Collected Sermons, Resurrection
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE FRVTE AND VERTVE OF CHRIST HIS RESVRRECTION.
WE hauehave heard in the treatiſe of the Lordes paſſion,It is not enough to know the hiſtorie of Chriſtes paſſion and reſurrection, but the vſe and frute of them muſt be preached and knowen that it is not ſufficient to know onelyonly the bare hiſtorie thereof. After the ſame maner it is not enough here to know, how and when Chriſt roſe againe, but both the vſe and the profit as well of his paſſion as of his reſurrection muſt be preached and knowne, to wit, what Chriſt obtained for vsus by them. For where the onelyonly deede of the hiſtorie is preached, it is a friuolous preaching and without all frute, which both Satan and the wicked doe as well know, reade, and vnderſtand, as we doe. But when as the vſe of them is preached, and whereunto they profit, that in deede is a frutefull and wholſom Sermon, and full of ſweete conſolation. Wherefore Chriſt him ſelfe hath declared the vſe and profit of his paſſion and reſurrection, when he thus talked with the women Matth. 28: Be not afraid: Goe and tell my brethren that they goe into Galile, and there shal they ſee me. And this is the firſt word, which they heare of Chriſt after his reſurrection from the dead, whereby he confirmeth all his ſayinges, alſo all his benefits ſhewed vntounto them before, to wit that they ſhould come vntounto vsus alſo that ſhould beleue in him, and pertaine onelyonly to the beleuers, for that here he calleth not onelyonly the Apoſtles his brethren, but alſo all them which beleue in him, although they doe not ſee him viſibly as the Apoſtles did. He doth not differre vntill we pray vntounto him and call vppon him, that we may be made his brethren. Let any of vsus now come forth, and boaſt of his merit, or of the ſtrength, whereby he is able to merit any thing.The Apoſtles merited nothing at all, that Chriſt should call them his brethren. What had the Apoſtles merited? Peter denied Chriſt thriſe. All the reſt of the Diſciples did flie away from him, they did perſeuer and ſtand by him, euen as the hare tarieth with her yong ones, he might hauehave called them runawayes, and forſakers of their ſtanding in the middeſt of their conflict, yea traitors and wicked men, rather then brethren. Wherefore of meere grace and mercy this worde was brought vntounto them of the Matrones, which the Apoſtles themſelues did then well perceiue, and we alſo doe throughly feele, when we are ſet in the middes of ſinnes, and are ouercome of damnation.
This word therefore is ful of all conſolation and comfort, that Chriſt careth for ſuch wretched men as we are, yea and that he doth call vsus his brethren. If ſo be that Chriſt be our brother, ſurely I would fayne know what good thing we ſhall want. As therfore the caſe ſtandeth among carnall brethren, ſo doth it ſtand here. They that are germane brethren by conſanguinitie, do vſe goods common among them ſelues, hauing the ſame father, the ſame inheritance, otherwiſe they were not brethren. So we alſo poſſeſſe common good thinges with Chriſt, enioying the ſame father, the ſame inheritance, which inheritance is not diminiſhed by parting it, as worldly inheritances are, but is alwayes made more aboundant: for it is a ſpirituall inheritance. A corporall inheritance, when it is diſtributed into diuers parts, is made ſmaller, but in this portion of the ſpirit, the caſe is ſuch, that he that hath gotten part thereof hath obtained the whole.The inheritance of Chriſt. What is therfore the inheritance of Chriſt? In his power are life and death, ſinne and grace, and whatſoeuer is contained in heauen and in earth, his are eternall veritie, ſtrength, wiſedom, righteouſnes. All power is giuen vntounto him, he hath rule ouer all thinges, ouer hunger and thirſt, proſperitie and aduerſitie, &c. he reigneth ouer all thinges that can be thought, whether they be in heauen or in earth, ſpirituall or corporall, and that I may ſpeake at once: all thinges are in his power, as well eternall thinges as temporall. Now if I ſhall cleaue vntounto him by faith,What they enioy that cleaue to Chriſt by faith. I ſhall be made partaker of all his good thinges, and ſhall not obtayne a part of the inheritance onelyonly, but I ſhall poſſeſſe euen with him euerlaſting wiſedom, eternall ſtrength. My belly ſhall not be grieued with hunger, ſinnes ſhall not oppreſſe me, neither ſhall I be afraid of the face of death, neither ſhall I dread the ſight of Satan, neither ſhall I want the plenty of any thing that is good, euen as he wanteth it not. Hereby now we may eaſily vnderſtand the ſayinges vttered commonly in the Prophets, & eſpecially in the Pſalmes, as where Dauid ſayth Pſal. 34: The Lions doe lacke and ſuffer hunger, but they that feare the Lorde shall want no maner of thing that is good: and where he ſayth in an other place: The Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous, and their inheritance shall endure for euer. They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the dayes of dearth they shall hauehave enough. And againe: I hauehave bene yonge and now am old, and yet ſaw I neuer the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeede begging bread. All which thinges Chriſt bringeth with him, for that we are, and are called his brethren, not becauſe of any merit but of meere grace. If we would print theſe things in our hart, yt we might throughly feele them, it ſhould goe well with vsus, but they goe in at one eare and out at an other. This is that wherof S. Paule ſo greatly glorieth Rom. 8. As many as are led by the ſpirit of God, they are the ſonnes of God. For ye hauehave not receiued the ſpirit of bondage to feare againe: but ye hauehave receiued the ſpirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father: The ſame ſpirit beareth witnes with our ſpirit, that we are the children of God: if we be children, we are alſo heires, euen the heires of God, and heires annexed with Chriſt, if ſo be that we ſuffer with him, that we may alſo be glorified with him.
Moreouer this title aſcendeth ſo high, that mans mind is not able to comprehend it. For vnles the ſpirit the comforter did impart this grace vntounto vsus, no man ſhould euer be able to ſay: Chriſt is my brother. For reaſon can not be bold ſo to ſay, albeit one repeat it in wordes very often, as the new ſpirits doe. It is a higher thing then that it can be ſo ſpoken, for except the hart feele it, as it is requiſite it ſhould, it ſhall be nothing but onelyonly flatterie. But if thou feele it inwardly in thy hart, it will be ſo excellent a thing vntounto thee, that thou wilt much rather ſay nothing of it, then ſpeake and talke of it, yea by reaſon of the greatnes of ſo good a thinge, thou wilt perhaps dout as yet and be in an vncertaintye whether it be ſo or not. They which onelyonly cry out thus: Chriſt is my brother, are fanatical ſpirits, who vainly pronounce words without any frute. The caſe ſtandeth farre otherwiſe and farre more maruelouſly with a true Chriſtian, ſo that he is thereby enforced to be amaſed, neither dareth he either ſay or confeſſe any thing ſufficiently thereof. Wherefore we muſt endeuour, that we doe not heare this onelyonly with fleſhly eares, but that we feele it in our hart, for then we will not be ſo raſh, but we ſhall be forthwith caried into an admiration thereof. True and ſincere Chriſtians enter into the viewing and feare of them ſelues, thinking thus: O wretched and defiled creature, which am drowned in ſinnes, am I now made worthy, that the ſonne of God ſhould be my brother? how doe I miſerable wretch attayne to ſuch a thing? Thus he is by and by aſtonied, and doth not well vnderſtand the thing. But a great ſtudie and endeuour ſurely is required, that a man may beleue this, yea if it were felt, as it ought in very deede, a mā ſhould forthwith dye thereupon. For he can not vnderſtand it according to his fleſh and blood, and the hart of man in this life is more narrow and ſtraight, then that it is able to comprehend ſo great thinges. But in death, when the hart ſhall be ſtretched out, then I ſay we ſhall trie what we hauehave heard by the word.
In the Goſpel of Iohn chap. 20. Chriſt doth farre more plainly declare vntounto Marie Magdalen this vſe and frute both of his death and alſo of his reſurrection, when he ſayth: Goe vntounto my brethren and tell them: I aſcende vntounto my father and your father, vntounto my God & your God, this is one of the moſt comfortable places whereof we may glory and boaſt. As though Chriſt ſhould ſay: Marie, get thee hence and declare vntounto my Diſciples which did flee from me, which hauehave throughly deſerued puniſhment and eternall condemnation, that this reſurrection of myne is for their good, that is, yt I hauehave by my reſurrection brought the matter to that paſſe, that my father is their father, and my God is their God. They are but a fewe & verie ſhort wordes in deede but they containe great matter in them, namely, that we hauehave as great hope & confidence repoſed in God, as his owne ſonne him ſelfe. Who can comprehend ſuch exceeding ioye, I will not ſay, vtter it? that a wretched and defiled ſinner may be bolde to call God his father & his God euen as Chriſt him ſelfe. The author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrues chap. 2. did well remember the wordes of the Pſalme, and weied with him ſelfe how it ſpeaketh of Chriſt, who, as he ſayth, is not aſhamed to call the beleeuers, brethren, ſaying: I will declare thy name vntounto my brethren, in the middeſt of the Church or congregation will I ſing prayſes to thee.
If any worldly Prince or noble man ſhould humble him ſelfe ſo low, that he would ſay to a theefe or robber, or to one that is infected with the french pocks: thou art my brother, it would be a certaine notable thing which eueryevery one would maruell at. But whereas this king which ſitteth in glory at the right hand of his father, ſayth of ſome poore man: this is my brother, that no man layeth vp in the boſome of his breſt, neither doth any man conſider of it in his mind, wherein notwithſtanding our chiefe comfort and confidence conſiſteth againſt ſinne, death, the deuils, hell, the law, and againſt all ſiniſter ſucceſſe of thinges as well of the body as of the mind. Moreouer, foraſmuch as we are fleſh & blood, and therefore ſubiect to all kindes of aduerſitie, it followeth, that the caſe ſhould ſtand ſo alſo with our brother, otherwiſe he ſhould not be like vntounto vsus in all thinges. Wherefore, that he might be made conformable and like vntounto vsus,Chriſt like vntounto vsus in all thinges except ſinne he taſted and had experience of all things euen as we hauehave, ſinne only excepted, that he might be our true brother, and exhibite him ſelf openly vntounto vsus. Which the Epiſtle to the Hebrues doth liuely ſet forth chap. 2. where it ſayth: Foraſmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh & blood, he alſo him ſelfe likewiſe tooke part with them, that he might deſtroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the deuil, & that he might deliuer all thē, which for feare of death were all their life time ſubiect to bondage. For he tooke not on him the Angells nature, but he tooke on him the ſeede of Abraham. VVherefore in all thinges it behoued him, to be made like vntounto his brethren, that he might be mercifull, & a faithfull hie Prieſt in thinges concerning God, that he might make reconciliation for the ſinnes of the people. For in that he ſuffered and was tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted. The profit,The frute of Chriſtes paſſion and reſurrection. vſe and frute of the Lordes paſſion & reſurrection S. Paule hath gathered very briefly and as it were into one ſhort ſumme, when he ſayth Rom. 4: Chriſt was deliuered to death for our ſinnes, and is riſen againe for our iuſtification. Whereof thus much at this time ſhall ſuffize.