October 31, 1517 - the hammer blow heard ‘round the world. On
this date Martin Luther posted his famous 95 theses on the church door in
Wittenberg, Germany. It was the 16th century version of Facebook and
Twitter. If you had information you wanted people to read and discuss that’s
where you posted it.
But what drove Luther’s hammer that All Hallows Eve? It
wasn’t fame and fortune. It was a simple question: How can a guilty sinner
stand in the presence of a holy God? The
church of Luther’s day had an answer: you can’t unless you made satisfaction
for your sins. Luther worked hard, yet despaired. His good works were not
enough to blot out his guilt. For Luther, finding forgiveness and salvation in
the eyes of God was like climbing a never-ending ladder. And the church had an
answer for this too. Buy an indulgence, a piece of paper which was sold to the
people granting partial, and in some cases plenary (meaning full), remission of
sins.
Problem is, when Luther searched the Scriptures for answers he
didn’t find God’s forgiveness up for sale. That hammer blow of October 31, 1517
goes to the very heart of what the Reformation is all about. It answered Luther’s
question: How can guilty sinners stand before a holy God? On the basis of works,
merits, pieces of paper, coins, or anything we do? No. Never. Rather, salvation
is a free gift by the grace of God through Christ’s death. On the cross, Jesus
took your sin and gives you his righteousness. He took your death and gives you
his life. It’s a blessed exchange.
That knock-knock of the hammer was the joyful proclamation
of the Gospel breaking Luther’s despair. After Luther put the hammer away he
picked up the pen and the Scriptures. He found in the pages of Scripture a
Savior who rescues guilty sinners by being numbered with them. He found a merciful
God who exchanged everything we have - sin, death, and guilt – for everything he
has - holiness, eternal life, and righteousness. That was Luther’s comfort and it’s
yours too.
For there’s something else that comes to mind when I hear the
knock-knock of a hammer. Nails. Wood. Hands. Feet. Christ Crucified for you.
Jesus is your guarantee of eternal life. Jesus’ death for
you. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead for you. So, do not fear. Christ bore your
sin. Your guilt is covered. Your debt is paid in full. Death is destroyed.
Rejoice in this good news.
Hi, Pastor! I was searching for an image of Luther and passed by the photo above. I remember using that as my wallpaper years ago, but just realized that Luther is nailing his theses on the Doctor's TARDIS! Was this intentional? I know your calling yourself a nerd but a Whovian Christian's eyes's just excited to this image. Anyway, a Blessed Reformation Day to you, pastor! Regards from the Philippines.
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