This is the Feast
the quiet Wednesday before the Weekend Storm of Grace
(Wednesday What-Not is free. Your subscription is a helpful donation. Thanks!)
1/ What is Great? (Psalm 111:2)
Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
2/ Christ Jesus Lay In Death’s Strong Bands
Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands, For our offenses given; But now at God’s right hand He stands And brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be And sing to God right thankfully!
3/ The Atheist Problem and How the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 are Left in the Street
The aTHEIST problem is the irony that the unbeliever cannot talk about themselves without referencing God. Even the title a-theist has to use the word God (Theos in Greek) to define themselves. This is a quandry for the atheist. Meanwhile, He who sits in the heavens laughs (Psalm 2).
Lenski points to the same reality in Revelation. The two witnesses are the voice of the Word of God in the world. The world hates the Word, but finally, when the preaching is silenced, when the witnesses are dead, they still lie in the street for all to see. The world cannot escape the Word.
You’ll like this:
4/ The What-Not Podcast, Signs of Life
I like this little What-Not: The Podcast project, but it is sometimes difficult to get to. I’ve given it a little shot in the arm the last few days, so let’s see if we can keep it going.
5/ What I Wish My Non-Lutheran Friends Knew about Good Friday
Just in time, here’s an interview on Issues, Etc.
(Issues has some great Holy Week stuff this week. Check it out.)
Please add your own theological recommendations in the comments.
If you are new here, visit the archives for a ton of stuff. (You can even search for your favorite topics.)
Remember to go to your pastor's Bible Class this week and, read old theology books. (If you don't have a pastor or congregation, click here. If you don't have old theology books, click here.)
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Thank you, again, for your time and attention, and for your prayers. Please keep in touch.
Lord's Blessings, Pastor Wolfmueller
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
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(Wednesday What-Not is free. Your subscription is a helpful donation. Thanks!)
Bonus/ Matt’s Notes on St John Passion
Matt teaches music and theology at one of our Lutheran High Schools. I asked him for his notes on the St John Passion. These are very helpful:
St. John Passion, History and Background
Written For Good Friday. Taken directly from Luther’s translation of John 18 and 19. Two short interpolations from Matthew. Two main parts, are intended to flank the sermon. Written during Bach’s first year in Leipzig (1724). First performance for Good Friday Vespers in 1724.
Part 1:
a. Arrest of Jesus
b. Denial and palace of high priest scenes
Part 2:
a. Court hearing with Pilate
b. Crucifixion and death, Golgotha
c. Burial, burial site
Symmetry: At the center of the work is the court hearing.
Scoring: Bach sets Jesus, Pilate, and other male voices in the bass part. Only the Evangelist sings the tenor part. This is consistent with the St. Matthew Passion setting.
Just as Bach did in the Saint Matthew Passion, he incorporates chorales from the great Lutheran masters of our history.
NOTES ON MOVEMENTS:
Opening
High tension in the suspensions. The opening melodic line echoes BWV 106 Actus Tragicus, specifically the 5th movement: The Law says all must die. Which by the way, is 100% a cross-motif. Bach uses this motif all over his work to point to the cross visually.
The Text: Hail, Lord and Master. Every tongue shall offer praises to thy name. Show by thy cross and Passion that thou art God’s redeeming Son, who humbly came to save mankind from depths of shame and rose on high to reign. Blessed be thy name. Reads like a prayer
John 18: 1-8
Diminished chord for Judas
Bass voice, Jesus. Strong.
Turba Chorus - portrays the crowd or a group. Can also be used to represent the church of all believers.
The response to movement 2.
John 18: 9-11. Note “fell to the ground” in measure 7. Word painting.
Response to the text of the previous movement. They’re responding a second time the same way.
7. Johann Heerman’s hymn. We have it in LSB 439, stanza 7. 1630. Chorales in these passion works reflect the inner thoughts or expressions of the believer. Note special treatment of the word “Love.”
8. John 18: 9-11. When Malchus’ right ear is cut off - tritone interval. Weird sounding.
9. Chorale - Luther’s hymn on the Lord’s prayer. Response to the previous movement. LSB 766 Stanza 4.
10. Recitative - The word “Die” extended. It is drawn out, just as Jesus’ suffering is. John 18:12-14
11. Aria. Beautiful language.
12. John 18:15. Following Jesus
13. Aria’s language is thoughtful. Mentions the dangers of following Jesus, immediately after John and Peter had done so. It is also foreshadowing for Peter.
14. John 18:15-23. Great word painting in measure 19. When they stand by the fire and sing “warmed”, Bach uses a 32nd note figure to indicate shivering or rubbing to warm up.
15. Gerhardt, 1647. LSB 880 - “O Welt Siph Hier Dein Leben” - 3rd stanza. It is in Walther’s hymnal.
16. John 18: 24-27. Addition of Matthew 26:75 “Peter remembered what Jesus said and wept bitterly (Adagio).
17. Bach uses the chorus to portray the crowd around Peter.
18. When Peter sings “I am not” for the second time, it is the same interval as before (movement 14), but up a whole step. The tension is escalating.
19. Aria. Emotional commentary on Peter’s denial. Almost Psalmic in language.
20. Chorale: Paul Stockman (1603-1636). He was court preacher to Gustavus Adolphus.
21. Beginning of Part II. “After the Sermon” Michael Weisse hymn from 1531. Good Friday hymn with stanzas for each station of the passion.
22. John 18:28-36. Note treatment of word “Caiaphas.”
23. The voice of the crowd. Malefactor = a person who does wrong or a criminal. Exchanges between Pilate and the people.
24. Recitative
25. Voice of the crowd. Tension builds throughout.
26. Note treatment of the word “Death.” When Jesus speaks about his Kingdom not being of this world. It is the highest note sung during that movement.
27. Chorale by Heerman. “O Dearest Jesus, What Law has Thou Broken” - 15 stanzas, this is #8.
28. John 18:37-40, John 19:1. Lots happening here.
29. The people again.
30. Note the length of the “scourging”
31. Arioso. Commentary on the scourging.
32. Aria
33. John 19:2-12a
34. Voice of the soldiers this time. The orchestration is dance-like. Bach does this with the “demon fugue” in the Saint Matthew Passion also. The lightness he is writing here suggests the devil taking delight in Jesus’ humiliation.
37. Possible cross-motif in measure 3 on “crucify him.”
39. Great word painting in Jesus’ part. “Thou couldest have no power over me….” His line ascends all the way up to “above.”
40. Chorale. Johann Schein 1628. Leipzig hymn book
41. John 19:12b-17
42. The crowd again. The movements go by quickly here.
47. Angular, awkward writing for the word “Crucify.”
48. Aria with chorus interrupting.
49. John 19: 18-22. The intervals that Bach uses here for “And there crucified him” are very similar to those that he uses when Judas kisses Jesus in the Saint Matthew Passion. Need to check.
52. A devotional Prayer, by which in the Autumn of the Year 1613 the Reformed Citizens of Fraustadt softened the Heart of the Lord God, so that He mercifully laid down His sharp scourge, under which two thousand Men and Women had gone to sleep. Likewise a Song of Consolation, wherein a pious Heart sayeth Farewell to this World. LSB 442. Valerius Herberger. A song for the dying.
53. John 19: 23-27a
56 Chorale - Paul Stockman again
57. John 19:27b-30a
58. Aria. Commentary on the previous movement.
59. John 19:30b
60: Aria and Paul Stockman first chorale (No.20).
61. Mark 15:38 (interesting things going on here. Tearing of the curtain is painted in the orchestration. . Rumbling of the earthquake in the cello continuo also. He does this similarly in SMP also.
62. Arioso. References the veil and the dead rising again
63. Aria
64. John 19:31-37
65. Chorale - Michael Weisse again.
66. John 19:38-42
67. “Goodbye chorus” - Similar to the finale of St. Matthew Passion
68. Finale movement. Martin Schalling from 1539. Also considered a hymn for the dying. LSB 708, Lord thee I love with all my heart. Totally different than ending of SMP.