Excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christology (circa 1933). pp 116-8
published in English 1960 Collins, London.

The Humiliated One is present to us only as the Risen and Exalted One. We know that he is the God-man iincognito only through the resurrection and the exaltation. As believers, we always have the incognito as an already penetrated incognito, we have the child in the cradle as the one who is eternally present, the one laden with guilt as the Sinless One. But the converse must also be valid. We cannot get round the scandal by means of the resurrection. We have the Exalted One only as the Crucified, the Sinless One only as the one laden with guilt, the Risen One only as the Humiliated One. Were this not so, the pro nobis would be done away with, there would be no faith. Even the resurrection is not a penetration of the incognito. Even the resurrection is ambguous. It is only believed in where the stumbling block of Jesus has not been removed. Only the disciples who followed Jesus saw the resurrection. Only blind faith sees here. They believe as those who do not see, and in this faith they see. ‘Blessed are they who do not see and yet believe’ (John 20.29).

Between humiliation and exaltation the historical fact of the empty tomb lies oppressively starkly. What is the significance of the account of the empty tomb before the account of the resurrection? Is it the decisive fact of christology? If it was really empty, then is Christ not risen and our faith vain? It seems as though our faith in the resurrection were bound up with the account of the empty tomb. Is our faith then in the last resort only faith in the empty tomb?

This is and remains a last stumbling block which the person who believes in Christ must accept in one way or the other. Empty or not empty, it remains a stumbling block. We are not sure of its historicity. The Bible itself reveals the stumbling block in showing how hard it was to prove that the disciples had not perhaps stolen the body. Even here we cannot evade the realm of ambiguity. We cannot get round it anywhere. Jesus has entered even the testimony of Scripture in the form of a stumbling block. Even as the Risen One, he does not break through his incognito. He only breaks through it when he returns in glory. Then the Incarnate is no longer the Lowly One. Then the decision over faith and unbelief has already been made. Then the manhood of God is really and only the glorification of God.

We know all this now only from our encounter with the Lowly One. The church goes its own way of lowliness with this Losvly One. It cannot strive for a visible confirmation of its way while it renounces itself at every step. But as the lowly church, it may not look at itself in vain Conceit, as though its lowliness were visible proof that Christ was present there. Lowliness is no proof; at least it is not a proof that one can refer to. There is no law or principle here which the church has to follow; this is a fact, in short, God’s way with the church. As Paul says of himself that he can be either exalted or lowly so long as it happens for the sake of Christ, so too the church can be exalted and lowly, so long as it follows Christ’s way. This way is the enemy of the proud, whether they wrap themselves in purple robes or set the martyr’s crown upon their heads. The church always looks only to the humiliated Christ, whether it be exalted or lowly.

IIt is not good if the church boasts of its lowliness too hastily. it is equally bad if it boasts of its power and influence too hastily. It is only good if the church humbly acknowledges its sins, allows itself to be forgiven and acknowledges its Lord. Every day it must receive the will of God afresh from Christ. It receives it because of the presence of the Incarnate, Lowly and Exalted One. Every day this Christ once again becomes a stumbling block for its own hopes and wishes. Every day it comes anew to the sentence, ‘You will all be offended because of me’ (Matt. 26.31), and every day it holds anew to the promise, ‘Blessed is he who is not offended in me’ (Matt 11.6)


A third section was intended, entitled The Eternal Christ’. But there is no sign of it. The semester had ended.

October 30, 2000