David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

  • Psalm 118: Rejected Stones & Chief of the Corner

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Queen Anne’s Lace, Ready to Bloom | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    I spent the most physically-challenging 7 months of my life not in Army Basic Training, but working in a brick factory. I  graduated from college in December and was heading off the seminary in August. For those 7 months I worked in a brick factory. There was a 1500 degree kiln running down the center of a long building in which the bricks were made. I won’t go into details, but it was hard work; very hard work in fact. Part of the less physically-challenging work was separating the face brick from the bricks that had imperfections or cracks on the face. Those would be coated or painted with a slurry of water, cement, and pigment.

    But there were others – especially on the bottom of the carts that were loaded and pushed through the kiln – that were broken. These brickbats were pieces of broken and deformed bricks, not insults hurled at someone (an alternate meaning of the term). I can say fairly confidently that these brickbats were never to be used for anything other than filler inside a wall – well hidden from sight. We usually just hauled them out to a spot on the property and dumped them.

    Consider this verse:

    The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.

    This verse is used only here in the Old Testament, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Peter all pick up on it as a description of what happened to Jesus: rejected by the builders (Jewish leaders), but the most important stone in the building of God’s church. The key to all that God was doing from the first moment of creation. His plan culminated in the rejection of Jesus and God’s exaltation of him to his right hand. This was all God’s doing. And it truly is marvelous in our eyes.

    I wonder how the people of Jesus’ day saw it? Was it marvelous in their eyes? For some, yes. But for the majority of the Jewish nation – God’s own people! – this was abhorrent in appearance. A man on a cross. Shamed before the world. Ignominious and forsaken by God and man. Is this marvelous? No, it was for the Jewish leaders, and perhaps the Romans as well, 6 hours of hell and an expected lifetime of relief. They would be done with him at last. So they thought.

    But God had other plans. From ignomy to honor. From shame to glory. From rejection to exaltation. This was the path that Jesus would take. We celebrate it on Easter Sunday. We are reminded of it on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter). We see the results on Pentecost and thereafter. The Holy Spirit is poured out and 3000 are brought to faith in one day. Then the word of the Lord grows as the message of the cross and the empty tomb was proclaimed throughout Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. This is proven by the fact that you and I have heard this message and been brought to faith in Jesus. He is essential to our faith.

    When Peter quotes this verse (Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7), he uses the term, literally, “head of the corner.” Chief cornerstone is an adequate way to express this term, but the idea here is that this stone is the most important stone in the building process. All of the dimensions, angles, and measurements were taken from the chief of the corner [stone] in the building process. If it was flawed the whole building would be flawed.

    I wonder how this verse might apply to us today. Certainly as a reminder that Jesus is the chief of the corner. He defines the building of the church. He defines its angles, dimensions, and measurements. He is essential to our faith. This has never been an issue for me, but for some it must be. I recall going to a funeral service in a Christian church (not of my tribe, thank God) where the name of Jesus was not mentioned even once. I was stunned! How can you celebrate the hope of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life without Jesus?

    I guess you can remember someone somehow in that manner. But you cannot attach a true hope apart from Jesus. In fact so important is Jesus’ resurrection that St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) But indeed Christ has been raised from the dead! He is the chief of the corner. I’ll do all I can to build my life off of him, and when I fail, I will repent and look to him for grace, forgiveness, hope, and life. This is God’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

  • Psalm 118: The Gates Are Open

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Texas Bluebonnets | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    OK, minor annoyance warning. I see it all too often, and I don’t understand the reason for it. Unless it’s just plain laziness. You walk up to a business entrance. There are two doors. You yank the handle on the right door and you are rewarded with a rude clunk and a jarred shoulder. The door does not open. So you have to pull the handle on the other side. Why does this happen?!?

    Perhaps I’m being a bit hysterical here. But it does go to a point of open doors and gates, invitations and accessibility. And herein lies an important paradox. On the one hand, Jesus died for the sins of the world. He rose from the dead to vindicate his faithfulness, perfect obedience and love, and to prove that his sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all. Whoever believes in him will have eternal life. There is no question about this. The promise is as wide open as the arms of Jesus on the cross.

    Nevertheless, however, not all believe. Not all will receive the gift that Jesus offers. They will spend an eternity apart from Jesus. The door is open to them, but they want no part of living under Christ in his kingdom. They suppose they have no need for a Savior. They’re fine without Jesus, so they think. Imagine an eternity without God and without Christ. The world falls apart for there is no one upholding it with the power of his word. Imagine a future with no hope for forgiveness, or mercy, or grace, for that is what Christ alone gives. I can’t even imagine it.

    Through this psalm we call out,

    “Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.

    And comes the answer:

    This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.

    Jesus is both the door (John 10:9) and the one who has opened it. He died, and says, “behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18) He has opened up heaven to all believers. The Te Deum expresses it beautifully:

    When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man: Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
    When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

    I am keenly aware that Jesus is my righteousness. I have none of my own. That’s why he had to die. None of us has a righteousness of our own sufficient to enter into the salvation of God. But Jesus is our righteousness. He has opened the gate of salvation to all who believe. We are righteous through faith in him. This is the Lord’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes!

    Thanks be to God!

  • Psalm 118: Still Celebrating

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    2 Let Israel say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    3 Let the house of Aaron say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.[b]
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Rosebud | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    Yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus in great and grand style. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! The refrain rang out throughout the services at our church. The choir sang, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!” We heard the account of Jesus’ resurrection from Mark 16 and from John 20. We had heard the full account of Jesus’ suffering and death before our Good Friday services. It was powerful. Diane told me she could barely sing, “And Can it Be” that night. I had little trouble with that. But somehow when we began singing, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” I couldn’t get the words out. So powerful was the message of Jesus’ victory.

    I’ve been thinking about tears lately, and the very few times I have been moved to tears. I recall fighting back the tears at my sister’s funeral. When a good friend died, I had to gather myself before I could continue sharing the message of Jesus’ salvation at his funeral. I was also brought to tears when the depth of Jesus’ grace touched my heart in a Christian counselor’s office.

    There is a powerful example of this in the movie, The Mission. The reformed slave trader, Rodrigo Mendoza, climbs a mountain trailing a load of his riches in a large net attached by a long rope. At the end of the laborious climb in a dramatic moment, one of the natives – a former slave(?) – cuts the rope and pushes the burden off the cliff into the river.  Rodrigo bursts into tears when the burden is cut. Sometimes tears come in the face of good news. When relief is so desperately needed and received, the soul can be released to express joy with tears.

    Psalm 118 is a great Easter psalm. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever. Steadfast love. Pure goodness. God’s making of each day. Redemption. These are the makings of the purest joy.

    And there is a promise for those of us who are deeply touched by this goodness, favor, favor, and grace. Surprisingly, it is the same promise for those who weep because of the hardships they face. Whether death, loneliness, hardship, illness, betrayal, or guilt and shame of past sin, there is a promise to those who weep.

    “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4). In either case the goodness of God and his steadfast love are a powerful tool to bring tears, and comfort. And so we pray…

    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
        and recount the deeds of the Lord.
    18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
        but he has not given me over to death.

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.[b]
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

  • Today’s Psalms for April 9, 2023 Easter Sunday

    Mark 16:1-7

    Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

    5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

    On this Easter Sunday, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection and join me in praying these psalms.

    Psalm 118:24

    This is the day that the LORD has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    Psalm 16:11

    You make known to me the path of life;
        in your presence there is fullness of joy;
        at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

    Psalm 103:12

    As far as the east is from the west,
        so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

    Psalm 23:4

    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
        your rod and your staff,
        they comfort me.

    Psalm 34:8

    Taste and see that the LORD is good.
        Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! [NLT]

    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

    NLT: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  • Psalm 118: Good Friday – God’s Steadfast Love on Public Display

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:10-13, 25, 27-30

    All nations surrounded me;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    12 They surrounded me like bees;
        they went out like a fire among thorns;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
        but the Lord helped me.

    25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
        O Lord, we pray, give us success!

    27 The Lord is God,
        and he has made his light to shine upon us.
    Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
        up to the horns of the altar!

    28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
        you are my God; I will extol you.
    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    <em>Rose #5</em> | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    This like all the psalms serves both to provide words for our prayers, as well as a view into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. If you read this psalm solely as your prayer to God, you will likely find much here that resonates with your heart and soul. That is true of many of the psalms. They are rightly called the prayer book of the Bible. In fact Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book by that title.

    Now there is in the Holy Scriptures a book which is distinguished from all other books of the Bible by the fact that it contains only prayers. The book is the Psalms. It is at first very surprising that there is a prayer book in the Bible. The Holy Scripture is the Word of God to us. But prayers are the words of humans. How do prayers then get into the Bible? Let us make no mistake about it: the Bible is the Word of God even in the Psalms. Then are these prayers to God also God’s own word?

    He answers his own question:

    In [Jesus’] mouth the word of humans becomes the Word of God, and if we pray his prayer with him, the Word of God becomes once again the word of humans. All prayers of the Bible are such prayers which we pray together with Jesus Christ, in which he accompanies us, and through which he brings us into the presence of God. Otherwise there are no true prayers, for only in and with Jesus Christ can we truly pray. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, PSALMS: The Prayer Book of the Bible

    I love this insight, and appreciate how Bonhoeffer has expressed it. Today, I especially want to lean in to the second part of Bonhoeffer’s thought. When we pray this psalm we are joining Jesus in his prayer. I want to read these verses as though Jesus was praying them. For indeed he was.

    As Jesus suffered on the cross, the words of this psalm surely came to his mind. He was surrounded by enemies on every side like bees surrounding someone who disturbed their hive. And in truth he cut them off. But here’s where we must be careful to see how the enemies of God are truly vanquished. For God does not send down 10 legions of angels to rescue him from his humiliating and horrific death. Jesus cut them off by remaining faithful and not giving into the idea that they were defeating him. In fact he was defeating them despite themselves.

    There is nothing going on in the visible realm – with one or two minor exceptions – that would indicate that Jesus is in any way triumphing over his enemies on the cross. But that is the witness of Scripture. Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” – Colossians 2:14-15 [NLT].

    Jesus triumphed over evil by resisting every temptation, manipulation, intimidation, and pressure to abandon faith in God and give into the deceitful plans of Satan. All Satan wanted was for Jesus to give up reliance on his heavenly Father. All he wanted was for Jesus to fail in his perfect obedience to God. All he wanted was for Jesus to come down from the cross and save himself.

    But Jesus did not give into Satan’s schemes. He remained true to God. And to do so he prayed. That is so very clear because he explicitly quotes from Psalm 22. That psalm is the most vivid description of Jesus’ physical suffering to be found in the Old Testament. This psalm (118), encapsules both the suffering of Psalm 22, with the victory and hope of Jesus’ triumph.

    Because of this we can pray those closing words of this psalm – even as we contemplate Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. Because Jesus prayed this and other psalms and lived it out, and experienced the fullness of God’s deliverance. 

    [Christ Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:8-11

    Bowing the knee now and confessing that Jesus is Lord – even on the cross – to the glory of God and in honor of Jesus. And praying, “Oh give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever!” Amen.

  • Psalm 118: A Psalm of Remembrance and Anticipation

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1. 14-16

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
        he has become my salvation.
    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    Backlit Rose – A Closer Look | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    When I first heard the term, Maundy Thursday I thought maybe someone couldn’t make up his mind. Is it Monday or Thursday? I don’t know how long afterward that I learned that the term is from the Latin, mandatum, which means commandment. It takes its name from Jesus’ mandate to love one another in the same spirit of humility and servanthood that he had shown them when he washed his disciples’ feet. That loving service would be fully shown in Jesus’ suffering and death for the sins of the world.

    We will gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ tonight for a more solemn service (compared to Easter) as we reflect on Jesus’ gift of the Lord’s Supper, remembering his humility in washing his disciples’ feet, and pondering the coming events when at the end of the service the altar is stripped in anticipation of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ arrest, suffering, and crucifixion.

    The Lord is my strength and my song;
        he has become my salvation.
    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    These words echo the Psalms and hymns the disciples would sing after the celebration of the Passover meal. Those psalms, (113-118 and 136) express the joy of God’s deliverance 1400 years previous to Jesus in the Exodus from Egypt. God had saved them. Salvation had come. There was much to celebrate.

    I’m sure Jesus’ mood may have puzzled the disciples. He had to be a bit restrained in his praise. The weight of the sins of the world were on his heart. They would soon be adding to his weight on the cross. He would be praying that evening in the Garden as sweat like drops of blood poured from his brow.

    This is a Psalm of remembrance and of anticipation. That the right hand of the Lord has done valiantly is history. But it is also prelude. And singing it implies that we are thankful for God’s past deliverance and that we are looking for God’s future salvation.

    We have been saved by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

    We are being saved by the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in our hearts.

    We will be saved on the Great Last Day when Jesus returns and takes his own to be with him in heaven.

    Until that day we sing our praise to God for his past blessings, and in anticipation of even greater things to come!

  • Psalm 118:5-9: Keep Looking to God

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:5-9

     Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

        the Lord answered me and set me free.
    6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
        What can man do to me?
    7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
        I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

    8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
        than to trust in man.
    9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
        than to trust in princes.

    Backlit Rose | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    Judas’ failure is notorious. He made a deal with the Pharisees to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When the time came, he did the deed. Peter’s failure is storied. He claimed that even though all the other disciples would fall away, he would never do so. Then he betrayed Jesus, denying his Lord three times. Then will come Thomas. No betrayal. Just unbelief until he could see Jesus for himself, feel this scarred hands. The only one of the 12 who will remain with Jesus throughout his suffering and death is John. He would join Mary, Jesus’ mother, and a few other women at the foot of the cross.

    Don’t count on man or woman to save you. Because even though Mary, the women, and John were there when Jesus died, they could not save him from his plight. He would suffer. He would die. He would be buried. Nothing, no one, would stand in the way of Jesus’ passion. There will be no one who could stop it.

    But Jesus didn’t rely on man. He was surely comforted by John’s presence at the cross. He loved his mother and commended her to John’s care. It’s likely that although the women were present also (and this is speculation), he would have been somewhat bolstered by their presence, even as he was sad that they had to see him in such a shameful condition. Above all that, however, Jesus entrusted himself to God, his heavenly Father.

    And look where it got him. But I am getting ahead of myself. We’ll get there. But for now, let’s hold to this truth: It is better to trust in God than any man, woman, political system, financial system, medical treatment, or social structure. These may all be good. But they hold no candle to God’s ability to help and power to save.

    Sometimes, however, we must wait to see the deliverance of God. Just as Jesus did on the cross, looking for God but being forsaken by him, suffering to the point of death. But never denying God. Never losing faith. Never taking his eye off the joy that was before him.

    Maybe today you’re looking for God’s redemption, help, blessing, or salvation. Perhaps you have looked for some time and yearned for the hand of God to be revealed for your good. It might not yet have come. And you might be tempted to find help, relief, hope, peace, or comfort elsewhere. Today we must remember, it it better to trust in God than in horses, kings, man, or woman. God alone saves. He has promised. He will do it.

  • Psalm 118:1-4, 29: What will you say?

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:2-4

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    2 Let Israel say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    3 Let the house of Aaron say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Austrian Briar Rose | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    On Palm Sunday people called out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” But not everyone. There were those who had other things to say. Upon seeing the spectacle, some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:39-40) John records others saying, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” (John 12:19). Not everyone is happy and celebrating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, much less into their lives.

    We are all called on to let others know what Jesus has done; whether it seems good to them or not. And you never can tell who will be happy or sad. You can never tell who will welcome Jesus or who will not. The most respectable people of Jesus’ day wanted nothing to do with him. They realized that he would turn their world upside down. They realized that their little fiefdoms would be shaken to their foundations. They knew they could no longer ignore the needy, refuse justice to the poor, or use their positions of power for their own benefit. No matter. The people on Palm Sunday called out in praise to God for their king who was coming in the name of the Lord.

  • Psalm 118: Holy Week & Easter in One Psalm

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    2 Let Israel say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    3 Let the house of Aaron say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”

    5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
        the Lord answered me and set me free.
    6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
        What can man do to me?
    7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
        I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

    8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
        than to trust in man.
    9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
        than to trust in princes.

    10 All nations surrounded me;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    12 They surrounded me like bees;
        they went out like a fire among thorns;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
        but the Lord helped me.

    14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
        he has become my salvation.
    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
        and recount the deeds of the Lord.
    18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
        but he has not given me over to death.

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.[b]
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
        O Lord, we pray, give us success!

    26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
        We bless you from the house of the Lord.
    27 The Lord is God,
        and he has made his light to shine upon us.
    Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
        up to the horns of the altar!

    28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
        you are my God; I will extol you.
    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Coral Rose | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    There is one true thing that I cling to in the midst of life’s turmoil and trouble. It is the goodness of God. His faithfulness, steadfast love, unwavering truth, and absolutely reliable trustworthiness sustain me in the raging flood. So as we begin this Holy Week, I am thankful for the message of this psalm, and the bookends of it:

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

    We’ll be staying with this Psalm for two weeks. There is so much here. And we begin with shouts of praise, honor, glory, and petition: Save us, O LORD, you who come in the Name of the LORD.

    Holy week begins with a triumphant procession of Jesus with his disciples entering Jerusalem. Coming down the road from the Mount of Olives crowds cheer him. Palm branches are cut from the trees, waved in the air, and laid on the road on which he is riding. “Hosanna!” cry the crowds. “Save us!” it means. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!” Right out of this psalm:

    Save us, we pray, O Lord!
    O Lord, we pray, give us success!

    26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
        We bless you from the house of the Lord.

    Two important things generate these cries. First of all, Jesus has come. He comes to us today in his word and in the Supper. He comes to us in brothers and sisters in Christ. He comes to us when two or three gather in his name. He will come to us again at the end of all time to receive us into his eternal mansions in heaven. Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD for he brings grace and truth, perfectly balanced, held in right tension, beautifully intertwined in the life, teaching, suffering, death, resurrection and return of Jesus. We rejoice that he came to rescue and redeem us. We thank God that he sustains us each day with his abiding presence. We look forward to his Second Coming on the Great Last Day. Hosanna! Save us! Thanks be to God, he has.

    Which is the second reason we cry out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD.” We need a Savior. We need someone who comes in the name of the LORD to save us. We have sinned. We are broken. We have broken faith. We have offended God. We have done wrong things. We have failed to do right things. We might want to compare ourselves to others and say we’re not that bad. But when we compare ourselves to the Gold Standard of morality, decency, and godliness, we see how far short we fall. Jesus (the Gold Standard) does not fall short.

    Try this: 1 Corinthians is the love chapter of the Bible. Paul so beautifully describes what love does not do and what it does.

    Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

    Now try this. Everywhere the word love is found in that passage, substitute your name. Does it work? All the time? Without exception? Perfectly? Does it work?

    Now try Jesus’ name. It works. Jesus is kind. He keeps no records of wrongs. He bears all things – including our sin. Endured all things – including the horrific suffering on the cross. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD our God for his goodness, mercy, and steadfast love!

  • Psalm 121: Coming and Going

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 121

    I lift up my eyes to the hills.
        From where does my help come?
    2 My help comes from the LORD,
        who made heaven and earth.

    3 He will not let your foot be moved;
        he who keeps you will not slumber.
    4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
        will neither slumber nor sleep.

    5 The LORD is your keeper;
        the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
    6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
        nor the moon by night.

    7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
        he will keep your life.
    8 The LORD will keep
        your going out and your coming in
        from this time forth and forevermore.

    Pansy-Final | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    One of my favorite parts of the Baptism liturgy is a quote from this psalm. “May your going out and your coming in be blessed from this time forth and forevermore.” Consider the grand context of Israel hinted at in these words.

    For 1400 years Israel considered the Exodus to be the great salvific act to be of God for his people. When they thought of God’s salvation, they would look back over the years and remember how God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was a miracle of his divine protection and a gift of his mercy and grace for his people. They were enslaved, forced to work in nearly unbearable conditions, subject to their taskmasters’ brutality. God saw this, heard their pleas for mercy and sent Moses to rescue them.

    Moses went to Egypt and told Pharaoh, “The LORD God says, ‘Let my people go.’” Only after 10 plagues did Pharaoh relent and allow the Children of Israel to leave. And then, changing his mind because he lost a vast army of slaves, he pursued them into the wilderness. When all seemed lost, God told Moses to stretch out his staff, and the sea was opened before them. They walked through on dry ground. Before Pharaoh’s pursuing army could catch the Israelites, they were drowned in the returning waters. It was a mighty miracle of God’s salvation for his people. It would take years, but they would eventually also make it into the Promised Land.

    The idea here is that God would bless his people’s going out from slavery in Egypt, and their coming in to the Promised Land. He had done this before. He would surely do it again. Whether from the Babylonian captivity to the Assyrian conquest, Israel would be saved, brought out of slavery and bondage into a restored freedom and prosperity.

    We also have a great salvation story. It centers in the cross of Jesus Christ. He died for the sins of the world. He kept faith. He obeyed perfectly. He sacrificed his life even for his enemies. We are now called out of darkness into his marvelous light. This psalm would point us to God’s part in this. He has done it. He protects us. He watches over us. He has saved us. We have been set free from sin and death. Satan no longer has power over us. God has brought us out from under his sway. We now enter into the light of his love. We are brought into the Body of Christ.

    There is another important dynamic of this coming and going for Jesus’ people. I often conflate the coming and going, when offering this blessing during baptism. I’m trying to convey the idea that we come into God’s house by his blessing, and leave to be a blessing to others. Jesus came to save. He sends us saved ones to save others. We don’t just come into the place of God’s grace. As long as we live we also go as his ambassadors to offer grace and truth to others – the same grace and truth we have received from God.

    May your coming in and your going out be blessed from this time forth and forevermore!