Exodus 18:12 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
Moses preached the Gospel to Jethro, telling what great things God had done for life and salvation. In addition to rejoicing in the Lord and blessing Him, Jethro responded by making offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and the elders gathered with Jethro to eat bread together in thanksgiving to God for what He has done. A sacrificial feast was a celebration of thanksgiving for God’s goodness, grace, deliverance and salvation. God’s great work called for a thanksgiving feast. It was appropriate to respond with a communal celebration.
Worship and thanks is always an appropriate response to the gospel work of God in our lives. Furthermore, it is fitting and proper to respond in worship together with other fellow believers. That is what Jethro did, and today it is the life-giving practice of Christians every Sunday. We gather for worship in response to the Gospel. In fact, we hear the gospel in the same service in which we worship. And in the Divine Service we celebrate the Good News by receiving it in faith through Word and Sacrament. We eat bread together receiving the body of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. We celebrate the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, on the Cross. This is our response: we go to church.