Judica Sunday
Dear friends,
As we draw near to Holy Week, Judica places before our eyes the Lamb whom God Himself provides. The Father tested Abraham and then stayed his hand, but on Calvary He did not spare His own beloved Son. This Sunday we are called to hear again who Jesus is: the promised sacrifice, the great High Priest, and the eternal Son who bears our sin and gives us life.
This Sunday
Grace Lutheran, Gordon — 8:30 AM
Our Savior’s Lutheran, Chadron — 11:00 AM
Grace Lutheran, Merriman — 4:00 PM
The Theme of the Day
Judica Sunday gathers these readings around one great confession: the Lord provides the sacrifice, and that sacrifice is His own Son. In Genesis 22, Abraham is commanded to offer Isaac, yet in the end the Lord provides the ram. In Hebrews 9, we hear that Christ entered the holy place not with the blood of another creature, but with His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption. In John 8, Jesus is rejected by those who will not hear the truth, yet He declares that before Abraham was, I AM. The One who will be offered for us is not only the promised Seed, but the eternal God in the flesh.
Readings
Collect
We beseech Thee, almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people, that by Thy great goodness they may be governed in body, and by Thy protection preserved in mind; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Hymns for Sunday
LSB 425 — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
LSB 430 — My Song Is Love Unknown
LSB 634 — The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord
LSB 420 — Christ, the Life of All the Living
LSB 437 — Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
A Devotion from This Sunday’s Hymns
This Sunday’s hymns help us linger at the cross and behold what Christ has done for us. We sing, “See, from His head, His hands, His feet,” and we are reminded that our salvation was not won by an idea or a feeling, but by the suffering and death of the incarnate Son of God. His body was given, His blood was shed, and every wound cries out that our redemption is complete.
Then we sing, “Love to the loveless shown.” That is the wonder of Judica and of the Passion: not that Christ died for the worthy, but that He gave Himself for sinners, for those who had nothing to offer Him but rebellion, weakness, and need. His love is not drawn out by our goodness. It flows from His mercy.
We also confess, “My bonds and anguish in Thy bitter sufferings ended.” As Holy Week draws near, this is our comfort: Jesus does not merely show us an example of suffering. He bears our sin, our guilt, our death, and our judgment. What was ours by right, He took upon Himself. What is His by right, forgiveness, life, and peace with God, He now gives to us by grace.
And so we marvel and confess, “Amazing pity! grace unknown!” This is the heart of our preparation for Holy Week and Easter. We do not come as spectators only, but as those whose sins required this death and whose salvation is found in it. The cross humbles us, but it also comforts us. There we see both the seriousness of our sin and the greatness of our Savior’s love.
Prepare Your Heart
As we prepare for Holy Week and Easter, this is a fitting time to examine our lives honestly in the light of God’s Word. One helpful guide is Considering Your Life According to the Ten Commandments. That page walks through the Commandments with searching questions, helping us see where we have failed in fear, love, and trust toward God and in love toward our neighbor. This kind of self-examination is not meant to drive us into despair, but to bring us to repentance, so that we come to Christ seeking the mercy He freely gives.
Mission of the Month: Lord’s Warriors Lutheran on the Rosebud Reservation
This month our mission focus takes us to the Rosebud Reservation, where the Lord continues to sustain a living, active ministry through Rosebud Lutheran and Lord’s Warriors Lutheran in Parmelee. Pastor Andrew Utecht’s 2025 district report paints a vivid picture of that work: Sunday worship in Rosebud and Parmelee, midweek Bible school, daily radio devotions, summer VBS in three communities, home visits, baptisms, funerals, and the steady, personal work of caring for people in Christ’s name. Pastor Utecht sums up the heart of the ministry this way: “We are not ashamed to share Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Rosebud Lutheran currently lists Sunday worship at 10:00 AM, Lord’s Warriors at 7:00 PM, and radio broadcasts on KINI 96.1 FM in the mornings.
What makes the report especially moving is that it is not just a list of programs. It is a picture of the Gospel taking root in people’s lives. Pastor Utecht tells of a young woman named Tessa who has been growing in the faith, of Terrance helping lead worship and serving in both congregations, and of a boy named Aiden who loves puppets, brings his own to church, and encourages his cousins to help with VBS. He also writes with gratitude for the many ways other Christians support the work, through prayers, financial gifts, quilts, cookies, Portals of Prayer, and visits from church groups. It is a reminder that this mission is not far away from us in the body of Christ. We are joined to it in prayer, in gifts, and in the shared joy of seeing sinners hear of Jesus and live.
Looking Ahead: Holy Week and Easter
Palm Sunday — March 29
Grace, Gordon — 8:30 AM
Our Savior’s, Chadron — 11:00 AM
Grace, Merriman — 4:00 PM
Maundy Thursday — April 2
Divine Service at Our Savior’s, Chadron — 6:30 PM
Good Friday — April 3
Chief Service at Our Savior’s, Chadron — 12:00 PM
Tenebrae at Grace, Gordon — 6:30 PM
Holy Saturday — April 4
Easter Vigil at Grace, Gordon — 6:30 PM
Easter Sunday — April 5
Grace, Gordon — 8:30 AM, with breakfast following
Our Savior’s, Chadron — 11:00 AM, with breakfast at 10:00 AM
Grace, Merriman — 4:00 PM
Midweek This Week
Lenten midweek services continue this week with a meal at 6:00 PM, Vespers at 6:30 PM, and Bible Study at 7:00 PM on Tuesday at Grace, Gordon and Wednesday at Our Savior’s, Chadron.
In Christ,
Pastor Sherman
