples when he confesses, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). This confession is the bedrock of the Church, which Christ Himself builds (Matt. 16:18), for “this Jesus,” the stone rejected by earthly builders, “has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11). This was a scandal even to Peter. The Christ must suffer, be rejected, be killed “and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31), for through this work of salvation received by faith, God’s “precious and very great promises” are granted, “so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Wherever Jesus is the Christ, His disciples deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him (Mark 8:34). They have been cleansed from their former sins and increase in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love, effective and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5–9). All who trust in Jesus, the Christ of Peter’s confession, will save their life, though for His sake they lose it (Mark 8:35). “For there is no other name … by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (2023-01-15)

Exodus 33:12–23 or Amos 9:11–15
Ephesians 5:22–33 or Romans 12:6–16
John 2:1–11

Jesus’ First Miracle Reveals God’s Glory

The coming of the Messianic kingdom means the restoration of creation. The sign of this restoration is that “the mountains shall drip sweet wine” (Amos 9:11–15). When the elements of a fallen creation fail and run short at a wedding feast, our Lord Jesus steps in to restore creation and miraculously changes water into an abundance of the very best wine (John 2:1–11). With this sign, Christ manifests His glory. The “back” of God (Ex. 33:12–23) is revealed to those who believe. The hour will come when Jesus will again manifest His glory by taking creation’s curse into His own body to release us from its power. The Bridegroom will give His life for the Bride (Eph. 5:22–32), and from His side will flow water and blood, the holy sacraments by which she is cleansed and made one with Him. Through this sacrificial love of Christ we are enabled to “love one another with brotherly affection . . .” and to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:6–16).

Baptism of Our Lord (2023-01-08)

Joshua 3:1–3, 7–8, 13–17 or Isaiah 42:1–7
1 Corinthians 1:26–31
Matthew 3:13–17

In His Baptism, Jesus Takes His Place with Sinners

Our Lord Jesus is baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:13–17). He partakes of a baptism for sinners in order that He might be our substitute and bear the judgment we deserve. In the water, Jesus trades places with us. Our sin becomes His sin. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. Our glory, therefore, is in “Christ Jesus, who became to us . . . righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:26–31). Jesus is the “chosen” One sent from the Father to release us from the prison house of sin and death (Is. 42:1–7). Baptized into Christ, we also become the chosen ones, beloved of the Father. We cross the Jordan with Jesus (Joshua 3) through death into the promised land of new life with God.

Rubrics for the Laity – The Gottesdienst Crowd 022

In this Gottescast, The Gottesdienst Crowd discusses rubrics and ceremonies for the Laity. Mark Braden (Gottesdienst Editor, the author of the recurring column “Taking Pains,” and pastor of Zion Lutheran, Detroit, MI) joins us for the discussion.

The bibliography mentioned may be found here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/churchplantmedia-cms/zion_evangelical_lutheran_church/a-select-bibliography-on-the-holy-liturgy.pdf