Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week —The Lord’s Supper: A Pledge of the Resurrection of the Body — The Lord’s Supper was, since ancient times, called “the medicine of immortality.”  In the Lord’s Supper we receive Jesus’ true body and blood.  This is the same body and blood that was born of the Virgin Mary and that was given and shed for us for the forgiveness of all our sin. “Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.”   It is precisely because the body and blood of Jesus delivers to us Christ’s forgiveness, that His body and blood becomes the source of restored life with God, the resurrection of our bodies, and eternal life, incorruption, and immortality.  When we receive Jesus’ true body and blood in faith, we are receiving the very pledge from our Savior that on the last day we shall be raised bodily from the dead, and our mortal flesh will put on immortality and incorruption.

CP260222

This is My body. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink. The Sacrament of the Altar rests upon the Word of God. Jesus’ words give what they say. The power and benefits of the Sacrament are given through the Word. Take away the Word and there is no Sacrament. With the Word, there is a Sacrament, namely, “the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself, for us Christians to eat and to drink.” What role does faith play in the Sacrament? Faith receives what the Word says. Faith believes in what the Word gives. Faith rests upon the promises of God. The essence of the Sacrament, that is, “what it is,” is determined by the Word. This gives faith its certainty. We know we receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all our sins, because the Word says so. Faith knows no other certainty but the promises of the Gospel.

CP260215

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Baptism and the Life of Confession and Absolution—In Holy Baptism we become Christians.  The Lord gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit and faith.  Our sin is forgiven for Christ’s sake, and we are rescued from eternal death and condemnation. Baptism happens once, but its benefits and privileges endure forever.  Baptized Christians are called to live in their baptism daily.  This means that we are called to daily contrition and repentance for sin that we might return to the promise of our baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of our faith and life.  This makes confession and absolution not only a regular part of the Christian faith and life, but a glorious return to our baptism wherein God made us His children and clothed us with the righteousness of His Son.  We should learn to believe that Holy Baptism gives us the rights and privileges of children.  In Baptism we are declared to be sons of God through Christ and have the privilege of access to our heavenly Father for Jesus’ sake.  Because of the ongoing struggle with sin, we are tempted to doubt that we are God’s children, that God still loves us, and that it is possible for us to be forgiven.  Baptism declares that it is not only possible to be God’s Children, but that forgiving our sin is His will for us in Christ.  We have the right and privilege to confess our sins daily AND to believe that for Christ’s sake our sin is forgiven and that we rise to newness of life precisely because we have been baptized into Christ and are saved from our sin through faith in Him.

CP260208

Catechesis Notes for the Week — He Was Raised for Our Justification —“Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).  “When I look at my sins, they slay me. Therefore I must look upon Christ, who drew my sins upon Himself and has become a blessing. Now they lie no longer on my conscience but on Christ, and they seek to slay Him.  Let us see, then, how they get on with Him.  They cast Him down and kill Him. O, Lord God, where is now my Christ and my Redeemer? Then God comes and brings Christ forth and makes Him above, and not only alive, but He sets Him in heaven and lets Him rule over all things. Now where is sin? It is on the gibbet. And when I hold on to this and believe it I have a joyful conscience, like Christ, for I am without sin. Now I dare death, the devil, sin, and hell to do me harm. Inasmuch as I am a descendant of Adam they can harm me; I must shortly die. But now that Christ has laid upon Himself my sin, and has died for it, and been slain for it, they can do me no harm, for Christ is too strong for them. They cannot hold Him. He breaks forth and smites them to the ground, and ascends into heaven, binds and fetters sin and sorrow, and rules over them eternally. Therefore I have a good conscience, I am joyful and blessed, and fear those tyrants no longer, for Christ has taken my sin away from me and laid it on Himself.  But they cannot remain on Him.” – Martin Luther

CP260201