Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 2 - Psalm 81:1, 7a, 10, 16b; antiphon: 1 Peter 2:2a

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 19:1-25; Hebrews 13:1-21

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.” For Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Asaph was a Levite, a member of David’s court. The words of this psalm open to us the scriptures, giving us certainty of who God is, what He has done, and continues to do for His people. The people of Israel are described as stubborn, as those who do not listen or submit to God. Yet God conquers their enemies, delivers them from the land of Egypt. Despite their unfaithfulness and constant idolatry, God continues to care and deliver them.

The same is true for us. We have seen all that God has done for us, and yet we still sin much and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and punishment. We cannot, by our own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ as our God and Lord, or even come to Him. So God becomes the doer, the rescuer, the redeemer of us His people.

God comes down, that ancient Word that gave life to all flesh, puts on human flesh. The Word made flesh comes down, begotten of His Father, born of woman, to subdue our enemies of sin, death, and the devil. He does this not with gold or silver, but with His holy and precious blood by His innocent suffering and death. What is left for us to do then? Die. That’s all we can do.

God sees our stubbornness, our stopped-up ears, our sin and brokenness, and He overcomes them. His holy Law adjusts our stiff necks, and opens our ears, it kills our sinfulness, our very broken bodies, and kills all free will and go-getter attitude we might bring to the table. All we can do in history towards God is die.

That’s exactly what God does. He comes, and He dies to the Law in our place, bearing our sin that He might raise us the dead up and declare us His holy people. There’s nothing we contribute. We die to sin, and are raised to new life. This is a daily reality we live in, that we would remember the God who brought His people out of Egypt, who fed them, and delivered them. God does the same for us. He does the redeeming, the saving, the life-giving, the absolving. We die to sin in our baptisms daily, and emerge in the daily resurrection to receive our daily bread. That we might receive the bread of life to fill us with the life that we will know fully on the Last Day. We are stubborn and unworthy, so we do all we can do is die. Yet united to our Lord and Savior Jesus, who came down, bore the cross, and rose again. We too shall rise.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Help us to serve you evermore with hearts both pure and lowly; and may your Word, that light divine, shine on in splendor holy that we repentance show, in faith ever grow; the pow'r of sin destroy and evils that annoy. O make us faithful Christians. (LSB 647:3)