Good Friday 2020. Vespers at 7 PM.

Good Friday Vespers, 2020

7 PM Central Daylight Time

The hymn tunes are linked to the hymn name. 

The words are linked to the the hymn number,

using the new hymn blog.

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Daylight Time 

Hymn # 172:1-5         O Sacred Head             
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody                   Psalm 22                    p. 128
The Lections                         

Sermon Hymn #143   O Dearest Jesus 

    

The Sermon –     

     The Foundational Sin

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                           p. 45

Hymn #153         Stricken Smitten 

Prayers and Announcements

• Treatment and recovery - Rush Limbaugh, Kermit Way, Christina Jackson. Recovery - John Hicks.
• In the last stage of cancer and heart disease - Tom Fulcher, Diane Popp's brother-in-law.
• Diagnosis and treatment - Randy Anderson, Andrea's father.
• Someone's brother has health issues.
• Pray for our country as the major trials continue. And help all those suffering from economic difficulties.
• Good Friday Vespers, 7 PM
• Easter Sunday Holy Communion, 10 AM

Psalm 22  KJV

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.       

Isaiah 52 KJV

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.  14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:  15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: forthat which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.  10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.  12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Background for the Gospel Sermon, John 16

Tonight we are going to emphasize the basic and central message of Luther's Biblical teaching, which is no different from the Apostle Paul's teaching.

The reason this is often missed - Spirit and Word are almost interchangeable in the Bible. They are not the same, but they always work together, so that references to the Spirit always include the Word, and references to the Word always include the divine energy of the Spirit. The highly respected (but completely neglected) Adolph Hoenecke wrote, "The Spirit never without the Word, the Word never without the Spirit. That is sound doctrine." (Hoenecke, Dogmatics)

The central passage is simple in wording, difficult to understand at first, then drops down like lightning bolts in a vast thunderstorm. I drove through one where 10,000 lightning bolts were counted, and the roads flooded. I could not get home the normal way, from Tucson to Phoenix. Loved it.

John 16 8 And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

This is the central message of the Bible - sin is not believing in the Savior. To show how true this is, those who do not believe remain in a constant stage of rage, discomfort, denial, and studied indifference.

The scandal of the cross is the scandal in the modern sense of the term. The scandal in those days was the trigger on the trap, and the trap was meant to kill enemies or animals. So the entire enterprise of modern theology, influencing all the seminaries (especially Fuller, Trinity Divinity, and the Ivy Leagues) is denial of the cross, and what it means - forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

The Foundational Sin

John 16 8 And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

I do not want to go into great detail about this, but modern theology, stemming largely from Halle University Pietism, holds the Bible at a distance and treats Jesus the Son of God at arm's length, willing to accept few things, but never the central tenets of the Christian faith:

1. His Virgin Birth, thus the Incarnation;
2. The Trinity;
3. His miracles;
4. His death having any particular meaning;
5. His Resurrection and Ascension.

I know this from Notre Dame, especially from the future Catholic college president and his priest friend, who were disgusted that I definitely believed in the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection.

But we are almost as bad if we treat the foundational sin as carnal sin, coveting, etc - the Second Table. That does not mean they are not sins, because God commands what is good for us.

The problem is ignoring what Jesus said the foundational sin is.

The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin - because they do believe on Me. 

For active, worshiping Christians, this has a two-fold effect - to take this seriously as the foundation teaching of the Son of God. 

One is that true, sincere belief in Christ means that we are certain that all our sins are taken away. There are many beautiful phrases in hymns and the Psalms that express this, but we have to think, feel, and act as if this is the reality - not just words.

Contrition is knowledge of our sins and sorrow for them. However, we are not given the job of punishing ourselves for those sins. Christ has substituted Himself for us. Punishing ourselves is the same and saying His atoning death was inadequate, that we must do more.

Oddly enough, that is the message of Romanism, which draws ignorant Lutheran clergy to its bosom. It is also the emphasis of many groups that prescribe certain emotions or experiences that prove something. One example is suffering until there is a "breakthrough of grace." The access to grace is not yelling and shouting, but faith in Christ.

We are not forgiven because we feel forgiven. Our feelings are based upon the absolute knowledge of what Christ suffered for us. Emotions vary like weather and the shape of the moon - only less reliable and more volatile. What gives us peace is the knowledge proclaimed in the Word as the truth for all ages. He died and rose for us.

As Luther taught, we should look at the suffering of Christ as our sins nailed to the cross, not as anything else.

Then to show the efficacy of forgiveness, we make an effort to leave behind the error of clinging to the past (re-injuring ourselves, as some might say). Where we are weak, God will strengthen us, and help us maintain a healthy pattern, though being sin-free will never happen. A Christian life is full of contrition and absolution. The alternative is all around us, when the true faith is neglected, even hated.

Knowing the complete action of daily forgiveness through faith in Christ, we reflect that grace in having a gracious attitude toward others. 

5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

5 δικαιωθεντες ουν εκ πιστεως ειρηνην εχομεν προς τον θεον δια του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου

2 δι ου και την προσαγωγην εσχηκαμεν τη πιστει εις την χαριν ταυτην εν η εστηκαμεν και καυχωμεθα επ ελπιδι της δοξης του θεου

4318 prosagōgḗ (from 4314 /prós, "with, towards" and 71 /ágō, "come") – properly, come towards (near); have access (approach), with intimate (face-to-face) interaction (note the prefix pros). All three occasions of 4318 /prosagōgḗ ("interactive access") refer to "having audience (direct access) with God" (J. B. Lightfoot, MM).

https://biblehub.com/greek/4318.htm

So we can see that the Spirit teaches through Paul that we have something are better than an audience with the ambassador, pope, or President. We have an audience with our gracious Savior, through faith. And how can that happen without a change in us?

Jesus said, in many ways, that believers have the wisdom and knowledge that all the great kings and wise men sought in the past. That drew the Wise Men to Bethlehem and the Roman soldiers to Christ. Was it only idle curiosity and a need for healing that drove the Roman officer to Christ? No, he believed in the Savior and in the efficacy of the Word - only say the Word and my servant will be healed.

In the same way, the word of absolution following our confession of sin brings instant healing. Faith is the access, the audience with God's grace in Jesus.

Luther:

13. Thirteenthly. Then cast your sins from yourself upon Christ, believe with a festive spirit that your sins are his wounds and sufferings, that he carries them and makes satisfaction for them, as Isaiah 53:6 says: “Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;” and St. Peter in his first Epistle 1 Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree” of the cross; and St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “Him who knew no sin was made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” Upon these and like passages you must rely with all your weight, and so much the more the harder your conscience martyrs you. For if you do not take this course, but miss the opportunity of stilling your heart, then you will never secure peace, and must yet finally despair in doubt. For if we deal with our sins in our conscience and let them continue within us and be cherished in our hearts, they become much too strong for us to manage and they will live forever. But when we see that they are laid on Christ and he has triumphed over them by his resurrection and we fearlessly believe it, then they are dead and have become as nothing. For upon Christ they cannot rest, there they are swallowed up by his resurrection, and you see now no wound, no pain, in him, that is, no sign of sin. Thus St. Paul speaks in Romans 4:25, that he was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification; that is, in his sufferings he made known our sins and also crucified them; but by his resurrection he makes us righteous and free from all sin, even if we believe the same differently.

Luther's Sermon on the Suffering of Christ

GOOD FRIDAY.
 

LUTHER'S SERMON ON HOW TO CONTEMPLATE CHRIST’S HOLY SUFFERINGS.


I. THE FALSE VIEWS OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS.

1. In the first place, some reflect upon the sufferings of Christ in a way that they become angry at the Jews, sing and lament about poor Judas, and are then satisfied; just like by habit they complain of other persons, and condemn and spend their time with their enemies. Such an exercise may truly be called a meditation not on the sufferings of Christ, but on the wickedness of Judas and the Jews.

2. In the second place, others have pointed out the different benefits and fruits springing from a consideration of Christ’s Passion. Here the saying ascribed to Albertus is misleading, that to think once superficially on the sufferings of Christ is better than to fast a whole year or to pray the Psalter every day, etc. The people thus blindly follow him and act contrary to the true fruits of Christ’s Passion; for they seek therein their own selfish interests. Therefore they decorate themselves with pictures and booklets, with letters and crucifixes, and some go so far as to imagine that they thus protect themselves against the perils of water, of fire, and of the sword, and all other dangers. In this way the suffering of Christ is to work in them an absence of suffering, which is contrary to its nature and character.

3. A third class so sympathize with Christ as to weep and lament for him because he was so innocent, like the women who followed Christ from Jerusalem, whom he rebuked, in that they should better weep for themselves and for their children. Such are they who run far away in the midst of the Passion season, and are greatly benefited by the departure of Christ from Bethany and by the pains and sorrows of the Virgin Mary, but they never get farther. Hence they postpone the Passion many hours, and God only knows whether it is devised more for sleeping than for watching.

And among these fanatics are those who taught what great blessings come from the holy mass, and in their simple way they think it is enough if they attend mass. To this we are led through the sayings of certain teachers, that the mass opere operati, non opere operantis, is acceptable of itself, even without our merit and worthiness, just as if that were enough. Nevertheless the mass was not instituted for the sake of its own worthiness, but to prove us, especially for the purpose of meditating upon the sufferings of Christ.

For where this is not done, we make a temporal, unfruitful work out of the mass, however good it may be in itself. For what help is it to you, that God is God, if he is not God to you? What benefit is it that eating and drinking are in themselves healthful and good, if they are not healthful for you, and there is fear that we never grow better by reason of our many masses, if we fail to seek the true fruit in them?

II. THE TRUE VIEW OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS.

4. Fourthly, they meditate on the Passion of Christ aright, who so view Christ that they become terror-stricken in heart at the sight, and their conscience at once sinks in despair. This terror-stricken feeling should spring forth, so that you see the severe wrath and the unchangeable earnestness of God in regard to sin and sinners, in that he was unwilling that his only and dearly beloved Son should set sinners free unless he paid the costly ransom for them as is mentioned in Isaiah 53:8: “For the transgression of my people was he stricken.” What happens to the sinner, when the dear child is thus stricken? An earnestness must be present that is inexpressible and unbearable, which a person so immeasurably great goes to meet, and suffers and dies for it; and if you reflect upon it real deeply, that God’s Son, the eternal wisdom of the Father, himself suffers, you will indeed be terror-stricken; and the more you reflect the deeper will be the impression.

5. Fifthly, that you deeply believe and never doubt the least, that you are the one who thus martyred Christ. For your sins most surely did it. Thus St. Peter struck and terrified the Jews as with a thunderbolt in Acts 2:36-37, when he spoke to them all in common: “Him have ye crucified,” so that three thousand were terror-stricken the same day and tremblingly cried to the apostles: “O beloved brethren what shall we do?” Therefore, when you view the nails piercing through his hands, firmly believe it is your work. Do you behold his crown of thorns, believe the thorns are your wicked thoughts, etc.

6. Sixthly, now see, where one thorn pierces Christ, there more than a thousand thorns should pierce thee, yea, eternally should they thus and even more painfully pierce thee. Where one nail is driven through his hands and feet, thou shouldest eternally suffer such and even more painful nails; as will be also visited upon those who let Christ’s sufferings be lost and fruitless as far as they are concerned. For this earnest mirror, Christ, will neither lie nor mock; whatever he says must be fully realized.

7. Seventhly, St. Bernard was so terror-stricken by Christ’s sufferings that he said: I imagined I was secure and I knew nothing of the eternal judgment passed upon me in heaven, until I saw the eternal Son of God took mercy upon me, stepped forward and offered himself on my behalf in the same judgment. Ah, it does not become me still to play and remain secure when such earnestness. is behind those sufferings. Hence he commanded the women: “Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” Luke 23:28; and gives in the 31st verse the reason: “For if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” As if to say: Learn from my martyrdom what you have merited and how you should be rewarded. For here it is true that a little dog was slain in order to terrorize a big one. Likewise the prophet also said: “All generations shall lament and bewail themselves more than him”; it is not said they shall lament him, but themselves rather than him. Likewise were also the apostles terror-stricken in Acts 2:27, as mentioned before, so that they said to the apostles: “O, brethren, what shall we do?” So the church also sings: I will diligently meditate thereon, and thus my soul in me will exhaust itself.

8. Eighthly, one must skillfully exercise himself in this point, for the benefit of Christ’s sufferings depends almost entirely upon man coming to a true knowledge of himself, and becoming terror-stricken and slain before himself. And where man does not come to this point, the sufferings of Christ have become of no true benefit to him. For the characteristic, natural work of Christ’s sufferings is that they make all men equal and alike, so that as Christ was horribly martyred as to body and soul in our sins, we must also like him be martyred in our consciences by our sins. This does not take place by means of many words, but by means of deep thoughts and a profound realization of our sins. Take an illustration: If an evil-doer were judged because he had slain the child of a prince or king, and you were in safety, and sang and played, as if you were entirely innocent, until one seized you in a horrible manner and convinced you that you had enabled the wicked person to do the act; behold, then you would be in the greatest straits, especially if your conscience also revolted against you.

Thus much more anxious you should be, when you consider Christ’s sufferings. For the evil doers, the Jews, although they have now judged and banished God, they have still been the servants of your sins, and you are truly the one who strangled and crucified the Son of God through your sins, as has been said.

9. Ninthly, whoever perceives himself to be so hard and sterile that he is not terror-stricken by Christ’s sufferings and led to a knowledge of him, he should fear and tremble. For it cannot be otherwise; you must become like the picture and sufferings of Christ, be it realized in life or in hell; you must at the time of death, if not sooner, fall into terror, tremble, quake and experience all Christ suffered on the cross. It is truly terrible to attend to this on your deathbed; therefore you should pray God to soften your heart and permit you fruitfully to meditate upon Christ’s Passion. For it is impossible for us profoundly to meditate upon the sufferings of Christ of ourselves, unless God sink them into our hearts. Further, neither this meditation nor any other doctrine is given to you to the end that you should fall fresh upon it of yourself, to accomplish the same; but you are first to seek and long for the grace of God, that you may accomplish it through God’s grace and not through your own power. For in this way it happens that those referred to above never treat the sufferings of Christ aright; for they never call upon God to that end, but devise out of their own ability their own way, and treat those sufferings entirely in a human and an unfruitful manner.

10. Tenthly, whoever meditates thus upon God’s sufferings for a day, an hour, yea, for a quarter of an hour, we wish to say freely and publicly, that it is better than if he fasts a whole year, prays the Psalter every day, yea, than if he hears a hundred masses. For such a meditation changes a man’s character and almost as in baptism he is born again, anew. Then Christ’s suffering accomplishes its true, natural and noble work, it slays the old Adam, banishes all lust, pleasure and security that one may obtain from God’s creatures; just like Christ was forsaken by all, even by God.

11. Eleventhly, since then such a work is not in our hands, it happens that sometimes we pray and do not receive it at the time; in spite of this one should not despair nor cease to pray. At times it comes when we are not praying for it, as God knows and wills; for it will be free and unbound: then man is distressed in conscience and is wickedly displeased with his own life, and it may easily happen that he does not know that Christ’s Passion is working this very thing in him, of which perhaps he was not aware, just like the others so exclusively meditated on Christ’s Passion that in their knowledge of self they could not extricate themselves out of that state of meditation. Among the first the sufferings of Christ are quite and true, among the others a show and false, and according to its nature God often turns the leaf, so that those who do not meditate on the Passion, really do meditate on it; and those who hear the mass, do not hear it; and those who hear it not, do hear it.

III. THE COMFORT OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS.

12. Until the present we have been in the Passion week and have celebrated Good Friday in the right way: now we come to Easter and Christ’s resurrection. When man perceives his sins in this light and is completely terror-stricken in his conscience, he must be on his guard that his sins do not thus remain in his conscience, and nothing but pure doubt certainly come out of it; but just as the sins flowed out of Christ and we became conscious of them, so should we pour them again upon him and set our conscience free. Therefore see well to it that you act not like perverted people, who bite and devour themselves with their sins in their heart, and run here and there with their good works or their own satisfaction, or even work themselves out of this condition by means of indulgences and become rid of their sins; which is impossible, and, alas, such a false refuge of satisfaction and pilgrimages has spread far and wide.

13. Thirteenthly. Then cast your sins from yourself upon Christ, believe with a festive spirit that your sins are his wounds and sufferings, that he carries them and makes satisfaction for them, as Isaiah 53:6 says: “Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;” and St. Peter in his first Epistle 1 Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree” of the cross; and St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “Him who knew no sin was made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” Upon these and like passages you must rely with all your weight, and so much the more the harder your conscience martyrs you. For if you do not take this course, but miss the opportunity of stilling your heart, then you will never secure peace, and must yet finally despair in doubt. For if we deal with our sins in our conscience and let them continue within us and be cherished in our hearts, they become much too strong for us to manage and they will live forever. But when we see that they are laid on Christ and he has triumphed over them by his resurrection and we fearlessly believe it, then they are dead and have become as nothing. For upon Christ they cannot rest, there they are swallowed up by his resurrection, and you see now no wound, no pain, in him, that is, no sign of sin. Thus St. Paul speaks in Romans 4:25, that he was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification; that is, in his sufferings he made known our sins and also crucified them; but by his resurrection he makes us righteous and free from all sin, even if we believe the same differently.

14. Fourteenthly. Now if you are not able to believe, then, as I said before, you should pray to God for faith. For this is a matter in the hands of God that is entirely free, and is also bestowed alike at times knowingly, at times secretly, as was just said on the subject of suffering.

15. But now bestir yourself to the end: first, not to behold Christ’s sufferings any longer; for they have already done their work and terrified you; but press through all difficulties and behold his friendly heart, how full of love it is toward you, which love constrained him to bear the heavy load of your conscience and your sin. Thus will your heart be loving and sweet toward him, and the assurance of your faith be strengthened. Then ascend higher through the heart of Christ to the heart of God, and see that Christ would not have been able to love you if God had not willed it in eternal love, to which Christ is obedient in his love toward you; there you will find the divine, good father heart, and, as Christ says, be thus drawn to the Father through Christ. Then will you understand the saying of Christ in John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,” etc. That means to know God aright, if we apprehend him not by his power and wisdom, which terrify us, but by his goodness and love; there our faith and confidence can then stand unmovable and man is truly thus born anew in God.

16. Sixteenthly. When your heart is thus established in Christ, and you are an enemy of sin, out of love and not out of fear of punishment, Christ’s sufferings should also be an example for your whole life, and you should meditate on the same in a different way. For hitherto we have considered Christ’s Passion as a sacrament that works in us and we suffer; now we consider it, that we also work, namely thus: if a day of sorrow or sickness weighs you down, think, how trifling that is compared with the thorns and nails of Christ. If you must do or leave undone what is distasteful to you: think, how Christ was led hither and thither, bound and a captive. Does pride attack you: behold, how your Lord was mocked and disgraced with murderers. Do unchastity and lust thrust themselves against you: think, how bitter it was for Christ to have his tender flesh torn, pierced and beaten again and again. Do hatred and envy war against you, or do you seek vengeance: remember how Christ with many tears and cries prayed for you and all his enemies, who indeed had more reason to seek revenge.

If trouble or whatever adversity of body or soul afflict you, strengthen your heart and say: Ah, why then should I not also suffer a little since my Lord sweat blood in the garden because of anxiety and grief? That would be a lazy, disgraceful servant who would wish to lie in his bed while his lord was compelled to battle with the pangs of death.

17. Behold, one can thus find in Christ strength and comfort against all vice and bad habits. That is the right observance of Christ’s Passion, and that is the fruit of his suffering, and he who exercises himself thus in the same does better than by hearing the whole Passion or reading all masses. And they are called true Christians who in corporate the life and name of Christ into their own life, as St. Paul says in Galatians 5:24: “And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.” For Christ’s Passion must be dealt with not in words and a show, but in our lives and in truth. Thus St. Paul admonishes us in Hebrews 12:3: “For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls;” and St.

Peter in his 1 Epistle 1 Peter 4:1: “As Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind.” But this kind of meditation is now out of use and very rare, although the Epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter are full of it. We have changed the essence into a mere show, and painted the meditation of Christ’s sufferings only in letters and on walls.

I Am Working on Hymn Lyrics We Can All Read from a Blog

I am working on making hymn lyrics easy to access for everyone - larger print, too.

Norma A. Boeckler has already volunteered to provide some graphics.

The tunes are more complicated, so that is an issue to resolve.

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View in browser Newsletter from The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry In This Issue Peter and Jude Explained by Luther by John Nicholas Lenker Lars Lee The Boy From Norway by N N Ronning [B14] Jesus Christ The Son of God Kings and Priests by Richard Lenski [B13] The Apostles' Creed: The Name Above Every Name Featured Peter and Jude Explained by Luther by John Nicholas Lenker “Luther’s Commentary on the Galatians… is too voluminous… And yet any one that would truly know the man, and the secret of his power, must study these in his writings.” ”(Luther’s) language is uniformly simple and direct… “I preach as simply as possible. I want the common people, and children, and servants, to understand me.” “…in the variety of its themes, the clearness of its exposition, the stinging force of its rebukes, the simplicity and directness of its language, [this commentary] is scarcely surpassed by any of Luther’s other writings. On the great subject of justification by faith alone, he is here, as in the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, full and emphatic.” — Prof. E. H. Gillett. On This Page Clear print, large format quality paperback available on Amazon by the Lutheran Librarian Book Contents Dedication Preface by Lutheran Librarian Preface by Prof. Lenker Preface By Prof. E. H. Gillett. Third Introduction To Luther’s Works In English. Luther’s Writings And The Reformation Movement. Wittenberg The Center Of Printing. Luther’s Writings And The Heathen Mission Movement. Luther’s Writings And The Diaspora Movement. Luther’s Writings And Our New Immigrant Problems. What Is The Relation Of The American Protestant Church To These New Problems? The First Epistle of St. Peter Preached and Explained by Martin Luther Introduction Chapter 1. Analysis Of Contents By J. G. Walch. Part 1. The Superscription, Subscription And Greeting. Part 2. The Doctrine Of Faith. Part 3. A Double Exhortation. A. An Exhortation To Christian Faith. B. An Exhortation To Christian Life. Chapter 2. Analysis Of Contents By J. G. Walch. Part 1. The Works And Fruits Of Christian Character In General, Of All Christians. Part 2. Fruit And Work Of The Christian Life In Particular. A. Subjects Of Civil Government. Part 3. Fruit And Work Of The Christian Life In Particular. B. Servants. Chapter 3. Analysis Of Contents By J. G. Walch. Part I. The Duties Of Christian Wives And Husbands. Part II. The Duties Of All Christians. Part III. Of Christ. Chapter 4. Analysis Of Contents By J. G. Walch. Part I. The First Duty Of A Christian. Part II. The Second Duty Of The Christian. Part III. The Third Duty Of A Christian. Part IV. The Fourth Duty Of A Christian. Part V. The Fifth Duty Of A Christian. Part VI. The Sixth Duty Of A Christian. Part VII. The Seventh Duty Of A Christian. Part VIII. The Eighth Duty Of A Christian. Part IX. The Ninth Duty Of A Christian. Chapter 5. Analysis Of Contents By J. G. Walch. Part I. The Exhortation. Part II. The Admonition. Part III. The Conclusion. Supplementary Part of the Edition of 1539 to that of 1523. The First Epistle of Peter Explained. Preface to the First Epistle of St. Peter. Second Epistle Of St. Peter Preached And Explained By Martin Luther, 1523. Introduction The Epistle of St. Jude Preached and Explained by Martin Luther Chapter 1. Order a Printed Copy Print Copy: Peter and Jude Explained by Luther by John Nicholas Lenker - “Lutheran Librarian” edition Download the eBook PDF - [Formatted for Computer Use] EPUB - [Apple, Kobo] MOBI - [Kindle] If you request an EPUB or MOBI version, you can expect to receive it within a few hours. If you don't hear back by the next day, check your spam or junk mail folder. This is especially true for yahoo mail. You can also request a copy of this or any Lutheran Library e-book by sending an email to editor@lutheranlibrary.org with the title and format you'd like. Enjoy the book! Publication Information Lutheran Library edition first published: 2020 Copyright: CC BY 4.0 Read more Recent Books and Articles Published Peter and Jude Explained by Luther by John Nicholas Lenker “Luther’s Commentary on the Galatians… is too voluminous… And yet any one that would truly know the man, and the secret of his power, must study these in his writings.” ”(Luther’s) language is uniformly simple and direct… “I preach as simply as possible. I want the common people, and children, and servants, to understand me.” “…in the variety of its themes, the clearness of its exposition, the stinging force of its rebukes, the simplicity ... Read more Lars Lee The Boy From Norway by N N Ronning Lars Lee tells of a boy’s spiritual awakening in rural Norway and his emigration to Minnesota. The author, N. N. Ronning explains: “It was easy to write the story, but not easy to put the real Lars and Olaf, Helga and Olga into the story. We do not understand ourselves; how can we understand others? Still the baffling mysteries of life are all the time challenging our interpretation. The most difficult thing I was to describe how some of these persons found the Way of Life—and that ... Read more [B14] Jesus Christ The Son of God As we rejoice in the pardon we have for the guilt of sin; as we hope to be more and more liberated from the power of sin in our lives; as we value the peace of heart which comes from assured fellowship with God in and through Christ; as we rejoice in the continually brightening hope of a richer, fuller, finally perfect life in the fellowship of the saints around the throne of glory, let us not be robbed of our confidence in the truth that Jesus is the very Son of God. This is the ultimate ... Read more Kings and Priests by Richard Lenski “The more we meditate on the titles thus bestowed upon us, the more we find that we must think more highly of ourselves in our connection with the Savior. We are spiritually of royal descent. Actually we are nothing less than kings. It is true, in one sense we are slaves, “bondmen” as the Greek has it, owned in soul and body by our Lord, so that we belong wholly to him as our King, his word and will supreme for us, to be obeyed in all things without question. Yet in ... Read more [B13] The Apostles' Creed: The Name Above Every Name I believe in Jesus Christ. If we can truthfully, reverently say these words, into what a glorious fellowship they bring us. They bring us into the company of the sainted prophets whose eyes were anointed to see afar off the rising of the Day-star out of Jacob, and the coming of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings. They make us brothers of the fearless Baptist, who bore witness that “this is the Son of God.” They open the way into that inner circle where dwelt ... Read more David Baring by Joseph Hocking Is true Christianity Marxist? David Baring is a young Cambridge graduate who unexpectedly comes into a large fortune. Circumstances cause him to wonder if a rich man can really tell if he is loved for himself, or only for his money. He begins to despise his wealth and like many people today wonders if Socialism is the answer. Joseph Hocking (1860-1937) was a Cornish novelist and United Methodist Free Church minister. Like the American Presbyterian minister Edward Roe, Hocking’s ... Read more [B12] The Apostles' Creed: Man's Obligation To God God is not only infinitely wise and great, He is also infinitely good. He is boundless in His mercy and patience toward the children of men. In His loving kindness God watches over us, and cares for us with a solicitude which never grows wearied or impatient. Assuredly we owe Him something for all this. We can make Him no adequate, no material, return. We can never pay God the debt we owe Him. But there is something He wants, something we can give Him. It is our purpose to consider today ... Read more May God cause his face to shine upon you and bring you peace. 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