The Word and the Blood

and the not loving of life to death...

May 25, 2022

1/ Let your heart take courage (Psalm 27:14)

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     Wait for the LORD. 
          Be STRONG. 
          Let your HEART take COURAGE. 
     Wait for the LORD.

2/ The Blood and the Word

Revelation 12 is one of the highlights of the glorious picture of Jesus given to John. The chapter starts with the dragon (the devil) waiting to devour the Child (Jesus). He fails. Jesus is caught up into heaven where He rules with a rod of iron, where He presents His blood in the heavenly court as the evidence of our innocence.

The devil now has no place in this heavenly court, there is nothing to accuse. He’s thrown down to earth, where he chases us around. But, the text tells us, the devil is overcome by us. Amazing! How does this happen?

And they have conquered him (the dragon)
by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony,
for they loved not their lives even unto death.
-Revelation 12:11

These three things conquer the devil: the word and the blood and the not loving our lives to death.

The more I think about the life of the church, what we do when we gather on Sunday morning, and all the other things that the church does, the more I come back to these two things: the word and the blood. That’s what happens on Sunday at St Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches, and at your church as well: the word and the blood. These overcome the devil, cleanse our conscience, open the doors to heaven, and set us free to live and love and serve and suffer and die in the name of Jesus.

God be praised!

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3/ Doctrines Bound Up to the Ascension of Jesus, a quick list

Here’s a list of images connected to the Ascension of Jesus: Throne, Advocate, Priest, Sending, Exaltation.

4/ Luther on Faith (from Genesis 27:22)

I’m still rejoicing in these quotes from Martin Luther (from this morning’s Worldwide Bible Class):

Therefore faith is an all-powerful battle which, in opposition to the battle of the flesh, clings to the Word and the promise with one and the same prospect.

He [St. Paul] teaches me what faith is. I see the glorious victories of the saints and the martyrs. But my faith cannot accomplish this. And they also exerted themselves and overcame death. They did not do this without a great conflict. Thus we, too, have the same Baptism, the same God to give consolation, and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter who offers us rich comfort in the Word. And although I gladly hear the account of the conflicts and the victories of the saints, I cannot do the same things. Therefore one must take hold of the Word (Ps. 27:14): “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.” God does not abandon even him who is weak in faith.

For nobody does anything successfully or believes without the Word.

But when the heart takes hold of the Word, then the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit follows, and the power and might to do amazing things.

Here’s the recording of the study.

5/ The “From…To” of the Gospel

From DEATH to LIFE
From DARKNESS to LIGHT
From UNCLEAN to CLEAN
From SIN to RIGHTEOUSNESS
From FAR OFF to NEAR
From BONDAGE to FREEDOM
From LOST to FOUND
From SLAVE to CHILD
From DISPAIR to HOPE
From EMNITY to PEACE

What’s on your “From…To” of the Gospel?

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