Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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 →

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! What a joyous statement of faith and truth those words are! The story doesn’t end with our Lord Jesus in the tomb. The story continues with his triumphant victory over death and the grave. If a Disney writer was creating the story of Jesus’ life, it wouldn’t have ended nearly this well. Continue reading →

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. What drives a man to betray his master and Lord? What causes a man to turn on his friend who has been his companion and teacher for so many years? From a theological perspective, there can only be one answer to this question: It is sin. In order for this sort of thing to happen, the corruption of sin must run so deep that a person’s sensibilities and conscience are eroded to the point where there is little left of the man but bitterness, resentment, and narcissism. Continue reading →

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. In our text for today, we encounter a Jesus who isn’t exactly being friendly to the Jews with which he is arguing. Jesus is directly and explicitly confronting these men with their sin. They fail to recognize who Jesus is, and so they fail to recognize who God the Father is. To those of us who live in the hyper-sensitive, always-offended twenty-first century western world, we cringe at this. We say, “Jesus, you’re being too harsh on these people. Give them a break. All they need is more time and patience and they’ll come around.” Continue reading →

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. In our Old Testament and Gospel Readings for today, we see two similar accounts of bread being provided to feed a large group of people in the wilderness. We’ll take a few moments to examine each of these stories before we consider how the Lord provides bread for us on a daily basis. Continue reading →