Monday after Holy Trinity - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Monday after Holy Trinity
Proverbs 5:1-23      John 12:20-36

I pray you read the reading from John’s Gospel listed above. It is a handy link, all you need to do is click on it and it takes you to the reading. It is so slick!

This text comes on the day of, and shortly after Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem. That coming Thursday He will gather with His disciples to celebrate the Passover. He will wash their feet. He will institute the Lord’s Supper, giving them the meal which will bestow His Body and His Blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins, to all generations. After instituting the Eucharist, He will go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jewish temple guards will arrest Him and bring Him before the High Priest for a pretention of a trial that had a predetermined outcome – His crucifixion. On Friday, He will be brought before Pontius Pilate who will wash his hands of the affair, condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion.

In our reading, Jesus declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

It is in the upcoming events in His life by which He is glorified, for He goes on to foretell His death as being the hour for which He came. It is the hour for which He came, for it is the hour in which His perfect keeping of the Law in human flesh will be sacrificed. This is the hour in which the forgiveness dispensed in that Holy Meal is purchase. This is the hour in which salvation is procured. This is the hour in which the victory is won over sin, death, and the devil.

This text goes even further:

Jesus says, “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” (vv. 28-32)

When He is lifted up on the cross, He draws all men to Himself – all men!

Some men will be drawn to Him on the cross, humbly repentant, bowing, and begging for the mercy they know He purchased there. They received forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation. On the last day, as Christ was raised from the dead, they too will be raised to enjoy eternity with Him in kingdom in glorified and perfected bodies.

Some men however, will be drawn to him on the cross on the last day. They will see for the first time that this was their salvation – but they missed out! They rejected Christ in their life, refusing the Holy Spirit’s work of drawing them to Christ in repentance. On that last day, they too will be raised, but they will be granted resurrected bodies to endure God’s wrath and punishment forever.

This particular text ends with Jesus saying, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” (vv. 35-36)

You have that same Light, the Light of Christ. It is the Gospel delivered to you –Christ delivered to you in Word and Sacrament. Walk in the Light! Receive the gifts of God in Christ Jesus the keep you drawn to the cross, receiving the wonderful gifts Christ purchased unto life everlasting. What a joy it is to hear that Word of Christ. It is what you are doing right now in reading this devotion.

Let us pray:     Grant Lord, an increase in devotion for all the saints, that they be drawn to the cross of Christ; also grant faithful proclamation of the Gospel by all pastors, that they might always point those whom you entrusted into their care, only to Christ. Amen.