Thursday after Laetare Sunday
Posted on March 14, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. John 6:52-59 (NKJV)
6:52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Devotion
Jesus makes a distinction between temporal life and eternal life—between temporal death and eternal death. Temporal life is not true life. Men may live and breathe on this earth, but apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ, they have no real life in them. Men in this state are actually ‘dead,’ because without Christ men are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).
Likewise, temporal death is not true death. At the end of our days, we will follow the course of all men and return to dust. But this death will not be our final end. When we die believing in Jesus, we will not go to eternal death in hell. We will pass into life eternal. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
Since eternal life is true life, let us partake of Him who gives us this life. The life-giving flesh and blood of Jesus Christ are given to us by the Word and Sacrament ministry of His holy Church. In the Lord’s Supper we partake of the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for our true life.
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
