The Small Catechism – part 127
Scripture Text: Luke 23:22–24
Jesus, innocent man and holy God, was condemned to suffer the cruelest death the Romans had at their disposal. He would be crucified. His crucifixion was mere expedience in Pilate’s mind.
“Conceived by the Holy Spirit”
Scripture Text: John 6:54–63
Even in the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary we see that human works had no play. Mary did nothing. Joseph surely did nothing. The poor man was very likely stunned at the news...
The Small Catechism – part 126
Scripture Text: Luke 1:35
Jesus was born of the virgin named Mary but he was conceived by God. The Holy Spirit was the fathering agent, therefore the holy child was of two natures: divine and human. Jesus was born in “the likeness of men," that is, he is similar to a man.
The Small Catechism – part 125
Scripture Text: Romans 10:9
We moderns, especially in Western cultures, tend to speak of the heart as being an emotional vessel. In the consideration of the ancient Hebrews, the heart was the seat of thought and will, as well as emotion.
The Small Catechism – part 124
Scripture Text: Philippians 2:9–11
As Jesus is master over life and death, so he is Lord of all things in life and death. He is God over all creation: in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth.
The Small Catechism – part 123
Scripture Text: John 20:28–29
Thomas, the perennial doubter, at seeing his crucified rabbi alive and standing before him, confessed what John had related at the beginning of his Gospel.
The Small Catechism – part 122
Scripture Text: Romans 8:32
As Abraham did not spare his own Son when God commanded it of him, God did not spare his own Son when his will demanded it of himself. Through this precious, only Son, he has redeemed the creation he loves.
The Small Catechism – part 121
Scripture Text: John 1:14
Just as God settled among his people in the Old Testament, God now “tabernacles” among those who believe. He does so through his Son, Christ Jesus, who is the exact image of God.
The Small Catechism – part 120
Scripture Text: Isaiah 61:1
Sometimes the Old Testament speaks of the king as an anointed one, a person on whom God’s blessing rests. A priest would pour a flask of oil over the king’s head as a symbol that God had anointed him king.
The Small Catechism – part 119
Scripture Text: Matthew 1:21
The name “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua” (which later morphed into “Jeshua”) which means “the Lord saves.”
The Small Catechism – part 118
Scripture Text: John 18:37–38
“This is most certainly true!” declares Luther. “What is truth?” responds Pilate. The Truth was standing right in front of him, and he dismissed him as though truth were too difficult to nail down.
The Small Catechism – part 117
Scripture Text: Psalm 90:1–2
God has given us all we need for life. More than that, he has made himself our home. Paul puts it this way: “In him we live and move and have our being.”
The Small Catechism – part 115
Scripture Text: Psalm 115:3
When we confess that God is almighty, we are saying something more than that he is strong. This confession also declares that what is impossible with people is possible with God.
The Small Catechism – part 114
Scripture Text: Matthew 6:9
We believe in God as our Father. He is a good Father, having provided all we need in this life. But he is more than a dispenser of goods.
The Small Catechism – part 113
Scripture Text: Isaiah 44:6
When we say that we believe in God, we mean the Lord God named by God’s Redeemer in Matthew 28:19. Jesus gave the “name” of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Small Catechism – part 112
Scripture Text: Mark 9:24
The English word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, which means, “I believe.” A creed is a statement of what one gives credence to, finds credible.
The Small Catechism – part 111
Scripture Text: Romans 7:24–25
We are saved from sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, sin is not a thing of the past; it is a present reality. Though we pray, “thy will be done,” and we know, even have memorized, the commandments, we cannot keep them.
The Small Catechism – part 110
Scripture Text: 1 Timothy 4:8
Pointing toward my stomach, the doctor said that I needed to lose my little friend. I asked, “What, about 20 pounds.” She dryly replied, “More like 30 to 40.”
The Small Catechism – part 109
Scripture Text: Philippians 3:12–14
This may not be that hard to imagine. Think of the family dinner table with parents and children gathered for the evening meal. Now picture the children glued to their phones.
The Small Catechism – part 108
Scripture Text: Exodus 20:5b-6
Verse five from the Word today can be a troubling verse, especially if you read the NIV. In that version, it reads: “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”
The Small Catechism – part 107
Scripture Text: Proverbs 20:9
It does not matter how hard you try to be good; you are a sinner. You were born in sin, and as long as you are in this body, you will be a sinner; and you will sin.
The Small Catechism – part 106
Scripture Text: Luke 10:25–28
When the law crushes us with its demands, as it did the lawyer in today’s Scripture, what are we to do but plead for mercy? Just when we imagine that we might have become experts in religion...
The Small Catechism – part 105
Scripture Text: 1 John 3:23
All the Commandments are rooted in the First, or as it quickly came to be understood: the greatest or most important commandment (Matt 22:36–40).
The Small Catechism – part 104
Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 4:24
God’s jealousy over us is ready to ignite. The word for fire in the Latin Vulgate is ignis, from which we get our English word “ignite.”
The Small Catechism – part 103
Scripture Text: Psalm 37:4
As you find more and more joyful satisfaction, even sheer delight, in God’s company, you will find your heart desiring godly things.