EASTER MONDAY (2)
Text: Romans 8:31-34.
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
All praise to Jesus Christ the almighty Victor now and forevermore. Amen.
My dear hearers who have been highly honored by Christ’s resurrection.
As we have heard these days, Christ has been vindicated by his resurrection; his innocence was gloriously revealed and his divinity mightily shown.
My friends, this did not take place for Christ's sake. As little as Christ was bound to fulfil the Law for himself, so little did he need to prove that he had not transgressed the Law. As little as Christ had to save himself by his suffering and dying, so little can his glorious resurrection be viewed as a deserved reward for his torment. As little as Christ's divinity is ever in danger of losing its honor and glory, so little did it need a seal, a special verification. Everything which exists is proof of the divinity of Christ; for he has created everything, and all things exist by him; in him we live and move and have our being. Therefore if by his resurrection Christ entered the state of exaltation from the state of humiliation, entered into glory through suffering, and was most perfectly vindicated, this happened only for our sakes. For our salvation, for our justification Christ rose from the dead; for the sake of our sins Christ came by night to this world, by night began his suffering, and surrounded by gloomy darkness died on the cross; but with the rising of the sun he came from his grave, for he had dispelled the darkness of sin and God's wrath; he brought the light of grace to all who sät in darkness and in the shadow of death. Not for his sake was the stone on his grave rolled away, but for our sakes, so that for our comfort we might see the empty grave and might be freed from the oppressive stone of sorrow and anxiety over our sins and distress and death.
Oh, then, let us learn to know this festival we are celebrating today as really our festival and the resurrection of Christ as our justification. With God's assistance let us now ponder to what extent it has this glorious result.
Quote the text here: Romans 8, 31-34.
In these words we hear the language of him who knows the power of Christ's death and resurrection and accepts and comforts himself by it with all his heart. \Jhat kind of words are they? Perhaps complaints and groans? words of fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and terror? Not at all. They march forward confidently. They do not wait until someone accuses them in Order to defend themselves. They rather boldly and daringly defy all their foes and say: " If God be for us who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ?" Vv.31.33. They mean to say: Well, you enemies, sin, world, death, and the devil, you who once so pitilessly passed judgment upon us, where are you now? Christ's death and resurrection has made you keep still, yes, has made you crawl away entirely. Not a single accuser is present, to say nothing of a judge and condemner! Come on! Speak up if you can bring anything against me! Say it if you know something !
That is the way a person who believes in the resurrection can, as it were, mock the enemies of his salvation. He is absolutely certain that he is righteous before God. Therefore permit me to proclaim to you the sweet Easter message:
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CHRIST'S RESURRECTION: THE COMPLETE JUSTIFICATION OF ALL MEN
I will show you:
1. The Degree to Which They Have This Glorious Fruit, and
2. How Everyone Can Share in It.
Lord Jesus, the only reason you have triumphed so gloriously is that we sinners would have all our misery changed into a state of blessedness; distribute the treasure of your resurrection among us through your Word. Let no one remain far removed from your grace. Conquer those who have hitherto despised you by the power of your love; let those who shed tears of sorrow over their sins and can find no comfort come to know you in all your friendliness, and change their bitter weeping into tears of joy and thanks. And finally make those who rejoice in you even more certain and stronger and more courageous, so that they can joyfully swear today: In you we have righteousness and strength. Let that remain our comfort in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death. Oh Lord, bring that about in us all for the sake of the justification you won. Amen.
I.
Christ's death is most intimately connected with his glorious resurrection. If we want to understand the real purpose of his resurrection, we must first contemplate the cause of his death. Christ died to atone for our sins; for the wages of sin is death. He did not have to die for himself, for he was holy, yes, the Lord of life itself. When he entered into his suffering unto death, he carried our sins; as our Suretor and Substitute he stood during his suffering before God's tribunal; in our place he hung on the cross; in our place he died. He wanted to pay our debt; he wanted to pay God a sufficient ransom for our sins and again reconcile the whole sinful world with God.
The chief comfort for our soul is Christ's death and the shedding of his blood; this and not his resurrection it is whereby our salvation and righteousness has been earned.
But if Christ were not raised, could we ground our faith upon his death and comfort ourselves in it? We would indeed have to marvel at Christ's love which gave itself into death for our sins; but how would we know whether his loved achieved its blessed purpose? We would know that as far as Christ is concerned he wanted our salvation and did everything to win it; but how would we know whether God the Father accepted the sacrifice of his Son and considered it sufficient for the guilt of the world? whether as far as God is concerned the deed was even in vain? We would know that in the duel with the foes of our soul Christ did not hold his life dear but willingly poured out his blood for us; but how would we know whether Christ, who fell bleeding to the ground, conquered all our foes, actually rescued us?
To all these questions the Apostle Paul answers: "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 1 Cor 15,14.17.18. What kind of a faith would that be which is based on the fact that we would know that Christ had wanted to redeem us and pay our debt? How would our faith have a firm basis? We could no nothing else but be unceasingly tormented by doubt and uncertainty as to whether he who was crucified f or us completed the great work. Christ's death was the dark debtor's prison into
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which he let himself be cast, because he had declared that he wanted to let our debts be charged to his account. Would we not be the biggest fools in the world, if we would rely upon a payer who still sat in the debtor’s prison, so that he would pay the very last penny for us? Would we not have to fear day and night that God would come and tell us that Christ was unable to pay our debt completely, that we are and remain God’s debtors, and that woe to us if we ourselves could not meet the payment demanded?
If you think about this, my friends, it will become clear why Christ's resurrection is the justification of all men.
Christ died because he was burdened with our sins; that he is risen shows that he has this burden no longer, that proved to the whole world that he got rid of it and buried it in his grave. Christ was punished for our sins’ sake by God; that he has risen shows that he has endured all stripes and now need endure no more. Christ sacrificed himself to reconcile God; that he is risen shows that God's wrath is completely appeased and he has become our gracious, satisfied Father in heaven. Christ wrestled for us with our foes, sin, death, the devil, world, and hell; for our sakes he let himself be crushed by them; that he has risen shows that all our foes now lie at his feet, and he is their Lord.
As certainly therefore as Christ did not suffer and die for himself but for us, in our place, as our Suretor and Substitute, so certainly did Christ not rise for his own sake; his acquittal applies to us; in him we are exalted, glorified, justified. We were punished in the Crucified; therefore in the Resurrected we are also redeemed, freed of all punishment, and forever rid of all of all debts. Christ did not take care of his affairs but ours; if Christ has won, we really have won. Christ's victory is our victory, Christ's justification is our justification. That is why the apostle says in our text: " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Vv. 33.34. He wants to say that an even greater comfort lies in Christ's resurrection than in his death; for without the message: "Christ is risen!" the Word of the cross would not be Gospel, that is, not a joyful message. But Christ's resurrection is the reason why Christ's cross is such a sweet tree of life for us, whose fruits cheer our souls; Christ's resurrection is the reason why his suffering comforts us, why grace, life, and salvation gushes forth for us from his wounds.
II.
Even if I should preach to you such wonderful and comforting things about Christ's resurrection, I would fail to bring to you the true Easter joy if I would not tell you how you could share in its fruits. That is the most necessary and best thing. Permit me in the second place to speak to you about this.
Do not think that I will describe a long way which you are to go; do not think that I will set up a long list of rules which you must observe; do not think that I will prescribe huge, difficult labors in various great works. According to God's Word my advice is very short; but it cannot fail. It is this: Believe in the precious fruit of Christ's resurrection, appropriate it to yourself with your whole heart and it is yours to enjoy; if you remain in this faith you will some time enjoy it in perfect joy and blessedness.
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Will perhaps many say that faith alone is not enough? His victory, his justification cost Christ so much, and v;e should get it so easily? Yes, my friends, that is so and it can be no other way.
For as you have heard, what is the resurrection? It is the justification which has already taken place for all men. As the whole world really hung on the cross and atoned for their sins when Christ hung on the cross, so really the world, every sinner, has risen justified when Christ arose. Paul says this most clearly: "As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Rom. 5, 18. As we all became sinners before God when Adam our head fell, so we are all justified before God when Christ our new head rose. So what must we do? Absolutely nothing more than not to despise Christ's dearly wrought victory for us but accept it with believing hearts.
You will say: Dare every sinner appropriate the fruit of Christ's resurrection to himself? There can be no doubt on that score; for since every one is acquitted with the resurrected Savior, not only dare every sinner but he also should seize this grace or else lose his salvation. Can you doubt that you dare, yes, must accept what has already been given you? Christ's justification has been given to all by the heavenly Father; therefore no one should reject it in unbelief. The only way whereby this glorious work is lost to us is if we do not appropriate it. Unbelief, doubt, is simply throwing away a treasure already given us. So God has commanded that the resurrection of his Son should not be concealed but preached to all the world so that the whole world may believe it, so that every one might rejoice that he has already risen with Christ.
If you want to make yourself acceptable to God by your own works and righteousness, if you want to justify yourself and not, as one worthy of damnation, comfort yourself alone in Christ's victory, you with all your efforts to save yourself will be lost; by your works you reject the Resurrected. You seek in vain to gain a victory for yourself; if you do not want to join the great company of believers who follow the triumphant Lord of salvation and seek protection under his bloody banner, you will never be holy.
Come all of you who today have heard the announcement of your glorious justification as an established fact; set your whole heart upon this sweetest of all messages; find rest in it. Give Christ the honor; for that is the only thing which you can show him; rely upon him to have taken charge of your affairs before God, completely atoned for your sins, perfectly reconciled God, won perfect righteousness for you, in short, completely redeemed you.
I beseech every one of you: Do not delay! Hurry to Christ's grave; you will find it empty and all the angels will cry out to you: You seek Jesus who was crucified; he is not here; do not seek the living among the dead; do not seek the Acquitted in prison; do not seek the Glorified in the dust of humility; he is risen who died for you; he lives, he rules, he triumphs, he has grace, life, and salvation for you; believe in him and you will be saved.
Yes, my dear hearers, the moment you believe in the justification of the resurrected Savior, you can confidently say with Christ: Which of you accuseth me of sin? My sins he has buried in the grave. You can confidently reckon yourself as one of the elect and defiantly cry to the world: " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." Listen: God pronounces me righteous; which enemy, which sin, which devil though he may be ever so impudent will venture to accuse God of lying and accuse me,
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to say nothing of condemning me? " It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Oh glorious and inexpressibly precious fruit of the resurrection ! It gives the sinner the power in his triumphant faith even to sing hymns of victory in the midst of the arena, even while feeling his sins. Oh may none Of us insult our perfect Savior by excluding himself. Amen.