Here we have a firm foundation, Here the refuge of the lost; Christ, the Rock of our salvation, Is the name of which we boast: Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, Sacrifice to cancel guilt! None shall ever be confounded Who on Him their hope have built. – LSB 451:4

 

“Blessed is the man who takes refuge in the Lord” (Ps. 34:8)! A refuge is a place of safety and protection for those who are in trouble. As such, the term “sanctuary” has become a term with two meanings. A sanctuary literally means a holy (sanctus) place. But in medieval church law fugitives were immune to arrest when they were inside of the sanctuary. That law is not valid today, so the police most certainly can arrest criminals who invade our church, but it can still be helpful to think of the sanctuary as a refuge. The sanctuary is not a refuge from police, but from our actual enemies of sin, death, and Satan. 

The architecture of our church building is helpful in communicating this reality. Our sanctuary is spacious and made of bricks with large exposed beams, communicating that our Lord is a strong place of safety. The focal point in the sanctuary is the large cross, communicating that our Lord Jesus is larger and more powerful than any enemies or troubles we may be facing. Indeed, the blood of Jesus Christ forgives all sins. Upon the cross Jesus crushed the devil’s skull. Through the death of Jesus, He has opened the gate of heaven to us.

Like the hymn says: “Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost; Christ, the rock of our salvation.” Despite how we feel, perhaps overwhelmed by any number of trials, the Lord is the refuge for all who flee to Him. “None shall ever be confounded who on Him their hope have built.” The Lord is a sure foundation, changeless and enduring from age to age. Though all this world shall one day be rolled up like a scroll, He will forever be the eternal God. So flee to Jesus, the only Refuge for sinners such as us. Sit beneath the cross in the sanctuary, and remember that your Lord Jesus is sheltering you from all of Satan’s attacks. The Lamb of God promises to preserve you through this life and lead you into the next; may His sacrifice be your comfort that stills your troubled heart.

May you have a blessed Lent,

Pastor Koopman

1 Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
‘Tis the Christ, by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!
‘Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
‘Tis the true and faithful Word.

2 Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting His distress;
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

3 Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
‘Tis the Word, the Lord’s anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.

4 Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ, the Rock of our salvation,
His the name of which we boast:
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

Text: Thomas Kelly, 1804