Easter 4 - Mark 10:23-27 - May 10, 2020

Eternal Wisdom from Christ Jesus

1. To answer: What will my wealth do?

2. To answer: Who can be saved?

Mark 10:23-27 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (NKJV)

As we continue in the Gospel of Mark where we left off last weekend, we encounter one of the most familiar illustrations in the Bible – a camel going through the eye of a needle. This is such a striking thought by Jesus – we wonder what prompted Him to use this imagery. Well, it’s possible that, when speaking to that culture, the eye of a needle was the smallest opening they knew of, and the camel was the largest animal they knew of. So, in that sense, it was a contrast between two extremes, which would have further emphasized Jesus’ teaching point.

People who know little to nothing about the Bible often have heard this expression before. This fact is even apparent today as both the Islamic Koran and the Jewish Talmud, two holy books from religions outside of Christianity – contain this same illustration. It’s so strange that a camel and a needle would be considered in the same thought, and yet it endures as a lesson for all people. True enough, we don’t know why Jesus chose these thoughts, but He knew what He was doing.

But, obviously, this phrase wasn’t always so well known. When Jesus first told the disciples, they were astonished. It wasn’t common for them. It shocked them. They couldn’t figure out what He meant by it. And this puzzle wasn’t in some lesser area. It caused the disciples to ask, “Who then can be saved?” This thought posed by Jesus was directly related to life with God – to eternal salvation – and therefore, critically important.

Even though we are more familiar with this phrase today, its impact should not be lost on us. God doesn’t want us to be shocked or surprised, but rather to be deeply impressed and appreciative of the wonder of salvation He has given us in Christ Jesus. We should not view the astounding nature of that miracle in any lesser light than the disciples did. For we too, at times in our lives, have moments of trial and plight when we also ponder, “Who can be saved?”

As with all areas where God alone can provide, the problem is always easier to see than the solution. The problem that Jesus was getting at in this section was about the influence of riches and wealth on faith. This is where the story connects back to what we studied last weekend – Jesus’ conversation with the wealthy young man. That account ends with the young man walking away sadly because he was unwilling to part with his wealth. Now, Jesus launches into a more detailed, private lesson with the disciples – but the overall thought is the same – how easily wealth can detract from faith.

You see, that problem is easy to understand, but sometimes we struggle with it because we don’t always see the problem for what it is. Take the disciples as an example. They knew that greed, covetousness, and selfishness were wrong. They would have been taught from early on, as many are, to keep far away from these attitudes. But, they didn’t yet make the connection between these vices and the materialism and wealth of the world. This is probably because many of the disciples were poor. It’s hard to grasp a concept that you haven’t yet experienced.

Perhaps we’re in the same boat. Most of us aren’t wealthy when compared to the rest of the world. We probably live pretty ordinary, maybe even meager lives, when compared with the rich and the elite. And so, perhaps we minimize the warning of Jesus’ words at times. Like the disciples, we know that greed, coveting, selfishness and all the other money-related sins are wrong; but, as obvious as the problem is, we’re not always keen to it because sometimes we don’t think of it as the problem we have. 

Maybe we are inexperienced in wealth, as we stated, but it could also be due to our mindset. The disciples were astonished (twice, in fact) when Jesus warned about money and its effect on one’s faith. Why? Well, what is clear in theoretical terms in sometimes harder to perceive in real time. That’s part of the reason Jesus further explains the young rich man’s situation to the disciples.

Stop for a moment to consider it yourself, and you can understand why the disciples were surprised. Despite what we know about God’s clear warnings of the danger of money, there are basic natural conclusions that we convince ourselves of when it comes to wealth. In the Jewish culture it was believed that a person’s wealth was a sign of God’s favor toward them. Therefore, the assumption was: the wealthier you are, the better you’ve been before God. Isn’t that kind of thought common today as well? Another basic idea that comes to mind is that life is easier when you’re rich. You have what we want. You don’t worry about money. You have more pleasure and happiness. But, we don’t even need the Bible to dispel this notion, experience teaches us that money often creates more problems, and one’s greed often increases with one’s wealth. On top of this, even the richest people in the world still long for the joy and fulfillment that a little child with no money possesses naturally.

Factor into all this the tendency of money to bind our attachment to material possessions, rather than thinking about God, and you have a recipe for not only astonishment on the surface but a great danger toward your faith.

Consider some other Scriptures on the danger of money:

Luke 12:15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 

Proverbs 23:4-5 Don't wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving your attention to it. 5 As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

It’s simple, right? Maybe too simple. Perhaps it’s so abundantly clear to us that we numb our consciences to the threat. There are the obvious reasons why wealth can be dangerous to faith, some we’ve mentioned already: Greed, materialism, misplaced priorities, coveting, discontentment, selfishness.  

But bear in mind that there are less obvious, but equally dangerous, reasons too. The pursuit of money shapes your life in that it causes you to make poor decisions (where to live, what occupation to pursue), it changes the way you think of others (means to an end), and it leads you devalue what is most important: relationships, family, obedience to God, accountability of self in addition to freedom of self-expression. 

These are all reasons why Jesus’ unique illustration lasts to this day – why even two other non-Christian religions adopted it. It’s sound wisdom. Truly, as Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have (and trust in) riches to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

But as enduring as it is, that’s not even the greatest thing Jesus said in this section. The last verse is the conclusion of it all: "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." What a profound thought. We may sit in astonishment with the disciples on the wisdom of Jesus’ illustration and warning, but this final thought is on an entirely different level.

When we think of the power of God, we probably consider first his miracles – the acts of supernatural power over the creation. The “wow” moments of Jesus’ ministry. These were the things that attracted the crowds, that the kings and rulers of the earth begged to witness with their own eyes. It’s hard not to feel like we’re missing something important when we weren’t part of the generation that was blessed to see such things.

But, keep in mind what Jesus is addressing here, all the way back to the thoughts of last week. He is teaching about eternal life – the kingdom of heaven. This is not about signs and wonders on the earth. It’s about the glory and bliss of heaven. It is within this context that Jesus tells His disciples that anything is possible for Him. It is with this intention, not to heal a disease, not to hold authority over a storm, not to dictate power to the natural world, not even to raise the dead (though all these things are in Jesus’ power). It was for the purpose of trusting Jesus for salvation that He concluded with this thought.

The disciples were puzzled about who could be saved. What an answer from Jesus! Salvation is not in one’s works or efforts under God’s law, nor is it a matter of who is wealthiest or most powerful on earth. Salvation is about God’s ability to accomplish what is impossible for us to do for ourselves. So, who can be saved? Anyone that has sinned, because Christ has saved sinners. 1 John 2:1-2  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-- Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

As amazing as Jesus’ wisdom in condemning greed and materialism was, this thought holds predominance over the entire text and over our entire faith. Jesus Christ saves sinners – all sinners. He is able. He has the power. He has done it.

Here, at the end, is where we see the greatest difference between the one who trusts Christ, and the one who trusts in their own wealth. The one who trusts in their wealth believes that they come to God to be accepted – fully expecting to be welcomed into God’s good graces. The one who trusts in Christ comes in shambles – broken, guilty, and distressed. Out of options, hopeless and desperate – fully expecting to be turned away in pain, like all other eventualities in this life. One believes they make it possible, the other believes they’ve made it impossible.   

It’s an astonishing thing isn’t it? One might say, almost as shocking as a camel going through the eye of a needle.

Jesus makes the difference. Our impossibility is made possible in His name, by His power, and through His grace. Amen.

Easter 3 - Mark 10:17-22 - May 3, 2020

Dear friends in Christ Jesus – we pray: Lord, sanctify us by Your truth, Your word is truth. Amen.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” No, that’s not a Bible verse, but it probably is a saying you’ve heard before. This phrase stood out to me this week in something I read and it made me think of our text for today.

Before we get to that, though, what does this phrase mean to you? Although it is simple and short, I was surprised to find that there are several competing interpretations of it on the internet. For one thing, no one is quite sure where the phrase originally came from. Some suggest it’s an old English proverb, others believe it’s much more ancient. It’s hard to speak definitively on the meaning of something when you’re not even sure where it originated.

Regardless, it’s a striking statement because it blends good and evil. Even for the most unreligious person, the concept of hell stands as a symbol of evil. Many today use hell as a byword curse or insult thrown around at others. We Christians recognize hell as a reality and a true warning of the result of unbelief. And yet, here hell is paired with good intentions. How could the path to hell be paved with something good?

The prevailing opinion today is that this phrase refers to the unknown elements that arise from one’s actions. The idea is that even when someone does something good, there is an unexpected, unintentional fallout at times that turns bad. Essentially, we just can’t account for every outcome to something, and sometimes even the actions with the best of intentions have negative outcomes.

One example given is the introduction of the Asian carp into the North America eco-system. In the 1970's, catfish farmers introduced Asian Carp into their fisheries with the good intention of keeping the water clear of plankton and algae. The voracious and aggressive Asian Carp, which can reach over a hundred pounds, fly through the air, injuring boaters, and decimate native fish species. It has now overtaken the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and threaten to do the same to the Great Lakes.

However, as Christians, we see more than a mere spiritual lesson in this saying. When seen in the light of God’s Word, we recognize a clear division between truth and error, and therefore, good and evil. The road to hell is paved with good intentions because human nature wants to please God to get to heaven. It is common and natural for us to believe that the good we do in life gains spiritual favor before God – and the more we accrue the more we are blessed. Maybe mainstream society shuns this interpretation because it hits a little too close to home. Perhaps it pricks our stubborn hearts a bit more than we like and it forces us to come to grips with our sin and what God says about it.  

I can’t say for sure, but we shouldn’t find this kind of idea surprising. The desire to emphasize spiritual purity and righteousness by our own efforts has been present since the beginning of time and it’s hasn’t lost any momentum up to present day. We see another such example in our text for today, and most importantly, what Jesus has to say about this condition. We read from Mark 10:17-22:

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19 You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’” 20 The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth.

Part 1 – What Jesus doesn’t say is telling (teaching)

We’ll divide the message today into two parts. The first is about what Jesus doesn’t say. It’s amazing how much we can learn from what isn’t discussed in this section. This becomes a very important thought because this section is so familiar. It’s a story we’ve heard again and again. Like the phrase of our theme, it’s also a story that is subject to various interpretations. It’s common for theologians and philosophers alike to put their own spin on the words of our Savior.

So, one thing Jesus doesn’t say is that the rich young ruler can get to heaven by depriving himself. We’re kind of starting from the end of the text here, but we begin at this point because this is one of the biggest misconceptions about this text. It’s a human assumption that because Jesus tells the man, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,” that Jesus is now teaching that the man can actually get to heaven this way.  

Jesus is NOT teaching or implying that the man could get to heaven by depriving himself. Some have taught that approach and used religious terms like penance, confession, and repentance to do so. Jesus used that hypothetical example, one that happens to come naturally to humans, to reveal the man’s faulty and dangerous approach to getting to heaven. Jesus presents the scenario, not because it is possible, but to show the man how it is impossible. (Mark 10:27) We need to be aware of falling into shallow moralism where we turn our faith into a set a guiding principles that earn us favor before God rather than the message of salvation and life in Jesus Christ alone.

Another thing that Jesus doesn’t say is more about the initial question that started this conversation. What we see here is that Jesus sticks to the most important point, even though much more could be said. The rich young ruler initially asks, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. There is an abrupt shift between these first thoughts and the direction that the rest of the conversation takes. Jesus fleshes out more of an answer as the text goes on, by quoting some of the commandments, but He doesn’t really dig deeper into these initial points.

What we see here is that the rich young ruler really has a problem recognizing that Jesus is God. He calls Jesus a “Good Teacher” but Jesus’ response indicates that the young man is limiting what he means by this title. Jesus prods this a bit by questioning why the man would call Him good if only God was truly good, but it really is left there. Part of the reason behind this prodding by Jesus is that it provides the perfect segue to discussing what the man considers good – in spiritual terms, what it takes to get to heaven. Thus, the conversation naturally shifts into the 10 commandments.

In all fairness, Jesus could have launched into a discourse about His divine nature and further challenged the man on this point. But Jesus knew this would not be as beneficial to the man’s spiritual well-being, so Jesus chose to leave it as it was in that moment. What this teaches us is that in some conversations, you also may have to let some talking points rest in order to emphasize a greater point. There’s a time and a place for every topic of conversation from God’s Word, but it takes wisdom to discern the appropriate time.

What this also teaches us is that when taken to their end, all points of God’s truth are inter-connected. Jesus didn’t discuss His divine nature further, perhaps His prodding question was enough to get the young man to think more about it in the future. But, what we do see is that one of the reasons the young man tried to justify himself is because he didn’t fully know who Jesus was. Put more simply, we could conclude that the man’s belief about God shaped his stance on heaven, righteousness, and behavior toward others. When you say it like that, you see that what one believes, or in this case, doesn’t believe about Jesus has huge implications for life today and for eternity. The person of Jesus Christ and what He came to do is not some distant theological teaching far removed from behavior and morality today. Rather, it is the foundation of all good, just as Jesus described in the text. 

Part 2: When good intentions become bad (application)

So, now we move into application. How do these thoughts affect our faith? Well, to start, we return to the conclusion we learn from the rich young man. There was simply an absence of Jesus in his thoughts and beliefs. This absence was filled by the man’s own ideas about self-righteousness, namely, that he had done it all already. In thinking he was so close to God; he was actually pushing himself farther away.

Notice how this absence rears its ugly head in the text. The man’s initial question is entirely focused on himself, “what must I do to inherit eternal life.” The man was so full of himself, spiritually, that he couldn’t even see the logical fallacy in that question (an inheritance isn’t earned).

Second, notice anything about the commandments Jesus mentions? They all deal with human interaction – person to person. We call this the second table of the law, because it doesn’t address our relationship with God like commandments 1-3 do. Jesus didn’t list only commandments 4-10 because they were all that mattered. He did so because that’s where the young man’s thoughts were in that moment. Jesus brought these literal laws to the man, where he was at spiritually, to wake him up to repent, not to gloat inwardly of achievement. 

Do we see ourselves so clearly here in the man’s attitude? Talk about an application to our lives and to our current culture. So often we focus only on matters between us and someone else. We trick ourselves into thinking we’re better than others by how we act. But that kind of logic never considers one’s relationship with God. It ignores the person of Jesus – true God and true man. It overlooks the commands of God that point at my relationship with God, not my relationship with other people. The trend fits. The more you think only of yourself, the less you consider God – both in the warnings and admonishment that God offers but also in the blessings only He is able to extend. If you do this you’ll start to care only about the favor and approval of others. (Romans 12:1-2).

This is how good intentions become bad. We change the definition of good from what God says to what we say. Truly, the road of hell is paved, littered, and flooded with good intentions. Because if we don’t have Jesus, nothing else matters. That’s the whole point of this lesson. The young man didn’t care about having Jesus. He was content to live with that void in his life. To him, Jesus was simply a prop that could inflate his own ego. That’s why he refused to follow Jesus, and as the Savior saw with perfect wisdom, that one lingering sin tore open the veil covering the young man’s false sense of morality. By rendering one law useless, the man violated all of God’s commandments – much to the contrary of what he thought.

This effort by Jesus didn’t make the young man happy. The word for looking sad indicates a tone of anger in addition to disappointment. It might be tantamount to the modern-day idea of offending someone. You’ve triggered their moral proposition, sometimes this can happen today simply by offering a challenging idea. Jesus was not worried about people getting angry at Him, though He certainly didn’t go around looking for trouble either.

The truth is that Jesus loved this man enough to tell him what he needed to hear. Certainly, for that day, the young man would have been much happier with a pat on the back and a compliment that he was doing just fine. But, Jesus grated against the man’s sinful vanity because Jesus cared more for the man’s eternal happiness, rather than a fleeting feeling in the present.

The same Jesus serves you today. Do you resist this? Is there an absence of Jesus in our lives because we’d rather live in spiritual complacency? Are we worried about angering and offending the unbelieving world instead of boldly standing for what God says? These are the ways this story continues to be told in our lives. We may think we know more than the rich young ruler did, and perhaps we do in our heads. But, the end of the story is the same. Without Jesus, we have nothing.

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the only path to heaven. He forgives when we are overburdened by sin. He guides us with patience when we are stubborn in our will. He teaches and instructs when we are obtuse with ignorance. He creates a thankful and generous heart that seeks to serve our neighbor in love, not in a vain attempt to prove anything. He raises in victory when we are overcome by death. Amen. 

Easter 2 - Hebrews 13:20-21 - April 26, 2020

Theme: God Will Bring it to Completion  

This time of adjusting schedules and staying at home provides an opportunity for reflection and thought. I’m sure each of you have had plenty of moments to contemplate the experiences of the last couple of months. The thing is, just because we have more opportunity to think, doesn’t guarantee that such thinking occupies our free time. An opening of time can also lead to an increase of stress, anxiety, and concern. We can also occupy that free space in our minds with sinful lusts and thoughts or growing doubts and fears about the future.

It’s well established that major changes in our lives can lead to all of these things – even if we have more free time. When we encounter moments like this, the worry and fear can build and grow because it’s difficult for us to process new events that are unfamiliar. To process something in mental and spiritual terms is essentially to understand it, to make sense of it. Sometimes, we process things in unhealthy ways as we seek to mask feelings or cover up behaviors and attitudes that make us comfortable. At other times we fail to process because we feel paralyzed. We may not know exactly what to make of the situation we’re going through.

My guess is that most of us are in the latter scenario. We’re all in uncharted territory. No one has experienced anything quite like this virus and all the changes that have accompanied it. And that feeling of unknown, of uncertainty as to how to process these events, can create an unrest of anxiousness and fear in our hearts. That unrest is well-known, but hard to describe. I think we’ve all felt it a bit, some more than others perhaps. I think of it as being on edge because it’s a hard thing to put into words. Unrest is that feeling of knowing something isn’t right but not really being able to put a finger as to why. And when we’re on edge like that, we express that in different ways.

The unrest leads us to lash out at others. It leads to seeking to get what we want because we want to control something in life. It leads to delusional thoughts, like maybe someone is out to get me, or in spiritual terms, maybe God isn’t in control anymore. It can cause us to turn to sinful things for comfort, or at the very least, things that do not really fulfill our sense of longing. The unrest causes us to act differently than we normally would, than we would when we’re processing events in healthy way.  

Now, I say this not to continue a feeling of helplessness, or force you lower than you may already feel. We can talk about these things, things that we are feeling and experiencing now, because God does help. God forgives. God comforts. God instills hope. God builds up. God has power and love, tenderness and authority. But, also, for that problem of unrest, even at the times where we feel off but can’t explain just how – God completes. Consider the words of our text for today.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The simple message of these words can be condensed to this: “Now may the God of peace make you complete.” That is the purpose. This is what we gain and learn from these words. This is the confidence we have. It is simple and sweet.

But what a blessing that God expanded on that single thought as well! The stability of our hope in God’s promises comes from the fact that this entire truth is surrounded by Jesus - who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant – to Him be the glory forever and ever.

A key word in this text is the substance of God’s promise – that He will make you complete. This is very interesting word. It means to make something adequate or sufficient, you can think of it as filling in all the missing pieces. Even more basic than that, it has the idea of mending something – the idea being fixing something that has been broken and restoring it to its original purpose. Obviously, when God promises to do this for us – it’s quite a comforting picture. Consider some other Scripture references that include the same word:

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 

1 Peter 5:10 Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.

It’s this lack of completeness that leaves us with that empty, on edge feeling when times are unusually stressful and out of control. Oftentimes, the sinful reactions we have toward one another are grasping attempts in the fog of uncertainty to feel better and to have more control. The primary thought of this text is that God can and will help. Sometimes, we’re led astray to distrust the Word of God for certain problems. The modern, personally enlightened mind thinks there are just some things in life that God, religion, Christianity, or the faith can’t address. So, we turn to science, popular talking heads, the so-called experts. These things cannot make us complete.

God is equipped for each problem we face because every trail, helpless feeling, hardship, and struggle goes back to the reality of sin, and God alone has properly dealt with sin. It was for the purpose of handling sin, and its disastrous effects in our world, that the thoughts of the rest of our text come in. God raised His Son from the dead. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who tends and cares for your life. The guarantee of the blessings you have in Christ by faith are sealed with His own blood – the blood that stands as the testament of God’s love for you. This is the certainty you have that sin has been handled, and with that comes all the ills the accompany sin in this world.

Now there are plenty of times where our own personal sins give us problems. Because of the stubbornness of our hearts, or the corruptness of our natures, we become our own worst enemies by the sinful thoughts, words, and actions we commit. This is certainly a real aspect of our lives and in those moments we stand ready to repent, as King David confessed: 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (ESV)

Christ brings a peace and beauty to personally confessing your sins before God and being honest about the ways you have created problems for yourself and for others. We should stand ready to do that at all times as we did earlier in our service.

Sometimes our uneasiness and on edge attitude is due to an unrepentant attitude. The fog of spiritual dismay grows in such circumstances, and so God gave us the gift of repentance to cleanse our hearts of sinful filth.

At other times, that helpless feeling is present simply because we are living in a sinful world. There are a host of sorrows, pains, and disturbances of heart, mind, and body that are not due to a specific sin in our lives, but because this world is fallen and corrupt. Sometimes, those troubles can be harder to overcome because it’s not a matter of awareness about something in your life, such as repenting of your sins, but rather it’s a matter of a tragedy beyond your control.

For even times like this, God is able to make you complete. The work that Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection did much more than just extend forgiveness and renewal to you personally. It changed the world. It set in motion another promise from God sealed in the blood of the Savior. Not a personal righteousness for you, but a final rendering of all sin and wickedness in the world. A time when all pain, sorrow, heartache, stress, and emptiness will be done away with. A mending not just for your heart, but for every aspect of life that affects you.

This is how God makes good on His promise to bring completion – total restoration. This is the believer’s hope for those feelings of helpless anxiety and consuming fears that seek to rob us of hope in Christ. God knows and God completes. The resurrection of Christ is your assurance that this promise will not fail.

We wait now, but we are not hopeless. God gives us His Word of truth and peace to guide our way and strengthen our faith. And though we wait, there is one who has seen and testified of God’s complete renewal:

John records what He saw in the vision of the new heavens and new earth:

Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God's dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the One seated on the throne said, "Look! I am making everything new." He also said, "Write, because these words are faithful and true."

This was all made possible by Jesus, our Savior. This is the hope we have right now, when we are at a loss for words. This is the light that always shines no matter how dark your life becomes. So as our text concludes, let us seek Jesus in His Word, cling to His promises by faith, and exercise the good works of service and glory that He has prepared for us. In Him, you are complete. Amen.

Easter 1 - John 21:15-19 - April 19, 2020

Theme: True Forgiveness

John 21:15-19 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I care about you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”

16 A second time Jesus asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I care about you.” Jesus told him, “Be a shepherd for my sheep.”

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you care about me?” Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you care about me?” He answered, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I care about you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Amen, Amen, I tell you: When you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.” (EHV)

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” You’ve heard that before I’m sure. Have you ever stopped to think about what it actually means? I tried that this week and it started to hurt my head a bit. Really, it doesn’t make sense. Things can’t both change and stay the same. Yet, we use this expression because it fits with what life is like. What we experience in life is that the same things happen in different ways. So, there’s some truth to the thought that the more things change, the more they will happen the same way too. The scenes of life are different, that appears to be all.

We get a sense of that here in God’s Word this morning. Things had definitely changed for Simon Peter. Within the last week, he had forsaken and denied Jesus, watched Jesus suffer and die, witnessed an empty tomb and the proclamation of several believers that Jesus was alive, and now finally seen Jesus alive today. Much indeed had changed.

Yet, this scene is strikingly familiar to the first time Jesus called Peter, from Matthew 4.

·       They were at the Sea of Galilee.

·       They were fishing.

·       And Jesus called Peter to “Follow Me.”

It’s quite interesting that this is just about both the first and last thing Jesus said to Peter in the Gospels. As much as things had changed in three years of ministry from Jesus, things were pretty much the same for Peter – except the elephant in the room, of course.

That one big thing was the fact that Peter had denied Jesus three times. Peter certainly knew and believed he was forgiven by Jesus. But in his heart, Peter must have been curious as to what his Lord would do with him moving forward. Peter was the defacto leader of the apostles. Jesus had promised that Peter would have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What would become of all this now that Peter had openly denied His Master? The rest of the apostles surely we aware of Peter’s indiscretion. Was his capacity as a leader compromised? Indeed, it was enough to be forgiven by Jesus but Peter wanted more, he had been trained for more. In his heart, all this must have been seriously jeopardized. And given that scenario, Peter himself must have felt quite lost in this moment.

Jesus didn’t waste any time in either talking to Peter or getting to the point. In a way, there might even be a temptation for us to think of Jesus as insensitive or like He’s picking on Peter. But, sometimes we’re so overly sensitive to the ways we’ve hurt others, or sinned against God, that we think it’s rude to address it. This feeling is a ploy by Satan to get us to ignore our mistakes and never seek restitution for what we’ve done wrong. As Jesus demonstrates, most times the best thing we can do is to directly address what we know is out there, rather than seeking to avoid dealing with it at all costs.

It surely cut Peter to the heart to hear Jesus’ words. There’s no doubt that the denial was fresh in Peter’s mind. How ashamed he must have felt! And it’s also interesting that Jesus speaks to Peter in full view of the other apostles. This was not to punish Peter but rather to reinforce the fact that Jesus forgave Peter in the minds of the rest, since they surely were aware of the denial as well. Public sin is best dealt with with public repentance and renewal. This measure was taken by Jesus so that the rest of the apostles’ trust in Peter as their leader would not continue to be compromised. Again, this must have made Peter feel ashamed and guilty, especially knowing how much he cared about the approval of his Lord and his brothers. But, hard as it was, it was the best thing for Peter. [church discipline]

Jesus does not act in half measures. He addresses matters that require His attention, and He takes care of them with a mastery of skill and tact. Jesus knows how bad it can be to have sins hanging around for extra consumption. It’s a very attractive prospect for us to neglect and ignore important matters of our faith that need attention. This does not always have to be a matter of sin between us and another Christian, or between us and God either. It can involve a question in our heart, a seed of doubt about our faith. It can involve a habit that puts us in a dangerous situation, like talking about another person behind their back, or taking a look at another person who is not your spouse. Our society gets on the Christian’s case for pointing these things out, as if we are only interested in projecting a “holier than thou” attitude. But, it’s about protection. Jesus doesn’t take any matter of spiritual concern lightly. He gets to the heart of the matter and resolves it so there’s no question of lingering issues. We should strive to do the same.

So, let’s breakdown what Jesus said to Peter. We have three similar statements. Jesus questions Peter about his love for Jesus. Inherent in this thought of love is also loyalty, faithfulness, and respect. Just like the way we use the word love, so also the Greek thought can contain several virtues. One difference is noted in the first question – “Do you love me more than these?” What is Jesus making the comparison to? It seems likely that it applies to the rest of the apostles. It could mean, does Peter love Jesus more than Peter loves the others? Essentially, was Jesus of the highest priority and importance in Peter’s heart? It could also mean, does Peter love Jesus more than the rest of the apostles love Jesus? As Peter had claimed in the past, “Even if all fall away because of you, I never will,” so perhaps Jesus is hearkening back to this fierce loyalty in Peter. We don’t know the exact answer, but we do know this is a test from Jesus.

In contrast to the three times that Peter denied Jesus, out of fear of the Jews, when quite literally, there were more things that concerned Peter, Jesus now gives him the opportunity to re-pledge his loyalty to his Savior.   

Much is made about the rest of what Jesus says to Peter too. We’ll separate this into what fits and what is more on the unknown side of things. One thing that fits is that Jesus restores Peter three times just as Peter disowned Jesus three times. Jesus, very clearly, is making a point about what was surely on Peter’s heart at this time. Another thing that fits is that Peter in renewed to enter the ministry of the Lord. The concluding command by Jesus in each statement is that Peter would take care of Jesus’ sheep. The thought of shepherding is a common expression for the ministry of God’s Word. Peter would officially move on from fisherman to pastor.

Another common thought about this text was that Jesus was playing a sort word game with Peter. I used a text today that brings this to light. In the first two questions, Jesus uses the word agape for love, meaning a deep, committed love and that is faithful. Agape is often considered parallel to the concept of grace. However, Peter’s answer to these questions used the word phileo, meaning a love that is more of a friendship, though it can be just as committed at times as agape. In the last question, Jesus shifts and uses phileo, and Peter responds in kind.

Obviously, Jesus and Peter were not conversing in Greek, but much has been made of this distinction because the Holy Spirit certainly inspired the words that were used. Is there a distinction in application to be made here? Those who say yes believe that Peter may not have grasped what Jesus was getting at. We have the benefit of seeing what Jesus meant and what Peter meant, as their thoughts are reflected in the different words. Another idea is that Jesus was asking for the highest form of love and Peter was unsure of whether he could offer that. Perhaps this was a learning moment for Peter, where for the first time instead of plunging forward headlong, he thought about the implications of his answer before replying.

Ultimately, this is a distinction that doesn’t fit very well. It’s fascinated to ponder, but we have to be careful about taking liberties with the Word of God. We don’t know if Jesus meant something significant here, or if He just used a different sentiment. There are other examples in the New Testament where agape and phileo are used interchangeably, so it could just be a matter of that.     

The lasting lesson of this discourse with Peter is all about forgiveness. The nature of forgiveness seems straightforward to us, but so often we refuse to show it or we struggle to put it into practice because it catches us off guard. In our minds, forgiveness seems simple. Someone wrongs us, they are sorry, we forgive, all is well. However, that formula is rarely how life operates. What if the person isn’t sorry? What if it’s hard to let go of the way someone wronged us? What if we keep falling into the same sin – does God give up at some point? Do we become numb to the danger? What impact does that have on forgiveness?

Peter was certainly caught off guard here. So often, Peter was the one who always had a response for Jesus – who prided himself on being ready for the Lord. But that was part of the lesson Peter learned by his failure. Favor with Jesus was not about Peter’s abilities as compared to the rest of the apostles. It wasn’t about his attention to detail, or the questions he asked that showed he was thinking diligently about his faith. What Jesus did was turned Peter’s misconception of faith and forgiveness on its end. Jesus questioned Peter’s love in order to show His love for Peter.

He used this moment to illustrate to Peter that the path of faith and forgiveness starts with Jesus and stays with Jesus. If Jesus is not leading the way, we have fallen into self-reliance and hypocrisy. Even up to Good Friday, Peter was trying to lead his own way. Jesus allowed Peter to fail, even by denying the very One who would die for Peter’s sins, in order for Peter to learn this lesson and to truly be restored.

This is why forgiveness in Jesus will feel foreign, will look strange to our eyes at times, and will be hard to put into practice – because it’s not of our own doing. Forgiveness in Jesus means Jesus is leading the way – it’s a blessing and a gift that comes from Him.

And here’s why we should thank God for this. Jesus questioned Peter’s love so that Jesus could show His love for Peter. That’s the beauty of forgiveness in Jesus, because Jesus knew that ultimately Peter was questioning God’s love for him, especially after what Peter did to Jesus. And the exact same blessing is true for you. Jesus’ word questions your loyalty to Him. Are you faithful? Are you just? Are you blameless? Are you loving? Like Peter, these sentiments cut to the heart and we are left feeling helpless and guilty. But our Savior’s questions do more than convict. God allows that pain so that we see with more clarity and appreciate the love of Jesus in the place of those failures. Because like Peter, God knows that the root of your struggles go back to questioning His love – Will He accept me? Am I good enough? How do I get to heaven?

And so for us too, what seems like a puzzling conundrum is revealed through Jesus to be the source of our restoration and forgiveness. And finally, like Peter again, we can rejoice that Jesus turns to us and once again and says, “Follow Me.”

Easter Sunday - Matthew 28:1-8 - April 12, 2020

Theme: The Gift that Exceeds All Others

1. Because of where it was given

2. Because of the One who gave it

Who doesn’t like getting a gift? Well, a gift is free, that’s hard to argue with. A gift can also share something much deeper than the item itself. I suppose a gift makes the recipient feel good too. Those are a few reasons why nearly everyone enjoys getting a gift.

But gifts are also enjoyable to give. A gift can be a way to express emotions, even the deepest like love. It feels good for the giver when a well thought out gift is appreciated. And it does the soul good to extend kindness to another person.

In all these ways, gifts – though simple on the surface – can reach much deeper and become tangible expressions of thoughts and emotions that are difficult to put into words. Perhaps that’s why gift giving is recognized as one of the famed “love languages.” A love language is a term used to describe how someone communicates and receives love. The five love languages are: words of affirmation, works of service, physical touch, quality time, and gift giving.

We’re all different and therefore we express love in different ways. For me, gift giving is most certainly a love language. I use gifts to show others how much I care about them. When someone puts time and effort into a gift for me it really underscores in my mind how much they think of me. It resonates with me. Could be the same for you, could be different.

But gift giving can be tricky when so much meaning is attached to it. What if the gift falls short of the gesture I envisioned with it? What if I measure how someone feels about me based on their gift when they speak with a different love language? What if I just completely flop on a gift and send the wrong message? Sometimes gifts don’t always work out as planned. Sometimes their meaning is less than what it should be.  

This morning we consider the greatest gift God gave humanity, as He sealed the promise of eternal life in the resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Though it’d be wrong to constrain God to five love languages, we certainly see Him making use of gift giving to convey His care for us. As we study these words from God today, we seek to understand what makes His gift exceed all others, as we read from Matthew 28:1-8:

Matthew 28:1-8 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. (NKJV)

The first aspect we see that makes God’s gift exceed all others, is where it was given. That’s one unique detail about gifts, they can be attached to locations and situations. If you consider the most precious gifts in your life, I bet they have an attachment to some time or place. On the surface, it seems natural that the best gifts would be the ones that are most expensive or the ones that offer the best entertainment or personal pleasure. But this really isn’t the case.

One of the precious gifts I have is quite simple on the surface. It’s about the size of a postcard. Its monetary value is probably less than five dollars. But it’s valuable to me because it’s attached to a time and place in my life. The gift I’m talking about is a picture of our house in Minnesota that my sister painted when we moved out here. It was her parting gift to us as we packed up and left. It’s well done, but it wouldn’t be found in an art museum. No one else would consider it important. But it’s priceless to me because each time I look at it, my memories take me back to the time we lived there – to the events we experienced there – to the joy, and sometimes the heartaches – that we endured there. It takes me back to when Allie was a newborn baby and Micah learned to ride a bike. It takes me back to our first Christmas together on our own, and the garden we planted and the sandbox we built, and a host of other fond memories. It’s a valuable gift. 

The resurrection of Jesus was a similar gift – because of the location. John paints the scene for us: John 19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. Matthew tells us who was there, and low and behold, it was the same two women who open our text. In the prior chapter, just verses before the resurrection, Matthew records this seemingly odd detail to what John described: Matthew 27:61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. 

The same two Mary’s who first arrived at the empty tomb on Easter morning, had sat aside in disbelief on Good Friday and gazed upon the burial of Jesus’ body. They watched it all happen, and only God knew what lay in store as they solemnly advanced to that same spot three days later. Consider the value for them when they saw the tomb empty on Easter morning! What meaning that gift must have had because of the location where it was given. And in that sense, even the painful moment of watching the Lord’s shrouded body with utter disbelief was a gift of its own. Only God could give such an exceedingly wonderful gift. Only He had a purpose to that heartache, to that horrible, empty, helpless feeling of shock and bewilderment. Because they went through that, they had a far greater and more surpassing comfort when they saw that stone rolled away and the tomb empty on Easter.

Locations have connections and they are not soon forgotten. Because the Mary’s saw Jesus buried, they were sure to believe and trust when they saw Him alive. They did not have to take anyone’s word for it – the Lord had shown them.  

Consider the lasting lesson in your life. Only God knows the trials and tribulations He must bring you through to build your faith. One day they will become yours, but now they are only in God’s hands. So also with the gift – only God can use such pain, such heartache, such astonishment and shock in a fallen world to create an exceedingly great blessing for you. Believe that He knows it. Trust that He will provide it. The resurrection is a gift that means something to us – because God has seen fit in His Word to make it known in our lives.

The gift of the resurrection also exceeds all others because of the One who gave it. Of course, for all intents and purposes it appears that God is absent in our text. The tomb is certainly empty, but there’s no Jesus either – yet. The One who gave the gift is present through His messenger, the angel. It seems that each time an angel comes before someone, the lasting image is one of power and fear. Indeed, most angel encounter begins with “Do not be afraid” as this one does. We, too, are tempted to get caught up in the angel’s power and appearance. But, that’s always the secondary quality of an angel encounter. The main reason God uses His angels is because He has a very important message to convey. When we focus so intently on what the angel may have looked like, or what amount of power they possess, we neglect the true purpose for their arrival – to speak in the place of God.

God is not present in visible form here, but He is present through the angel’s words, for as God’s holy messenger, the angel’s words are God’s words. An angel not only possesses power and perfection, but also speaks with perfection. Everything said by this angel is correct and the absolute best way to get the message across – because these are God’s words. Listen again, to the angel’s message and consider it as God’s direct word to you. “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

There are subtle truths in this message that are so important for your faith, and that importance comes forth when we see these as words from God. These words are from the One who gave the gift.  

One message that means more coming from God is that the angel says, “I know” – God knew that the Mary’s were looking for Jesus. He was aware of what feelings were in their heart. He knew the sorrow they had felt during the last few days. Essentially, God was not distant – He was with them. He wanted them to know that Jesus was alive, but also that He knew what they were going through. Likewise, God knows how you feel. God knows what you think. He meets you where you are at and imparts the life-saving, soul-rescuing comfort of the resurrection – the gift that exceeds all others.  

The angel also says, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” God reminds the Mary’s of what they had already been taught. Jesus was open about His mission to the cross, but also about His victory over the grave. Jesus had predicted His death and resurrection three times. God had foretold it in the Old Testament Scriptures. This call to remember what Jesus said is a subtle reminder that the answers we look for are often given by God in the places we least expect – most of all His Word. What God had told us through His Word is more than sufficient for every ill and trouble, but sometimes we need that gentle reminder to return to what the Lord has said because we’re busy looking somewhere else. In Luke’s account, we’re informed that upon hearing the angel’s reminder, the Mary’s remembered the words Jesus spoke to them beforehand. What joy must have been in their hearts at this remembrance! What a lasting reminder it must have been for them to always turn back to the Word. 

And, finally, it is of great significance that the angel promises them, “Jesus is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him.” Isn’t this the gift they wanted all along – just to see Jesus alive? They would get that gift, but in the Lord’s time. As we’ve seen, He had others lessons for them and reminders that would strengthen their faith long after this day. The fact that God gave them this promise and delivered it is really the same certain hope we rest upon for our own resurrection. This is the believer’s hope because it’s God’s promise. It’s the same as Job’s timeless confession: Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!  

This is the gift that exceeds all others because of the One who gave it. There’s nothing tricky or uncertain about the gifts God gives through Jesus – most of all the resurrection over death. There will be no let down for the one who trusts in Jesus in the hour of death – your resurrection will far exceed any other gift. Heed the times and circumstances that accompany this gift, because they can bring deeper meaning and comfort to God’s blessings. And may you always have hope because of the One who has given you this. Amen.

Good Friday - Zechariah - April 10, 2020

Yahweh Remembers – Good Friday

Part 1 – The Day

“Today’s the day.” We’ve all heard that sentence before. Our reaction to it depends on the day we’re talking about. Usually, we express our feeling on certain days with our tone and emphasis. If you’re going to the dentist’s office, you might say, “Today’s the day.” If you’re about to head out on vacation, you might say, “Today’s the day!” Birthdays are one of those days where you might get two different reactions, typically depending on the person’s age. A little kid obviously loves to hear their parents say, “Today’s the day! Your birthday!” Someone who’s turning 50 might have a different reaction. I think we’re all waiting to hear. “Today’s the day – the end of our lockdown.”

In our last Midweek Lenten service, Pastor Libby talked about “that day” from Zechariah 13:1, as compared it to another memorable day in our nation’s history. Today is the day that God talked about in that verse - Good Friday. This day, a couple thousand years ago, the fountain of spiritual healing and forgiveness was opened by God as His Son gave His life upon the cross. I wonder, what is our reaction to that day?

Before we answer that, consider this. Zechariah 13:1 is not the only reference by Zechariah to this day. In fact, Zechariah, often speaking directly for God, singles out a particular day 20 times in his book. All but three of those references come in chapters 11-14, with six present in chapter 12 alone.  

As we track the usage of “that day” through the context of Zechariah, there’s a consistency between chapters 12 and 13. We look at what God recorded about this day through His prophet because it helps us better see and trust what Jesus did on that day.

So, starting in chapter 12, what would happen on “that day” according to Zechariah?

·       God will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples (v.3). – People would resist Jerusalem. The world would find the inhabitants of Jerusalem offensive.

·       God will strike every horse with confusion and the rider with madness (v.4). – The enemies of God’s people would be conquered.

·       God will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile. They shall devour the peoples on the right and left (v.6) – Again, God’s people will be protected, their enemies defeated.

·       God will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (v.8)

·       God will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (v.9) – Summary for the third time (protection for God’s people, disaster for God’s enemies).

·       There will be great mourning (v.11). This verse makes direct reference to the place where King Josiah was killed in battle. The book of 2 Chronicles tells us that there was great mourning in Judah when that happened.

·       A fountain will be opened for sin and uncleanness (13:1)

·       Idols will be cut off (13:2)

·       Prophets (false) will be ashamed (13:4)

The turning point in this context on “that day” is the servant who was pierced by the people in v.10 – the only Son, the firstborn. This is most clearly speaking of Jesus, who has God incarnate, yet also subject to pain, punishment, and death at the hands of sinful men. Like many of the other Old Testament prophets, and especially with the Messianic prophecies, there is a message about both the present and the future. Zechariah’s words about “that day” would fit with the original readers as God sought to protect His people, literal Jerusalem, from their enemies. But the magnificence of these prophecies is that they also apply to believers – to us, spiritual Jerusalem. God protects us today from threats to both body and soul. God shames the enemies that oppose His will on earth. And every promise given hinges on the work of Christ on the cross. Because the only Son was pierced – God Himself, the fountain is open, idols are discarded, and false prophets are exposed. And we, who both brought our Savior to the cross and who benefit from His mercy displayed thereon, can on this day gaze once more upon the one whom we pierced.

This is a day of great sorrow as we consider the enormity of what it meant for Jesus to suffer and die in our place. It is also a time of repentance and humility as we recognize that this sacrifice is not relegated to an event in a history, but it is something that continues to impact our lives today. The death of Christ has been given and accomplished, but the results and the application for you are eternal. The cross never fades from relevancy and therefore never can be obscured or overlooked for those who truly trust in Jesus. The fountain of forgiveness was unlocked on “that day,” but it remains open today and we need it daily just as much as any other generation or people.

Like any other Christian funeral, we gather today not simply to look back at what was, but to look forward to what will be. This is why “that day” in Zechariah eventually shifts of thoughts to the final day of our Lord’s judgment. As Jesus saw His destiny with complete clarity throughout His ministry, so also the believer sees the end of all things with the eyes of faith. We keep a constant finger on the pulse of eternity, knowing that there is more to life than this world. God has put that both in our hearts, but also in His Word.

And so, Zechariah’s final chapter begins by stating, “Behold the day of the LORD is coming!” You see, Good Friday is always inseparably connected to the Final Day. Jesus died upon that cross to bring you more than just hope and peace in your heart, but an eternal home in heaven. He said as much to His disciples as He approached Calvary, John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

“That day” for Zechariah was both the day of Christ’s death and the day of God’s eternal deliverance for you. With the crystal clarity of inspiration, Zechariah was blessed to speak of this day and now you and I are blessed to hear of it again this Lenten season.

So what is your reaction to “that day?” Do you think of it with great joy and enthusiasm, knowing your Savior’s love; or are you filled with somber melancholy, seeing once again the great cost your sins incurred? Well, like many other days, it depends on the perspective that you look from. But, instead of focusing too intently on your own reaction, perhaps it’s better to see Christ’s, as our reading from last weekend reminded us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NASB).

Let there be no doubt about what Jesus thinks of you, and how He regards “that day” on which He made you His own. In our second message, we will dig deeper into that special love of Jesus. 

Palm Sunday - Psalm 138 - April 5, 2020

The Lord Comes from Your Perspective

1. He is known by name

2. He speaks through words

3. He works with hands

Psalm 138:1-8 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. 6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)

Do find it difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? I’m willing to guess that most of us do. It’s challenging and different to see things from another person’s point of view. We tend to develop deep ruts in our habits and practices. We see this often in little children. Maybe your house has been like mine during the last week of close quarters living. It has happened a few times that Allie will come running with a complaint – “Lukas hit me.” “Micah doesn’t want to play with me.” When the other party is questioned, the response is similar – “Allie was bothering me.” or “She wouldn’t play by the rules.” Little arguments like these would be easily overcome if each member could empathize with the other – that is, see things from the other person’s perspective.

Of course, more troubling is how often we see this attitude in adults – who should really know better. It doesn’t matter how wise, powerful, rich, or experienced you are – if you can’t see things from someone else’s perspective, you’re bound to make mistakes in life – and easily avoidable mistakes at that. If we can talk about this issue in such simple ways, why is it so hard for us? Well, that’s where the human heart comes in. Our hearts are twisted and self-serving. The Bible records bluntly, “The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth (Genesis 8:21).” Theologians of the past have described the heart as curved in on itself, namely, that it seeks to look at every aspect of life from its own perspective.

This is one of the reasons Christians so often speak against independence of the self and pure subjectivity. These things are dangerous because we come into this world with a fallen heart that is self-seeking alone. With such a reality before us, we naturally wonder how we can approach God. Well, that very thought shows the issue – too often we approach even the sacred from the wrong starting point. It’s not about our ability to come to God, it’s about His choice to come to us.

We see this today on Palm Sunday as we remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem on holy week. The lowliness of the Lord that day was more than just a message for the cross, it remains a memorial to us of God’s faithfulness to fallen sinners who deserve much worse than we get. Instead of forcing us to attempt the impossible feat of reaching God on our own, God came to us. We see three unique ways in which He did this through Christ, and how He continues to be with us today – In His name, through His Word, with His hand.

One of the first things that David talks about in this psalm is his heart. He declares that he thanks and praises God with his whole heart. Typically, no human would have the right to say such a thing. We don’t own the right to honor God. We can’t even do that on our own. That’s why David rejoices in being able to do such a thing – he knows it can only happen by God’s work. Sometimes, we take our worship opportunities for granted. We’re tempted to look upon time with the Lord as common. Sometimes, we don’t prioritize it. Maybe we feel a need to be gratified or entertained in place of true worship. These are the inner cravings of the fallen heart. By faith, David recognizes that God has changed his heart. This was no small feat and should never be treated as ordinary and David spends the rest of the psalm explaining why.

The work of the LORD, as described by David, is framed from our perspective. With every blessing, God approached us because we could not approach Him. When God speaks from our perspective, the technical term for this is an anthropomorphism. This term indicates human attributes or qualities being given to God. Three stick out in our text – a name, a mouth, and hands. On a simpler level, these descriptions show us how God extends His blessings from our perspective and in ways that we can understand and receive.

First, David is thankful for God’s name. What you’ve got to understand about God’s name is that He doesn’t take it lightly. His name is more than just an identifier for who He is, each name of God also describes something about His nature. The names of God hold power and potential when we use them. Therefore, we are to treat God’s name with respect and dignity. The second commandment is an obvious example of the importance of using God’s namely appropriately. Think of military titles as an example. The only way to achieve the higher levels of rank in the military is by experience, effort, and prestige. The names indicate also what a person has achieved. And it’s disrespectful to dishonor the name of a higher rank. So, it is with God. He has earned the names that He has.

God’s name is also significant because labels and identifiers do not apply to divine, infinite beings. How can a title or name possibly hope to accurately encapsulate a God with unlimited power? Yet God did not take on a name because it accurately bound Him, He did it so that you could know Him. Without the names of God, names which we so carelessly use and take for granted, we would not be able to fathom God, let alone believe in Him. This is God coming to you from your perspective. The prophet Jeremiah wrote of the people who has misused and abandoned the name of God, Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons. The turtledove, swallow, and crane are aware of their migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. (Jer 8:7 CSB) They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD. (Jer 9:3 ESV). Without God revealing His name, we would be lost in unbelief.

The name of God is closely connected to the second way God comes to us in our text – with words. If the record of God’s deeds and promises is important, then the transmission of that information through words is equally necessary. Therefore, God takes words seriously. One reason why is because His name is a word. The hope of salvation is given in words and shared among sinners with words. When God introduces you to Himself through His name, He uses His Word to help you understand more about Him, and to enrich your relationship with Him. 

See how David makes this connection between God’s name and God’s word: I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. This is why David takes pleasure in going to God’s house – it’s about receiving God’s blessings through His name and His Word. And one amazing fruit of worship is that we are given the ability to return praise to God in kind. Because of what He has done for us, we bless His name and we use our words to honor Him.

The very fact that we have words from God is another divine miracle. Imagine being the unlimited and infinite God and choosing to reveal Yourself in such a way that limited, mortal, and unrighteous humans could understand. That would be frustrating to say the least. And if you were that type of God, not matter how much you wrote, it would never be enough, because it’s impossible for sinners to fully comprehend God. Here we see why the Bible has a beginning and an end, and why it doesn’t answer every question we have about God. No resource could do such a thing, for the problem is with our fallen hearts, not with God’s revealed will. And yet, the Word of God is sufficient for every task or temptation we face. And most importantly, it is reliable because it comes from the One, who although being infinite, is also unchangeable. God, who cannot be bound by Words, chose to come to us in such a way – chose to become the Word itself, the very essence of spiritual truth to the world – so that we could know Him and we trust His works.

And those works bring us to the third anthropomorphism – the hands of God. Jesus taught that God is a spirit (John 4:24). The book of Acts tells us that human temples and buildings cannot contain God’s presence, indicating that He is an immaterial spirit that is not bound to one locale (Acts 17:24). Yet, David rejoices over the works that God has accomplished with His hands, 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

The concept of God’s hand is common in the Scriptures. Sometimes, it’s figurative for God’s power and ability. We think of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father as an example of this. But, the incarnate Son also gives a literal meaning to the hands of God. Consider the import of this thought in this way. A person’s hands are the most immediate form of relaying what is in their heart. Our hands execute the thoughts we desire to put into action. It is with hands that one reveals what they are thinking and who they are.

How many times have we used our hands to commit evil, the put our selfish intentions or lustful thoughts into action? It’s astounding how adept we are at taking a beautiful design of God and using it for wickedness. Yet with His hands, the Lord approaches us for more than understanding, but to extend mercy. This is portrayed figuratively in the Scriptures in such passages as: 

Psalm 31:5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Psalm 31:15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me.

Psalm 89:13 You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

But in Jesus, the figurative becomes literal. It was in Christ’s own hands, which were pierced by the nails of the cross, that the message of God’s mercy came to our hearts. His name above the cross. His voice proclaiming victory. The crucifixion was not only the literal, physical act of God displaying His human characteristics, it was the most pointed way that God approached you – that He became like and you me. He did not just take a name. He did not just speak words. He did not just receive a body of flesh and blood. Christ stepped into your place. Christ came in your stead. He suffered your punishment. He died your death. He renewed your corrupt heart. He came to you in every way. In the most impossible of ways, so that you could be His. Amen.