John 14:1-14.
And he said to his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. If you believe in God, you also believe in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would say unto you, I go to prepare a place for you. And though I go to prepare a place for you, yet will I come again, and receive you unto myself, that ye may be where I am. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know also. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye knew me, ye knew my Father also. And from henceforth ye have known him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it shall be sufficient for us. Jesus saith unto him, How long am I with you, and thou knowest me not? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father. How sayest thou then: Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself. But the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; if not, believe me because of the works. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do: for I go unto the Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be honored in the Son. Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do.
The first part of this sermon.
1. Your dear ones have now heard some sermons which the Lord Christ preached to his disciples at the last supper over the table. The Lord begins these last sermons with today's Gospel, and it is easy to notice (as reported in other sermons) that the Lord's main concern is how to prepare his disciples against future troubles, and how to instruct them so that they will not be frightened by his death, but will have joy and comfort because of it; because he will not remain in such death, but will come to them again, give them the Holy Spirit, and take away their sins and all sorrow.
(2) But just as the disciples could not grasp such consolation and understand such clear words; they looked only at the shameful death of their Master, and could neither provide themselves with life nor help after such death, nor console themselves: so it is with us even today. As soon as the cross comes down and we feel it, terror and fear, impatience and despair immediately follow; and no one can persuade us that a consolation should follow and that sadness should become joy. This is why this sermon serves us, because Christ teaches us what he will accomplish through his death and dying, so that we may take comfort in this and remember it when we are in trouble. For it is certain that when we do not remember such consolation
Otherwise we will not find comfort in heaven or on earth, especially if it is to do with how we can be freed from the great burden of sin and death. Now the beginning of such preaching is that he speaks:
Do not frighten your heart.
(3) For this is the first misfortune that is found in the cross, that it not only hurts the body, but also frightens and anguishes the heart. Since it is impossible for flesh and blood to be made any other way, for it writhes and writhes in days of trouble, the Lord would like the heart to remain free and unburdened, even though the flesh is pressed and hurt. It is natural that sickness and death are painful. Such pain cannot be torn out of the flesh; it remains in it as long as the illness remains. But whoever has a good conscience and a cheerful heart in such distress, more than half of the pain is already taken away; because it is in the flesh alone, and not also in the heart. It was the same with the disciples. It was impossible that they should not grieve and be sorry that they should see their Lord and Master die so shamefully and lose him. But Christ says: Beware, let such sorrow remain only in the flesh, and let it not enter into the heart. But how shall ye ward it off? Thus:
If you believe in God, believe also in me.
4 We want to interpret such words in the most simple way and have this opinion as if Christ wanted to speak: You are concerned about my death. For just as you are accustomed to other people, so you also think of me. What a man is and has, when he is dead, all is finished; he keeps neither penny nor nickel, even if he had all the world's goods. All power and authority is also gone. For where before all the world feared and was terrified of emperor and king, as soon as he is dead, not a fly is afraid of him, nor can a fly resist him. So it happens with people when they die that everything they had and lost falls away and remains behind.
like to have. You know and experience this, and you think that I will have the same opinion.
5 But I say to you, "If you believe in God, believe also in me," that is, what you believe about God, you shall also believe about me. Your none fears that God will die. None of you fear that the world, be it ever so wicked, will do harm to God and throw him down from his throne: why then will you fear on my account? why will you be concerned about me dying? Let death and the world and the devil be as wicked as they will; they will gain nothing for me. For I am God, and what you believe of God, believe also of me: so your hearts can be satisfied, and will not only not be frightened when I die, but will also draw comfort from it. For if I and death come together, death will have to succumb; you can also enjoy it. For then hear and learn further what I intend to accomplish by this bodily death.
In my Father's house are many mansions. But where these are not, I say to you that I am going to prepare a place for you.
The first consolation is that death shall not prevail against the Lord Christ. For he does not find in him a true man, even though he is a true, natural man; but also a true, natural, eternal Son of God. Though he strangles Christ as a man and the son of the virgin Mary, he cannot strangle the Son of God; as Peter also says, "It was impossible that death should hold him." Apost. 2, 24. And the Lord John in the 16th chapter says v. 16: It is only for a little thing, so he wants to see her again. This is a great comfort and would have been strong enough for the disciples to take hold of him and hold on to him.
7 But this is a great thing, that Christ here saith, When he therefore shall pass through bodily death into another and eternal life, then shall he find many mansions, not only for himself, but also for his disciples. And where such dwellings have not been found before
he would prepare it for them. This is what is said: Do not be dismayed that tomorrow I will die on the cross; for such death does not harm me, but benefits you; and benefits you, when you are taken from this life, that you may find good lodging and housing in that life. These have already been prepared, but if they had not been prepared, I would have ordered and prepared them for you.
8 In sum, Christ wants to comfort us all with these words, that his death should help us to eternal life and acquire eternal blessedness; as Paul says, Rom. 4, 25: "Christ died for our sins and raised us up again to righteousness. Who would now be frightened at this death, and not rather rejoice and thank God for such mercy and gracious help? since otherwise we would have had to remain eternally in death and condemnation, that through the death of Christ we should be freed from it and be made partakers of eternal life. But that such is the right and proper understanding, the Lord explains himself and continues:
And though I go to prepare the place for you, yet will I come again, and receive you unto myself, that ye may be where I am.
The going is decided that he will no longer stay here in this temporal, miserable life. Again, it is also decided that there is no other cause for his death and dying than that he wants to prepare the place for his disciples. Therefore it may ever be called a happy and blessed death to us, that we may be provided with a dwelling place in eternal life; as the following words clearly show, that he says: "And I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that ye may be where I am."
10 Oh God, that we could believe such words and include them in our hearts! Then it would certainly follow that our hearts would not only not be frightened, but would always soar, leap and rejoice in joy. For you calculate what these words entail, that we should be where Christ is. He is not in sins, in hell, in death; but in righteousness, in salvation, and in the life of the Lord.
and eternal life. And is so in that he can never get out. That is also where we are to go. For this, he says, he has purchased for us with his death or death.
41 For we must beware lest we think that such words and consolations are spoken only to the young. He speaks verbally to them alone, but he does not mean them alone. Otherwise it would have to follow that he died only for them. But we know that he died for us and for the whole world. Since his death, as he says here, was ordered to prepare the place, it follows that he prepared the place for all men.
(12) But since all men are not saved and do not come to such a place as Christ has prepared, this is the reason why they do not accept such a death and do not ask that Christ prepare the place as he wishes, if only they had a home here; they would be satisfied with the same. These are called unbelievers, because they have no faith. But the Christians who recognize the Lord Christ as the Son of God, and therefore crucified and died, so that through his death he opened the entrance to eternal life for us: these are the ones who enjoy such readiness and comfort themselves with it in all adversity. For they think: Even though I am poor and miserable on earth, it does no harm; after all, I have no home here, Christ has not prepared a place for me here. I must make do for this little while, as in an evil inn, since it is only for one night. When I come home, to the right Heimbde (home) and fatherland, then it will be better. For this temporal life is far too small for Christ to have suffered for the sake of such a life; it is for the sake of eternity that I must suffer, so that death may not harm me in eternity, sin may not condemn me, and I may live with my Lord Christ Jesus forever.
(13) Such thoughts make light of all the misfortunes we suffer here on earth, and keep the heart from being frightened. For what is it that Lazarus is a poor, miserable man, full of poxes and sores, and not enough for that?
has dry bread to eat? Is it not true that he is richly pleased in that he is and lives with God in eternity, and does not wish that it had been better for him on earth? Since the concern must be that, as Abraham says, whoever receives good here in his life, must be tormented there. So it seems to be a miserable business, since Christ sends his apostles into all the world to preach the gospel, that the world keeps them so badly, chasing them from one city to the next, not wanting to let them sit quietly anywhere, but adding all plagues to them. But they care little, and are still cheerful and of good cheer, that, as Apost. 5:41, they are worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. So that the cross lies only on the flesh and old Adam, and does not touch the heart in the least.
014 Whence then cometh this? Only from the fact that they have firmly imagined in their hearts the comfort that Christ here speaks of: if the world will not suffer them, if it will chase them away and put them to all kinds of trouble, they know that there is another and better inn prepared for them by their Lord Christ through his death, and that it is certain. Since they cannot lack the same dwelling place, they are content to live in the world as in an unfaithful, troubled inn, as they please. For they do not intend to stay in it any longer, and would like to suffer well, that they may only depart soon and come to their custody and right home and fatherland.
15 We should learn such comfort. For if we want to be Christians, and especially lead, keep and confess God's word, we will not be lacking, we will have enough temptation and adversity. Whoever does not want to have peace here, and does not want to be comforted by such a future and eternal dwelling, sits down between two chairs, and it is not possible for him to be satisfied. But this will satisfy our hearts when we see where our Lord Christ has gone, and what he has accomplished by such a journey, that he has made a dwelling place for us, and will not let us always remain here in the evil, unfaithful world; he will come and fetch us, so that, where he has made a dwelling place for us, we may have peace.
we are and will remain. Whoever does not have a desire for such joy and does not want to comfort himself with it in all kinds of distress and challenge, can neither be advised nor helped.
16 Therefore it is a great pity that we poor people, who have nothing more certain before us than that we must pass away one day and let everything go, are still so drowned in temporal things and only think about how we have enough here. This eternal dwelling, which Christ has prepared for us through his death, we either think about nothing at all, or rarely, and especially sleepily and industriously. Since, on the other hand, everyone turns all his diligence here, how he can manage his business, how he can provide for himself, his wife, his children and his friends here. But would it not be better to seek the eternal dwelling and eternal goods and riches, which, as Christ says, no thief can steal, and the devil himself cannot take; who uses all his power to remove such eternal dwelling and treasures from our sight, and to load our hearts with other thoughts, because he is deprived of such blessedness, that we should be damned with him, and not come to it.
17 This is the comforting sermon the Lord preached to his disciples at the last supper, concluding, "Now you know both where I am going, and you know the way, so that you may come afterward; for I am going to the Father to prepare a place for you, and I will take you and receive you to myself. But the disciples do not understand. Therefore Thomas comes forth subtly simple-minded. Verily, dear Lord, saith he, we know not whither thou goest; how can we know the way? That is to say, we do not understand a word you say. To such a question the Lord continues to answer and does not allow himself to be mistaken, they understand it or not. For he knows that when the Holy Spirit comes, they will understand it first, and he says:
I am the way, the truth and the life.
18 This is an excellent, beautiful saying, which we cannot act upon now due to its length; nevertheless, we want to say a little about it.
The other part of this sermon.
I am the way, the truth and the life.
(19) Although most of the people go in unbelief and do not think anything of the future life, because otherwise they should never think about the future half as much as they think about the temporal half: nevertheless, such an article does not want to be despised at all; sometimes a thought must come: Dear, how will it have an opinion, if today or tomorrow God also demands you from this world? Here you had to eat and to drink, had money, honor, property and power enough: what will you have or find there? Such a thought cannot always remain outside; it will sometimes stir the heart and make it restless. And no doubt, out of such thoughts and concerns, many a worship service has been wrought among the heathen. Thus it can be seen that many of them have led an honorable, chaste, refined life, hoping that our Lord God will let them enjoy it after this life.
(20) The Jews, in particular, were completely drowned in such thoughts, for they had the advantage of knowing what they should do if they wanted to please God. For God Himself had provided them with all kinds of services in the Law, so they thought, "If we are obedient and keep these things, we will not be in trouble when we die; God, to whom we live in obedience, will be pleased with us. Just as the papists do: what they think is good and holy, when they do it, they make themselves believe that God cannot deny them heaven. Thus, people make their own way to God and eternal life, either through the law or through such works as they choose to be holy and pleasing to God.
(21) Therefore our dear Lord Christ warns and teaches us: If we take the right way to the Father and do not want to err, then neither the law nor this nor that good work will be done. For there is only one way, and that is he himself; he that goeth unto the Father by him, the Lord Christ, shall go unto the Father.
come. Whoever does not walk on it, neither law, nor holy life, nor anything in heaven and on earth shall help him. For just as there is only one true Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, so there is only one way. But whoever makes another way, makes also another Christ, there is no doubt about it. And it must further follow that such a Christ is false and the way erroneous and leads into the abyss of hell and not to eternal life.
(22) Now this is the doctrine which has always caused trouble and all kinds of misfortune in the world. For Cain also thought to make a way for himself to the Father in heaven by his sacrifice; but he lacked it, and slew his brother Abel to death over it. He also sacrificed, but he had another way to the Father than his sacrifice, namely, the seed of the woman, from which the promise had been made to his parents. So the Jews also did not like it when the prophets punished their sacrifice and worship, and would not let it be the right way to heaven. Shall it not please God, they said, if we sacrifice and keep the commandment of the Lord? Our papists of today cannot stand it either. No monk will allow himself to be persuaded that it is not a way to eternal life if he keeps his rule rigidly with praying, fasting and other things. In sum, as the Pharisee Luc. did on the 18th, who let himself believe that he had kept the commandments of God, because he had not outwardly sinned against them: so, of course, do all men, and let themselves believe that their holy life is the way to the Father in heaven. But when they say, "No, if you want to be saved, you must go another way; this way will lead you into the abyss of hell," then it burns in all the gates; everyone scolds such teaching, calling it heresy, forbidding good works and deceiving people. As you can see, it is the same for us today.
Now, how shall we do it? If you look at what Christ says here, you can be sure of the matter. He speaks of the way to the Father, where one is to find the eternal dwellings, and speaks with round words: "I am the way, the truth, and the
Life." Now, as said above, there is only One Christ, and it is not possible to say of this or any other work, even of the Law of Moses itself, that it is Christ. If Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life, and no work, be it ever so holy, great and delicious, can be said to be Christ Himself: Then it must follow that the law, sacrifice, all good works, the ten commandments of God Himself, all chastity, discipline, respectability, and whatever else may be called, are not the way to salvation and the Father; and whoever has no more than such works, that he is and must remain in error, in falsehood, and in death, until he comes to this way, he is called Christ Jesus.
024 Yea, sayest thou, are the commandments of the toes evil? Is it wrong to live modestly and honorably and to be pious? Is it not pleasing to God? or is it pleasing to Him to live in fornication and do no good? No, by all means; we say that it is right, good and pleasing to God to do God's will, to be pious. But it does not follow that this is the way to eternal life or to the Father. Therefore, one should keep the Ten Commandments in obedience, because God has commanded them and without sin we cannot obey such a command. But to come to the Father there is only one way; it is not called good works nor God's commandment, but Christ Jesus. This one way is the truth and does not deceive us; and is the life that preserves us from death, since otherwise, with all good works and holy living, we must remain in death, and cannot work our way out.
25, And this is also the cause that the Lord makes Himself a new name, saying, "I am the way." For where there is no way nor path, there is no way to come. Since no one can come to God apart from Christ, nor can anyone know God apart from Christ, He says: I am the way to the Father. Not such a way as one should walk on with feet, but with the heart, that is, one should trust in Him and place all confidence in Him. Whoever does this is on the right path to the Father and to eternal life, and is not able to trust in him.
that he could err. For he has Christ, who is not only the way, but he is the truth, who cannot deceive nor fail us, and is also the life. Therefore, whoever has this way before him must not fear sin and the death that comes from sin.
26 Therefore, the question must be distinguished here. It is twofold when I ask: What shall I do if I want to live as a Christian? and: What should I do if I want to go to the Father or to eternal life? The Ten Commandments belong to the Christian life: they are the way. For there is God's command that demands such obedience. But whoever does not want to obey, must wait for the punishment and damnation that is laid upon disobedience. But such toe commandments are not the right way to the Father. For there it is said, as Christ says here, "I am the way." Just as one should not make much Christ, so one should not make much way. But if a man makes any other way to the Father besides Christ, it is an erroneous way.
(27) Therefore, the judgment of all faiths and religions can be made. The Turk, the Jews and the pagans also have a hope that they will be saved, and they boast that they know God, and serve God, and worship God. But if Christ alone is to be the way and they do not believe in Christ, how is it possible that they can come to God? Then even their best life and their most holy works, their prayer and all worship must be nothing but error, lies and death. For apart from Christ there is no way, no truth, no life.
028 So it is with the pope also, and with his multitude; he goeth much way to the father. One monk has run away to a monastery for this reason; one priest says mass for this reason; another serves the saints for this reason and worships them; the third buys indulgences or offers mass, so that he thinks he is making a way or bridge to heaven. But do what you will; even the most holy works commanded in the Ten Commandments will not bring you to the Father. Cause, Christ alone is the way, he alone is the truth and the life. If thou believest not in Christ, and art not comforted in his going to the Father, and thy
If you do not satisfy your heart with the fact that he has prepared the dwelling for you through his death, it is of no use; indeed, everything you do apart from him is error, lies and death, no matter how much the world may praise it. Faith in Christ alone must do it, and no work; for apart from Christ there is no way.
(29) Now a distinction must be made here between the works, lest we fall into the raptures in which the Anabaptists and the Sacramentarians are. For this is not unjustly spoken, and takes nothing away from the glory of Christ, when I say, If thou wilt come to the Father and be saved, be baptized; as Peter saith to the Jews, Acts 2:38. 2:38; item, if thou wilt be saved and come to the Father, hear the word of God; item, if thou wilt come to the Father and be saved, go to the reverend Sacrament. For baptism, sacrament and word are not only commanded by Christ, but are nothing without Christ. Therefore such works require faith, and without faith they are of no use; just as Christ himself is of no use to those who do not believe in him. Whoever then would say, Christ alone is the way; what need have I of baptism, word, or sacrament? would dishonor Christ, not only because Christ commanded and instituted baptism, word, and sacrament; but because Christ himself is in baptism, word, and sacrament, and in such passages becomes our way. For he is gone to the Father, and we see him not, saith he, Joh. 16. How then shall we walk in him, or how is he our way? There is no other way, because in baptism, in word and sacrament he lets himself be presented to us, that he died for us, shed his blood for us and reconciled us to the Father. Whoever would not accept such words and sacraments would reject Christ, the Way, and would not want to accept Him.
(30) Therefore, since Christ himself is in and with us, such works are different from the works we do. I give alms, I serve my neighbor, I preach, I let myself be tortured to death over the word: such works, although the holy
I cannot boast that they are so much more than Christ, than his suffering and death. Therefore, we cannot and should not boast of any way that we would come to the Father and eternal life by it.
(31) But it is useless to speak further of this matter. For the Lord declares himself, and shows cause why he says he is the way. "No one," he says, "comes to the Father except through me." "Coming to the Father" can ever mean nothing else than having a gracious God, being without sin and in eternal life. There, he says, you will never come to it by your works or holiness; by me alone you must come to it, that is, by me alone going to the Father, suffering and dying. In this way the Lord beautifully summarizes the article of our faith, which says: "Through faith alone in Christ alone one becomes righteous and blessed.
032 Now it is still more grievous that he saith, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." For this is still more, that he says further, "If ye know me, ye know the Father." For with these words he wants to indicate that where one does not have or know Christ, it is impossible that one can have or know God. What is it then that all the heathen boast and speak of God? That the Turks and Jews, even the Papists, say much about God? The words may guide them, but here is the verdict: If you know Christ, you know God; if you do not know Christ, you do not know God.
(33) Yes, you say, is this not knowing God, when a Turk and a Jew say how God created heaven and earth from nothing, made His covenant with Adam and Eve in Paradise, brought the children of Israel out of Egypt? Is all this true, that God did it: not such a God as the pagans have, but the true and eternal God? But do it as you will, here it is: If you know Christ, you know God; but if you do not know Christ, you do not know God; you deny God and do not believe in God. And this is why the Lord soon after says to Philip, "Do you not believe, Philip, that the Father is in me, and I in the Father?"
34 Thus the Lord goes back to the reason which he indicates above, when he says: "If you believe in God, believe also in me. For there is no other way out, the man Jesus Christ is God; and God is Jesus Christ. Whoever then does not know the Son, nor suppose that he boasts, says, or knows whatever he wants about God, this is not true knowledge. Therefore he speaks further to Philip: "So long have you been with me, and do you not yet know me? Philip, he who sees the Father sees me." You hear me speak, and I do not speak, but the Father does, and the works that I do, the Father does. All of this is to the end that we should recognize and accept Christ as a true, eternal God, and take comfort in His suffering and death as the perfect payment and propitiation to God. Whoever does this knows God, honors God, and believes in God.
For to know God is not only to know that he created heaven and earth, that he gave us life and limb, and that he is omnipotent. Such is only one piece, and the least of the knowledge of God. For where one does not get any further, we must only fear such God all the sooner and more, since we have the conscience constantly with us that we are disobedient to such God, who created everything for our good.
sam. But whoever knows Christ sees in Christ that God is a gracious, merciful God who does not want to condemn us because of our sin and disobedience, but wants to be merciful to us and help us out of our sins. For there stands His Son, whom He gives as a sacrifice for us, that through Him we may have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. This then means to recognize God rightly, to know that he is so merciful to sinners.
But there is no other way to learn this, except from His Son Christ Jesus. Therefore Christ says: "If you know me, you know the Father: He is not only an almighty and eternal God, but also a gracious and merciful God. His omnipotence and eternity can be felt and learned from the creature of the whole world; but His grace and mercy can only be learned from Christ JEsu, from His suffering and death, that He goes and prepares for us the dwelling place, which we on our part would have had to be deprived of forever.
(37) Thus your love sees how the Lord comforts his disciples and directs them to know him rightly, so that their hearts will not be troubled. May God grant us His grace that we may also learn this, and in all distress remember such comfort, amen.