1537. (?)
1 Expedivimus legationem Levitarum et responsum Johannis. And that which they ask, they shall not; and that which they ask not, it is too much for them; and that which they desire not, they must hear too much against their will. John called them to prepare the way, and gave a sign that he would baptize with water. Then they are angry, because he goes to the Jordan without the chief's leave, and makes the people run to him. All the wise men of the earth are also stuck there; they do not deny that the teaching is false. But they want to wait until it is recognized by the authorities. So John may baptize without their command, though they have a great appearance. There are more pious people among them than Zacharias, John's father, even though God calls him out. This place also meets us, if we will wait until it is known of men. John, however, asks nothing of it, is certain of his office. So we must also be quite sure of the doctrine, that it is right in the sight of God, if the high leaders agree or disagree, so the great nature always wants.
if no one fights against it. We should not ask anything about it, as John is sure of his profession, does not worry about fighting against the glorious legates. He stands to comfort us, John; if there were only two who held the pure doctrine, and all the world would fight against it, we should still remain manly, and not pay attention to the opinion of men. Let him fall who will, we say: God has sealed his word and sent his Son to die; let him who will not be moved always wait.
2 How does John come to testify about Christ? He says that he did not know him until the dove came upon Christ. He preaches that they should be pious. Poenitentiae praedicatio est causa, that we may desire to be different and godly. The Lord is coming, est causa, Matth. 3, 2: Poenitentiam agite, quoniam appropinquavit regnum coelorum. If the cause remained behind, no one would become more devout. Without the cause, this sermon is nothing because
*This sermon belongs to the same twenty-one sermons as the previous one. In the collections: in the Halle Part, p. 398; Leipzig Edition, vol. XII, p. 606; Erlanger, I. ed., vol. 18, p. 66; 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 360. We give the text according to Walch, comparing the Erlanger.
a law. But when one says: Repent, the Lamb of God is already present; item, "the kingdom of heaven has come", that is, a teaching is present: whoever needs help, let him get it from this Christ, then we soon conclude: Goodbye, you former miserable life, here I know better, I see a man who can help me. This means then, to desire and accept another life from Christ. Before the time of grace there was nothing but pressing, choking 2c. But now, when Christ comes to make one godly, one hastens to Christ by force; it is he who gives the power to be godly. This Christ promises all comfort and help to the conscience.
(3) Now when John preached baptism, Matthew 3:5, they all ran and were baptized, confessing their sins to God, and waiting for Christ to make them righteous. John did not recognize the person of Christ so that he could say, "This is He, and not another. Even when Christ was baptized, John did not recognize him until the voice from heaven sounded: Hic est filius meus dilectus etc He recognized that Christ was present, but he did not know who he was until the Spirit revealed it to him. Therefore he says twice: Ecce agnus Dei, qui tollit peccata mundi.
John preaches repentance, baptizes with water, and points them all to Christ, who can take away sin. God has placed this little lamb to wash away the sin of the world. A lamb is of such a good nature that there is nothing evil in it, fimus, lac, lana, pellis, caro, nutrit nos. It is good through and through, that there is nothing evil in it. And even though it is good, it must die in the end, Isa. 53, 7: Sicut ovis ad occisionem ducetur. All other animals cry out horribly when they are slaughtered, but not the little lamb. So everything is good in Christ. He forgives sin, gives knowledge of his Father, preserves us in body and soul, and then dies. Whoever has the little lamb becomes hostile to his life, cries out about it, and asks this little lamb to help him with his great goodness. So, if one preaches repentance without an appendix, the repentance is in vain. But John here adds a causam, and
Says: Repent, there is one who will help you, there is a pious little lamb, in whom alone one finds comfort and blessedness.
Qui me misit baptizare etc.
5 Spiritu Sancto baptizare, est dare Spiritum Sanctum, pour over the Spiritum Sanctum... To baptize means to completely immerse the child up to the neck, so baptism is enough. So people learn that baptism is right through the Spiritum Sanctum. This is where the ministry of preaching begins, and it will not go any other way until the end of the world. It cannot be taken further than into the ears. Christ must bring it into the heart through the Spiritum Sanctum alone. Nevertheless, it must be practiced and preached; and yet it must stand alone with him, to whom he wills to put it into the soul. He cannot suffer us to think that it is the fault of our flesh, or of our studies; but it is Christ's office alone when he brings it into the heart. This then is a new baptism, which John and all preachers cannot give; otherwise it remains cold water, the heart never experiences it, Christ alone must warm it.
(6) If it does not come today or tomorrow, I should do God the honor and wait for the time when he will warm and touch my heart. Therefore, we should not despise hearing the word. If we have hurried far from the devil and run to St. James, let us faithfully hear his word and wait for his grace. Satan can do no more harm than to make us weary of the means by which God will give us this lamb's blood in our hearts; then it is already lost to us. Those in the ministry should be diligent to preach, for God and all the angels are watching and delighting in it. A joy should come into our hearts, because it pleases God. He has also well pleased Paul. Let it not be a joke, let us stand here before the high majesty and speak a word that strikes the soul. He says: Portamus thesaurum in vasis fictilibus; with this Paul consoles himself. Now it is a great comfort that we should wear on our necks a miserable, stinking pot that is easily broken. Still
it does not harm the treasure. God knows well that we are a poor vessel. Therefore, no matter where the tops remain, no matter how weak we are, we should always proclaim the treasure and distribute it to the world, and not let the devil make us idle and lazy. Let us now be sure of this, GOD
confirms his word with his son's blood. Let us not be deterred by the wisdom of the world, which opposes it. (2) De Johannis baptismate and have auctoritatem. (3) That we may know how to send ourselves in three things, what is Johannis baptism, and what is Christ's baptism. 1. in aures. 2. in cor.