Day 48 - Leviticus 24-25 & Mark 1:23-45
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (Mark 1:40-42 ESV)
In this portion of today’s year-through-the-Bible verses from Mark, Jesus teaches us several important lessons.
1) How to properly pray for earthly blessings (“If it is Your will”):
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”
2) Jesus cares about sinners in need. He has compassion on them:
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him...
"Compassion, Greek splagchnizomai. Literally “his gut moved.” Jesus experienced the same gut reaction as we sometimes do in sad situations." (Concordia Study Bible, CPS, 2009, page 722)
This is good news for us sinners living in an imperfect world. Jesus truly cares about us and our human condition. The ultimate assurance that this is true is found on the cross. Jesus cared so much about us and our lostness that He died as payment for our sins.
3) Jesus is God:
... and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Lord Jesus, thank You for having gut wrenching pity on me and my condition. Thank You also for acting on that pity and love by obediently going to the cross and redeeming me from sin, death and the devil. Please use me to share Your great love with other lost sinners. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 47 - Leviticus 22-23 & Mark 1:1-22
“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” (Mark 1:12-13 ESV)
Mark reports the temptation of Jesus in 2 short verses, while Matthew uses 11 verses to fill in the details.
Many prefer to take the short version when it comes to temptation. They do this by ignoring God’s Law or by simply denying that there are any rules at all. These same folks even deny the existence of God. And since, they reason, there is no right or wrong, there can be no temptation.
This is so dangerous! God is real. His Law is in force. We also need to know that the devil is on the job, tempting us to break God’s Law.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)
What we really miss in the sort version is the antidote to temptation proclaimed by Jesus:
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4 ESV)
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7 ESV)
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:10 ESV)
Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching me how to withstand the temptations of Satan. Remind me of what is written in the Bible about my personal weaknesses and sinful inclinations. Please bless me again this day with a truly penitent heart and with Your gracious gift of forgiveness. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 46 - Leviticus 20-21 & Matthew 28
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10 ESV
How do we know for sure that our sins are forgiven and we are heading for heaven? The answer is found in Jesus’ empty tomb and the fact of His physical resurrection from the dead. The catechism explains it this way:
Question # 145 Why is Christ's resurrection so important and comforting?
Christ's resurrection proves that
A. Christ is the Son of God;
B. His doctrine is the truth;
C. God the Father accepted Christ's sacrifice for the reconciliation of the world;
D. all believers in Christ will rise to eternal life.
The resurrection of Christ proves that every promise of God is true. Therefore we can trust Him in all things. What comfort and assurance that gives us in this uncertain and chaotic world!
Almighty God, heavenly Father, thank You for the comfort and assurance You have provided through the resurrection of You Son. What joy and holy anticipation this gives repentant sinners like me. Because He lives, I too will live. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 44 - Leviticus 18-19 & Matthew 27:32-66
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46 ESV
He was a third century priest. He chose to disobey the Roman Emperor and obey God instead by secretly marrying young couples. He was arrested and tried. One of his judges, a man by the Asterius, had a blind daughter whom Gold healed at the prayerful behest of this man. He was convicted and sentenced to death. He wrote a final note to the daughter of Asterius and signed it: “from your Valentine.” Or so the legend goes concerning the origins of Valentine’s Day.
From the cross, Jesus spoke words of love that eclipse any attempt we humans may make to convey love: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These words show God the Father’s great love for us sinners. Jesus spoke these words in love so that you and I will never have to. He was expressing the doom of the damned...being forsaken by God.
Thank God He love us so! Now there is a way out from under the burden and the curse of our sins. We who confess our faith in Jesus and repent of our sins are forgiven and guaranteed heaven. And we love God for this. In fact... We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 ESV)
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
3 God would not have the sinner die,
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven's heirs.
“God Loved the World So That He Gave ” Lutheran Service Book. CPH # 571 (1,3)
O dearest Jesus, thank You for Your great love for sinners like me. Thank You for speaking the words of the damned in hell for me. Help me now to lovingly share Your love with others. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 44 - Leviticus 15-17 & Matthew 27:1-31
“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.” (Leviticus 16:29-31 ESV)
“Once a year, on the 10th day of the seventh month, God implemented a mandatory Day of Atonement. Ritual sacrifices cleansed the sanctuary, tent of meeting, altar, priests, and entire congregation of their sins. The chief cleansing agent was blood, which pointed forward to Jesus’ sacrifice. By His death, Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice and entered the heavenly sanctuary with His blood (Hebrews 9:11-14), opening the way for believers to enter into God’s presence. (Concordia Study Bible, CPH 2009, page 190).
1. Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain
Could give the guilty conscience peace
Or wash away the stain.
2. But Christ, the heav'nly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
5. Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice
And sing His bleeding love.
“Not All the Blood of Beasts” Lutheran Service Book. CPH, # 431 (1,2,5)
O dearest Jesus, I thank You and praise You for providing the atonement for my sins by means of Your precious blood shed on Calvary. Please use me to share your Forgiveness with others today. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 43 - Leviticus 14 & Matthew 26:55-75
But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” (Matthew 26:63-66 ESV)
They could find nothing to charge Jesus with other than their hatred and jealousy. Then the high priest asked THE question. It was the question that was on everyone’s minds. The answer Jesus gave was all they needed. And how did they respond? With more hatred and jealousy that concluded with “He deserves death.”
This statement was, of course, the wrong answer, for Jesus was/is the perfect, holy, innocent and eternal Son of God. In another sense, this is the right answer. As our substitute, Jesus did deserve death because that is exactly what we poor, miserable sinners do deserve. We thank God that our substitute experienced the death of hell for us and spoke what should be our eternal words: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV)
1 O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession,
What dark transgression?
3 Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for which Thou, Lord, must languish;
Yea, all the wrath, the woe, Thou dost inherit,
This I do merit.
5 The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted;
God is committed.
“O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken,” Lutheran Service Book CPH #439 (1,3,5)
O dearest Jesus, thank You for taking what I deserved on Your shoulders when You died on the cross. I am truly sorry for my part in Your innocent sufferings and death. Please forgive me and use me to proclaim Your great love and mercy to others. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
Day 42 - Leviticus 13 & Matthew 26:20-54
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28 ESV)
Jesus had you and me on His mind as He looked forward to the rest of the first Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Just think of it. His bitter suffering and death were fast approaching, and the suffering Servant was focused on instituting His meal in which He serves us His body and blood. What precious treasures He offers us here:
● Forgiveness of sins
● Communion with God and with His people
● Assurance of His constant presence with us
● Preview of the heavenly banquet
These are the treasures almighty God has FOR YOU in this spiritual meal.
● What a blessing we are given each week at St. Paul’s as we answer the invitation to the Lord’s Supper!
● Remember, this is all FOR YOU!
● How wonderful to know that His answer to the following prayer is a forgiving, comforting and empowering “Yes, My body and My blood are given for your highest good.”
♬ Weary am I and heavy laden,
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously, and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest.
Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good! Amen.
(I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table, Lutheran Service Book, CPH, 2006 #618 stanza 4)
“See” you at the Communion table this morning!
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart
http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf
