When our Lord Jesus was crucified, nails were used to hold Him up on the post of the cross. One through each of His hands/arms and then one driven through both of His feet, one atop the other. Nails became God's instrument to bring about redemption. Though these nails caused pain, they also brought relief from pain. The nails were the worldly means of keeping our Savior on the cross, though He Himself would have stayed up there even without the nails, such was the depth of His compassion for His fallen creation.
A nail, perhaps two, were used to post 95 statements onto a church door, just over 500 years ago. The action of Jesus on the cross was still there, but many other things were now surrounding it, covering it, and even drawing the focus away from the cross, the nails, His death, and His resurrection. More nails were used in an attempt to create a conversation about the central role of the One who had nails pierce His flesh to keep Him upon the cross, again, in the worldly sense.
The nails that held up Luther's 95 statements, or theses, were his attempt to bring the focus back upon Jesus, the One whom the nails had pierced, whose blood had been shed for the redemption and freedom of the world. Not a freedom to do whatever we pleased, but instead, a freedom from that which shackled us, which condemned us, which would have led to our worldly death and our eternal death. In one sense, we could say that it's all in the nails.
We Lutherans make a big deal about October 31 being called Reformation Day. Luther chose this specific day for a reason. You see, All Saints Day is November 1, a day that had traditionally been one of the big worship and festival days. November 1 would be when the local people would be heading to that church to attend worship. As they would enter, there would be Luther's 95 statements there, posted boldly for anyone to read, if they had the ability. Those nails had a purpose, to draw attention and bring the conversation to Jesus and what He had accomplished for us.
When Lutherans celebrate October 31 as the Reformation, it's much more than remembering a monk who had 95 statements to initiate conversation. Yes, that was a significant part of it. But the thing to remember is that Luther posted those theses because he wanted to draw attention back to the original nails, the ones that had been used to help accomplish the redemption of each of us. So yes, we sing proudly "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", and we lament that so many make the day more about costumes and candy rather than the cross and Jesus. We wish many more would know the significance of these nails, nails which helped accomplish our redemption, and nails which helped draw the focus back to our redemption. So Happy Reformation Day!
A nail, perhaps two, were used to post 95 statements onto a church door, just over 500 years ago. The action of Jesus on the cross was still there, but many other things were now surrounding it, covering it, and even drawing the focus away from the cross, the nails, His death, and His resurrection. More nails were used in an attempt to create a conversation about the central role of the One who had nails pierce His flesh to keep Him upon the cross, again, in the worldly sense.
The nails that held up Luther's 95 statements, or theses, were his attempt to bring the focus back upon Jesus, the One whom the nails had pierced, whose blood had been shed for the redemption and freedom of the world. Not a freedom to do whatever we pleased, but instead, a freedom from that which shackled us, which condemned us, which would have led to our worldly death and our eternal death. In one sense, we could say that it's all in the nails.
We Lutherans make a big deal about October 31 being called Reformation Day. Luther chose this specific day for a reason. You see, All Saints Day is November 1, a day that had traditionally been one of the big worship and festival days. November 1 would be when the local people would be heading to that church to attend worship. As they would enter, there would be Luther's 95 statements there, posted boldly for anyone to read, if they had the ability. Those nails had a purpose, to draw attention and bring the conversation to Jesus and what He had accomplished for us.
When Lutherans celebrate October 31 as the Reformation, it's much more than remembering a monk who had 95 statements to initiate conversation. Yes, that was a significant part of it. But the thing to remember is that Luther posted those theses because he wanted to draw attention back to the original nails, the ones that had been used to help accomplish the redemption of each of us. So yes, we sing proudly "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", and we lament that so many make the day more about costumes and candy rather than the cross and Jesus. We wish many more would know the significance of these nails, nails which helped accomplish our redemption, and nails which helped draw the focus back to our redemption. So Happy Reformation Day!
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