Our Divine Treasure

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
1 JOHN 4:9
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Our Divine Treasure
Because He says, "Whoever believes in God's Son will not be lost, but have eternal life" [John 3:16], death, the devil, and the fright of the Law must be gone, and our merit and worthiness must add nothing. So the very great, eternal, divine treasure that we shall have is set before us: that we will be without fear and fright before the frightful judgment and damnation which came over human nature through Adam's fall, and instead have redemption, victory over it, and every good. However, this is also offered, given, and presented to us out of pure grace, so that it can be received in no other way than through faith. He paints this grace and gift in Christ with brief and yet very excellent and rich words in order to magnify it and make it comforting in every circumstance. Everything at every point—the Giver, the recipient, the gift, the fruit, and its benefits—is so unspeakably great that it is only hard to believe because of its greatness. However, before we look at that, we want first to hear the reason why Christ says this. It is given by the words He speaks: "So that whoever believes in Him will not perish" [John 3:16], etc. In this way, He wants to show the world the misery and need in which it is stuck, namely, that this is how it is: it is altogether lost, and would have to remain eternally lost, if Christ had not come with this preaching.  

From the Church Postil, sermon for Pentecost Monday on John 3:16-21 (Luther's Works 77:365)