READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 53:1-12
Isaiah 62:11-63:7
St. Luke 22:1-23:53
Grace to you and peace. (1 Thess 1)
The Lord speaks, saying:
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”
Day Four of Holy Week and what is Jesus doing? On Day 4 of
Creation, He was creating the lights in the sky that we might determine day and
night, signs, seasons, and days and years. Today, that same light reveals signs
for us in our Lord’s Passion and we can note more similarities as our Lord goes
through this drastic regeneration, for us.
Remember me, O LORD. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom. Remember me when you create the heavens and the earth. Remember me as you deal with everyone else. Remember me as You are crucified, alone, paying for the sin of the world.
Asking God to remember us seems so selfish when Jesus is dying, but the Crucifixion of Jesus is how we are to remember. The cross is where the Life of the world is poured out abundantly and God places that Sign smack dab in front of our faces. God tells us, “Don’t forget!” and “Don’t turn away”. For this is where the glory of God is manifesting. It is here, at the cross, that we will find a washing of rebirth, the Water of Life, a wedding feast, the Bread of Life, the Word of God, and true Peace.
Remember that on the second day of earth and time itself God created Heaven in the form of water. There was water on the earth and there was water in the firmament. In and with water, God was preparing a place for you in the Waters of Everlasting Life from the start. Water is significant and God uses it all the time to accomplish His work, if we only remember. This constant use is noted because of the Sacrament Jesus gave us.
Baptism is life saving and faith giving. Jesus was baptized, He baptized, His Apostles baptized, and His Bride, the Church, continues to baptize even today. By offering faith and salvation in baptism, Jesus has raised its level of importance. Not so that every time Jesus steps into a puddle we call it baptism, but that every time we hear water mentioned by God we think, “Oh! I was baptized in that stuff. Is that what God is talking about here?”
Remember. Remember the Baptism you were baptized with. It is effective and affective your entire life. Remember and rely on this means of Grace and you receive exactly what it says: the forgiveness of sins. It points your trust outside of yourself to His cross and to the water and Blood spilled on the cross for you. Yes, there was water at the cross.
Remember, after the Palm Sunday procession, Jesus enacts a baptizing of His own in cleansing the Temple of the thieves and robbers. God was coming home , the place needed to be cleaned up, and He was the only One able to do it.
This was the insult that incited Jesus to anger and so He swept through His Temple, His house, as a tidal wave of righteousness, clearing the way for proper prayer and liturgy. No more will the things of the world clutter His Temple, for it is His Body and He himself is the Head, and He will be cleansed of our sin on the cross, though He had none of His own.
Remember, on the second day, heaven, the Temple, was washed for us so that we could come to the spotless sacrifice. The Lamb of God let loose a Tsunami of His own Blood, cleaning to the tiniest corner, having been found innocent and righteous by the Father.
Remember, on the third day of Creation, the LORD caused earth, the dry land to appear. This was now the solid ground that was not turbulent or subject to the change in the weather, as the seas were. This rock would not toss about nor would it be moved as easily as the seas. On it could be built solid things, like a mighty fortress. On it could stand that which would never be moved. On it, the Son of Man would be lifted up, a light to lighten the nations drawing all men to Himself.
While man had not yet been brought onto the scene, the Word of the LORD had us in mind. This was the point of all of this creating in the first place: that we could be there and that we could bear fruit and multiply, also.
For also on this day third of Creation, vegetation was brought forth from the earth. All the green stuff that was supposed to bear fruit was created. And in a moment of uncreation, Jesus caused a fig tree to whither in Jerusalem to prove to us that Creation had been turned against its original purpose.
For God’s Temple, even His very people, had turned against Him in sin, doing the things they were not created to do. A good tree bears good fruit and cannot help but do so. This fig tree, this Jerusalem, this sinner had ceased to produce the fruit of repentance and therefore produced bad fruit. The people had become fruitless trees, despising preaching and God’s Word. The tree needed to be cut down and a new one planted.
And a new tree was planted at Golgotha and the Word of God hung there, paying for the sin of fruitlessness, dying, and yielding a hundred fold fruitfulness in His Blood.
Remember, on the evening and morning of the Fourth Day, God created the lesser lights: sun, moon, and all stars. These were to be markers for seasons and for signs, as we said. Signs such as the Epiphany star guiding the Magi to the Infant Priest, Jesus. They were to be heralds, not idols. The days and the nights were not supposed to be held up as mystical or magical, as if they had powers of their own, such as the Sabbath. Neither were the lights to be worshipped as if the sun creates life.
Jesus is the Light of the World. The Light that lightens all other lights. Not only that, but He is the Wisdom of God, enlightening our hearts and our minds, turning them to repentance that we might be forgiven. For what does God say in Genesis 1? The Light rules over the day and the night. The Light rules over the lesser lights and the night. There is nothing that the Light does not touch or bring in the open.
Truly the curse of sin and death is drying up the tree of mankind. We find ourselves fighting a stronger and stronger enemy, though it is us growing weaker and weaker. One that not only attacks our bodies and possessions, but that would attack and question the very thoughts in our head calling that which is right, wrong and that which is wrong, right. For if Jesus, God of God and Light of Light, is crucified when we are supposedly so enlightened, what will happen if time continues?
Remember, all of this and more do we poor miserable sinners deserve and more woe is coming. Gone are the days when the next generation had it better than the previous for the world daily plots their demise.
Remember, the Lord does not. Remember this Body and Blood shed for you. Remember this water and Word poured over you and this Gospel preached to you. God has truly caused the dry land to appear in the midst of the Red Sea of sin and He names it the Body of Christ.
This Body is the Light that reveals salvation in the crucified God-man. This Body is the dry, firm foundation upon which Faith is built. This Body is the fruitful tree, taking in filth, sin, and death, feeding on our sin, digesting it upon the cross, and spitting out Saints.
Yes, producing abundant life that overflows into the entire world. For what comes out of THIS Man, hanging on the cross, shows that He is clean. For the uncleanness that goes into Jesus is our sin, not His, but what comes out is a baptismal flood of salvation.
Remember, dear Saints. Remember the LORD’s death until He comes again. Proclaim His death until He returns, taking and eating and drinking as often as you can, in remembrance of Him. Proclaim His Gospel to all nations by Baptism.
For this is the exact moment Jesus came for. The moment when He places Himself into your ear, on your head, in your heart, and on your lips and tongue in order to forgive you. The time has come. The season is at hand. The Sign of the Salvation of the LORD is in front of us and upon us and He gives it and sheds it and pours it out for you. Remember and believe.
The Lord speaks, saying:
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”
Remember me, O LORD. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom. Remember me when you create the heavens and the earth. Remember me as you deal with everyone else. Remember me as You are crucified, alone, paying for the sin of the world.
Asking God to remember us seems so selfish when Jesus is dying, but the Crucifixion of Jesus is how we are to remember. The cross is where the Life of the world is poured out abundantly and God places that Sign smack dab in front of our faces. God tells us, “Don’t forget!” and “Don’t turn away”. For this is where the glory of God is manifesting. It is here, at the cross, that we will find a washing of rebirth, the Water of Life, a wedding feast, the Bread of Life, the Word of God, and true Peace.
Remember that on the second day of earth and time itself God created Heaven in the form of water. There was water on the earth and there was water in the firmament. In and with water, God was preparing a place for you in the Waters of Everlasting Life from the start. Water is significant and God uses it all the time to accomplish His work, if we only remember. This constant use is noted because of the Sacrament Jesus gave us.
Baptism is life saving and faith giving. Jesus was baptized, He baptized, His Apostles baptized, and His Bride, the Church, continues to baptize even today. By offering faith and salvation in baptism, Jesus has raised its level of importance. Not so that every time Jesus steps into a puddle we call it baptism, but that every time we hear water mentioned by God we think, “Oh! I was baptized in that stuff. Is that what God is talking about here?”
Remember. Remember the Baptism you were baptized with. It is effective and affective your entire life. Remember and rely on this means of Grace and you receive exactly what it says: the forgiveness of sins. It points your trust outside of yourself to His cross and to the water and Blood spilled on the cross for you. Yes, there was water at the cross.
Remember, after the Palm Sunday procession, Jesus enacts a baptizing of His own in cleansing the Temple of the thieves and robbers. God was coming home , the place needed to be cleaned up, and He was the only One able to do it.
This was the insult that incited Jesus to anger and so He swept through His Temple, His house, as a tidal wave of righteousness, clearing the way for proper prayer and liturgy. No more will the things of the world clutter His Temple, for it is His Body and He himself is the Head, and He will be cleansed of our sin on the cross, though He had none of His own.
Remember, on the second day, heaven, the Temple, was washed for us so that we could come to the spotless sacrifice. The Lamb of God let loose a Tsunami of His own Blood, cleaning to the tiniest corner, having been found innocent and righteous by the Father.
Remember, on the third day of Creation, the LORD caused earth, the dry land to appear. This was now the solid ground that was not turbulent or subject to the change in the weather, as the seas were. This rock would not toss about nor would it be moved as easily as the seas. On it could be built solid things, like a mighty fortress. On it could stand that which would never be moved. On it, the Son of Man would be lifted up, a light to lighten the nations drawing all men to Himself.
While man had not yet been brought onto the scene, the Word of the LORD had us in mind. This was the point of all of this creating in the first place: that we could be there and that we could bear fruit and multiply, also.
For also on this day third of Creation, vegetation was brought forth from the earth. All the green stuff that was supposed to bear fruit was created. And in a moment of uncreation, Jesus caused a fig tree to whither in Jerusalem to prove to us that Creation had been turned against its original purpose.
For God’s Temple, even His very people, had turned against Him in sin, doing the things they were not created to do. A good tree bears good fruit and cannot help but do so. This fig tree, this Jerusalem, this sinner had ceased to produce the fruit of repentance and therefore produced bad fruit. The people had become fruitless trees, despising preaching and God’s Word. The tree needed to be cut down and a new one planted.
And a new tree was planted at Golgotha and the Word of God hung there, paying for the sin of fruitlessness, dying, and yielding a hundred fold fruitfulness in His Blood.
Remember, on the evening and morning of the Fourth Day, God created the lesser lights: sun, moon, and all stars. These were to be markers for seasons and for signs, as we said. Signs such as the Epiphany star guiding the Magi to the Infant Priest, Jesus. They were to be heralds, not idols. The days and the nights were not supposed to be held up as mystical or magical, as if they had powers of their own, such as the Sabbath. Neither were the lights to be worshipped as if the sun creates life.
Jesus is the Light of the World. The Light that lightens all other lights. Not only that, but He is the Wisdom of God, enlightening our hearts and our minds, turning them to repentance that we might be forgiven. For what does God say in Genesis 1? The Light rules over the day and the night. The Light rules over the lesser lights and the night. There is nothing that the Light does not touch or bring in the open.
Truly the curse of sin and death is drying up the tree of mankind. We find ourselves fighting a stronger and stronger enemy, though it is us growing weaker and weaker. One that not only attacks our bodies and possessions, but that would attack and question the very thoughts in our head calling that which is right, wrong and that which is wrong, right. For if Jesus, God of God and Light of Light, is crucified when we are supposedly so enlightened, what will happen if time continues?
Remember, all of this and more do we poor miserable sinners deserve and more woe is coming. Gone are the days when the next generation had it better than the previous for the world daily plots their demise.
Remember, the Lord does not. Remember this Body and Blood shed for you. Remember this water and Word poured over you and this Gospel preached to you. God has truly caused the dry land to appear in the midst of the Red Sea of sin and He names it the Body of Christ.
This Body is the Light that reveals salvation in the crucified God-man. This Body is the dry, firm foundation upon which Faith is built. This Body is the fruitful tree, taking in filth, sin, and death, feeding on our sin, digesting it upon the cross, and spitting out Saints.
Yes, producing abundant life that overflows into the entire world. For what comes out of THIS Man, hanging on the cross, shows that He is clean. For the uncleanness that goes into Jesus is our sin, not His, but what comes out is a baptismal flood of salvation.
Remember, dear Saints. Remember the LORD’s death until He comes again. Proclaim His death until He returns, taking and eating and drinking as often as you can, in remembrance of Him. Proclaim His Gospel to all nations by Baptism.
For this is the exact moment Jesus came for. The moment when He places Himself into your ear, on your head, in your heart, and on your lips and tongue in order to forgive you. The time has come. The season is at hand. The Sign of the Salvation of the LORD is in front of us and upon us and He gives it and sheds it and pours it out for you. Remember and believe.
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