Devotions From Steadfast Lutherans

Dear Jesus, You blessed those who have not seen and yet believed. Increase our faith through times of trouble and tribulation. Help us to cling, not to circumstances or to worldly props, but to your sure prophetic Word, our light in the deep darkness of this benighted vale of sorrow and death. Keep us in the true faith, until faith finally gives way to sight, when we shall see you face to face and be as You are. Amen.

If Jesus was not my God and Lord, He would be scary and terrible. I would flee from Him; I would ask the mountains to cover and hide me to no avail. But Jesus’ precious blood and innocent death redeemed me. These bought me back. I was bought with a price. I belong to Jesus. You belong to Jesus. And if you belong to Jesus, He will certainly save you. Psalm 119:94 sums up this thought: “I am Yours, save me.”

Thomas did not lose his courage when he received faith. Rather, Christ then used Thomas’ courage in the expansion of His kingdom. This is true for us too. God uses our natural gifts and affections, which are put in subjection to Christ, for His glory and our neighbor’s service.

When we are afraid, let us hear once again those wonderful words of Jesus: “Peace be with you.” Through the death of Jesus, we need not fear anything. Fear involves torment. But Jesus has taken all of our torment upon Himself. Every secret shame and every punishment which we deserved, He carried to the cross. We now have peace. We have peace with God; we have peace with Jesus. Even when we face death, we can and are at peace, for Christ has turned our death into the gateway to immortal life.

Heavenly Father, You have implanted in us a natural affection for our family and friends. Sanctify this love, so that we might not love anything more than You. Bring to remembrance the words of Jesus, so that by faith, we might truly and rightly love one another and our Lord. Amen.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Dear Jesus, You have defeated the grave for us, turning it from a treacherous enemy into the safe door through which we enter into eternal life. Keep us firm in the true faith, that enduring to the end, we may receive the blessings of Your salvation. Amen.

When we die, when we must give up our soul and depart this life, we do not commend our soul to a stranger. We certainly do not commend our soul to an enemy. Rather, we commend our soul to Jesus Christ, who called us to eternal life in His Word and will raise our mortal body to be reunited with our soul in immortality and eternal life. In that life to come, there is only peace and joy. There, it is eternally safe, eternally blessed.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! – Job 19:25-27

What faith knows it knows only by the Word of God, which is more sure and more certain than anything we learn by sight or experience. The Christian learns that what God reveals to him must be known and discerned by faith and not by sight. So it is with the resurrection of the body – what we know by faith overrides what we know by sight and experience. Our bodies will return to the ground (unless the Lord returns first), but we know by faith that He will raise that body to eternal life.

Dear Jesus, protect us from the evils that come against us. Do not abandon us but keep us safely in Your care. And on the Last Day, give us the victory over death by raising our bodies to life. Amen.

2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;  Likewise I to life shall waken. He will bring me where He is;  Shall my courage then be shaken? Shall I fear, or could the Head Rise and leave His members dead?

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. – Romans 6:9

Lord Jesus Christ, graciously our faith renew; help us bear our crosses, learning humbleness from You, peace mid pain and losses, may we give You love for love, hear us O our Savior, that we may in heaven above, sing your praise forever.  Amen  (adapted from the last stanza of “Jesus I will Ponder Now”)

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:19–25, ESV)

5 The world against me rages, Its fury I disdain; Though bitter war it wages, Its work is all in vain. My heart from care is free, No trouble troubles me. Misfortune now is play, And night is bright as day. LSB 467:5

Dear Jesus, help us to always trust in You and Your work of atonement for our victory over sin, death, and the devil.  Help us look to you when tempted to be fearful like the unbelievers are, and to know that we are as secure and safe as we ever shall be because of Your finished work at Calvary.  Amen.

St. Paul rightly says since we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we saved by him from the wrath of God.   The atonement of Christ establishes our salvation from each and everything.

Easter Sunday is the public spectacle of Christ’s victory.  It is a testimony of His power to save – that in fact Christ has done everything needed to accomplish salvation.  The grave, that final opponent is defeated and cannot stand against Christ, and by implication the grave cannot stand against those who belong to Christ.  You have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, you have new life by the forgiveness of sins.  Christ shares His victory with you – not only at the Last Day, but even now each day in your baptized life – daily dying to sin and rising again to newness of life.

Dear Jesus, thank You for earning our salvation and rising from the grave.  Help us to look to you for our eternal joy no matter our earthly situation.  Help us to fear the grave as little as our beds.  Amen.