This Is Most Certainly True

“Amen” – The Lord’s Prayer

If you ask a child what, “amen” means, many will tell you it means, “the end.” It makes sense. After all, most of the time we use the word to close our prayers. In the mind of the child, it’s like we’re telling God that we are done praying.

Amen, however, does not mean, “the end.” It has a few uses within the Scriptures. Throughout the Old Testament, it tends to be used to say that something is reliable or trustworthy. It is sometimes used as a verb meaning to be faithful or to take care. At times, amen, is used to confirm the statement that preceded it, as if to say, “so shall it be.”

Paul, similarly, in the New Testament uses amen at the end of prayers, benedictions, and doxologies, emphasizing that what was just written is true and/or will happen (so shall it be).

Jesus, however, used amen in an interesting way. He would start sentences with, “Amen, amen,” meaning, “very truly,” or “amen lego humin,” meaning, “truly I tell you.” He used amen to emphasize the truth of what He was about to say.

Whereas, the prophets of the Old Testament would say, “Thus says the Lord,” to show the authority of what they said, Jesus called upon His own authority as God, saying, “Truly I tell you.”

So, what about us? Why do we use the word, “Amen?”

Today, we use amen much like the people of the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament. Sometimes people use it to express agreement with what they just heard.

“We are all sinners saved by the grace of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us.”

“Amen!”

Most often we use it to end our prayers. When we do we are saying, “This is true.” or “So, shall it be.” We are expressing the truthfulness of what was prayed as well as our confidence in the promises of God.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are saying that God is our Father, His kingdom does come. His will is done. He will provide for us. He does forgive us and we will forgive others. He will protect us. All that we have spoken in this prayer is most certainly true and we are in agreement with it.

Heavenly Father,

You are good. You are the source of all truth. Your promises are all true. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. So, we pray with confidence that you will fulfill all Your promises and that all Your ways are good and true.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

This Is Most Certainly True

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL