Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Ezekiel 12:1-17:24 Hebrews7:1-8:13 Proverbs 27:3-6

“Two Ministries of the Word”

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. ”
[Jeremiah 23:5]

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”
[Deuteronomy 18:15]

We have these two ministries of the Word which are necessary for the salvation of the human race: the ministry of the Law and the ministry of the Gospel; one for death, and the other for life. They are indeed alike if you are looking at their authority, but most unlike if you are thinking about their fruit. The ministry of Moses is temporary, finally to be ended by the coming of the ministry of Christ, as He says here, “Heed Him.” But the ministry of Christ will be ended by nothing else, since it brings eternal righteousness and “puts and end to sin”, as it is said in Daniel 9:24.