The Belt of Truth

Jesus, making us into new people, now encourages us to be salt and light. Jesus also describes his relationship to God’s revealed Torah and how his people are to understand it as well.

Jesus begins his inaugural address concerning God’s reign in the sermon on the Mount.  He begins with the blessings of who is in God’s kingdom and speaks in the third person. But his 9th and final blessing is directed at you, those who hear and believe. 

The Creed wraps up with the work of the Holy Spirit who makes a holy people using the Holy Word and Sacraments.  The Holy Spirit makes us holy by delivering to us the gifts that Jesus purchased by his death and resurrection.  This is leading God’s people to the day of the resurrection which will finish this task that he has begun in us.  Amen indeed! 

Jesus, with authority as God’s Son and the Christ, has driven back Satan and that leaves room for God’s kingdom to come. Jesus announces that it is time to repent and come into God’s kingdom.  He calls Peter, Andrew, John and James to be his disciples and they immediately follow Jesus, even leaving their father behind.  Jesus spreads the effects of God’s kingdom by restoring and healing people of...

In the final movement of Matthew 1-4, Jesus positions himself to fulfill the Scripture to proclaim to his people in Gentile country that he is bringing God’s kingdom and he is the King.  The passage from Isaiah 9 connects to Immanuel and gives us a miniature Gospel summary, that Jesus is here to bring God’s Kingdom to Jew and Gentile alike.  The pieces are now set for Jesus to fulfill God’s missio...

The Second Article of the Creed describes the work of our redemption. Christ Jesus, who is true God and true man in one person has worked our salvation. He has made us right before God the Father through his work outlined in the Creed. 

Jesus, as God’s Son, takes our place to save sinners by being tempted by the devil. The Spirit leads him on to this attack where he fulfills perfectly what God’s Son Israel had failed to do in the Old Testament.  Jesus does this for us. He suffers the sins, quotes the Word of God from Deuteronomy. He outlasts the devil and is now ready to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. The only questio...

The Apostles Creed gives us the shape of God’s love and care in creating us, saving us, and making us holy.  The 1st article starts us off in creation. God has made us. But what does that mean? We dig into Luther’s Small Catechism to see the blessings that God gives.

Jesus comes to the Jordan River to submit to the plan to fulfill our salvation and save sinners. John is at first puzzled knowing that Jesus does not need this, but Jesus makes his stand with sinners and wanting their salvation.  The Holy Spirit descends on him and the Fsther declares him his beloved Son. The Triune God is revealed and is working together in this.  Jesus is now equipped and ready...

As we finish up the 10 Commandments, we see that the law gets us to the heart of the matter. And the conclusion to the commandments shows us God’s intent for them.  We also cover the three uses of God’s law. The law functions as a curb to keep gross sin in check, the mirror shows us our sin and accuses us of rebellion against God. As Christians, the law works as a guide/GPS to show us the shape of...

John the Baptist is brought into the narrative as “these days” continue to be fulfilled.  John comes to prepare people for God’s reign on earth that is now dawning. For John to comes means that Israel has gone astray. But now God is coming through on his promises.  Crowds come out to him and they confess their sins, which Jesus is coming to take away, as they await the fullness of the promise.  Jo...

The 8th and 9th commandments aim at our tongues and our hearts.  Our tongues take aim at our neighbors’ reputation and name. We can use lies to attack the gift of our neighbor’s name. And we can even use the truth to further our own sinister agenda at the cost of our neighbor. We are called instead to be the one to defend our neighbor’s reputation.  Coveting is what we do with our hearts that lead...

Joseph is called back to Israel by the angel, showing us God’s continued care to complete the mission for our salvation.  The path back mirrors the people of Israel from the Old Testament. This shows us that as God’s Son, Jesus is here to do fulfill the people of Israel’s story faithfully.  Joseph goes to live further north on the fringes of the Promised Land of Israel, in Nazareth. By doing this,...

The 6th and 7th Commandments point is to God’s gifts of marriage and private property/work.  Through marriage and work we see the blessing God wants for society and the shape of love that we can share.  Adultery is anything against the design that God has given for sex and marriage between a man and a woman. Stealing is that which we take from others what belongs to them or fail to help them keep...

Matthew’s Gospel shows us how an infant Christ reigns and rules despite rejection and persecution.  God is directing all events in the narrative and we see how Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture. Here we see what it means that Jesus is God’s Son. It is both who Jesus is by right and a function he carries out.  After the magi depart, an angel directs Joseph to flee with Mary and Je...

The second table of the law (4-10) show us how to love our neighbor. They also call us into a vocation. Whether that is as a spouse, child, brother, worker, etc. we see that God has ordered and structured life together in order that love and care be shared among all creatures. Love means service.  We then see how beautiful life is in the 4th and 5th commandments. We also take note of our sins and...

The Magi come, and God reveals to them his Son. They respond with faith, but what will be the people of Israel along with King Herod’s reaction?  Matthew shows us more who this Jesus is and who his people are. 

The law of God gives us the shape of love. Before God, the second and third commandments show us how we love God with our tongue and worship. This also gives witness to others who will properly love God as he reveals his name and preaches his word.  The commandments have a don’t and a do. This tells us there is much more to the commandments and that God’s claim on us is total. 

The origin of Jesus Christ is discussed.  We see mankind’s first decoration of our Lord. It is rejection by Jesus by means of the law. Showing us that it must be by revelation that Christ is rightly known and the right response of faith is given.  We also learn the Old Testament points us to Christ by the quote of Isaiah 7:14, the first of many quotes in Matthew’s Gospel. This promise of Immanuel...

What is Luther’s Small Catechism, why do we use it and how should we use it?  This series will go through Luther’s Small Catechism as it teaches the faith that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to us.  It will echo to us the faith we are called to confess and gives an answer for what it means to be Christian. 

Welcome to the Belt of Truth!  In this Podcast we go through Matthew’s Gospel!  In Matthew 1:1-17 we cover the genealogy of Christ.  We find that its purpose is to establish who Jesus is. He is the Christ who comes through human ancestry and is directed by a threefold repetition of 14 by God himself who works through sinful humanity to redeem it.  A whole host of people that come from Genesis to M...

Praise the Lord!  Where, why, how and who. Where do we praise God? Why do we praise God? How do we praise God? And who do we praise?  Psalm 150, the final psalm gives us a dramatic conclusion to the Psalter. In it we join everything thought and everything and swallow it up in a resounding Hallelujah! 

In the penultimate Psalm, Psalm 149, continues the theme of praise of 146-150. Here God’s people praise their Maker and their King. The idea of King has gone through a transformation and fulfillment in this book. With the rise and fall of David’s line to God himself combining the promise of David’s Son with himself. So that it is God and man who rule. This is Jesus Christ our Lord. As a result of...

Psalm 148 continues the praise of the Lord! Two areas are focused in on. The heavens in verses 1-6 and all that is in them. And then the earth in verses 7-14.  This praise from the heavens is automatic and is styled like how God spoke and they came to be. As the heavens and the angels do their job, they praise God. They are well ordered because God’s Word is holy and true.  The earth and all that...

Psalm 146 brings us back to two concepts we have seen a lot in these psalms: God’s care of creation and his care of the Church.  This gives us confidence to hope in God as we see him ordering the creation and the world around us. We join in the Hallelujah!  This causes us to marvel and be at odd. For though God is high, he uses it for the benefit of his people. He rules all on behalf of his people...