March 24, 2026

Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:23-3:22; Mark 14:53-72

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 11a, 12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The author of Hebrews presents the work of Christ through one of the threefold offices Christ fulfills—the office of the priest. The priestly role in the Old Testament provided the sacrifices for the people of God. The life of the priest revolved around the temple and pointing the people of Israel to the coming Messiah. In the sacrificial system, blood was shed, poured, and sprinkled upon the altar, upon the people, and upon the priests themselves. The work of the priest was very bloody.

As Christ fulfills the office of priest, the work is very bloody. The blood is not of male goats or bull calves, but by his very own blood. He enters into the holy place once for all. No longer do priests need to sacrifice animals. The final sacrifice is complete in Christ. Eternal redemption is secured for you.

Many churches in mainline Christianity speak of making sacrifices in order to appease God. We hear in podcasts, reels, memes, and various social media platforms the necessity to give up something so that your faithfulness can be demonstrated. We are inundated with the subtleties of self-righteousness every day. During the season of Lent, this perspective is amplified as more and more denominations diminish the work of Christ and lift up the work of man.

Today, as we bend the knee in the Divine Service to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, it is not a re-sacrifice of Christ. We participate in the resurrected Christ as His body is placed in our mouth and His blood is poured over our lips. The benefit of His sacrificial work is given to us. It is not that He is sacrificed again each time in the sacrament. He was sacrificed and now lives and reigns. The resurrected Jesus comes to you from the altar in the Sacrament of the Altar, forgiving your sins and strengthening your faith. The Holy Priest brings you the secured redemption from His shedding of blood on the cross. The sacrificial work of the priest is done.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The body of God’s Lamb we eat, A priestly food and priestly meat; On sin-parched lips the chalice pours His quenching blood That life restores. (LSB 624:6)

March 23, 2026

Today's Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:1-22; Mark 14:32-52

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”(Genesis 22:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Abraham is asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. He is asked to sacrifice his only son, whom he has waited years to receive. Now God says you are to sacrifice him. We know the whole narrative of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham takes Isaac and leaves for the region of Moriah. Abraham binds Isaac and is about to slaughter his son when the Lord intervenes and commands Abraham to do him no harm. Behind them is a ram caught in a thicket, which is then sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham names the place, “The Lord will provide.” On that mountain, the Lord provided the sacrifice.

As we spend the final week of Lent reflecting on our sins and the need for those sins to be reconciled, we are drawn to a mountain. On Calvary, Christ is sacrificed for the sins of the world. Without the sacrifice, we would perish eternally. In our sinful condition, we are not merely broken; we are dead. We are cut off from God the Father. As Jesus goes to the cross, He carries the sins of the whole world to the cross. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He is the substitute for us. God the Father provides the final sacrifice for your sins. As Jesus speaks those final words, “It is finished,” a declaration is made that there are no more sacrifices needed. The work of redemption is done through the blood of Christ. Abraham untied his son and sacrificed the ram that the Lord provided. The Lord nailed His son, Jesus, whom He loved and was well pleased with, to the cross that we may be set free from the bondage of sin and eternal damnation.

You are set free from eternal damnation and bound to the inheritance given to you through Christ’s work of redemption. You are baptized into the name of Christ, and you are baptized into His death. If you are Baptized into His death, you are also Baptized into His resurrection. No longer can sin, satan, and the world say you are lost. You are set free in Christ!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

If my sins give me alarm And my conscience grieve me, Let Your cross my fear disarm; Peace of conscience give me. Help me see forgiveness won By Your holy passion. If for me He slays His Son, God must have compassion! (LSB 440:5)

March 22, 2026

Today's Reading: John 8:(42-45) 46-59

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 1:1-22; Mark 14:12-31

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:58)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus’ interaction with the “Jews who believed in him” (John 8:31) comes to a boiling point in the temple. He is accused of having a demon, and He accuses the Jews of being in league with satan, the father of lies. He calls them liars. The volley of words goes back and forth until Jesus speaks very plainly in their language regarding who He is and His relationship to Abraham. Jesus says, “...before Abraham was, I AM.”

When Jesus speaks those words in John 8, he speaks of His deity and His everlasting presence. He is not merely man, but rather He is true God. He was before Abraham because He was at the beginning. He is present in their midst, and He will always be. He is from everlasting to everlasting. Two simple words, I AM, that drive His hearers to the point that they pick up stones to kill him.

As we approach the final week of Lent, we are on a journey to the cross. The cross where Jesus Christ, true God and true man, died for the sins of the world. We know what is coming in these final weeks of Lent. We will ride into Jerusalem with Christ on the donkey. We will shout Hosana and honor Him as our King by waving and laying down palm branches and cloaks. Yet as lifted up on the cross, only a handful of people are present. The rest of His loyal followers have scattered.

The Old Adam does not believe in the deity of Christ. Our sinful nature wants to pick up those stones and kill Jesus. In sin, we deny the divinity of Jesus and attribute our existence to ourselves. Our pride, our self-righteousness, stirs our hearts to see ourselves as our own god.

Christ’s response to this separation is not to leave us flailing about in our own damnation. A reconciliation has taken place. As Christ is lifted up on the cross, His blood is shed for our redemption. It is not just human blood, but it is the “I AM’s” blood that is poured out for His people. His side is pierced, and water and blood burst from His side. Your Baptism connects you to the cross of reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins. Your savior is more than just flesh and bones. Your savior is the “I AM.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (Collect for the 5th Sunday in Lent)