Walking With Our Beautiful Savior

Through the Means of Grace

God’s grace is his love shown to us by forgiving our sins and giving us eternal life. These are the opposite of what we all deserve as sinners.  The means are what God uses to bring the message and power of his gospel to people.  They create and sustain saving faith in Jesus as our Redeemer. 

The Bible

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”  (2 Timothy 3:16)

It is God’s Gospel message which is the power that saves (Romans 1:16).  And that message comes first and always with God’s words (printed or spoken).  The open BIBLE presents this.  The lighted candle and the words on the page reflect Psalm 119:105 words, 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light for my path.”  We sinners need Christ as our light because we are by nature in the darkness of unbelief. The symbols on the candle depict Christ who is “the alpha (A) and the omega (W), the beginning and the end” in Revelation 1:8 who was crucified so our sins are forgiven (U).  In our life and in our worship, proclaiming God’s Word is our focus.

Baptism

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19)

The SHELL AND WATER DROPS have long been a Christian symbol for BAPTISM.  This sacrament has the power to create saving faith in a heart.  The  Lord chose water, the universal cleansing agent, as the visible element to connect his Gospel with for the forgiveness of sins.   The stylized wavy blue lines add to the general concept of the "washing of rebirth." There are three lines, each in a different hue, to represent the three persons of the triune God who adopts the sinner with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Lord's Supper

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?”   

(1 Corinthians 10:16)

In the sacrament that Jesus instituted on the night he was betrayed and arrested, he distributed the visible elements—food and drink— BREAD and wine, “fruit of the vine” in the CHALICE.  The repentant recipient at the Lord’s Table is reassured that God’s forgiveness is sealed for eternity to the believer.  In this way our faith is nourished and strengthened by the miracle of receiving Jesus’ body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine connected with God’s gospel promise. 

Through Holy Week

The sequence depicts major events that describe how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise for a Savior to pay for our sins (i.e. to redeem us) so that we are forgiven.

Welcomed

“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.” (Mark 11:8)

The week that Jesus was crucified began by a triumphal entry into Jerusalem when he was praised as a king by PALM BRANCHES strewn on the path he traveled. He came to the city where sacrifices had to be made to God to forgive sins. 

Jesus’ ministry was about to end.  The praise to him was short-lived.  The time had come for him to suffer and die in our place.  In a few days some voices in the Palm Sunday crowd would shout “Crucify Him!”  Palm Sunday is the transition into what the Christian Church has come to call Holy Week. 

Sold

The disciple Judas Iscariot “ asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”  (Matthew 26:15)

The sin of greed showed its ugly presence against Jesus through the disciple Judas.  The Savior provides forgiveness for this sin and all sins.  Jesus redeemed us.  He bought us back from the eternal punishment our sins earn with his suffering and death. He was bought and sold with blood money in the process. 

This event is symbolized by the red BAG AND COINS. The tragedy is that one, whom Jesus called a close friend, handed him over to the enemy for money. 

Betrayed

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)