Christ Our
Mercy Seat

The priesthood is a spiritual power which consists in nothing else than this, that the priest comes forward to take all the shortcomings of the people upon himself as if they were his very own and pleads with God on their behalf. From God he receives the word with which he is to comfort and help everybody. The name "priest" is, therefore, still more lovely and consoling than the names "father" and "mother"; nay, this name brings us all the others. For by the fact that Christ is Priest He turns God into our Father, and Himself into our Lord. If I regard Him as Priest, then I know that He does nothing but sit in heaven above as our Mercy Seat and there intercedes for us before the Father without ceasing, pleads on our behalf, and says the best for us.  This is the greatest comfort that can come to a human being, and no sweeter sermon can be preached to the human heart. This He has proved in the Gospel by everything He says and does. For He does nothing but serve and help people and offer himself to everybody. In addition, in order to atone for us, He burdens Himself at the cost of His life and blood with all the wrath which we have deserved. Is it possible to preach anything more comforting than this to troubled consciences?

Source: Quoted in Ewald M. Plass, What Luther Says, A Practical In-home Theology for the Active Christian.  St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.  1959 Edition, 10th Printing (1994), p. 190-191