Death Is Swallowed
Up in Victory
Sigurdshof, Remembrance Sunday,
November 26, 1939
This sermon was a homily for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on Remembrance Sunday, when congregations especially remembered those who had died. The service was held at Sigurdshof, a farm belonging to the von Kleist estate in Tychow, where Bonhoeffer and his students moved after they had to vacate the parsonage at Gross-Schlönwitz. The house at Sigurdshof had no electricity, and water was obtained from a pump at the edge of the forest. During the winter, they were snowed in there. World War II had begun that summer, and the Confessing Church was at such a low point that the ordination course was deprived of all support. Yet, despite these conditions, Bonhoeffer preached on this text—given here in the King James Version, which is closest to Luther’s Bible—in which the apostle Paul recalls Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14, that death is swallowed up and the faithful are redeemed from its power. Bonhoeffer begins with two lines from Luther’s Easter hymn “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands,” and toward the end mentions an account of the death of a nineteenth-century pastor, Johann Christoph Blumhardt. The statement of faith that follows comes from the Apostles’ Creed, confessed by Christians worldwide.
An English fellow prisoner, Payne Best, reported Bonhoeffer’s last known words, on April 8, 1945, on being taken away to Flossenbürg, where he faced his own death by execution. They stand as a testament to his faith that death had been swallowed up in victory: “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”
1 Corinthians 15:55: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting: O grave, where is thy victory?
It was a strange and dreadful strife, when life and death contended.
The victory remained with life, the reign of death was ended
You are invited to a victory celebration—to the celebration of the greatest victory won in the world, the victory of Jesus Christ over death. Bread and wine, body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are the signs of victory, for Jesus lives and is present in these signs today, the same Jesus who, almost two thousand years ago, was nailed to the cross and laid in the grave. Jesus arose from the dead, burst asunder the rock before the tomb, and remained the victor. Today, you are to receive the signs of his victory. And later, whenever you receive the blessed bread and blessed chalice, you should know: just as certainly as I eat this bread and drink this wine, just as certainly has Jesus Christ remained the victor over death, and just as certainly is he the living Lord who meets me.
We do not like to speak of victories in our lives. It is too large a word for us. We have suffered too many defeats in our lives. Too many hours of weakness and too many crude sins have reduced victory to nothing. But, isn’t it true, the spirit within us longs for this word, yearns for the final victory over sin, over the anxious fear of death in our lives. And now God’s word does not speak to us about our victory. It does not promise us that from now on we will be victorious over sin and death. It does say with all power, however, that someone has won this victory, and that this one will also win the victory over us when we have him as our Lord. It is not we who are victorious but Jesus.
Today, we proclaim and believe this, against everything that we see around us, against the graves of our loved ones, against the dying nature outdoors, against the death that the war casts over us once again. We see the reign of death, but we preach and believe in the victory of Jesus Christ over death. Death is swallowed up in victory. Jesus is victor, resurrection of the dead, and eternal life.
It is like a mocking song of triumph over death and sin that the Holy Scripture sings here: O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Death and sin puff themselves up and instill fear in humankind, as if they were still the rulers of the world. But it is only an illusion. They have long since lost their power. Jesus has taken it from them. Since then, anyone who is with Jesus no longer needs to fear these dark lords. Sin, that sting of death with which death causes us pain, has no more dominion. Hell no longer has any power over us who are with Jesus. They are powerless. They still rage like a vicious dog on a chain, but they cannot get at us, because Jesus holds them fast. He remains the victor.
But, we ask ourselves, if that is the case, why does it appear so completely different in our life? Why does one see so little of this victory? Why do sin and death rule so terribly over us? Indeed, this very question is God’s question to you: I have done all this for you, and you live as if nothing has happened! You submit yourselves to sin and fear of death as if they could still enslave you! Why is there so little victory in your life? Because you do not want to believe that Jesus is the victor over death and sin, over your lives. Your unbelief brings about your defeat. But now the victory of Jesus is proclaimed again to you today in the Lord’s Supper: the victory over sin and death for you, too, whoever you may be. Seize it in faith. Today, Jesus will once again forgive all your heavy and manifold sins. He will make you wholly clean and innocent. From now on, you need not sin anymore. Sin need not rule over you any longer. Jesus will rule over you, and he is stronger than every temptation. Jesus will be victorious in the hour of your trial and fear of death, and you will confess: Jesus has become the victor over my sin, over my death. Whenever you abandon this belief, you will have to sink and succumb, sin and die. Whenever you seize this belief, Jesus will keep the victory.
On Remembrance Sunday we are asked, at the graves of our loved ones: for what are you, too, willing to die? Do we believe in the power of death and sin, or do we believe in the power of Jesus Christ? There can be only one of these two beliefs. In the past century, there was a man of God who during his life had often preached the victory of Jesus Christ and done wonderful things in his name. As he lay in great torment and distress on his deathbed, his son bent over toward his ear and called to the dying man, ”Father, victory is won.” When dark hours and when the darkest hour comes over us, then we want to hear the voice of Jesus Christ calling in our ear: victory is won. Death is swallowed up in victory. Take comfort. And may God grant that then we will be able to say: I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. It is in this faith that we want to live and die. It is to that end that the Lord’s Supper helps us. Amen.
FOR FURTHER READING
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works in English. Complete annotated edition in 16 volumes, Victoria J. Barnett, Wayne Whitson Floyd Jr., and Barbara Wojhoski, general editors. Various translators and volume editors. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996–.
Vol. 1 Sanctorum Communio: A Theological Study of the Sociology of the Church, 1998
Vol. 2 Act and Being: Transcendental Philosophy and Ontology in Systematic Theology, 1996
Vol. 3 Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1–3, 1997.
Vol. 4 Discipleship (appeared in an earlier translation as The Cost of Discipleship), 2001
Vol. 5 Life Together/Prayerbook of the Bible, 1996
Vol. 6 Ethics, 2005
Vol. 7 Fiction from Tegel Prison, 1999
Vol. 8 Letters and Papers from Prison, 2010
Vol. 9 The Young Bonhoeffer: 1918–1927, 2003
Vol. 10 Barcelona, Berlin, New York: 1928–1931, 2008
Vol. 11 Ecumenical, Academic, and Pastoral Work: 1931–1932, 2011
Vol. 12 Berlin: 1933, 2009
Vol. 13 London: 1933–1935, 2007
Vol. 14 Theological Education at Finkenwalde: 1935–1937, forthcoming
Vol. 15 Theological Education Underground: 1937–1940, 2012
Vol. 16 Conspiracy and Imprisonment: 1940–1945, 2006
Love Letters from Cell 92: The Correspondence between Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maria von Wedemeyer. Edited by Ruth-Alice von Bismarck and Ulrich Kabitz. Translated by John Brownjohn. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Theologian, Christian, Man for His Times: A Biography, by Eberhard Bethge. English translation revised and edited by Victoria J. Barnett. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen. English translation by Isabel Best. London: T & T
Clark/Continuum, 2010.
The International Bonhoeffer Society, English Language Section, publishes a newsletter 2–3 times a year, with recent scholarly articles on Bonhoeffer’s work, as well as conference proceedings, announcements of meetings, and an updated bibliography. For information, go to dietrichbonhoeffer.org.
SOURCES
Barcelona, Berlin, New York: 1928–1931, Volume 10, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008.
God Is with Us, see “Sermon on Matthew 28:20,” 490–95.
Waiting at the Door, see “Sermon on Revelation 3:20,” 542–46.
Ecumenical, Academic, and Pastoral Work: 1931–1932, Volume 11, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012.
National Memorial Day, see “Sermon on Matthew 24:6–14,” 419–27.
The Promised Land, see “Sermon on Genesis 32:25–32; 33:10,” 428–33.
God Is Love, see “Baptism Sermon on 1 John 4:16,” 440–42.
Lazarus and the Rich Man, see “Sermon on Luke 16:19–31,” 443–50.
Risen with Christ, see “Sermon on Colossians 3:1–4,” 350–57.
The Things That Are Above, see “Sermon on Colossians 3:1–4,” 457–65.
Berlin: 1932–1933, Volume 12, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009.
Overcoming Fear, see “Sermon on Matthew 8:23–27,” 454–61.
Gideon: God Is My Lord, see “Sermon on Judges 6:15–16; 7:2; 8:23,” 461–67.
The Joy of Ascension, see “Sermon on 1 Peter 1:7b–9,” 468–71.
Who Do You Say That I Am? see “Sermon on Matthew 16:13–18,” 477–81.
London: 1933–1935, Volume 13, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007.
Ambassadors for Christ, see “Sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:20,” 321–26.
Turning Back, see “Sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:10,” 326–31.
As a Mother Comforts Her Child, see “Sermon on Wisdom 3:3,” 331–36.
Come, O Rescuer, see “Sermon on Luke 21:28,” 337–41.
My Spirit Rejoices, see “Sermon on Luke 1:46–55,” 342–47.
Beginning with Christ, see “Meditation on Luke 9:57–62,” 347–49.
Repent and Do Not Judge, see “Sermon on Luke 13:1–5,” 365–70.
Come unto Me, see “Sermon on Matthew 11:28–30,” 371–75.
. . . and Have Not Love, see “Sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:1–3,” 375–81.
What Love Wants, see “Sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:4–7,” 382–87.
Must I Be Perfect? see “Sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:8–12,” 387–91.
A Church That Believes, Hopes, and Loves, see “Sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:13,” 392–96.
My Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness, see “Sermon for Evening Prayer on 2 Corinthians 12:9,” 401-4.
Lord, Help My Unbelief, see “Sermon on Mark 9:23–24,” 404–8.
Theological Education at Finkenwalde: 1935–1937, Volume 14, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, forthcoming in 2013.
Forgiveness, see “Sermon on Matthew 18:21–25,” unpaginated.
The Betrayer, see “Sermon on Matthew 26:45b–50,” unpaginated.
Theological Education Underground: 1937–1940, Volume 15, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012.
Loving Our Enemies, see “Sermon on Romans 12:17–21,” 465–71.
The Gift of Faith, see “Confirmation Sermon on Mark 9:24,” 476–80.
Death Is Swallowed Up in Victory, see “Communion Homily on
1 Corinthians 15:55,” 487–91.