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The christian faith is full of mysteries, things we will never be able to wrap our minds around. As hard as we try to explain it, the rational mind does not have the ability to comprehend the mysteries of the faith. The Lord’s Supper is a mystery. How can the Body and Blood of Jesus be present at the same time as the bread and wine? From common sense we know that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. If I try to occupy the same space as the wall, I’m going to hurt myself. If two cars try to occupy the same space, the police have to be called and maybe even a tow truck or two because it’s impossible for the cars to coexist in one place. How can Jesus, as we confess, be born of the Virgin Mary? How can Jesus exist without the necessary mode of conception? And today we confess something we cannot begin to explain but must take as a matter of faith. How can there be one God but three Persons? How can they be coequal and share the same majesty and not have one before or after the other? Mortal, fallen minds cannot understand the mysteries of the faith, but God uses these mysteries for our salvation and for our good, to teach us that we are not able to do everything ourselves and must rely fully on Him.
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AboutWhy does the Pastor preach? Scripture explains that the role of preaching the Word of God is how saving faith is created: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:14-17). The Augsburg Confession, seeing this connection between the Preaching Office and saving faith, summarizes Scripture on the Office of the Holy Ministry in this way: “To obtain [saving, justifying] faith, God instituted the Office of Preaching, giving the Gospel and the Sacraments. Through these, as through means, He gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when He wills, in those who hear the Gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe” (AC V 1-3). The whole reason the Pastor preaches is so saving faith can be created, so we know that “we have a gracious God” who loves us and has saved us from our sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Archives
December 2019
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