Jesus Has Defeated the Devil and Released Us from the Bondage of
Sin and Death
The devil deceived us, enticing
us to disregard and disobey the Word of God and driving us to hide “from the presence of the Lord God.” But
the Lord, in His mercy, promised a Savior, who would set Himself against the
devil on our behalf (Genesis 3:8–15). The Son of Man came, the incarnate Son of
God, conceived and born of the woman. He “first
binds the strong man,” Satan, by atoning for the sins of the world, thereby
removing the condemnation of the Law and the fear of death (Mark 3:27). Now He
plunders the devil’s house by calling all men to repent.
Though He appears to be “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21), He fulfills the will of God and makes
of us His own brothers and sisters. Therefore, “we do not lose heart,” despite the suffering, sin and death that we
experience in this fallen world. “He who
raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus.” By His grace, we are
“being renewed day by day.” For the
Gospel is daily bringing us into His presence, not for punishment, but for “an eternal weight of glory.” (2
Corinthians 4:14–17).
The antiphon for Sunday’s Introit Psalm 8:7-9; is a cry for the Lord’s
intervention in our lives. The Antiphon, Psalm
28:2 reads— “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for
help, as I lift up my hands, toward Your Most Holy Place.” The Most Holy
Place was the inner sanctuary of the temple, where the ark of the covenant
stood. It was God’s throne room on earth. David desired the Lord’s presence. In
worship, God comes to us through His Word and in His meal to strengthen,
comfort, and support us.
Collect for
Psalm 8: Almighty Lord, amid the grandeur of your
creation you sought us out, and by the coming of your Son you adorned us with
glory and honor, raising us in him above the heavens. Enable us so to care to
the earth that all creation may radiate the splendor of your Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord. [1]
31 May 2021—
[1] Collect for Psalm 8, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. I © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi NY
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