PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Tag: Crucifixion

  • Aegidius Hunnius’s Sermon Outline for the Holy Gospel for Quinquagesima

    The following is my translation of Aegidius Hunnius’s introduction and sermon outline for the Holy Gospel of Quinquagesima (Luke 18:31–43) from his Postilla (Vol. I, pg. 288). Square brackets and footnotes are my own notes and additions.

    Explanation of the Gospel

    In today’s Gospel, a journey of the Lord Christ is described to us, when he undertook to go up from Galilee to Jerusalem shortly before the last Passover, in order to present Himself obediently to the heavenly Father as a pure sacrifice. And the Evangelists have written down with diligence what Christ spoke and did on this journey. For besides Luke, Matthew and Mark have also recorded this history in its parts and circumstances, who recall with diligence both the conversation the Lord Jesus had on the way with the disciples and what kind of divine miracle He worked on a poor blind man near Jericho, whom He made seeing at his humble and pleading prayer [see Matthew 20:17–19, 29–34; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52].

    1. First, we will hear the Lord Christ’s prophecy concerning His impeding suffering and death. [v. 31–33]
    2. Second, how the disciples received such preaching. [v. 34]
    3. Third, concerning the sign He did on the blind man at Jericho. [v. 35–43]

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Luke 18:31–43 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Holy Gospel of Quinquagesima, Luke 18:31–43, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    V. A prophecy concerning Christ’s suffering and death. (v. 31–34)

    VI. The history of [the healing] of a blind man. (v. 35–42)

    Annotated Text

    31. Now He took to Himself the twelve (the twelve apostles), and said to them, “Behold, * we are going (now on this journey) up to Jerusalem (because the time of My suffering has drawn near, I will also draw near to the determined place of My suffering), and all will1 be fulfilled that is written by the prophets concerning2 the Son of Man (about3 My suffering, death, and resurrection).

    * Matthew 17:22ff. (Matthew 20:17; Mark 10:32)

    1 * Soon now, when I this time, as the last time, shall take Myself there.” Previously when He had preached the same, he spoke only of it in general (see Matthew 16:21, 17:12–22, etc.).

    2 Greek: “in” [There is no preposition in the Greek, but τῷ is in the dative case.]

    3 * “through or with My…” [I wasn’t sure what this getting at.]

    32. For He will be * handed over to the Gentiles (to Pilate, the Gentile governor, and his soldiers), and He will be mocked and shamed (kept in the most disgraceful and shameful way with words and deeds), and spit upon;

    * Matthew 27:2

    33. and they will scourge and kill Him, and the third day He will rise again.”

    (Joshua 2:19)

    34. * But they understood none of this, and the saying was hidden from them, and they did not know what it was that He had said (because the disciples, in the supposed worldly kingdom of Christ, had imagined pure joy and good days for themselves, they could not agree with Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection).

    * Luke 9:45

    35. Now it happened, when He (Jesus) came near (on His journey) to Jericho,1 * a blind man sat on the way and he was begging.

    * Matthew 20:29–30; Mark 10:46

    1 * Before he had yet entered the city (Luke 19:1). But the like, as is usual, are found again at the conclusion (see Matthew 20:29).

    36. Now when he heard the people that were passing by (and following Christ in heap), he inquired what this was (what the tumult that he heard signified).

    37. Then they preached to him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing over.”

    38. And He called and said, “Jesus, you Son of David (You who are the Messiah and the Savior of the World, the one promised to David and born from his lineage according to the flesh), have mercy on me (help me out of pure grace and unmerited compassion)!”

    39. But those passing by warned him that he should be silent. But he cried out much more, “You, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

    40. Now Jesus stood still and called for him to be brought. Then when they brought him near to Him, He asked him,

    41. and said, “What do you what me to do for you?” He (the blind man) said, “Lord, that I may see.”

    42. And Jesus said to him, “Be seeing; * your faith has helped you.”

    * Matthew 9:22 (Luke 17:19)

    43. And immediately * he was seeing1, and followed Him, and praised God. And all the people who saw this praised God.

    * Psalm 146:8

    1 Greek: “saw again” [ἀνέβλεψεν] (for he was not born blind, as the one in John 9:1ff., but had lost his sight through an accident; the same also goes for v. 41).

    Useful Applications

    V. DOCTRINE: Concerning the joyfulness and desire of Christ to suffer and die for us, because He had previously known all His suffering, and nevertheless willingly went to Jerusalem where it would happen. (v. 31) VI. CORRECTION: That we ought to call upon Christ with all our heart for spiritual illumination as this blind man did for bodily illumination. (v. 40) COMFORT: Christ, the Light of the World, will not allow anyone to lack who does not willfully shut his eyes (as he testifies with this cure). (v. 41)

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Isaiah 9:2, 6–7 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Old Testament Reading of Christmas Eve (Midnight), Isaiah 9:2, 6–7, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    Note: The Lutheran Missal Project omits v. 3–5 from the reading.

    I. A prophecy concerning Christ and the call of the Gentiles, what great joy will follow thereupon. (v. 2–3)

    II. A description of the abolition of the Mosaic Law, and the spiritual peace, together with the ground on which it rests. (v. 4–7)

    Annotated Text

    2. The * people (Judah and Israel), who walked in darkness (who were stuck in great ignorance, unbelief, misery, and hardship on account of the enduring burden of war, especially during the times of the Maccabees), have seen a great Light (this great Light is the Lord Christ, who is the true Light who has come into the world, John 1:9, and in His coming has brought with Himself the light of grace and the saving knowledge of God as well as the light of joy and life), and over those who dwell in the land of darkness,1 it shines brightly.

    * Isaiah 42:7; Matthew 4:16; Luke1:79 (Ephesians 5:14)

    1 Hebrew: “the shadow of death,” cf. Luke 1:79

    [Verses 3–5 are omitted by the Lutheran Missal Project.]

    6. For1 to us (to the people of God first, but afterword to the Gentiles, and in this way to all men) a * Child is born, to us † a Son (namely, God’s only-begotten Son) is given, whose lordship is upon His shoulder (the burden of the work of the redemption of the human race and the governance of His Church lies upon Him; He bears the cross upon His shoulder  in order to assemble for Himself a kingdom from the human race); and He is called2 (He is in deed and truth, and is also proclaimed, extolled, and praised in the preaching of the Gospel, namely) ** wonderful (on account of His person and His office), Counselor (who has found counsel, how the fallen and lost human race can be counseled and helped  who has revealed the counsel of God concerning our salvation in His Word, John 1:18, 15:15; and who can provide counsel in the greatest needs and also give believers the best and most lasting counsel, as to how they shall obtain a gracious God and be saved), Mighty, Champion (who, through His divine power, can overcome all things and bring them into the right; a mighty God, for God is therefore called “El” in Holy Scripture, because He is an almighty champion against whom nothing can stand), Eternal Father (who has obtained an eternal sonship for believers with God the Father through His merit), Prince of Peace (who to believers gives peace with God in heaven and in their consciences, Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:20);

    1 Here follows an explanation of the previous saying, so that the source of all the joy of believers is now indicated more clearly in Christ.

    * Luke 1:31ff., 2:7, 11

    † John 3:17; Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4

    2 Hebrew: “They will call His name” (that is, “He will be,” see Isaiah 7:14)

    ** Judges 13:18 (Psalm 40:8; Psalm 45:4–6; Ephesians 2:13ff.)

    7. so that His * lordship will be great (for the Jews and Gentiles will be brought under His spiritual kingdom), and † His peace will have no end, upon the throne of David and His kingdom (so that He will rule in eternity over the members of His kingdom in peace and unity; for the bodily kingdom of David was only a type of the spiritual and eternal kingdom of Christ); that He establish it and strengthen it with judgment and righteousness (in this life, the kingdom of Christ is established with judgment, when He overcomes the prince of this world, John 16:11, and judges and punishes all enemies of His kingdom; it is strengthen with righteousness when He bestows the righteousness which avails before God to the members of His kingdom and gives them justice against all enemies;  and in eternal life, complete rest from all enemies will follow and the members of Christ’s kingdom will obtain eternal joy and salvation) from now until then in eternity (without end and ceasing). The zeal of the Lord of Sabaoth will do ** this.1 (Christ’s burning love toward His Church, and His wrathful zeal against the devil, who has tempted men since the Fall.)

    * Luke 1:32

    † Psalm 72:3, 7, Isaiah 26:3

    ** Isaiah 37:32; 2 Kings 19:31 (Jeremiah 23:5; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Kings 19:31)

    1 Hebrew: “From that time on” (when this kingdom will begin), “and until and as long as the world stands will the zeal of the Lord of Sabaoth do this” (He will continue it and bring it completion). Concerning the zeal of the Lord in love, see Isaiah 37:32; Song of Songs 8:6.

    Useful Applications

    [There are no useful applications for v. 2]

    II. DOCTRINE: That the Son of God, who has been born true man, is the gracious King, Protector, and Savior of all believers. (v. 6–7)

  • Notes and Useful Applications for 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications of the Epistle Reading for the Feast of the Holy Cross, 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    III. A report against two vices, which have been found over the Preaching Office: one, where the people, who are otherwise completely union in religion, nevertheless become divided for the sake of the teachers; second, where people, because of human wisdom and vain eloquence, marvel highly at the false teachers. (v. 10–31)

    [v. 10–17 omitted due to the appointed reading]

    18. For the Word of the cross (the doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ, the crucified) is (according to their erring thoughts, v. 25) foolishness to those, * who (in their unbelief) are perishing; but to us, we who are (through faith in Christ) being saved, it is ** a power of God (through which He strengthens us and keeps us to eternal life).

    * 2 Corinthians 4:3.

    ** Romans 1:16.

    (Cf. 1:24; 4:10)

    19. For it stands * written: “I will make as nothing the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the understanding (those who in divine matters follow their human reason) I will destroy.

    * Isaiah 19:14.

    (Job 12:17)

    20. Where * are the wise men (among the Gentiles)? Where are the scribes (among the Jews)? Where are the philosophers? (those who can make from human skill many disputations? Among all these, is there anyone who knows how to declare the counsel of God for our salvation?) Has not God the ** wisdom of this world made as foolishness? (And what they put forward as the way to salvation, is it not shown to be foolishness? Because they regulate the doctrine of the Gospel according to reason and do not receive it in simplicity of faith, they thereby become fools before God.)

    * Job 12:17; Isaiah 33:18.

    ** Baruch 3:28.

    (Matthew 11:25; Romans 1:22)

    21. For because the world (the philosophers) through their (imagined) wisdom * did not know (but rather much more became futile in their reasoning, Romans 1:21) God in their wisdom, it well-pleased God, through the foolish preaching to save those, who believe in it. (That is, because body Jews and Gentiles much more value their earthly and natural wisdom rather than the heavenly wisdom, which God reveals through His Word and in His works, and therefore they neither know nor honor Him, much less can they be saved; so it has pleased His eternal wisdom through the preaching of the Gospel, which appears entirely strange, absurd, and silly to the philosophers, to save all those who believe in it, whereby the highly-praised wisdom of the world is made to shame and pure foolishness.)

    * Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21.

    (Isaiah 55:8ff.)

    22. Since * the Jews demand signs (they do not allow themselves to be content with the evident and powerful miracle-signs of Christ and the Apostles, but rather continually, of their own mind, want to have new and greater miracle-signs) and ** the Greeks (the Gentiles) ask according to wisdom (they judge the doctrine of the Gospel according to their reason, and want to have it proved from philosophy).

    * Matthew 12:38; 1 Corinthians 16:1; John 4:48

    ** Baruch 3:23.

    (John 6:30)

    23. But we preach the crucified Christ, (who) * to the Jews is a stumbling block (who was from the beginning and still is; who seemed to them much to lowly and powerless that He should be the promised Messiah who was to deliver them from their bondage. And it was no small scandal for them that He was condemned to death by the great council in Jerusalem as a blasphemer), and to the ** Greeks is foolishness (it seemed to be, as those thought it was great foolishness if one should believe that through the death of one man the sin of the entire world has been atoned for and [eternal] life has been won).

    * Matthew 11:6; John 6:61; Romans 9:32

    ** 1 Corinthians 2:14

    (Acts of the Apostles 26:24)

    24. But to those who are called (through the Gospel to knowledge of Christ, and do not despise such call willingly), both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ (who indeed is [the Christ] in fact, whether or not they recognize Him as such), * divine power and divine wisdom. (The holy Apostle calls Christ divine power and divine wisdom, not only because He is true God, of one essence of the Father, and divine power and wisdom is essential to Him, but also because God proved His power and wisdom through Him, in that Christ through His suffering and death has blotted out the sin of the entire world, has powerfully overcome death and the devil, and has thereby fulfilled the most wise counsel of God concerning our salvation; that He also has revealed this same divine wisdom in the preaching of the Gospel, and thereby has gathered a Church for Himself from the human race, which He powerfully sustains and protects against all the the raging of the gates of hell; and finally, because He has made us wisdom from God, v. 1 Corinthians 1:30, and we are preserved by His power through faith unto salvation, 1 Peter 1:5.)

    * Romans 1:16; Colossians 2:3.

    25. For the divine foolishness (what the Gentiles who demand wisdom, v. 22, according to their corrupted reason judge as foolishness) is wiser than men are (not only than human wisdom, but rather also than men themselves); and the divine weakness (what the Jews, who demand signs, v. 22, consider as weakness) is stronger than men are. (Luther: “Divine foolishness and weakness is the Gospel, which is foolish in the eyes of the wise, but is powerful and wise in the eyes of Christians.”)

    [v. 26–31 omitted due to the appointed reading]

    Useful Applications

    III. DOCTRINE: That generally, those who are foolish, weak, ignoble, despised, and nothing before the people of this world are chosen and called by God by faith to eternal life; but on the other hand, many among the wise, powerful, and noble (for the sake of their unbelief) are rejected to condemnation, v. 26–28. DOCTRINE: The grace of God is still to be recognized and praised in a congregation, wherein the chief work, His pure Word, goes rightly, even though many deficiencies are otherwise found therein, v. 4–30.

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Numbers 21:4–9 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications of the Old Testament for the Feast of the Holy Cross, Numbers 21:4–9, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    II. Concerning the grumbling of the Israelites, and how they were punished with fiery serpents. (v. 4–6)

    4. Then they traveled (the Israelites by God’s command) from Mount Hor by the way of the Sea of Reeds, so that they * went around the land of Edom (because they could not obtain from them friendly passage, cf. 20:20, for which reason they deviated from the correct highway which led to the land of Canaan, and it had the appearance as though they would much sooner come to Egypt than to the land of Canaan).

    * Cf. Deuteronomy 2:1.

    5. And the people became * disgruntled on the way ** (because they detoured so far away, also because their journey lasted so long, and they saw no end of it yet), and they spoke ** against God and against Moses (from great impatience), “Why have you *** led us out from Egypt so that we die in the wilderness? For there is no bread or water here, and our soul is nauseated over this worthless food (we have become weary of the manna, and can no longer look upon it without disgust, because we have eaten the same thing a whole forty years).

    * Cf. Numbers 11:1

    ** These words still belong to v. 4 and are to be translated, “but the people became disgruntled over which way (or un-way); v. 5. “therefore then the people, etc.”

    *** Hebrew: You have, etc. (Moses and Aaron, who was indeed dead, however while he was alive had had led the matter together with Moses).

    6. Then the Lord sent fiery * serpents among the people (Luther: “Therefore, they were called fiery because the people bitten by them became fiery-red by their poison and died from the burning heat, as from a pestilence or a carbuncle); they bit the people, so that a great people in Israel died (a painful and wretched death).

    * Cf. Wisdom of Solomon 16:5; 1 Corinthians 10:9.

    III. Concerning their repentance, and how God averted the plague. (v. 7–18)

    7. Then they came to Moses (as the serpents had already bitten many of them and a great multitude of people had perished and the others had been humbled through their punishment) and said, * “We have sinned, for we have spoke against the Lord and against you (murmured out of impatience); pray to the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us (that we might not perish so miserably). Moses prayed for the people (who nevertheless had so often shown themselves rebellious and ungrateful toward him).

    * Cf. Numbers 14:40; 1 Samuel 7:6.

    8. Then the Lord said to Moses, “You make a * bronze serpent (which was formed as the fiery serpents, because it was made from copper), and set it for a sign **; that whoever is bitten and looks at it, he shall live (he shall recover and through this special wondrous sign be kept alive).

    * See John 3:14.

    ** Hebrew: on a banner-pole (so that it might stand quite high and could be seen from afar)

    9. Then Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it for a sign; and when a snake bit someone, so he looked at the bronze serpent, and he remained alive. (John 3:14–15 applies such image to Christ Himself, that, whoever is wounded by the bite of the old poisonous serpent and looks Him lifted on the cross with true faith, he shall be healed spiritually and eternally.)

    (2 Kings 18:4; John 6:40)

    [v. 10–18 omitted due to the assigned reading]

    Useful Applications

    II. WARNING: With respect to the despising of God and His benefits, which is severely punished by Him, is to be seen in the people of Israel when they became disgusted with the manna, v. 4–6; III. DOCTRINE: That God demonstrates His mercy in the midst of punishment to those who turn back to Him [i.e., repent], v. 7–9.