How to Meditate on the Passion of Christ by Martin Luther Part I

“When we meditate on the Passion of Christ the right way, we see Christ and are terrified at the sight. Our conscience sinks in despair. This feeling of terror needs to happen so that we fully realize how great the wrath of God is against sin and sinners. We understand this when we see how God sets sinners free only because His dearly beloved Son -- His only Son -- paid such a costly ransom for us, as Isaiah 53:8 says, “He was stricken for the transgressions of my people.”

What happens to us when we see the dear Child of God struck down like this? We realize how inexpressible, even unbearable, is the Son’s total commitment to saving sinners. How else can we feel when we realize that a person so great as Christ went out to meet this fate, suffering and dying for sinners? If you truly and deeply reflect on the fact that God’s Son, the eternal Wisdom of God, suffers, you will be filled with terror. The more you reflect on it the deeper you will feel this way.

You should deeply believe, and never doubt, that in fact you are the one who killed Christ. Your sins did this to Him. St. Peter struck terror in the hearts of the Jews when he said in Acts 2:36-27: “You crucified Him!” Three thousand people were filled with terror. Trembling in fear they cried out to the Apostles, “Dear brothers, what should we do?” Therefore, when you look at the nails being driven through His hands, firmly believe that it is your work. Do you see His crown of thorns? Those thorns are your wicked thoughts.”

For the full text of this work click here.

Holy Week with the Apostolic Fathers

"O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
-The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus 130 AD

Holy Week with the Apostolic Fathers

"Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, 'who bore our sins in His own body on a tree,' 'who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth,' but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him."
-The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians 110-140 AD

Holy Week with the Apostolic Fathers

"How the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal.  For what thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness?  By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God. 
-The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus 130 AD

Holy Week with the Apostolic Fathers

"Let us look stedfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the world"
-The First Epistle of Clement 90 AD

oh rick...

once again he beats me to the punch...
http://www.ocregister.com/news/church-237227-easter-saddleback.html

Enjoy The Weather

Yesterday I came across this cool quote from Luther concerning the beauty of God's creation.  He writes that creation is:

our Bible in the fullest sense, this our house, home, field, garden, and all things, where God does not only preach by using his wonderful works, but also taps on our eyes, stirs up our senses, and enlightens our heart at the same time...  Learn to strengthen your belief in the resurrection of the dead by means of the work that God exercises daily toward his creatures through his omnipotence.
-Sermon of May 25, 1544 on 1 Cor. 15:66

I thought this was an inspiring sentiment to reflect on as the sun finally begins to poke through the winter sky!