Before we look at Martin Luther’s sermon, those wishing to know more about Holy Saturday may consult the following posts of mine:
What happens on Holy Saturday?
Holy Saturday and food traditions
Now to Luther. What follows is the first part of a sermon he preached sometime during the 1520s. It is part of his Church Postils, which date from the middle of that decade. (H/T: Glosses from an Old Manse).
Luther’s text is Mark 16:1-8:
The Resurrection
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
This part of the sermon helps to answer enquirers’ questions about how long Christ’s body lay in the tomb prior to His Resurrection. Luther also discusses the profound — and bold — love on the part of the women who went to visit His tomb. May we know the same in our faith in Christ. Emphases mine below.
I. THE STORY OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.
1. In the first place we shall briefly examine the text of this narrative, and afterwards speak of the benefits of the resurrection of Christ, and how we should build upon it. The text reads: “And when the sabbath was past.” Here we must remember Mark writes of the sabbath according to the custom of the Hebrews, for according to the Jewish reckoning the day began in the evening and lasted until the evening of the next day, as the first chapter of Genesis says: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day,” “a second day,” “a third day,” and so forth. Thus the first and greatest Sabbath began on the evening of the day when Christ was crucified, that is to say at the time of sunset on the evening of Friday. Our reckoning conveys the wrong sense. Yesterday was the great Sabbath, when Christ lay in the grave; in addition to this the Jews had seven full days which they celebrated and all of which they called sabbaths, counting them from the first holiday after the great Sabbath and calling it prima sabbathorum (first of the sabbaths), and the third holiday secundarn sabbathorurn (second of the sabbaths), and so forth. On these days they ate only wafers and unleavened bread, for which reason they are also called by the Evangelist the days of unleavened bread. From this we must conclude that Christ rose before sunrise and before the angel descended in the earthquake. Afterwards the angel only came to open the empty grave, etc., as has been clearly described by the Evangelists.
2. The question now arises: How can we say that he rose on the third day, since he lay in the grave only one day and two nights? According to the Jewish calculation it was only a day and a half; how shall we then persist in believing there were three days? To this we reply that he was in the state of death for at least a part of all three days. For he died at about two o’clock on Friday and consequently was dead for about two hours on the first day. After that night he lay in the grave all day, which is the true Sabbath. On the third day, which we commemorate now, he rose from the dead and so remained in the state of death a part of this day, just as if we say that something occurred on Easter-day, although it happens in the evening, only a portion of the day. In this sense Paul and the Evangelists say that be rose on the third day.
3. For this period and no longer Christ was to lie in the grave, so that we might suppose that his body remained naturally uncorrupted and that decomposition had not yet set in. He came forth from the grave so soon that we might presume that corruption had not yet taken place according to the course of nature; for a corpse can lie no longer than three days before it begins to decompose. Therefore Christ was to rise on the third day, before he saw corruption.
4. The great longing and love of the women for the Lord must also be particularly noted here, so that unadvised and alone they go early to the grave, not thinking of the great stone which was rolled before the tomb. They might have thought of this and taken a man with them. But they act like timid and sorrowing persons, and therefore they go on their way without even thinking of the most necessary things. They do not even think of the watchers who were clad in armor, nor of the wrath of Pilate and the Jews, but boldly they freely risk it and alone they venture on their way. What urged these good women to hazard life and body? It was nothing but the great love they bore to the Lord, which had sunk so deeply into their hearts that for his sake they would have risked a thousand lives. Such courage they had not of themselves, but here the power of the resurrection of Christ was revealed, whose Spirit makes these women, who by nature are timid, so bold and courageous that they venture to do things which might – have daunted a man.
5. These women also show us a beautiful example of a spiritual heart that undertakes an impossible task, of which the whole world would despair. Yet a heart like this stands firm and accomplishes it, not thinking the task impossible. So much we say for the present on this narrative, and now let us see what are the fruits and benefits of the resurrection of Christ.
Tomorrow: Part II — The fruits and benefits of Christ’s Resurrection
5 comments
March 29, 2013 at 11:36 pm
RichStine
I’m stricken by the observation Luther makes about the women’s seeming disregard for potential, personal harm, rushing off to the tomb of Jesus, in what reasonably could be seen as carelessness, where possible retribution anyone (but especially women) might be subjected to, given all the hoopla surrounding the whole ordeal. Were they nuts with grief? Suicidal?
It makes me think of Jesus’ Mother, Mary, too.
I wonder: What is it about YHWH, that he chooses the smallest, insignificant, or supposedly (by man’s standards) foolish or weak things, to confound those who are wise?
And given the patriarchy of the day, it is delightful to recognize that Jesus was born of a woman. That Jesus was first inside her! That Mary accepted the position of this unprecedented and virginal pregnancy, at great risk and peril, not only to herself, but her family, and her to-be husband, is no small matter. What was the girl thinking? Nuts? Suicidal?
Nah.
Neither Mary, Mother of Jesus, nor these women, were nuts or suicidal, but Faithful!
Jesus comes forth from the grave, and who sees him, first? Women.
Not the disciples, Women.
Interesting about the 3 Days interpretation. There seems to be a few different thoughts about how long Jesus was in the actual tomb, or how long he was dead.
For some, that is a stumbling block.
For me? It doesn’t matter. Because the stone’s been rolled away and He is risen.
Nice Write. I’m enjoying this theme a lot. Thanks.
🙂
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March 29, 2013 at 11:49 pm
churchmouse
Thanks, Rich. Odd that while you were typing your comment I was playing a modern French version of the Ave Maria. Even if you do not understand the language, the melody by Jacno might appeal:
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March 29, 2013 at 11:57 pm
churchmouse
Here are more of Jacno’s songs which might appeal:
The Angels’ Share:
And the Hail Mary in French:
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March 30, 2013 at 8:15 pm
churchmouse
Okay, a proper reply!
Thanks, Rich, for your thoughts. Women’s and men’s minds are different. I do not necessarily think that the women would have thought of the danger resulting from Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion. Perhaps that is why God created men and women. If we were all alike, we would view all familial dangers in the same way. Happily, each sex has a different take.
Luther’s interpretation of the three days in the tomb is the best that I’ve seen, which is why I’m citing it. I’m ever conscious of the drive-by atheist or agnostic: ‘But that’s not true’. Nice how a non- or semi-believer chooses what is true and what isn’t about Christianity. I dare them to say that about Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.
Some Protestants will balk at my mentioning Mary on Good Friday, however, what man would not express empathy for a woman who has just lost the best son in the world, the Son who would redeem us. To those Protestants, I would say that shunning Mary is just as bad as Mariolatry.
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April 5, 2013 at 1:07 am
Part I of a Martin Luther Easter sermon: the story of Christ's … | Sermon Watch
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