Lent Devotional - March 17, 2023

Hymn: “Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow” (LSB #428, v. 4)

Cross of Jesus, cross of sorrow,
Where the blood of Christ was shed,
Perfect man on thee did suffer,
Perfect God on thee has bled!
 
           Who, what, where, when, why, and how? Through these questions we come to realize that our faith is not some theoretical idea that one must ascent to with their mind or feel with their heart. Our faith is real and tangible. Our faith is reality. It is how things are.

           The cross of Jesus, that cross of sorrow, is the place where real sins were put to death on a real Savior. A Savior with flesh and blood. Blood that poured out of veins from His hands, feet, and side. Blood that now covers you in your baptism.
 
           This blood from Jesus who is called the Christ is not some random outpouring of blood. It is not like the blood from the thousands upon thousands of animals offered in the Old Testament. These only pointed to this outpouring of blood that comes from this Anointed One of God.
 
           Blood that flows out from Jesus, the perfect man. The man who did all that humanity is required to do. He was fully human like you and me. He is our brother. And what He did…He did for all.

           But in this One Person of Christ, the Godhead too has bled. God in flesh, the Author of all flesh and the Giver of all life has suffered this pain and wrath and death in order that we would live.

           And in all of space and time this gift and this righteousness have come to us. Through the Word and through the Sacraments, we are joined to this event, this reality, that is now ours.