There are a number of incredibly profound sentences at the beginning of our text that we might miss if we’re not careful. In the very first verse, John tells us, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. (v. 1) Jesus knew that the rescue mission that had begun with his conception in the womb of the virgin Mary was soon coming to an end and he would be returning to Father in heaven!
Something feels different about today. I don’t mean that just from the standpoint of how Palm Sunday “feels” in contrast to the quieter days of Lent. I also mean it “feels” different from the tone of Jesus’ whole ministry. Here is what I’m driving at. Early in Jesus’ ministry, he heals a man with leprosy. The account is in Mark 1. After healing the man Jesus gave him a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone.” (Mark 1:43-44) Jesus very sternly told this man to keep a lid on things! A similar event takes place in Mark 9. Jesus heals two blind men. Again, we are told: Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” (Mark 9:30) This has sometimes been referred to as “the Messianic secret.” Jesus carefully “curated” how and how much information about himself he wanted proclaimed.
Today’s Worship was lead by Pastor Michael Kampman from Risen Savior Lutheran Church, McFarland.
As we meet Mary and Martha in our text today, they are people living in “the land of in-between.” What do we mean by that? They are living after the death of a loved one. The wound is nervy and raw. As the story begins, the resurrection has not taken place yet. They are living in the middle, between death and resurrection.
Today’s Worship was lead by Pastor Scott Schwertfeger of Zion Lutheran Church, Leeds.
God wanted people to be able to identify the Messiah when he came into the world. To help them know who the Messiah was, God made prophecies, or predictions, about what the Savior would be like. One of the identifying things about the coming of the Messiah was this, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened. (Isaiah 35:5)
Most of you know that in the Old Testament the Lord made a covenant with his people that required various sacrifices. Among all the sacrifices in the Old Testament is one we may often overlook. It was called the “drink offering.” Drink offerings were to be a part of burnt offerings. The drink offering involved pouring out some wine at the base of the altar. As mentioned, it was connected to the burnt offering. That means that every single morning when a lamb was offered at the Temple as a burnt offering for Israel, and when every day ended with another lamb sacrifice, a priest stood and poured out wine at the base of the altar.
Today’s Worship service was lead by Pastor David Horton from Eastside Lutheran Church, Madison.
The other day I ran across this “Pre-Travel Checklist.” It is supposed to be a helpful tool for someone about to travel somewhere. It contains nearly sixty things you need to do before you travel. Before travel, you should “clear fridge of perishable items” and “water house plants” and “charge electronic devices.” As I said, it recommends sixty things you MUST DO to travel.
