#137 - Kyle Thompson // St. Patrick’s Breastplate: Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension

We explore the ancient Irish prayer known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, focusing on finding strength through Christ's resurrection and ascension.

• The prayer begins by invoking the Trinity as our source of spiritual strength
• Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus shows how He calls each person by name
• Jesus' appearance to Mary demonstrates His love for those society rejected
• The resurrection transformed the cross from a symbol of fear to one of ultimate hope
• Christ's ascension completes His earthly ministry and establishes His heavenly authority
• St. Patrick's prayer reminds us that Christ surrounds us on every side for protection

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Daily Blade

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2: 0:20

Welcome back, guys. This week we're spending some time with an Irish prayer from St Patrick, called St Patrick's Breastplate or the Deer's Cry. Let me read the beginning of it here I rise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness of the creator of creation. I rise today through the strength of Christ with his baptism, through the strength from the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Today we're going to key in on this one line. I arise today through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension. So let's go back to the gospel of John, starting in chapter 20, verse 1.

Speaker 2: 1:10

Now, on the first day of the week, mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon, peter and the other disciples the one whom Jesus loved and said to them they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. So Peter went out with the other disciples and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first and, stooping to look in. He saw the linen cloth lying there and he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloth lying there and the face cloth which had been on Jesus. Now let's go to verse 11.

Speaker 2: 1:47

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her Woman why are you weeping? She said to them they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking, supposing him to be the gardener? She said to him sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. Jesus said to her. Mary, she turned and said to him in Aramaic, rabbanai, which means teacher. Jesus said to her do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father, but go to my brothers and say to them I am ascended to my father and your father to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples I've seen the Lord and that he said these things to her. So I always get like a little bit choked up there whenever Jesus just responds to her and just says Mary, he says her name and in that instant she recognizes the name of her shepherd. And again, this is Mary Magdalene. To say she had a rough past would be a tremendous understatement. She would have been considered, you know, very unclean and outside of normal polite society. But to Jesus, I mean, it's just so powerful. She was a daughter, she had a name.

Speaker 2: 3:35

And then Jesus appears to the rest of the disciples and he's with them for a period of time. And then at the beginning of the book of Acts, we see this, so Acts 1, starting in verse 6. So when they had come together, they asked him Lord, will you at this time restore Acts? We see this, so Acts 1, starting in verse 6. Earth. And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Speaker 2: 4:21

So why can we gain strength through the crucifixion and burial of Jesus? Go into heaven. So why can we gain strength through the crucifixion and burial of Jesus? Because the story didn't end there. That's where the story ended for a lot of fake messiahs, but not for Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was murdered to provide payment for the sins of humanity, including my sins and your sins. So the cross, which was meant to be a symbol of fear and shame, was adopted by Christians for the last 2,000 plus years as a powerful symbol of ultimate hope. I'll read the end of St Patrick's breastplate as we wrap today. May you receive protection. Christ with me, christ before me, christ behind me, christ in me, christ beneath me, christ above me, christ on my right, christ on my left.

Speaker 1: 5:18

Christ when I lie down. Amen, today's episode. Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.