From Yesterday To Forever

by Mathew Block

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
– Hebrews 13:8 –

Rejoice, dear friends, for our Jesus does not change! The same Jesus proclaimed by the apostles, the same Jesus confessed by the early church, the same Jesus preached by Martin Luther and the reformers is the same Jesus we believe, teach, and confess today. The trappings of time and culture may change, but the foundation of our faith—Jesus Christ crucified and risen again to save sinners—does not. For God does not change (Malachi 3).

What a joy it is to know that our Jesus does not change. For we, sadly, are all too changeable. We are fickle. Unfaithful. Yes, “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). But though we are fickle, Jesus is not. He looks for His lost sheep, finds us, and carries us home (Matthew 18:12-14). He is our Good Shepherd. He lays down His life for His poor sheep (John 11:11). He lays down His life for you.

Nor is His mercy a one-time thing. No, the Lord our God does not change. “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-3). And though we turn away from Him all too often, He Himself remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). He sends His Holy Spirit after us, speaking to us through the words of Holy Scripture, calling us to repentance and forgiveness in Christ. Yes, God is near to you with His mercy even now. He “will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). What beautiful mercy! What unshakeable love!

It has been the great joy and privilege of the Church down through history to bear witness to this unchanging Gospel of good news. For despite the challenges of changing times and the shortcomings of Christians themselves, God has preserved His Church. What a marvel it is to realize that, through Christ, we are bound inextricably with our parents’ parents through ages past and with our children’s children through ages to come. Yes, we are united with the saints in all times and places, from the dawn of creation to endless eternity where we all together shall praise God, crying out: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10).

The Church of all times is one Church together. We do well, then, to look to the past, honouring the witness of those who have come before us and striving to imitate their example of faith here in the present (Hebrews 13:7). For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today. And we do well also to look to the future, sharing what we have learned and telling the next generation the wonders God has done (Psalm 78:4-7). For Jesus Christ is the same today and forever. His is an eternal Gospel—an eternal mercy—for every nation, tribe, language, and people (Revelation 14:6).

The Lutheran tradition, at its most authentic, has always striven to be a faithful witness to this eternal Gospel. Centuries pass, leaders come and go, but the Gospel rooted in Christ and His Word remains forever true. For Christ and His mercy is ultimately the message to which all Scripture points. And it is the great joy of Lutherans to receive that great gift in our time and pass it on to future generations. “God’s Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever,” N.F.S. Grundtvig writes. “To spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavour” (LSB 582).

In this issue, we reflect on the heritage we have received from our Lutheran forebears and which we are called to carry forward into the future. Rev. Dr. John A. Maxfield recounts Martin Luther’s discovery of the doctrine of justification and how it continues to assure us of our own salvation through Christ (page six). Rev. Murray Keith, meanwhile, reflects on what it means to be Lutheran today, anchoring that identity both in Scripture and the historic creeds and confessions of the church (page nine). Finally, President Emeritus Timothy Teuscher looks to the future of our own church body, encouraging our new synodical president as he begins service as an undershepherd over the flock of Lutheran Church–Canada (page eleven).

Dear Jesus, you are the same yesterday and today and forever. We stumble but You remain firm. We are inconstant but You remain faithful. Forgive us our sins for the sake of Your death and resurrection. Teach us to trust Your promise of unearned and unending mercy. And lead us to share this eternal good news with others at this time and in this place in which You have set us. Amen.

Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine and communications manager for the International Lutheran Council.

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