Luther on Gospel Preaching

The chief and fundamental thing in the Gospel is this, that before you take Christ as your example, you recognize and accept Him as God's gift to you; so that when you see or hear Him in any of His work or suffering, you do not doubt but believe that He, Christ Himself, with such work or suffering of His, is most truly your own. ...See, this is to understand aright the Gospel, that is, the infinite grace of God. ...This is the mighty fire of God's love toward us whereby He makes the conscience confident, joyful, and content. This is to preach the Christian faith.

-- Martin Luther, quoted by Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, p.119