Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church - Olive Branch, MS

Color: Blue

Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:5–8
Psalm: Psalm 24; antiphon: v. 7
Epistle: Romans 13:8–14
Epistle: Romans 13:11–14
Gospel: Matthew 21:1–9
Introit: Psalm 25:4–5, 21–22; antiphon: vv. 1–3a
Gradual: Psalm 25:3–4
Verse: Psalm 85:7

The Lord Jesus Comes in Humility to Redeem Us
 
The new Church Year begins by focusing on the humble coming of our Lord. “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5). Even as He was born in a lowly manger, so Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. For He bears the sin of the world. He is the Son of David riding to His enthronement on the cross, where He shows Himself to be “The Lord is our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:5–6). Our Lord still comes in great humility to deliver His righteousness to us in the Word and Sacraments. Before receiving Christ’s body and blood, we also sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9) And as we receive the Sacrament, we set our hearts on His return in glory, for “our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11).

Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Baptism

Acts 20:36-21:14

Color: Green

Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17–25
Psalm: Psalm 149; antiphon: v. 2
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Gospel: Matthew 25:1–13
Introit: Psalm 39:4–5, 7–8; antiphon: Isaiah 35:10
Gradual: Psalm 45:14–15
Verse: Revelation 21:2

By Faith We Are Prepared for Christ’s Return
 
“The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1–11). The arrival of the bridegroom will be sudden and unexpected. Therefore you are to be watchful and ready like the five wise virgins. “For you know neither the day nor the hour” when the Son of Man is to return. (Matt. 25:1–13). The lamps are the Word of Christ. The oil in the lamps is the Holy Spirit, who works through the Word to create and sustain the flame of faith in Christ. The foolish are those who do not give proper attention to the working of the Holy Spirit in baptism, preaching, and the supper, and so their faith does not endure. The wise, however, are those who diligently attend to these gifts of the Spirit, and who therefore have an abundance of oil. The flame of faith endures to the end. By God’s grace they are received into the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth created by the Lord for the joy of His people (Is. 65:17–25).

Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Joshua 1:1-9

Exodus 34:14-28

Getting more out of Sermons and Bible Reading

Acts 20:13-35

Color: Green

Old Testament: Micah 6:6–8
Psalm: Psalm 116:12–19; antiphon: v. 13
Epistle: Philippians 1:3–11
Gospel: Matthew 18:21–35
Introit: Psalm 130:1–2, 7–8; antiphon: vv. 3–4
Gradual: Psalm 133:1, 3b
Verse: Psalm 147:3

Walking Humbly with Our God and Forgiving One Another
 
With what shall we come before the Lord (Micah 6:6) who forgives all our sins, and how often shall our fellow Christians sin against us and we forgive them (Matt. 18:21)? Our gracious God on high does not need our “burnt offerings” or “thousands of rams” (Micah 6:6-7), which we could legitimately offer in thanksgiving. He is the Savior who gave His only-begotten Son for our transgression. He offers the fruit of His body, once hanging dead on a cross but now living and giving life in His holy Meal, for the sin of our souls (Micah 6:7). Because He releases us from our enormous debt of sin against Him, we need not imprison our fellow sinners with our lack of love and refusal of forgiveness (Matt. 18:24, 27, 30). As partakers of His grace, we yearn for one another “with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:8). As forgiven sinners, “filled with the fruit of Christ’s righteousness,” our “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment” (Phil. 1:11, 9), for He leads us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).

Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Exodus 33:12-17; 34:1-13