Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016 Forgive Us Our Trespasses
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew
16:18-19
Our
salvation is so founded on it that, ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.’ (Formula of Concord, SD XI 8)
Keys
are used to lock and unlock doors. The door of heaven is opened through the
forgiveness of sins. To forgive or to refuse to forgive sins. “Our people are
taught that they should highly prize the Absolution as being God’s voice and
pronounced by God’s command. (Augsburg Confession XXV 3).[1]
What
do we confess when we pray this petition? We confess that we sin every day and
deserve nothing but punishment. What do we ask for in this petition? We ask
that our Father in heaven would for Christ’s sake graciously forgive our sins.[2]
Almighty and ever living God, in your tender
love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon
him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of
his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his
suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen[3]
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