Sermon for the Visitation

Isaiah 11:1-5  +  Luke 1:39-56

The timing of our celebration of the Visitation, July 2^nd, coincides with the 9^th day after the nativity of John the Baptist, which is celebrated on June 24^th, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, six months before we celebrate the birth of Christ. Because Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, was six months pregnant with John when Gabriel made his announcement to Mary. Gabriel himself informed Mary of that. Then we’re told that Mary went to Elizabeth and stayed with her for three months—until the end of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, so she left Elizabeth’s house about the time John was born. We figure that she waited until after John’s circumcision, which took place on the 8^th day after his birth, July 1^st on the church calendar. So the next day, July 2^nd, properly marks the end of Mary’s visitation with Elizabeth.

But the Gospel for today’s festival tells about the beginning of the visitation, Mary’s arrival at Zacharias’ and Elizabeth’s house, when baby John was about six months in his mother’s womb and baby Jesus was newly conceived in Mary’s womb. The Holy Spirit teaches us many things by the word and example of these two pregnant saints.

First, see how Mary goes immediately and makes the rather lengthy journey from Nazareth to Judah to help her elderly relative during the last three months of her pregnancy. That speaks to Mary’s character, of her love and concern for Elizabeth, and probably also of her desire to have someone to talk to about her own miraculous pregnancy and what the Lord was about to accomplish through each of them as mothers of two very special children.

We learn several things from Elizabeth’s words as she was “filled with the Holy Spirit” after hearing Mary’s greeting. “Blessed are you among women,” she said, echoing the angel Gabriel’s own words to Mary. Mary was one of a kind in human history, the only virgin to conceive, the one whose womb gave a human body to Him who was in the beginning with God and who was God. Mary’s DNA was the Holy Spirit’s raw material for crafting a human body and soul for Jesus that were taken up into the divine nature.

And “blessed is the fruit of your womb.” It’s ironic, isn’t it?, that the human race fell when a woman sinfully ate from the fruit of a tree, and now, the human race’s hope and salvation is wrapped up in the fruit of Mary’s womb. If Mary was one of a kind because of how she conceived, how much more her Son Jesus, because of how He was conceived, and because of His divine and human nature, brought together into one Man, the Savior of mankind. Mary was blessed as the recipient of God’s blessing. The fruit of Mary’s womb is the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen!

Even Elizabeth’s unborn child perceived the presence of Christ through the word Mary spoke. He leaped in his mother’s womb for joy when he heard her greeting. That, by the way, shows us clearly that both John, at six months of gestation, and Jesus, newly conceived, were not clumps of cells or inhuman blobs in their mothers’ wombs, but that both of them were real human persons, able to believe in God, able to rejoice in God.

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. It’s really miraculous that Mary did believe Gabriel’s words. She was blessed with a great faith—a faith that serves as a model and example for us every bit as much as Abraham’s great faith does. And again, we marvel at the contrast between Mary and our first mother, Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Eve disbelieved God’s word about the fruit of the tree. But Mary believed God’s word about the fruit of her womb. Eve distrusted God, in spite of all the evidence she could see with her eyes. But Mary trusted God, in spite of the lack of evidence that she could conceive a child as a virgin and give birth to the Son of God. Blessed is she, and blessed are we, too, if we believe God’s promises.

We learn many things from Mary’s words, too, her famous song that we sing regularly: the Magnificat. We only have time to scratch the surface of them this evening.

First, Mary recognizes God’s great goodness and mercy to her personally in raising her up from her lowly estate and granting her honor in the eyes of believers of all times, because she was privileged to carry the Savior—the world’s Savior and hers. She doesn’t magnify herself or make herself into some great person. Instead, she magnifies the Lord and Him alone. My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

Then Mary expands her praise to include how God deals with all people. He has mercy on those who fear Him From generation to generation. God is merciful. He is a God who forgives. He is kind and good to those who are miserable and sinful. As it says in Psalm 130. With You there is forgiveness. Therefore You are feared. Because God is merciful for Christ’s sake, we fear Him. In other words, we trust in Him. And He shows mercy to those who trust in Him, who fear Him. He exalts the lowly. He fills the hungry with good things.

But those who are proud, He scatters. Those who exalt themselves He casts down. Those who boast in their riches, He sends away empty. How many times didn’t Jesus say something similar? The first shall be last and the last first. God humbles the proud, but exalts the lowly. He gives sight to the blind, but blinds those who boast that they can see. He makes the foolish wise and the wise foolish.

All of this teaches us to repent of our sinful pride, to humble ourselves, to confess our misery before God because of our sins, because those sinners who recognize their sins and look to God for mercy are just the ones who receive mercy from God and every good thing, as Mary teaches us in her song.

Finally, Mary praises God for His faithfulness, because in sending the Christ to be born in the fullness of time, through her, a daughter of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, God was keeping an ancient promise, keeping His Word to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Israel. Mary drives us back to the Old Testament to see the Christ foretold there, to see all of history as the story of God’s faithfulness in sending the promised Savior.

As we celebrate the Visitation today and learn from these two holy women, Elizabeth and Mary, rejoice together with them. Whatever problems there are going on in your life, whatever turmoil this world is facing, whatever sins you have been dealing with, the message of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is the message of God’s gracious visitation to us in the midst of our misery. Rejoice with Elizabeth. Because Christ has come to you to visit you with His greeting of peace. And rejoice with Mary. Because God has given you the body and blood of His Son, too, to live in you and to dwell in you and to save you from your sins. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Sermon for Trinity 4

Isaiah 58:6-12  +  Romans 8:18-23  +  Luke 6:36-42

As our members know, we don’t preach politics here at Emmanuel. We don’t concern ourselves overly much with what the secular government is or isn’t doing right, because we are not called by Christ to set up or to seek out a godly society or a glorious earthly kingdom in which to live. We are called to be godly citizens in the midst of a depraved society, to, as St. Paul writes to the Philippians, do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.

That Word of life does speak to the things going on around us. It does, for example, address the depravity and perversion of men pretending to marry other men or women pretending to marry other women. And it does address the lawlessness of rulers and of judges who pervert justice, as several of our Supreme Court justices did this past week. And it does address the perversion of a world that calls good evil and that calls evil good and that celebrates the evil in which it wallows. Part of our shining as lights in the world is to reveal the light of God’s judgment against such things. As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

But there’s a difference between revealing God’s judgment and passing your own judgment. There’s a difference between announcing God’s condemnation against all sins for the purpose of bringing the sinner to repentance and pronouncing your own condemnation on certain cherry-picked sins for the purpose of making you feel good about how righteous you are because you don’t think you commit those particular sins. There’s a difference between speaking to your neighbor out of mercy and speaking out of self-righteous arrogance and spite. In our Gospel today Jesus issues some earnest instructions to those who follow Him: Divine instruction for children of light living in a godless world.

Therefore, our Gospel begins, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. “Therefore.” Wherefore? Why should we be merciful? We search the context, we go back one verse, and we find this: You are sons of the Most High. And your Father is kind to the unthankful and the evil. So, if you are sons of God the Father, children of light, then be “like Father, like son.” Imitate your Father’s mercy.

How is God the Father merciful? How has He displayed His mercy to the unthankful and the evil? First, He is merciful in His providence. He makes His sun shine on the evil and the good. He provides food and nourishment, crops and harvest, rain and shelter, health and necessary skills to all people everywhere, even to those who don’t acknowledge Him or worship Him or thank Him. He does it out of mercy, because without His providence, we would all perish.

How else is the Father merciful to all? He has sent out His truth to all men: His truth in nature and His truth in His Word. God is merciful in revealing, both biologically and Scripturally, that marriage is to be between a man and a woman, that the family is to be composed of a father and a mother and children. God is merciful in proclaiming His holy Law, His Ten Commandments, because there is great benefit in keeping them. God is also merciful when He, in His Word, explains what sin is and when He accuses and charges all of men with sin, because it’s only by acknowledging our sins that we can ever be saved from them.

Thirdly, the Father’s mercy is shown in sacrifice—His sacrifice, the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross for the sins of all men, even for the unthankful and the evil. That sacrifice was made out of pure mercy and grace, out of God’s desire to reconcile sinful men with Himself through the cross of His Son, because God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

That is what your heavenly Father is like. Out of pure fatherly mercy and grace He provides for all. He is truthful to all. He sacrificed His Son for all and now calls all men to repent. Be merciful like that, Jesus says.

And then He gives some specific instruction about how to put that kind of mercy into practice. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Believe it or not, this verse from the Bible is the only verse from the Bible that some people know or want to know. Just try referring to certain things as sins that God’s Word refers to as sins. And you will hear from those who practice those sins, “The Bible says, ‘Do not judge,’ so you’re sinning by telling me that I’m sinning.” You might reply, “So, you’re judging me for judging you? I thought you weren’t supposed to do that.” But in reality, those who use the Word of God this way are blind to the truth and want to remain blind. Their condemnation is deserved.

Of course, the same Bible says, “You shall…” and “You shall not…” Or, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Or, “Watch out for false prophets.” Or “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” But all of that requires a certain kind of judgment. You can and must judge between right and wrong. But you must only do it on the basis of God’s Word, not on the basis of your personal feelings. You must only do it on the basis of fact and knowing all the facts, not on the basis of some snippet of information you think you know. You must only do it with the goal of turning a sinner from the error of his way. And you must only do it as one who recognizes himself or herself as a sinful human being who deserves nothing but judgment and condemnation from God.

In addition, certain vocations require a certain kind of judging and condemning. God Himself most certainly judges. A human judge in a courtroom is supposed to judge and, often, condemn. A policeman sometimes has to make an on-the-spot judgment on someone—to shoot or not to shoot, as does a soldier on the battlefield. Fathers and mothers are called to judge and sometimes punish their children. And pastors and bishops are called by God to exercise and to pronounce spiritual judgment in His name, to forgive sins or to retain sins. Imagine what the world would be like if Jesus’ words, “Judge not!”, meant that all forms of judging were to cease.

But there is a form of judging that is evil. People do it all the time. It’s all over the media, the internet, and it grows very naturally in the corrupt human heart. It comes from pride or hatred, not from mercy. It’s when you pretend to know another person’s heart. It’s when you set yourself up in your heart as righteous and as the model of perfection, and then look down your nose at all the people around you who don’t live up to your standards. It’s the “pointing of the finger” that Isaiah referred to in today’s first Lesson and the “speaking of wickedness.” That has no place among the children of the light.

Instead, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you.” That’s just another form of being merciful. Children of light, children of God are to be characterized by a spirit of generosity and by a readiness to forgive. Because that’s what our Father is like, and we have been born again to this Father by His Holy Spirit, who works in us to mold us into the image of our Father, which is the image of our Brother, Jesus. Here in God’s kingdom there is no room for greediness, or for stinginess, or for grudges.

To spur us on, Jesus even adds a promise: Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Let that serve as an encouragement to you. Everything you have has been given to you from above as a solemn trust, to be used as your Father directs you to use it. That includes giving to those in need, and giving generously. But your Father promises that you won’t run out, you won’t be lacking. He sees His Spirit working in His children to produce good works that flow from faith, and He will see to it that you are rewarded for it.

How does a Christian continue to be merciful in a world that is so wicked and that hates us so much? Only by continually remembering that we, too, by our deeds, have earned God’s wrath and punishment, and that it was only the grace of God that moved Him to send His Son for us, to be hated by the world and crucified for us. It is only the grace of God that has cured us of our blindness and brought us into His kingdom of light by giving us the gift of faith. As Jesus said, If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. The world may hate you, but your Father loves you and has chosen you out of the world to be His dear children. Let that be your inspiration to confess God’s truth boldly, no matter what the consequences in this world may be. Let it also be your inspiration for living as children of light in this godless world, to be merciful as your Father is merciful. Amen.

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Sermon for Trinity 3

Micah 7:18-20  +  1 Peter 5:6-11  +  Luke 15:1-10

Today is a day for rejoicing. It happens to be Father’s Day, and it may be that some of you are rejoicing because of that. If you had or have or are a loving a father, that’s good reason to rejoice and give thanks to God for such a gift. It’s a gift that, because of the sin that infects our fallen human race, not all people have. But regardless, today is a day for rejoicing, if for no other reason than this: sinners have come near to Jesus to hear Him. Jesus assures us that, through this preaching of the Gospel, through this ministry of the Word, He Himself is present among us. And you’ve come to hear Him, haven’t you? You’ve come because you know you have sinned against the holy God, but that He is willing to receive you for the sake of His holy Son Jesus.

It’s not the first time sinners have drawn near to hear Jesus, of course. Our Gospel describes the scene as dishonest tax collectors and public, well-known sinners came to Jesus to hear Him. It also describes how the Pharisees and scribes complained when they saw it, complained that Jesus was welcoming such people and even sitting down at the table with them to eat with them.

What we have before us in the Gospel are two specific groups of people. Group #1 is made up of open sinners who know they are sinners and who are turning to God in repentance. Group #2 is made up of secret sinners who think they have no need to repent, who don’t think of themselves as sinners at all. And then we have Jesus, who is the only one in this story who isn’t a sinner, but who has come to seek and to save sinners, to call them to repentance and to bring them safely into His Father’s house.

There are three parables in Luke 15; the first two are included in our Gospel, the parable of the lost sheep, and of the lost coin. The parable of the lost son—the prodigal son—follows. In each parable, someone or something is lost. One out of a hundred sheep goes astray. One out of ten coins is lost. One out of two brothers demands an early inheritance from his father, and then leaves his father’s house and goes and leads a careless, sinful life. In each parable, the lost thing is loved and highly valued by the one who lost it. You can see that as the shepherd leaves the other 99 sheep behind and goes out searching for his lost sheep; as the woman drops everything and sweeps the house thoroughly in search of her lost coin; as the father goes running out to welcome his son at the first sight of his return. And in each parable, when the lost thing is found, the finder and everyone who loves the finder rejoice and celebrate. But, as we see at the end of the parable of the lost son, those who do not love the Father, those who think they have no need of the Father’s mercy, who think they have earned a place in the Father’s house by their hard work do not rejoice when the lost one is found, but instead grind their teeth in anger.

So these parables are told, first, as a warning to those people, to Group #2, to those who think they have no need to repent. It’s like you have one group of people who are covered head to toe in sewage. The other group of people are covered neck to toe in sewage. The head looks clean enough, but the rest of the body is disgustingly filthy. The first group comes to Jesus to be washed clean, while the second group can’t believe Jesus would ever associate with such dirty people as the first group. That’s the situation we’re talking about here. That’s what the Pharisees were doing when the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Jesus: denying their own filthiness, while despising the other sinners for their filthiness and despising Jesus for offering to wash them clean.

All have sinned. None are clean, by nature. The sins of some people are obvious. The sins of others are less obvious. But all are obvious to God, which is why He calls all men alike to repent, to acknowledge that they deserve His wrath and punishment, to be sorrowful over their sins, and to look to Him, not for praise, not for “acceptance” of their sins, but for mercy, for pardon for their sins, for cleansing.

For them, for those sinners who repent of their sins and of their sinfulness, there is great comfort in these parables, not just for sinners in general, but for each one, for one sinner who repents. Jesus has come to find each one, because He loves and values each one, just like the shepherd who lost one sheep, just like the woman who lost one coin, just like the father who lost one son. It’s the only reason Christ has come. He hasn’t come to set up a glorious kingdom on earth made up of good and righteous people who get to rule the world. He leaves those who think they’re good and righteous behind, in fact, and spends all of His time seeking and saving that which was lost.

How does He do that? He sends out His Word and convicts people of their sin. Then He presents Himself to us as the good and merciful Savior who loved and valued all of us, each of us, took all sin upon Himself and suffered for it on the cross. By means of this Gospel, His Holy Spirit brings us to trust in Christ, like a shepherd hoisting a sheep up onto his shoulders and carrying it home. And then, always, every time, for each one individually, there is rejoicing in heaven. The Father rejoices. The Son rejoices. The Holy Spirit rejoices. And all the company of heaven rejoices together with our Triune God, because those who love God love the things God loves. Those who love God love to see the precious blood of Christ covering yet another sinner. They love to welcome penitent sinners into their Father’s house.

That’s what the Church is all about: proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world and welcoming the penitent into the Church, into the Father’s house, with gladness and with rejoicing.

But it’s never as if we in the Church become like those “just persons” who need no repentance, not as long as we live on this earth. Our goal here on earth isn’t to become like the 99 sheep whom the shepherd left behind; it was a stinging rebuke when Jesus said to the Pharisees that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance. May we never become “just persons” like that, just in our own minds, who consider ourselves more righteous than other people. By faith in Christ, God does indeed count us as perfectly righteous, just people, saints, holy ones. And, as believers in Christ, we do strive to drown our sinful flesh by daily repentance and to live new lives of obedience and service to God. But we are always sinner-saints on this earth. Saints before God by faith in Christ, but still sinners who always need to repent, and who always need to be where Jesus is.

If you recognize that, then you won’t despise open sinners as they hear the Word of Christ and are brought to repentance. And you won’t view the Church as an elite club for clean people, but as a hospital where sinners are always being treated, always being cleansed, where Christ is present in Word and Sacrament, still seeking, still saving, still forgiving, still healing.

That’s why today is a day for rejoicing. Whether or not we have new sinners coming to hear the Word of Jesus with us, each one who came here this morning in repentance, each one who comes over and over again to hear Jesus and to receive Jesus’ body and blood is that one sinner who repents, deeply loved and highly valued by God. And so we rejoice with our Father on this Father’s Day, because He is getting what He desires the most. He has sought and He has found many lost sheep, and He is bringing them even now safely into His house. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Sermon for the Festival of the Holy Trinity

Ezekiel 18:30-32  +  Romans 11:33-36  +  John 3:1-15

Dear Christians: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” With those words we began our service. With those words you were baptized and the name of the Triune God was placed upon you. The doctrine of the Trinity is an important doctrine, to say the least. “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith…And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance.” One God in Trinity, in “three-ness.” And the Three-ness in Unity, in One-ness. Neither confounding, that is, confusing or mixing together the three Persons, nor dividing the Substance, that is, turning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into three separate “Gods.” It sounds mysterious. It sounds incomprehensible. And, indeed, our God is beyond our understanding, and we rightly echo the words of St. Paul in today’s Epistle: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

But thankfully, it isn’t necessary that whosoever will be saved must “comprehend” one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Whosoever will be saved must worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. And so we do. We simply worship one God: the Father who loved us and gave His Son for us, the Son who loved us and gave Himself for us as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and the Holy Spirit who loved us and has brought and continues to bring the Son to us by means of Word and Sacrament, thus bringing us into fellowship with the Father. Not one Person, but three Persons. Not three gods, but one God. That’s it. We don’t claim to comprehend our God. We simply worship Him as He has revealed Himself to us for our salvation.

It’s this simple understanding of our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that Jesus presents to us in today’s Gospel. To the unbeliever, as Nicodemus was at the time he spoke with Jesus, it’s still nonsensical. But to the one who has come to know the love of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—, specifically in the Person of Jesus Christ, who revealed God to us in the flesh, it’s beautiful.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had come from God. For no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Now, what Nicodemus meant by that was that Jesus had come from God like other prophets had come from God, that is, they were called directly by God sometime during their earthly life, called to be a prophet and to teach God’s Word. Nicodemus did not yet know or believe the real truth, that Jesus was unique, that He was no ordinary prophet, but that He was a Person of the Holy Trinity, who came from God like no one else has ever come from God, as the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds—the Son who, as Jesus says, “came down from heaven,” as He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

But, you notice, Jesus doesn’t spend any time explaining or describing that mystery of the Trinity to Nicodemus. He goes right to the matter of life and death, of salvation and condemnation. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus takes Nicodemus right to the pressing issue of his own salvation, of his own entering the kingdom of heaven, which, Jesus says, can only happen if a person is born again.

Why? What’s wrong with our first birth, our natural birth from our mother’s womb? “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me,” says the Psalmist. Adam’s children are fallen from birth, spiritually dead and doomed from the start. And what’s wrong with the things we’ve done in this life? What about our good deeds? Our sacrifices? Our works of love and obedience? “There is none who does good,” says the Psalmist, “no, not one.” As you heard Ezekiel say in the First Lesson, you have to “get a new heart.” So Jesus drives home the point to Nicodemus: your natural birth is useless for getting you into the kingdom of heaven. And all your works are useless, too. Nothing will get you in, nothing will help you, except for a complete change, a second birth—a second birth that comes with a new heart.

And the thing about that is, your birth is not something that you do, is it? It’s something that’s done to you. Jesus explains the manner of this urgent rebirth: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Water and the Spirit. Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit’s means of rebirthing people, saving people and bringing them into the kingdom of God. St. Paul says the same thing to Titus: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy God saved us, through the washing of regeneration (rebirth) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. There it is again, a reference to the Holy Trinity: God (the Father) who saved us, through the Spirit’s washing of rebirth, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Now, it’s true, Baptism is not the Spirit’s only means of causing people to be born again. He also does it through the Word alone, through the Gospel, as Peter says, You have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. Or as James writes, Of His own will God brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. It’s the Word of God that the Spirit uses to change us, to convert us, to bring us to faith in Christ and to give us new birth. Baptism is simply the Word of God attached to water, an external rite, instituted by Christ, that is tied to the promise of God. As we say in the Small Catechism, Certainly water does not do it, but the word of God that is with and in the water, and faith that trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a water of life, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.

In our Gospel, Jesus is astounded that Nicodemus doesn’t grasp any of this. Not that Baptism had been around for very long, but God had always taught in the Old Testament that no one could be saved by natural birth or by works, but only by a Spirit-wrought change in a person, through repentance and faith, faith in the promise of a Savior from sin and death. One of the key images of that in the Old Testament was the bronze serpent. The Israelites had rebelled against God and Moses again and were being fatally bitten by poisonous snakes out in the desert. But God gave them a means by which to be saved: a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, combined with the promise that whoever looked to it would be saved from the serpent bite.

Jesus applies all this to Himself: all men are dying from the serpent bite of sin. But the Father, in His mercy, gave His Son to be lifted up on the cross, with the promise that whoever looks to Him in faith will not die, but live. And that faith, to look to Christ for spiritual healing, for forgiveness, is created by the Holy Spirit through preaching, through water and Word, through the Means of Grace. That’s the Holy Trinity, the God of our salvation.

Dear confirmands: You have been baptized in the name of the Triune God, born again of water and the Spirit and brought into the kingdom of God. You have been brought by God’s Holy Spirit to trust in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and so to know a loving Father in heaven who will never forsake you, never betray you. I’m so thankful for that. I myself was Christ’s ambassador in baptizing three of you, not that it matters who the pastor was who baptized you. But it has given me another reason to give thanks as I have watched you continue to grow and learn about the Triune God and continue to confess and to worship one God in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. Your parents and grandparents have been instrumental in making sure you have continued in the Word of Christ. That will, no doubt, continue for a while longer while you still live with them or close to them. But today, today you are here to tell us that you do not wish to rely only on your parents or grandparents, but that you yourselves believe what we believe and confess what we confess and that you intend to make this confession and to hold to this faith for the rest of your lives, even to the point of giving up your life and facing death rather than fall away from the faith of the Triune God.

Now, after three years of extra study of God’s Word and of the Small Catechism, we are about to recognize your confirmation. See, it’s not that you’re confirming anything yourselves, or that we, the Church, are confirming you. By the profession of faith you will make here today, you are simply giving evidence of the fact that you have been confirmed by God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and will continue to be confirmed by Him, if you cling to His Word, pray diligently, abide in God’s goodness, and faithfully use the gifts you have received. As you do that, I am fully confident that God will sanctify you in love; that He will protect you in your great weakness against the devil, the world, and the flesh; that He will rule and lead you in His ways; raise you up again when you stumble, comfort you under the cross and in temptation; and preserve you for life eternal. This is the work of God the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. Amen.

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Sermon for the Festival of Pentecost

Joel 2:28-32  +  Acts 2:1-13  +  John 14:23-31

Toward the beginning of Holy Week, Jesus said: I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is finished! Dear Christian friends, it is finished! The Lord Christ was referring to His baptism in blood, His own blood which He would shed as the payment for the sins of the world, so that all sinners, any sinner from the beginning of the world till its end can plead the blood of Christ before the throne of God and he will be saved. As of Good Friday, it is finished. As of the third day, Easter Sunday, Christ rose from the dead. And as of the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection, the sending of fire on the earth began.

It was a different kind of fire, of course, not the kind that burns up forests, but the kind that burns through the human heart, convicting of sin and kindling faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, where and when it pleases the Spirit of God. That fire has now been sent and kindled in every corner of the planet, even here in America, so many years after that special day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God has, indeed, set the world on fire.

The Day of Pentecost that we Christians commemorate wasn’t the first Pentecost. Pentecost means “fiftieth,” the fiftieth day, or seven weeks + 1 day after the beginning of Passover. Since the days of Moses, the people of Israel were required by God to come to God’s temple three times a year: for Passover, for the Feast of Weeks, and for the Feast of Tabernacles. Just as the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, changed the significance of the Passover forever, so the coming of the Holy Spirit changed the significance of Pentecost. It used to be celebrated as a harvest festival, and in celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Now it is celebrated for the harvest of souls that began 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, and in celebration of the giving of Gospel of Christ, who has fulfilled the Law of Moses for us.

Let’s consider first the three miraculous signs that occurred on the Day of Pentecost. The disciples of Jesus were all together in one place, in Jerusalem, where Jesus had commanded them ten days earlier to remain until they received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sign #1: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Remember, the word for “spirit” in Greek and Hebrew is related to the word for “wind.” Jesus had promised to send His Holy Spirit from heaven. And now there comes this sound from heaven of a rushing mighty wind. The sign for the disciples was clear: this is it, what Jesus promised, the sending of the Spirit.

But there was no destruction involved with this rushing mighty wind, no visible movement at all, just the sound of the wind. So the Spirit, too, would blow through the world mightily, not visibly, but audibly, through the preaching of the Gospel.

Sign #2: Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

Here is the fire Jesus promised to send. And it’s just like Jesus to send it in this way. He speaks of fire, and immediately men imagine some spectacular wildfire burning through the earth, or fireballs raining down from heaven. And there will be that kind of fire destroying the world on the Day of Judgment. But on the Day of Pentecost, the fire was only visible for a moment, not a raging fire, not a fire to destroy Jerusalem for having crucified the Christ who was sent to them, but a fire that looked like tongues, hovering over the heads of Jesus’ disciples. This was a sign that the Spirit of God would fill the speech of Jesus’ disciples and would work mightily through the Word they would proclaim. Like a fire spreads through the earth, so the Holy Spirit would go through the earth in connection with the preaching of the Word of God.  As God once said through the prophet Jeremiah, “Is not My Word like fire?” Always working through the Word, the Spirit would convict the world of sin, and would kindle faith throughout the earth.

Sign #3: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The disciples were suddenly able to speak in tongues, in foreign languages they had never learned before. In fact, they probably weren’t even able to understand what they were saying. But the crowds of Jerusalem did! The crowds of Jerusalem were attracted by all the commotion in the house where the disciples were, and the crowds who were visiting Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks from all the foreign countries in that part of the world heard the wonderful works of God being proclaimed in their own native tongues.

And so God’s Spirit confirmed the word Jesus had already spoken to His disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” “Go and make disciples of all nations.” “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We’ve talked about the signs of Pentecost and their meaning. Now let’s consider the ongoing meaning of the Holy Spirit’s coming.

The Word of Christ has gone out from Jerusalem, just as the Old Testament prophets had prophesied that it would. No longer are people directed to seek God in His temple in Jerusalem. Now God the Holy Spirit has gone out from Jerusalem seeking to build God’s temple—God’s Church—in every place, even turning human hearts into temples of God, as the apostle Paul says to the Church in Corinth, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?”

See what the Holy Spirit has done! You don’t see the Spirit of God, just as you don’t see the wind. But you see the effects of the wind. So also with the Spirit. You see His works, His effects on the world. We call the Spirit’s work “sanctification,” that is, the act of setting people apart for God as holy people, as saints. And there are two parts to sanctification: regeneration and renewal.

Regeneration means causing a person to be born again. It’s what the Spirit does through preaching and through Baptism as He convicts people of sin and brings them to faith in Christ. Regeneration is how the Holy Spirit brings people into the Holy Catholic, Christian, Apostolic Church. Some 3,000 people were regenerated on the Day of Pentecost, and that work has been continuing ever since. See how the Church has spread to every corner of the globe, how the Word of God is being proclaimed in every place, how sinners, one by one, are still being converted from unbelief to faith, still being baptized, still coming into the Church, still being changed from hating Christ to loving Christ. Here, too, in this place, the wonderful works of God are now being proclaimed in English, in our own tongue, because the Spirit’s fire has spread to us, too, and has caused us to be born again. The Spirit’s work of regeneration is also called “justification,” or “the forgiveness of sins.” And it’s something He will continue to do until Christ returns, bringing more people into the Church by giving them a new, spiritual birth. This is the fire that the Holy Spirit spreads.

The other part of sanctification is called renewal. As Jesus said in the Gospel, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. First the Spirit regenerates a person and brings him to love and trust in Jesus. Then the Spirit continually works on the reborn so that we keep the Word of Jesus. He sustains us in faith. He increases our love for God and for our neighbor. He sets us apart from the sinful world, brings us the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins, strengthens, guides, and molds us into the image of Christ. And He does all this work of renewal, as the signs of Pentecost teach us, through tongues, through the preaching of the Word of God.

Do you wonder what makes Christians ready to be burned alive or have their heads cut off rather than deny Christ? Or more locally, do you wonder what makes Christians ready and willing to accept heavy fines or other life-changing penalties rather than renounce Christ and His truth? Do you wonder what makes Christians willing to show love to their enemies and to their friends alike, or what makes Christians willing to sacrifice their earthly comfort for the sake of the truth? It’s all the work of God’s Holy Spirit in us, sanctifying us, renewing us and keeping us with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. This, too, is the fire that the Holy Spirit spreads.

And so on this Festival of Pentecost we give thanks to God for the invaluable, fire-spreading, life-giving work of His Holy Spirit. And we pray that the Spirit of God would make us wise to understand the Word of Christ, bold to confess the name of Christ, and eager to walk in the commandments of Christ, until He comes again. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Sermons

Sermon by Martin Luther

Text: Acts 2:1-13 (KJV)

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. The historical facts of this day, as well as the beautiful sermon the Holy Spirit delivered through the apostle Peter, which might appropriately be fully treated at this time, we shall leave for the special sermons on the various festivals of the year. For the present we will but briefly speak of the occasion of this festival, and of the office of the Holy Spirit.

2. The festival we call “Pentecost” had origin as follows: When God was about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he permitted them to celebrate the Feast of the Passover on the night of their departure; and commanded them on every annual recurrence of the season to observe the same feast in commemoration of their liberation from bondage and their departure from Egypt. Fifty days later, in their journey through the wilderness, they arrived at Mount Sinai. There God gave them the Law, through Moses; and there they were commanded to observe annually, in commemoration of that giving of the Law, the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover. Hence the name “Feast of Pentecost,” the word “Pentecost” coming from the Greek “Pentecoste,” or “fiftieth day.” Our Saxons, rather more in conformity to the Greek, use the word “Pfingsten.” So we have it here of Luke: “When the day of Pentecost was now come,” or “fully come” — when the Jews had properly commemorated the giving of the Law of God on Mount Sinai — the Holy Spirit came, in accordance with Christ’s promise, and gave them a new law. We now celebrate this feast, not because of the old historical event, but because of the new one — the sending of the Holy Spirit. It is in order, then, to give a little instruction concerning the difference between our Pentecost and that of the Jews.

LITERAL LAW AND SPIRITUAL LAW.

3. The occasion of the Jews’ observance was the giving of the literal law; but it is ours to celebrate the giving of the spiritual law. To present the point more clearly, we cite Paul’s distinction of the two covenants. 2 Cor. 3:6. And these two covenants respectively relate to two kinds of people.

4. First, there is the written law commanded of God and composed of written words. It is styled “written” or “literal” because it goes no farther and does not enter the heart, nor are there any resulting works other than hypocritical and extorted ones. Consisting only of letters — a written law — it is wholly dead. Its province being to kill, it ruled a dead people. With dead hearts men could not sincerely observe the commandments of God.

Were every individual left to do as he pleased, being uninfluenced by fear, not one would be found choosing to be controlled by the Law.

Unquestionably, human nature is conscious of the fact that while it prefers to follow its own inclinations it is impelled to do otherwise; for it reasons: “If I observe not God’s commandments, he will punish me, casting me into hell.” Thus our nature is conscious of obeying unwillingly and contrary to desire. Because of the punishment men fear, they soon become enemies to God; they feel themselves sinners, unable to stand before God, and consequently not acceptable to him. Indeed, they would rather there were no God. Such enmity to God remains persistently in the heart, however beautifully nature may adorn itself outwardly. We see, therefore, how the Law, so long as it consists merely of written words, can make no one righteous, can enter no heart. Upon this topic we have elsewhere preached and written at length.

5. The other law is spiritual; not written with ink and pen, nor uttered by lips as Moses read from the tables of stone. We learn from the historical record of the event that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and filled all the assembled multitude, and they appeared with parting, fiery tongues and preached so unlike they were wont to do that all men were filled with amazement. The Spirit came pouring into their hearts, making them different beings, making them creatures who loved and willingly obeyed God. This change was simply the manifestation of the Spirit himself, his work in the heart. He wrote in those hearts his pure and fiery flame restoring them to life and causing them to respond with fiery tongues and efficient hands. They became new creatures, aware of possessing altogether different minds and different tendencies. Then all was life and light; understanding, will and heart burned and delighted in whatever was acceptable to God. Such is the true distinction between the written law of God and the spiritual. Herein we perceive what is the work of the Holy Spirit.

THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

6. From this we should learn what is the office of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and how or by what means he is received in the heart and works there. In time past it was preached that he merely endorses what the councils conclude and the Pope establishes in the Spiritless papal Church.

The fact is, however, the doings of Pope and councils are mere outward matters; they relate to external commands and government. The above theory is, therefore, wholly inconsistent and perverse. Of the work of the Holy Spirit, the Papists make a dead, written law, when it is really a living, spiritual law. Thus they render the Holy Spirit a Moses, and his words mere human prattle. It is all due to ignorance of the character of the Holy Spirit, of the purpose of his coming and the nature of his office. Therefore, let us learn and firmly grasp those things and be able rightly to distinguish the Spirit’s office.

7. Observe here, the Holy Spirit descends and fills the hearts of the disciples sitting in fear and sorrow. He renders their tongues fiery and cloven, and inflames them with love unto boldness in preaching Christ — unto free and fearless utterance. Plainly, then, it is not the office of the Spirit to write books or to institute laws. He writes in the hearts of men, creating a new heart, so that man may rejoice before God, filled with love for him and ready, in consequence, to serve his fellows gladly.

8. What are the means and process the Spirit employs to change and renew the heart? It is through preaching Jesus Christ the Lord, as Christ himself says ( John 15:26): “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.” As we have often heard, the Gospel is the message God would have preached world-wide, declaring to every individual that since no man can through the Law be made righteous, but must rather become more unrighteous, God sent his own beloved Son to shed his blood and die for our sins, from which sins we could not be released by our own effort.

9. It is not enough simply that Christ be preached; the Word must be believed. Therefore, God sends the Holy Spirit to impress the preaching upon the heart — to make it inhere and live therein. Unquestionably, Christ accomplished all — took away our sins and overcame every obstacle, enabling us to become, through him, lords over all things. But the treasure lies in a heap; it is not everywhere distributed and applied. Before we can enjoy it, the Holy Spirit come and communicate it to the heart, enabling us to believe and say, “I too, am one who shall have the blessing.” To everyone who hears is grace offered through the Gospel; to grace is he called, as Christ says ( Matthew 11:28), “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” etc.

10. Now, with the belief that God has come to our rescue and given us this priceless blessing, inevitably the human heart must be filled with joy and with gratitude to God, and must exultingly cry: “Dear Father, since it is thy will to manifest toward me inexpressible love and fidelity, I will love thee sincerely, and willingly do what is pleasing to thee.”

The believing heart never sees God with jealous eye. It does not fear being cast into hell as it did before the Holy Spirit came, when it was conscious of no love, no goodness, no faithfulness, on God’s part, but only wrath and displeasure. But once let the Holy Spirit impress the heart with the fact of God’s good will and graciousness towards it, and the resulting joy and confidence will impel it to do and suffer for God’s sake whatever necessity demands.

11. Let us, then, learn to recognize the Holy Spirit — to know that his mission is to present to us the priceless Christ and all his blessings; to reveal them to us through the Gospel and apply them to the heart, making them ours. When our hearts are sensible of this work of the Spirit, naturally we are compelled to say: “If our works avail naught, and the Holy Spirit alone must accomplish our salvation, then why burden ourselves with works and laws?”

By the doctrine of the Spirit, all human works and laws are excluded, even the laws of Moses. The Holy Spirit’s instruction is superior to that of all books. The Spirit-taught individual understands the Scriptures better than does he who is occupied solely with the Law.

12. Hence, our only use for books is to strengthen our faith and to show others written testimony to the Spirit’s teaching. For we may not keep our faith to ourselves, but must let it shine out; and to establish it the Scriptures are necessary. Be careful, therefore, not to regard the Holy Spirit as a Law-maker, but as proclaiming to your heart the Gospel of Christ and setting you so free from the literal law that not a letter of it remains, except as a medium for preaching the Gospel.

BELIEVERS MUST YET RESIST SIN.

13. Here we should be intelligent and know that in one sense all is not accomplished when the Holy Spirit is received. The possessor of the Spirit is not at once entirely perfect, pure in all respects, no more sensible of the Law and of sin. We do not preach the doctrine that the Spirit’s office is one of complete accomplishment, but rather that it is progressive; he operates continuously and increasingly. Hence, there is not to be found an individual perfect in righteousness and happiness, devoid of sin and sorrow, ever serving all men with pleasure.

The Scriptures make plain the Holy Spirit’s office — to liberate from sin and terror. But the work is not then complete. The Christian must, in some measure, still feel sin in his heart and experience the terrors of death; he is affected by whatever disturbs other sinners. While unbelievers are so deep in their sins as to be indifferent, believers are keenly conscious of theirs; but Christians are supported by the Holy Spirit, who consoles and strengthens till his work is fully accomplished. It is terminated when they no longer feel their sins.

14. So I say we must be prudent; we must take heed we do not arrogantly and presumptuously boast possession of the Holy Spirit, as do certain proud fanatics. The danger is in becoming too secure, in imagining ourselves perfect in all respects. The pious Christian is still flesh and blood like other men; he but strives to resist evil lusts and other sins, and is unwillingly sensible of evil desires. But he who is not a Christian is carelessly secure, wholly unconcerned about his sins.

15. It is of no significance that we feel evil lusts, provided we endeavor to resist them. One must not go by his feelings and consider himself lost if he have sinful desires. At the same time he must, so long as life lasts, contend with the sins he perceives in himself. He must unceasingly groan to be relieved of them, and must permit the Holy Spirit to operate in him. There is in believers continual groaning after holiness — groaning too deep for expression, as Paul says in Romans 8:26. But Christians have a blessed listener — the Holy Spirit himself. He readily perceives sincere longing after purity, and sends the conscience divine comfort.

There will ever be in us mingled purity and imperfection; we must be conscious both of the Holy Spirit’s presence and of our own sins — our imperfections. We are like the sick man in the hands of the physician who is to restore him to health. Let no one think: “Here is a man who possesses the Holy Spirit; consequently he must be perfectly strong, having no imperfections and performing only worthy works.” No, think not so; for so long as we live in the flesh here on earth, we cannot attain such a degree of perfection as to be wholly free from weakness and faults. The holy apostles themselves often lamented their temptations and sorrows. Their feelings concealed from them the Holy Spirit’s presence, though they were aware of his strengthening and sustaining power in their temptations, a power conveyed through the Word and through faith.

16. The Holy Spirit is given only to the anxious and distressed heart. Only therein can the Gospel profit us and produce fruit. The gift is too sublime and noble for God to cast it before dogs and swine, who, when by chance they hear the preached message, devour it without knowing to what they do violence. The heart must recognize and feel its wretchedness and its inability to extricate itself. Before the Holy Spirit can come to the rescue, there must be a struggle in the heart. Let no one imagine he will receive the Spirit in any other way.

17. We see this truth illustrated in the narrative here. The beloved disciples were filled with fear and terror. They were disconsolate and discouraged, and sunk in unbelief and despair. Only with great difficulty and effort did Christ raise them again. Yet their only failing was their faint-heartedness; they feared the heavens would fall upon them. Even the Lord himself could scarce comfort them until he said: “The Holy Spirit shall descend upon you from heaven, impressing myself upon your hearts until you shall know me and, through me, the Father. Then will your hearts be comforted, strengthened and filled with joy. And so was the promise fulfilled to them on this day of Pentecost.

Source: Sermons

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Ezekiel 36:25-27  +  1 Peter 4:7-11  +  John 15:26-16:4

On Thursday we celebrated Christ’s ascension and His sitting down at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. The Lord Jesus has been highly exalted, and now He reigns over this world for the good of His body, the Church: to support and sustain those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, and to build His Church through the preaching of the Gospel. Christ was hated by the world when He came, and the world treated Him as it wanted. But now Christ is done with suffering. Now He has entered into glory.

But we are still in the world. The time of our glory hasn’t come yet. First we have work to do in this world—in this world that hates those who belong to Christ just as they hated Christ. Earlier in John chapter 15 Jesus told His disciples: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. You see, it’s not that Christ ever hated the world. It’s that the world hated Christ. In the same way, it’s not that Christians hate the world. It’s that world hates Christians. Sometimes you can feel that hatred. Sometimes not. Sometimes Christians run away from that hatred by abandoning the doctrines that the world finds most offensive, and sometimes Christians become more worldly by adopting the customs, practices, and beliefs of the world. But those who would be true to Christ, true to His whole doctrine, those who put His doctrine into practice in the world will have many enemies here. It’s a hostile world toward Christians, and it always will be.

Our ascended Lord has not abandoned us here behind enemy lines. He went away, He ascended into heaven precisely in order to send us the help we need so much, as we’ve been discussing over these past few weeks. Christ promises to send us a Helper to face a hostile world.

When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. Christ kept this promise. Ten days after He ascended into heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on His believers in Jerusalem. We’ll celebrate the coming of the Helper next Sunday on the Festival of Pentecost.

How did the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father and the Son testify of Christ? He confirmed the believers in their faith. And He taught them what they needed to know and understand about Christ so that they understood the Scriptures that were written about Him and how He had fulfilled the Scriptures in every way, especially by His suffering for sin, His crucifixion and His resurrection from the dead. And the apostles did bear witness, from the Day of Pentecost until the day of their final testimony, their martyrdom. They bore witness to Christ and have left behind for us the whole New Testament as the inspired testimony of the Holy Spirit.

But these words also apply to us who have been brought to faith by the testimony of the apostles that has come down to us through the ages. The Holy Spirit is promised as a gift to all the baptized, as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The same Spirit of truth speaks to us and, as St. Paul writes to the Romans, “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” By this testimony, He enables us to remain steadfast in faith and love in the face of the world’s hatred. He guides us to know the truth and renews us so that we become more and more like Jesus Christ. We’ll say more about the Spirit’s work next week.

As for our testimony, it’s different than that of the apostles. Jesus says His apostles would bear witness “because you have been with Me from the beginning.” We don’t bear witness about the things we’ve seen and heard from Jesus; we weren’t with Him from the beginning. We bear witness about the things we’ve been taught by the apostles (and prophets).

That’s not what most people when they think of “Christians giving their testimony.” Most people think of a person standing up in the middle of a church service and telling everyone about their own personal conversion experience or their own personal belief in Jesus. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about. He’s talking about the testimony we have received from the Holy Spirit, confirmed in the apostolic writings, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, who died for the world’s sins and who rose again from the dead, who calls all men to repent of their sins and to trust in Him and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. That is the Holy Spirit’s testimony, and it is the testimony that all true Christians will give.

That testimony, all by itself, will bring some people to faith in Jesus. That testimony of the Holy Spirit will frighten some people because of their sins and will give them a new heart to trust in Christ, who is a good and merciful Savior. But that testimony of the Holy Spirit will also enrage the world against Christians, as Jesus says: These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

In other words, Jesus is being very upfront with His apostles, and with all of us who come after them. He isn’t painting His Church on earth as a smiley, happy, prosperous group of people who will be treated well in the world. On the contrary, He tells His Christians that they will be persecuted, and not only by the atheists, but by those who call themselves the Church, by those who think of themselves as religious people. Those are the people who will excommunicate you and even put you to death, all the while thinking they are serving God.

But those who persecute people for their confession of the truth are not truly God’s people at all. These things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. People can pretend to be Christians all they want, but if they persecute other Christians for holding to the truth of Christ, they are hypocrites, pretenders, not fellow citizens of heaven.

It’s important for us to get this. Why will the world do these things to Christians—to apostles, pastors, or laymen? Because you’re so mean? Because you’re not eloquent? Because you don’t have the right people skills? Because you aren’t sensitive enough to their musical tastes? No. Because they have not known the Father nor Me.

When the world mistreats us for being Christians, we mustn’t whine about it. Lots of Christians are tempted to whine about the world’s injustice toward Christians. “That’s not fair!” Well, it isn’t fair. But let God take care of justice. As for us, Christ calls on us to bear the cross, as He bore it, without complaining. He calls on us to continue to trust in Him, and to love our neighbor as Christ continued to do even when He was being tortured, and to speak the truth fearlessly even as Christ continued to speak it before Pontius Pilate. We are not to become hostile toward the world. We are to simply keep testifying to the truth.

What shall be your comfort and strength at that time when the world hates you and the outward church persecutes you? Jesus tells us: But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. I told you. I told you, Jesus says. None of this is a crisis. None of this is out of My control. It is part of my reign at God’s right hand until I return, to allow the world to hate you even as I allowed the world to hate Me, to show that you are My servants, My people; to show that the world truly deserves the wrath that will soon be poured out on them. And also to glorify My Gospel and My Spirit, who has such power to bring people to faith and to sustain you in the faith, and even to sustain your love, even in the midst of so much cruelty and injustice.

We couldn’t keep going, we could never face this hostile world without divine help. But we don’t have to face it without help. We have a Helper who is stronger than we are and stronger than the whole world’s strength combined. Cry out to Him for help in every time of need. He is a very present help in trouble. Amen.

Source: Sermons

Sermon by Martin Luther

EIGHT PAMPHLET EDITIONS OF THIS SERMON APPEARED IN 1523-24.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

Text. Luke 16:19-31 (KJV)

SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL:

1. Here we have a parable and the connected parts of hypocritical righteousness which nowadays thoroughly knows and possesses almost everything, besides it is also highly esteemed by the world, as if it were the nearest heaven; and the Christian Cross or persecution is despised by every one.

2. The hypocritical righteousness seeks its own, rejoices in its own affairs and helps no one; but the Christian Cross must suffer everything, it lies at our door, no one shows it any mercy, has no consolation except that all who suffer oppression, anxiety and persecution have peace in God. A hypocrite is considered pious; while a Christian must be considered a heretic and a blasphemer of God.

3. Aside from this parable in this Gospel, we have nothing in the whole Scriptures as to how the dead sleep after this life, until the day of Judgment. And since we must not and should not prefer a parable to the revealed, plain and clear written Word; although I do not esteem all as a pure parable, which resembles a history; so I agree here with the explanation of Dr. Martin Luther, as will follow, namely, that we will feel and experience all that is set forth in this parable when we die; especially when the foolish virgins see that the wise virgins have oil in their lamps, and they have none, Matthew 25:7.

1. We have hitherto heard in our Gospel lessons of various examples of faith and of love; for as they all teach faith and love, I hope you are abundantly and sufficiently informed that no human being can be pleasing to God unless he believes and loves. Now in this Gospel text the Lord presents to us at the same time an example of faith and of unbelief or of the state of the godless, in order that we also may abhor the contrary and the opposite of faith and love, and that we may cleave to faith and love more diligently.

For here we see the judgment of God upon the believers and the unbelievers, which is both dreadful and comforting. Dreadful to the faithless and comforting to the faithful. But in order that we may the better grasp the meaning of this text we must picture to ourselves both the rich man and poor Lazarus. In the rich man we see the nature of unbelief and in Lazarus the nature of belief.

PART I. THE RICH MAN.

2. We must not view the rich man according to his outward conduct; for he is in sheep’s clothing, his life glitters and shines beautifully, while he tactfully conceals the wolf. For this Gospel text does not accuse him of adultery, of murder, or robbery, of violence or of having done anything that the world or reason would censure. Yea, he has been as honorable and respectable in his life as that Pharisee who fasted twice a week and was not as other men, of whom Luke 18:11f. speaks. For had he committed such glaring sins the Gospel would have mentioned them since it examines him so particularly that it describes even the purple robe he wore and the food he ate, which are only external matters and God does not judge according to them. Therefore he must have led outwardly an exemplary, holy life; and according to his own opinion and that of others, he must have kept the whole law of Moses.

3. But we must look into his heart and judge his spirit. For the Gospel has penetrating eyes and sees deep into the secret recesses of the soul; reproves also the works which reason cannot reprove, and looks not at the sheep’s clothing, but at the true fruit of the tree to learn whether it is good or not, as the Lord teaches in Matthew 7:17. Hence if we judge this rich man according to the fruits of faith, we will find a heart and a tree of unbelief. For the Gospel chastises him that he fares sumptuously every day and clothes himself so richly, which reason never considers as especially great sins. Besides, the work-righteous people think it is right, and that they are worthy of it, and have merited it by virtue of their holy lives, and they do not see how they thus sin by their unbelief.

4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently’ sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own . lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.

5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.

Thus queen Esther says, that she bore the royal crown against her will, and that she had to wear it for the sake of the King. David also would rather have lived a private life; but for the sake of God and of his people he had to become king. In like manner all the saints considered that they were constrained to fill their stations of influence, honor and glory; and their hearts were never entangled by them, and labored in these external things to be helpful to their neighbor, as Psalm 62:10 says: “Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase set not your heart thereon.”

6. But where unbelief reigns man is absorbed by these vanities, he cleaves to them, seeks them and has no rest until he has acquired them, and after he possesses them, he feeds and fattens himself with them as the swine wallow in the mire, and finds at the same time his happiness and felicity there. He never inquires how his heart stands with his God and what he possesses in God and may expect from him; but his belly is his God; and if he cannot get what he wants, he imagines things are going wrong. And lo, these dreadful and wicked fruits of unbelief the rich man does not see, he covers them over, and blinds his own eyes by the good works of his pharisaical life, and hardens himself until no teaching, exhortation, threatening nor promise can help him. Behold, this is the secret sin which to-day’s Gospel punishes and condemns.

7. From this now follows the other sin, that he forgets to exercise love toward his neighbor; for there he lets poor Lazarus lie at his door, and offers him not the least assistance. And if he had not wished to help him personally, he should have commanded his servants to take him in and care for him. It may have been, he knew nothing of God and had never experienced his goodness. For whoever feels the goodness of God, feels also for the misfortune of his neighbor; but whoever is not conscious of the goodness of God, sympathizes not in the misfortune of his neighbor.

Therefore as he has no pleasure in God, he has no heart for his neighbor.

8. For the nature of faith is that it expects all good from God, and relies only on God. For from this faith man knows God, how he is good and gracious, that by reason of such knowledge his heart becomes so tender and merciful, that he wishes cheerfully to do to every one, as he experiences God has done to him. Therefore he breaks forth with love and serves his neighbor out of his whole heart, with his body and life, with his means and honor, with his soul and spirit, and makes him partaker of all he has, just like God did to him. Therefore he does not look after the healthy, the high, the strong, the rich, the noble, the holy persons, who do not need his care; but he looks after the sick, the weak, the poor, the despised, the sinful people, to whom he can be of benefit, and among whom he can exercise his tender heart, and do to them as God has done to him.

9. But the nature of unbelief is that it does not expect any good from God By which unbelief the heart is blinded so that it neither feels nor knows how good and gracious God is; but as Psalm 14:2 says: he cares not for God, seeks not after him. Out of this blindness follows further that his heart becomes so hard, obdurate and unmerciful that he has no desire to do a kindness to his fellow man; yea, he would rather harm and offend everybody. For as he is insensible to the goodness of God, so he takes no pleasure in doing good to his neighbor. Consequently it follows that he does not look after the sick, poor and despised people, to whom he could and should be helpful and profitable; but he casts his eyes upward and sees only the high, rich and influential, from whom he himself may receive advantage, gain, pleasure and honor.

10. So we see now in the example of the rich man that it is impossible to love, where no faith exists, and impossible to believe, where there is no love; for both will and must be together, so that a believer loves everybody and serves everybody; but an unbeliever at heart is an enemy of everybody and wishes to be served by every person and yet he covers all such horrible, perverted sins with the little show of his hypocritical works as with a sheep’s skin; just as that large bird, the ostrich, which is so stupid that when it sticks its head into a bush, it thinks its entire body is concealed. Yea, here you see that there is nothing slinder and more unmerciful than unbelief. For here the dogs, the most irascible animals, are more merciful to poor Lazarus than this rich man, and they recognize the need of the poor man and lick his sores; while the obdurate, blinded hypocrite is so hard hearted that he does not wish him to have the crumbs that fell from his table.

11. Now all unbelieving people are like this rich hypocrite. Unbelief cannot do nor be different than this rich man is pictured and set forth by his life.

And especially is this the character of the clergy-, as we see before our eyes, who never do a truly good work, but only seek a good time, never serving nor profiting any one; but reversing the order they want everybody to serve them. Like harpies they only claw everything into their own pockets; and like the old adage runs they “rob the poor of his purse.” They are not moved in the least by the poverty of others. And although some have not expensive food and raiment, yet they do not lack will power and the spirit of action; for they imitate the rich, the princes and the lords, and do many hypocritically good works by founding institutions and building churches, with which they conceal the great rogue, the wolf of unbelief; so that they become obdurate and hardened and are of no use to anybody.

These are the rich man.

PART II. POOR LAZARUS.

12. Likewise we must not judge poor Lazarus in his sores, poverty and anxiety, according to his outward appearance. For many persons suffer from affliction and want, and yet they gain nothing by it; for example King Herod suffered a great affliction, as is related in Acts 12:23; but afterwards he did not have it better before God on account of it. Poverty and suffering make no one acceptable to God; but, whoever is first acceptable to God, his poverty and suffering are precious in the eyes of God, as <19B615> Psalm 116:15 says: “Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints.”

13. Thus we must look into the heart of Lazarus also, and seek the treasure which made his sores so precious. That was surely his faith and love; for without faith it is impossible to please God, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews says, Hebrews 11:6. Therefore his heart also must have confessed that he even in the midst of such poverty and misery expected all good from God, and comfortably relied upon him; with whose blessings and grace he was so richly satisfied, and had such pleasure in them, that he would have heartily and willingly suffered even more misery, if the will of his gracious God had so determined. See, that is a true, living faith, which softened his heart by the knowledge of the divine goodness; so that nothing was too heavy or too much to suffer and to do. So clever and skillful does faith make the heart, when it experiences the grace of God.

14. From this faith follows now another virtue, namely, love to one’s neighbor, so that he is willing and ready to serve everybody; but since Lazarus is poor and in misery himself, he had nothing with which he could serve others; therefore his good will is taken for the deed.

15. But this lack of service in temporal things he abundantly makes good by his services in things spiritual. For even now, long after his death, he serves the whole world with his sores, hunger and misery. His bodily hunger feeds our spiritual hunger; his bodily nakedness clothes (or feeds, as some editions read) our spiritual nakedness; his bodily sores heal our spiritual sores; in this way he teaches and comforts by his example, how God is pleased with us, when we are not prosperous here upon the earth, if we believe; and warns us how God is angry with us, even if we are prosperous in our unbelief; just as God had pleasure in Lazarus in his misery, and was displeased with the rich man.

16. Tell me, what king could have rendered a service to the whole world with his possessions, like poor Lazarus has done with his sores, hunger and poverty? Oh, the wonderful works and judgments of God! In what a masterly manner he puts to shame the cunning goddess and fool of this world, namely, reason and worldly wisdom! She stalks abroad and fixes her eyes rather upon the beautiful purple of the rich man, than upon the wounds of poor Lazarus; she would rather center her eyes upon a healthy, handsome person, as this rich man was, than upon a revolting and naked person like Lazarus; yea, she holds her nose before the stench of his wounds and turns her eyes from his nakedness. Thus the great goddess and fool of this world overlooks God in the very presence of such a noble treasure, and always quietly passes her own judgment, and at the same time makes this poor person so precious and dear, that all the kings hence are not worthy to serve him or to dress his sores. For what king, do you think, would not now with his whole heart exchange his health, purple and crown for the sores, poverty and misery of poor Lazarus, if it were possible for him to do so? And what person is there who would now give a snuff for the purple and all the riches of this rich man?

17. Do you not think that this rich man himself, had he not been so blind and had known that such a treasure, a man so precious in the eyes of God, was dying at his gate, would have run out, and dressed and kissed his sores, and laid him in his best bed; and made all his purple and riches to serve him? But at the time God’s judgment went forth, he did not see that he could do it. Then God thought, truly, you are not worthy to serve him.

When later the judgment and work of God were accomplished, the wise fool begins to come to himself; and since he suffers now in hell he will gladly give his house and land, to whom before he would not give a crumb of bread; and wishes now that Lazarus might cool his tongue with the tips of his fingers, whom before he would not touch.

18. Behold, even at the present day God is filling the world with such judgments and works, but no one sees it; yea, everybody despises it. There are continually before our eyes poor and needy persons, whom God lays before us as the greatest treasures; but we close our eyes to them, and see not what God does there; later, when God has done his work, and we have neglected the treasure, then we hasten and wish to serve, but we waited too long. Then we begin and make sacred relics of their garments, shoes and furniture, and make pilgrimages to and erect. churches over their graves, are occupied with many like foolish deeds and thus ridicule ourselves in that we permit the living saints to be trodden under our feet and to perish, and we worship their garments, which is neither necessary nor of any use; so that indeed our Lord will let the judgment fall as he did in Matthew 23:29-33, and say: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?”

19. All believers are like poor Lazarus; and every believer is a true Lazarus, for he is of the same faith, mind and will, as Lazarus. And whoever will not be a Lazarus, will surely have his portion with the rich glutton in the flames of hell. For we all must like Lazarus trust in God, surrender ourselves to him to work in us according to his own good pleasure, and be ready to serve all men. And although we all do not suffer from such sores and poverty, yet the same mind and will must be in us, that were in Lazarus, cheerfully to bear such things, wherever God wills it.

20. For such poverty of spirit may exist in those who have very great possessions; as Job, David, Abraham were poor and rich. For David in Psalm 39:12 says: “I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.” How could that be, since he was a king and possessed extensive lands and large cities? Thus it came about; although he indeed possessed these, yet his heart did not cleave to them, and they were as nothing compared with the riches he had with God. Likewise he had said of the health of his body that it was as nothing compared to the health of his soul before God, and he would indeed not have murmured, had God afflicted him with bodily sores and sickness. So Abraham also, although he had not the poverty and affliction of Lazarus, yet he had the mind and will to bear what Lazarus did, if God had visited him thus. For the saints should have one and the same inner mind and spirit, but they cannot have the same outward work and suffering. Therefore Abraham also recognized Lazarus as one of his own and received him into his bosom; which he would not have done, were he not of the same mind and had he not taken pleasure in the poverty and maladies of Lazarus. Thus is set forth the sum and meaning of the Gospel, that we may see, how faith everywhere saves and unbelief condemns.

PART III. QUESTIONS SUGGESTED AND ANSWERED.

21. This Gospel lesson suggests several questions. First, what is the bosom of Abraham, since it cannot be a natural bosom that is meant? To answer this, it is necessary to know that the soul or spirit of man has no rest or place where it may abide, except the Word of God, until he comes at the last day to the clear vision of God. Therefore we conclude that the bosom of Abraham signifies nothing else than the Word of God, where Christ was promised, Genesis 22:18, to Abraham, namely: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” In these words Christ is promised to him, as the one through whom every person shall be blessed, that is, shall be delivered from sin, death and hell, and through no one else and through no other work. All who have believed this passage, have believed on Christ, and have become good Christians, and have also through faith in this Word been released from sin, death and hell.

22. Thus were all the fathers before the birth of Christ carried into Abraham’s bosom; that is, at their death they were established in this saying of God, and they fell asleep in the same, they were embraced and guarded as in a bosom, and sleep there until the day of judgment; excepting those,. who have already risen with Christ, as Matthew 27:52 teaches, where they also remained. In like manner we, when we face death, must lay hold of and trust in the Word of Christ with strong faith, as John 11:26 says: “Whosoever believeth on me shall never die,” or like passages; and thus die in this faith, fall asleep, be embraced and guarded in the bosom of Abraham until the day of judgment. For the word spoken to Abraham and the word spoken to us is the very same word; both speak of Christ, that we must be saved through him. But the former is more particularly called Abraham’s bosom, because it was spoken first to Abraham and began with him.

23. Likewise on the other hand the hell here mentioned cannot be the true hell that will begin on the day of judgment. For the corpse of the rich man is without doubt not in hell, but buried in the earth; it must however be a place where the soul can be and has no peace, and it cannot be corporal.

Therefore it seems to me, this hell is the conscience, which is without faith and without the Word of God, in which the soul is buried and held until the day of judgment, when they are cast down body and soul into the true and real hell. For just as Abraham’s bosom is God’s Word, in which believers rest through faith, and fall asleep and are guarded there until the day of judgment; so must that on the contrary ever be hell, where God’s Word is not, into which the unbelievers are cast until the day of judgment. That can be nothing else than an empty, unbelieving, sinful, and evil conscience.

24. The second question is: How then did Abraham and the rich man converse with one another? Answer: It could not have been a conversation with the natural voice, since the bodies of both were lying in their graves; likewise as little was it the natural tongue that complained of being tormented; nor was it natural fingers and natural water that were desired from Lazarus. Therefore this all must be in the conscience thus: When the conscience is awakened by death or by the agonies of death, then it will have a testimony of its unbelief and will see then for the first time the bosom of Abraham, and those embraced by it, that is, the Word of God, in which it should have believed and did not; from which it has the very greatest pain and anxiety as in hell, and finds neither help nor consolation.

25. Then thoughts arise in the conscience, which held such a conversation, if they could speak, as this rich man did with Abraham, and seeks then whether the Word of God, and all who have believed in it, would help; and with so much anxiety that it would receive the least comfort from the very meanest of men, but even that cannot be granted to him. Then Abraham answered him, that is, his conscience took such a view of the Word of God, that it cannot be; but he had his portion of good things in his life, and he must now suffer; while the others are comforted, whom he despised.

26. At last he feels, that it is declared unto him: There is a great gulf fixed between him and the believers, that they will never be able to come together. These are the thoughts of despair, when the conscience feels that the Word of God is withdrawn forever from him; accordingly the thoughts of his conscience rage and would gladly have the living to know that such are the agonies of death, and he craves that someone would tell it to them.

But it is to no purpose; for he feels an answer in his own conscience, that Moses and the prophets are sufficient, whom they ought to believe, as he himself should have done. All such thoughts pass between the condemned conscience and the Word of God, in the hour of death or in the agonies of death; and no one can perceive what it is, except the one who experiences it; and he who experienced it wished that others should know it, but all is in vain.

27. The third question is: When did that take place, and if the rich man still daily without ceasing suffers thus until the day of judgment? That is a subtle question and not easily answered to the inexperienced. For here one must banish the idea of time from the mind and know that in the other world there is neither time nor hours, but all is an eternal moment or wink of the eye; as 2 Peter 3:8 says: “A day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day,” Psalm 90:4. Therefore it seems to me that in this rich man we have an example of the future of all unbelievers, when their eyes are opened by death and its agonies; which can endure but for a moment and then cease until the day of judgment, as it may please God; for here no definite rule can be established. Therefore I dare not say that the rich man suffers still at present as he suffered at that time; and I dare not deny that he still suffers thus; for both depend upon the will of God. It is sufficient for us to know that his example and the beginning of the suffering of all unbelievers are here clearly set before us.

28. The fourth question is: Shall we pray for the dead; since here in the Gospel there is no intermediate state between Abraham’s bosom and hell, and those in Abraham’s bosom do not need it, and it does not help those in perdition. We have no command from God to pray for the dead; therefore no one sins by not praying for them; for what God does not bid or forbid us to do, in that no one can sin. Yet, on the other hand, since God has not permitted us to know, how it is with the souls of the departed and we must continue uninformed, as to how he deals with them, we will not and cannot restrain them, nor count it as sin, if they pray for the dead. For we are ever certain from the Gospel, that many have been raised from the dead, who, we must confess, did not receive nor did they have their final sentence; and likewise we are not assured of any other, that he has his final sentence.

29. Now since it is uncertain and no one knows, whether final judgment has been passed upon these souls, it is not sin if you pray for them; but in this way, that you let it rest in uncertainty and speak thus: Dear God, if the departed souls be in a state that they may yet be helped, then I pray that thou wouldst be gracious. And when you have thus prayed once or twice, then let it be sufficient and commend them unto God. For God has promised that when we pray to him for anything he would hear us.

Therefore when you have prayed once or twice, you should believe that your prayer is answered, and there let it rest, lest you tempt God and mistrust him.

30. But that we should institute masses, vigils and prayers to be repeated forever for the dead every year, as if God had not heard us the year before, is the work of Satan and is death itself, where God is mocked by unbelief, and such prayers are nothing but blasphemy of God. Therefore take warning and turn from these practices. God is not moved by these anniversary ceremonies, but by the prayer of the heart, of devotion and of faith; that will help the departed souls if anything will. Vigils, masses, indeed help the bellies of the priests, monks and nuns, but departed souls are not helped by them and God is thus mocked.

31. However, if you have in your house a spook or ghost, who pretends that the departed can be helped by saying masses, you should be fully persuaded that it is the work of Satan. No soul has yet since the beginning of the world reappeared on the earth, and it is not God’s will that it should be so. For here in this Gospel you see that Abraham declares that no one can be sent from the dead to teach the living; but he points them to the Word of God in the Scriptures, Deuteronomy 31: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” By these words Abraham turns to the command of God in Deuteronomy 18:11, where God says: “Thou shalt not be a consulter with a familiar spirit.” Isaiah 8:19. Therefore it is surely nothing but the contrivance of Satan that any spirits should let themselves be entreated and that they should require so and so many masses, such and such pilgrimages or other works, and appear afterwards in the clear light and pretend that certain persons are saved. In this way Satan has introduced error so that the people have fallen from faith into works, and think their deeds may accomplish such great things. And thus is fulfilled what St. Paul declared in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11, that God would send upon them powerful error, and temptation to unrighteousness, because they have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved.

32. Therefore be prudent and know that God will not let us know how it is with the dead, so that faith may retain its place in the Word of God, which believes that God will save the believers after this life and condemn the unbelievers. If now a familiar spirit present itself before you, take no notice of it; but be assured that it is the devil, and conquer him with this saying of Abraham, “They have Moses and the prophets,” and likewise with the command in Moses, “Thou shalt not be a consulter with a familiar spirit;” then he will soon be gone. If he leave you not, then let him make a noise until he is tired, and in firm faith suffer his wantonness. as. And if it were possible that it were indeed a departed soul or a good spirit even, then you should neither learn nor inquire anything of him, since God has forbidden you to do so; because he has sent his Son himself to teach us all that is necessary for us to know. What he has not taught us, that we should gladly not wish to know, and be satisfied with the teachings of the holy Apostles, in which he is preached to us. However, I have further written on this subject in the Postils on the Gospel for Epiphany and in my booklet on the Misuse of the Mass; where you may read more along this line.

34. Likewise, to give an example, we read in the Historia Tripartita (A History in Three Parts) of a bishop, who came to Corinth where he had come to attend a Council, and as he could not find a suitable lodging for himself and his attendants, he saw a house unoccupied and condemned as uninhabitable, and he asked if he might not be allowed to occupy it. Then they told him in reply that it was infested with nightly ghosts, that no one could live in it, and often people were found dead in it in the morning.

Then the bishop said but little and immediately entered and lodged there the same right, for he very well saw that the devil was the author of all these ghost stories, and as he had firm faith that Christ was Lord over satan, therefore he was not moved by his stratagems and he entered to lodge with him. And thus that house was made free by the prayers and presence of a holy man from infesting ghosts and horrifying spectres.

Behold, you see that the ghosts are satan, and there is little use to dispute with them; but one should despise them with a cheerful spirit as nothing.

35. A similar story we read about Gregory, the Bishop of Cappadocia, that he crossed the Alps and lodged with a heathen sexton or clerk of the church, who had an idol, that answered him the questions he asked; and he made his living by telling the people secret things. Now the bishop knew nothing of this, and proceeded the next day as soon as it was morning on his journey. But Satan or the evil spirit could not endure the prayers and presence of the holy man, and at once he betook himself out of the house, so that the heathen sexton could no longer receive answers as before. As soon as he felt his great loss, he set up a great howl to call back his idol, which appeared to him while he was asleep, and said, it was his own fault because he had lodged the bishop, with whom he (the evil spirit) could not remain. The sexton hastened to overtake the bishop and complained to him that he had taken his god and livelihood, and returned evil for the kindness extended to him. Then the bishop took paper out of his pocket and wrote these few words: “Gregory sendeth greetings to Apollinius. Be thou at liberty, O, Apollinius, to do as thou hast done before. Farewell.” The sexton took the letter and laid it by the side of his idol; then the devil came again, and did as before. Finally the sexton began to think, what a poor god is he, who allows himself to be driven away and lead by my guest who was only a man. And at once he started to the bishop, was instructed and baptized, and grew in his faith, so that he became the eminent bishop of Caesarea, a city in Cappadocia, upon the death of the bishop that baptized him. Behold, how simply faith proceeds, and acts joyfully, securely and effectively. Treat all your troublesome evil spirits in the same way’

Source: Sermons

Sermon by Martin Luther

PENTECOST, OR WHITSUNDAY

This sermon, which is not found in edition c., appeared in three pamphlet editions in 1522 and 1523. The title of one is: “A sermon on Pentecost, Martin Luther, Wittenberg, 1523.” Compare the 15th sermon in the 8th vol. of the Erlangen edition with its first part.

German text: Erlangen Edition, 12:269; Walch Edition, 11:1379; St. Louis Walch, 11:1018.

Text: John 14:23-31 (KJV)

1. Before we explain this Gospel lesson we must first say a few words about the festival of Pentecost and its history, or the event we celebrate on this day. St. Luke records it in the Acts of the Apostles, second chapter, verses 1-41, in the following words: “And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

2. “Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude carne together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galilaeans? And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God. And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine. “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke forth unto them, saying: 3. “Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:

And it shall be in the last days, saith God I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams: Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day: And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

4. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David saith concerning him, I beheld the Lord always before my face; For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou madest known unto me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance.

5. “Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne; he foreseeing this spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.

6. “Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the. Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him booth Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.

7. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. They then that received his Word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

8. This is the history of the day. The festival we call Pentecost originated thus: When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, he had them to celebrate the Easter festival the same night, and commanded them to celebrate it annually, as a memorial of their exodus out of Egypt. Counting from that day, they journeyed in the desert for fifty days, to Mount Sinai, where the Law was given to them by God, through Moses. Hence they celebrated the festival we call Pentecost. For the little word “Pentecost” is derived from the Greek Pentecostes, signifying the fiftieth day; the Saxons say Pingsten. It is to this festival that Luke has reference. When the fifty days after Easter were past and the disciples had celebrated the event of God’s having given the people the Law on Mount Sinai, then the Holy Spirit came and gave them a different law. We celebrate the festival, not because of the old, but because of the new, event, because of the sending of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must offer a little explanation and show the difference between our Pentecost and the Jews’ Pentecost.

9. In the first place, the Jews celebrated the festival because the Law had been given them in writing; but we ought to celebrate it because God’s Law is given to us spiritually. St. Paul aims to make this plain. In the second Epistle to the Corinthians, chapters 3 and 4, he speaks of two kinds of preaching. And just as there are two kinds of preaching, so also there are two kinds of people.

10. First, the written Law is that which God has commanded and embodied in writing. It is called “written” because it proceeds no further and does not enter the heart, nor do any works follow, except mere hypocritical works; the Law has only an outward significance. The people also, in this sense, remain altogether written. Since the Law has existed only in writing, in letters, it has been dead, and its influence has been deadening. It has ruled a dead people, for the hearts were dead which did not willingly do God’s commandment. If every man were allowed his own free will, to do as he pleased without fear of punishment, none would be found who would not rejoice in exemption from the Law.

11. Man’s nature is to follow his desire, but he is compelled to do otherwise. He thinks: God will punish me and cast me into hell if I do not keep his commandment. Since it is his nature to obey reluctantly and with displeasure when his will is opposed, man becomes hostile to God because of the penalty; he knows that he is a sinner and not in harmony with God, that he does not love God, yea, rather he would there were no God. Such hatred of God is hidden in the heart, no matter how finely nature adorns herself outwardly. Hence we see that the Law, as long as it is merely written, a Law in letters, makes no one righteous, for it enters not the heart. On this theme we have preached and written a great deal.

12. The other Law is spiritual. It is not written with pen and ink, nor spoken by word of mouth like the Law on the stone tablets handled by Moses, but, as we see in Luke’s narrative, the Holy Spirit falls from heaven and fills all the company assembled together, manifesting itself upon them in cloven and fiery tongues, causing them to preach boldly and with a power they had not before, so that all the people were pricked in their hearts and marveled. The Holy Spirit streams into the heart and makes a new man, one who now loves God and gladly does his will. Such is the Holy Spirit himself, or rather the work he does in the heart. He writes in fiery flame on the heart and makes it alive, causing it to find expression in fiery tongue and active hand; a new man is made, who is conscious of a reason, heart and mind unlike he formerly had. Everything is now alive: He has a live reason; he has light and courage and a heart which burns with love and delights in whatever pleases God. This is the real difference between the written and the spiritual laws of God; and such is the work of the Holy Spirit.

13. Therefore, the great art is to preach aright concerning the Holy Spirit.

Hitherto it has been preached concerning him that he alone produced and inspired what the councils decreed and what the pope commanded in ecclesiastical law, whereas the whole papistical law is only outward in effect, commands only outward observances and rules in material things.

Their claim is simply nonsensical, the reverse of their claim being true. For they turn the work of the Holy Spirit into a written, dead law, whereas it is essentially a spiritual and living law, and they make of him a Moses and a human weakling. The reason is, they do not know what the Holy Spirit is, why he is given, and what his office is. Therefore let us learn and understand well what he is, in order that we may define his office.

14. Here you learn that he comes down and fills the disciples, who before sat in sorrow and fear, and renders their tongues fiery and cloven; he so kindles them that they grow bold and preach freely to the multitude, and fear nothing. You see very clearly that the Holy Spirit’s office is not to write books nor to make laws, but freely to abrogate them; and that he is a God who writes only in the heart, who makes it burn, and creates new courage, so that man grows happy before God, filled with love toward him, and with a happy heart serves the people. When the office of the Holy Spirit is thus represented, it is rightly preached. Do not believe those who picture it otherwise. Now, you perceive that when he comes in this manner he abolishes the letter of the Law and desires to liberate the people from their sins and from the Law; the latter is no more needed, for he, himself, rules inwardly in the heart. They who oppose this doctrine, however, criticize him for compelling the people, like Moses, and above all for making new laws.

15. What means does he use and what skill does he employ thus to change the heart and make it new? He employs the proclamation and preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ; this Christ declares in John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.” Now, we have often heard that the substance of the Gospel is this:

God has proclaimed to everyone that no man can become just by means of the Law,-but rather is thereby condemned. That therefore he has sent down his dear Son to shed his blood and die, since men could not, by their own power and works, cancel their sins and get rid of them.

16. But in addition to what is thus preached, something else is needed; for even though I hear the preaching, I do not at once believe Therefore, God adds his Holy Spirit, who impresses this preaching upon the heart, so that it abides there and lives, It is a faithful saying that Christ has accomplished everything, has removed sin and overcome every enemy, so that through him we are lords over all things. But the treasure lies yet in one pile; it is not yet distributed nor Invested. Consequently, if we are to possess it, the Holy Spirit must come and teach our hearts to believe and say: I, too, am one of those who are to have this treasure. When we feel that God has thus helped us and given the treasure to us, everything goes well, and it cannot be otherwise than that man’s heart rejoices in God and lifts itself up, saying Dear Father, if it is thy will to show toward me such great love and faithfulness, which I cannot fully fathom, then will I also love thee with all my heart and be joyful, and cheerfully do what pleases thee. Thus, the heart does not now look at God with evil eyes, does not imagine he will cast us into hell, as it did before the Holy Spirit came, when it felt none of the goodness, love, or faithfulness of God, but only his wrath and disfavor.

Since the Holy Spirit has impressed upon the heart that God is kind and gracious toward it, it believes that God can no more be angry, and grows so happy and so bold that, for God’s sake, it performs and suffers everything possible to per form and to suffer.

17. In this way you are to become acquainted with the Holy Spirit. You may know to what purpose he is given and what his office is, namely, to invest the treasure — Christ and all he has, who is given to us and proclaimed by the Gospel; the Holy Spirit will give him into your heart so that he may be your own. When he has accomplished this, and when you feel Christ in your heart, you will be constrained to cry: Is this the idea, that my works are of no avail but the Holy Spirit must perform all? Why then do I punish myself with works and the Law? Thus all human works and laws vanish, yea, even the law of Moses; for such a being is superior to all law. The Holy Spirit teaches man better than all the books; he teaches him to understand the Scriptures better than he can understand from the teaching of any other; and of his own accord he does everything God wills he should, so the Law dare make no demands upon him.

18. Therefore, we need books only for the purpose of demonstrating that it is written even as the Holy Spirit teaches. We must not confine faith to ourselves, but must let it break forth into action; and to confirm and establish it, we must have the Scriptures. Therefore, be very careful to consider the Holy Spirit in no way a law-maker, but as one who abrogates the Law and frees man, so that no written letter remains, or that it remains only for the sake of preaching.

19. In all this, however, we ought to exercise sense and wisdom, understanding that a man receiving the Holy Spirit is not at once perfect, insensible to the Law and to sin, pure in all respects. For we do not preach, concerning the Holy Spirit and his office, that he has completed and finished his work, but that he has only begun it and is now constantly engaged in it, and that he is ceaselessly progressing; consequently, you will not find a man who is without sin and without sorrow, full of righteousness and full of joy, and so perfect that he is never needlessly concerned about anything, and who serves everybody freely. The Scriptures indeed tell us that the office of the Holy Spirit is to redeem from sin and fear; but that does not say that this is altogether accomplished.

20. Therefore, a Christian must at times feel his sin and the fear of death, and be concerned about all else that troubles a sinner. Unbelievers may be sunk so deeply in their sins that they do not feel them; but believers do feel them, yet they possess a helper, the Holy Spirit, who comforts and strengthens them. However, if he had finished and made an end of his office, they would experience none of these fears.

21. Therefore, I say that we must be wise and take care that we do not boast of the Holy Spirit too confidently and joyously, that we may not become too secure and imagine that we are perfect in all respects. For a pious Christian still is flesh and blood like other people, but he fights against sin and evil lust and feels what he would rather not feel — Romans 7:15ff. The unbelievers are indifferent and make no such fight.

22. It makes no difference that we feel evil lusts if we only battle against them. Therefore, the Christian must not judge according to his feelings, believing because of them that he is lost, but he must labor all his life with the remaining sin of which he is conscious and must permit the Holy Spirit to work, groaning without ceasing, to be rid of sin. Such groaning never ceases in believers, but is more profound that can be uttered, as St. Paul declares to the Romans 8:26. But there is a precious listener, the Holy Spirit himself, who deeply feels our longing and also comforts our consciences.

23. The two must always be mingled, in our feelings — the Holy Spirit and our sin and imperfection. Our case must be like that of a sick man who is in the hands of the physician; presently he will be better. Therefore let no one think: Such a one possesses the Holy Spirit, consequently he must be altogether strong, without infirmities, and do only precious works. No, not yet. The Gospel is not a proclamation for everybody. It is a proclamation exceedingly gracious, but a coarse, hard heart may hear it without receiving any good; rather are such made more audacious and careless, imagining they need not war against the flesh, because they do not feel their sin and misery. The Holy Spirit is given to none except to those who are in sorrow and fear; in them it produces good fruit. This gift is so precious and worthy that God does not cast it before dogs. Though the unrepentant discover it themselves, hearing it preached, they devour it and know not what they devour. The hearts which receive it with profit are such as feel their evil lust but are unable to escape from it. There must be struggling if the Holy Spirit is to abide in the heart, and let no one dare think it will be otherwise.

24. This is what we find in the narrative before us. The dear disciples sat in fear and terror, and still uncomforted and without courage. They were filled with unbelief and ready to despair, and it was with much effort and labor that Christ cheered and established them again. Their only difficulty was, they were afraid the heavens would fall upon them, and the Lord himself could scarcely comfort them until he said to them’ The Holy Spirit shall come upon you from heaven’ he will imprint me upon your hearts so that you will know me, and through me the Father; then will your heart rejoice. And so it happened. When the Holy Spirit came they were comforted and strengthened and full of joy.

25. Thus I have described to you the Holy Spirit. Now let us see in this Gospel lesson what we have discussed so far. Christ declares: “If a man love me, he will keep my Word: and my Father will love him.”

26. This text raises a question’ Why does Christ speak as though we must be first to love, when it is certain that the opposite is true, that God must first love us? This question I have before solved and in the following manner’ Several passages read as if we begin the work and others as if God begins it. Now, God must always lay the first stone. He makes the start, and receives me into his grace, so that I stand in his favor. But it does not follow that I at once feel his work of grace, although it is already there.

27. We saw that when the Holy Spirit came, he came with a rushing sound, even frightening the disciples until they knew not whither to go. But when he comes in this manner he is very near, and then he kindles the heart so that it feels love; when it feels love, it also begins to love. This is what Christ means. He is speaking not of our beginning the work, but of what we afterwards feel, and of the love that follows feeling. The import of his words is’ If a man love me, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him; that is, when I have caused a man to feel my love, he will begin to love me in return etc. Therefore, the words refer to the realization of love, not to the beginning of love. Now, if a man love me, says Christ, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, that is, he will feel that he loves me and will do everything that pleases me, and he will perceive how I and the. Father come to him and dwell with him. And, furthermore, Christ declares: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my Words.”

28. Here we see it is plainly declared that they who have not the Holy Spirit do not keep one letter of the Law. Therefore I say, if all the preachers arise and preach the Law, attempting thereby to make people godly, what do they accomplish? They accomplish nothing. For, briefly, there must first be love in the heart, otherwise nothing is accomplished in keeping the Law. Do you accordingly teach first of all how to obtain love, then men will be able to keep the Law. The Holy Spirit is given, as we have stated, for the purpose of abrogating the Law. Hence, Christians are not to be governed by laws. Those, however, who are not Christians must be controlled by laws, and be subjected to executioners and governed by the sword, in order that they be compelled not to do evil with the hand, although they are thereby not made better in heart. Now, Christ does not want us to keep his Word with outward observance, like a finite law, but with the heart, with joy and love. But who will give us this joy and love?

The Holy Spirit gives it and no one else, Now, the next words read: “These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you.

But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.”

29. Here Christ calls the Holy Spirit a Comforter. If the Holy Spirit is to retain this name he must exercise his office only where there is no comfort and where comfort is needed and desired. Consequently, he cannot comfort the hard heads and audacious hearts, for these have not tasted of struggle and despair, and have never been in distress; he can accomplish nothing except with sorrowful, comfortless and discouraged hearts.

30. What, however, is he to do? He is to teach and bring to remembrance.

Here our learned men have come and declared: All that we are to believe, to do and omit to do is not in the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit is to teach us many things which Christ did not teach. Such declaration is altogether contrary to the Holy Spirit, and even contradictory. For Christ says: “He shall teach you and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you;” that is, he will beautifully explain (glorify) what I now say to you, better than I am able to teach with words, so that you will need no further words.

You are to know it now beforehand and have a sign, so that when it comes to pass you may believe it the more fully. Now the learned men declare, He shall not say what Christ says. How can we suffer the pope and the bishop to proceed with their declaration that the Holy Spirit teaches what they determine? We here see that Christ wants to establish his Word with the Holy Spirit, who is with us, for the purpose of bearing witness to Christ and of reviving in our hearts what he has taught, that we may understand and believe it. Therefore, wherever anyone teaches otherwise than the things Christ taught, or wants to direct you to another comfort than he speaks of, do not believe that it is the Holy Spirit. Now, the Lord says furthermore: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you.”

31. Here we see clearly the Holy Spirit’s office, that he is bestowed only upon those who are sunk in affliction — and misery. For this is the import of the words when he declares: You must not think that I give you peace such as the world gives. The world considers that peace means the removal of trouble or affliction. For instance, when one is in poverty he esteems it a great affliction, and seeks to be rid of it, fancying that riches means peace.

Likewise, one who feels death near thinks: If I could live, and vanquish death, I would have peace.

32. Such peace, however, Christ does not give. He allows the affliction to remain and to oppress; yet he employs different tactics to bestow peace: he changes the heart, removing it from the affliction, not the affliction from the heart. This is the way it is done: When you are sunk in affliction he so turns your mind from it and gives you such consolation that you imagine you are dwelling in a garden of roses. Thus, in the midst of dying is life; and in the midst of trouble, peace and joy. This is why it is, as St. Paul declares to the Philippians 4:7, a peace which passeth all understanding.

This art no man can achieve with his understanding, nor fathom with his senses. Christ alone bestows it. He says to you’ Just pass down into the valley of death; there shall the Holy Spirit come to you and make you so courageous and joyful that you will not know death, yea, it will be sweet to you. The reason for this peace is that the Holy Spirit teaches one to know the great goodness and grace of Christ, making those who believe in him lords, like himself, over sin, death and all things. Therefore a Christian must possess the ability to be joyful in good or in evil fortune, whether it be sweet or bitter. Some possess it in greater degree than others, for we are not all perfect, yea, none will become so perfect as never again to experience a struggle.

33. I speak of the office of the Holy Spirit, what he is to do and how he is constantly to continue what he has begun, so that you may now begin to despise death. But you must continue and abide in this confidence, and work on, that you may constantly have less fear. You are not to be discouraged though you still shudder at death, and are not to think: I am told that the Holy Spirit makes the heart joyful so that it does not feel death, yet I am frightened at it; consequently I see plainly he is not in me.

Other thoughts of this kind may come to your mind. All these thoughts we must drive away, despising them. For the Holy Spirit’s office is not one that is finished, but is in process of fulfillment from day to day, and continues as long as we live, in such manner that sorrow is ever mingled with peace. If there were no sorrow, the Holy Spirit could not comfort us.

The closing words of this Gospel lesson are especially comforting: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”

34. These words give further hint of the work of the Holy Spirit. Again we see with whom the Holy Spirit deals, namely, they who are filled with sorrow and affliction. Because of the fear and trouble which oppressed the disciples, Christ made effort to comfort them, although the moment when they should fully realize his comfort had not yet arrived. In effect he declares’ I say to you now, with words, that you are not to be troubled, but this does not as yet help you; you do not now rejoice. I tell it to you, however, that when the Holy Spirit comes and comforts you, then you may realize my comfort and be glad. He concludes by declaring: “Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, y would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe.”

35. I am human, he says, and shall now die; but I come to you again, through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you loved me you would rejoice that I go to the Father. To love Christ is to love in him the humanity obedient to the sacred cross and which speaks only of suffering. No one can do this until the Holy Spirit comes; he alone creates this love in the heart. Christ’s meaning is’ When the Holy Spirit comes you will be glad that I went to the Father. Now you cannot understand my sacrifice and therefore you cannot appreciate it; but when I go to the Father, you will love me because I have ascended to the Father and have given you the great blessing of the Holy Spirit. My suffering and death will be comforting to you when you see that I live again and that! come to help you and to make you partakers of all the treasures I have. Therefore, we Christians are to become lords over all God’s creation, and to boastfully say of Christ: My Lord Christ, who takes my part, is lord over all things; what shall harm me? For the Father in his infinite power has made him lord over all creatures, and all things must lie at his feet.

36. Thus you perceive how this Gospel lesson constantly refers to the office of the Holy Spirit, in order that we may rightly understand that he is given to us to comfort us and to bring us to love Christ. See, then, that you do not permit yourself to be deceived and to receive other teaching concerning the Holy Spirit than you have here heard.

Source: Sermons

Sermon by Martin Luther

German text: Erlangen Edition, 12:251; Walch Edition, 11:1354; St. Louis Walch, 11:1001.

SUNDAY AFTER CHRIST’S ASCENSION.
SECOND SERMON.

Text: John 15:26-16:4 (KJV)

1. The first part of this Gospel, referring to the Holy Spirit, we will reserve for consideration on Pentecost, at which time it is appropriate to state why Christ calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter and the Spirit of truth; also, how he distinguishes him from the Father and the Son, namely: He is the person who proceeds from, or is sent by, the Father and the Son; therefore, the Holy Spirit is called, at the same time, the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, that is, of Christ, as St. Paul and St. Peter respectively call him in Galatians 4:6, and 1 Peter 1:11. It is here also testified that Christ is truly eternal God with the Father when he states that he and the Father send forth the Holy Spirit and bestow the same upon the Christian Church.

This is stated more fully in the explanation of chapters 15 to 17 of the Gospel of St. John.

I. THE COMFORT CHRIST IMPARTS TO HIS DISCIPLES.

2. But the Lord Jesus Christ speaks these words, and all of the discourse of these three chapters, before his departure and ascension, in order to comfort his beloved disciples, and not only the disciples but all Christians to the end of time, concerning all that shall happen to them in the world after he shall have left the world and gone to the Father; to comfort them when he is no longer visibly present with them, and when he rules, not temporally but spiritually. He says these things that we may be strengthened and comforted through faith in his Word, to withstand the great and serious trials which confront Christians on earth, as we shall further hear.

3. He often announced to them how the world would array itself against them because of their office. He plainly told them, in order to forewarn them, that the world would not agree with them nor accept their doctrines.

They had hitherto hoped that all the world, and more especially his own people, would gladly accept him. Now he tells them that the world will not only despise their teaching and regard their words as vain assertions of foolish men who preach about simply a crucified man, but will, for the sake of himself, hate and persecute them. In a word, he told them that they should not expect friendship and kindness of the world; he wished them to learn that his kingdom is in no respect a temporal one.

4. But Christ would not have them be dismayed by his words and think:

What shall be the outcome of this? Shall we preach if no one will hear us — if even our own people are to become our enemies if we open our mouths to speak, not to think of what others will do? Let us be silent and let the world go its own way; let it believe and live as it chooses, rather than that we should speak only to be compelled, with shame and amid mockery, to remain silent. We should not be able to accomplish anything, for what are we and what can we poor, despised few do against so many, against the wisdom, power and might of the world? He would not discourage them; therefore he comforts and strengthens them beforehand with these words: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.”

5. Be it so, he says, even though they hate and persecute you for my name’s sake, and though the devil, who is responsible for such hatred, aims thereby to prevent you from speaking; nevertheless they shall not be able to stifle and nullify your preaching, for after my departure, when they think that I am forever dead, another shall come whose mouth they shall not be able to shut. He will publicly testify of me and will speak before all the world, whether the world smile or be angry. This one, he says, shall be the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and is sent by me. If I now go to the Father, through suffering and death, and begin to reign in divine power and majesty, then I shall speak through him; not, as now, personally and with my weak human will, in this small corner of the world, but publicly and before all the world. For I will send him in such form that he shall be in you, and he shall be your Comforter, since you will obtain no comfort from the world. He shall give you courage and strength to withstand the enmity of the world and the fear of the devil, enabling you to confidently and publicly testify of me. This testimony of yours shall be called and be the testimony of the Holy Spirit, given by you in your official capacity. He shall be sent to you by the Father and by me, and you may know, and the world will be compelled to see, that what the Holy Spirit shall say through you is by my power and authority, and according to the will and command of the Father.

6. This is the consolation which Christ gives the disciples to strengthen their faith. They would have need of it in their coming work for him. This promise is a promise to his whole Church that, after his resurrection and ascension, the word and teaching of the Holy Spirit shall at all times, so long as Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, testify through the apostles and their successors, and that this testimony shall remain in the world, no matter who hears it or hears it not. For the disciples were not to be concerned as to who did or did not hear and receive their testimony, but they should know, because it is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that he would be present and working with them, to the end that some might believe. Nor should the world be able to hinder or prevent this, though it should rage against it with its hatred and persecution. Yea, even if no person on earth received their teaching, nevertheless the world should be reproved through the preaching of his Word. He says: The Holy Spirit will reprove the world, which will thus receive the judgment of its condemnation because it heard the preaching but nevertheless would not believe it and therefore has no excuse; as he said afterwards: “If I had not come and spoken unto them,” and “had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin.”

7. Now, when he says: “Ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning,” he thus presents the apostles as special examples for all preachers and confirms their preaching so that all the world is bound to their word, to believe the same without contradiction, and is assured that everything the apostles teach and preach is the true doctrine and the preaching of the Holy Spirit, heard and received from himself; as 1 John 1:1-2 testifies, saying, “That which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we have beheld and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life…declare we unto you.”

No other preachers on earth have testimony like that of the apostles; all others are commanded to follow in the footsteps of the apostles, to remain in the same doctrine, and to teach none other.

8. In addition, the true criterion is given by which the preaching of the Holy Spirit may be tested, when he says, “The Holy Spirit shall testify of me;” that is, he will preach nothing except concerning this Christ, not concerning Moses, Mohammed, or our own works. St. Peter says, in Acts 4:12, “and in none other is there salvation, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved,” except through this crucified Christ. “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues, yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.”

II. THE PROPHECY OF THE WORLD’S HATRED AND PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS.

A. HATRED AND PERSECUTION ANALYZED.

9. He pointed out clearly enough what should happen to them in the world as a result of their preaching. He mentions two sources of opposition to the Gospel, than which none could be stronger: One, that the preachers should be excommunicated and put to death; the other, that the persecutors would regard this as rendering a service to God. Who can withstand such persecution? or who will or can preach if those who testify of Christ shall be thus abusively treated and slain? Nevertheless, he has said that the Holy Spirit should testify of him and that they also should bear witness; and he assures them that their testimony shall not be effaced by this rage and persecution of the world. He gives them this assurance beforehand for the very purpose that they may know and be prepared against these same abuses.

10. Now, it is a strange and almost incredible thing to hear that not only the world shall oppose, with its bitter hatred and rage, Christ, the Son of God and its Savior, but that also the apostles themselves must be offended at such judgment of the world, Who could ever conceive that Christ and his Gospel should be received in this manner among his own people, to whom he had been promised by God, and from whom they were to expect nothing but that which is good, as indeed they have received from him?

But here you are told that the Gospel is a teaching which, according to human judgment, gives nothing but offense; that is, men regard it, not only as a great error or folly and justly mocked and despised of the world, but as a thing unworthy to be heard or tolerated — to be condemned as if it were the very devil’s most dangerous gift from hell.

11. The kingdom of Christ on earth shall so come that it must be apparent to all that it is not an earthly kingdom, after the manner of men. But the world shall refuse to recognize its nature. It shall not be called the kingdom of Christ or of God, but a destruction and subversion of all good government, both spiritual and temporal. It is well nigh inconceivable that the Son of God should be so received by those who are called the people of God and who are regarded as the most irreproachable in the world; for he speaks here not of open, malicious, wicked knaves and godless men, but of those who are regarded as the most eminent, the wisest, the most holy, and, as he here says, the servants of God.

12. Hitherto no one has understood these words, nor can any one among the papists interpret the expression, “They shall excommunicate you” etc.

They can say nothing else of this passage than that it is now an old and, in fact, a dead thing, referring to the Jews, who were a wicked and hardened people, that would not endure Christ and his apostles. It is hard to believe that even now there can be such wicked people on earth among Christians or in the Church as those who would excommunicate their brethren. But it cannot be Jews nor Turks who are meant; they have nothing to do with the Church. Nor has it ever been known that among the papists any one of them was excommunicated or persecuted or killed for the sake of the Gospel or the knowledge of Christ. Then, of course, this sermon does not concern them, and gives them neither instruction nor comfort.

13. But we, thank God, have been compelled, by our experience as preachers of the Gospel, to learn something of Christ’s meaning here and why he has spoken these things. We discover, in connection with the controversy concerning doctrine which we carry on with our adversary, that the papacy with its numerous adherents has been and still is composed of the tender, pious, holy people of whom Christ here speaks, who excommunicate his Christians for the Gospel’s sake and think that thereby they are rendering service to God. They certainly did this when by force they suppressed the Gospel and compelled submission, the Church accepting and obeying their mandates, and when, if anyone dared a single opposing word, he was promptly burned at the stake.

14. To exterminate the accursed heretics and enemies of God was called doing a holy work for God. In our time, also, they have shown this spirit in many examples and still show it in their treatment of numerous pious people whom they foully put to death, solely on account of their confession of faith in Christ and God, and will not consent to spare their lives even were they willing to recant. Therefore this passage does not need many annotations other than that we learn from it the difference between the true and the false Church, and thereby receive strength and comfort in our hour of a similar persecution. In view of this, let us briefly examine the words of the Gospel.

15. The words, “they shall excommunicate you,” are to be understood, as the Greek text clearly sets forth, in the sense of banishment and exclusion from the synagogue or the assembly of God’s people and virtual separation from all fellowship of the Church, the offender being committed to the devil, to be cast into the abyss of hell, never to have any part in the kingdom of God, of grace and of everlasting salvation. This is, indeed, a severe and terrible word, at which every pious heart must be greatly affrighted.

16. It is an incontrovertible truth that God has given such authority and power to the Church that whoever is excommunicated by it is truly excommunicated by God; that is, is placed under the wrath and curse of God and deprived of all fellowship with the saints, as Christ says in Matthew 18:17-18: “What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” and again, “If he refuse to hear the church let him be unto thee as the gentile and the publican.” What fate more terrible could happen to a man than to have the curse and imprecation of God and of all men pronounced upon him, and to be forever deprived of all comfort and salvation?

17. When, therefore, this ban and curse are pronounced, these other words of Christ must follow: “Whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service to God.” This is the punishment and execution which the world thinks it must carry into effect upon those who are publicly excommunicated — -that they should, without any mercy, be exterminated from the earth. This penalty is to apply especially to such as oppose God’s people with a new teaching and faith; just as the apostles were accused of preaching against the Law, the temple, and the people of God. Indeed, God specifically commanded in the Law that those who are guilty in these matters should not be permitted to live, but should be condemned without mercy, and that no one should favor his nearest friend nor brother, his son nor daughter, if an offender. Deuteronomy 13:8. This, Christ says, shall also happen to you — you will be not only excommunicated by your own people and be put under the curse of God, but they will also carry out the sentence of punishment upon you as the enemies of God, and think that they can render no service more praiseworthy than to exterminate such accursed people, to the praise and glory of God. Thus, the disciples of Christ shall fare even as their Head and Lord himself fared; they shall be regarded as such evil, dangerous, corrupting, accursed people that everyone is in duty bound to assist in exterminating them from the earth; he who does this has performed a good work, one acceptable to God in heaven, and can render him no better obedience.

B. WHAT MOVED CHRIST TO PROPHESY OF THIS HATRED AND PERSECUTION.

18. Behold, should not this persecution prove too heavy to be borne by the disciples? Christ tells them later that it shall be their lot to personally see and suffer such treatment, not only with reference to their Lord, in whom they believe, but also for themselves; that they, for Christ’s sake, must be shamefully cursed and put to death by those who are called the people of God, and who possess the authority of the Church and command the honor and respect of men for not only doing right, but for serving God most zealously, as pious and holy people, ardently promoting the honor of God.

What great tribulation must be in store for the rest of the little flock of Christ’s Church, if these things happened in its beginning and first planting, when the Holy Spirit so powerfully manifested himself in miracles before the whole world! What better things could they later expect from idolatrous heathen, if they are to suffer these at the hands of their own brethren and friends, the Jewish people?

19. Christ’s words, then, mean that the Church is to be established in a most wonderful manner, beyond and inconsistent with all human understanding. Who has ever heard that this is to be the way in which God will introduce Christ’s kingdom upon earth, establish his Word in all places, and gather his Church, if it is to begin in such an inconsistent manner and to meet with such opposition that the dear apostles must, in shame and disgrace, yield up their lives and not they, with their few followers, but their adversaries, bear the name of God’s people and God’s Church? This ought to be sufficient to drive out of the hearts of the disciples the erroneous delusion they had held concerning the temporal kingdom of Christ, and to teach them not to expect from it worldly and temporal good and honor and power and peace, but to perceive that he meant to give them something else, since he permitted them to suffer shame and death.

20. With this word of consolation, Christ prepares his disciples, and future Christians, assuring them that the Holy Spirit will testify of him in the face of so much discouragement, as was greatly needed. That the disciples could understand his words, must be due to the revelation of the Holy Spirit. How otherwise could they believe that this crucified, accursed and condemned Jesus, represented by his disciples and pupils, could be the true Son of God, the Lord of life and of eternal glory?

21. There is presented to us in this text a picture of the reception accorded this kingdom of Christ in the perverse, opposing kingdom of the world, concerning which prophesied in the earliest promise of his Word — the promise in which the Church had its first beginnings — where God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise (crush) thy head, but thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. This enmity, then, must continue in the world, an unending enmity and contest; as soon as Christ comes, teaching the Word, he meets the serpent, which immediately becomes venomous and at every opportunity attacks and bites with its poisonous fangs, for it fears the loss of its head. But in spite of all efforts, it has not yet gained anything and is still under the feet of the Seed of the woman, who tramples on its head, until its venom and wrath against him shall have been spent in vain and its power utterly destroyed.

22. We have the comfort of this victory of Christ — that he maintains his Church against the wrath and power of the devil; but in the meantime we must endure such stabs and cruel wounds from the devil as are necessarily painful to our flesh and blood. The hardest part is that we must see and suffer all these things from those who call themselves the people of God and the Christian Church. We must learn to accept these things calmly, for neither Christ nor the saints have fared better.

23. It was also a bitter and hard thing for our first parent, Adam, to learn to understand the fulfillment in his own children of this same truth, “I will put enmity between thee” etc., when his first born and God-given son murdered his own brother because of his offering to God and his obedience to him. The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and others who, for the time being, were the true Church, had to pass through the same experience when brothers who had learned from the same father one and the same faith, Word and worship of God, became enemies and one received persecution at the hands of the other. We ought not to be surprised, then, if a similar experience must be ours, not alone at the hands of the papists, from whom we have already received condemnation and whose disposition toward us is plainly apparent; but also at the hands of those who are still among us as evangelical Christians, and who yet are not upright.

C. THE CAUSE OF THIS HATRED AND PERSECUTION.

24. This is the first part of this Gospel and prophecy of Christ. The second part now follows, explaining how it is that such worthy people, the best, the wisest and most holy among God’s children, who earnestly seek to serve and honor God, should so bitterly and mercilessly persecute Christ and his people. “These things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me.”

25. There you have the reason. Christ tells what moves them to such hatred and persecution of Christians. It is, he says, because you preach concerning me, whom they do not know; for they jealously regard their own office of teaching and preaching in the capacity of chief-priest and scribe (and in this day of pope, bishop, etc.) repudiating all doctrine that differs from that of Moses and the Law. They rigidly follow the command of Moses in Deuteronomy 13:6ff. How, then, shall the apostles be permitted to promulgate this utterly new doctrine concerning an unknown Messiah, one, too, whom they reject as a false prophet, yea, whom they have crucified as a deceiver and blasphemer? Who, in opposition to all recognized authority and intelligence, would acknowledge as Christ this executed victim? These so-called people of God boast to the apostles of their authority, saying, in Acts 5:28: “Did we not straitly charge you not to teach in this name?”

26. That they do not know this Christ is true without a doubt. Their own confession and deeds prove it. It is plainly evident in what high esteem they hold themselves as being the people of God, who possess the Law, and the promise, the priesthood and worship of God (even as our people possess the Scriptures, baptism, the sacrament and the name of Christ); yet they are blind and without the true knowledge of God and of Christ, and consequently have become hardened, opposing God and his Son with their acts of ban and murder, under the very appearance and with the boast of thereby serving God. But Christ strengthens and comforts his own people that they may not fear harsh judgment, nor be intimidated by jealous authority from preaching and confession, but may say to their adversaries as the apostles answered the chief-priests and the council at Jerusalem, in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.”

27. In this connection Christ fixes the standard of judgment and points out the difference between the true and the false Church. The Church is not to be judged by name and external appearance; but insight must be had and the identifying mark be forthcoming, by which the holy Church and the true people and servants of God may be recognized. Reason and human wisdom cannot furnish the necessary qualifications for the true Church.

The actual test is in ascertaining who have the real knowledge of Christ and who have it not. Judgment cannot be passed in this case according to mere external appearance and name, according to the office and authority and power of the Church; in all these externals the Jews excelled the apostles and the papacy excels us by far.

28. Accordingly, we concede to the papacy that they sit in the true Church, possessing the office instituted by Christ and inherited from the apostles, to teach, baptize, administer the sacrament, absolve, ordain, etc., just as the Jews sat in their synagogues or assemblies and were the regularly established priesthood and authority of the Church. We admit all this and do not attack the office, although they are not willing to admit as much for us; yea, we confess that we have received these things from them, even as Christ by birth descended from the Jews and the apostles obtained the Scriptures from them.

29. In view of these prerogatives, they make their perverse boast against us and censure and curse us as obstinate and recreant apostates and enemies of the Church. It is unpleasant to suffer such reproach, and for this reason the devil easily terrifies the hearts of some of the ignorant and overwhelms men with the thought: Alas! the Church has pronounced the ban and it really possesses the office; this is certainly a thing not to be made light of, for Christ says in Matthew 18:18: “What things soever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.” Therefore whom the Church excommunicates is undoubtedly also condemned by God. Most assuredly they do not excommunicate in the name of the devil, nor of the pope, but in the name of God the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, by the authority of Christ etc., embellishing the ceremony with appropriate and high-sounding and solemn words.

30. It is necessary to a thorough understanding of the matter that we understand what Christ here says concerning the two Churches: One is the Church which is not recognized by the world, but is robbed of its name and exiled; the other, the Church that has the name and honor but persecutes the small flock of believers. Thus we have the opposing situations: The Church which is denied the name is the true Church, whilst the other is not the reality, though it may occupy the seat of authority and power, and possess and perform all the offices conceded to be offices and marks of the holy Church and yet we are obliged to suffer its ban and judgment.

31. The reason for the difference in the two Churches is contained in Christ’s saying: “Because they have not known the Father nor me;” that is, the false Church regards itself as superior to the teachings of Christ, when a knowledge of Christ is the very basis of distinction between the true and false Church. It is not enough merely to have the name and the office of the Church since these could be unlawfully assumed and abused; the second commandment and the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer indicate that the name of God is often abused, not hallowed but blasphemed and dishonored. Hence, we must not be too ready to endorse the declaration: I say or do this in the name of God or of Christ, and at the command and by the authority of the Church. But we should reply thus: I accept the name of God and of the Church as they are dear and precious to me; but I do not concede to you that in this name you should prescribe and sell whatever you please.

32. Thus we say to the papists: We grant you, indeed, the name and office, and regard these as holy and precious, for the office is not yours, but has been established by Christ and given to the Church without regard for and distinction of the persons who occupy it. Therefore, whatever is exercised through this office as the institution of Christ, and in his name and that of the Church, is at all times right and proper, even though ungodly and unbelieving men may participate. We must distinguish between the office and the person exercising it, between rightful use and abuse. The name of God and of Christ is always holy in itself; but it may be abused and blasphemed. So also, the office of the Church is holy and precious, but the person occupying it may be accursed and belong to the devil. Therefore, we cannot decide according to the office who are true or false Christians, and which is the true or false Church.

33. But the basis of distinction shall be: to know Christ or not to know Christ; that is, to know the doctrine and faith of Christ and to confess him.

It is evident, as supported by Christ’s own statement, that some know neither him nor the Father; it is determined by him that they are not the Church of Christ, rather that those constitute the Church who bear the name of Christ and have his truth, yet are persecuted by the others. Under authority of this conclusion, Christians are to be undaunted; they are not to be concerned even though they may be denounced as heretics and be cursed, but are to regard it as a comforting sign that they are the few who belong to Christ, when they are excommunicated by the majority in power.

For excommunication certainly is not exercised among members of the false Church for the sake of the knowledge of Christ and of faith; their policy is to stand approved and unchastized, yea, they dare even to denounce crowned authority to the extent of curse and ban, protected as they are by the name and sanctity of the Church.

34. Now, what does it mean to know Christ and the Father? The papists, forsooth, boast of such a knowledge, even as the Jews boasted of being able to recognize the Messiah when he should come, Indeed, who should so well know the Messiah as the same Jews who possessed his Law and promises, his temple, priesthood etc., and who worshiped the true God, creator of heaven and earth and promisor of the Messiah? But here you learn that an intellectual knowledge of God is not sufficient — the Law and temple service cannot avail; he who wishes to know God truly, must know him in this Christ, that is, in the Word, in the promises which the Scriptures and the prophets have spoken concerning him. The teaching and preaching of the Gospel is nothing else than that Christ is the Son of God, sent by the Father as a sacrifice and ransom for the sin of the world, by his own blood, that he might appease the wrath of God and effect reconciliation for us, redeeming us from sin and death and securing for us righteousness and everlasting life. It must follow, then, that no one, by his own work and holiness can atone for his sins or appease the wrath of God, and that there is no other way to attain the grace of God and eternal life than by the faith which thus apprehends Christ.

35. This teaching points out the true Christ and the real knowledge of him.

He who thus knows Christ, knows the Father also; for the knowledge of Christ teaches him that, for the sake of his Son, God will be gracious to us and will save us, that no one shall come to God except through him. who is the bearer of our sins and is our mercy-seat, and that all this and nothing else is the eternal counsel, desire and will of God the Father.

36. This knowledge is the article of faith by which we become Christians, and it is the foundation of our salvation. Whenever, therefore, we have the knowledge of Christ, we must cease trusting and boasting in selfrighteousness, in works and in worship of the God of the Jews merely performed according to the Law, and we must place no confidence in all the trumpery of the papal self-ordained juggling and baubles; for if Christ alone shall bear my sins, I cannot at the same time atone for them by my own works and my own pretended worthiness.

37. The former Jewish saints would not, nor will our present papists, accept nor believe this preaching of Christ; they testify, then, by their own deeds that they do not know Christ nor the Father who sent him. The Jews meanwhile set up their own God, who has regard for their holiness — a holiness consisting in the Law, the priesthood and temple-service — and they set up a Christ who, when he comes, will be highly pleased with such holiness and, because of it, promote them to positions of great honor and glory before the whole world. If they hear the apostles preach that no one can be justified before God by the works of the Law, and that no other name is given whereby we can be saved than that of this crucified Christ, they will not suffer the doctrine, but must bitterly persecute its advocates, pronouncing the ban and condemning and slaying the apostles and the Christians.

38. Even so do the papists; they will not endure the teaching that we, for Christ’s sake and not by our own works, may be accounted righteous before God and be saved. Even though they retain the name of Christ and of faith, yet they rob Christ of his work and power, justify the erroneous doctrine of human merit, and admit only that faith and Christ are indeed of some help if love and good works be present. This means simply that Christ does not count so much as our own works; but whatever merit he confers is because of our works, as they teach in the schools: Propter unum quodque tale etc., and as they publicly say: Faith, which must always believe in Christ, is useless, void, yea, dead, does not avail, if it is not clothed and made alive by love, which is the soul and life of faith. They say that therefore Christ and faith may be found even in a person who is impenitent and lives openly in mortal sin. This is nothing else than to make Christ a mere empty husk or container and to make out of works the grain and the gold; to regard Christ as a dead body but our works as the soul.

When works are added to faith, they say, faith becomes a living body, a full container. This is a shameful and blasphemous interpretation of Christ, that his merit and power must be dependent upon our works, that he must receive his ability from them, and become a beggar of us for that which he should give us.

39. From these two convictions — that they do not know him and that they persecute and slay his advocates — Christ now passes the judgment that the so-called Church is not the Church. He then concludes that with their false doctrines and persecutions they are both liars and murderers of God and of Christ and of all his saints.

40. From the analysis given, you may decide for yourself in which group you are to be found; for you must be on one side or the other, and it is useless to wait for human council in this matter. It has already been unalterably determined that the two divisions can never agree. The larger body, which has the recognized authority, will always persecute the minority, even to the extent of excommunication and murder, as practiced from the beginning. Those who know Christ — the true Christians — will accept Christ’s classification and be numbered with the minority, who have the Word and the knowledge of Christ, and they will suffer persecution for the faith rather than, for the sake of the friendship and honor of this world, to belong to those who, condemned by Christ, are the bitterest foes of God and of the Church, and who cannot see the kingdom of God, nor be saved.

41. In this article of faith, distinction must be made between the true Church and the false; for it is the command of God and of Christ that one shall not be confused with the other. Therefore, we must separate ourselves from the papal Church, regardless of the fact that they trust in their Church authority and condemn us as apostates.

42. If they excommunicate and persecute us because of our evangelical preaching and our knowledge of Christ, we already have the decision of Christ that they are not the true Church, and their office and all the authority of which they boast cannot avail against us; that rather our teaching and judgments against them shall avail before God in heaven. We are certain, by reason of the test which Christ here applies, that the true Church is with the few who know Christ and are united in doctrine, faith and confession of him. And where the true Church is and abides, there remain, also, the offices of the Church, the sacraments, the keys and all things given to it by Christ; it needs neither to ask nor to receive them from pope or council. In the true Church, not only is the office pure in itself, but those who exercise it use it lawfully.

43. We admit that the papists also exercise the appointed offices of the Church, baptize, administer the sacrament etc., when they observe these things as the institution of Christ, in the name of Christ and by virtue of his command (just as in the Church we must regard as right and efficacious the offices of the Church and baptism administered by heretics), yet if they attempt to pervert the right use of these offices by exercising them against us, we may, by virtue of the judgment of Christ, declare their action void and regard themselves as apostates of the Church of Christ.

Source: Sermons