In the previous chapter he described the body and the kingdom; now he describes the king and the head itself. But since the essence of religion is that we know Christ well, we should be all the more commanded to read this chapter. Under the pope we were miserably deceived by ungodly opinions, since in all sermons Christ was presented to us as a terrible judge, and the Virgin Mary was put in the place of the true Christ, so that she should be a reconciler. The prophet does it quite differently. For he describes Christ very precisely, who he is and what his offices consist of, and adds excellent promises for the church. Therefore, these passages can serve as consolation in the temptations; indeed, one must take consolation from them alone.
V. 1. The Spirit of the LORD LORD is upon me.
2. by this word: "the Spirit of the Lord", Christ separates Himself from all fleshly things.
Kings and priests [Luc. 4, 18]. On the other hand, he attributes all divine works to himself, that he makes everything alive, that he fills everything, that he moves everything. Here is no sin, here is no death, here is no devil, but the kingdom of God. Thirdly, he affirms his calling in order to strengthen the weak hearts, so that they may believe that Christ promises and does everything according to the will and command of God the Father, so that we may not think that God is a judge or tyrant, but our Father. But that he adds:
That is why the Lord has anointed me,
3. thus he indicates that he was appointed by God both as king and priest. For these used to be anointed. And this is now a part of the description, that Christ is sent by the Spirit of God, and appointed by God as King and Priest. But so that we would not think that he was a carnal king, he adds his offices, to which he was sent.
He has sent me to preach to the wretched.
4 Against those who expect Christ in glory, he says that he is sent, that is, he is a servant, a messenger, or an apostle who is commanded to preach the word to the poor, just as Christ himself answered the disciples of John, "The poor have the gospel preached to them" [Matt. 11:5]. But the miserable or the poor are not those who are poor in money, but the sorrowful people who are without all help and counsel, who are despised in the world. To these, he says, I am sent as a king and priest, that I may judge them by the word, that they may not despair, but may gain confidence in mercy and be saved.
5 The pope, claiming to be Christ's governor, is in the same error as the Jews, who expect no other than a glorious Messiah. But the pope would truly be a governor of Christ if he preached the gospel and comforted the weak consciences with the words. For these were Christ's offices as long as he lived on earth. But because the pope omits these, and in the meantime seeks the kingdoms and goods of the world, but persecutes and blasphemes the gospel and Christ's kingdom, he is the antichrist, not Christ's governor. But what the fruit of this word is, and who the wretched are, he says in the following.
Connecting the broken hearts.
6 Paul's saying serves to explain this passage: "The law is the power of sin, but sin is the sting of death" [1 Cor. 15:56], because these three tyrants plague and frighten the human heart most severely. The law is the judge's sentence. Sin is the executioner, and the cross is death itself. Now, if someone were to consider this exceedingly sweet description of Christ, he would easily be able to resist despair and all evils when the heart is tortured by the violence of sin. Furthermore, the prophet begins with the person of Christ at the last, namely death. I
I am not a judge, he says, I am not a lawgiver; rather, I teach the opposite; I bind up the brokenhearted, I give life to those who feel death, who labor in the battle of death. On the other hand:
To preach to the prisoners an execution.
7 I deliver from captivity. Those who are oppressed by sin, whose consciences cannot work themselves out, these I will set free and redeem, so that in this way sins will not be sins. Thirdly:
An opening for the bound.
8 That is, to those who are bound under the law, I preach the word of grace, and so deliver them. This is my kingdom, this is my ministry, this is what I am anointed to do, to assist and help such people, not to condemn them. In what way? [1) It is very difficult to believe that Christ can do these things by the mere word, as they are written in the Gospel: "Your Son did not die" [John 4:50]. "Your sins are forgiven you" [Matth. 9, 2]. Likewise, "Ye are not under the law, but under grace" 2c. [Thus we see that Christ, if we are to describe Him, is nothing else than an evangelist of the poor who groan and fret over sin and death, that He may reign over sin and over death, not only for His own person, but also in us.
9.a ) If someone could believe these things and treat them according to their meaning (affectu), as they deserve, he would regard this salvation as a heaven, which, we may go where we want, hovers over our head everywhere and is above us. But because in this life we have only the firstfruits of the spirit, it happens that we cannot fully see through such great riches and are, as it were, blind to them.
1) Added by us because we seem to be lacking something here.
a) Instead of U 9-11, the 1532 edition has the following: But by these sayings the heart should be accustomed to flee to Christ in all troubles, and not to fear and shun him as a judge, as the godless papacy has taught.
This light of grace, which is offered to us in the word, because we cannot come to this light. But we see the darkness that is in us, namely sin, and likewise death. For the prophet also calls those "broken" with whom Christ is actually to deal in his ministry. But we are to feel the healing more than these evils, and rather look at this freedom than at the captivity which our sins threaten us with.
(10) For this is freedom, that the law, as far as the mind and conscience are concerned, is removed, and can no longer accuse or injure us before the judgment of God. Likewise, that we also be free from death; not that we should not be astonished when the terror of death confronts us, but that death cannot swallow us up because we are in Christ. Therefore, when we feel this, we should also rise up against it, knowing that we have a remedy for these evils, namely Christ, who is an evangelist for the poor, and is sent to preach deliverance to the captives 2c.
(11) In this way we should practice learning these things, so that we can say: Christ's office is not to overcome death, sin, and the law, but to help us against them, that they also may be overcome in us, not by any power that we have, but by the power of Christ triumphing in us through his word [4 Cor. 15:57].
V. 2. To preach a gracious year of the Lord, and a day of vengeance of our God.
He calls the time of grace or the New Testament "a gracious year. But he calls it "a year," not a day, indicating that grace will last forever. But he connects with it "the day of vengeance". For the godly cannot be redeemed where God does not punish the ungodly. Thus vengeance is also part of our redemption. Also sin and death cannot be destroyed if this body of sin is not destroyed first.
13. further, one must follow Paul's rule here, that the word of God is rightly
must be divided [2 Tim. 2, 15]. The year of grace belongs to the grieved and frightened consciences, but the day of vengeance belongs to the hardened and stiff-necked despisers of the Word. But it generally happens that the frightened hearts take hold of such threats and are frightened even more. On the other hand, the wicked and secure, who should be frightened by the threats, comfort themselves with the promises and become even more secure. Thus, the human heart is all too violent on both sides and almost incurable.
To comfort all the sad.
14. Those who are redeemed from the law, from sin, from death, have joy before God, but fear in the world.
V. 3 To provide for the mourners in Zion, that jewelry may be given for ashes, and oil of gladness for sorrow, and beautiful garments for a grieved spirit.
Here is a prophetic fullness of speech, which means as much as: I will comfort the sorrowful.
That they may be called trees of righteousness, plants of the Lord for praise.
16 Instead of: Et vocabuntur in ea fortes justitiae, plantatio ad glorificandum] translate: Et vocabuntur arbores justitiae et plantatio Domini in gloriam. This is a very beautiful image, which contains an excellent consolation, that Christians, who are despised and worthless and weak in the eyes of the world, are like a paradise in the eyes of God and like the most beautiful trees, which are planted from day to day and grow better and better and bear fruit. The world also has its gardens, but in them are trees of iniquity. Therefore, they cannot be compared to Christians.
17 Moreover, this similitude also indicates that a Christian is not made (fit), but born; not prepared by human powers, but planted by divine hand. For Christ is the gardener, and Christians are works of pure grace, who are rooted out of the garden of the world by the Word and transferred from the world into another life.
18) But that he adds "plants of the Lord for praise" means the sacrifice of the Christians, that they will not slaughter cattle, but" praise their Creator. For they are trees which have these words written on each leaf: I thank thee, O Lord; I praise thee, O Lord 2c.
V. 4. They will build the ancient deserts.
19. They will propagate the church and teach others, both from the Jews and the Gentiles. But he calls the synagogue "desolate cities," because the Pharisees and Sadducees have miserably desolated it by their ungodly teaching.
V. 5. Strangers will stand.
20 The pagans will also be admitted to the church and the magisterium.
V. 6. But you shall be called priests of the Lord.
All teachers will be priests who will slay the Gentiles, that is, convert them to Christ through the Word. This is a great praise of the preaching ministry.
And shall eat the goods of the Gentiles.
22 "The goods of the Gentiles" is here, as above [Cap. 60, 6. ff.]: All that the Gentiles have, their riches, their power, their eloquence 2c. they will use, not, as before, against the church, but for the church.
V. 7. For your reproach shall come double.
23. to: Pro confusione vestra duplicia erganze recipietis [you will receive). For the Lord first gives them joy in the spirit. Secondly, they are also honored by the Gentiles in a bodily way. Thus Paul gave honor to Peter, and Paul to Timothy. So the one joy is in the Lord, the other in the brethren.
And for shame they shall be merry on their acres.
24 [Instead of: Et rubore laudabunt partem suam 1) m the Vulgate) translate: Et pro igno-
1) Namely, this is how it is to be read according to the Vulgate. In all editions wrong and meaningless: Lt rob"-" iLuäadrmt pa
minia laudabunt in agris suis. For one brother honors another for the sake of Christ who dwells in him.
V. 8 For I am the Lord who loves justice.
(25) This is a good consolation for the church against the astonishments of works and hypocrisy. He says that the world considers you unrighteous and praises its works and its righteousness. But this very righteousness is abhorrent to me. For it is a theft from God, by which my honor and glory are snatched away. Thus he describes human righteousness as being a theft from God (sacrilegium), and he calls the saints of works people who are guilty of insulting the divine majesty. For to make righteous is a work that stands with God alone, just as creation is God's alone. For since we are born sinners, those who are made righteous must be born again, as Christ says, John 3:7: "Ye must be born again." And a righteous man is everywhere called by Paul a new creature [2 Cor. 5, 17.], and a new man [Eph. 4, 24.). But now those who want to be righteous by works attribute to their self-chosen works that which is God's alone, namely, that good works can make and give birth to a new creature. But this is to rob God of His glory and to attribute it to human works. He complains about this in this passage, and calls it "a predatory burnt offering," because they ascribe divine power to the burnt offering, and rob God of His honor.
And I will create that their work shall be certain.
26 These are consolations against the apparent life of the adversaries, as if to say: Although the world does not think that you are pleasing and pleasing to God, yet you shall know that your work shall be sure, that is, that this reward shall be given you by me, which you now hear in the promise. For the word "work" means a reward, or a wage.
V. 9. Blessed by the Lord.
It follows that they should also be increased. Thus he promises the church its duration.
V. 10. I rejoice in the Lord.
28 Here he adds a song in the person of the church. For because the church has such rich promises, and sees the gospel being spread, she rejoices in the Lord over the truth, and over the increase of her offspring.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation.
29 That is, with the faith with which the church, joined to salvation, triumphs over sin, over death, over the world, over the devil 2c.
30 Furthermore, he who is clothed with faith and has the Holy Spirit is a true priest. That is why he mentions the priest here. For this is how this passage must be translated: Quasi sponsum decoratum sacerdotali ornatu [as a bridegroom adorned with priestly jewelry", instead of: Quasi sponsum decoratum corona in the Vulgate].
For he alludes to the jewelry of Aaron the high priest, which was splendid, yet honorable, as is the jewelry of a bridegroom.
(31) By the way, he also implies that Christ is a bridegroom and priest of the church. Therefore we also, who are planted in Christ by faith, are priests in respect of faith, and bridegrooms in respect of the jewels and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, this is a joy in the spirit, and is not seen with eyes, but believed in the heart.
V. 11. So righteousness and praise will arise from the Lord LORD before all the nations.
That is, he will multiply the church so that there will be Christians everywhere and among all. Thus from Christ come all things, praise, thanksgiving, the word itself, and the multiplication of believers, and other fruits of the word.