Pr. DFD

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Wednesday of Holy Week, March 23, 2016

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Lead Us Not into Temptation

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” ^{1Peter 2:7-8}

Citizenship in the New Jerusalem is not something earned; it is a gift of God that honors us. Isaiah 8:14 explains that although Christ was to be a sancturary for Judah and Israel, those who rejected Him would fall in unbelief and be crushed. Unless they repent and come to faith, sin will destroy them. [1]

What is the Sixth petition? Lead us not into temptation. What does this mean? God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.[2]

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[3]

[3] Collect for Wednesday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Tuesday of Holy Week, March 22, 2016

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ^{Colossians 3:13}

Bearing with one another. As we each struggle with our own temptations, so we understand the struggles of others. You also must forgive echoes the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Forgiving others shows that we truly believe God has forgiven us.[1]

What does God want us to do for those who sin against us? Our heavenly Father wants us to forgive and to do good to those who sin against us. What does it show when we forgive others? It shows that we truly believe that God has forgiven us. [2]

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[3]

[3] Collect for Tuesday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Monday, March 21, 2016

Monday of Holy Week, March 21, 2016

Monday, March 21, 2016 Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ^{Luke 23:34}

Jesus prayed for all those blind to their actions Jesus’ prayer reflects His teaching and is repeated by Stephen. The casting of lots involves change, yet God foresaw the outcome. [1]

Why do we include a pray for forgiveness of sins in these petitions to our heavenly Father? We are not worthy of the things for which we pray and have not deserved them. We therefore need God’s forgiveness so that we may pray to Him confidently and in good conscience. “Where the heart is not in a right relationship with God…it will not dare to pray… A confident and joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the certain knowledge of the forgiveness of sin.” (Large Catechism III 92)[2]

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[3]

[3] Collect for Monday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Time in the Word - Holy Week

Time in the Word

Father, Into Thy Hands

I commend My Spirit

Readings & Prayers for Holy Week
March 21 -26, 2016

Monday, 21 March 2016 – Monday of Holy Week – Isaiah 50:5-10 - My sin and the Savior’s obedience

The Antiphon: Continue Your love to those who know you, Your righteousness to the upright in heart. – Psalm 36:10

Prayers for Monday – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who amid so many adversities do fail through our own infirmities, may be restored through the Passion and intercession of Thine only-begotten Son.

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ chose to suffer pain before going up to joy, and crucifixion before entering into glory, mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find this path to be the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Tuesday, 22 March 2016 – Tuesday of Holy Week – Jeremiah 11:18-20 – The plot against the Lord’s anointed

The Antiphon: In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. – Psalm 71:1

Prayers for Tuesday – Almighty and everlasting God, grant us grace to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s Passion that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.

Almighty and everlasting God, grant us grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s Passion that we may receive the pardon of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Wednesday, 23 March 2016 – Wednesday of Holy Week – Isaiah 62:11; 63:1-7 – God’s day of vengeance and redemption

The Antiphon: Hasten, O God, to save me, O Lord, come quickly to help me. – Psalm 70:1

Prayers for Wednesday – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds are continually afflicted may mercifully be relieved by the Passion of Thine only–begotten Son.

Merciful and everlasting God the Father, who did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all that He might bear our sins on the cross, grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in our Savior that we may not fear the power of any adversaries; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Thursday, 24 March 2016 – Maundy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 – A new covenant

The Antiphon: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. – Psalm 116:13

Prayer for Maundy Thursday – O Lord God, who hast left unto us in a wonderful Sacrament a memorial of Thy Passion, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so use this Sacrament of Thy body and blood that the fruits of Thy redemption may continually be manifest in us.

Friday, 25 March 2016 – Good Friday – Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 – The suffering and glory of the servant Christ

The Antiphon: O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. – Psalm 22:19

Prayer for Good Friday – Almighty God, we beseech Thee, graciously to behold this Thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed and given up into the hands of wicked men and to suffer death upon the cross.

Saturday, 26 March 2016 – Holy Saturday, Easter Eve – 1 Peter 3:17-22 – The victory lap through Hell

The Antiphon: From the depths of the grace I called for help, and You listened to my cry. – Jonah 2:2b

Prayers for Easter Eve – O God, who didst enlighten this most holy night with the glory of the Lord’s resurrection, preserve in all Thy people the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given so that, renewed in body and soul, they may perform unto Thee a pure service.

Abide with us, Lord, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Abide with Your whole Church. Abide with us in the end of the day, in the end of our life, in the end of the world. Abide with Your grace and goodness, with You holy Word and Sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear and despair when death shall come. Abide with us all the faithful through time and eternity.

Sources:

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.

Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016

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]

[3] Collect for Palm Sunday, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Palm Sunday

When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mt. of Olives the whole crowed of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.

Here we observe the total drama of God’s love for His people. .Palm Sunday is an easy scene to recreate. It is so very familiar, but what really is going on here? The reaction of the crowd was bound to have happened as it did.

I. Raising of Lazarus

A. Had just taken place. Just a few days at most. It was “breaking news” something unheard of had just happened.

B. Was well known to all – How could you keep this news a secret. A man who had been dead for three days had been risen to life. This sort of thing does not happen. If it had happened what could this mean? Who is this Jesus?

C. Brought things to a head. The hostility between the leadership and Jesus was at its breaking point. The people concluded that Jesus must be the promised prophet predicted by the prophets of old. Could this be the long expected Messiah, the one who would deliver them of all their woes? To the leadership this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was at the height of popularity. They could feel their power and influence slowly slipping away. Naturally Annas would counsel his peers “It is expedient that one man die for the sake of the nation.”

2. The crowd’s reaction

A. The leaders completely missed the point (they asked Him to quiet the crowd!) They feared a riot. The last thing then needed was an uprising during the holiday. They could loose everything.

B. The people no less miss the point also. They too were clueless.

1. They linked Him to the Psalms the one who would come in the name of the Lord.

2. They should have linked Him to the rest of the Old Testament – the suffering servant – the one who would come to visit His people and bear their sin.

3. An explanation of the crowd’s turn

A. They were fickle as most are even to this day. If they don’t get immediate satisfaction they will turn. e.g. political leaders, sports teams, athletes, etc.

B. They expected a political Messiah one who would care for their every need. They could care less for his spiritual musings they had little use for Him in that respect – He was not a Savior capable of saving, so they turned on Him.

1. He showed He was not such - “My kingdom is not of this world”

2. They became disillusioned – “then save/heal Thyself!”

The problem of the Palm Sunday crowd was one of misunderstanding. The people, the leadership of the people thought He was something He wasn’t because they didn’t know who He was. If He were to come to our community today, might the same thing happen? Do people really understand who He is? Our mission; proclaim a changeless Christ to a changing world.

image by Google

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Saturday, March 19, 2016 Forgive Us Our Trespasses

For if, you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ^{Matthew
6:14-15}

Have you ever been untreated unfairly by someone? Of course you have, everyone on the face of the earth has. Sometimes the act they committed against you was so bad that it seems impossible to forgive them. In fact, we would probably rather get them back in revenge then forgive them. You know the saying: “Don’t get mad - get even’!” When I was assigned this verse, I looked at the verse and realized something I hadn’t noticed before – if you do not forgive men their sins your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.

Reading this verse, I realized that if I want God to forgive my sins I had better forgive those that have sinned against me. For this reason, we need our Lord’s help in forgiving others. We’ve all had to cry out to God at some point in our lives saying, “What did I do to deserve this punishment?”, or “They’re the ones doing wrong not me!”, or even “Why me Lord, why me?” Yet I have learned through my life that God created the earth, died on the cross, and rose again on Easter morning. Also, God knows what He is doing with my life and your life. Everything happens for a reason – most likely to test your faith and hopefully the outcome will strengthen your faith.

The next time you find it hard to forgive a person for whatever kind of wrong they did to you, do not do what most people do by trying to get even (it never works) rather, read this verse and remember with God’s help we can forgive.[1]

O Lord, in your goodness you bestow abundant graces on your elect: Look with favor, we entreat you, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for you Holy Baptism, and grant them the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[2]

Lord Jesus, help us to pray Your prayer; “Father forgive them…”

[1] Henry Dahling

[2] Collect for Saturday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm