Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. The chief sin of humanity is unbelief. This fact is attested throughout the Scriptures. In Genesis chapter 3, humanity’s fall into sin occurred because of unbelief in God’s Word: “Did God actually say…” (Genesis 3:1). So, seeing that the tree was good for food, delightful to the eyes, and that it offered the promise of wisdom, Eve trusted the serpent’s word and in so doing disbelieved God’s goodness and so took of its fruit and ate. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. On this Sunday, as the Ascension of our Lord draws nigh, we are exhorted to pray—Rogate in Latin. But far too often, we feel that our prayers are insufficient. “We do not know what to pray as we ought” (Romans 8:26). Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. When our Lord first spoke the words of our Gospel text, the disciples must have been thoroughly confused. “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away” (John 16:7). What do you mean, “it is to [our] advantage that [you] go away?” Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Introduction
1. In our Gospel Reading for today, our Lord is with His disciples on Holy Thursday. The words that are contained in John chapter 16 are the final words of teaching which He gave to the disciples prior to His betrayal and arrest later that night. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Church is His flock. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. He knows His sheep and they know Him, even as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father. Continue reading →

1. There in the midst of death stood one man. In the power of the Spirit of the Lord he was brought to this place—a valley of death. There was no hope and no life here, only death and many, many dry bones. Thus the dramatic vision of the prophet Ezekiel begins. There stands the prophet in the midst of a valley filled with dry bones. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. Saint Mark begins His account of our Lord’s resurrection by telling us of all that happened “When the Sabbath was passed” (Mark 16:1) when it was “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:2). With these phrases, Saint Mark indicates to us that something new has come in the resurrection of our Lord. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our text for today will be the account of our Lord’s betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane, from Matthew 26:47-56:
47 While [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Abraham as the Perfect Man of Faith
1. More than any other person, the Holy Scriptures portray Abraham as the perfect man of faith. Abraham was the perfect man of faith, but that does not mean he was perfect or sinless. When God calls him to leave behind his land and family and journey to an unknown place (Genesis 12:1), Abraham’s obedience was far from perfect. He did not leave behind all of his family. Instead, He chose to bring his nephew Lot on the journey (Genesis 12:4). Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Learning to Trust the Lord
1. In today’s Gospel Reading, a large, hungry crowd gathers before our Lord, and He uses the opportunity to test Philip with a question: “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:5). Philip would have done well to answer as the apostle John in the Revelation and say, Continue reading →