One key truth: Jesus gave his life for all.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 17:20-26

All for One, and One for All

Back in 1844, a French author named Alexandre Dumas wrote a famous adventure story called The Three Musketeers. You’ve probably heard of it—if not the book, then maybe the candy bar or one of the movies! It’s all about sword fights, daring rescues, secret missions, and friendship. The musketeers had a famous motto: “All for one, and one for all.” They stuck together no matter what.

Now fast forward from sword fights to something even more epic—Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Did you know Jesus prayed for you? Right before he went to the cross, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Jesus paused to pray… not just for his friends back then, but for every single person who would believe in him—including you.

There’s a word that shows up a lot in his prayer: “One.”

Jesus prayed that we would all be one—united. Why? Because he wants everyone to know who he is: God’s Son, the One who came to save the world. He wants us not just to know him, but to believe in him and follow him together. Jesus gave his one life for all of us—“one for all”—so that we could live with him and the Father forever.

And now? We live our lives for him—“all for one.” Jesus wants us to stick together, support each other, and point people to the One who died and rose again for all.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for thinking of me in your prayer. Help me to live for you and show others the One who gave everything for all of us. Amen.

One key truth: True gold is loving like Jesus loves us.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Gold Medal Love

Did you catch the Olympics this summer? If you were glued to the TV like I was, you saw something super cool—during the opening ceremonies in Paris, each country showed off their flag… not just by walking in a stadium, but by sailing down the Seine River on boats!

Some boats were full of famous athletes. Others were shared between smaller countries—even ones that don’t normally get along. Imagine that: countries with a beef against each other, floating side by side, waving to the crowd.

In the closing ceremony, the president of the Olympics, Thomas Bach, said something powerful: “You lived peacefully together. You respected each other—even when your countries are divided by war. You created a culture of peace. You inspired the world.”

Sound familiar? It should. That kind of love—the kind that looks past differences and puts others first—is straight out of the Bible.

The apostle Paul talked about this kind of love. Not the “I love pizza” kind. But real, selfless, “you-first” love. The kind Jesus showed. Paul even lists what love is and isn’t in the Bible—it’s why those verses get read at weddings all the time.

During the final song of the Olympics, a French singer performed John Lennon’s “Imagine.” It talks about dreaming of a world without hate, where people choose love instead.

But here’s the thing—God doesn’t want us to just imagine that kind of world. He calls us to live it.

So don’t just kind of try to love others. Go all in. Wave that Christian flag high as you sail into your week—and love like Jesus did.

Prayer:
God, thank you for loving me so much you died for me. Help me love others the same way—with courage, kindness, and a heart like yours. Amen.

One key truth: Jesus’ love and grace pulls us out of the dark side—and gives us a fresh start.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
Acts 9:1-5, 19-22

Dark Side vs. Light Side

Say, “May the 4th be with you,” and all good Lutherans respond with, “And also with you.” We might see the Star Wars saga differently depending on when we first watched it, but the message of light vs. dark never gets old.

If you’re not familiar, George Lucas released the original Star Wars movies back in the late 1970s and early 80s—those were Episodes 4, 5, and 6, with classic special effects (think less CGI, more creativity). Then in the late 90s and early 2000s, we got the prequels—the origin story of Darth Vader—complete with heavy CGI and the infamous Jar Jar Binks. Finally, in the last decade, the sequel trilogy dropped, blending modern effects with a throwback vibe to the originals.

Ask your parents who likely were teenagers themselves while watching the “ending” episodes of Star Wars before the “beginning” ones. But now, with streaming, you can watch all nine movies in order—from Episode 1 to 9—and see the full journey of characters choosing between the light and dark sides. It’s all mapped out.

If only real life worked that way.

In Acts 9, we meet Saul—a guy fully on the dark side. He was literally on his way to hunt down Christians. But Jesus showed up, struck him blind with a light way brighter than a lightsaber, and flipped his whole life around. Saul became Paul, and his path shifted completely—from hurting people who followed Jesus to helping more people find Jesus.

As teens, you’re faced with choices every day—it can seriously feel like a battle between the dark and light sides. Maybe some of you have made choices you regret, things you wish you could undo or hope no one ever finds out about.

Here’s the good news: your story isn’t over. You’re still in the middle of your own plot. We don’t know exactly what’s coming next, but we know who’s in control of it. Just like Paul got a second chance, you do too. The cross gives us the ability to see beyond the darkness—to know that no matter what we’ve done, or how dark things feel, God’s love is the main storyline of your life—and that never changes.

Prayer:
Lord, life can get really dark sometimes. Help me follow your light and see you clearly, even when things are hard. Amen.

One key truth: When life stings, real hope is found in the empty tomb.

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Ouch, that stings!

Here’s a funny (and slightly embarrassing) story for you. Picture this: a slightly out-of-shape pastor reaches into the deck box to grab the patio cushions after a long winter. Just as he pulls one out—BAM! A sharp sting shoots through his hand. His reaction? Hurl the cushion into the air and run around the yard, arms flailing, voice an octave higher, screaming, “WASPS!” at the top of his lungs. His kids? Watching through the patio door, asking their mom, “Uh… is Dad okay?”

What’s something that has stung you lately? Maybe a tough breakup? A friendship that fell apart? A loss in the family? We’re surrounded by Easter baskets full of candy, but sometimes life just stings.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we have something better than a tube of anti-itch cream—we have a risen Savior. For people in Corinth who thought they had all the wisdom and worshiped man-made gods, the idea of Jesus rising from the dead was mind-blowing.

For us? Paul says we preach Christ crucified, but even more importantly, we preach Christ risen. That truth is the best medicine we could ever have. There will be days—maybe even today—when you feel like you’re running around, arms flailing, overwhelmed by life’s stings. But none of that changes your status in Jesus. Even when life stings, you can stand firm, knowing Jesus has already paid for your sins and defeated death once and for all.

The gospel will always be better than any cushion you could hide behind—just watch out for the wasps.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for taking the ultimate sting of death for me. When life stings, help me find peace in your presence. Amen.

One key truth: Jesus Christ is the real treasure that makes us rich—only in him do we find true worth.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:7-9, 13-14

Hiding Treasure in the Trash

In today’s world, it feels like everything revolves around the “stuff” we have, right? “If I can just live in a bigger house… if I can only make more money… if I could just get this or that…” It’s easy to get caught up in that mindset, but it misses the bigger picture. All this “stuff” can feel important, but when you look at it, it’s actually kind of meaningless.

We all get why it’s tempting, though. Maybe it’s a pair of limited-edition sneakers that you feel like you have to have. Or maybe it’s convincing yourself that the clothes you wear, the car you drive, or the people you hang out with will define your happiness and how others see you.

But here’s the thing: if you ever catch yourself stressing over all the material stuff in life, today’s reading is for you. Check this out: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Jesus is everything, young friends. In the end, nothing else really matters. The car you drive, the house you own, even the job you love—all that stuff is temporary. Health fades, youth passes, but Jesus? He lasts forever.

When we understand this, it changes everything. We can see clearly what’s “trash” and what’s “treasure.” And with that, we can press on each day, knowing that we’re chasing after something eternal—the goal that God has called us toward in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:
You are my glory and my treasure, Almighty God. Jesus’ sacrifice is my salvation. Help me remember this truth every day and keep me close to you. Amen.

One key truth: Jesus loves us and patiently works with us to grow our faith that trusts in him.

Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Luke 13:6-9

Always Present, Always Patient

We’ve all heard the saying, “Patience is a virtue.” What it really means is that being able to wait or endure something without getting frustrated is a valuable quality. And let’s be honest—patience isn’t always easy. Whether it’s waiting for your phone to upload a video, waiting for your food at a restaurant, or waiting for grades to be posted, it’s not always simple to stay calm. Most of us, no matter our age, can struggle with this.

But here’s the good news: God is not like us when it comes to patience. As we continue exploring “Open Door Policies” this Lenten season, we’re reminded that God is not only always present in our lives, but he is also incredibly patient with us. This is a huge comfort because, let’s face it, we aren’t always patient ourselves. When things don’t go as planned, we can easily become frustrated. We want things to happen now—whether it’s instant gratification with technology or faster answers to life’s struggles.

Praise God that he doesn’t treat us the way we often treat each other or ourselves. In our Bible reading, we see how God deals with us. He’s not harsh or quick to judge. Instead, he’s loving, patient, and kind. In the parable, the gardener says, “‘Sir, leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it’” (Luke 13:8). When we fail, God doesn’t give up on us. He doesn’t throw us away or turn his back on us. Instead, he loves us—because of Jesus. He uses his Word and sacraments to help us grow and become stronger in our faith. He nurtures us back to spiritual health and keeps us close to him.

So, this week, focus on growing your faith. And when you mess up—and you will—remember the mercy of God, who is always present and always patient. This brings us incredible joy and peace.

Prayer:
Fill us with your Word, Lord God, so we can rest in the assurance that we are yours and you are ours. Let your goodness work deeply in our hearts, and help us share it with those near and far. Amen.

One key truth: Jesus is our perfect substitute and conquering victor over sin, death, and the devil.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:1-13

One Stands; Everyone Else Sits

Jesus’ public ministry didn’t start off slow—it kicked off with some serious action. Right after being baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, he went straight into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting. No food. No water. Just Jesus, alone, physically drained, and totally human. And that’s exactly when Satan decided to strike.

The prince of darkness saw his chance. He threw out every tempting offer he could—power, food, glory—all to try and distract Jesus from his mission. If he could just get Jesus to cave, to forget why he left heaven in the first place, then the whole plan of saving us from our sins would fall apart.

But Satan should have known who he was messing with. Every single temptation was shut down by the power of God’s Word. Jesus stood firm. Satan never stood a chance. This was a total victory—just like the one that would come a few years later when Jesus gave his life on the cross outside Jerusalem. His death paid for our sins. His blood washed us clean. And that victory? It wasn’t just for that moment—it’s ours today, tomorrow, and forever.

Right now, you may be chilling—scrolling through your phone, maybe sitting in a comfy chair. That’s cool. But don’t forget: while we sit, Jesus stood. He stood against Satan. He stood in our place. And because he won, we don’t have to fight this battle alone.

Victory is already ours.

Prayer:
Thank you, Almighty God, for cleansing me of my sin and calling me your own. Use your Word to remind me daily of Christ’s victory and help me seek to serve you alone in all I think, say, and do. Amen.

One key truth: Because Christ is the redeemer of our stories, we can overcome evil with good.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Genesis 45:4-7

Love Your Enemies, Overcoming Evil With Good

When it comes to the stories of our lives, there are chapters that read like Joseph’s life. Past and present events leave us wondering, “What good could come from this?” We ask this when we don’t get into the school of our dreams. We ask this when our families move out of state in the middle of our high school career—and we have to say goodbye to familiar rhythms and our friends. We ask this after a break-in, when our belongings are stolen. And we also ask this after someone inconveniences us, disappoints us, or seriously wrongs us. We look at our past or present suffering at the hands of others—and the hurt—and may justify in our heads, “We need to repay them for what they did to us.”

But that would only be true if we sat in the seat of the divine storyteller—God himself. You see, we not only want to be the central character of our story, but we want to be the narrator of our story, too.

And we’re neither.

How can we recover the sleep that we’ve lost to our restlessness and anxiety? How can we reclaim all the tears shed over hurts we’ve received? How can we heal ourselves from the pain of our guilt and the weight of our shame? And yes, how can we pay back the injustices we’ve experienced?

If it was up to us to redeem our past, we couldn’t do it. No matter how many “good” things we might try to do, before a holy, righteous God, our guilt would remain. If it was up to us to undo the damage our sins had done, we couldn’t do it. If it was up to us to salvage some greater, prevailing storyline from our suffering, the storylines we come up with shortchange us on comfort in the long run.

But that’s exactly what happens when we want to sit in the seat of “storyteller.” We feel like it’s on us to write ourselves out of the mess we’re in. We fixate on the present or ruminate on the past—and all the while we miss the forest for the trees.

Thankfully, Joseph’s comfort is your comfort, too. And what comfort is that? You don’t hold the pen that writes the pages of your life. God does. When he writes, grace spills from his pen. And if you doubt that to be true, look to the cross of Christ—and see our God reinvent what was intended for evil for good—immense, infinite, eternal good. Jesus is the better, greater, truer Joseph. Jesus wasn’t just rejected by his family; he endured rejection by his heavenly Father. Jesus was sold for pieces of silver—not into slavery—but into death. Jesus, on the cross, debunks the storyline that “what goes around comes around,” because he—unlike Joseph—was perfect and blameless, and yet died as the worst of criminals. Why? So that we would not. So that we could go free! The chains of sin and death have been shattered! Jesus’ empty tomb continues to sing songs of liberation for the weary and broken. God used Joseph to deliver an entire region. God, in Christ, would save the entire world.

You are set free from the burden of redeeming your life’s story; that weight has already been worn by Christ. The gospel shows us that no evil we inflict or experience is irredeemable. The gospel not only gives us reason to reconcile with those who’ve wronged us, but the gospel gives us the resources to reconcile with them, too. Such grace means you can never irrevocably, irredeemably screw up your life. God takes our mistakes and reinvents them into demonstrations of his goodness, his steadfast love, his abiding care, and unwavering faithfulness. God’s prominence persists in spite of our problems; God’s providence prevails over our pain.

Because Christ is the redeemer of our stories, we can overcome evil with good.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are both the author and perfecter of our faith. You knew us before we were born and knit us together in the wombs of our mothers. We thank you for being our redeemer from sin and death. Thank you for redeeming not only our lives, but also the story of our lives. Help us to be reconciled with those who wrong us. In your name we pray. Amen.

One key truth: You are covered—head to toe—by God’s grace. And his love doesn’t just cover you: his love qualifies you.

I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:1-18

The Least Qualified Are the First Sent

Do you like going to the gym? Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t.

Maybe you like exercising—you just don’t like the feeling you get when you walk into the gym and you’re surrounded by people whose bodies are as toned and sculpted as Greek statues. You don’t like the feeling you get when you’re struggling to bench press as much as the “body builder” next to you is curling. You don’t like the feeling you get when the elliptical has exhausted you after just five minutes and the woman next to you has been on hers for nearly fifteen minutes and barely broken a sweat. We don’t like the feeling of not measuring up—where you say to yourself, “Maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I don’t belong here.”

Isaiah knew the feeling.

God gave him a vision of fiery angels, billows of smoke, and the LORD Almighty enthroned in radiant splendor. This vivid, awe-filling vision would humble even the haughtiest of the LORD’s prophets. It is in this vision that the LORD Almighty calls Isaiah, son of Amoz, to serve him as his prophet. And as Isaiah is brought into God’s “office,” the first voice he hears isn’t that of the LORD, but of choirs of angels flying throughout the temple. And these angels describe God as, not just holy, but three times holy—absolutely holy. The choirs are so loud, the temple is shaking, and smoke is billowing everywhere. “Woe to me!” Isaiah cried, convinced he would drop dead where he stood—because he knew that no sinner could see God’s face and live. Isaiah felt like he shouldn’t be there—like he didn’t belong there.

You would be very wise to cry out “Woe to me” every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep. We would be wise to we say it together. Don’t ever stop confessing sin, don’t ever stop fearing sin, and don’t ever stop hating sin. “The soul who sins is the one who will die ” (Ezekiel 18:4). There it is: cold metal grating on hard steel. The tragic truth is this: Sin kills… every sin kills… my sin kills me and your sin kills you!

But this vision doesn’t end there. Isaiah continues, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” The verbs that describe what this divine fire does as it touches Isaiah’s lips paint amazing pictures of God’s love for you. The first: “Your guilt is taken away.” It’s a picture of God removing the immense, debilitating burden of guilt from you forever. The second: “Your sin is atoned for.” It’s the picture of your sin being covered forever—that there’s Someone who stands between you and the unrelenting holiness of God—Someone who makes peace between you and God so you can stand before him forever.

That Someone is Jesus.

He touches our unclean lips with the tip of the cross—the symbol of our forgiveness. He declares, “You are no longer a sinner, but a saint!” Jesus satisfied God’s justice by embodying the needed atonement to cover over your sins. Your Savior declares you clean! Your God qualifies you to confidently stand before him.

You might not feel like you belong at the local gym—but never doubt your belonging to God in Christ. Covered head to toe in his grace, God asks, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Equipped by his Holy Spirit—where you are, as you are—answer his call, “Here am I. Send me!”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in your love for us, you would die our death on a cross and credit us with the gift of your holiness. Thank you for your boundless mercy and gracious gift of forgiveness. Because of you and you alone, we not only have confidence to stand before you on the day you take us to heaven; because of you, we have confidence to dynamically live our lives of faith before the world. In your name we pray. Amen.

One key truth: Our God stands by ready to give exactly what is needed when and where you are afraid to shine for our Savior: not an escape from shining our faith, but a boldness to shine even brighter.

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 4:23-31

Rejection is Not Proof of Failure

The past few days had been quite eventful for the apostles Peter and John. While they were at the temple in Jerusalem, they met a lame man begging temple-goers for money. And God, through Peter, performs an amazing miracle and heals that man on the spot! Just as Jesus had promised, his chosen apostles were equipped with an incredibly unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit—enabling them to perform amazing signs and miracles. Those miracles were performed not only to confirm their message, but also to draw massive attention to it. And this miracle did! And as a massive crowd gathers around Peter and John, they share the good news of Jesus.

While many who heard [their] message believed in Jesus, not everyone did. Members of the religious elite—the Sadducees—arrive at the scene, and with them the captain of the temple guard. The Sadducees hated the name of “Jesus.” And they would not tolerate anyone proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead on temple grounds. So, they had Peter and John thrown into prison.

The next day, Peter and John stood on trial before the Sanhedrin—the religious ruling council. That should sound familiar. Because that’s the same religious ruling council that oversaw the trial of Jesus—the same council that accused Jesus of blasphemy, condemned him to death, and had him crucified. The Sanhedrin eventually let Peter and John go, but not without a series of serious threats. They were told to never teach anyone about Jesus or talk to anyone about Jesus ever again . . . or else.

How would you react to this news? That you can never talk about or share the good news of Jesus ever again—by threat of capital punishment? Let’s be honest: we’d be afraid. Extremely afraid.

Thankfully, you and I live at time and place where we’re able to worship freely and talk openly about God’s Word and the hope we have in Jesus. And yet, so often we don’t.

You see, we don’t need the help of a Sanhedrin to silence our sharing of Jesus, do we? We care so much about what other people think about us that we’ll willingly silence ourselves. We’ll treat religion as a taboo topic like everyone else. We want a comfortable Christianity. A Christianity that never pushes us outside of our comfort zone. A Christianity that compromises conviction for the sake of fitting in. Fear is one of Satan’s favorite weapons he works against the Church; and his goal is to rob us of courage to the point where the only place we’re comfortable talking about Jesus is here.

But when adversaries of the Church would plot her destruction, the One enthroned in heaven laughs. Nations can rage and people can plot against God’s plan of salvation: it’ll backfire every time! Herod, Pilate, and the Sanhedrin tried to bury Jesus—and it looked like all their plotting had paid off as the Son of God hung on a cross; yet there, in the weakness of the cross God revealed his strength; there, in the foolishness of the cross God revealed his wisdom. There on the cross, God was winning—not for himself, but for you! God was winning you!

In Christ, we find God’s faithfulness to his word as he fulfills centuries of promises to you. Jesus is the greater Passover Lamb who would be sacrificed once and for all for us—so that we would have complete forgiveness before God! Jesus is the Suffering Servant that Isaiah spoke about—the one who willingly endured hell so that we who cling to him in faith would inherit heaven as our home!

That these Christians cry out “Sovereign Lord” invokes a dimension of God’s divinity—his might, his control, and his power over all things. In other words, your God defines himself by promises he’s made and fulfilled for you. That alone gives us boldness, doesn’t it? When this world would rage against Christians everywhere, your God thunders back, “Who again is Lord of heaven and earth?” That’s a gamechanger, isn’t it? That means that, instead of running from confrontation and discomfort, we can run to God for courage and confidence to face it.

Prayer:
Lord God, Heavenly Father, so often we are afraid to give reason for the hope that we have in your Son. So often, we let fear get the better of us and we hide our faith from others. For times like these, we rest in the refuge of your grace and forgiveness. By your Spirit, work within us a confidence to be your witnesses boldly. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One key truth: Your baptism is the explicit proof of your adoption into God’s family, and God’s pledge of undying devotion and fidelity to you.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Titus 3:4-6

The Cure for an Identity Crisis

Have you seen the docuseries called, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace?

Natalia was born in Ukraine with a rare form of dwarfism, and subsequently surrendered by her mother for adoption. Eventually, a family from Indiana, the Barnetts, adopted Natalia. But the relationship she had with Kristine and Michael Barnett—her foster parents—was anything but ideal: their relationship was abusive, manipulative, and dangerous.

Why? Depends on whom you ask.

Kristine and Michael Barnett depicted Natalia as a sociopathic con-artist who tried to harm them; Natalia, on the other hand, would tell you the actual crimes committed were by Kristine and Michael Barnett; they, according to Natalia, neglected her, abused her, abandoned her, and disowned her.

So, who’s telling the truth?

Right when a particular side of the story sounds more plausible, the docuseries presents you with reason to discredit it. It’s as if the producers want you to be left constantly without any narrative clarity—starving for closure that will ultimately never come. You’re left feeling like Natalia’s belonging to a family that loves and cares for her is an ending to the story that is always out of reach—where adoption into that kind of family is too good to be true.

Our adoption can sound too good to be true, too—can’t it? That’s what your baptism is: Baptism was—and is—a washing of rebirth and renewal—a washing of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the explicit proof that God has adopted you into his family. In baptism, he has adopted you to be his.

As much as we get hung up on the “how” of baptism, our real hangups are on the “why.” “If baptism is not merely a sign, but a seal of God’s grace, why would God both sign and seal himself over to me?”

We’re self-righteous and proud. We’re selfish and unsympathetic. We’re users and abusers. We’re liars and cheaters. We’re hateful and hurtful. We’re not even worthy to stoop down and untie the straps Jesus’ sandals. Why would God want to adopt us into his family?

It’s when you and I ask “Why?” of our adoptions that our God takes us to the waters of Christ’s baptism.

Think about it: why would Jesus need to be baptized? Why would the sinless Son of God need a washing of rebirth and renewal? Why would the blameless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world need to be baptized for repentance and the forgiveness of sins? He’s not being baptized for his own sake—but for yours. It was fitting for Jesus to be baptized as us for us to fulfill all righteousness.

That word—righteous—refers to absolute, complete, total perfection and holiness. And if we had any hope of standing confidently before God, that righteousness is something we didn’t have and couldn’t give—but we desperately needed it.

There at the Jordan River, we find the sinless Son of God emerging from the ranks of sinners to live and die for sinners like us. In Christ, all righteousness has been fulfilled.

Jesus actively kept his word to the letter—and not one stroke of the pen fell through his fingers. Jesus has passively suffered and died—clothed with our rags of sin and regret—so that we would be clothed with the robes of his righteousness. Your baptism is assurance Christ’s wardrobe is yours. Your baptism is God’s promise to you that you, in Christ, are completely and totally forgiven—that you have been washed—head to toe—by the cleansing tide of his grace—that you belong to him!

Some adoption stories of this world might resemble the story of Natalia Grace; but your adoption into God’s family is a completely different story. No cliffhangers. No lack of closure. Your baptism is God’s pledge of undying devotion and fidelity to you! In Christ, your adoption into God’s family is signed and sealed.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, at the waters of your baptism, you emerged from the ranks of sinners to live and die for sinners like us. But because of you, our primary identity is that we are baptized children of God. Whenever we doubt your love for us, bring us not only to the waters of your baptism, but the waters of our baptism, too. For there, we’ve been clothed in your righteousness and adopted into your family. In your name we pray. Amen.

God gives himself to us in Christ. It is the gift we desperately needed. It was the gift we didn’t deserve.

“But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Exodus 3:20

God Gives Himself as One of Us

Moses had asked God to see his glory. God compromised with him. Moses could see his back and his goodness, but he could not see his face, because no one can see the face of God and live

Mary and Joseph looked down into the manger at the face of the infant child staring back at them. They looked upon the face of the eternal God.

This is the mystery of the incarnation. That the God whom no one can look upon without dying masked his glory in human flesh so that everyone could see him.

Do you want to know God? Look at Christ.

Want to know God’s compassion? Look at how Jesus’ heart went out to the people who flocked to him. They were like sheep without a shepherd.

Want to know God’s power? See the Son of God heal the sick, drive out demons, and raise the dead to life.

Want to know God’s love? See Jesus hanging on the cross pouring out his life to repair the broken relationship between God and man.

Who could but sigh: Immanuel (God with us)! Who could but shout: Immanuel! (Christian Worship 330:2)

God gives himself to us in Christ. It is the gift we desperately needed. It was the gift we didn’t deserve.

Sit in wonder as you look upon the face of God veiled in flesh. See his glory in the grace he shows to you.

He took on that flesh for you. He took on that flesh that it might be pierced by nails and put to death to pay for your sins. He took on that flesh that you might have eternal life.

What a miracle! What a gift!

Prayer:
Father in heaven, fill my heart with wonder and thanksgiving as I ponder the gift of the Christ-child. Amen.

A repentant person is a joyful person, and a joyful person will always have fruits of repentance present in their life.

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Luke 3:8a

A Real Christmas Results in Great Joy

How would you define a “joyful” person?

Is it someone who always has a smile on their face? Is it someone who is friendly to everyone they meet? Is it someone who shares a lot of joyful quotes on Instagram?

Smiles can mask a world of hurt on the inside. Friendliness isn’t always genuine. The person sharing those joyful quotes might be in their room alone feeling isolated.

So what is a joyful person?

It’s important to differentiate between happiness and joy. Happiness is an emotion. It comes from your circumstances. Joyfulness is a condition. It comes from Christ assuring you of his abiding love and your glorious future. Therefore, joyfulness is enduring.

Consider this: a joyful person is a repentant person.

At first read, these two things might seem to contradict each other. Isn’t repentance all about feeling sad? This is true in a way. Repentance is feeling sad over one’s sin. However, it also involves trusting in Jesus’ forgiveness.

The person who is repentant knows their enduring condition of being forgiven through Jesus’ death on the cross. They know that heaven is their inheritance no matter how bad things get here on earth. That leads to joyfulness.

That joyfulness will inevitably lead to fruit. The person who is secure in their forgiveness in Christ wants to live a life giving back to him. They want to live a life full of love for God and others. They want to share the joy they know with others.

The historic Christian Church gave Latin titles to each Sunday. The title for the third Sunday of Advent was “Gaudete” which means “to rejoice.” It was a reminder of how closely joyfulness and repentance are to one another.

Let the joy Christ has worked in you by making you his child lead you to produce fruit in your life as you live for Jesus and your neighbor.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, make me a joyful person through your Spirit and produce fruits of repentance in me. Amen.

In order to have a real Christmas, we have to understand why Jesus came and why he is coming back.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

A Real Christmas Requires Remembering Why Christ Came

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (TV Version) is the greatest Christmas movie of all time.

If you haven’t seen it, Clark Griswold is your everyday middle-class American who wants nothing more than to give his family the perfect, old fashioned, Griswold family Christmas. He wanted his family to have a real Christmas. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Hilarity ensued. Watch the movie when it comes on TV in a few weeks.

What is a real Christmas anyways?

We are starting the season in the church year called Advent this week. Advent helps us prepare are hearts for Christmas when we celebrate Christ’s first coming, but Advent is really about looking ahead to Christ’s second coming.

In order to have a real Christmas, we have to understand why Christ came the first time and why he is coming again.

Jesus didn’t come at Christmas so that we can take a break from school every year. He didn’t come to teach us a lesson about gift giving. He didn’t come to show us how to live our lives.
He came at Christmas to live for us. He came to die for us.

Jesus lived a perfect life, and he’s given us all the credit. He allowed Roman soldiers to shed his blood on the cross, because that blood was considered sufficient payment to God for your sins and the sins of the whole world.

In other words, Jesus came at Christmas so that you might be holy and blameless.

Those words are really important. The fact that Jesus has made you holy means that he has set you apart and taken away your sin. The fact that you are blameless means that the devil can’t accuse you of any wrongdoing. Jesus has taken it all away. You are an heir of heaven.

Paul wanted the Christians he was writing to to remember that. He wants you to remember that too.

As you prepare your heart for Christmas, remember that Jesus came to make you holy and blameless. Remember that he is coming back one day to take you to be with him in heaven forever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for making me holy and blameless in your sight. Help me to reflect your love to everyone I come into contact within this world. Amen.

Jesus is the standard.

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:24-28

Free from Judgment

Don’t judge me by my clothing! Don’t judge me based on my family! Don’t judge me based on one bad decision, or by my grades, or the way I look…and the list goes on. No one likes to be judged and evaluated by someone on the outside, because it’s scary! We know our own flaws and imperfections, and we tend to spend a lot of time and energy trying to cover them up.

From that perspective, it’s an even more scary thing to imagine facing judgment before the almighty and all-knowing God, yet that is something that awaits every person who has ever and will ever live. The writer to the Hebrews points out that for a child of God this appointment before the judgement seat of Christ doesn’t need to be a scary thing, because we already know the verdict that will be rendered.

Even though Jesus already knows your flaws and imperfections, he chooses not to judge you by those. Instead, he chose to lay down his own life and suffer God’s anger and judgment in your place! The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus was sacrificed once for sin at the cross, and according to God’s perfect judgment that one sacrifice was enough! Your sins, whether known or hidden, are all gone. That means you have salvation already now. You’re a member of God’s family, already now. Stop living in fear of judgment! And someday, when Jesus returns, it won’t be to deal with your sin again, but to bring new life in heaven and eternal salvation to those who wait for him. What a day that will be! Amen.

Prayer:
Jesus my Savior, you suffered God’s judgment in my place and took my punishment on your own back. When I feel guilt and shame over my sins, or when I fear being judged for my thoughts and actions, remind me of this truth. Amen.