Of the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ in general.
John 19:13-30.
When Pilate heard the word, he led JEsum out and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called High Pavement, which is called Gabbatha in the original language. Now it was the preparation day at Easter about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold, this is your King. And they cried out, Away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took JEsum, and led him away. And he carried his cross, and went out unto the place which is called the place of the skull, which is called Golgotha in the language of the Jews. There they crucified him, and with him two others on either side, and Jesus in the midst. Pilate wrote an inscription and put it on the cross, and it was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This inscription was read by many Jews, because the place was near the city where Jesus was crucified. And it was written in the Ezraic, Greek, and Latin languages. Then said the chief priests of the Jews unto Pilato, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said: I am the king of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, that have I written. And the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and the skirt also. But the skirt was unstitched, and was sewn from the top through and through. Then they said one to another, "Let us not divide it, but let us cast lots for it, so that the scripture may be fulfilled that says, "They have divided my garments among themselves and have cast lots for my skirt. This is what the soldiers did. And by the cross stood Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister Mary, Cleophas' wife, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he unto the disciple, Behold, this is thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her unto him. After this, when Jesus knew that all things were finished, that the scripture should be fulfilled, he said, I thirst. There was a vessel full of vinegar. And they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it about hyssop, and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, "It is finished," and bowed his head and died.
*) Held in the house on Char Friday 1833.
Today we celebrate the history of the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we confess and say in our faith: "I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. For although Christians are to preach, remember and contemplate the passion and death of Christ daily and forever, and without which the history itself is long and cannot be acted upon according to need at one time, for which reason we also tend to divide it into more days and hours: Nevertheless this day is especially appointed for the preaching and meditation of the passion of Christ, because all that Christ suffered in the garden, in the house of Caiphas the high priest, before Pilate the governor, and in the court, and on the cross, happened on this day. Therefore, we will also speak of it now, as much as we have time and God grants grace.
The Jews spent a whole night and a whole day with the Lord JEsu, so that the Easter day would be kept well. God had commanded them through Moses to keep the Paschal feast on the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening, and they have kept it steadfastly. And Christ was crucified on the first day of Pascha; according to our reckoning it is Char Friday, but so that one begins to count on Green Thursday at evening, and counts the same following night to it. Yesterday night at eleven o'clock the Jews started the Passion with Jesus, and this lasted until today in the evening at three o'clock. Yesterday evening at about seven o'clock Jesus went out of the city of Jerusalem into the garden; there he wrestled with death, so that his sweat became like drops of blood that fell to the ground. Soon after, at nine o'clock, he was caught in the garden and led bound before the chief priests and elders of the people, and before all the council who were gathered together in Caiaphas' house. At eleven o'clock he was interrogated and accused by the false witnesses. At twelve o'clock he was mocked, scoffed at, blasphemed and reviled, and all that night until morning. In the morning he is brought before the court.
Pilate, the judge, testified to him three times that he was innocent and that he found no cause of death in him.
3. First, when the Jews accused him of turning away the people and forbidding to give the womb to Caesar, and not wanting Caesar to be Caesar, but wanting to be King and Caesar himself, Pilate interrogated Jesus on the charge, and from his answer and confession heard that his kingdom was not of this world, and that he did no harm to Caesar in his kingdom: he said to the chief priests and to the people, "I find no cause in this man," and sent him to King Herod. This is the first excuse.
004 After this, when Jesus was sent again from Herod to Pilate, Pilate called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, and said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, to turn away the people: and, behold, I have questioned him before you, and find none in the man of the things which ye accuse him of, neither Herod. For I sent you to him, and, behold, nothing has been brought upon him worthy of death." And he set before the people Barabbam the rebel and the murderer, and JEsum, and said, Which will ye that I should release unto you; Barabbam, or JEsum, which is called Christ? But the chief priests and the elders persuade the people that they should ask for Barabbas, and kill Jesus. This is the other testimony.
5th Thirdly, since this attack was not made, Pilate had Jesus scourged and wanted to release him. St. John writes that he had him miserably beaten, hewn and torn. For he thought that he would move the Jews so that they would be satisfied with the punishment; therefore he also brings him out, clothed in purple, crowned, cut and torn, and says to the Jews: "Behold, what a man! As if to say, What a man is this! Have I not let him be torn enough? This is the third excuse.
But this did not help either. Jesus had to leave. The Jews press on Pilatum even harder, saying, "Let go of this one, and he will go away.
you are not the emperor's friend. So the action in the court was protracted, lasting from seven o'clock in the morning until almost ten o'clock. Then Jesus was crucified between eleven and twelve o'clock, at noon. When he was crucified, the sun lost its light, and the same darkness lasted until three o'clock in the afternoon. Before the darkness ended, Jesus passed away and hung on the cross for three hours. Then he was taken down from the cross and buried at five o'clock in the evening. All this happened this past night and day.
7 For thus the holy evangelists describe the history, and especially John the evangelist, who shows the time and hours, from which it may be reckoned that Jesus suffered all that night and all that day; he also says plainly that he suffered on the Jews' Easter day. For thus his words are, "It was the preparation day in the paschal days about the sixth hour." This was a suffering of eighteen hours and more. Three hours he stood on the cross, three hours in court, seven hours, that is, the whole night he was interrogated, mocked and scoffed at in Caiaphas' house. For two hours he wrestled with death in the garden, for about two hours he was caught and led out of the garden bound, first to Annas, then to the high priest Caiphas, without what he suffered in the Lord's Supper, since he was grieved in spirit, as St. John chapter 13 reports.
This is how our dear Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the Easter of the Jews. He heard God's word on Easter Day, kept still, and in his heavenly Father's obedience allowed the suffering to pass over him. In the Holy Scripture it was proclaimed that he should suffer and die, as St. Peter says, 1 Petr. 1, 11: "That the Spirit of Christ testified beforehand of the sufferings that are in Christ. Christ heard the same word and the same sermons on Easter Day. In the eighteen hours, or even in the four and twenty hours, he not only had to hear in his own ears, before the council of the chief priests and the court of the Jews, murder and clamor.
He cried out, "Crucify him, take him away, crucify him"; but also heard in his heart the testimonies of the holy scriptures that he should suffer and die. Then he thought all night and all day, as he fulfilled the testimonies of the prophets about him, so that I believe that the night's suffering became much more severe than the day's suffering.
(9) This is why the evangelists write everywhere in the history of Christ's suffering with these words: "These things came to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. For all that Christ suffered came to pass by reason of the scriptures. Therefore the evangelists not only write how the suffering of the Lord took place, but also always repeat these words: "These things happened so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. As if they wanted to say to us: "Ask the prophets about it; they will tell you why Christ suffered. Great and heavy is his suffering, torture, and cross; but great also is his love, fervency, and heat, yes, the greatest grace toward us, that the pious Lord and Savior has fulfilled the holy Scriptures with his suffering and death for our sake.
10 Thus it is written, Genesis 3:15: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This saying Christ had to hear at the time of his suffering, it rang in his heart and preached to him. For he had now come to the hour that he should trample on the head of the serpent, not the one that creeps in the grass and eats frogs, but the old serpent, the devil. And this he should do, not with oxen's feet, nor with sword or gun, but with his body and life, that he may let the devil run over him, and pour out all his fury and wrath upon himself. With this he treads down and crushes the devil, so that we may have rest and peace before him.
(11) When the serpent's head is crushed and crushed, it is finished, it has its good night and its end. Because Christ has crushed the head of the old serpent, the devil, the devil has lost his spirit.
and power. The devil remains a devil with us and the world remains a world. But the devil's head has been crushed, and Christ has destroyed his kingdom of death, sin and hell and taken away his power.
(12) This saying, I say, Christ looked upon when he suffered, and said, This is the hour when I shall bruise the devil's head, and he shall bruise my heel. This I shall and will suffer. Today is my Easter day and right celebration. And there has been such great pain, suffering, anguish and sorrow that is unspeakable. It was a hard sermon that Christ listened all night and all day to the testimonies of his suffering in the holy scriptures. He endured this on the Jews' Easter Day, and thus celebrated the Easter Day in the right way, and destroyed the devil's kingdom through his suffering, so that he now has power over the devil. When he speaks a word, the devil is gone with his kingdom of death, sin and hell. And whoever believes in him must also be sure that sin, death, the devil and hell will not harm him.
13 Thus there are other sayings in the prophets, such as Ps. 16:2, 3: "I have said unto the Lord, Thou art the Lord, I must suffer for thy sake, for the saints which are upon the earth, and for the glorious, in whom I am well pleased. Then the prophet David speaks in the person of Christ, and says: Christ must suffer for the sake of the Lord, and yet do such suffering for the saints on earth and for the glorious ones, that is, for the elect and allies whom he chooses and in whom he delights. This saying was preached and sung to Christ on Easter Day, reminding him that he should suffer.
Psalm 22:2: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I cry, but my help is far away"; and soon after v. 7: "I am a worm and not a man, a mockery of men and a scorn of the people"; and again v. 9: "He complains to the Lord, who will help him and save him, if he has a desire for him"; and again v. 17: "For dogs have surrounded me, and the wicked have gathered around me; they have made me a prey to them.
They dig through my hands and feet"; and again v. 19: "They divide my garments among themselves, and cast lots for my robe. This is also a prophecy of Christ's suffering, and clearly points to the torture on the cross, how his hands and feet are to be dug through and his limbs stretched so that they may be counted; item, how they will divide his garments among themselves. That is why the evangelists Matthew and John introduce this psalm, describing how the soldiers of the Lord divided the garments among themselves. The Lord himself uses the very words of this psalm when he cries out on the cross and says: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
15. Psalm 69:22: "They give me gall to eat and vinegar to drink in my great thirst." There David also speaks in the person of Christ, and complains about his crucifiers and blasphemers, who give him gall and vinegar to drink. Therefore also St. John points to this Psalm, when he says: "When Jesus knew that all things had already been accomplished, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst." With this he wanted to indicate that Christ had prophecy of his suffering in his heart at the cross of the prophets.
The whole 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah is a glorious prophecy of Christ and of his suffering and resurrection. And in the same chapter the Holy Spirit testified to the sufferings of Christ as brightly and clearly as they were written about by an apostle in the New Testament. And such prophecy is abundantly fulfilled through Christ. As the evangelist Marcus refers to the prophet in one piece, when he says: "And they crucified with him two murderers, one on his right hand, and the other on his left. Then was fulfilled the scripture which saith, He is numbered with the transgressors." And the Lord himself carries out this prophecy of his, and says to his disciples, Luke 22:37: "I say unto you, that it must yet be fulfilled concerning me, which is written, He is numbered with the transgressors. For what is written of me has an end."
(17) Thus our dear Lord Jesus Christ celebrated Easter Day by hearing God's word about His suffering and fulfilling it in deed and deed. For he was such a preacher, who not only spoke the word of God, but also proved it with his work, as St. Lucas says of him, Acts 1:1. 1, 1: "Jesus began both to do and to teach." The prophets testified to this long before through the Holy Spirit, so that we may know that Christ did not die for his own sake, but for obedience to his heavenly Father and for our service and love.
(18) And this also is the chief and highest part of the passion, that it should be seen and remembered that Christ suffered for obedience to his heavenly Father, and for our service and profit, that the scripture might be fulfilled. It is well to consider what redemption is, so that Christ has redeemed us, namely, not from Egypt, nor temporally, but an eternal redemption from sin, death and hell. It is also important to consider what the payment is for our sin, namely that Christ did not give money or goods for us, but his body and life; as St. Paul often boasts that Christ gave himself for our sin, Gal. 1, 4, Eph. 5, 2, Titus 2, 14.Likewise, it is to be considered how great a torture Christ suffered for us, and how sour it became to Him that He was left in bloody sweat, crowned, mocked, scoffed at, scourged, nailed to the cross and stabbed for our sake. But this is the greatest and highest part that Christ had to suffer, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled through him.
(19) Let this thing be diligently considered, that we may know not only the greatness of the redemption, of the payment, and of the suffering, but also that we may know the heart of the Lord Christ, and the kindness of his will toward us, how sincerely he meant us, and how great was the heart, love, and desire in him, that he gave himself for us. For this reason we should love both him who suffered such torture for us and the heavenly Father who imposed and commanded him to do so.
Such love should work in us the knowledge of his heart towards us, in which he takes such torture upon himself and suffers for us. And a human heart must be harder than a stone, yes, harder than iron and steel, which is neither softened nor moved by it.
20. Nevertheless, the dear, tender world goes along and does not take such things to heart, is lazy, cold, ungrateful, and despises such great treasure. Therefore it happens that our Lord God gives it away again, so that it gets further and further away. And is our Lord God justified in saying to the ungrateful world: "If you do not like my great love, that I have visited you so fatherly and warmly, and have put my dearest son through such great torture for you, then I do not like you again. If you ask nothing of what I have done, I will ask nothing of you. If thou wilt not have my Son Jesus Christ, take Barabbam instead, yea, the devil himself. And give them also to the rascals and false teachers, to the Turk, to covetousness, to the hopefulness etc.
21 And this is no wonder. Who can blame our Lord God for this? For because he gives you his Son, and he risks his body and blood on you, that he may save you from death and hell; and you not only do not respect this, but also want to throw him in the mouth for such grace and love, he does you justice by saying to you, "If you want this, you tender fruit, go away and go to the executioner. When you see how ungrateful people are and how they have no joy in Christ, it is no wonder that God becomes angry and lets the world go. For whoever cannot or will not receive love and friendship from Christ, let him always go to the devil and become a devil himself; who can hold the world?
22 Now the Passion is not preached to make us ungrateful, but that we may know the great love of the heavenly Father and of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, toward us men, and that we may love the Father and the Son again. For he that believeth with all his heart what Christ hath suffered for him shall not be an unthankful man.
I will not be a prankster, but will love Christ with all my heart. If someone comes to my aid in distress of death, fire or water, and risks his life and limb for my sake, then I would have to be a rascal if I did not love him. If one loves the one who gives or advances so much for ten guilders, what should we not do here, since God's Son is given to us, who for our sake entered into sin, death and hell? Should we not do the same and say: "My Lord Jesus Christ suffered for me, therefore I will love him again and gladly preach his word, hear it, believe it, and follow it and be obedient to it? If we do not do this, we are a thousand times worse than those who are in the world. For they know nothing of this grace; but we know, and yet are ungrateful, and forget, and remember not, that through Christ we are redeemed from sin and death. He says to us, "Neither sin nor death shall hurt you, for I have purchased for you eternal redemption through my death. That one should despise this is very terrible.
(23) Therefore we should learn about the suffering of Christ, so that we know that it has happened too well for us, so that we do not regard such suffering as anything other than eternal salvation. His bloody sweat, his anguish at night and his crucifixion I should interpret and speak:
This is my help, my strength, my life, my joy. For all these things have come to pass, that we may have fruit and profit of them, and that we may believe that they have been well done for us, and that we may thank him with all our heart. Whoever does this and thus needs the suffering of Christ is a Christian.
(24) He has done us such good that we should never forget it, but always thank him for it and take comfort in it, saying, "His pain is my comfort, his wounds are my salvation, his punishment is my redemption, his death is my life. No one can sufficiently preach it, nor sufficiently marvel at the fact that such an exalted person came down from heaven, took our place, and suffered death for us. We have been graciously enough afflicted and bought at a high enough price. If a mischievous thing happens to us now, that we are tempted or otherwise afflicted, we may blame it on our ingratitude. It serves H.G. and M.J. and all the papists right that God gives them this way. For since they have put this rich and eternal consolation, love and help in the redoubt, and thus drive their will to courage, what should happen to them will happen to them, and thus they will go away. But we must hold fast to the faithful Savior and pious Head, Jesus Christ, crucified and dead for our sins. May the merciful God help us, amen.