about humility, here's something to console you, here's something for you to
SERMON 215 163
Listen to when: Under Pontius Pilate. Even the name of the judge is put there to tell you something, so that you needn't have any doubts even about the date. So believe that the Son of God was crucified under Pontius Pilate and buried.
But greater love has nobody than this, that one should lay down one 's life for one's friends (Jn 15:13). Nobody, do you think? Absolutely nobody.13 It's true; Christ said it. Let's question the apostle, and let him answer us: Christ, he says, died for the ungodly. And again he says, While we were enemies, we were reconciled with God through the death of his Son (Rom 5:6.10). So there you are; in Christ we do find greater love, seeing that he gave up his life not for his friends but his enemies. How great must be God's love for humanity, and what extraordinary affection, so to love even sinners that he would die for love of them! For God emphasizes his love toward us—they are the apostle's words— because while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).
You too, therefore, see that you believe this, and for your salvation's sake don't be ashamed to confess it. For with the heart one believes unto justice, but with the mouth one makes confession unto salvation (Rom 10:10). In any case, to help you not to doubt, not to be ashamed, when you first believed you received the sign of Christ on your forehead, as on the house of shame.14 Just remember your own forehead, and don't be afraid of someone else's tongue. For whoever, says the Lord himself, is ashamed of me before men, the Son of man will be ashamed of him before the angels of God (Mk 8:38). So don't be ashamed of the disgrace of the cross, which God himself did not hesitate to undergo for your sake. Say together with the apostle, Far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14). And the same apostle will answer you himself, I did not consider myself to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). He, at that time crucified by one people, is now fixed in the hearts of all peoples.
The resurrection of the dead distinguishes our life of faith from the unbelieving dead
6. You though, whoever you are, who prefer to boast about power rather than about humility, here's something to console you, here's something for you to exult about. The one, you see, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried, on the third day rose again from the dead. Perhaps you also have your doubts about this, perhaps you hesitate. When you were told, "Believe that he was bom, suffered, was crucified, dead and buried," you found that easy enough to believe about a man. Now, because you are told on the third day he rose again from the dead, do you hesitate, O man? Just to offer you one example out of many, look at God, think about the Almighty, and stop hesitating. I mean, if he could make you out of nothing when you didn't exist, why could he not rouse from the dead his man15 whom he had already made?
So believe, brothers and sisters; where it's a matter of faith, there's no need for a long sermon. It is only this particular point of faith which distinguishes and separates Christians from all other people. I mean that he died and was