Catechesis Notes for the Week — “He Has Redeemed Me”—The Small Catechism preaches the Gospel to us in such sweet and comforting words.  “My Lord has ‘redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own…’”  Sin separated us from God and resulted in death and condemnation. Jesus, the Son of God, stepped into our human flesh and assumed the guilt for our sin.  He carried our sin and its consequences all the way to the cross.  He suffered our death and condemnation, so that by the shedding of His blood unto death we are set free from the devastating consequences of our sin. Now we belong to Him! We live under the all-sufficient mantel and covering of His “righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.” Jesus’ redemption, the shedding of His blood in love for us to set us free from sin and to rescue us from eternal death, is at the heart of the Christian faith and life.  Not only is there no salvation apart from Jesus’ redeeming work; His redeeming work, received in the Gospel and the Sacraments, is the source of the holy life that we live.  It is His redeeming work, received by faith, through the Gospel and sacraments that produces the fruits of faith in us.  These fruits of faith are Jesus’ own works of love and mercy in us toward our neighbor. His redeeming work is the center of our salvation, faith, and life.

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