Immanuel Lutheran Church, Oklahoma City, OK

Dear Friends in Christ,
I pray that as we enter March that our winter might finally be winding down. The weather has certainly affected our worship this winter. We lost Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the weather on Sundays this winter has also hurt our worship opportunities. However, since we are now in Lent, your opportunities to worship have doubled. During the first four Wednesdays in March (3,10,17,24), we continue with our Midweek Lenten series, “The Sign of Jonah.” Saint Luke records these Words of our Lord in Luke 11:30: “For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”
By using the Jonah analogy Jesus reminded the listener of His day that the story of Jonah was both real and true. The connection—just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days, so also, Jesus was in the tomb three days. As Jonah came forth from the great fish to declare God’s Word to Nineveh, Jesus came forth from the tomb to declare His victory over sin, death, and the Devil. If you didn’t make it to Lenten Midweek in February, prayerfully consider attending in March.
As I reminded you in February, Lent is a time of renewal and reflection. It is a time to re-access our lives in light of God’s Word. It is a time to ask ourselves: “How is my walk with the Lord?” As Lutheran Christians, we know first and foremost that we are all sinful and in need of forgiveness. We also know that by God’s grace, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died for us and through His Passion, death, and resurrection, we have forgiveness of sins and life eternal through our Lord and Savior.
During Lent, we come to the Lord on bended knee. We acknowledge that all we have, including our salvation, is a free gift of God’s grace. Lent, especially, can remind us of our sins. It can remind us that we are not doing all that God would have us do to serve Him and His Church. But, in the midst of our reflection and repentance, shines the bright light of the Gospel.
As Jesus approached Jerusalem for that last time, I am sure that His heart became heavier. We see this most vividly in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just remember, if you are going through bad times, Jesus knows. If you are struggling with sin, Jesus knows. If you are battling the trials and tribulations of this world, Jesus knows. He knows, because He is God. He knows how you feel because He is also the Son of Man, the Son of Mary.
At the end of March, we conclude the Lenten journey on Palm Sunday. We finish our Lenten journey together to the cries of “Hosanna, hosanna, blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.” Palm Sunday is the respite before the cross. It is one of the most important days of the Church Year. When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of the donkey, He is both declaring and fulfilling the Messianic prophecy that King David’s Son, yet, David’s Lord would claim the throne of David forever. Only Jesus Christ could fulfill that prophecy.
This March, come and join your fellow redeemed in Christ Jesus. Come with us during this Lenten time. Come as we discover the meanings of the “Sign of Jonah.” Come, too, on Palm Sunday to declare your “hosannas!”
May God bless us all this coming month!

In Christ Jesus,
Pastor McMullin