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

O Lord, We Praise Thee

Today on this Maundy Thursday, we remember when Christ first instituted the Sacrament of the Altar as He said: "Take, eat. This is My body, which is given for you. Take, drink. This is My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

The hymn "O Lord, We Praise Thee" (LSB 617) was encouraged by Martin Luther to be sung each time the congregation would receive the Sacrament of the Altar. Luther revised the original first stanza, and he, himself, wrote the second and third stanzas of this hymn.

He added the second and third stanzas to remind everyone that we are to partake of the Sacrament in both kinds [The very Body (bread) and very Blood (wine) of Christ].

The hymn reflects Luther's trinitarian understanding of Holy Communion in its three-stanzas and in its content: the grace of God (the Father), whom we praise and thank and before whom we bow and adore; the communion in the body and blood of Christ (the Son); and the gift of the Spirit to live in accordance with God's will.

Stanza three reminds us of what participation in this Holy Supper means when God give us His "grace and favor" by living together "in love and union" with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, when we partake of Christ's very Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine, we not only receive forgiveness of sins and strength for our faith, but we confess that we are in doctrinal agreement with what the altar and pulpit teaches -- God's inerrant Word. As sinners, we all need forgiveness, that is what we poor sinners receive at the Lord's Table of grace.

1 O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish:
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need:
O Lord, have mercy!

2 Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!

3 May God bestow on us His grace and favor
That we follow Christ our Savior
And live together here in love and union
Nor despise this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heav’nly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!

Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000