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Lent Devotion

Yet unrequited, Lord, I would not leave Thee;
I will renounce whate’er doth vex or grieve Thee
And quench with thoughts of Thee and prayers most lowly
All fires unholy.
LSB 439 st. 10

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10

Throughout our Christian lives, we continually look back to our baptism as a foundation. In that washing, God washed us clean of sin and made us to be a new creation in Christ with a new heart and a new Spirit within us. Yet even as baptized Christians we still find that our hearts tend to go astray from God and seek after sinful desires. Though we continue to be tempted, the solution is still the same. Since Jesus has taken our sin onto Himself and suffered death for us, sin itself has been put to death. In His resurrection, He shows that sin has no power over Him.

As it is for our Lord Jesus, so it is for us Christians. Now, every day of the Christian life, we die to sin by acknowledging it and repenting of it, and we rise again by turning to Christ and relying upon the victory over sin that He has won for us and granted us in our baptism. We can especially guard ourselves from the temptations that assail us by meditating on Christ’s death and resurrection, and by praying to our Father in heaven to rescue us from evil. In this way, we overcome sin not by our own striving, but by trusting in the God who strives on our behalf.

Let us pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, strengthen our faith and guard us from every sin and temptation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(Kyle Nelson, Sem. I)

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Lenten and Eastertide Greetings

A Lenten and Eastertide message from our Advancement Office:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

Image: Eugène Burnand, “The High Priestly Prayer,” 1900–1.

The peace which Christ spoke to the disciples, to you, and to the entire world is not rooted in idle talk. Rather, Jesus speaks of what He alone brings: life and salvation. The Gospel promise, first spoken by the Lord in Genesis, is the promise of Satan’s utter defeat (Genesis 3:15).

The mock trials, beatings, and bloody battle on the Cross at Golgotha, in which Christ’s heel was bruised in order to crush Satan’s head, might trouble people. The sinful hearts of all who hear the passion of Christ can be tempted to stumble and be afraid. Yet, such fears are only whispers of the deceiving Satan who assails the heart with doubt. Scripture teaches us that heavenly peace results from this conflict.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther wrote concerning John 14:27, “It is a very comforting and pleasing bequest that He leaves them. It does not consist of cities and castles or of silver and gold; it is peace, the greatest treasure in heaven and on earth. He does not want His disciples to be fearful and mournful; He wants them to have true, beautiful, and longed-for peace of heart. ‘For so far as I am concerned,’ Christ says, ‘you shall have nothing but sheer peace and joy. All My sermons to you and all My associations with you have let you see and realize that I love you with all My heart and do for you everything that is good, and that My Father is most graciously disposed toward you. That is the best I can leave to you and give you; for peace of heart is the greatest peace’” (Luther’s Works, Vol 24: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapter 14–16).

Since Jesus Christ obtained the victory all your fear s are removed. Therefore we are given peace in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and sing joyfully:

“Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”

(LSB 475:3; text copyright Cyril A. Alinton)

Concordia Theological Seminary exists to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all. As these future servants prepare to bring the peace of Christ to others, will you join us in guiding them toward such a noble purpose? Your prayerful and financial support to CTSFW is welcomed and is vital for our continued work. You can learn about the many ways in which you can support your future pastors and deaconess at www.ctsfw.edu/give-for-today, or by contacting our Advancement Office at [email protected] and (877) 287-4338.

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Lent Devotion

For vainly doth our human wisdom ponder–
Thy woes, Thy mercy, still transcend our wonder.
Oh, how should I do aught that could delight Thee!
Can I requite Thee?
LSB 439 st. 9

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6

Our fallen human wisdom vainly ponders the suffering of Christ on the cross. We cannot understand this. It is beyond our comprehension: we who were enemies of God, separated from Him because of our sins, by our lack of faith and mercy, have been brought near to God. God has drawn us to Himself by His Son’s cross: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

The Holy Spirit gave us faith in this sinless Son of God, in whom His Father is well pleased, at Holy Baptism. So, in faith, we seek God as the only source of our forgiveness, life, and salvation. He rewards us with His Son and with the eternal life that He purchased for us with His precious blood. Now, in faith, we ponder our Lord’s bitter woes and His mercy upon us. We cannot repay Him for all His benefits to us, but we will call upon His name and proclaim His marvelous works that are beyond our comprehension.

Let us pray: dear heavenly Father, You have brought us near to You by your Son’s death on the cross. Grant that, as we ponder Your Son’s suffering and death, we would turn to You in repentance and faith; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(Mika Patron, Deaconess Student)