The Scripture reading for today is John 1:35-42

⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

 The Confessions reading is the 3rd Commandment

Remember The Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. 

Meditation: The Word of God makes a thing what it declares. When God said, "Let there be light," there was light. When God said, "Let all the waters of Egypt be blood, the water turned into blood. In our Scripture reading today, Jesus said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas, which means Peter." Jesus declared Peter to be the rock. Jesus changed Peter's name. The Word of the Lord does what it says. In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His apostles who people said that He was. He then asked them all who they thought He was. Peter then responded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus said that Simon was blessed, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to him, but Jesus' Father in heaven did. Jesus then gave Simon the name Peter, and upon the rock of Peter and His Confession the church is built, and the gates of hell will never prevail again it.

The Word of the Lord does what it says. This is why God commands us not to despise His Word, but to gladly hear and mark it well. We are to Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy and sacred because whenever the Word is proclaimed that names us as children of God, it is a holy and precious day in which we have great delight. Just as Jesus spoke and named Peter, so He continues to speak to us today and forgive us. When the pastor, in the stead of Jesus, declares us forgiven, we are indeed forgiven from the pastor as from Jesus Himself.  Just as Jesus called the apostles by His Word, named Peter by His Word, and comforted them by His Word, so Jesus Word in the voice of the Gospel continues to call us to be named as children of God, comforted in the forgiveness of our sins. 

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I forgive you. I love you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog