“Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven” (Small Catechism, LSB p. 326).
Confession and Absolution is a rite of preparation for the Divine Service. The Greek word for confession is homologeo, which means, “to say the same.” When we confess our sins, we are simply speaking back to God what He has already spoken to and about us in His Word. God has declared in His Law that we inherit the original sin of Adam and that we ourselves daily commit sins of thought, word, and deed (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). We acknowledge and accept His righteous judgment for sin, that we deserve “present and eternal punishment” (LSB p. 151). When we confess our sins, we recognize that we cannot approach God on our own and expect to live. Confession points us to our need for Christ as we turn to Him in repentance and plead for mercy. By using the rite of Confession and Absolution in preparation for the Divine Service, we acknowledge that everything that happens in the Divine Service is by virtue of God’s grace toward us, not by any merit or worthiness in ourselves.
The absolution pronounced by the pastor is more than a mere reminder that we are forgiven. Forgiveness is declared “in the stead and by the command” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave the power of the keys to the Church, which has entrusted it to the pastor (John 20:19-23). When the pastor speaks in this manner, he is declaring on behalf of God Himself that we are forgiven on account of Christ. The peace and reconciliation that Christ won for the whole world by His life, death, and resurrection is given to us in the words here spoken through the pastor, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit” (LSB p. 151). The absolution sets the tone for the Divine Service where the Gospel is delivered through the liturgy, preaching, and Lord’s Supper.
As in the invocation, the congregation may make the sign of the cross at the words of absolution as a reminder that in our Baptism we were crucified and raised with Christ. Being covered with Christ’s robe of righteousness in Baptism and having received the absolution, we poor sinners can stand in God’s presence to receive the gifts which He so freely bestows upon us in His Word and Sacraments.
Interested in learning more? Join us for Bible class on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in Parker Hall taught by Pastor Schaaf and Kantor Magnuson. We are exploring the questions: What is worship? Where does the liturgy come from? Why do we do what we do in the Divine Service?
Summaries of the class will be posted here each week.