Questioning

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

There’s more in the Catechism than just the stuff you’ve learned. There’s more in the Catechism than what you’re going to confess in a few minutes. There’s more in the Catechism than just some nice wisdom to have in your back pocket to have so you can best your non-Lutheran friends. There’s more in the Catechism than just some training that will help your life of loving others. If that’s all there were, studying the Catechism, taking it to heart, learning it by heart, would all be pointless, meaningless, empty, vain, nothing.

The Catechism is life, because it’s yet another way of Jesus coming to you. Another way to graft Jesus into your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s another chance for the Spirit to enliven you in your faith toward God and your real, heartfelt love for those around you. It’s another means and Gift through which Jesus and the Spirit deliver right into you the eternal “land flowing with milk and honey,” right into you the “salvation” and “kindness of God our Savior.” The Catechism is life because Jesus is your Life, your Lord, your Savior. The Catechism brings Him to you and you to Him.

The Catechism isn’t just a today sort of thing—not just for questioning. That would be pointless, too. The Catechism preaches Jesus to you. Learning it by heart means the Spirit and Jesus will preach to you from the inside out, but learning it by heart will give the Spirit the chance to speak to those around you through you.

The Catechism is life because Jesus is your Life. He gave His for you. He shed “His holy precious blood for you,” for your sins. You believe THAT He is your Lord? You believe “THAT,” right? It’s THAT? Right? Good! Glad you all got that fixed after Friday night.

Jesus your Life was crucified for what you should do and don’t, crucified for what you shouldn’t do and yet do. What you should be and what Jesus was for you is delivered into you through the Catechism. Jesus teaches you to pray. Also in the Catechism. You were united with Him in Holy Baptism. Also in the Catechism. That day was perfect. Jesus perfected you there. There was nothing of your salvation left out of that day. That’s Jesus’ promise. The Catechism isn’t adding your work on top of His Baptism! That would make His baptism empty and stupid, and also the Catechism just the same. Holy Baptism His Gift of Salvation to you is also preached in the Catechism. So also is His absolution. And His body and blood “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

There’s more in the Catechism than just stuff you learn, confess, and just hang on to for a rainy day. The Catechism is life because Jesus is your life. He’s delivered to you through your Catechism. This makes your Catechism the most important preaching of Jesus you have! It’s a life-long gift. A gift for your heart, soul, mind, and strength, a gift to build you up into Jesus, the Spirit, a gift to keep you in Your Father’s eternal care.

Jesus is your Life. Your eternal life. That’s Jesus for you. He’s your life of Love for others. That’s what Jesus does through you. Your Catechism delivers that Jesus. The Jesus crucified for your sins, who makes you a child of His Father through Baptism, who teaches you how to pray to your Father, who absolves you through me, who delivers His body and blood to you. We confess all that in the Creed. All of that’s the Catechism. Your life-long Gift. Your life-long life. Your eternal life. All because Jesus is your life.

INI + AMEN.