Twentieth Sunday after Trinity (1891)

Matthew 22:1-14 How can I stand before God? How will I be accepted by Him? Many hold these questions to be unnecessary (Secure people, Universalists), many of them answer incorrectly (Papists, Self-righteous). Poor deceived souls! They are not accepted by God, only those who appear before Him in the wedding garment. The Wedding Garment; We have three questions to answer: 1. what it is, a. what isn't it? . the filthy robe of the flesh1, . the garment of one's own righteousness2, b. what is it? The garment of Christ's righteousness, "the most holy obedience, the bitter suffering and death and the perfect merit of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Savior, satisfied the Law and has earned for us eternal salvation. Such obedience of Christ is the loveliest ornament, so may it be in heaven as on earth. In such righteousness God has his highest pleasure and joy."3, 2. how necessary it is, a. without it we cannot appear before God4, b. only when we are clothed with it are we accepted before God5; 3. how it may be obtained, a. we cannot get it ourselves6, b. God Himself must put it on us7, . he bestows it upon us in the Word of the Gospel8, in baptism9, and in the Lord's Supper10, . we apprehend it in faith, which He Himself works through these means11

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Psalm 5:5. Isaiah 64:6. 3 Tilemann Hehusius' Postille, p. 452. 4 John 14:6; Acts 4;12. 5 Matthew 3:17; Ephesians 1:6. 6 2 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 2:14. 7 Isaiah 61:10, "He has dressed me...". 8 Romans 1:17. 9 Galatians 3:27. 10 Matthew 26:28. 11 Romans 3:28, 10:17; John 17:20 ("through Your Word"), 20:31.

But if we are clothed with Christ's righteousness, we rejoice in it in faith, thus we will now also thank God and therefore put on Christ12, "Whom we are to...clothe ourselves in the virtuous garment of His walk."13

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Romans 13:14. Luther, Epistle Church Postil for Advent 1. Colossians 3:12-13.