Author: Kerry

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“‘Friend,’ [the king] asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.”
Matthew 22:12

Presumption

The picture Jesus paints is one of celebration and joy. A king is hosting a lavish, royal wedding feast. But instead of the usual dignitaries you’d expect, Jesus says that this particular king has chosen to do the unexpected. This particular king has chosen to invite anyone and everyone—including people who never would have dreamed of receiving this kind of invitation.

It’s still a royal event, of course—an occasion for dignity and respect. And so, what if you don’t have proper clothes to wear? In Jesus’ story, the king has thought of that too. The king himself provides the wedding clothes so all may enjoy his lavish feast.

And so, the king comes in to enjoy the company of all his shocked and delighted guests—shocked and delighted because here they are, dressed in clothing the king has provided, all so they can savor the kind of meal they have never before experienced in their lives. But as he takes in the sight of all his guests enjoying themselves, one man stands out. What the man is wearing screams, “Inappropriate.” It reeks of apathy and contempt. The man has concluded he does not need to bother with special clothing for the king. But Jesus says that when the king himself personally calls him on it, the man is speechless.

Jesus’ story is about sinful presumption. When it comes to the privilege of standing in God’s presence, there is no room for my sinful presumption. None. And yet, the temptation is there. Twenty-first-century culture can get me to presume I’m just fine as long as I’m “spiritual.” My background can get me to presume I’m just fine because my family name has been in the church directory for generations. My church busyness can get me to presume I’m just fine because I’m busy at church.

But in the presence of the King, such clothing screams, “Inappropriate.” It reeks of apathy and contempt. This is so because, in my presumption, I have forgotten how desperately I need Jesus as my Savior from sin.

My clothing is Jesus. Jesus alone. My reservation for the heavenly banquet comes only through him.

Prayer:

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness my beauty are, my glorious dress. Amen.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9

Relief

At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, you can see one of the most famous rooms of the 20th Century. “Mission Control” is the room where row after row of engineers and specialists worked day and night to support the Apollo moon landings. It’s also the site of one of the greatest moments of pure relief in American history.

On April 17, 1970, the three astronauts of Apollo 13 were about to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Their spacecraft had suffered catastrophic damage four days earlier, and Mission Control worked around the clock to do what needed to be done to bring them home. Everyone in the room understood that there would be a four-and-a-half-minute blackout in communication with the astronauts during re-entry. Everyone also understood that if the astronauts did not respond after four and a half minutes, their spacecraft had probably burned up and they had perished.

The blackout began. One minute. Two minutes. Three and then four. Four and a half. Silence. Five minutes. Five and a half. Nothing. Six minutes. Then, crackling on the radio static, an astronaut’s cheerful voice. At the sound of that voice, all the pent-up anxiety and stress and grief and fear melted away in an explosion of relief and joy.

In Isaiah chapter 25, God’s people are hurting. Life has left them feeling bruised, broken, fearful, anxious—and guilt-ridden because of their sin. And so, God points them to his promises. He points them to the full forgiveness he will secure on their behalf. And he points them to the relief and joy they will one day savor with him forever.

In our day-to-day lives, you and I feel the wounds, scars, burdens, and cuts of living in this fallen world. Our sins haunt us. Our failures vex us. When they do, remember why Jesus came. Our forgiveness is secure. He has already done what had to be done to bring us safely home. And when that day comes, the relief and joy we savor with him will last forever.

Prayer:

Remind me, Lord, of the eternal relief and joy that await. Remind me that, in you, all is well. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces.
Isaiah 25:8

The Tears

Tears of grief are an extraordinary gift of God. The more researchers have studied tears of grief, the more extraordinary we recognize them to be. When someone close to you dies, your brain undergoes trauma. After all, up to this moment the wiring of your brain has included this person in the very fabric of your life. Death tears that piece of fabric away.

To help deal with such trauma, God equipped your body to shed tears of grief. These tears arise for a very different reason from the tears you shed when, for instance, you get a bit of sawdust in your eye. Scientists are still learning exactly how emotional crying affects the body, but it appears to be connected with the body’s natural response to stress and emotional pain. Crying can be part of the process by which the body gradually settles after intense distress. It’s no accident, therefore, that individuals grappling with grief often report feeling calmer or experiencing a measure of relief after they’ve had “a good cry.”

As helpful as tears of grief are, however, the Lord gives us far more than a temporary fix. He addresses death itself – the cause of our grief. He points us ahead to the moment when there will be “no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Enter Jesus. He is the one who, according to Isaiah, “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). God the Son became one of us. He lived among us. He wept with us. And through it all, he lived a life of perfect faithfulness on our behalf. Then he set his sights on the very cause of death. He set his sights on our sin. He took up our sin. He carried our sin to the cross. And through his suffering and death, he paid for our sin in full.

And now he lives. And because he does, the tears of our grief are temporary. Eternal life awaits. The tears of grief will soon give way to the tears of joy.

Prayer:

In my tears of grief, Lord, remind me that they will not last. Eternal joy awaits. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations.
Isaiah 25:7

The Shroud

For thousands of years, people have used a shroud to bury their dead. A shroud is a type of cloth that covers the body. There are practical reasons for using a shroud. Wrapping a body in one helps stabilize it, making it easier to carry. A shrouded body is more sanitary to handle. Most important, however, is that the shroud is a way by which family members could give the body of their loved one a level of dignity and respect.

From time immemorial, therefore, the shroud has been a symbol for death. In paintings, literature, poetry, and song, artists have used the word “shroud” to describe things that are dark, foreboding, tragic, inevitable.

But then along comes the Lord Almighty, through the prophet Isaiah. He sees our world—the world our sin has ruined. He sees our world of decay, our world of disease, our world of injury and broken bones and violence and accidents and natural disasters and old age and decline and death. He sees it all. Then he makes a stunning promise. He promises to destroy the shroud. He promises to ensure that the shroud of death does not have the final word.

Seven centuries after Isaiah’s words, God himself came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to destroy the power of death. To do so, he lived a sinless life on our behalf. Then he took the cause of death—our sin—and paid for it on the cross. Then he died.

After his death, loving hands covered his body in a shroud and placed it in a tomb. But the cross, the tomb, and the shroud did not have the final word. Three days later, the tomb was empty, and so was the shroud.

And so let the world around us continue to speak of the finality of the shroud, the casket, and the cremation urn. You and I know better. Jesus lives. And in him, we will too.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you are the death of death. Praise be to your holy name. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples…the best of meats and the finest of wines.
Isaiah 25:6

For All

In the world of fine dining, few writers have been more influential than restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl. She is so respected that a single restaurant review from her can make or break a restaurant.

Her most famous review was written in 1993 for a high-end dining establishment in New York. Because the restaurant community knew her well, however, Ruth decided to go in disguise. Instead of a sophisticated New Yorker, she dressed in a modest coat and went by the name “Molly.”

“Molly” quickly found out what the restaurant thought of her. The staff ignored her. Then they made her wait for an hour. Finally, they seated her at a table right next to the coat rack. And her meal? It was cold and bland. A few nights later, Ruth went to the same restaurant, only this time she went as herself. And, of course, this time she received the royal treatment—truffles, champagne, the best of culinary mastery; and no coat rack.

Armed with these two radically different experiences, Ruth Reichl wrote her review, and she did not hold back. She made clear the painful fact that the staff did not wish to serve everyone with the same level of excellence; that if you were not the right kind of person, this restaurant was not going to give you its best.

In Isaiah chapter 25, God the Holy Spirit communicates that our delivery from sin is not just a doctrinal bullet point; it is an event for us to savor. He describes it as an exquisite meal: “A feast of rich food,” he says— “the best of meats and the finest of wines.” In addition, the Lord makes clear that this joyful reunion with him is “for all peoples”—for all who trust in the promised Savior.

In this world, there will be times when we will feel ignored, dismissed, or out of place. But not in the great meal to come. There, in Christ, you belong.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for securing a place for me at your banquet. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

Righteousness Revealed and Believed

People often talk about “the big reveal.” Whether it is a home remodel, a full-body makeover, or a recently purchased car, people get excited to share news of their new things with family and friends. They enjoy sharing with others what has brought them joy.

In our Bible verse today, the apostle Paul talks about “a big reveal.” Far greater than anything in this world we can buy or refurbish, he talks about a truly amazing otherworldly thing God has revealed. It is his righteousness.

It is important to note that he’s not talking about the righteousness that God has because he is the all-holy, sin-free deity. In fact, talk of that kind of righteousness can only make unholy, sinful humans afraid if we take time to think about what that means for us. We stand convicted, condemned, and cursed because God is righteous and demands righteousness. We are not that, and we can’t produce it. The desires of our hearts, the thoughts of our minds, and the lives that we lead reveal that all too clearly.

Paul is talking about something else here. He tells us that a righteousness from God is revealed or made known in the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a real righteousness God gives sinners through faith in Jesus, who lived and died for them. It is as though he says to you: “Because Jesus paid the price, you are no longer counted guilty! You are righteous in my sight.”

Such a truth and the life it promises come to us through faith. Be confident that the Lord has declared you righteous in and through Jesus. Live with peace, hope, and joy, knowing that in Jesus, God has revealed his own real righteousness for you.

Take a good look at and grab hold of this “big reveal,” and live with your hope for this life and the next one in Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for the gospel message through which you work faith in my heart. I thank you for declaring me righteous in your sight and for giving me true and lasting life in Jesus. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:17-20

A Citizenship to Treasure

Roman army vets had retired to the Greek colony of Philippi. The Roman government gave these vets in Philippi special privileges because of their army service. The Roman government could not tax them directly. Their city government was run by Roman law. As Roman citizens they could not be punished without a fair trial. They were citizens of Rome, even though they lived in Philippi.

Paul reminded the Christians in Philippi of their even greater citizenship. Because of Jesus’ service, Christians are citizens of heaven. Jesus won our citizenship by completing his 33-year tour of duty as our Savior. He followed every rule and obeyed every command God gave him. He also “threw himself on” the cross to redeem us as a people belonging to him.

By faith we have citizenship with more privileges than Roman citizenship. We belong to a King who hears and answers our prayers, who works in all things for the good of those who love him, who will deliver us from this evil world and take us to himself in heaven. It’s a citizenship to treasure.

Prayer:

Jesus, Thank you for making me a citizen of heaven despite my sin. Thank you for forgiving me daily. Keep my eyes and my heart focused on the home you won for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’”?
Matthew 21:42

From Rejection to Foundation

Have you ever rejected something, only to discover later how important it really was?

Jesus used the picture of a building to teach us something about himself. He spoke of a stone that the builders rejected. They looked at it, decided it wasn’t useful, and cast it aside. But then something unexpected happened. The rejected stone became the cornerstone, the stone upon which the whole building would rest.

Jesus was talking about himself. The religious leaders were rejecting Jesus. They did not believe he was the Messiah God had promised. It looked like failure. Jesus appeared defeated. His enemies seemed to have won. The Son of God was hanging dead while his followers mourned.

But God had something else in mind. The rejected stone became the cornerstone. Jesus rose from the dead. The cross that looked like defeat became the place where Jesus paid for the sins of the world. The grave that appeared to be his end became the starting point of his victory over death.

And now Jesus is the foundation of everything that matters.

What are you building your life on? Success? It won’t last. Money? It can disappear. Health? It will eventually fail. Your own goodness? It will never be enough. If you build your hope on any of these things, your foundation will eventually crumble.

But Jesus is different. He has already done everything necessary for your salvation. He lived the perfect life you could not live. He died the death you deserved. He rose again so that you could have forgiveness, life, and salvation.

The world may still reject Jesus. People may still dismiss him as irrelevant or unnecessary. But God has made him the cornerstone. The One who was rejected has become the foundation of our faith. The One who was crucified is our risen Savior. The One whom the world cast aside has become our hope.

So, build your life on Christ. When everything else shakes, he remains. From rejection to foundation, that is what the Lord has done. And it is marvelous in our eyes.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, keep me solidly resting on you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Matthew 21:37-39

When the son is the Son

Have you ever heard a story and then realized that the story was really about you?

Jesus tells a story about a vineyard owner who sends his servants to collect what belongs to him. The tenants beat one servant, kill another, and stone another. Finally, the owner sends his son. Surely they will respect him. But they don’t. The tenants recognize that he is the heir, and they decide to kill him. “Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.”

Jesus’ listeners would have understood the wickedness of such a plan. But there is something even more remarkable about this story. The son of the vineyard owner turns out to be more than a character in a parable. He is the Son of God.

Jesus is telling the story about himself. The vineyard is God’s people. The servants are the prophets whom God sent to call his people to repentance and faith. Again and again, God’s messengers were rejected. Finally, God sent his Son. And what did they do? They rejected him too.

The wicked tenants wanted the inheritance for themselves. We can recognize something of ourselves in them. We want to be in control. We want what belongs to God. We resist his Word when it calls us to repent and trust him.

But Jesus does not turn away. The Son of God goes to the cross willingly. He bears our rebellion, our rejection, and our sin. He is killed, but death cannot hold him. The rejected Son rises again. And now the story has a glorious ending. The Son who was rejected has become the Savior. The inheritance the tenants tried to steal is given freely to those who trust in him.

Jesus is not merely the son in a story. He is the Son of God, sent by the Father to save you. Trust him. And rejoice that the Son who was rejected has made you an heir of eternal life.

Prayer:

Show your face in mercy, Lord. May your people be restored. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:20-21

A Glorified Body

What do you think about your body? Maybe you appreciate some things about it. Maybe there are things you wish you could change. Perhaps your body reminds you that you are getting older. Your strength isn’t what it used to be. Your eyesight isn’t as sharp. Your joints hurt. Your body gets tired. And eventually, our bodies grow old, become weak, suffer, and return to the dust from which God made us.

But death is not the end of the story. At the end of time, Jesus will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Think about that. The body you may sometimes wish you could change is the body God promises to raise. The body that becomes weak will be made strong. The body that suffers will be freed from pain. The body that grows old will be made new. The body that dies will live again.

And that glorified body will be like the glorious body of Jesus.

Look at Jesus after his resurrection. His disciples could see him. They could touch him. He ate with them. He was truly alive. His resurrection body was real, but it was no longer subject to death. Jesus rose never to die again.

That is the promise for you. Your hope is not that your soul will escape your body and live somewhere forever. Your hope is the resurrection. Jesus will raise your body from the grave and transform it by his almighty power.

Why can you trust that promise? Because Jesus has already done it. He died for your sins and rose from the dead. His empty tomb is God’s guarantee that death does not have the final word. The Savior who conquered death will return, and when he does, he will make all things new, including you. So don’t despair when your body grows weak. Don’t fear the grave. On judgment day, your body will be glorified, perfectly suited for eternal life with Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord, keep my body and soul safe for eternal life with you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.