The Risen Christ, Our Justification
At the center of the catechumenal journey is the Pascha/Passover of our Lord Jesus Christ from death to life. It is the fundamental work of God that transforms the human person from rebel against God to trusting daughter or son. It is the event that reveals God’s heart of mercy and grace toward God’s creatures. The Pascha of Christ is truly the event that makes all things new. It is that hope toward which Martin Luther in this sermon on 1 Peter.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Pet.1:3
How, or by what means has such rebirth come to pass? He says, Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; as if he would say, God the Father has begotten us again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed, that is, of the Word of truth, which is a power of God which re-creates and quickens and saves all who believe in it. What sort of a Word is that? It is the Word of Jesus Christ which is preached unto us, namely, that He died for your sin and for the sin of the whole world, and rose again on the third day, that through His resurrection He might win for us justification, life, and blessedness. Whoever believes in this message, namely, that Christ died and is risen for his sake, with him the resurrection has proved its power. He is reborn through it, which means that He is created anew after the image of God, He receives the Holy Ghost and knows the gracious will of God, and has such a heart, mind, courage, will, and thoughts as no hypocrite ever had or anyone who believes in salvation through his own works. For he knows that no works of the law and no righteousness of his own, but Christ alone in His suffering and resurrection, can make him just and blessed.
This is rightly called apostolic preaching (Exposition of 1 Peter. W.A. 52.11).
So rejoice in the resurrection of Christ, your justification, life, and blessedness. Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!