Lenten Midweek Gatherings—Ember Wednesday of Invocavit
Propers for Vespers (LSB 229)
Psalmody—Psalm 25
Antiphon: Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy loving- | kindnesses;*
For they have been ev- | er of old.
Let not mine enemies triumph | over me.*
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his | troubles.
Office Hymn—LSB 439, “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” (stanzas 1, 7, and 15)
Reading—John 18:1-11
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Catechism Recitation—LSB 324, The Third Petition
What is the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer?
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
What does this mean?
The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.
How is God’s will done?
God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die.
This is His good and gracious will.
Devotion—Freidrich Lochner, Passion-Book, pp. 104-106
Collect for the Day
Look favorably, we beseech Thee, O Lord, upon the devotion of Thy people, that they, who by abstinence are mortified in body, may by the fruit of good works be refreshed in mind; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Ember Wednesday Collect
O Lord, mercifully hear our prayer, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to defend us from them that rise up against us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Prayer for others and ourselves
Prayer based on Friedrich Lochner’s Passion-Book, p. 106
O Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, help us not only to know this teaching which You gave to the disciples here, but also to live accordingly, and in time of persecution not to act with too great fervency, nor as private persons to exercise judgment for ourselves, lest Your Holy Gospel fall into disrepute, or we be burdened with a heavy conscience or a shameful reputation, as though Your Word taught people to be rebellious, and we suffer justly as evildoers, seditious persons, or as those who have infringed upon another’s office. Rather, as You, our Lord Jesus, at this time gladly and willingly drank the cup of the cross which Your Father poured for You, grant that we may gladly take, willingly taste, and patiently drink our own cup of suffering, especially in grief and persecution for the sake of the Word.
Let us meanwhile be mindful that as You did love Your enemy Malchus, You will all the more readily receive us, who are Your dear friends, and that our crosses shall not last forever, but our persecutions shall be followed by Your help, and our death by Your life. Whenever our souls are troubled, cheer us with this exceedingly glorious comfort, that among many thousand legions of angels we shall have fullness of joy and be given to drink of pleasures as a river. Therefore grant us patience, for the cross is temporary, but joy abides forever; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Lenten Catechesis
J.S. Bach’s St. John’s Passion, Parts 1-5
Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion sets the account of Christ’s suffering and death from John 18–19 to music. First performed at Good Friday Vespers in Leipzig, it was Bach’s first Passion written as cantor there. The biblical narrative is sung by the Evangelist (tenor), with other soloists portraying Jesus, Pilate, and the crowd, while chorales familiar to the congregation are sung by the full ensemble. The solo arias use poetic texts drawn from well-known Passion meditations of Bach’s time.
John’s Gospel presents the Passion with a distinctive emphasis on Christ’s divine authority: Jesus knows what will happen and moves toward the cross willingly, confident that death will not be the end. Bach highlights the drama and meaning of the story through vivid musical expression—from the turbulent arias and forceful crowd choruses to the reflective chorales that interpret the events. The work exists in several versions, as Bach revised it for later performances, but most modern performances draw primarily on his later revisions.
0:00:00 Herr unser Herrscher (Chor) 0:11:42 Jesum von Nazareth (Chor) 0:13:03 O große Lieb (Choral) 0:15:16 Dein Will gescheh (Choral)
English Translation
Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm
In allen Landen herrlich ist!
Zeig uns durch deine Passion,
Dass du, der wahre Gottessohn,
Zu aller Zeit,
Auch in der grössten Niedrigkeit,
Verherrlicht worden bist!
Lord, our ruler, whose praise
Is glorious in all lands!
Show us through your Passion
That you, the true son of God,
Throughout all time,
Even in the greatest abjection,1
Have been glorified.
1 “Niedrigkeit” is somewhat ambiguous. The only passage in the Luther Bibles of Bach’s day that uses the word in connection with Jesus is Acts 8:33, “In seiner Niedrigkeit ist sein Gerichte erhaben” (“In his abjection is his judgment taken up”). Later German Bibles typically use the word “Erniedrigung” (“humiliation”) here instead. The underlying Greek word, “tapeinosis,” can mean “low estate” or “humiliation,” or both. Luther’s biblical commentaries indicate that he intended both senses with his use of the word “Niedrigkeit” in Acts 8:33, and “abjection” is probably the best rendering in English to capture this double meaning.
Read Acts 8:26-40. Verse 33 says, “In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” This is a prophecy regarding Jesus’ suffering and death for the sins of the world from Isaiah 53.
Read Isaiah 53:7-8. There it says, “He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), it says, “His judgment was taken away in humiliation; who will describe his family? For his life was taken from the earth; he was led to death because of the lawless acts of my people.”Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern über den Bach Kidron, da war ein Garte, darein ging Jesus und seine Jünger. Judas aber, der ihn verriet, wusste den Ort auch, denn Jesus versammlete sich oft daselbst mit seinen Jüngern. Da nun Judas zu sich hatte genommen2 die Schar, und der Hohenpriester und Pharisäer Diener, kommt er dahin mit Fackeln, Lampen und mit Waffen. Als nun Jesus wusste alles, was ihm begegnen sollte, ging er hinaus und sprach zu ihnen: Wen suchet ihr? Sie antworteten ihm: Jesum von Nazareth. Jesus spricht zu ihnen: Ich bins. Judas aber, der ihn verriet, stund auch bei ihnen. Als nun Jesus zu ihnen3 sprach: Ich bins, wichen sie zurück4 und fielen zu Boden. Da fraget5 er sie abermal: Wen suchet ihr? Sie aber sprachen: Jesum von Nazareth. Jesus antwortete: Ich habs euch gesagt, dass ichs sei, suchet ihr denn mich, so lasset diese gehen!6
2 The 1728 printed libretto here gives “genommen hatte” instead of “hatte genommen”; there is no difference in meaning in this context.
3 The 1728 printed libretto here lacks “zu ihnen” (“to them”).
4 In his 1739 score, Bach set this with an extra syllable, “zurücke”; for the 1724, 1725, and 1749 versions, and in the 1728 printed libretto, the text here reads “zurück.” There is no difference in meaning.
5 In his 1739 score, Bach revised this with an extra syllable, “fragete” (“asked”). In Bach’s 1724, 1725 and 1749 versions the text here reads “fraget” (“asks”; i.e., in the historical present tense). The 1728 printed libretto here reads “fragte” (“asked”).
6 John 18:1-8.
Jesus went [out from Jerusalem]7 with his disciples across the brook Kidron, [to a place] where there was a garden, where Jesus and his disciples went in. Judas, however, who betrayed him, also knew the spot, for Jesus often gathered in that place with his disciples. Now when Judas had engaged the band [of Roman soldiers],8 and attendants9 of the chief priests10 and of the Pharisees,11 he comes12 there with torches, lanterns, and with weapons. Now as Jesus knew everything that should happen to him [according to scriptural prophecy], he went out and declares13 to them: “Whom are you seeking?” They answered him: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus declares14 to them: “That, ‘I am.’”15 Judas, however, who betrayed him, also stood among them. Now as Jesus declared to them, “That, ‘I am,’” they drew back and fell to the ground.16 Then he asks17 them once more: “Whom are you seeking?” They again declared: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered: “I have said this to you—‘that, “I am”’; if you are seeking me, then let these [others] go.”
7 At Passover, Jerusalem itself was always overcrowded with pilgrims. Where Jesus and the disciples (who were visiting from Galilee) went out to stay overnight was still within the area that, at the time, was considered ritually proper for pilgrims to be during the festival.8 “Schar” is Luther’s rendering of John’s “speira,” a technical term that in the New Testament always refers to a “cohort” of Roman soldiers. Luther’s commentaries on the passion narrative in John make clear that his “die Schar” refers to “the band of Roman soldiers.” This term does not refer to “the Jewish crowd” (indeed, there is no talk of a “crowd” of any sort in John’s passion narrative or in Luther’s rendering of it, nor of a “mob”). Also, neither “speira” nor “Schar” (nor “Knechte,” nor “Kriegsknechte”) refer to “the Jewish troops,” a textually unwarranted interpretation sometimes encountered in modern commentary on Bach’s St. John Passion. The author of the Gospel of John, a writer living under Roman rule, would most unlikely have employed a technical Roman military term, “speira,” to denote a group of Jewish soldiers, had there even been any Jewish soldiers under the Roman occupation of Judea. The “speira” are a group distinguished from the “attendants” of the chief priests and of the Pharisees. That “the soldiers” more generally (Luther, “die Kriegsknechte”) were not Jews is also evident from the fact that “the soldiers” later (in movement 21) mock Jesus inside the hall of judgment—“the Jews,” according to John’s narrative (movement 16), do not go in the hall of judgment so that they would not be ritually defiled.
band. Cohort of Roman soldiers, or a 10th of a legion. Not likely a whole cohort (normally 500–600, though numbers varied), though concern that rioting among the Galileans at the feast would be sparked by the arrest of Jesus might have motivated the authorities to send a large detachment.—Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1818.9 Luther’s “Diener” (“attendants”) does not mean “officers,” a rendering sometimes given in modern translations of the St. John Passion. Also, these attendants are not part of “die Schar” (“the band/cohort”). The “band,” or “cohort” (not “crowd”), consists of “Kriegsknechte” (“[Roman] soldiers”).
officers. Temple police force, perhaps similar to court bailiffs. Reinforcement of these police by Roman soldiers was necessary because the temple police failed to arrest Jesus previously and because of the concern about resistance from the Galileans (cf 7:44–46).—Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1795, 1818.10 Luther Bibles of Bach’s day use “die Hohenpriester” (plural) to refer to the rotation of priests who worked in the Jerusalem Temple, and “der Hohepriester” (singular) to the head priest of them all. Partly to avoid potential narrative confusion, it became conventional in English translations of the Bible to call the former “the chief priests” and the latter “the high priest.” The original Greek of the New Testament text gives “hoi archiereis” (literally, “the chief priests”) and “ho archiereus” (literally, “the chief priest”).
11 Pharisees were a Jewish movement that cultivated and promoted oral Torah. After 70 C.E., rabbis who followed Pharisee attitudes toward oral religious law are believed to have been central to the Judaism known to the canonical Gospel writers. These writers tend to give a similar prominence to the Pharisees in their stories about Jesus, sometimes for polemic reasons, sometimes by presumably unintended anachronism. Some recent historical research contends that there was no substantial conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees: Jesus was executed by the Romans, and if Jews did have anything to do with the crucifixion, it would have been at the instigation of those who had access to Pilate, principally the leaders of the priesthood. Other research argues that there was actually some serious opposition to Jesus from the Pharisees.
12 Historical present tense (that is, “he comes” rather than “he came”) in John and Luther. John’s narrative mixes the two tenses, perhaps to give a sense of dramatic immediacy; so does Luther’s translation, but not exactly as in John’s text.
13 Historical present tense in John but not Luther.
14 Historical present tense in John and Luther.
15 Literally, “I am it” (as opposed to “It is me,” or “I am he”).
16 The Greek “ego eimi” (“I am”), in the voice of a divine figure, is understood as an expression of self-revelation in the New Testament and in the Septuagint (the ancient Jewish Greek translation of the Torah and, eventually, the entire Hebrew Bible, with some additional Greek texts). Because Jesus’s “Ich bins” (“It/That, ‘I am’”) here is a divine utterance (a theophany), all those in his presence fall involuntarily to the ground.
I am He. Note the threefold repetition of the “I am” in vv 5, 6, 8. An expression of self-identification; see note, 4:26. Christ acknowledged that He was the Messiah, also using the enigmatic words “I am” (Gk ego eimi). See pp 1784–85. See also pp 1784–85. Judas. Mentioned often in Jn (eight times), usually with specific reference to his betrayal. This is the last reference in Jn.—Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1787, 1818.
The Witness of “I Am”Throughout the Old Testament, the most frequent name for God is “Yahweh,” used over 5,000 times. This Hebrew name for God comes from God Himself, as Moses records. When Moses asked God by what name He desired to be called, God replied, “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14). When Moses began preaching to the Israelites, he explained to them, “ ‘He Is’ sent me.” Or, literally in Hebrew, “Yahweh sent me.”
The Gospel of St John builds on this Old Testament event and this personal name for God in order to explain who Jesus is. The Jewish people of Jesus’ day knew Moses’ story about “I am” and Moses’ preaching in the name of “He Is.” This name for God was so sacred that they would never utter it. In view of this background, imagine the outrage of the Pharisees when Jesus described Himself by repeatedly using the phrase “I am.” Based on the Greek original, here are the places in John where Christ refers to Himself as “I am”: 4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 24, 28, 58; 9:9; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5–6, 8.
The following examples will explain Jesus’ statements and help you better understand who Jesus is.
I Am the Bread of Life
John records various times when Christ described Himself as “I am” followed with a statement about bread. Christ refers to Himself as “the bread of life” (6:35, 48). He is “the bread that came down from heaven” (6:41) and “the living bread” (6:51). The Jews were stunned. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Their grumbling leads Christ to add that He is “the bread that came down from heaven” (6:4).
In speaking these words, Christ drew a parallel between His life and the manna God provided during the exodus. Christ taught the Pharisees: “In the desert, God provided manna. This manna kept your ancestors alive; however, because of original sin, they eventually died. Like the manna God provided, I came from heaven, but I give eternal life” (6:32–33, paraphrase; cf vv 48–51; Ps 78:23–33).
According to John, Christ’s teaching on the bread of life was a pivotal point in His ministry. Because of Christ’s words about eating and drinking His flesh and blood, many disciples “no longer walked with Him” (Jn 6:66). They found His teachings too difficult. Yes, just as food is necessary for earthly life, Christ is necessary for life eternal.
I Am the Light of the World
At the beginning of the Gospel, John called Christ “the light of men” (1:4). In 8:12, we learn where John first heard the term light used in reference to Christ. The term came from Christ Himself as He addressed the Pharisees in the temple court near the place where offerings were put (8:13, 20). Historically, the Pharisees were aware of the messianic prophecies about light found in passages such as Is 42:6 and Dn 2:22. Therefore, speaking in terms the Jews would understand, Christ witnessed that He fulfilled these prophecies. However, Christ does not stop there. He followed His words “I am the light” by quickly adding “of the world” (Jn 8:12). By adding this phrase, Christ testified that He is the fulfillment of God’s plan for Jews and Gentiles alike (Is 49:6).
The second mention of Jesus as the “light of the world” occurs in Jn 9:5. This teaching prepares people for the healing of a blind man. Again, it is addressed to the Pharisees. Soon after calling Himself “the light of the world,” Christ offered proof of His power over blindness, fulfilling Is 29:18; 35:5. Christ, the light of the world, brought light into the blind man’s darkness.
Some scholars suggest that the blind man symbolized the Gentile nations, which received the light after the Jews rejected it. However, if symbolism is involved, it is most likely that the blind man symbolized all sinners, who languish in darkness until the light (Christ) shines in their lives. The brilliance of His glory will open your eyes!
I Am the Door
In ancient times, sheep were kept in walled enclosures with only one entrance. Jesus calls Himself the door (Jn 10:7, 9), for only through Him will true shepherds (pastors and other faithful witnesses) enter to guide the lost sheep. Christ addresses this teaching to the Pharisees. He accuses them of providing false witness. Christ provides the test for who is a true and faithful shepherd. True shepherds do not proclaim themselves, but the Lord. Christ alone provides our security.
I Am the Good Shepherd
The Pharisees knew the Old Testament passages in which humanity was called God’s “sheep” and God their “shepherd” (Ps 23:1). Therefore, in His first “I am the good shepherd” pronouncement, Christ tells the Pharisees that, unlike a hired hand who watches the sheep and runs at the slightest hint of danger, a good shepherd protects His sheep, even to the point of death (10:11).
In His second “I am the good shepherd” pronouncement, Christ spoke pointedly. He would die for His sheep; that includes you and me. John mentions that Christ spoke of “sheep that are not of this fold” (10:16). Those of Christ’s fold are the Jews, while those not of this fold are the Gentiles. Christ aimed His words at the traditional Jewish notion that salvation was for Jews alone. Christ also takes aim at our self-righteousness. His words teach each generation of believers to follow the Good Shepherd instead of contenting themselves with the idea that they walk with the right sheep.
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Jesus’ last “I am” statement closes out the first part of the Gospel, which describes His travels and ministry. Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, is gravely ill. Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s two sisters, send word to Jesus. Yet, He purposely stays away from Lazarus for two days, during which time Lazarus dies. Jesus tells His disciples that Lazarus has fallen asleep and that He is going to awaken him (11:11).
As we look at Christ’s words today, it seems obvious that He is speaking about raising Lazarus from the dead. However, the disciples do not understand Christ’s words as “Lazarus is dead,” but only as “Lazarus is sleeping” (Jn 11:12–13). At this point, according to John, Christ tells His disciples specifically that Lazarus is not asleep, but dead. Jesus arrives at the home of Mary and Martha after Lazarus has been dead four days, his body in decay (11:39).
Perhaps you are wondering why John is so precise about recording how long Lazarus was in the tomb and that his corpse was in decay. Medical techniques were not as sophisticated then as they are today, and it was possible for someone to have a seizure, be pronounced dead, be laid in a tomb, and then recover. John wants his readers to know Lazarus was indeed dead and decaying.
As is the custom today, friends and relatives were coming to Mary and Martha’s home to offer their condolences. In ancient times, the mourning period would last an additional three days. As Jesus approaches, Martha goes to meet Him. She confesses her belief in Christ’s God-given power. She knew Christ could heal the sick. However, she has no idea Christ could raise the dead. Then Christ utters the key words of our text: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (11:25–26). What a wonderful testimony Christ offers Martha, as if to say, “The Father and I are one. Death has no power over the believer. Martha, live by the Holy Spirit, that you may know that I bring eternal life. Physical death no longer holds Lazarus captive. I have broken death’s hold.” Does Martha believe Christ’s words? He asks. Her confession gushes forth, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (11:27).
Conclusion
Christ intended that His “I am” statements would lead others to faith. His prayer offered just before He raised Lazarus demonstrates this: “I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You [God] sent Me” (11:42).—Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1784–1785.
17 Past tense, however, in John and Luther.
O grosse Lieb, o Lieb ohn alle Masse,
Die dich gebracht auf diese Marterstrasse!
Ich lebte mit der Welt in Lust und Freuden,
Und du musst leiden.18
18 A stanza of “Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen?” (LSB 439, stanza 7)
O great love, o love beyond all measure,
That has brought you on this path of torment!
I [have] lived with the world in delight and joy,
And you must suffer.Auf dass das Wort erfüllet würde, welches er sagte:19 Ich habe der keine verloren, die du mir gegeben hast. Da hatte Simon Petrus ein Schwert und zog es aus und schlug nach des Hohenpriesters Knecht und hieb ihm sein recht Ohr ab; und der Knecht hiess Malchus. Da sprach Jesus zu Petro: Stecke dein Schwert in die Scheide! Soll ich den Kelch nicht trinken, den mir mein Vater gegeben hat?20
19 The 1728 printed libretto here reads “Auf das erfüllet würde, welches er sagte” (“So that what he [had] said would be fulfilled”).20 John 18:9-11.
So that what he [had] said, the Word, would be fulfilled:21 “I have not lost one [follower] of those whom you [God the father] have given me.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it out and struck at the high priest’s22 servant and cut his right ear off; and the servant’s name was Malchus. Then Jesus declared to Peter: “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup23 that my father has given me?”
21 Jesus’s words in John 17:12, understood as the “word/Word of God”; in John 1:1, Jesus is called “das Wort bei Gott” (“the word/Word with God”; and Colossians 3:16 speaks of “das Wort Christi” (“the word/Word of Christ”).
Read John 17:12. This is what John references when He speaks of what Jesus, the Word, had said. Jesus Words are Scripture that are fullfilled.22 Luther Bibles of Bach’s day use “die Hohenpriester” (plural) to refer to the rotation of priests who work in the Jerusalem Temple, and “der Hohepriester” (singular) to the head priest of them all. Partly to avoid potential narrative confusion, it became conventional in English translations of the Bible to call the former “the chief priests” and the latter “the high priest.” The original Greek of the New Testament text gives “hoi archiereis” (literally, “the chief priests”) and “ho archiereus” (literally, “the chief priest”).
23 In biblical language, “the cup” is a metaphor for what God has to offer a person, whether positive (e.g., “the cup of consolation”) or negative (e.g., “the cup of wrath,” and “the cup of suffering”).
drink the cup. Cup of wrath and suffering, which God—not His enemies—had prepared for Him (cf Ps 75:8; Is 51:17; Jer 25:15; Ezk 23:31–34; Hab 2:16). See note, Is 51:17.—Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1818.
Read Jeremiah 25:15-29. The cup of God’s wrath against the sins of the nations will be drunk by the Lord Jesus.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:16. Because our Lord Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath in our place, we are now able to receive the cup of blessing and be sealed in the forgiveness of sins and assured that God loves us and is gracious to us.Dein Will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich
Auf Erden wie im Himmelreich.
Gib uns Geduld in Leidenszeit,
Gehorsam sein in Lieb und Leid;
Wehr und steur allem24 Fleisch und Blut,
Das wider deinen Willen tut!25
24 The 1728 printed libretto here reads “allen” (i.e., “all” as plural instead of as a singular).25 A stanza of “Vater unser im Himmelreich.” (LSB 766, stanza 4)
May your will be done, Lord God, alike
On earth as [it is] in the kingdom of heaven.
Give us patience in time of suffering,
To be obedient in love and woe;
Restrain26 and hold in check all flesh and blood
That acts against your will.
26 “Wehren” is used here in one of its older-German senses, of “verhindern” (“get in the way of,” “restrain”) or “verbieten” (“to forbid”).
1 The Law was given to people for three reasons: (1) that by the Law outward discipline might be maintained against wild, disobedient people; (2) that people may be led to the knowledge of their sins by the Law; and (3) that after they are regenerate and ‹much of› the flesh still cleaves to them, they might on this account have a fixed rule according to which they are to regulate and direct their whole life.—Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 486.
We will now return to the Gospel, which does not give us counsel and aid against sin in only one way. God is superabundantly generous in His grace: First, through the spoken Word, by which the forgiveness of sins is preached in the whole world [Luke 24:45–47]. This is the particular office of the Gospel. Second, through Baptism. Third, through the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Fourth, through the Power of the Keys. Also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren, “Where two or three are gathered” (Matthew 18:20) and other such verses [especially Romans 1:12].—Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 277–278.
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