Second Sermon.
This is also a beautiful gospel, and deals with the most noble and main piece of doctrine in Christianity, namely the article, how one becomes pious and righteous before God? And in it a beautiful spiritual play is held up to us, how in this matter the very best reason and the highest piety on earth starts with the right truth and spiritual nature. For this Nicodemus is greatly praised by the evangelist John, that he was great both in outward appearance before the world and also in beautiful life according to the law. For he was a ruler of the Jews, that is, a ruler of the government; also a Pharisee, that is, one of the most learned, for these were considered the wisest; also one of the most pious, for this sect was also considered the holiest. So that there is no fault or blame
*This following sermon has, instead of the previous one, the edition d. - It is the revision of a sermon from 1526, titled: "The Gospel on the First Sunday of the Trinity". Cf. Erl. A. 12, 427.
D. Red.
and you can't make him any bigger than that. According to the regiment he is the highest, according to the art the wisest, according to the life the holiest.
(2) Above all this there is a grace, that he hath air unto the Lord Christ: which was high above all three. The other rulers and Pharisees, the cleverest and holiest, persecuted Christ and gave him up to the devil, so that no one was allowed to rebel against him, or he had to be cast out of the council and banished; yet this one is so pious, loves Christ, and secretly goes to him to talk to him and show his love for him.
(3) For he must have been especially a paragon among the Pharisees, and a right pious man, as he naturally and according to the law could be, earnestly seeking the truth, and inquiring how and what was taught and preached; seeing also as a wise man that this Jesus must be a peculiar man, and moved by his miraculous works, to desire to hear him himself, and to speak with him of
to speak his doctrine. For he had undoubtedly heard and experienced how St. John the Baptist had preached a new sermon and baptism before him and proclaimed the coming Messiah, but had sharply and severely attacked and punished the Pharisees, just as he is doing now. Therefore he is moved to go to him, and to hear what it is that he teaches, and what it is that he punishes; for he, as a reasonable man, cannot think that in such a life and holiness according to the law, and in fine works, there should be anything to punish or reprove.
(4) Therefore he goes to Christ with these thoughts: He will be glad that he comes to him, and will do him gentle and good that such a great and excellent man, one of the highest and best, thus humbles himself and does him such honor as a lowly person that he goes after him and seeks friendship with him, which Christ was not allowed to provide for anyone. So he goes there in good humor, hoping that he will be welcome, very beautiful and well received, not worrying at all that he will be punished or mastered by him; but because he proves himself to be a good friend to him, he should in turn keep him honest and friendly. How again would it happen that a serious preacher would be moved and deceived by such a one, that he would allow himself to be tickled by such a good opinion, to hypocrite and caress him again.
Therefore he begins with these words: "Master, we know that you are a teacher come from God" etc. This is a great praise and testimony given to this preacher and his teaching, that it is from God, that is, the right truth and God's word; although he was not considered so by all the Pharisees and rulers, but rather for a spirit of the mob and a seducer, who, without and against the proper authority, appeared to hang the people on himself etc. But because he nevertheless brings a different doctrine than they have hitherto learned from the law, and attacks the Pharisees so severely, he is still upset because of this, that he desires to know what he teaches that is better or different. As if to say, "That your doctrine is not to be blamed nor punished, but must be right and godly, that is what you see.
and we know it well, and everyone who wants to bear witness to the truth must confess it; for the signs and wonders you perform prove it, which no one has ever done or can do. But what is it that you bring another doctrine and punish us? Are our teachings and deeds to be nothing? Or what do you have to punish us for? For we have the law of Moses, which is given by God; there is no doubt about it. Why then do you punish us, who practice with all diligence to keep and do such things, as if God had no pleasure in them and could not go to heaven with them, accepting instead tax collectors and other public sinners? What else should or can one teach or do that is more pleasing to God?
6 So you see that this Nicodemus' opinion and question, which he seeks from Christ, is nothing else than how to live rightly before God, or, as the apostles speak, to become righteous and to attain eternal life. To this, Christ gives him a short, meager answer, does not allow himself to be found at all in the way Nicodemus had been looking for him, first pushes him even harder before the head and strikes him back as with a thunderclap with these words, as he speaks:
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(7) This is a harsh text and an unkind answer to such a friendly greeting, for herewith he even knocks down everything that Nicodemus brings before him; indeed, what he does and lives destroys and condemns. You regard me, he will say, as one who may not punish your, the Pharisees, beautiful discipline and worship, and who can teach nothing better, that is, that I am no more than a teacher and master of human works; as you no longer think anything of your Messiah, nor do you wait, but of one who will praise, extol, protect and preserve your law and rule, and for the sake of it will set you in great honor and dominion. But I will tell you another thing, because you consider me to be a master who came from God, that you did not know before.
nor do you know: Dear Nicodeme, do not think that with your life and deeds, however beautiful and delicious they are, even according to the law, you will please God and be saved. For although it is true that God gave the law and requires it of you, you are not yet righteous before God. For it is two different things to have the law and to fulfill the law. It is far from being fulfilled when you outwardly do the works. It must be kept completely, body and soul and from the bottom of the heart, without all disobedience and sin. This you Pharisees and saints of works do not do, who only with outward holiness presume to pay God, and on the same go safely and presumptuously in false confidence, without fear of God, yes, with contempt of His wrath over sin; item, despise and condemn other people who do not esteem your holiness great and follow it.
(8) Therefore it is said lately, saith he, It is not and doeth not in the sight of God with your life and the life of all the Pharisees, yea, with the life and works of all men, which ye think to be holiness; there must be another thing, that a man may be born again, that is, even become another man, or else he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Then you hear what my teaching is, which you ask about; which does not teach against God's law, to dissolve it, but only makes you guilty of not keeping it, yes, not understanding it, who nevertheless pretend to be its master and think to fulfill it. Therefore, you think that I should also preach about the law as you do: if there is not enough of Moses, whom you presume to have kept, then let me show and bring a new and better doctrine of the law of good works; just as you add many other works of your own to God's law, as if you had already kept it.
(9) But I do not speak of new articles, laws, or works, for these are already many more than the law requires you to do and keep: but this is what I teach: you must become different people. My teaching is not about doing and not doing, but about becoming: that it means not having done a new work, but having become new before; not having lived differently, but having been born differently. It
do not put the doing before or next to the becoming, the fruits before or at the same time as the root; but the tree must first be new, and the root good and righteous, if the fruits and works are to become good otherwise; not the hand, foot, or the same work must be changed, but the person, that is, the whole man. Where this does not happen, no work is valid, and man cannot see God's kingdom, that is, he must remain damned under sin and eternal death.
(10) This is an unheard and strange sermon to this pious Nicodemus, and a harsh and sour answer to his good opinion, when he comes to the Lord, thinking that he is on the right path, and not thinking that he can or should condemn his good life and diligence in keeping the law, but that he should praise it as an example to others, or admonish him to continue in this way, or suggest other works that he should do. This he is willing to hear and do; so he hears that Christ rejects him altogether, and condemns all his holiness and good life, and so goes contrary. He praises Christ as a man of honor; then Christ goes to him and says: "You are again a shameful man. He honors Christ and calls him a master, coming from God; so Christ again says that both his teaching and life are false and already excluded from God's kingdom. For what else is it said in these words, but so much: Thou doest many good works, and thinkest thou art pious and blameless, that it should please God; but I tell thee, all that thou hast ever lived and done, or can live and do, is lost and condemned before God, and not only thy work, but also the heart and all nature; that is, all that thou art and canst do, must all be cut down, the tree with root and fruit thrown down and burned, and a new tree made.
11) And so this first part of Christ's conversation with Nicodemo is nothing else than a real sharp sermon of repentance, where Christ, as a faithful preacher, takes pity on him because he is so unintelligent and still so far from God's kingdom; and so he is arid the heavens.
excludes and rejects him, yes, even condemns him and gives him to the devil, so that he, as he now lives and can live, can never come to God's kingdom, but must remain lost, in the devil's power, under the power of death and hell; so that he may thereby come to the knowledge of himself, to right understanding and life before God; for such a sermon of repentance is also especially necessary for such people as this Nicodemus, who go about in their sanctity, and by being blameless before the world, also want to be holy and righteous before God.
(12) Thus Christ always begins his preaching of the gospel with this part, and first reveals and teaches this, which no reason from the law has or knows: that all men, as they are and live by nature, are condemned and under sin; as St. Paul also proves and concludes in the epistle to the Romans soon in the beginning. And so, first of all, this statement and conclusion is made: that man, in his nature and according to all his ability, cannot fulfill God's law, even though he is obliged to keep it; and that it is not called keeping the law that he outwardly does the works according to human strength: therefore the law cannot help man to godliness before God, nor save him from sins and eternal wrath.
13. For if such a thing were in man, and could be brought about by the law in this nature, he should not say, as he says here in general of all men: "Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is saying that in this old nature, man, however high he may be, gifted with reason, wisdom, and virtues, cannot come out of sin and death, nor please God, nor can he see or know how to enter God's kingdom. Therefore, in short, a different person, that is, the whole person must become different, who has a new mind, thoughts, senses and heart.
(14) Hereby thou seest mightily and as with a thunderclap overthrown all doctrine and glory of all men, whether they teach or not.
to become righteous by the powers and works of this whole human nature, or to put them next to faith and say that they must also do something for it. For here you hear clearly that man must be born or become different before he sees God's kingdom and does something that pleases God. Now no works can ever do anything to help a man to be born; indeed, if he is to do something, he must already have been born beforehand; but now a new birth is demanded here, so works and deeds can neither apply nor help the old birth, indeed, everything is already rejected and condemned.
(15) Neither can it be said that the following works of the new birth add anything to it, for the new birth must already exist before anything is done from it, that is, the person must first have become one who belongs to God's kingdom and to heaven before he begins to do works that please God. But this will be explained further from what follows, when he will also say how it happens that a person is born anew; for this is only the beginning, so that he may put down the Pharisee's arrogance and set the contradiction. When Nicodemus hears this, he is strengthened and does not know what to make of Christ's words, so that he also goes out and says:
How can a man be born when he is old? Can he also enter his mother's womb anew and be born?
(16) What strange inconsistent speech and doctrine is this? he would gladly say; who has ever heard that a man is born anew, or can be born otherwise than he is already born? What is it, then, to pretend and demand such an impossible thing? If you want to teach people, you have to say something that man can do. This is man's wisdom and reason's answer to the preaching of repentance and the new birth, by which the law is rightly glorified; and must answer thus, because it neither knows nor understands anything else. For this Nicodemus, of outward piety and discipline, which men have from their
If he hears the law, he cannot hear nor suffer that all these things are thought to be nothing and are rejected, of which all the world thinks much; and there are also few who walk in the same beautiful virtuous life and walk. And all sensible, wise, high rulers in the world consider it a harmful doctrine that one wants to diminish such a beautiful life; and therefore blame the Gospel for wanting to forbid good works etc.
17. But their own blindness and lack of understanding in these divine matters is also attested herewith; as Nicodemus confesses from his own mouth, who wants to be a teacher and master of others, and seals his cleverness with even greater foolishness, that he therefore pretends to be born in the flesh of father and mother, thinking that he has hit the mark with this and has violently misrepresented Christ; As is the bad habit of human wisdom, if one does not understand God's word and yet always wants to judge and master it; just as if Christ, whom he must profess to be a master, had not come from God, were not so wise, nor knew so much himself, that a man cannot be born again of father and mother, and that such birth would not help them, as Christ himself tells him.
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
(18) Thou shalt not master me, he will say, nor teach me how to speak; I know well what I have said, and still say it, that man must be born otherwise, or cannot come into the kingdom of God, that thou mayest know that he cannot come by his own ability. But I do not speak of such a bodily birth as man comes from father and mother, as you dream, because you do not understand any other birth; but of another new birth out of water and the Spirit. For you have heard that I have rejected the same birth from father and mother in which you and all men, whether Jews or others, are born. And if this mind of the
If man should be born again, then it would be nothing else nor better than before, if he would be born an hundred times anew from the womb. He himself gives cause for this by saying:
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit.
(19) These are two clear sayings to put down the Pharisee's thought and dream of bodily birth, and to transfigure the speech he had begun, saying that unless a man is born otherwise, he cannot enter God's kingdom. What is born of flesh, that is, all that a man is and can be according to human nature as it is now from Adam. For "flesh" is the name given in Scripture to the whole man, as he is born of father and mother, and can act, think, speak and do, be born when, how often, of whom he wills, and be called Jew or Gentile; or, as John 1:13, of the blood, that is, born naturally of the holy fathers, or come to be so by the will of man, and so accepted that they may be God's people and children. All this is nothing else than flesh, that is, without spirit. But to be without spirit means nothing else than, as he says here, not to be able to enter God's kingdom, that is, to be condemned to eternal death in sins, under God's wrath.
(20) This is a short, dry, serious, and terrible judgment of all men as they are by nature, and it is concluded that by the doctrine and works of the Law, which man is able to do according to it, no one is freed from sin, nor is justified before God; for by this nature does not change, but remains as it was before: therefore man cannot yet enter God's kingdom, nor attain eternal life.
21 Again: "That which is born of the spirit," he says, "is spirit. Spirit means what God creates in us above nature and human ability, namely, spiritual knowledge, light, understanding, which He reveals to us, through which we recognize God and turn to Him, take hold of His grace and cling to Him etc. If this is to begin and take place in man, then through the holy
In this way, the heart will be renewed and set on fire by the Holy Spirit, so that it will learn to know God's will toward it and how it should obtain grace and eternal life.
(22) This cannot be done by the preaching and teaching of the law alone, which demands our work and obedience, but because it is not found in nature, but is only felt as a contradiction, it does no more than condemn us to eternal hell under God's wrath, where it is rightly recognized, and must therefore also be preached; as it is given by God that man should first learn this. But if he is not to remain in such condemnation, but may also be provided for and comforted by the grace of God, another word and sermon must be added, which is the sermon and ministry of the Holy Spirit, revealed and brought by Christ, the Son of God, of which he says here and will later explain further, as the same sermon reads etc.
23. With this saying, the cause of the first part of this sermon is shown, why man, according to his nature in which he was born, cannot enter God's kingdom, and why another new birth is necessary, which takes place through the Holy Spirit; and thus Christ not only punishes human ignorance and error, but also begins to teach what the new birth is and how it takes place; Although he does not yet include all the elements that belong to it, but first shows only causas efficientes, cause and means, from where such a new birth comes and by what means it occurs; for after that he will also say how and by whom it is acquired and how it is received. Therefore we must look at these words a little better, what is meant by being born of water and the Spirit.
(24) And first of all, see how he leads this Nicodemus, pointing out the outward ministry of his church, which is preaching and baptism, because he says, "Man must be born again of water and the Spirit. For he is speaking of the ministry that John the Baptist began as the forerunner and servant of Christ, as the Pharisees and Nicodemus well knew and had seen. And wants to point him to the same and thus John's preaching and baptism.
so that such an office should go and be regarded as ordained by God to be born again, and that no one should go to heaven who does not accept or despise it. As if he wanted to say: Just the ministry and baptism, which John led, and you Pharisees did not want to accept, nor to be punished by him; but you were offended by it, as by a new heard sermon, against your holiness of the law: the same you must all accept, if you want to see God's kingdom otherwise. And nothing will help you here, nor will your Mosaic and your law washing, cleansing, sacrifice, worship and holiness profit you; but by this ministry alone, preached by me and baptized into me, as John did, and by no other shall you enter God's kingdom and be saved.
25. And such a ministry he hereby praises, that it is the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit, by which man is born anew, and is not a bad water baptism, but also the Holy Spirit in it; and whoever is baptized in this way is baptized not of water alone, but by the Holy Spirit: Which all other water-baptisms or baptisms, as the Jewish bathing and washing, with all their ceremonies, were, could not be said to have the Spirit in them; otherwise there would have been no need of a new baptism, and it could not be said that, notwithstanding the law and service of Moses, there must be another, whereby man is born again of the Spirit; of course, because with them all the Spirit is not yet given, nor does it work.
26 Thus he shows that there is no other work or means by which man is born again and enters God's kingdom, except this, which is the ministry of preaching and baptism, and the Holy Spirit bound to it, who works in the heart of man through such ministry. For he does not speak of such a spirit, which is hidden and cannot be known, as it is personally in its divine essence only and without means for itself; but which reveals itself in the outward ministry, where it is heard and seen, namely in the preaching ministry of the gospel and the sacraments. For God also does not want to go and act with the Spirit in a hidden and secret manner, or with a
But hath ordained it so, that the Holy Ghost should be manifest in the Word and Sacrament before men's ears and eyes, and work by such an outward ministry, that it may be known whatsoever is done, that it is truly by the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, in these words, "Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit," is said as much as when he said, "Man must be born again through this preaching of the gospel and ministry of baptism, in which the Holy Spirit works. For by the word he enlightens the heart, and shows God's wrath against sin, and again God's grace, promised for the sake of His Son Christ; by which the hearts are kindled, begin to believe, and now turn to God, comforting His grace, calling upon Him etc.; and to awaken and strengthen their faith also baptism gives as a sure sign besides the word, that He washes away and blots out our sin, and promises us such promised grace always to hold fast and give the Holy Spirit etc. Of which it is further said at another time.
28 Therefore notice from this text how he gives such praise and power to baptism, which he calls water, in clear words, that the Spirit is present and man is born anew through it. For all false doctrine and error against this doctrine of faith and baptism are hereby put to rest. First, the papists and their like, who seek righteousness and salvation by their own works. For here you hear that nothing can and does come of man's own merit or holiness, brought about by the old birth of blood and flesh, or by his own choice and conceit; but it must be another birth, through holy baptism, since man can do nothing himself, but by divine will and grace is given the Holy Spirit through the outwardly preached word and water, which are father and mother to this new birth, through which man becomes new, pure and holy before God, an heir of the kingdom of heaven.
29. on the other hand, is also overturned here
of the Anabaptists and similar pretenders, who teach to seek the Spirit apart from or without word and sign by special revelation and effect from heaven, without means etc., even despising the dear baptism, as if there were nothing more than water in vain. Hence they are wont to blaspheme: What can a handful of water help the soul? Christ clearly says that with such water is the Spirit, and says that one must be born again of water, which he says of the true natural water, with which John the Baptist baptized and commanded his disciples to baptize. Therefore St. Paul Eph. 5, 36. also calls baptism a water bath, by which the church of Christ is purified; item Tit. 3, 5. a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
(30) Yes, Christ here orders the words in this way, putting first and foremost the water, then the Spirit, to show that one should not seek the Spirit without and apart from the outward sign, but know that in, through, and with the outward sign and ministry the Spirit wants to work; so that both remain with each other, and from the water through the Holy Spirit, or from the Spirit with and with the water, man is born anew. Otherwise it is true that if the water were alone, without the Spirit, it would be and do nothing more than other water or bath, and certainly no new birth would result from it. That is why it is called born of the spirit, not only of the water, but also beside and with the water. That for this birth the spirit is the man, the water the woman and mother.
(31) From this you see here further that baptism is not such an unnecessary thing, as the Anabaptist detractor blasphemes, that one may well do without it and leave it pending or save it until one grows old (2c); or that baptism is of no use to young children, because they, as they drool, cannot understand it. For here is a dry saying, which generally concerns all and is divine order, that all who want to enter God's kingdom must be born again of water and the Spirit. Therefore it is not valid to despise this or to prolong it.
because that would mean deliberately despising God's order and slackening it. Of course, no Holy Spirit will be able to be there.
32 Christ certainly does not want to exclude the young children from this, but has also included them in this sentence, if they are to enter God's kingdom, so that baptism may be administered to them, for he also wants them to be born anew and to work in them; as he elsewhere calls them to be brought to him, and says that those who are brought to him shall have the kingdom of heaven. If then they are to come to Christ, they must not be deprived of the means and signs by which Christ also works in them.
(33) These things I say concerning the common order and rule to be observed where and when baptism may be administered; for where there is such a need or case that one cannot come to it, it must be enough, as in like cases of need, that one may desire baptism, and at the word offer and sacrifice the man to Christ, of which there is nothing more to be said now. This is what has been said about the rebirth of water baptism and the Spirit. Christ speaks further:
Do not be surprised that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.
34. To this Nicodemo, as a wise, sensible, pious Pharisee, it is a strange, strange speech that he hears his and all men's works and holiness so completely rejected that it all helps nothing before God, and he should let everything go in vain, however much and great it may be called done and lived, and even become a different man; if he knows and understands nothing else or better to do: And he alone shall keep himself wholly, since nothing is done nor seen, but the outward sign, when a man is immersed in water, and hears the word; and believe that thereby such a change takes place in man, that he is born again, and becomes pure, holy, and righteous in the sight of God, which otherwise no human work or ability can accomplish.
will be. Oh, how can that be, he thinks, what should such a small thing accomplish, that one baptizes or bathes a man with water? Should this not be much higher and more valid, when one sees a man with great earnestness and diligence practicing according to the law in good works and holy worship, and therefore shining and shining in beautiful honorable life and great virtue? What higher and better can be called and praised before all the world?
To such thoughts and miracles of the Pharisee Christ answers, and gives him a likeness to transfigure that which he said about the new birth out of water and the Spirit, how one should regard such things not according to reason, which looks at the great appearance of good works and life and is amazed at it, and thinks that it must also count as highly and much before God as it regards it. Dear Nicodeme, he says, I will tell you how it is: It is not such a thing as you understand and think about these things, which thus goes and stands before the eyes, senses and reason, so that it could be grasped and grasped; but is such a thing and work, which is directed through man's reason and thoughts by the Holy Spirit in man.
36. And herewith it comes to pass in the heart of man inwardly, as it goes outwardly with the wind, which blows and blows where and when it wills, and goes through everything that grows, weaves and lives; that is no more than a little air, which lies still for a time, but suddenly stirs, begins to blow and whistle, so that you do not know where it comes from; now it blows here, now there; suddenly makes various changes in the weather, and yet you cannot see it or grasp what it is, but only hear that it is blowing, and let yourself feel that it is there, stirring and weaving, as you see it on the water or in the field in the grain; but you cannot tell when it blows at you, when, where or how far it will start from you or stay behind you, nor set it time, space and measure, when and how it will come or go away. And in short, it is not in man's hand and power to grasp the wind or to govern how it blows.
but goes free from himself, and does his work as, when, and where he wills, unhindered and unstopped, so that no man can do anything about it, nor can he inquire how it is done or where it comes from; but, as Psalm 135:7 says, "God brings it, and makes it come out of its box and secret places, where it is not known nor seen before."
37 "So," he says, "is every one that is born of the Spirit. You do not have to look and gape at the great works of apparent holiness that fill the eyes, and thus with your mind judge and grasp these spiritual things according to the law and outward nature, how great works he does, how he lives and gives, who is to be called born again and an heir in the kingdom of heaven. It cannot be grasped and grasped here, or painted and modeled, so that one can say, "Behold, you see the man who is a devout Jew and Pharisee to boot, who keeps the law with great earnestness and zeal, therefore he is a living saint and a child of God. etc.But this new birth, which makes God's children, or righteousness in the sight of God, is another thing that takes place in the heart of man, not by man's own doing and purpose, for that is all flesh and cannot see God's kingdom; but by the word of the gospel, which shows and reveals to the heart both God's wrath against man for repentance and His grace through the mediator, Christ, for comfort and peace of conscience in the sight of God.
38. In such a high and great work nothing special or glorious is seen by heart, for there is nothing more to it than the word and water, which is heard and felt: and yet there is the power and work of the Holy Spirit, who kindles and awakens the heart to right fear of God, to right confidence and comfort of grace, item, to right calling; and thus renews the heart, so that such a person, who grasps the word with the heart, overcomes God's wrath, sin, death, flesh and world, turns heartily toward God, gets desire and love for all good.
39. These are true living works of the Holy Spirit, much greater and more glorious than the other works of holiness, which have a great appearance and puff themselves up before men's eyes, and yet are nothing but dead things, since the heart is not changed by them, no real consolation nor improvement follows; but remain in the old carnal mind and nature, without repentance, in unbelief and doubt, in secret contempt, disobedience, hatred and enmity against God; as is subsequently proven in the right struggle and terror of the conscience, since nothing but vain fleeing and despair, and finally impatience and blasphemy against God follows.
40 These are the right fruits of the great beautiful Pharisaic holiness, which is without knowledge of Christ and faith, and yet wants to be pious and holy according to the law: that the great, gross knots, which St. Paul calls Rom. 7, 13. are caused by the law, and sin becomes exceedingly sinful, that is, great and more serious, so that man must perish under it and sink into eternal death; even though this same sin and secret deceitfulness of the heart was covered for a time with an outward appearance of great holy works and obedience to the law, and thus man safely walks in carnal conceit and lives, as St. Paul says, Romans 7:13. Paul says Rom. 7, 9, without law, that is, without right knowledge and feeling of sin, and therefore is also without spirit.
41. But again, where the Holy Spirit is, he also works another heart and courage in man: that he now no longer flees from God; but although he knows and confesses that he has sin and deserves God's wrath, yet he takes comfort in the grace in Christ, promised and proclaimed by God's word to those who repent and believe; and thus gets a childlike heart toward God, as toward his dear Father, and can joyfully come before him and call upon him in the faith of the Mediator of Christ etc.
(42) Such new heart and life, I say, the Holy Spirit works in man by nothing else outward or visible, but by the Word and baptism; which has no special appearance at all, and is inward.
before it can be seen that anything has changed in it, and yet it is true and is called, says Christ, born of the Spirit; which reason and human wisdom neither understands nor grasps, that through such a small thing as it holds, such a great work should take place, and even if it hears it, it does not believe it; just as Nicodemus is even more perplexed and amazed at these words, and is therefore punished by Christ, because he wants to grasp it with his reason and not believe it.
In this likeness, then, we have a beautiful, lovely picture, clear and actual, of how this new birth will take place. First, the outward ministry of the Word, and the power that the Holy Spirit works through it. For as in the wind there are two parts together: the blowing, which is the wind itself; and the sounding, which is heard from without, though the blowing is not seen or felt except by him whom it blows: so here also are the two parts together: the word, which is a bodily voice that is heard, and the Spirit, working with and by the word; which power no one sees nor feels, but whom the Spirit meets, and yet is certain where the outward word and baptism goes; and thus the Spirit in such outward ministry can be seen and grasped bodily, and gives a certain sign where to look for him and where he works, although the inward power is hidden from sight.
44 Therefore, as I have said, in these words "born of the Spirit" you must not understand the Holy Spirit as He is invisible and incomprehensible in majesty and divine essence above; but as He wants to be known and grasped in word and sign in the church here on earth; so that where one hears and sees such things, one may say, "You hear and see the Holy Spirit"; just as one says of the sound of the wind, "You hear and see the wind". And in short, what is done through the ministry of word and baptism is said to have been done by the Holy Spirit, as Christ calls it here, born of the Spirit, he who has the word and baptism, or, as he says elsewhere, he who believes and is baptized etc., Marc. 16, 16.
45 On the other hand, also this likeness shows
fine, as the Christian being is not bound to external nature, place, person, clothes and other things, as the Jews' external holiness was, and a Christian is set in the freedom of the spirit from the law and all its bonds, so that he should not nor can be bound and imprisoned by laws, rules, works, whatever may be suggested to him that he should thereby become righteous before God (for we are not now talking about his external life, in which he may keep all laws, yet without harm and disadvantage of such spiritual freedom of the spirit and conscience); and thus remains a free man above all laws in the faith of the Word and of his baptism, because through Christ he has forgiveness of sins, God's grace, and the Holy Spirit, and governs himself according to these in his whole life; for he is now made righteous and alive by the Holy Spirit working in his heart, so that he may not seek other doctrine, works, or holiness, unless the Spirit guides and leads him through the Word.
46 For this reason, as Christ says here, Christianity is like the wind, which blows where it wills, and yet no one sees or knows from where it comes or where it stays, how far or wide it goes. So also the spirit in a Christian cannot be grasped by rules, doctrines, or judged by reason; but wants to remain badly unmastered and prepared by everyone, as St. Paul also says 1 Cor. 2:15; only that it lets itself be felt and heard and shown in the word and confession from the outside; which everyone should follow and let himself be governed by it, not looking at people's persons, how great, holy they may be, if they only lead the word and office of the spirit rightly.
(47) But this is and remains a marvelous thing, in which human wisdom must stumble and be vexed, even Christians themselves must wonder at it: that such a great, excellent, divine work should happen so poorly and badly through a poor weak voice of man, since the word comes to me: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; item: I speak to you for the forgiveness of sins, and I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; item: I speak to you for the forgiveness of sins.
Sins, by command of the Lord Christ etc. There is nothing but the breath or breath of the word that strikes your ears: and yet by it so great a thing shall be accomplished, that you shall be clean from sins, delivered from eternal death, a newborn child of God, and alive.
It takes a lot of effort and work before a human being is born, since he must lie under his mother's heart for ten months, and afterwards both mother and child are in fear, distress, and danger of life and limb during the birth. After all, man is only born into this miserable, mortal life. But here it is done so easily and so soon that no easier work can be done, for the word is spoken to man and he is baptized with water, and yet such a great thing works, if only the heart grasps it with faith, that he is born in a moment to eternal life, torn out of eternal death and hell.
(49) But it is also perverse presumption on the part of reason to measure and judge these great things according to its own conceit, as it understands it, and according to what is great and glorious in its own eyes and senses; it does not want to respect or consider God's will and order, that these things are his word and command, and thus he himself preaches, baptizes and works through external things, so that divine power and fruit must also follow, even if it were through much lesser, external works and means. That is why Christ also severely attacks and punishes this Nicodemus, who also wants to judge this according to his wisdom.
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our testimony.
(50) Then you see how he does not understand at all what Christ told him about the new birth through baptism, which is shown by a similitude: that the true spiritual being cannot be seen with the eyes, nor can it be seen with the eyes.
He is so disturbed by this that he immediately resigns and must be angry with this Jesus, because he pretends to do such inconsistent things as he understands them. As if he wanted to say: "Shall this alone be valid, that you baptize man once with water, and against this nothing at all and in vain is given the whole law, which God so earnestly commanded us to keep and which is confirmed with great miracles? Or, how is it possible that your baptizing should be and accomplish such a great thing, and yet nothing should be seen or known of it?
But Christ gives him a sharp and serious answer before he finishes the sermon he has started, so that he may show him his lack of understanding and beat back his carnal conceit. Are you also a master in Israel, that is, the one who is supposed to teach and govern God's people, and you know nothing about it? Is it not a disgrace that you, who are set apart and want to be praised by other teachers, have so little understanding of these divine things yourselves? What are you better than the Gentiles, who are not God's people nor have God's word? because you understand nothing more than of human holiness and works, as among the Gentiles sensible wise men also teach; and yet you know nothing at all of the doctrine that is to be known everywhere in the church, of Christ, of God's kingdom and right spiritual things: although you have God's word so abundantly in Moses and the Scriptures, and should teach the people from the law, recognize God's wrath against their sin and seek grace again through faith in the promise of Christ. Thus, you have all perverted, know and have nothing of right repentance, and therefore walk securely and presumptuously on your holiness, strengthen yourselves and others in God's contempt and unbelief, dreaming nevertheless of a Messiah who shall crown you for the sake of your Jewish holiness and give you dominion over the world. This is what you do, who want to be the most distinguished, and so that further from God's kingdom comes and more severe God's punishment deserves neither the others, even public sinners,
who are easier to teach and convert than their great saints.
52 That is, a good, sharp text read, yet kindly, as against him who nevertheless does not, like the others, stiff-neckedly despise Christ; for such admonition is necessary to him, that he may instruct him from his lack of understanding, that he may yet listen and be taught of these things, how he should enter God's kingdom and go to heaven; therefore he speaks further:
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we know, and testify that we have seen etc.
You, who want to be teachers, do not yet know or understand anything that everyone in the multitude called God's people should know, and you do not want to believe the teaching that we know through God's word and testimony, but judge poorly according to your own conceit. No, it will not do for you to master our certain doctrine and testimony with your blind, uncertain conceit, and dispute whether it is true or not. What should the pupil learn who first wants to dispute with his master whether he teaches correctly, and thus be a master himself before he begins to learn? If thou knowest it not, nor understandest it, thou shalt not judge and reason of it. If you have not seen it, then we, John and all my prophets, have seen it, and do not bring such uncertain things spun from reason, but the teaching revealed by God and testified to by the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is not for you to measure these things according to your own understanding, or to grasp, see and grope, as it happens before your eyes, that a man is born differently, as you see and grasp your work and outward worship. Reason must be applied here, and only the ears and hearts must be open and believe what God's word says to you, which we have certainly received from God and have been commanded to teach and testify.
54 So it must be, if you also want to experience it, that you believe and accept it, and in the meantime let go of your arrogance, which is
is subject to comprehend and measure such a thing, which reason cannot comprehend nor attain. What else would one need to teach God's word, which I have heard and received from the Father, as John and the prophets also received and testified from the divine revelation of the Holy Spirit; as also St. Peter says in 2 Ep. 1, 21, that no prophecy was ever brought forth by human will, but the holy men of God spoke, driven by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he also demands that nothing else be taught in the church except that which is certain to be the word of God, not that which seems good and right to human reason and wisdom.
(55) Therefore Christ here justly punishes his Jewish teachers, who want to rule and teach the consciences before God without certain testimony of the Word of God, and rhyme these things with human understanding; nothing else can follow from this, but that one hangs and floats in uncertain pagan human arrogance, and never comes to the right knowledge and experience of the truth.
If I tell you about earthly things, you will not believe; how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
(56) I have hitherto told you of such things as are done on earth, how a man must be born of water and of the Spirit, that is, how the Spirit works by the outward ministry of the word and of baptism, which ye can see and take hold of; and have comprehended my doctrine in the image and example of the things which ye understand, and must confess that I say right. If therefore ye will not believe these things, which are yet presented in earthly and outward things: much less can ye believe, if I shall further speak of that which is not earthly, but is above in the heavenly divine nature and counsel; which no man knoweth but God alone, and he that cometh down from heaven, even the Son of God; and whosoever would know and lay hold on these things, must hear and believe him alone that cometh down from heaven, who hath seen and bare witness of these things; as follows:
And no man goeth up to heaven, but he that descended from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven.
Here he begins to speak of the high heavenly things, which are the secret, eternal, unspeakable counsel and will, decreed by God from eternity. And thus completes the other part that belongs to this sermon, about the new birth, that is, how man is justified from sins, becomes God's child and heir of heavenly eternal life; namely, from where and why baptism has such power, and by whom it is acquired and earned, item, how such must be received. And now he begins to speak of himself as the promised Messiah, sent by God, the Son of God, and his ministry and work, which the Pharisees did not understand at all, and which sounded even more strange to their ears than what he had said before. For they could not even think that their Messiah had to be sent down from heaven, that he would redeem all the world, especially his own Jewish people, even though they had Mosaic law and worship, as condemned and lost under God's wrath, and bring them to grace; much less that he would have to die on the cross, be crucified and become a sacrifice for their sin and the sin of all the world, and have no earthly or worldly kingdom and rule: that was too annoying and offensive for them to hear. That is why they did not recognize the corruption and damnation of the whole human nature before God, and thought themselves without sin in their holiness, or ever to put it away with their works and to pay for it, that they did not need a Messiah for this, without only one who would redeem them from bodily imprisonment and foreign power and avenge them on their enemies.
(58) Therefore, Christ hereby says: Dear Nicodeme, only keep your thoughts pure from your and all men's righteousness and holiness according to the law, and only do not imagine that you will enter God's kingdom with them. It does not matter how wise, learned and holy people are; it is already with God.
concluded from the beginning that no man born of Adam can still go to heaven.
(59) Yes, there has never been a saint here who could have gone to heaven by himself, whoever he was, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John etc., none of them has and none of them can have the glory that he could have gone to heaven, that is, to reconcile God, to take away sin and death and to acquire eternal life for himself or others. But if anyone is to go to heaven, that is, into God's kingdom and eternal life, there must first be such a person who has come down from heaven and has in himself eternal righteousness and life, so that he can atone for God's wrath and take away sin and death; he must be the mediator, so that we may also go to heaven; indeed, he must therefore come down from heaven and for our sake also become our flesh and blood, that is, take upon himself and bear our misery and sin.
(60) Thus he draws to himself all that he said before about the new birth and God's kingdom, that it may be known that no one can come to it except through him and for his sake; otherwise it would not help, even if someone wanted to be clean from his old birth and become new through the Spirit; for no one could come to it unless he had brought it about and obtained it; so also in baptism the power and the Spirit would not be given unless it were through him and for his sake. Therefore this is the main part, on which everything stands, that this person may be recognized and grasped, so that we may also go to heaven through him; as he will soon conclude.
(61) But he portrays his person as being the promised Savior, coming from heaven, that is, the true Son of God from eternity; for if he comes from heaven, he must have been with God eternally. He did not descend or come from heaven as an angel descends and appears, and then disappears and departs; but rather, He took on human nature and, as John Cap. 1:14 says, walked the earth among us.
etc. Therefore he also calls himself the Son of Man, that is, truly man, who, like us, has flesh and blood.
(62) This is actually the descent of the Son of God, that he threw himself down into our misery and distress, that is, he took upon himself God's eternal wrath, deserved by our sins, and became a sacrifice for it; as he himself says here that he must be lifted up. But because this man comes down from heaven, he must be without all sin for his person, innocent and in divine purity; so that he is not called, as we are, born of the flesh, but of the Holy Spirit, and his flesh is not a sinful, but a pure, holy flesh and blood; and that therefore he could make our sinful flesh and blood also pure and holy by his purity and holy, undefiled sacrifice.
63 But what is this that he says, "the Son of man which is in heaven"? How did he ascend from heaven and yet is in heaven? Did he not ascend in the clouds on the fortieth day after his resurrection? He descended into our flesh and blood and humbled Himself among all men to the point of death on the cross, forsaken and cursed by God; but in this He never departed from God, but always remained with God, and thus was always in heaven and is eternal; so that he always sees the Father presently, and rules and works with him in the same power and authority, without this being too deeply hidden and not to be seen in his descent, that is, when he manifested himself in the divine form, as St. Paul Phil. 2, 2. Paul Phil. 2, 7. and went in servant form through suffering and death until he was torn out of it, lifted up again and sat down at the right hand of God; since he is also Lord over death and hell and all creatures according to his human nature, which he showed through his visible ascension into heaven, when he was lifted up into the clouds before the eyes of the disciples; just as he will visibly return and show himself to all men.
64 Thus the Son of Man is called descended and ascended, and yet at the same time.
In heaven he remained in divine nature, power and eternal fellowship with the Father. For he does not speak here of the bodily transformation of the place, but of the spiritual journey of his humiliation and exaltation, that is, of his suffering and death and resurrection, and of the heavenly fellowship with the Father, which is not bound to bodily being, place or location, which he had from eternity, and also in human nature, as soon as he accepted the same, has always been and remained in such heavenly being.
And as Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now he shows how and by what means we may also ascend to heaven, that is, what he has done for us, and how we have received his good deeds and become partakers of them. And hereby preaches the great work of our redemption, which God in His eternal counsel has decreed must be done out of God's unspeakable, causeless love for the human race, so that it would not be eternally lost, as we heard in the Gospel of Pentecost Monday, which follows soon after these words. For since there was otherwise no counsel nor help to propitiate His eternal wrath against sin and to redeem it from eternal death by any creature in heaven and earth, the only Son of God had to take our place, to become a sacrifice for our sin, so that God's wrath might be propitiated and removed. The work is now our salvation and comfort, and the power that works in baptism, so that we may be born again and go to heaven.
(66) Now this is the opinion: That he goes up and down and is up there, that is his, does not help us yet, he has power and no one can do it to him. But when he thus saith, I have all things for myself, and am in heaven above: but I will not so go up alone, but I will draw men up with me, which otherwise could not go up: so shall it be, that they shall cleave unto me. I will let myself be crossed.
Those who then believe in me that I died for them, even if they do not go to heaven by their own strength, I will still take them with me. So he carries us and hangs us on his neck wherever he goes. Therefore it is not our power, but the power of others, that we are saved; so that all our works may be rejected.
67 Here he now introduces a fine, lovely figure, which depicts Christ to us in the most exquisite way, from the 4th book of Moses Cap. 21, 6-9. 21, 6-9. When the Jews were wandering in the wilderness, since the way was so long and they had neither bread nor water, they grumbled against Moses and became very impatient; then God sent fiery serpents among them, which bit them: as in your land there are very great deserts toward the suns, in which one finds neither food nor drink; therefore there are also many excellent evil worms in it. But this was a peculiarly wicked kind of serpent, which, when it bit a man, kindled such great heat and so great unquenchable thirst in him, that he died of it; wherefore they are called fiery serpents, as in Greek they are called dipsades; though it is also said that some are so hot in the land, when they blow, or give breath, that it goeth forth as a burning fire.
68There was a miserable crying and shouting about the inhuman plague among the people to Moses, who knew no counsel until God had mercy on them, and said to Moses, "Make thee a brazen serpent like unto it, and set it up for a sign; whosoever is bitten, and beholdeth it, he shall recover. So Moses made a bronze serpent," says the text, "and set it up for a sign; and if a serpent bit any man, he looked on the bronze serpent, and lived."
69 Now behold how Christ is portrayed in history. First, the main thing is that the Jews, bitten by snakes, could find no help or counsel against them, but they were helped by the use of the bronze serpent, which was a small thing. This serpent had the appearance of a real serpent, but it was dead and without venom, and it was also healing.
Not that the ore could help them; but that it did, that God's order and this word stands by it, "He that is bitten, and looketh upon it, let him recover." This word stuck to the serpent and in virtue of it the serpent helped.
So Christ interprets it to himself: "As Moses lifted up the serpent, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" etc. This is the correct interpretation of the image or figure. We are also bitten and stung by the murderous poison of the devil, which is sin, as St. Paul says: "Sin is a hot poisonous bite and sting; where it enters the conscience there is never rest: it chases and drives death, death chases man, so that there is nothing but a real hell. There is neither help nor counsel; do as many works as you will, and you are damned, until this miracle and grace comes, when another serpent is lifted up, which is neither poisonous nor harmful, and has only the form of serpents.
(71) But why does he not take any other sign than the serpent from which they were bitten? He could have used something else. This is what St. Paul says in Romans 8:3: De peccato damnavit peccatum: He condemned sin with sin, death with death, law with law. How so. He became a sinner on the cross, with the title, in the midst of the jacks, as an arch-villain, suffering the judgment and punishment that a sinner should suffer. He was innocent, never having committed any sin; nor did the name and guilt or punishment truly fall upon him; and so by taking upon himself the sin that was not his, and allowing himself to be judged and condemned as an evildoer, he put away sin.
(72) Though he be innocent, yet is he like unto a sinner, and is in him a wholesome sin, that he might save us, who are truly sinners, from deadly poison: and therefore he hath condemned sin upon the cross, because it wronged him, in that it condemned him, and put him to death. Therefore he now wins justice over all sin in the world, condemning it rightly and justly, because it wanted to condemn him; so that
He now pronounces this judgment and right on sin to all who believe: "Sin shall not hurt you, for it is guilty of me and is not worthy of your feet. Therefore it shall not be sin, or ever a damnable sin.
(73) This then is Christ's saying, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This is just as much as it is said of the serpent, "He that looketh on him shall recover." For to look upon Christ on the cross is to believe in him; from this sin is blotted out, so that it can do us no harm, or if it does harm, it shall do no harm. So it is up to these alone: Reputation and no work. But as this reputation was bodily, so this is spiritually in the heart, if we believe that Christ with his innocence has destroyed sin.
Now this does not help us even if he died a thousand times on the cross, just as little as it would have helped them if they had set up a thousand snakes of their own, if there had not been the word that is written here: "Everyone who believes in him shall not perish" etc.Which assigns or applies these things to us, and makes us certain that we shall also go to heaven, that is, have God's grace, conquest of sin, death and the power of hell, and eternal life, for the sake of this exalted and crucified Christ, if we believe these things and are thus carried up hanging on Him.
Behold, this is the figure in which both the misery and misery of all human nature, and the ministry and salvation of the Lord Christ, and the way in which these are attained, are most exquisitely portrayed and illustrated. How all men would have been mortally wounded by the fiery hellish poison of the devil, and no medicine or help could have been brought about, if God's Son had not been given and appeared to dissolve such works of the devil, as 1 Ep John 3:8. not by the great visible power, strength and might of His divine glory, but by the supreme weakness and powerlessness, that is, by His suffering and death, hanging on the cross as an accursed evil worm and yet of these dead serpents.
The form is a healing death and a living remedy for all who are poisoned and corrupted by sins to the point of eternal death, so that they may be eternally healed and saved.
It is wonderful to say and believe that such salvation and help happens without any human intervention. Just like those poor people who had to lie under the fiery snakes: Who, though they tried all the remedies they might have found, it did not help them at all, but only made them worse the longer and more they struggled and fought with the snakes to fight them off; And in the end, when they had lost all help and had no more consolation or hope, nothing else was presented to them, except that they should have had a similar, bronze serpent erected, before which they might have been more frightened and shy, and only looked at it with their eyes open; and so it had to happen that whoever followed this word of God recovered as soon as possible and remained unharmed.
Here also, whoever wants to have certain help and salvation against sin and eternal death, must also hear and follow this wonderful counsel of God, and only leave all other comfort, ways and works, and only set his heart on this Christ, who allowed Himself to be lifted up for us, and who bore our sin and death in His body; for it has been decided that no other name under heaven shall help us to be saved, except this crucified Christ, Acts 4:12. 4, 12.
So then he has conducted the whole sermon on the new birth or righteousness of man in the sight of God through all the things that are necessary to teach it: from where and by what means it comes and how it is received, that is, from the Word, baptism, and Spirit who works through it; from the merit and sacrifice of Christ, for which God's grace and eternal life are given to us; and from faith, through which we acquire it. Therefore bring this whole sermon together, so that the end may agree with the beginning. If you ask: How does the new birth take place, so that the Spirit through the water and the Word can make a person a child of God?
does? So, as Christ says here, if you take comfort from the terror of your sin and firmly believe that Christ, the Son of God, came down from heaven for your sake and was lifted up for you on the cross, so that you would not perish, you will be saved.
but have eternal life. This faith is the box and shrine that holds such treasure, forgiveness of sin and inheritance of eternal life, and by it man is saved; as Christ says, "Your faith has saved you."