The Medicine of Immortality

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

In the past many months, there has been a lot of chatter about vaccines. Each effective vaccine is a miracle. Each vaccine gives people hope that they could avoid a particular sickness. But even with the most effective vaccine, humanity has the same mortality rate. To date, every person has a mortality rate of 100 percent. We all have the same fate: death. This is because the wages of sin is death, and since all have sinned, all will die (Romans 6:23a).

 

Even with the certainty of death on the horizon, the life of the Christian does not end at death. You see, Jesus offers everyone the free gift of eternal life through the medicine of immortality. Jesus says to us, “Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks my blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:54-56).

 

Jesus gives us the medicine of immortality through His Means of Grace in His Word and Sacrament. Through the Sacrament of the Altar, Christ cures everyone from death itself. This is what the Great Physician does. Jesus calls us all to eat and to drink His true body and His true blood under the bread and the wine to give us forgiveness of sins. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation.

 

As sinner-saints, we need this medicine weekly in the Divine Service, as we constantly need forgiveness for our sins and our Christian faith strengthened. This is what God does for us as He serves us — His flock — each and every Sunday.

 

This medicine of immortality is the greatest gift we could ever receive. This Christ offers to us freely and out of His abounding love for you!

 

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen