But how was the Son to be glorified? He had been born of a virgin, from cradle and childhood He had grown to man’s estate, through sleep and hunger and thirst and weariness and tears He had lived man’s life: even now He was to be spitted on, scourged, crucified And why? These things were ordained for our assurance that in Christ is pure man. But the shame of the cross is not ours; we are not sentenced to the scourge, nor defiled by spitting. The Father glorifies the Son; how? He is next nailed to the cross.
Hilary of Poitiers, “On the Trinity”, Book 3.10

Every action, therefore, and performance of miracles by Christ are most great and divine and marvellous: but the most marvellous of all is His precious Cross. For no other thing has subdued death, expiated the sin of the first parent, despoiled Hades, bestowed the resurrection, granted the power to us of contemning the present and even death itself, prepared the return to our former blessedness, opened the gates of Paradise5, given our nature a seat at the right hand of God, and made us the children and heirs of God, save the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For by the Cross7 all things have been made right. So many of us, the apostle says, as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death, and as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ9. Further, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Lo! the death of Christ, that is, the Cross, clothed us with the enhypostatic wisdom and power of God. And the power of God is the Word of the Cross, either because God’s might, that is, the victory over death, has been revealed to us by it, or because, just as the four extremities of the Cross are held fast and bound together by the bolt in the middle, so also by God’s power the height and the depth, the length and the breadth, that is, every creature visible and invisible, is maintained…
The tree of life which was planted by God in Paradise pre-figured this precious Cross. For since death was by a tree, it was fitting that life and resurrection should be bestowed by a tree.
John of Damascus, “An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith”, Chapter XI, Concerning the Cross

“Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from his side: the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together.”
Gregory Nazianzen – On the Holy Passion, Oration 45.1

And moreover, in His very passion and cross, before they had reached the cruelty of death and the effusion of blood, what infamies of reproach were patiently heard, what mockings of contumely were suffered, so that He received the spittings of insulters, who with His spittle had a little before made eyes for a blind man; and He in whose name the devil and his angels is now scourged by His servants, Himself suffered scourgings! He was crowned with thorns, who crowns martyrs with eternal flowers. He was smitten on the face with palms, who gives the true palms to those who overcome. He was despoiled of His earthly garment, who clothes others in the vesture of immortality. He was fed with gall, who gave heavenly food. He was given to drink of vinegar, who appointed the cup of salvation. That guiltless, that just One,—nay, He who is innocency itself and justice itself,—is counted among transgressors, and truth is oppressed with false witnesses. He who shall judge is judged; and the Word of God is led silently to the slaughter. And when at the cross, of the Lord the stars are confounded, the elements are disturbed, the earth quakes, night shuts out the day, the sun, that he may not be compelled to look on the crime of the Jews, withdraws both his rays and his eyes, He speaks not, nor is moved, nor declares His majesty even in His very passion itself. Even to the end, all things are borne perseveringly and constantly, in order that in Christ a full and perfect patience may be consummated.
Cyprian of Carthage, “On the Advantage of Patience”

It may be easy to simply skip right over Good Friday and start thinking about Easter.  Today, I would encourage you to take time today to ponder the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It was on the Cross that our salvation occurred.  As Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote:

   “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:8–15, ESV)

If you are able, attend a Good Friday service.  Some congregations have a noon service that is called “Tre Ore” that is a three hour service comprised of 7 mini services (about 20 min each) that have short sermons on each of Christ’s last 7 words.  At others, including Messiah, we have a “Tenebrae” service (Tenebrae means darkness).  This service gradually gets darker as we remember the hours of darkness as Christ hung on the Cross and meditate on His Passion.  This He suffered willingly for you.  Even in the midst of darkness we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overcome.

If you are in the area, we would love to see you tonight at 6:30 for our Tenebrae Service

Understanding how to distinguish Law and Gospel provides wonderful insight for understanding all of Holy Scripture correctly.  In fact, without this knowledge Scripture is and remains a sealed book.

Walther takes up one of frequent criticisms of Scripture, that it appears to contradict itself at times.  Now, to be certain these contradictions are quite often perceived contradictions, and do require some amount of resolution.  One of the great keys to navigating God’s “Yes” and God’s “No” is to rightly distinguish Law and Gospel.

The distinction of Law and Gospel provides a sort of filter in which we can see in Scripture. In fact it is an “interpretive paradigm” which Scripture itself gives to us.  Walther cites Romans 10:2-4 as the principle passage that establishes this thesis:

² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

One of the greatest causes of confusion and abuse in the Church arises out of not recognizing this distinction.  When certain “contradictions” arise – such as that the whole world stands under God’s wrath (Romans 1:18, Psalm 5:4, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) and yet, we also read that God loved the world in this way: he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) – here the distinction of Law and Gospel brings clarity to both. Walther writes:

We see that the Law was not revealed to us to put a notion into our heads that we could become righteous by it, but to teach us that we are completely unable to fulfill the Law.  Then we will know what a sweet message – what a glorious doctrine – the Gospel is and will receive it with exuberant joy.

When we understand that God speaks to us in two distinct ways and for two distinct reasons, we find ourselves saying “Amen” [this I believe] all the more to His Word.  When we think ourselves “pretty good” or “righteous” of our own accord, the Law hits us like a hammer and crushes us, it shows us to be the sinners we are.  But then along comes the Gospel which proclaims that Christ has done it all for us, He has fulfilled the Law, He has taken our own sin to the Cross, He has borne our punishment, He has conquered death by His resurrection.  The Gospel proclaims to us that we sinners are saints in Christ.

Following this very brief excurses, Walther takes up in the following Theses how the Law and Gospel are mingled.  We’ll take a look at these in future posts.

How has the distinction of Law and Gospel helped you to read God’s Word with more clarity?  How has it helped as you bring that Word of God to your neighbor?

For in this way, God loved the World as follows:  He gave the only-begotten Son, in order that all who trust in Him would not perish eternally, but would have life eternal.

Quite often the “God SO loved the World” is understood, mistakenly as “God loved the World so much.”  As nice as that sentiment of “so much,” it’s even greater to hear “this is HOW God loved you.”  Think of it in terms of a relationship between husband and wife.  One can say “I love you so much.”  That’s great!  Would more couples say that to each other on a regular basis.  But just listen to a wife talk about HOW her husband loves her:  ”My husband is great:  he gave up that promotion so we can spend more time together.”  You see, our God is a God of action.  Even His Words are active and creative… and sending His Son as the Word-made-flesh for us and on our behalf.  We can look and see for certain God love us.

The next amazing thing about this verse is the WHO/WHAT God loves:  the World.  Not “just Christians,” not “those who would eventually believe,” but “the World.”  Yes Jesus came for all.  He died for all creation.  Jesus died for fallen man… and yes the world itself which was fallen because of man.  This is why it is truthful to say to anyone “You are forgiven, your sins are atoned for through Jesus death on the Cross.”  Yes, even the unbeliever’s sin is forgiven.  In fact it is this very proclamation… that Jesus died for sinners, for enemies of God that creates faith, and to which faith takes hold of and receives.  This is why those who do not believe are condemned (Mark 16:16).  Their condemnation rests not in anything lacking or incomplete on God’s part, but on themselves.

Finally, “in order that all who trust in Him would not perish eternally, but would have life eternal” gives us the purpose of God sending His Son.  The goal, the purpose, is that those who trust in Him would not perish, but have life eternal.  Faith is a “trust” which clings to a promise and proclamation.  Faith says “Amen,” “I believe.”  This faith can only come about because that good new proceeded it.  Once that message enters one’s ear hole (or eyes for the deaf/reader, or fingers for the blind reader), the Holy Spirit creates faith to trust that very Word (see Romans 10:17).  Thus faith is not our work (Ephesians 2:8-9), but a gift.  And faith clings to that “It is finished,” Jesus has done it all FOR YOU proclamation.

“So” what?  It’s all about what God has done for you by sending His only-begotten Son to live, to die, and to be raised FOR YOU… that’s what.

Some cool Franz Pieper quotes on this:

An essential prerequisite of justification by faith, or of subjective justification, is the objective justification (the reconciliation) of all mankind. If God had not in His heart justified the whole world because of Christ’s vicarious satisfaction, and if this justification were not offered in the Gospel, there could not be a justification by faith.

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, electronic ed. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999). 508.

We note, finally, that the assurance of justification is bound up with the truth that the creation of faith and justification occur at the same moment. Apology: “Faith reconciles and justifies before God the moment we apprehend the promise by faith.” (Trigl. 213. See also Trigl. 149, Art. IV [II], 97; 147, ibid., 87.) Objective justification precedes faith, for it is the object of faith, and its proclamation creates faith (Rom. 10:17). Subjective justification, however, does not take place prior to faith nor later than faith. To assume a prius or posterius in time would abolish the “by faith” (πίστει) and thus also the assurance of justification.

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, electronic ed. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999). 552.

One of the shocking statistics that I found out a few years ago was that abortion rates among Christians is almost identical to that of non-Christians.  What this means is that roughly 30%-40% of women who have been of child bearing age since 1973 have had at least one abortion.

It is certainly appropriate for the Church to speak of abortion as evil, as murder, and yes, as sin.  Yet if our message stops there, the Church fails to do that which Jesus called His disciples to do:  “and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46–47, ESV)

Many who have had an abortion are tormented daily with guilt, depression, and remorse.  In fact for those who have had abortions, rates of depression and suicide skyrocket.  It is time that the Church speak out.  Not merely on the sin of abortion, but that the sin that many women carry with them every day has been taken to the Cross.  That they need not fear repenting as there is no sin to great for Christ to forgive.

In fact, and especially if you are one who has had an abortion and stumbled across this… I want you to take these words to heart,  Jesus came for sinners only… Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again for the sin that you carry, for the sin that burdens you with guilt, for the sin that torments you.  Jesus has already paid the price, you are forgiven, you are loved, you are God’s beloved child.

Jesus is the great deliverer King.  He is the one who fulfilled that prophecy of 2 Kings 7, the Son of David who would rule forever.  He is that root of Jesse (Isaiah 11) who will deliver His people from the hands of our enemies.  He comes not in might as earthly kings, but delivers us in weakness through His death on the Cross.

In a world of subjectivity and anti-truth, in a world of injustice, of pain and suffering, in a world where evil is called good and good evil, where Satan continually throws his temptations and accusations at us from every direction, and even where within the Church there is the cry to take our eyes off of Jesus and onto self improvement and having “your best life now,” we have good reason to cry out for deliverance.

When you took upon yourself to deliver man,
You humbled Yourself to be born of a virgin.
When You had overcome the sharpness of death,
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the Glory of the Father.
We believe that you will come to be our judge.
We therefore pray You to help Your servants,
whom You have redeemed with Your precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with Your saints in glory everlasting.
Amen.

 When the Lord revealed Himself to Moses through the burning bush.  Moses asked what God’s name was.  The reason for this was that in Egyptian and Canaanite religions, if one knew the name of a god, it was thought that they could have control over that god.  However the Lord is not like all the false gods of Egypt and Canaan and so God revealed Himself as Yahweh:  ”I will be who I will be” (or I am who I am).  In revealing this name to Moses God made a strong statement as if to say “I cannot be controlled like all the false gods.  Adonai is the Hebrew word for Lord.  Quite early on, Israelites substituted Adonai for Yahweh so as not to possibly take the name of the Lord in vain.  In fact, this is why most English translations translate Yahewh as LORD (in all caps).  As Yahweh revealed Himself to Moses, He also gave Moses a promise:  that He would free His people and that they would worship God on that mountain.

Sin takes hold of us and binds us in slavery.  It is not uncommon for a Christian to have their “pet” sins… the ones we hate and yet find ourselves falling into on a regular basis.  The more one is made aware of the enormity of their sinful state, the heavier those shackles of sin can be.  Our Small  Catechism echos the words of St. Peter (1 Peter 1:18-19), that Jesus has redeemed us, not with gold or silver, but with His precious blood.

For those who are crushed by the weight of the shackles of their sin, this prayer hits home. Come Lord Jesus, redeem us… free us.  With our eyes fixed on the cross, we can be sure that our prayer has been heard and that we are free indeed.