Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
I. Introduction
1. In our Gospel Reading for today, we hear two of our Lord’s parables which illustrate our Lord’s delight in receiving sinners and offering them forgiveness. The scene is set up when some tax collectors and sinners draw near to Jesus to hear him. These people are the societal outcasts. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Our Gospel Reading for today is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. You’ll notice that while this story is never directly called a parable, it functions much like one. This is a story which was told by our Lord for the purpose of instructing through illustration and example. The original hearers of this story are not named directly in our text, but you don’t have to look far to find them. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. This feast day is actually one of the newest feast days in the church year. It didn’t come into widespread use in the church until the 11th century. This feast day is unique in that it is the only day of the church year dedicated to a doctrine rather than a person or event in the life of our Lord or of the church. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Today we celebrate the third of the three great Feast Days of the Church Year: The Day of Pentecost. First, Christ came to earth and became man at his nativity. Second, at his resurrection, he announced his new life after defeating the powers of death and the devil. And now on Pentecost, we celebrate that this new life has been given to us through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. This Sunday fills an interesting, strange void in the church year. On Thursday we celebrated one of the most important days of the church year—the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus. Our Lord had spent time with his disciples teaching and instructing them in the 40 days that followed his resurrection. On the fortieth day, our Lord ascended into heaven and took his place at the right hand of the Father. He had promised his disciples that he would not leave them alone, however. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. In our text for today, our Lord is speaking with his disciples about the topic of prayer. He is about to depart from them and go to the Father. And so, in his farewell discourse with the disciples on Holy Thursday, our Lord made it a point to instruct his disciples regarding prayer. He specifically instructs them regarding how they should pray and for what they should pray. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. In our Gospel Reading for today, our Lord is once against speaking with his disciples on Holy Thursday. He is preparing them for his impending departure from this world via his death on the cross. But he is also preparing them for his impending departure from this world via his ascension to the right hand of the Father after he is raised from the dead. While in one sense much of what our Lord has to say in this text deals with his death and resurrection, the primary content of this part of his discussion with his disciples is the coming of the Holy Spirit. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. In our text for today, we hear words of Jesus from John chapter 16. In fact, over the next several weeks as we finish out the Easter season, we will be hearing all of John chapter 16 and will reflect on these important words of our Lord. These words of Jesus were spoken to his disciples on Holy Thursday as he sat down and ate his last supper with the disciples prior to his arrest later that evening. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Today we celebrate the third Sunday of the Easter season. This Sunday is often referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because the focus of the Gospel Reading in particular, as well as the other readings and propers, speak of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. On the other hand, The traditional Latin name for this Sunday is Misericordias Domini. Continue reading
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. The handing over of the keys is an extremely significant moment no matter when it takes place. It could be a 16-year-old whose parents hand over the keys for the first time. There is a sense of freedom that comes with these keys, but more than that, there is a sense of responsibility. The same is true for a family member or friend. Continue reading