Tuesday after Holy Trinity - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Tuesday after Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:1-21     John 12:36-50

Did you hear Jesus’ words in our reading from John’s Gospel? Did you notice that He claims not to speak of His own authority, Jesus speaks, but only by the authority of the Father.

We just celebrated Holy Trinity Sunday, we confessed the unity of the trinity, that none is before or above the others. Yet Jesus chooses not to speak of his own authority.

On the night in which He was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples in the upper room. On that evening He gave a special commission to the 11, that they were to be those to whom He gives authority - His authority - authority he received from the Father. That authority is to forgive sins as recorded by John in the 20th chapter.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” (John 20:19-23)

This authority has been handed down through His church, that those who speak God's word of forgiveness in the stead and by the command of Christ, do so by the authority handed down through Christ from the Father.

That authority comes from the Father, it was purchased by Christ – by the Father's authority – when Christ fulfilled the plan of the Father on the cross. There, by the Father’s will and authority, He purchased and paid for forgiveness in full with his innocent suffering and death. That authority was sealed with the empty tomb.

Dear Christian, when pastors speak that word of forgiveness to you, they are not speaking of their own authority, but by Christ's authority from the Father. When in repentance the Christian begs for the mercy of God. In repentance, there is hope and confidence in the forgiveness purchased by Christ, by the Father's authority, and delivered through the mouth of his called ministers – in the Word and Meal.

Thanks be to God for his Divine Mercy, that He has chosen to speak to us in such a marvelous way. Let us always give to Him – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our thanks and praise.

Let us pray:    God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace, that Your holy name would be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. May Your Kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith, that the number of Christians may be increased. Amen.