Ride On, Lord

Verse for the week: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”  Psalm 22.1

Prayer for the week: Ride on, ride on, O Christ. Ride on the donkey, the cross, on the devil’s back. In low estate ride on to die… to triumph over captive death and conquered sin now and forever. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Mark 11.1-11  

¹ Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus^[a] sent two of his disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴ And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵ And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. ⁷ And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹ And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

¹¹ And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Prayer for the day: Gracious and almighty Father, as always you know exactly what you are doing to save us from sin, death and the power of the devil. Your only begotten Son rides not only the colt, but the cross to ride the devil into the ground, back to the hell where he belongs. Thank you. Keep riding Lord; for our same lips that cry “Hosanna” will also shout “Crucify him.” Forgive us, dear Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a hymn that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHeIX8xTpYs

“What does baptism mean for daily living?”

It means that my sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.

In Romans 6, St. Paul writes: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6.4  (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
    Praise the Lord!   Psalm 106.48

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.