Christ’s Victory Lutheran Church

08/02/2026

04/22/2026

This coming Sunday is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The Fourth Sunday of Easter every year is a day when we remind ourselves that Jesus is our shepherd. I’m sure we all know this story quite well, from Sunday School, from Bible Study, from multiple sermons. But in the gospel reading assigned for Sunday, from John 10:1-10, Jesus doesn’t actually say that. What he says in this reading is that he is the gate for the sheep. “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”
This is one of the famous “I am” sayings of Jesus. There are seven in John’s Gospel: “I am the bread of life … I am the living water … I am the light of the world … I am the way, and the truth, and the life … I am the true vine … I am the resurrection and the life … I am the good shepherd …” And this Sunday, which I think is the least well-known and most unique: “I am the gate.”
Many of these “I am” sayings of Jesus’ have obvious meanings. But Sunday's Gospel “I am” saying is not quite as obvious. What does it mean that Jesus is the gate, or in other translations, the door, for us, his sheep? The truth, the good news, is that people need the Lord!

04/15/2026

As I read and ponder on the Gospel of Luke for this 3rd Sunday of Easter, (Luke 24:13-35) Jesus walks with people walking away from Jerusalem and talking about the story, of what happened to Jesus. They did not recognize Jesus, until later, but he listens to their story, does not interrupt, and lets them talk. Then, He kindly offers some "reframing" if you will and helps them understand the reason for the season so to speak. It was about redemption, our redemption, it was about obedience to God, His obedience, it was about reconciliation, our reconciliation, it was about salvation, our salvation. So, we should all process and ponder, we should love to tell the story, IT'S ABOUT THE CROSS!

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