Daily Lectionary: Job 3:11-26; John 1:35-51
In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever (Psalm 44:8 from the Introit for Sexagesima)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We love to boast and brag about ourselves. We're the smartest or prettiest or the best athlete. Or maybe we even boast negatively as if we're the ugliest or the worst! Cheerful or depressing, somehow we manage to make it all about us!
Tomorrow in the Divine Service, the Holy Spirit will pull our attention off of ourselves and remind us of what it is we boast in the Lord.
We boast in Christ, because He has done all that is necessary for our salvation. While we like to think we can generate some godliness in our hearts or do some good things to make up for our sins, it is Jesus alone who has been born for us, baptized for us, crucified for us, risen for us and by this He saves us.
We boast in what God has done, because in the waters of Holy Baptism He Himself has washed away our sins, marked us with His holy name, claimed us as His own, adopted us as His children, rescued us from the Devil and given to us eternal salvation.
We boast in what Christ has done for us, because by the words of Holy Absolution, we can proudly spit in the Devil's eye and remind him there is no sin that can condemn us: They're forgiven and blotted out!
We boast and brag in Christ, because by having eaten His body and drunk His blood, we can laugh at death, knowing that He is going to raise us from the dead on the Last Day.
We boast and brag in Christ, because He gives us His Word, which outlasts all the silly philosophies of this world and preserves for us the unshakable promises God has for us in Christ.
So go ahead and boast! Brag! Not in yourself, because you aren't all that! Boast and brag in Christ, because He has become all things and done all things for you. For your salvation. And we praise His name forever. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Thy righteousness, O Christ, Alone can cover me; No righteousness avails Save that which is of Thee. To whom save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? (LSB 565:5)