(John said) "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But Jesus laid His right hand on me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'"[Revelation 1:17-18]
Tradition says Alexander the Great was buried in a crystal casket and embalmed in honey. For centuries his body was on display and could be visited by those who were curious or wished to honor the greatest of Western generals.
Of course, Alexander is not the only world leader whose body has been put on public view.
Today you could travel to Russia and see the corpse of the fellow whose ideas gave birth to modern Russia. The fellow is Vladimir Lenin, and for a guy who is 146 years old, he looks pretty good.
Now you should know there are a number of reasons why the deceased leader looks so great. Those reasons are
1. this year the Russian government is going to spend around $200,000 to make sure Lenin can keep up appearances and be displayed in a "lifelike condition";
2. that money will see the leader's corpse being re-embalmed; that takes place every other year;
3. it will have him submerged in separate solutions of glycerol solution baths, formaldehyde, potassium acetate, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid solution, and acetic sodium;
4. it will have him wearing a rubber suit under his "Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes, so a layer of embalming fluid is constantly in contact with his skin;
5. when all of this preservation has proven unsuccessful, plastic surgeons will be brought in to do their best. In the past they have replaced Lenin's eyelashes, given him a nose job, and replaced missing skin on his foot.
In spite of all the money and effort, a poll of 8,000 Russians recently revealed that 62 percent of them think the old fellow, and the expense of maintaining him, ought to be laid to rest permanently.
You probably wouldn't be surprised if I told you there are a great many people in this world who would love to permanently place Jesus back into His tomb. They would love to do it, but that's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen because they can't find His body, and they can't find His body because three days after He was murdered Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection showed to all humanity that Jesus had completed His work and done all that was necessary to save a lost and dying world. Today the Christ lives and He, without need of embalmers and chemists, continues to invite the lost to the salvation His life, death and resurrection have won.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Lenin was a man of power, but death claimed him. Today I give thanks for a living Redeemer whose dedication and sacrifice have given me life eternal. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Tradition says Alexander the Great was buried in a crystal casket and embalmed in honey. For centuries his body was on display and could be visited by those who were curious or wished to honor the greatest of Western generals.
Of course, Alexander is not the only world leader whose body has been put on public view.
Today you could travel to Russia and see the corpse of the fellow whose ideas gave birth to modern Russia. The fellow is Vladimir Lenin, and for a guy who is 146 years old, he looks pretty good.
Now you should know there are a number of reasons why the deceased leader looks so great. Those reasons are
1. this year the Russian government is going to spend around $200,000 to make sure Lenin can keep up appearances and be displayed in a "lifelike condition";
2. that money will see the leader's corpse being re-embalmed; that takes place every other year;
3. it will have him submerged in separate solutions of glycerol solution baths, formaldehyde, potassium acetate, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid solution, and acetic sodium;
4. it will have him wearing a rubber suit under his "Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes, so a layer of embalming fluid is constantly in contact with his skin;
5. when all of this preservation has proven unsuccessful, plastic surgeons will be brought in to do their best. In the past they have replaced Lenin's eyelashes, given him a nose job, and replaced missing skin on his foot.
In spite of all the money and effort, a poll of 8,000 Russians recently revealed that 62 percent of them think the old fellow, and the expense of maintaining him, ought to be laid to rest permanently.
You probably wouldn't be surprised if I told you there are a great many people in this world who would love to permanently place Jesus back into His tomb. They would love to do it, but that's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen because they can't find His body, and they can't find His body because three days after He was murdered Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection showed to all humanity that Jesus had completed His work and done all that was necessary to save a lost and dying world. Today the Christ lives and He, without need of embalmers and chemists, continues to invite the lost to the salvation His life, death and resurrection have won.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Lenin was a man of power, but death claimed him. Today I give thanks for a living Redeemer whose dedication and sacrifice have given me life eternal. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read: Psalms 52, 57, 142; Luke 22:24-46
Psalms 52:1 (0) For the leader. A maskil of David, 2 when Do’eg from Edom came and told Sha’ul, “David has arrived at the house of Achimelekh”:
St. Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read: Psalms 52, 57, 142; Luke 22:24-46
Psalms 52:1 (0) For the leader. A maskil of David, 2 when Do’eg from Edom came and told Sha’ul, “David has arrived at the house of Achimelekh”:
3 (1) Why do you boast of your evil, you tyrant,
when God’s mercy is present every day?
4 (2) Your tongue, as sharp as a razor,
plots destruction and works deception.
5 (3) You love evil more than good,
lies rather than speaking uprightly. (Selah)
6 (4) You love all words that eat people up,
you deceitful tongue!
7 (5) This is why God will strike you down,
seize you, pluck you from your tent
and uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
8 (6) The righteous will see and be awestruck;
they will jeer at him, saying,
9 (7) “This fellow would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in his own great wealth,
relying on his evil plots.”
10 (8) But I am like a leafy olive tree
in the house of God;
I put my trust in the grace of God
forever and ever.
11 (9) I will praise you forever for what you have done,
and I will put my hope in your name;
for this is what is good
in the presence of your faithful.
Psalm 57:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David, a mikhtam, when he fled from Sha’ul into the cave:
2 (1) Show me favor, God, show me favor;
for in you I have taken refuge.
Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the storms have passed.
3 (2) I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.
4 (3) He will send from heaven and save me
when those who would trample me down mock me. (Selah)
God will send his grace and his truth.
5 (4) I am surrounded by lions,
I am lying down among people breathing fire,
men whose teeth are spears and arrows
and their tongues sharp-edged swords.
6 (5) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth!
7 (6) They prepared a snare for my feet,
but I am bending over [to avoid it].
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it themselves. (Selah)
8 (7) My heart is steadfast, God, steadfast.
I will sing and make music.
9 (8) Awake, my glory! Awake, lyre and lute!
I will awaken the dawn.
10 (9) I will thank you, Adonai, among the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations.
11 (10) For your grace is great, all the way to heaven,
and your truth, all the way to the skies.
12 (11) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth!
Psalm 142:1 (0) A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer:
2 (1) With my voice I cry to Adonai,
with my voice I plead to Adonai for mercy.
3 (2) Before him I pour out my complaint,
before him I tell my trouble.
4 (3) When my spirit faints within me,
you watch over my path.
By the road that I am walking
they have hidden a snare for me.
5 (4) Look to my right, and see
that no one recognizes me.
I have no way of escape;
nobody cares for me.
6 (5) I cried out to you, Adonai;
I said, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7 (6) Listen to my cry,
for I have been brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
8 (7) Lead me out of prison,
so that I can give thanks to your name;
in me the righteous will be crowning themselves,
because you will have treated me generously.
Luke 22:24 An argument arose among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 But Yeshua said to them, “The kings of the Goyim lord it over them; and those in authority over them are given the title, ‘Benefactor.’ 26 But not so with you! On the contrary, let the greater among you become like the younger, and one who rules like one who serves. 27 For who is greater? The one reclining at the table? or the one who serves? It’s the one reclining at the table, isn’t it? But I myself am among you like one who serves.
28 “You are the ones who have stayed with me throughout my trials. 29 Just as my Father gave me the right to rule, so I give you an appointment, 30 namely, to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and to sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Isra’el.
31 “Shim‘on, Shim‘on, listen! The Adversary demanded to have you people for himself, to sift you like wheat! 32 But I prayed for you, Shim‘on, that your trust might not fail. And you, once you have turned back in repentance, strengthen your brothers!” 33 Shim‘on said to him, “Lord, I am prepared to go with you both to prison and to death!” 34 Yeshua replied, “I tell you, Kefa, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.”
35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without wallet, pack or shoes, were you ever short of anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. 36 “But now,” he said, if you have a wallet or a pack, take it; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your robe to buy one. 37 For I tell you this: the passage from the Tanakh that says, ‘He was counted with transgressors,’[Luke 22:37 Isaiah 53:12] has to be fulfilled in me; since what is happening to me has a purpose.” 38 They said, “Look, Lord, there are two swords right here!” “Enough!” he replied.
39 On leaving, Yeshua went as usual to the Mount of Olives; and the talmidim followed him. 40 When he arrived, he said to them, “Pray that you won’t be put to the test.” 41 He went about a stone’s throw away from them, kneeled down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done.” 43 There appeared to him an angel from heaven giving him strength, 44 and in great anguish he prayed more intensely, so that his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 On rising from prayer and coming to the talmidim, he found them sleeping because of their grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you won’t be put to the test!”
The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center DriveSt. Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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