Sunday’s OT and Epistle—Ezekiel 37:1-14; 1 John 5:4-10

Pastor Gillespie of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Random Lake, Wisconsin, leads a reflective catechetical meditation on the upcoming Sunday's readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14 and 1 John 5:4-10. The episode centers on the powerful imagery of dry bones coming to life through God’s breath, symbolizing spiritual resurrection and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Pastor connects this vision to baptism, the resurrection of Christ, and the believer’s present victory over sin and death through faith. He emphasizes that spiritual life is not earned but received through God’s Word and Spirit, not human effort. In the epistle, he unpacks the 'three witnesses'—the Spirit, water (baptism), and blood (the Lord’s Supper)—as unified testimony to Christ’s divinity and saving work. The sermon underscores that faith in Jesus as the Son of God is the victory that overcomes the world, and that this victory is already realized in the believer through sacraments and the preached word. The episode closes with a call to live in the present reality of resurrection life, not merely in future hope.