GO AGAINST THE FLOW

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live,
and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where
I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must
obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the
LORD your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person
who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.”
— Leviticus 18:3–5

God cautioned the nation of Israel: “You must not do as they
do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as
they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you … You
must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees … for
the person who obeys them will live by them.” God was telling
the Israelites that they were not to follow the crowd. They were
to swim against the stream and go against the flow in order to
obey God. And here’s the punch line: “the person who obeys
them will live by them.”

Our natural instinct is to be afraid of challenging the status quo.
We might be laughed at or in some places even killed for
different beliefs. But God is telling us, if we want to live, we have
to stand up for what is right. God is the source of our protection
and blessings. When we fear only Him, we will live and prosper.
It’s when we stray that we should be truly afraid.

In what areas of your life is God calling you to stand out from the
crowd? Where is it that you need to swim against the stream?
Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Stand up for God and He
will stand for you. Swim upstream; it’s the path that will carry
you to God.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!! NOT WHAT OTHERS
SAY IS RIGHT BUT WITH GOD'S WILL IN YOUR LIFE.
WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT!)

PASSING THE TORCH

Read Luke 24:36-49.

TEXT: They shall come and proclaim His righteousness to
a people yet unborn, that He has done it (Psalm 22:31).

When Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His Twelve
and to many other disciples. Luke tells us, "He presented
Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs,
appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the
kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). These apostles boldly shared
the things they had heard and seen, and the church grew
tremendously under the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit.

By the Spirit's inspiration and guidance, the apostles
recorded Jesus' words and deeds in the four Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and in various letters and
writings of the New Testament. Through that word they
continue to speak of all the Lord Jesus accomplished for us.
They wanted to be sure that generations yet to come would
know the truth about Jesus' great mission of salvation.

You and I were among that people yet unborn when these
great events were accomplished for us. Yet God's Word has
come down to us, proclaiming God's righteousness, and
assuring us that our Lord Jesus Christ has done everything
necessary for our salvation. Comforted, strengthened and at
peace with God through this Good News, we cannot help but
go and proclaim God's righteous plan throughout the whole earth.

Unless Jesus comes first, you and I will also lay in the dust of
death one day awaiting the resurrection of the dead won by
Jesus Christ our Lord. May God work in us to go throughout the
world and faithfully share the Gospel. May we do this so that
many generations yet unborn may put their trust in Jesus Christ
and pass on His great salvation until the day the Lord Jesus
returns with all His angels.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, to You belongs all praise and glory. Continue
to bless and guide us Your people, that we may spread Your
story to a people yet unborn. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

ALIVE IN CHRIST!

Scripture:

The Resurrection

28 Early on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the
Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat
on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as
white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw
him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he
said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said
would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And
now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from
the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see
him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very
frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give
the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus
met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his
feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be
afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see
me there.” (Matthew 28:1-10)

Reflection:

There are times in our lives when fear grips us and doubt clouds
are minds. We go through seasons where our present
circumstances and situations can make us forget Jesus's
promise to us.

In our text, Mary Magdalene and Mary came to the tomb looking
for Jesus body and, seen the empty tomb, they became afraid..
The women did not see the tomb as a fulfillment of Jesus promise
revealed to them.

But Jesus, through his angel, reassured them just as he reassures
us of what he promised-that "just as He said," He has risen. On
this Resurrection Day, Jesus invites us to come and experience
him through His death (v.6) and resurrection without fear (v.10)

Prayer:

Resurrected God, whatever the circumstances, help us to stay
faithful in the truth of your death and resurrection, knowing that
you are always with us  AMEN!

(The Covenant Home Alter, author, Darrick Tam)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

HE IS RISEN!  HALLELUJAH!

WHETHER LIVING OR DEAD

Read Psalm 23.

TEXT: All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before
Him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who
could not keep himself alive (Psalm 22:29).

This passage from Psalm 22 speaks of all who worship and
bow before Jesus our victorious King and Lord. All believers
prosper under His rich blessings, which include partaking of
His body and blood in Communion, as well as worshipping,
praising and glorifying Him who has done such great things
for us.

This day after Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, we
remember how His body rested in a borrowed tomb. Christ's
victory gives hope to us when we are going down into the dust,
soon to sleep in death for a short while just as He did, awaiting
the resurrection of our bodies. "Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

But this is not just a day for the living or the dying. Even those
who were unable to keep themselves alive, those believers who
died and whose bodies now lie in the grave, their spirits also
bow before Him and worship in His presence. They too wait the
day of the resurrection of their bodies, but they dwell in the
presence of God our Father and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. "They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not
strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst
of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to
springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from
their eyes" (Revelation 7:16-17).

THE PRAYER:

 Lord Jesus Christ, we praise and worship You as we look
forward to seeing You face to face, bowing before You with all
the saints already worshipping before Your throne. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

OUR VICTORIOUS WARRIOR AND KING

Read Psalm 2.

TEXT: For kingship belongs
to the Lord, and He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:28).

On this day when we remember Jesus'
death on the cross, we often think of Him
as the Victim. We think of His pain and
agony, the enemies that taunted, mocked
and ridiculed Him, as well as His bitter
suffering and death for our sins.

But there is another side to Good Friday.
It focuses on Christ as the great Victor. He
is likened to young David, carrying only
a sling and a few smooth stones to engage
in a battle to the death against the giant
Goliath, coated in heavy armor,standing
behind his shield, arrogantly shaking his
spear and sword.

On this day Jesus our King goes up all
alone to battle to the death with the giant
Satan, rattling his weapons of sin, death
and hell. Jesus comes as the King and
Defender of all nations. He stumbles along
the road, beaten and battered. He carries
no weapons, no shield, only the rough cross
piece.

Our Hero looks weak, helpless, and easily
defeated as He falls to His knees again and
again, but in His suffering and death He
crushes the serpent's head. He frees us
from God's wrath, from dire punishments on
earth and in hell.

At the end of the battle He stands alone --
Satan, sin, death and hell have all fallen --
 vanquished, crushed, defeated. In three days
He will rise from the grave in majesty and power,
with complete and total victory. There can be no
doubt -- He truly is the King of Kings and Ruler
over all the nations.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for Your great
victory over all our enemies. Lead our celebration
of that great deliverance as we await the day we
will see You face to face -- our
victorious Warrior and King. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

Read Psalm 77.

TEXT: All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to
the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship
before You (Psalm 22:27).

Tonight is an annual reminder of our Lord's Last Supper,
the beginning of His passion and suffering for our sins. And
right here at the start we begin with a special gift of Jesus,
as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25:

"The Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took
bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said,
'This is My body which is for you. DO THIS IN
REMEMBRANCE OF ME.'

"In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying,
'This cup is the new testament in My blood. Do this, as often
as you drink it, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.'"

An important part of receiving Holy Communion is
remembering what God did for us through Jesus Christ -- how
this very body was given into death for our sins, and this
precious blood was poured out for us. We remember His bitter
suffering and death, and the great victory He won over all our
enemies.

Whenever we are in turmoil, in doubt, fearful, or even on the
brink of death, we can remember that Jesus Christ has carried
our sins and won our salvation. Then in gratitude and joy we
spread the story, so all the families of the nations may come
before the Lord in peace, praise and worship -- and always
remember Him -- recalling what He has done for us all.

THE PRAYER:

 Lord Jesus Christ, this night we remember Your great sacrifice
as we eat Your body in the bread, and drink Your blood in the
wine. Cleanse us from our sins, strengthen us in faith, and
deliver us from all our foes. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

COME AND EAT

Read Exodus 24:1-11.

TEXT: The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who
seek Him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live
forever (Psalm 22:26).

Whenever God's people were in distress in Old Testament
times, they would pray for help. When the Lord delivered
them they brought a sacrifice called a "peace offering."
In every other offering the whole animal was burnt on the
altar. But this sacrifice was unique because the
worshipper was given a portion of the sacrifice to eat.
This food was God's pledge and promise He had forgiven
the sinner and was now in full fellowship.

Tomorrow night Christians gather to celebrate how God
delivered us from the affliction of sin, death, hell and Satan
by sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ, the great Passover
 Lamb. And like the peace offering of old, God gives us
some of that precious sacrifice for us to eat and drink in
His presence. He shares the very body and blood of Jesus
Christ given and shed for our salvation.

When we eat and drink this great Supper, we are forgiven
all our sins, delivered from death and hell, and united in
fellowship with God our Father and Jesus Christ our
victorious King. We are also united together with all God's
children in heaven and on earth: the great assembly in
which Jesus our Lord proclaims His Father's goodness and
love.

Even in the midst of our troubles in this life Christ invites us
to come into His presence and seek His help and
deliverance, and eat the very sacrifice that won God's
mercy and forgiveness.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what afflictions I face, You are
with me. Strengthen me in the company of my Christian
brothers and sisters that we may honor You for Your great
deliverance. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

THE SOURCE OF OUR PRAISE

Read Psalm 111.

TEXT: From You comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear Him
(Psalm 22:25).

Jesus our victorious King accomplished so many great things
in this last week of His life. He cleansed the temple, healed
the sick, drove out demons, and taught the people. He rooted
out the false teaching of the priests and Sadducees, and
exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and experts in the
Law. He took our guilt and sin upon Himself and won our
complete and free forgiveness through His suffering, death
and resurrection.

Today He gathers us together in local congregations, uniting
us in His whole Christian church in heaven and on earth. We
declare His saving deeds and give Him our honor and praise.
Jesus turns those praises to His Father. The Father is the
Source of Jesus' praises. It was His mercy that led Him to
plan our salvation through Jesus. He was faithful to His
promises, good to undeserving sinners, and clearly showed
His love for His fallen human creatures.

In His great love for His Father, Jesus performs His vows-
first in offering Himself up for our sins, and now in distributing
the benefits of that sacrifice to us through His Word. Likewise,
He uses God-fearing pastors and Christians who faithfully
share what Christ has done for us. He uses Baptism in which
He washes away our sins, adopts us into His family, and
seals us with His Holy Spirit. And He uses Holy Communion
in which He gives us His own body and blood to assure us of
the full and complete forgiveness of all of our sins.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your loving-kindness
toward all of us Your creatures, and for giving Your Son Jesus
Christ to win our salvation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

LOOKING AWAY?

Read Psalm 9.

TEXT: For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction
of the afflicted, and He has not hidden His face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to Him (Psalm 22:24).

Jesus, our conquering King, goes on to give all glory and
credit to His Father for the great deliverance He won on
the cross. Jesus was the afflicted One, rejected by His
 people, His priests, the Roman governor and soldiers.
Yet despite the shame and humility, the blood and gore,
the pain and agony, the Father did not despise Him as the
Jewish leaders taunted Him. The Father did not abhor, or
utterly detest Jesus' terrible afflictions. The Father did not
forsake Jesus forever, but heard His bitter cry, "My God,
My God, why have You forsaken Me?" The Father accepted
His sacrifice, delivered Him from hell, and gently brought His
Son's soul to paradise, even as loving hands took His body
down from the cross, wrapped it for burial, and gently laid it
in the unused tomb.

We too are often afflicted in life. We wonder how God
responds to seeing us in pain, fear, doubt, agony. Does He
despise us as weak and insignificant? Does He abhor us,
wanting nothing to do with creatures so helpless and
unclean? Does He hide His face and stop His ears from our
pain and suffering?

No, our gracious Father is always with us to look upon us in
need, to hear our groans and pleas, and to deliver us from all
troubles, from all enemies, and from death and hell. It was
that great love which moved Him to send His only begotten
Son as our victorious Savior. That is why we fear Him, praise
Him, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him.

THE PRAYER:

'Heavenly Father, through Your Son Jesus
Christ, You always watch us, hear our prayers, and deliver us
 from all trials. Receive our thanks and praise for Jesus' sake.
Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

PROCLAIM OUR CONQUERING KING

Read Matthew 21:1-11.

TEXT: You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of
Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring
of Israel! (Psalm 22:23).

On this first day of Holy Week we recall the multitude of Jews
welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. This week it is fitting to
consider Jesus Christ the mighty Victor, coming to battle and
soundly defeat sin, Satan, death and hell through His horrific
suffering described so vividly in the first part of Psalm 22.
Today's verse describes four things we are to do as we gather
to receive our conquering King: "fear the Lord," "praise Him,"
"glorify Him," and "stand in awe of Him."

"Fear God." Through Jesus' sufferings on the cross, we learn
the severity of God's wrath at our sins. True fear of God includes
taking that wrath seriously and confessing that we rightly
deserve to fall under His wrath.

"Praise Him." We praise our Lord Jesus for His willingness to
go to the cross, to drink the full cup of God's wrath in our place,
and to win our salvation by His suffering and death.

"Glorify Him." We glorify Him by telling others what He has
done, and by letting Him transform our thinking, our attitudes,
and our goals for this life, so we walk in His holy ways.

"Stand in Awe of Him." Jesus deserves our awe and wonder
because He took on our enemies all by Himself, and won
complete forgiveness and salvation for each of us.

In the context of this part of Psalm 22, Jesus takes all our
praise and directs it to His Father, who delivered Him from the
power of Satan on the cross, and from the grip of the tomb on
Easter morning.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for coming as our great Victor to
conquer sin and death for us and to open wide our heavenly
home. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

TIME TO PROCLAIM

Read Psalm 40.

TEXT: I will tell of Your Name to my brothers; in the
midst of the congregation I will praise You
(Psalm 22:22).

In the moment before His death Jesus loudly
proclaimed "It is finished," showing He had
completed His Father's plan to save all people. We
return to the final section of Psalm 22 where Jesus
predicts His resurrection, and what will come after.

After being delivered from death and hell by His
faithful Father, Jesus appeared to His brothers the
apostles, and revealed God's gracious plan of
salvation. Through their words in the New Testament
He continues to declare the Lord's Name to all
believers. He gathers us together into a great
worshiping assembly. And there in the midst of that
congregation Jesus praises the Father who was the
Source of God's plan of salvation.

Three times each year the whole nation of Israel
gathered together in Jerusalem to worship God,
recall His promises, and call upon Him for help in the
future. The first was the great Feast of Passover, when
Israel recalled God's deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
This was the very feast in which God's Passover Lamb,
Jesus Christ, carried the sins of the world and delivered
His people from slavery to sin, death and hell.

The second great feast followed 50 days after Easter.
At Pentecost the nation gathered again to thank God for
the harvest. At this feast Christ declared His great
salvation through His apostles in Jerusalem and the
Christian church was born. Each time we gather to
worship in local congregations Jesus is there with us,
proclaiming His Father's great love in sending His Son.
On the Last Day He will gather His scattered believers
from around the world into His eternal kingdom.

THE PRAYER:

 Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for declaring the Father's
love to us. Give us faith to remain in that love forever. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

MIRACULOUS SIGNS

Read Matthew 27:51-53.

TEXT: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two,
from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were
split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the
saints who had fallen asleep were raised (Matthew 27:51-52).

During the early hours of Jesus' crucifixion, it was easy for
the Jewish people streaming into town to conclude He had
been a fraud and a fake. To all appearances His claim to be
God's Son had finally caught up with Him because God had
cursed Him and permitted that horrible death. They interpreted
all the evidence they had seen as proof of Jesus' guilt.

Then came the supernatural miracles that accompanied His
crucifixion and death. First, was the three hours of ominous,
supernatural darkness. Then at Jesus' death a great earthquake
struck the city, splitting the rocks apart. The Jewish religious
leaders got a sign of their own-the curtain separating the Holy
Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple was torn in two
from top to bottom. Finally, the earthquake broke tombs open
and many dead saints came to life, appearing in the city to
others after Jesus' resurrection.

After seeing all these events the centurion and his soldiers said,
"Truly this was the Son of God!" Luke notes the reaction of the
crowds that stood there witnessing these things, "And all the
crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw
what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts"
(Luke 23:48). Beating one's breast was a demonstration of
profound grief, fear and regret.

These miracles didn't convince everyone, but they were powerful
signs that God's Son was sacrificing Himself for our sins. A
miracle even more clear was coming in three short days.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the signs that accompanied
Your Son's suffering and death and for His resurrection, which
proved You accepted His sacrifice. Give us confidence in Your
forgiveness. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE

Read Luke 23: 44-49.

TEXT: Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said,
"Father, into Your Hands I commit My spirit!"
(See Luke 23:46.)

Having completed the payment for all our sins, and loudly
proclaiming it to the world, there is no reason for Jesus to
continue suffering on the cross. He fulfills the prediction
He once made to the Jews, "For this reason the Father
loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up
again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My
own accord" (see John 10:17-18).

The time has now come. Luke tells us Jesus called out
with a loud voice, committed His spirit to His Father's
safe-keeping, and breathed His last.

His sudden death and the events that surrounded it had
a monumental impact on the people who witnessed it.
The centurion had watched many criminals die from
crucifixion-none was like Jesus. In the moments before
He died Jesus proclaimed four statements with a loud
voice: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?",
"I'm thirsty," "It is finished," and "Father, into Your
hands I commend My spirit." Crucified criminals died
from suffocation due to the accumulation of fluid in their
lungs. How could Jesus speak loudly if His lungs were
filled with fluid? And conversely, how could He suddenly
die if His lungs were empty enough to speak loudly four
times?

Seeing the way Jesus conducted Himself throughout His
crucifixion, the unnatural way He died, and the
miraculous signs that accompanied His death, the
centurion could reach only one conclusion: "Certainly
this man was innocent" (see Luke 23:47) and "Truly this
was the Son of God!" (See Matthew 27:54.)

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, when Your work on the cross was
done You laid down Your life. On Sunday morning You
took it back up again, rising from the dead. Give me faith
to trust You always. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

PAID IN FULL

Read Romans 3: 21-26.

TEXT: When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,
"It is finished" (see John 19:30).

Jesus knew within Himself that everything was completed.
But for those who stood at the cross and looked at Him,
there was no evidence anything had changed. There was
no way to tell that God the Father had accepted Jesus'
sacrifice, no way to know this dying Man crowned with
thorns was Israel's triumphant King, or that Satan lie
crushed and hell's iron doors had been torn wide open.

Jesus wanted the world and all of us to know His mission
was complete, and that we are safe from Satan's schemes
and hell's grim thrall. So He drank the sour wine, and
proclaimed in a loud voice, "It is finished!"

Anyone living at that time who heard Jesus' word would
recognize it immediately. It was stamped on a loan when
the last payment had been made. We would translate it,
"Paid in full." Jesus was announcing He had completely
paid every last penny of the debt we owe to God for our sin.
There is nothing we can do, nothing we have to do to turn
God's anger away. There is no purgatory, no place of
suffering to make up for our sins. There is no reason for
doubts and no room for questions. Jesus has completely
satisfied God's demands, which we could never satisfy.

Our Savior spoke this sixth word so we would be certain
our sins are forgiven. He repeats this assurance in His
Word in our worship services. It is also present in the
water of Baptism that washes our sins away by the power
of God's Word. Likewise, it is in His body and blood given
in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, make us sure and confident that You
have completed our salvation, and there is nothing we can
do or need to do. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

ALL IS NOW FINISHED

Read John 19:28-29.

TEXT: After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished,
said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I Thirst" (John 19:28).

Yesterday we reached the turning point of Psalm 22 where
Jesus says in verse 21, "You have rescued Me." The rest
of the psalm goes on to predict Jesus' resurrection. Before
we return to it, we want to revisit the Gospels to conclude
Jesus' time on the cross, His death and burial.

When last in the Gospels we looked at Jesus' fourth saying
in Matthew 27:46, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?" But we did not point out the time Jesus
spoke these opening words of Psalm 22. Matthew writes
"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "My
God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" At the ninth
hour, shortly after saying this, Jesus died. But in this short
span of time Jesus uttered three sayings; the first of these
is Jesus' fifth saying: "I'm thirsty."

It would be a mistake to overlook the phrase that sets up
this saying. "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now
finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), 'I thirst.'" What is
finished? The answer here is the dire suffering, the spiritual
torment, the Father's wrath unleashed on Jesus for our sins.
Jesus knows He has reached the turning point. He has
completed the payment for all our sins; His Father is totally
satisfied.

With the price of our sins fully paid, Jesus can now ask for
a drink. In so doing, He fulfills verse 15 of Psalm 22. But
Jesus is not just interested in easing His terrible thirst; He
is determined to free His tongue which has been sticking to
His jaws. He has an important message to proclaim to
those gathered around Him-and to you and me.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for completing our salvation
by Your bitter suffering on the cross. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

THE TURNING POINT

TEXT: Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have
rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen
(Psalm 22:21).

Jesus is still focused on His Father as He makes His
last reference to His enemies. In the previous verse
He pleaded, "Deliver my soul from the sword, my
precious life from the power of the dog!" Now He pleads
for His Father to save Him from the mouth of the lion
and rescue Him from the horns of the wild oxen. These
wild oxen put us in mind of the savage bulls, the first
deadly animals David mentioned in verse 12.

But if you look carefully at that last phrase, "You have
rescued Me from the horns of the wild oxen," you will
notice Jesus has turned a corner. He is no longer
pleading, "Please rescue Me," nor is He making a
bold prediction for the future: "You will rescue Me.
" Rather, He is asserting the rescue has already taken
place, "You have rescued Me."

This marks the turning point in Jesus' crucifixion. It is
as though a sunbeam has pierced the thick darkness
that surrounded Jesus while He was forsaken by His
Father. In the next few days we will interrupt our study
of Psalm 22 to return to the Gospel accounts of Jesus'
death to see how the Father's rescue of His Son can
be seen in His last three sayings from the cross.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, You drank the cup of Your Father's
wrath down to the dregs. I rejoice with You at once
again seeing Your Father's face turned toward You,
shining in pride and joy. Keep me in faith that I too
may see the glorious face of my God when you deliver
me from death and take me home to heaven. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

MY SOUL, MY PRECIOUS LIFE

Read Psalm 35.

TEXT: Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life
from the power of the dog (Psalm 22:20).

Jesus pleads for His Father to deliver His soul and His
life from the sword and the power of the dogs. The sword
includes the cross itself, the instruments by which Jesus
was tortured, and by which He is dying. The dogs, of
course, are the enemies that have pursued and
surrounded Him.

Jesus makes a strong assertion about His soul and His
life-they are precious in His Fathers' eyes. They are so
precious in fact that Jesus will shortly commend them
into His Father's keeping.

Your soul and life are also important to God. Other people
may stand off and value you little; you may even think of
yourself as unimportant. But you are extremely precious
to God, so precious He gave His only-begotten Son to
save you. You are especially valuable to Him since Jesus'
blood has cleansed you of your sins.

Your soul and your life are precious in God's eyes, but are
they precious in yours? Jesus points out He only has one
soul, one life. Likewise you and I have but one soul that
will stand before God's judgment throne, one life in which
to cling to Jesus Christ as Savior. Do you feed and nourish
your soul with God's Word, and with Holy Communion? Do
you gather with your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ
each week to strengthen one another? Do you value the
eternal life Jesus Christ has won for you and given you
through His Word and Baptism?

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, show me the great value Your sacrifice
has given my soul and my life. Help me nourish this faith
with my brothers and sisters in church, and to share Your
salvation with all people. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

JUST PLAIN WRONG!

Should we “point people to Christ” with guns?

Some Christians seem to think so. Increasingly, churches
across the country have been giving away guns in exchange
for showing up to church to hear about Jesus. These
“Second Amendment Celebrations” point people to a version
of Christianity that ignores Jesus’ call to be peacemakers
by making an idol out of a deadly weapon.

This form of Christianity is just plain wrong!  God and guns
do not go together.

Throughout the Bible, we are implored to be peacemakers.
The proliferation of guns heightens the risk that these guns
will be used against our neighbors in ways that do not
promote peace but destruction. Doesn’t this go against
Jesus’ message to “love your neighbor?”

As people of faith, we must stand witness to the destructive
power of gun violence, send a message: You can’t point a
person to Christ with a gun.

There are actually churches in my local community that
have gathered together to discuss weather they should
allow persons entering their church with weapons.

THERE IS NO DISCUSSION, NO ROOM FOR
MISINTERPRETATION, GUNS IN A CHURCH IS A
SIN AGAINST GOD, AND CHRIST'S TEACHINGS.

I am a proponent of stricter controls on who can own guns,
on how guns can be purchased, and what types of guns are
available for sale.  After listening to many arguments from
both sides of this controversial matter, I have a deep
conviction that if Jesus were still physically incarnated among
us today, He would not be packing a .40 caliber semi-automatic
weapon. 

IF I WAS STILL AND ACTIVE MINISTER, AND NOT RETIRED,
AND I WAS A PASTOR OF A CHURCH, YOU WOULD NOT
BE WELCOME IN GOD'S HOUSE CARRYING A GUN!

AND THEY ALL SAID AMEN!

COME QUICKLY LORD

TEXT: But You, O Lord, do not be far off! O You my help,
come quickly to my aid (Psalm 22:19).

Now Jesus' prayer turns from His enemies to God. He
pleads with His Father not to continue forsaking Him, but
to come quickly to His aid. Notice the way Jesus calls
the Lord "My Help" and pleads with Him not to stand far
off with His back turned, but to rush quickly to Him,
coming close and giving Him help and aid.

Sometimes when we go through difficult struggles in our
lives it seems God is standing off at a distance, not
noticing or not concerned with our plight. Jesus gives us
a tremendous example in His passionate plea, calling on
God to come quickly, providing aid and whatever help is
needed. But there is a great difference between our
sufferings and those of Jesus. He became sin for us, and
was therefore forsaken by God. But since He has removed
our sins we will never be forsaken.

Psalm 46:1 reminds us, "God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble." After His resurrection Jesus
promised, "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the
age" (see Matthew 28:20).

Because Jesus took our sin on Himself and bore the curse
and fierce punishment of God in our place, we never need
fear that God will forsake us or stand far off while we suffer.
He is right here to comfort us, sustain us, strengthen us,
and deliver us.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for removing my sin and guilt,
so I may confidently call on You for help in all times. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

PROOF IS IN THE CLOTHES

Read John 19:23-24.

TEXT: They divide my garments among them, and
for my clothing they cast lots (Psalm 22:18).

Now David takes us to the moment when Jesus was
stripped naked and hung on the cross. It is a small detail
that takes on prophetic proportions when the Roman
soldiers use two different methods to divide His clothes
among them.

Four soldiers were assigned to guard each crucified
criminal. They divided between themselves the condemned
man's earthly possessions at the time of his crucifixion. In
Jesus' case it simply involved His clothing and His
seamless tunic. The clothing was easily divided into four
piles, but the tunic was a different matter. They could have
ripped it into four equal pieces of cloth, but all agreed it was
more valuable left in one piece. It would be better to cast
lots to see who would get the whole tunic rather than lose
its value by ripping it into four parts.

When you look at the specific details predicted in this psalm
it is nothing short of remarkable. Jesus writhed like an injured
worm on the cross (verse 6); He was mocked with virtually the
same words as the psalm quotes (verse 8); Jesus' lifeblood
poured out of His wounds like water pouring out of a broken
clay pot (verse 14); His hands and feet were pierced with nails
(verse 16); and finally His clothes were divided and gambled
over.

When you add to that the knowledge King David had never
seen a crucifixion before, it is a marvel. The fulfillment of these
details in Jesus' passion and death proves without a doubt the
Holy Spirit was guiding David through these predictions. And
these prophecies prove without a doubt that Jesus of Nazareth
was the long-promised Savior, David's Son and David's Lord.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, the Old Testament prophecies prove without
a doubt You are the Son of God, our Savior, God's own Messiah.
Make my faith firm until I see You face to face. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

COUNTING BONES

Read Psalm 6.

TEXT: I can count all my bones -- they stare
and gloat over me (Psalm 22:17).

One of the most painful aspects of crucifixion was having
your entire weight hanging from your hands. Your whole
body was stretched by the weight, which shot intense pain
through every joint, muscle and bone. The stretching also
caused the bones to stand out, which is why Jesus is able
to count all of them.

As David couples together Jesus' ability to see and count
all His bones, with His enemies staring and gloating over
Him we are reminded that crucified criminals were hung
naked. This removal of clothing served the purpose of
making crucifixion as great a deterrent as possible by
adding the shame of public nudity to the excruciating pain.
In Jesus' case, His enemies look on Him in hatred, and
take great pleasure in seeing His protruding bones and
watching Him writhe in agony.

What incredible love our Savior shows! He well might pray
for His Father to strike down such evildoers who take
pleasure in seeing their Lord and Christ suffering. Instead,
He prays "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do." Even though to forgive them, He is taking their
punishment upon Himself.

That also brings us back to the prayer that echoes over
and over again throughout this psalm: "My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me." Repeatedly, Jesus points out
His enemies' cruelty and savagery, their shameless
mockery, ridicule and torment. He asks His Father how
long He will continue to forsake Him, and pour out upon
Him such wrath and fury.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, Your love and grace is impossible to
measure. You endured such scorn and agony out of love
for the whole human race. Help me share that love with
everyone I meet. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

PIERCED HANDS AND FEET

Read Zechariah 12:1-13:1.

TEXT: They have pierced my hands and feet
(see Psalm 22:16).

King David knew nothing of crucifixion in his day, but
he prophesied it in exacting detail in Psalm 22. In
yesterday's devotion he compared Jesus' enemies to
a pack of wild dogs, encircling its prey. It paints a vivid
picture of Jesus' crucifixion. His hands and feet are
pierced as the Roman soldiers nail Him to the cross.
His enemies encircle Him to taunt and ridicule Him,
as if they were barking loudly against Him. No wonder
He cries out, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?"

Aside from the Gospel accounts where Jesus is
nailed to the cross, this nail piercing of our Savior is
mentioned in two other places in Scripture. The first is
in the prophet Zechariah, "And I will pour out on the
house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit
of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look
on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall
mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and
weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn"
(Zechariah 12:10).

The last book of the New Testament, Revelation,
includes these words in its first chapter, "Behold, He
is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him,
even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth
will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen."
(Revelation 1:7).

Today is the day to recognize it was our sins that led
Him to the cross, our curse He took upon Himself.
Today is the day to weep and mourn for how we
contributed to His sufferings. Today is the day to trust
in Him and rejoice that He willingly humbled Himself
and endured such suffering to save us from eternal death.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, our sins are serious indeed. Thank
You for taking their terrible punishment upon Yourself to
save us all. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

A PACK OF WILD DOGS

Read Psalm 59.

TEXT: For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers
encircles me (see Psalm 22:16).

King David's prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion returns to the
animal theme we saw several days ago. He wrote of bulls
and lions; now he writes of a pack of wild dogs. By itself,
a single dog may not be as powerful or intimidating as a
bull or lion. A pack of wild dogs, however, are relentless
predators that run down their prey. These dogs take turns
leading the pack, so there are always fresh dogs heading
up the chase. That's where the expression "to dog
someone" comes from, to keep nipping at their heels,
pursuing them until they grow weary and become
exhausted. This method allows a pack of dogs to bring
down prey animals much larger than themselves.

All kinds of Jewish officials dogged Jesus' steps throughout
His ministry. They spied on Him, challenged Him, countered
Him, accused Him, tried to interfere and turn the crowds
against Him.

When the single, exhausted animal stops to rest, the dogs
form a circle around it, and close in for the kill. David uses
a couplet to reveal the true identity of the "dogs"
encompassing Jesus: they are a company of evildoers
encircling His cross. It includes all those who have brought
Him to the cross: the Roman soldiers who nailed Him there,
Pontius Pilate who abandoned Him, the Jewish leaders who
engineered His destruction, and the mob that sought His life,
now standing, watching and mocking Him.

That company of evildoers includes Judas who betrayed Him,
Peter who denied Him, and the remainder of the Twelve who
abandoned Him. It also includes you and me-for He is
carrying our sins to the cross.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, Your enemies showed the persistence of
a pack of wild dogs. Forgive my sin and protect me from all
harm and danger that I may remain in this faith and live with
You in Paradise. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)