“Our Good Shepherd”

Acts 4:1-12; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

Flocks of sheep can number in the hundreds or even thousands. An annual trek from winter quarters to summer pastures and back again at a location in rural Idaho consistently draws hundreds of spectators to a location where the sheep must cross a major highway to reach their destination. Keeping track of two or three thousand sheep on the move is quite a task! Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows how to care for not just thousands but millions of His sheeplike people. The prophet Isaiah says of the Lord God that He “will tend His flock like a shepherd” (40:11). Assured and reassured that we are part of His flock, we travel through life following the guidance of our caring Shepherd!

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Amazing” - John 20:19-31

Acts 3;11-21; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36-49

“Amazing” is a commonly used word in the English that has a rich history. It came into common usage in the 14th century as a variant of the older root word “amasod,” which meant stupefied or confounded or overwhelmed with sudden surprise or wonder. The word “amazing” shows up several times in hymns that we sing—from describing the action of God in the birth of Jesus as “love amazing” (LSB 375:1) to bringing to our hearts and minds that in His suffering to pay the price of our sins, our Lord showed “amazing pity” (LSB 437:2). Two other hymns refer to the “amazing grace” of God (LSB 744:1; 558:2), and in another hymn, the author of the text rejoices that God “has done amazing things to me” (LSB 934:2). The season of Easter is a time for us to be truly amazed and filled with the praise of our amazing Lord!

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Do Not Disbelieve, But Believe” - John 20:19-31

When Thomas finally met Jesus, alive again after Easter, he went from demanding proof to a personal confession of faith, “My Lord and my God.” It would have been a different story had the news been false. The rest of the Jerusalem congregation truly exhibited Easter faith when they became a welcoming community, one that shared with newcomers whatever they needed. The news was unbelievable, but so were the responses—in word and deed as faith saw the freeing truth: we need fear nothing, not even death. We have heard the news as well. How shall we respond?

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

EASTER FESTIVAL SERVICE!

Mark 16:1-8

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

You are always welcome. The Easter Festival Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed our annual Easter Breakfast.

GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE SERVICE

MAUNDY THURSDAY

“This is My Body..., This is My Blood.”

The death of Jesus on the cross is not cause for continued sorrow or ongoing relief. As the Epistle points out, our Lord’s giving of Himself for our sin makes His a glorious death. It causes “every tongue [to] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). How do we do that? First, our Lord’s death draws us to Him, where we find forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Then, each day we are given opportunity to die to sin ourselves and to receive Christ’s forgiveness. It is an ongoing process that involves interacting with the people around us, with whom we share Christ’s invitation to heaven itself. We sing “Hosanna,” which means “save us.” Because of the cross, we are confident that we have been saved already.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Elbowing for Position” - Mark 10:35-45

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:32-45

Today’s Epistle speaks of Jesus, our High Priest. High priests are called to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people as well as themselves. Jesus is a different sort of high priest who offers Himself as sacrifice, once for all, that we might be forgiven and granted eternal salvation. In the Gospel, Jesus proclaims that He came not to be served, but to serve. He came to offer His life as a ransom for us. As we follow Jesus, we are called to reflect His actions and attitude of service and sacrifice. May we likewise go to serve and sacrifice for others.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Who Came Up With That Stupid Idea?” - Numbers 21:4-9

Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

We hear today of eternal life that is given to us because of God’s great love for us, shown to us in perhaps the most famous Bible verse, John 3:16. This verse speaks of God’s genuine love for us and the world shown in Jesus’ death on the cross for us. The love of God never ends. God’s love is present here and now and extends into eternal life as eternal love. May we be so encouraged by God’s love to share it with others. Thanks be to God for such love!

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Christ Came to Clean House” - John 2:13-35

Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 2:13-35

In our Gospel today, we find Jesus clearing the temple of all those who have made it a house of trade. Jesus disrupts not just the sinfulness of these practices, showing a different side of Him than we expect to see. He also disrupted the status quo—everyday realities that had come to be accepted in the temple. May Jesus so disrupt our lives where it is needed.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“A Christ With a Cross” - Mark 8:27-38

Genesis 17:1-7,15-16; Romans 5:1-11; Mark 8:27-38

We are met today with a profound reality: that Christ died for the ungodly, and that we were once rightly called the ungodly. It is hard to even fathom the depth of our sinfulness. Yet for all the depth of sin present in us and in the world, Christ’s love for us and His forgiveness of us runs deeper still. And now, we have reconciliation and peace with God that passes all understanding.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Temptation or Testing” - Mark 1:9-15

Genesis 22:1–18; James 1:12–18; Mark 1:9–15

In faith and the fear of God, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. At the Word of the Lord, he “took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.” And “when they came to the place of which God had told him,” Abraham bound Isaac “and laid him on the altar” (Gen. 22:6, 9). Then God stayed Abraham’s hand and provided “for himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). That Lamb is God’s own beloved Son, Jesus, in whom “all the nations of the earth” are blessed (Gen. 22:18). As the Substitute for all the sons of men, Jesus is driven by the Spirit “into the wilderness” to be “tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:12–13) in order to endure and defeat all temptation. We are tempted by our own desire, which conceives and “gives birth to sin” (James 1:14–15). But this blessed Man, Christ Jesus, remained “steadfast under trial,” and He has received “the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). His faithfulness, His victory and His life are now given to us by His grace in the Gospel.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Here I Am” - Mark 9:2-9

The Face of Jesus Christ Manifests the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God

It was “a hard thing” that Elisha asked, but by his persistence he was able to see the prophet Elijah being taken “by a whirlwind into heaven.” Although “chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them,” Elisha received Elijah’s cloak and a “double portion” of his spirit for preaching the Lord’s Word (2 Kings 2:9–11). It was a hard thing, too, for Israel to see Moses and come near to him, when “the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex. 34:29–30). Therefore, after “he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai,” Moses “put a veil over his face” (Ex. 34:32–33). Only the Word of the Gospel lifts the veil, and “only through Christ is it taken away” (2 Cor. 3:14). Thus are we able to behold “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” who is “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4–6). For the Law and the prophets are all fulfilled in Him. Therefore, “listen to him,” and fix your sights on “Jesus only” (Mark 9:7–8).

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“Wait for the Lord” - Isaiah 40:31

The Son of God, Christ Jesus, Makes Us a New Creation

The Lord alone “is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Is. 40:28). He “sits above the circle of the earth” and “stretches out the heavens like a curtain” (Is. 40:22). Yet, His almighty power is demonstrated chiefly by His mercy and compassion. “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Is. 40:29). The only begotten Son of the Father, the very Word by whom all things were made, becomes flesh and takes all the poverty and weakness of our sin and death upon Himself, bearing it in His body to the cross. As He dies for us there, He also raises us up, a new creation, in His resurrection from the dead. Thus, by the preaching of this Word, He heals “many who were sick with various diseases,” and He casts out “many demons” (Mark 1:34, 39). And His preaching continues through those whom He has sent, who are “entrusted with a stewardship” to “preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16–17). Thus, we are set free by the Word of Christ, and we exercise our freedom in loving service to others.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

“But I Say To You” - Mark 1:21-28

Our Lord Jesus Christ, True God in the Flesh, Cleanses Our Consciences from Sin

As He promised, the Lord our God has raised up “a prophet” like Moses, namely Jesus, our brother in the flesh. “To him you shall listen,” because the Word of the Lord is “in his mouth” (Deut. 18:15–18). Indeed, He is more than a prophet and more than a scribe of the Scriptures; He is the incarnate Word, and He speaks “a new teaching with authority” (Mark 1:22, 27). He enters “the synagogue” of His Church and provides true Sabbath rest, using His authority to silence and cast out “even the unclean spirits” (Mark 1:21–27). By His Word of the cross, He removes the accusations of the Law and of the devil, and He cleanses our consciences before God the Father, “from whom are all things and for whom we exist.” Hence, we are now set free from bondage and commended to God by the one Lord, Jesus Christ, “through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Cor. 8:6). Therefore, use your freedom to care for your brothers and sisters, neither causing them to stumble nor wounding their consciences (1 Cor. 8:9–12), but cleansing and strengthening them with the Gospel.

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

The Kingdom of God is at Hand - Mark 1:14-20

The Lord Calls Us to Himself by the Preaching of Repentance in His Name

When “the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time,” sending him to preach judgment against the great city of Nineveh, “Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD” (Jonah 3:1, 3). By this preaching, the people were brought to repentance. Because they “believed God,” as He spoke to them through His prophet, “they turned from their evil way” and were spared “the disaster that he had said he would do to them” (Jonah 3:5, 10). St. Paul also warns that “the appointed time has grown very short” (1 Cor. 7:29). Therefore, while we live in this world and deal with it, we are not to cling to it, nor put our trust in it, for “the present form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31). Rather, give “your undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:35). When our Lord Jesus Christ comes and is proclaimed in the Gospel, “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14–15). Therefore, He still calls men and sends them to become “fishers of men” with the net of that Gospel (Mark 1:17).

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.

The Gospel for the Skeptic - John 1:43-51

Since the beginning of creation, God has spoken. He spoke into being our universe and our very selves as the crown of His creation; He spoke when seeking out Adam and Eve in a fallen world; He spoke many times and many ways through the prophets; and He spoke by the very words that came from the mouth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. From Him came words of instructing, healing, forgiving, and of invitation to follow Him as we hear today with Philip and Nathanael. The Lord still speaks to us today in His Word, as His Spirit spoke instruction and encouragement of the use of bodies through Paul in his letter to the church of Corinth. Through all He speaks, we are called to listen to that Word to guide and direct, and to hear His continued words of forgiveness, peace, hope, and joy as “in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:2).

You are always welcome.  Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by fellowship, And Adult Christian Education Hour, as well as children’s Sunday School for 3-5 year old children.