Jacob Hercamp – What Does This Mean?

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Words of our Lord Part 2

Encore Post: [Nineteenth post in a series on the Divine Service] In today’s installment of our walk through the liturgy, we will spend some time talking about the first part of the “Words of our Lord” namely the words concerning the bread.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

We should remember that this was a Passover Meal, commemorating God’s greatest act of salvation to date for Israel. However, on this night, the meal between Jesus and His Disciples would begin to unveil the act of salvation to which the Passover points and is fulfilled once and for all by his all availing sacrifice at the cross.

Dr. Arthur Just, Jr. in his fabulous book Heaven on Earth: The Gifts of Christ in the Divine Service, lays out the events that take place during a “Passover Meal”, for a sketch of the events of the Passover meal liturgy see pages 59-62. We learn that there is eating, then teaching at the table, where the story of the exodus would be retold and the food interpreted accordingly, followed by more eating, etc.

Luke is the most thorough Gospel concerning the events of Jesus’ Last Supper, telling us about two cups of wine (See Luke 22:17-18 and 22:20). They are not the same cup, according to Passover Liturgy.

As part of the Passover Meal Liturgy, the food itself would be interpreted by the host of meal. This is where the words of institution come into play. Jesus interprets the bread concerning himself! And it is given up “on behalf of you” (Luke 22:19). In the other accounts, there is no atonement language spoken over the bread. Thanks be to God for multiple accounts from the Gospels, catching and pointing out each detail so that our theology may be as rich as possible. Christ’s body is part of the sacrifice for our atonement!

Let us also note: Jesus’ words concerning the bread being his body. Is means Is! There is no way around what Jesus says. There is no other way to interpret Jesus’ own words. This is My Body. What we get when we receive the Sacrament is exactly what Jesus says we get: His Body. This is the same body given up for you at the cross, buried, and raised on the third day. This is the same body as the body which ascended to the right hand of the Father.

How it literally happens, we will never know on this side of heaven. That is why it is called a sacrament — a mystery. We will look at the second part of the words of our Lord concerning the cup next.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Words of our Lord Part 1

Encore Post: [Eighteenth post in a series on the Divine Service] The Lutheran Service Book has the heading of “The Words of our Lord” but I imagine many of you also have heard them called either “The Words of Institution” or “The Words of Consecration,” or just the “Verba”. In all cases they the titles refer to the same thing: The words our Lord said on the night when He was betrayed, concerning the bread and then the cup. With this we have reached the climax of the Service of the Sacrament.

The pastor has removed the veil from over the chalice and moved the hosts to the paten (liturgical name for the plate which holds the bread), if they were not there already and either will speak the Words or will chant them. Unfortunately, fewer congregations hear the Words chanted. During the time of the Reformation, chanting the Verba was the way many people distinguished the Lutheran Church from the Catholic Church. In my congregation, the altar is set up and attached to the wall, so the words of our Lord are chanted over the elements facing away from the congregation. In some churches, you will see a free standing table/altar, where the pastor can go to the other side and say the words toward the people.

Every Sunday, we rehearse the night of Jesus “being handed over.” That word for being handed over or betrayed is παραδιδωμι which also means tradition/hand down. Jesus says to do these things in remembrance of Him, so the Church has always done it and continues to “hand it down to the next generation of the faithful” just as Paul says when he gives his account of the night in 1 Corinthians 11. By participating in the Sacrament, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

But who do we hear when those words are spoken? You hear Christ’s living voice. Just like the Gospel reading being the “high point” of the Service of the Word, so also the Words of Christ concerning His Supper are the high point of the Service of the Sacrament. So you actually hear the living voice of Jesus in these words, for they are not the Pastor’s words but Christ’s words.

Next time, we will dive into the words themselves but we can know for certain that they are Christ’s words for us, bidding us to come to eat and drink the very things through which He redeemed us and now through gives us life everlasting.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: What’s Not There

Encore Post: [Seventeenth post in a series on the Divine Service] In my last post about the liturgy, we talked at length about the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer being fulfilled by the forthcoming events of the Service of the Sacrament. However, I failed to mention anything about the doxological (giving of praise) ending of the Prayer. With this post I am going to attempt to talk more about the conclusion of the prayer in the context of the service as well as discuss something that is no longer found in our Divine Services: The Eucharistic Prayer.

If you noticed at least when following the 3rd Setting of the Divine Service, in the Lutheran Service Book, the petitions are pointed for chanting by the Pastor and the ending is to be sung by the congregation. Some congregations forego the chanting altogether and speak the Prayer aloud. We ought to remember that Matthew and Luke do not record such a conclusion, “For thine is Kingdom and the Power…” That addition, while a good and right addition, came out of the wisdom of the Church. For with those words, the Church confesses of the Father that He is able to bring all these petitions to actualization. And perhaps that is why the entire congregation is encouraged to sing joyfully the conclusion. They confess with own voices the whole Church’s belief in the Father to whom the Pastor just prayed on the congregation’s collected behalf.

Now to the prayer that no longer shows up in Lutheran Divine Services: The Eucharistic Prayer. In the Early Church (and still found in The Roman Catholic Church) the Eucharistic Prayer came right on the heels of the Lord’s Prayer. Eucharist means “Thanksgiving” so in a way this prayer was a prayer of thanksgiving recounting and rehearsing the deeds of salvation the Lord has done on behalf of His people. Many of the ancient Eucharist prayers rehearse the stories of the Old Testament stretching into the story of Jesus and also including the night of Christ’s betrayal (the Greek word, παραδίδωμι, means betrayal as well as handing down a tradition), which as Jesus says should be remembered.

However, these Eucharistic Prayers began to get quite long, and unfortunately, poor theology crept into the prayers. With that came poor and bad practice from the priests and the believers. In particular, the Eucharistic Prayers because to weave in the idea that the priest was actually “re-sacrificing” Christ on the Altar as an “un-bloody” sacrifice. And this sacrifice was not just a sacrifice of thanksgiving, but a sacrifice given to God that was considered to be propitiatory (See Council of Trent Sess. XXII, can. iii; also see The Apology of the Augsburg Confession about this HERE.) Let us remember there is only one sacrifice for the propitiation for sins: Jesus Christ. Also inside the Eucharistic Prayer was the oblation and intercession for all living as well as all those dead (see a contemporary document concerning oblation and intercession HERE.)

On top of all that, the Words of our Lord were prone to get lost in the middle of the Eucharistic Prayers because of all the extra stuff that came after the recounting of the deeds of the Lord (oblation, intercession, etc.). With that, you should begin to see why Lutherans have shied away from the use of the Eucharistic Prayer within the Divine Service. However, there are some pieces of the concept which still are found in our Liturgy of the Sacrament. For instance, it is good and right that we should recall the works of God, and we in the Proper Preface. The Words of our Lord from the night of his betrayal take center stage, and next time will pick the service with those precious words of our Lord. Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Lord’s Prayer

Encore Post: [Sixteenth post in a series on the Divine Service] On the heels of the Sanctus, the pastor leads the congregation in the prayer our Lord taught us to pray. The Lord’s prayer, being the prayer of the baptized, takes its place in the Service of the Sacrament. And below, I suggest many if not each petition of the prayer gets answered by the Sacrament of the Altar the congregation is preparing to receive.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be on earth as it is in heaven. We will discuss the introduction and the first three petitions together. We are calling out to our Heavenly Father as Christ has instructed us to do. He is our Father who desires to give us good things, and He has given us the very best thing: His very own Son that we might be reconciled to him by the blood which is poured out for us. God’s Kingdom is coming, we just sang about it in the Sanctus: “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! And He comes to save, which is His will, that all call upon the name of the Son and be saved. Also eschatologically speaking, we are eating a foretaste of the meal that is in His Kingdom that will have no end.

Give us this day our daily bread. Luther spends more time talking about our physical needs here with the 4th petition, but in connection to the Sacrament and Jesus calling himself the bread of life in John 6, we can see the connection between this petition and the Sacrament we are about to receive. It is what truly gives us life and encouragement for the days ahead.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We will be going to the rail and kneeling to receive, with the body and blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins which He won for us by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Having received forgiveness from God in the Sacrament, we are strengthened to forgive one another. Christ did not just die for my sins, but also for the sins that my neighbor committed against me. Having been forgiven and shown mercy by Christ, we, too, should show mercy to one another. We are strengthened to do that by the Sacrament of the Altar.

Lead us not into temptation. By the very eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood, we are taking into ourselves the very person who is our advocate and fighter against every temptation of Satan, the world, and our own flesh.

Deliver us from evil. Christ promises in John 6: “Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live.” Jesus does not lie, and it is the will of His Father to raise up to eternal life those who believe in the one whom was pierced and out of whom blood and water poured out.

This is a bit longer of a post, but I do pray that this has given you a different way to say the prayer our Lord Jesus has taught us to pray when you say it right before receiving the Sacrament of the Altar. See in the Sacrament the answer to the prayer.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Sanctus

Encore Post: [Fifteenth post in a series on the Divine Service] The closing words of the Proper Preface introduce the following piece of the beautiful Service of the Sacrament: The Sanctus.

The Sanctus: Latin for “Holy” comes from the vision of Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6, where Isaiah “sees the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isa 6:1). The phrase Holy, Holy, Holy comes from the seraphim serving the Lord. Isaiah realizes his unworthiness and sin, yet for the sake of the sacrifice (Christ) atonement has been made and he is able to stand before the Holy God and live. Like Isaiah, we, too, are made holy for the sake of Christ and our sins are forgiven.

But there is more to the hymn than just the words of the angels. The Sanctus as printed in the Lutheran Service Book Divine Service Setting III, prepares us for the coming of the Lord. The words, “Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” come from Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, see Matthew 21. But instead of riding a colt into our midst, in the Divine Service the Holy One of God, Jesus Christ, comes to us in his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Christ is here for our forgiveness life and salvation. Christ brings heaven down to earth within the Divine Service for us. And in coming in the Supper he in fact does save us now, which is what the word Hosanna means (according to LSB footnote).

In the vision of Isaiah, we see Isaiah receive on his mouth the burning coal from the altar. We in the Supper we receive the very body and blood of Christ, which was broken and poured out that we might be redeemed and made holy. It is good and right for us to sing the Sanctus in preparation for the Supper for the Holy God comes to save us by granting us sinner’s mercy, which is perhaps the greatest manifestation of our Lord’s glory. And we rightfully then praise the Lord, singing, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!” confessing our faith in Him who graciously feeds us now that we might endure until Christ calls us to Himself in the fullness of his glory.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Preface and Proper Preface

Encore Post: [Thirteenth post in a series on the Divine Service] In the course of the Liturgy of the Divine Service, we now fix our eyes upon the Altar, where Christ comes to us in His Body and Blood to feed us, forgiving our sins, and strengthening our faith. We are entering the “Service of the Sacrament.” But before the meal, we prepare ourselves further by hearing the words of both the Preface and Proper Preface.

The Preface is one of the oldest pieces of the entire Liturgy. According to my reading to prepare for writing this post, it seems plausible that the Preface could have been a part of the liturgy when the Apostle John was still alive (90 AD).

The words of the Preface are pretty simple. The celebrant (the pastor who is overseeing the Sacrament of the Altar), begins by saying the phrase: “The Lord be with you,” which happens to an echo from the Service of the Word when the pastor speaks or chants the Collect of the Day. The congregation then responds, “And with thy spirit.” Typically, the pastor has opened his hands toward the people in speaking this salutation and then he “receives” this blessing from the people as well.

We then hear the words, “Lift up your hearts.” The congregation: “We lift them to the Lord.” These words are interesting because of their origin. While it sounds great, it can be misunderstood. I remember from my seminary days, Dr. Masaki talking about these very words because of their “implied Calvinism.” In the Service of the Sacrament it is not really us who go up to heaven, but in actuality, it is Christ who comes down to us. And wherever Christ is, that is where Heaven is. So Heaven is on Earth in the Divine Service, and specifically in the Service of the Sacrament.

The beginning phrase and the ending of of the Proper Preface remains the same each and every time. It’s what is sandwiched in between that changes and contains the hard-hitting theology. For instance, listen to the preface of Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Day, Pentecost, etc. You will see the themes of the day beautifully illustrated for us. Listen to these, ask your pastor for a copy of them to meditate upon for a devotion. In the Service, it leads us to the singing of the Sanctus in which we announce the “Coming of the Lord” for us to save us now in the giving of his body and blood.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Prayer of the Church

Encore Post: [Twelfth post in a series on the Divine Service] Upon singing the Offertory, and presenting the offerings of the Church, the service enters somewhat of an intermission. The Service of the Word is wrapping, only the Prayer of the Church remains before the Service of the Sacrament begins with Preface and Proper Preface.

The Prayer of the Church is an expanded prayer, containing many and various petitions and thanksgivings. For many years, you might have called the Prayer of the Church an ordinary, because there were basically three “Prayers of the Church” that were printed inside of the Altar Book. However, in recent years the Prayers of the Church have become much more a proper, at least for the churches of the LCMS who utilize the Let Us Pray Series created by the LCMS Director of Worship and his team.

In my Congregation, I utilize the Prayer of the Church provided in the Altar Book because of its consistency in wording. I hope and pray that the continued hearing of the same words moves my people to use those words in their own prayers. However, there is great merit in using the new prayers too, because they are written for our present troubles in mind. Also, pastors should tailor these prayers to the circumstances of the Congregation. For instance, if one prayer offered in the Altar Book has no petition for pregnant women and there is one for women with child, adding a petition for mother and child would likely be appreciated, etc.

Another prayer that the Prayer of the Church is molded after is the great Litany, found on pages 288 and 289 of the Lutheran Service Book. The petitions found within that great prayer cover all facets of life. If a pastor desires to write his own prayer of the church, I would encourage us all to begin with the words of the Great Litany and expand from there.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Offertory

Encore Post: [Eleventh post in a series on the Divine Service] I pray that you are being spiritually fed by the Word and Sacrament of our Lord Jesus Christ. The last time I talked about the sermon and its importance, and so today, we are turning our attention to the Offertory.

Depending on the Divine Service Setting one uses (again, I am speaking of the Lutheran Service Book) you might see a couple different settings of Offertories. But they, at least in my mind, serve different purposes. The Offertory of Divine Service 3 appears to serve more as a response of the congregation to the sermon that was just preached as it follows directly on the sermon’s heels.

The Offertory of Divine Service 3 comes from Psalm 51:10-12. We know the history behind Psalm 51 because the superscript tells us. Psalm 51 was written, prayed by David when Nathan the prophet confronted him concerning the murder of Uriah the Hittite and taking Bathsheba for himself. Those events are well documented in 2 Samuel 11-12.

Psalm 51 is a psalm of acknowledging one’s sin and thus repenting, pleading with God to be merciful to the sinner. The first verse of the Psalm says as much, “Be mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” What we sing as the Offertory comes later in the psalm, in a way a prayer that God again “create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

The sermon should have confronted us with our sins. Yes, we have sinned and have fallen well short of the glory of God. Indeed, we deserve everlasting death for our offenses against Him. But also in that sermon, we should have heard the Gospel that God has shown us mercy in sending Jesus Christ, who has taken upon himself our sins.

David’s prayer and our own in Psalm 51 is answered in Christ Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the dead with that forgiveness and everlasting life being applied to us via the preaching of Christ’s Word and the Administration of His Sacraments. Joy, even in the midst of suffering, is restored for God’s mercy is made manifest among us by Jesus Christ, who upholds us, giving us the promised Holy Spirit, Who comforts us with things which are Christ’s and declares them to us and makes them our own.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Sermon

Encore Post: [Tenth Post in a series on the Divine Service] The preceding components of the Liturgy lead us to the sermon. As has been said in previous posts, particularly the post on the readings, the Holy Gospel is the central reading to which all the other readings for the day point. It is likely that the sermon will be based upon the reading of the Holy Gospel.

What should a sermon do? The sermon and the preaching thereof should proclaim Christ’s person and his active work bringing about the salvation of humanity. That means the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, or in other words, the atonement, should be on full display. Not only should the sermon bring Christ’s work to light, but it should shine a light on how Christ is active in bringing this salvation to bear in our lives today.

For example, on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, the 3 year lectionary has John 4 as the Gospel reading. Jesus meets the Samaritan woman, who has a less than spectacular past. The Old Testament lesson has the story of Israel complaining and testing. The Lord has Massah and Meribah. Both stories work together in bringing to light that no one has a perfect past, but indeed we are all sinful in many and various ways. Yet, our Lord Jesus is gracious and merciful, not destroying Israel or the woman for her past indiscretions. Instead, he brings to light the fact that she is a sinner in need of the water that gives eternal life. A drink that only he gives. Water (and blood) that is poured out for the world at cross.

How Jesus calls us out of out of the darkness of our sins and into his marvelous light to receive rightly the water that endures unto eternal life will likely be a major component of this sermon. Jesus uses his preachers to preach the Law and the Gospel. Bringing sins to light that they might be dealt with, and once they are, bringing the sweet news of the Gospel that Jesus has not only died for our sins but that “you are forgiven for Christ’s sake.”

The Gospel proclamation does not end there, but continues with how Jesus actively seeks us out still today, and grants to us grace through the very means of Grace, like Baptism and the Lord’s Supper which our eyes begin to turn in the sermon as the tangible Gospel, the flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus will be given to us to eat and to drink in short order. That we might continue to grow in the faith as well as fervent love towards our neighbors.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

The Star Who Crushes His Foes

I have been reflecting quite a bit on the book of Isaiah as I am teaching through it in my Bible study. We just came through Isaiah 25 and the feast that the Lord prepares for all people. But interestingly, Moab is singled out as a nation not welcome to the feast (Isa 25:1-12). At the same time, I was reading to prepare for the Feast of the Epiphany. I was reading Matthew 2, and I did more work around the Magi and the “Star.” Just do a bible search for wise men or Magi and you will find yourself in the book of Daniel. Daniel, remember, was the chief of the wise men in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. The wise men probably were men from Babylon. So that helps us get a better picture of where these men came from. But how did they notice the star? Daniel was much more than a leader of Magi in Babylon. He was a prophet of the God of Israel. Daniel most likely had access in some way to the scrolls of the Pentateuch. He preached the Word of God to the Babylonians who would listen. And listen they did.

But the star–where does the star appear in the Pentateuch? The gentile prophet Balaam prophesies of the star coming out of Jacob along with a scepter (Numbers 24:17). This star does not just come out of Jacob. This is where the Isaiah 25:10 passage comes in. The star is promised to crush Moab!

The word crush is the same word that is used to describe the act of the seed of the woman upon the serpent. The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. So now this star will crush Moab. In the “oracles concerning the nations” in Isaiah, Moab is seen in a negative light. And in Isaiah 25, Moab is seen as the universal enemy of all the people of God. Though the word is not “crush” and not a verbal match, the idea is the same. However, it is not the seed or the star who will trample down Moab. It is the people of God who will trample down their enemies. Moab is said to be like the dung trampled into the ground.

Taking this into the New Testament, we can see Jesus crushing the head of the serpent at the cross and giving us the benefits of that victory. You and I have eternal life because of Christ’s coming into the world to be our atoning sacrifice for sin, defeating death and Satan for us by His death and resurrection from the dead. In the Gospel of Luke and Mark, we get the continuation and the language of that victory being something we too participate in, too. We get to trample down serpents (Luke 10:17-20 also see Mark 16:14-20 and Paul in Acts 28:3-6). Theologically speaking, this crushing and throwing down of Satan takes place when the word of God is preached in its truth and purity and the sacraments are rightly administered (AC V, AC VII). It is not us who do the crushing that is left to Christ, our Bright Morningstar. That is His principle work, but we, in Christ, get to trample under our feet the old evil foe.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana