CREED In the course of his earthly ministry, Jesus put this hard question to his disciples, Who do you say that I am? He wasnt asking for the opinions of the crowds. He wanted a confession of faith. In reality, this confession is no different than the confession of sins. In both, we acknowledge that what God has said is true. When we confess our sins, we acknowledge the truth that God speaks about us--that we are sinners. When we confess the faith of the church in the creed, our confession speaks about God--who he is and what he has done. In every age, the same question is put to the church: who do you say that I am? As we open our mouths and begin, I believe in God, the Father Almighty . . . , we confess a profound truth that has passed over the lips of Christians in every generation. This confession of the triune God is the property of no single individual, but of the whole church, including the whole company of heaven. There are more than a few saints and martyrs who put their lives on the line as they defended the truths that we confess in the creeds. Think of Athanasius, that faithful fourth-century pastor and confessor, who was exiled numerous times for his defense of the truth against the false teachers of his day. Or Luther, who stood firm against the combined might of the Roman Church and the Holy Roman Empire. In our own day, there are faithful Christians who risk their lives--and sometimes die--to confess these truths. In the Revelation to St. John, we find confession going on in heaven. Just listen to the snippets of the grand confession that swirls around Gods throne: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (4:8b) Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (4:11). Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth (5:9-10). In the same way, as we stand on holy ground where Jesus comes in his Word and Sacraments, we join that noble company of saints and martyrs, confessing these holy truths concerning the triune God.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 12:00:01 +0000
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