The Gospel Made Visible
Today’s Verses:
Matthew 28:18-19 ESV
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
In His mercy, Christ gives His Church gifts—not symbols, not mere ceremonies, but means of grace. Through these means, He delivers what He promises: forgiveness, life, and salvation. Lutherans treasure these holy sacraments: Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because Jesus Himself instituted them and attached to them His living Word and promise.
But what makes the Lutheran view of the sacraments distinct from the Roman Catholic understanding?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments (including Confirmation, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick), and that these work ex opere operato—that is, by the very act of being done. The Roman view often sees the priest as one who offers Christ again in the Mass, and places the merit of the sacrament in the doing, sometimes apart from faith.
By contrast, Lutherans confess—in agreement with Scripture and the Small and Large Catechisms—that there are two chief sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are not magical rites but the means by which the Holy Spirit works faith, nourishes it, and sustains us in Christ. Luther wrote, “Faith must be present and must lay hold of the promise” (Large Catechism, Baptism, 35). In the Lord’s Supper, Christ is truly present—in, with, and under the bread and wine—but He is not re-sacrificed. Rather, we receive the once-for-all sacrifice of the cross, delivered to us in a tangible way.
For Lutherans, the sacraments are Gospel made visible. They are not our works toward God, but God’s gracious work for us.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, You have given Your Church the treasures of Baptism and the Holy Supper. Keep us steadfast in Your Word and promises. Let us receive Your gifts with faith and joy, knowing that in these sacraments You meet us with mercy, not merit. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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