A Congregation at Prayer ~ October 31-November 6, 2016 ~ The Apostle's Creed - Second Article10/30/2016 Catechesis Notes—The Second Article—He suffered, died, and was buried--“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). On our behalf and for our salvation He suffered and died. The word for “bruised” or “crushed” for our iniquities is the same verb found in Genesis 3:15, in which the Seed of the Woman would “bruise” the serpent’s head and the serpent would “bruise” or “crush” the Savior’s heel. Everything that “chastises” our conscience and interrupts our peace with God, as well as the “chastening” or punishment that we deserved for our sin to make peace with God, fell upon Jesus. Every wound that is inflicted upon us because of our sin is “healed” by “His stripes” or His “wounds” in the shedding of His blood. (Excerpt from Lutheran Catechesis, Catechist Edition, p. 106a)
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A Congregation at Prayer ~ October 24-30, 2016 ~ The Apostles' Creed – The Second Article10/23/2016 Catechesis Notes for the Week—The Second Article of the Creed--Redemption is the theme of the Second Article. It is a word that indicates that we have been “purchased and won” by Christ from Satan who had been our lord and taskmaster. Satan held sinful man and each one of us in his clutches. His power over us was the Law through sin. Because of our sinful rebellion he was able to lay claim to us and hold us under the Law’s condemnation. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, the condemnation of hell, and the power of Satan, by becoming a curse for us under the Law and pouring out His life-blood into death for us. This is how He, as the Seed of the Woman, would “bruise” or “crush” the devil’s headship and authority over man, according to the first promise of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15. “I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your seed [Satan] and her Seed; He [the woman’s Seed, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary] shall bruise your head [Satan’s power to condemn us] and you [Satan] shall bruise His heel. Christ was “bruised” upon the cross as He trampled Satan underfoot through His suffering and death. Now we have freedom from Satan’s tyranny through faith in Christ.
Catechesis Notes for the Week— The First Article of the Creed — “All that I am and all that I have comes from God. Apart from Him I am and have nothing.” These assertions are central to the Christian teaching concerning God. They declare that we, and all of creation, are completely dependent upon Him. Even when we abuse the life and gifts that He has given, we do so by His power in us. This is what makes such evil all the more blasphemous! Martin Luther’s Creedal Hymn confesses both our dependence upon God and His love for us that motivates Him to create, provide, protect, and defend us. “We all believe in one true God, who created earth and heaven. The Father who to us in love has the right of children given. He in soul and body feeds us; All we need His hand provides us; Through all snares and perils leads us, Watching that no harm betide us. He cares for us by day and night; All things are governed by His might.” The Catechism helps us to understand that what He has made and given is ALWAYS good, even if our sinful human reason might not think so and might even rebel against such gifts. There is great freedom in the gift of faith that accepts the truths of the First Article. All Christians—the deaf, the blind, and the lame— still confess that God has made them, including their “eyes, ears, and all their members,” even if they don’t work the way they want them to work. God’s created gifts are given AS THEY ARE, that we might learn to trust in Him through these gifts, extolling Him alone as God and relying upon His grace in our weakness.
Catechesis Notes for the Week—The First Article of the Creed and the Historical Account of Creation in Genesis--The Bible verse for this week teaches us that all of creation came into existence by the Word of God and that apart from God’s Word nothing exists. The stories of the creation of the heavens and the earth move quickly to the creation of man as the crown of God’s creation and the object of God’s greatest affection and love. Though man squandered God’s free gifts in the creation, God did not abandon His affection and love for us. The story of man’s fall into sin is quickly followed by God’s first promise of salvation from the devil and the condemnation that this fall brought upon us. This promise is contained in God’s Word to the devil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” The “Seed of the Woman” is the Virgin-born Son of God who crushed the devil’s claim upon man when His heel was bruised in His suffering and death upon the cross. This promise of salvation is also accompanied by God’s curse of the fall. The curse of the fall was necessary in order that sinful man might come to believe in his need for God. The curse of the fall gives the preaching of the Law its teeth. The Law preaches repentance—revealing the sin and rebellion from which we need God’s salvation—and the experience of the curse of the fall teaches us that the problem of sin is real and has separated us from God. It is in this context of the Law’s preaching and the experience of our fallen condition that the Gospel enters in to bring forgiveness and comfort, and to raise us up to the new life of faith. By faith in Christ and the promises of salvation through Him, we are enabled to bear up under the curse of the fall until we are delivered from all the suffering of our fallen condition on the last day in the resurrection of the dead.
Catechesis Notes for the Week— Review of the Commandments and the Close of the Commandments — The first commandment is behind all the commandments, and all the commandments are interconnected in the demand to love God above all things. The threat of the Law to punish anyone who turns away from God is visited upon Jesus in His death upon the cross. He was punished for the sin of the fathers in fulfillment of the law. Therefore, there is grace and mercy for us sinners, because Jesus “loved and trusted in God and gladly did what God demanded.” He did this even to the point of suffering the punishment that we sinners deserved. Death and condemnation is the result of turning away from God, the source of all life. The tablets of the Law that were hurled at the Jews from Mount Sinai show how all our righteousness is crushed under the scrutiny of God’s commandments. This is necessary. If we do not feel the crushing blow of the Law, we cannot receive the righteousness of Christ. Christ bore the crushing blow of the Law’s condemnation in His death. He willingly took our place, like a scapegoat, and suffered all that we by our sins deserved. Why did He do this? His love and desire to save us and give us life is at the heart of all that He does for us, even when the Law is proclaimed that crushes our self-righteousness and pride.
Catechesis Notes for the Week— The Ninth and Tenth Commandments--This week’s Bible Passage is the Lord’s call to: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...” As we meditate upon the Ninth and Tenth Commandments this week, which forbid covetousness (the idolatrous desire of the heart), we are called to DESIRE and YEARN for Christ and His righteousness above all things. Jesus’ words are a call to faith in Him. It is as if He were saying, “I am your God and Savior! I have taken your sin and punishment upon Myself. I have died for you upon the cross. My blood cleanses you from all sin. I forgive you all your sin on account of My death for you. My righteousness covers you. I am the source of your life and salvation. If you have Me by faith, then you will have all things that you need because I have redeemed and saved you and I will never abandon you. All that you need I will surely give you.” “Therefore,” as Jesus’ words go on to say, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” The sin of covetousness arises out of the rebellious, unbelieving heart that does not believe that Jesus and His righteousness are sufficient to supply us with all that we need and that He, Himself, is the greatest joy and delight of our hearts. Therefore, covetousness is not merely the desiring of wrong things or good things that we shouldn’t have, but more importantly, it is the belief that Christ is not enough for us. The only thing any of us really lack is Christ and His righteousness, but the wonder of the Gospel is that the One whom we lack—the only Good One—actually gives Himself to us as a free gift of His grace that we might live in Him.
Catechesis Notes for the Week— The Seventh and Eighth Commandments--In the Seventh Commandment, “You shall not steal,” God wishes to protect His gift of property. Christians have a unique perspective on temporal goods. We are given our property that we might use it for the benefit of others. The Catechism declares that we are to help our neighbor “to improve and protect his possessions and income.” This is a concrete expression of love. In the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor,” God wishes to protect the gift of a good name and reputation. We are not only called to speak the truth in love to our neighbor and for our neighbor’s benefit, but we are also called to use our tongue to cover the sin and shame of others. We are called to “defend [our neighbor], speak well of him, and explain everything [about him] in the kindest way.” This week’s verse is a portion of Jesus’ catechesis on the Eighth Commandment in which He instructs us that our speech should be governed by the truth of God’s Word, anything other than this is of the devil: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
Catechesis Notes for the Week— The Fifth and Sixth Commandments--In the Second Table of the Law we see especially the gifts of creation that God wishes to protect and through which He brings many blessings to us. The Fifth Commandment, “You shall not murder,” teaches us that human life is sacred. After the Flood, God instituted capital punishment for murder precisely because man was made in the image of God (Genesis 9:5-7). By the Fifth Commandment God wishes to protect human life. Inflicting physical harm upon someone, abortion and euthanasia, as well as hatred and grudge-bearing, are all forms of murder forbidden under the Fifth Commandment. The Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” teaches us that marriage and sexuality are gifts of God to be used and enjoyed in the way that God created them. According to God’s Word, marriage is only between one man and one woman for life. Sexuality is a gift of God that is to be used for the most intimate expression of love within the one flesh union of marriage and for the procreation of children. All forms of adultery, homosexuality, and divorce are forbidden under the Sixth Commandments. The sanctity of human life and marriage is taught by Jesus in this week’s Bible Verse. The Fifth and Sixth Commandments not only forbid murder and adultery, but they also teach how love is expressed according to these commandments. We are called to “help and be of service to our neighbor in every physical need” and “to lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do,” loving the spouse that God has given us in marriage.
Catechesis Notes for the Week—Labor Day--As we pray this week during our country’s observance of Labor Day, we are reminded that as Christians we see our life’s work as the means by which we serve our neighbor in love. The work that God has called us to is not principally for our own benefit, but for the benefit of our neighbor. God loves, cares for, provides and helps others through the service of Christians who live faithfully in their vocations. The strength to be faithful in our daily work comes from the Lord’s forgiving Word, and by our work for others we reflect and confess our Savior whose work brought the gift of salvation to all people.
Catechesis Notes for the Week—Praying through the Catechism--As we begin another year of meditation upon the Catechism, you will notice some changes have been made to the format of this series. We waited to make these changes until a new year started in order to keep consistency throughout a year. First, you will notice that the week now runs Monday through Sunday. This makes it easier to focus on the upcoming Sunday’s readings, theme, and prayers throughout the week. In this transition period, a few daily psalms will be missed. This is okay. We will come back to them a few times in the course of this year. A second change you will notice is that prayers will be included on the assigned Catechism sections each week in the Congregation at Prayer. These prayers will assist you in your family prayer and individual devotions at home. Once again we encourage you to memorize the parts of the catechism on a weekly basis, and encourage your household to do the same. We learn best how to pray and meditate upon the Catechism by actually praying according to what the Catechism teaches us. In addition to these prayers and use of the Congregation at Prayer, we encourage individuals and families to obtain copies of the Christian Worship hymnal for use in the home. Reading Scripture together, reciting the Catechism, learning by heart verses of Scripture, singing and praying with the hymnal is among the foremost ways in which we are preserved in the Christian faith and pass on our faith to our children. The third change you will notice in the coming weeks is a read through of the Lutheran Confessions. This will begin in a couple weeks as we finish our “Through the Bible in Two Years” series. If you are in need of a copy of the Lutheran Confessions, please speak with Pastor Seelow, and he will point you in the right direction to find one that suits your needs. Use this devotional in any way you see fit. Take parts, only use the Scripture guide, use it for a guide to daily prayer. But please continue in your catechetical training. Learn and pray the catechism. May God richly bless our time in his Word this year!
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