Quasimodogeniti - The First Sunday after Easter. John 20:19-31

 Caravaggio

Quasimodogeniti, 

The First Sunday after Easter, 2020

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Daylight Time

Bethany Lutheran Hymnal

The Hymn #206:1-5     Jesus Christ My Sure Defense

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17

The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel               

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22     
The Sermon Hymn #656        Behold a Host     

       

Power and Fruit of Faith

Communion Hymn # 200       I Know that My Redeemer      

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #199        Jesus Christ Is Risen Today     

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.
• Pray for our country as the major trials continue. And help all those suffering from economic difficulties.
• Greek Class - Wednesday, 7 PM.
• God willing, the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal will be finished soon. All the hymns will have their own page. Norma A. Boeckler is providing art for them.

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

First Sunday After Easter

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thine ineffable grace, for the sake of Thy Son, Thou hast given us the holy gospel, and hast instituted the holy sacraments, that through the same we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Thy word; and through the holy sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Background for the Sermon

The Virgin Birth of Jesus is directly related to His resurrection appearances, especially in regard to His two natures - divine and human. 

The Isaiah 7 and 9 prophesies are about the future Messiah who will be God and man. This is also reflected in John 8, where Jesus spoke of existing before Abraham was born, and yet Abraham rejoiced to see His day - the Word in the flesh. That transcends our notion of time, the Son of God existing before Abraham and also the object of Abraham's faith (Genesis 15:6), which gladdened Abraham. He believed in these Promises and was Justified by Faith.

Therefore, the two natures of Christ, divine and human, are heavily contested by unbelievers. The two natures are made to disappear by the boll weevils who occupy teaching positions in the institutional Church.  They allow for Jesus being remarkable, loved, innocent - but God in the flesh? - that is too much for their Barth-infused minds. The more they insist in denying the two natures, the blinder they become.

But that is the nature of the mysteries revealed by the Holy Spirit. We cannot come to a rationalistic conclusion about something beyond human grasp. So the details are given to us in the simplest words by the power and effective influence of the Holy Spirit in the Word. The internal evidence of the Scriptures  says - Yes, this is all true, revealed by God, taught through the ages. From the moment of Incarnation - conceived by the Holy Spirit - the promised Messiah, the Son of God, took on our human flesh, yet without sin. That Incarnation continues to this day, so Jesus does not come to us only as the Son of God, but as the Incarnation - God and man, two natures in the One Person.

The appearances of Jesus after His resurrection teach us that His two natures continued, united in One.

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

This is another case of a sentence giving us details, each one having great significance. But our tendency is to fast-forward and get to the main part. However, that is a mistake because every phrase is a significant part of the chief story.

• The same day - that is Easter Sunday. The verses before (John 20:1-18) included multiple visits to the empty tomb - Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John.
• It was evening, the first day - Sunday.
• The doors were barred shut and the group assembled - they were afraid of armed opposition in light of Jesus' punishment and their implied guilt. The opposition of the Jewish leaders had already manifested itself. Fear multiplies the sense of danger.
• Jesus stood in their midst. His divine nature was not hindered by His human nature.
• Jesus spoke the traditional greeting, still used - Peace be with you. Shalom.

These resurrection appearances teach us that they were seeing the risen Christ, God and man, with the marks of the crucifixion. He did not appear as a vision, as a spirit without a body, but as the Word Incarnate, carrying with Him the experiences of His earthly ministry and crucifixion.

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 

Jesus did not need to prove Himself, but the assembled group needed to see that this was indeed the risen Christ, the crucified Messiah. They saw that this was not a vision, a dream, or a spirit, but the Crucified. 

When we are afraid, we see things that are not there, and we also miss what is there. The appearance of Jesus in a *heavily protected room and showing His wounds came with the message - "Peace."

And they were glad.

*We lived in a house where all the doors were chained or heavily barred - because of their genuine fear of an errant son-in-law. That was quite a message because we never lived in a house with so much protection.

As Luther wrote, this are two of the fruits of the Spirit, which cannot come except from faith - Galatians 5 - Love - Joy - Peace.

We can hardly imagine the great burden lifted on them as they saw Him risen. They were filled with joy at His resurrection, and they were absolved of their guilt (Peace) for being fearful.

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Throughout the Fourth Gospel is this verb form found - sent. Messengers were sent from the Temple. John was sent. Jesus was sent and would send His disciples - all for a purpose. 

Peace - because their faith received His forgiveness. Jesus was sent by His Father, not working on His own. Everything He did was a reflection of His Father's will and gracious nature. That will continue with sending the apostles (apostle means sent), and they will have the same Word as the Son and the Father, led by the Spirit.

Some of this is overdone, as if to make the clergy godlike, which happens when they read their own press office notices. But the everyday reality is - the faithful minister represents God in harmony with the Scriptures (but not apart from or against the Scriptures). This sets up an automatic negative reaction, because our human nature has a tendency to resent and oppose God's Word.

Many clergy are duped, like the one who had gimmicks to make sure the congregation was a bunch of "happy campers." He said, "Do this and you will have a lot of happy campers." He sounded like the anti-hero in a summer camp B-movie. So the clergy and the members are tricked by their Father Below into measuring success by popularity.

The Bible teaches success only in one category - faithfulness to the Word. As Paul taught the Corinthians, there is only one measure for a steward, who acts on behalf of another - he must be faithful. In this case, it means faithful to the mysteries (the doctrines) of God. Stewards of the mysteries of God.

We can see that the Apostles were faithful and lived only a short time. If tradition is correct, only the Apostle John lived to old age. But they were not keen on maintaining their own biographies, only in teaching about Christ. The Roman world opposed them and persecuted them, but converted to Christ in miraculous numbers.

Faithful pastors are sent by God to teach only what God teaches in the Scriptures, nothing more or less. 

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

These are often called the keys, and they call for faith as well. It is God's forgiveness that is proclaimed - and for the unrepentant - God's refusal to absolve those who are not contrite. Jesus gave them a power and responsibility that transcended anything they could do on their own. 

That is why it is so appalling when church leaders absolve someone for a large sum of money when the man is obviously not contrite, only looking for some earthly approval. The irony is that the lavish gifts are appealing at first, they are sterile and accomplish nothing, becoming expensive white elephants to maintain as the glitter and glamour wear off. 

Luther:
2. Faith, as we have often said, is of the nature, that every one appropriates to himself the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, of which we have already said enough; namely, that it is not sufficient simply to believe Christ rose from the dead, for this produces neither peace nor joy, neither power nor authority; but you must believe that he rose for your sake, for your benefit, and was not glorified for his own sake; but that he might help you and all who believe in him, and that through his resurrection sin, death and hell are vanquished and the victory given to you.

3. This is signified by Christ entering through closed doors, and standing in the midst of his disciples. For this standing denotes nothing else than that he is standing in our hearts; there he is in the midst of us, so that he is ours, as he stands there and they have him among them. And when he thus stands within our hearts, we at once hear his loving voice saying to the troubled consciences: Peace, there is no danger; your sins are forgiven and blotted out, and they shall harm you no more.

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Doubting Thomas is the same disciple who was so glum that when Jesus went to see His friend Lazarus, he said, "Fine. We will all die together." That is how tense the disciples were before the entry into Jerusalem. Let's face it, faith in the resurrection came first with seeing the empty tomb, reinforced with the Emmaus experience and Jesus appearing in the locked room.

However, this is not parallel, because the disciples and witnesses testified to Thomas that this was true. Rejecting that, he insisted on physical proof, even to the point of touching the wounds of Jesus.

Luther had much to say about faith here:
2. Faith, as we have often said, is of the nature, that every one appropriates to himself the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, of which we have already said enough; namely, that it is not sufficient simply to believe Christ rose from the dead, for this produces neither peace nor joy, neither power nor authority; but you must believe that he rose for your sake, for your benefit, and was not glorified for his own sake; but that he might help you and all who believe in him, and that through his resurrection sin, death and hell are vanquished and the victory given to you.

3. This is signified by Christ entering through closed doors, and standing in the midst of his disciples. For this standing denotes nothing else than that he is standing in our hearts; there he is in the midst of us, so that he is ours, as he stands there and they have him among them. And when he thus stands within our hearts, we at once hear his loving voice saying to the troubled consciences: Peace, there is no danger; your sins are forgiven and blotted out, and they shall harm you no more.

4. And this entrance the Lord made here through barred doors, going through wood and stone, and still leaving everything whole, breaking nothing, yet getting in among his disciples. This illustrates how the Lord comes into our hearts and stands in us, namely, through the office of the ministry. Therefore, since God has commanded men to preach his Word, one should in no wise despise a mortal man into whose mouth he has put his Word; lest we get the idea that every one must expect a special message from heaven, and that God should speak to him by the word of his mouth. For if he imparts faith to any one, he does it by means of the preaching of man and the external word of man.

This is going through closed doors, when he comes into the heart through the Word, not breaking nor displacing anything. For when the Word of God comes, it neither injures the conscience, nor deranges the understanding of the heart and the external senses; as the false teachers do who break all the doors and windows, breaking through like thieves, leaving nothing whole and undamaged, and perverting, falsifying and injuring all life, conscience, reason, and the senses. Christ does not do thus.

Such now is the power of the Word of God. Thus we have two parts, preaching and believing. His coming to us is preaching; his standing in our hearts is faith. For it is not sufficient that he stands before our eyes and ears; he must stand in the midst of us in our hearts, and offer and impart to us peace.

As Luther explains so well, worldly peace depends on circumstances. When food and water are short - or threatened - fear and depression weigh people down. For the last few weeks, people have been asking, "What is missing now? Paper is back but canned goods are ravaged." Then "more canned goods but not a single pack of dishwasher pods." Those who lost the skill of manual washing of dishes are frightened. But when restrictions are lifted, worldly peace returns with no change of heart. The next shortage will probably bring more instant hoarding.

Godly peace is just the opposite, because it comes from God and has no connection with circumstances. 

Luther:
8. Christian or spiritual peace, however, just turns the thing about, so that outwardly the evil remains, as enemies, sickness, poverty, sin, death and the devil. These are there and never desist, encompassing us on every side; nevertheless, within there is peace, strength and comfort in the heart, so that the heart cares for no evil, yea, is really bolder and more joyful in its presence than in its absence. Therefore it is peace which passeth and transcendeth all understanding and all the senses. For reason can not grasp any peace except worldly or external peace, for it can not reconcile itself to it nor understand how that is peace if evil is present, and it knows not how to satisfy and comfort a person; hence it thinks if the evil depart, peace departs also. When however the Spirit comes, he lets outward adversity remain, but strengthens the person, making the timid fearless, the trembling bold, changing the troubled into a quite, peaceful conscience, and such an one is bold, fearless and joyful in things by which all the world otherwise is terrified.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

Jesus returned on this Sunday, eight days later  - by the way they counted days. The doors were still barred shut, and Jesus said "Peace" again. 

Thomas demanded proof and Jesus commanded him to do exactly what the disciple laid down as his condition. Many have thought, "That alone was enough," but it is more fitting to consider this to be His lordly command, not a suggestion. Thomas had to do what he said he required from the Son of God. 

Probably most could acknowledge that they required something of God along the way, and God provided as asked. I can think of so many times a person has recovered, a child has lived, beyond all hope, after I prayed for them. The latest few are quite recent. The conclusion from this is not - God will answer exactly as I asked - but God has the power.

Philippians 4 - 6 Be careful for nothing [do not be anxious about anything]; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The peace that passes all understanding - that is a prayer from Paul. The church likes Latin, so it is called The Votum - prayer - at the end of a sermon. That is godly peace - no matter what is happening at the moment - Love, Joy, Peace. 

How can you be so sure? "I am not sure of anything, except God." If we truly believe all that the Scriptures say about God, then whatever happens is His gracious will and well within His power. The prayers answered in powerful affirmations teach us that the rest is being managed quite well. Nevertheless, we have this privilege in having Jesus as our Brother - we can ask anytime, any place.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

Jesus gave Thomas what he demanded. Thomas believed and confessed - "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus rebuked Thomas for only believing what was proven for his human senses and demands. Jesus warned and encouraged His disciples in His sermon, John 16 - The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, because they do not believe on Me.

The foundational sin is unbelief, which is often preceded by weak and wavering faith, and finished off by the rationalism of the great and wise.

blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

You have not seen and yet believe, so Jesus has promised - You are blessed. You love the Son, so the Father loves you because of that love - great encouraging statements.

Purpose!

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The purpose of the Gospel of John is clearly stated by the disciple Jesus loved. Written that -
You might believe in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God,
In believing you might have eternal life through (as a result) of His Name.

Luther's Sermon for Doubting Thomas Sunday - Jesus Appears to His Disciples, or the Nature, Fruit, and Power of Faith

SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.   


TEXT: John 20:19-31. When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written, in this book: but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples, or the Nature, Fruit, and Power of Faith


1. This Gospel praises the fruit of faith, and illustrates its nature and character. Among the fruits of faith are these two: peace and joy, as St. Paul writes to the Galatians, where he mentions in order all kinds of fruit saying: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22. Thus these two fruits are also mentioned in our text. In the first place, Christ stands there among the disciples, who sit in fear and terror, and whose hearts are greatly troubled every hour expecting death; to them he comes and comforts them, saying: “Peace be unto you.” This is one fruit. In the second place there follows from this sweet word the other fruit, that they were glad when they saw the Lord. Then he further bestows upon faith power and authority over all things in heaven and on earth, and truly extols it in that he says: “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” And again: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Let us now consider each thought in order.

2. Faith, as we have often said, is of the nature, that every one appropriates to himself the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, of which we have already said enough; namely, that it is not sufficient simply to believe Christ rose from the dead, for this produces neither peace nor joy, neither power nor authority; but you must believe that he rose for your sake, for your benefit, and was not glorified for his own sake; but that he might help you and all who believe in him, and that through his resurrection sin, death and hell are vanquished and the victory given to you.

3. This is signified by Christ entering through closed doors, and standing in the midst of his disciples. For this standing denotes nothing else than that he is standing in our hearts; there he is in the midst of us, so that he is ours, as he stands there and they have him among them. And when he thus stands within our hearts, we at once hear his loving voice saying to the troubled consciences: Peace, there is no danger; your sins are forgiven and blotted out, and they shall harm you no more.

4. And this entrance the Lord made here through barred doors, going through wood and stone, and still leaving everything whole, breaking nothing, yet getting in among his disciples. This illustrates how the Lord comes into our hearts and stands in us, namely, through the office of the ministry. Therefore, since God has commanded men to preach his Word, one should in no wise despise a mortal man into whose mouth he has put his Word; lest we get the idea that every one must expect a special message from heaven, and that God should speak to him by the word of his mouth. For if he imparts faith to any one, he does it by means of the preaching of man and the external word of man.

This is going through closed doors, when he comes into the heart through the Word, not breaking nor displacing anything. For when the Word of God comes, it neither injures the conscience, nor deranges the understanding of the heart and the external senses; as the false teachers do who break all the doors and windows, breaking through like thieves, leaving nothing whole and undamaged, and perverting, falsifying and injuring all life, conscience, reason, and the senses. Christ does not do thus.

Such now is the power of the Word of God. Thus we have two parts, preaching and believing. His coming to us is preaching; his standing in our hearts is faith. For it is not sufficient that he stands before our eyes and ears; he must stand in the midst of us in our hearts, and offer and impart to us peace.

5. For the fruit of faith is peace; not only that which one has outwardly, but that of which Paul speaks to the Philippians ( Philippians 4:7) saying it is a peace that passeth all reason, sense and understanding. And where this peace is, one shall not and cannot judge according to reason. This we shall see still farther in our Gospel lesson.

6. First, the disciples sit there behind barred doors in great fear of the Jews, afraid to venture outside, with death staring them in the face. Outwardly they indeed have peace, no one is doing them any harm; but inwardly their hearts are troubled, and they have neither peace nor rest. Amid their fear and anguish the Lord comes, quiets their hearts and makes them glad, so that their fear is removed, not by removing the danger, but in that their hearts were no more afraid. For thereby the malice of the Jews is not taken away, nor changed; they rave and rage as before, and outwardly everything remains the same. But they are changed inwardly, receiving such boldness and joy as to declare: “We have seen the Lord.” Thus he quiets their hearts, so that they become cheerful and fearless, not caring how the Jews rage.

7. This is the true peace that satisfies and quiets the heart; not in times when no adversity is at hand, but in the midst of adversity, when outwardly there is nothing but strife before the eyes. And this is the difference between worldly and spiritual peace. Worldly peace consists in removing the outward evil that disturbs the peace; as when the enemies besiege a city there is no peace; but when they depart peace returns. Such is the case with poverty and sickness. While they afflict you, you are not contented; but when they are removed and you are rid of the distress, there is peace and rest again from without. But he who experiences this is not changed, being just as fainthearted whether the evil be present or not; only he feels it and is frightened when it is present.

8. Christian or spiritual peace, however, just turns the thing about, so that outwardly the evil remains, as enemies, sickness, poverty, sin, death and the devil. These are there and never desist, encompassing us on every side; nevertheless, within there is peace, strength and comfort in the heart, so that the heart cares for no evil, yea, is really bolder and more joyful in its presence than in its absence. Therefore it is peace which passeth and transcendeth all understanding and all the senses. For reason can not grasp any peace except worldly or external peace, for it can not reconcile itself to it nor understand how that is peace if evil is present, and it knows not how to satisfy and comfort a person; hence it thinks if the evil depart, peace departs also. When however the Spirit comes, he lets outward adversity remain, but strengthens the person, making the timid fearless, the trembling bold, changing the troubled into a quite, peaceful conscience, and such an one is bold, fearless and joyful in things by which all the world otherwise is terrified.

9. Whence does he receive this? From his faith in Christ. For if I truly believe in the Lord from the real depth of my heart, that my heart can truly say: My Lord Christ has by his resurrection conquered my need, my sin, death and all evil, and will be thus with and in me, so that body and soul shall want nothing, that I shall have all I need, and no evil shall harm me: if I believe this, it is impossible for me to be faint-hearted and timid no matter how much sin and death oppress me. For faith is ever present and says:

Does sin burden you, does death terrify you, look to Christ who died for your sake and rose again, and conquered every evil; what can harm you?

Why will you then fear? So also in case other misfortunes burden you, as sickness or poverty, turn your eyes from it, lock the door to reason and cast yourself upon Christ and cleave to him, so shall you be strengthened and comforted. If you look to Christ and believe on him, no evil that may befall you is so great that it can harm you and cause you to despair.

Therefore it is impossible for this fruit to remain outside, where faith is, so that peace does not follow.

10. From peace the other fruit now follows, as is taught in this Gospel.

When Christ came to the disciples and said: “Peace be unto you!” and showed them his hands and feet; then they were glad that they saw the Lord. Yes, to be sure they had to be glad, for that they saw Christ was the greatest joy the heart of man can experience. Hitherto we have been permitted to see our hands, that is, we have been taught to trust in our works; this brought no gladness. But to see Christ makes us glad. And this takes, place by faith; for thus St. Paul in Romans 5:1-2 says: “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

11. Thus we have the fruit whereby we know who are true Christians. For he who has no peace in that in which the world finds nothing but unrest, and is joyful in that which in the world is nothing but gloom and sorrow, is not yet a Christian, and does not yet believe. This truth is being also sung at this season everywhere in the hymn on the Lord’s resurrection; but hardly anybody understands it. He who composed it surely understood it aright. He does not stop at the Lord is risen, when he says: “Christ is risen from his Passion ;” as though this were sufficient, but brings it home to us and adds: Let us all rejoice in this. But how can we rejoice in it, if we have nothing of it and it is not ours? Therefore, if I am to rejoice in it, it must be mine, that I may claim it as my own property, that it may profit me. And finally he closes: Christ will be our consolation, that we can and shall have no other consolation but Christ. He wants to be it himself and he alone, that we should cling to him in every time of need; for he has conquered all for our benefit, and by his resurrection he comforts all troubled consciences and sad hearts. This the Gospel teaches concerning faith and its fruits.

12. Now follows the office of the ministry. The power of faith now develops love. For it does not yet suffice that I have the Lord so that he is mine, and that I find in him all comfort, peace and joy; but I must henceforth also do as he has done: for it follows thus in the text: “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

13. The first and highest work of love a Christian ought to do when he has become a believer, is to bring others also to believe in the way he himself came to believe. And here you notice Christ begins and institutes the office of the ministry of the external Word in every Christian; for he himself came with this office and the external Word. Let us lay hold of this, for we must admit it was spoken to us. In this way the Lord desires to say: You have now received enough from me, peace and joy, and all you should have; for your person you need nothing more. Therefore labor now and follow my example, as I have done, so do ye. My Father sent me into the world only for your sake, that I might serve you, not for my own benefit. I have finished the work, have died for you, and given you all that I am and have; remember and do ye also likewise, that henceforth ye may only serve and help everybody, otherwise ye would have nothing to do on earth. For by faith ye have enough of everything. Hence I send you into the world as my Father hath sent me; namely, that every Christian should instruct and teach his neighbor, that he may also come to Christ. By this, no power is delegated exclusively to popes and bishops, but all Christians are commanded to profess their faith publicly and also to lead others to believe.

14. Secondly, if you have exercised yourself in this highest work and taught others the right way of truth, then make up your mind to keep on and serve everybody. Then the example of your life and good works follows; not that you can thereby merit and acquire anything, seeing you have beforehand everything that is necessary to salvation. Furthermore Christ now gives a command, he breathes upon the disciples and says: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

15. This is a great and mighty power which no one can sufficiently extol, given to mortal men of flesh and blood over sin, death and hell, and over all things. The pope too boasts in the canon law that Christ has given to him power over all earthly things; which would indeed be correct if the people rightly understood it. For they apply it to the civil government; this is not Christ’s thought; but he gives spiritual power and rule, and wishes to say this much: When ye speak a word concerning a sinner, it shall be spoken in heaven, and shall avail so much as if God himself spake it in heaven; for he is in your mouth, therefore it has the same force as if he himself spoke it.

Now it is always true, if Christ speaks a word, since he is Lord over sin and hell, and says to you: Thy sins are forgiven; then they must be forgiven and nothing can prevent it. Again, if he says: Thy sins shall not be forgiven thee; then they remain unforgiven, so that neither you, nor an angel, nor a saint, nor any creature, can forgive your sin, even if you martyred yourself to death.

16. This same power belongs to every Christian, since Christ has made us all partakers of his power and dominion; and here his is not a civil but a spiritual rule, and his Christians also rule spiritually. For he does not say:

This city, this country, this bishopric or kingdom you shall rule, as the pope does; but he says: Ye shall have power to forgive and to retain sins. Hence this power pertains to the conscience, so that by virtue of God’s Word I can pass judgment as to what the conscience can cleave to, so that against and above that no creature can do anything, neither sin, nor the world nor Satan. This is true power. But thereby no power is given me to rule over temporal matters, over a country and people, externally after the manner of civil governments, but a much higher and nobler power, which can in no sense be compared with it.

17. Therefore we shall thank God, that we now know the great power and glory given us through Christ in his plain Word, as St. Paul also highly praises and extols it to the Ephesians, saying: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3. And again: “God made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:5-10.

18. Observe, what great transcendent comfort we have in that God awakens in us also the same power he exercises in Christ, and bestows upon us equal authority. As he made him sit in heavenly places, above all power and might, and everything that can be named; so has he invested us also with the same power, that those who believe have all power over heaven and earth. This we have in the words he left behind him; and they are so powerful, that when they are spoken by us, they avail as much as if he himself were on earth and spake them in the majesty and glory in which he now exists. And this is the power we have from his resurrection and ascension; there he gives us power to. kill and to make alive, to consign to the devil and to rescue from him.

19. But in this matter one must proceed carefully, and not do like the popes. For they have reached the point to have the power, that however and whatever they say, so it must be, because they say it. Nay, this power you have not, but the divine Majesty alone has. it. They say thus: If the pope speaks a word and says: Thy sins are forgiven thee, they are blotted out, even though you neither repent nor believe. They mean by this, that they have the power to bestow and withhold heaven, to open or shut it, to locate one in heaven or cast into hell; far from it that it should be so. For from this it would then follow that our salvation depended on the works, authority and power of man. Therefore, since this is in conflict with all the Scriptures it can not be true that when you open or shut, it must be open or shut.

20. Therefore we must rightly understand Christ when he says: “Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained ;” that this does not establish the power of him who speaks but of those who believe. Now the power of him who speaks and of him who believes are as far apart as heaven and earth.

God has given us the Word and the authority to speak; but it does not therefore follow from this that it must so be done, as Christ also preached and taught the Word, and yet not all who heard it believed, and it was not everywhere done as he spake the Word, although it was God’s Word.

Therefore Christ’s meaning is: Ye shall have the power to speak the Word, and to preach the Gospel, saying, Whosoever believeth, has the remission of his sins; but whosoever believeth not, has no remission of sin. But ye have not the power to create faith. For there is a great difference between planting and giving the growth; as Paul says to the Corinthians: “I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:6. Hence we have no authority to rule as lords; but to be servants and ministers who shall preach the Word, by means of which we incite people to believe.

Therefore, if you believe the Word, you gain this power; but if you believe not, then what I speak or preach will avail nothing even though it be God’s Word; and if you believe not these words you are not treating me but God himself with dishonor and contempt.

21. Therefore, unbelief is nothing but blasphemy, which makes God a liar.

For if I say, your sins are forgiven you in God’s name, and you believe it not, it is the same as if you said: who knows whether it be true, and whether he be in earnest? by this you charge God and his Word with lying.

Therefore you better be far from the Word, if you believe it not. For when a man preaches his Word, God would have it as highly esteemed as if he himself had preached it. This then is the power given by God. which every Christian has, and of which we have already spoken much and often; hence this is enough for the present.

Quasimodo Geniti, The First Sunday after Easter, 2019. The Locked Room and Peace

Quasimodogeniti, The First Sunday after Easter, 2019

  

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #199            Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel               

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22     
The Sermon Hymn #208        Ye Sons and Daughters      

       

The Locked Room and Peace

Communion Hymn # 200       I Know that My Redeemer      

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #201          Jesus Lives the Victory's Won       
In our prayers - Baby Andrea, upcoming surgery, June.
Kevin W. Shen - recovery from open heart surgery
Pastor James Shrader - battling cancer

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

First Sunday After Easter

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thine ineffable grace, for the sake of Thy Son, Thou hast given us the holy gospel, and hast instituted the holy sacraments, that through the same we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Thy word; and through the holy sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Background for the Doubting Thomas Sermon

This Easter narrative shows us the Two Natures in Christ. They are united in His Person - His human and His divine nature. That began when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so Jesus is often called God Incarnate, literally God in the Flesh. This union of God and man was predicted in Isaiah 7 and 9. Immanuel means "God with us" in Hebrew.

The Two Natures are revealed as a mystery in the Bible, mystery meaning a doctrine of the Bible revealed by the Spirit in the Word, not something known purely through man's reason.

The rationalists will allow that Jesus actually lived and that He was a great teacher, but they do not accept the divinity of Christ or His miracles.

Some Christians have problems and doubts about the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. The human nature of Jesus never limited His divinity, but that troubles them. Did Jesus enter the locked room by a secret entrance? as Calvin would theorize. That is like saying the doors must be unlocked and open when we pray.

This is an important lesson about doubt. All the teachings of the Bible have disturbed and annoyed people from the beginning. They would teach the Bible how to express such matters. But it is our responsibility to see God's Word as it is, the unique and unified truth He has revealed for all time. That is what teaches us the peace that transcends all understanding, when we understand that God does not always take the troubles from our hearts; instead, He takes our hearts away from the trouble (Luther). 

The Locked Room and Peace

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

This narrative begins on Easter Sunday, after various sightings of the empty tomb and Jesus. The Emmaus disciples were back in the room when Jesus appeared.

An important fact is that the disciples were still afraid of the Jews and barred the doors shut, very much like our home in Bella Vista, because the previous renter was afraid of an in-law, and used chains and large boards to lock every door shut. Jesus was blocked of the room because His divine nature was not limited by His human nature. The rationalists do not think this through. If He could be locked out, then what is the use of praying silently or in a locked home or in a secure church with the doors guarded?

The beginning of trouble is doubt. People will say, "God can do anything," which is true. But when their doubts are used to measure what He can do, then all kinds of spiritual foolishness follow.

One Lutheran pastor featured a painting with the angels rolling the stone away from the tomb, to let Jesus out. So the Creating Word needed help from the created angels? What a strange error to portray.

Jesus appeared before them, which was proof enough of His resurrection and divine power. He greeted them with the traditional  word - Peace. This word means more than hello. In the New Testament peace is almost always associated with forgiveness and salvation.

The disciples did not acquit themselves well at the time of the arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus. That word "Peace" meant they were graciously forgiven their sins. Peter was given a three-fold absolution (next chapter) when Jesus appeared while they were fishing, something Peter really needed because he had sworn to be faithful to Jesus and yet denied Him three times.

The portrayal of the disciples is important because they mirror our frailty. Rather than elevate them to semi-divine status, the Scriptures hold them up as examples of humanity. It is as if the Word says, Look at all the weaknesses and yet they became Apostles. The human portrayal is always extolling the virtues of the given saint, recent or past, as though the person could do not wrong and had the strength of a thousand, the patience of Job, and the boundless love of the universe.

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 

Next Jesus showed them His hands and side. He was raised from the dead and glorified, yet the Two Natures were still (and are) united in His Person. This showed He was not a ghost or a dream, but the Crucified Messiah, a concept they never grasped and would preach as long as the lived. The grieving disciples were glad when they saw it was Jesus. 

If anything explains the courage and patience of the Apostles, this does. They were not animated by their own strengths but by witnessing the power of the divine, proven for their own eyes to see. How could they doubt?

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 

Luther:

2. For when he comes he finds his disciples still sitting in fear and terror both from without because of the Jews and from within because of their consciences, and yet very weak and slow of heart to believe, although they had heard from the women and some of the disciples that he had risen from the dead. But while this saddened their hearts and they were talking with one another about it, behold, Christ appears and hails them with the friendly greeting after the Hebrew custom, “Peace be unto you!” which means in our language, to wish one everything good. For we call that peace where all goes well, the heart is contented, and prosperity reigns. This is the joyful message Christ always brings with him, as he repeats it the second and third time in this narrative.

Luther touches on major points. Why were the disciples locked up and afraid? They were timid and weak from their sins. But they saw the empty grave and some saw the risen Lord. That is true, and even more true for us. We have heard and read this transforming event many times in our lives, yet we can just as easily be timid, afraid, and beaten down by our own doubts.

As forgiven and restored sinners, the disciples experienced the peace and joy of Jesus' spoken "Peace be with you. I was sent by My Father, now I am sending you." Jesus gave them authority to forgive sins and to retain them.

Luther on This Peace - Very Important To Know:

6. But with the Christian or spiritual peace we find just the opposite conditions, namely, that the evils without remain, such as foes, sickness, poverty, sin, the devil, and death. They are ever present and are surrounding us; nevertheless there is internal peace, strength and comfort in the heart, so that the heart does not concern itself about misfortune, yea, is even more courageous and joyful in the presence than in the absence of misfortune. It can therefore indeed be called a peace, which passeth all understanding. For reason understands and seeks no other peace but that which comes from without through possessions which the world can give, but which knows not how to quiet and comfort the heart in times of need, when all else fails. But when Christ comes, he does not change the outward unpleasant conditions, but strengthens the person, and makes out of a timid, a fearless heart, out of a trembling, a bold heart; and out of a disquieted, a peaceful, quiet conscience, so that the person is courageous, bold, and joyful in the midst of those things in which otherwise all the world is terrified; that is, in death, terror of sin, and all distress, in which the world with its comfort and possessions can render no help. This, then, is a true and constant peace, which remains forever and is invincible as long as the heart clings to Christ.

7. Hence, this peace is nothing else than that the heart is certain that it has a merciful God and the forgiveness of sins, for without this it can neither stand in the time of need and danger, nor be satisfied by any earthly fortune.

Our fantasy is that with money, power, and prestige, our problems would be over. That make cure a few earthly problems, but that is an illusion, as Evita sings in the musical by that name. People will see in the next year that great power and wealth can be lost overnight. Those who enjoyed so many earthly powers will not be able to walk down the street, when the truth comes out.

True power is the power of the Word. Anything worthwhile that happens comes directly from him, not from scheming, lying, bribing, threatening, and thirsting for power. The spiritual blessings are lasting and exist in the midst of troubles. In fact, God uses troubles to accomplish His will.

The folly of the success movement is that people equate faith with faith in God's willingness to grant material blessings for those who demand it. Then those who demand find themselves losing faith because others get that or get far more. They were betting at the wrong window so they wander off to another swindle.

One student told me of a church that would not help a financially distressed member until she gave 10% of her income. Then they would consider it. The minister drives a Bentley, which can cost
$150,000. These are swindle operations based on gullibility and greed.

If church politics helped, why have they not helped in the last 50 years? I have seen the politicians at work and heard their whispered schemes. At this point I would think some would try something else, like religion.

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 

Thomas is an important disciple, especially in the Gospel of John. He may not have been the most doubtful, but he was definitely the one who openly confessed those doubts and fears. When Jesus spoke of going to Bethany, Thomas said, "We can all die together there." 

The Gospel of John shows how early and intense the opposition was to Jesus.  So there was reason for the fear.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 

Thomas is doubtless the model for every doubting Thomas. I would put the professors at the head of the list. Goaded by their professors when they were in graduate school, they will agree with the Scriptures, provided... and they have their demands. They want a record up to their standards and agreeing with all their thoughts. I remember future pastors decrying the violence of the Old Testament and denouncing it. The same type went on to support the greatest and worst violence, abortion on demand. No one objected to that in their ELCA health plan. 

That is also why all the mainline seminaries are academies for social justice (left-wing) warriors. And they brag about it. They have no trust for the Scriptures unless they want to anchor their radicalism in a verse or two.

Thomas' sin is that he will not accept the combined testimony of seeing and hearing the risen Lord. That is not enough, just as four Gospels are not enough, two accounts of the Virgin Birth are not enough, over 500 seeing the risen Lord - not enough.  For those modern DTs, nothing is enough, except to use as material for their polemics.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

In Jewish counting, eight days are a week later, today, and the disciples were still in the locked room. Rather than bursting forth into into Jerusalem, they still took counsel of their fears. Many times the difficulties last weeks, years, and they trouble us. When we find the peace of God in the midst of those times, we look back with satisfaction and realize how we were being trained in spiritual values from the Scriptures.

Instead of berating them, Jesus said again, "Peace be unto you."

The time after the Resurrection was used by Jesus to train His followers in the meaning of Passion Week and the empty grave. In 1 Corinthians 15, the witnesses numbered over 500. They were the backbone of the apostolic church and its preaching. This church was built on the Word alone - they had nothing else.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

I agree this is best understood as a command, not as a suggestion. Making a demand of God can mean seeing it answered literally. This is what Thomas ordered to remove his doubts. We would have said, "How dare you! You were hiding when I was dying." Instead, Thomas got strong medicine for his doubts and demands, and it had an immediate effect.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

This is the great blessing for believers - Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Faith is not great because "someone believes hard enough," but because is so great He expands far behind what we can even imagine, let alone ask.

This faith is the victory of the world, seeking spiritual blessings rather than material blessings, inner peace rather than outer peace.

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The continuous ministry of the Christian Church is to preach and teach the Gospel of forgiveness through Christ. Through this unique gift from God, we have peace and comfort, in the midst of turmoil.

Luther:

29. But for the absolution to be right and efficacious, it must spring from the command of Christ, which is as follows: I declare thee free from all thy sins, not in my own name, nor in the name of any saint, nor for the sake of any human merit, but in the name of Christ and by the authority of his command, who has commissioned me to say to you that all your sins are forgiven, hence, not I but he himself by his own mouth forgives thee thy sins, and thou art under obligation to receive this and believe it firmly, not as the word of man, but as if thou hadst heard it from the lips of the Lord Christ himself.

30. Therefore, although this power to forgive sins belongs to God only, we should nevertheless know that he exercises and imparts this power through this external office, to which Christ has called his apostles, and commands them to proclaim in his name forgiveness of sins to all who desire it. Sins, are forgiven, therefore, not by human will and power, but by the command of Christ, for this purpose he then also sends the Holy Spirit, namely, in order to forgive sins.

31. God also does this for our welfare, so that we need not look up to heaven in vain, when we receive it not, and be compelled to say as St. Paul does, when he quotes Moses: “Who shall ascend unto heaven?” etc. But he does this that we may have the assurance of it, he has placed the forgiveness of sins in the public office and the Word, in order that we may continually have it with us, upon our lips and in our hearts. There we shall find absolution and forgiveness, and we know that where we hear this message proclaimed to us by the command of Christ we are bound to believe it as if it were announced to us by Christ himself.