Lutheran Worship - Confession and Absolution

While reading the Bible this morning, I was reminded of one of my favorite parts of the Lutheran service, Confession and Absolution. 

Because I grew up in a Baptist Church, I thought the Baptist service was the correct way to worship.  But over the years, I’ve come to love and appreciate Lutheran worship.  And, I’m continually delighted at its depth and Biblical basis.
 
In the Lutheran service, we, as a church body, confess our sins together, admit our failures, and ask for God’s mercy. The Pastor, as a called servant, announces the forgiveness of sins, based on the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Now about this corporate confession, the Baptist will say, “If I sin, I just tell God in my heart, in my prayers.  I don’t need that preacher to tell me I'm forgiven.”  And, as a former Baptist, I thought the same way and for years didn't realize what was happening in the Lutheran service. 

Then I read...   

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.  John 20:23

The Lutheran teaching is that the pastor, in his office, is “standing in the place” of Jesus and announcing forgiveness of sins. “If you forgive the sins of any...”

As always, it’s God’s Word that both crushes and comforts us.  And we need to hear it.

...And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14

God’s Word is effective; it does what it says.  If Jesus died for my sins, how do I receive that forgiveness, how do I know it?  The office of the pastor functions to announce that forgiveness...to me.  I hear it and know it.  I know I’m forgiven.  

We also see this forgiveness in the Old Testament, in all the sacrifices that are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.  The Israelites regularly saw the smoke rising from the sacrifice and smelled the pleasant aroma of a lamb burning...the death of another for their sins.

The Psalms speak often of God's forgiveness.

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.  Psalm 130:3-4

Back to the passage I was reading in Matthew this morning...

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Matthew 27:3-4

Wow...Judas goes to the chief priests and elders and confesses that he's sinned.  Instead of mercy, grace, and hope, they give him nothing, “What is that to us?” and send him away. 

Likewise, we are in need of forgiveness.  “See to it yourself” is not an answer for the guilty conscience.  We sin daily, both outward sins and sins of the heart.  It seems so simple, but it's lost on American Christianity...we need to confess our sins and hear God’s forgiveness, hear that we are forgiven.   And hearing that forgiveness is sweet and precious.