LESSON: 1 Timothy 1:8-11

The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good . . . but I am carnal, sold under sin. Romans 7:12,14

The law is the word by which God teaches us and instructs us in what we are to do and not to do, as He does in the Ten Commandments. Where nature stands alone, without God’s grace, it is impossible to keep God’s Law for the reason that man, after Adam’s fall in Paradise, is corrupt and has nothing but evil lust leading him into sin. It is impossible for him to be well-disposed to the Law from the depths of his heart.

We all experience this. There is no one who would not prefer to be without any Law at all. Every one of us realizes and feels in himself that it is very hard to be pious and to do good, and very easy to be wicked and to do evil.

Such shortcomings and unwillingness to do what is good force us into transgressions of God’s Law. What is done reluctantly, poorly, and unwillingly is of no avail at all before God. God’s Law overcomes us. We learn this from our own experience as we are by nature wicked, disobedient, lovers of sin, and enemies of God’s Law.

SL.XI.81,19
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PRAYER: Lord God, our heavenly Father, guard against all spiritual pride and self-righteousness so that when we look into the mirror of your Law we may see ourselves as we really are, lost and condemned sinners, whose only hope rests in our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

LESSON: PSALM 85

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Isaiah 61:1,2

What does Jesus mean when He says, “The poor have good news preaches to them”? Is not the good news also proclaimed to the rich and the whole world? How can the Gospel be regarded as something so important and as a great blessing when there are so many who are hostile to it?

Here we must know what the Gospel is, or we cannot understand this passage. We must diligently observe that from the beginning God has sent two words or forms of proclamation to the world – the Law and the Gospel. These two forms of proclamation you must recognize and separate. I tell you that hitherto, with the exception of the Scriptures, no book has ever been written, not even by a saint, in which these two forms of proclamation have been correctly divided. And yet this is such a basic issue.

SL. XI.80,18
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PRAYER: Grant us your Holy Spirit, O Lord, the Spirit of truth and understanding, that we may correctly understand your Word, correctly separating Law from Gospel, and never being confused in our faith. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 11:2-10

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted. Isaiah 61:1

Kings and priests are normally anointed to a kingdom and priesthood respectively. But this anointed King and Priest, Isaiah says here, is to be anointed by God Himself, not with any temporal oil but with the Holy Spirit who rests upon Him as He says: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.”

And so He preaches the Gospel, restores sight to the blind, heals all manner of sickness, and preaches the acceptable year, the time of grace. “Behold, your God will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.” Isaiah 35:4-6.

If we compare the Scripture with Christ’s works and Christ’s works with the Scripture, it becomes evident that in Christ we have the right man. Luke declares that at the time when the disciples of John the Baptist came to question Him, “he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.” Luke 7:21.

Here we must take Christ’s example to heart. He takes up His stand on His works and tells us to form our ideas about the tree from its fruits.

SL.XI.77,10
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PRAYER: Thanks be to you, O King of grace and salvation, for the fullness of your works of grace and salvation encouraging us at all times to place our full faith and reliance in you alone. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 15:4-13

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” Luke 21:29-31

These are words of sheer joy! Jesus does not give a parable for autumn or winter when the trees are bare and it is a gloomy time of the year. He gives us a parable for spring and summer which is a joyful, happy time, when all creatures revive and are joyful. Hereby it is very clearly taught that we should look forward to the last day and console ourselves with the gladness and eager longing with which all creatures joyfully await the spring and the summer.

What else could this parable suggest to us if that is not what the Lord is teaching here? Here He is telling us, “It will not mean hell and condemnation for you, but the kingdom of God”.

Therefore, look to your life and search your heart to determine how you are minded as far as the last day is concerned. Do not rely on your good life, for it can soon put you to shame! Strengthen your faith so that this day does not overtake you unawares with those who are damned and perverse. May you eagerly wait for it, and when you hear it mentioned, or think of it, may your heart leap for joy.

SL.XI.66,51-53
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PRAYER: Lead us at all times by your grace, O Lord, that we eagerly await your coming as the consummation of all our hopes and joy. Amen.

LESSON: ISAIAH 11:1-10

Thy kingdom come. Matthew 6:10

Even though the Lord’s Prayer is prayed on all sides throughout the world by countless numbers of people, there are really only very few who pray it correctly. For all but a very few would much prefer that there should never be any day of the Lord’s coming. What else is this but to wish that God’s kingdom should never come? In this way their heart prays against their mouth, and God judges according to the heart whereas they judge by the mouth.

So men devise and engage in many prayers, babble all the churches full in all the world, and all this goes by the name of prayer. But basically all this amounts to saying, “May Thy kingdom not come!” or, “May it not come yet!” Tell me, is not such prayer real blasphemy, of which the psalmist declares, “Let his prayer be counted as sin!” Psalm 109:7?

A tremendous amount of money and worldly goods is wasted in cramming every nook and corner with such blasphemy which men call the worship of God. Because there is such abuse in the use of prayer is no reason why the true children of God should not continue to pray earnestly to their heavenly Father for the coming of His kingdom and the full realization of all their hopes and joys.

SL.XI.65,48-49
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PRAYER: Enlighten and guide us by your grace, O Lord, that we always look forward to your coming in confidence and with our heads raised in joy. Amen.

LESSON: PSALM 50:1-6

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16

How could our Lord Jesus Christ admonish, comfort, and strengthen you more lovingly? First, He says: “You will hear of wars, but do not be afraid!” (Luke 21:9). When He tells you not to be afraid, what else is it but bidding you to be confident, and to recognize such signs with joy? Secondly, He tells you to look up joyfully. Thirdly, you are to raise your heads; and fourthly, He mentions your redemption.

What is going to comfort and strengthen you if these words fail to do so? Could you believe that He is lying to you and wants to deceive you with a false confidence? Do not be one to whom these words are addressed in vain! Thank God and confidently rely on these words!

There is no other help or comfort if these words are consigned to the winds. It is not a matter of condemnation but of your redemption, Christ says for your consolation and comfort. Will you turn these words about and say it is not your redemption but your damnation as you flee from your own salvation?

Will you not greet God when He meets you, and will you withhold your thanks to Him when He greets you? Without a doubt these words so well spoken are also especially intended to help those who are inclined to be somewhat despondent and even fearful in regard to the things Christ sets forth as heralds of His coming.
SL.XI.63,44-45
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PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with such confidence that we may recognize the signs which you have given us as heralds of your coming, and receive such signs with joy. Amen.

LESSON: PSALM 80

You are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:7

No one is better prepared for the advent of the last day than the one who earnestly desires to be without sin. If you have such a longing, why are you afraid? Thereby you are in full accord with all that this day betokens. Jesus comes to save from sins all who long for His redemption, and this is also what you are longing for. Give thanks to God and remain in this frame of mind! Christ says that His coming means redemption.

But see to it that you are not deceiving yourself when you say that you would be very glad to be free from sin, and that you do not fear the advent of that day. You do not really want to be free of sins but in His presence you cannot sin freely and securely.

See to it that your light is not darkness! For a heart that truly wants to be free of sin rejoices in confidence at the thoughts of that day which will fulfill all longings. If this joy is lacking, there is no real longing to be free of sin.

SL.XI.63,42
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PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with such joy and confidence in connection with your Day, that we really raise our heads as those who await you, knowing that your coming betokens our final entrance into the blessed abode which you have prepared for those who love you, for your name’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: LUKE 17:20-30

When these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads. Luke 21:28

If we are to pray fervently that God’s kingdom may come, then it is certainly necessary that we should look forward to these signs, horrible as they may be, with joy and eager longing, as Christ admonishes us when He tells us to raise our heads. He means to say, “Do not be afraid or lower your heads, for the object of our earnest prayers is coming.”

If, then, we are really in earnest about getting rid of our sins, death, and hell, we must look forward to this coming with eager and loving longing. In anticipation of this day, St. Paul declares: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8.

If He gives the crown to all who have loved this appearing, what will He give to those who have hated it and been afraid of it? Without a doubt He must assign them to hell as His enemies!

Likewise, in the Epistle to Titus, Paul says that we await “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:3. In Luke’s Gospel we read that we should “be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast.” Luke 12:36.

SL.XI.61,38
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PRAYER: Thanks be to you, dear Savior, for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation which you have procured for us by your suffering and death for us, and by which we also await your coming in joy and confidence, for your mercy’s sake. Amen.