Promise for Today - The Furnace of Affliction

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Isaiah 48:10 NKJV

We've talked about it before - how we more earnestly seek God's presence and His comfort when our lives are being shipwrecked. Psalm 46:1 in the King James tells us, God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. The Good News Translation reads, God is our shelter and strength...

What are the first orders of business for survival following a shipwreck? Shelter and fire. So, we run to God for shelter, but we don't often want His fire. In the natural, we need fire for warmth, protection against the elements, to cook food, to purify water. In the spirit realm, we need His fire even more! And yet, we complain about the heat.

I remember years ago having a dream about being contained within a ring of fire and feeling trapped. I wanted out! In my heart, I cried out to God, "Why?!? Why am I trapped in here? Why won't You let me move?!?" And it was then I saw, outside the ring of fire, the enemy crouching, ready to destroy me. Wanting to kill me, but he couldn't get me because of the fire. It's amazing what a little God perspective will do for the furnace of affliction. So often we plead with God to deliver us from the very fire that was sent to free us from that which so easily besets us - to purify and to protect us.

John Piper writes ...there is no painless path to heaven. Why? Because Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." And it is no more possible to become pure painlessly than it is to be burned painlessly. Purity comes through the refining fire. And the fire has two forms: one is the fire of affliction and the other is the fire of intentional self-denial.

We need to embrace the fire of God so that we can be saved, sanctified and purified to live with Him for all eternity - to be partakers of His holiness.

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us clean hands and pure hearts. O God, may it be that the genuineness of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And it's in His precious Name we pray. Amen!

Promise for Today - Start and End

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp, and the melody of a lyre.
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. O Lord, what great works you do! 

Psalm 92:1-5a NLT

Psalms is a fascinating collection of poems, full of praise and pain and even prophecy. And contrary to general public opinion, David did not write all of them. In fact, one-third of them are anonymous. 

According to the Bible Project, "The whole book of Psalms has been divided into five books or sections (Psalms 3-41; Psalms 42-72; Psalms 73-89; Psalms 90-106, and Psalms 107-145). The reason for these divisions is that each section has a final poem, which concludes with a similar line that looks like an editorial addition, “May the Lord, the God of Israel, be blessed forever. Amen and Amen." (These are found in Ps. 41:13, Ps. 72:19, Ps. 89:52, and Ps 106:48.) 

In Book 5, chapters 146 - 150 all start and end with "hallelujah" or "Praise the Lord" depending on which Bible translation you read. In explanation for what may seem like a difference that is actually the same, Hallelujah in the Hebrew language means Praise Yah (short for Yahweh).  Going back to our text for today, it is good to proclaim God's unfailing love in the morning, and His faithfulness in the evening... 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your inspiration to mankind to write with such transparency about the struggles and triumphs of human nature. Help us to grasp the wisdom that, through it all, our only hope is in You. And just like our Promise for Today, we are thrilled with all You have done for us! We sing for joy because of what You have done. O Lord, what great works You do! No matter the circumstances, Father, we want to start and end our day in praise for You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Psalm 103 - Davidic Praise

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 

He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone - as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! Praise the Lord,  everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Psalm 103 New Living Translation

Promise for Today - Truth Be Told

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. 

He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them - even the children not yet born - and they in turn will teach their own children. 

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors - stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

Psalm 78:4-8 NLT

Prayer:

Father, 

           This Word is Your Truth and it must be told to each generation! We pray for divine appointments and their hearts to be prepared to receive Your Truths. We pray for divine wisdom to know what, how and when to give them to those in need. Teach us, Father, we pray, and let our generations receive Your Words. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - A Reminder

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
1st Thessalonians 5:16-18

I used to be so intimidated to pray aloud. I was afraid I would somehow misspeak. I was afraid of what people would think. And then one day, Steve Fender, in San Antonio - a man who could pray the roof right off a building - preached the most liberating message about prayer. He said, "Stop worrying about what the person next to you thinks about your prayer...unless, of course, you're praying to them. And if you're not praying to them, what does it matter what they think?"

God judges our heart - the inside of us - not the outside.

If ever in your life you've had a conversation with anyone, then you have the necessary rudiments to prayer. Someone to talk to. Someone who will listen. Someone who will answer.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for establishing an open line of communication. Thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that there isn't anything...anything...that is taboo when it comes to talking with You. Keep us ever mindful to include You in all our conversation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Overwhelmingly Grateful

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; 
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 84:10-12 NKJV

Do we ever stop to think about all the day-to-day (often perceived as) the mundane activities of our lives? The things we take for granted simply because they are a part of our daily lives. 

How often do we stop and give God sincere thanks for running water, electricity, indoor bathrooms... We're more inclined to NOT notice unless they stop being accessible - and then, I don't think we're thanking anyone. We love and often adopt a sense of entitlement to what we consider our creature comforts. 

How dangerous it would be to our spiritual well-being if we were to adopt the same sense of entitlement to the gifts and blessings our Father has so graciously bestowed on us!

Prayer:

Father, 

           We pray according to Your Word in Colossians 2:7, Let our roots grow down into You, and let our lives be built on You, too. Help our faith to grow strong in Your Truth so that we will overflow with thankfulness. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, Father, hearts that are overwhelmingly grateful to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Setting the Guard

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way."
James 3:2 NLT

"And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!"
James 3:6-10 NLT

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips."
Psalm 141:3 NKJV

Has your mouth ever gotten you in trouble? Have you ever said something you wish you hadn't said? So the question is, if we didn't "mean" it, then why did we say it? The sad truth is we can't unsay it. We can't unspeak the words.

So, are we encouraged that King David - a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) - asked God to set a guard over his mouth, or are we disheartened because all these centuries later, we still wrestle with the same issue?

Jesus tells us in Luke 6 that it's out of the abundance of our heart that we speak. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

Instead of telling God all about a problem, let's go to the Word of God, find out what HE has to say about that particular problem, then speak/pray HIS Truth over our lives.

Prayer:

Father,
             "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Promise for Today - God's Math Doesn't Add Up

So this is the family line descended from Shem: Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram, later known as Abraham.
The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. These are their genealogical records:...
1st Chronicles 1:24-29 NLT

In reading through the Bible Recap this year - a chronological study with author and speaker Tara-Leigh Cobble - we're at day 113 and chapters 1 and 2 of 1 Chronicles. Thus begins yet another retelling of the generations, beginning with Adam. I was listening to it instead of trying to read all the names, but I must admit, I could feel my eyes glazing over. And as the narrator droned on about names I would not remember, let alone pronounce, I found myself talking to God about it. 

My intention was not to express my editorial opinion on Scripture, but to sincerely try to glean what I should be learning from hearing/reading this again. "Father, I don't mean to be disrespectful to Your Word. I believe the Bible is Your living Word and every word in it is there for a reason. I believe there is purpose and meaning. Please reveal to me what the purpose is for going through another litany of who's who in the lineage."  I closed the book with my eyes still glazed over, so I didn't search for any divine inspiration. 

This morning, my friend, Hope, sent an email with this revelation: "What I gleaned from these two chapters of Chronicles about God is that He kept His word to Abraham about making his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky." And that was exactly it!! 

In my disdain of so many chapters of whose sons were whose, I missed a HUGE, VERY IMPORTANT Truth. God ALWAYS keeps His Word. Think about Abraham and Sarah for just a moment. She was 90, he was 100 when Isaac was born. Both well past childbearing age. Yes, he had Ishmael by Hagar, but last time I checked 1+1 still only equals 2 - a far cry from too numerous to count... but God. Abraham BELIEVED God.  "As your faith, so be it unto you..." (Jesus speaking - Matthew 9:29). 

"As your faith, so be it unto you..." There are so many times that what God did or does or is doing just doesn't add up. It should not come as a surprise to those who believe because God doesn't add; He multiplies. 

Prayer:

Father, 

         Forgive me/us for those times when we want to just skim over, discounting the diamonds that can be found if we glean. Thank You for reminding us over and over about the proof of the Truth of Your Word. Help us to understand and know that repetition is how we build knowledge and fitness because we want to be able to rightly divide Your Word.  Birth in us a fresh desire to celebrate Your faithfulness and goodness toward us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - The Law of the Lord is Perfect

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

Psalm 19:7-11 NLT

In the early 90s, Hosanna Music released a collection of praise/worship songs, largely using God's Word as the lyrics with music added. They were beautiful compositions that had - and still have - an anointing of peace. This portion of Scripture was simply titled, "Psalm 19".  (Hosanna Music can still be found on YouTube and similar platforms.)

In just the 5 verses of our Promise for Today, we find that God's laws are: perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, and true. They are desirable and so sweet, and the road map for a rewarding life for those of us who obey them.  

God's Word and His laws are given to us for our good. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT tells us, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."  When we choose to live according to God's instructions, our hearts and minds are kept in His peace. 

Prayer:

Father, 

           We pray Your Word, we cannot see our own mistakes, so don’t let us commit secret sins. Don’t let us do what we know is wrong. Don’t let sin control us. If You help us, we can be pure and free from sin. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - And Yet

Lord, save me from people who are evil. Protect me from those who are cruel, from those who plan to do evil and always cause trouble. Lord, you are my God. Lord, listen to my prayer. My Lord God, you are the powerful one who saves me. You protect my head in battle.
Psalm 140:1-2, 6-7 ERV

Lord, help me control what I say. Don’t let me say anything bad. Take away any desire to do evil. Keep me from joining the wicked in doing wrong.
Psalm 141:3-4 ERV

Being a follower of Christ is the greatest privilege and blessing, but it does not exclude us from trials or tribulations. That's why I love the Psalms - especially those written by David both before and after he was king. David is known as a man after God's own heart. He is one of the most "real" prophet kings in the Bible, and yet, he has some very strong opinions and emotions.

David acknowledges his feelings and the issues he wrestles with, and he is quite transparent about what he'd like to happen to those who are plucking his last nerve. And yet, in the process, he always comes back to acknowledge God. Adonai. David always recognizes who God is, no matter what. Psalm 142:5 NLT, he writes, Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life."

That, too, is my prayer for all of us. 

Father, 

         Save us from evil people. Protect us from those who are cruel, from those whose plans are evil. You are our God, protecting our heads - our thoughts, feelings and desires - when we are in battle. Make us ever mindful of the words we are about to say.Let only Your Words come out of our mouths, those words which are good for building up and not tearing down, good for speaking life and not death, to encourage and not discourage. Please put Your hand over our mouths and help us to choose and SPEAK gratitude and thanksgiving. Father, You truly are our place of refuge and all we really want in life. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide us into all Truth with spiritual understanding. For this and SO much more, we give You praise and glory and honor. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day 47 - Easter Sunday

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him, the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

Matthew 28:1-7

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Our gracious Savior has conquered sin and the grave. We are alive in Him. Alleluia! God be with you and bless you in this holy Easter season.

Lent - Day 46 - Commissioned

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 

While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:1-20

It doesn’t take three years of ministry to die for the sins of the world and to rise from the dead. What took Jesus three years was the raising up of disciples, who would build up His church. When Jesus rises from the dead, He goes to see those disciples. He goes to fill them with His Spirit. He goes to give them instructions to disciple the world; baptizing and teaching all that He has taught them. 

In the early church, it became customary to baptize new Christians into the family of Christ at the Easter vigil service held on Saturday evening. Those newly baptized would then be gathered together with all of the church that Easter morning to remember the new life baptism gives through the very resurrection of Jesus Christ being celebrated that day. We, too, remember our baptisms, which bury us with Christ Jesus and raise us to new life in Him.

Prayer:

Lord, 

         Through Your death and resurrection, You defeated sin, death, and the devil. In our baptism, You fill us with Your Spirit, forgive our sins, and make us children of the Easter promise. Thank You. Amen.

Lent - Day 45 - Forsaken for Us

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 

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, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 

When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Matthew 27:45-61

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” With those words, we hear how Jesus paid for our sins. The very Son of God is forsaken by God. A definition of damnation is separation from God. Jesus takes our sin upon His broken body. He experiences death (brought into the world because of humanity’s sin in the first place). He experiences not just any death but a most gruesome death brought about because the wickedness of men has learned how to maximize the pain and torment. Even worse than all of that however, He experiences being forsaken by God. We and all of mankind are the ones who deserve to be forsaken by God. Instead God turned His back on Jesus while to us He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the earth.” How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.

Prayer:

Jesus, 

        You turn everything upside down. You took a tool of punishment and judgment - the Cross - and turned it into an instrument of grace and mercy. Take our sinful lives and turn it upside down as well, that we too might be an instrument of Your grace in this world and in the lives of others. Amen.

Lent - Day 44 - Crucified

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. 

As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 

Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Matthew 27:27-44

There is nothing more humbling for me than to read through the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. Not to talk about it, but to actually read the words of the Gospels’ accounts of the event itself. Christ loved with outstretched arms. The Son of God did not demonstrate His power by freeing Himself from the cross, but rather demonstrated His strength by submitting to the will of God and the insults of men for us. 

♪♫ “Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” ♪♫

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

          At times, we are overwhelmed by Your act of love. Fill us with the strength of Your humility that we would marvel at the gift of faith You have given us, and [that we would] desire others to experience it as well. Amen.

Lent - Day 43 - The Great Exchange

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.” 

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:1-26

The outrage of the gospel story continues. The people were so filled with anger towards Jesus that when given the choice of releasing Him or a known criminal; one who was a murderer, they wanted the murderer released. We hear how Pilate washed his hands, a symbolic action to demonstrate one’s disapproval and innocence of a situation. The problem is that although Pilate did not want to condemn Jesus and put Him to death, he cannot wash his hands of the situation. Neither can we. Although Pilate did not desire Jesus’ death; though we as Jesus’ disciples don’t desire His death, our sins are what required His blood as a payment before God. 

The scandal is that while the true Son of God, innocent of all things was put to death, it is through that action we who are filled with sin are set free, and made to be sons and daughters of the Father. Through it all our Lord remains silent because of His great love for us, and because of His faithful obedience to the Father. He desires the great exchange to take place. His life in exchange for ours. Christ is indeed our ransom.

Prayer:

Lord, Jesus Christ, 

                Thank You for Your willing sacrifice - Your life for our ransom. Continually lead us to Your Cross so that we will never lose sight of the Truth that our ransom has been paid [IN FULL]. We have been set free. Amen.

Lent - Day 42 - Justice

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 

And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. 

Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” 

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:47-75

As we look back upon the details of Jesus’ trial we see what an outrage it really is. Jesus was arrested and brought to trial without formal charges ever being made against Him. The High Priest acted as prosecutor as well as judge. All those involved had already reached the verdict before any evidence had even been given. The evidence they tried to use to condemn Him was a compilation of lies. Finally, in the end, the statements that condemned Him, the statements they judged as blasphemy, were actually the truth. The whole trial seems like a smack in the face of justice. 

However, that is the essence of the entire gospel message. The idea that one perfect, innocent man would die on account of our sins seems unjust. The possibility that on the Day of Judgment we will not be convicted of our crimes despite all the clear evidence of our sin, simply because of Jesus seems unjust. God’s word assures us that isn’t just a possibility - it is the reality, truth, and promised hope that is found in Jesus. 

So does God simply operate with a selective justice? Scripture directs us to see that it is in the fabric of His very being to be just. This means He doesn’t simply desire justice - He requires that justice be done. As Judge, God accomplishes the necessary justice, because full payment for our sins is made by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The trial and crucifixion of Jesus is a story of justice, but one that only God could work by His amazing grace.

Prayer:

Almighty God, 

               When You look upon us see not our sin but the Blood of Christ. With that Blood, make us white as snow. Amen.

Lent - Day 41 - Scattered and Gathered

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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     Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 

     Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. 

     Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.'

Matthew 26:26-46

What a trying time. In this chapter, Jesus foretells how the disciples will respond to what they will face on Good Friday. They will see their Lord taken from them and they will be scattered. Yet Jesus also tells them that when He has risen He will go ahead of them into Galilee. 

There, in Galilee, even though they have deserted, even though they have been scattered, the Shepherd once again would gather His sheep. Praise God that He continues to pursue, gather, and strengthen His sheep at all times. By His grace, we have been saved. By His persistence, we are continually brought to repentance. By His determination, we are held in faith.

Prayer:

Almighty God, 

                        We are so grateful that You continually gather and call us to You. Amen.

Lent - Day 40 - Palm Sunday

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. 

     Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”  And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so."

Matthew 26:1-25

[Remembering the Last Supper, the night when Jesus remembered the First Passover with His disciples.] The first Passover took place when Moses told the children of Israel to take an innocent lamb, a perfect lamb and kill it. The blood of that lamb was to be shed and spread upon the doorpost of their house. That night God passed through and killed all the firstborn, both of creatures and people. But those houses where He saw the blood of the lamb He did not bring death. 

This is the setting, the backdrop for what the meaning of Jesus’ death is all about. He is the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood is not spread on the posts of a door, but on the posts of the cross. Death passes over us as we stand in the shadow of the cross.

Prayer:

Lamb of God, 

                     You take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us. Amen.

Lent - Day 39 - Evidence of God's Gift

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus gives us a picture of what it will be like on the day of judgment. All people will be judged on the last day, and it will be like when a shepherd separates His sheep from the goats. There are two things we should notice about this day of judgment for the sheep. First, before any of the acts of kindness are viewed and compared Jesus already separates those who receive the inheritance from those who do not. Second, to those who receive the inheritance Jesus says, “Come, you who are blessed by God.” No matter how we live our lives entering into God’s inheritance is still a gift, still a blessing that God gives. And yet we see Jesus’ words that talk of lives of grace, mercy, and kindness. This section is not a checklist we make sure to complete in case Jesus is watching. Jesus is saying, as my child filled with the Holy Spirit you show mercy because you have been given mercy. You show love because you have been given love. You show grace and forgiveness because you have been given grace and forgiveness.

Prayer:

Jesus Christ, 

                You have made us Your sheep. We surrender our will to be directed by Your Spirit that we might show mercy and love to Your church, and to the world. Amen.

Lent - Day 38 - Keep Watch

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. 

    For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 

   Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew 25:1-30

Jesus continues to speak of His second coming, now through the telling of parables. The message for all who follow Christ is the same. Christ will return. That is certain. We will not and cannot know when exactly it will be therefore Jesus says be prepared, be ready, keep watch. 

What does it mean to keep watch? We have been given the gift of salvation, the gift of forgiveness, and the gift of faith. With the gift of faith, there is also the encouragement to persevere in that faith. With that encouragement to persevere in faith comes also the invitation to carry on the work of the Kingdom. What is that work? To each of us, God has given different gifts. He has placed us in different situations in life (relationships and responsibilities). We are each uniquely called and placed, but at the same time called to the common work of His Kingdom that, through each of us, others would encounter the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Preserve us in faith until the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Give us guidance in how You desire to use us to bring the grace of Christ to others. Amen.

Lent - Day 37 - No Fear

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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    So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
    Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
    Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
    But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
    But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:15-51

The final day of judgment can fill us with a consuming fear which often drives people to need to figure out when this will all occur. Many predictions have been made, only to end up being wrong, which shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus tells us the day and hour are known by no one but the Father. From Jesus’ own words, we do know two things. First, it will not be a secret. “All the tribes of the earth will… see the Son of Man coming… with power and great glory.” So we won’t need to wonder if we missed it. Second, we do not need to fear this for we are in Christ.

While no one knows the day or hour Jesus tells us that it will be like the days of Noah. Outside of Noah and his family, everyone was unaware until the flood came and swept them away. With the same suddenness, in the midst of daily life, some will be left and others swept away.

So where is our comfort in all this? In a letter he wrote to the church, Peter reminds us that in that day of judgment (the flood) God preserved eight people (Noah and his family) by His grace. In 1 Peter 3:21-22, Peter tells us, "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God...". Through [this], God gathers us by His grace into His ark to safely bring us through His judgment.

Prayer:

Almighty God,
              For our many sins, we justly deserve eternal condemnation. In Your mercy, You sent Your dear Son who paid for the forgiveness of sins and our everlasting salvation. Until Christ returns, grant us peace by preserving us each day in the promises You poured out on us... Amen.

Lent - Day 36 - When?

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:1-14

"When will this happen?” That was the question the disciples had. People often use Jesus’ answer to try to figure out exactly when the end of the age will come. But this misses the point of Jesus’ words, and the point that Matthew is making throughout the Gospel.

Throughout Matthew, we have seen that eternal life, the Kingdom of God, and now the end of the age are things that occur in the present. We are already living eternal life. We already live in the reign of God. We are already in the end of the age. They came in the person of Jesus Christ, specifically in His death and resurrection, and His filling of His people with His Spirit. 

These details about the signs of the end of the age are things that have been seen by the disciples, are seen in our generations, and will be seen in future generations. The time is now. But of course, we also wait. We wait because it will be made complete when Christ returns.

Prayer:

Jesus, 

         Help us see this is the end of the age. Your kingdom is now; we are living eternal life already. Comfort us with the knowledge that You will bring it all to fulfillment when You come again. Amen.

Lent - Day 35 - Blood On Our Hands

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’

Matthew 23:23-39

“If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” These are easy words to say when the prophets are dead and can’t speak out against you. Ironically in just a few days, Jesus’ blood will be shed in response to their accusations; accusations fueled by their anger because Jesus speaks judgment against them. As His body is beaten their voices will shout out “blasphemy”. As He stands trial their voices will ring out, “Crucify Him”. As the stakes are driven through His flesh their voices will hurl insults. In many ways, Jesus’ teachings can be difficult to take in. His words of truth ultimately drove many to lead the charge for His death. Today we may find our way through some of His more difficult teachings only by softening the blow, applying them to others but not ourselves, changing their intent or meaning, or just ignoring certain sections altogether. All the while we wonder how anyone could have put the Savior of the world to death.

Rather than absolve ourselves of responsibility for Jesus’ death because we were not there, it is important that we recognize that ultimately His blood is on our hands. Why? Because our sins (your sins and mine) require payment that can only be made through the shedding of Christ’s blood. While this truth might lead us to great guilt and shame, Jesus invites us to something different. He invites us to see that angry shouts did not lead to his death but rather the plan of a gracious Father. Christ wants His blood to be on us, not as condemnation but as forgiveness freely given for our sake.

Prayer:

Lord, 

        Thank You for shedding Your blood for our forgiveness. You have caused Your Word to be written for our learning. Grant that we may hear and read it, that in our learning we may be strengthened in Your truth and remain steadfast in Your grace. Amen.

Lent - Day 34 - One Teacher

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Matthew 23:1-22

“You have one teacher.” We live in a world filled with many experts on any topic and any issue. But for Christians, there is only one authoritative teacher—Christ. In a time where everyone has an opinion and every opinion is viewed as having personal validity and therefore “truth”, Christians recognize only one authoritative teacher—Christ. In a world where we are bombarded with a confluence of voices and messages, for Christians there is only one authoritative teacher—Christ. As disciples of Jesus, it can be difficult and exhausting to wade through it all in order to cling only to the authoritative teaching of Christ. We are not alone in this struggle. This has been the difficulty for all of Jesus’ disciples. This is exactly why some of those earliest disciples wrote things like, "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope…not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another all the more." (Hebrews 10:23-25) Christ encourages us to be gathered to hear His word so that through the preaching of pastors, the examination of Scripture, and conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ He would be able to teach, instruct, and encourage us in faith.

Prayer:

Christ, 

         Be our teacher in age as in youth, drifting or doubting, for You are the truth. Grant us to trust You; though shifting as sand, doubt cannot daunt us; for in You we stand. Amen.

Prayer adapted from the words of Timothy Dudley-Smith.

Lent - Day 33 - True Hope

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” 

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. 

The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. 

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:1-46

As Christians, where is our hope? In the face of hardship, does knowing that God is with us always give us hope? In the face of death, does it give us hope to know that we will be with God in heaven? The answer is, of course, yes. But greater than all of this our hope is in the resurrection. Ultimately what we look to, above all things, is knowing that Christ will come again, and just as He rose from the dead we can be assured that we too will all be raised from the dead. We will be body and soul, complete once again, and this time, in all perfection before the living God. This is the hope that we cling to. 

This is the hope that has been spoken by God from the beginning. Jesus points out we know this to be true because God is not a God of the dead, but is the God of the living, and in His perfection, He intends us to be living, not just metaphorically but literally in His presence.

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus Christ. we know our hope is in You not only because of the forgiveness we receive through the shedding of Your blood, but because of the confidence we have in our resurrection because of Your resurrection. Amen.

Lent - Day 32 - True Repentance

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 

"What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. 

Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

Matthew 21:18-46

In Jesus’ parable about two sons it seems strange to give positive support to a son, who was initially obstinate and disobedient, just because he later “changed his mind.” I am sure we would like it better if there could be a third son, one who is asked, agrees, and does the will of the Father. However, there is only one who fits that character profile and He’s telling the story. Jesus uses this parable to highlight the contrast between two groups of people from his interactions. There are the “sinners” whose lives have been full of disobedience to God but heard Jesus’ call to repentance and turned to Him. 

Then there are the chief priests and elders whose lives seem to demonstrate obedience to God but who refuse to believe the testimony of John the Baptist and turn to Christ. The word used in “changing his mind” gives a sense of being filled with regret and can be connected with the ideas of repentance. From the time Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He has done nothing but concern Himself with people repenting. There are many ways we deceive ourselves or try to fool others with a charade of obedience. But this really is no different than the second son giving empty lip service. Instead, Christ would recall John’s testimony in order to persuade us to repent: Flee the final judgment, turn from sin, turn to Christ and bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:1-12)

Prayer:

Father, 

         Please forgive us for all the ways we disobey You. Forgive our feigned obedience by looking instead at the perfect obedience of Jesus and His sacrificial death. Strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit and produce in us fruit in keeping with repentance. Amen.

Lent - Day 31 - Dead to Sin

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Matthew 21:1-17

Due to their lives of sin and deceit, thieves would flee to caves between raids for safety from the people they had robbed thus giving birth to the phrase “den of robbers.” When Jesus used this phrase He quoted the Old Testament from the prophet Jeremiah. God spoke through Jeremiah saying, Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? (Jeremiah 7:11) These words were spoken to people who would not change their lives of sin. The people wrongly believed that the temple protected them from the consequences of their evil and from punishment for their idolatrous actions against God. Refusing to repent or change they would emerge from the temple ready to engage in more defiance of God’s will. Unfortunately, this was still the case in Jesus’ day. Life in Christ calls for a very different confidence. We stand fully confident in the grace that Christ pours out for us freely. However, we should be careful not to turn this into “cheap grace,” assuming permission to sin all the more as a way to “give” God the “opportunity” to forgive us even more. Life in Christ means living each day fully repentant of our sinful lives. We are not to remain confident in our sins but rather grieve them. We are not to seek ways to continue in our sin, but rather desire that God would help us overcome temptation and sin. Reconciled to God through Christ we are confident because our sinful flesh is put to death and we daily rise as a new creation to live before God in righteousness and purity.

Prayer:

Lord, 

        Please forgive our sins. Change our lives. Amen.

Lent - Day 30 - The Glory of Service

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 

And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” 

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Matthew 20:1-34

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Do we realize the significance of these words? Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, about to be praised with “hosannas” and palm branches as King and Messiah, and here He says that He has come to serve. What a paradox. What an absolutely absurd thing to say. It is just as absurd as saying that the very Son of God was going to give His life for others. 

We have heard the story of Christ so often that I don’t think we fully grasp how these words and ideas rip and tear at the very fabric of what makes sense in this universe. Yet that is exactly what Jesus came to do. We should not be surprised that Jesus would turn another norm in this world upside-down: “Do not be like the world, trying to push others below you or lift yourselves up at others’ expense. Instead be a servant.” You see, what reason do we have to push others below or lift ourselves up? Christ has already elevated us to a place beyond our hopes. He has already elevated us in the only thing that matters. We were once strangers, aliens, even enemies of God but through the Cross, Jesus has made us members of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:11-22) With that new reality, we are now free to live as servants of all.

Prayer:

Jesus, 

         You served us. How difficult it can be to come to grips with that reality. Help us to live in response to that, as a servant to those around us. Amen.