Lessons in the Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther For the Senior Department of Lutheran Sunday-Schools and for General Use · George Mezger
LESSON 20.
The Second Article: Of Redemption. I Believe That My Lord Jesus Christ Is True God. Which is the Second Article? _I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord._ What does this mean? _I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, ... is my Lord._ 1. _"I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord"_ thus the Second Article of our Creed begins. Every true Christian, every child of God, confesses: I believe in my Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord. We do not only believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, but likewise in our Lord Jesus Christ. You know what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. It means, I know and am assured by God's Word that Jesus Christ is my Lord, and with all my heart I trust and confide in Him as in my Lord. Our Catechism teaches us _two things_ about our Lord Jesus Christ: 1. _who our Lord Jesus Christ is,_ and 2. _what He has done for me to become my Lord._
2. _Who is our Lord Jesus Christ?_ We confess _"I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son,"_ that is, God the Father's only Son. Many are called, and in truth are, God's children. _"Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."_ Gal. 3,26. All who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ are sons and daughters of God. How, then, can we say that Jesus Christ is God's only Son? Our Catechism says: _"I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, is my Lord."_ All those who believe in Christ are God's children; God has _adopted_ them as His children for Christ's sake. Christ, however, is God's _own Son, begotten, born of the Father from eternity._ Before God created heaven and earth, Christ was God's Son, begotten of the Father. God Himself says to this His only Son: _"Thou art My Son; this day_ [that is, from eternity] _have I begotten Thee."_ Ps. 2,7. _"God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."_ John 3,16. Christ is God's Son, begotten of the Father from eternity, and it is for this reason, too, that in the First Article we call God the _Father._ He is the Father of His own only Son, through whom He is also our Father.
3. Whoever is born of human parents is a true man; he has a human body and a human soul. Our Lord Jesus Christ is born of the Father from eternity, and therefore _He is true God._ We confess that we believe in Jesus Christ, true God. He is true God in the same sense as the Father is true God. _Together with the Father He is the one true God._ He himself has said: _"He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father."_ John 14,9. _"I and My Father are one."_ John 10,30 The Father is the _almighty_ God; likewise the Son, our Lord, is the _almighty_ God. _"All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."_ Matt. 28,18. God the Father is always with us wherever we are; likewise the Son, our Lord, is with us always. _"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."_ Matt. 28,20. God the Father has created all things; likewise the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. _"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."_ John 1,3. He tells us that we should _honor_ Him as we honor the Father. _"All men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father."_ John 5,23. He tells us that we should believe in Him as we believe in the Father. _"Ye believe in God, believe also in Me."_ John 14,1.
4. Jesus Christ is true God from eternity. When our Lord was dwelling here on earth among men, He _showed_ that He was true God. His apostle John tells us: _"We_ [the apostles] _beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father."_ John 1,14. With His almighty word He healed the sick, He made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, He brought the dead to life again: the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow in Nain, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. Remember how the winds and the sea obeyed Him, how He stilled the storm and walked on the sea as on dry land, how He changed water into wine. 5. _Our Lord Jesus Christ is true God, the only-begotten Son of the Father._ His disciples confessed it time and again. Simon Peter confessed regarding the Lord: _"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."_ Matt. 16,16. Thomas said to Him, _"My Lord and my God."_ John 20,28. And Jesus was well pleased with their confessions and accepted them. _"This_ [our dear Lord] _is the true God and eternal life," is what John the Apostle tells of Him._ 1 John 5,20. And St. Paul writes: _"Who_ [Christ] _is over all, God blessed forever."_ Rom. 9,5. _From our Bible, from the Word of God,_ we know it to be most certainly true that our Lord is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity.
6. Never forget that our dear Lord, together with the Father, is the one true God. _Therefore I believe in Him and trust in Him with all my heart._ In every need and trouble, in every danger, I lift up my hands to my Lord and God and _pray_ to Him. He will not forsake me, for He is _"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday to-day and forever."_ Heb. 13,8. 1. _Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Son of God the Father, His own Son, begotten of the Father from eternity._ 2. _Our Lord Jesus Christ is true God, with God the Father the one true God in whom we believe, and to whom we pray._ 3. _This we know and believe because God Himself has revealed it to us in His holy Word. Our confession is and always will be: "I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son." I believe that Jesus Christ is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity._ _This is the true God and eternal life._ 1 John 5,20. _Who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen._ Rom. 9,5. _Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God._ John 20,28. _For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life._ John 3,16. _All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth._ Matt. 28,18. _Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world._ Matt. 28,20.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.