March 16th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"Under His Wings" Text: Luke 13:31-35

Lectionary Readings — Second Sunday in Lent — March 16, 2025

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 13:31-35)

Leader: Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you."

People: But we come to the One who replied, "I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal."

Leader: Jesus continued, "I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!"

People: We gather with the One who laments, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you."

Leader: "How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing."

People: Today, we are willing. We come under the protective wings of God's love.

Leader: Jesus declared, "You will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

All: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We welcome Christ into our midst, into our hearts, and into our lives. Let us worship God!

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Opening Prayer (based on Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18)

Let us pray:

Eternal and Covenant-Keeping God,

As we gather on this Second Sunday of Lent, we come like Abram of old, with our fears and uncertainties laid bare before You. In this season of reflection and spiritual journey, we remember Your words to him: "Do not be afraid." As we continue our Lenten pilgrimage, we echo these words in our hearts now, seeking Your presence as our shield and our very great reward.

Lord of Creation, You who count the stars and call them each by name, who led Abram outside to gaze at the heavens, we stand in awe of Your vastness. During this Lenten season, when we examine our smallness and our need for You, remind us that You have promised us an inheritance beyond our imagining. Like Abram, help us to believe You, to trust in Your righteousness even when the path ahead seems dark and uncertain.

We confess that like Abram, we sometimes question Your promises. "How can we know?" we ask, especially in times of trial and testing. Yet You meet us in our doubt. You cut a covenant with us, passing between the pieces of our broken lives, making promises that transcend our understanding. When the darkness of Lent surrounds us, may we recognize Your presence as the smoking fire pot and flaming torch, guiding us forward toward Easter's dawn.

God of covenant faithfulness, who promised land to those who had none, who offers hope to the hopeless and family to the childless, we thank You for Your enduring promises that span generations. In this Lenten journey, help us to walk faithfully with You today, trusting not in what we can see, but in what You have promised.

As we worship together on this Second Sunday of Lent, may we, like Abram, fall into a deep and reverent awareness of Your holy presence among us, preparing our hearts for the sacrifice and resurrection that awaits us at Lent's end.

In the name of Jesus Christ, through whom all Your promises find their "yes" and "amen," we pray.

Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "Under His Wings" (Luke 13:31-35)

Introduction:

• Set the context: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, teaching and healing

• The passage reveals Jesus' determination, compassion, and prophetic identity

• Jesus uses the powerful maternal image of a hen gathering her chicks

I. The PRESSURE Jesus Faced (vv. 31-32)

A. Political Threats

B. Provocative Response

C. Persistent Ministry

II. The PURPOSE Jesus Fulfilled (v. 33)

A. Predetermined Plan

B. Prophetic Identity

C. Pressing Forward

III. The PASSION Jesus Felt (v. 34)

A. Profound Lament

B. Protective Love

C. Painful Rejection

IV. The PROPHECY Jesus Foretold (v. 35)

A. Present Abandonment

B. Promised Return

C. Proclaimed Recognition

Conclusion

• Jesus' response to opposition reveals his character and mission

• The image of the hen reminds us of God's protective, maternal love

• We face a choice: Will we resist or come under his wings?

• Invitation: To recognize Jesus now rather than later, to say today "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers