St. Pete's on Repeat: Recent Episodes
St. Peter Lutheran Church
Welcome to the archive of sermon messages from St. Peter Lutheran Church in St. Albert, Canada. Each week we look at another section of God's Word and apply it to our lives. God bless your listening!
Patience without problems isn’t patience; it’s privilege. And it’s often privileged people who struggle most when problems come, because they don’t have practice. But the beauty of what God does for you through his Holy Spirit is that he gives you opportunity to exercise your faith until you excel in it. Listen to this week's sermon to find out the immediately practical and eternally relevant truth of the Trinity that saves you and strengthens you to face life with faith.
Have you ever heard the complaint or criticism that the God of the Old Testament is vengeful and cruel? Some will point to the Flood and to the forceful, involuntary dispersal of Babel as examples. But what if both the Flood and Babel were more about grace than judgment? What would that mean for history and for you? Listen to this week's sermon to find out how in a battle of wills, God always wins, and why that's always a good thing.
Humans have a psychological need for love and belonging. That's why when we walk into just about any room, we (often subconsciously) ask the question, "Are there people like me here?" We gravitate toward people like us. So why is there so much division in the world? Why are politics so polarizing and sports fandom so emotional? What accounts for strained and estranged relationships? Listen to this week's sermon not only to understand why there's so much division, but what your Saviour did to fix it.
How much content does the average Canadian consume every week? (Do you even want to know...?) It's a lot!How much do you listen to your Shepherd's voice? I feel fairly confident saying it's considerably less. What does all that content consumption do to your spiritual wellbeing, and how can you safeguard your soul? Listen to this week's sermon to find out.
What do you hope to get out of Christianity? What is the tangible, practical benefit of your faith? Are you hoping that you'll be made into a better person? Are you hoping for life to be made a little bit easier for you? Those are worthwhile prayers - and even promised blessings from our God! - but they're not the purpose for our faith or the best benefit God intends to give you. Listen to this week's sermon to hear what God's purpose for your faith is.
Upwards of 100,000 people died, and every death was preventable. If you had been there, would you have been able to stand firm, or would you have fallen into sin and by the sword/plague/fire/earthquake like they did? Hypothetical questions can help us see our spiritual danger, but it's the very real faithfulness of our God that gives us hope. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about both.
Did you know that pastors cry? They do. They're real people. The question is, Why? Is it because of the sorry state of the world today? Is it because of all the evil influence that's constantly around us? Yes, but more than that, it's because of the many who live like enemies of the cross of Christ. Listen to this week's sermon to learn who those enemies are, and what you can do to keep from becoming one of them.
High horse. Holier than thou. Hypocrite. Condescending. Narcissist.Who do you picture when you read those words? Is it that politician you can't stand right now? Is it the hockey player who was supposed to support his nation's team but gave a thumbs up to the other team instead? Is it that actor who gave the most self-righteous acceptance speech at the Oscars? Truthfully, if you picture anyone other than yourself, you're likely making the same sinful mistake that the Pharisee did in Jesus' parable. Listen to this week's sermon to hear about your inner Pharisee, but also how you can still go home justified before God.
What do caterpillars and Calvin and Hobbes have to do with Jesus? Amazing transformations (with equally amazing names). What does Jesus' transformation so many years ago have to do with you today? Listen to this week's sermon to find out.
Would you have done it? Go back out fishing after a long night of trying (unsuccessfully), after having washed and stowed your tackle, before finding your family or your pillow when you're tired? If our personal histories are any indication, the answer is probably a flat, "No thanks." There are just so many excuses. Thankfully, we have a God who cuts through excuses, inspires faith, empowers action, and answers our fears with his generosity, power, and love. Listen to this week's sermon to see how Jesus calls you to get out of your comfort zone and grow in your faith.
What if Jesus was your guest preacher? Would that change the way you come to hear God's Word? Would you be more excited than you would be on a normal Sunday? Should you? I'm not convinced that if Jesus was our guest preacher there's much he'd say or do that's all that different than what we say and do every week. God's Word hasn't changed since Jesus preached it 2,000 years ago, but that doesn't make it boring. Listen to this week's sermon to see how that repetition is a beautiful blessing.
What are your expectations of Jesus? Do you ever think too little of Jesus? Do you assume that Jesus doesn’t care, so you don't bother him with prayer? Or do you think too little of him this way - that you treat him as little more than a vending machine to go to on demand, or a life preserver to keep on standby? Jesus is so much more than that, and his first miracle at the wedding at Cana raises our expectations to meet his reality. Listen to this week's sermon to hear more about how we really can expect from Jesus immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
Are you a New Years Resolution kind of guy or gal, or does it all seem kind of hokey to you? Do you look back on the year that was with pride or guilt? Do you look forward to the year ahead with anxiety or excitement? I suppose it depends on who you are, and - honestly - how comfortable you are with yourself. Every transition period in life, including every New Year, gives us opportunity to think through important questions again: Who am I? Who should I be? Who do I want to be? Why am I not that person right now? Thankfully God has an answer, and in Baptism he gives you the cure to whatever identity crisis you may be going through.
Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown at Christmas? Does it feel like joy is elusive, that your gentle parenting is failing, that your anxiety keeps rising? God invites you to be joyful, gentle, and anxiety-free, and he reminds us that the power to be joyful, gentle, and anxiety-free is not something that comes from you or me. It comes from the Lord, because the Lord is near.Listen to this week's sermon to hear how Jesus' nearness enables our joy.
All the signs are there. If you are looking - if you're paying attention - then you know that Jesus could come at any time. Are you ready? Listen to this week's sermon to learn how to watch and wait for Jesus to return, and why that's so important.
Would you rather have a God who grieves over tragedy, or one who prevents it? What about a God who reverses tragedy? One of those three things feels rare, but happens far more often than you know. The other two happen all the time without exception. As you face the reality and pain of loss and death, a look into Jesus' tear-filled eyes will answer your doubts and soothe your fears.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms lays out the rights and freedoms that we believe are essential for a free and democratic society, things like: life, liberty, and personal security, freedom of religion, expression, and peaceful assembly. If someone threatened those rights, how would you feel? If someone tried to limit those freedoms, what would you do? The Apostle Paul advises the absurd: we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. There is a world - far more commonplace than you may think (or hope) - in which it is better for a Christian to give up his rights in service to the Gospel and to other people. Listen to this week's sermon to find out when you should consider doing the same.
Finish this sentence: I would truly be happy if only ________. Don't we often do that - impose conditions on our happiness the depend on the circumstances of our life? But whether you finished the sentence with "I had more money" or "more free time" or "less stress," how do we ever know how much money or free time is enough? Or how much stress is too much? Thankfully we don't have to depend on the circumstances of our lives to be content. God teaches us the secret to be content all the time. Listen to this week's sermon to learn that secret.
A parent’s definition of “clean” often is very different than a child’s definition of “clean.” Just ask them to wash their hands before dinner and you'll know what I mean. The same is true for you and your Heavenly Father. You may have one idea of cleanliness. God's standard is invariably higher. And yet, so is his grace. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how dirty hearts come clean before God.
Sometimes it can feel inconvenient to set aside time to be with Jesus. You’re too busy. You’ll have more time later in the day or later in your life to figure it out. But when Jesus interrupts your routine and intercedes for you, you’ll find that not only was it at just the right time for him to help you, but also just the right time for you to glorify him.
Mark 1:29-39
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
The Reason Jesus Heals YouA Sunday school class was asked the following questions, and this is how they answered:
- Why did God make mothers? She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
- What ingredients are mothers made of? God made mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
- What kind of little girl was your mom? I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
- What did Mom need to know about Dad before she married him? His last name. Does he make at least $800/year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
- What does your mom do in her spare time? Mothers don’t do spare time.
- What’s the difference between moms and dads? Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just work at work.
To summarize, in the minds of kids (and in reality), moms serve their families. In fact, that’s the great thing about moms—if you ask them (when no kid is screaming or covered with a whole jar of peanut butter), they’ll tell you they love it. It is hardwired into their nature. What’s the worst thing that can happen in many homes? Mom gets sick, and the house descends into chaos.
Peter’s mother-in-law got sick… really sick. She was consumed by a fever, so bad that she couldn’t attend synagogue and was laid up in bed. Jesus had just driven out a demon that day at the synagogue. Immediately afterward, Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John headed over to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house to attend a special Sabbath meal. When they got to the house, Jesus went to her, took her hand, helped her up, and the fever she had been suffering from left just like that! The man who had cast out a demon from a stranger now cast out the fever from Peter’s mother-in-law. Peter would remember that.
But here’s where I want us to pay special attention. What did she do after she was healed? She didn’t go and join a convent. She didn’t become arrogant and declare herself the queen of Capernaum. She didn’t try to sign a book deal or do the talk show circuit. She didn’t even leave the house. No. Jesus healed her, and Mark tells us, “She began to wait on them.” She used the gift of health she had been given to do what she could out of thanks to Jesus. She served. It’s why Jesus gives us gifts like time, health, wealth, education and so on. It’s his plan… so that we can serve.
And maybe you’re thinking, “I haven’t been healed by Jesus.” And I suppose you’re right if you’re thinking that healing only means that you have cancer one week and the next week the scan comes up negative. And Jesus does do that from time to time. But you are here today and not in bed with a fever. Who do you think did that? Many of you have never had cancer. Some of you sleep well at night. Some of you have had broken bones that have HEALED. Maybe you had a cold or the flu, and your immune system preserved you. Who do you think did that for you? Your health today is no less a miracle than what Jesus did for Peter’s mother-in-law 2,000 years ago. And just like her, you can thank him too, by doing the same thing that she did – serve.
To do anything else is a waste. Think about how you would answer the question when you are laid up in the hospital and someone asked you: “Why do you want to get better?” I want to be healed so that I can live without pain again, so that I can go hiking, so that I can enjoy travel, etc… No. As Christians who recognize where our health and healing come from we want to be healed so that we can serve – so that we can be there for our families when they need us; so that we can be a positive influence in our neighbourhood, so that we can say thank you to God. That’s Jesus’ plan for you – to serve.
But there’s more to why Jesus heals you. It’s not just because he wants something from you. He cares about you – body and soul. Sometimes God allows pain to enter our lives because he wants to show us that we need him. Pain has a way of jogging our memories that God exists. Pain reminds us that this life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; that there’s something better, something more that we should be looking for. Pain keeps us from becoming complacent and lazy; it points us to the only thing – the only one – that can satisfy us: Jesus.
Do you know how blessed you are? Not everyone in this world knows who Jesus is. You do. Pain leads us to cry out to the One who has shed human tears, who felt his Father forsake him on the cross and cried out “why” in pain and heartache, who showed the world beyond a shadow of a doubt that he cares for you. Pain leads us to seek out Jesus.
And that’s exactly how our text continues: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door.”
For those of us who haven’t grown up in ancient Israel, it’d be easy to miss this. Did you know that Jewish Sabbath laws limited the distance a person could walk on Saturday to the stretch between their house and the synagogue? So, the picture that Mark paints for us is that all those people who had seen Jesus drive out a demon at the synagogue in the morning were waiting at home for the Sabbath to be over at sunset so that they could go and bring their sick relatives to Jesus in hopes that he could heal them too. A whole town just looking out the window, waiting, watching for sunset, eager to see Jesus. Pain does that.
It’s like you. Sunday morning dawns. Loaded down with a week’s worth of worry and stress and pain and sickness and guilt. You look forward to going to see Jesus for help. Those people in Capernaum had specific reasons for going to see Jesus. They had all these problems; they go to Jesus for help. And that’s just what he did. He had had a long day of preaching, but he didn’t shoo them away; he healed them because he cared for them – body and soul.
Jesus cares for you too. And even if you have to suffer some kind of illness—he hasn’t forgotten you. Even when Jesus doesn’t heal us, it’s not because he can’t. It’s because he wants something even better for you than physical health. It was something he wanted so badly that he went to a cross – to die so that you could live free from sin; to rise from the grave, so you could have the hope of heaven. That’s Jesus’ plan for you.
And that’s finally why he heals you. To point you to the fact that he cares most about your spiritual health. The text goes on to say, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Don’t miss this point! Jesus was up into the wee hours of the night healing people. If there were ever a time to sleep in, you’d think Jesus earned it. But instead, he wakes up while it’s still dark out so that he could talk with his Father in prayer.
This is a dangerous game to play, but what do you think Jesus prayed about? Well, what was his all-consuming passion? You. The message of your salvation and bringing that mission to its fruition at the cross for you. That’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? When Jesus says, “I know my sheep. I call them by name,” it means that he didn’t just pray for a nameless, faceless mass of humanity… he prayed with you in mind, i.e. your name and your pain and your life and your salvation.
And in this way, Jesus is not only being our perfect substitute, but he’s also providing a perfect example for us to follow. He wants you to spend time with him too. Jesus was a busy with lots of demands on his schedule, but he still made time to pray. If you’re too busy to pray, then you’re too busy! Have you ever noticed that when you skip worship on the weekend or devotion during your day, you can say, “I’ll get to it later” but then five simple tasks chase you around all day? But that’s why Jesus heals you. Yes, so that you can serve, but also so that you have the energy to be served by him through his Word. He heals you to point you to the greater healing he wants to do for you spiritually.
That’s why Jesus came. He says it himself. When the disciples come and tell Jesus that there are even more people to be healed, Jesus said, “Let’s go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus didn’t come to heal every disease. He came to preach to as many people as possible so that you could hear and be healed. Let him preach to you through his Word and to heal you, not always necessarily physically, but spiritually and eternally. That is Jesus’ plan for you – to work through physical pain and health so that you can be of service to him, but above all be served by him through his Word. That’s why Jesus heals you! Amen.
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Galatians 6:7-10
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
We Reap What We SowIf you enjoy gardening, how do you feel when you dig into a helping of the vegetables you harvested? Oh, these beans are delicious! These carrots are so sweet! These are the juiciest tomatoes ever! For some reason, they taste just a little bit better than anything you might buy at the store or farmer’s market, don’t they? You enjoy reaping what you have sown. You plant the right seeds; you pull the weeds; you water the plants; and you enjoy the blessings of the harvest! You reap what you sow.
The Apostle gives us this lesson for our lives today as we take time for perspective. What is perspective? The dictionary defines it as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. The perspective our loving Lord gives us today is we’ll reap what we sow in our daily lives. If we sow to please our sinful nature, what would we reap? When we sow to please the Spirit, what will we reap? Let’s find out.
We reap what we sow. This maxim certainly applies to life in general. A youth who faithfully studies and prepares for adult life usually reaps the rewards of meaningful, productive work. The youth who sows wild oats, wasting his time on sinful excess may ruin his life. In marriage, sowing years of miscommunication and selfishness reaps harsh words and bitter feelings. Sowing seeds of love, consideration, forgiveness, mutual helpfulness and respect reaps the joy of a family peace and unity.
We reap what we sow. In our lesson the apostle applies this to our spiritual lives and eternal destiny. Sowing to please the sinful nature, living only to gratify the desires of our sinful flesh, will reap destruction, he warns. In chapter 5 Paul catalogues some of the open sins that result: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like” (5:19).
Oh, yes, we see plenty of those sins in the world around us. But sowing to the flesh is not only found among unbelieving people. Look at examples in Scripture: King David, a man after God's own heart, sowed to the flesh when he lusted after Bathsheba; Peter, when he thought more of his safety than of loyalty to Christ; Judas, by loving money more than Christ. You and I are tempted to sow to please the sinful nature since we still have that old self, that rebel against God, living within us. It taunts, “Go ahead! Who cares what the Ten Commandments say. Everyone else is doing it! It’s only once! No one will ever know! You can always be forgiven later!”
Perhaps the greatest danger confronting us is to sow to please that little self-righteous Pharisee that lurks within our hearts. We see people make a mess of their lives, and we are tempted to smugly think, “Of course they wrecked their lives! What else did they expect when they lived that way? They should have been more like me.”
What harvest do those who sow to the flesh reap? Destruction! King David destroyed his conscience and the latter part of his rule. Peter destroyed his bond with Jesus and his confidence as a disciple. Judas reaped the ultimate destruction as he totally lost his faith in Jesus as his Saviour. Destruction is eternal ruin, everlasting damnation, and eternal separation from God in hell. Think of Jesus’ account of the rich man in hell. He was in torment and longed for just a drop of water on his tongue. The world may laugh at God’s warning, but Paul answers, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.” His Word stands! “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law” (Gal. 5:10). Sowing to please the sinful nature never, never, never brings satisfaction in life. It always, always, always ends in tears, regret, and hell.
Do you realize why God gives us this stark warning? He loves us! He wants us to escape the destruction that comes from sowing to the flesh and to have life to the full, now by faith, and forever with Him in heaven! So, He promises, “The one who sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” What pleases the Spirit of God? He wants all to be saved! He wants you and me to be saved! Jesus told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
Thank God the Holy Spirit that He created the miracle of faith in us through our baptism! Thank God the Holy Spirit that He keeps us in faith through the Word and Sacrament. Through these Means of Grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to our Saviour’s cross where the Son of God, who had no sin, reaped the destruction we deserved for our sin. For Jesus’ sake, God has cleansed us from all sin and covered us in Jesus’ holiness. Since God our Saviour wants us to be saved, pleasing the Spirit means growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout our lives. When we do, He promises that despite our doubts and the times in weakness we still fall into sin, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippian 1:6)! Hear and learn God’s Word – please the Spirit! Remember your baptism – please the Spirit. Receive forgiveness and renewed faith and love at the Lord’s Table – please the Spirit! And, as surely God loves us in Christ, so we love Him and want to live for Him according to His Word -please the Spirit!
Paul notes in chapter 5, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle list, and self-control” (5:22-23). In our lesson he encourages, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (v. 9-10).
Are you tempted to think, “But aren’t we supposed to please ourselves first if we want to be happy? That’s what everyone else does! And when I do something good, no one notices or appreciates it anyhow”? Holy Spirit, drive such selfish thoughts out of our minds! Did our Lord grow weary in doing good? Did people always appreciate His self-sacrificing love? Yet He never grew tired of helping and teaching, suffering wrong and finally He even died for His enemies.
Our Lord teaches us not to do good for the sake of being seen and praised by others. We certainly don’t do good to earn eternal life. We receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life by faith in Jesus. Since we are living forever, Christ’s love compels us to do good to serve God and serve our neighbor. Every kind word we say, every kind act we do for Jesus’ sake, is a sign of the faith the Holy Spirit has given. Thank God for the perspective on life He has given us – we reap what we sow! By His grace, sow to please the Spirit! Amen.
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Joshua 24:14-24
14 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
It’s a No-Brainer!How many choices do you make every day? Sometimes it feels like life is on autopilot, doesn’t it? There’s not a whole lot of choice; you just follow a predetermined well-worn path. You get up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, go to work/school, do what your boss or teacher tells you to do, get home, eater dinner, watch TV, go to bed, rinse and repeat tomorrow. But even that predetermined, well-worn path is just a choice you’ve already made – you chose your job/career, you might have chosen your classes. And within that rut are all kinds of micro-choices you have to make, like what you’ll have for breakfast, which clothes you’re going to wear, whether you’ll talk to that weird person you pass in the hall every day, etc…
We are surrounded by choices. We make decisions every minute of every day. Some are difficult. Others are easy. It’s one thing to decide what you want to do when you grow up, where you want to go on vacation. It’s something else entirely to choose whether you drive within the lanes on the Henday or veer off into the ditch, whether you eat the Twinkie, or the wrapper it came in. Some choices are absolute no-brainers.
And that’s the kind of choice that Joshua laid before the people of Israel as they stood in the land God had been promising to give them for hundreds of years. He said, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.”
At first glance, when Joshua says, “Choose for yourselves whom you will serve,” it almost sounds like an invitation, e.g. “Go, do your research. Don’t take my word for it. Experiment. It doesn’t really matter which God you worship. Find the right one for you. Just don’t do nothing. Don’t be spiritually lazy.” After all, that’s what the world tells us, isn’t it? That’s the choice that our teenagers and university students and churchless adults confront every day. “There are so many religions out there. I just have to pick the right one for me. I just have to choose who my god will be.”
But that’s not what Joshua is saying at all. He doesn’t hold up the gods of Babylon and Egypt as viable alternatives to the God of Israel. What he’s trying to do is point out the hypocrisy and inconsistency that many of the Israelites embodied – the thinking: “I can follow the God of Israel and hold on to these other traditions and practices that are part of my family heritage, that my friends and neighbours value.” That’d be like pledging money to Poilievre’s campaign but voting for Trudeau. That’d be like rooting for the Oilers at Roger’s Place in the battle of Alberta while wearing a Flame’s jersey. The two things don’t go together!
And while we can come up with all kinds of historical or hypothetical examples of hypocrisy, it’s not always as easy or as pleasant to uproot our own. Do you remember these words? “Do you desire to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ, be diligent in the use of God’s Word and sacraments, and lead a godly life as the Lord gives you strength? If so, answer: I do, and I ask God to help me.” Many of us made that promise when we were confirmed or received into membership at this congregation. We made a solemn vow before God and each other. How have we done? Joshua told the people to throw away all of the other gods in their tents, the gods their forefathers worshiped alongside the true God. What are the gods of your fathers that have found a home in your tent?
Maybe your dad abused alcohol growing up, and you use that as an excuse to do the same, holding onto that empty god which promises everything and gives you nothing but a headache. You can’t serve both God and alcohol. Maybe your dad was always at work and didn’t have time for you as a kid, and you use that as an excuse to hold onto that empty god that promises success, but only leaves you fatigued to be faithful in the other areas of your life. You can’t serve both God and work. Maybe your mother was rude to your father growing up, and you use that as an excuse to hold onto that empty god that promises you the good feeling of superiority but only leaves you with burned bridges and a guilty conscience. You can’t serve both God and self. Is your god a busy-ness that neglects worship of the true God? Is your god greed? You can’t serve both God and money.
What are the idols in your tent? And which one will you choose – the one and only true God or one of the many empty gods that Satan uses to lead souls to hell? I suspect that everyone here today would say the same thing the Israelites did: “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD and serve other gods!...we will serve the LORD because he is our God!” And that’s the right answer! It’s the only answer; it’s a no-brainer. You might expect Joshua to be proud, but that’s not how he responds:
“You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you!”
Joshua knows his people! He knows that talk the talk, but don’t always walk the walk. Joshua is saying, “Don’t just say what you think God (or your pastor or your spouse or your mom) wants you to say. Don’t you know what kind of God you are dealing with? He is holy and jealous! Don’t you dare come to him thinking, ‘though it makes him sad to see the way we live, he’ll always say, ‘I forgive.’” Our God is not a soft cuddly Santa in the sky who drools over easy lip service. He is not a God who is pleased with our strongly worded confirmation vows when they are followed by weakly lived lives. You have to be all in!
I’m sure you’ve heard the hog and hen story. Both hog and hen were walking past a church and noted the pastor’s sermon title on the outside bulletin board. It read: “What can we do to help the poor?” As hogs and hens are wont to do, they entered into earnest conversation over the question as they continued on their way. At last, the hen had a bright idea: “I’ve got it!” She cackled, “We can help the poor by giving them a ham and eggs breakfast!” “Oh, no you don’t,” shot back the hog, “for you, that only means a contribution, but for me, it means total commitment.” The hog was right. That is Joshua’s point—there can be no chicken’s way out; we must go “whole hog” for Jesus.
So the question is not will you say you will only follow God and put away all other idols in your life. The question is are you willing to do it? What’s your choice? It’s easy to say something. It’s another thing entirely to back it up with action. But that’s what makes God’s choice so beautiful.
There Jesus was in the halls of his heavenly Father enjoying eternity in perfect glory, when suddenly he had a choice to make: Do I stay here in the painless perfection of heaven, or do I give up my glory and descend into the dirty, grimy world below and give up my life through torture and torment on a cross for a mass of humanity that likes to say they love me, but shows a different face entirely on Monday morning and Saturday night? The spectator might look at Jesus and think, “That’s a no-brainer. That’s an easy choice.” And Jesus would agree, but for an entirely different reason.
For Jesus it was a no-brainer to leave heaven and come to earth and die for you, because he loves you. For all the times our faith has faltered, for all the times we gave our attention to something/someone else, Jesus came to earth with consistent determination and undivided attention to save you. He marched to his death on the cross so that you could live with him forever in heaven. He took away your sin and your guilt and your shame and replaced it with peace and joy in his name.
And that’s not just a gift he gave to you 2,000 years ago, or a gift that will only apply to you on some undisclosed future occasion when you finally go to heaven. He still treats you with the same consistent determination and undivided attention today and every day. Think about that! How many times has your mind wandered in this one sermon? His attention is still on you. With all the things – all the cares and concerns he has all over the world, all at once – in his mind, there is nothing better to do than to love you. That’s your God.
And that’s why Joshua was able to make his pledge of allegiance: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Make it yours, too. This week, do some soul searching about the idols that you have allowed to stay in your tent and choose to throw them out and only serve the LORD. That is going to be hard. But remember who your God is. He is the one who delivered the Israelites from slavery, and provided for them in the desert, and led them to the Promised Land. And he’s done the same for you. He has delivered you from your sin. He provides for you every day. And he is preparing a place for you even now in his heavenly home.
So, people of God, choose this day whom you will serve. Give up your empty gods. Embrace the true God. It’s a no-brainer. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Amen.
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Matthew 5:11-16
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Live as Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
She was faithfully doing her work as a mother-to-be. As my wife and I went on our daily walks we could see her in the exact same spot every time: on a little peninsula by a flowing stream, sitting on a nest she had made, protecting the eggs she had laid. She was a Canada goose, and we wondered how long it would be before her goslings would be hatched; we wondered how many there would be.
But one day a couple of weeks ago as we got close to where the mother goose and her nest were, we could hear her calling out in anguish. She was standing next to her nest, very distraught. There were eggs shells in her nest. But there were no goslings. Either a predator had snatched them or they had been swept away by the nearby river that was swollen and flowing quickly because of a rain storm during the night.
In any case, the anguished cries of the mother goose announced to anyone who would listen that the loss of her goslings was a tragedy.
This world is filled with tragedies, every day. And the cause of so many of these tragedies is sinful mankind. The hearts of humans are inclined towards evil all the time. Human beings do what is truly evil, breaking God’s righteous commandments, including the commandment that protects human life: “You shall not murder.” God is the one who creates human life; God reserves the right to end human life. Murder is the intentional or careless taking of human life and includes the killing of a baby in his or her mother’s womb and the so-called “mercy killing” of people who are old or sick or suffering. Who mourns the tragic taking of human life? Who will bring it to the attention of the world that such things are happening? Who will speak to people’s consciences with the word of God, calling people to repentance? Jesus’s followers will. Why? Because they know the Lord, who he has changed their hearts and minds by his word and by his Holy Spirit.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to live as his disciples in this sinful world. He encourages us to remember how blessed we are and to serve as salt and light.
“Live as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ!”
Part One: Remembering how blessed you are
The Gospel of Matthew is the continuation of a true story, a story that began in Old Testament times. God promised Adam and Eve that a Savior would rescue fallen mankind from sin, death, and hell. God promised Abraham that the Savior of all people would come from his descendants. God promised King David that the Savior would be an eternal king from his royal line.
The Gospel of Matthew announces that Jesus Christ is that promised Savior of all. God the Father sent him into the world. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was Immanuel—God with us. When he preached and taught the people, he spoke with the authority of God. He came with the authority to do even more: to lay down his life to save people from their sins and to take up his life again. Jesus is the Risen and Ascended Savior. When he comes again, Jesus will come with the authority to judge all people.
As we ponder these words from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, let’s remember that he speaks these words to us with divine authority.
Many people would deny that authority. They think that Jesus was just a human being, just one philosopher or one preacher among many. They would say that Jesus’s teaching should be taken with a grain of salt or that it is fine to reject what he said, especially if it does not agree with societal values or modern thinking. They pick and choose the parts of Jesus’s teaching they like and pass over the parts that they don’t like.
The way Matthew introduces this sermon is significant: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” The scene is similar to what happened in the book of Exodus when God gathered the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. There God spoke to his chosen people—the people he had rescued out of Egypt—and revealed his name to them.
Jesus also speaks as God. The Son of God came to reveal his Father to us—his righteousness and his love. Jesus came to rescue us out of sin, death, and hell and to guide us in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with eight “blessed are” statements called the beatitudes. In the first four, Jesus states how poor and needy his people were by nature. But Jesus has made them heirs of heaven. In the next four, Jesus says what his disciples will do. They will serve and be persecuted.
After those eight statements, Jesus speaks directly and personally to his disciples:
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We should not be surprised when people speak falsely against us and say all kinds of evil against. It is not us that they are rejecting, but God. Jesus tells us that we can rejoice when this happens, because it is evidence that we belong to God and not to this sinful world, which is perishing. We have an inheritance kept in heaven for us—and it will never perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1).
So, dear friends, as we think about our lives in this world, let’s remember how blessed we are. God has changed our hearts so that we love what he loves and hate what he hates. We pray to him and call on him for help. We love him and his word. We honor those God has place over us. We protect life of all human beings. We honor marriage and family as he designed it. We flee from sexual immorality. We receive our daily bread with thankful hearts and use what we have in service to others. We speak well of others; we speak the truth in love. We fight against our own sinful desires, living lives of repentance. We don’t do these things perfectly, but we strive to do them because God richly and daily forgives our sins because of Jesus and because he empowers us by his Holy Spirit to struggle against our own sinful desires, to fight the fight of faith, and to live in a way that honors our Father in heaven.
We are blessed, now and forever. The Holy Spirit convinces us that Jesus is the risen Savior who is with us always, to the very end of the age. As we gather in his name, he is with us. He speaks to us by his word and invites us to a holy meal in which he assures us that our sins are forgiven and that we will be guests at his banquet in heaven.
So, dear friends, live as Jesus’s disciples, remembering how blessed you are.
Part Two: Serving as salt and light
We are blessed to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have many reasons to rejoice and give thanks. But we also have reasons to mourn and groan and cry out in anguish like that Canada goose. Our battle against our own sinful nature is difficult. The consequences of sin, including death, are hard to bear. The sinfulness of this world is difficult to see. We are living in a world that is in rebellion against the Creator.
Life might be easier for Jesus’s disciples, if they remain quiet and hidden in this world. But God has a better plan and purpose for us: we are salt and light. We are here to preserve the world and to shine the light of God’s Word in a dark world—by how we live and by what we say.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Jesus talks about salt losing its saltiness or a lamp being hidden under a bowl because he understands how difficult it will be for us to live as his disciples and proclaim his word in this sinful world. The people of this world might call us arrogant or narrow-minded, even though we are humbly doing what God has called us to do and we are speaking the words that he gave us to say. We need to pray that God would guide and bless us, that he would help us to speak the truth in love, that all we do would be for our Father’s glory. We pray that God would use our humble proclamation of his word to change hearts, to lead people out of darkness into the light of Christ. We pray that the Lord would make the light of the good news about Jesus to shine in their hearts as well. “For God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2). That is why he makes us to be salt and light in this world.
So, should we go around like that Canada goose, crying out in anguish, telling everyone how sinful they are? The Apostle Peter who heard the Sermon on the Mount and who preached in Jerusalem on Pentecost, was guided by the Holy Spirit Peter to teach believers in the early Christian church how to live in a hostile environment:
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
As you live in one of the most socially liberal developed countries in the world, let your light shine. Walk in God’s ways. Worship and serve the Lord with joy. Be kind and gentle to others. Serve them, especially the lowly and the weak, without expectation of anything in return. Recognize that the dignity of people is not dependent on their abilities or their health, but on the God who created them and redeemed them and wants to dwell with them. Imitate your heavenly Father, who loves the prisoner, the hungry, the blind, the oppressed, those who are bowed down, and all the righteous (Psalm 146). People may notice your attitude, your faith, your love, and your hope. They may say things like: “How do you do it?” Or “Why don’t you complain more?” Or “What is your secret?” They might say, “I have to hand it to you.” Statements like that give you a chance to tell people about our Father in heaven, about the Savior at his right hand, and about the Holy Spirit who makes our bodies his holy temples. Engage in conversations with people. Be prepared to tell them about the Lord and his plan of salvation.
Live as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and serving as salt and light are not things we can do by our own wisdom or strength or zeal. And we don’t have to. By his word, God gives us the armor we need: a shield of faith, a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Our feet are fitted with gospel readiness, and we pray in the Spirit on all occasions.
Our service as salt and light in this sinful world is temporary. But our blessings and our joy as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are eternal. Because our Savior lives, we too will live. Amen.
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
God’s Grace Is More Glorious than the Grand CanyonThis may seem like a strange question, but have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? If so, was it worth it? Seth Myers hosts a podcast with his brother called Family Trips where they explore different families’ experiences on holiday together. I think he does this for every guest that comes on the podcast, one of – if not the last question he asks is, “Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon, and if so, was it worth it?”
Seth is a skeptic. He doesn’t believe it’s worth the hype. He’s convinced that a picture would be more than enough to capture the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, which would mean that you wouldn’t have to travel so far out of your way to stand in the exact same place where millions of people have stood before just so that you could see with your own eyes the exact same thing you could see in high definition at home on a screen.
Respectfully, I disagree and so do, I think, the many millions of people who do make the trip every year to see the Grand Canyon with their own eyes. There are some things that a camera just can’t capture. Maybe you’ve had that experience yourself. You’re driving through Del Bonita on the Montana border and you see the Rocky Mountain range rise out of the prairie. You’re blown away by its beauty. You pull the car over. You take your phone out. You snap the picture that you think you’ll print out and hang on your wall at home, but then you look at your screen and it doesn’t look like anything.
There are some views that just defy description. There are some images that are so beautiful you can’t find words to match. There are some sights that can only be seen, and cannot be shared unless you were there.
That’s what we read about in Isaiah’s prophecy this morning. Isaiah says,
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.[1]
Does it strike you as it does me that Isaiah starts by saying, “I saw the Lord,” and then proceeds to describe everything but the Lord? You hear about his robe. You hear about the temple and the throne. You get more description of the seraphim than the Lord. But who cares about the angels? God is right there! So few people have seen him and lived to tell the tale. Tell us what God looks like!
But Isaiah doesn’t. He tells us so much that we need to know about God, but some things are complex beyond understanding. Some things are too beautiful for words to describe. And what Isaiah does tell us is enough to leave us slack-jawed and starry-eyed more than you’d be if you stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon.
The first thing Isaiah draws our attention to is God’s grandeur – high, exalted, on a throne; he is massive in size and importance. There are angels whose sole occupation is to fly around praising his name. In fact, he is even so glorious that these holy angels – who have never committed a sin and have no reason for guilt or shame – cover their faces and their feet as an expression of modesty in his presence.
The first thing Isaiah notices and draws our attention to is God’s grandeur. The second thing Isaiah notices is his significant lack of grandeur or glory.
Have you ever gone to one of those Instagram worthy hotspots and you want your own picture of Peyto Lake or Lake Louise but then you look at the picture you took and it’s not the same as what you saw online? The glory was right there. It’s not that you caught the lake on a bad day. It’s that you’re not as good a photographer – or you don’t have as good a camera or you don’t know how to use it as well as someone else. So, despite having seen this amazing view, you walk away a little disappointed because you didn’t get the keepsake that you wanted and you know that every time you show that picture you’re going to have to say, “It looks even better than this in person.”
When we’re in the presence of glory or greatness, it can be equal parts awe inspiring and guilt inducing at the same time.
Maybe it’s not a landscape. Maybe it’s a person. You have a classmate who is just better than you. You have a coworker or a competitor who just does a better job than you. It can be inspiring. It can make you want to be better. But it can also be deflating and defeating.
Imagine what Isaiah must have been feeling standing in the presence of the holy God. We don’t have to wonder. He tells us:
“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”[2]
Isaiah had just witnessed what clean lips do. They praise the Lord perfectly and perpetually. The angels were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”[3]
Isaiah’s lips didn’t always do that. Standing before the holy, sinless, perfect Lord God Almighty, Isaiah suddenly remembered all the hasty words he spoke out of pride or anger. He remembered all the lies and the slander that didn’t seem all that important at the time, but now… He remembered all the moments when the right word properly spoken would have made a world of difference, but it never escaped his lips.
Can you relate? I know I can. I haven’t stood in the throne room of God, but my unclean lips and life rob me of sleep at night. It’s a terrifying prospect to stand at the brink of such glorious holiness, and Isaiah was rightly afraid. It was a powerful reminder of how unworthy he really was. There was one thing that didn’t fit in this picture and it was Isaiah. He was the only unholy thing in it.
But as glorious as the sight of God was – beautiful beyond description, complex beyond understanding – what was even more glorious on that occasion than God’s holiness was his graciousness.
Can you imagine what must have been going through Isaiah’s mind after this? A holy, unworldly angel unlike anything you had ever seen or dreamed of comes flying at you holding a burning coal in a set of tongs and rushing toward your face. Isaiah was terrified. I would have been too. But far from being a judgment or a punishment, that angel tenderly (if also painfully) applied that holy coal at the precise place where Isaiah felt his guilt the most.
Isaiah didn’t melt for standing in the Lord’s presence. He wasn’t vaporized by God’s glory. His guilt didn’t disqualify him from being there. His guilt was forgiven, cleansed, cauterized out of him. He need not fear the holy God before him. And although Isaiah doesn’t describe his facial features for us, a little extra Bible study will reveal some details about that holy God that we never could have known or imagined. After quoting Isaiah twice in two sentences, the Apostle John says:
Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.[4]
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he was actually looking at Jesus, i.e. the second member of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, the Saviour of the world. And when we realize this, what the angel did for Isaiah takes on even greater significance.
It was Jesus, our Saviour, who sent a messenger directly, personally to Isaiah with an announcement of forgiveness and salvation. And the means to convey that message is significant too – a coal from the altar. That’s where sacrifices are made to pay for sin. That’s what Jesus did to forgive yours. He sacrificed himself – not on an altar, but on the cross – to take away your guilt and to atone for your sin.
And, Christian, this is so important. We all have guilt. We are all unworthy. We have all done things, said things, that are not only unkind but unchristian. We have all failed to make the most out of every opportunity that God has given us to praise his name in our own lives, let alone proclaim that name to others. We have all fallen short and failed to measure up to the holy standard of our holy God.
But what God does here for Isaiah is so beautiful. He doesn’t say, “It’s OK. Don’t worry about. You did your best. I understand.” In fact he emphasizes the severity of your sin by drawing your attention to the sacrifice your sin necessitated. But then he displays his grace in applying that sacrifice to you personally, individually in the same way he did for Isaiah.
No, there will be no communal cauterization today, but think about what God has given you to touch your lips and take away your guilt. For many of you, that’s his own body and blood given and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins. For most of you, that’s his Holy Spirit whom he poured out on you along with the waters of your baptism. For all of you, that’s his holy Word that enters through your ears and takes residence in your heart, so that you can know that this holy, perfect, sinless, glorious God loves and cares about and forgives a sinner like you.
And not only that – not only does God take away your guilt and assure of his love – he rights the wrong. He gives you strength where you were weak. He gives you purpose and direction where you have faltered and wandered. And he does it in an equally tender, compassionate, gracious way:
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”[5]
That’s what God said to Isaiah, who was self-conscious about his sins of speech. Not only did God cleanse his lips, he gave him opportunity to willingly use those lips for God’s glory and for the benefit of other people.
God does that for you too. He takes away your guilt, and gives you opportunity to put your formerly sinful, now forgiven body parts to use for his glory and for the benefit of other people. To speak. To praise his name in your own life and to proclaim that name to others. That’s not an office or occupation that you earn by years of hard work and experience. It’s a gift that gives to each and every one of you, purely out of his grace and forgiveness.
Whom shall God send? And who will go for him?
By his grace and power and by the working of his Holy Spirit in your heart, may your daily answer be: “Here am I. Send me!” Amen.
[1] Isaiah 6:1,2
[2] Isaiah 6:5
[3] Isaiah 6:3
[4] John 12:41
[5] Isaiah 6:8
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Ephesians 4:7-16
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is what it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Time to Take the Training Wheels OffDo you remember what it felt like to take the training wheels off your bike? Do you remember that first time you ventured out into the deep end of the pool without your floaties? Do you remember unloading all your stuff into your college dorm or your own apartment for the first time? Or maybe the first time you went solo at work without supervision or backup? It’s exhilarating and terrifying; it’s empowering and anxiety-inducing all at the same time.
In some ways I have to imagine that’s what the disciples were feeling when Jesus’ feet left the earth.
They had been properly prepared. They had spent 3 years following Jesus as he traveled throughout the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea. During that time, Jesus had even sent them out on their own side missions to gain some practical experience in ministry. They had gone through the roller coaster of emotions that was Holy Week – the triumphal entry, the crucifixion, the resurrection – and had survived and were better off for it. They even got a 40-day intensive experience with Jesus after Easter where he reviewed everything they had learned and experienced, and opened their minds to understand Scripture even more. The disciples’ preparation was more thorough than many university educations are today.
But there they were standing on top of a hill staring at the space in the sky where Jesus had been a moment ago, but wasn’t anymore. I imagine that the thrill in their hearts was not unlike that feeling when your dad let go of the seat of your bike for the first time.
Jesus’ ascension into heaven was the coming-of-age moment for the Christian Church. From that moment on, there would be no more training wheels, no more floaties, no more hand holding. In a sense, the disciples were on their own, but Jesus didn’t leave them empty handed or alone.
What did Paul say to the Ephesians today?
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is what it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”[1]
By going away, Jesus was clearing the way for these gifts of grace to be given to his people. And I want you to pay attention to the recipients of Jesus’ gifts here:
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.[2]
Jesus’ departure from this earth was not just meant to benefit the 12 Apostles. It was meant to be – and is – a blessing for every single Christian, i.e. for every one of you. Look at what Paul says is the purpose of all those pastors and teachers:
So Christ himself gave… pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.[3]
The reason God gave me to you was to equip you for works of service – not to do all the work for you, not to hold your hand every step of the way, but to equip you to do it, so that you could put to work the gifts that God has given each of you.
And the gifts that God has given you are going to be different because you’re different. These gifts have been given as Christ apportioned it, which means that they’re not all the same. One of you may be good at starting a spiritual conversation with a stranger. Someone else may be good at thinking about the people who often get forgotten. Someone else might be a good listener or a faithful encourager or a solid teacher or thoughtful planner. God gives different gifts to different people in different amounts.
But Jesus gives gifts to everyone, and everyone is equipped for works of service. Which means two things that are both immediately practical for you: 1) none of you is so insignificant that the body of Christ can get along fine without you. We probably don’t say it enough – I know I don’t say it enough – you, every one of you, are a vital, essential part of this body. We might be able to limp along without you, but we’d be limping, hurting, suffering without you.
And there may be some of you who are watching online right now, or listening at home, to whom that applies too. We are better with you than without you. And if I haven’t called you personally and told you that, it’s not because it’s not true, it’s because of my own failing and my own fear. So don’t let my failures or your own false sense of humility stand in the way of us being built up together into the body of Christ.
Jesus gives gifts to every member of the body, and that means that none of you is so insignificant that the body can get along fine without you. It also means that 2) none of you is so important that the body of Christ would fall apart without you.
It is so tempting to cast judgment. It is so tempting to keep receipts, i.e. to maintain a mental record of who’s been helping and who hasn’t and in what way. But it is impossible for you to know everyone else’s circumstances or acts of service. Not all service is the same and not all service is even visible. But all service has been created equal and no one servant is more vital than another.
Jesus didn’t leave this world and leave us gifts so that we could play the comparison game and either be discouraged when we see the gifts and talents of others, or swell with pride when we think about how great we – and the contributions we make to the body – are.
After all, what is God’s purpose for all these works of service?
So that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.[4]
The explicit purpose for each of our service is unity, maturity, and Christ. Christ is our goal. Christ is what we strive to be. And who is Jesus? He is the almighty, all-knowing, all-loving Son of God, who, as Paul says to the Ephesians, descended to the lower, earthly regions[5] – who gave up his status, who did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage,[6] but who took on the very nature of a servant[7] to serve you in your need.
Jesus was God’s greatest gift of grace to sinners like you and me. He took advantage of every opportunity to show love and compassion. He made use of every ability he possessed in all the small ways, but especially in the biggest. He showed humility in allowing himself to be manhandled and murdered by men who had manufactured false charges against him. He showed true and selfless love as he prayed for people who were in the act of harming him. He demonstrated the depth of his commitment to you by giving everything – even his life on a cross – to provide your greatest need, to wash away your sin, to forgive you, to remove your guilt and to build you into his church and make you a member of his body.
That’s not very good teambuilding philosophy. Usually you want the brightest and best on your team to give you the best chance at success. But God chose you – a sinner, a failure, someone who still stumbles and falls – and he made you integral to his family. He forgave your failures and faults and he gave you gifts of grace to empower you to make a meaningful difference as a member of his body, without whom the body of Jesus your Saviour does not function at full capacity.
The explicit purpose for each of our service is unity, maturity, and Christ. Christ is our goal. Christ is what we strive to be. Of course we can never reach that goal, but it shouldn’t stop us trying. And in the process of attaining to the whole measure of Jesus, we can achieve unity and maturity.
When we each understand our place and the pivotal role we play in the body of Christ, the whole body benefits. I have this twinge in my knee right now. My paranoia makes me wonder whether I’d blow out my ACL if I tried to play basketball right now. Then I’d be limping for a long time. The ACL is not one of the – pardon my French – “sexy” muscles in the body. It’s not a bicep or even a quad or a calf. It’s even relatively small. Point of fact, it’s not a muscle at all. It’s a ligament. But it is vitally important for the health of a moving body.
And so are you. And so are the gifts that God has given you. He has placed you here and now, and given you the gifts you have, so that you – in unity with every other ligament and tendon, bone and piece of cartilage we have here – can make the whole body better. Stronger – more able to stand up against the lies and empty philosophies that we hear from the world. More active – not waiting for people to come to us or ask for help, but taking the initiative and taking the Gospel out into the world we live in. More loving – toward each other as members of one family under Christ, but also to those who don’t know the love of Jesus at all yet.
That’s why we’re here – to be equipped for works of service so that the whole body of Christ might be built up.
Were you afraid of taking the training wheels off your bike or jumping into the deep end without your floaties on? Maybe. But how did you feel after you did it – after you learned how to ride your bike or swim without having to hold your mom or dad’s hand? Amazing! That’s what Jesus is doing for you even now from heaven. He has given each of you gifts to use for the benefit of his body, the church, and he’s training you and preparing you to use them for the good of his kingdom and the glory of his name.
God empower you to attain unity, maturity, and the whole measure of Christ. Amen.
[1] Ephesians 4:7,8
[2] Ephesians 4:7
[3] Ephesians 4:11-13
[4] Ephesians 4:12,13
[5] Ephesians 4:9
[6] Philippians 2:6
[7] Philippians 2:7
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1 John 4:7-11, 19-21
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Don’t Be a Liar; Love with More than Love-Song LoveI have a music trivia question for you today: What do the Beatles and Taylor Swift have in common? They both have exactly 11 songs with the word “love” in its title. That’s a lot, right? Even for those songs that don’t have “Love” in the title, many more not only mention but also focus on the concept of love. Love is a very common subject for music.
11 songs with “Love” in its title. That’s a lot. But it doesn’t even hold a candle to the 20 times that that same word appears in the 8 verses we read in John’s fist letter earlier today. 20 times in 8 verses! John has a lot to say about love – what it is, what it looks like, what it does, where it comes from – how central and necessary it is for our faith and life as Christians.
Of course there’s a big difference between the kind of love that inspires love songs and the kind of love that we find in the Bible. Love songs are emotional. God’s love, though, is volitional, which means that it is a matter of choice. In love songs, love happens to you. In the Bible, you who and when and how much you love.
Love songs are ethereal and ephemeral, which means that the love they talk about is delicate and fragile and short-lived; the slightest change in the wind could scatter it to smithereens like dandelion seeds. God’s love, though, is indomitable and enduring – no outside force can corrupt or compromise or conquer it; it can and will survive anything.
Love songs are transactional and conditional. If your love isn’t returned, then either it turns into an unhealthy obsession or it dissolves into a memory. God’s love, though, is selfless and one-sided. He continues to love unlovable people even though/when his love goes unrequited.
My question for you is, do we love with love-song love, or do we love with God’s love?
I know a 3-year-old, who shall remain nameless, who, when he’s feeling upset with someone, will say, “I don’t love you.” In the case of this particular 3-year-old, I happen to know that his parents don’t play any Taylor Swift for him. So where does he get this highly emotional form of love from?
It’s born in him. It’s born in all of us. Selfishness is natural. Bitterness and resentment come to us as easily as breathing does. Maybe you’ve had conflict with people you love (or loved. Maybe it was something serious. Maybe it was something silly, like a well-intentioned but poorly-executed joke. Do you act like a 3-year-old and – if only internally – say something like, “I don’t love you anymore”?
If you do then this thing that had once been beautiful and precious is shattered and broken beyond repair – not only because of what that other person did, but because of how you reacted emotionally instead of selflessly and volitionally.
Sometimes we treat love like a Faberge Egg – a delicate, precious thing that is priceless in no small part due to its fragility. And there’s some truth to that. Words hurt. Actions scar. People sin against us and do serious damage not only to our relationship with them, but to our own psyche and the way that we think or feel about ourselves. A loving relationship is fragile and easily broken.
And when it is damaged, the temptation is to react with disbelief and anger and indignation. “We had a good thing going and you ruined it!” It’s so easy to let resentment spread like a cancer throughout our bodies - not only in our hearts but also in our minds and in our mouths, and our feet and our hands. It’s so tempting to seek retribution or give in to the Schadenfreude and shamefully rejoice in any and every bad thing that happens to them.
In other words, we hate them. We block them. We shut off communication with them. We close off our hearts to them. We smother whatever embers of love are left, and instead we breathe life into the bitterness that is waiting in the wings. We hold grudges. Maybe we even seek retribution; we speak ill of them; we poison other people’s perspectives of them.
When this emotional, ethereal, ephemeral version of love gets broken, it can get ugly and quickly.
But that’s never what love was meant to be.
Love is an Otterbox. Love is a fireproof safe. Love is one of those airbag vests that inflates when it senses a fall. But the thing inside the phone case, the fireproof safe – the thing the airbag is protecting – is not your fragile emotional state. It’s your conscious, deliberate goodwill toward that person.
Now, I get it. It’s hard to love other people. But have you ever put that shoe on the other foot? Have you stopped to think how hard it is for God to love you?
John points out a problem that was not unique to the Christians living 2,000 years ago. He says:
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.[1]
Imagine how disingenuous that looks to God. It’s like carving, “I love you,” into the side of his car with your key. You might think you’re making this grand gesture of your love to the Lord, but you’re destroying something else that he loves. In the same way, if you say that you love God, but you express hatred – in attitude or action – toward your neighbour, you’re destroying something else that he loves, e.g. your neighbour’s well-being, the relationship he wants you to have with each other.
You can’t pretend that by coming to church on Sunday, it doesn’t matter what you do – or don’t do – on every other day of the week. You can’t pretend that because you’re working on your spiritual life, your earthly life doesn’t matter. It’s all one! Love reveals itself, not by what it says but by what it does. If your neighbour feels no warmth or light from you, then it’s a sign that something is dead somewhere inside of you.
If it’s hard to love other people when they hurt us, imagine how hard it is for God to love you.
But that’s exactly what God does. He loves you. He loved you first. He showed you what true love looks like by putting it into action. He sent his Son for you, to be a ransom for you.
John uses an interesting word here. It’s only used twice in the entire Bible and the other time was just a few verses earlier. It’s a strange word, but it shares the same root as the word God uses for mercy.
You know what mercy is, don’t you? Mercy is what I would cry in desperation when my brother was beating the living snot out of me for being a living snot to him. Mercy is what the police officer gives you when he doesn’t write you a speeding ticket even though he caught you going 15km/hr over the speed limit. Mercy is not giving someone the punishment that they deserve for their behaviour.
And do you know how God accomplished that mercy for the first several millennia of the world? Substitutionary sacrifice. A lamb or a bull or a dove would symbolically take your place and symbolically suffer the punishment for your sins by paying for them with its life. It would be sacrificed, i.e. killed, offered on the altar to appease God’s justice. But those sacrifices were just symbols, band-aids, temporary stop-gap measures.
Jesus, on the other hand, was the real deal. There was nothing symbolic about his sacrifice. He was your substitute. He took your place on the cross and suffered the penalty for your sin, so that you would be cleansed of it.
That’s the love of God for you. That’s what real love looks like. It’s not emotional, ethereal or ephemeral. It’s volitional, indomitable and enduring. It was a conscious decision. It couldn’t be swayed or compromised or conquered by adversity, anger or apathy. It was strong enough to survive our sin and endure into eternity. It’s a love that is self-sacrificing, i.e. that is willing to suffer inconvenience and even pain to bring benefit and blessing to you.
This love wasn’t easy. It wasn’t cheap. It cost God a great deal, but he was willing to give it because that’s what love is and does.
And that’s why John starts this section the way he does:
Dear friends [re: Beloved], let us love one another, for love comes from God.[2]
Love for one another is not a demand God makes of you to earn his love for you. Love is the condition you live in. Beloved is your status in his eyes. Love gives you confidence for life in heaven and purpose for life on earth – because God loves you, love one another.
It’s hard, but it’s simple at the same time. And, in many cases, it’s something you’re doing already. It’s something I’ve seen in that unnamed 3-year-old. If godly love is the willingness to inconvenience yourself to bring benefit to someone else, then love among Christians is a child sharing his snack or his toys even though it means that he won’t be able to enjoy them himself.
Love among Christians is not only staying in a marriage that has long since progressed past its honeymoon period, but being committed to be kind and compassionate and caring to the person who has the closest access to your heart (and sometimes hurts you more than anyone else could).
Love among Christians is giving up your holidays or a job opportunity or the years you meant to spend in restful retirement so that you can take care of your aging parents or assist in raising your children’s children.
Love among Christians is cheerfully spending your hard-earned income on school and sports and social activities for your spouse or children (without complaining about what it’s cost you – the rounds of golf you don’t get to play, the hobbies you put on hold, etc…)
You ask John, Paul, Ringo and George – you ask Taylor – what love is, and they’ll tell you one thing. God will tell you another. He’ll point you to his Son as proof of how selfless, volitional, indomitable and enduring true love really is. God didn’t just tell us that he is love. He showed his love by what he did for us. And he calls you to do the same. If you love him – because you love him who loved you first – love one another. Amen.
[1] 1 John 4:20
[2] 1 John 4:7
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1 John 3:18-24
18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
God Is Greater than Your HeartHave you noticed how much blue and orange you see around town these days? Flags on cars. Jerseys on babies in grocery stories. I see some in here today. And I’m not going to fault you for it. Cheer for your team. But I do have a confession to make: I always dread wearing my Oilers gear for fear that someone is going to ask me a question about it.
“Did you see the game last night?” No. I didn’t.
“What do you think about the year Draisaitl has had?” I couldn’t even tell you his first name. Is it Neon?
And then you get the inevitable look: “You’re not really a true fan, are you? You’re one of those bandwagon fans. If you were a real fan, you would have been wearing that jersey when we were 5-12, not just now that they’re in the playoffs.”
Now, I’m not here to tell you how to be a hockey fan or what true fandom looks like. I bring this up because it’s easy to ask similar questions about our Christian faith and life. Are you just wearing Jesus’ jersey or are you a real fan? If you consider yourself a fan of his – a follower, disciple even – what have you done to prove it?
The Apostle John has a suggestion:
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.[1]
In fact, what prompted this suggestion was a question he posed immediately before it:
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?[2]
That’s a penetrating question, isn’t it? What do you typically think makes a person a Christian? They go to church. They read their Bible. They say their prayers. Maybe you do all 3, which, to be fair, is no small thing. Did you know that a study was done in 2021 that showed that only 23% of Canadians attended any kind of group religious activity – Christian or not, something like what we’re doing right now – at least monthly.[3] So, even if you only come to church once a month, you’re already more Christian than 77% of our country! Kudos to you. Golf claps and slaps on the back all around.
But John’s not buying it. Even for those who go to church every week, who read their Bible and pray every day – even for the top 23% - John would say that’s not enough. You’re not a “real Christian” unless you love with actions and in truth. And that’s a harder thought to think.
Do any of you have extra clothes in your closet? What about food in your pantry or so much food in your fridge that you can’t eat it all before it goes bad and you have to throw it away? How many of you have more than one vehicle at home and can afford to have at least some gas in each? Then you’re doing better than a solid portion of our society. Then you have material possessions, as John would say, but do you see your brother or sister in need?
We sit on the doorstep of a metropolis of over a million people, many of whom are worse off than we are. I can’t tell you how many phone calls I get every month asking for gas cards or food hampers. We have members in our own congregation who are victims of tragedy and are in tangible need of worldly, material assistance. John wants you to take a good hard look at yourself and consider whether you’re the kind of Christian who just wears the jersey or whether you’re the kind of Christian who walks the walk of faith.
Is there more that you could do with what you have? Could you be more shrewd with your resources to make them stretch further and help more?
Or think about it this way. Why are there so many unwanted children in this world who float through foster care – or worse, never live to see it? Why are there so many teenagers so lacking for a sense of belonging within or from their family and friends that they resort to radical shifts in identity or biology? Why are there people so lonely or made to feel so useless that they feel their best course of action is to seek medical assistance in dying?
Could it be that the love of Christians runs cold? That we are better at talking the talk than walking the walk? Is the problem that you are content to wear the jersey, but not put in the time or effort on a daily basis?
I don’t know about you, but when I read John’s words here, my heart is shot through with a whole quiver of arrows. When I take a good, hard, honest look at myself, my heart condemns me. For a lack of love. For insincere love begrudgingly given. For willfully turning a blind eye and hiding behind excuses.
John doesn’t make it easy to be a Christian, does he?
But then he does, actually.
John is so right to call us out on our hypocrisy and insincerity. He nails us to the wall with our sin and leaves us feeling about this big. But then he reaches down and picks us up with the only thing that matters:
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.[4]
The way to know that we belong to the truth – the way to know that we have a real place in God’s family – is not to look at our resumes, not to stack up good days, not to fall back on our good deeds. The way to know that we belong to the truth – the way to set our hearts at rest in God’s presence – is to look away from ourselves and to the God who is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
He knows your sin, even better than you do. But he knows something else, too. He knows himself and his heart which is infinitely greater than yours.
We miss it a bit in our English translation but the very next word in John’s letter is one of the most special in all of Scripture: Ἀγαπητοί. Literally, it means “beloved,” or, “loved ones.” But its use in the Bible makes it even stronger than that. Ἀγαπη is this one-sided, unconditional love for someone else. Ἀγαπη is the kind of love that doesn’t wait for someone to be loveable before making the choice – the conscious, willful decision – to love them anyway. Ἀγαπη is the love that is best put on display in the cross of Jesus.
Here's a bit of a paradox – you have to love sincerely to be a “real” Christian, but it’s not your sincere love that makes you a Christian. Christ does. In love, Jesus named you his sister or his brother. In love, Jesus left heaven behind and claimed human flesh and blood to be your Saviour. Jesus’ love for you extended beyond words and speech. It wasn’t just lip service when he said he cares for you or promised to save you. He did something about it. He took action and showed true compassion.
He met people in their need, and he fed them, or he healed them, or he spoke to their troubled hearts words of consolation and peace. But above all, he died for them. He died for you. He looked at you with such love and compassion in his heart that he wasn’t content to wait for you to be worthy of him, as if you ever could. He took action and showed the sincerity and intensity of his love for you by dying for you to take all your sin away. He sacrificed his life on a cross to forgive all your sin. He rose from the grave to free you from guilt and shame.
That’s what real love looks like. We’ll never live up to it, but we don’t have to. Jesus did. And his life and his love are what God remembers even when we forget. His death and his resurrection are what God sees even when our hearts look with shame at the sins we commit. God remembers his Son. He answers the accusations of our hearts with the accomplished salvation that Jesus won for us on the cross.
And then he reminds us that we do belong to the truth, whether we deserve to or not. He reminds us that he lives in us by his Spirit who works in our hearts every time that we hear his word. And by that same Spirit, he even empowers us to do what John encourages us to do here: to love with actions and in truth.
Your record is not perfect. No one’s is. But you do love with actions and in truth. I’ve seen it. It’s not the reason for you to set your heart at rest before God, but it is cause for rejoicing because it is evidence that God is at work in you. Even if you don’t always remember, God does.
It’s like what Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 25. To the people that Jesus calls righteous – to the Christians who do more than just wear his jersey – Jesus says,
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?”
The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”[5]
God is greater than your heart. He knows your sin. He knows your Saviour. He even knows the deeds of love you do in the Spirit without knowing it yourself. When your heart condemns you, look to him, believe in the name of his Son Jesus, and love one another. Amen.
[1] 1 John 3:18
[2] 1 John 3:17
[3] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2021079-eng.htm
[4] 1 John 3:19,20
[5] Matthew 25:34ff
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1 John 1:5-2:2
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus Is More than Your Imaginary FriendHave you heard of the movie IF? It’s a kids’ movie. It’s an acronym for Imaginary Friend. I haven’t seen it myself, just trailers. But I think the concept and even just the title is clever. The word “if” is what makes imagination possible. It allows you to dream up all kinds of crazy and creative scenarios. We make games out of it, e.g. “If you were stranded on a desert island…” “If you won the lottery…” If can be fun.
But if can activate your imagination to do something else too. John uses that word 6 times in the portion of his first letter that we read earlier today. And while each one of those ifs did activate our imagination, the scenarios they posed were far from hypothetical; they were far too real. While each one of those ifs did prompt us to picture something in our minds, the pictures they painted were not all wildest dream scenarios; some of them contained nightmare fuel.
I want to walk through those ifs with you today. They come in three pairs:
If we claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.[1]
That’s the first pair. Here’s the second:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.[2]
And finally, we read:
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us… But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.[3]
Let’s start with the first part of the first pair – claiming to have fellowship with God but walking in darkness. You know what that looks like, don’t you? When somebody pretends to be one thing in public, but in private he acts completely differently. What do you typically call that kind of person? A hypocrite! A fraud. A phony. A liar. A pretender.
But this isn’t just some somebody, is it? This is we. This is you. It’s me. We’re not talking about anybody else, we’re talking about ourselves. And, as I said before, this if isn’t some hypothetical; it’s real life.
When do you claim to have fellowship with God, yet walk in the darkness? Well, you’re all here. It certainly looks like you have fellowship with God. But would a stranger, or even your friends, immediately recognize you as a Christian by the way you talk or act? Do you watch your language around certain people, but less loose with the profanities and vulgarities with your close friends? If we had St. Peter bumper stickers, would you put one on the back of your car, or would you be too afraid of the poor impression people would have of your church based on the way that you drive?
And those are just the little things, the petty things. What other things do you do under the cover in darkness that would make your mother blush or your heavenly Father sigh in disappointment? What about the unloving way you treat your family behind closed doors? The uncharitable comments you make about people who aren’t in the room? The promises you break to do or be something good at the first chance you get of scratching that old itch for the bottle or the digital brothel.
If we claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.[4]
We’re hypocrites, frauds, pretenders – every one of us. This is not some imaginary scenario. This is real life. We’re walking in darkness. We’re hiding from the light of God. We’re like cockroaches, skittering from one dark corner to the next trying to escape his light but everywhere we go, it exposes us.
There are times when a caring family member or friend calls us out on our hypocrisy. And sometimes, we’re thankful for it. Sometimes that’s all it takes to turn us around. And that’s great… when it works. But it doesn’t always work, because we’re not always willing to listen to criticism no matter how compassionate and constructive it may be.
Sometimes we claim to be without sin. We downplay what we do, as if other people doing the same thing somehow makes it OK for us to do it too. We deny any kind of wrongdoing, and turn it on the other person, e.g. “Who are you to judge me? You don’t know me.” We manufacture and then hide behind our made-up excuses, e.g. “If you only knew what that other person did or what I’m going through, then you wouldn’t be so harsh.”
But what does John say?
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.[5]
If you take a comprehensive look at your life and you don’t feel even the slightest bit of guilt, then you’re lying to yourself. You’re delusional. The truth is not in you.
Again, sometimes we’re blessed with people in our lives to call us on our lies and to open our eyes to see the truth – to see the way that we’ve hurt other people, that we’re hurting our own souls. And if you’re privileged to have a friend like that, it’s possible for you to confess your sins and start the road to recovery. But that doesn’t always work either, because sometimes our hearts are so stubborn and so proud that no amount of talking would ever convince us that what we did was wrong to begin with. That’s why John goes on:
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.[6]
I could argue with my friends and family until I’m blue in the face. They’re just people and theirs are just opinions. They don’t get to decide what’s right or wrong for me.
But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? God is the one who gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong for everyone. And if I defend my sinful decisions even to the degree that I disagree with God, then I’m in trouble. And we’re so good at that. We ask the same questions of ourselves that the devil asked in the Garden of Eden, “Did God really say…?”
Is it really so bad to let your mind wander when you see an attractive person? Is homosexuality, transsexuality, pansexuality so sinful and wrong? I have friends in the community. They’re not hurting anybody. They’re nicer, kinder than some Christians I know. God isn’t going to audit my taxes, is he? He doesn’t mind if I fudge a few numbers to get a better return. After all, the government does the same thing to me every time I stop at the pump or pick up groceries. I’m just playing their game.
We are so skilled at imagining that we are so innocent. But when God shines his light on our hearts, we’re more like cockroaches running to find the next dark corner to hide in. And each pair of ifs that John writes here just shows us how bad our hearts can get. Each one is worse than the next.
But the beautiful thing about John’s imagination-activating scenarios is that while the light does show the downward spiral of our sin, it also shines on the exponential expansion of God’s grace.
What was the solution to the first problem, i.e. claiming to have fellowship with God but walking in the darkness? It’d be tempting to say that the solution is to walk in the light! But that’s not technically a solution, is it? It’s a reform. It’s a way to do something better in the future. But it doesn’t undo the deeds of darkness you’ve done in the past.
The solution to our sin is not reform. The solution is the blood of Jesus that purifies us from all sin.
What was the solution to the second problem, i.e. claiming to be without sin? It’d be tempting to say that the solution would be to confess your sin – to stop deceiving yourself and be honest for once. But, again, that’s not the solution; it’s the reform. You should confess your sin – to yourself and to God – but that’s not going to make up for the sins you’re confessing.
The solution is the faithfulness and forgiveness of God, who promises to purify us from all unrighteousness.
What was the solution to the final problem, i.e. claiming to have not sinned? This time there’s not even a temptation to resolve that ourselves. The solution can only come from Jesus. John calls him our advocate – our defense attorney, if you will. And I can tell you the legal strategy he’ll use in God’s court of law. He will certainly not try to convince the Judge that you are innocent. That would never work, because you’re not innocent. But you have been forgiven. Your own defense attorney has already paid the price for your sin. He gave his life as the sacrifice of atonement for your sins and the sins of the whole world.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum – no matter what lies you’ve deceived yourself into believing or deeds of darkness you have tried your hardest to cover up because you know how bad they are – no matter what your sin is, the solution is Jesus, i.e. the perfect life he lived in your place, the innocent death he died on your behalf, the promise of purification and forgiveness and atonement through his blood. It’s all yours through him.
And this is no dream. Jesus is not your imaginary friend. He is your real Redeemer risen from the dead to give you life – both forever in heaven and here on earth until you get there.
So walk in the light. Stop slinking into dark corners to do dark things. But when you invariably do, confess your sin. Don’t deceive yourself or make God out to be a liar. Be honest and humble, but above all, believe – put your trust and confidence in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and for the strength to live in the light. He is light. Live in him. Amen.
[1] 1 John 1:6,7
[2] 1 John 1:8,9
[3] 1 John 1:10, 2:1,2
[4] 1 John 1:6
[5] 1 John 1:8
[6] 1 John 1:10
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1 John 1:1-4
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete.
Rejoice in Your Fellowship with the Word of LifeWhat gives you joy? It’s a little bit easier to ask that question a week after a major celebration. When I think of joy, I think about the 96 people who were gathered in this room 7 days ago. I think about the smell of the lilies that still lingers here. I think about the guitars and the violins and piano. I think about the voices and the songs they sang. I think about the window that was painted and the banner and the artwork that was hung. I think about the food and the fellowship we were able to enjoy.
It's easy to think about joy and what causes it a week after a major celebration. But did you catch certain notes of not-so-joyful things in our worship last week or this? I think about the Gospel Reading in both cases.
Last week’s Gospel – the one with the joyous discover of an empty tomb and an angel announcing Jesus’ resurrection – ended like this:
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.[1]
That doesn’t really fit Easter triumph, Easter joy.
Then there’s this week’s Gospel, which started with the disciples cowering in fear behind locked doors. Even after the women finally fessed up to what they saw at the graveside, even after 10 of the remaining 11 disciples swore to the fact that they had seen the risen Jesus alive, there was still doubt and fear. Thomas still didn’t believe, and you have to imagine that he wasn’t the only one.
In fact, we know that Thomas wasn’t the only doubter. There were some confirmed deniers of Jesus’ resurrection. The Jewish leaders come to mind, of course. They paid off the Roman soldiers to spread the lie that a group of fishermen overpowered professional killers and stole Jesus’ body. But they weren’t the only ones.
There was also a man by the name of Cerinthus. If you’ve never heard the name, I wouldn’t blame you. It never appears in Scripture. But we know from history that he was a man who was styling himself as a Christian but who denied so many of the things that are central to the Christian faith, like the fact that Jesus is God, or that Jesus really rose from the dead, or that the Apostles were telling the truth.
I only mention Cerinthus because his false doctrine was the specific trigger for John to write his first letter, excerpts of which we’ll read every week for the rest of the season of Easter. The things that you heard today from the first 4 verses of first chapter of John’s first letter are a direct response to Cerinthus and his false doctrine, which, at first, may feel like this weird niche of church history that you don’t really need to know, but it is remarkable how modern Cerinthus’ false doctrine is.
Last week I got a notification from Facebook. It originated from the church account. One of our Easter posts was generating engagement – people were not only responding to it, they were commenting on it – which is usually a good thing, but not this time. This time it was from a man making the same claims that Cerinthus did so many years ago. He said sarcastic things like, “Come, join our cult.” He posed memes of simple-minded Christians still waiting 2,000 years to return.
It wasn’t very pleasant. I deleted them almost immediately. It threatened to sour the joy of Easter that I was so looking forward to celebrate – not only for me but for anyone else who happened to read them too. But it was so real and it was a good reminder that these footnotes of ancient history still rear their ugly heads so many years later.
The Apostle John wrote his first 2 letters in direct response to that kind of ridicule and denial. And do you know what his response was? No one can rob you of the joy that is ours through the fellowship we have with God and with each other.
John starts his first letter by talking about
that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.[2]
It’s a little bit cryptic. It makes you wonder what he’s talking about, but thankfully, he doesn’t leave us hanging for very long. He says,
“This we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”[3]
If that’s still a little confusing, maybe it’s helpful to compare what John writes here to how he starts his Gospel:
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”[4]
John is talking about Jesus. “The Word” is a special title the Bible uses to describe Jesus. And in these first four verses, John tells us some very important things about Jesus. First he tells us that Jesus was there from the beginning. In other words, he is confirming for us what people like Cerinthus (and trolls online) deny – that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. In fact, John doubles down on this point in the next verse. He says,
“The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”[5]
Long before Mary ever gave birth to Jesus, he existed as the eternal Son of God. It’s quite possible that that seems obvious to you. Maybe you were blessed to have grown up in a Christian household where Jesus’ divinity is a given, but that’s not a universally accepted truth – not then, not now. But it is important. It means that Jesus wasn’t just some guy. He wasn’t a martyr for a cause. He wasn’t a mentor for us to mold our lives after. He wasn’t a man who reached a certain level in the game of life and earned a special reward or recognition for his achievements.
Jesus was and is the Son of God from all eternity. He helped to form and fashion this world when it was created. He was the subject of the promise of salvation that God gave to Adam and Eve when they fell into sin. He was the message and oftentimes the messenger of grace and peace and comfort and forgiveness to generations of believers, until he finally entered into this world. Or, as John puts it here:
“The life appeared… the eternal life, which was with the Father… has appeared to us.”[6]
This is big news! The almighty, supreme Being who presides over the whole universe, who is infinitely greater and better than us in every imaginable way didn’t remain aloof from us. He didn’t turn his back from us when we sinned and disappointed him. He turned his face toward us. He made his love known to us. He spoke a word of forgiveness, and that Word was God made flesh, i.e. the man Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is literally the incarnation of God’s love for you.
And that’s no fairy tale! It’s not wishful thinking or a delusional fantasy. It’s a verifiable fact. How many times does John confirm it here?
“…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched…”[7]
The eternal Son of God really did become a real-life, in the flesh human being. Shepherds and wise men visited him at his birth. Rabbis marveled at his spiritual maturity as a young man. Countless people heard his sermons and benefited from his miracles. A city crowded with pilgrims witnessed his death.
But, if you’re like me, that’s not what you’re thinking of when you hear John say,
“…which our hands have touched.”[8]
You’re thinking of Thomas, aren’t you? Putting his fingers in the holes in Jesus’ hands. Putting his hand in the hole in Jesus’ side. Jesus’ resurrection was no fairy tale either. The eternal Son of God, who lived a human life and died a human death, conquered death and rose from the grave. The dead man lived and there were witnesses to it. More than 500 people heard, saw, looked at, and touched the risen Jesus.
Men like Cerinthus – and modern-day trolls and cyber bullies – may deny it, but Jesus really is “the Word of life.” He lives! He is the expression of God’s love for you, and he lives for you. He died on the cross to forgive your sins and he rose to new life to give you eternal life with him forever in heaven. No one can rob you of that joy. Nothing can stand in the way of the fellowship that you have with God, or with each other, because of what the Word of life did for us all.
I asked you earlier what gives you joy. This is what gave John joy – proclaiming the Word of life, writing his Gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,[9] celebrating the fellowship that we have with God and one another forever through the life, death and resurrection of the Word made flesh for us.
I pray this brings you joy too. When life has you down or doubting, listen to the Word of life; he tells you all about God’s love for you. When the devil or your own conscience condemn you, look at the Word of life; he gave his life for you on the cross. When you are low on hope or joy, feel the Word of life on your forehead or in your hands and on your lips; he gave his body and poured out his blood to forgive you all your sins, and he washed you with water and the Word to unite you to himself forever through his resurrection from the dead.
Rejoice in the fellowship we share with God and one another through his Word of life. Amen.
[1] Mark 16:8
[2] 1 John 1:1
[3] 1 John 1:1
[4] John 1:1,2,14
[5] 1 John 1:2
[6] 1 John 1:2
[7] 1 John 1:1
[8] 1 John 1:1
[9] John 20:31
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Luke 23:26-34
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
God on Trial: SympathyDid you know that only 50% of Canadians would describe themselves as Christian? That’s down from 77% in 2001. The trajectory for Christianity in our country is kind of scary. But the perception of our religion may be even worse. In a recent poll, “Evangelical Christianity” was the only religion seen as being more damaging than beneficial by every other religious group in Canada. In other words, our non-Christian neighbours are more likely to describe us as misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic than generous, friendly, and caring.
And these are just the statistics. What about the stories? A middle schooler is shamed by his teacher in front of his class for saying he believes in the biblical definition of sex and gender. A boyfriend loses his girlfriend or fiancée because of the high value he places in his faith. A store owner loses business because she doesn’t participate in very specific social causes. You’ve heard the stories. You may have one or two of your own. And we haven’t even mentioned the funny looks, barbed comments, and cold shoulders we get from unbelievers all the time. We poor Christians!
Should we look for pity? We won’t get it from the world. Many people are happy to see that Christianity’s cultural influence is fading. “Poor Christians!” Is that what we should say?
Is that what Jesus would say?
Jesus sure makes for a sympathetic figure on his way out to Golgotha. Actually, pathetic might be the better word. His back is shredded from scourging. His face must be bruised purple from the beatings he received. Blood drips down from the thorns driven into his scalp. After a night without sleep, he’s exhausted. His body crumbles under the weight of his cross, so the soldiers conscript someone from the crowd to carry it for him.
No wonder the women wept and wailed! Whether this group of people following Jesus were his disciples or simply citizens of Jerusalem drawn to the spectacle of that morning’s events, no one would have been able to help but burst into tears at the sight of a human being treated so brutally.
But what does Jesus say? “Don’t cry for me! No sympathy for me, please. Mourn for yourselves and your children!” In fact, just five days earlier, Jesus himself had wept for them. Because the people of Jerusalem had rejected the Messiah, they would experience God’s judgment. The time was coming when mothers would rather be childless than watch their children suffer. People would prefer to be crushed under the weight of a mountain than be starved, tortured, or captured by their enemies. And history records the horrific things that happened to mothers and children when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem a generation later, things too terrible for me even to mention.
Sure, Jesus was innocent and the victim of injustice. He was facing a cruel death on a cross that he didn’t deserve. But as pathetic as his situation was, theirs was more pitiable, because they would suffer too, and, in general, the trajectory for the majority of the people of Jerusalem was an eternity of suffering in hell for their rejection of him. If the sinless one would have to suffer, imagine the suffering that sinners deserve? If the Son of God was put on trial and wrongfully condemned, imagine the judgment in the court of public opinion that awaits all of his followers.
When we hear about the decline of Christianity in this country, when we read about society moving away from godly values, or when we feel the sting of rejection or mockery ourselves, our natural reaction is to think of ourselves as victims in need of sympathy. But that reveals a problem of perspective. If we look at the big picture, what we experience now is nothing like what Christians around the world suffer, and nothing like what Christians throughout the ages have endured. The comfort and societal approval we Christians have enjoyed for generations are not the norm. More importantly, the woe-is-me mentality is sinfully self-centered. It leads us to complain, to lash out, to circle the wagons to try to keep the world at bay, to look to flawed human leaders and systems to recover what we think we’ve lost, or maybe even simply to give up hope altogether.
But here’s the thing: when did God ever tell us to play the victim? Self-pity is the opposite of what we see in Jesus. His pity is not for himself but for the women—and their children and husbands and all their countrymen who would suffer too. And his pity doesn’t end there. Follow his stumbling footsteps to the crest of that hill and watch him be lifted up like a criminal. What are his first words? “Father, forgive them.” Forgive whom? His disciples? Those poor women? No, the soldiers driving nails through his hands and feet!
Jesus’ words reveal a heart that is focused not on self but on others. He was thinking about the families of Israel. He was thinking about the soldiers who had no idea they were crucifying the Son of God. He was thinking about you and me. If Jesus had pitied himself, he easily could have escaped this fate. But he was pitying us wretched sinners who were facing an eternal destruction far worse than anything the Romans could dole out. We deserved to face God’s wrath but Jesus had pity on us.
Relish that for a minute. Jesus’ heart went out to you. But he didn’t just weep for you. He took God’s punishment for you. He died for you. He shed his blood to cover you, to hide you from the destruction to come. Through pain and fatigue and insult, you were on his mind.
To say that Jesus didn’t want sympathy for himself isn’t to say that he didn’t deserve it, i.e. that his suffering wasn’t so bad. That should be obvious. There’s a reason those women were moved to tears at the simple sight of him.
And to say that Jesus doesn’t want us to look for sympathy isn’t to say that he doesn’t have pity on us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus knows your pain. He’s felt it. He can sympathize with you in your weakness. His heart still goes out to you when you suffer, including and especially when you suffer for his name.
But he doesn’t want us to wallow in self-pity. He wants us to look past ourselves and look to him. He wants us to let him help us carry our crosses as we follow him, and find strength in his Word and sacraments. He wants us to look past ourselves and look to him for help and healing.
But he also wants us to look past ourselves and have pity on those around us. We have brothers and sisters in the faith who are struggling with pain and temptation. We have fellow followers of Jesus who are feeling the attacks of the anti-Christian forces of this world. Our Savior would have us pray for them, reach out to them, and remind them of his love and promises.
And, as strange as it sounds, Jesus also would have us direct our sympathy even toward our enemies. There is a destruction coming that this world cannot fathom. And the people of this world, even the ones who make our lives harder as Christians, don’t know it’s coming! Many of those who put God on trial are like the soldiers crucifying Jesus: They have no idea what they’re doing. They think they’re fighting against outdated values or old-fashioned fairy tales—fighting for the rights of humans to live free. They don’t realize they’re fighting against the Son of God, and they have no idea how badly that will end for them.
What if we thought of these people not as our enemies, or obstacles for us to overcome, but as fellow sinners who have been so deceived by Satan that they are doing his bidding without realizing it? We can have pity on them, warn them, pray for them, and tell them about God’s forgiveness, just like Jesus did. We can point them to the Savior who has compassion on them.
In other words, let’s save the sympathy for others.
“Poor Christians!” Is that what we should say? What would Jesus say? We know the answer because he told us in a sermon on a different mountain three years earlier: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 5:10). Blessed we are—happy—to suffer with Jesus. When the world treats us like it treated him, we’re reminded that the Father sees us like he sees his Son: righteous and royal. Pity? Why? We have the kingdom! Thanks be to God! Amen.
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John 18:33-40
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
God on Trial: TruthWhat is truth?
This question has rung throughout human history. What is truth? We know that the truth is important. A mom asks her little boy with chocolate smudges on his cheeks, “Did you sneak a cookie?” When he shakes his head and quietly says, “No,” she says, “Just tell the truth.” Truth is important in all our human relationships; in fact, you can’t have a close relationship if you don’t tell the truth. Truth matters in every aspect of life from our work to the rules of the games we play.
Truth is especially important in the courtroom. Witnesses must swear that they will tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Jurors take an oath to “well and truly try the case and render a true verdict.”
It doesn’t surprise us, then, that as the Son of God stands on trial before a Roman governor, the subject of truth comes up.
Now, as much as history drags him, Pilate didn’t become governor of Judea for nothing. He may have been spineless on this occasion, but Pilate was a smart man. He knew history. He knew that since the time Rome had taken control of Judea, there had been several self-proclaimed kings and saviors who led multiple uprisings and rebellions against the Romans he represented.
Pilate also would have kept himself informed about current events. He would have heard the stories of Jesus’ powerful preaching and miraculous signs and wonders. He would have been aware of the following that Jesus was gathering. He certainly would have had on his radar reports of a man who had ridden into town five days earlier to the shouts of: “Hosanna, save us now, Son of David!”
If Pilate was worth his salt, he would have been worried. This was the Passover. Thousands of people were crammed into Jerusalem to celebrate how God had delivered his people from a foreign oppressor. To Pilate, the Passover celebration must have felt like a powder keg waiting to explode.
So when the Jewish leaders drag Jesus to Pilate’s palace early Friday morning, the governor wants to get to the bottom of it.
“Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate wants to know whether Jesus is a threat. A simple yes or no will do. But Jesus would like to have a different conversation. “Is that your own idea, . . . or did others talk to you about me?” Jesus would probably like to talk about what it means for him to be the King of the Jews—without the baggage of whatever Pilate had heard. But Pilate wants to get to the facts of the case. “Am I a Jew? . . . Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus, you are the one standing in front of me. I’ll ask the questions here! Jesus replies, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” Pilate seems intrigued. “You are a king, then!” Now we’re getting somewhere! Jesus answers, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” You care about truth?So do I. That’s why I’m here in this world. Then Pilate asks his famous question: “What is truth?”
Considering Pilate’s background, it’s unlikely he was asking some abstract philosophical question about the nature of truth. Pilate was a military man, a practical guy who had negotiated his way up the ranks of the political system and had a job to do. He knew how truth could be manipulated and used to one’s own advantage. (We’ve all experienced this over the last several years, haven’t we?) Pilate looks at Jesus and says, “What is truth?” Your own people—your own religious leaders—are saying one thing, and you are saying another. Whom am I supposed to believe? “What is truth?”
During Lent, especially during Holy Week, we think a lot about the physical suffering that Jesus endured—the beating, the scourging, the crown of thorns, and the cross. We may not consider as much his emotional pain--the sadness he felt. Jesus came to testify to the truth. No one understood better how fallen the people of this world were and how much God loved them. There is only one way to God, one way to live—through Jesus. And Jesus wanted that for everyone. He wanted the crowds in Galilee to see that he brought more than earthly bread. He wanted the woman at the well in Samaria to know that he came to bring living water. He even wanted Pilate to see who he really was. Jesus came to testify to the truth.
Have you ever wanted people to believe something because you knew that if they did, it would change their lives? Maybe you know some people with addictions who are destroying their lives. Or others who face all kinds of problems and refuse to admit that some of them are self-inflicted. You only want these people to see the truth! Now multiply that feeling by a million. Jesus knew he had what Pilate needed—what the world needed —more than anything. Pilate, if only you were interested in the truth. Not the kind of truth that is distorted by humans in their selfish power plays but truth from God the Father, truth that reveals his heart of love for you!
But Pilate could respond with only a feeble question: “What is truth?” Whatever his intent, whatever his tone, it seemed to end the conversation. If Jesus answered Pilate, we don’t hear about it. Maybe he just looked at Pilate with eyes that seemed to recede into eternity and with love that reached into the depths of his heart. What is truth? He’s standing right in front of you! “I am the truth!”
Truth is not a fact, a formula, or a theory but a person. The Word made flesh. God made man. The final word from God and the source of salvation.
We live in confusing times. Facts are spun to get us to buy a product, support a cause, or vote for a candidate. Maybe we’ve trusted in people who presented themselves as someone other than who they really are, and we wonder, “What is truth?” Even the experts—scientists, doctors, economists, judges—often disagree about the best path forward. What is truth? We’ve asked this question in so many different areas of our lives that, sadly, sometimes it’s even affected our faith: How can I know this is true? With everything else being so uncertain, how can I be sure of Jesus?
In this life, there are many things we can’t know for sure. But we can know this: Jesus was born into this world to testify to the truth—to be the truth—to reveal that the very heart of God is love. How can you be sure? Watch as Jesus willingly goes to the cross to pay for your sins so that you can be sure there is no more penalty. Walk to the tomb on Easter morning to see Jesus declared the King of kings—to see life triumph over death. Jesus wanted Pilate to see. He wanted Peter and all the others to see. And he wants you to see. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—for you.
And Jesus still longs for others to know him too. Perhaps he’ll give you opportunities to have a conversation like the one he had with Pilate. When the people of the world put you on trial—when they ask who you are and want to know what you say about the truth—you can love them enough to speak to them like Jesus. Is that what you believe or something you’ve heard? What do you know about Jesus and his kingdom?In times like these, when truth seems to be whatever anyone wants it to be, the otherworldly truth to which Jesus testifies may be just the thing people are looking for. We know it’s the thing they need.
What is truth? It is Jesus! Amen.
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Luke 23:1-12
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
God on Trial: MisconceptionsNo one in these verses really understood Jesus.
Let’s start with the “whole assembly” that led Jesus away (Luke 23:1). This is the Sanhedrin—the chief priests and teachers of the law, the group that put Jesus on trial. They heard Jesus confess that he is the Son of God, but they didn’t believe it. They said Jesus was worthy of death, but they didn’t have the power to carry out the sentence. So they brought him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
Their official accusations consisted of two lies and a half-truth. The first lie: Jesus was misleading the nation. In fact, he was doing the opposite; he was trying to straighten the twisted teachings that false leaders like themselves were teaching. The second lie: Jesus opposed paying taxes to Caesar. In point of fact, Jesus had memorably said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17). The half-truth? He “claims to be Messiah, a king” (Luke 23:2). This was true, of course. Jesus did claim to be the Messiah, the Chosen One, because he is. And he is a King. But the way they presented this truth was meant to make him seem like he was posing as an earthly king—a threat to Rome—which he certainly was not. The Jewish leaders didn’t understand Jesus because they didn’t want to.
Pilate didn’t understand Jesus either, but for a totally different reason. He probably had heard of Jesus, but you get the impression he didn’t know much about him. Early on a Friday morning, a crowd materialized outside his headquarters in Jerusalem, shoving forward this plain-looking man and accusing him of claiming to be king. Pilate’s response tells us what he was thinking, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Luke 23:3).
We’ll hear more about this trial next week. For now, let’s just say that Pilate didn’t see Jesus as a king. He sensed this man was no threat to Caesar. Pilate’s goal was to send the whole assembly home, but the Jewish leaders persisted. When they mentioned that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate saw his out: Galilee was the jurisdiction of Herod, who happened to be in town for the Passover. Perfect! Pilate sent Jesus to Herod.
Herod may be the most interesting figure in this text. He had wanted to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard about Jesus’ exploits and wanted to see one of Jesus’ miracles! You can imagine Herod’s excitement, then, when they brought Jesus in. Let’s see what he can do! But Jesus did no miracles. He didn’t say a word. As Herod’s anticipation turned to disappointment and then boredom, he and his soldiers had some fun at Jesus’ expense and sent him back to Pilate.
The people who put God on trial in our world today have a lot in common with the people in this account. Like the Jewish leaders, some people today seem to be against Jesus because they feel his teachings are a threat to them and their way of life. They know him and don’t like him. Like Pilate, others seem less motivated by hate than by apathy. They don’t know much about Jesus, and they’re not interested to learn more. They have other things to do.
Then there are those like Herod. They’ve heard about Jesus and are intrigued by him. Maybe they’ve heard that he was a friend of sinners and assume that in him they will find an ally who will approve of their choices. Perhaps they think of him as the original rebel, an inspiration for their political cause. Or they’ve heard that he can help turn lives around, so they picture some magician who will make their troubles disappear with a wave of his hand. When they learn more and realize that’s not who he is, they lose interest or even turn against him.
What about us? Where are we in this account? Sadly, there is no one to look up to. But can we consider, for a moment, whether we might have something in common with all three – but maybe especially King Herod? There are times when we misunderstand who Jesus is. We treat him like a divine vending machine, expecting him to dispense blessings for us and then getting angry when we put in our money (or our time or effort) and no blessing drops. Or we gladly accept the good he sends but we chafe under the trouble, as if there could be a Christ or a Christian without a cross. Maybe we think we can enjoy his forgiveness without forgiving others or without fighting against the sins that need to be forgiven. We know better.
The problem—the thing we share with everyone in this story—is an inward focus. The Jewish leaders were only thinking about their political and cultural influence. Pilate was only thinking about his job and convenience. Herod was only thinking about his entertainment. We’re sinners like them. Our sin is like a warped lens that distorts our view of Jesus so that we see what we want to see.
I said that there is no one in this account for us to look up to. Of course, that’s not true. Jesus is here! But Jesus . . . well, in some ways Jesus fades into the background in this account. For the most part, he keeps quiet, unwilling to do tricks for Herod and refusing to answer more false accusations before Pilate or the Jews. When he does speak, he is respectful and truthful. He is steady and faithful and perfect.
In fact, Pilate and Herod confirmed this! Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because he could detect no crime; Herod sent Jesus back for the same reason. And these were men who had no trouble finding reasons to hand out cruel punishments. Unwittingly their apathy and laziness served to exonerate Jesus. And Jesus was innocent. That innocence of Jesus is what you now wear, bright like the robe they put on him.
Let’s not let Jesus fade into the background. Look at your God on trial. If you’re keeping count, these are now his second and third trials of that Friday morning. He hasn’t slept. At every stop he receives abuse and mockery. He knows this path will lead to the cross. But that’s where he wants to go, because even if everyone else misunderstands him, he knows who he is—your substitute, your sacrifice, your Savior.
This is the Jesus we want the world to see! He’s better than a magician who can wave away your troubles; he’s the Messiah who washes away your sin. He’s more than an inspiration for those who fight for freedom; he has freed us from death and hell! He has such love for sinners that he cannot just approve of our sins and leave us trapped in them; he forgives us and empowers us to fight against them.
As we present that Jesus to the world, there’s no question that many will continue in their blindness. Because of that, we can expect some mockery and opposition ourselves. If others don’t understand Jesus, they certainly won’t understand us. But I do think we have opportunities, especially with those people who, like Herod, are intrigued about Jesus, but just don’t know much about him. Have they heard that he has power? …that he is tender and compassionate? …that he taught peace? …that he has a special heart for the poor and downtrodden? It’s all true! But there’s more to say, and we’ll be happy to say it.
Jesus will make us bold. He stood before a governor and a king. Just three days earlier, he had told his disciples that they too should expect to be called before the authorities. The Bible tells about some who were—like Peter and John before the same Sanhedrin or the apostle Paul before another Herod and other Roman governors. We probably won’t be called before kings, but we can expect to stand before people who have some misconceptions about Jesus, and we can show them the real picture.
I said no one in this narrative understood Jesus. But that’s not entirely true. As Luke wrote these verses, he imagined one who did: the reader. He wrote for a believer named Theophilus, but by the Spirit’s inspiration he also writes to us. You and I hear these words today—we know who Jesus is. We know it by—and only by—the Spirit’s power. Our eyes have been opened to see that the man on trial is our God and Savior. That’s God’s gift to us and our gift to the world. Amen.
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Matthew 26:57-75
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
God on Trial: TestimonyA man from Galilee stands in Jerusalem surrounded by a hostile crowd. They set upon him, questioning who he is. They accuse him. They put him on trial. What will he say?
While that’s happening to Peter in the courtyard outside the high priest’s house, a very similar scene is playing out inside to Jesus. As the gospel writer Matthew sets these scenes side by side for us, these two men lead us to consider our testimony when the world puts us on trial.
Let’s start with the man inside. The teacher from Galilee knew this moment was coming. It was on his mind as he prayed in Gethsemane a few hours earlier. He saw it drawing near when he willingly went with the mob that arrested him. It was ordained from before time began that God would stand on trial before the Sanhedrin in the wee hours of that Friday morning.
Trial is a generous term. Kangaroo court is more like it. A parade of liars all take turns on the stand but can’t get the story straight. The only accusation with any merit is something Jesus actually said, a promise of his resurrection on the third day that the liars didn’t understand. Jesus refuses to be drawn into the foolishness; he will not dignify their lies with a response. But he won’t fail to confess who he is. When the high priest puts him under oath and asks if he is the Son of God, he stands firm and calmly and confidently confesses the truth, “I am!”
Now to the man outside. The fisherman from Galilee had been warned that this moment would come. Jesus had predicted it earlier that evening, but Peter brushed the warning aside. The pressure starts with a servant girl: “You were with Jesus too.” “No,” he says and tries to sneak away. Then another servant girl says the same, and other bystanders join in. “Sure, you’re one of his. Your accent gives it away.” Peter puts himself under oath and calls down curses, “I am not!”
What was Peter afraid of? Let’s be fair. We could exaggerate and contrast Jesus boldly confessing before powerful, violent men with Peter melting at a servant girl’s question. But Matthew tells us that guards were sitting in the courtyard too (Matthew 26:58). Every voice accusing Peter raised the risk that the guards would notice and arrest him, just like they had arrested Jesus. That’s not nothing. Still, Peter’s denial outside the courtroom was false testimony just as wicked as the lies of the witnesses inside.
What are you afraid of? I think you know how it feels to be surrounded by hostile voices. To feel cornered by a question about your connection to Jesus. Maybe you feel that when you’re with your friends and they ask why you don’t do what they do, what everyone else does, and you try hard to find excuses that they’ll accept. You feel that when people at work start talking about others behind their backs and instead of standing up for them, you look for your chance to slip away. Or when someone you know asks why you believe what you believe and your first thought is to change the subject as fast as you can.
What are you afraid of? Being considered weird? Losing street cred? Getting laughed at? Certainly not being arrested for your faith, at least not in this country today! We melt under far less pressure than what Peter felt. But let’s be fair: The pressure is still real. The fear of losing a friendship, being singled out, being looked down on—those are real fears of real loss. I’m not asking what you’re afraid of as if to say, “Toughen up. It’s not so bad.” Being associated with Jesus can bring real pain. But not being associated with Jesus . . . wouldn’t that be worse? What’s scarier: the thought of suffering with Jesus now or the thought of suffering apart from him for eternity? In a moment of pressure, we might think we’re better off not being counted as disciples of Jesus. That certainly won’t be the case when he comes in glory on the clouds!
I wish I could have seen Jesus’ face. Matthew doesn’t record this detail, but Luke does: When the rooster crowed, “the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter”(Luke 22:61). What was on his face? Disappointment? Sadness? Blood and spit? Love that Peter knew he didn’t deserve? Whatever it was, it prompted Peter to run away and weep.
I can imagine the face. I’ve seen one like it on my parents and teachers when I buckled under pressure and did what I knew was wrong, something I had been warned about. I’ve imagined it on my Savior those many times I tried my hardest to distance myself from him because in the moment, it wasn’t convenient to be considered his disciple. Like Peter, I too have every reason to weep.
But let’s not run away from that face. Jesus would have you stay and look. Whatever is on that face, it is calling you back to him. Even when you fail to claim Jesus, he still wants to claim you. He shows you his bruises and blood not to shame you but to reveal how much he loves you. What abuse he absorbs for you! This is the Son of God, who answers to no one yet stands trial and suffers to save you.
Stay and look . . . and listen. Listen to Jesus’ testimony about himself. He says he is the Messiah. He is God’s Anointed One, the one chosen to take your place. You have been connected to him through Baptism, which means that what he does before the high priest counts for you. For all the times you’ve kept silent or tried to sneak away, he stands and confesses as though he were you. That man is you as you should have been!
Keep listening. Just hours away from the depths of his humiliation, Jesus quotes Daniel’s prophecy about the Messiah’s glory. Jesus’ words were true. The one who was battered and bloodied now sits at the right hand of the almighty God. The one who once stood on trial before sinners will come on the clouds as judge, condemning those who stood against him and rescuing the faithful who, purely by his power and grace, stand with him.
That is also what I mean when I say, “What are you afraid of?” Should we be afraid to say, “That King of kings—yes, I’m with him”? How could we be embarrassed to admit that we love the one who loved us and suffered and died to make us his? Do we have anything to fear if we stand on the side of the Ruler over all the earth who promises to work all things for our good?
Maybe part of the challenge is that we get caught off guard: We’re just going about our business and suddenly we’re thrust into the witness stand. But we shouldn’t be surprised. Just as Jesus warned Peter, he also warns us: We will face tough questions. We’ll be put on trial in the court of public opinion. We’ll be singled out for our connection to Jesus. And that’s a good thing! Consider it a gift to be associated with Jesus like that.
And consider it an opportunity too. Peter learned this lesson. Years later, Peter wrote a letter to some Christians who stood out from the society around them—citizens who honored their government, slaves who obeyed their masters, wives who submitted to their husbands, husbands who were considerate of their wives, believers who were willing to suffer for doing good. People would ask them, “What makes you different?” And Peter encouraged them learn from his mistake – to be ready at anytime, anywhere to give a reason for their hope in Jesus.
Friends, I hope your Christian accent gives you away! I hope people notice that we disciples of Jesus speak and act differently—like him. May we be so blessed as to have people accuse us of being with Jesus! Sometimes that will mean hardship, but I can think of no higher honor. Often it will mean the chance to point others to that same loving face; to tell them about that man from Galilee, the Son of God and Son of Man, the Messiah, who came for us and will come again. That’s our testimony! Amen.
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Luke 22:47-53
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
God on Trial: RestraintYou feel the pressure build in your chest. Heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature rise. Respiration and perspiration increase. You’ve been wronged! And you want to do something about it—right now. What do you do?
On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. He told them he was about to be treated like a criminal. He also warned them that their lives and ministries were going to become more difficult. In the past, they had been welcomed into homes and accepted by people. From now on, they would face hostility.
It didn’t take long for the disciples to get their first taste.
When the Passover meal was over, Jesus led his disciples out to the Garden of Gethsemane. You’ve heard what happened. A detachment of soldiers, guided by the Jewish leaders and led by Judas, came to arrest Jesus. The disciples were ready for action. Peter swung his sword and severed an ear. But Jesus rebuked them: “No more of this!”(Luke 22:51). And he healed the man’s ear.
Jesus had done nothing wrong. And as he declared to the mob, he certainly wasn’t engaging in the kind of violent insurrection that would call for a detachment of armed soldiers. If he had been guilty of some lesser misdemeanor, his enemies could have arrested him easily out in public on many occasions. But Jesus knew they had arrived under cover of darkness because they had no legitimate case against him. This was mob justice, bribery, and collusion at its worst. It was completely unfair.
What did Jesus do?
A man who can heal a severed ear has plenty of options in a situation like this. With one word, Jesus could have called down a legion of angels to defend him. John’s account tells us that when the mob asked for Jesus and he said, “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6). With another word, Jesus certainly could have gotten rid of them forever.
But Jesus didn’t. Instead, he healed a man who had come to detain him. He exercised restraint—perfect, holy restraint—for us.
Restraint is the ability to hold back. It’s an aspect of self-control, and it’s not easy—especially in circumstances when you feel wronged. How do you respond to unwarranted criticism? What’s your first reaction when someone accuses you of doing something you didn’t do? Or when people aren’t listening or things aren’t going your way?
Restraint is not typically our first inclination. Why is it so difficult? Because we tend to think of ourselves first: “How did this hurt me? What did I do to deserve this? Why didn’t they think of my needs and how this would make me feel?” It’s about our pride, our dignity, our sense of justice. We feel like we’re on trial: we feel defensive—that we need to defend ourselves.
So the pressure builds—along with our heart rate and blood pressure. All we can think about is that we want to get rid of that feeling—wanting whatever we think will make us feel better. Maybe we don’t swing a sword, but we lash out with our tongues. We fire off an angry text or e-mail. We give a glare. We fight back. We sin.
Jesus says, “No more of this!”
Then he heals.
Look at Jesus. He was not thinking about himself. He was not thinking about the fact that he had done absolutely nothing to deserve this or about what would make him feel better. No, he looked at this man bleeding from the place where his ear used to be. Jesus saw him not as an enemy to be defeated but as a man with a soul and a name—Malchus, John tells us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had said, “Love your enemies.” Now he showed his disciples—and us—what that looks like.
No, Jesus wasn’t thinking of himself. He was thinking of you. The path to your salvation began with his surrender to this unholy mob in the garden.
Restraint is a theme in Jesus’ passion. He stood in the garden as the perfect Lamb of God, the servant who never opened his mouth to hurt or raised his hand to harm but gave himself over willingly. His restraint was on display as he stood on trial before Caiaphas, Herod, Pilate, and their factions. They taunted, ridiculed, spat, struck, and scourged—and Jesus never once lashed out, lost his temper, or called down curses from heaven. Even as they nailed him to the cross, there was loving restraint: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).
We need this Jesus as our Savior. We need his quiet and purposeful obedience to his Father’s will. We need his perfection, his holiness, and his righteousness to be able to stand before our Father, and that’s exactly what Jesus came to give us by dying on the cross and rising from the dead.
We need his example too.
We live in a world where the quick comeback, the zinger response, and the demeaning answer are rewarded both in real life and online. Talk shows and news channels thrive on inflammatory reports to gain more viewers and secure a loyal audience. Social media algorithms target our sense of indignation to get us to engage. When we live in a world like this, it can rub off on us. We begin to think that if we don’t respond with the same level of venom, no one will listen. Thinking of the other person becomes far less important than making sure we are heard.
What if we did something different?
A young man in his 20s was shot and spent months in a coma on life support before he died. A small group gathered at an old Lutheran church for his Christian funeral. It was time for the service to start, but his mom wasn’t there yet. Finally, those in attendance heard screaming in the back of the church. It was the mother, hysterically yelling at her daughter and other family members. She was swinging her arms, threatening them, and calling them killers and murderers for making the choice to take her son off of life support, even though he had no chance of survival. Still screaming and threatening, she ran to the front of the church and fell on the casket. When the funeral directors came to close the casket, she began hitting them. After what seemed like an eternity for those present, she ran outside to the hearse—still screaming and crying and threatening. As she stood near the hearse, an attendee who didn’t even know the mom walked up and gave her a hug. The woman whispered, “It was an honor to know your son. He was a good kid. It was a privilege to know him.” The mom’s shoulders dropped, and her demeanor immediately changed. For the first time in a long time, there was quiet. Then another woman walked up and did the same. And there was grace. There was Christian love and restraint. That quiet act said more than all the screaming that preceded it.
Imagine the impact you can have in this overcharged world where restraint is a lost art. You know Jesus. You know the one who showed love and restraint all the way to his sacrificial death on the cross for sinners like us. You know Jesus who is in control of all things, working them for the good of his people. This means you can be different. You, we, all of us can use our words to heal and help instead of to inflame and destroy. We can think of the hurt others feel rather than the hurt they have caused us. We can respond graciously and not impulsively when we are provoked by those around us.
Behavior like this may be interpreted by some as weakness, but in fact it takes strength. It takes willpower so strong that it can only come from a Savior who has walked the path before us. In the garden, Jesus’ power was seen in his miraculous healing, but his strength was seen in his restraint. The world would say he had the right to fight back. There was no question he was wronged! But he set aside justice for himself out of love for us. What do you think Malchus thought of Jesus from that moment on?
When you are wronged, remember that you operate from a position of strength. God has declared you righteous and forgiven; you don’t have to prove anything. His plan will prevail; you don’t have to be in control. His Spirit fills you; you don’t stand alone. You can be a light in this world where darkness reigns. Instead of fighting back, you can swing the sword of the Spirit—the gospel of Jesus. And maybe through your strange behavior and the message behind it, others will come to know Jesus’ love. Amen.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Amen. (Colossians 3:15)
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1 Peter 5:6-116 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
The God of Grace Silences the Roaring LionIt was an all-too-common experience. There you sat, in the dark. As little as a week ago, you had been home with your family breaking bread at the dinner table. Now you sat in the dust and the dark with your hands in shackles. You could hear the muted roar of a crowd somewhere above you. But that wasn’t the roar that caught your attention. There was another roar – one you had never heard before but could immediately identify. Long before the gate was lifted you knew what you’d see there waiting for you.
Nero started it. He hated Christians. He wanted to rid the world of them. So, he used their bodies soaked in pitch to light the streets of Rome at night. He executed them publicly for sport. And if you were especially unlucky, you might find yourself behind that gate dreading the moment that it’d be lifted, and you’d be left staring into the gaping mouth of a hungry lion.
That was the world that Peter lived in when he wrote his first letter. It was a world in which Christians lived in fear, and although the setting and circumstances have changed, the fear has not.
Do you ever wonder why life can be such a struggle? Do you ever wonder why your problems don’t just evaporate even though you go to church and pray? Do you groan because of the carelessness, lovelessness, recklessness of people in your life – even your own family? Well, Peter says, wake up and realize what you’re up against: you have a fearsome enemy – worse than a lion in a Roman coliseum, worse than a wicked Roman emperor. This enemy is the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.[1]
I began my study for this sermon thinking about the devil. I tracked down other passages about him that describe him as a red dragon,[2] the ancient serpent,[3] the father of lies,[4] the accuser who masquerades as an angel of light,[5] the ruler of the kingdom of the air,[6] the one who holds the power of death.[7]
I looked more closely at this passage and carefully parsed out each qualifier:
The word for enemy here is a courtroom term, which fits with the devil’s proper name, i.e. Satan, which means accuser. Satan is the one who stands before God and accuses you of having done something worth eternal damnation.
He prowls, meaning that he is not idle. He’s not sitting back on some hellish Lazy-Boy twiddling his thumbs. He’s on the prowl. He is actively searching for someone like you.
Peter compares him to a roaring lion. Lions are the king of the jungle. They’re fierce and fearsome. They have claws and teeth that can tear flesh from bone. They’re deadly.
And this one is roaring. He wants you to hear him coming. He wants to intimidate you. He wants to be the loudest voice in the room or in your ear. He doesn’t want you to hear anything else but the terror of his tongue, and to know that he is coming for you, to devour you.
The devil isn’t a plaything. He isn’t a character for some cartoon. He isn’t a sympathetic antihero. He is not trying to enlighten you to some truth that God has withheld from you. He is a being of pure malice and violence. He does not have your best interest at heart. He wants nothing less than to devour you.
I began my study for this sermon thinking about the devil. But after I did all that research, I realized that while this may be the one sentence in this entire passage that jumps off the page and captures the imagination, this really isn’t what this passage is all about. Peter’s comments here are much more about the God of power and the God of grace.
Peter begins this portion of his letter by saying,
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”[8]
Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand. It’s easier said than done, isn’t it? When you’re dealing with those doubts and fears about the struggles and problems and pains of life, you don’t want to wait for someone else to get around to solving it; you don’t want to wait for someone else’s definition of “due time.” You want it handled now and preferably by you. Isn’t that why we get so stressed? It’s no accident that one of the first places you feel stress is the literal muscular tension in your shoulders and neck. Your body is reflecting the attitude of your heart that is saying, “I’ve got to buckle down and take care of this.”
We don’t naturally like to lean on God’s mighty hand. We like to imagine that our hands are strong enough. And if they’re not, then the lesson we often take away is that I’ve got to get stronger until I can handle all the problems in my life, until the power of my presence can silence all my opponents at work or my rivals at school (or trolls online).
Humbling ourselves and letting go of all our anxieties and trusting them to someone else is the most unnatural thing to do, but it’s what God invites you to do – and not as some heavy-handed demand made by a disappointed dad, but with promises of comfort and hope from a father who loves you.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.[9]
The almighty God promises to lift you up in due time. Is the devil fearsome? Is your enemy fierce? Are the problems and pains he causes in your life severe? They may be, but God is stronger. He is the one who cast the devil out of heaven. Jesus is the one, as we read in our Gospel for today, who drove out demons. The devil may be a lion or a dragon or a serpent, but Jesus is the one who was born to crush his head.
I shared with you all those references that describe the devil. It’s funny – almost every one comes from passages that aren’t talking about the devil; they’re talking about how God frees you from the devil:
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.[10]
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil.[11]
So the Lord God said to the serpent… “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”[12]
The he in every one of these passages is Jesus. Jesus was born to crush the devil’s head. Jesus died to break the devil’s power over you.
Are there doubts and worries and anxieties in your life? Absolutely there are! What about my mother’s health? What about the family farm? What about the most recent piece of legislation that’s all over the news? Or whether I’ll find a friend or place that feels like home?
The future is so uncertain. Except for one important thing:
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.[13]
The God of all grace has called you to his eternal glory in Christ. He’s called you – the same one who frets and worries, like Martha, over many things. He’s called you – the one who while trying to get out of a hole in your life just digs it deeper. He’s called you – the one who is guilty of what Satan accuses – you don’t always trust in God to do what is best; you can’t always wait patiently for his time; you all too often take matters into your own hands and make matters worse.
But that’s what makes him the God of grace. He doesn’t wait for you to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. He promises to lift you up in due time. He doesn’t insist on you being worthy of his glory to call you to it. That’s why he sent his Son – his perfect Son to share in your humanity and to die the death that you deserve, so that he could show you grace and forgive you your sin.
That’s how much God cares about you, and that’s why you can cast all your anxiety on him. He loved you so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own Son – not to lions in a coliseum, but on a cross outside of Jerusalem – so that you could live in the knowledge of his grace and peace forever. He loved you so much that he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, so he defeated the devil and answered his accusations with the blood of his Son. “So what if every one of these Christians in this room is guilty? My Son has paid the price for them with his own blood and now they are free, from sin and death and the devil forever.”
Is the devil fearsome? Is your enemy fierce? Yes, but he’s been defeated by Jesus – the one through whom the God of all grace has called you. And it’s because of Jesus that you can humble yourself under God’s mighty hand. Letting go of your cares and concerns is scary. It makes you feel vulnerable to rely on someone else to take care of you. But who better than the one who sacrificed his own life to save you?
It’s hard to unburden yourself from anxiety. Sometimes it even feels irresponsible, e.g. “If I don’t worry about this who will?” God will and he does. Imagine that! The God who created the universe – who oversees all that exists – knows about you and every little thing that robs you of sleep at night. And he doesn’t just know; he cares. About you! You are the thing that concerns the Almighty God. You are the reason he sent his Son. If you can cast your anxiety on anyone, it is the God who has the power to do something about it and the grace to care.
Is the devil fearsome? Is your enemy fierce? Are the problems and pains that he causes in your life real? Absolutely. You are up against a lot in this world and on your own you wouldn’t stand a chance. But you’re not alone. The family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.[14] But much more than that the God of all grace will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast[15] so that you can resist the devil by standing firm in the faith.[16] You don’t have to rely on your strength. The Almighty loves you and cares about you. To him be the power for ever and ever.[17] Amen.
[1] 1 Peter 5:8
[2] Revelation 12:3,4
[3] Genesis 3:1; Revelation 20:2
[4] John 8:44
[5] 2 Corinthians 11:14
[6] Ephesians 2:1,2
[7] Hebrews 2:14
[8] 1 Peter 5:6,7
[9] 1 Peter 5:6
[10] Revelation 20:2
[11] Hebrews 2:14
[12] Genesis 3:14,15
[13] 1 Peter 5:10
[14] 1 Peter 5:9
[15] 1 Peter 5:10
[16] 1 Peter 5:9
[17] 1 Peter 5:11
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Mark 1:21-28
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Jesus’ authority undoes demon dangerWhat was Jesus’ first miracle?
It depends on who you ask. John tells us that Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana was “the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory.”[1] And we have no reason to question that. Water to wine must have been Jesus’ first miracle.
But, when Mark writes his Gospel, he doesn’t start there. The first miracle that Mark records for us is an exorcism. And so, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus explodes onto the scene with authority and power in Capernaum.
Why demon possession? What does this account from the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel teach us about demons, about Jesus, about ourselves?
The first thing that I think I want you to know – that I want you to take with you when you go home today – is the knowledge that demons really do exist and that the devil has real power and influence in the world; and not only in Jesus’ day, but in our time too.
Have you ever heard this quote?
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Film buffs may recognize that as a part of Kevin Spacey’s dialogue in The Usual Suspects, but the quotation actually originated from a book called Quakerism Examined by John Wilkinson back in 1836. Whoever said it first, doesn’t really matter. It’s true.
One of the greatest dangers to your soul is believing that the devil is not a threat to you. Look at the passage again:
Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach… just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out.[2]
Before we go any further – and before I plant any nightmares in your brain – I want you to know that no demon can ever intrude into your heart or mind and possess you if you are unwilling. The devil and his demons have power, but not unlimited power.
With that said, look at where this impure spirit is active – in their synagogue. The devil cannot claim your heart if you are unwilling, but Christians are not immune from his influence. This demon was active in the synagogue.
Here’s the thing about first century synagogues: they didn’t have their own resident pastor. There was no one dedicated spiritual leader (that’s why men like Jesus were invited to speak Saturday after Saturday). And that had consequences.
It is well documented that many of those first century synagogues were spiritually adrift. Traveling teachers would ramble on and on about the proper way to wash your hands to stay ceremonially clean and they would spend precious little time on the people’s relationship with God. There was plenty of talk about sin and guilt and shame, but practically no talk about grace, forgiveness, or the promise of salvation. Instead, they’d be taught how to try to be perfect people, how to accomplish their own reconciliation with God, with no comfort for when they inevitably fell short.
Christian, that’s fertile ground for the devil to do his work – when you only have a tangential relationship with Jesus.
That may help to explain why there are so many examples of demon possession in the New Testament. At the time of Jesus, Christianity was in its infancy. If the devil could interrupt Jesus’ work before he even finished it, then no one would ever believe in Jesus to begin with, let alone start a religion in his name. And that’s what the devil and his demons want to do more than anything else. They want to separate you from Jesus.
And it may just be that we haven’t seen the same degree of demon possession today, because the devil doesn’t have to go that far to drive a wedge between believers and their God. Why would the devil need to possess anyone if he could convince them that he doesn’t exist? Why would demons need to hold hearts captive if they could captivate imaginations with lies and false teaching, or even just dazzle us into spiritual oblivion with shiny distractions?
It’s often been said that if there were such things as aliens and if they landed on earth on any given day and observed human behaviour, they would think that malls and stadiums and concert venues are our temples, because that’s where the people are. They would think that our god is a rectangular black box because that’s what we give all our attention to.
The devil doesn’t need demon possession when people are content to call themselves Christians and leave it at that – even to come to church every week (like this man in Mark’s Gospel) but fail to inform their faith with God’s Word and grow in their love and trust for God in their lives. Demons don’t need to possess you, when you have already handed over ownership of your heart to any of the hundreds of things in your life that contend with Christ for your love and attention.
The devil and his demons are real and powerful. Christians are not immune to their influence. In fact, Christians are their target audience, especially when you only have a tangential relationship with Jesus. They do their best work when you think you’re a Christian but don’t cultivate your Christian faith and life around an active use of God’s authoritative Word.
That’s what made Jesus different. That’s what amazed these Galileans when they heard Jesus preach, i.e. “because he taught them as one who had authority.”[3]
Jesus wasn’t like the traveling teachers of first century Israel. He didn’t concern himself with manmade rules for how to lead a more holy life. He didn’t lean on anyone else’s opinions, research, or theories. He spoke God’s Word to them. He reminded the people that he was who the demon said he was, i.e. “the Holy One of God.”[4][5]
That’s who Jesus was – the the perfect, sinless Son of God. And we see it in the first sentence. It’s a blink and you miss it moment, but Mark is doing more than just setting the scene for us when he says,
“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.”[6]
This was Jesus’ habit. No matter where he was, he made public worship a priority – the hearing and meditating and growing in God’s Word, and doing that with other believers.
Isn’t that so often where the devil gets us? Isn’t that how the devil can still be active in our synagogue – tempting us to choose between the two?
“I believe! I read my Bible everyday. I’m a Christian.” But you isolate yourself from other Christians – you’re content to live without the community of faith – and you make yourself vulnerable to lies and deceit and trials and temptation.
“I go to church every Sunday. I’m a member and that means something.” But you skip out on Bible class, forget to do your devotions at home, let your prayer life languish and the fledgling faith that’s fed on Sundays struggles to survive the other six days of the week.
Jesus didn’t give in to that temptation. He made public worship a priority – the hearing and meditating and growing in God’s Word and doing that with other believers.
Jesus really was the Holy One of God! Sinless, spotless, perfect, in every way that you and I are not.
But Jesus did not come to do to us what the demon was concerned that Jesus would do to it:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”[7]
Jesus did not come to destroy impure people like you and me. He came to deliver us from impure spirits like this – to defeat the power and purposes of the devil, and to preach a message of peace to all men and women who by guilt are driven.[8]
What is the devil’s goal? To separate you from Christ by attacking you at your weakest point
Jesus did not separate himself from you because of your sin. It was quite the opposite. Because of your sin – and because of his love for you – he “entered our human story” and became like one of us. He entered synagogues and preached God’s Word to souls who were thirsting for it. He still speaks through that same Word to you today and everyday that you open your Bible and meditate on his love for you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus,[9] because he shored up your weakness in his own flesh and blood.
The devil loves to deceive us into thinking that he doesn’t exist or isn’t a real threat. Jesus knew otherwise. He knew that there was an impure spirit in that man in the synagogue in Capernaum that day, and with two short commands – and in no uncertain terms – he told that demon where to go.
That’s what Jesus did on the cross for you. He took the teeth out of the devil’s accusations by paying for your guilt with his holy blood. He showed the devil what he wants with you – your salvation through his sacrifice. He put the devil on a leash, making it clear to him and us that we have nothing to fear.
The devil and his demons are real and powerful. Christians are not immune to their influence. But Jesus is more powerful and filled with more love for you than all the petty malice and violence of all the spiritual forces of evil put together. Jesus has all authority and power in heaven and on earth, and he uses it in love for you.
So, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to go back to a tangential relationship with Jesus and make yourself vulnerable again? Are you willingly going to walk back into the reach of the devil on his leash and toy with sin and temptation? Or are you going to stay close to the Christ who came close to you on the cross? Are you going to follow the lead of the Holy One of God and make not only public worship a priority but Bible study and personal devotion too, because you know that he still speaks to you today in his Word?
It’s not even a question, is it? This is Jesus, the authoritative preacher, the powerful demon defeater, your loving Saviour. Be quiet and listen to him. Amen.
[1] John 2:11
[2] Mark 1:21-23
[3] Mark 1:22
[4] Mark 1:24
[5] King David was the first one to use that name for Jesus in Psalm 16, but he wasn’t the only one. Asaph wrote psalms about him. So did Ethan the Ezrahite. Isaiah used it liberally – in history (1 Kings 19:22) and in prophecy (26 times! Isaiah 5:19,24; 10:17,20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19,23; 30:11,12,15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14,16,20; 43:3,14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9,14).
[6] Mark 1:21
[7] Mark 1:24
[8] Rise, Shine, You People (CW:744); stanza 2
[9] Romans 8:39
Jonah 3:1-5,10
1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
What’s Stopping You from Being like Jonah? Could you have done what Jonah did? Could you answer a call from God and go to a country where people hate Christians and preach Christ to them? When I held the call to be your pastor, more than one person said to me, “Why would you want to go there? Canada is even less Christian than America.”
And it is, unquestionably. There are laws on our books legalizing sin and limiting our traditional Christian faith. There’s even a city in our country where we are considering doing mission work but may have to do it in secret because the last several conservative Christian churches there have been systematically targeted and run out of town. Canada is not the friendliest place to preach about Jesus.
It’s not the worst either. Having gone to South Korea in June, I got to talk to pastors who serve in places where Christianity is outright illegal. They can’t have a website or use social media because they would be tracked down and arrested. There are places in our world today that would make Nineveh seem like a walk in the park.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? You haven’t been called to leave town and go to a foreign country where the people would be hostile to you. You live in a country where you are free to talk about Jesus to your friends and neighbours.
So what’s stopping you?
We began our reading of Jonah in the geographical middle of his story:
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.[1]
We skipped over the more familiar part of his story – about how the word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time, but he ignored it. No, worse than that, he rejected it. He hated it. He fled from it. He chartered a boat to take him in the complete opposite direction from Nineveh.
Jonah had his reasons. Nineveh was the capital city of the country that posed the single greatest threat to Jonah’s country. In fact, just one or two generations later, it would be the Ninevites who would wage war on Jonah’s homeland and conquer them. Jonah had no reason to desire their deliverance. He had every reason to desire their destruction. So, he ran away from them instead of trying to save them.
Jonah was scared. He was selfish. He put his own desires ahead of God’s desires and his own well-being ahead of the Ninevites’ well-being. Jonah sinned. And it wasn’t just a sin of omission or neglect. It wasn’t as if Jonah just didn’t have the time. It was an act of open rebellion and willful defiance of God’s explicit will for Jonah.
What’s stopping you?
The word of the Lord didn’t come to you the way it did to Jonah. Jesus didn’t pop into your workplace and pick you to be one of his 12 disciples the way he did for Peter and Andrew. But we heard it from Paul:
[Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them.[2]
[God] gave us the ministry of reconciliation.[3]
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.[4]
Talk about a lofty charge! The almighty God who commands the wind and the waves, the almighty God who supernaturally sent a sea creature to swallow Jonah and then miraculously kept him alive in its belly for 3 days, the almighty God who saved an entire city in a single day chooses to use you as his ambassador.
So what’s stopping you?
Jonah had his reasons for not wanting to go to Nineveh. I’m sure you have had your reasons for swallowing your faith too. Maybe you don’t think you’re the person to do it, i.e. that you’re not educated or eloquent enough. Maybe you’re afraid that you’ll offend somebody; religion is one of the three things you don’t talk about in “polite” conversation. Maybe you’re afraid about how much work it would be to try and get your unbelieving family member from Point A to Point B. Is it even possible that there are certain people that you’re not eager to see saved, who you think deserve what’s coming to them?
Christian, it’s a lofty charge, but it’s one that God has given you – not to go to Nineveh, not to go to one of those places where Christianity is illegal, but to talk to your family members, e.g. your disillusioned parents, your estranged siblings, your straying children. God has made you his ambassador to your breakroom, your homeroom, the 17,000 square feet of ice you occupy on a random weekday afternoon.
Jonah abdicated his ambassadorial responsibilities. Have you? Have you misplaced your confidence in God to change hearts? Have you written certain people off as lost causes? Have you been indifferent to other people’s damnation or selfishly put your own desires for your life and how you spend your time ahead of God’s desire for your life?
Then, Christian, you’re a sinner – just like me and just like Jonah. And just like us, you deserve worse than to be cast into the sea; you deserve what God threatened to do to Nineveh – to be destroyed, damned, forever. But just like Jonah, don’t miss the grace that’s hiding in plain sight in the first words of Jonah 3:
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.[5]
Jonah got a second chance because the Lord is merciful.
It’s even in his name. When you see the word “Lord” in all caps like this it’s a special name that God uses for himself to remind us of his covenant of love and forgiveness. It’s the same contractual name that God used repeatedly in the Old Testament when he gave his one-sided promise of a Saviour. It’s the same name that communicates God’s loving-kindness to sinners who don’t deserve it. It’s the same name that Jesus used for himself when he told the Jews that he was the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Saviour.
The Lord is the God who loves you. The Lord is the one who sent Jesus to save you and give you a second chance. When God sent Jesus into this world, he didn’t look down out of heaven and say, “Earth? Who would want to go there?” When Jesus considered the hostility and hatred he would endure, he didn’t cower in fear or selfishly cover his own rear. He willingly, lovingly subjected himself to the danger and submitted himself to death, so that by his sacrifice he could do more in one day for more people than Jonah ever could.
Jonah’s mission to Nineveh resulted in the salvation of 120,000 people. When Jesus died on the cross, he won eternal life for all people of all time. On the cross, Jesus paid for your sins. He forgave your guilt. He showed you grace and gave you a second chance.
You and I may share the guilt that Jonah did in the first two chapters of his story, but we also share in the opportunity he had in this third chapter to go and be the earthly reason for other people’s eternal salvation. And if that still feels daunting to you, I want you to consider how God answers everyone of your doubts and concerns and fears:
Does evangelism or outreach seem like a lot of hard work? Well, yeah, it is! Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.[6] Jonah was steeling himself to spend up to 40 days there. But what did God do? After that first day, the Ninevites believed… from the greatest to the least.[7] It was a miracle!
The success of God’s Word does not depend on you. It depends on his and his Holy Spirit working through you. It’d be impossible for you single-handedly to go and convert all of St. Albert. But you don’t have to! That’s the Holy Spirit’s job. And you’re not single-handed. Neither was Jonah. Do you think he spoke to every single person in the city? No, they talked to each other, and the Gospel went viral. When we share our faith, God’s kingdom grows – one person at a time, until you can’t count them anymore.
Are you afraid that people might be offended by what you have to say? Are you afraid that God’s Law is unpopular? Well, yeah, it is! But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Jonah didn’t sugar coat it. He laid it out there: Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.[8] He called out the Ninevites’ sinfulness. He told them that they deserved hell for what they were doing. But God’s Law worked on their hearts and yielded God’s intended result: The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.[9]
Had Jonah beat around the bush or softened the blow, no one would have known their need to repent and they would have all been destroyed. But because they were shown how serious their sin was, and because they did repent of it, God relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.[10]
Are you not the right person? Are you not educated or eloquent enough? Maybe not. But listen to verse 5: The Ninevites believed God.[11] You don’t have to be eloquent or educated. You don’t have to have a master’s degree in theology, because it’s not about you. It’s about him. People don’t have to believe you. They have to believe him. And by God’s grace they do! You do! You’re here because someone in your life spoke to you, and I’m guessing that the first person who talked to you about Jesus was not a career clergyman. Chances are it was a friend or a family member.
That’s your mission field. Not Nineveh. Not Canada. Not even St. Albert. Your neighbour. Your friend. The family member who sits across the dining table from you. That’s your mission field and that’s the lofty charge that God has for you. Not to be someone else’s salvation – Jesus took care of that. Not even to change someone else’s heart – that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. You are God’s ambassador. You share his Word and with it his power and his Spirit and his salvation.
Could you have done what Jonah did? I have 0 doubt. Absolutely you could – or better – absolutely God could have through you. So what’s stopping you? Amen.
[1] Jonah 3:1
[2] 2 Corinthians 5:15
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:18
[4] 2 Corinthians 5:20
[5] Jonah 3:1
[6] Jonah 3:3
[7] Jonah 3:5
[8] Jonah 3:4
[9] Jonah 3:5
[10] Jonah 3:10
[11] Jonah 3:5
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Romans 6:1-11
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Do You Know the Power of Baptism? Knowledge is power.
I have always lived in a northern climate. I have never gone a year without snow. But I have also never gone a stretch of three straight days where the temperature never rose higher than -30 C… until today. I know that winter is cold. I know that there is the constant threat of frostbite and hypothermia, but I didn’t know that with some of the wind chills that we’ve had this weekend I could have gotten frostbite in as few as 2 minutes. I walk a paper route every Thursday that takes 30 minutes. If even a single square inch of skin were exposed – even just the tip of my nose – I could have been in for a world of hurt.
But, armed with this knowledge, I could still go out on my paper route properly prepared – bundled up from head to toe, but safe and still able to function. So, that’s what I did. Knowledge is power. Without that knowledge I could have either gone out and hurt myself, or done nothing and gotten fired. This knowledge empowered me to do my job safely.
Today we read a portion of Paul’s letter to the Christians living in Rome, where Paul made it clear that he wanted them and that he wants you to know a few things – not about weather, not about snow, but about baptism. And this knowledge is power too. It’s not just an intellectual exercise. It’s not a piece of Bible trivia or a dusty doctrine that you have to know to pass confirmation class. It’s a truth that gives you power. It’s a truth that makes an actionable difference in your life.
Here’s the first knowledge nugget that Paul drops for us today:
Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.[1]
What’s the first thing that Paul wants you to know about baptism? Paul wants you to know that your baptism connects you to Jesus. He says it a couple different ways here: we were “baptized into his death;” we were “buried with him;” and then he even draws the conclusion that because we are so connected to Christ that also means that we will even rise to new life with him. In other words, because of our baptisms we get to look forward to the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with God in heaven.
All that started at your baptism, where you were baptized into Christ’s death. The central figure – the central symbol of Christianity is the cross, and for good reason. That’s what Jesus came to do. He did not come to this earth to teach us how to be good people. He did not come to this earth to make our earthly lives better. Jesus came to die, because that’s what you and I deserve for our sin.
Paul starts this passage with a question:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?[2]
Do you follow Paul’s logic here? Paul is writing to Christians – like you – who know that God forgives sin, who know that there is no sin so great that God cannot forgive it. Paul is writing to Christians – like you – who know that God’s grace and his patience and his love are unlimited. You cannot out-sin God’s capacity to forgive you.
In a perverted world some people might take that grace for granted and abuse it and say blasphemous things like, “Well, if God is just going to forgive me anyway, does it matter how I live my life? Wouldn’t it actually make God look even more gracious if I were even more sinful. If he could forgive someone as bad as I am then that would make God really look good.”
You wouldn’t dream of saying anything like that, would you? But has the knowledge of God’s love for you ever made temptation and sin seem that much less serious? Even if you don’t say this out loud, maybe you say it subconsciously in your heart: “It’s just gossip; it’s just the occasional swear word. We’re not talking damnable offenses here. God has forgiven a whole lot more than this. I’m sure he’s not going to keep me out of heaven for the occasional slip of the tongue.” “It’s just pornography. It doesn’t hurt anybody. Everybody does it. I’ll just pray for forgiveness later. God is good that way.”
Even if you don’t consciously, publicly proclaim, “I’m going to sin more to make God’s grace look better,” sometimes your actions say that for you. But that’s why Jesus came and that’s why Jesus died on a cross – to take your sin in his body and to pay the penalty for your guilt with his blood. Jesus didn’t just assume that his heavenly Father would treat sin lightly or shrug it off as if it didn’t matter. No, Jesus knew exactly what it would cost him and he willingly paid the price, because he loves you.
And because he loves you, Jesus wasn’t content just to leave you a word of promise that survived 2,000 years since his sacrifice. He wanted to give you the assurance that his promise wasn’t empty. He gave you baptism too – a sacrament that shared the same promise as the cross but engaged your senses here and now, and allowed you to feel the water that was connected to his Word that connected you to Jesus.
Through your baptism, it is as if you were joined to Jesus, and by your baptism you receive the benefit of all that Jesus did for you. You were baptized into his death, which means that your sins were paid for – your sins, i.e. the person whose forehead dripped with water, your sins were on his cross.
You were buried with him, i.e. your sins were taken away from you and laid in his grave where they will lie – away from you – for the rest of time.
You will rise with him – to the glory of a heaven that you never deserved, by the grace you often took for granted, but by the grace that was shown to you anyway through Jesus.
Your baptism is powerful. Your baptism effects your salvation. Your baptism gives you the assurance of heaven, because your baptism connects you to your Saviour Jesus.
That’s what Paul wants you to know. That’s the powerful piece of knowledge he wants you to cherish. But there’s more:
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.[3]
Paul says that in baptism your old self was crucified, i.e. the body ruled by sin was done away with. That’s your sinful nature. That’s the natural inclination inside each of us that craves sin, e.g. that hears a juicy conversation and wants to join in; that sees an attractive figure and lets the mind wander. In baptism that old self is stripped from you and nailed to the cross of Christ. It’s crucified, done away with, killed. Because of baptism you are no longer a slave to your sinful nature.
Now, that’s not to say that after your baptism you never even have the urge to do a sinful thing ever again. In reality, it’s quite often the opposite. That’s when trial and temptation truly begin, as the devil tries ever so hard to disrupt the connection that baptism forms between you and Jesus. But what this knowledge does is remind you that after your baptism you are not a slave to sin anymore. Sin isn’t the only thing you can do. Now you can fight. Now you can resist. Now there can be godly desires in your heart that want to do what is good and right, godly desires that fight against the sinful ones. And baptism can help with that!
Luther quotes this passage from Romans 6 when he comments on the meaning of baptism for our daily lives:
Baptism means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.[4]
It starts with baptism. Baptism connects you to Saviour and assures you of your salvation. But baptism also equips you to live a godly life by drowning your sinful nature with daily contrition and repentance.
That’s one of the reasons I love our tradition of the baptismal stones. Everyone who has ever been a member of or been baptized in this congregation has their name on a rock under the water of the baptismal font by the door. It’s the same font that you saw last week be used to baptize James and two weeks before that to baptize Nathaniel and two weeks before that to baptize Freya. That stone with your name on it is constant a reminder that remains immersed in the blessings of your baptism every day. It doesn’t matter if you come here on a Sunday or a Monday or a Friday, your stone is still there. You, as a Christian, are still in the state of being baptized. That’s why we even sometimes change the way we say it: not, “I was baptized,” but, “I am baptized.” You are and always will be a baptized believer, connected to Christ, whose old self was crucified with him, so that you could go and live a new and godly life every day.
Baptism isn’t just a symbol. It isn’t an act of dedicating ourselves to God. It is a gracious gift from God to us that accomplishes our salvation and gives us power to live our lives of faith. You are connected to Christ. You are free from sin. Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Romans 6:3,4
[2] Romans 6:1
[3] Romans 6:6
[4] Luther’s Small Catechism; Baptism: The Meaning for Daily Life
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2 Peter 3:8-14
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
God’s Patience Is His Passion“Soon” is a relative term. If you tell an almost 3-year-old that we’ll be there “soon,” when he asks, “Are we there yet,” you can be sure that he’ll ask the exact same question again within the next 30 seconds. If Canada Post tells you that you can expect your Christmas package to be delivered “soon,” you probably shouldn’t expect it until sometime next week. If the Department of Transportation tells you that construction on the stretch of road that you take to work every day will be done “soon,” set a reminder on your calendar for five years from now and see if they’re not still working on it.
“Soon” is a relative term. But if we’re being fair, I think we often forget how gargantuan an effort it is to pave a road or build some hypothetical bridge, maybe on the southwest corner of the Anthony Henday over the North Saskatchewan River just before you get to Terwillegar… It takes literal tons of materials and tools and heavy machinery and expertise and engineering and manpower, not to mention the financial resources to pull it all off. 5 years might actually be “soon” for a big construction project like that.
On the other hand, for that 3-year-old, the day it takes for you to travel over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house for Christmas represents about 0.0009% of his entire life. That might not seem like much to you, but that same percentage for the 3-year-old’s 36-year-old dad would come to almost two weeks of his life. That’s almost a whole month for his 74-year-old granddad. Proportionately speaking, that one day is not “soon” at all, is it? It’s a long time!
“Soon” is a relative term. It depends on who you are and what you’re talking about. If what you’re trying to accomplish requires great effort, we can usually find it in us to be patient. If you are short on time, however, patience can be harder to come by.
Peter talked about patience in our second reading for today – both our patience with God and God’s patience with us. And what Peter found was that God is much more willing to be patient with us than we often are with him. In fact, Peter would suggest that patience is even God’s passion.
We’ll get to that in a second, but first I want you to understand why Peter writes what he does. A few minutes ago, you heard Rob read these words:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.[1]
What we didn’t read is what prompted this passage. Earlier in this same chapter, Peter writes:
In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.[2]
Peter is addressing the fear that because Jesus has not come back, as he promised he would, that means that Jesus is a promise-breaker and that our faith has been founded in a fairy tale, that should be believed no more than Santa Claus, Jack Frost, or Buddy the Elf.
Jesus promised Peter that he would come back soon. It’s been 2,000 years! I mean, I know that “soon” is a relative concept, but is there any circumstance in which 2,000 years can be considered soon? At what point should our Christian patience in God run dry? What if it has already?
Think about it. Do you wake up every morning thinking that this might be the day that Christ comes back? What would that even look like? Would you make your bed? Would you dress up, get a haircut, shave? If Jesus were coming today and this was your last day on earth before an eternity in heaven, how would you feel while you were eating breakfast?
I honestly don’t know what I’d do. I know some things that I wouldn’t do, though. I wouldn’t get frustrated that my son woke me up an hour earlier than I wanted. If I knew that Jesus were coming back today, I wouldn’t feel panicked at breakfast thinking about all the work that’s been piling up on my desk. I wouldn’t stress out over retirement plans, RESPs, TFSAs, etc… I wouldn’t get upset about whatever petty thing my neighbour or family member did to me. I wouldn’t let my depression or anxiety spin me into a cycle of sinful coping mechanisms. I wouldn’t go the whole day without thinking about or praying to God – he’d be about the only thing I could think about!
Or maybe you could think about it this way. When you hear Peter say,
“The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”[3]
Does that make you happy or sad? Does that make you hopeful or fearful?
Are there things in this life that you’re not ready to let go of yet? If your sports team is currently on a heater, would you rather that Jesus not come back until after the championship so that you could enjoy going out on top? Are you looking forward to Christmas so much that you’d rather Jesus wait until all your presents are opened and your family goes home before he destroys the world? If Jesus came today, would you be disappointed that you didn’t get to see your children grow up, or your career blossom, or get your chance to ask that special someone out on a date?
Maybe we’re not as ready for Jesus to return as we thought. Maybe our patience for God to keep his promises is or has already dried up.
But that’s why I’m thankful that God’s patience is his passion. Listen to what Peter said at the beginning of this passage again:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.[4]
It’s been 2,000 years since Jesus promised to come back. Is there any circumstance in which 2,000 years can be considered “soon”? Yes! Remember what we said before: If what you’re trying to accomplish is worth it, then it doesn’t matter how long it takes.
What is God trying to accomplish? Your repentance and therefore also your salvation.
God doesn’t want anyone to perish. Put yourself in God’s shoes. If he had pulled the plug on this world at any point in the last 2,000 years, how many people would have perished? If God had initiated the self-destruct sequence on this planet at any point within the last 2 millennia, how many believers and therefore also future residents of heaven would never have been born?
Or, let me ask the question this way: what if, the only reason that this world is still spinning – that Jesus hasn’t come back yet – is because he wanted you to come to repentance, to believe and be saved; or for you to bring the good news of salvation to someone you haven’t spoken to yet, but who, because of you, will believe in him? What if that’s the only reason that we’re all still here, i.e. because God is patient with you?
How would that make you feel? Honoured. Humbled. Loved. Empowered.
We talk a lot about the cross of Christ, and we should. That’s where our God demonstrated his incredible love for us. He sacrificed his sinless Son for sinners like us. Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to give his life for people who are often too wrapped up in their own lives to love him. God loved you so much that he saved you from your sin and gave you real reason to look forward to the End – not to be afraid, not to regret or resent the missed opportunities or unfulfilled dreams, but to eagerly anticipate the day that this world and everything in it will be gone and we will be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him in a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
We talk a lot about the cross of Christ, and we should. But there is just as much of God’s love on display in the patience he has demonstrated these last 2,000 years. God is patient with you. He does not want you to perish. He wants you to repent and be saved. He wants you to look forward to the day of God with eagerness in your heart.
That is only possible by faith in Jesus. Without the forgiveness he won for us, the day of the Lord would be a terrifying and dreadful prospect. But because he has taken away your sin, you can live every day as if it will be your last.
So, I’ll ask it again: What would it look like to wake up every morning thinking that this might be the day that Christ comes back? Would you make your bed? Would you dress up, get a haircut, shave? I don’t know that those really matter. Would you repent? Would you apologize for the sinful way you’ve spent your days and the selfish ambitions you sometimes allow to exceed your eagerness to be reunited with your Saviour? Would you strive to spend the rest of that day living a holy and godly life? I pray you do.
But when you inevitably fail and at the end of the day take stock of your standing with your God, put your hope and confidence in the Christ who is coming back. He’s the same one who came 2,000 years ago to take away your sin. And he’s coming again to take you home to heaven, where you won’t have to deal with frustrations and fears from the outside, or guilt and shame on the inside. He is coming again to take you to heaven where you will live in his righteousness and be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him because of him.
2,000 years may not seem very soon to you. But I am eternally grateful that God has waited this long so that you and I could know his love; so that you and I could repent and be saved; and so that you and I could learn to change our prayers from, “Wait, Lord, I have so much left I want to do,” to, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen.”
[1] 2 Peter 3:8
[2] 2 Peter 3:3,4
[3] 2 Peter 3:10
[4] 2 Peter 3:9
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Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Saints in WaitingIn November of 1940, the city of Coventry in England was bombed by the Nazis. The town was destroyed, and the centuries-old cathedral was reduced to rubble. In the aftermath of the war, the congregation made an interesting decision. They left the ruins of their cathedral in place and then built their new church right next to it.
When they built the new cathedral, they installed a huge glass wall facing the ruins. Etched into the glass are large figures, four feet wide and ten feet tall – images of saints and angels rejoicing in heaven. It’s a beautiful design decision, because as you look through the glass, you see the remains of the bombed-out church, but through the glass that is etched with images of saints and angels. You cannot see the rubble except through the lens of the promise of heaven.
The Coventry Cathedral is a fitting picture for life on earth, isn’t it? There are lots of reminders of former traumas that still haunt us, but that’s exactly why God gave this revelation to John. It was God’s (much better) way to build a wall of glass windows for us to look through, so that you can view the world you live in through the lens of God’s gracious promise of heaven.
This is how John’s revelation began in Chapter 7:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.[1]
It’s almost the same picture as the Coventry Cathedral, isn’t it? God showed John saints and angels rejoicing in heaven. This great multitude that no one could count were the saints. And although John doesn’t use that word here, it becomes clear exactly who they are by God’s own definition later:
“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”[2]
If I may, I’d like to take exception to the translation of this text. In the Greek, it’s not they who have come out; it’s they who are coming out. In other words, these are not survivors of one specific, massive tragedy. These are Christians of every age who have ever suffered anything.
And Christians suffer, don’t we? We live under the curse of Eden – pain in childbirth and painful toil just to feed our families. We suffer pain and loss in life. We have to bury our parents and go in for emergency surgery. We see the signs of the end times all around us: wars and rumours of wars (in Ukraine and the Middle East), natural disasters (flooding in Libya and Morocco), hatred and lack of love (goodness, you barely have to turn on any device to hear about that; if you even have to turn on a device to experience it firsthand). We are in the era of the great tribulation that John referenced in his revelation right now.
But here’s the good news: These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation. There is relief on the horizon. There is rescue and consolation. There is hope for this great multitude – and for you and me – and it doesn’t come from a piece of legislation or an act of solidarity for a nation at war; it doesn’t come from reversing course on global emissions or becoming carbon neutral; it doesn’t come from learning how to love someone for who they are (or who think they are). God says:
“These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”[3]
The white robes and palm branches are signs of victory – but not a victory that this great multitude won for itself. They did not go through life keeping their clothes (let alone their thoughts and hands and records) clean to the end. No, every one of them was dirty, and so are all of us.
We may be tempted to believe that we are better than other people because we are here. We may be tempted to believe that our own goodness – if only our commitment to coming to church and reading the Bible – plays some small part in our salvation. But the saints in heaven know the truth:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”[4]
No saint is perfect. Saints are not Christian superheroes. This great multitude in white robes around the throne is not a collection of humanity’s greatest humans.
“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”[5]
Every one of the saints John sees is a sinner, just like you and me. Not a single one earned his spot in heaven, and neither do we. Each of them is there because of what the Lamb did. You know who that Lamb is, don’t you? It’s Jesus. In fact, that’s one of the first things that anyone on earth ever called Jesus other than his name. Even before he started traveling the countryside preaching and teaching in every town and village between Nazareth and Jerusalem, John looked at him and said:
“Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”[6]
Jesus is the Lamb of God, the lamb of sacrifice, the lamb of salvation. In the Old Testament, God commanded that the people only sacrifice lambs without blemish or defect, but spotless and blameless. That was Jesus. He was the only person in human history who was able to keep his clothes (and his thoughts and hands and record) clean throughout his entire life. So that when he went to the cross and poured out his blood, it was precious and pure and able to forgive your blemishes and defects, or, as John says here, to make your robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
That’s what Jesus did for you 2,000 years ago. He secured your salvation. He made it possible for you to go to heaven. More than that, he promised that you and I – everyone who believes in him – will be part of this great multitude that no one could count.
Imagine that. With eyes that could miraculously look forward into the future, it is entirely possible that John saw your face in this crowd. John saw you wearing white robes and holding palm branches and singing and serving God in heaven. He saw you and all those believers you have loved but lost too, e.g. your Christian parents and grandparents, your beloved spouse or child who preceded you in death. Everyone who put their faith in the Lamb will be clothed in robes made white by his blood.
And the life God will give us there will undo any and all of your suffering.
“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.”[7]
You won’t even have to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” All your needs will be met. You won’t have to worry about anything. You won’t have to provide or procure anything. You won’t have to put in a 40-hour week or make a last minute trip to the grocery store. You won’t have to clip coupons or stretch meals. All your needs will be met by the Lamb.
“The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.”[8]
No more sweat on your brow. No more painful toil. No more adverse weather conditions. But perfect peace and pleasantness in green pastures forever.
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.”[9]
Psalm 23 will be real life, for the Lord is your shepherd and you will lack nothing under his care. You will be Jesus’ little lamb, ever glad at heart. Your shepherd will gently guide. He knows your needs and well provides you. Loves you every day the same. Even calls you by your name.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[10]
Coventry Cathedral is a beautiful picture of saints in waiting. We live in the vale of tears. There are so many reasons for us to be sad and hurt and discouraged and lonely and afraid. But every anxiety will be calmed by Christ. Every hurt will be healed by his hand. And he will wipe every tear from your eyes forever.
We are saints in waiting. We live in a bombed-out, sin-ravaged world, but we are privileged to see every day of this life through the lens of God’s promise of heaven. It is already ours; we’re just not there yet. So, as you deal with the fallout and try to clean up the rubble left behind by sin in this life, remember that it won’t always be this way, but that salvation belongs to our God, and to the Lamb, and because he loves you, you will wear white robes and stand before his throne and sing and serve him forever in heaven with all the saints in glory everlasting. Amen.
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen.[11]
[1] Revelation 7:9
[2] Revelation 7:14
[3] Revelation 7:14
[4] Revelation 7:10
[5] Revelation 7:14
[6] John 1:29
[7] Revelation 7:16
[8] Revelation 7:16
[9] Revelation 7:17
[10] Revelation 7:17
[11] Revelation 7:12
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Daniel 6:10-12,16-23
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Lion-Proof FaithAs many of you know, we had a movie night here at church on Friday. We watched Luther, the 2003 biopic of the great reformer of Christianity and the namesake of our denomination. Just for kicks, I went back and watched the original theatrical trailer. I wasn’t disappointed. Along with dramatic closeups and quick hitting action sequences there were a couple phrases that flashed up on the screen that I couldn’t help but hear in the classic movie announcer voice:
500 years ago one man changed the world.
He dared speak his mind.
He would not be silenced.
Watching the trailer, you can tell it’s a 20-year-old movie. It’s kind of cringy. Honestly, if I hadn’t already seen it, I would have guessed it was another Hollywood hack job, romanticizing a historical figure and changing the whole story so that it would sell tickets at the box office. One man changing the world, escaped nuns, outraged emperors, book burning – it all seems a little fantastical.
Having watched it, though, I have to say that it was remarkably accurate, and one of the rare instances in which reality was probably even more dramatic than the Hollywood version. There really was a man named Martin Luther, and the things he did 500 years ago did change the world – and not just religiously, but politically and socially and linguistically too.
It’s a really amazing story, and worth your time. But even though it is Reformation Sunday, I don’t really want to talk about Luther; I’m going to talk about what Luther stood for – giving everyday people access to God’s Holy Word, where we hear even more fantastical stories that are just as true as Luther’s was.
In our first reading for today, we read a story about corruption and political intrigue and royal delusions of grandeur, inhuman forms of execution and equally incredible forms of divine intervention. Daniel would make a great Hollywood blockbuster, but the best part is that it’s all true. There really was a guy named Daniel and these things really did happen.
We picked up kind of in the middle of the story earlier. Let me give you some background. About 50 years before the events of Daniel 6, the Babylonian empire invaded what was left of the formerly United Kingdom of Israel and carried off its best and brightest people back to Babylon, including a very special teenaged boy named Daniel.
Daniel was quickly identified as an intelligent young man who could be a great asset in government. He rose through the ranks quickly and even as the kingship changed hands, Daniel was perennially chosen as one of the king’s – whichever one it was – most trusted advisors.
This didn’t sit well with the locals. They were jealous and wanted to get rid of Daniel. They tried to find some skeletons in his closet. They spied on him, but couldn’t find anything wrong. He was squeaky clean. So, that’s where they thought to attack. Daniel was well known as a believer in God. So his enemies convinced the king to sign into law a ban forbidding the worship of any other god or man in all the land except for King Darius.
If you were in Daniel’s shoes, what would you have done? Remember, Daniel was 60+ years old at the time. He had already witnessed the downfall and destruction of his homeland. He had been taken as a prisoner of war to a foreign land and forced to work for an immoral king. He was under constant threat and opposition by his rivals. And now the king outlawed him from worshiping his God. If you were in his shoes, what would you have done?
Maybe it’s not all that difficult to imagine having lived through a global pandemic where it sometimes felt like we were being prohibited from worshiping God. What did you do when you heard those mandates coming down? Did you grumble? Did you complain? Were you afraid? Were you so discouraged that you kind of gave up for a while? Maybe you still haven’t worked your way back to the full joy and trust and participation in God and in worship you had before.
Did you notice what Daniel did, though?
When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.[1]
It’s like he wasn’t even fazed! Daniel didn’t stop praying to his God. He didn’t let his opponents disrupt his personal, spiritual life. He didn’t let this – rather significant, life-threatening – setback rob him of a single reason to thank his God in prayer.
Think about that. When Daniel found out about the decree, he hit his knees and thanked God. Daniel wasn’t ruled by fear. He wasn’t cowed into a form of obedience that would have gone against his conscience. He wasn’t swayed, even emotionally, by the evil actions of his enemies. He could still in that moment – after 60 years of disappointment – find plenty of reasons to thank and praise his God.
I wish I could be more like Daniel. Don’t you? To let go of that sinful, selfish sense of self-entitlement that is so quick to voice our complaints to God as if we don’t deserve to go through whatever it is it might be in the moment, as if we deserve better treatment from God for all the favours we’ve done for God. Don’t you wish you could be free of fear and worry about what other people might think of you or what the consequences could be? To be so strong in my faith that I’d willing face a den full of hungry lions rather than give up an inch of my love or life for my God.
Daniel is a hero of faith. And you’d almost be tempted to believe that the ending of this story is exactly how a hero of faith should be treated. After King Darius spent a sleepless night worrying over Daniels wellbeing, he ran to the den and called to Daniel, and beyond all hope, Daniel answered:
“May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”[2]
Daniel is a hero of faith and the way his story ends is exactly what we would hope for. But I want you to consider this: the same God who shut the lions’ mouths in their lair, is the same one who opened Daniel’s mouth in prayer.
Daniel is absolutely a hero of faith, but not because he possessed an inner conviction that you and I do not, not because he reached a potential that you and I should. Daniel is a hero of faith because he trusted in a God who was able to rescue him from the lions… and the liars… and the king’s corrupt commands. Daniel is a hero of faith because his faith was founded in the right object. He trusted in the right person. And the fact is that whether those lions had feasted on his flesh or not, Daniel faith would have still been properly placed in a God who is able to rescue us from so much more.
In his final encouragements in his first letter, Peter wrote this to Christians like us:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.[3]
We may not be facing literal lions on a daily basis, but we are facing constant pressure to give up our faith, to give up on God, to give up on each other. And that doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from the very real and very dangerous spiritual forces of evil in this world. The devil is hard at work among us, especially among believers, trying to drag us away from our God.
But we have a God who is able to rescue us from this lion too. Peter goes on to say:
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.[4]
Our God is a God of grace. He forgives you for when you slip into sins of self-entitlement and fear and despair and discouragement. He is a God of grace who sent his Son to shut the lying lion’s mouth once and for all – to silence the devil’s accusations that you are unworthy of God’s love and to demonstrate that love by being willing to give up his life for you on a cross, to pay for all of your sins, to call you to his eternal glory, i.e. to open the doors of heaven to sinners like you and me, who cannot claim the title of hero of faith like Daniel, but whose faith is nevertheless placed in the same God who is able – and who has – rescued us from sin and death and that roaring lion, the devil.
Your God of grace is the one who restores you when you fall, and who will make you strong, firm and steadfast – not because of the strength of your faith, but because of the strength of the one in whom you put that faith.
Your life story may never make it to the silver screen, like Luther’s did. You may not go down in history as a hero of faith, like Daniel did. But their God is your God. The same God who shut the mouths of the lions and – maybe even more miraculously – gave Daniel daily reasons to give thanks despite all the downturns and hardships of his life – that same God is the one who still has the power and the love to be with you, to give you reason to give thanks every day no matter what’s going on in your life, to spare you from every evil that threatens you and to promise you eternal life in heaven where you will have even more reason to do what Daniel did, i.e. to say your prayers of thanks and praise to your God, who loved you and set you free, who restores you and makes you strong, firm and steadfast, through faith in Christ Jesus your Lord. Amen.
[1] Daniel 3:10
[2] Daniel 3:21,22
[3] 1 Peter 5:8,9
[4] 1 Peter 5:10
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Matthew 21:23-32
23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
Let’s Be RealHave you ever heard the concern – or maybe even the skepticism – about the Bible that the book we have in our hands today is a translation of a translation of a copy of a copy of an original that doesn’t exist anymore, and so we can’t be sure that what we’re reading now is what was written 2,000 years ago, i.e. that basically the Bible is the longest running game of Telephone in human history? You know that game, don’t you? I whisper in someone’s ear, “We love muddy puddles,” and then they whisper what they hear into someone else’s ear and so on and so forth until the last person in the line hears, “Olaf poodle puppies.” It’s a silly premise, but it’s a serious question. And the passage that we read a moment ago from Matthew 21 is a great example.
Jesus tells this parable about a father telling his two sons to go and work in the family vineyard. In the text that we read, the first son said, “No,” but then he changed his mind and did go and work in the vineyard; I’m going to call him the “no-yes” son. The second son said, “Yes,” but then he didn’t go; I’m going to call him the “yes-no” son. And when Jesus asked the chief priests which son was better, they picked the first son, i.e. the “no-yes” one.
Where Christians can feel squishy and where critics can feel saucy is understanding that there are actually other versions of this text, and the changes that those versions make seem to drastically change the whole story.
Maybe the most notable variant has the sons in the opposite order – the first son says, “Yes,” but doesn’t go; the second son says, “No,” but does go. And although the chief priests’ line stays exactly the same – “The first” – it completely changes their answer, because now instead of picking the son who eventually did do what his father wanted him to do, now they are picking the son who made a show of being good, but didn’t do anything that a good son should.
So, which one do you think is right? Which version of this passage is correct? Or, to ask you the same question that Jesus asked the chief priests: “Which of the two did what his father wanted”[1] – the son who said he’d work or the one who actually did?
How many of you think that the son who said, “No,” but did go is the one who did what his father wanted? And how many of you think that the son who said, “Yes,” but didn’t do anything is the one who did what his father wanted?
For the most part, we live in what some people would call a guilt-innocence culture – where your greatest virtue – the best thing you could do – is to accomplish something good, and your worst vice – the biggest sin you could commit – is failing to do something good. Whereas the ancient Jews of Jesus’ day lived in what some would call an honour-shame culture – where your greatest virtue is showing respect to someone – even if you don’t do anything worthwhile – and your greatest vice is showing disrespect to someone.
So – even though it sounds incredibly foreign to us, here and now, 2,000 years later – I could easily see a scenario in which the real-life ancient chief priests could have chosen the son who lied, but didn’t disrespect his father, as the son who did what his father wanted.
It’s a thorny question, but it’s one that – by Jesus’ own design – directly touches your soul.
The question that Jesus asked is brilliant, whether you live in a guilt-innocence culture like ours or an honour-shame culture like his. Jesus’ question is brilliant because it’s a trap. Neither answer is correct. Both sons were wrong. Neither did what his father wanted. Both sinned. But with this question, Jesus holds a mirror up to your soul and reveals to you not only which virtues you value, but also which vices you are more willing to excuse.
For those of you who voted for the son who said, “No,” but did go and work in the vineyard, is it possible that you raised your hand because you see a little bit of yourself in him, because you know that you haven’t always started well, but you try to finish well? Maybe you strayed away from God and the church as a teenager or young adult – maybe you’re struggling with a certain sin right now – but you want to hold out hope that if you can just turn things around and end on the right note, then everything will be OK, i.e. then the sins of your past can stay in your past – or that the struggles of your present can someday be forgotten.
Well, I don’t want to dash all your hopes – because there is hope for everyone – but finishing your story well, doesn’t change how you started. Fixing your life now doesn’t fix what you’ve done in the past. Making good choices in the future, won’t delete your bad choices from the past. God does not sweep sins under the rug or wink at youthful indiscretions. He condemns sin and the sinners who commit them.
For those of you who voted for the son who said, “Yes,” but did not go and work in the vineyard, is it possible that you raised your hands because you see yourself in him? You have always tried to do things right from the very beginning. You wouldn’t dream of stooping so low as to dabble with drugs or lose yourself in alcohol. You make every effort to go to church as often as you possibly can. Your friends and neighbours would consider you a good man or woman. But you know what you do and what you don’t do when the light’s not shining on you. You know your secret sins. You know when you’re just giving lip service to your God and your church family, and you’d like to believe that saying the right thing will make up for you not doing the right thing.
But this is the whole point of Jesus’ parable: both sons were wrong. And all of us are too. And so it doesn’t matter which version or variant reading is correct. It doesn’t matter how you answer the question. The meaning and purpose of Jesus’ question is the same either way.
Jesus asked this question of the chief priests knowing that whichever son they chose, their answer would be wrong, but not nearly as wrong as their own reality. Because the chief priests weren’t really like either of the sons. They were neither the “yes-no” nor the “no-yes” son. They were “no-no” sons. They disrespected God by rejecting his one and only Son and they never repented for it, which is why Jesus says to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”[2]
With this parable, Jesus held up the mirror of the Law to their souls and revealed death and damnation to them. This is about as harsh as Jesus ever gets.
But the thing about Jesus is that even in his sternest condemnation, there is still a glimmer of grace. Did you notice that Jesus didn’t close the door to heaven on the noses of those Jewish leaders? The door was still open to them. There was still time for them to repent.
And think about the love that it takes for Jesus to say these words to them, especially when he does. Jesus told this parable on the Tuesday of Holy Week. These very chief priests were going to arrest Jesus, put him on trial and sentence him to death in three days, but Jesus still took the time on Tuesday to call them to repentance, so that they could still receive the forgiveness that he was going to win for them on Friday.
So, as much as Jesus tells this parable to hold up the mirror of God’s law to our hearts and reveal us as “yes-no,” “no-yes,” or “no-no” sons, there’s really a fourth son that this parable is all about and he’s the one telling it. This parable is all about Jesus, God’s one and only “yes-yes” son.
Jesus is the only one who has ever said, “I will, Lord,” and then done it without fail every time for you. It was his perfect life of obedience from day one that made his death on Good Friday mean something for you. When Jesus’ hung on the cross of these chief priests’ making, he did so as your perfect substitute, taking your place and your punishment for your sin. For the times that you strayed away from God, he remained faithful to you from first to last. For the times that you said the right things but failed to follow through, Jesus loved you to the point of death, giving his life so that you could live forgiven and free from your sin.
Jesus is the perfect “yes-yes” son for you. And he tells this parable to you so that you don’t make the same mistake that these chief priests did, i.e. so that you can hear the grace of God and respond with repentance, so that whether it’s on a Sunday morning at the start of a worship service or on a Tuesday afternoon after you’ve just caught yourself in a lie, you can hit your knees and confess your sin and know that God has forgiven you in Jesus. Jesus tells you this parable so that you can know that no matter how many bad things you’ve done – or how bad they were – there is grace for the greedy and the gross, like tax collectors and prostitutes, which means there’s grace for you too.
Just don’t be like those “no-no” chief priests. Don’t be complacent in your sin. Don’t hide behind the appearance of self-righteousness. Don’t imagine that you are better than anyone else. Don’t pretend that you don’t need God’s grace. Believe me, believer, you do! And you don’t want to wait for the Last Day to find out.
But that’s the good news. God gives you his grace in Jesus. So, whether you struggle with self-control or self-righteousness, whether your sin is insincerity or indifference, when you repent and believe in Jesus as your substitute and Savior, you receive his grace and forgiveness forever.
That’s the beauty of this passage – and the reliability of Scripture – regardless of which version you read, regardless of how you answer Jesus’ question, his answer to your sin is always the same – full and free forgiveness to everyone who believes in his name, including you. So repent and believe – be real, with yourself and with your God – and you will enter the kingdom of God with those tax collectors and prostitutes… and pastors and mechanics and teachers and car salesmen and refugees and retirees because of Jesus, God’s one and only “yes-yes” Son for you. Amen.
[1] Matthew 21:31
[2] Matthew 21:31
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Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
You’re Invited!What kind of tickets would I have to have in my hands for you to drop everything and change your plans and attend this event? How about the Heritage Classic coming up on October 29 – Calgary v. Edmonton outside at Commonwealth Stadium? Sign me up. I don’t care what’s going on that day. You got tickets? I’ll be there.
How about Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Monday, November 6 at Rogers Place. Do you want to go? Or if Bruce isn’t your beat, how about KISS’s End of the Road World Tour; same place, just a few days later?
There are certain moments and events that become available in a person’s life that you’d have to be crazy to miss.
What if I told you that you were invited to a wedding? Where would that rank on your list of social calendar priorities? If it helps, it’s not just any wedding. It’s even better than a family wedding. It’s a royal wedding. The King himself wanted to invite you personally! Would you go? You’d be crazy not to!
Imagine the food. I mean, I loved my wedding, but we just offered the option between chicken or pork. The King is going to serve nothing less than Grade-A Alberta beef, if not better. You might get lucky and get Wagyu beef. Or if that’s not your thing, you know that the King isn’t going to limit his options to one. Seafood buffet. Sushi bar. Desserts of every kind and variety. Appetizers that’ll make your taste buds sing. Drinks that’ll make your head spin. Who could say no to that? You’d have to be crazy.
But that’s exactly what the Jews did to Jesus. And that’s why Jesus told the parable that we heard a moment ago from Matthew 22.
It was a parable, so it wasn’t exactly direct – it was a story filled with symbolism – but as parables go, it was about as transparent as a parable gets. The king who was throwing a wedding banquet for his son is God the Father. The son whom he is celebrating is the Son of God, i.e. Jesus himself. The invited guests are the Pharisees, to whom Jesus is telling this parable – and really, the whole nation of Israel. And the servants whom the king sends to extend his invitation to the wedding banquet are the prophets, i.e. the proclaimers of God’s Holy Word.
Already by the time that Jesus was telling this parable, God had sent countless prophets to his people – prophets like Moses and Isaiah, Elijah and Elisha, even prophets as recent as John the Baptist who was Jesus’ contemporary. The prophets were there to prepare the people to enter heaven, to encourage them to be true to God, to call them out on their sin and to call them to repentance trusting in God’s forgiveness.
It was a gracious thing that God. It demonstrated his love and commitment to a people who, frankly, didn’t reciprocate it. You think of Moses; the Israelites were constantly grumbling and complaining. And when Moses turned his back for 2 seconds, he turned around to find them worshiping a golden calf. You look at Elijah; he had epic showdowns with false prophets and definitively showed that there is only one true God, but the people didn’t care; they kept worshiping Baal instead. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, and what did he earn for his faithfulness? Beheading and martyrdom.
To people who were lukewarm in their love for God, to people who murdered his prophets, God continued to send more and more servants extending the same gracious invitation to join him in an eternal celebration in heaven, but incredibly they refused to accept. They paid no attention. They went off and occupied themselves with other business, and almost without fail, they persecuted the very prophets God sent to show them his love. They even refused to accept God’s own Son, whom he had promised to send to save them from their sin, but instead of celebrating him, they crucified him.
It's not a stretch for us to understand the king when he approached his servants in v.8 of Jesus’ parable:
“The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.”[1]
How could they not see? How could they be so disrespectful? How could they be so crazy to reject God’s gracious invitation so many times in a row?
It’s not a stretch for us to understand how they were unworthy of being welcome to the wedding. What’s harder for us to understand is what happens next. The king, in his graciousness and in his desire to have a full wedding feast to celebrate his son, isn’t deterred by rejection. He tells his servants to go find more people to invite – anyone they could find. That’s beautiful. And the response is beautiful too. The wedding hall was filled with guests.[2] The servants finally found people who understood how special this invitation was and how crazy they’d have to be to turn it down.
But what’s strange is to hear this bit about the man who was not wearing wedding clothes and, as a result, was bound hand and foot and thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.[3]
Christian, that’s a warning a to you. That’s a warning that you don’t get too judgmental about those ancient Jews – who were crazy to reject Jesus – that you neglect to see the danger lurking in your heart.
What was the problem with those first invited guests? It wasn’t the invitation. The king had done everything. He prepared a feast. He killed his oxen and fattened cattle. He signed and labeled the envelopes and didn’t entrust them to Canada Post but put them in the hands of his own servants, not once but twice to make sure that those invitees had every opportunity to come. The problem was that they didn’t want to. The problem was that they valued other things more – the silliest of things, e.g. their businesses and occupations. The problem was their hearts.
That was the problem with the man without wedding clothes too. He didn’t care about the king or his son. He wasn’t concerned with showing respect or honour. He got an invitation to a nice meal and he came on his own terms. He abused the gracious invitation of his king and suffered the consequences for it.
Do you? Abuse God’s gracious invitation? How many times have his servants come to you inviting you to his house and you’ve been unwilling and apathetic? “Meh, I’ve got better things to do.” How many times have you convinced yourself that those “better things” include silly things like sleep or work or playing sports or watching sports? How many times have you walked in these doors or engaged in devotions or Bible studies wanting it to be on your terms instead of God’s? How many times have you folded your hands in prayer saying “My will be done,” instead of, “Thy will be done”?
Like this man without the wedding clothes, have you ever told yourself or someone else, “I’m sure God understands.” “I’m sure he knows how busy I am, how tired I am.” “I’m sure he knows that I’m sincere, even if I don’t really want to change anything about my faith or life.”
If we’re honest with ourselves I think we’d have to admit that the king’s assessment of those first invited guests applies to us too: “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.”[4] But do you know what’s amazing? You may not be worthy, but he invited you anyway and continues to invite you day after day as long as you live.
Did you catch that in the parable? The king says to his servants,
“So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” So the servant went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good.[5]
God does not limit his invitation to the “good.” He invited you too. He wants you to be part of the celebration of his Son. And even more than that, he clothes you in robes of righteousness that you could have never pulled out of your own closet. As one of those prophets whom the Israelites ignored and rejected once said:
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.[6]
God wants you to be dressed appropriately for the feast, but he doesn’t expect you to furnish the clothes yourself. He provides them for you in a visible, tangible way that you can rely on:
All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.[7]
In Baptism God not only washes all your sins away, he clothes you with Christ. We sang it a moment ago:
Jesus, your blood and righteousness
my beauty are, my glorious dress;
mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head.
It was the blood of Jesus that those first invited guests shed on the cross that now covers over all your sin and makes you worthy in God’s eyes.
None of us deserves that invitation. None of us deserves to be here. None of us deserves to receive the body and blood that Jesus poured out for you and me, and yet, in his infinite grace and persistent mercy he nevertheless extends that invitation to you today and every day: Come. Celebrate my Son, your Saviour, Jesus. Come, I have heaven prepared for you with joys unending and happiness unimaginable. Come, not as you are, but as I’ve made you – clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness, with hearts filled with love for him.
You’re invited. Accept that invitation with joy and eagerness. Mark that event on your calendar as the top priority – greater than the grades you get in school, the performance review you get at work, the amazing places you get to visit on God’s green earth. Heaven is better than all of them put together and God has given you free tickets through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In him and through faith in him you may accept his invitation with joy. Amen.
[1] Matthew 22:8
[2] Matthew 22:10
[3] Matthew 22:13
[4] Matthew 22:8
[5] Matthew 22:9,10
[6] Isaiah 61:10
[7] Galatians 3:27
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Jonah 3:10-4:11
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Love for Our CommunityMany of you know that I spent much of this last week in Ottawa. On the way back home, I ran into a member of Parliament in the airport; we were waiting for the same plane. Can you guess what we talked about? Politics.
Even more than the policies that he mentioned and the insights into why certain things have been said and done recently, I think what stuck out to me the most was the underlying attitude that both he and I and anyone else who chimed in had. Can you guess what those attitudes were? I’ll make it easy on you; I’ll just give you two options. Do you think our attitudes about politics were generally positive or negative? They were generally negative.
It didn’t really matter whether he was a member of the NDP, UCP, ABC or EFG party. Among members of every party and people with any perspective, there is always some level of dissatisfaction with something that someone else has said or done. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be, whether the issue is education, immigration, inflation, sexual orientation, or all of the above. It doesn’t matter; we have this incredible knack for dissatisfaction.
That was a sad realization to make at 11:00pm as we were waiting for a 4-hour flight back to Edmonton. What made me sadder still, though, was seeing the impact that that dissatisfaction had on the relationships of the people who were part of that conversation or the subject of it. There were unkind things said about other members of Parliament, and I felt my blood pressure rising as we got into controversial topics. I had to go and take a couple of deep breaths and loosen my shoulders when we were done.
And I get it. We react strongly because we care deeply. Albertans care deeply about the health of our province and the way governmental policies seem to be harming it… in exactly the same way that people from other provinces feel protective and possessive about their homes and livelihoods. You could say that we feel and act this way because we love our communities – and that would be true – but in all three passages that we read from God’s Word today, we see God define love for community entirely differently.
I’d like to focus on Jonah today. He was a man who loved his community and cared deeply about it. We didn’t read this but in 2 Kings 14 we find out that Jonah came from a city called Gath-Hepher, about 2 miles from where Jesus grew up in Nazareth in Galilee. Jonah was a Jew and proud of it. So proud, in fact, that when God came to him one day and instructed him to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it,[1] Jonah decided to run away instead.
You see, Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, which, at the time, was the sworn enemy of Jonah’s Israel. Not only that, Assyria was an ascending world power that posed a clear and present danger particularly to people from the north, like Jonah. To put that into context, imagine that you were a Ukrainian from Kharkiv in 2021 and God came to you with a special mission to preach the Gospel in Moscow. How would you have felt about that? Probably not very good. “I’ll go to Germany, Lord. Send me across the Atlantic to Canada. Send me anywhere but there.” That’s how Jonah felt.
And we can understand whatever fear may have filled Jonah’s heart as he chartered a boat to the western coast of Spain instead. But what’s fascinating is to hear from Jonah himself why he ran away and didn’t want to preach the Gospel in Nineveh. It was the first few verses of our text for today:
When God saw… how the [Ninevites] turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I know that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”[2]
Did you catch what Jonah said about why he didn’t want to go to Nineveh? It wasn’t that he was afraid for his life. It was that he was afraid that God would be gracious and compassionate to the Ninevites. Jonah was afraid that God would spare them, because what Jonah wanted was to see his enemies get destroyed. You even get the sense that that’s what Jonah was waiting to see when he went out and sat down at a place east of the city. He was waiting for fireworks. He was secretly hoping that the Ninevites’ faith was fake so that God could rain fire and brimstone down from heaven to wipe their wicked city off the face of the map.
Do you ever secretly wish for fire and brimstone to rain down on your enemies? Do you derive a guilty pleasure from seeing your opponents fail? Do you intentionally avoid that house on your street with that one flag hanging in the window because you don’t even want to have a casual conversation with someone whose entire worldview is so drastically than yours? Then you and Jonah have something in common – a lack of love for your community.
Jesus taught us who our neighbour is in our Gospel for today with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The people whom God tells us to love are not just our family and friends. Our neighbours are not just those who are nice to us or who agree with us. Our neighbours include the ones who call the peace officer on us for not mowing our lawn to their satisfaction. Your neighbours include the ones who blow their leaves across the street and into your yard. Your neighbours include the ones who bullied you in school, who cut you off in traffic, who voted opposite you in the last election. They are the ones we’ve been commanded to love, but whom we so often fail to love and whose downfall we may even pray for, whose forgiveness and salvation we begrudge, just like Jonah did.
It’s not a good look, for Jonah or for us. But look at the gentle way that God rebukes his reluctant prophet. First he provided a leafy plant to give Jonah shade during the heat of the day. It was a miracle! Plants don’t grow that much over night. But then, the next morning, God performed another miracle by providing a worm to chew through the plant so that it withered and died.
By providing a worm and a plant, God was proving a point to Jonah. Jonah had gotten so invested in that plant – that he did plant or tend or water – that when he saw it die, he wanted to die. God cared much more about the people of Nineveh than Jonah ever could about this inanimate object that he had met the day before, and God shows grace to those he loves.
He sent Jonah to preach to that wicked city, because God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. His wish is that they turn from their wicked ways and live. And God got his wish! The people repented, so God relented on his threat to destroy them. This was a miraculous victory for the Gospel. Jonah should have been happy – if not sincerely happy for the salvation of their salvations, at the very least selfishly happy that these new believers were not going to invade Jonah’s hometown any time soon because they had found God and morality and grace and compassion.
But the people of Nineveh were not the only ones who got a second chance that day. Jonah did too. God even shows grace to his people – to us – when we’re not willing to reflect his love to others. Again, look at how gentle God is with Jonah. He doesn’t yell at him. He doesn’t punish him. He teaches him a lesson in love – that God loves the lost, just as much as loves the found, and that God’s own people need his love just as much as everyone else.
God is still teaching you that lesson. He is opening your eyes to the truth that your community needs your love, just like you need his. I think we can all think of situations when we have pouted like Jonah did and resented God’s patience with others, and forgotten that that’s how God treated us. He didn’t send a prophet to us – although we are blessed with the prophets’ words and pastors to preach them. God sent someone better; he sent his Son, Jesus – not to sit on a hill outside of town and watch as God rained down our punishment from heaven, but to step in and to take our place and the punishment we deserved so that we could be spared. God intervened for you and showed grace to you, so that you could know that he forgives you and will not bring about the destruction he threatened, but so that you can know that you will spend eternity with him in heaven.
And that’s the same love with which God views everyone around you – the lady who calls the RCMP on you for not mowing your lawn, the guy who blows his leaves across the street and into your yard, the bully who made your life miserable in school, and the activist down the street who spends all their time campaigning for things that go directly against your conscience and collective wisdom.
The book of Jonah ends with this haunting question:
“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?”[3]
I ask you a similar one: Should we not also be concerned about our city – about all those people whose politics frustrate us and whose actions may even injure us, because they need Jesus, just like we do? The only difference is that we have him. They don’t. So let’s bring Jesus and his love to our community. Put aside whatever petty differences threaten to separate you from your neighbour and focus on the love that God demonstrated equally to all through his Son on the cross. God give you strength and patience and hope and love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[1] Jonah 1:1
[2] Jonah 3:10-4:2
[3] Jonah 4:11
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James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Faith and Actions Work TogetherHave you noticed this? Over the last couple years you hear play say this phrase less and less: “thoughts and prayers.” Back in the day, when a tragedy struck, it wouldn’t have been uncommon to hear a newscaster conclude his comments by saying something like, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and people involved.”
Lately, though, it’s not quite as common. In fact, I’ve even heard callers on the radio lay into the radio hosts for saying that. I remember one caller in particular saying, “I don’t want your prayers. I want your help.”
Without judging that person’s understanding of what prayer is, it reminded me of a Peanuts cartoon I saw a couple years ago that has stuck with me ever since. Charlie Brown and Linus see Snoopy shivering in the cold. Their hearts go out to him. They want to help him, so they go up to him and say, “Be of good cheer, Snoopy. Yes, be of good cheer,” and then they walk away, leaving Snoopy not only still cold but absolutely bewildered.
The cartoonist Charles Schulz is practically quoting the Apostle James:
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” and does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?[1]
Have you ever said, “I’ll pray for you,” and then you did, but that’s all you did? Then James would say that your faith is dead.
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions, is dead.[2]
Sure, you may go to church. You may believe in the God of the Bible. You may sincerely desire that someone else’s situation improves. But if you have the ability to help someone else, and you don’t, then your faith is worthless, and you are a fraud – a pretender, a hypocrite, someone who likes to signal virtue but not actually follow through.
James gives us a few examples of what faith is supposed to look like:
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?[3]
Abraham had prayed to God for a son for years. Then, after decades of waiting, Sarah finally gave birth to Isaac. He was the apple of Abraham’s eye, the desire of Sarah’s heart. He brought a laughter into their life that they had waited a literal century to enjoy. But a few years later, God asked the unthinkable: “Abraham, I want you to sacrifice your son, your only son, for me.”
Can you even imagine? How many times have you balked at something far less than that?
“God, I love you, but that’s a step too far. I’m happy to go to church every once in a while, but every week, that’s a bit much, Lord.”
“I know you tell me to give you my firstfruits as an offering and to trust that you’ll take care of me, but this month looks tight and I’m not sure how things will shake out. So, tell you what I’ll do God. I’m going to wait until the end of the month, and if I have anything left over, then I might give some to you.”
“I know you tell me to love my neighbour as myself, but I really don’t like them; they hurt me, I don’t want to be nice to them. How could you even ask me that knowing what they did?”
“I know you tell me to let my light shine and to let others know about you, but I’m afraid they’ll think I’m weird. Not today, God. Maybe tomorrow.”
That’s not really faith, is it? It’s just knowledge about God without any trust in God. It’s a willingness to acknowledge that God exists, but a refusal to live in any way that would reflect that. Real faith, on the other hand, inevitably yields good works.
Like Abraham. God asked the unthinkable and Abraham didn’t hesitate. He didn’t overthink. He didn’t back out. He put his faith in God and followed through with his actions. Abraham was more than just a believer; he was a doer too.
And this is how good God is. In the book of Hebrews, we learn what was going through Abraham’s mind:
Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from the dead.[4]
Abraham fully thought that he was going to have to kill his son but he also trusted that God could still keep his promise to raise a great nation through Isaac by raising him from the dead. Abraham’s reasoning was sound – God does have the power to raise the dead – but it was still wrong. That wasn’t God’s plan. And yet, even with faulty logic, Abraham’s faith was properly placed – in a God who does not break his promises and has the power to do anything to take care of us.
Think about what that means for you. You don’t have to have perfect logic. You don’t have to be able to see into the future to trust in God. In fact, if you could, it wouldn’t be trust anymore, right? Trust is doing something even though you can’t know how it will turn out, and yet still putting your confidence in God to see you through.
And God does just like he did for Abraham. Abraham did not have to end his son’s life that day. God interrupted him in the best way possible:
“Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him.” Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.[5]
God provided an alternative sacrifice for Abraham. He challenged Abraham to demonstrate his faith, and, to his everlasting credit, Abraham rose to the challenge… this time. But this wasn’t the only test of Abraham’s faith in his life. There were other times that God pushed Abraham to go beyond just words and prove his faith by what he did, and Abraham failed. Like when, not once but twice, Abraham protected himself by using his wife as a human shield, or like when he lost his patience and didn’t trust that God would give him a son through Sarah, so he slept with her servant Hagar instead.
Abraham wasn’t perfect, but that’s why I think James uses the perfect example here. James doesn’t refer to Abraham’s faith when he left his home and his family behind to go to the Promised Land. He doesn’t reference Abraham’s faith when pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah. He references this episode with Isaac precisely because it calls to mind our Saviour.
Isaac was so special to Abraham in part because he was his only son, but also because God had promised that the Saviour of the world would come through Isaac. And in a way, Isaac became a type of Christ; he foreshadowed the coming of your Saviour. Jesus was God’s one and only Son, just like Isaac was for Abraham. God was willing to sacrifice his one and only Son, just like Abraham was. But unlike Abraham, God followed through with his sacrifice so that he could forgive you for when you fail to follow through with your faith.
Are there times you promised to pray for people but forgot to? Jesus never did. Even on the night before he died, with a thousand other, much more pressing, things on his mind, he prayed for you and for me – for the generations of Christians who would some day, long in the future, come to believe in him.
Are there times you offered to help – “If there’s anything you need, let me know” – and then you never followed up? Jesus never did. He promised that he would help you with your greatest need – forgiveness for your sins and salvation from hell – and he followed through, all the way to the cross and the grave. There were no rams caught in a nearby thicket to be sacrificed in his place. He followed through to the bitter end, and God did raise him from the dead, just as Abraham believed he could, for you, as proof that God meant it when he said he loves you and forgives you. He doesn’t hold your sins against you anymore.
Now, it doesn’t matter how many opportunities you’ve missed or how many times you’ve failed. Now, in the light of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus, it’s about the opportunities that are ahead and the many different ways that God has equipped each one of you to make the faith you do have complete by what you do with it.
That’s a topic that I would dearly love to talk to each of you about, but it’s hard to do in a sermon, because each of you are so uniquely blessed with different gifts, resources and opportunities from God. We’re going to do a deep dive into specific acts of service that specifically apply to each of you in Bible class in a couple weeks. I hope you can be part of that conversation.
In the meantime, let’s not content ourselves with simply calling ourselves believers. Let’s show our faith by what we do, in service to God and to one another. Let your faith and your actions work together, so that your faith can be made complete by what you do, in Jesus’ name and to his glory forever and ever. Amen.
[1] James 2:15,16
[2] James 2:17
[3] James 2:21
[4] Hebrews 11:19
[5] Genesis 22:11-13
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Philippians 1:3-113 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with
joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Cultivate Genuine Gospel RelationshipsThere was a TED Talk a couple years ago on the subject of friendship. It was largely based on research done by a renowned “evolutionary psychologist” by the name of Robin Dunbar who theorized that on average a normal person has the capacity to maintain 150 relationships, ranging from casual friends to close confidants.
At first 150 seemed like a lot to me, but when you realize that they are not all people you tell your deepest darkest secrets to – that some are like that barista whose name I still don’t know but greet like a friend anyway – then it began to feel a bit more manageable. Humans are relational creatures. We can form bonds with other people quickly and over the smallest things.
But while we may have the capacity to maintain 150+ casual relationships, how many relationships do you have that you could talk about the way Paul did about his relationship with the people of Philippi?
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.[1]
Is there even a single person in your life that you feel that way about? If you’re married, chances are that you love your spouse more than anyone else in the world; but the chances are also pretty good that there are times when you’d rather not see their face. If you have kids, chances are that they opened up corners of your heart and expanded your capacity to love beyond what you thought possible; but the chances are also good that they have introduced you to levels of frustration and anger and insomnia-induced delirium that you never knew before. Friends are great, but they can disappoint. Grandparents spoil you, but they can also be grumpy. Is there a single person in your life that without fail – in every memory – you always, only, ever feel joyful about?
These are strong words from Paul about people that he spent only a few months with. And it’s not as if his time with them was always sunshine and rainbows. Paul’s time in Philippi was not a honeymoon period. He ended up in prison for doing a good deed. The citizens turned against him. The city leaders ordered Paul and Silas both to be stripped and severely beaten. Philippi may have been Paul’s first foray into Europe with the gospel, but it was far from a honeymoon-type experience.
And yet, he can still speak so positively about the Philippian Christians – not because he had selective amnesia and chose to forget about the pain, not because the Christians were perfectly pure in an otherwise despicable metropolis. Paul was able to speak so positively about those Christians because of their partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,[2] and because no matter what their past experience or present circumstances were, they were all sharers together with Paul in God’s grace.[3]
Let’s think about that second part first. Paul wasn’t able to be so positive because they were all so perfect. He was able to be so positive because they all shared the same grace from God. The jailer participated in Paul’s brutal beating, but when Paul preached the gospel to him – the good news about God’s salvation through Jesus – that jailer was cut to the heart. He regretted his actions; he repented of his sins; he asked for forgiveness and found it, not only from Paul but from Jesus.
And before we start to think about how magnanimous Paul is for forgiving this man who brutalized him, let’s remember what Paul’s background was. He described himself as the worst of sinners. He was a murderer and a persecutor of Christians. He had done far worse to others than what that jailer had done to him. But God forgave Paul too.
That’s why God sent his Son into this world – to shower sinners like us with an affection that we never deserved. You think it’s impressive for Paul to talk so glowingly about the Philippians – how about how God looks at you? There’s no way that God should look at you and always be joyful about everything you think, say and do. You may not have persecuted Christians like Paul did or imprisoned innocent people like the jailer did to Paul, but have you mistreated others – even or especially your fellow believers? Have you spoken a harsh word? Have you held a grudge? Have you broken someone’s trust or hurt someone who’s just trying to help you? Have you ignored someone who needed you or allowed a difference of opinion or even just a difference in personality to divide you?
There’s no way that God should look at you and be happy, but he does, because when he looks at you he sees Jesus. He sees the Son he sent in love to show you love. He sees the Jesus who embodied love, even to enemies, who prayed for their forgiveness while they nailed him to the cross. When God looks at you, he sees the Son who sacrificed his life as the payment and penalty for you sin so that you and I – and every other believer who calls on his name – could be sharers together of his grace.
And that creates a special bond. We are all – you and I – sharers together of God’s grace in Jesus. We are all forgiven. All our sins were paid for. God doesn’t hold a single one against a single one of us. So, even if though someone in this room may have done you harm – or you to them – we can still sit side by side as brothers and sisters in a family defined by God’s grace and forgiveness – first, receiving that forgiveness from him to us, but then also, by his grace, freely giving that forgiving love to each other too.
That’s how Paul can always pray with joy when he even thinks about those imperfect Christians in Philippi – not because he has selective amnesia, but because he sees them as sharers of God’s grace in Jesus. They deserved God’s love as little as he did, but, just like him, they received it as God’s gift anyway.
That’s what defines our relationships too. And that’s what makes this a special group of people. Have you ever thought about this – that you would probably would have never met at least half the people in this room, if it hadn’t been for the simple fact that you share God’s grace in Jesus? I know I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have a job. I wouldn’t live across the street. I wouldn’t be in this city or country. But God’s grace transcends so many boundaries and barriers and binds us together into a family of believers.
The Christian Church – and especially our congregation – is not just a group of people who share a common interest. We’re not Swifties. We don’t just root for the same team. We don’t have the same hobbies or senses of humour, but what we do have is what we heard before – a “partnership in the gospel.”[4]
The Apostle Paul wasn’t the be-all-and-end-all of the church in Philippi. When he left, the people there took ownership of the gospel. They continued to meet together, even without their founding – or a formally trained – pastor. They continued to study God’s Word and encourage each other. They continued to share Jesus with the other people in their city. They weren’t passive observers or silent spectators, and neither are you. You are partners in the gospel too.
As sharers of God’s grace, you are uniquely qualified to share God’s grace with others – to tell them what his forgiveness means for you. As sharers of God’s grace, your unique experiences equip you to encourage others who are going through the same or similar things that you did. As sharers of God’s grace, your background and insight allow you to learn and grow together as you share your story and hear others’ during your study of God’s Word.
But none of that would be possible if we didn’t have a relationship with each other. Can you be a Christian and not go to church or be a member of a congregation? Technically, yes, but the ceiling for your personal growth and the service you can offer your God is much lower than if you were a member of God’s family with other believers.
If you don’t come to worship, you can hear my sermon online, but you can’t raise your voice in praise or profess your faith with people of diverse backgrounds who nevertheless share your faith. If you don’t come to Bible class – either on Sunday mornings or during the week – you can’t hear Amber’s amazing contributions or share your own experience and see how it benefits someone else. If you don’t partner with your pastor and your fellow members in reaching out with the gospel, then our collective pool of resources and people to reach out to gets exponentially smaller.
But together, we can give glory and praise to God in a chorus of various voices. Together we can grow more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Together we can defend and confirm the gospel and bring it to the people in our lives by pooling our resources and partnering together.
This is what Jesus prayed about on the night before he died. This is what we find demonstrated among those early Christians – a devotion to God and to each other, a desire to cultivate genuine relationships together as sharers of God’s grace and partners in his gospel.
It is right for us to feel this way – to thank God for each other; to pray for each other with joy; to long for each other with the affection of Christ Jesus; to grow in knowledge and love; and to share the confidence of the Apostle Paul, i.e. that this unique bond and special relationship that we enjoy – the fact that you can walk into a room full of strangers and feel at home – that special relationship doesn’t come from us – from any shared interest or experience – but from Jesus and the sacrifice that he made in love to make us brothers and sisters in his blood.
I may be able to maintain about 150 casual relationships, but these are the ones I want to cultivate because you are my family in Christ. Amen.
[1] Philippians 1:3,4
[2] Philippians 1:5
[3] Philippians 1:7
[4] Philippians 1:5
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Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Easter Changes EverythingThere’s a show on Disney+ right now called What If…? It is produced by Marvel Studios and explores alternative endings to the Marvel movies you know and love. What if instead of Captain America, we had Captain Carter fighting for the Brits? What if the Avengers lost? How would the story go on? How much different would the ending be if you changed one seemingly small detail or moment at the start?
If you like Marvel movies, you might find that series interesting. Maybe you’ve already watched it. If you’re not into comic book characters, have no fear! This will be my last mention of them. I’m here to talk about Jesus. But I do wonder what a Christian version of that TV series would look like. What if Adam and Eve never ate the forbidden fruit? What if Pharaoh never let the Israelites go? What if David missed when he slung that first stone at Goliath?
Or, more fitting for today: What if Jesus never rose from the dead?
Can you imagine a world without Easter? I can’t! And it’s not because there would be no Easter baskets or Easter egg hunts. It’s not because we’d have to come up with another reason to eat ham or lamb on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. We wouldn’t be here if there were no Easter. The Christian Church wouldn’t exist. What would a world without Easter look like?
Well, we got a glimpse of it for about 36 hours after Jesus’ crucifixion, and it didn’t look good.
The disciples who had all promised that they would rather die than desert Jesus did exactly what they said they would never do. They ran away and hid because they were afraid that the Jews would do the same thing to them that they did to Jesus.
The men and women who had spent the last 3 years of their lives following Jesus wherever he went and listening to whatever he said suddenly forgot everything he had said to them. He had told them on at least three separate occasions, with at least one of them coming in the last week, that he was going to die in Jerusalem and rise again on the third day. But nobody remembered.
The women who went to the tomb were lost. They had no idea where to go from here. So they prepared spices to go and anoint a body that wasn’t there. They had misplaced their purpose in life.
In a world without Easter, Jesus’ disciples were disappointments to God and to themselves. They were afraid. They had forgotten everything that was meant to give them hope and peace. They were aimless and without purpose. In a world without Easter, Jesus’ disciples were a mess.
But let’s be real for a second. How much different is our world even with Easter? And I don’t mean for all the non-Christians or the nominal Christians. I mean for you. How different are you than those post-crucifixion, pre-resurrection disciples?
Some of us have been privileged to have spent enough time as Christians that we have been confirmed in our faith. Whether as children or adults, we stood before a congregation like this and made an oath to our God that went something like this: The pastor would say:
Do you intend to continue steadfast in this teaching and to endure all things, even death, rather than fall away from it?
And then we would respond:
I do and I ask God to help me.
Now, whether you have been confirmed or not – whether you have sworn an oath like this or not – has anything short of death kept you from being faithful to God’s Word? Or is a sports practice or a late Saturday night or the opportunity to spend time with your family all that it would take to keep you from spending time with God and his Word in church on a Sunday? The disciples made and broke similar promises, but at least they were legitimately afraid for their lives. Can you say the same?
The disciples followed Jesus and listened to him for 3 years, but in the moment of hardship it was as if they hadn’t heard a thing. Believe it or not, you have something even more valuable than 3 years of personal devotions with Jesus. You have the whole thing in writing. You have the promises of God written down to give you hope. You have the will of God in black and white to give direction and guidance for your life.
Does it take a death threat to make you forget what God says? Or is the reason that you don’t start your day with devotion simply that you opened a notification on your phone and lost the next hour of your life? When the doctor gives you that diagnosis you’ve been dreading, even if you can remember God’s promises to you, do you put your trust in them? Or do you find yourself spiraling and flailing for answers from WebMD and your friend down the street who went through the same thing, instead of seeking solace in Scripture and your Saviour?
Do you remember your purpose in life? Or do you find yourself lost, or so preoccupied with the next thing that’s right in front – the next day or week or year of your life – that you have forgotten your place in eternal life?
We don’t have to look at the 36 hours between Good Friday and Easter Sunday to know what a world without Easter would look like. We live it all too often in our day to day life. But that’s why I appreciate the fact that we get to celebrate this holiday every year. Because at Easter, we get to see the tender hand of our God as he deals with sinners like us.
When the women got to the tomb, they had all the wrong expectations. They didn’t expect to find Jesus alive, just as he said. They fully expected to find him dead. And yet, when they got there, the angel that God had sent to them did not wag a finger and say, “O you of little faith! Stop doubting and believe!” He said:
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.”[1]
What a gentle God we have, who works with us in our sinful weakness. He made it clear that these women should have remembered Jesus’ promises and that they shouldn’t have been ruled by fear or let anything else in life or death stand in the way of their faith in God, but he didn’t preach about it. He restored their hope and revived their faith by pointing them to Jesus, who had been crucified, but now was alive.
He had been crucified. But not for nothing. It was for me, and it was for you. Jesus died to forgive our sins, even for the times when we fail in our commitment to him or when we forget or doubt his promises to us. Jesus died to forgive us, and then he rose from the dead to give us comfort and peace and joy.
Look at the way the Marys left the tomb. They hurried away “afraid yet filled with joy.”[2] There were still all those same reasons to hole away behind locked doors. There were still all those same reasons to forget or to doubt Jesus’ promises. The Jews were still angry and powerful. They would still face opposition and persecution and difficulty. But having seen the proof of Jesus’ resurrection gave them a joy that surpassed their fear.
That’s what Jesus does for you. That’s why I’m so glad that Jesus did rise from the dead and that we don’t have to imagine a world without Easter, because the resurrection of Jesus gives you a joy that is so much greater than your fear or worry or frustration. And I think that’s really important for you to hear. The resurrection of Jesus does not take all your fear or worry or frustration or distraction away. The resurrection of Jesus infuses you with a joy that is greater than all of them put together.
If it is guilt you feel – if you’re ashamed at how little it takes to keep you away from God and his Word – listen to what Jesus said when he met the women: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee.”[3] Not, “Go and tell those traitors… those deserters… those promise-breakers…” He says, “Go and tell my brothers…”[4]
That’s how Jesus feels about you too. Even though you fail him – even when you are unfaithful to him – he still considers you family. He doesn’t identify you by your sin or your weakness. He sees you through the lens of his love – the same love that compelled him to die for you to forgive you and rise again to give you the hope of heaven. If you feel guilt, see God’s grace at his graveside that calls you his family.
If it is fear you feel – if you’re worried about the world around you or what the devil and his demons might do to you – look at the Roman soldiers. They were hired specifically because they were supposed to be fearless and formidable but they fainted and were lying on the ground like the dead man they were supposed to be guarding. They posed absolutely no threat to the women. Jesus’ resurrection proved that he was far more powerful.
Now, there may still be reasons for you to have fear in this life – and God may not make all of them shrink like these soldiers did – but God still has far more power than any of the things that cause you fear, and he can and does protect you for your eternal good. If you feel fear, see God’s power here.
If you feel distracted or aimless – if you are lost in an endless to-do list that doesn’t let you look past tomorrow – listen to what both the angel and Jesus said to these women,
“Come and see…[5] Go and tell.”[6]
That is the daily lifecycle of a Christian. Come and see what God has done for you. Occupy your heart and your mind with the message God has given you in his Word – and while your reasons for forgetfulness and doubt will not go away, you will be filled with ever-increasing faith that produces in you a joy to go and tell your spouse, your children, your neighbour the good news of Jesus crucified but raised to new life for you.
A world without Easter would be a world full of guilt and fear and distraction. But Easter changes everything. Now we live in a world full of forgiveness and power and purpose because of Jesus. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
[1] Matthew 28:5-7
[2] Matthew 28:8
[3] Matthew 28:10
[4] Ibid
[5] Matthew 28:6
[6] Matthew 28:10
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Romans 5:1-8
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Do You Want to Be a Stronger Christian?Back when I was in college, I worked on a dairy farm during the summer. I’d wake up at 3:00am to go milk the cows. That early morning milking was always tough. You’re barely awake. Half the time you’re bleary eyed and grumpy just for having to get out of your warm and cozy bed so early. The other half of the time it feels like the cows are grumpy; they refuse to go into the stall, they kick off the milking machine, they slap their manure-soaked tail across your face, which was always a special treat.
My boss was often in the parlour with me. He was a Christian too. He knew I was studying to be a pastor, so we’d talk about Jesus occasionally. On one of those days when the cows were extra-ornery, he just threw his hands up, turned around, looked at me with disgust in his eyes and asked,
“Pete, did you pray for patience today?!? ‘Cause you know the Lord’s gonna test you when you do!”
It was too early in the morning for me to fully understand what he was saying at the time. I get it now; it’s a lesson I carry with me to this day. His point was that people aren’t just born patient. You don’t just have patience one day and then you can put up with anything that happens to you for the rest of your life. Patience is born out of suffering. Patience is something you develop over time and with (often painful) experience.
It’s the same thing with anything you want to get better at. You want to play the guitar? Your fingertips are going to ache. But then you develop calluses and it doesn’t hurt so much anymore. You want to get better at math? You twist your brain into pretzels until you have a headache, but then you understand the formulas and algorithms. You want to get better at sports? You work out until you’re stiff and sore until you do it enough times that running a mile doesn’t make you want to die. You want to get promoted at work? You tackle progressively more difficult tasks. No one will just hand you the job if you don’t have any experience.
There are no shortcuts to progress or growth, and that holds doubly true for your faith.
Do you want to be a stronger Christian? Be careful what you wish for! There is one way to become a stronger Christian, and that’s to suffer. Paul said,
Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance [produces] character, and character [produces] hope. And hope does not put us to shame.[1]
Isn’t that what we’re all after? Isn’t that where we’d all like to be spiritually? Wouldn’t you want to be such a strong Christian that when you get that piece of bad news you don’t crumble and melt into a mess of tears and despair? Don’t you wish that you could just take adversity in stride and say, “I know that God will see me through, that he will use even this for my good, that even if the worst case scenario happens I can let it roll off my back like water off a duck because I have that much hope in the Lord”?
That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? But that’s not reality and that’s not where any of us start. In fact, when suffering comes, it’s often the opposite, isn’t it? My day is going just fine but then I hit the speedbump – I get bad news or something’s not working the way I wanted it to – and then I get irritable or impatient or discouraged.
Why does it have to be that way? I thought Paul said that suffering produces perseverance. I have plenty of suffering. Why don’t I feel like I’m persevering?
Luther had an interesting answer to that question:
Whatever tribulation finds in us, it develops more fully. If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, irascible, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked and irritable… Those speak foolishly who ascribe their anger or their impatience to such as offend them or to tribulation. Tribulation does not make people impatient, but proves that they are impatient. So everyone may learn from tribulation how his heart is constituted.[2]
That’s a blow to the ol’ ego, isn’t it? How many times have I blamed my impatience or irritability on my circumstances – too little sleep, too much stress, too little support? Too many times. Instead, Luther would suggest that we should use suffering – trials, tribulation, affliction, adversity, whatever word you want to use – we should use it kind of like a stethoscope to evaluate the condition of my heart. If I am irritable after adversity, it’s not that adversity made me irritable. It’s that I already was irritable; I just didn’t have occasion to show it. Adversity provided the occasion to demonstrate the weakness of my heart.
Ok. So if Luther says that suffering just amplifies and magnifies what is already inside of me, then that means that that I need to become spiritual, powerful, wise, gentle, humble, etc… to begin with. Then, when suffering comes, my wisdom and generosity and humility will shine through. It’s as simple as that!
There is some truth to that, but it begs the question, how do I become spiritual, powerful, wise, gentle, humble, i.e. a strong Christian…?
The Apostle Paul has an answer that takes all the credit and all the power out of your hands, and puts them where they rightly belong, in the Lord’s hands. Paul does this over and over again in the beginning of chapter 5. He says, “We have peace with God.”[3] Peace sounds nice. Where did that come from? How did we get it? “We have been justified… through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[4] We didn’t justify ourselves. We didn’t make peace with God. He made peace with us through Jesus.
Paul holds out all these appealing qualities that we’d all love to possess – perseverance, character, hope – but he makes it clear that they don’t come from us. We don’t pull perseverance out of thin air. We can’t pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to the hope of the glory of God in heaven. That’s something God accomplished for us and in us.
That’s why Paul is careful to explain:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.[5]
God looked at you, and he saw a hopeless mess. He saw someone who would crumble and melt – whose knees would buckle – at the first piece of bad news. God looked at you and he saw someone whose default reaction to adversity is irritability and impatience or despair and fear. God looked at you when you were powerless and sinful, and he loved you. There were no redeeming qualities about you, but in love God decided to redeem you anyway.
And it was that incredibly rare, unique, once in a lifetime sacrifice that Jesus made – not for a righteous or even a good person, but for you, a sinner – it was that sacrifice that gives you peace. That’s where peace comes from. That’s how we got it. God gave it to you, though Jesus.
And it’s a peace unlike anything in this world. It’s not a peace between people. It’s not even necessarily a feeling of peacefulness or calmness in your life. It’s a peace with God and that is so much better. When we were powerless, when we were still in sin, we were at war with God. There was no peace, no hope, no way to persevere or pull through. There was only death and condemnation to look forward to. But now, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we have peace with God. Our sins are forgiven. We have access into this grace in which we now stand.
This peace is not a fleeting feeling that we only experience when everything is just right. It is a present reality that doesn’t depend on you or the circumstances of life around you. It is a peace that is guaranteed to you by grace through faith in Jesus. This peace is a gift from the God who loves you, so that even if the sky starts to fall and you are losing your mind in fear or worry or guilt and shame you can at least hold on to God’s love and know that that will never change.
And the good news is that the longer you hold onto that love and the more storms you weather in life, the more Christian character you will develop as God pulls you through adversity and suffering. The longer you hold onto that love and the more storms you weather in life, the more confident your hope will be and the stronger you will be in your faith.
Do you want to be a stronger Christian? Be careful what you wish for! Buckle up, because you will face adversity. But if you remember the peace you have with God – this peace that comes from Jesus that no circumstance in life can change – if you remember that peace, then you can be sure that you can stand up under whatever adversity you face, because you do not face it alone. You have the unconditional love of God that sacrificed his Son for you and continues to pour out his Spirit into your heart to fill you with perseverance, character and hope in him.
Be gracious, O Lord, when we waver in our faith, and bring us again to embrace the unchangeable truth of your Word with penitent hearts and steadfast faith. Amen.
[1] Romans 5:3-5
[2] Martin Luther’s Commentary on Romans, pp. 90,91
[3] Romans 5:1
[4] Romans 5:1
[5] Romans 5:6-8
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John 3:1-17
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Are You Afraid of Jesus? Fear is an interesting thing. It’s so subjective. Yesterday during breakfast I read an article about a guy in Australia who had to run to his car to grab something out of his glovebox and hanging from the visor were a pair of huntsman spiders. I don’t know if you know anything about huntsman spiders, but their average size is a little smaller than my hand. Now, they’re not deadly to a guy my size, but I wouldn’t care. I’d be out of that garage before you could say, “Peter Parker.” I’d be on a flight back to Canada where we might have 9 months of winter, but at least we don’t have spiders like that. I don’t know how anyone lives there. My arachnophobia wouldn’t allow it.
Just for kicks, I looked at a list of the most common phobias, or fears. Do you know any of these? Coming in at #1 was glossophobia – the fear of public speaking. #2 was thanatophobia – the fear of death or dying. #3 was acrophobia – the fear of heights. Other phobias include arachnophobia, claustrophobia, thalassophobia. I looked at several other lists of fears, including some of the silly ones, like hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (the fear of long words) or arachibutyrophbia (the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth).
There are all kinds of fears, and it’s amazing how many of them have names. But no matter how long I looked at these lists, there was one fear that we read about in our gospel for today, that didn’t appear anywhere. I’ll call it mathetephobia, and ask, “Are you afraid of Jesus?”
Nicodemus was. That’s why when John records his visit, he is careful to say that Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of darkness. You see, Nicodemus was a Pharisee and he was afraid to be seen with Jesus. As a rule Pharisees hated Jesus. He threatened their power and exposed their hypocrisy. Pretty much from the moment that Jesus popped onto the scene, the Pharisees were plotting to discredit Jesus, to destroy his reputation and, ultimately, to plot his murder.
You can understand, then, why it was risky for Nicodemus to pay Jesus a visit and why, when he did, he made that visit at night. If anyone saw him, his reputation would have been ruined. He could have lost his job and career just for talking with Jesus. Nicodemus was afraid of associating with Jesus.
Are you? Are you afraid of associating with Jesus? There are plenty of times that I dread that moment when my faith comes up in a conversation because I’ve seen it too many times. I say I’m a Christian, a pastor, I talk about going to church, and the person opposite me clams up and the conversation is basically over. It’s uncomfortable. It’s discouraging.
What would your teammates think if you couldn’t make Sunday morning rink time or the weekend tournament because you were at church? Would you lose your spot on the team or the respect of your coach? What about when you’re out with friends and someone brings up a touchy subject, that touches on your faith? Are you afraid of what people will think about you, so you speak shallowly and skirt the issue, just hoping to survive the conversation? Then you’re no better than Nicodemus was, slinking off to meet Jesus at night so that no one would know.
“But at least Nicodemus went!” you might say. “At least I’m here at church today!” or, “I did talk to my friends about Jesus at lunch the other day!” That may be true – and kudos to Nicodemus for taking that risk; kudos to you for when you risk associating with Jesus too – but for Nicodemus (and I think for us too) the fear of being associated with Jesus wasn’t even half as bad as his fear of what being a disciple of Jesus would mean.
Nicodemus was willing to admit that Jesus was special. No one else could turn water into wine or walk on water. Nicodemus was willing to acknowledge Jesus as a gifted teacher, but he wasn’t ready to admit that Jesus was his Saviour. To admit that Jesus was his Saviour would be to admit that Nicodemus was sinner who needed to be saved, whose life needed to be changed.
Think about how especially galling that would be for a Pharisee who prided himself on being a good person and a rule follower. Think about how galling that would be for a Pharisee who looked at the immoral world around him and considered himself a light in the comparative darkness.
Nicodemus wasn’t just afraid of associating with Jesus. He was afraid that Jesus might actually be who he claimed to be, because if Jesus really was his Saviour, then Nicodemus was a sinner who needed salvation, who needed to change his sinful way of life.
What about you? Are you afraid of who Jesus really is and what that would mean for you and your life? I think a lot of people are, even those of us who call ourselves Christian. We’d rather have Jesus be a teacher than a Savior, because a teacher is working with students who can learn and grow. A Savior, on the other hand, is only needed by the helpless and the hopeless. We don’t just need a push in the right direction; we need salvation! That’s scary.
And as if that weren’t enough, if we accept that Jesus is our Savior, then that means that we are sinners and that there are parts of our lives that are sinful and need to change. Maybe for you the thing that needs to change is the thing that keeps you from hearing God’s Word with God’s people on Sunday mornings – your favourite weekend getaway, a hobby, sport, habit or career that takes you out of town or out of commission on Sunday mornings. Maybe the thing that needs to change is the company you keep – people who don’t support you spiritually or who put stumbling blocks in the way of your faith. Maybe the thing that needs to change is no deeper than your heart – a pharisaical heart, like Nicodemus’, that allows itself to think better of itself than it should, that plays (and thinks it wins) the comparison game with other “lesser” hearts who make bad decisions when we make good ones.
Mathetephobia is real and, I think, the most undiagnosed fear among Christians. We are afraid to be seen with Jesus; we are afraid to need him; we are afraid to give up our sinful lifestyles for him.
What a sad state we’d be in if Jesus, in any way, felt the same way about us! What good news to know that he doesn’t!
Jesus was not afraid to associate with you or to change his life for you. He made the biggest lifestyle change in all human history because he loves you. He gave up his throne in heaven and exchanged it for a humble human body to become just like you. Jesus wasn’t afraid to associate with you. He became your brother so that he could become your Saviour.
We were lost in sin and damned for it. But Jesus came, not to teach us how to be better or how to rise above our sin, not to modify our behaviour so that we could earn our place in heaven. No, Jesus came to be our Saviour – to associate himself with us so thoroughly that his life could serve as a substitute for ours, that his death could count for all of our sins, that he could give the universal promise that so many Christians have committed to memory, and for good reason:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.[1]
That’s how much God loves you: to associate himself with you and to change – to give – his life for you, so that you could live with him forever in heaven, without fear or guilt or shame.
Do you know the next time we hear about Nicodemus in the Bible? It’s not until after Jesus’ crucifixion. Apparently what Jesus said to him here had an impact on him, because when it became obvious that Jesus was dead and that it would be appropriate to bury his body, Nicodemus bravely approached Pontius Pilate. He wasn’t afraid anymore who might see him with Jesus. He just loved Jesus and wanted to show that love for his Saviour no matter how many people saw it, no matter what it might cost him.
What about you? How is the knowledge of Jesus’ love for you going to change your life? Are you going to give up your embarrassment at being a Christian and look for opportunities to talk about your Saviour? You should read the newest Mission Blog from our synod. One pastor even created an opportunity to talk about Jesus while he was getting his teeth cleaned. Imagine that! How many opportunities do we miss because we think it’s inconvenient or the wrong place or time? How many opportunities does God give you everyday to share the good news of John 3:16?
Which parts of your life are you going to change – which sinful habits are you willing to break – to show your thanks to him? What hobby, sport, or career changes could you make so that your spiritual life can flourish even more than your social life?
Whatever it is, know that your God loves you. Your salvation does not depend on the changes you make or the opportunities you take. You will see the kingdom of heaven because he sent his Son from heaven to earth for you, not to judge you, but to save you, to associate himself with you and to give you eternal life. Now use the life he has given you here to associate with him and rejoice in his salvation. Amen.
[1] John 3:16
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Romans 5:12-19
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in
this way death came to all people, because all sinned—13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
It’s Not Fair“It’s not fair. It’s not my fault. He started it.” says the 7 year old boy who was just caught fighting with his 9 year old brother, and now has to go the rest of the day without screen time.
“It’s not fair. It’s not my fault. He started it.” says the wife whose husband didn’t help with the kids all day and now he has the audacity to complain that the house is messy and the dishes aren’t clean. Now they’re both grumpy.
“It’s not fair. It’s not my fault. He started it.” says the driver who got t-boned at the intersection and now not only has to give a report to the police, but also has to deal with a beat up car and an insurance claim and all kinds of headaches, both procedural and medical.
It’s not fair. It’s not my fault. If it wasn’t for this other person or this other thing that’s going on in my life – if I had gotten more sleep, more food, more support – none of this would have ever happened! How many times a day do you feel that way? How many times a week do you make yourself the victim? How many excuses can you come up with to justify your behaviour or to explain away your circumstances?
Sometimes it feels like whenever something goes wrong, it’s someone else’s fault. If it weren’t for other people messing it up for everyone else, I’d be just fine. It’s even tempting to feel that way when we read Bible passages like Romans 5:
Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people… one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people… through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners.[1]
C’mon, Adam! You couldn’t have eaten from any of the other trees? You had to eat from that one? Now look at this world. It’s certainly not Eden. Now I have to bundle up in 12 layers before I go out the door. Now I have to deal with people who make my life miserable. Now there are wars and inflation and environmental disasters and acne and anxiety and death. Imagine what could have been if Adam had not ruined it for everybody, i.e. if Adam could have just kept that one command. You had one job, Adam!
It's tempting to look at all the fallout from that first fall into sin and to blame Adam, which is just another of saying that if I had been there, none of this would have ever happened. We’d still be living in a tropical paradise with the perfect tan, with free food at our fingertips whenever we wanted it.
It may be tempting to think that way, but the truth is that the end result wouldn’t have been any different had any of us been in Adam’s place. When Satan came to Adam and Eve, he was tactical in his temptations. He started by getting them to question God and his goodness. And even though, at first, they defended God, the seed of doubt had already taken root in their hearts, so that by the time Satan suggested that God might be holding out on them – that they would experience the next level of enlightenment and pleasure and satisfaction if they ignored God’s draconian laws – they were primed to believe Satan and to give in to his temptation and lies.
And then, when they did, they refused to take accountability. They passed the buck. They shifted the blame. Adam even blamed God for putting Eve there with him, as if he would have been strong enough to resist the devil had it not been for her.
We can read Genesis 3, like we did today, and shake our heads at Adam. We can read Romans 5, like we did today, and blame Adam. But what we have to be careful to do as we read these passages is to realize that the devil tempts us in the very same ways.
The devil loves to get us to doubt God, to fear that God is holding out on us, that there are certain joys in this life that Christians miss out on; that the Christian life is boring, unfulfilling, incomplete; that there’s so much more out there. The devil is so good at pinpointing our insecurities, our anxieties about ourselves, our fears, and then tactically targeting them with his temptations.
And the result is the same. We give in, and when we get caught, we shift the blame. We get defensive. It’s not my fault. He started it. He provoked me to anger. She practically begged me to do it. I was tired, stressed. I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. Basically, it’s everyone and everything’s fault except for mine. And, before you know it, when you look in the mirror, you look an awful lot like Adam and Eve.
And so, even though Paul repeatedly lays the blame at Adam’s feet, e.g. “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people…” he doesn’t end his sentence there. He goes on to say, “because all sinned.”[2]
Adam is not the only guilty party. Death, judgment and condemnation are not just things we inherited from our ancestors. They are consequences we have earned entirely on our own.
Sure, he may have provoked you, but you didn’t have to respond. She may have pushed you, but you didn’t have to go along. What Paul wants you to know in Romans 5 is that you have no one to blame but yourself for your sin.
We are losers. We have lost so many battles with the devil. We have given in to so many temptations. Our willpower has not been strong enough.
But then we read Matthew 4, and we see a totally different Jesus. Here he is in a one-on-one dogfight with the devil. Satan is using the same tactics that he used on Adam and Eve – the same tactics he uses on us today. He comes to Jesus when he’s isolated and alone and hungry. He tries to pick at Jesus’ insecurities. “If you are the Son of God,” he says. He tries to provoke Jesus to act in pride or overconfidence. He holds out the forbidden fruit and suggests that Jesus’ heavenly Father is holding out on him, making him suffer unnecessarily.
But Jesus did something that no other human was ever able to do. He resisted every temptation. Even at his weakest, Jesus had the power to tell the devil where to go. Even isolated and alone and hungry, without the aid of a smartphone or Google, Jesus was able to rattle off Bible passages that perfectly responded to the devil’s temptations. And at the end of it, Jesus emerged victorious.
Forget UFC, MMA, WWE, this is the fight I would pay to see. Jesus won the victory. And if that were all that Jesus accomplished, it’d still be worthy of our study to learn just how Jesus was able to win the victory, so that we could try to follow his example.
But if that were all that Jesus accomplished, and if passages like Matthew 4 were just meant to be blueprints for us to follow, they’d be setting us up for failure. We can learn from Jesus and we can try to do what he did – and with some success – but never as well as he did.
God doesn’t record these moments from Jesus’ life as a way to motivate us to follow his example. It’s to give you the assurance that Paul gives in Romans 5:
Just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.[3]
The victory that Jesus won over the devil was much more than personal. It was universal. What Jesus did – not just in the desert for those 40 days, but for every one of his 33 years on earth – what Jesus did changed your destiny.
Now you don’t need to fear the judgment and condemnation and death that you deserve for your sin. Now you don’t have to worry that your weakness will make you unworthy of God. Now you don’t have to try to live up to his love.
In other words, because of Jesus, God does not treat you as your sins deserve. He shifted your blame to the most blameless person possible and sentenced him to die the death that you deserve. Because of Jesus, you are forgiven for when you fall into temptation. Despite your guilt, God declares you “not guilty” in his sight because of Jesus’ guiltlessness. Even though you will die someday, death will not reign over you. You will “reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”[4]
It's not fair. It really isn’t. It’s not fair that Jesus, of all people, should suffer for all people. It’s not fair, but it is grace. That’s how much God loves you. He sent a champion to win the victory for you. And now, as Paul says, God’s grace “overflows” to you. Now, you have received “God’s abundant provision of grace.”[5] No matter how often we fail or fall into temptation, no matter how many sins we accumulate over a lifetime, his grace is greater.
Thank God that it’s not fair. Thank God that my salvation does not depend on me or what I do. Thank God that he not only started it but finished it for me. Now may he continue to work in you a humble heart that sees your sin, but rejoices in his forgiveness and love. May he continue to work in you a strong faith that recognizes temptation and resists it through the same power of the Word that Jesus used. May he who began a good work in you, carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Romans 5:12,18,19
[2] Romans 5:12
[3] Romans 5:18,19
[4] Ibid
[5] Romans 5:17
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2 Corinthians 7:8-13
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it – I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged.
Lent Is All About…Lent is tricky. We have so many solemn, somber services. There are so many things that we do to make ourselves feel bad about ourselves. Just think about this service so far. We’ve confessed our sin in song and in the longest confessional rite that we will use this whole year. We have said or sung the words “Have mercy on us” more than 30 times in the last 15 minutes. Many of us came forward to let someone smear ash on our faces and remind us that we deserve to die for our sins. That’s pretty grim.
Not many people in this world will go to such great lengths – will have a special worship service on a Wednesday night – just to make themselves feel bad about themselves. But that’s kind of what Lent is all about, isn’t it? This is a season of repentance. This is a season of owning up to our mistakes and failures. This is a season of saying sorry for our sins.
If we feel bad about ourselves tonight, Lent reminds us that we have good reason to. Just think about those things we’ve said already:
For what we have done and left undone…
For sins that are known and those unknown…
For envy and pride, for closing our eyes; for scorning our very neighbour…
For hearts that are cold, for seizing control; for scorning our very maker…
We confess to you all our pride, hypocrisy, impatience, self-indulgent appetites, anger, greed, dishonesty, negligence in worship, indifference to injustice, contempt for those who differ from us.
The list could and does go on. If we feel bad about ourselves tonight, Lent reminds us that we have good reason to. We’re sinners. We have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. If you feel regret and shame and guilt tonight, then we’re doing something right.
But if regret and shame and guilt are your only takeaways from tonight – if an overwhelming awareness of your sinfulness is all you take away from Lent – then we have utterly failed.
Now, don’t get me wrong. You have to know that there are things you do everyday that are not just foolish or unwise. They aren’t just poor decisions or mistakes you’ve made. They are sins, i.e. damnable offenses, acts of rebellion against God and his commands. You have to know how little you deserve God’s love and how much and how often you have earned his wrath and judgment.
But that’s just one part of Lent. That’s just the first step in repentance. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he was happy that they were sorrowful, he wasn’t happy that they felt bad about themselves. He was happy that their sorrow led them to repentance. He says:
For you became sorrowful as God intended and… godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.[1]
An important part of Lent is to acknowledge and admit our sin, and in more than just an academic sense. We have to be sincerely sorry that we did something God forbids or failed to do something God commands. To admit that something we did was wrong in God’s eyes but not feel bad about it – that would not be a virtue; it would make you a spiritual sociopath. These somber services, these ashes on our faces serve a very important purpose – they destroy whatever pride we have left in our hearts. They demolish any pretense of righteousness or worthiness inside us, and they leave us only one course of action – to throw ourselves at Jesus’ feet and do what we have done more than 30 times tonight – plead for his mercy.
That’s an uncomfortable place to be. It requires brutal honesty and raw vulnerability. But there is no better place for you to be than at Jesus’ mercy. The last verse of our hymn of the day puts it well. We haven’t sung it yet, but do me a favour – read it with me:
Although our sin is great indeed,
the grace of God is greater;
no loss we suffer can exceed
the help of our Creator.
Our shepherd good and true is he,
who will at last his people free
from all their sin and sorrow.
Lent isn’t about making a grand gesture of our guilt or wallowing in self-pity. It is about making a sincere confession of our sin, but then trusting in God’s mercy for forgiveness. And God’s mercy does not disappoint. As the hymn-writer puts it, no matter how great our sin is, God’s grace is greater. God’s grace put Jesus in your place. God’s grace clothed Jesus in the same dust and ashes that we wear, and condemned him to death for our sin, so that you could be free of both sin and sorrow.
Or, as Paul put it in his letter to the Corinthians:
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.[2]
That’s not to say that we don’t wish we hadn’t sinned. It just means that we don’t wallow in guilt or live in fear. It means that our sin doesn’t define us; God’s grace does. It means that God’s forgiveness takes away our guilt and shame, and opens our eyes to the love that would lead Christ to the cross to sacrifice his life for ours, so that we could be set free from sin and so that we could be set free for him – so that he could produce in us something that we could have never accomplished on our own:
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.[3]
Lent is about confessing our sin and throwing ourselves at God’s mercy, but it is also and even more about rejoicing in the news that God sent his Son to forgive our sin, and then letting that forgiveness set us free from sin to live a new life, no longer all about serving the cravings of my sinful flesh but earnestly longing to lead a godly life.
And so we have structures and methods and traditions in place to help us. We smear ashes on our faces. We omit the most joyful songs from our worship services. But these are just stepping stones, the first parts of repentance that are preparing us – not to wallow in the guilt of Good Friday, but to rejoice in the resurrection of Easter Sunday and with it the announcement of our forgiveness and the hope of a new life, both here on earth and forever in heaven.
Lent is not God’s way to make you feel you bad about yourself. It’s his way to prepare you to celebrate the sacrifice Christ made for your sin and the forgiveness and hope and clean conscience that he provides for you, and finally to equip you to leave your sin behind and to learn and long for a good and godly life lived out of gratitude for him.
God bless this season for you. May he give you a humble heart, but hope-filled one, to confess your sins in the confidence of his forgiveness. May he fill you with peace and freedom and strength to change your heart and live for him. Amen.
[1] 2 Corinthians 7:9,10
[2] 2 Corinthians 7:10
[3] 2 Corinthians 7:11
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Matthew 5:13-20
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
You Are Salt and LightI’ve gotten into the habit of making eggs for breakfast recently. What kinds of things do you put in your eggs? For me, it largely depends on what we have on hand. If we have bell peppers or onions I might dice them up. If it’s after Christmas and we have some leftover ham, you better believe there will be a pork product in there. Whatever cheese we have on hand – that just goes without saying. Then, to top it off, no matter what time of year it is, no matter what else I put in those eggs, I’ll reach into the cupboard and grab some salt.
Salt just makes everything taste better. And the best thing about salt is that you don’t have to check the expiration date, because salt doesn’t expire. You don’t have to squeeze it, sniff it, sample it to see if it is still good. Salt is salt is salt. It is reliable. You always know what you’re getting. So at any time of day, no matter how long it’s been in the cupboard, no matter what I’m making, I can grab some salt and count on it to do what salt does. I don’t have to give salt a pep talk before I use it, “Now go and be salty!” It just is, by its very nature.
You are salt. That’s what Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount. We started studying this sermon last week. We’ll keep talking about it next week too. It’s the most famous sermon ever preached. It goes on for three chapters of Matthew’s Gospel and tells us so many things. Most of all, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is highly practical. Over and over again in this sermon Jesus tells us what a Christian is supposed to do.
Today’s portion of Jesus’ sermon is different, though, isn’t it? Jesus isn’t telling you what to do. He is telling you what you are. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples, “Now listen up. Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to go and be your saltiest self.” No, he said,
“You are the salt of the earth.”[1]
Over the centuries, Christians have debated what that means exactly. Since salt acts as a preservative, are we supposed to help preserve the world from the potential evils that could take place here? Since salt makes things taste better, are we supposed to spice up life with our own unique Christian flavour? I think that there is an element of both. But the way that Jesus himself explains this seven-word sentence leads me to believe that he isn’t talking about preservatives or spiciness. He’s talking about distinctiveness and consistency.
You can tell when there is salt in your eggs at breakfast. The world can tell when a Christian walks into the room.
Have you ever heard the expression that you are the only Bible that some people will ever read? It’s so true, especially where we live. I mentioned it a couple weeks ago – only 13% of Canadians go to church regularly. That means that 87% do not. That leaves a huge segment of your world that either doesn’t know Jesus at all – has never cracked open a Bible – or, at the very least, doesn’t know Jesus very well. You are the only Bible that many people in your life will ever read.
When you go to work, your coworkers are watching you. When you go to school, your classmates are listening. When you have a playdate or a birthday party with your family or friends, they’re paying attention. They are listening to the kinds of things you say and the way you say them. They notice if you’re nice or nasty to other people. They see you when you open the door for someone else or when you close your mouth instead of joining them in gossip or gutter talk.
They’re watching and they’re listening, but more importantly they are forming their impressions about Jesus and Christianity based on what they see and hear from you.
So what happens when you don’t bring a distinctive Christian flavour to your workplace or school? What happens when you slap a fish decal on the back bumper of your car and then drive like a self-obsessed maniac? What happens when you pick and choose the moments that you want to act or talk like a Christian, as if it’s OK for you to be good and prim and proper here, but as soon as you get to your friend’s house or to the restaurant or arena you “let your hair down” and let profanities spew out of the same mouth that sang God’s praises here?
Jesus tells us:
“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to thrown out and be trampled underfoot.”[2]
A Christian who doesn’t act like a Christian is of no use to anyone. If you are inconsistent, insincere, or indifferent in your faith you’re not helping anybody else. In fact, you’re hurting other people because you’re giving them a false impression about Jesus. You are making it seem as if God doesn’t care about what people do. Or you are casting Jesus and his name in such a negative light that no one would want anything to do with him.
A Christian who doesn’t act like a Christian is of no use to anyone. If you are inconsistent, insincere, or indifferent in your faith, you’re not helping yourself either. Jesus says that you are not good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Your faith is dead and so is your hope of a future in heaven with him. That was the last verse of our text for today:
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”[3]
Is that intimidating to you – to know that you are the best, or maybe even the only, chance that some of the people you know and love will ever have to go to heaven? To know that you have to be “on” all the time because the world is watching you? It’s not just pastors who live in glass houses. Christian, the world is watching you. And so is your God, and heaven hangs in the balance, both for you and the people who are reading you.
Goodness, when you put it that way, I don’t know that I want to be salt or light to the world. Can I just retreat, withdraw, hole up in my house with my family and mind our own business? Can we just create a little Christian colony somewhere where we don’t have to worry about what other people see or hear or say? Well, no. That wouldn’t work either, because even there our righteousness would not surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Heaven would still be barred to us.
But even more than that, Christian isolation is not possible, because that’s not God’s purpose for you. God didn’t tell you to be salty. He said, “You are salt.” God didn’t say, “Let your light shine before others so that they can see how great you are and how far your righteousness surpasses anyone else’s.” He said,
“You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”[4]
Sometimes when we hear sermons like this one, we bristle, we resist, we reject what we hear. We don’t want it to be true. I don’t want to be the only Bible that the people in my life will ever read. I know I can never live up to that. When I hear the to-do list of God’s holy law and the perfect standard that he sets for my obedience, I have no love in my heart for the commands of God. And yet, that law is still good.
Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets” – but Jesus, wouldn’t that make my life so much easier?!? – “I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”[5] Now that actually does make my life so much easier.
Sometimes God’s commands and his perfect standard for our unrighteous seem so unattainable that it feels unfair and downright cruel for God to hold them over us. But God’s law is good. It was given for our good. When he tells us not to murder, cheat, or steal, he is protecting life and marriages and property. When he tells us not to lie or covet or show disrespect, he is protecting the truth and your satisfaction and your relationships. The fact that we cannot keep the law doesn’t make the law bad; it makes us bad.
In fact, the law is so good that if someone were able to keep it perfectly, he would get to go to heaven purely on the merits of his own goodness. Keeping the law is and has always has been a legitimate way to get to heaven. It’s just that no one has ever been able to live up to it – no one, of course, except Jesus.
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. Talk about being the only Bible some people will ever read; he was the Word of God in the flesh. When people looked at him, they saw what God expects of you. When people listened to him, they did not hear hypocrisy or hatred or one more guy up on his high horse; they heard the truth and the love of God – that God hates sin and punishes it, but has forgiven you through his Son, i.e. his perfect, sinless, spotless Son who sacrificed himself in your place on a cross, who paid for your sin with his life, who opened heaven to you and countless others whose righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, but whose hope is in him and his righteousness. He is the one who made you into the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
It can be scary to think that God wants your Christian faith and life to be as distinctive and consistent as salt is in scrambled eggs. It can be scary to think that God wants your Christian faith and life to be as obvious and visible as a city on a hill. But that is the grace and mercy of our God, that he took the weak things of this world, the small things, the unimportant things to shine a light on the most important thing. It is nothing but pure grace that Jesus calls you the light of the world, not because you are so bright and brilliant, but because like a mirror or the moon, even imperfectly you can nevertheless reflect the light of Christ to this sin-darkened world. Even though you fail and fumble in your faith, you can still embody the forgiveness of Jesus to you and then also through you to the world.
I thank God that Jesus’ command to you is not, “Be salty,” or “Be bright and brilliant.” It is his promise and a miracle of his grace that says, “You are salt; you are light.” That is what God has made you. The goal is not to be saltier or brighter. It is to be what God has made you distinctively and consistently and visibly. The goal is not to hide our light under a bushel or let our flavour taste like the world around us. It is not even to let other people see our good deeds so that they know how good we are, but so that they can know how good Jesus is.
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. May God work in you and through you to know God’s love and to show God’s love to the world in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be all glory and honor and praise forever and ever. Amen.
[1] Matthew 5:13
[2] Matthew 5:13
[3] Matthew 5:20
[4] Matthew 5:14,16
[5] Matthew 5:17
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John 1:29-41
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
Look, the Lamb of God!What do you do when you see something really cool? “Hey Don, did you see McDavid’s goal last night? You have to check out this replay.” “Oh man, look at that moose. It’s majestic.” Or, if you are my 2-year-old son and you see one of the 300 school buses that drives by every day, you go, “Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.”
When we see something amazing, we want to share that experience with the people we love. John the Baptist saw something amazing in our Gospel reading today: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”[1]
That one sentence is a sermon in itself. There is so much in those 24 words both for us to marvel at, and for us to share with the people we love.
I think the first thing that stands out to me is who it was whom John saw. It was Jesus. For the first 30 years of his life, Jesus certainly would have stood out as a very nice man, e.g. reliable, trustworthy, kind, humble, generous, etc…, but that’s about it. No one would have looked at Jesus and said, “Surely you are God in the flesh.”
But when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove – apparently just as God told John he would – and then, if there were still any doubts, the heavens opened above them and a voice spoke from the clouds, announcing, “This is my Son who I love, with him I am well pleased.”
God revealed Jesus to John and to the rest of the eyewitnesses on the banks of the Jordan River as the long-promised Saviour of the World. Without that revelation, people may have thought that Jesus was a good guy, but not much more than that. But because of that revelation, John could see Jesus walking his way and say,
“Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”[2]
It may seem like a simple and obvious statement that you’d expect to hear in a Christian church that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Saviour of the world. But whether you’ve that truth once or a thousand times, it’s still worth hearing again because it reminds us who Jesus really is and clarifies why we come to worship him.
Jesus was not just a nice guy whose example we have decided we want to follow, like Gandhi or Mother Theresa. Our congregation does not exist to feed the hungry, clothe the cold, or comfort the lonely. We may and should do those things, but they are not our purpose or our reason for gathering together every week.
Similarly, Jesus is not just a great teacher whose instruction we want to learn so that we can be wiser, so that we can have answers to life’s greatest questions. We don’t come to church to become philosophers. We don’t come to church to make sense of the world, or to find our place in it.
That’s why Jesus’ question to Andrew and John is so perfect. When two of John the Baptist’s disciples decided to follow Jesus, he asked them, “What do you want?”[3] Not, “Who are you looking for?” but, “What do you want?”
Unfortunately, we follow Jesus for all the wrong reasons. I’ve hit rock bottom and I don’t know where else to go. I’m sick or dying, and now I’m afraid. I’m looking for someone, something, anything to solve my problem. I’m lonely and looking for my people. I cherish the values I learned as a child and want to keep being a good person.
Now, don’t get me wrong, whatever it is that caused you to come to church, to look at Jesus with curiosity or hope, even for a second, is a tool in God’s hands to bring you to where you really need to be. And your God does care about whatever it is your going through, whatever problem you can’t solve, whatever anxiety you can’t calm. But when John saw Jesus, he didn’t say, “Look, here comes your Problem Solver; here comes your Mentor; here comes your Medicine Man.” He said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”[4] That’s what John was excited to see and share.
This world does need people to take compassion on each other. This world does need believers who buy in to what the Bible teaches. In short, this world needs Christians acting like Christians. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? We don’t always act like Christians.
We don’t always answer the call to help people in need, even when that call comes to our doorstep, much less when we have to go looking for people in need. We don’t always look for the wisdom of God from his Word. Instead, to make sense of the world we live in, we turn to popular psychology; to learn how to be a better parent we look for hacks on TikTok. Sometimes, we even come to church or read God’s Word or turn to him in prayer not because of who he is, but because of what we think we can get from him.
If there are elements of your life that feel messed up, they are only a symptom of the sin that lives in each of us, i.e. the sin that makes us selfish, the sin that indulges in harmful craving without caring about the consequence, the sin that ruins relationships, that separates us from our God, that even makes our coming to church all about me and what I can get from God rather than a celebration of who my God is.
But that’s why John was so excited, because when he looked at Jesus, he saw the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
When God organized the Jewish religion, he gave his people a symbol of their salvation – the sacrifice of innocent animals. Those animals hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, God demanded that only the best lambs, without blemish or defect, were to be used for sacrifice. The people would lay their hands on those animals, symbolically passing their sin and guilt from themselves to the lambs, and then slaughter them on the altar of God to pay for their sins with that animal’s blood. Blood, death is the only thing that can pay for sin.
But all those animals for all those years were just symbols of salvation. They were all pointing ahead to the true Lamb of God who would take all our sin away.
I said before that to look at Jesus you would have seen a really nice guy – reliable, trustworthy, kind, humble, generous, etc… Well, that would be an understatement. He was perfect in every way. He always cared for other people. He always kept his priorities straight. He always did everything that a good person does, and he did it all for the right reasons – not for show or to get something from someone, but from sincere love for others and for his Father in heaven.
Another way you could say that is that Jesus was pure and spotless, a Lamb without blemish or defect. He was perfect in every way, which perfectly qualified him to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin. When Jesus went to the cross, it was as if each of us laid our sins on him, unburdened ourselves of our guilt and received the peace of his forgiveness. He took all our sins away. He paid for them with his holy, precious blood. He removed all our guilt from us forever when he died on that tree.
And yet that’s not exactly what John says here, is it? John doesn’t say, “Look, the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world,” or, “who did take away the sin of the world.” He says, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” i.e. “who is taking… who keeps taking… who continually takes your sin away.”
That’s the comfort you have knowing that Jesus is the Lamb of God. No matter how many sins you commit, no matter how many times you fail in your calling as a father or mother, a neighbour or a friend, no matter how many times you fall back into that same sin you just can’t shake, Jesus takes that sin away too. He is your never-ending, all-sufficient Lamb of salvation who takes every one of your sins away.
That’s why we come to church week after week. It’s not to become better people. It’s not to serve our community. It’s not even to become Bible scholars. It’s to be forgiven, to live in the grace of our God that sent his Son to be the Lamb of sacrifice to take all our sin away. We come here to hear those glorious words at the start of almost every service:
God, our merciful Father, has forgiven all our sins. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer and Savior. Jesus paid the penalty for our guilt by his death on the cross and freed us from death by his resurrection from the grave. We have peace with God now and forever.
It’s little wonder, then, that John the Baptist got excited when he saw Jesus. “Ooh, ooh, ooh! Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It’s little wonder that the Apostles John and Andrew went and found their brothers James and Peter and said,
“We have found the Messiah!”[5]
That’s the joy and excitement we have every time we hear God’s Word, and that’s the opportunity you have everyday to say to someone you love, “Look, I can’t cure your disease or addiction; I can’t solve your problem, but I can point you to the one who supplies your greatest need. Look, the Lamb of God who takes your sin away. Let me show you Jesus, not for what earthly benefits he may offer, but for who he is, your loving Saviour, who shoulders your every sin, who bears your every burden, who frees you from guilt and shame and who gives you the hope of heaven. Look, the Lamb of God, who takes all your sin away!” Amen.
[1] John 1:29
[2] John 1:29
[3] John 1:36
[4] John 1:29
[5] John 1:41
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Romans 6:1-11
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Baptism Binds Us to JesusHave I ever told you what my favourite winter sport is? Biathlon. I’ve never participated in the biathlon. I don’t even know how to cross-country ski. But whenever the biathlon comes on TV I cannot tear my eyes away. It’s fascinating!
For those of you who don’t know, biathlon is a sport in which you cross-country ski for a while, and then you take a break and shoot some targets with a bb gun you’ve had strapped to your back the whole time. Biathlon is the weirdest, quirkiest sport, and I’m here for it. I could watch it all day long.
I think what fascinates me the most is how biathletes have to somehow calm themselves down enough to be able to shoot a gun with any kind of accuracy. Imagine that you just skied over hill and under dale for 3km while racing other people and without skipping a beat you have to slow your breathing and calm your heartrate and try to hit a disc about the size of a coffee cup lid from 100m away.
To be fair, you do get eight bullets to hit 5 targets. If you miss once, that’s fine. Twice, you’re OK. Three times, now you have to be perfect the rest of the way. If you miss more than that, you have to ski an extra lap in the circle of shame, and your chances of catching up to anybody else and winning the race absolutely plummet.
Clearly I can talk about biathlon for a while, but that’s not why I’m standing up here today. Today is all about baptism, and while there don’t seem to be many similarities between baptism and biathlon, there is one similarity that is absolutely necessary for you to understand if you have any hope of getting anything out of baptism. It comes down to a single word that the Apostle Paul used 7 times in 11 verses: sin.
ἁμαρτίᾳ is the Greek word for “sin.” The picture behind that word is of a target, like a biathlete would aim at. “Sin” is anything other than hitting the dead centre of the bullseye. That is the standard that God sets for your life. He doesn’t just want you to hit the target. He demands that you hit the bullseye.
Unfortunately, oftentimes, I’m afraid that we have a very different understanding of what sin is. We all know that it would be terribly wrong for a biathlete to take his rifle, turn around and fire on the crowd; that’d be awful, inexcusable, punishable to the highest degree. Even if they accidentally clipped their opponent while loading their gun, they’d be disqualified from the race, not because they’re hate-filled monsters, but because they’re recklessly endangering other people’s lives.
We understand that actions have consequences. I don’t have to convince you that murder is wrong, or that endangering other people’s lives because you’re driving recklessly on the Henday deserves to be punished.
The harder truth in Christianity is that that’s not all that sin is. The harder truth is that anything less than perfection is sin. You can hit the target – you can be an eyelash away from the bullseye – but because you didn’t do exactly what you were supposed to do, exactly how you were supposed to do it, with exactly the right attitude in your heart about it, you’re sinful.
Now, my guess is that most of us here would think that we’re pretty good people. We’re in church on a Sunday morning, after all. I heard recently that only 13% of Canadians go to church regularly. You’re in the top 13%... if you’re here regularly. Even if you were here every week – even if you were part of every Bible study, every outreach event, every community service activity – it doesn’t matter. You’re sinful, even while you’re here.
Here's something that none of us wants to hear: a Christian sins in all of his good works. We sin while we pray, we sin while we’re at church, we sin while we listen to God’s Word. Do you ever pray as earnestly and selflessly as Jesus taught you to? Do you ever listen to God’s Word as attentively as you should? If you are anything less than absolutely perfect all the time, then you’re sinning.
And the terrifying reality about sin is that the wages of sin is death. The soul who sins is the one who will die. In God’s court of law, there are no do-overs, no mulligans, not even three extra chances to get it right or a circle of shame to ski around to try to make things right. Sin, of any quantity and of every variety, is punishable by death, both on earth and in eternity.
You don’t have to be a hate-filled monster to be a sinner. Everyone in this room is a sinner, including the 10 month old baby, the guy in the front wearing white, and you. Everyone here deserves to suffer the consequences of their sin. Everyone here has earned death for their sin.
But for everyone in this room – and for everyone everywhere who hears God’s Word of promise – there is grace. You can literally hear the sound of that grace right now; it’s bubbling over in the baptismal font you all walked past to be here today.
Baptism is this amazing gift that God gives us to save our lives and to change our lives. The Apostle Paul laid it out for us in Romans 6:
All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.[1]
Now, Paul packs a lot into a few words. If your eyes glazed over a bit as I read that to you, I wouldn’t blame you. Allow me to unpack it for you.
The first thing to notice is how intimately baptism binds you to Jesus. You were baptized into Christ Jesus and into his death. You were buried with him into death, so that you could be raised with him to new life. Baptism binds you to Jesus so that you become the beneficiary of everything he did for you.
I said before that the wages of sin is death, and that every one of us is guilty of sin, and therefore every one of us deserves to die. Well, we have died – in baptism, because baptism is the thing that connects you to the death of Jesus. When he died on the cross, he sacrificed his perfect, sinless life for yours. He paid your debt. In baptism, God assures you that Jesus’ death paid for your sins.
And after Jesus died, he was buried. For three days he stayed in that tomb, but when Easter morning dawned, he rose from the dead a completely different person. He wasn’t meek anymore; he was mighty, because he was done bearing the burden of your sin. He buried that sin in the grave and left it there.
Baptism is the thing that connects you to Jesus’ burial. It was a happy accident in our church architecture that the basin for our baptismal font looks vaguely like a coffin. It wasn’t intentional, but it fits this imagery very well. In baptism, we were buried with Christ and our sins were buried too. That’s why we have this tradition of stones with our baptismal date engraved on them forever “buried” in the waters of baptism. You can rest in peace, knowing that God does not count your sins against you anymore, because in baptism, you were buried with Jesus.
And after Jesus was buried, he rose to new life. That’s your daily reality too. The remembrance of your baptism gives you the ability to wake up every day and say, “I have died to sin; how can I live in it any longer?” “I know that my old self was crucified with Christ; I’ve been set free from sin.” “I consider myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Baptism gives you a whole new lease on life. It’s not a second chance. It’s not a do-over or a clean slate, as if from now on you have to try to be perfect. Boy, if that were the case, we’d be conducting baptisms all day, every day. No, baptism gives you a new lease on life, a new perspective and a new purpose.
Your goal isn’t to be perfect. That’s what Jesus did for you. Your goal isn’t to be good enough to get into heaven. That’s God guarantee to you by grace. Your goal is to be alive to God, to live for him, to let your life be changed by what God did for you in your baptism, to let your life be changed by being connected to Christ.
That’s the new life that Paul talks about in Romans 6. It’ll look different for each of us. We each have our own pet sins that we will struggle to set aside. We each have spiritual gifts and God-given opportunities that are unique to each of us. So, the new life that is ours in baptism isn’t always going to look the same, but there are some things about that new life that are universal – coming together regularly for worship, studying God’s Word together to grow our faith, working together to spread that life-saving, life-changing Gospel with others, celebrating gifts of God’s grace like baptism together.
Baptism binds us together with Jesus and makes us beneficiaries of his life, death and resurrection; in baptism, we receive the benefits of forgiveness for our sins, a new lease on life here in this world, and eternal life with him forever in heaven.
If you have a stone with your name on it in our baptismal font, wonderful! I rejoice to know that we get to share this precious promise together every week as we gather together as a church family. If you were baptized somewhere else and don’t even know when, wonderful! You are still a child of God, bound to Christ and a beneficiary of his grace. If you haven’t been baptized yet, I know a guy. He’d be willing to baptize you today if you wanted, or to talk about it, at least, for some day in the future.
Whoever you are, whatever your story, baptism is for you. Baptism saves lives and changes lives. It binds you to Christ, buries your sin in his grave, and frees you to live for God. May God strengthen you to live in your baptismal grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you. Amen.
[1] Romans 6:3,4
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Matthew 2:1-12
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Unraveling the Mystery of the MagiIf I were James Cameron, I know exactly how I direct the opening scene of a Magi movie based on Matthew 2. The camera fades from black to an empty room. It’s ancient, dusty, dingy. On every wall there are floor to ceiling shelves packed full of scrolls and books and rolled up pieces of leather with writing on every inch. As the camera pans through the room, it circles around a table in the middle with more papers piled high, but one scrap carefully laid out on top. It's covered with characters you’ve never seen before from a language long since forgotten, and then superimposed on the screen in Papyrus font are words setting the scene:
A forgotten prophecy
Strange lights in the sky
3 men willing to risk it all to unravel the mystery
It’s probably a good thing I’m not a movie director. I think I’ll stick to my pastor gig. But I will stand by my contention that this story would make a compelling movie. There’s mystery and drama, a sociopathic tyrant and exotic people from far-flung locations traveling halfway around their known world to find the one thing that will change their lives forever. There is a certain mystique about the Magi.
Matthew doesn’t waste any time introducing them to us. Here is all of the background, biographical detail that Matthew brings to the table:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.[1]
That’s it! That’s everything. Matthew doesn’t even tell you what a Magi is. Allow me.
You might know the Magi by another name. We often call them the Wise Men. That’s what they were. They were wise guys. They were the intellectual elite. They were scientists and astronomers. They were anthropologists and dieticians. They were historians and the king’s most trusted advisors. If you had a question about anything – physical, historical, biological, spiritual – you’d go to the Magi for answers.
Only, in Matthew’s story, it was the Magi who were asking the questions. Apparently there was a mystery that sat unsolved for 700 years on the shelves of the wisest men in the east. It told of a very special king whose life and reign would change the world and whose birth would be accompanied by some strange signs in the sky.
This is where it gets interesting. The Magi were easterners; they weren’t Israelites. Why would they care about the king of the Jews? What was this star that so captured their attention? They were accomplished astronomers. They had seen it all, and charted it all for centuries, but this was something new. Something no one had ever seen before. And how was it that these foreigners had a prophecy about an Israelite king when not even the Israelites knew about that prophecy? It’s not anywhere on the pages of Scripture.
And yet, these mysterious Magi believed in that prophecy so completely that they were willing to leave their homes behind, embark on a months’ long journey, cross a desert without even knowing where they were going. They had a fragment of knowledge – a piece of a promise – but it was enough for them to drop everything, pack up their costliest treasures and travel to Jerusalem looking for answers.
“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”[2]
King Herod didn’t know how to answer that question, but the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law did: “In Bethlehem in Judea,”[3] they said, and then they quoted a prophecy that is plain as day from the pages of Micah.
It’s interesting, isn’t it? The chief priests and teachers of the law had so much information, but they did so little with it. The Magi had a fragment of a prophecy, and it inspired them to incredible acts of blind faith. The chief priests and teachers of the law had books and books of prophecy, but they couldn’t even muster up an ounce of curiosity, let alone faith.
Brothers and sisters, there’s a warning there for us. You have pages and pages of prophecy. You have the entire revealed will of God in black and white (and sometimes red). You have promises in Scripture of forgiveness and salvation and eternal life. We just celebrated the 2027th anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Are you still so moved by the message that you are privileged to hear week after week that you are willing to drop everything and pack up your treasures and worship him at all costs like the Magi did? Or has the novelty worn off for you? Has your enthusiasm cooled into a matter of mild habit?
Look at what the Magi did when they found Jesus:
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.[4]
Literally, in Greek, Matthew says, “They rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy.” Honestly, it’s comical how many adjectives and adverbs Matthew piles together to express the Magi’s excitement. Overjoyed barely scratches the surface of how happy they felt.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.[5]
Again, literally, in Greek, Matthew says, “They fell down and worshiped him.” I don’t imagine this as some stodgy, solemn, ceremonial gesture. I imagine this as the kind of plop that leaves bruises on your knees.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.[6]
This was not a small thing. This was the biggest moment in their entire lives, and they were prepared to show it. These foreigners traveled for months and brought extravagant gifts to match their enthusiasm to meet the one who had been born king of the Jews, because in their hearts they knew that he was their King too.
And here’s the truth about the story of the Magi. In my Bible, this section of Scripture is called The Visit of the Magi, but the real headline is in the first four words:
After Jesus was born.[7]
That’s the story! That’s the headline! We’re two full weeks out from Christmas, but this is still the reason for the season – Jesus was born!
Jesus was the subject of that prophecy. Jesus was the object of centuries of prayer. And not just in Jerusalem, but in the far-flung corners of the world where pockets of believers still clung to pieces of promises that God had made about a Saviour, about a King. As fascinating as the Magi are, this story isn’t about them. It’s about the one who motivated them to migrate across a desert, to fall on their knees and present him with precious treasures.
I don’t imagine that the Magi had any idea how fitting those gifts would be, but by God’s design they were perfect. In their minds, I’m sure that they were just giving the best that they had to give, but as we look at these gifts knowing how this baby’s life would end, I couldn’t have handpicked anything better.
Gold – it’s precious and pricey, a gift fit for a king. That’s what Jesus was prophesied and born to be. Not a king to challenge someone like Herod for the throne of a tiny kingdom like Israel, but our true and heavenly king. The Lord of the universe, who sits at the right hand of his Father in a position of power and authority, ruling over all things for the good of those who love him.
Incense – it was vital to the Israelites’ life of worship. They would light incense in the Temple and its fragrant aroma would serve as symbol of our prayers rising like smoke to the throne of our God in heaven. Jesus is more than a king. He is God. He is worthy of our worship and praise. He hears and answers our prayers.
Myrrh – it was a fragrant perfume most often associated with death. Myrrh is a reminder of Jesus’ mortality. King and God though he is, he was born of a woman and destined to die, and all for you.
Jesus loved you so much that he made the Magi’s pilgrimage look measly by comparison. He went from heaven to earth for you. He went from life to death for you. Jesus loved you so much that he made the Magi’s gifts look paltry. He didn’t give you precious metals or fragrant perfumes. He poured out his holy, precious blood on a cross and offered up his innocent suffering and death as the sacrifice for your sins. For the times when your enthusiasm for him grows cold, he gave his life to forgive you, to give you the promise of life and peace with him forever in heaven.
That’s what this story is all about. It’s not about the mystique or the mystery of the Magi. It’s about the one they came to worship, the Christ who came to be your Saviour, God and King too, who gave his life to forgive your sin, who rules over all things for your good, who is more than worthy of your worship and praise.
The only mystery worth solving, then, is not what the star looked like or where the Wise Men came from or what their names were. The only mystery worth solving is how you are going to respond, how you can maintain the excitement and enthusiasm of Christmas every day of your life. The first words of Matthew 2 could be the first words of our diary every day: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem…[8]
Now, I’m not suggesting that you need to liquidate your assets and drop a couple bags of gold in the offering box every week. You don’t have to make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to show your love for your Lord. But there are many ways that you can fall on your knees and worship him. You have many alternatives to gold, frankincense and myrrh at your disposal to show your gratitude and express your marvel at the birth of your Saviour.
Maybe for you it’s telling the little children the stories of Jesus and his love. Maybe for you it’s picking up a phone and calling that member who hasn’t been in church in a month or more and just asking, “How’s it going?” We still need two qualified men to serve on our council to make sure that as a congregation we’re doing everything we can to share the Gospel.
Whatever it is, may God give you the same measure of marvel as the Magi. May God fill your heart with a faith that takes action, that takes what’s been given to you and gives back to him, that sees the child in the manger and rejoices with an exceedingly great joy every day that Jesus is your Saviour, God and King.
There are many mysteries about the Magi. There is no mystery about what motivated them. It was Jesus, always Jesus, only Jesus. May he motivate you, today and every day. Amen.
[1] Matthew 2:1
[2] Matthew 2:2
[3] Matthew 2:5
[4] Matthew 2:10
[5] Matthew 2:11
[6] Matthew 2:11
[7] Matthew 2:1
[8] Matthew 2:1
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Isaiah 35:1-10
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
What Can God Do for You? What if I told you that by drinking a simple glass of hot water with a dollop of honey and a lemon wedge 25 minutes before you go to bed, and if you do that every night for a month, you could lose 10lbs off your midsection, your teeth would be 3 shades whiter, your hair would be fuller, your skin clearer, your mind sharper, your gut healthier and your mood improved? Would you believe me? Maybe the better question: even if you didn’t believe me, would you still try it in the hope that some of those claims might be true?
We live in a commercial world with all kinds of products that make all kinds of claims. We are accustomed to people making promises they can’t possibly keep just to get us to support their campaign or their cause. Sometimes our skepticism is on high alert and we don’t believe a word of what they say. Other times the situation seems so desperate that we can’t help but believe in the hope that some of it might prove to be true.
Isaiah made some pretty bold claims in our First Reading today. Without rereading the entire chapter, here’s a summary:
· the desert will become a paradise
· the weak will become strong
· the disabled will become able-bodied
· the needy will be satisfied
· the righteous will be vindicated, and
· the vulnerable will be safe
If Isaiah were hosting a late-night infomercial and the toll-free number scrolled across the bottom of the screen, would you pick up the phone? Are you buying what Isaiah is selling here? Or does this all sound too good to be true?
I was told from a young age that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is. And while that may apply for products like the Shamwow and Flexseal, it is certainly not true of the promises that God makes you. And what Isaiah says here is only the tip of the iceberg.
All this leads me to ask a question that I believe is central not only to this chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, but also to the season of Advent – and even to the entirety of the Christian faith – what can God do for you? What problems are you hoping that God will solve for you?
Are you watching or listening to this service from home right now because you’re physically unable to get out of bed or out of the hospital or your long-term care facility? Are you on your second round of treatment, praying that this one is going to do the trick and you won’t have to go through it ever again? Are you struggling with depression or anxiety? Are you having a hard time fitting in or finding your place in the world? Are things a little leaner this year than you’d like them to be?
Whatever your problem, God promises that he can and will make it all go away. He has one answer for all that ails you, and even our Sunday School students could tell you his name. It’s Jesus, the long-promised Saviour of the world, our Messiah.
Millions of people over the course of many millennia have put their hope in him. Adam and Eve did when they were kicked out of the garden and faced the prospect of living outside of paradise for the first time in their lives. Noah and his family did when the wickedness of the world around them grew so great that God destroyed all but 8 people on the entire planet. Jacob and his family put their hope in the Messiah after they had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Daniel and the three men in the fiery furnace did too, when they had been carried off into captivity after watching their home be destroyed.
For thousands of years before the first Christmas people put their hope in promises like this from prophets like Isaiah:
· the desert will become a paradise
· the weak will become strong
· the disabled will become able-bodied
· the needy will be satisfied
· the righteous will be vindicated, and
· the vulnerable will be safe
You can understand the excitement when Jesus began ticking off those boxes. We heard it in our Gospel today. When John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus and asked,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”[1]
Jesus was referring to this promise from Isaiah’s prophecy! When Jesus was going around performing miracles, he was fulfilling the promises God had made about the Messiah! He was giving people hope that he was Saviour that they had been waiting for.
Some people got really excited about this and started scanning the headlines everyday to see when Jesus would finally overthrow the Romans. They organized rallies for him in Galilee, they threw him a parade on Palm Sunday. But their hopes were dashed when the Romans were the ones who overthrew him, when he stood powerlessly before Pontius Pilate and was sentenced to a cruel and humiliating death on a cross. Some of the people who were so pumped up for him on Palm Sunday went home deflated when they saw him “defeated.” “He can’t be the Messiah! There is still danger. There is still fear. These promises from Isaiah haven’t been fulfilled.”
Even John the Baptist – unquestionably Jesus’ biggest supporter – seemed to have his doubts. He’s the one who sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”[2] He remembered Isaiah’s promise that the Messiah would “proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”[3] but there John was in prison and there was no freedom in sight. In fact, I don’t know that he knew it yet, but John would never taste freedom again. He was soon to be beheaded by King Herod.
Millions of people over the course of many millennia put their hope in Jesus as the Messiah, but when he didn’t usher in this paradise, this strength and health and safety, they doubted or grew discouraged.
How do you feel? Jesus came 2,000 years ago. 2,000 years ago, he said from the cross, “It is finished” – referring to the work his Father had sent him to do. Does it feel like it? Do you feel safe and strong and healthy, free of fear and danger? Are you wondering when you get to walk on the Highway of Holiness where there are no wicked or violent, ravenous beasts?
I want you to understand this: Jesus is not your made-to-order Messiah. You don’t get to decide what God will do for you. Some have tried, but they have all been disappointed and many have given up and walked away.
I don’t want you to give up, because even though Jesus is not your made-to-order Messiah – even though you don’t get to decide what God will do for you – he is still your Messiah. He is still the answer to all that ails you. What you need to understand is what it is that ails you most, i.e. what enables you to be included as a beneficiary of these promises. Isaiah tells us:
Only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return.[4]
Your greatest problem is not poverty, weakness, disability or danger. Those are just a symptom of a far more fatal condition. Your greatest problem is sin – a heart that fears and doubts; a heart that puts its hope in anything and everything other than the one thing that can actually help. Your greatest problem has nothing to do with your environment, your situation, or the other people in your life. It has everything to do with who and what you are – a sinner, whose thoughts, words and actions threaten to separate you from the one person who can help you forever.
Your greatest need, then, is not for health, wealth, status or safety. It is for redemption and rescue, and that’s exactly what Jesus came to give you. Sure, he performed miracles while he was here, e.g. healed incurable diseases, fed thousands, raised the dead. But his real work was done on the cross where he died to give you life; where he sacrificed himself as the payment for your sin; where he satisfied your greatest need and opened the door to a real and lasting paradise.
And that puts you in the unique position that some theologians call the “already but not yet.” We already enjoy some of these promises.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.[5]
That’s the work God did in your heart when you first heard his Word of life and forgiveness. He breathed new life into you and filled the God-shaped hole in your heart. He has given you meaning and purpose, but more than anything he’s let you know that you’re loved. And for those of us who feel like we’re running on empty or that our lives are a barren wasteland, the good news of Jesus’ love for you is like water that gushes forth in the wilderness.
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.”[6]
Our God has come. He was born at Christmas. He died on a cross to take away our sin and guilt and shame. He rose from the grave and took away our need even to fear death, because by his resurrection, we have the promise of life everlasting with him in heaven.
Our God has come, and he promises that he will come back to take us out of this world of fear and feebleness and into his eternal home.
A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.[7]
We may not be completely free from fools in this world. There are still violent beasts who seek to do us harm. But we have a fellowship here of the family of God. Not all is lost. We have fellow Christians who walk on this way with us, who can support and encourage and understand us when life gets hard, who can defend and uplift us when we feel beaten down. We are a collection of the redeemed, those who have been rescued from our sins, whose Lord will return.
We look forward to the day when sorrow and sighing will flee away[8] – we look forward to the perfect paradise of heaven – but that doesn’t stop us from singing today. We live in the “already but not yet.” We know these blessings in part right now; we will know them in full when Jesus returns. He may not be our made-to-order Messiah, we may have to endure trials with patience, our sickness, sadness, struggles may never go away this side of heaven, but Jesus is still the answer to all that ails us. We have temporary relief and comfort in his promises today. We have hope in a problem-free future forever in heaven.
What can God do for you? He gave you Jesus, your Saviour from sin, your hope for heaven, today, tomorrow and forever. He is not too good to be true. He is exactly as advertised and so much more. He has already fulfilled some of these prophecies; he will fulfill them all when he comes again in the End. Even when the doubts and fear creep in, God give you a heart that puts its hope in him. Amen.
[1] Matthew 11:3-5
[2] Matthew 11:3
[3] Isaiah 61:1
[4] Isaiah 35:9,10
[5] Isaiah 35:1
[6] Isaiah 35:3,4
[7] Isaiah 35:8
[8] Isaiah 35:10
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Isaiah 11:1-10
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Jesus Is the Best Kind of JudgeCan you finish this lyric?
He sees you when you’re ________.
You know, when you really think about these light-hearted Christmas melodies that you hear on the radio or that populate your Spotify playlist, they can be kind of creepy. There’s this guy with a beard who watches you while you’re sleeping. He knows things about you that no one else does, including your deepest darkest secrets. He makes a judgment call based on your behaviour to decide whether you will get rewarded or punished. Santa is creepy!
And yet – as much as this is most definitely not a sermon to endorse Santa – some of those North Pole themes sound eerily similar to the kinds of things we hear about Jesus. This is what Isaiah said about Jesus in chapter 11 of his prophecy:
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.[1]
As much as we like to spend these days leading up to Christmas picturing Jesus as that gentle baby lying in the manger, the season of Advent reminds us that that’s only part of the picture and this prophecy from Isaiah is a great example.
Isaiah wrote these words 700 years before Jesus was born. By God’s direction, Isaiah was preparing the people for the arrival of Jesus. The thing is, from Isaiah’s perspective, he sees the whole picture of who Jesus would be like a mountain range in the distance. You can see peaks and valleys and all of them all at once, but, from a distance, it can be difficult to differentiate between them or to know which peak is closer and which one is farther away. You can’t know that until you get closer to them.
From Isaiah’s perspective, he sees all of who Jesus would be all at once. What Isaiah didn’t – and couldn’t – know was that Jesus was going to come to earth not once but twice. The first time, of course, was when he was born in a barn outside of Bethlehem. Jesus’ first coming was at Christmas.
What Isaiah didn’t – and couldn’t – know was that long after Jesus lived and died and rose again and ascended into heaven, he would come again – this time not as the Saviour of the world, but as its Judge.
So, even though these words were written 700 years before Jesus who was born 2,000 years before us, these almost 3,000-year-old words were written for us, to tell us what Jesus will do when he comes again. In a word, he will come to judge.
Isaiah says:
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.[2]
At first this sounds very different than Santa, right? The song says that Santa sees you when you’re sleeping. Isaiah says that Jesus will not judge by what he sees with his eyes. But it is not as if Jesus is blind to what we do or ignorant about how we spend our time. In fact, it is the opposite.
King David once wrote:
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.[3]
God knows everything about you. There are two ways to understand what Isaiah says here then (He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears[4]). The first is what David brings up: not only can God see what you do, he can perceive your thoughts and know what is in your heart to speak before you can even get your mouth to form the words. In other words, God can see what is in your heart.
So, imagine this. There is a time coming when Jesus will come to judge you. Isaiah warns us what the verdict will be for those who are found guilty:
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.[5]
This is far worse than a lump of coal. This is the death penalty. We’re talking an eternity in hell. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Jesus is coming to judge you, and he knows everything you do. He knows the lies you tell, the time you waste, the people you mistreat (whether to their face or behind their back). He knows the things you do in secret, the things that nobody else knows that you think you’re getting away with. He even knows the evil thoughts and attitudes that lurk in your heart even when you’re doing the right thing.
You remember how when you were a kid and you got into a fight with your brother or sister your parents would make you say, “I’m sorry,” to each other, so, you’d grumble those words between clenched teeth and with fire in your eyes? Your parents could see right through you. They knew you weren’t sincere.
Our hearts are even more transparent to the Lord. He knows when there’s bitterness in there; when we’re angry or resentful; when we just don’t care about how our words or actions affect other people; when we lust after and covet all the things that we can’t and shouldn’t have. He knows it all.
That’s one way to understand Isaiah when he says,
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.[6]
In other words, Jesus’ perception goes beyond what he can see. His understanding is deeper than all that he can hear. He knows it all – every secret sin, every ounce of guilt, every source of shame.
That’s kind of scary, isn’t it? That’s a different picture of Jesus than the baby in a manger. But it’s the same person. And there’s another way to understand these words. It is true that Jesus knows everything that you think, say, and do. But he knows even more than that, including all the things that he has thought, said, and done for you.
It is strange, sometimes, to prepare for Christmas by thinking about Judgment Day, but it is important. It was precisely because of Judgment Day that Jesus was born at Christmas. He was born to be your Saviour from sin, to have the Spirit of the Lord rest on him – to be filled with wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, the knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Jesus understood the cosmic calculus of sin. He knew that the wages of sin is death, that the soul who sins is the one who should die; but he also knew that God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. There is nothing that you or I can do to undo any of the wicked, hurtful, wrong things that we do. But there is one thing that Jesus could – and did – do for you: he was born at Christmas for the sole purpose of dying on a cross in your place. He offered his life as a substitutionary sacrifice for you. He washed all your sins and guilt away by the blood he poured out for you.
So, when Isaiah says, He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears,[7] he means that your behaviour does not determine your final destination. What Jesus did for you does. And because Jesus died for you, you get to look forward to a day when the wolf will live with the lamb, and when the leopard will lie down with the goat.[8] You get to look forward to a day of true and eternal peace in the resting place of the God who loves you enough to sacrifice his Son to save you. Who better to be your Judge than the one who was born to give his life for you so that you could live with him forever?
He is the one, Isaiah says, who will judge the needy with righteousness and who will give decisions for the poor of the earth with justice.[9] If you go through life thinking that your name deserves to be on the nice list, that you could survive the scrutiny of the all-knowing God without him finding any sin, then you have every reason to fear this judge. But if you know that you truly belong on the naughty list – if you recognize how much help you need, how spiritually poor you are – and if you turn to the Lord for that help, he will judge you on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and grant you justice on the basis of his faithfulness to you.
The good news is that we do not have to keep a tally of all the right and wrong things that we do. We thank God that he does not keep a record of our sins. But this season is still about repentance. It’s about preparing our hearts for Jesus to come again. That means coming to him to find our peace (going to church, personal devotions, prayer life at home) and turning from sin to live in righteousness.
That’s what Advent is all about. It’s not about a jolly old fat man who watches you while you sleep. It’s about your eternal Judge who loved you enough to be your Saviour. Don’t be afraid of his judgment. Repent of your sin. Put your selfish thoughts and actions behind you. But put your hope in the Lord. Rally to the “Root of Jesse” and find your rest in him. Amen.
[1] Isaiah 11:3,4
[2] Isaiah 11:3
[3] Psalm 139:2-4
[4] Isaiah 11:3
[5] Isaiah 11:4
[6] Isaiah 11:3
[7] Isaiah 11:3
[8] Isaiah 11:6
[9] Isaiah 11:4
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Sometimes in the season of Advent we like to pretend as if we are still waiting for Jesus to come. We try to scrub our brains of the memory of his birth and relive the excitement again. There’s something to that. There’s value in understanding what Jesus’ birth meant in the moment. But that’s not what Advent means for you and me today, 2,000 years after Christ. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about what Advent means for your life today.
Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the "Hall of Faith." It is filled with legends in Christian tradition. It is both inspirational and humbling. As much as I may want to be like these people, I can't help but realize that my name doesn't belong next to theirs. Or does it? At the end of Hebrews 11 - after listing out a litany of legends - the writer to the Hebrews says something amazing: God planned something even better for us. Listen to this week's sermon to see how you stack up with these heroes of faith, and exactly what it is that God gave you that's even better than anything he gave to them.
Which is more likely - a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, or a rich person to go to heaven? As harsh as it may sound, especially coming from our Saviour, Jesus says that it's harder to do anything to get into heaven. In fact, he says it is impossible... with man. But what is impossible for us is made possible by Jesus. We will never be able to do anything to earn eternal life, but that won't stop us from inheriting it by Jesus' grace. Listen to this week's sermon to hear about some of the many impossible things Jesus did and still does for us in love.
Would you rather hope that you’ll have chicken wings for dinner tonight, or know that you will? Would you rather wish that your mother would get better and come home from the hospital, or know that she will? Of course, you’d rather know! There is certainty with knowledge. Knowledge can give you conviction and courage and confidence. Knowledge can empower and embolden you. But it all depends on what you know. This week we look at 3 "know" statements from 1 John 5 and in them find true confidence for right now and forever.
We don't often think about Noah at Thanksgiving, but his reaction to leaving the ark - after a year and 17 days cooped up inside! - can teach us a thing or two about gratitude.
Your service to God doesn’t have match David’s piles of precious metals and stones, but your service to God can equal or exceed even his thankfulness and praise, because of all the good that God has done for you, whether that’s material wealth, physical health, professional success, personal happiness, or none of the above. Even if you have none of those things, you still have a God who gave his Son for a sinner like you, so that when you ask, “Who am I?” it is not with a sense of guilt or gloom, but with a spirit of thankfulness and joy.
Who are you? You are someone God loves. You are someone God has saved. You are someone God has blessed. You are someone qualified and motivated to serve.
If you had 100 sheep and lost 1, would you leave the 99 in the open country to chase after the 1 wayward one? We are often comfortable with a certain margin of error. Some losses, while unfortunate, are nevertheless acceptable. 1 loss, let alone 1% is usually not a big deal. But it is to God. Listen to this week's sermon to hear what God does because he thinks you're worth it.
Why do we end every prayer the same way? What does "Amen" mean anyway? It's more than just a churchy way to say, "The end." It's actually a confident way to pray, "Yes! I believe!" Listen to this week's sermon to hear what gives us the confidence to pray to God with such certainty.
What would a world without evil look like? It'd be heaven on earth - a modern-day Garden of Eden. Of course, that's not the world we live in. There are many evils that we face day after day. Listen to this week's sermon to learn how God answers our prayer, "Deliver us from evil."
How are temptations like magpies? There are so many of them. They're everywhere. At just about any moment in time you can look out your window and count 1 or 2 or 19 of them. And, while you may successfully scare them off one day, they'll inevitably be back the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Listen to this week's sermon to hear what God did about temptation and what he wants us to do with them too.
What does God want? How could we possibly know? It's not like we can read his mind. Thankfully, he reveals, at least portions of, his will to us in his Word, and there he also teaches us how his will gets done in our lives.
God does not walk the streets of St. Albert, but you. God does not have a social media profile or a Twitter handle, but you do. For many people, the first impression they have of God is you, a Christian who carries God's name with you wherever you go. What you say and do has a big impact on the reputation of God's name. That's why the first petition that Jesus teaches us to pray is, "Hallowed be thy name." Listen to this week's sermon for more.
Why is it fitting to call God our Father? How does he behave like our Father? How should we behave as his children? Listen to this week's sermon to learn more.
Luke 11:1-10
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Prayer Is a PrivilegeSo, I warned you that during this new worship series I’d be leaning on you for some more interaction during these sermon/Bible study hybrids. Well, I want to hear your voices right away. I have a bit of a quiz for you: Name that Emoji! I’m going to show you 4 hand-themed emojis and I want you to tell me what they mean. If you sent this in a text message, what would you be trying to communicate?
Here’s your first one:
What does this emoji mean? “Hi.”
How about this one:
“Love”
And this one?
“OK”
And here’s the last one, which can be a little tricky:
“Prayer” Now, there’s some controversy about whether this is supposed to be prayer, or a high five, but I can send you the definitive, scholarly articles debunking the whole high five myth. This is the emoji for prayer. If you were to send this emoji to your friends – whether they’re Christian or not – chances are that they would immediately understand what this is.
That’s the interesting thing about prayer. It’s ubiquitous; it’s everywhere. People of just about every culture and background may not be able to write a dictionary definition for prayer, but they would be able to recognize it when they see it. Now, they may need some explanation, information, guidance, but even in our increasingly post-Christian world, prayer is still pretty common knowledge; and even in thoroughly Christian circles explanation, information and guidance are still very much needed.
We heard it a moment ago in Luke’s Gospel:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”[1]
Even Jesus’ own disciples – his inner circle – needed explanation, information and guidance for prayer, and so do we. That’s why for the next 9 weeks our focus in worship will not only be prayer in general, but the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray.
I gave you some sermon notes pages. If you grabbed a bulletin, there was one inside. If you didn’t grab a bulletin, they were still available to you from our service team today. We’ll use these as the basic outline for our conversation today (and throughout this series), and you can see that the first question on the page is a simple one: What is prayer?
Let’s read a few Bible passages that describe prayer before we try to define it:
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.[2]
Have you ever noticed that at the start of every single worship service, while the bells are still ringing, I stop and pause and face the altar for a minute? I’m praying these words from Psalm 19. It’s a good way for any of us to approach a worship service. How does King David describe prayer here in Psalm 19?
It can be something spoken or just thought in your mind or felt in your heart.
How about another Psalm of David?
Trust in God at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.[3]
How does David describe prayer here?
It’s a pouring out of the heart. Prayer is pouring out our soul to God. If we have fears, concerns, worries, we can unload them on God. If we have joy and happiness and gratitude in our hearts, we can raise them up to the Lord. Whatever we are thinking or feeling we can communicate to our God in prayer.
Which leads us to the dictionary definition you would find in the back of your Small Catechism:
Prayer is an act of worship in which we speak to God from our hearts.
It’s a simple thing, right? Prayer is the way that we talk to God. But there’s a whole lot more to prayer than just blurting out your unfiltered thoughts to the Lord. Prayer is a command God gives us. He says:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and faithful.[4]
How should we approach prayer? With devotion and diligence and faithfulness. Prayer is not something God wants us to do willy-nilly, whenever we feel like it or remember to. He commands us to be devoted and watchful and faithful, to make it a regular practice we do intentionally and purposefully.
Or how about what Samuel says:
“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.”[5]
What would Samuel call a failure to pray? A sin. Prayer is a command of God, not to be taken lightly but to be obeyed.
And yet, that command is not burdensome. It’s a privilege and a joy, a gracious invitation from our God:
Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.[6]
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.[7]
What does God invite you to do with prayer? To turn to him in time of need, to unburden yourself from your cares and worries, to rely on him to get you through your most challenging moments in life.
Yes, prayer is “speaking to God from the heart.” But it’s more than that. It’s a command of God we are meant to faithfully obey, and an invitation we gratefully accept because of the promises God makes us.
I’m going to read a series of passages for you now, and, as you can see on your sermon notes page, we can think of them from both a negative and a positive perspective. As I read them, I want you to think about how you can fill in these blanks, but not only that. I also want you to think about why these passages give you confidence to pray to God at all:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.[8]
God never _ignores us_. God always _hears us_.
Now why would that promise give you confidence to pray to God? Because in prayer, you’re not talking to a brick wall. You’re not voicing your fears to the void. You have an audience who wants to hear from you and promises to hear you.
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?[9]
God never _lies_. God always _keeps his promises_.
Why would this promise give you confidence to pray to God? Because he’s trustworthy. You can count on him to tell the truth and you can rely on him to keep his promises. He’s not a hypocrite like we can often be. He doesn’t make promises he doesn’t or can’t keep. He’s steadfast and dependable.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”[10]
God never _withholds good from us_. God always _gives good gifts_.
Why would this promise give you confidence to pray to God? He’s so much more than just a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen. He can actually do something for you, and what he does for you is always good.
That’s why we should pray to God! He always hears us, always keeps his promises, always gives us good things. That’s why we should pray to God.
But now for a harder question. Why should God listen to us?
The short answer is, he shouldn’t. Consider Isaiah’s warning in chapter 59:
Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.[11]
What could prevent God from hearing our prayers? Our sin. It’s not an inability on God’s part or a failure to hear. He’s not the one to blame when our prayers are not heard. We are. It’s our iniquities that separate us from God. It’s our sins that hide his face from us.
This is where it gets real. Prayer is meant to be a really happy thing – a lifeline with the Lord – but our sin can sever that cord. Isaiah even warns people who persist in their sin:
“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.”[12]
Is there a sin you persist in? Have you gotten so addicted to a substance or a secret habit that the moment your eyes see it or your lips taste it you feel powerless to do anything but disobey God? Have you given up trying to live life by God’s rules and just given in to whatever feels right in the moment? Have you made choices that have consequences that make you feel uncomfortable to be around certain people because of what you’ve said or done (or haven’t said, or haven’t done)?
Prayer is supposed to be a beautiful thing that keeps us connected to God throughout every moment of our lives, and yet our sin threatens to muddy it all up and separate us from our God forever.
And yet, God still commands and invites even sinners like us to pray to him. God had every right to turn his face from us forever, and yet his ears are still attentive to our prayers – not because of us, but because of him, as Daniel prayed in Chapter 9:
Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see… We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay.[13]
What did Daniel appeal to when he prayed to God? God’s mercy and love to forgive. And forgiveness is exactly what God sent Jesus to give us. Even though our sin separated us from him, he bridged the gap and spanned the gulf that our sin created, through his sinless Son Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to be our Saviour, to give his life as a ransom for our sin, to wash all our sin away forever. Through Jesus, God promises you:
In him we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of sins.[14]
In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.[15]
Our sins would have separated us from God forever… had it not been for Jesus, for the sacrifice he made for us on the cross, for the forgiveness he won for us through his blood. That’s mercy. That’s grace. That’s the reason you can be sure that God does listen to your prayers, despite your many sins, because God’s love for you is greater than your sin, and he wants you to be reconciled to him.
That’s one of the reasons why God invites you to pray in the first place, so that you can say with David and the many generations of sinners who have prayed before you:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.[16]
What was David appealing to when he asked God to cleanse him from his sin? His mercy and unfailing love and great compassion. That’s what you can appeal to as well. That’s the reason you can be sure that God does listen to your prayers, because he loves you and has forgiven you, because your God is merciful and gracious and compassionate.
Why should God listen to our prayers? He shouldn’t, but he does because he loves you.
So, because God loves you, because he commands and invites you to pray, because he makes all these promises about prayer, how should we pray? Let’s take one last look at Luke’s Gospel today. Jesus tells a parable about one friend going to another friend at an ungodly hour of the night to ask for 3 loaves of bread for a guest popped in. The guy with the bread doesn’t sound thrilled at the prospect, but then Jesus says:
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.[17]
In other words, even if your friendship isn’t strong enough to get your buddy out of bed, your boldness will. The good news is, God loves you even more than your best friend does and God’s love for you would cause him to leap out of bed for you at the first knock on his door. But as Jesus says later, you still have to knock:
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”[18]
Jesus wants you to be shamelessly audacious in your prayer life. Shameless – not that you have nothing to be ashamed of. There are going to be plenty of situations in your life that you need God’s help with that are entirely your fault, situations in which you have every reason to be ashamed. But you should never be too ashamed to ask, because you know who you’re asking, i.e. your compassionate and gracious God who loves you and forgives you and promises to bless you.
Jesus invites you to be audacious in your prayer life – don’t be afraid to ask God for anything, big or small, whether you think you deserve it or not. That’s for him to decide. But you can ask. Jesus gives you that permission and invitation.
Prayer is a privilege. It’s a precious gift from God, a lifeline with the Lord, a constant source of communication with your compassionate God. Don’t take it for granted. Obey God’s command. Accept his invitation. Pray with devotion and faith in your heart to the God who promises to hear and answer you according to his good will.
I mean it! Right now! There’s a space on your sermon notes page. Write your prayer there. There’s a space in our service right now. Pray for anything with shameless audacity to the God who promises to hear and answer you according to his good will. Amen.
[1] Luke 11:1
[2] Psalm 19:14
[3] Psalm 62:8
[4] Colossians 4:2
[5] 1 Samuel 12:23
[6] Psalm 50:15
[7] 1 Peter 5:7
[8] 1 John 5:14
[9] Numbers 23:19
[10] Matthew 7:9-11
[11] Isaiah 59:2
[12] Isaiah 1:15
[13] Daniel 9:18,19
[14] Ephesians 1:7
[15] Galatians 3:26
[16] Psalm 51:1,2
[17] Luke 11:8
[18] Luke 11:9
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How much is enough? That's a good question for a lot of things - money, clothes, food, recreation, etc... How much of God's Word is enough? Jesus wrestled with this same question on the night before he died. He still had so much more that he wanted to say to his disciples, but a) there wasn't enough time, and b) what they had heard from Jesus up to that point was enough, but even more c) Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how God still does that for you.
Does it ever feel like we live in a godless world? Are you ever troubled by or afraid of the troubles and dangers of this life? You're not alone. And by that, I don't just mean that other people can commiserate with you. I literally mean it. You are not alone. Jesus may be gone from this world - ascended into heaven - but he has not abandoned you. He still sends you his Holy Spirit to be with you and help you. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about the peace that Pentecost promises you.
What do you picture when you think of a kingdom? A castle, maybe? Or a throne and a crown? Jesus began and ended his public ministry speaking about the kingdom of God. But even by the end his disciples were still confused as to what his kingdom would look like. Thankfully we have his ascension to clear up any confusion. Jesus' kingdom is not a realm, but a reign.
In John's Revelation, God gives us a brief tour of what our future heavenly home will be like. In this portion of the prophecy, John highlights 3 things that will not be there and explains how their absence means joy for us today and forever.
You can literally be God's gift to humanity, but if you do not have love you are nothing and you gain nothing. That's how important love is. It's necessary for a Christian, and in 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul explains not only what love is and does, but why it's so important.
Do you have doubts and questions and fears? So did the disciples! Even after they personally witnessed Jesus' resurrection they still needed Jesus' persistent presence, and he graciously gave it to them. He gives the same to you. While you may not be able to put your finger where the nails were, like Thomas did, God gives you something he never gave Thomas or any of the disciples. God gives you his Word, written FOR YOU so that YOU may believe and have life and peace in his name.
Philippians 2:5-11In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus: The Name Above All NamesIn Greek, it’s just six letters long. In English, five. In Hebrew, only 4. And yet that two-syllable word is the name above all names, the name at which every knee shall bow. Jesus. We’ve heard his name on average once every minute since our worship service began today, and for good reason. He’s our Shepherd, our Saviour, our King. His name should be on our lips, and it should inspire praise, but it hasn’t always been that way. This morning I want to explore what Jesus’ name has meant in the past, what it means today, and what it means for our future.
Jesus. It was a name whispered with hushed excitement by the Passover pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem that year. They were excited because for the last three years Jesus had been building toward celebrity status by his powerful, sometimes controversial, public speaking, by his signs and wonders that defied logical explanation, by his challenge to the status quo and the powers that be.
That’s why their excitement was hushed and whispered. There had even been rumours that if Jesus showed his face in Jerusalem, he’d be arrested or worse, maybe even made to disappear. The Jewish leaders had threatened his life. His own disciples were publicly pleading with him not to attend the Passover. Everyone was wondering if Jesus would show. If there had been such a thing in those days, you’d have to imagine that Jesus’ name and Jesus’ face would have been plastered all over the checkout aisle tabloids, e.g. “Jesus: Messiah or Menace?” “Will Jesus Join Jerusalem Jamboree?”
As silly as those tabloids are, there’s often (sometimes only) the tiniest grain of truth to them. In this case, the rumours were true. Jesus’ name wasn’t only whispered with hushed excitement by the Passover pilgrims, it was muttered in dark corners and behind locked doors by a murderous mob of Jewish leaders. You can even imagine it as an agenda item for one of their covert councils, e.g. “What are we going to do about Jesus?”
The Jewish ruling council didn’t much care for Jesus. In fact, they had been actively searching for a way to kill him for almost 2 years.[1] And as Jesus was approaching Jerusalem this time, they had finally found their answer. Just days before his arrival, they held a furtive meeting with one of Jesus’ own disciples who had agreed to betray him. You can bet that the name Jesus was on the minds and in the mouths of those Jewish leaders.
And then the sun rose on Sunday morning. At first, they must have thought they were hearing things. All of a sudden, the name that had haunted their dreams and that they had been obsessing over for months was in the air; they could hear it with their waking ears. They went out to investigate and there was a proper parade praising that name. People waving palm branches and piling up their pullovers to provide a carpet for Jesus. The Jewish leaders couldn’t believe their ears. To them, it was like nails on a chalkboard. They even reprimanded Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” But Jesus replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”[2]
The truth is, Jesus deserved that praise. He had earned every syllable. And although the full significance of their words flew over the heads of most of the people in the crowd that day, the Apostle Paul gives us a short and simple summary of just what Jesus did to deserve every note of every song they sang.
Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage… made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.[3]
Jesus is true God from all eternity. He is almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing. He is everywhere all at once and fills every space. He had all authority and every advantage imaginable as he sat at the right hand of his Father in heaven. But Jesus didn’t view his divinity as a feather in his cap or something he was entitled to enjoy purely for his own benefit. Instead, in love, he was willing to give it all up for you. Paul says, “He made himself nothing.”
Jesus left heaven to become human. He emptied himself of the full use of his divine power and privilege. He was born of a woman and lived in this world limiting himself to the confines of a human body, choosing to suffer things that had been foreign to him, like hunger and thirst and exhaustion.
Even before we get to the next sentence of Paul’s letter, we can see something here in Jesus that is rare in this world and that we seldom see in ourselves: true, honest-to-goodness humility. Jesus had certain rights and privileges and powers, but he chose not to claim them in order that he could be a benefit to you.
It’s tax season. It’s not gaming the system or exploiting loopholes if you claim your deductions and collect your refunds. You have a right to them. But what do we often do with our rightfully earned refunds? We fund our next vacation. We pay off debt. We go out to dinner. How many of you have given away your entire refund to somebody else who needed it more and didn’t keep a cent for yourself?
Even if you have, your tax refund is a fraction of your financial resources throughout the year. Some of us don’t even factor it into our family budget, so it becomes little more than monopoly money that we get to do with whatever we want.
The point is, we might manage momentary humility and selflessness sometimes, but has any one of us ever made ourselves nothing, emptied ourselves, chosen not to use any of our powers, rights and privileges for our own benefit but have dedicated all of them in loving service for someone else? I don’t know a single person who could make that claim.
But Jesus could. Jesus did. And that’s why we praise him on Palm Sunday. He didn’t organize this parade. He didn’t orchestrate his own praise. It was freely given by people who didn’t even grasp the full gravity of their words or actions, and who certainly didn’t know what would happen later that week. But we do.
Paul goes on, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!”[4]
Jesus didn’t just give up all his powers and privileges. He gave up his life on a cross for you. For all the times you’ve selfishly claimed your rights and resources and used them solely for your own benefit, Jesus gave up everything had and was for you. For all the times you’ve prioritized service to self over service to God or others, Jesus made himself a servant to God and to you.
He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross – and there he paid the price for your sins and mine. By giving his life, he was forgiving your sins, freeing you from the eternal consequences of your actions, ridding you of all guilt and shame, and filling you with his selfless, self-sacrificing love.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[5]
The Passover pilgrims on that first Palm Sunday couldn’t have possibly predicted what would happen later that week. But you and I know, and that’s why we continue to praise his name today. We follow traditions that are thousands of years old, but with more information and therefore also more appreciation for what Christ Jesus has done and what his name means for me now and in the future.
Now I can breathlessly mouth that name in silent prayer the moment I first hear the latest piece of news from Ukraine, or from my doctor, or from the family member of a friend who just passed away. “Christ Jesus, you who gave all you are for me and for the world, provide the peace I’m missing, the peace that transcends understanding, the hope that can only come from you, but the confidence of knowing your selfless, self-sacrificing service in love for me and everyone involved.”
Now we can join together in confessing our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was so filled with love for you that he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross![6]
Now we can impress his name on our children, and teach them to love that 5-letter, 2-syllable word that means the world to everyone who believes. Now we can sing his praise, knowing that it may be too often out of tune and too seldomly done, but that one day soon every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[7]
How I look forward to that day, when the praise we give his name on days like today sounds paltry and imperfect compared to the unending hymns of praise we will sing every day and throughout all eternity in the heavenly home of Christ Jesus, the long-promised Saviour of the world, our humble but praiseworthy Lord and King. To him be all glory and honour and praise forever and ever. Amen.
[1] John 5:18
[2] Luke 19:39,40
[3] Philippians 2:6,7
[4] Philippians 2:8
[5] Philippians 2:9-11
[6] Philippians 2:8
[7] Philippians 2:10,11
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What if God gave out high school-style letter jackets for Christians? Everyone who excelled at a certain part of their faith would earn pins and medals. How many would you have? No matter how many you have, Paul would have had more. But he didn't care! It's not about how many accolades you can rack up or how much praise you receive. Our hope and confidence for the present and the future come from outside of us. As Paul put it, "a righteousness that is not my own." Listen to this week's sermon to see how Christ gives you confidence no matter how many (or few) pins and medals you might earn.
Never in the history of the whole world has there ever been a people more privileged to enjoy God's powerful presence than the Israelites. And yet, a million or more of them died very preventable deaths in the desert. The Apostle Paul warns us that if we're not careful, the same thing could happen to us. Listen to this week's sermon to learn from history so that you're not doomed to repeat it.
Normally it wouldn't be a compliment to be called a chicken. The name implies that you're scared, flighty, likely to run away at the slightest sniff of danger. But when Jesus calls you a chicken, it's the most comforting name you could be given. Listen to this week's sermon to find out why.
Luke 6:27-38
27 But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Know and Show Unnatural LoveSome of you are going to tune out what I have to say today. You’ll listen. You might even make eye contact and bob your head in understanding – you’ll get it between your ears – but when you hear what I have to say, you’ll think to yourself, “There is no way that I am going to do that.” The heart in your chest will laugh out loud, you’ll dismiss it, and you’ll move on with the rest of your day.
This is what I have to say: Love your enemies.
I mean, it’s not difficult to imagine enmity. We live in a world that is full of hostility and hatred. There were credible rumors that Russia might wage war on Ukraine this week. Our prime minister enacted the emergencies act this week, empowering local police agencies to forcibly bust up blockades and disperse people whose protest began peaceably but has become a lightning rod for hatred and violence.
There is plenty of enmity in this world, but Russia isn’t my enemy. The protesters and counter-protesters across the country in Ottawa aren’t your enemies. That’s not who Jesus is telling us to love today. He says,
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also…”[1]
Your enemy is the person who does these kinds of things to you. He’s the troll who lurks on your social media page and cuts you down every chance he gets. She’s the person you have history and bad blood with – the one you haven’t spoken to in years because you can’t stand to be in the same room with each other. It’s the neighbour girl who’s bullying your children, the brother-in-law who cheated on your sister, the contractor who cheated you out of thousands.
If you’re like me, you can name the people who have done these things to you. You might even still be able to see their faces in your mind’s eye. You might not call them your enemies or your nemeses, but that’s who they are; that’s what they’ve done to you.
Now imagine that God has gathered up all these people and put them in a police lineup. There’s a stack of files on the table in front of you listing all the ways they’ve hated and hurt you. But Jesus points at them, turns to you and says, “Love your enemies.”
Could you do it? Do you love your enemies? What would that even look like?
I’m not convinced that we always know – or are willing to admit – what love is. Let me start by telling you what love is not. Love is not a warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you look at someone. You don’t have to like someone to love them. Love isn’t just a feeling.
But love is also not just being nice to people either. You can be nice to people you don’t love at all. You can even be nice to people you hate. Love isn’t just an action.
Love is an attitude. Love starts in the heart. It’s a willful way of thinking and feeling about someone. Love does not leave room for anger or bitterness or resentment, even when that person has wronged you. The love that Jesus calls for goes beyond circumstance. It doesn’t depend on anything that anyone else does to you or for you. It isn’t nullified by hatred; it doesn’t require reciprocation. Love is a willful, intentional, unconditional attitude of the heart.
But it’s also an attitude that takes action. Love is sincere that way. It doesn’t just say the right thing, it does the right thing, regardless of whether anyone else does the right thing or not. That’s what Jesus says:
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.”[2]
In other words, God calls us to do something that runs contrary to our human nature. It’s natural to be nice to people who are nice to you. It’s unnatural to be nice to people who hate you. Enemies are not just people we don’t care for; they’re people who hurt us, who have wronged us, who have brought pain and misery into our lives. And they’re the ones God tells us to love!
But do we? Do you love your enemy? My guess is that you don’t have to search your heart long to find a grudge you’re holding onto – resentment, bitterness, anger toward someone who has legitimately hurt you. It’s only natural, but it’s still sinful, a symptom of a greater spiritual problem in our hearts.
When we cannot love our enemies, we’re sitting in judgment over them. We’re condemning them, i.e. holding their sins against them, if not with our words, at least with our hearts. But Jesus says,
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.”[3]
In other words, if we hold other people’s sins against them, and refuse to forgive them when they hurt us and love them when they hate us, then we should be held to the same standard. Then we should expect not to be forgiven when we hate and hurt other people, when we speak ill of them and give them a taste of their own medicine. Then we should be judged and condemned for our sins.
But that’s the beauty of God’s love for us. It’s not like ours. His love isn’t conditional; it doesn’t depend on whether we love him back. He doesn’t just love us when we’re loveable. He doesn’t just love us because of what we can give to him. If that were the case, he’d never love us at all!
No, God loves us in spite of us. Jesus says, “He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”[4] God is kind to you and me. That’s why he sent Jesus.
I mean, think about who’s saying this to you. It’s not me! This is not my idea. It’s Jesus. Jesus is the one who is telling you to love your enemy. And Jesus is not telling you to do anything he was unwilling to do for you.
Jesus loved his enemies. The Jewish leaders were plotting to kill him for the better part of a year. One of his own disciples had decided to betray him. And yet Jesus didn’t run away or hide from the Pharisees and Sadducees. He didn’t curse out Judas. He kept preaching and teaching to them, giving them every opportunity to change their hearts and their minds.
Even when Jesus was on trial for his life – accused of crimes he did not commit, abused at the hands of his own countrymen, nailed to a tree by callous Roman soldiers – he didn’t curse anyone, he didn’t fight back. He prayed for them! He asked his Father in heaven to forgive them, even as they were in the process of killing him!
Someone once said that forgiveness is a necessary part of love, and that to forgive someone means that you are choosing to bear all the hurt and pain yourself, to spare the person who did you wrong the guilt or shame that they deserve to feel. We don’t always do that. We want the people who hurt us to feel the pain they inflicted on us, even if they apologize. We want the person who embarrassed us, to writhe in discomfort as they beg for forgiveness. But not Jesus. That’s not God’s love for you.
Jesus chose to bear all the hurt and pain himself. He didn’t hold a stitch of it against us. In love he forgave us. He embodied everything he calls for from us. He loved his enemies. He did good to us, he blessed us, he prayed for us, even though we sinned and continue to sin against him. He was willing to give everything for you without expecting to receive anything from you in return. That’s how much God loves you.
“He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”[5]
Jesus loves you and forgives you. But he even goes beyond that. He gives you a new lease on life and a new way to look at the world.
You don’t have to scratch and claw and demand that people treat you with respect. That doesn’t make you a doormat for people to walk all over. It makes you like Christ, your Saviour, who showed you perfect love, and now invites you to reflect that love to your enemies.
You don’t have to insist on being treated properly by everybody. You can even be treated poorly and painfully. That doesn’t mean you’re losing out on the best that life has to offer. It means that you already have the best that Jesus has to offer. He says,
“Love your enemies… then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.”[6]
Our reward is our relationship with God, and there’s no better relationship that we could enjoy than being his children.
Love your enemies. It’s easier said than done, but our Saviour said and did it for you. Now may his love inspire yours in return, and may his words not fall on deaf ears, but on forgiven hearts that are ready and eager to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. Amen.
[1] Luke 6:27-29
[2] Luke 6:32,33
[3] Luke 6:37
[4] Luke 6:35
[5] Luke 6:35
[6] Luke 6:35
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Would you rather be a bush in the desert whose very life depends on every drop of moisture that falls from the sky? Or would you rather be a tree planted by a stream of water that never runs dry? When you put it like that, it doesn't sound like much of a choice. Then, why do we so often choose the bush? Jeremiah explains why in his prophecy and the answer has everything to do with where we root our hearts. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more.
If anyone should go and tell the world about Jesus, who should it be? Should it be that one friend who's gone through the crucible and has come out the other side with even stronger faith? Should it be your pastor who has literally trained for years to do just that? What about you? Why not you? The people who are the most qualified to speak about God's goodness and mercy are those who have received it themselves. Not even the angels in heaven have that kind of qualification. But you do. That's why God calls, cleanses, and commissions you to for him, so that you can bring the saving news of Jesus to those who need it most.
At our church, it's immediately obvious that baptism is a big deal. You literally have to walk around a 3,000lb baptismal font the instant you walk through the front door. We literally built the church around the font. Why? Because of 3 words that Paul wrote to his friend Titus about baptism: He saved us. Listen to this week's sermon to unpack those 3 words and see what they mean for you.
Jesus is the Light of the World that brings salvation to the ends of the earth. Listen to this Epiphany sermon to hear how he shines in you and through you.
What kinds of preparations do you still need to make before Christmas? Do you have to get the cards in the mail, the presents under the tree, cookies in the oven? While you're preparing your house and home, don't forget to prepare your heart. That's why God sent John the Baptist - to teach us how to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Listen to this week's sermon to learn how to repent and why you can rejoice this Advent season.
Some of the things God calls us to do sound silly, or sometimes even irresponsible. But the account of Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus has the power, right, wisdom, and - most importantly - the will to work through you to accomplish his purposes. Listen to this week's sermon to find out more.
Who has the most authority in your life - your parents, your partner, your premier? Who gets the most glory? Who has the most power over what you do? Sometimes it feels like life is not only out of your control, but it's out of God's too. On Christ the King Sunday we remember who the real King of kings is, and what makes Jesus different than every other king that has ever or will ever live. Catch this weeks sermon to celebrate Christ as your King now, forever and always.
We don't know much about what the future holds, but in the last words of his last prophecy to Daniel, God does reveal 4 key things that we can expect for our future. Listen to this week's sermon to find out why you have reason both for fear and confidence.
What if there was a book that recorded every single thing you did wrong, every hasty comment, every uncharitable thought?
Spoiler: There is!
And not only that, but there will also come a day when that book will opened and read aloud for everyone to hear, and God will sit in judgment over your eternal soul.
How confident would you be of a favourable verdict? What are the chances that you would escape punishment?
For Christians, we have all the confidence in the world - not because what is or isn't written in that book, but because of the one who will read it.
Listen to this week's sermon to find out where your confidence comes from.
What gives Christians confidence in the face of opposition and oppression? The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego serves as an inspiration for raising children in God's Word, persisting in faith even when circumstances aren't favourable, but above all, it is a story about putting faith in the God who saves. Listen to this week's sermon to see how all these truths apply to you today.
Sometimes when we read God's Word, especially sections like the 10 Commandments or James' epistle with all it's directions and instructions, we can come away feeling like Christianity is all about following the rules. In reality, God is not after what you can offer him by what you say or do. God is after your heart. In this week's sermon we explore a little bit more what it means to give your heart to God.
There is a big difference between what the world considers to be wise, and what God calls wise. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more.
You can't exactly hear faith by using a stethoscope, or see it by scanning your body with an MRI machine. But God has given you tools to assess the vitality of your faith. Listen to this week's sermon to find out whether your faith is dead or alive, and what you can do to resuscitate it.
What is your wealth worth to you?
Is it a safety/security thing? Is it a status symbol? Is it a way for you to do the things you love to do? Those are all very common ways to view the value of worldly wealth. The problem is that's not the value God places on the wealth he gives you. Listen to this week's sermon to hear the true value of what God gives you, and how you can use that wealth wisely.
Do you believe in Jesus? If someone challenged you to prove that, how would you? James offers one option: Do what God says you should do! James isn't writing a blueprint for how to get to heaven. He's not suggesting that we can earn God's love. He's laying out a blueprint for how to live the Christian life here on earth, and showing us how we can show gratitude for God's love. And it all starts with closing our mouths and opening our ears - being quick to listen and slow to speak. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about living the Christian life.
There is only one story about Jesus between the ages of 1 and 30. It's from the time that Jesus was still a pre-teen boy. What do you suppose a prepubescent Jesus would have spent his time and energy on? The same thing every boy (and girl... and man and woman...) should be doing - studying God's Word! The truth is, young or old, lifetime Christian or new convert, we don't always hunger for God's Word or prioritize our spiritual growth the way that Jesus did already at the age of 12. Thankfully, being a Christian isn't about being perfect; it's about being forgiven. And that's exactly what Jesus was up to in Luke 2. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about how you can be a follower of Jesus.
The pandemic has taught us many lessons. One of the most vivid and important is the truth that although we can work from home and video conference our family members even from quarantine, there is no replacement for getting together in person. It is nothing short of a gift from God - a gift that we celebrate today in all its forms, but especially the togetherness we enjoy in worship, community and service.
What's the difference between living a God-LIVED life, and living a God-LOOKING life? Ultimately it comes down to the heart. God doesn't want us to be Christians, to go to church, to give offerings, to be kind to strangers because we're supposed to. He wants us to want to do those things because we love God. God wants our heart. And God speaks to our heart through his Word - his living and enduring Word that gives life to all who hear and believe. That's why Peter motivates our good behaviour, not by guilt or shame, but by reminding us who we are - newborn babies - and by encouraging us to do what newborn babies do - crave pure spiritual milk.
What happens after we die? There is a lot of speculation, but it's impossible to know since we can't exactly ask anyone who's gone through it. But we can ask God and he has a lot to say. Listen to this week's sermon to hear the hope that you can have in the resurrection of your body and life everlasting.
It's easy to praise God the Father for what he's done. All you have to do is look out the window and marvel at his creation! As Christians, it's even easier to focus on the work that Jesus did for us. We're called after his name, after all. We wear his cross on necklaces and t-shirts. Jesus is central to everything we believe and do. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, doesn't get nearly as much attention. We can't see him or his work. And yet what he does is absolutely vital for your salvation. This week's sermon explores the Holy Spirit's work of sanctification and what that means for you.
Do you know what happens to racehorses that can't race anymore? Sadly, it's estimated that as many as 10,000 get sent to the slaughterhouses every year. But thankfully, there are people who love horses! There are entire organizations dedicated to rescuing these creatures that had been condemned. You were a lost and condemned creature once too. Not because you couldn't win the Kentucky Derby, but because you're a sinner. But the good news is that somebody loves you too. Jesus is your Redeemer. He intervened to rescue you. The major difference is that he go to an auction to buy you with money. The price for your soul was much steeper, and yet he willingly paid it, because he loves you. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about Jesus' work of redeeming you.
How did God go from seeing all that he had made and saying that it was very good, to saying of his creation, "Cursed are you..."? The answer is found in Genesis 3 and it explains not only the brokenness of the world we live in today, but also the character of God our Father. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more.
Where did this world come from? Where do humans come from? What difference does it make? Listen to this week's sermon on the First Article of the Apostles' Creed to hear how your Heavenly Father's work of creation thousands of years ago makes a world of difference for you today.
Who am I? Whether you're writing up your social media profile, or lying asleep at night in the middle of an existential crisis, defining your identity can be complicated. We're not any one thing. We're a combination of our relationships, responsibilities, and characteristics. It's complicated, but that's what makes us unique. God is complicated too. And while we can't plug him into an online personality test to define exactly who he is, we have something even better - we have his own Word. Listen to this week's sermon to learn who God is, especially as it relates to the doctrine of the Trinity.
3,000 years ago, God brought a valley full of dry bones back to life by having a prophet speak to those bones a special word from God. Today, God breathes life into your lifeless bones the same way. He sends someone to speak to you a special word of God, and then he breathes his Holy Spirit into your heart so that you may believe and live. This Pentecost Sunday, rejoice in the who and the what of the Holy Spirit that we see on display in Ezekiel 37 and in our lives to this day.
Are you happy? Ask me five minutes from now and my answer might be different. Is your joy complete? I'm not sure I ever fully feel that way. And yet, that's exactly what Jesus says he has for you - complete joy. Listen to this week's sermon for 2 keys to a joy filled life from Jesus' own mouth.
Here's a challenge for you: Try to inflate a balloon using nothing but your hands. Can you do it? Why not? That's what it's made for! It's literally designed to be inflated! So why can't you do it? Because you need a source. The same is true for Christians. You were created to do something. God made you and molded you to have the capabilities and qualities that you have. But apart from Christ, you do not possess the power to accomplish them. Listen to this sermon to find out how Jesus says you CAN produce fruit, just as you were created to do.
Fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs are meant to be cautionary tales about things like laziness. When Jesus calls us sheep and warns us about wolves prowling around his flock, he has a more serious danger in mind. Listen to this week's sermon to find out who the "Big Bad Wolf" is and why you don't have to be afraid of him.
Peace be with you. That's what Jesus said to his disciples the first time he met them after his miraculous resurrection on Easter evening. That's what Jesus gave them in answer to their fear, guilt, confusion, aimlessness, and loneliness. That's what Jesus gives you too for all those same emotions and more. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how Jesus gives you peace today.
Are you looking for hope that stands firm in the face of pandemic, unrest, insecurity or worry? Listen to this Easter sermon to learn how the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gives certain hope for uncertain times.
Do you think things would have been different if the people had known what Jesus did? Do you think the disciples would have been so quick to get him that donkey if they had known it would carry him to the city where he would die? Do you think the crowd would have paraded with him if they had known that Jesus would be dead and in the grave already by that same time the next week? Maybe they would have. But they shouldn't have. Knowing how that week would end actually makes what Jesus did on Palm Sunday even more amazing. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how even though that week wouldn't end well for Jesus, it would end well for you.
What does Jesus have in common with a kernel of wheat? How does loving your life run you the risk of losing it? Would you rather have 1 marshmallow now or 2 in 10 minutes? Listen to this week's sermon to find the answer to (most of) those questions and to hear how in God's eyes death = glory.
The Bible likes to talk about sin and grace, but what does it have to say about sin and snakes?
In this introduction to maybe the most well-known passage in the entire Bible, Jesus wants you to know what makes him like a snake, and why that's a good thing.
For centuries, Europe was the center of Christianity. Today, many of its most beautiful cathedrals stand empty and unused except maybe as a museum or historical landmark. Of course, Christianity is not completely dead in Europe, nor is Europe the only place where places of worship have forgotten their purpose. Many churches nearer to home have become little more than social halls, community service organizations, or even political weapons. Needless to say, that is NOT what God's house is for. In this week's sermon we see a story from Jesus' life where he was fired up for his Father's house and did some pretty surprising things. Join us as we consider what Jesus was so zealous for and why, as well as how we can align our passionate interests with his.
What does it mean that Jesus is your Saviour? Your Saviour from what? Student loans? Cancer? Toxic relationships?
No. Jesus is your Saviour from sin. He didn't come to sit on a throne and spoon feed you caviar and champagne. He came to die on a cross for your sin.
Similarly, Jesus doesn't call you to live in luxury, but to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him, even sharing in his suffering.
Salvation and suffering go hand in hand. Let's not get lost in a theology of glory.
Can you say, "No," to every temptation?
I can hardly say, "No," to the ice cream in the freezer I know I don't need to eat! If we don't have the willpower to deny ourselves desserts, what does that say about the deeper spiritual temptations we give in to every day? The good news, though, is that you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be penitent. This week's sermon explores the temptation of Jesus - both how he came out victorious in his duel with the devil in the desert, and how he tells us, "Repent and believe the good news!"
Every once in a while God gives us glimpses of his glory. We saw it on Moses' face after he received the 10 Commandments. We see it even more fully on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was changed in front of Peter, James, and John. This week's sermon explores the difference between the impact of seeing God's glory on each of those two mountains.
Do you ever treat Jesus like a genie in a bottle? You leave him tucked squarely away until you need him, and only then do you summon him?
That's a common temptation. But in Capernaum Jesus shows us what his real reason for coming to earth was - not to solve all our earthly problems, but to show us undying care and compassion.
What is one of your most recent or biggest regrets? What would you give for a second chance? When we score an all-too-elusive do-over, it changes the way we look at life. It puts a little pep in our step. It gives us a new lease on life. It can even help galvanize us to make sure that we don't make the same mistake twice. In this week's reading from Jonah chapter 3, we read about a couple second chances that God gave purely out of his unconditional love. And yet, while God's grace may not change, it has a way of changing lives. Listen to hear how it can change yours.
You've probably heard the claims from Millennials like me, "Millennials have it tough! When we were kids we witnessed a traumatic act of terrorism. We graduated into a great recession. And by the time we entered our 30s we had to live through a global pandemic."
Rather than arguing with us and kindly reminding us that every generation has its own struggles (like the threat of nuclear war during the childhood of Boomers, or 2 world wars and a Great Depression for the "Greatest Generation"), a better, kinder approach might be what Paul did for the Thessalonians.
They had problems of their own. But rather than play into comparisons or "comforting" them by saying, "It could be worse," Paul pointed them to the sometimes-confusing but always-comforting doctrine of election.
Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about what God's gracious election is and means for you, not matter what generation you belong to.
Why do Christians sprinkle water on babies?
At its root, baptism looks weird. But when we read God's Word, we find that it is the most wonderful promise from God - your sins have been forgiven. You may still need a bath, but all your guilt and shame has been washed away.
Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about Jesus' baptism and yours.
There are so many unanswered and unanswerable questions about the Magi's visit to Jesus. Who were they? Where did they come from? What kind of star led them there?
There are so many unknown and unknowable questions about our lives today? Why did God allow 2020 to unfold the way it did? What does 2021 have in store for us? How much longer will we have to deal with COVID?
In both cases, God doesn't give us answers - not because they're unimportant questions, but because he wants to focus our attention on his ultimate Answer, Jesus.
As we begin a new sermon series Getting to Know Jesus, listen to this week's introduction for 2 important lessons you can learn from the Magi.
What does your house look like the day after Christmas? Is it as festive with a pile of dirty dishes waiting their turn for the dishwasher, or a bag or two of crinkled wrapping paper waiting to be taken to the trash bin?
Once Christmas is over, it is easy to lose the Christmas spirit. Thankfully for Christians, the Christmas spirit doesn't live in the smell of freshly baked cookies, festively decorated houses or brightly wrapped presents. The joy of Christmas lives in the message of Jesus, which is our gift to open every day of the year.
Listen to this week's sermon to hear how Simeon and Anna kept the joy of Christmas alive in their hearts, and how you can too.
Have you ever looked at a Christmas present and, if not out loud, then at least in your mind, said, "That's it? That's all?" Sadly that happens at Christmas sometimes.
Does that ever happen when you think about Jesus? For the almighty Son of God, he didn't look like much when he was born. For our infinitely good and loving Saviour, he sure seemed absent in 2020.
After reading John 1 today, it's our prayer that instead of asking, "That's it?" you'll exclaim, "That's it! That's my Saviour! That's the answer to my prayers!"
May God bless you this Christmas and always with the greatest gift he has ever give you - your Saviour Jesus.
In a recent Gallup poll it was revealed that in every statistical category there was a demonstrable decline in excellent mental health... with one exception. In fact, this one demographic of people even saw an increase in excellent mental health in the year 2020. Can you guess which demographic that was?
People who worship weekly.
At the conclusion to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians he reminds them of that God wants them to be joyful, thankful, and faithful, and that the way God gets them there is by giving them his Spirit through the preaching of his Word.
If you want to be joyful, thankful, and faithful, try the same thing. Be diligent in devotion, willing to worship, and discerning in what you digest in this world.
Fill yourself with God's Word and know a joy that cannot be crushed by any circumstance in life - not even if Christmas gets cancelled.
You know the worst part of video conferencing? Seeing your own face.
How can you ever look away? You start to notice all the weird ticks and mannerisms you have. You become hyper aware of your hygiene and style. It's so easy to become obsessed with achieving the proper lighting and finding the best backdrop.
God's law can have that effect too, but it's not meant to inspire this endless search for the best lighting, but to help us understand our need for a Saviour. That's what John the Baptist's job was - to preach repentance, so that we can rejoice in Jesus' forgiveness.
Listen to this week's sermon to have a mirror pointed at your own heart and see how much you need Jesus.
If you could send a text message to everyone in your province, what would it say?
How about, "Watch!"?
That's what Jesus says he wants everyone to do: Watch. Keep watch. Be on guard. Be alert.
The question is, "For what, and why?" That's really the Advent question. What should we be watching for? Sale prices to go down? Travel restrictions to be lifted?
No, we should be watching for Jesus to return. Listen to this week's sermon to see how and why.
What happens when you don't much feel like clapping or shouting for joy? Music has the power to alter your mood, just like we see in Psalm 47. If you sing through these words, you'll be reminded how awesome God is because he is (1) sovereign, and (2) your Saviour. When you combine God's power and love in song, you'd be amazed how quickly your tune can change. Listen to this week's sermon for more on why the Lord Most High is so awesome.
What do you think heaven is going to be like? Will there be pizza there? Will your pets be there? Ultimately, we don't know. But what we do know is that in heaven you won't face any of the things that bring you to tears here, because Jesus is your shield. In heaven, God will shine his favor on you forever, because Jesus is your sun.
How should you prepare to meet your Maker?
Should you draw up a will? Maybe put post-it notes on all the things you want to leave to your children?
Moses gives us 3 great tips in Psalm 90. Have your post-it notes handy and listen to this week's sermon for Last Judgment Sunday - November 8, 2020.
When it feels like the world is falling apart around you, God says, "Be still and know that I am God." God is in control, even if everything is out of our control. God is all-powerful. He can silence storms and muzzle lions. But even better, God is with you. That's his promise and that's your refuge even and especially in times of trouble.
You'd think that a man who ALWAYS prays with joy EVERY time he thinks about EVERY person in a specific church - you'd think that that church would be practically perfect in every way, right? What if I told you that was the same place where Paul was thrown into prison for saving a demon-possessed slave girl and then later run out of town for fear of his life just because he was preaching about Jesus? Does that sound "practically perfect in every way"? And yet, Paul can pray that way not because of the people or the circumstance, but because of what God does for and through people in any and every circumstance. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Dakota-Montana District, we share Paul's thankfulness for what God has done for us in the past and pray with confidence in what he will continue to do through us in the future.
God waited through 36 chapters of Job arguing with his friends before speaking up, but when he does, he silences everyone with wisdom too wonderful to understand and mercy that's even greater.
Sometimes we need to be silenced so that we can finally give full attention to God. Listen to this week's sermon to remember who really is in control, and why that's a good thing.
Is a Christian allowed to question God? Is it really a function of faith to ask, "Why? Why me? Why this? Why now?" Job asked those questions, but he also made incredible confessions, and in the process Job shows us what it's like to be real, authentic Christians. Even in the midst of fear and anxiety, when we feel uncertain, we don't have to rely on our own ability to understand or stay grounded. We rely on our Redeemer. Listen to this week's sermon to hear why Job's confession is so powerful for you.
"I scratch your back. You scratch mine."
It's a fine philosophy for living with your neighbours, but does it work with God?
Job and his friends thought so -albeit from two very different perspectives. However, Elihu shows us how God breaks that paradigm and shows us an entirely different truth.
Listen to this week's sermon to see how God is really in control.
Good friends are hard to come by. A recent study showed that nearly a quarter of those surveyed had no one they could confide in, and when it came to being able to talk about "important matters," the average person only had 2 people they could talk to.
Good friends are hard to come by, which makes them precious and priceless blessings from God.
Listen to this week's sermon, not only to know what to look for in a friend, but how to BE a good friend to others.
Is there anything more precious than your family? Is there anyone who can cause you more heartache? Is there anyone who can cause you more joy? God blesses us all with family, whether that's a spouse and kids or just mother and father. And this special relationship has a major impact on your and their eternal good. Listen to this week's sermon to see how faith and family are hard to separate.
Pain presents a problem with God. If there's pain in our lives, does that mean that God doesn't have the power to prevent it? Or does it mean that God doesn't care? Those are the thoughts that often go through our heads when we suffer. But they're not the only options. As we read about God's Suffering Servant, we will see God's love on display even in painful moments we can't understand.
There are many times in life when God's plan is unclear. Why would he allow this pandemic to happen? How can cancer be for my good? How can God tolerate the foolish decisions of sinful human beings? We may not always understand God's plans (especially while they're still unfolding) but we can still praise him for them. I pray that this sermon may help you to see why.
We see so many divisions in this world. It's nothing new. Whether it was race or gender or creed or status, there has always been tension between people. Paul reminds us, however, that as Christians we have no moral high ground. We are members of God's family the same way anyone else is - purely by grace. So, ours is not to be arrogant or conceited, but humbly to mirror the love and mercy of our God to us.
When the disciples were in danger of drowning, when Peter was sinking into the sea, Jesus responded not so much with power as he did with love. There's a lesson to be learned there for us. When we are experiencing problems, God's love is more than enough to teach us true trust in him.
The presence of problems does not mean the absence of God's love. In fact, he promises you that nothing in all creation can ever separate you from his love.
How can God say that he is always working for your good when things happen in your life that feel so bad? Let me answer that question with another question: Have you ever seen the backside of a tapestry, embroidery or rug? It doesn't look so pretty, does it? But when you turn it over, it all makes sense. Every frayed, tattered, ugly thread has a place in the weaver's grand design. God tells us that he has a design - plans that he has made for you since before you were born. We don't know what that design is now, but someday we will see that what Paul says to the Romans is true: in all things God does work for the good of those who love him.
How can you know what you should pray for? Sometimes the obvious "blessings" turn out to be curses in the end, and the things we fear the most can be best for us. How can you know what to pray for? You don't have to! Because God sends his Spirit to intercede for you. Listen to this week's sermon based on Romans 8:26,27 to see why you can pray with confidence.
How many times in the last 4 months have you said something along the lines of, "I just want this to be over," or, "I just want life to go back to normal"? We have lots of legitimate reasons to moan and groan, but Paul reminds us that we still have reason for hope by using the groaning of creation as an example. Listen to this week's sermon to hear why you can have hope in something you can't even see.
There's something distinctively Christian about guilt-induced self-loathing. We have strong consciences but weak self-control. It's a recipe for disaster and despair. After spilling his guts for a paragraph and a half, Paul only needs 5 words to comfort himself. Listen to this week's sermon to find out what they are.
What would you think if a husband heard his wife's vows on their wedding day and thought, "Wow! She promised to love me no matter what? That's great! That means I can be a complete jerk to her and she has to love me anyway!" Not great. So why do we take that attitude toward God? Why do we use his love as a license for sin? And, maybe more importantly, how can we die to sin but live to God in Christ?
All it takes is one. One person can ruin a good thing for everyone. That's what Adam did by introducing sin and death into this world. We certainly have him to thank for world as we know it. But we are not without our own guilt, and the punishment that we deserve we have earned all on our own. Thankfully, God has reversed the curse of death for Adam's sin by sacrificing Jesus for our eternal life. Listen to this week's sermon based on Romans 5:12-15 to see the reversal that God has made for you.
At various points in each of our lives, God gives us the opportunity and clarity to look to the past so that we can find hope for the future and purpose for our present. These words from the Apostle Paul give us that perspective of God's personal work of reconciliation through the blood and death of Jesus.
How could a 100-year-old man hope against all odds that he and his 90-year-old wife would have a baby? It wasn't their meticulous health regimen. It wasn't modern medicine or the power of positive thinking. It was the promise that God had made them. And it's the promises of God that still enable us to have hope even in the most hopeless situations.
In our second installment of "The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time," we go back in time to look at the ark of the covenant (yes, the same one featured in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark) and see why Paul compares Jesus to its lid. There's a special connection and its a much better way for God to address our sin that winks or tears or walks in the park...
In a world suffering from a global pandemic and racially charged protests, do we have time to talk about the Trinity? Absolutely we do! Because the Trinity is much more than a footnote in a theology textbook. Knowing the Father, Son and Spirit not only gives you the tools to survive a sin-filled world, but it is essential for your salvation.
How could Jesus stand idly by and watch as Stephen was stoned to death for believing in him? What kind of Good Shepherd lets his sheep get slaughtered? Another look at Acts 6 & 7 reveals that Jesus wasn't idle at all. He was still with and watching over his messenger - and giving him reasons for hope and confidence - even while horrible things were happening to him. Are horrible things happening to you? Listen to this week's sermon to see how God still gives you comfort and confidence.
Hope can be a hard thing to come by these days, especially while some of the things that we've assumed to be automatic are put on hold - high school graduations, haircuts, hiking in provincial parks, etc... Listen to this week's sermon to hear how the resurrection restores hope to the hopeless and changes you who believe.
The first Palm Sunday worshipers said and did all the right things, but they were still so wrong. They only saw Jesus as a prophet from Galilee and maybe their future, glorious king, but certainly not their heaven-sent Savior from sin. In a world that still cries out, "Lord, save us!" and as we begin Holy Week, may we see Jesus for who he is and not for who we want him to be.
There's something about a global pandemic that makes a person painfully aware of their own mortality. What does that awareness mean for the meaning of this mortal life? Listen to this week's sermon based on Paul's letter to the Romans to find the hope that God gives you in the bodily resurrection from the dead.
How many times do you have to see an ad before you're interested? 3? 4? 7? How many times do you have to hear God's promises and purposes before you begin to understand? Sometimes it's like the words go in one ear and right out the other. But thankfully, our God is patient with us and continues to speak to us in his Word.
If God is all-powerful and truly cares about us, why would he allow something like coronavirus to happen? People have been asking similar questions for generations about Ebola, Swine Flu and SARS, about war and famine and natural disasters. Jesus' own disciples asked him the same question about a man born blind. Listen to this week's sermon to hear Jesus' explanation, and to learn what that means for us today.
What qualifies a person (or a country) for greatness? Is it a skill they've carefully cultivated or a privilege they've enjoyed? Maybe a mixture of the two? God's Word tells us that greatness is a matter of grace. We have been blessed to be called his people and have received an unparalleled blessing through his Chosen People. Listen to this week's sermon to see how you are part of the Greatest Nation on Earth.
It worked with Adam and Eve. Does it work on you? The devil implied that God was holding out on them, keeping them from enjoying certain pleasures and privileges with his restrictive commands. He'd like you to feel the same way. "God wants you to be happy, doesn't he?" "Why would he put [fill in the blank] in the world and put this desire in your heart if he doesn't want you to have it?" How will you respond to Satan's biggest lie?
Have you ever been on holiday and wanted to stay there forever? Or maybe it's just a weekend away but you don't want to come back and face reality? The Apostle Peter felt more than a little bit of that on the Mount of Transfiguration as he witnessed Jesus in all his glory. He famously exclaimed, "It is good for us to be here!" And it was. But maybe not for the reasons that Peter had in mind...
Have you ever clashed with people of a different generation over music or politics or even the use of pronouns? It turns out that one person thinks should be "common sense" isn't so common after all. That's one of the big differences between the wisdom of this age and the wisdom of our God. God's wisdom isn't trendy. It doesn't fade over time. It endures and - what's truly mysterious and amazing - in it God has destined you for glory. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how God's wisdom differs from the world and why that's a good thing.
It's basic, but don't call it boring. It's simple, but far from simplistic. The cross of Christ is ubiquitous across Christianity, but it's also a topic that couldn't be exhausted by a lifetime of preaching or study. Listen to hear why Paul - the greatest missionary in the history of the world - resolved to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.
What are the criteria for becoming a Christian? Do you have to be smart, funny, popular or powerful? Of course not! None of those things - or any other personality trait - qualifies us to be Christians. Only God's grace does. It's because of him that you are in Christ Jesus.
If it's hard to agree on what to put on a pizza, imagine how difficult it is to be "perfectly united in mind and thought" as Paul encourages for us. The question for consideration today is, how can Christians find true unity?
Just because something has been washed once, doesn't mean it will stay clean forever. Life happens. That's as true for microwaves as it is for the human soul. But one thing that is true for the soul that is not true for microwaves - or any other small appliance, for that matter - is that God will keep you blameless to the end, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
We're used to making snap decisions. Corporations spend thousands of dollars on branding and advertising for just that reason - so that you don't have to think, but can react positively to what you see. God doesn't work that way, though. He doesn't make snap decisions based on what he sees. His love for you runs deeper than that, and baptism is one of the many ways he proves it.
What's the difference between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? One way to look at it would be the difference between Jesus' humanity and his divinity. Christmas Day shows this little baby to be none other than the supreme Son of God.
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
God So Loved the WorldChristmas is such a special time of year, isn’t it? We can get a little starry-eyed with all the lights and garland and pretty decorations. Life gets a little out of balance – but in a good way – when you’re bombarded by family and friends. There are presents with your name on them, and it’s not even your birthday! And then there’s the food! The ham. The duck. The potatoes. The Brussel sprouts with bacon. The chocolate and the cookies. No work. No school. It’s almost too good to be true, like your own little fairy tale.
But it’s not all mistletoe and eggnog, is it? How long can you be in the same room as Uncle #2 without getting annoyed and angry? Maybe your Christmas tree is looking pretty bare this year and you haven’t seen a single gift with your name on it. Are you alone this Christmas – no company staying over, no party or dinner invitations? Is this your first Christmas with a notable absence around the dinner table?
As happy a time as Christmas is supposed to be, I couldn’t help but get a little down myself yesterday as I was moving all 490 pounds of our food drive donations. What a gift our neighborhood contributed to people in need! What a blessing! But the fact that there are people in that kind of need at this time of year…
I’ve heard some of your stories about loss and trial and hardship – stories I would have only expected to hear on fictional dramas. I see the anxiety and depression written on faces; I feel it in my own heart.
Christmas can sometimes feel like that fresh layer of snow – it makes everything look pretty and clean… for a couple days, until it gets trampled and dirty and gross again. The decorations are only going to be up for so long. Eventually your company will go back home. Your presents will soon lose their novelty. You’ll have to face reality again before you know it. It can all seem so fleeting, so temporary.
But there is one part of Christmas that lasts. Long after the tree is out on the curb, long after the leftovers are eaten and gone, long after the radio stations stop playing Christmas music, you can still hear about the love of your God.
We heard it a minute ago: “For God so loved the world…” That’s you! Can you believe it? The Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who can hold the whole universe in the palm of his hand, loves you.
What have you done to deserve that love? Are you a pretty good person? Good parent? Good student? Maybe. But what makes you stand out? Out of the billions of people on this planet why should God love you? Have you cured cancer? Brought peace to war-torn countries? Saved one life?
What about that guilt you carry, or the secrets you don’t want anyone to know? If your loved ones found out what you did, or if they could read some of your thoughts, would they still love you? Imagine a God who knows all things, done in dark corners and on incognito browsers. Imagine a God who can look into hearts and hear our thoughts, who can uncover every lie and compile every wrong we’ve ever done but never been caught doing.
Imagine a God who knows all things, and still loves you anyway. That’s our God! That’s the God who loves this world enough to do something about it.
You see, sin – in whatever form it takes – is evil. It’s an act of hostility against God. It makes us his enemies. Lying, cheating, stealing. Having lustful, greedy, angry thoughts. Ignoring him in our daily lives. They’re all an act rebellion against him, and yet, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”
The baby whose birth we celebrate tonight is the Son God gave. Jesus is the Savior God sent into this world to show you how much he loves you. These aren’t just words. God acted. God sacrificed everything. For you.
Can you imagine doing what God did for you? If you had a son – the apple of your eye, healthy as can be – and another parent whose own child was catatonic came up to you and begged you for your son’s liver, lungs and brain, would you give them to him? Would you sacrifice your son for a stranger? Of course not! That’s unthinkable.
Now, what if that person whose child was in danger was your arch nemesis, who fights you at every turn, who complains about you behind your back, who actively works against you? Would you sacrifice your son for his? God would. God did. For you.
He sent Jesus to be born at Christmas knowing full well what would happen to him on Good Friday, knowing that the people he was sent to save would reject and ridicule him, would crucify and kill him. God knew that Jesus would die a criminal’s death – not for crimes that he had done, but to bear your shame and guilt – but God sent him anyway, to forgive your sin and to give you eternal life.
God loved you so much that he sacrificed his own Son to save you. God loves you so much that does not hold your sin against you anymore. It’s been crucified with Jesus. Can you believe it? Jesus says you can. In fact, Jesus says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Eternal life! That’s God’s gift to you through faith in Jesus, and it’s better than any gift you’ll get this year. That’s what makes Christmas infinitely better than a fresh coat of snow, because it doesn’t just last one or two days; it’s yours forever.
Finally, that’s what this night is all about. We are here to celebrate a birth from two thousand years ago that promises us a life that will go on for endless millions of years. All because God so loved the world. All because God so loves you. Take this love with you tonight and unwrap it again and again throughout the year. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that you shall not perish but have eternal life. Amen.
Joseph doesn't get much of the attention around Christmas. Understandably, a lot of that goes to Mary and the shepherds, angels - even the "Wise Men." But it would be a mistake to ignore Joseph's role in Jesus' life, and this section of Matthew's Gospel gives us some fascinating food for thought as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth.
If the greatest man born of woman could doubt, what does that mean for weaklings like us? Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 11.
Repentance is not so much an ultimatum as it is a promise. God doesn't need you to be good or godly in this world. He could raise up stones to do his bidding, if he really wanted. But he wants you. God wants you. That's why he sent his Son for you and why that Son is coming again. So, prepare the way for him. Change your heart and your life, in eager expectation of the return of your Savior.
Matthew 24:37-44
37 “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Expect the UnexpectedDo you know what a B.O.B. is? It stands for “Bug-Out Bag.” “Preppers” put them together and stash them near an exit. It’s a bag full of the essentials in case of an emergency. So, let’s say that Montana invades Alberta. While the troops are marching through Edmonton on their way to St. Albert, you don’t have to gather a knife, rope, lighter, water, rations, first aid kit. You just grab your pre-made bag and go.
I’m not a “Prepper.” I don’t have a bunker in the backyard or a bag by the door, but I’ve sat around a campfire and discussed what I’d do if the zombie apocalypse ever happened. I know where I’d go, who I’d want to be there, what supplies I’d need.
It’s silly. I’d stake my reputation on the fact that there will never be a zombie apocalypse, and yet, talking through it and making the most improbable preparations somehow made me feel better about something I don’t even believe is going to happen.
I think back to realer threats from real history, like the fear of nuclear war. People dug fallout shelters. Schools practiced duck and cover protocol. Do you think hiding under a desk is going to help if a nuclear bomb dropped? Not much, but it sure made a lot of people feel better about it. There was at least the illusion of being prepared.
We don’t live in the 60s anymore; the threat of nuclear war is drastically lower. The threat of the zombie apocalypse is non-existent, and yet, some of us still prepare for them, while others prepare for different things. A.L.I.C.E. training goes on in schools and workplaces for “active shooter” scenarios that, God-willing, never happen. We have fire escape routes, even though in 60 years that’s never been an issue here. You can get insurance for just about conceivable act of God under the sun.
And yet, there’s one thing we know is going to happen and I’m not convinced we prepare for it enough.
Do you know how long Noah was building the ark? 120 years. Every day he set out to work on a project that for 119 years – longer than any of us have been alive – seemed unnecessary. Noah didn’t know when it was going to start to rain. There was no risk of flooding for more than a century. People laughed at him and mocked him as he prepared for an event many considered as preposterous as the zombie apocalypse. They went about their daily lives eating and drinking; they planned special events, like getting married, without a care in the world. Then, one day, Noah entered the ark.
Can you imagine being one of Noah’s neighbors? For 120 years you’ve been complaining to the home owner’s association that Noah park his ark somewhere else. You marveled at what you considered to be a colossal waste of time and resources. But then you marveled again at his diligence. He wasn’t joking. He had even gathered more animals into one place than the San Diego Zoo.
Then, in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month[1] Noah – and all those animals – got in the ark and didn’t come back out. The skies got unnaturally dark. There was a chill in the air and a shiver ran down your spine as you felt the first raindrop fall.
Jesus says, “they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”[2] That’s not entirely true, is it?[3] Noah had told them. His ark was a visible sign of the coming judgment. They had 120 years to listen. They knew, but they paid no attention.[4] They knew, but they couldn’t comprehend. And so, this entirely expected event came as a surprise.
Jesus warns us not to be likewise surprised, because his return on Judgment Day is going to come much like the Flood did on the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of Noah’s life. He didn’t have it marked out on his calendar 120 years in advance, but when that day came, he was ready. No one else was.
Another day is coming. We can’t know when, but we do know what will happen on that day. Jesus says, “Two men will be a field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”[5]
Jesus is not describing the beginning of the millennium or the rapture here. He’s describing the same thing he does one chapter later in Matthew’s Gospel. He’s describing the eternal separation of believers from unbelievers, the sheep from the goats, those who go to heaven from those who go to hell.
It’s a jarring image. In part because it will happen so suddenly and without warning. But also because it will seem so indiscriminatory, so random. Two people doing the exact same thing; one taken and the other left. One goes to heaven and the other to hell.
Jarring as this image may be, it helps us to understand a major point of God’s Word. What we spend our time doing on this earth is almost entirely immaterial when it comes to being prepared for Jesus’ return on Judgment Day. For one, other people can be doing the exact same thing and end up in the complete opposite place; one taken and the other left. And two, what Jesus commands us to do is not so much a prescribed set of actions as it is a state of being.
He says, “Keep watch,”[6] and, “be ready.”[7] Both of these commands are mostly passive, because someone else has already done all the work for you.
Think about Noah again, for a second. Yes, he was active in his watchfulness – and we should be too – but it wasn’t his plan to build a boat. He didn’t read the Farmer’s Almanac and figure out that this Flood was going to happen and decide to do something about it. He didn’t even go out and get all the animals; God sent them to him. Noah did a lot of things to stay prepared, but God did all the heavy lifting. And that ark was not a testimony to Noah’s preparedness as much as it was a sign of God’s grace.
God had a plan to save Noah, and, more than that, through Noah, to bring a Savior for the world. That’s Jesus, or “the Son of Man,” as he calls himself in Matthew’s Gospel. That’s a very special name, and especially at this time of year.
In Advent we prepare for the birth of our promised Savior. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus by the virgin Mary. Yes, he is absolutely, 100% the Son of God, but he also had to be “the Son of Man.” He had to be born of human flesh and blood to take up our human sin and guilt and ultimately die on a cross to forgive them both.
So, when Jesus talks about “the coming of the Son of Man,” he is referring to something that was only made possible because of Christmas. And this return of Jesus on Judgment Day takes on a whole new light when we recognize that he is our brother. That he shares our humanity. That the reason he came the first time was to save us from our sin. And the reason he is coming again is to take us from this sinful world, to be with him forever in heaven.
Yes, Judgment Day can be jarring, but Jesus does not leave us wondering who will be taken and who will be left. As we heard last week, in the days of Christ our King, he will gather all who have been scattered and none will be missing. No one can snatch us out of his hand, because he has promised us eternal life and that we will never perish. Because Jesus became the Son of Man to live and die for you, he promises that you have nothing to fear on that Final Day, but you do still have cause to keep watch.
Keep watch so that you don’t fall asleep or fall away from the faith. As Jesus reminds us, doing good stuff isn’t enough. Unbelievers do good things, but that won’t save them. Only Jesus can. Keep watch and keep feeding your faith until the day that your Savior returns.
Keep watch so that you don’t get discouraged or impatient and lose sight of what God has left you here to do. It took 120 years for God to send the rain on Noah, but during that time Noah stayed busy and earned a name for himself as a “preacher of righteousness.”[8] We have people in the here and now who grind with us at the mill and work with us in the field who need to know what we know. Keep watch and always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus.
But, ultimately, keep watch and remember who it is you’re waiting for. As Christians, we don’t have bug-out bags at the ready for fear of what is to come. But we anxiously wait for our Lord and Savior to return, because we know what that means. It means the same thing it did for Mary and Joseph, and the Wise Men, and Simeon and Anna, and the shepherds out in the fields nearby. Our Savior is coming. He’s left us with all kinds of wonderful blessings and promises here – food to eat, weddings to attend, family to spend the holidays with – but he’s coming again, and his physical presence is better than any gift we could find under a tree.
Keep watch and be ready. The Son of Man is coming. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
[1] Genesis 7:11
[2] Matthew 24:39
[3] I don’t mean to imply that Jesus is misspeaking or even lying. The Greek word for know used in this verse is related to the concepts of understanding and comprehension. A better translation of Jesus’ true statement would be: “…they did not comprehend until the Flood came…”
[4] Luther: “…Sie achteten es nicht,” with reference to Noah’s entry into the ark.
[5] Matthew 24:40,41
[6] Matthew 24:42
[7] Matthew 24:44
[8] 2 Peter 2:5
Jeremiah 23:2-6
2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my
people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Savior.
A Different Kind of KingI’d like to play a game with you this morning I’m calling Impromptu Pictionary. I’m going to give you 30 seconds and one word. It’s your job to draw pictures clear enough that someone who sees them could guess what that word is. Ready? Your clue word is “king.” Go!
Where do you begin? A crown, probably, right? Maybe a throne. A robe. Scepter. Castle. But you only have 30 seconds. You have to choose the most distinctive image you can think of and work from there.
What if you started with a sheep? Then, after you make it clear that you’re not drawing a cloud, you also draw a stick. And that’s it. You keep underlining and circling the sheep and the stick, do you think anyone would guess the word “king”? Probably not.
In fact, historically we know that they didn’t. They looked the one, true King in the eye and didn’t recognize him. They even mocked him as he hung on a cross thinking that they were being terribly ironic by calling him the King of Jews, when, in reality, that’s exactly who he was. They just couldn’t see it, because they had been conditioned to expect their kings to look a certain way. But Jesus is a King of another kind.
This picture of sheep and stick is Jeremiah’s prophecy about Jesus as our King. Let me read it for you again:
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: ‘Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,’ declares the Lord. ‘I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.’[1]
Jesus is the better Shepherd.
We’ve heard Jeremiah’s story now for the last three weeks. He was God’s prophet, chosen and appointed to bring one of the hardest messages to God’s people. He was tasked with going to the king and telling him that if he and the rest of the people of Judah did not change their ways, God would do it for them. They didn’t listen, so God acted. He sent Babylon to tear them down. He sent Nebuchadnezzar to drag them away in chains. They would not repent, so God did not relent.
Jehoiakim was a bad king.
A few weeks ago I shared with you the list of all the last kings of Judah. At that time I just gave you their names. Allow me to add some color:
Rehoboam… abandoned the law of the LORD.[2]
Abijah… committed all the sins his father had done before him.[3]
Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.[4]
Jehoshaphat… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.[5]
Jehoram… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[6]
Ahaziah… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[7]
Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed.[8]
Amaziah… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done.[9]
Azariah… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD … the high places, however, were not removed.[10]
Jotham… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD … the high places, however, were not removed.[11]
Ahaz… did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD.[12]
Hezekiah… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.[13]
Manasseh… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[14]
Amon… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[15]
Josiah… did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.[16]
Jehoahaz… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[17]
Jehoiakim… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[18]
Jehoiachin… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[19]
Zedekiah… did evil in the eyes of the LORD.[20]
So, to summarize, of the last 19 kings of Judah, only 4 were considered to be righteous; 4 more were personally righteous, but with the qualifier that they allowed their people to go astray; which leaves 11 of 19 kings to be outright evildoers, rotten to the core, idolaters, i.e. bad kings.
When God talks about these shepherds having scattered his flock and driven them away and not caring for them, he’s not kidding. The people had bad leadership, and the result was a devasted nation, a Temple destroyed, people in exile.
Again, as we’ve said several times in this last month, Babylon is not knocking on our door. There is no (known) impending exile for us. But we are living in a day and age of faithless leaders who don’t do what God commands them to do. Politicians who endorse, embody and advocate sinful behavior and attitudes. Children have teachers who single them out and belittle them for believing in Jesus. Families torn apart because of our faith in Jesus. Even pastors who may be personally “right” with God but who allow their people to go astray.
I bet it wouldn’t take you long to think of 10 bad leaders from your life. But where people fail, Jesus prevails. He is the better Shepherd. Just listen again to what he promises:
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.[21]
Like a good shepherd, Jesus goes after his lost and lonely sheep. He cares for us in a way that only he can. He is not punching a clock or building a legacy. He isn’t advancing his name or using his position to his own advantage. He sincerely cares for what remains of his flock and promises to bring us back to the safety and bounty of his pasture, where we will flourish.
He says, “I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.[22]
That’s our King, the king with a shepherd’s heart. All those things that make us afraid, all those threats to our bodies and souls will be gone, because we are under his care. I shared with you a list of mostly bad kings from Israel’s history. I even dared you to compose your own list of bad leaders from your life. What if you tried to do the same thing for good leaders? How many could you name?
That’s the thing about our Shepherd King – he doesn’t wait for us to be with him in heaven before he begins fulfilling this promise. He’s given us good leaders here too. Parents who fed us with the Word. Friends who connected us with a community of believers. Pastors and teachers who touched our hearts and offered comfort to our souls.
Where bad leaders fail, Christ prevails because he is the better Shepherd. He gathers what others have scattered. He brings to safety those who were in danger. He promises protection and guidance and everything we need for body and life. But do you know my favorite part of this whole picture? The last five words: “nor will any be missing.”[23]
God loves you. Each and every one of you. He does not and will not overlook you. He is not some distant, impersonal king who has far too vast a kingdom to care for one lowly lamb. No, he loves you. He knows you by name and will not leave you out of his kingdom. He knows what threatens you. He knows where you’ve been scattered. He’s come to gather you home to his glorious kingdom where you will live in his love now and for all the days of your life.
Jesus is the better Shepherd.
He is also the righteous Branch.
If you can picture Judah as having been a mighty oak tree, Babylon cut it low. When the people returned out of exile all that was left was a stump of its former glory. And yet, out of that seemingly lifeless stump would grow a branch: “a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”[24]
Jesus was that “righteous Branch” for David. He was of the line of King David. He had a legitimate claim on the crown. He was a true king, but unlike so many kings who had come before him, he would do what was just and right in the land, and it had nothing to do with legislation or the economy or border security or healthcare. He came to offer and provide what no leader in your life can: “In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.”[25]
See, it’s not just bad leaders who threaten us. Sometimes, we as sheep go astray all on our own, like those Israelites. They had Jeremiah, a faithful prophet, who warned them of what was to come if they didn’t come back to the Lord, and they didn’t listen. We don’t always listen either. We go our own way. Maybe it’s out of complete ignorance – we just don’t know better. Maybe it’s arrogance, to think that we do know better than God.
What is it in us that loves the rebellion, the taboo, the forbidden? Why do we chase after things that only offer temporary satisfaction and momentary pleasure, and run away from the God who offers us eternal peace and joy? Why can’t we get over or grow out of this stubborn sinful nature?
I’m not sure that I have an answer to that, but God does. “This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteous Savior.”[26]
Jesus is the answer to our sin. We’re going to talk about it more in a few weeks, but this is literally his name. “Jesus” means “he saves,” and that’s what he came to do. He didn’t just come to right the wrongs of all the faithless leaders of the past. He came to be our righteousness. He came to be what we fail to be every day – perfect; just and right; truly righteous in God’s sight.
He is one of us – a human being with flesh and blood just like all of us, but unlike any of us in that he never did a single thing wrong, so that he could be exactly what God expects of us. He is our Righteous Savior who saves us from ourselves.
That’s why, even though people didn’t recognize him as a king as he was hanging on the cross, that was the single most kingly thing he did for us. He died to forgive our sin, and showed us his undying love, so that we could be saved and live in safety.
Jesus is a King of another kind. He’s unlike anything we could ever find in this world – the better Shepherd and the righteous Branch, who loves each and every lamb individually and has saved us all eternally.
It may be hard to put it down on paper, but impress this king on your hearts. Know that no matter who your earthly leaders may be – good or bad – Jesus is best and will finally, one day, correct all the mistakes of this world and bring you to his perfect pasture. No matter how far we go astray, he will always chase after with his forgiving love, never forgetting you or letting you go missing, but saving you and bringing you into his glorious kingdom, because he is your Shepherd King and your righteous Savior. To our King be glory and honor and praise forever and ever. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 23:2,3
[2] 2 Chronicles 12:1
[3] 1 Kings 15:3
[4] 1 Kings 15:11
[5] 1 Kings 22:43
[6] 2 Kings 8:18
[7] 2 Kings 8:27
[8] 2 Kings 12:2,3
[9] 2 Kings 14:3
[10] 2 Kings 15:3,4
[11] 2 Kings 15:34,35
[12] 2 Kings 16:2
[13] 2 Kings 18:3
[14] 2 Kings 21:2
[15] 2 Kings 21:20
[16] 2 Kings 22:2
[17] 2 Kings 23:32
[18] 2 Kings 23:37
[19] 2 Kings 24:9
[20] 2 Kings 24:19
[21] Jeremiah 23:3
[22] Jeremiah 23:4
[23] Ibid
[24] Jeremiah 23:5
[25] Jeremiah 23:6
[26] Ibid
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Isaiah 65:17-25
17 See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
What Is Heaven Like?I won’t say it’s the most common question I get asked as a pastor (I’ve never charted it out or anything), but I dare say it’s the most consistent: What is heaven like?
There are all kinds of reasons to ask that question. Maybe you’re facing surgery and you’re feeling the uncertainty of the outcome. What promises does God give me?
A loved one passes away or the anniversary of their death rolls around. What are they experiencing right now?
Life just feels heavy and hardly worth living anymore. What relief can I expect to find in the afterlife?
Idle curiosity around the dinner table. Is there going to be Hawaiian pizza in heaven? Not if my wife has anything to say about it…
It’s a consistent question, because while there are hints and clues in Scripture, I can’t talk to Grandma and hear her take on it now that she’s lived there for a year. And some of those pictures in Scripture are confusing. What does a gate made out of a single pearl even look like?
Well, today, on the Sunday we call “Saints Triumphant” we read 3 passages from God’s Word that describe the home that is waiting for us. I’d like to spend our time looking at Isaiah’s revelation in Chapter 65, where God says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.”[1]
You don’t have to live here long to know that there’s something wrong with the current heavens and earth. It’s plastered all over the news. This world is changing. And whether you believe in all the claims of climate change or not – whether you think human civilization will end in 2050 or not for 2000 more years – God tells us that this world will end. That, from the time of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden this world has been caught in a downward spiral. Natural disasters are proving more devastating. People are proving more hateful. Wars and rumors of war are common. There are good things in and about this world, but it is far from perfect anymore.
That’s why God is creating new heavens and a new earth, and everything about it will be entirely new. So new, in fact, that you and I can’t even comprehend it. That’s why for most of the rest of this revelation God speaks in negatives, i.e. he tells us what will not be there:
The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.[2]
Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.[3]
No longer will they build houses and others live in them.[4]
They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune.[5]
None of the problems that we have here will be there.
I’ve said it before, but I used to be a strong person; I’m growing soft in my old age. Until about a year ago, I couldn’t remember the last time I was brought to tears. But I was crying earlier this week and some more the week before, and it wasn’t from cutting onions either.
There are problems in this world that we cannot escape. Mothers who never get to greet their babies. Grandparents who are so addled by age that they can’t remember who their grandchildren are, or that they even have any. There are so many diagnoses that change the course of our lives, and not only in our later years. Young people have to deal with them too. Cancer, tumors, scoliosis, diabetes, anxiety, depression. You name it, we have it.
But not there. Not in heaven. Those things will be a distant memory. No, God goes further than that. He says, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”[6] You won’t even have the memory of pain or sadness, your joy will be so complete. God promises us a paradise with complete satisfaction, where we can be glad and rejoice forever.[7]
What’s your favorite picture of heaven? Is it the baby who lives? Or the peace of a lamb and a wolf feeding together without conflict? A place without pain or weeping? I suppose that depends on who you are, and what you’ve experienced in this life, what relief you crave.
It’s worth remembering who Isaiah’s audience is. These are the same people we’ve heard about for the last two weeks – the Israelites who were warned about the threat of invasion by Babylon. The only difference in this text is that Babylon wasn’t a threat anymore; it was the present reality. By the time Isaiah wrote these words, the Israelites were already in exile, prisoners of war, captives in a foreign land.
It paints a different picture, doesn’t it? When God says, “I will create Jerusalem to be a delight,”[8] you have to remember what hearing that name would have conjured up for the exiles. Any thought of Jerusalem would bring sadness. It would have inspired a longing for the “good ol’ days,” before Babylon, before losing the war.
These people did a lot of weeping and crying. Their lives were cut short. Their family homes and the land that had been their inheritance for two dozen generations was now in the possession of foreigners. All that they had worked for had come to nothing. They felt like food for ravenous, power-hungry nations like Babylon.
The promises that Isaiah shares were not arbitrary. They were a direct response to the reality of the Israelites’ earthly experience. In other words, for every problem they faced, every pain they experienced, there was a balm, a salve, a solution in God’s grace.
Remember, these were people who had abandoned God. They had been warned that if they did not change their ways, they would face judgment. They didn’t listen, so judgment came. In many ways, they were getting exactly what they deserved. And yet, God still gives them these promises. God still gives them reason for hope.
We are not in exile. We are not prisoners of war. But you know pain. You’ve suffered heartache. You have reason for tears, just like I do. And just like me, a lot of it is self-inflicted. Our sin ruins our relationships here on earth, but, far worse than that, it destroys our relationship with God. He has warned us that our sin separates us from him, and yet he still makes us these promises.
He calls us his “chosen ones,”[9] and, “a people blessed by the LORD,”[10] making it clear that we haven’t earned this kind of favor. He doesn’t owe us heaven; it’s a gift of his grace. It’s a promise he made us long ago.
You might have missed it before because it’s tucked in with two other picturesque promises: “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food.”[11]
Where have you heard that line about the serpent before? It’s on the second page of your Bible: “So the LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’”[12]
After Satan had tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden, God condemned him. He promised that the Devil would be defeated by the offspring of the woman – that’s Jesus. Even after Adam and Eve destroyed God’s perfect paradise by their sin, God still showed them mercy and grace. He promised forgiveness and salvation. He gave them hope and a future, despite the fact that they would have to live by the sweat of their brow and in pain and conflict here.
You and I are continuing to live out that curse – we live in a world plagued by sin and are contributors to it – but God has not forgotten his promise. Instead he sent his Son to be that offspring of a woman, to live a perfect life and die an innocent death on a cross so that your sins could be forgiven, and so that you could go to heaven. So that you could live where the wolf and lamb feed together. So that you can dwell on God’s holy mountain where there is no pain or sorrow or frustration or ruin or destruction, but where God will answer your every need before the need arises and where we will be his chosen people and he will be our gracious God.
The promises of heaven are real and they are the answer to every earthly problem we face. But they are not just a promise of some unrealized, future good while you suffer here in the present. They are the reassurance that God has not, nor ever will forget you, but has a plan that takes you from here to eternity. You will be saints triumphant forever in heaven, and while the church on earth is more militant than triumphant, the victory is already ours in our Savior Jesus. He is the answer to our prayers, the fulfillment of God’s promise, our hope for heaven and our King eternal (more on that next week).
For now, as you await the joys of heaven, don’t despair of whatever pain or sorrow you feel here. It is temporary and will be healed with everything else in the new heavens and new earth God will create. Know that God has not forgotten you. He keeps his promises, just as he sent his Son to defeat the devil and will send him again to take you home, where you will live in his presence and with all the saints triumphant, in glory everlasting. Amen.
[1] Isaiah 65:17
[2] Isaiah 65:19
[3] Isaiah 65:20
[4] Isaiah 65:22
[5] Isaiah 65:23
[6] Isaiah 65:17
[7] Isaiah 65:18
[8] Ibid
[9] Isaiah 65:22
[10] Isaiah 65:23
[11] Isaiah 65:25
[12] Genesis 3:14,15
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Jeremiah 26:1-6
1 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord:
2 “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4 Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’”
If Only I Had Listened…The year was 605B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, coming off a successful invasion of Egypt, returned home through the tiny nation state of Judah. Jehoiakim was in the third year of his reign as king of Judah and now faced a blood-thirsty king, swollen with self-confidence after his recent victory, knocking on the door. Compared to Egypt, Judah was a nothing-nation. If not even mighty Pharaoh Necho could withstand Nebuchadnezzar’s forces, then Judah would bend the knee without Nebuchadnezzar breaking a sweat.
Problem was, Jehoiakim was proud. He may not have been on the throne for long – only three years – but Judah was all that was left of God’s “Chosen People.” Their ancestors had been promised by God that this land was theirs. 18 kings before Jehoiakim survived all kinds of adversity, and they were still there. Jehoiakim couldn’t imagine a world in which Judah no longer existed. So, he resisted.
The siege didn’t last very long and by the end, the Babylonians had forced one more nation to pay them tribute. Jehoiakim broke. His pride shattered. His nation defeated. Now he, and the people under his care, were under the thumb of a foreign oppressor, obligated, under pain of death, to submit.
It was a devastating blow and the end of an era. But the true tragedy is that it all could have been avoided.
3 years earlier, when Jehoiakim first took the throne, the son of a priest, and a prophet during his father’s reign, had warned him, “This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.”[1]
Do you think that Jehoiakim thought of Jeremiah’s warning after Nebuchadnezzar marched his troops victoriously through Jerusalem? It was too late then, but what if he had listened three years earlier? He could have avoided the deaths of his soldiers and the debt of his nation. He could have kept faith with his God and not become a slave to Nebuchadnezzar. It was too late, but if only he had listened…
Those may be the last five words any of us will want to say on the Last Day: “If only I had listened…” Babylon isn’t knocking on the door. Canada does not consist of God’s “Chosen People.” There are no prophets like Jeremiah anymore. But his warning still rings true, and his promise still applies to you.
If you do not listen… then I will make this house like Shiloh.[2]
Have you ever visited an ancient ruin? Have you seen the remnants of a formerly magnificent structure now barely recognizable as anything intentional? That’s what Shiloh was and what Jerusalem would become.
Shiloh was where the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel worshiped. After North and South divided, Jerusalem wasn’t accessible to the people of Israel anymore. They worshipped God in Shiloh. But by the time that Jehoiakim took the throne of Judah, Shiloh had already been reduced to rubble for 100 years. The abandoned and empty worship place of his neighbors to the North was God’s recent and visible warning to Jehoiakim that no one was above judgment.
The people of the Northern Kingdom worshiped God in Shiloh, and yet that didn’t prevent God’s judgment against them. Jeremiah proclaimed this message in the courtyard of the Temple in Jerusalem but that didn’t keep them from being judged either. They were both found wanting, and they were both destroyed.
God issues the same warning to you: “If you do not listen…” you too will be judged. Do you listen when God forbids your Friday night behavior? Do you listen when God makes demands on your words and thoughts, when he condemns your sinful attitudes? Do you listen, not just to the love of God, but to his law that commands obedience and condemns disobedience? Or do you dismiss and downplay? Do you neglect and reject the parts of the Bible you don’t understand or would rather not agree with?
If you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened)…[3]
And make no mistake about it. This message is for you. I’m sure we can each think of people or kinds of people whom we think deserve God’s punishments. But God destroyed Shiloh and Jerusalem. He sent Jeremiah to the Temple and proclaims his law at St. Peter’s. Just because you worship here doesn’t mean you are exempt. You are precisely the people to whom God issues this warning. We fail to listen when we let the Word we hear here go in one ear and out the other. We do it when we nod in agreement but never follow through. We do it when we let the urgency of God sit on our back burner, leaving our allegiance to him come second, third or fourth to our careers, families, hobbies, etc…
This warning is for you, and the condemnation is real. God is love, but God is also just. He does not leave the guilty unpunished.[4] He doesn’t wink at your sin. Like the king in the Parable of the Minas, he condemns, and he kills. Hell is real, and if we don’t listen, then Hell will be our home forever.
Our Judge doesn’t joke about the “hot place.” Paul described it as “blazing fire” and “everlasting destruction,” being “shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”[5] It’s eternal separation from the love and favor of our God. Hell is real and so is this warning, but so is the gracious patience of this warning.
Jehoiakim presided over the downfall of Judah. He had the power to save his nation, but instead of listening to God, he listened to the wisdom of this world. He tried political alliances. He tried bribes and cunning. He tried everything but listening to God. And yet God still spoke to him. He sent prophets to him again and again even though he did not listen. God was persistent in his warning because God is consistent in his promise.
What we cannot afford to lose sight of in this example of God’s justice and in this warning of Hell, is God’s gracious desire: “Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.”[6]
God wants you to listen and live! It’s as simple as that! Repent, and God will relent! Leave your life of sin. Listen when God tells you what he expects of you and forbids you from. Listen to him and follow his law. Give up your grudges, transform you heart, purify your thoughts and your desires, and once you become a good enough person – when your obedience meets God’s standard – then he will relent! Then you’ll be safe from the blazing fire and everlasting destruction! Then you’ll live with God forever and ever!
If only it were that easy. You know, there’s a reason we have worship every week. There’s a reason each member of this congregation has their name on stone in that font by the door. There’s a reason that we make a distinction between confirmation and graduation. You can’t “test out” of Christianity. You don’t grow out of it or master it. We keep failing and falling. We keep slipping into sin and falling short of the glory of God.
On our own, we’d be no better off than Jehoiakim staring down the armies of Babylon. We might be able to hold our own for a while. We might stave off God’s judgment for a time, but we can’t avoid it forever, and the Last Day will come when you stand before the Judge and he asks you if you listened when he sent his prophets to you. What will you say on that day?
“I did the best that I could”? Your best isn’t enough. Nothing short of perfection is.
Before you say anything, listen to what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians:
“This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven… He will punish those who do not know God… on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”[7]
The same God who sent his prophets with warnings, sent messengers of peace. There’s a reason Jeremiah spoke from the courtyard of the Temple, and why we consider this warning here. Because it’s in the context of God’s desire for your salvation that he warns you of the alternative. The God who wants you to live, sent his Son to die for you, and then sent messengers to remind you of that fact again and again.
I just spent two hard days in a hospital surrounded by people who were about to go into surgery and those who were recovering from it, i.e. people who were scared for their lives and had no earthly reason for hope. But God sends his messengers and reminds us of this testimony – that on the Last Day our Savior will come in might and glory to be marveled at by those who believe. God tells us about the saving work of his Son so that we listen and live.
Be still and listen to the gospel of Jesus: whatever your past, whatever your present struggle, whatever the future holds for you, God loves you and wants to live with you forever. But more than just a desire, his will has made it possible. He sacrificed his Son to save you. He sends his prophets to proclaim this good news to you again and again for a first, second, third or thousandth time. He is persistent with you because he is consistent in his promise: Listen and you will live. God is gracious. He forgives your sin. He does not want you to perish. But he does want you to listen.
Judgement is coming. Don’t be like Jehoiakim and wait until it’s too late, so that you’re left wondering what would have happened if you had listened and learned earlier. Don’t treat your faith like a driver’s exam. Cherish the saving message of Christ crucified for you now. Be in his Word daily. Live as if today is the Last Day and know that even if it is, you have peace with God because of his love for you in Jesus. May he be your hope and confidence until the day he returns to take us home with him forever. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 26:4-6
[2] Jeremiah 26:4,6
[3] Jeremiah 26:5
[4] Exodus 34:7
[5] 2 Thessalonians 1:7,9
[6] Jeremiah 26:3
[7] 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8,10
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Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
The Reformation Requires a ChangeToday we celebrate the festival of the Reformation. Embedded in that name is a word that means “change.” Tax reform changes the laws and practices and amounts of taxes that the government collects. Reform schools are meant to change troubled children’s behavior.
During the festival of the Reformation we celebrate a certain change that had to be made in the past and recognize that it still needs to happen today.
To illustrate that change, I’d like to paint you a picture of two pastors.
Jeremiah is sometimes called the “weeping prophet” in part because he lived at arguably the most wicked and desperate time in Israel’s history. The kingdom that David had built was in shambles – divided, split in two already for a hundred years, with 10 of the original 12 tribes captured and lost to history. The remaining two were sandwiched between two superpowers – Babylon to the North and Egypt to the South – and they couldn’t decide who would make a better ally or which was the bigger threat.
And, if the political situation weren’t bleak enough, the spiritual condition of the people was even worse. Fertility cults were common. The Temple that Solomon built now housed prostitutes. People dabbled in black magic, and even sacrificed newborn babies to false gods. Sure, they worshiped in God’s house every week, but they wore their allegiance to God the way a superstitious person might carry a rabbit’s foot for luck.
And it was in that setting that God tasked Jeremiah with preaching reform. A change had to take place or destruction would come. Jeremiah had reason to weep.
Martin Luther is often called the “Reformer.” He set himself to reforming, i.e. changing, the church of the Middle Ages, which didn’t sacrifice babies or hire prostitutes, but it had become power-hungry and greedy. Church leaders abused their authority, and their people with it. They held people’s consciences captive and sold forgiveness for a price. They dangled the common person over the fires of hell to coerce them into obedience.
Luther was no exception. Following a series of near-death experiences and tasting his own mortality, Luther dedicated his life to the Lord. He gave everything to God. He was the best monk around, but he was still terrified. He knew that death could come at any moment and he couldn’t bear the thought of standing before God with his sins. His church told him that he needed to try harder, but that just made things worse. The more he tried, the farther he felt from God. Luther recognized the need for change in the church.
On the one hand, you have a people who didn’t fear God enough, and on the other, people who feared him too much. In both cases, something had to change. In both cases, their focus was on their obedience. In Jeremiah’s day, as long as they went to church, they felt like they were good with God; they could still dabble in all these pet sins so long as they maintained the outward appearance of obedience to God. In Luther’s day, the only thing that could quiet a guilty conscience was burying it in a pile of good works; as long as you do more good than bad, you’d be good with God.
Both were wrong and for the same reason. It’s the same thing that threatens our faith today and requires this yearly focus on reformation. Whether the outwardly righteous but inwardly immoral people of Jeremiah’s day or the hopelessly conscience-stricken sinners of Luther’s, both were relying on the old covenant to find comfort in God’s presence. That’s what Jeremiah talked about in chapter 31:
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt…”[1]
He’s talking about the covenant God made with Moses on Mount Sinai. He’s talking about the 10 Commandments – the same commandments we study and follow today, e.g. “You shall have no other gods,” “Honor your father and mother,” “You shall not murder,” etc…
In Jeremiah’s day, they kept the letter of the law – they didn’t take anyone’s life or steal anyone’s wife – but they trampled on the spirit of that law and instead of using it to cultivate a loving relationship with God, they used it as a license to live however they wanted. They compartmentalized their lives, and once they crossed off the “godly” things on their to-do list, they felt free to do anything else.
In Luther’s day, the people were so terrified of God’s righteous anger against sin that they worked tirelessly to improve their morality. Luther beat and starved himself. He slept without blankets and went days without speaking, all to avoid and atone for sins he couldn’t stop committing. Every stray thought, every idle word, every missed opportunity to serve God was another nail in Luther’s coffin.
In both cases, their confidence came from their obedience. But there’s a problem with that. It’s what God says to Jeremiah as he finishes this sentence: “It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors… because they broke my covenant…”[2]
In fact, you could say that before the ink was dry on God’s first covenant, God’s people were already breaking Commandment #1. Moses hadn’t even gotten down from Mount Sinai to speak to the people before they were dancing around a golden calf as if that were their god – as if this hunk of metal they just created had been responsible for taking them by the hand and leading them out of Egypt. They broke God’s covenant.
But we’re no better. We fall into the sin of both Jeremiah and Luther’s day. We look at all the “good and godly” things we do and feel like that makes us good with God. We swell with self-confidence, which the Bible calls self-righteousness and is in reality self-delusion. If you think God loves you because you come to church and then turns a blind eye to what you do outside these walls, then you don’t know God. How often do you come here and nod your head in agreement about a particular way God wants us to live our lives, and before you leave the parking lot, you commit the exact sin that we talked about in worship?
And that can lead you to the opposite ditch. Once you realize how sinful you are and how often you break God’s commands, you can spiral so easily into self-doubt and despair and really want to dedicate yourself to becoming a better person who doesn’t fall into the same stupid sin over and over again. You feel that if you can just take it one day at a time you can slowly begin to right the ship again.
But we don’t. Each new day comes and we may experience minor victories or even overcome major obstacles, but they never stop coming and eventually we get tired and weary and unwilling to keep trying or unable to resist. And we revert to the self-loathing and hopelessness that Luther felt.
The answer is not what Luther’s pastor told him: “Try harder.” It’s what God says through Jeremiah: “The days are coming when I will make a new covenant… It will not be like the [old] covenant… because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people… I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”[3]
Reformation is not about reforming our behavior. It’s about changing our focus, from the old covenant to the new. The old covenant wasn’t working, not because there was anything wrong with the covenant – God was still keeping up his end of the bargain; he was still being a husband to us, even while we were being unfaithful to him. The problem was with us, and our inability to keep it. So God made a new covenant, one that doesn’t depend on us or our obedience – a covenant of forgiveness and love.
Jesus talked about that covenant on the night before he died: And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”[4]
Jesus is the new covenant. He came into this world to fulfill the old covenant, i.e. to do what you and I cannot, to keep both the letter and the spirit of the law. Jesus came to live for you, as your perfect substitute, but he also came to die for you. His body and blood, given and poured out for you on the cross, mean forgiveness for all your sins. The Son of God gave up his life to save yours.
In God’s eyes, then, your sins are forgotten. He doesn’t hold them against you anymore. He considers you righteous – and not a self-righteousness we earn by our obedience. No, a righteousness gifted to us by faith, i.e. a “right-ness” with God earned for us by Jesus.
That’s what the Reformation is all about – killing whatever germ of self-righteousness lingers in our hearts, while at the same time lifting the burden of our sin from our shoulders. The change that Jeremiah needed in his ministry, the change that Luther championed in the church of the Middle Ages is the same change we need today.
We need to stop finding our confidence (or hoping to find it) on the basis of our obedience, based on how good we are. That can only lead to pride or despair. But the new covenant in Jesus’ blood gives us true hope and complete confidence, not based on anything we do, but resting solely on the forgiving love of our Savior Jesus.
When we change our hearts from focusing on our obedience to God’s forgiveness, then we can rejoice with Jeremiah and know the comfort that Luther rediscovered for the church of his day – that in God’s Word and in his holy promises we have hope and forgiveness, a mighty fortress and a loving God. May he be your refuge today and every day. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 31:31,32
[2] Jeremiah 31:32
[3] Jeremiah 31:31ff
[4] Luke 22:19,20
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Hebrews 2:9-18
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Welcome Home!“Welcome home!” Those two words can change your day. The stress of your week can dissolve in an instant once you cross the threshold of your safe space and someone you love is there to greet you: “Welcome home!” After you travel – or maybe after you move away – when you come back to your childhood home and grandma is there with a plate of cookies, “Welcome home!” are just the words to make you forget the long hours in a car or on a plane, the sleepless nights on unfamiliar beds. There’s power in those words.
If you’ll forgive me, I’d like to get a little autobiographical today. I hadn’t really thought of it this way until I was presented with this text for this Sunday. My life has been kind of nomadic. In just over 30 years, I can count 14 different mailing addresses. So, for me, “home” is an interesting word.
But this was my revelation this week. As much as I’ve moved around, there’s at least one place in my life that’s always felt like home. My brother recently sent me a picture of my nephew and niece next to the fireplace of my grandma’s cabin in northern Michigan. I’ve never lived there. I can probably count the number of times I’ve visited with just my fingers and toes. But I look at that picture and I can smell the wood paneling. I can feel the spring in the seat of that chair and the heat coming from the hearth. I know that if you look around the corner, you have the perfect view of her private lake.
Do you have a place like that? No matter where you are, no matter how far away or how long it’s been, you can walk in those doors and feel at home. Why do you think these places feel that way?
I mean, I have more comfortable chairs in my house here. There are spiders in the basement of that cabin that make me want to cry. There’s the distinct smell of mothballs in all the bedrooms.
And apart from the facilities, there are memories that aren’t all that great either – bloody noses caused by cheeky comments; family squabbles, grudges, drama and hurt feelings.
The cabin up north is far from perfect in my memory, but it still feels like home because of something that is built into the foundation of that house – a love that overcomes and persists, a love that comes back and wants to be there with family members who get under your skin, a love that makes me want to share it with my friends.
I’m sure each of us has our own cabin up north – this place where you feel completely at home – not because of the location or the aesthetic but because of what that place means to you and because of the people who populate it.
“Welcome home!” Those are the words I used to greet you this morning – and it wasn’t just because that’s the title that was given to this service or because that’s the emphasis of this synod-wide initiative. That’s legitimately how I feel, but, more than that, it’s how God wants you to feel whenever you step foot in his house.
This place has had drastically different looks. If you were here at the beginning, then you remember how we used to gather in the dining room of the parsonage. Then there was the purple shag carpet and the bare concrete walls. Now it’s this beautifully remodeled space. But it’s not the place that matters. We could go back to the dining room and be just as much at home, because there’s something about our gathering that transcends our location.
It’s the people who fill it. Families – generations of people – who are still here. Familiar faces that greet you with a smile and a hug at the door. Friends in Christ who know just how to pray for you.
But that sword can swing both ways, can’t it? Your Christian friend can stab you in the back. You can feel neglected, passed over, unwelcome. Maybe you walk in those doors and you don’t feel at home because you don’t have enough history here, or maybe because you have too much.
If you don’t feel at home when you walk in these doors, I don’t doubt that you have legitimate reasons for feeling that way. We all carry scars and sadly sometimes it’s the church and the brotherhood of believers that inflict them.
But that’s why God takes our attention today and focuses it on his Son: “But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”[1]
Jesus had a home in heaven where everything was good and right – where there was no strife, no family feuds; it’s exactly where he belonged. But “he was made lower than the angels for a little while.” He gave up his comfy seat in heaven; he set aside his glory and honor; he was born of a woman to wander in this world with you and me, because he saw the problems here. He knew the issues we create with each other. He felt the sins we committed against him. And he knew all too well the death that we all deserve to taste.
I’ll never forget it. We had been in the car for 7 hours – 8 of us in one full-size van. I had been pestering my older brother for probably 6 of those 7 hours, and, finally, as we’re pulling into the drive to grandma’s cabin – when I think I’m safe – I say the one thing I know will get his goat. I didn’t have to see it coming to know that it was – a fist aimed squarely at my nose. I could taste the blood before I felt the punch. And as much as I protested, I knew I deserved it.
Do you ever feel that way? You let loose your verbal barbs. You know exactly how much they’re going to hurt. At first you feel a sense of vindication: “Good! I hope you feel devastated.” But then the shiver runs down your spine, a sinking feeling in your gut – if only for a moment – reminds you how horrible it is to treat anyone that way, let alone a family member or a brother or sister in the faith. We can get pretty adept at silencing those pangs of conscience, but even if we can sleep at night that doesn’t mean that what we said and did to each other was right in God’s sight.
Luther has a helpful tool to remind us of God’s expectations for us. He calls it the Table of Duties, and in it he uses Scripture to explain what we owe to each other – parents to children and vice versa, to spouses or society, government, pastors, teachers and so on. He says, “Fathers do not exasperate your children. Do not embitter them, or they will become discouraged. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
“Young people, be submissive to those who are older. Clothe yourselves with humility.”
“Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives.”
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”
On and on the list could go. How do you live up to it? Do you love your brothers and sisters the way God wants you to? Or do you wait to love them until they show love and respect to you first? How quickly do you grow resentful? How often do you take offense at someone else’s good intentions, or give offense with careless words or actions?
Whether we like to admit it or not, we are often the ones who leave emotional scars on others. And it does more than hurt our relationship with them; it destroys our relationship with God. That’s why Jesus had to intervene. That’s why he had to be made lower than the angels and leave his heavenly home to enter ours here on earth.
You’d think our Father in heaven might be like our fathers on earth, who get angry when their children are fighting, who threaten to pull the car over or worse, when one brother bloodies the nose of another. But he doesn’t. He loves us by sending Jesus. He loves us and bloodies his Son for us.
We see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while… so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.[2]
When we get in trouble, we deserve punishment, but that’s why Jesus came – to be punished for us so that we could be forgiven – and this passage demonstrates that point over and over again:
To taste death for everyone.[3]
To bring sons and daughters to glory.[4]
To pioneer our salvation through suffering.[5]
To share our humanity so that he could die.[6]
To free us from our slavery to sin.[7]
To be our merciful and faithful high priest who makes atonement for our sins.[8]
Jesus left his heavenly home to become our brother in flesh and blood here on earth. As true man he was tempted in every way, just as we are. He had people challenge him, question him, spite him. He had people ignore him and reject him and overlook him. He felt every stimulus for anger that we feel, but he resisted every one. He never grew angry, resentful, bitter or frustrated; he never held a grudge or withheld his love. He always did exactly what we should do.
And, do you know what I think is the most amazing part of it all? After having resisted every temptation and after having suffered death on a cross, he didn’t resent us for making that sacrifice necessary for our salvation. The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way: Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[9]
Lord knows what you’ve done wrong. Lord knows how you’ve hurt or neglected your brothers and sisters here. Lord knows the dysfunction in our earthly families. But he welcomes you into his family by the blood of his Son who became our brother and died as our Savior. He has removed our sin and guilt. He has reconciled us to himself, and as a result has gathered us in this place, into this family where he still lives with us.
Maybe you didn’t notice, but Jesus, your brother, is here today. He makes the promise to his Father and ours in heaven, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[10]
Wherever two or three are gathered in his name, there he is with us, and that’s what makes this place home.
You may have things going on in your family that make your house feel hostile and unwelcome. You may have had differences of opinion and exchanged choice words with your brother or sister in the faith in this congregation that make your interactions with them now feel more than a little awkward. But in this house, we have Jesus. In this place, we live by grace. Here we all fall under the shelter of God’s forgiveness through our Savior who suffered death to set us free. Here we are united by the sacrifice of Jesus and bonded together in his blood.
His love is more than enough to overcome our dysfunction, and even when we fall back into it, his forgiving arms are there to lift us up again, until the day when we hear those two words in a completely different setting.
“Welcome home!” That’s what this place and these people are meant to be for you – a home away from home, a community that needs and relies on each other, so that no matter where you grew up, no matter how long it’s been, you can walk through these doors and feel the love of your brothers and sisters, of your Brother Jesus and our Father in heaven, until you close your eyes in the sleep of death and open them again at the gates of heaven, where Jesus – and all these faces – will be waiting for you with these same two words, “Welcome home!” Amen.
[1] Hebrews 2:9
[2] Hebrews 2:9
[3] Hebrews 2:9
[4] Hebrews 2:10
[5] Ibid
[6] Hebrews 2:14
[7] Hebrews 2:15
[8] Hebrews 2:17
[9] Hebrews 2:11
[10] Hebrews 2:12
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1 Timothy 6:6-16
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
It Pays to Be ContentDo you ever think about the profitability of your Christianity? Maybe you don’t necessarily attach a dollar sign to your faith. Maybe you don’t count the hours you spend in church or calculate the cost of doing Christian things. Maybe you simply ask the question, “What’s in it for me?”
I can’t speak for you, but I don’t often say those words out loud. It doesn’t sound particularly Christian to look to get something out of your faith, but have you ever gone through a tough time and gotten frustrated with God, “Look, God, I’m doing everything you’ve asked. Why is this happening to me?” Well, that’s just another way of saying, “God, I kept my end of the bargain, now it’s time for you to pay up, for my faith to pay off.”
It’s a sad reality but it’s a reality nonetheless that greed can infiltrate the one organization on earth that has the most reason not to be greedy. The church has every reason to be content and so do all the Christians who comprise it. And in the short 11 sentences that we read from Paul’s letter to Timothy, I counted no fewer than 15 reasons for Christians to be content, all supporting the overarching theme that Paul states right at the beginning: Godliness with contentment is great gain. In other words, It Pays to Be Content.
Now that may seem a little counterintuitive. Contentment means being satisfied with what you have. A businessperson would not go very far if they were content to stay where they were, i.e. if they didn’t expand into more or larger markets, if they didn’t evaluate how to maximize their earnings or their efficiency. Contentment seems like the enemy of profit and gain.
What Paul writes to Timothy, however, is that contentment is really the enemy of greed, the endless desire for more, the attitude that is never satisfied. Paul gives us all kinds of rational reasons why greed is not worth our time.
He says that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”[1] Like the old saying goes, there are no hitches on hearses. Or, as Solomon says in the book of Ecclesiastes, “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.”[2]
Dissatisfaction, the endless drive for more, is not a profitable way to live. It’s very short-sighted and ignores the fact that wealth, money, property, power, influence are all temporary; and, compared to the eternity we have waiting for us after death, it’s a significantly tiny portion of our overall lives. Chasing after the dollar, picking up every extra shift and overtime hour, may be necessary at times, but is no way to live – even from a merely rational perspective – because you’ll only be able to enjoy your earnings for a limited amount of time.
Paul goes on to say, “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”[3] There are basic needs in life that we dare not neglect in the name of faith or trust in God. He has given us abilities and responsibilities in this life. But no gaming system, new model car, or cabin at the lake is necessary for life, nor is it even the cure for craving more. Once you have one gaming system, you want the next. New model cars are made every year. A cabin at the lake turns into a boat and a pool table and a remodeled loft.
Those things aren’t evil in themselves, but it’s the basic difference between wants and needs. Every one of us has what we need. God has seen to that for you. The question is, is that enough for you, or will you be dissatisfied until you also have what you want as well?
That’s why Paul says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”[4]
Did you catch the motion of that sentence? Paul starts with a fall and ends with a splash. The desire for more doesn’t just trip us up. The picture that Paul paints here is of the proverbial millstone that gets tied around our necks as we’re tossed into the sea. It drags us down, faster and faster, into ruin and destruction. It is that downward spiral out of control and into foolish and harmful desires.
You’ve seen it, I’m sure – if not only in movies and television and novels, also even in your own life and in the lives of those around you. I was just talking to my mechanic this week and he was explaining how difficult it was for him to work in a setting where the company fabricated lies to earn more money and where his former accountant was advising him to work around the law to maximize his profit. I don’t know my mechanic’s spiritual condition, but he could recognize and articulate the foolishness and the harm that our desire for more creates; it puts you in danger of prison and litigation.
But it’s worse than just getting in trouble with the CRA or losing customers because of questionable ethics. Paul says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”[5]
Money isn’t the problem; it’s our love for it that spawns all kind of sin. We can think of fraud, and dollar-sign marriages and divorces, robberies, murders and wars that have all been born of greed. But by only considering the big-name evils, we run the risk of thinking that this warning doesn’t apply to us. The reality is that Paul is talking to a man of faith – a pastor, in this case – and Scripture addresses the malcontent of believers time and again.
Nathan came to David with a story of a rich man who stole his poor neighbor’s ewe lamb to feed a guest, to illustrate how David’s dissatisfaction with his sex life was threatening his eternal life. The rich young man who came to Jesus couldn’t bring himself to follow him because he loved his wealth too much. Jesus told several stories of greed, like our Gospel Lesson today,[6] as warnings to believers. Ananias and Sapphira died because they greedily lied about the wealth they offered in God’s house. Judas was one of Jesus’ own disciples and it was greed that inspired him to betray our Savior to death.
Greed, dissatisfaction, malcontent are not just problems for mega-millionaires or rank unbelievers. They are alive and well in the hearts of believers like you and me too, and Paul warns: “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith.”[7] If we want to talk about ruin and destruction, the worst of it is not when the CRA catches up and takes your ill-gotten gain away; it’s not when you lose good ratings on your business or get tossed in prison for your fraud. The ruin and destruction that Paul warns us about is what we saw in the Gospel.
The rich man didn’t realize how much his wealth had stolen his heart from God until he died and woke up in hell. Discontentment is no small thing. It threatens our eternal lives, which is why Paul says to Timothy, “But you, man of God, flee from all this… Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”[8]
Greed infiltrates every kind of life and every corner of our hearts, but all hope is not lost, because God does not define us by our sin; instead, he calls us by his name. “Man of God,” Paul calls Timothy. That’s what you are too. You are God’s own child and an heir of his grace. Like Timothy, you too have been called to faith and to eternal life. And no amount of dissatisfaction can disqualify you from the eternal life that has already been given to you in Jesus’ name.
It may sound strange how Paul immediately transitions into a commentary on Timothy’s confession: “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”[9] It almost sounds like Timothy earned that eternal life by virtue of his confession. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. What Paul is referencing here is Timothy’s baptism, when God put his name on Timothy and formally adopted him into his family. It’s baptism that qualifies us to claim the title “Man” or “Woman of God.” That’s God’s gift to us, and through it also the gift of eternal life in that name.
Our sins of greed, dissatisfaction and malcontent were washed away when we were baptized, because those waters connect us to the death of our Savior Jesus, who also made a good confession in the moments before he died, in the sight of Pontius Pilate.
There Jesus stood, betrayed by his own, handed over as a direct result of human greed, and facing certain death. He could have downplayed his role or denied it outright to save his life. But he made the good confession, that he is the King of the Jews but so much more. He is the only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal.[10] He would be crucified for his confession, and suffer death for crimes he did not commit. But the grave could not hold him in and after three days he rose to new life as a testament that your sins are forgiven and that you have new life in his name.
We can make that same confession – that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that we are not governed by our greed anymore. We are men and women of God, baptized into his name, given the hope of eternal life, who fight the good fight of faith.
To be sure, it will be a battle. It will not be easy to deny the cravings that we have for more or better in this life, but contentment in God is not the same thing as complacency. It doesn’t mean that we don’t care or want to improve. It simply means that our desires and ambitions are for something else – something better – than wealth, possessions, power, influence.
Paul says, “Flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness,”[11] and, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”[12] These are more worth our time and effort because we can actually take them with us when we go. Pursuing these godly qualities don’t put us in danger of the temptations and traps or foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, “There are no laws against things like that.”[13]
Contentment in God does not result in complacency but in the concerted effort to labor for the Lord. To take hold of the eternal life that is ours by faith. To make the good confession for the world to hear that Jesus is our Savior and Sovereign King.
It pays to be content. There is great profit for being a Christian. It may not reflect in your bank account, but in God’s book you have the most precious treasure – forgiveness for your sin, salvation in Jesus’ blood, and eternal life in his name.
Now, to the blessed and only Ruler, to King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and might forever. Amen.[14]
[1] 1 Timothy 6:7
[2] Ecclesiastes 2:18
[3] 1 Timothy 6:8
[4] 1 Timothy 6:9
[5] 1 Timothy 6:10
[6] Luke 16:19-31
[7] 1 Timothy 6:10
[8] 1 Timothy 6:11,12
[9] 1 Timothy 6:12
[10] 1 Timothy 6:15,16
[11] 1 Timothy 6:11
[12] 1 Timothy 6:12
[13] Galatians 5:23
[14] 1 Timothy 6:15,16
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