Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

The prophet Isaiah’s vision is brought to glorious fulfillment as he describes Judgment Day. On that Day, the LORD’s fire will burn against those who have refused His gifts and turned to the foolishness of idolatry. Both idolatry and idolaters will meet their end. In this way, the LORD gives security and peace to His people. As He gathers the nations, He places the sign of the death and resurrecti...

Isaiah speaks in a riddle: a child is born before the labor pains begin! In this way, He describes the sudden blessing of the LORD upon His people, as He gives children to Mother Zion. This blessing comes through the male Child promised here and earlier in Isaiah and fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in the New Testament. The LORD has brought His people this far, and He will surely bring His work to...

The LORD confronts His people with the reality that He is the Creator of all things and of the new heavens and new earth. Rather than seeing their worship as something that they must do for Him (for He needs nothing from them), they must come before Him in humility, contrition, and trembling at His Word, which He speaks as His gift to them. Those who come before the LORD in self-chosen ways, engag...

Using the same language as He did in Genesis 1, the LORD speaks about His creation of the new heavens and the new earth, which will bring great joy to His people. Here, He will give to them eternal life and fruitful labor, and no enemies will harm them. He will dwell with them to hear their prayers, and all creation will live at peace in the LORD’s holy mountain. The New Testament teaches that alr...

In this beautiful hymn written especially for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, John of Damascus proclaims that the rescue that God gave to Israel through the Exodus has been fulfilled in the rescue God has given to us through the resurrection of Jesus. The winter of sin and death has come to an end; new life has risen in Christ. For this reason, the faithful join together to sing the praises of the Lord...

The LORD responds to His people’s prayer by reminding them that He was ready for them to seek and find Him in the ways that He had chosen to reveal Himself to them. Even as He spread His hands out to them, they engaged in all kinds of idolatrous practices that made them smoke in His nostrils. To His servants who respond to this rebuke in repentance, the LORD promises that He will be faithful to Hi...

Isaiah leads the people of Israel in prayer, lament, and confession before the LORD. They call upon the LORD as their Father, asking Him to see them as His children, even though they have strayed. They acknowledge that He has sent them into exile and made them as those who are not called upon His name. Still, they pray that He would tear open the clouds and come down as He did at Mount Sinai. His...

In Matthew 18 and Luke 15, Jesus speaks a parable about a man who owns one hundred sheep, and one becomes lost. In love for that one sheep, the shepherd seeks it out and brings it back to the flock with great joy. By this parable, Jesus teaches us the great love that He has for us sinners. He calls us to see ourselves as the lost sheep that He seeks and finds through repentance and forgiveness of...

Psalm 100 is a psalm for giving thanks for the ongoing reign of the LORD. Because He is the true King, His people join with all creation in the song of His victory. His people are called into His presence with gladness and singing, both in the Divine Service and in their daily vocations. We know Him because He has first known us, for He is the Good Shepherd who has made us members of His holy floc...

C.F.W. Walther’s marvelous Easter hymn invites all people to join in the praises of Christ Jesus the Lord. By His resurrection, the Word of God made flesh has freed us from the prison of sin, death, and the devil. Though the evil one and all his evil host cheered to see Jesus dead and buried, their shouts of triumph were quickly silenced by the risen Lord. His resurrection means the defeat of sin,...

The prophet sees a Mighty Warrior coming; He identifies Himself as the LORD. The prophet has questions concerning the Warrior’s stained garments; the LORD says that they are red from the blood of His enemies, whom He has conquered on the day of His vengeance for the year of His favor. Upon seeing the LORD in this way, Isaiah leads the people in praising the LORD by proclaiming His deeds of old, es...

The LORD promises to speak for the sake of His beloved people to bring them His righteousness and salvation. Nations will see this light and come to the people of God, who are His crowning jewel. Though their sin and idolatry had left them forsaken and desolate, the LORD bestows the names “My Delight Is in Her” and “Married” upon His people now because of His gracious action on their behalf. As th...

The Servant of the LORD speaks as the One anointed by the Spirit. He comes to preach good news, to comfort, and to give God’s good gifts. Through the work of the LORD’s Servant, His people are established securely in righteousness. No longer will they be found in shame, but they will serve the LORD according to His Word. The people of God rejoice exceedingly because He has clothed them with His ow...

Because the LORD has caused His glory to come to His people, they rise and shine so that nations are drawn to worship the LORD. All the wealth of the world is put into the service of the LORD as He calls sinners to His salvation because He loves people as His treasured possession. The safety of the LORD’s kingdom is complete; no enemy shall threaten His people. The abundance of the LORD’s kingdom...

Paul Gerhardt’s Easter hymn fits perfectly as the first words sung by Christians gathered for an Easter sunrise service. The reality of the empty tomb on Easter banishes sadness and fills us with gladness. Though the foe thought he had won the victory when Jesus lay dead and buried, in fact, the Savior has routed his enemy. Jesus’ complete victory over all enemies—sin, death, and devil—is comfort...

The LORD tells His people with vivid imagery that they have separated themselves from Him. He speaks of their defilement in their words and actions. He condemns their deceitful plots and plans. In response, the people confess their rebellion, their idolatry, and their complete lack of justice and righteousness, and they throw themselves upon God’s mercy. The LORD knows that no one else can serve a...

The people of Israel were guilty of hypocritical worship. Although they went through the motions of fasting and praying, they did so without faith in the LORD’s Word. When they complained to Him that He wasn’t listening, the LORD called them to task for abstaining from food only to quarrel with each other. Rather, the LORD desired His people to fast from wickedness and evil and to fill themselves...

No one on earth may regard the LORD’s righteous one, but the LORD sees and knows. He will not fail to judge the idolatry of His people, particularly among the leaders. Those who follow idolatry only fall into all kinds of perversion and wickedness. Although they look to their idols for help, their idols will not save them. Those who are contrite and lowly in spirit, however, will receive the LORD’...

Because of the work of the Servant of the LORD for His people, they are called into a life according to His justice and righteousness. Those who worship Him from a true heart and love His Word will be brought to the LORD’s holy mountain—even eunuchs and foreigners. This is a part of the LORD’s mission to gather people to Himself. He speaks words of condemnation, however, to those leaders of Israel...

This joyous Easter hymn resounds with Alleluias at what our Lord Jesus has done in His resurrection. His victory over death and the grave is made ours by His grace. His suffering on the cross has redeemed us from all that we lost under sin. His sufferings, death, and resurrection have won our salvation, which is ours eternally because He reigns forever. As His love for us is eternal, so our praise...

The LORD calls all people to come and receive His great salvation, won by the Suffering Servant. The gifts of His Word come without cost to those who hear it, and those gifts bring greater blessings than any earthly food or money. Now is the time for people to seek the LORD and forsake their own wickedness, for the LORD is compassionate. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. In His wisdom, H...

Because of the work of the Suffering Servant, the LORD’s people sing for joy. Though His people were as a barren woman in the exile, the LORD has increased her children beyond what the current borders can hold. He has done this as a faithful husband to His people, who has called His bride back to Himself in joy. His steadfast love for His people will not depart; He will establish His people so tha...

The LORD calls His people to behold His Servant high and lifted up on the cross in divine glory. Although His appearance did not attract us to Him, His suffering has sprinkled us with His cleansing blood so that we can truly see the only God. Men despised and rejected Jesus and hid their faces from Him. He suffered this willingly; all our sin and shame and pain were placed upon Him in order to giv...

Once more, the LORD calls His people to wake up. He calls them out of their distress and despair, for He is redeeming them out of their captivity according to His powerful Word. The messenger who proclaims this good news to God’s people runs to Zion on his beautiful feet so that they will know that their God is truly King. This Gospel message brings joy and singing among God’s people as they see H...

Paul Gerhardt’s marvelous hymn text is fitting both for Lent and Holy Week. We sing of Jesus as the Lamb of God who goes willingly into sacrifice to bear our sin and be our Savior. He gives His spotless life in place of our sinful lives gladly, treating us as His friends. Jesus does this as the true Son of God at the command of His Father, who desires our salvation. This great love that God has fo...