Collected Sermons, St Philip and St James
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPONUPON THE GOSPELL ON THE FEAST OF S. PHILIP AND IAMES.
Iohn 14.
Verſe 1. IEſus ſaid vntounto his diſciples: Let not your heart be troubled: ye beleeue in God, beleeue alſo in me.
2. In my Fathers houſe are manie dwelling places: if it were not ſo, I would hauehave tould you: I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come againe, and receiue you vntounto my ſelfe, that where I am, there may ye be alſo.
4. And whither I go, ye know, and the waye ye knowe.
5. Thomas ſaid vntounto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goeſt, how can we then knowe the waye?
6. Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, I am the Waie, the Truth, and the Life. No man commeth vntounto the Father but by me.
7. If ye had knowne me, ye ſhould hauehave knowne my Father alſo: and from hence forth ye know him, and hauehave ſeene him.
8. Philippe ſaid vntounto him, Lord, ſhew vsus thy Father, and it ſuffiſeth vsus.
9. Ieſus ſaid vntounto him: HaueHave I bin ſo long time with you, and haſt thou not knowne me? Philip, he that hath ſeene me, hath ſeene my Father: how then ſayeſt thou, Shewe vsus thy Father?
10. Beleeueſt thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The wordes that I ſpeake vntounto you, I ſpeake not of my ſelfe, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the workes.
11. Beleeue me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me: at the leaſt beleeue me for the verie workes ſake.
12. Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, he that beleeueth in me, the workes that I do, he ſhall do alſo, and greater then theſe ſhalhe do: for I go vntounto my Father.
13. And whatſoeuer ye aske in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne.
14. If ye ſhall aske any thing in my name, I will doe it.
The ſumme of this Goſpell.
1 IN this Goſpell is contained a comfort againſt offence that tempteth vsus through the croſſe and perſecution.
2 Without the merit of Chriſt no man commeth to glorie. Therefore he ſayth: In my Fathers houſe are many dwelling places. For many are elect frō euerlaſting of God the Father, which notwithſtanding can not come vntounto glorie without Chriſt.
3 The Diſciples beleeued in Chriſt, yet did they not vnderſtād, that he ſhould come vntounto glorie by death. Wherein we muſt marke, that fayth being vnperfect in the Apoſtles and Diſciples of Chriſt, is a comfort vntounto vsus, if we reſt vponupon the foundation Chriſt.
4 In Philip we ſee a verie groſſe fayth, for he will ſee and know by experience. Wherefore Chriſt ſayth: If ye will not beleeue my wordes, at the laſt beleeue the workes, that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
5 Theſe wordes: I ſay vntounto you, he that beleeueth in me, the workes that I do, he shall do alſo, &c. ſhew that Chriſt ſhall reigne in vsus, when he is glorified with the Father.
6 And thus we ſee that in all this Goſpell, Chriſt requireth nothing els of them that be his, but fayth.
The expoſition of this Goſpell.
IN the beginning of this Goſpell Chriſt declareth wherefore he came, and what office he executeth, which is properly the preaching of the Goſpell: to wit, that he is he which prepareth dwelling places with the Father, and wil when he commeth againe, receiue vsus vntounto himſelfe. Moreouer he ſayth, that he is the way, the truth, and the life, which he afterward more plainly expreſſeth when he ſayth: No man commeth vntounto the Father but by me. Alſo when he ſayth: If ye had knowne me, ye should hauehave knowne my Father alſo. Hereunto moreouer pertaineth that which he ſayth vntounto Philip: He that hath ſeene me, hath ſeene my Father. This is the chiefe and the greateſt thing in this Goſpell, vntounto which all are to be referred. Hereof we ought to learne, that we are not iuſtified by our owne ſtrength, neither ſaued by our owne merits, but are ſanctified by ye ſpirit of Chriſt, and ſaued by grace, & that Chriſt is the way leading to ſaluation.
We will diſcuſſe and examine this Goſpell throughout, as God ſhall giuegive vsus grace. Theſe wordes the Lord ſpake vntounto his Diſciples after his Supper, when he was now about to depart from them. Foraſmuch as he had ſaid many thinges vntounto them of his departure and paſſion, they were after a ſort troubled and terrified, wherefore the Lord beginneth louingly to comfort thē, ſaying: Let not your heart be troubled. As if he would ſay: I perceiue that my departure dothe grieue you, and that ye are therefore troubled: But ſeeing it can not be otherwiſe, be not diſcomforted, there is no cauſe why ye ſhould therefore be troubled, I will come againe vntounto you. Notwithſtanding ye ſhall ſee many thinges in me before, whereat ye wilbe offended, they ſhal crucifie me and vnworthely handle me. But be not ye troubled becauſe of theſe thinges, be not afrayde, it wilbe better ſhortly after, the will of the Father is ſuch. Howbeit fleſh can not do otherwiſe but be offended, if it ſeeth Chriſt to be crucified, it byandby reuolteth from him, it beleeueth him not neither counteth him for a Sauiour. Which alſo it doth, when it ſeeth holy men ſuffer perſecution, to be afflicted and tormented, for then it thinketh that God hath no care of them. Againſt this offence Chriſt aforehand confirmeth his Diſciples, and ſayth: Ye beleeue in God, beleeue alſo in me. That is, ye beleeue that God loueth you and will glorifie you, beleeue that he will do it after that ſort, that ye ſee me glorified, and beleeue that this my death is life, to the glorifying both of me, and of my whole body, that is, of all Chriſtians, and that this death ſatiſfieth for the ſynnes of the world, as the Apoſtles afterward witneſſed of him in their writinges.1. Iohn 2.2. Thus Iohn ſayth: Chriſt is the reconciliation for our ſynnes: and not for ours onelyonly, but alſo for the ſynnes of the whole worlde. Wherefore thou ſeeſt that Chriſt here will hauehave heartes confirmed by faith, and by no other outward thinge. He ſayth moreouer:
In my Fathers houſe are many dwelling places. Theſe dwelling places hauehave bin prepared from euerlaſting, neither is there any neede that they ſhould be prepared of him. Why therefore doth he ſay: I go to prepare a place for you? This is nothinge els but that he goeth and is made Lord of all, whereby he may prepare vsus vntounto ſuch dwelling places. For as long as we are not prepared, neither are the dwelling places prepared for vsus, although they be ready by themſelues. Wherefore Chriſt meaneth thus much: There are dwelling places, but not yet prepared rightly and as they muſt be. Howbeit then ſhal they be rightly prepared and appointed, whē as I hauehave taken away the kingdome of death by my death, and am now gone to reigne, and that by the holy Ghoſt: which by fayth ſhall prepare and wholy make ready you alſo vntounto ſuch dwelling places. So that this is the ſimple and plaine meaning of theſe wordes: There are dwelling places, to wit, where the Father glorifieth, but thoſe dwelling places are not yet prepared, for that the kingdome of death is not yet taken away. This Chriſt ſignifieth when he ſayth:
If it were not ſo I would hauehave told you: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come againe, and receiue you vntounto my ſelfe, that where I am, there may ye be alſo. In theſe wordes the Lord declareth how theſe dwelling places be prepared, namely, by the death of Chriſt as it is ſayde, by which he came vntounto glorie, and ruleth ouer all thinges, which are in heauen and earth. By which death he hath obtayned the holy Ghoſt for vsus, which as is before ſayde, may prepare vsus vntounto theſe dwelling places. For through his operation and working in vsus, he maketh vsus beleeue the Goſpell, by which beleeuing or faith we are prepared. Which could not be done if Chriſt ſhould not depart and dye, and ſo poſſeſſe a kingdome ouer all. This therefore is the ſumme of this text: They are foreſeene, whome the Father will glorifie, but they can not be glorified but by Chriſt, who vnles he take away death and ſinne, all ſhall be in vaine. Here thou ſeeſt that all tend vntounto this, that Chriſt is he which prepareth the dwelling places, and that we can not be glorified but by Chriſt, ſo that the whole drift of this text is, that we are not iuſtified by mans ſtrength, nor by our owne merits, but by Chriſt, which the whole Epiſtle to the Romanes effectually declareth, as alſo that which is written to the Galathians, & almoſt all that Paule doth in his Epiſtles, tendeth to the ſame ende. It followeth moreouer:
And whither I goe ye knowe, and the way ye knowe. For ye beleeue in me, and hauehave ſhewed ſignes in my name, whereby ye ought nowe to be certaine who I am, and what I doe, and wherefore I am come. Ye hauehave alſo ſeene and heard the teſtimonie of the Father of me. Wherefore ye may nowe knowe that the Father will glorifie me, and beleeue that I and the Father are one, it ſhoulde be therefore ſuperfluous to ſpeake more of theſe thinges. But the Diſciples albeit they were well inſtructed of the Lorde him ſelfe, and had ſeene his miracles, yea and they them ſelues alſo had preached the Goſpell and wrought miracles, were notwithſtanding as yet ſomewhat groſſe in vnderſtanding, neither did they perceiue whereof he here ſpake, and what was that way, and whither the Lorde did prepare to depart. Wherefore Thomas burſteth forth into open wordes and confeſſeth freely, that he is ignorant hereof, and ſayth thus vntounto the Lord: Lord we knowe not whither thou goeſt: hovve can we then knovve the vvay? Here ye heare and ſee, that albeit there was faith in the Diſciples, notwithſtanding they were not as yet perſuaded that Chriſt ſhoulde be crucified, and by his death ſhoulde enter into his kingdome, and that the ſame kingdom ſhould be ſpirituall, which they did not vnderſtand euen after the reſurrection of the Lord:Act. 1.6. Lorde, ſay they, wilt thou at this time reſtore the kingdom to Iſraell? Thoſe good men were as yet perſuaded, that it ſhould be a carnall & worldly kingdom. Such groſſe things may here and there be found in the Goſpels, by meanes whereof the Diſciples did ſometime notably ſtumble and erre.Comfort for them that be weake in faith and ſometime through infirmitie fall. All which were committed to writing for our comfort & confirmation, that we ſhould not be by and by diſcouraged, when we hauehave ſometime ſtumbled in faith, and can not at the firſt apply our ſelues to the workes and word of the Lorde. If this happened to theſe great mē, which afterward ſhoulde become pillers of Chriſtianitie, there is no cauſe truely that any ſhould meruell, if we alſo ſometime faint in faith, yea, and let no man be afrayd, although it falleth out that ſometime through infirmitie he ſo doe. It is the worke and matter of the Lorde, he will amend theſe thinges when it ſeemeth good vntounto him.
Now of the wordes we mind to entreate ſomewhat at large. Not much before, when Chriſt would confirme his Diſciples in faith, he promiſed them that they ſhould be glorified. Here he addeth and declareth how and by what meanes they muſt be glorified, affirming that that muſt be by his departure, that is, by his death, & that by that meane he muſt obtaine his kingdome. This he had often repeated vntounto them, ſo that now it did become them to know and vnderſtand it. Therefore he ſayth: VVhither I goe ye know, and the way ye knowe, but they did not yet throughly vnderſtand it, as the wordes of Thomas doe declare. Now, it is certaine that there was faith in the Diſciples, which the wordes of Peter proue, who aunſwered Chriſt in ſteede of the reſt, when he aſked them, whether they alſo would goe away: Peter ſayd: Maiſter to whom shall we goe? Ioh. 6.68.Thou haſt the wordes of eternall life: and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Chriſt the Sonne of the liuing God. This appeareth alſo by the wordes of the Lord, which he had ſayd to them a litle before at his ſupper: Ye are cleane, which he would not hauehave ſayd, if they had not beleued: they knewe Chriſt therefore that he is the way to the Father. So they knew the Father alſo, for that they had ſeene the miracles whereby he gaue teſtimonie of the Sonne, and had heard the voyce of the Father from heauen: This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleaſed, heare him. All theſe thinges did greatly increaſe faith in the Diſciples hearts, notwithſtanding they did not yet vnderſtand, what they ſhould doe, and what ende concerning the matters of Chriſt was to be hoped for.
Set before you an example hereof in Abraham. Although in faith a ſonne was conceiued vntounto him, neuertheles he was yet ignorant, that he muſt be offered: Neither did faith manifeſtly ſhew it ſelfe, when a ſonne was giuen vntounto him. So was it alſo with the Diſciples: although they had faith, notwithſtanding they wanted as yet triall of their faith: Now nothing trieth faith better then the croſſe and perſecution. If Abraham had not bene commaunded to offer his ſonne, he had had no triall of his faith. When as the Apoſtles did ſuffer perſecution, they then had a taſt and triall of their faith. As longe as we may liue without tentation, we thinke that we are endued with a ſtrong faith, but if any aduerſitie commeth to vsus on any ſide, we byandby trie what faith we reſted vponupon. Wherfore S. Paul ſayth Rom. 5: VVe reioyce in tribulations, knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience, & patience experience, & experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed. After the ſame ſort Salomon alſo ſayth in the Prouerbs: As ſiluer is fined, and golde tryed in the fornace, Pro. 17.3.ſo doth the Lord trie the harts. Such a triall is made by ye croſſe and perſecution, when we are as it were crucified according to our old Adam, by which crucifying our faith is tried, and according to this trial of faith our fleſh mortified, the ſpirit encreaſing in the knowledge of Chriſt. And then is our fleſh truely mortified, when we ſuffer the will of God to beare rule in vsus, which is then done when we ſubmit our ſelues to his will howſoeuer he dealeth with vsus, renouncing our owne. This S. Paule will hauehave vsus to doe, when he ſayth thus Rom. 12: I beſeech you brethren by the mercies of God, that ye giuegive vp your bodies a liuing ſacrifice, holy, acceptable vntounto God, which is your reaſonable ſeruing of God. And fashiō not your ſelues like vntounto this world, but be ye chaunged by the renuing of your minde, that ye may proue what that good, and acceptable, and perfect vvil of God is.
When Thomas thus confeſſeth that he is ignorant whither the Lord goeth, neither knoweth the way, the Lord doth not rebuke him with a ſterne countenance, neither by and by caſteth him of, nor driueth him frō him, he calleth him not either a groſſe aſſe or oxe, as we are wont to handle the weake, but aunſwering him very gently,Chriſt the way, the truth, and the life. ſayth: I am the vvay, the truth, and the life. I, ſayth the Lord, am the way, by which the father is gone vntounto, albeit I be ſlayne: I cary them that beleeue and are my ſheepe, on my ſhoulders to the Father: no other way beſide this leadeth vntounto heauen. He that walketh not this way, goeth out of the way from the Father. I alſo am the truth. For I am the light which lightneth the worlde, and I teach true doctrine, and make true Chriſtians. Moreouer, I alſo am the life, for it is I that quicken, he that beleeueth in me ſhall not dye. This, as I ſayd before, is to teach the Goſpell rightly, that is, to ſhew the true and right way, which leadeth vntounto eternall life. When the Diſciples knew not the way that leadeth vntounto glory, the Lorde making no delay, affirmeth vntounto them that he is that way. As if he ſhould ſay: If ye deſire to know the way to glory, ſeeke not the ſtrength, light, and righteouſnes of creatures, but looke vntounto me: for I am the way, the truth, and the life, although I muſt be put to death, although I am vile and of no reputation according to the outward appearance: neither let this offend you, that they which be mine, are ſubiect to perſecutions. The right way to the father is found in me, let none remoue you from this perſwaſion. Therefore he ſayth moreouer:
No man commeth vntounto the Father but by me. As if he ſhould ſay: No man can come to the Father by his owne ſtrength or merits: The lawe terrifieth the conſcience that it can not goe to the Father: the word of Chriſt, which iuſtifieth vsus by the righteouſnes of Chriſt, bringeth vsus to the Father. Whereupon followeth that which he afterward ſayth:
If ye had knovvne me, ye should hauehave knovvne my Father alſo. For as no man commeth to the Father, but by the Sonne, ſo no man knoweth the Father but by Chriſt the Sonne. Firſt the Fathers will is not knowne, to wit, that he wil ſaue vsus, vnles we ſee it in Chriſt. He which is in the boſom of the Father, hath reuealed it vntounto vsus. Secondly the Father is not beleeued. For reaſon by it ſelfe doth not vnderſtand, that it receiueth any thing of God. Wherefore it is needefull that Chriſt declare that bountifulnes and goodnes vntounto vsus. A troubled conſcience flieth the Father, neither can it abide to commit it ſelf vntounto him. But they that are iuſtified by the word of Chriſt, do not any more contemne the Father, neither flie him, as the Iſraelites did, but ſtande before him as Moſes, and are enlightened with diuine light, that they may know the power of God and merciemercy of the Father. Hereupon commeth truſt and confidence in him: hereby we knowe that we receiue all thinges at his handes, and looke for all as well ſpiritual as corporal things of him. All theſe we muſt acknowledge to be receiued by faith, reaſon can not attaine vntounto them. For it endeuoureth to obtaine God by her owne ſtrength and merits, but that endeuour is in vaine. Wherefore when it is not able to come to the knowledge of God by her owne ſtrength, it vtterly denieth God, and ſayth that there is no God. After when it ſeeth vncleannes in her workes, it deſpeireth, and is in moſt great diſtres. But when we are iuſtified by fooliſh preaching, we come to the knowledge of God the Father, as ſoone as we beleeue the word of Chriſt, and ſo we trie the power of the Father in afflictions and aduerſities, although they be euen great. This was ſhadowed forth in that, that the people of Iſraell could not abide to heare the voice of God, but deſired that Moſes might ſpeake vntounto them. Where Chriſt alſo was figured, that he ſhould make interceſſion for vsus to the Father, and be our mercy ſeat. For nature is more weake & fraile, then that it can abide to talke with God. Wherefore he hath giuen vntounto vsus this his Sonne a Mediatour, in whom and by whom we muſt hauehave to doe with him. When as the Lord ſo louingly and gently dealeth with Thomas, and ſheweth vntounto him, howe he muſt come to the Father, to wit, by the Sonne, and that the Father is knowne in the Sonne, there doth yet happen a groſſer thing in Philip, who burſteth forth and will not be content with faith, but will knowe the thinge aſſuredly by feeling and ſeeing. Wherefore he ſayth vntounto the Lord:
Lord, shew vsus thy Father, and it ſufficeth vsus. As though he would ſay, if thou wilt alſo ſhew vntounto vsus a ſigne, then will we beleeue. Philip counteth it not ſufficient to beleeue the worde, but goeth about to come to the knowledge of the Father by an other meanes then by the word. For ſeing that reaſon can not beleeue, he requeſteth to be certified by an other meanes and way. By the interrogation therfore of Chriſt that followeth it is ſhewed, that the conſcience is made certaine and quiet by no other thing, then by faith, for that we muſt cleaue to the bare worde, and looke for no other ſigne. But Philip thought here that he ſhould be much more certified, if he did ſee the Father, then if he beleeued the ſimple and bare word. This incredulitie Chriſt reproueth ſomewhat ſharpely, and ſayth:
HaueHave I bene ſo long time with you, & haſt thou not knowne me? As though he ſhould ſay: I teach and preach, and yet thou knoweſt me not. Dooſt thou not knowe that the Father will be knowne by me, that my word is the worde and power of the Father, by which alone he will be knowne, and by nothing els? For thou haſt heard the voice of the Father from heauen after this ſort: This is my beloued Sonne, in whome I am well pleaſed, heare him. Dooſt thou not yet vnderſtande howe the Father is knowne? The Father is not ſeene with carnall eyes, as Iohn in his firſt chapter ſayth:Ioh. 1.18. No man hath ſeene God at any time: the onelyonly begotten Sonne, which is in the boſom of the Father, he hath declared him. Wherefore the Lord ſayth to Philip: Philip, he that hath ſeene me, hath ſeene the Father. This ſaying is like vntounto that former when he ſayth: If ye had knowne me, ye should hauehave knowne my Father alſo. That is, foraſmuch as the Father will be knowne by me, ſeeke no other way to knowe him, but beleue my word, that I am he, which ſheweth vntounto you the Father, and will make you to know him in me. Beleeue that by me thou haſt acceſſe to the Father, by this meanes thou ſhalt knowe the Father, by faith thou ſhalt vnderſtande the power and merciemercy of the Father, and ſhalt feele him to be comfortable and gracious. The Father will hauehave my word to be beleeued, and them that beleeue it, to be ſaued and obtaine eternall life. Seeing therefore that theſe thinges be thus, that we can not know the Father but in the Sonne, and when we know the Sonne, we know alſo the Father: the Lord ſayth moreouer vntounto Philip:
How then ſayeſt thou: Shewe vsus thy Father? Beleeueſt thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? As if he would ſay: Foraſmuch as there is no other way to know the Father, but that which I hauehave ſhewed, why I pray thee, dooſt thou not beleeue my wordes, ſeeing that I hauehave taught that I am the way, the truth, and the life? Dooſt thou not beleeue that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Beleeueſt thou not that my diuinitie and the diuinitie of the Father is one? and that the Father will be knowne by me? But why is the Father knowne by the knowledge of the Sonne? euen therefore, for that the Sonne is in the Father, and the Father in the Sonne. For the word by which the Sonne is knowne, is the power of the Sonne and of the Father. Wherefore ſeing the Sonne is knowne by his word, it neceſſarily followeth, that the father alſo is knowne thereby.
Beleeue me, that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me: at the leaſt beleeue me for the very works ſake. Here he doth as it were appeale to workes, that they may giuegive teſtimonie of the word. As if he ſhould ſay: Seeing that ye can not be content to beleeue the word, at the leaſt beleeue the ſignes which beare witnes of the word, and whereby the Father hath giuen teſtimonie of me. For the works and ſignes are teſtimonies of the word. By theſe words Chriſt meaneth nothing els but to confirme the conſciences of his Diſciples, and of all vsus againſt the offence of the croſſe. For conſciences wil know and not beleeue the bare words of God, but doe alwayes dout and ſay: What if God careth not for thee? and hauehave ſuch like cogitations. Holy & godly men ſeeme for the moſt part to be neglected, as abiects and moſt contemptible men, inaſmuch as the world according to the will & luſt thereof, rageth and practizeth tyrannie againſt them, and doth almoſt what it liſt. Hereupon they are in anguiſh & in daunger of faith, & deſire to know the will of God toward them. Theſe Chriſt comforteth, that they may ſeeke no other comfort but in him and in his death, and beleue that he is life, that he beareth rule, and maketh aliue them that be dead. And that they ſhould nothing dout hereof, he maketh them yet more certaine, and ſayth:
Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, he that beleeueth in me, the vvorkes that I doe, he shall doe alſo, and greater then theſe shall he doe. As if he ſhould ſay: Dout not any thing but that ye ſhall know the Father by me, and that my word is the power of God, & that by my word ye ſhal be ſuſtained, although I be euen crucified. Ye ſhall hauehave triall hereof in your ſelues, for if ye beleeue in me, ye ſhall not onelyonly worke ſuch workes and ſhew ſuch ſignes as I doe, but euen greater. Which came to paſſe after the aſcention of Chriſt, when the Apoſtles wrought greater miracles as well among the Iewes as Gentiles, then Chriſt him ſelfe. But what is the cauſe hereof? The Lord him ſelfe addeth it ſaying:
For I goe vntounto my Father. That is, I will begin a kingdom, where I will fulfill all thinges. Here the Lord annexeth the concluſion of all the queſtions and conſolations going before. For a litle before Chriſt had taught, that the Father is known by him, and that is becauſe he is in the Father, he therefore is ſhewed by that worde, by which the Father is ſhewed. But that he might confirme this, to wit, that his worde is the power of the Father, he added and ſayd: He that beleeueth in me, the works that I do, he shall doe alſo. That is, by faith in me ye alſo ſhall doe thoſe works, and know that my word is the vertue and power of God. But why doth he ſay: I goe to the Father? I aunſwere: Becauſe Chriſt is in the Father, therefore doth he the workes of the Father, but we doe them not alſo therefore, but for that Chriſt who is in the Father, is now in vsus. For to goe to the Father is to fulfill all thinges, & as Paule according to the ſaying of the Pſalme declareth, to giuegive giftes vntounto men, to lighten and to ſanctifie. For this is the kingdom of Chriſt, whereby he reigneth in earth in the hartes of the beleeuers, and ſitteth vponupon the throne of his Father Dauid. The Lord alſo ſpeaketh theſe wordes: I goe to the Father, to comfort his Diſciples. For as he did before beginne to confirme them, that they ſhould not be troubled and offended, although he ſhould dye, but courageouſly cleaue to him, and beleue in him: So here he promiſeth them that they ſhall be glorified, for he goeth to the Father, who ſhall deliuer all thinges into his handes, that he may mightely obtaine a kingdom ouer all things that are in heauen and earth. Wherefore they ought nothing at all to feare. He yet comforteth them more and ſayth:
And whatſoeuer ye aske in my name, that will I doe. As if he ſhould ſay: As ſoone as I come to the Father, there is no cauſe why ye ſhould be carefull. For thoſe thinges that ye hauehave neede of and aſke, ye ſhall obtaine, I wil doe this for you, becauſe I obtaine a kingdom. And he peculiarly addeth, in my Name, whereby he excludeth all our merits. For by Chriſt we are heard, as alſo in Chriſt we are loued, by whom alſo we are Prieſtes, as Peter ſayth, to offer vp ſpirituall ſacrifices, and acceptable to God. All theſe thinges ſayth Chriſt, I will doe for this cauſe:
That the Father may be glorified in the Sonne. The Father is then glorified, when glorie is giuen and aſcribed vntounto him, not vntounto vsus. That is, whē we acknowledge ye we are ſaued not by our owne merits, not by our owne wiſedom and righteouſnes, but do put our truſt in his merciemercy. For he hath giuen his Sonne for our ſinnes, and whatſoeuer we purpoſe to aſke, we muſt aſke it by this Sonne, and we ſhall obtaine it. Wherfore he repeateth theſe wordes, and ſayth:
If ye shall aſke any thing in my Name, I will doe it. Theſe wordes tend to this ende, that he may make vsus certainely beleue his wordes, and cleaue vntounto him. This therefore is the ſumme of this concluſion: He biddeth his Diſciples and vsus therefore beleeue, for that he goeth to reigne. Before he affirmeth, that he wil ſhew forth a ſigne and teſtimonie of his kingdom, & ſo reigne, that he will declare a notable token of his gouernment, that we may feele and perceiue it: to wit, that he will doe ſo great works by vsus, as he him ſelfe hath done, yea and greater alſo. Alſo, that he will heare vsus when we pray, and whatſoeuer we pray for vntounto the Father in his name. By theſe promiſes the hart muſt be confirmed & made courageous againſt the gates of hell. For Chriſt reigneth by his word, wherefore it is needefull that we exactly know the vertue of the word: for the kingdom of Chriſt is the power & vertue of God. Theſe things I thought good to entreat of concerning this Goſpell: Let vsus call vponupon God for the ayde of his grace, that we may be able to vnderſtand them, & by them to ſtrengthen our weake faith. *** *
FINIS.
End of the text · Martin Luther, Collected Sermons (1578)