The Shepherd’s Voice – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tomah, WI

The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2026
John 16:16-22
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
 
This past week, my family drove 4 hours to Iowa for a Lutheran education conference. With a van full of children, you can imagine the constant refrain from the backseats…
 
“Are we there yet?”
 
“How much longer?”
 
A child’s understanding of time is often skewed, isn’t it?
 
When waiting for something good to arrive, like seeing old friends, time moves slowly, but when the opportunity for joy and fun arrives, time flies by.
 
This understanding of time doesn’t really change as people age; the days leading up to vacation feel long, but the time off itself goes by quickly. 
 
No matter what happens, one thing is certain: time continues to move forward at the same rate. It’s the events and experiences in your life that shape how you perceive and experience time. 
 
So, to quote the country artist, Kenny Chesney, “Don’t Blink.”
 
But in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16)
 
Jesus said, “A little while, and you will not see me.”
 
Why? Because He must die upon the cross, which is highlighted by these words,
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
 
There is so much packed into these words of Jesus.
 
First, these words of Jesus look ahead to His death and resurrection. But then they also address the idea of time, while, in another sense, Jesus seems to discuss how sorrow, weeping, lamenting, and grief influence our experience of time. 
 
Jesus says the world will rejoice at the time of his death, even while the disciples mourn and weep.
 
When a death happens close to you, surely you don’t see the world celebrating your sorrow and fear, but maybe you’ve noticed how the world doesn’t stop for your tears either; it keeps moving. 
 
Time always keeps moving, doesn’t it?
 
The fourth-century Greek poet, Menander, wrote the well-known adage for a play, “Time heals all wounds.”
 
In a way, the idea is that with enough time, your sorrows and griefs will disappear; they will fade as the days go by. You just need patience.
 
But, you don’t just practice this idea or hear these words when a loved one dies, do you?
 
You also use it when you’re upset with someone, when you’ve had a falling out with a friend or family member, when a young man and a woman break up, or when you’ve committed a serious sin that weighs heavily on your heart and faith. 
 
“Time heals all wounds.”
 
These words have not only become your friend, but a means also to avoid confronting the tribulations of life.
 
But how does Scripture respond to this idea of time? Let’s look at the well-known passage from Ecclesiastes,
 
To everything there is a season,
                        A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
                        And a time to die;
                        A time to plant,
                        And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
                        And a time to heal;
                        A time to break down,
                        And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
                        And a time to laugh;
                        A time to mourn,
                        And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
                        And a time to gather stones;
                        A time to embrace,
                        And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
                        And a time to lose;
                        A time to keep,
                        And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
                        And a time to sew;
                        A time to keep silence,
                        And a time to speak;
A time to love,
                        And a time to hate;
                        A time of war,
                        And a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
 
As Luther notes on this passage from Ecclesiastes, God has ordained a definitive beginning and end to every aspect of life. He writes,
All human works and efforts have a certain and definite time of acting, of beginning, and of ending, beyond human control. Thus this is spoken in opposition to free will. It is not up to us to prescribe the time, the manner, or the effect of the things that are to be done; and so it is obvious that here our strivings and efforts are unreliable. Everything comes and goes at the time that God has appointed. He proves this on the basis of examples of human works whose times lie outside the choice of man (AE 15:49).
 
Okay, so what does all of this mean?
 
It means your time is in God’s hands. Your births, your relationships, your marriage, your children, the breakups, the wars between friends and family, the job loss, the retirement, the deaths of a loved one, the grief and sorrow that follow.
 
All of this life is in God’s timing.
 
Yet, we can still say with confidence, “Time [does not] heal all wounds.”
 
Why do we say this?
 
Because Jesus is the only one who heals all wounds. He alone can take your grief and sorrow into Himself and give you joy, and that leads us to look to the time of His death upon the cross.
 
As the prophet Isaiah wrote,
 Surely he has borne our griefs
                        and carried our sorrows;
             yet we esteemed him stricken,
                        smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)
 
How often do you get caught in a continuous cycle of sorrow, grief, lament, and weeping? 
 
How often do you neglect or refuse to reach out and engage with the people and situations that challenge you throughout life? That leads to heartache and anger. Figuring, you’ll just give it time.
 
While time does not heal all wounds, time remains fleeting, so you should listen intently to the words of Jesus today,
 A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father. (John 16:16)
 
These words not only describe the aspect of time, but also lead you, along with Jesus’ disciples, to look toward His cross and His death. Still, they don’t leave you in darkness either, because they remind you that on that first Easter morning, your Jesus rose from the dead, bringing you the joy of His forgiveness. 
 
If you desire this joy, the joy of a mother who has given birth to a child, then you must not only go and face the crosses in your life—the person, the event, or cause of your grief and sorrow—but also confront these crosses by confessing your griefs, sorrows, laments, struggles, and the sin you are holding onto.
 
In other words, go to Jesus and confess your sin and your faith in Him, because only then can you or your neighbor rise with Christ in the joy of His resurrection.
 
Go to the font, drown the old Adam of sin and doubt, of fear and sadness, so you may receive new birth in Christ Jesus.
 
And don’t wait to do this, because just as there is a time for every purpose under heaven, the time for repentance and reconciliation, that is now.
 
So don’t waste time; instead, entrust the minutes, hours, and days of your life into God’s hands with eagerness, for He cares for you and longs to bring you into His eternal joy, where there is no time. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

Easter 3
April 19, 2026
John 10:11-16
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
 
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, which tells the story of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. What’s so wonderful about this passage is that Jesus teaches us He is not like a hireling, who doesn’t care about you, His sheep, and abandons you in your troubles or when the enemy attacks; no, instead, He came to save you. And that’s what He did—by laying down His life for you on the cross that first Good Friday, by enduring the attacks and wounds of the wolf, He died for your sins, your struggles, the darknesses that lead you away from His cross and Church. 
 
But maybe you’ve asked yourself, “How is Jesus coming to me today, to save me, to care for me, to bring me back to His cross and Church, back to the gathering of His flock?”
 
The answer to this question might come after the resurrection, as Jesus spoke to Simon Peter in the Gospel of St. John,
 
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
 
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
 
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
 
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
 
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
 
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
 
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
 
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
 
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)
 
First, we learn from this passage that Jesus cares for His sheep by sending pastors among them. But secondly, did you notice how Jesus doesn’t tell Peter to feed “your” sheep, no, He says to him, to feed “My” sheep — to feed the sheep of Jesus? 
 
Who are these sheep?
 
They are you—the ones who bear the Lord’s mark, have been washed in His baptism, sealed with His name, and covered by His blood shed on the cross.
 
This passage from the Gospel of John, these instructions given to St. Peter, are read at every ordination and installation of a pastor, because the clear instruction to all pastors is to feed the sheep of Jesus, “His sheep.” (Paraphrase from St. Augustine)
 
Now, how is a pastor to do this?
 
Well, Harold Senkbeil, a pastor outside of Elm Grove, WI, wrote a book called The Care of Souls, and in that book, he has a chapter called “Sheep-Dogging and Shepherding.”
 
In this chapter, Senkbeil alludes to the pastor as a sheepdog.
 
While many of you know what a sheepdog is, for those who don’t, this type of dog has traditionally been used to herd various kinds of livestock. Sheepdogs work closely with farmers or shepherds to move herds or flocks, prevent them from straying, guide them home, and guard and protect them from danger. 
 
Senkbeil says,
Consider this picture of the relationship between a sheepdog and shepherd as a vivid illustration of the bond between a pastor and the Good Shepherd who has enlisted him in service to his sheep. The sheepdog is iconic of a faithful pastor’s work: one ear turned to the voice of the Great Shepherd, the other tuned attentively to the sheep.
 
With this illustration in mind, Senkbeil urges the reader to ponder these relationships more as he quotes another author:
[The sheepdog] was the docile and faithful agent of another mind. He used his whole intelligence and initiative, but always in obedience to his master’s directive will… The little mountain sheep he had to deal with were exceedingly tiresome, experts in doubling and twisting and going the wrong way as any naughty little boy. Even so, the dog went steadily on with it, his tail never ceased to wag.
 
The dog’s relation to the shepherd was the center of his life; and because of that, he enjoyed doing his job with the sheep; he did not bother about the trouble, nor get discouraged with the apparent results. The dog had transcended mere dogginess. His actions were dictated by something right beyond himself. He was the agent of the shepherd, working for a scheme which was not his own and the whole of his of which he could not grasp, and it was just that which was the source of so delightedness, the eagerness and also the discipline with which he worked. But he would not have kept that peculiar and intimate relationship unless he had sat down and looked at the shepherd a good deal.
 
What these words reveal is that the sheepdog will never fully grasp the shepherd’s entire intent, meaning, he doesn’t know why this event leads to the next event. However, the dog acts as an extension of the shepherd, eager and willing to go wherever he is needed, and despite any frustrations, the sheepdog always looks to the shepherd, captivated by His love for him and the sheep. 
 
And this is where it all begins — the sheepdog watching and being captured by the Shepherd. Everything the sheepdog does is directed by the words of the Shepherd.
 
Similarly, everything the pastor does should be guided by the voice of the Good Shepherd.  
 
So, if you’re sick and in the hospital, the pastor is here to visit you and surround you with the comfort of God’s word.
 
If you are failing to live the baptismal life and walk in the fruits of the Spirit— “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”—the pastor is there to guide you back onto the difficult path of confession and absolution. (Galatians 5:22-23)
 
If you have wandered away from the flock, if you fail to keep the confession of faith from your Confirmation, the pastor will go after you, calling, texting, writing, emailing, Facebooking, or whatever form of communication is needed to lead you back to the Good Shepherd and the supper that awaits you here. 
 
It’s what the pastor, the sheepdog, is sent to do, because he receives his direction from the Good Shepherd, from his Lord, Jesus Christ.
 
And this is why I come into this sanctuary each morning: to get away from the distractions of the pastor’s study, to quietly look to my Savior, to hear His Word, to kneel and pray for you, His sheep, just as the apostles, the first pastors, instructed in the book of Acts as it was written, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4)
 
Or when I am permitted to come to your home and bedside during your times of trouble, sickness, or approaching death, because the Scriptures instruct the pastor, as St. James wrote,
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:13-15)
 
Or if you have strayed, if you have not been found regularly among the flock in the Divine Service; Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sends His sheepdog, His undershepherd, the pastor, after you—to leave the 99 and rescue the one—striving to bring you home to the flock of Jesus as you read in the Gospel of St. Luke. (Luke 15:3-7)
 
Why is all this done? Because Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14)
 
These words are the good news of Good Shepherd Sunday.
 
Jesus, your Good Shepherd, knows you. He has claimed you in Holy Baptism, and through His Word, He calls out to you. He doesn’t send hirelings among you, who do not care about you and would abandon you in times of trouble, to leave you when you or your children wander away from Him, or remain snug in your beds on a Sunday morning.
 
No, He sends His pastors, His sheepdogs, to do His will, to care for you, and to ensure you are constantly hearing the voice of Jesus, so you might know Him. So you might look to the cross and see how the Shepherd laid down His life for you, the sheep, enduring the attacks and wounds of the wolf - He died for your sins, your struggles, and the darknesses that lead you away from His Church, from His flock.
 
Jesus does all of this through His pastors because He loves you, and this is why Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
 
“Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
 
[Jesus] said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
 
This is why pastors are sent to you: to do as Jesus has instructed and commanded. So, on the last day, you can join the whole company of heaven in saying, Alleluia! Christ is Risen! +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Easter 2
April 12, 2026
John 20:19-31
 
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
 
Disappointment, grief, and fear are difficult feelings to process.
 
Certainly, you’ve experienced a time when you loved someone so deeply that you couldn’t imagine life without them. There are others you’ve trusted in life so completely that you’d follow them anywhere. And there are people you’ve depended on for their steady advice during tough times, and now you feel lost without them — like you’ve lost your sense of direction, and you would have followed them anywhere. 
 
You can experience these feelings of disappointment, grief, and fear after a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or the death of a spouse. Maybe you and a close friend had a falling out. Or, in other situations, a confidant or a pastor was called away to shepherd a different flock. 
 
These situations are difficult for everyone. They often cloud a person’s thinking.
 
For instance, grief can lead to brain fog, memory loss, and rollercoaster emotions. One moment you’re happy, and the next you’re crying or screaming. The body may become physically exhausted, and you may even experience digestive issues, sleep deprivation, and cardiovascular problems known as broken heart syndrome. 
 
These darknesses and their shadows lead you onto new paths filled with distorted realities. In these moments, your faith is tested—faith in man, faith in God. 
 
You might wonder, is this what is occurring with Thomas in today’s Gospel?
 
After all, earlier in the Gospel of John, Thomas was not known to be the doubter he is in today’s reading. No, instead, he was bold as he said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we might die with [Jesus].” (John 11:16)
 
Where were the disciples headed here? Where is the location Thomas mentions? They were going to the tomb of Lazarus, to the place where life and death confront each other, the site where faith and hope struggle, and where Thomas believes death and martyrdom await him and the others. 
 
What happened to this Thomas?
 
The death of Jesus shattered his hopes and dreams, taking away his rabbi and teacher—somebody he depended on and believed in to rescue and save him and the others from oppression, want, and need. 
 
Thomas would have followed Jesus anywhere...
 
Surely you can relate to this, Thomas. Surely you’ve felt like Thomas. Some of you might not even blame him for being full of doubt and unbelief.
 
This is, after all, what has happened here: bold Thomas has become doubting Thomas because he no longer believed in Jesus, His Word, because he could not see his Savior with his eyes or touch Him with his hands.
 
The Church Father, Gregory the Great, wrote regarding today’s Gospel,
It was not an accident that [Thomas] was not present (with the eleven). The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question. (Gregory the Great)
 
Alright, so what is Gregory the Great saying here? He is saying, the doubting faith of Thomas is for us, for you. Gregory is saying that Thomas placed his finger into the print of the nails and his hand into the side of Jesus for your faith.
 
Which raises another difficulty: understanding God’s will and timing throughout life. Why did my high school sweetheart break up with me? She was my everything. Why did God take my spouse to be with Him? I need them. Why did God permit me to have such a falling out with my dear friend? Why did God take away the pastor who understood me the most and always pointed me in the right direction?
 
The answer to these questions is rarely what you desire or want, because when disappointment, grief, and fear arise, as they did for Thomas, you rarely think clearly and often find your faith wavering at best. 
 
However, through the example of Thomas today, we see that these instances are opportunities for us to trust, have faith, and cling to Jesus’ Word all the more.
 
And this is what St. John says in the closing verse of the Gospel as he wrote,
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31)
 
This belief and faith are how you place your fingers with Thomas into the print of the nails and your hand into the side of your Savior. Remember from last week, Jesus never stops being the crucified, and for this reason, every time you enter this sanctuary through the remembrance of your baptism, you enter the cross of Christ the crucified.
 
When you receive God’s forgiveness through the absolution and the proclamation of Jesus’ Word, you receive His peace. When you approach this altar, you receive the crucified and risen flesh and blood of Jesus upon your lips for your salvation and faith.
 
In a miraculous way, Jesus continues to come to you as He came to Thomas, both in His Word and in His body, in order for the Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith within you.
 
Look, life can be scary when going through cosmic changes, especially in relationships. But today is a chance for you to remember that your doubts and fears are not unique; even Jesus’ disciples struggled, and some, like Thomas, experienced a conflict of faith, particularly after the death and resurrection of Jesus. 
 
You are no different from them. You should expect the Christian life to be difficult because you remain in this life with other humans, who likewise are intelligent, emotional creatures.
 
But through the signs and events written within the Scriptures, be reminded of the hope you have in Christ Jesus, the Savior who has already won redemption for you.
 
And should you find yourself in darkness, locked in a state of fear, come to where Jesus is present for you, hear His Word of peace, and repeat with the entire Church,
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
 
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
 
 
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
 
Come, hear, touch, and receive Jesus for your eternal and everlasting faith. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/

The Festival of Easter
April 5, 2026
Mark 16:1-8
 
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
 
Since ancient times, family members have cared for their loved ones’ bodies after death. The family washed the body, dressed or wrapped it in linen shrouds, and surrounded it with incense, spices, and costly ointments. These practices of using pleasant fragrances served a practical purpose, masking the smell of death, as it was common for loved ones not only to carry the body to the family tomb but also to spend time with the deceased in the burial chamber.
 
On a different level, these practices of caring for the deceased also served as therapy, helping family members cope with their grief. In ways many of us are unaware of today, this process enables the living to accept the death of a loved one, gives purpose in caring for and dressing the body for burial, provides time to say goodbye, and ensures that rituals and dignity are maintained throughout the burial preparations. 
 
The idea of using a funeral home, embalming, and paying others to prepare a loved one’s body is fairly recent, emerging within the last one hundred to two hundred years.
 
But this morning, as we heard in the Gospel, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were walking to the tomb where Jesus was laid to continue the burial and ritual process that had begun in haste on Good Friday.
 
They bought and brought additional spices to the tomb, since the smell and stench of death would likely have started emanating from the body. You can assume that their walk to the tomb was rather slow, as they probably lacked joy in the tasks ahead. 
 
No one enjoys the journey to the grave, whether on foot or in a hearse. No one.
 
Because we understand that when we leave the grave, this is where the deceased will stay. We will depart, life will continue, but the dead remain.
 
But that’s why the morning’s Gospel is so surprising and exciting—because the women went to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body, but it wasn’t there. 
 
No, instead, what they see is an angel clothed in white, who announces to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
 
What wonderful words for their ears to hear.
 
What wonderful words for our ears to hear.
 
Now, there are a few things we can learn from the words of the angel. First, he says, “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.”
 
We often like to disconnect the crucifixion from the resurrection, yet even in the earliest words announcing the resurrection of Jesus, it is clear that He remains the crucified. With Romans 4 in mind, St. Paul reveals this profound link between the crucifixion and resurrection as he says, “[Jesus] was delivered for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) 
 
So, what is Paul saying here?
 
He explains that Jesus was crucified to pay the penalty for your sins, every one of them. But His resurrection now demonstrates His power over the grave, confirming that forgiveness is available to those who believe in Him. It also assures you, the faithful, that when the time comes, you will not remain in the grave, but like Christ, you too will rise from the dead. 
 
And this is the great news of Easter, that “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.”
 
In a way, on Easter, we all become Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome as we come to this sanctuary. While we do not bring spices and ointments for His burial, we do bring songs of praise as we seek and celebrate the resurrected Jesus who is here as He has promised.
 
This journey we are on, whether alone or with others, is also a preparation for our own death in Christ—the grave we enter through our baptisms—shaping not just the body but also the soul, for eternal rest and new life in the resurrection with Christ Jesus.  
 
And this is why we come and return to this sanctuary as often as possible, for Christ Jesus to prepare our bodies and souls for our deaths and burials. To die to our sins, to walk away from the devil and the grave. To be clothed and made ready to be raised in forgiveness and new life, every Sunday and Lord’s Day. 
 
My friends in Christ, as the days go by, don’t let today or the next funeral of a loved one be the last time you journey here or walk past the font where Jesus, the crucified, placed His name upon you and made you a partaker of His resurrection. Instead, come back—come back often—to where Jesus has promised He is present for you for the forgiveness of sin. Come and sing praises to your heavenly King, come and receive the foretaste of heaven prepared for you at this rail, come, rejoice, and confess with your brothers and sisters in Christ and the whole company of heaven...
 
O Death, where is your sting?
 
O Hell, where is your victory?
 
Christ is risen, and you are overthrown.
 
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen.
 
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice.
 
Christ is risen, and life reigns.
 
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
 
For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
 
So let us stand at the grave and cry out…
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
Amen.
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

The Great Easter Vigil
April 4, 2026
 
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
 
The Psalmist writes, “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)
 
Since the beginning of time and the fall into sin, mankind has been keeping watch for its redemption.
 
In fact, the entirety of Scripture is nothing but the prayer of the Psalmist, “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)
 
The image the Psalmist is painting for the reader is that of a vigil.
 
Honestly, vigils are not that foreign to us, are they?
 
We keep vigil when a woman is near giving birth.
 
We keep vigil for a child’s return late at night.
 
We keep vigil for the soldier overseas.
 
We keep vigil for the one who is ill.
 
We keep vigil when death draws near.
 
The idea of keeping watch, of keeping vigil, is ingrained in the rhythms of life.
 
It began with Adam and Eve as they waited for a seed, born of woman, to crush the serpent’s head. It continued with Israel as they observed the Lord’s Passover and remembered His promise to redeem them. And it was fulfilled in the coming of the Christ Child that first Christmas.
 
The Church is no different; throughout its history, it has always gathered in the darkness of night, with candles and torches in hand, as a reminder that the Light of Christ will scatter the darkness of sin and this world. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
 
You see this most clearly when we gather on Christmas Eve in the darkness to pray, sing Silent Night, and wait for the birth of the Christ Child. 
 
It really shouldn’t surprise you that, when we gather to celebrate the birth of Christ, we would also come together on this most holy of nights to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and to welcome the new life given to man through His resurrection. 
 
As St. Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3)
 
This is why, throughout the centuries, this night has been dedicated to baptizing and confirming catechumens and students of the faith, symbolizing their transition from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith and new life. 
 
This is a night for you to recount God’s mercy through the reading of Scripture to His entire Church. It is a night of new birth and the remembrance of your baptism. It is a night for the light of Christ to dawn upon you, His creatures who are in need of rescuing.
 
So don’t be shy, but out of the darkness of your life, remain ready and learn to pray with the Psalmist and the Church, “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)
 
Pray in the night of waiting, pray at the time of anguish and yearning, pray when death draws near.
 
But then rejoice, because morning has come, your Savior has risen from the dead, and He has an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance for you in heaven.
 
So, rejoice and greet this happy day, saying…
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
 
 

Good Friday
April 3, 2026
 
 
Leading up to the season of Lent, we meditated on the Latin phrase “Memento Mori,” meaning “remember your death,” or “remember you must die.”
 
A difficult phrase to comprehend, a matter we’d prefer not to contemplate.
 
We don’t want to grapple with the idea of death, let alone give it room to exist in our minds. Yet, as people get older, the thought becomes unavoidable. 
 
As we discussed, one way the ancients kept the idea of death before them was by sometimes using the actual bones and skulls of loved ones who had already died; they would place these items on a worktable or desk. 
 
Naturally, this isn’t something we do today, nor would we consider it.
 
Yet, the season of Lent is meant to encourage us to reflect on “Memento Mori.” It aims to prompt us to confront aspects of life that weaken our faith, especially those that often lead us to sin and spiritual death. 
 
And we don’t need to look far for examples in our lives that lead us to death.
 
Reflect on tonight’s readings about Judas’ actions as he betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to the chief priests and Pharisees. Are you any different from Judas? How often do you find yourself being greedy and selfish, only thinking of yourself? 
 
In this way, you have delivered Jesus over to be scourged.
 
Then there’s Peter. You want to confess with him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (Matthew 16:16). But honestly, when was the last time you discussed or confessed the Christian faith outside of these walls? With a friend, a coworker, or a family member?
 
Sometimes we forget that words left unsaid still carry meaning. They still confess something, and in this case, they reflect Peter’s cowardly nature when it mattered most, as he said, “I do not know the man.” (Matthew 26:72)
 
In this way, you are a feeble witness as your Savior was tried as a criminal for your offenses.
 
Yet, the example of Pilate still remains. He’s indifferent at best, and when faced with a choice, Pilate will take the easy way out, handing Jesus over to be crucified rather than standing firm against the mobs. 
 
Like with Peter, consider how you approach and assess the situation, choosing the easier path, and instead of standing up for what is right and confessing Jesus, you let your selfishness lead you to hand Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified. 
 
To die.
 
All of these events led to Jesus’ death on the cross; however, while Jesus did die on the cross about two thousand years ago, today is really about your own death. 
 
As we read in the book of Romans, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
 
Or a little later in Romans, we hear the familiar passage,
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
 
We speak this verse often, because we have a great need for “Memento Mori.”
 
We have a profound need to remember our own death and mourn the things that lead us toward death. We must turn away from what harms our faith. To drown our betrayal, denial, and selfish indifference to Christ in the waters of Holy Baptism, remember that we must die to sin in order to rise to new life. 
 
When we can do this, “Memento Mori” isn’t as scary as it first appears.
 
On this Good Friday, remember your death by taking up the cross in your hands, placing it before your eyes each day, seeing your Savior on the cross, and recognizing your own death on the cross. 
 
One of the wonderful aspects of the hymns we sing tonight is that they allow us to meditate on this reality. Using the closing stanza of “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” let it serve as a prayer and a reflection of joy and life. 
 
       Be Thou my consolation,    My shield, when I must die;Remind me of Thy passion    When my last hour draws nigh.Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,    Upon Thy cross shall dwell,My heart by faith enfold Thee.    Who dieth thus dies well.
 
As Lent comes to an end, keep these words and the cross of Jesus before you and remember that His death is your death, “Memento Mori.” 
 
But His life is also your life. So, look to the cross, keep it in your sight, hold onto it, for there hangs the Life that ends all death.
 
+INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Holy Thursday
April 2, 2026
1 Corinthians 11:23-32 & John 13:1-15, 34-35
 
 
When one thinks of Maundy Thursday, they often think of the Lord’s Last Supper.
 
Rightfully so, as in the sequence of Holy Week’s events, this is when the Lord’s Supper was instituted by our Savior for us Christians, to eat and to drink, for the forgiveness of our sins.
 
It’s also for this reason that we hear St. Paul’s instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper.
 
In the epistle this evening, St. Paul follows up the words of institution by instructing the Christian that whenever they receive the gift of the holy supper, they are confessing what Jesus has done for them upon the cross every day of their life, until Jesus returns.
 
But also, Paul says,
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:27)
 
Receiving the sacrament unworthily means approaching the altar with an attitude or behavior that lacks faith and fails to recognize that, at this altar, you receive the very flesh and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. At this altar, you confess a shared faith with the brothers and sisters to your left and right, and you also confess love for your Lord and your neighbor. 
 
But unworthiness can also present itself when you come to receive the Lord’s Supper if you are guilty of not loving your neighbor, because when someone does not love their neighbor, they are not loving Christ. For this reason, to sin against your neighbor is to sin against Christ.
 
St. Paul says, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28)
 
To examine yourself means to test yourself and critically reflect on your actions, thoughts, and beliefs. Do they align with God’s will for you? For example, do they align with the Ten Commandments, as you’ve learned them not only from the Small Catechism but also from Holy Scripture? 
 
In the letter to the Galatians, St. Paul says, “Let each person examine his own work.” (Galatians 6:4)
 
Examine yourself—your thoughts, words, and actions—while avoiding pride and selfishness. Looking upon others and saying, “I’m glad I’m not like them…”
 
For just two verses prior, Paul said to the Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
 
Part of fulfilling the law is to bear one another’s burdens, to walk through this life with your brothers and sisters, not only to the communion rail but also as you leave the rail to return to your seats, your homes, and your vocations. 
 
Which leads us to this question: What does Maundy Thursday mean?
 
Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment), referring to the “new commandment” Jesus gave his disciples and to us during the institution of the Lord’s Supper. He said,
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
 
But if you honestly examine yourselves, your lives, your words, and thoughts, do you come to the altar of the Lord with this love for one another as Christ says?
 
Or are you like Judas, just a bunch of betrayers of God and His word?
 
Betraying your Savior with your silence… silence in confessing your faith in Him, silence in confessing your sins to Him, silence in confessing your sins against Him because of your transgressions against your neighbors.
 
Think about this: do you approach this rail without first considering how you hurt and sin against others? Or the lack of reconciliation you have with one another? Have you made peace with each other or those individuals who have hurt you in your life?
 
This is a good time for us to remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount,
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:22-26)
 
St. Jerome, a translator of the Scriptures, reflects on this passage,
[Jesus] did not say, “If you have anything against your brother” but “If your brother has anything against you,” so that a greater need for reconciliation is imposed on you. As long as we are unable to make peace with our brother, I do not know whether we may offer our gifts to God.
 
In other words, if you are unable to make peace and reconcile with your brothers and sisters, you won’t be able to approach God with faithful gifts like prayer, singing, or devotion, let alone be prepared to receive the gift He has for you in the flesh and blood of the Lord’s Supper.
 
And why is this important?
 
Because when Jesus gives you a new commandment to love one another, He is instructing you to be merciful to each other, just as He will be to them and has been to you through His sacrificial death on the cross.
 
So, what does a sacrificial and merciful life look like for you?
 
Probably doing one of the hardest things you could imagine. No, you won’t have to give up your life savings to rescue a family member from debt. You won’t have to give up a vital organ to save a child’s life. You won’t even have to give up your earthly life.
 
Still, what you will need to do is one of the most challenging things you could imagine: ask your Father in heaven for a humble heart, to remove pride from your heart, so you may die to your sin, confess the malice, spite, hatred, coldness, and enmity you have toward your neighbor, and repent. 
 
All of this is difficult because the world will call you weak, and your heart will feel vulnerable.
 
But to walk in the footsteps of Jesus is to do as He commands, “that you love one another: just as [He] has loved you, you also are to love one another.”
 
Because here, at this rail, there may only be love for one another, because He, your Savior, has loved you to the end, even to the cross.
 
+INJ+
 
 Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Palm Sunday
John 12:20-43
March 29, 2026
 
 
Their brother had just died. They were overwhelmed with anger, sadness, and confusion. How could this have happened? What should they do now?
 
They had called for help, but no one came. Have you ever felt this panic before in your life?
 
The pain of death has started to take hold. Have you felt this fear? Has death touched someone close to you? Your brother, your husband, your wife, your parent, your child? In these moments, nothing else seems to matter. Everything that once existed in life is now gone. 
 
This is how Mary and Martha felt when their brother, Lazarus, died in the chapter right before the Gospel reading at the very beginning of our service today. They were overwhelmed with sadness and disappointment. Jesus was their friend, but he didn’t arrive when they called for him. He didn’t even appear for the funeral. 
 
Have you ever felt the loneliness of Mary and Martha? Have you ever been angry or confused with God? Have you walked through a cemetery, looking at the dates carved into the stone markers, realizing it has been a long time since the graves of your brothers, sisters, husband, wife, or children were closed? It has been a long time since something has happened. It often seems like no one is coming to help.
 
Jesus made Mary and Martha wait. Why?
 
To show them that he weeps with them, shares their sadness, but also to reveal his power over death, which is the power of the resurrection in him. He answers the pleas of God’s children at the right time, but that time is unknown to us.
 
So what does the Gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus have to do with today’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem?
 
Everything.
 
It was those crowds that witnessed Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb, who couldn’t stop talking about this great sign. Others couldn’t help but run to see this miracle worker, this man, this King, who called Lazarus by name, raised His friend from the dead, and gave him life.
 
This is why crowds gathered on Palm Sunday. They lined the streets to celebrate the One who is the resurrection of the dead.
 
This raises the question: why have you come and entered this sanctuary today? Why do you gather around the One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey? What were you expecting when you drove to church this morning?
 
Well, when you come to church, you bring everything that weighs you down—your sorrow, sadness, and guilt. The challenges of marriage and raising a family, losing a job, being betrayed by a friend, a cancer diagnosis, and the endless confusion and grief over losing a loved one. So, what can this Jesus on a donkey do about all of that? Would your life be different if you met the One whose name we sing about today? 
 
The death and decaying body of Lazarus remind us of the sin we carry. Our lives are filled with disappointment, the stench of our sinful ways, and decaying bodies. 
 
Our first parents, Adam and Eve, reached out and grasped for control of their lives in the Garden of Eden. They ate what was forbidden. They tasted what they believed to be good and brought sin into the world through their disobedience to God’s command. But how much more do we not only taste what is bad, what is sinful, but also feast on it as we turn away from God’s Word and the gathering with His saints in the worship of His Son, the King? How often do we find ourselves caught up in sin and in the grave of spiritual death?  
 
But this is exactly why Jesus entered the world and into Jerusalem in today’s Gospel — to save sinners, to redeem them, and to remove the stench of death that clings to your flesh.
 
Through death, He becomes the life for all the living.
 
This is why He came — to raise the dead and give you His life! 
 
And this is what the Word of God does: it proclaims and grants you the forgiveness of sin and gives life to those who have died in Christ Jesus.
 
This morning, we dedicated a Gospel Book in memory of Kevin Franks. The book’s beauty and adornment highlight the true beauty of God’s Word. Just as the Gospel nourished Kevin with the Good News, forgiveness, and the life of his Savior, Jesus Christ, throughout his life, Jesus continues to speak to us through this same Word today. A Word that calls us to gather, turn, and line the aisle of this sanctuary so we might hear the voice of our Savior, just as Kevin heard this same voice as he gathered with his family and his brothers and sisters in Christ every Sunday, to hear and receive the words of eternal life and resurrection joy.
 
In fact, it’s precisely for this reason that the crowds lined the streets of Jerusalem with their joyful hosannas. The good news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead through His Word spread quickly. Those who saw this miracle couldn’t stay silent; instead, they were compelled to fill the streets with their cries. And for this, they also shouted, “Hosanna,” loudly and passionately, because they longed for a King who would save them, grant forgiveness, and give eternal life.  
 
Hosanna means “Save us now.”
 
Hosanna was the battle cry of those who lined Jerusalem’s road. The cry of Hosanna remains your petition and prayer today. When life feels overwhelming, the prayer of Hosanna is your plea to God for deliverance from what oppresses you. Therefore, you are given this word of Hosanna to pray, just as those who lined Jerusalem’s road did, to ask God to save you and grant you deliverance from whatever continues to enslave you today. 
 
But Hosanna is much more than a word to be sung only on Palm Sunday. It is more than just a theme for Holy Week. Yes, it certainly guides us through the week ahead, but Hosanna points us toward Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, when our Lord gives us a new commandment to love one another as He has loved us. This love continues today through the sacrament of Holy Communion, where He offers His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Hosanna also points to the Passion of Good Friday, when another crowd gathers and cries out, “His blood be upon us and our children.”
 
His blood is on us as our sins are on Him. We are guilty, and for our sins, He went to the cross.  
 
But on the cross, we see our victory. In the cross, we see our Hosanna, our Savior. The one who was sent to crush the head of the serpent and bring life and salvation to all who hear the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is, after all, what the name of Jesus means: to save people from their sins. 
 
It’s this name that is given to you in the saving waters of Holy Baptism. This name is your Hosanna, your petition, and your lifeline to God when sorrows surround you. Yet, this cry of Hosanna also becomes your song of joy. It is your song of joy because on the cross, Jesus is the victor, the Savior, the One who dies in your place. He is the one who rose for your justification, the forgiveness of your sin. In Him, you may never doubt but always hope for the things to come, a resurrection not only for Lazarus and Kevin, but also for you. 
 
So, come, my friends, and gather around the Gospel of Jesus this Palm Sunday and Holy Week, sing Hosanna, and pray “Save us, Lord.”
 
These words are your confidence throughout all the days of your life. Hosanna is your song of gladness because you know what Jesus has already accomplished in His death and now gives you life.
 
Hosanna is your song of gladness because Jesus has scattered the darkness of sadness, anger, and abandonment, and has given you the light of His Word to guide and comfort you.
 
Hosanna is your song of gladness as you sing in the Sanctus and prepare to receive the flesh and blood of your Savior for the forgiveness of your sins.
 
Hosanna is your song of gladness, your confidence to journey to the cross, to rest with Him in the tomb, and to know that just as He has risen from the dead, He has triumphed over the grave and will call you as He called His friend Lazarus to come forth from your graves on the last day.
 
So sing Hosanna, what a beautiful song, because in Jesus, your salvation has been won, and your sorrows will be no more. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

Lent 5 – Midweek
Matthew 16:13-28 & John 20:19-23
 
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Last week, we began discussing the Office of the Keys.
 
The Small Catechism asks, “What is the Office of the Keys?”
 
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.
 
We primarily focused on how the Office of Keys is an office of authority anchored and possessed by the Church.
 
This week, we move on to how pastors exercise the Office of the Keys in the Office of Holy Ministry.
 
The Small Catechism asks, What do you believe according to these words (The words read in our two readings this evening)?
 
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
 
In this way, the Pastor is not acting for himself, but in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ. This is why, in the absolution at the beginning of the Divine Service, the pastor says, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins…”
 
The pastor announced the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, as one who has been properly called and by the authority of the Office that Jesus instituted.
 
None of this is of a pastor’s own accord, but of Jesus’.
 
But as we discussed last week, we struggle with the idea and concept of authority.
 
This struggle begins in childhood when a babysitter or teacher gives you instruction, and you respond or mutter under your breath, “You aren’t the boss of me.” But they were, and for some of you, they still are, because the parent delegated the authority of their office to the teacher or babysitter. The parent did this, so there would be someone to protect you from harm and danger, to help you learn, to lead you in the way of growing in knowledge and truth.
 
As time passes and you get older, you could make a living from the complaints and frustrations you have with a foreman or a manager you perceive as incompetent.
 
Still, they are the ones who have been placed in positions of authority. And whether we like it or not, their position is one to consider for the well-being of the people who serve and work under them. 
 
Now, like the prophet Jonah, many pastors have actually tried to avoid God’s call to serve His Church. They may be like Jonah, disobedient souls who don’t want to deal with difficult people, like those of Nineveh, so they disobey God’s calling. Or they have fallen in love with the world and its glamor, unable to imagine leaving home with only God’s Word in their hand and heart. Yet, others (including myself) feel a deep sense of incapability, thinking, “How could I assume an office of such responsibility?”
 
But in times such as these, a pastor must remember, it is Jesus who sends them.
 
As the Apostle Paul wrote, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”
 
St. Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah here, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.”
 
Pastors are called and sent, not of their own accord, but like the prophets and apostles, by God’s direction and Word.
 
Pastors are undershepherds of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They receive their authority and instruction from Jesus and His Word alone.
 
And like all teachers, leaders, or anyone who has held a position of authority in your life, pastors are sent to provide guidance, so you don’t end up in trouble. They are there to help you avoid causing harm to others. They carry the shepherd’s crook of God’s Word to combat the forces of darkness that seek to lead you away from God. And they are sent to pursue you if you stray. But they also stand ready to announce the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins to all who confess their trespasses.
 
Still, there are sadly times when the sheep do not repent, when they permit themselves to be caught in the thicket of stubbornness and sin, and as the Small Catechism says, the openly unrepentant sinner [is excluded] from the Christian congregation.
 
These sheep are not permitted through the gate, to the rail of the Lord’s Supper, until they repent.
 
This is often referred to as excommunication.
 
This can be a difficult task because emotions, feelings, and relationships are involved. When a sinner refuses to repent and is often no longer among the congregation, there is sadness among the flock, because a sheep has wandered away from their home and is refusing to return to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
These instances hurt a pastor’s feelings and emotions, too. As an undershepherd of Christ, they have no desire to lose a sheep of the fold.
 
But they are charged as Jesus said this evening to St. Peter,
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
 
Or as we heard in the Gospel of St. John,
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.
 
The pastoral office, the Office of Holy Ministry, is one of responsibility.
 
As St. Paul wrote in the book of Acts,
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
 
The Church and those sheep that fill its walls were bought with the blood of Christ Jesus upon His cross. For this reason, there’s no greater responsibility than to watch over and care for His flock.
 
And for this reason, when one of us strays into unrepentance, the Church is to pray for them and their conversion, their confession of sin, taking to heart the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke,
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7)
 
“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…”
 
And this is why God sends pastors among you: so that when someone repents, they may quickly hear the words of the Gospel, be restored to communion and fellowship with the flock, and then reach the place where the joys of heaven are present for them, where the angels, archangels, and the entire company of heaven are rejoicing—here where the flesh and blood of Jesus are present for the forgiveness of sins. 
 
The forgiveness of your sins.
 
My friends, the Office of the Keys, the Holy Ministry, was established for you and your spiritual well-being. Your Father loved you, so He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you on the cross, and now His Son sends His undershepherds to care for you, to guide and protect you, and to lead you to repentance, so you will hear the Good News of His forgiveness. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent – Judica
March 22, 2026
John 8:42-59
 
Today isn’t one of the Gospel readings that gets you excited to say, “This is the Gospel of the Lord.”
 
“Praise to you, O Christ!”
 
But in some ways, Judica Sunday, appears like a downer all the way around.
 
Judica means “Judge me.” But who wants to be judged?
 
This Sunday marks another wave of changes in the Divine Service. We begin with the Litany, emphasizing the next two weeks as a time for special devotion and prayer. We remove the Gloria Patri from the end of the introit, Nunc Dimittis, and any other part of the Divine Service, removing the little praise that remains in this difficult season of Lent. Still, now we have covered and veiled the cross of Jesus, so we cannot even see our Savior. 
 
What’s up with that?
 
Today marks the start of Passiontide, a short season within Lent. It is characterized by the veiling of crosses in the church, symbolizing anticipation for Good Friday. The crosses are neither removed nor forgotten; instead, they are veiled during the final weeks of Lent as a humble sign of reverence for the cross and the Passion of Christ Jesus. Often, a gauzy black material, similar to a widow’s mourning veil, is used rather than a solid woven cloth. This allows the outlines of the crosses to remain visible while hiding the finer artistic details of the body of Christ.
 
Have you ever considered that when a widow veils herself, it might be for mourning, as a tradition or a way of dress, but it could also be done unconsciously to hide oneself from the world? 
 
Interestingly, the Church is the bride of Christ, so it might be appropriate for us to grieve and mourn at this time. But maybe not in the way you expect.
 
No, our mourning and sadness must be over our sin, the hidden transgressions that led Jesus to go to the cross and die for us.
 
Now, the practice of veiling the cross or crucifix comes from the closing verse of today’s Gospel reading, which is why we veiled the crucifix at that time. It said, “they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59)
 
The idea of hiding oneself is easy to understand if you’ve ever played hide and seek. When Jesus hid Himself, it simply means that He was avoiding being seen. It wasn’t quite the time for His Passion.
 
Do you know who else hid themselves in Scripture?
 
Adam and Eve, that’s who.
 
After they had fallen into sin, realized they were naked, made loincloths for themselves, it says,
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)
 
It’s fascinating, really. First, they try to hide their physical bodies from one another through the use of clothing, but then they attempt to physically hide from God, their Creator.
 
So, the text goes on with Adam and Eve,
But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
 
Now, don’t interpret this as a literal calling by God, implying that He doesn’t know where Adam and Eve are at the moment. Instead, God is using a rhetorical question here as a figure of speech to make a point.
 
“You are the stewards of my creation, and you believe you can hide from me? What have you done?”
 
We read in the book of Jeremiah,
Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)
 
Adam and Eve could not hide themselves from their Lord, and neither can you.
 
This is what the entire season of Lent leads us to understand: we cannot hide our sins from God, our Father and Creator.
 
But we try, don’t we? We try to hide from God just as we try to hide from our family, friends, and neighbors.
 
We silence our phones so we don’t have to talk with a friend or relative we’ve been arguing with. We hide our eating disorders in the drawer of our desk. We bury our anxiety and depression behind the smiles on our faces. We disguise our anger towards others with a handshake and a smirk. We use apps, or Apple's new option for public and private web browsing on their computers, phones, and tablets, so you can hide web activity that isn’t suitable for public viewing, such as porn or gambling addictions. 
 
A challenge in all of this is that, by hiding from each other, you’ve become so disconnected from God’s Word and the severity of your sin that you don’t even realize how serious your secret sins are.
 
But just as Your Father in heaven knew the faults of Adam and Eve, He knows your faults and failures. You cannot hide from your Creator or the one who is your Judge.
 
When you try to hide yourself, you no longer see Jesus or hear His Word. This causes you to join the Jews in the Gospel today, blind to your Savior and the reason He came—to redeem you on the cross. 
 
Sadly, in this way, Jesus remains hidden from you.
 
But as Jesus said in the Gospel, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.”
 
Faith steps out of the shadows, out of hiding, and hears the Words of Jesus, confessing their faith with eyes wide open, seeing Jesus as their Savior.
 
And this is an important aspect not only of the season of Lent but also of these final two weeks—being attentive to hearing God’s Word. Because when you listen to the Words of Jesus, as they dwell and take root within you, the image of Jesus and His cross is never far, but firmly planted within your minds and hearts.
 
Martin Luther made a wonderful comment about this image and the use of the crucifix; he says,
For whether I will or not, when I hear of Christ, an image of a man hanging on a cross takes form in my heart, just as the reflection of my face naturally appears in the water when I look into it. If it is not a sin but good to have the image of Christ in my heart, why should it be a sin to have it in my eyes?[1]
 
Although the crosses and crucifixes in the church are now veiled and hidden from view, listen carefully to the words of Jesus and allow the image of your Savior to appear within your mind, for He is never truly hidden from you or far from your heart. 
 
And then, do not forget, like Adam and Eve, that you cannot hide from your heavenly Father. He knows the secrets of your heart and does not desire the death of the sinner, but instead wants you to turn away from your evil ways and live.  
 
As Good Friday approaches, prepare by confessing not only the sins known to others but also the hidden sins that are damaging your relationships, your faith, and your soul. 
 
Confess them so that when the veil is lifted on this life, your heart will be filled with joy, knowing that your Savior loved you and was willing to die for you on the cross, so He could forgive you and you would receive eternal life with Him.
 
And for this, you will say with all the company of heaven, “Praise to you, O Christ!” +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
[1] Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 40: Church and Ministry II. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 40, pp. 99–100). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.