Luther for the Busy Man

THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS XILESSON: EPHESIANS 1:11-14He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30It is quite certain that Christ has been given to us so that all His righteousness, and also all that He has and is, stands before us as though He is our very own possession. He who believes this will also experience, it, just as St. Paul said, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up fo...

THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS XLESSON: COLOSSIANS 3:12-17Put on Christ. Galatians 3:27What is meant by “putting on Christ”? The unbelievers have a ready answer here. They say it means following Christ and measuring up to His example. But in this way I could also put on St. Peter, Paul, and other saints, and putting on Christ would have no special significance at all. Therefore we let faith speak here, which Paul delightfully describes under the idea of “putting on.”It is obvious that those baptized have not previous...

THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS IXLESSON: ROMANS 6:1-4Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:23-27The Apostle Paul observes an excellent flow...

THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - NEW YEARLESSON: GALATIANS 3:23-29In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26The reason why St. Paul always stresses the need of faith in Christ is because he knew that men would have the presumption actually to suggest that man can have dealings with God outside of Christ, just as if God and our human nature were quite good friends, and as though righteousness were quite fond of sin and gave ear to the promptings of sin. Therefore, let us be wise and...

THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS VIILESSON: PSALM 43He [John the Baptist] was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. John 1:8The Gospel endures no other doctrine beside itself; it simply wants to be a witness to Christ and lead men to this light, namely Christ. Therefore these words, “He was not the light,” are worthy of being written in large letters and carefully noted against those men who push themselves forward and want to enlighten men with their own doctrines and self-made laws. Reject anyone who does...

THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS VILESSON: JOHN 12:35,36The life was the light of men. John 1:4The thinking of human philosophy draws us away from Christ into ourselves. The evangelist wants to draw us away from ourselves to Christ. He refuses to deal with the divine, almighty, eternal Word of God and to speak about Him, except in the flesh and blood in which He walked here on earth.He does not want to disperse us among the creatures created by Him, so that we should follow after Him...

THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS -CHRISTMAS VLESSON: ROMANS 5:6-11In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4The evangelist says, “In him was life,” as though he were speaking of something in the past, and not, “In him is life.” But this must not be understood as a reference to the time before the world or the beginning. For the evangelist does not say here, “In the beginning there was life in him,” as he says just prior to this, “He was in the beginning with God.”One must re...

THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS IVLESSON: 1 John 1:1-4He was in the beginning with God. John 1:2These are statements on which our faith is based and to which we must cling. That there are three persons in the Godhead and that each person is completely the whole of the one God absolutely transcends all the powers of our reason. Moreover, there are not three Gods, but one God.Our schoolmasters, with all sorts of fine-spun subtleties, explained it this and that way in an effort to make it comprehensible...

THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS IIILESSON: JOHN 1:1-14In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1“The Word was with God.” Where else could the Word be? Outside of God there was nothing. Moses also says this when he writes, “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Genesis 1:3. In order to speak, He had to have the Word with Him.There is a clear distinction made here in the persons of the Godhead: the Word is a different person from...

THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS IILESSON: LUKE 2:15-20They made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child. Luke 2:17The faith of the shepherds produced action. St. Paul says, “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20. So also here. The shepherds do not only say, “Let us go and see!” but they actually went; indeed, they do more than they say. For the text says, “They went with haste.” This is more than just going as they had proposed to do. Faith and lo...

CHRISTMAS DAY - CHRISTMASLESSON: LUKE 2:1-14In that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear. And that angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke...

ADVENT - WEEK 4 - CHRISTMAS EVELESSON: 1 JOHN 3:1-10I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. John 1:23If you can now believe that the voice of John is true, fix your eyes in the way he is pointing and recognize the Lamb of God who is taking your sin upon Himself. You are victorious. You are a Christian, a lord over sin, death, hell, and all things. Your conscience must also be joyful and begin to love the tender Lamb of God, and to love, praise, and thank o...

THE FOURTH WEEK IN ADVENT - TUESDAYLESSON: MALACHI 4:1-6And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, I am not.” John 1:21In the question whether John was Elijah, the Jews were evidently referring to the prophecy of Malachi. I am of the opinion that Malachi had in mind no other Elijah but John, and that there are no grounds for assuming that there would be a return of Elijah the Tishbite who ascended into heaven in a flaming chariot (2 Kings 2:11).The words of the angel Gabriel spoken to Zec...

THE FOURTH WEEK IN ADVENT - MONDAYLESSON: 1 JOHN 1:5-10He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” John 1:20The confession of John contains two parts: first, that he confesses; secondly, that he does not deny. His confession is the confession of Christ when he says that he is not the Christ. He confessed: “I am not the Christ.” His confession also includes the confession that he is not Elijah or a prophet. When John declares that “he did not deny,” it means that he confessed who he was in stati...

THE FOURTH WEEK IN ADVENT - SUNDAYLESSON: JOHN 1:19-28This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” John 1:19What were the Jews from Jerusalem seeking? Christ tells us when He says, “You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. . . He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” John 5:33,35.From these words it is clear that they wanted to increase their own reputation by makin...

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - SATURDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 18:1-9Blessed is he who takes no offense at me. Matthew 11:6Be on your guard against all and every offense. Who are those who cause offense here? All those who tell you to concentrate on works instead of faith.Such teachers turn Christ into a lawgiver and a judge and will not let Him remain a pure helper and comforter. They plague you with the idea of having dealings with God and for God on the basis of works. They say you...

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - FRIDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 7:15-27Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4-6Our faith is strengthened and improved inasmuch as Christ is set before us in His own simple works. He is simply concerned with the blind, lame, lepers, deaf...

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 98Christ Jesus our hope. 1 Timothy 1:1The Greek word for Gospel [euaggelion] means “a joyful message” because in it there is proclaimed the salutary doctrine of life by God’s assurance and grace, and the forgiveness of sins is offered us. So the Gospel is not a matter of works, for it is not Law. The Gospel is a matter of faith alone, because it is absolutely nothing but the promise and offer of divine grace.He who believes the Gospel receives grace and th...

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - WEDNESDAYLESSON: ROMANS 1:16,17The gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24The Gospel is neither Law nor command; it makes no demands on us. If wretched distress and misery in the heart have come about through the first word of the Law, the Gospel comes as a loving and living word; it promises and assures us, undertaking to give us grace and help so that we may get out of such distress. It not only forgives us our sins but actually destroys them and, in addition, gives...

THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT - TUESDAYLESSON: 1 Timothy 1:8-11The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good . . . but I am carnal, sold under sin. Romans 7:12,14The law is the word by which God teaches us and instructs us in what we are to do and not to do, as He does in the Ten Commandments. Where nature stands alone, without God’s grace, it is impossible to keep God’s Law for the reason that man, after Adam’s fall in Paradise, is corrupt and has nothing but ev...