Daily Lectionary: Judges 15:1-16:3; Galatians 3:23-4:11

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4–5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Law was our guardian. The lLw’s job is not to love you, but to hold you captive. The Law can’t make you hate sin, just punishment. The heart is still full of lust and evil and envy and hate. The Law can’t make you love what God commands, only fear what happens if you don’t. The Law can’t give you a good conscience. The Law can’t give you righteousness. The Law can’t give you freedom. The Law can’t give you anything. It can only demand. The Law is one thing. The Gospel is another.

The Gospel cannot demand. It can only give. Christ gives you His righteousness, His holiness, even His identity. Now, you are no longer under a guardian, but sons of God, through faith, and heirs according to the promise. You are baptized. The Law doesn’t own you or hold you anymore. It cannot speak to your conscience. That is the job of the Gospel. You have put on Christ, who is your righteousness.

The Law doesn’t cease to exist. It is still a reflection of the Law giver. The Law reflects the character of God. It shows how things are supposed to be. So for you, it shows what you are not. Christ was not born into the world to eliminate how things are supposed to be, but to set aright what sin broke. So He was not born apart from the Law, but under the Law. He allows the Law to hold Him captive. He suffers the wages of sin. He dies to forgive you all your sins. He redeems you from the Law that held you captive, and adopts you into His own family. This isn’t so that you would hate the Law, but so that you would be free from it. We love the Law because we wear Jesus in our Baptism. He fulfills all the Law demands. Where the Lord is, there is freedom from the captivity of the Law. You are free from the curses of the Law. You are free from sin, free from death, free from terror. You are in Christ. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

In Baptism we now put on Christ—Our shame is fully covered With all that He once sacrificed And freely for us suffered. For here the flood of His own blood Now makes us holy, right, and good Before our heav’nly Father. (“All Christians Who Have Been Baptized” LSB 596, st.4)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch