Fifth Sunday in Lent (1880)

Parable of the Mustard Seed.1 The spread of the Kingdom of God [is an] occasion to praise God. Sad and terrible it is, however, that most people are still unconverted, they do not believe the Word of God. False conclusion that the enemies of Christ draw out of it. Refutation of it by Christ's words: And if I tell you the Truth, etc. John 8:46-59 So if I tell you the Truth, why do you not believe in Me? 1. the good reason of this question, a. in what it consists in general, . the Truth alone has a right in the world (the question here is about heavenly Truth), . and this Truth is also in the world, i.e., Although it is not to be found in and among people themselves, for they are all liars after the fall, but it is a divine seed. God has revealed it to the world in His Word = foundation and pillar of Truth. Truth is the Law whose sting every person feels in [their] conscience; Truth is the Gospel whose comfort quickens every sinner's heart and whose power saves him; . Whoever now testifies to this truth has a divine, indisputable right that one can hear him and believe; and if he finds no faith, then he has good reason to ask: So if I tell you the Truth, etc.; b. whoever now has it, [has] . the Lord Jesus in the highest extent; for He is Truth Himself, He has appeared to Him bodily on earth. He is therefore a faithful and truthful witness - his mouth a mouth of eternal Truth; therefore John says: The Law is etc.2; and Christ Himself: I am the Light etc.3, I am the Way etc.4, For this purpose I was born etc.5. Therefore He testifies the Truth; . He proves this to His enemies in our Gospel .from the credibility of His Person, aa. He is sinless, holy and innocent.6 "Who among you" etc. No deceit discovered in His mouth - a true High Priest - an innocent and undefiled Lamb - the blasphemies of his enemies, evidence of His gentleness
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Mark 4:30-32. John 1:17. 3 John 8:12. 4 John 14:6. 5 John 18:37. 6 John 8:46.

and humility.7 God does not honor the devil, but only Christ; bb. He is the firstborn Son of God - the eternal God Himself appeared in the flesh; the Messiah and Savior Whom even the faithful fathers recognized8; Who was from eternity.9 He knows Him10 and the Father knows Him.11 And with how many wonderful works Christ proved His true divinity; therefore He also can say12. Other evidence; .from the nature of His teaching, He is the eternal truth, for aa. He alone honors God13, proclaims His renown, preaches His glorious grace, plunders hell, builds God's eternal kingdom; no false heresy does this, but only the Truth of the Gospel; bb. He alone saves.14 Truly etc.; the death sentence is pronounced over all sinners; but whoever keeps Christ's Word, believes the holy saving Gospel, escapes eternal death. Judgment becomes gracious absolution, he shall be saved. Explanation of John 6:40; 5:24; 10:27-28. No doctrine of men can do this, Christ the true Prophet alone, we should hear Him; . but also all the faithful witnesses of Jesus; the Savior testifies through them; they should proclaim His virtues; the true believers in Christ are hearers and teachers; .they are believers, .live godly, therefore also could speak15, .speak because they believe - even God's Word, .seek only the glory of God, .save souls16, .whoever hears them hears Christ, therefore the Truth; . what reception does the Truth of Christ now find in the world? Very poor - no shelter, but unbelief, opposition, hate, ridicule, persecution among all classes of men,

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John 8:48-50. John 8:56. 9 John 8:58. 10 John 8:58. 11 Matthew 3:17. 12 John 10:37. 13 John 8:49. 14 John 8:51. 15 John 8:46. 16 2 Cor. 4; Galatians 4:19.

 .thus already in the Old Testament, when Christ spoke through the mouth of the prophets17; .thus with the appearance of Christ in the flesh. He came to His own etc. Complaints of Christ about the unbelief of the Jews, especially the noblemen. Thus even here. The sanctifying answer of Christ - His Truth - they respond to it with ridicule, fierce hatred, insults, blasphemies, stoning, cross and death. The apostles also experienced this (Paul before Festus); also Luther, etc.; .finally even today. Christ finds no faith, people turn their ears away from the Truth. Everyone believes nonsense and idolizes it, but no one wants to believe the Truth. Whoever testifies to this finds unbelief, opposition, ridicule, slander, hatred, and persecution everywhere. The question: So if I tell you the Truth etc. therefore has good reason. 2. the right answer to this question, a. Christ gives it.18 Therefore He would be able to say everything to evil people, but because He tells them the Truth, they do not believe, but blaspheme Him; b. The reason why men do not accept the Truth, but blaspheme, therefore lies in their ungodliness and devilish obduracy; . Christ shows this also to those Jews19: Whoever is of God etc., . natural man is not of God and therefore deaf to God's Word; . the Christian is spiritually born by God. The Holy Spirit has His work in him. He is from the Truth, therefore hears His voice; is from God therefore hears God's Word; is Christ's little lamb, therefore hears the Shepherd's voice. Evidence. . but they resist the work of grace of the Holy Spirit and remain without repentance, are not of God. Evidence. They do not hear God's Word, do not believe it, hate, persecute, and blaspheme it. Even those Jews. They blaspheme Jesus in the testimony of the innocence of His life, the sanctity of His teaching, about His eternal divinity. Therefore they do this according to the devil's nature, lies, and murder, because they are servants of the devil; . thus today they still hate and persecute the Truth of Christ (what in particular?). What terrible judgment! Application

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Isaiah 53:1; Jeremiah 5:3, 6:19; Micah 2:11. John 8:45. 19 John 8:47.