Lord’s Day 16: Q&A 40-44: Taxes Aren’t Certain

As the saying goes, “The only certainty in life is death and taxes.” While it isn’t clear if taxes are, death is a result of the fall of creation. In Lord’s Day 16, the Heidelberg Catechism continues its look through the Apostles Creed by highlighting the death of Christ and the atoning work that it accomplishes for us. These four questions and answers show us that through Christ’s death sin and death are defeated. 

We all experience death at some point in our lives. Family, friends, and coworkers we love have all died, but nowhere in the Bible do we see death described as a good thing. Even Christ’s atoning death leads to good, but death is not good. Death is a result of the fall, and death is used in the work of Christ’s sacrifice to defeat death. Lord’s Day 16 does a great job balancing the joy we have in Christ defeating death, and the pain of the reality of death in our lives. 

Christ’s death defeats death and sin, but Q&A 44 reminds us that Christ’s death also is a way God relates in our suffering. When we are at a funeral, going through cancer treatments, struggling with substance abuse, or even just going through a rough season at work, we are reminded that our Savior knows what it feels like to suffer. 

Lord’s Day 16

Q&A 40-42

CONFESSION OF SIN

God of Justice,

Sin and evil lead to death.

Each day, we see the effects of sin and evil.

Death from war and famine

Death from disease and disasters

Death from violence and accidents

Death of family and friends

Our sin leads to death,

And death leads to more sin.

Even our Savior Jesus Christ 

Truly experienced death in this sinful broken world. 

God of life, Forgive us our sin 

And break this cycle of sin and death.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Romans 8:4, Hebrews 2:9)

Leader: Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.

All: By the grace of God, Christ tasted death for us.

Leader: People of God, Christ died to condemn sin in the flesh.

All: We no longer live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

Q&A 43

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Romans 6:6, 13)

One: People of God, what further benefit do we receive 

from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross?

All: By Christ’s power our old selves are crucified, 

put to death, and buried with him.

One: We have offered ourselves to God

Who has brought us from death to life. 

All: So that the evil desires of the flesh

may no longer rule us.

One: We are no longer slaves 

All: Instead we are a sacrifice of gratitude to God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

BAPTISMAL REMEMBRANCE (Romans 6:5-14, Col. 2:11-12, Romans 12:1, Eph. 5:1-2)

Children of God,

Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for us.

He died on a cross to defeat sin and evil.

We have been united in that death and resurrection.

Not on a cross, but in the water of our baptism.

Buried in the water and raised with Christ 

through faith in the working of God,

We have been set free from sin.

Therefore follow Christ’s example

And walk in the way of love.

In view of God’s mercy, 

Remember that we are a living sacrifice

Holy and acceptable,

Transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Remember your baptism,

And recall how God has transformed you.

Q&A 44

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE - INTRO (Hebrews 5:7-10)

Sovereign God, life is full of ups and downs. We experience great joy and beauty in your creation. We also experience so much pain and suffering. It can be so hard to make sense of life in this world, so we turn to you in prayer. No matter what life throws at us, we know that our high Priest and Savior, Jesus Christ, experienced everything we have. Christ suffered, felt pain, and experienced loss throughout his life. Loving God, we offer prayers and petitions through our High Priest who sympathizes with our joys and pains. 

Q&A 40-44

PRAYER OF LAMENT

God, why do we still have to die? 

Christ defeated death on the cross,

Yet we all still feel the pain of loss.

God of Life, all of us know the pain of death.

Friends, siblings, parents, spouses.

All of us have someone we love die.

We all have the scary thought 

that we will die someday as well. 

Some of us are suffering so much,

That it feels like death is a good thing.

The knowledge that death will set us free from sin

Might be a great relief to some of us.

How sad that death might seem 

like a source of hope for some of us?

Death even came for Christ Jesus.

Jesus experienced suffering in his life,

And died a horrible, painful, humiliating death.

Death is not good. Death is evil.

But we worship a Savoir who knows the pain of death.

Jesus wept when his friend died.

Jesus experienced death.

And Jesus overcame death.

When life hurts like Hell,

Our Savior descended to Hell

To rescue us and be with us.

We do not suffer alone,

But with our savior Jesus

Who knows death and suffering. 

Amen.