Reformation Sunday (observed) “Luther’s Story, Christ’s Story, Our Story”
October 29, 2023 Jeremiah 31:7-9
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Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
In the time of Jeremiah the Prophet, God’s people ‘lay bound in chains’ = not literal chains, but the chains of national captivity. They had ignored God, & rebelled against Him, & it had consequences. They were removed from their homeland & into Babylon. They wept over their sin, were oppressed by pagans, and they feared that they were abandoned.
But God could never break the promise He made to Abraham/Isaac/Jacob; He was their Father; and altho Israel was wayward, they were His dear children. And so, after a time of suffering, God would write another chapter to their story. In Jeremiah chpt.31 it says: “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, … give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth… For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
This constant, forgiving mercy of God for wayward sinners is ‘Law & Gospel’; it is found throughout Scripture, so it is our own story, too. This history of God & man repeats itself. The whole timeline of human history shows God at work for us for the goal of salvation. Like Israel, we too have His promise of being delivered from the captivity & forsakenness of sin, even when suffering. Learning & remembering history preserves our trust in God, & our hope in Christ.
As we recall The Reformation today, we tell -again- a story of another great action of God for His people. The Reformation is quite a story; it not only changed the Church, it changed the world. That change has blessed you & me, because it revived the gospel-good-news; the same news Israel heard thru Jeremiah: God’s mercy in the Messiah has not left us captive or forsaken in sin & error.
It’s amazing to think that God’s Spirit, using the Bible, & focusing primarily on one man, would change the course of church & history. Martin Luther, a lowly determined Catholic monk, came to see himself as a living character in the rescue-story of the Savior Jesus. That’s the message & outline in one of Luther’s earliest hymns, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice.” Author Rev. Fred Precht says that this particular hymn “can unquestionably be considered thee greatest confessional hymn of the Lutheran Church.” That’s quite a claim.
He says this, because in it – Luther tells his own story, Christ’s story, and our story = all at the same time. We should test that claim. To do this, I’d like you to open your hymnal to #556 – so that we can read the verses of this hymn together, and we’ll see if we can hear in it everyone’s story: the Israelite’s, Luther’s, Christ’s, & your story. Remember, as a hymn, it has a ‘meter’ or cadence to it. Let’s read verse 1 (together):
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice, – with exultation springing,
and with united heart and voice – and holy rapture singing,
proclaim the wonders God has done, – how His right arm the victory won.
What price our ransom cost him!
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In his early years, Martin Luther was the ideal follower of the Church of the Middle Ages, between the 5th & 15th century. He earnestly followed everything they were teaching; but this means he lived in constant fear of hell. After the death of a friend, & in nearly being struck by lightening, he became terrified of his own death. He thought of Jesus as a judge who was angry with anyone who wasn’t as holy as they should be. So, Luther did everything the Church prescribed to earn God’s approval & salvation, & to avoid the Judge.
In fact, he went overboard just to find a little assurance. He became a monk, then a priest; he confessed for hours each day; he prayed on his knees till they bled; he starved himself, & went without sleep. But he found no comfort; he was sure his soul would be lost. He expresses this in stanzas 2 & 3. Let’s read those:
Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay; – death brooded darkly o’er me.
Sin was my torment night and day; – in sin my mother bore me.
But daily deeper still I fell; – my life became a living hell,
so firmly sin possessed me.
My own good works all came to naught, – no grace of merit gaining;
free will against God’s judgment fought, – dead to all good remaining.
My fears increased till sheer despair – left only death to be my share;
the pangs of hell I suffered.
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If it seems to us that Luther is being overly-dramatic, it’s because he had a more keen awareness of reality than what we do. The Law of God tells us we should ALL feel like this: condemned. It was terrible that the Church back then preached such heavy Law with so little Gospel. Yet, in Luther’s case, God made it serve a good purpose:
It made him acutely aware of the wages of his sin before God: eternal death. Hell IS a real problem, but the Church didn’t teach the right solution. Early on, Luther was not taught to say, ‘all my sins are forgiven in Christ.’ Jesus was just ‘the judge’. But God revived the Gospel again, reforming His faithful Church & people, with His solution of grace & forgiveness & hope in the person & work of Jesus. Give thanks to God if your life has not been a ‘living hell’ like Luther’s. Since God revived the Gospel, most of us have not really despaired of hope, because the Law & Gospel is rightly proclaimed. But without the Gospel of Christ, for about 30 years of his life, Luther could only see hell in front of him.
But then, God brought about some big changes for Luther. At age 30, as a professor at the University of Wittenberg, he was preparing lectures for a course on the Psalms – when a verse from Ps.22 struck him. David had pre-written Christ’s own words from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
For the first time, Luther realized that Jesus had suffered the same things he suffered: alienation from God, the agony of being cut off from the Father & from heaven. The perfect & holy Son of God suffered the pangs of hell. But why would Jesus be rejected by the Father? Luther had to know. As he searched the Scripture, he realized that this was God’s plan for saving mankind, including himself.
And so he wrote about this revelation in VERSES 4 and 5. Let’s read them:
But God had seen my wretched state – before the world’s foundation,
and mindful of his mercies great, – he planned for my salvation.
He turned to me a father’s heart; – he did not choose the easy part
but gave his dearest treasure.
God said to his beloved Son: – “It’s time to have compassion.
Then go, bright jewel of my crown, – and bring to all salvation;
from sin and sorrow set them free; – slay bitter death for them that they
may live with you forever.”
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And now the story of Christ takes over the hymn = it’s the greatest story ever told. This is the story that God’s people rehearse every year – from December thru May. Stanza 5 refers to Advent; 6 is Christmas & Epiphany; stanza 7 is Lent; 8 is Good Friday & Easter; stanza 9 is Ascension and Pentecost. Christ obeyed His Father’s will. He was born of the virgin mother. He wrestled with the devil. He shed His holy blood on the cross.
But He also won victory over death as He returned to life. You & I have heard, & known, & believed Christ’s story much sooner in life than Luther did.
To Luther, he was finally able to see himself in the Savior’s story. Jesus came to be his brother, not an angry judge. Jesus was the One to run to for safety, for forgiveness. This was not preached in the church of Luther’s day, so it’s hard for us to feel how much that meant to him. It was the message of pure hope. When the pope & the emperor & many of his own friends were all against him; yet, Christ was with him. And the Son of God outweighed all his enemies & all his troubles. He knew then that the church needed reform: people need this gospel message. Even when Luther was hiding out in the Wartburg castle for a time, it wasn’t the stone walls that were really protecting him. It was Christ. Who is your ‘mighty fortress’, too.
From the Gospel story of Christ came that great recovered doctrine of the Reformation: justification by grace thru faith. That’s what we hear in verses; 6, 7, & 8:
The Son obeyed his Father’s will – was born of virgin mother;
and God’s good pleasure to fulfill, – he came to be my brother.
His royal pow’r disguised he bore; – a servant’s form, like mine, he wore
to lead the devil captive.
To me he said: stay close to Me, – I am your rock and castle.
Your ransom I Myself will be; – for you I strive and wrestle.
For I am yours, and you are Mine, – and where I am you may remain;
the foe shall not divide us.
“Though he will shed My precious blood, – Me of My life bereaving,
all this I suffer for your good; – be steadfast and believing.
Life will from death the victory win; – My innocence shall bear your sin,
and you are blest forever.”
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The Bible’s historical message is clear: Salvation was not by man’s works, or man trying to please God, as the Church of that day was teaching. We are blessed with eternal life because Jesus bore our sin. God has applied to you the innocence of Jesus. Trust His promise! Believe in Christ & be baptized into Him. Now Christ’s life story becomes our story. There is no better Good News than that for the sinner.
In stanza 9, we hear Jesus’ message at His Ascension. But these same words could also be the message we would want to speak to our loved ones as a final word of faith when we are on our deathbed. Let’s read verse 9:
Now to My Father I depart – from earth to heav’n ascending,
and, heavenly wisdom to impart, – the Holy Spirit sending;
in trouble he will comfort you – and teach you always to be true
and into truth shall guide you.
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The Reformation was all about restoring the full teaching of Christ to the world, and it was widely successful = people of faith were hungry for the sweet truth of the Gospel hope to balance the condemnation of God’s Law. Thru Luther’s translation of the Bible into the language of the people, thru the publication of his writings, & by the preaching & teaching of the Reformers, the world heard again the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ. And within about 50 yrs, the reformation faith was brought to America by the pilgrims. There are about 800 million Protestant Christians in the world today. That means that The Reformation is not just ‘ancient’ history; it’s the life story of millions of Christians.
Luther’s hymn included one more verse, because he knew that opposition to the Gospel & false teaching never takes a rest. He calls those things ‘base alloy’ = cheap metal that would be mixed with the precious gold of the Gospel & weaken it. Just like St. Paul, Luther warned: don’t allow even one word contrary to what you have learned from Christ & Scripture, because false teaching will only lead away from Christ, away from hope & salvation. As heirs of the Reformation which God brought to His Church, for the sake of those who come after us, we will hold on to the gospel truth, which sets us free.
So, this hymn is the story of Christ, & of Luther, & us. Like a Creed, it summarizes the greatest story ever told. This is why Rev. Precht said that it “can be considered thee greatest confessional hymn of the Lutheran Church.” It proclaims the truths of what God has done for each one of us, thru his mercy in Christ.
Let’s finish by reading the final stanza, 10:
“What I on earth have done and taught – guide all your life and teaching;
so shall the kingdom’s work be wrought – and honored in your preaching.
But watch lest foes with base alloy – the heavenly treasure should destroy;
this final word I leave you.”
Amen