May 20, 2024
Today’s Reading: John 3:16-21
Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:1-20; Luke 22:1-23
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16–17)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You may have heard the first of the two verses above described as “the Gospel in a nutshell.” It clearly states the “what” that God did to save the sinful fallen race of humanity, AKA you and me. But it doesn’t reveal the “why,” the reason that Jesus came and did what He did. And that second verse is critically important because it tells us not only what Jesus did, but what he came NOT to do. You see, Christianity is truly unique among world religions. In other religions, the “gods” don’t really like people. I’m not talking about in an “I don’t like people” way that you might joke about, where you like to stay on the couch and read a book rather than go out. I’m talking in more of a “we hate humanity” sense. In other religions, the gods either want to destroy humanity or enslave it, using us mortals to get food, or to play cruel games with us, or worse.
But dear Christians, that is not the kind of God we serve. The difference (aside from the obvious, that God is the one true God) is that God loves His creation. He looked upon it in the beginning and saw that His creation was good. And when humanity fell into sin, He loved it still. He promised right after to send a Messiah to save fallen creation from sin, death, and the lies of the devil. And here in John’s Gospel, we get the picture of this Messiah: Jesus. We see that God did not send Jesus just to preach condemnation, as Jonah wanted to with the Ninevites, but to save creation. Is there sin to be condemned? Absolutely there is. Sin is ugly and it is wrong. A huge part of the Christian life is repentance for the sin that we commit daily. But our lives as Christians do not end there. It does not end with us sitting in the wreckage of our sin with a sign around our necks that says “condemned.” Christ comes in, pays for the consequences of our sins by dying and rising again, and binds up your wounds with words through your pastor, straight from the mouth of Jesus himself. “I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” These words were spoken at your Baptism and are repeated in the Divine Service. We are truly loved by Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
God said to His belovèd Son: “It’s time to have compassion. Then go, bright jewel of My crown, And bring to all salvation. From sin and sorrow set them free; Slay bitter death for them that they May live with You forever.” (LSB 556:5)
-Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols . This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House.
