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)

Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 5 - Psalm 43:3-5; antiphon: Psalm 43:1-2a

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 49:29-50:7, 14-26; Mark 14:1-11

“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!” (Psalm 43:3)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Tomorrow we enter Passiontide - the final two weeks of the Lenten season. The light and truth of God’s Word have guided us through this season, reminding us of all that Jesus has done for us as we prepare for the joy of Easter. But before we get there, the light and truth of the Word lead us to the holy hill of Calvary—to the cross of Jesus. To see the horrible consequences of our sin, but even more, to see the incredible love of Jesus in laying down His life for us.

So, the light and truth of God’s Word first show us our sin. And we confess, I am a poor, miserable sinner. I am by nature sinful and unclean. I have sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone. I am not good. Without Jesus, I am dead in my trespasses and sins. That’s why Lent starts with the ashes of death and ends with the cross. The wages of sin is death.

But the light and truth of God’s Word doesn’t leave us there, cast down in death! The ashes of death are washed off us by Baptism, and we go to the altar of God with exceeding joy, because the Body and Blood that once hung on the cross rose from death and are now given to us for forgiveness and life. Even during Lent, we do not go about mourning. No, we praise God even as we confess our sins, for by so doing we are confessing the one whose forgiveness we take refuge in. Whose resurrection won the victory over sin, death, and Hell.

So it is the light and truth of God’s Word that lead us to Lent and through Lent to Easter. And it is the light and truth of God’s Word that leads us through this life to the great and final Easter when Jesus comes again in glory. Until that day, Jesus defends us, delivers us, and leads us, and we take refuge in Him, praise Him, and hope in Him. For He is our salvation and our God.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

My son is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me, Love to the loveless shown That they might lovely be. Oh, who am I That for my sake My Lord should take frail flesh and die? Here might I stay and sing, No story so divine! Never was love, dear King, Never was grief like Thine. This is my friend, In whose sweet praise I all my days Could gladly spend! (LSB 430:1, 7)

Today's Reading: Catechism: Tenth Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 47:1-31; Genesis 48:1-49:28; Mark 13:24-37

Urge them to stay and do their duty. (Small Catechism)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I have found it helpful when trying to understand a word or concept to try to consider its opposite. So what’s the opposite of coveting? Contentment. Instead of an unhealthy obsession with what I do not have, to be content or satisfied with what I do have, with what I’ve been given. Such contentment is a gift. And something many people want.

A good picture of this might be of children on a playground. They are free to play, run, pretend, and have fun because Mom and Dad are there and provide all they need. That’s true for us as children of God! Because we have a Father in heaven who created us and gave us life, His Son who redeemed us and forgives us, and the Holy Spirit who gives us the Gift of contentment. As a child of God, I am free to live and enjoy life!

But sadly, we don’t always live that way. We listen to a culture that encourages us to want more and more, bigger and better. To not be satisfied with what you have. What happens then is that we become slaves to our desires, unhappy, and caught up in pursuing what we don’t have. That’s why St. Paul calls coveting idolatry (Colossians 3:5), that is, something that takes the place of God in our hearts. And with that, Paul has “closed the loop” on the Commandments that also begin with idolatry. The First Commandment teaches us that we have a God who wants to be our God and Father, and the Tenth Commandment teaches us that we have a God and Father who wants to provide everything for us and for our neighbor. I don’t have to covet what God has given my neighbor because I know He has good He has planned for me and wants to give to me.

So just as I can support my neighbor in every physical need, help him to improve and protect his possessions and income, and protect his reputation, I can also urge my neighbor’s wife, workers, and animals to stay and do their duty, because I know God has given them to him and will provide for me. For if God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for me and my spiritual life, I can be sure He will also graciously give me all I need for my physical life as well (Romans 8:32). He promised!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, You have made me Your child in Baptism and made me an heir of all Your gracious promises in Christ Jesus. By Your Holy Spirit, strengthen me to forsake all covetous desires that my heart cling to You alone for all I am, all I need, and all my joy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 45:1-20, 24-28; Mark 13:1-23

“So that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled.” (Matthew 2:23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

This was the second time an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The first was after Joseph discovered that his betrothed, Mary, was having a child that was not his. He resolved to divorce her quietly until the angel explained that Mary had not been unfaithful to him, but faithful to both him and God. And Joseph did what the angel commanded him, though it wasn’t easy.

Then, after Jesus had been born, an angel of the Lord came again. The child’s life is in danger. Take the child and your wife and flee to Egypt. For how long? A few weeks? Months? Years? Until I tell you. And Joseph did what the angel commanded him, though it wasn’t easy.

Then, when King Herod was dead, the angel returned one more time to tell Joseph to go back home. Once again, Joseph uprooted his life and family and did what the angel commanded him, though it wasn’t easy. St. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus.

But he is not Saint Joseph because of all he did as Jesus’ guardian and all the ways he kept the word of the Lord spoken by the angel, though it wasn’t easy. We admire him for that. I know I’ve failed to do many things God has told me to do that are far less difficult than all that! But he is Saint Joseph not because of all he did for this child, but because of all this child did for him. Before Joseph began looking after Jesus, the Son of God was looking after him. Before Joseph left his home, the Son of God had left his. And though Joseph gave up much for this son, the Son of God gave up much more for him when He laid down His life on the cross for Joseph. To make him - and us - saints by grace through faith.

So perhaps we could say of Joseph and Jesus, not like father, like son, but the opposite: like son, like father! What Jesus did was not because of what Joseph did, but what Joseph did was because of what Jesus did. Jesus came to fulfill all the words and promises of God, the words and promises Joseph believed. And by faith alone in those words and promises of the promised Messiah, Joseph believed what he believed and did what he did. Trusting that even though it wasn’t easy, it was good. It was of God. For us and for our salvation.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, from the house of Your servant David You raised up Joseph to be the guardian of Your incarnate Son and the husband of His mother, Mary. Grant us grace to follow the example of this faithful workman in heeding Your counsel and obeying Your commands; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Today's Reading: Mark 12:28-44

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 44:1-18, 32-34; Mark 12:28-44

“She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:44b)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When you think of role models, poor widows are not the first thing that pops into your mind. Maybe a teacher, someone who goes out of their way to help others, or someone who leads in the face of danger. In Jesus’ day, the scribes would be the kind of people you looked up to. Yet Jesus says to beware of them. They are not good role models. Because while they looked good, did all the right things, and knew all the right answers, it was all a show. Their hearts weren’t in it. They prayed long prayers with their lips but not their hearts. The widows they should have helped, they instead devoured. Sometimes we do that, too. Outwardly, we look good, but our hearts are filled with sin.

But Jesus points to this widow. Maybe they hadn’t even noticed her. She didn’t look like much. But inside was the most beautiful faith! Faith that took her last two coins, all she had to live on, and gave them to God. Had she not gone to the Temple that day, no one would have missed her or her offering. But it mattered to her. So she went. And she gave. And she mattered to Jesus.

As do you. That’s why Jesus gave all He had for you. Not just giving all He had to live on, but His very life itself. And He gave not only more than anyone else, but more than everyone else put together, and what no one else could give—a perfectly sinless life to atone for all the completely sinful lives of the world. And while just one life for the countless lives that have lived since the creation of the world may seem as small and insignificant as the offering of the widow, the two small coins that make just a penny, like the offering of the widow, that one life was more than all other offerings. For it was given in the most beautiful faith and love. With perfect faith in His Father, and with perfect love for you.

And now, Jesus gives you two little things—a little piece of bread and a little sip of wine, that don’t look like much to the eye, but nothing could be bigger. There is Jesus’ Body and Blood. There is Jesus and His forgiveness and all His Gifts. All you need to live eternally.

So if you’re looking for a role model, here’s one for you! No one may notice you, and what you do may not seem to matter. But you matter to Jesus. You are precious to Him.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, thank You for giving all You are for me. Help me live in faith like this widow, knowing that You give me all I need to live on. Amen.

Today's Reading: Galatians 4:21-31 or Acts 2:41-47

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 43:1-28; Mark 12:13-27

“So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:31)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Abraham had two wives, Hagar and Sarah. Sarah was his first wife. And to Abraham and Sarah, God promised a son. Though they were old and past the age people usually have children, God promised. And they believed God. But as the years went by and still no son, they wavered. After all, God had promised Abraham a son, not Sarah. So they took matters into their own hands, and Abraham had a son by Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant.

But that was not God’s plan! So, after many more years had passed, and Abraham and Sarah were even older, and it was even more impossible for them to have children, God came and said, “Now.” And God did something only God could do: He gave 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah a son—the son of the promise, Isaac.

Paul uses these two women as examples. There is the world’s way of doing things, and there is God’s way. In the world, we are under the Law and live according to the Law. Under the Law, it’s all on you. You have to do it. You have to make things right. That’s how it is with school. You have to do your assignments. You have to earn your grades. It’s all on you.

But in the kingdom of God, things are different. In God’s kingdom, we live under grace, under His words and promises. Under grace, it’s not all on you; it’s all on Him. God does it. He makes things right. That’s what Jesus did. He was born of woman, born under the Law, to do what we could never do and to make what we made wrong, right. And He did that through His perfect life and His death on the cross.

That’s the message Paul preached to the Galatians, and they were born from above as children of God, children of God’s promised forgiveness and love. But they were also being told by others that that wasn’t good enough—they had to do more. To that, Paul said no! When God makes a promise, as He did to Abraham, He will keep it.

And that’s true for us children of God’s promise as well, children of God through the water and word of Baptism. You did nothing there, that’s all Jesus for you. And what Jesus started by grace, He will complete by grace. Jesus has set you free to live in love and joy and peace.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not. Why stagger at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught? No! Then this word must true remain: By grace you too will life obtain. Amen. (LSB 566:1)