Christmas was on the horizon. For seven months, Bonhoeffer had been leading the soon to be outlawed preachers seminary at Finkenwalde. He was pioneering a seminary that in many ways was the pattern of the seminary I attended in California. A community of scholars living as closely together as they could, and studying together for the advancement of holiness and community and knowledge and the advancement of an education that would be both culturally relevant and faithful to the gospel.
Just before advent, in the last Sunday of November he preached from the text of Revelation 14:6-13. Below, is an excerpt from that message. It is not remarkable for its exposition of the text as it is for the clarity of its call to believe the gospel. So, here is the text. I am using the Revised Geneva Translation in English which is probably closest to the German translation that Bonhoeffer used.
6 Then I saw another angel fly in the midst of Heaven – having an everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God! And give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come! And worship Him who made Heaven and Earth and the sea and the fountains of waters!”
8 And there followed another angel, saying, “Babylon, that great city is fallen! It is fallen! For she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!”
9 And a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worship the beast and his image – and receives his mark on his forehead, or on his hand 10 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God; indeed, of the pure wine which is poured into the cup of His wrath! And he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and before the Lamb! 11 “And the smoke of their torment shall ascend evermore! And they shall have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his name!”
12 Here is the patience of saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from Heaven, saying to me, “Write: ‘The dead who die in the Lord are fully blessed.’” “Even so,” says the Spirit, “for they rest from their labors and their works still follow them.”
Excerpt below:
“And though there be thousands of religions and views and opinions and philosophies in the world, and though they construct the most attractive of ideologies, and though the hearts of the people are moved and won over by them, they are all shattered by death. They must all be broken because they are not true. Only the gospel remains. And before the end comes, it will be preached to every nation, tribe, language, and people, throughout the whole world. Although it many appear that there are many ways, there is only one true way for all people on the earth: the gospel.”
“And the speech of the angel is so simple that anyone could understand it: ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment is come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.’ That is the first command of the gospel. ‘Fear God’ and you will have nothing else to fear. Don’t fear what the next day may bring. Don’t fear other people. Don’t fear violence and power, even when it comes to you personally and can rob you of your life. Don’t fear the high and mighty in the world. Don’t fear yourself. Don’t fear your sins. All these fears will die. From all these fears you will be set free. For you they are no longer there. But fear God and him alone. For he has the power over all powers of this world. The whole world is in the fear of God. He has the power to give us life or to destroy us. All other powers are a mere game. God alone is real, seriously real. Fear God seriously and give him the glory. . . .’
“On that day of judgment, when we appear before him, what will he ask of us? God the judge will ask us only one question: Have you believed and obeyed the gospel? . . . In that day, God will ask everyone whether they put their trust in the gospel for their survival. The gospel alone will be our judge. By the gospel, souls will be divided in eternity.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermons,
Editor and Translator Edwin Robertson,
p. 110-112
Today, you may face any number of fears from any number of sources. But today, if your hope is in Christ, if your hope is in the gospel, you have nothing to fear. Not your disease, not your enemies, not the the lies of others, not the machinations of people who misunderstand you—if you believe the gospel of the King whose birth we just celebrated, the One who came to save his people from their sins, you can banish fear and look with joy for the embrace of Christ on the basis of His promise in the gospel. That is good news. That is “good news of a great joy.” (Luke 2:10)
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