Today's Reading: Mark 16:1-8

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 14:10-31; Hebrews 7:23-8:13

“And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Sabbath was past, and it was time to do everything as it should be according to their customs. The women bought spices to anoint the body of Jesus for his burial. They were willing to go where He had lain for three days; they were willing to make themselves unclean according to the Law of Moses to anoint their Lord’s body.

Like so many other times in Mark’s Gospel, God emphatically intervenes. Three women had no chance of rolling away the stone blocking Jesus' tomb. They were as curious as to how they would roll the stone away as they were to see an open tomb at their tomb. No more would everything be as it should be according to their customs, according to the Law of Moses.

God emphatically proclaims the Gospel through the white robed young preacher. God’s anointed Jesus of Nazareth, whom they cared for; He is risen! He is not in the tomb. The messenger of God, the angel appearing as a young man, proclaims the Gospel, the Good News of the empty tomb. No more will the stench of death claim you, nor will death’s sting have any power over you. No more will the Law declare you unclean. Jesus died to your sin, making them His own dying to the curse of the Law. Swallowing up death in His death, and emphatically crying out from the cross, from the empty tomb before His Father, and before these women who saw Him die, that death is no more.

No more doing everything as it should be, no more would everything be how it had been. “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” As the women ran away, trembling, astonished at this proclamation. You also go from here free, astonished at what God has done.

The God who emphatically came down from heaven, taken on human flesh, ripped the heavens open at His Son’s Baptism and walked among us, died for us, and rose that we, too, shall rise. The life of Jesus is your life. God emphatically unites you to Him in your Baptism. That you would be free in Christ indeed, and go into your daily life, astonished at what God has done.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. We humbly pray that we may live before You in righteousness and purity forever; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Resurrection of Our Lord)

Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22

"The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ”After three days I will rise.” Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, “He has risen from the dead,” and the last fraud will be worse than the first.’” (Matthew 27:62-64)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Holy Saturday can be a difficult day to reflect on, because it is the in-between time where it seems the forces of evil have won, the Lord is dead, but we can still catch a glimpse of Sunday out of the corner of our eyes. We know what tomorrow brings, and we want to jump to that. But let’s sit on Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is a day where we reflect on the victory of the powers of darkness as they gloat, celebrate, and mock. The Lord told us just yesterday that His kingdom is not of this world, so there will be many times when it appears that the world is governed only by malice and cruelty. Turning on the evening news on any given night can be a strain on any normal person’s assertion that the world is governed by an all-powerful, benevolent God. There is little we see with our eyes that convinces us of the Lordship of Jesus. In a world teeming with terror, genocide, fear, and brutality, it looks like the darkness has won.

This Holy Saturday we read about was no different. The chief priests and Pharisees think they’ve won, and all they need to seal their victory is for Jesus to stay dead. But here Matthew gives us a glimpse into the victors’ mindsets. Even while victorious, they are afraid. They remember Jesus' promise that after his death, he would rise in three days, and instead of finding hope in that promise, they find a threat. Frightened, they do everything they can to protect themselves from what they assume will be a mere mythologizing of Jesus. On the surface, it seems perfectly rational: wait three days, let everyone see Jesus was speaking nonsense, and move along as if nothing happened. As if nothing has changed. It's a logic that makes sense on Saturday, when Jesus is still cold in his grave.

Unlike the chief priests and Pharisees, however, we know the rest of the story. We know what’s coming. We know how foolish their logic will look in the daylight tomorrow. Armed with that knowledge, we can look at the Holy Saturdays in our own lives and world, where the Lord seems silent, absent, defeated, and know that the gloating will not last the morning.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Oh perfect life of love! All, all, is finished now, All that He left His throne above To do for us below. (LSB 452:1)

Today's Reading: John 18:1-19:42

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16; Lamentations 5:1-22; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 22

“Jesus answered, ’My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’” (John 18:36)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It is a remarkable declaration for God incarnate, whose Lordship extends into all creation, that his kingdom is not of this world. With this statement, he does not deny his kingship to Pilate; instead, he explains its character. I’m sure this was a baffling statement to Pilate, who certainly would have understood kingship through the lens of strength and power. If you had the power to prevent your capture and execution, of course, you would use it. What person wouldn’t? Jesus is telling Pilate that his capture and imprisonment aren’t a sign of the weakness of his kingship, but rather that earthly power is not the measure of his kingship. Most kings measure their power through armies, wealth, and raw power. Governments still operate this way today, forming alliances when possible and projecting strength against potential enemies. Survival is about strength. This is so deep in our psyche, such established common sense, that it is easy for Christians to even approach the church’s activity in the world this way. It is easy to imagine that the church must always build alliances to consolidate its strength, wield its power to ward off perceived enemies, and do all these things in the name of protecting Jesus.

Yet Jesus shows Pilate, and us, a better way. The Lord of all creation, who is about to lay down his life of his own accord, shows power in weakness. What is the cross but ultimate weakness? The Romans and religious authorities certainly looked at Jesus, dead on the cross, and felt they’d won a victory over this strange group of disciples. They had put an end to this folly by exercising their worldly power, leveraging it against a threatening teacher. They assumed Jesus’s kingdom was of this world, that it would perish with him, and that what they saw with their eyes was all there is. This is the only way the powers of this world can operate. They do not have eyes to see the kingdom that is not of this world; the kingdom that is powerful in weakness, that strengthens the downtrodden, that liberates the captives, gives sight to the blind, that raises the dead. This world’s kingdoms will always think they have the last word in death and destruction, unaware they’ve already been cast down from their thrones by the One who will always have the last word.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle; Sing the ending of the fray. Now above the cross, the trophy, Sound the loud triumphant lay; Tell how Christ, the world’s redeemer, As a victim won the day. (LSB 454:1)

Today's Reading: John 13:1-15 (34-35)

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28; Lamentations 4:1-22; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 31

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’” (John 13:6-8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Today is Holy Thursday, the day Jesus institutes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Yet, today’s reading comes from the only one of the four gospels that doesn’t record the institution of the Supper, instead highlighting Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Many traditions, from Amish to Anglicans, take this so seriously that they also practice foot washing, symbolizing humility and service to one another, as part of their worship. It can be a beautiful and intimate practice, and there’s nothing wrong with emulating it; in fact, Jesus says in verse 15 that he has given us an example to follow. However, it would be easy to be so caught up in the action of foot-washing that you could miss what Jesus is trying to teach his disciples, and by extension, us, through this reading.

Jesus tells Peter that what he is doing now will be understood by them later, pointing through the veil of death to his eventual resurrection. In the light of the coming Sunday, all things will be made new, but first they must rest in the mystery of what is happening today. Jesus further elucidates to Peter that the action of washing is meant to demonstrate that only those Jesus has washed can have any share of Him. Surely, he does not mean only the twelve men in the room with him, those able to physically submit to his foot washing. No, he is pointing to a larger reality: the dirt of our sin must be, and can only be, washed by Him. We cannot wash away this sin with just plain water, but rather water that is included with God’s command and combined with God’s Word. Just as bread and wine alone will not forgive our sins, but combined with God’s Word and promise, they cleanse us. In faith, we can recognize this merciful Gift of God. Instead of responding defensively, as Peter initially does, declaring the lunacy of our Lord and Savior serving us in such a way, we can see our need for it, and joyously allow the Lord’s mercy to wash each corner of our lives. Not just our feet, but our heads and hands also.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Now have I found consolation, Comfort in my tribulation, Balm to heal the troubled soul. God, my shield from ev’ry terror, Cleanses me from sin and error, Makes my wounded spirit whole. (LSB 620:6)

Today's Reading: Luke 22:1-23:56

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10; Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 4:1-16

“‘Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.’” (Luke 22:31-34)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Exorcism and possession are popular topics for media in our age, which seems to have moved from outright secularism to acceptance of all spiritualities. In the popular imagination, these possessions culminate in a violent and dramatic force of wills between a protagonist and a demonic entity. Fiction makes it seem as if we must either use our own strength to battle the darkness, or employ some secret knowledge, or sometimes invoke the name of Jesus, like an ancient protection spell. But this text shows us what is really going on behind the curtain of the spiritual world.

Here, Jesus directly tells Peter that Satan demanded possession of him, and instead of responding with fear, trembling, or even trust in Jesus, Peter makes a declarative statement about the strength of his own faith. Peter is certain he would never fail in his love for Jesus. He is certain about the strength of his own faith. Luke doesn’t tell us here how Peter responded to Jesus’s disclosure. I wonder if Peter argued with him? I suspect he did. Luke does tell us a few verses later that Jesus was, of course, correct in his prophecy, and Peter weeps bitterly as he understands his own betrayal in light of Christ's words. How foolish he must have felt, first to declare his certainty, then to be explicitly warned by Jesus, and yet still fall into denying him three separate times!

But Peter’s story here gives us hope. The Word of Christ will so often call us back from our own sin, our own failings, the temptations that we have fallen into, and have spent days, months, or years justifying. The realization of our deep failings, in light of Christ’s love and mercy, can feel like a deep betrayal of all we have been called to be in this world.

Yet we do not have to rely on the strength of our own faith, the purity of our love and devotion, or anything within us to keep us in the love of Christ. Rather, we can look to Him who thwarts the devil’s demands with His Word, His action, His Body and Blood for all who trust in him.

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)

Today's Reading: Mark 14:1-15:47

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:29-10:20; Lamentations 2:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.” (Mark 14:10-11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus for money. It’s easy to give Judas a bad rap, after all, what kind of fool betrays his beloved teacher after giving up everything to follow him for three years? But is Judas so far removed from us? Are his actions that illogical? Why give up everything for someone who keeps turning everything on its head, upsetting norms, and infuriating powerful people? Would any of us want to be in the crosshairs of powerful rulers just because of our proximity and faithfulness to the teacher? Especially one who seems to have everything backwards? Why not just cut your losses, get a little money out of it, and carry on with the rest of your life? There is a certain logic to Judas’s thinking. Sin can often be quite logical.

Sometimes we like to sugarcoat our sin, talking about it like a trap we fell into accidentally, as if that somehow removes our culpability. Surely, we are better than Judas. Perhaps our evil is passive, like those things we confess on Sunday morning that we left undone. Certainly, there is a way in which sin can tempt us to blindness, laziness, or apathy, so we just fail to act appropriately. We don’t usually see the ways that we actively seek out ways to sin. We don’t see the ways we betray Jesus.

This betrayal comes to us cloaked in our own self-justifications; the myriad ways we excuse, explain, and dismiss our sins. There are many times we’d rather be righteous in the eyes of men than humble at the feet of Jesus. We would like to find sensible ways to work in his kingdom, ways that look like winning. We’d like the approval of the religious power brokers and the esteem of our colleagues. We want comfort and assurance in everything but the words of Jesus. This can leave us, like Judas, looking for a different way, a shortcut, a more comfortable path.

We do not avoid the path of Judas by wrestling with our own willpower, our own desire to betray Jesus for a simpler road. Instead, because we know our Lord and his mercy and grace, we confess these sins, bring them to Him, and look to the comfort of his word and promises to guide our steps through the narrow way.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What is the world to me With all its vaunted pleasure When You, and You alone, Lord Jesus are my treasure! You only, dearest Lord, My soul’s delight shall be; You are my peace, my rest. What is the world to me! (LSB 730:1)

Today's Reading: John 12:1-36 (37-43)

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:1-28; Lamentations 1:1-22; Hebrews 2:1-18

“His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.” (John 12:16)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The ministry of Jesus subverts expectations so often that it is almost a cliché. Throughout his ministry, those whom you expect him to condemn, he instead commends; those you expect him to reject, he instead joins for a meal. This happens so often that Jesus is directly criticized for it. It’s no wonder that this can all get a bit confusing, even for Jesus’s closest disciples.

Judas Iscariot has been following Jesus for three years, and there are a lot of ways his response makes sense. He seems really concerned with the priorities of Jesus, so he asks him a fair question (John 12:4-5). It’s completely reasonable that wealth should be spent on the poor rather than vain annointings. How often do we have these very same types of questions in our own churches?

Yet, Jesus tells us that in His Kingdom, the poor are rich, the weak are strong, the last are first, but it is still confusing when we encounter the realities of God’s economy. How often have we looked back and seen God’s merciful hand at work in our lives? Understood how He was with us through a difficult path we had to tread, when it looked and felt like we were all alone? Perspective is a valuable thing, and sometimes that perspective is gained through retrospection, that is, looking at the past and seeing it through the lens of a God who is busy making all things new.

At other times, even with the benefit of hindsight, we cannot see how God is working, how it is good, or evidence of His mercy in our lives. It is okay; even then, we’re in good company, as the disciples did not understand many of the things of Jesus’ ministry, despite witnessing it with their own eyes and having Him there to explain it. But what gives them the key to understanding? The glorification of Jesus. What do they mean by the glorification of Jesus? Looking ahead to verses 27-36, we see that the Father is glorified in the crucifixion of Jesus. Our eyes can only behold the crucifixion as shame and condemnation, but with eyes of faith, in the light of the resurrection, we can see that in the cross, there is glory. In the cross is victory over sin, death, and the devil, reconciliation of the world to the Father, which is the ultimate outpouring of His fatherly divine goodness and mercy.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Ride on, ride on in majesty! In lowly pom ride on to die. O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin O’er captive death and conquered sin. (LSB 441:2)

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-27 or Matthew 27:11-54

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32; Psalm 118; Hebrews 1:1-14

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?’” (Matthew 26:52-53)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It’s a response that makes sense to all of us. Of course, we would defend Jesus when evil men, armed with false charges, come to arrest the only One who could be called truly good. Matthew doesn’t tell us who draws the sword, but John spills the beans and names Peter. Poor Peter is so often caught between his devotion to his Lord, his impulsiveness, and his all too human fear. A lot of people feel like they can relate to Peter wanting to do the right thing, but falling flat on their faces.

Here, Peter reacts out of love but also fear. Jesus’ rebuke to Peter is not simply about some pacifistic ideals, though we would do well to consider our willingness to live and die by our modern swords; it is also a fierce reckoning with who Jesus is. It is not simply that Jesus will go meekly to his arrest and eventual death in submission to His Father’s will, but also that Jesus does not need Peter to defend Him. At a word, Jesus can call down twelve legions of angels. How much help is that? A legion is a unit of soldiers in the Roman army, consisting of approximately 6,000 soldiers. Therefore, twelve legions would be around 72,000 soldiers, or roughly half of the entire Roman army, composed of fierce heavenly warriors, not just men. The point is clear: if Jesus needed to be saved from arrest at that moment, he could have handled it himself. Peter was failing to submit his own plan to the will of God.

I think most of us can understand Peter in this moment. We want to defend Jesus; we don’t want to see him mishandled by evil men. We revile their intentions and can use this worthy impulse to justify all manner of lawlessness, hatred, violence, and even denial of the very nature of Jesus himself. It is hard for us to understand what Jesus is doing as we’re left in anguish in our various Gardens of Gethsemane, but our call is to follow a crucified God who has already told us how the story will end. In that story, there is no room for fear.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.