Biblically focused sermons that illuminate the Christmas season
Biblically focused sermons that illuminate the Christmas seasonBiblically focused sermons that illuminate the Christmas season
When people think of Martin Luther they usually think of him as the great theologian who started the Reformation. While there’s no question that is an accurate portrait, most people don’t grasp that much of Luther’s theology was communicated through his sermons on biblical passages.
While not noted for the greatness fo his oration, Luther is known for his ability to connect with his congregations at an emotional level while he unpacked for them the exegetical insights on Scripture that led to dramatic increases in Protestant biblical literacy.
In these Thy Light Has ComeThy Light Has Come Luther’s words sprint to life unpacking passages that help us understand the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons more biblically and more deeply. Examining the major events, people, and teaching about the incarnation of Christ, Luther will help you appreciate just what the holiday season is truly all about this year.
Martin Luther changed the course of Western civilization by initiating the Protestant Reformation. As a priest and theology professor, he confronted indulgence salesmen with his 95 Theses in 1517. Luther strongly disputed their claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms meeting in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor.
Luther taught that salvation is a free gift of God and received only by grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin, not from good works. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood.
His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.
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