Third Sunday in Lent – March 23, 2025
“‘You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, 
you have restored the good fortune of Jacob. 
2You have forgiven the iniquity of your people and blotted out all their sins.  
3You have withdrawn all your fury and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.  4Restore us then, O God our Savior; 
let your anger depart from us.” 
- Psalm 85:1-4 -
Throughout the season of Lent, we focus heavily on themes of redemption, forgiveness, and restoration.  The psalmist proclaims all that God has done for his people throughout the ages. “You have been gracious.”  “You have restored.”  “You have forgiven.”  “You have withdrawn all your fury.”  Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has the power to redeem us and cleanse us from all sin, thus restoring to us the joy of salvation, and restoring us as his children.  How is this possible?  How can the blood of Jesus Christ do all this?
This is possible because of who Jesus is and what He did when He died on the Cross.  First, Jesus was, is, and always will be, absolutely sinless in thought word and deed.  Secondly, Jesus was, is, and always will be “the LORD Jesus Christ!”  Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  St. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians, “For by [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:19-17).  That is why Jesus Christ alone has the ability to save anyone from their guilt and sin (see John 1:29; I John 2:2).
In the second article of the Apostles’ Creed, Martin Luther explains, “[Jesus Christ] has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly true!”
Jesus has bought us, sin and all, not with money or wealth, but with his holy and precious blood.  Jesus has cleansed us of our sin through his forgiveness.  He has made us new and restored us to a right relationship with him.  All this Christ has done, not because we deserve it or have earned it in some way, but because he loves us.  We depend solely upon him for our salvation.
Third Sunday in Lent – March 23, 2025
“‘You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, 
you have restored the good fortune of Jacob. 
2You have forgiven the iniquity of your people and blotted out all their sins.  
3You have withdrawn all your fury and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.  4Restore us then, O God our Savior; 
let your anger depart from us.” 
- Psalm 85:1-4 -
Throughout the season of Lent, we focus heavily on themes of redemption, forgiveness, and restoration.  The psalmist proclaims all that God has done for his people throughout the ages. “You have been gracious.”  “You have restored.”  “You have forgiven.”  “You have withdrawn all your fury.”  Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has the power to redeem us and cleanse us from all sin, thus restoring to us the joy of salvation, and restoring us as his children.  How is this possible?  How can the blood of Jesus Christ do all this?
This is possible because of who Jesus is and what He did when He died on the Cross.  First, Jesus was, is, and always will be, absolutely sinless in thought word and deed.  Secondly, Jesus was, is, and always will be “the LORD Jesus Christ!”  Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  St. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians, “For by [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:19-17).  That is why Jesus Christ alone has the ability to save anyone from their guilt and sin (see John 1:29; I John 2:2).
In the second article of the Apostles’ Creed, Martin Luther explains, “[Jesus Christ] has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly true!”
Jesus has bought us, sin and all, not with money or wealth, but with his holy and precious blood.  Jesus has cleansed us of our sin through his forgiveness.  He has made us new and restored us to a right relationship with him.  All this Christ has done, not because we deserve it or have earned it in some way, but because he loves us.  We depend solely upon him for our salvation.