Good Friday

Good Friday – April 18, 2025

Hosea 6:1-6; Habakkuk 3:2-4; Exodus 12:1-11; Psalm 140

St. John 18-19

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty…you are still in your sins…If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”[1] The death and resurrection of Christ are the center, the heart, of our faith. This is because Christ vicariously (that is, in the place of man) rendered to God, who was wrathful over our sin, a satisfaction which changed His wrath into grace toward us.[2] The vicarious satisfaction of God’s wrath on your behalf is the focus of our service today.

Pilate asked the Jews, “Shall I crucify your King?”[3] All Christians ought to consider that question. All Christians ought to be bothered by how to answer it. Knowing the depth of your own sin, it seems impossible to answer, “Yes! Crucify Him!” You know that it is your sin that ultimately put Christ on the cross. He lived a perfect life. There was no sin in Him. He knew no sin and yet He died the death of a criminal because of your sin. No one desires to see an innocent life taken. It is even more difficult to know that the innocent life was taken because of you.

At the same time, knowing the depth of God’s love for you, knowing what the Scriptures say about the Christ, and knowing that God will raise the innocent Lamb from the dead, Christians are also obligated to answer Pilate’s question with, “Yes, crucify Him.” It is this dichotomy that I hope to lay before you this afternoon by looking 1) first at the immutable justice of God; 2) second, what it means that Christ is our substitute; and 3) finally, the benefits of Christ’s substitution.

I.                   The Immutable Justice of God

God’s immutable justice demands perfect obedience to His Law and pronounces eternal damnation on all who transgress.[4] This justice is an inherent quality in God. He is perfect in every way and will not stand in the presence of imperfection. As for the demand of perfect obedience, that is precisely how God created the universe. In the beginning, He called all things good. With the creation of man, He called all things very good. Man was created in original righteousness. His will was perfectly conformed to God’s will. Adam and Eve trusted God more fully and obeyed His Law more precisely than we can even imagine.

The proclamation of eternal damnation on all who transgress was also present at the beginning. God told Adam and Eve that should they transgress His Law, they would surely die. The consequence of sin is death, not strictly because one logically follows the other, like one domino hitting the next, but because of God’s judgment against transgression. God passed the death sentence for the transgression of sin because it is a tearing of the relationship between man and God. It is a destruction of the relationship into which God first created man. If God is life, then severing our connection to Him via sin is to choose death. Therefore, God’s judgment of death for transgression does logically follow, even if the cause and power of death is God’s proclamation, not logic. It is the Word of God that makes death deadly.

Some might try to comfort themselves by saying that God’s justice and proclamation of damnation for transgression of that justice only apply in general, to His general governing of the world. However, this is not the case. Scripture is clear, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them;”[5] “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”[6] All means all. Everyone means every individual person. Every person is born a sinner, a consequence of original sin, and every person continues to sin. Stumble in one minor point of God’s Law and you are guilty of it all.[7]

It is our own guilt and shame that would plead with Pilate to reconsider. Knowledge of sin leads us to realize that we are not worth the death of another, let alone the innocent death of Christ.

II.                Christ is the Substitute

Yet it is the very death of Christ that pleads on our behalf. The hour of His crucifixion is the hour of His glorification. It is the very reason He came into our flesh. “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”[8] Motivated by the deep, eternal, divine love for man, Christ made Himself lower than the angels that He might reconcile us to the Father and plead our case before the Divine Judge. He willingly accepted the obligation to stand in man’s stead both to keep the Law perfectly and bear the punishment the Law exacts on transgression.[9]

By standing in the of man, Christ fulfills both elements of God’s justice. He perfectly kept the Law. He was obedient in every way, even triumphing over the temptations of satan that were the demise of Adam and Eve. He was obedient to death, even death on a cross.[10]

Christ’s death was gruesome. He was tortured, stricken, smitten, and afflicted. His face and body were unrecognizable as He hung on the tree. He suffered physical and spiritual pain on a scale billions of times greater than we can imagine. He knew the pain He must endure on your behalf. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He begged the Father that if there was another way to save mankind, any other way, to let it be so.[11] And yet, He faithfully submitted to His Father, knowing what must happen. What mother’s heart isn’t broken by the suffering of her child? And yet any mother would give anything to suffer in her child’s place. So too, Christ is willing to suffer even this on behalf of His beloved.

Knowing the depth of Christ’s love for us, that while we were yet sinners, He died for us, we ought to answer Pilate’s question, “If it is the Father’s will, then please, do not crucify Him; yet do not act according to our will, but let God’s will be done.”[12]

III.             The Benefits of Substitution

Through Christ’s substitutional obedience and death, God’s wrath against man was appeased, or in other words, the judgment of condemnation was set aside.^[13] The verdict was rendered, and the sentence was carried out, but not on you. Christ stood in your place and received the full sentence due to man for sin, and there is no double jeopardy in the divine courtroom. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”[14]

Having been justified by Christ, declared righteous before God, the relationship between God and man has been restored. That which was sundered by sin has been repaired through the death of Christ, which satisfied God’s wrath against sinners. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”[15]

There is sometimes the idea that faith or religion is for the purpose of personal fulfillment, comfort, encouragement, or self-actualization. That idea leads to the modern thought that while you might find fulfillment in Christ, someone else finds fulfillment in friendship, the teachings of the Buddha, or even a fine glass of whiskey. This thinking fails to realize that in Christ, we have something objective. A real change has happened outside of ourselves. Christ’s vicarious satisfaction is an objective truth that stands outside of our sense of fulfillment, joy, or encouragement. He has satisfied the wrath of God such that we are now reconciled with God. The restoration of this relationship means that we have access to the Father. We are declared free from the bondage of sin.

In this freedom, sure, we find a sense of fulfillment, joy, encouragement, and even happiness, but these benefits derive from the true benefit of the Cross – a restored relationship with God, an objective declaration of our innocence before God. The deadly power of death has been removed. It had no claim on Christ, the truly innocent One, and so now death has no claim on you. “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[16]

We must never separate the Crucifixion from the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Christ is the sign that His sacrifice to the Father was accepted, pleasing to the Father, and that it made atonement for man. Death had no claim on Christ because He had no sin. Yet He bore the sins of the world, your sin, into death that it would be buried there in the tomb. It was necessary for Christ to die so that by His death, death would be destroyed.

And standing on this side of the Resurrection, our eyes opened like those of the disciples in Emmaus, we can hear Pilate’s question with new ears, “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate and the Jews, though themselves agents of death and the devil, were also working to fulfill the way of salvation. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.[17] Therefore, we can confidently answer Pilate, “Yes, crucify our King because by His crucifixion, we shall be made righteous before God. Yes, crucify our King because by His death we are saved and the wicked shall be judged. Yes, crucify our King because in three days, He will be raised triumphant over the death you so wickedly have commanded.”

The cross of Christ is His glorification and the moment of our salvation. If there was any other way for salvation, even Christ found it preferable. Yet this was the only way to save sinners. And because Christ loves you, He endured the sins of the world by hanging on a tree. Thanks be to God that He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”[18]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 19.

[2] This definition of the vicarious satisfaction comes from Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Volume 2 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1951), 344.

[3] St. John 19:15.

[4] Pieper, 344.

[5] Galatians 3:10.

[6] Romans 3:23.

[7] James 2:10.

[8] Galatians 4:4-5.

[9] Pieper, 345.

[10] Philippians 2:8.

[11] St. Matthew 26:39-46; St. Mark 14:35-42; St. Luke 22:41-44.

[12] Romans 5:8; St. Luke 22:42.

[13] Pieper, 346.

[14] Romans 3:23-24.

[15] Romans 8:1.

[16] 1 Corinthians 15:56-57.

[17] Hebrews 9:22.

[18] St. John 3:16.

Laetare (Lent 4)

 Laetare (Lent 4) – March 30, 2025

Psalm 122; Exodus 16:2-21; Galatians 4:22-5:1a

St. John 6:1-15

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The doctrine of Providence refers to the fact that God not only created everything in the universe but continues to provide for it and sustain it. If God ceased providing for even a small corner of creation, it would cease to exist. St. Paul writes to the Colossians, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…and in Him all things consist.”[1] This sustaining action of God, and this alone, insures the continued existence of the world. When Scripture says that God rested on the seventh day, it means that He rested from creating new things.[2] He did not rest the way that you and I typically think of resting. He did not take a day long nap and avoid all activity. He continued to support and provide for creation even on His day of rest.

God provides for creation through means which He has established since the foundation of the world. Through the seed that falls to the earth, God provides nutrition for man and beast. In turn, the cow who is nourished by the plant provides meat for man. Through mothers, God provides milk for children. Through parents, God provides His word and instruction for children. We give thanks to God for the specific means through which He provides but we must always remember that it is God who is behind these provisions. It is God who give nutrients to the seed, the cow, and man. It is God who His Word to mothers and fathers. It is even God who gives authority to governments and rulers for the punishment of the wicked and promotion of the good.

God’s Providence is an extremely comforting doctrine. It means that you do not need to worry yourself over how you will dress, or what you will eat, or what you will drink. Consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. They do not have retirement accounts or work 9 to 5 yet the Lord provides for them. So much more will He care for His beloved children.[3]

After the children of Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and after they had been delivered from the smiting hand of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, they found themselves hungry and in the desert. Rather than turning to the One who provides in repentant prayer, they began to complain against Moses and Aaron. The people went so far as to complain against these ministers given to them by God that they wished they had never left Egypt. They longed for the meat pots and bread of slavery under the tyrannical Pharaoh.

These same people had seen the miracles of God against Pharaoh and how the Lord had preserved them from the same destruction, and yet for the sake of their bellies, they desired to return to their bondage. They preferred the convenience of life under the yoke of sin. It is easier to be a slave to sin than to be free under the Lord God. It is also easier to blame Moses and Aaron for having delivered them than to seek the Word of God, repent, and endure the oppression of the world for the sake of salvation.

And the Lord still provides. He gave word to Moses concerning the manna and the quail, the means by which the Lord would sustain His people until they came into the Land of Promise. The provision of the Lord should not be seen as excusing the sinful actions of the children of Israel. It is not as though He said, “Well, the people were just ‘hangry,’ so its not their fault if they complained against Moses and Aaron.” No. He provided the manna and quail that the people would know that He is their God, that they might look to Him to provide all good things for this body and life as well as their spiritual needs.

Even then, the people did not listen. Some became greedy, gathering more than they needed. They did not trust that what the Lord said He would provide would come to them. What was the result? The extra they had gathered rotted overnight, bred worms, and gave a horrible stench. This was a rebuke against their failure to trust that God would do just as He said He would.

Think now on the multitude that sought after Christ. This was almost certainly a mixed bag. Our text says the great multitude followed Christ because they saw the signs which He performed on those who were diseased.[4] Many of these were probably looking for a miracle of their own, or even just wanting to be entertained by this miracle-man from Nazareth. Some saw His miracles and sought His teaching that went along with the miraculous signs. It is not recorded that the multitude cried out for a miracle or that they complained against the disciples for food. You almost get the sense that the multitude was waiting patiently to see what the Christ would do.

It is He who first raises the question of feeding the multitude, already knowing what He would do about it. His disciples immediately begin planning, raising more obstacles than solutions. They, like their forefathers, did not think to petition the One through whom all things were made. They thought only of the cost, the supplies, and the difficulty of feeding so many.

Yet even for these, the Lord still provides. He provided fish and bread for 5,000 men, plus women and children, and for the disciples who did not trust the Lord to provide for the multitude. He gave in over-abundance such that twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers. From five loaves and two fish, Christ satisfied all those who had come to Him.

This morning, we take a momentary reprieve from the austerity of Lent. Today is called “Laetare” from “Laetare Jerusalem,” “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, All you who love her,” the antiphon to our Introit. We take a moment to rejoice in all that the Lord has provided for us. With the children of Israel and the multitude by the mountain, we rejoice and give thanks for our clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, animals, and all we have to support this body and life. We pause from the Lenten character of spiritual warfare to give thanks for the multiple blessings the Lord has given to us.

The rose color of the paraments is festive, removing the darker hues that form violet to give the joyous color of the Rose who bloomed in the womb of the Virgin. This Rose is the chief thing we give thanks for today. We remember and are satisfied that the Peace of Jerusalem was won for us in the death and resurrection of Christ. We remember the One who died that we might live. Liturgically, that is the point of having a day of rejoicing in the middle of Lent. We pause to rejoice in all the Lord provides us, chiefly that He provides us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, that we might be prepared for what comes next. Beginning next Sunday, we dive into the deepest portion of Lent, Passiontide, when our focus narrows to the events of that Holy Week when Christ conquered sin and death.

But for this day, for now, let us rejoice that we may nurse and be satisfied from the consoling breast of Jerusalem. How are we fed? What manna do we receive? Where are the bread and fish to be found? They come from the very breast of Christ. They come in His Holy Body and Precious Blood. The feast of the Holy Communion this day is provided for you from the breast of Christ, who nourishes His saints with His own body. He prepares us today to face death, with the knowledge that He has already conquered death. Although for our evil deeds we worthily deserve to be punished, we rejoice and are comforted that we have been mercifully relieved by Christ, our King.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Colossians 1:16-17.

[2] Genesis 2:2.

[3] St. Matthew 6:25-34.

[4] St. John 6:2.

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 15, 2024

Psalm 86; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Ephesians 3:13-21

St. Luke 7:11-17

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Scriptures speak of three deaths and in turn, our Lord, Jesus Christ, rescues from each of these deaths with resurrection. First, there is temporal death. This is the separation of body and soul. It is the death that we tend to think of, and fear, most. It is the moment when the body ceases to breathe and the soul is separated for a time.

This death comes for all—believers and unbelievers—on account of original sin and the sin which clings to the flesh. Until Christ reveals Himself on the Last Day, everyone experiences temporal death. However, for the unbeliever, this is a terrifying step into the unknown. It is the closing of the eyes to this world and a frightful step into something of which they cannot conceive.

For the Christian, temporal death is a frightening thing until one realizes that Christ has made death a portal. His death has removed the sting of death.[1] We still endure death because of the corrupt nature of our flesh, wrought by sin. This corruptible must put on the incorruptible; the dishonorable must put on the honorable; the weak and natural must put on the powerful and spiritual.[2] We do not face death unknowingly. We know what lies on the other side of temporal death. The holy angels descend to guide our soul to the bosom of Abraham, that is, to the side of Christ.[3] The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made temporal death a sleep for those who die in Christ because “He who believes in Jesus, though he may die, he shall life. And whoever lives and believes in Jesus shall never die.”[4]

Secondly, there is spiritual death. Spiritual death is separation from God, when the unrepentant and unbelieving are alienated by willful sins from “the life which is of God.”[5] The prodigal son “was dead” in his sinning in the foreign land.[6] All are born dead in your trespasses.[7] Those who are alive in Christ, that is, who have an active and living faith, are still sinners and certainly still sin. However, their faith leads them to hate their sin and desire to be free from it. These holy ones, these Christians, are spiritually alive. Those who are spiritually dead are those who willfully sin against God. They are unrepentant and unbelieving. All mankind is born spiritually dead. We are not born ignorant of God or His holy law. We are born opposed to it; striving against it; and hating God.

And so long as we draw breath on this side of glory, all Christians are tempted to such spiritual death. We are tempted to willfully cast aside God’s Law and His Holy Gospel. We are tempted to cast aside the Savior who bled and died for us. We are tempted to treat His Holy sacrifice as cheap and turn instead toward the indulgence of our flesh. Willful sinning is knowing what God’s Law is and choosing to do the opposite—whether you think it doesn’t matter because “God will just forgive you” or because you don’t believe God is serious. Such willful sinning leads to unrepentance because it isn’t worth repenting of sin that you don’t take seriously.

Finally, there is eternal death. Eternal death is the death awaiting those who are spiritually dead. This is eternal damnation, where the spiritually dead will be eternally separated from God, who is life. This death has two parts. First, there is the suffering of the soul immediately after death. Then, this suffering is intensified when, in the resurrection of all the dead, those eternally damned souls are reunited with their bodies to suffer for all eternity in body and soul.[8]

In Christ, there is life.[9] This Life has promised to rescue in each of the three kinds of death. In Hosea 13, Jesus says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!”[10] He ransoms, rescues, redeems in the three kinds of death by means of giving life, that is, through resurrection.

Scripture is quite clear that temporal death is the least of the deaths in that it is temporary for everyone. It is still a consequence of sin, but it is the least deadly. Christ’s rescue from temporal death is the physical resurrection of all flesh on the last day. All who are in their graves “…will hear the voice of the Son of God…and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”[11]

Also, to combat this temporal death, Jesus has given His Word, the words of Holy Scripture. These words are given to be used during this temporal life for the instruction, rebuke, warning, exhortation, and consolation of man.[12] These words prepare the soul for temporal death, that the hour of death might be met in peace and joy, strengthened by the Holy Spirit by the Word of God.

From the second death, spiritual death, by which the unrepentant and unbelieving are separated by willful sins from the life found in God alone, we are also rescued by Christ. Because we are born in our sin, we are sinners by birth, and original sin clings to our flesh, we are as good as the dead young man in the reading. He didn’t cry out to Jesus for help. He didn’t accept Jesus into his heart. He didn’t choose Jesus over other gods. Such acts of man’s will to turn toward God are the teaching of the Arminian churches, such as the Methodist Church. They teach that man is born with the power to choose God for Himself. That man was never truly dead in trespasses and sins, only seriously ill. But the Scriptures are clear. The young man of Nain was dead; dead in his trespasses and sins, just as everyone is born spiritually dead and incapable of acting, willing, or choosing to be saved.

The faith given to man is absolutely God’s work alone, just as the resurrection of this young man was the work of Jesus Christ alone. His physical resurrection is a picture of your spiritual resurrection. Just as the young man is raised by the words of Jesus, “Young man, I say to you, arise,” so too your faith is given to you by the Word of God. God works through the means of His Words and those words combined with physical elements in the Holy Sacraments to work faith in you. This faith then receives and clings to the forgiveness won by Jesus Christ on the cross.

This faith receives the benefit of the action of Jesus to deliver you from spiritual death. His death paid the penalty that you owed to God for your state as a sinner. Before you ever took a sinful thought, word, or deed, you had already willfully turned your back on God. Your soul was already spiritually dead and turned against God. The penalty for this sin is death and it is this penalty that the death of Jesus has paid. And so, the resurrection of your soul from spiritual death is entirely the work of God so that you would receive the benefit of the broken and shed Body and Blood of Jesus.

Spiritual death is perhaps the most concerning of the three deaths because it is like a ticking time-bomb. All men are born spiritually dead. Once you experience temporal death, the opportunity for the Word of God to work in your heart has ended and your eternal fate is decided. It is during your temporal life, during your life on this side of glory that the Word of God has the opportunity to work faith in you as well as for you to willfully turn your back on God and return to the filth of your sin. That is why it is essential to be in church every Sunday and every opportunity throughout the week; to read the bible every day; to begin and end each day with the Word of God and prayer; and to focus your life on Christ—that His death and resurrection would be the most important thing in this world for you because it is the most important thing in this world and the next.

Our Lord has also delivered us from the third death, eternal death. He has done this by providing everything we need to endure in the faith until the last day. He died to pay the penalty of our sins, but He rose the third day that we might have life and life to the fullest. He rose for our justification, that we would be declared righteous before the Father.[13] Our penalty is paid, and we are made sons of the heavenly Father, sons who will inherit His everlasting kingdom.[14] This is yours by faith, for it is a promise that you cannot see at this time. It is a promise made by God to all who believe, who hold the faith once delivered by the Holy Spirit and preached week in and week out from this pulpit.[15]

Christ rescues from eternal death by means of resurrection to eternal life. In the resurrection on the last day, you will not be tempted to sin. You will not be inclined toward sin. You won’t even be interested in sin. If that were the case, then it wouldn’t be eternal life. It would be temporary life. Eternal life means you are free from sin in every way. You will not endure sin and you won’t win. Rather, you will be in perfect bliss to enjoy the glory of God in a way not even the angels have been given to understand. You will be in perfect bliss with all the saints who have gone before and who are yet to be baptized. You will know God and see Him with your own eyes.[16]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 15:55.

[2] 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.

[3] St. Luke 16:22; 23:43.

[4] St. John 11:25-26.

[5] Ephesians 4:18.

[6] St. Luke 15:32.

[7] Colossians 2:13.

[8] St. John 5:25-29.

[9] Colossians 3:4; St. John 1:4.

[10] Hosea 13:14.

[11] St. John 5:25-29.

[12] 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4.

[13] Romans 4:25.

[14] Galatians 3:7, 26; 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:5.

[15] Jude 1:3.

[16] Job 19:27.

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15, 2024

Psalm 34; Sirach 24:7-8, 10-15a; Galatians 4:4-7

St. Luke 1:39-55

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”[1] What are those things which were told to Mary from the Lord?

Mary is told to rejoice for the Lord is with her.[2] This is fulfilled from the moment of her conception, when she was born in the faithful anticipation that God would come to save His people. God is with her all the days of her life. It is fulfilled again when that same Lord is incarnate in her very womb. God is with her intimately as He grows in her womb, soon to be born a man. The Lord is with her as she watches Him be crucified. He is with her when He rises from the dead. He is with her even as she lay dying, some 15 years after His ascension.

Mary is also called blessed among women. This is fulfilled already during the ministry of our Lord, when a woman in the crowd cries out to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”[3] It is fulfilled again tonight and every time a Christian refers to her as the Blessed Virgin Mary. And it is true. Mary truly is blessed among women. Not only is she blessed with faith, but she alone was granted the holy privilege of carrying the Christ in her womb. She alone beheld the Word by which creation was made within her own body.

One of the greatest of things told to Mary by the Lord is that she would be the mother of God. She would bear the Son of God and call His name, Jesus.[4] Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is true God, begotten of the Father before all worlds and true man, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since the Incarnation, His humanity and divinity cannot be divided. He is one Person, although with two natures. Because of this, it is fitting and correct to call Mary the mother of God.

Perhaps the greatest thing said to Mary is that this Son of God and Son of Mary would inherit the throne of David and that He would reign forever.[5] Her Son would be David’s Son and David’s Lord, the everlasting Prince of Peace, the Savior.[6] Mary was told by God that her Son would save her from her sins.[7] That He would go before her to prepare a place for her to rest for all eternity.[8] That He would reconcile her to His heavenly Father, making peace where sin once made for enmity.

I say this is the greatest thing because when you think of all the things Mary heard regarding her Son, this might seem like the least of things. It was accomplished by death. There is no physical sign, per se, that it was accomplished. And yet, it is the entire purpose of the Scriptures and the Incarnation. The salvation of Mary and all who believe is the reason God became man. And if there is anything we are to learn from Mary, it is that God chooses the lowly to be exalted. Jesus was born in a cattle stall, not a grand palace. He was born to a virgin girl, not a queen or empress. He made Himself lower than the animals for the sake of His beloved mankind.

The same is true for you. Just as Mary was promised that everything said to her by the Lord would be fulfilled, so too, those things the Lord has said to you have been, are, and will be fulfilled. In your Holy Baptism, Jesus declared that you are righteous. You have been born again into Christ. He said that you are a son or daughter of the Father. Your sins have been washed away and He prepares a place for you in the heavenly mansions. This is most certainly true.

Why come to church on a Thursday evening to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary? Because she is the sign, the image, of Christ’s church. Jesus was alive in her womb. He sought a resting place, a dwelling among His people.[9] Her body was His holy temple, just as you are the Holy Temple of the Holy Spirit. If you have been born again through the waters of Holy Baptism into Christ, then you too, have been born into His holy habitation.

For centuries, Christians have looked at Mary as the mother of all Christians. That doesn’t mean we worship her or elevate her to some “demi-goddess” status. No. She is our adoptive mother just as the Church is our mother. The Church is our mother because she is the place where we are given new birth. We ought to love and respect Mary because she was a lowly virgin who placed all her hope and trust in her Son, the same Son of God that we worship. She is an example of faith and an example of one for whom Jesus died. And just like you might celebrate the birthday of your beloved mother or grandmother who has died, for the sake of her memory, we too celebrate the death of Mary for the sake of honor.  

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 1:45.

[2] St. Luke 1:28.

[3] St. Luke 11:27.

[4] St. Luke 1:31.

[5] St. Luke 1:32-33.

[6] Psalm 110; Isaiah 9:6.

[7] Genesis 3:15.

[8] St. John 14:3-10.

[9] Sirach 24:7-15.