Fifth Sunday of Easter (1883)John 16:5-15

God was in Christ and reconciled the world to Himself1 - the entire world.2 Grace, righteousness and salvation is thus acquired for all men. But God has also given the office through which the world should be made partakers of the acquired salvation.3 The apostles have been made into infallible teachers by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.4 Their word, as we have it in the Holy Scriptures, is the Holy Spirit's word. The community of believers confesses this word and lets it be preached. Thus the preaching of the Holy Spirit resounds in the world until the end of days. At the core of today's Gospel are the words in which the Lord Christ makes known the chief point the preaching of the Holy Spirit in the world. Let us consider this preaching. It concerns us in two respects. We can at one point learn from it what we have to say to the world, for Christianity is Christ's preacher to the world; after that, what we ourselves also constantly have to say, for in the sinful flesh we do not have a piece of the world for ourselves.

The threefold preaching of the Holy Spirit to the world;

1. preaching concerning sin;a. what sin is meant here. It is only called a sin, of which the Holy Spirit

should punitively convict the world: the sin that the world does not believe in Christ5;

b. why the Holy Spirit must convict the world of this sin; α. the entire world is stuck in this sin6; β. the world does not have the slightest knowledge of this sin.7 Reference to the daily experience; γ. the world is inevitably condemned for the sake of this sin.8 Why for the sake of this sin, all sins in themselves still deserve condemnation? Application: Warning and exhortation on the basis of 2 Corinthians 13:5;

2. preaching concerning righteousness;a. what kind of a righteousness is meant here. The righteousness that

consists in Christ's going away to the Father.9 Wonderful speaking! The words of our text are taken from the words that the Lord Christ taught to His disciples shortly before His suffering and death. The words here are therefore not from a going home, as it usually takes place at the death of a pious Christian, but from an incarnate Son of God going to the Father through Golgotha. It is not simply a going away through death, but a going away by the vicarious atoning death through

1 2 Corinthians 5:19.2 1 John 2:2.3 2 Corinthians 5:18ff.4 John 16:12-15.5 John 16:9.6 John 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:23.7 1 Corinthians 2:7ff, 14.8 John 3:18.9 John 16:10.

which Christ paid the ransom for the sins of the whole world. The righteousness here is therefore the righteousness which Christ has purchased for mankind through His vicarious action and suffering, which mankind should apprehend in faith in the Word of promise, with which alone they are able to stand before God10;

b. why the Holy Spirit must convict the world of this righteousness, α. the world knows nothing of this righteousness. Wherein the world, if it still bothers with religious things, seeks its righteousness before God, namely in its own action and inaction. The world itself cannot feel superior about itself from these thoughts. Reason can find it only foolish that we should be reckoned righteous for the sake of an alien righteousness, for the sake of a righteousness that lies outside us. Cf. the classic words of Luther for our text.11 β. a man is justified and saved only through this righteousness that is in Christ's going away to the Father, and because God wills the salvation of the world the Holy Spirit should transfer them to this righteousness. This includes that they recognize one's own righteousness as nothing but injustice before God, and on the other hand establishes confidence before God solely on Christ's accomplished righteousness. Application: Invitation to self-examination, how the heart stands before Christ. Even Christians are still trying evermore by their flesh to put their confidence before God in anything other than the righteousness of Christ;

3. preaching concerning judgment;a. what kind of judgment is meant here. Judgment that has been issued over

the prince of this world.12 It is issued over him by Christ's death and resurrection.13 The devil exercised tyranny over mankind through sin. If mankind's sin is eradicated through Christ's going away, then the scepter of the kingdom of the devil is broken and the judgment of condemnation pronounced over him as the author of sin. He is expelled to the place of torment. he execution of the judgment happens at the last day, which can break in any day. Cf. Luther, ibid, page 68;

b. why should the Holy Spirit convict the world of this judgment? They should recognize that they serve an already conquered master and would be pulled down with him into hell if they further remain in unbelief. They should therefore write off the prince of this world and surrender themselves to the One Who has purchased them and won them from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil. Admonition even to Christians, do not intertwine themselves again in the ways of the world and thus eventually let themselves be overcome by the conquered prince.

Franz Pieper

10 2 Corinthians 5:21.11 Erlangen Ausgabe 50:61-62.12 John 16:11.13 John 12:31.