5TH SUNDAY IN LENT

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In this same Savior, my dear hearers!

Very often the reason why many do not accept the divine truth is that they are offended at the lowliness, the despicableness, or even the sinful failings of those who preach or confess it. Once when Paul, the herald of the Gospel, preached the divine truth in the public market place at Athens in simple words, the philosophers present did not even take the trouble to examine the apostle's doctrine; contemptuously they immediately cried out, "What will this babbler say?" Acts 17:18. That was also the reason why for the past 300 years many, particularly the great and learned, have not accepted the Reformation; they consider it disgraceful to be reformed by a miserable monk.

This idea is born into us men; it is even now noticeable in many. Not a

few, reading of how many and great sins have been committed even by Christians from time immemorial, conclude that the truth is not to be found in the Christian religion. And even now how many are offended when they see in those congregations in which the pure evangelical Gospel is preached so many sinful, dishonest members who.deny by their works what they confess with their mouth! How many wish to remain ignorant of the Gospel when they learn more and more that the preachers of the Gospel are also poor, weak men just as others are, yes, that there are hypocrites even among ministers whose evil deeds are often revealed contrary to all expectation and to the insult of all Christians! How many would rather wash their hands of church, of the congregation, of preachers, and of public worship!

As many think they are certainly justified in rejecting a teaching if it is presented and confessed by sinful, defiled persons, just so false and objectionable is the principle by which they make their decision. The truth remains the truth, whether an angel or a man, a saint or a sinner, an experienced adult or an inexperienced child, a wise or a simple person confesses it. God has decreed to have his saving Gospel preached to sinners by sinners, and of a truth, this shows great wisdom; for if only holy angels would preach to us, it would be so easy for us to think: If that angel would know how a sinner feels, he would not preach that way.

Of course, we are not going to say that nothing depends upon whether he who teaches correctly also lives correctly. Absolutely not! Experienced Christians examine the doctrine above all; they are chiefly concerned that this is pure; but weak Christians and even more unbelievers, on the other hand, examine more the life of a preacher; if that is above reproach, then that also prompts unbelievers to trust his doctrine; on the other hand, if the preacher lives an ungodly life, he himself is tearing down what he wants to build by his doctrine; he himself awakens the suspicion that he is a false prophet, who does not point the way to salvation but to ruin. Great is, therefore, the responsibility of all who preach the truth or confess it to the world. They especially are told, "For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" Mt 18:7.

Well, are the unbelievers excused, since so many who confess the divine truth give great offence by their sins? No, my friends, for God has sent men a Teacher from heaven whose holy doctrine most amazingly and perfectly agreed with his life; a Teacher whose life so radiated purity that even the all-seeing eye of God, to say nothing of men's eyes, could find not the least spot or mote of human weakness; and this Teacher is - Jesus Christ. And how Christ's, perfect, holy life publicly shames unbelief, let that, etc.

The text. John 8:46-59.

"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" This is the question Christ at the beginning of our text asked his foes, and added, "And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" Christ maintains two things: first, that no one could accuse him of sin, and secondly, that, therefore, no one can excuse himself if he does not believe in him. On the basis of these two thoughts I will now speak to you on the thought

CHRIST'S PERFECT, HOLY LIFE PUBLICLY SHAMES UNBELIEF

Hear now

I. That the Holiness of Christ's Life Shines so Brightly, that not even Unbelief can Cast Doubt upon it, and

II. That His Life, therefore, Shames All Those who Stubbornly Wish to Persevere in their Unbelief.

I.

My friends, as little as it is necessary first to prove to a person by many arguments that light is not dark but bright, and that the sun does not spread darkness but light, so little is it necessary to prove painstakingly that Christ was holy. As, when the brilliant sun coming over the horizon into sight shows of itself its light giving power to every seeing eye merely by shining, so one need but present the picture of the life of Christ to a person and he will be compelled of himself to exclaim, "Holy, holy, holy is Jesus Christ; the whole earth is full of his glory." Yes, if he wanted to attempt to describe the heavenly purity of the life of Christ, he would have to proceed with fear and trembling. That is a subject which infinitely surpasses the powers not only of men but even of the archangels. No creature can worthily speak of it. Therefore, I admit: since I want to speak of Christ's holy life, I am like a child who wants to draw the glories of the sky with his crayons. Yet I will not presume to speak thus of the Most Holy. See, he was that; I will remind you of only one event from the life of the most Beautiful of the children of men, in order to direct your further silent attention and believing amazement to this most perfect example.

One bright mirror in which is glorious reflected the crown of Christ's holiness is our today's Gospel. Christ there asks his embittered foes the question, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" V. 46. No person ever has or ever will speak that way. Even the most loving friend who overlooks much and puts the best construction on much nevertheless sees in the most pious friend many a sinful weakness of which he must remind him if asked such a question. How certain, therefore, Christ must have been that even the sharpest scrutinizing eyes of distrust, suspicion, yes, glowing hate could uncover nothing blamable in his words, nor attitudes, nor works, when in the temple at Jerusalem he publicly called upon his sworn enemies to bear testimony of him!

This purity of conscience, this clear consciousness of his most perfect innocence we constantly find in Christ. Christ prayed much but never for grace, never for forgiveness. Christ humbled himself deeply and portrayed himself as a servant of sinners, but never do we hear from his mouth the confession of one sin or remorse. No matter how deeply he humbled himself he always speaks of his inner honor in the highest and most exalted terms. Even that time when he was 12 years old and wanted to reproach his mother, he answered her with holy earnestness, "How is it that ye have sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Lk 2:49.

How joyfully would Christ's foes have cast his sins into his teeth in answer to the question, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" if only they could have produced one semblance of sin! But what do they do? True, they were not silent, yet their only weapons are insult, blasphemy, and persecution. They answered, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?" V. 48.' Yes, when Christ testified to them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Before Abraham was, I am," we read, "They took up stones to cast at him." Vv. 57,58, The more his foes tried to dishonor him the more gloriously they by their powerless slander itself confirmed Christ's holiness, as the light is accentuated the most by the very shadow. For must not he be blameless who can publicly challenge his foes to point to the least wrong in him when the foe instead of proof sputters insult, and instead of fact must grab stones? This rage into which his foes fell at

that question is a more powerful testimony for Christ's unimpeachable innocence than all the eulogies in his behalf.

What his foes must here admit in veiled manner they also had to state loudly at other times. Even Pilate, who pronounced the sentence of death upon Christ, after the closest examination before all the people had to give this testimony, "I find no fault in him at. all; I am innocent of the blood of this just person." Even the malefactor at Christ's side knew and was certain of Christ's innocence; therefore, on the cross, he testified, "This man hath done nothing amiss." And when at Christ's crucifixion the sun lost its brightness, and the earth quaked after his innocent death, the rocks split, and the graves of the saints were opened, the centurion in charge of the guard at the cross understood very well that even inanimate nature wanted to testify to the innocence of the Condemned; he, therefore, exclaimed, "Truly, this was a pious man and the Son of God."

One shadow of contempt could be cast upon Christ's innocence; it is the fact that one of his most trusted disciples who had been an ear and eye witness of all of Christ's words and deeds betrayed him; but even this shadow is dispelled when we hear how after he did his deed his betrayer was gripped by the severest pangs of conscience because of which he finally killed himself after he had to confess before his enemies, "I have betrayed the innocent blood." The wretched corpse of this suicide must, therefore, be an eloquent witness to the innocence of him whom he had perfidiously betrayed.

However, the loudest, the most incontestable witness for Christ's innocence is his holy life itself. In the very area where no person is free from sinful weaknesses, Christ stands as the greatest example of the most perfect purity. He not only teaches the most difficult duties of denial and love of one's enemies but he also practises them in the most perfect way. His entire life was the holy imprint and radiant splendor of his holy teaching. If we consider only Christ's behavior as it is described in our text, we see him among his foes as a patient lamb among ravening wolves, as a white delicate rose among prickly thorns. His foes speak with tongues kindled by hell and spue forth hellish flames against him, but that does not call forth any passion from him as it would us men; with earnest gentleness ne merely replies, "I have not a devil, but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me." V. 49. And when finally Christ kept his heavenly friendliness in spite of all slander and this very thing incited his foes to the utmost rage so that they murderously picked up stones to hurl at. him, under the protection of his omnipotence he calmly left and hid himself from the eyes of his persecutors, since the hour of his death determined by his Father had not yet come.

As holy as we see Christ here in words, mien, and action, so holy do we always, find him. If. Christ does good, we never see him ask about worthiness; wherever there was distress and help was desired, there he helped. He never asked for thanks, and if he was repaid with contemptuous thanklessness, he did not decide to stop, doing good but remained a fount of goodness and love which was open to all people. We always see how gentle he is toward all his foes, he never repaid evil with evil, he never reviled in turn when he was reviled, he blessed when he was cursed. Indeed, we often see him angry but never over insults he experienced by over the dishonor of his Father. What a loving, heartmoving glance he gave Peter when he so shamefully denied him before his very eyes! With what gentleness he received Judas when he betrayed him with a hypocritical kiss! With what childlike trust did Christ cling to his heavenly Father when he became cruel to him! With what incomprehensible, pitying love the bleeding Christ while dying cried from the cross to heaven in behalf of his crucifiers and tormentors, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

You see, my friends, in Christ the evangelists have described a man who will never again appear on earth. Those uneducated, unlearned, simple men have sketched the picture of a life so heavenly pure that we can see from it that they could never have invented such a biography; for such a holy picture not even the greatest philosophers of all times could have drawn, to say nothing of being able to show it in their own lives. In Christ we see man as he never is, and never can be in this life in his fallen state but as he should be.

Not only Christ's friends but even his enemies had to recognize this. Among others, Josephus, the Jewish historian, writes the following him, "At that time lived Jesus, a wise man whom one would more fittingly call someone else than a man." So even this Jew was so deeply gripped by Christ's appearance that he could scarcely call him a mere man. Christ made this impression also upon the unconverted heathen; we read in world history that the heathen Roman Caesar Alexander Severus hung a picture of Christ in his home. Yes, history tells us that the heathen Caesar Hadrian decided shortly before his death to build a temple to Christ's honor next to the other temples of his gods.

Thus the holiness of Christ's life shines so brightly that the greatest unbeliever cannot cast doubt upon it.

And what follows from this? This, that Christ's perfectly holy life shames all those who still stiffneckedly intend to persist in their unbelief.

II.

I have a few words to say to you on this point.

My friends, the holiness of Christ's life openly shames unbelief because, first of all, it completely cuts off all its false excuses. According to our text, after Christ had asked his foes, whether they could convict him of only one sin, he added, "And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" V.46b. He means to say: What reasons could you have for still rejecting me?

So to this very day one can ask everyone who will not accept the Gospel of Christ: Why do you not believe? How can yoube offended that there are so many hypocrites among those who call themselves Christians? How can you take offence at the fact that even among the servants of Christ there are men who' preach other things and are themselves reprehensible? who live otherwise than as they teach? who are merely called servants of Christ but who really do not serve Christ but themselves, that is, as the apostle says, who serve their belly, are given to greed, pride, and secret lusts? Who has pointed you to a man? One is our Master, Jesus Christ; we are to look to him, he is the true Shepherd, he is the true, perfect example for his flock, who leads the way and in whose footsteps we are to go. No matter how great the offenses which false Christians give the world by their unchristian life, and no matter how many let themselves be misled by that to reject Christian doctrine completely, they will not be able to excuse themselves in the least' in God's judgment; for they should have looked to Christ who confirmed and adorned his true Word by holy deeds.

However, not only are all their false excuses taken from unbelievers, but also the most urgent reasons to recognize Christ as the true Son of God are laid before their eyes and on their hearts. For tell me yourself: does not he who must admit that Christ was more holy than any other person condemn himself when he does not also admit that he was God's Son? If Christ had been born in sin like all other people, if by nature he had had a heart inclined to sin and unrighteousness like we all have, how is this marvel to be explained that all

people always go the wrong way, that Christ, on the other hand, constantly went the holy way? How is the riddle to be solved that Christ shortly before our text had to say, "Ye are from beneath; I am from above." Jn 8:23. Where would we find the solution to the mystery that, born in one of the most insignificant corners of the world, educated among a godless people, and living in a horribly corrupt time, he nevertheless towers so high, so unprecedentedly far above all the wise and the noble and the best of all times? Who planted this flower, who nourished and cherished it that it stands so unique in the soil of the entire world? Must not an unbeliever, contemplating Christ's holiness the like of which there is no second example among mortal men, of himself exclaim: Truly, Christ must be a different being than we men; he must be of a higher, holier origin than we, he must have descended from a more exalted race than sinners; his father cannot be a sinful person, he must be the holy Father in heaven Himself?

Moreover,'we add this point: Christ not only continually speaks the truth but is also so humble that he nowhere seeks honor, does not let himself be served but serves others; and yet this truthful and honestly humble Christ clearly confesses that he is the eternal Son of God and rather dies the painful death on the cross than deny this. He does this, for example, also in our today's Gospel when he says, "Before Abraham was, I am." V. 58. What? Is it possible that Christ should have proven himself to be holiness and innocence in all things and that then, contrary to the truth, should still have called himself God's only Son? Accordingly, does not the unbeliever have only this choice, either to confess that Christ is holy and at the same time God's Son, or not as God's Son and, therefore, (something which is horrible to say) the most brazen of all deceivers?

There can be no doubt: If Christ was a good person, he must of necessity also be the true, only begotten Son of the heavenly Father, equally the eternal infinite God. Since the first point shines forth so clearly that not even an unbeliever can deny it, they must themselves be here on earth ashamed of their unbelief, but some day they will become absolutely pale and silent when they will appear in the presence of Jesus himself, the holy God-man.

Of this hour, let us, my friends, think every hour and, therefore, pray every hour: Oh holy Son of God, preserve us in faith in your name until we see you upon your throne. Hear us, O Jesus I Amen.