Think Wink.

In reading Martin Luther’s commentary on 1 Peter I found his comments on 1 Peter 1:3, on pages 29-30, to be especially informative and helpful,

What kind of word is that? Even that which is preached among you concerning Jesus Christ, that he died for you sins and the sins of the whole world, and arose again on the third day that he make satisfaction by his death for sins of the whole world and by his resurrection bring us righteousness, life, and salvation…it is not through the works of the law, much less through his own righteousness, but through the suffering and resurrection of Christ, he is righteous and a saved person.

…He arose again from the dead, triumphed over all these adversaries and led them captive, not for his own person–for he never had any need of that–but for the benefit of us poor, condemned sinners. We believe on him, in order that those adversaries could not henceforth through all eternity do us any harm or condemn us, although they at times while we still live here terrify and torment us.

Here it seems that Luther is locating justification, “bring us righteousness,” in the resurrection and not the crucifixion of Jesus Messiah. Righteousness comes with life that is found in resurrection. A person must experience both the death and resurrection of Jesus by to be “righteous and a saved person.”

Furthermore, when I read this section I tend to think that may be Luther felt that the Christus Victor motif (CV) belongs more to the resurrection than to the death of Jesus. To be sure Luther says that Jesus surrendered to death and the adversaries who oppress the creation. But the victory comes not in his death to them but in his resurrection to life, thus defeating their oppression and death. As penal substitution (PS) seems to emphasize the death of Jesus and the resurrection supports the death, so it seems to me that CV should emphasize the resurrection of Jesus, with his death supporting it. In PS it is the death that achieves the desired effect and the resurrection provides the High Priest to present the offering in the heavenly Tabernacle and to intercede for his people. In CV it seems while the death allows Jesus to take on the powers and adversaries, it is the resurrection that defeats these enemies of God and creation. It is not in death that Jesus defeats Satan, but in resurrection life.

I find this to be a good middle road to allow the full weight of both motifs to give their voice to the symphony that is the work of the Messiah.

Martin Luther and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Faith: Created or Wooed

Luther on Ingratitude and Thanksgiving.