Pride is Poison - Feb 28, 2010

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“Two roosters who lived on the same farm constantly quarreled over who was the lord of the yard. Finally, they agreed to settle the matter by combat. Bright feathers flew and dust swirled in clouds. At last one of the roosters begged for his life to be spared.

The victor flew to the top of the henhouse and let out a loud triumphant crow. “I am the king!” he proclaimed. But an eagle who was soaring overhead heard him. With a sudden swoop the eagle dived down, snatched the rooster in his claws, and carried him away.

Pride goes before a fall” (Aesop’s Fables, retold by Jerry Pinkney).

Human pride and sin go hand in hand. In a sense every sin is an example of pride. For at the heart what is sin other than placing what we want above what God wants? That’s pride.

Aesop tells us that pride precedes a fall. Today’s sermon reading shows us that pride is like poison to the human soul.

Luke 22:54-62 (NIV)

54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

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Pride is found in each one of us. And pride is poison to the Christian soul. Pride does not kill instantly. It’s like one of those poisons which must build up before it becomes deadly.

But pride has side-effects. One of the first side is stunted growth.

Jesus had tried to strengthen and prepare the disciples for His arrest and crucifixion. He had told them numerous times that He would soon die.

On this very night Jesus had told them that He would be betrayed by one of their own. They would all desert Him. Peter would disown Him three times before the rooster crowed.

But pride prevented the disciples from taking Jesus’ warning to heart. Jesus’ warning should have driven Peter to pray and prepare for the temptation that was coming. But Peter thought that he knew better. And when the storm descended on Peter there in the courtyard of the High Priest, Peter was totally unprepared to face it.
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Jesus had told Peter what to expect in Luke 22, verse 31.

“31“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers”” (Luke 22:31-32 NIV).

And we have received much the same warning. From 1 Peter 5, verse 8.

“8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV).

The Devil does not parade around in a red spandex suit with a pitch-fork and a handlebar mustache. He is real, not a caricature. If we don’t take this warning seriously and arm ourselves with the Word of God, we will not be ready when he comes to shake our faith.

Put on the armor of God’s Word daily. Come to His house. Follow the example your fellow Christians who you look up to. Heed God’s warning and be ready for Satan’s attack. Be ready with a practical understanding of God’s Word. With a good habit of continuous prayer. With a network of Christian friends that can support you when Satan attacks. Be ready by standing at the side of Christ in faith.
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In Philippians 2, verse 3 Christians are told…

“3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NIV).

In Ephesians 5, verse 21 we are told…

“21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NIV).

Another side-effect of pride is harshly judging others while making exceptions for ourselves.

Peter did this right in the face of Jesus. When Jesus warned the disciples that they would abandon Him, Peter said, No way Lord, maybe these guys, but not me. Pride leads us to an “I’m the exception” attitude.

There’s been some controversy lately about cities using cameras to issue traffic tickets. You’ve seen these cameras flash at intersections. Apparently these cameras are very effective and can bring in substantial revenue for a city. Some people have complained that this isn’t right to make money by busting people for traffic violations.

When I first heard people grumbling I thought, “You got a ticket didn’t you? Serves you right. If you ran the red light, you deserve it. It doesn’t matter whether it was a cop in a patrol car or a cop behind a desk – you deserved it.”

Then I got a $120 ticket in the mail. My first response was, “No way. I’m sure I must have stopped. I don’t make a habit of running red lights. There’s gotta be some mistake.”

The letter I received in the mail directed me to a website where I could go to view the pictures which supposedly proved my traffic violation. So, I went to the site thinking I’d be able to prove my innocent.

It wasn’t just photos, it was video. There was the family station wagon coming to the corner. But it wasn’t slowly down much. There it was turning right at the red light with barely a tap on the brakes. GUILTY.

How many other times have I been guilty of judging others but excusing myself – for the same sin? And how many times does my blinding pride hurt the people around me? I’m reminded of Psalm 130.

“If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3 NIV).

Thank God I’ve got a Savior who died to take away all my sins, including the ones I don’t even realize I do.
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Peter’s pride didn’t just hurt his friends. His pride hurt the Master.

Peter found himself in the courtyard of the High Priest. He had come in secret, following the detachment of Roman soldiers and temple guards that had arrested Jesus. He didn’t want to be found out. It was better to be anonymous among the servants gathering there in the courtyard.

But he couldn’t remain unnoticed for long. He had nearly killed someone when Jesus was arrested. He had swung his sword and cut off a man’s ear. And some of the people who had seen him do this were there in the courtyard. Even a relative of the man whose ear had been sliced off.

At first they weren’t quite sure that this was the same man. But their confidence grew. This man was not one of the servants. Not a regular visitor to the palace, and yet he was familiar. And the sound of his voice, that was definitely a Galilean accent. This HAD to be one of the followers of Jesus.

At first, Peter tried a casual lie. Nope, I don’t even know that guy. But as his accusers grew bolder, so did Peter’s lies. In the other Gospel accounts we’re told that he SWORE to them that he didn’t know Jesus, and that he even called down CURSES on himself in an attempt to bolster his lies.

When pride controls us, the only tools we have at hand are our instinctive, sinful reflexes.

Ever been around someone caught in a lie? If they’re caught sharply enough they’ll sometimes spurt out a bigger, more ridiculous lie. Maybe you’ve been that person. Or found yourself in a similar situation. Ever put your foot in your mouth real deep?

You know, said something unkind about someone you didn’t think was listening? But then you realized they were. And you panicked, “Oh, I didn’t mean that like it sounded” you say, but yeah, you did. They know it. You know it. And there it is out there for everyone to see. A hurtful word and an accompanying lie. Thanks pride, thanks.
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That exactly the situation that Peter found himself in. There he was swearing up and down that he didn’t know who in the world this Jesus was, and then Jesus turned. Perhaps being taken from place to another. Perhaps standing on a balcony above. Jesus turned, and looked Peter right in the eye.

The piercing crow of the rooster was in the air. And Peter felt the talons of guilt sink into his soul. All his anger and frustration drained away, and deep regret flooded in to take their place.

Seeing the Master’s face was like seeing a mirror. Peter saw his own reflection in the Master’s eyes. And there Peter was, all spattered with ugly pride and foolish sin. And Peter was so sorry.

That’s where our text ends. But thankfully, that’s not where the story ends. Later, after the cross and after the resurrection, Jesus looked on Peter once again. But this time, Jesus’ look and His words were not to convict Peter of his sin, but to reassure Peter that his sin was forgiven. The Master’s terrible suffering and death had removed all of Peter’s sins, including those three fervent denials.
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When we look to Jesus’ cross we should see these two things. First we should see what our sins have done. Our sins made this necessary. But by God’s grace we see more. When we look to Jesus’ cross we see what our Savior did so that our sins of pride stand forever forgiven.

When we are confronted by someone about a particular sin, we may feel judged by them. But don’t let your pride blind you. If you’re guilty of what they’re pointing at, perhaps it is the eye of Jesus that is looking at you, convicting you through His messenger. Convicting you in order to open your eyes to your sin. Convicting you in order to save you.

When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach He told them,

“16“He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me”” (Luke 10:16 NIV).

May we NEVER reject our Savior’s rebuke. No matter who it comes through. No matter how hard our prideful hearts try to excuse us. May the Holy Spirit shine Jesus’ light on us, the light which reveals sin and forgives it (Psalm 119:105).

Proverbs 3:11-12 says…

“11 My son, do not despise the LORD’S discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV).

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Pride is poison to the Christian faith, because pride is confidence misplaced. Our hope is in Christ alone. Not in our own experience. Not in our own character. Not in our own strength, but in His strength and character alone.

He, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself in order to take our sins away. Let us humble ourselves before Him in every way. Looking to Him alone for strength, guidance, wisdom and on-going forgiveness.
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The Bible says...

“5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:5-7 NIV).

You know who wrote that? Peter. The same Savior that lifted him back up after his fall, has lifted us up also on the wings of forgiveness.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is Our Great High Priest - Feb 21, 2010

To LISTEN to this week's sermon online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Sermon:

May God’s love for you rest on your hearts. And may the mercy of Christ fill you with peace. Amen.

I’m holding in my hand my call letter. That’s the letter that you sent me when you asked me to become your pastor. It lists all the things that you have asked me to do.

Let me summarize some of it for you.

In extending this call to you we solemnly charge you…

…To preach the Word of God.
…To administer the holy sacraments.
…To watch over our souls using law and gospel.
…To instruct the young.
…To always serve as a good example.
…To gather people into the Kingdom of Christ.

I’m to be a preacher, a minister, a shepherd, a teacher, a reverend and an evangelist. One thing that I am not, is a priest.

A priest offers sacrifices before God, on behalf of other people, for their sins. I am NOT a priest.
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I’m talking about priests because today’s sermon reading from Hebrews calls Jesus our High Priest. It describes what kind of High Priest Jesus is.

The book of Hebrews was written to people who were Jewish by birth, but Christian by faith. These people knew what the Temple in Jerusalem looked like. They were familiar with the Old Testament priesthood that God had set up. Daily sacrifices for sins were ordinary to them.



But we’re not Jewish. And even if we were, we’re not Old Testament Jewish. Temple sacrifices are not part of our worship. The only High Priest we’ve ever seen, if we’ve ever seen one, was in a movie.

So we need to review a few things in order to understand what God’s telling us in Hebrews.
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The first thing we need to understand is sin. Sin is the reason a priest was necessary . Sin is disobeying God. Doing what He forbids. While people like to joke about sin, God doesn’t think sin is funny at all. Sin is completely foreign to who God is. In fact, God will not allow sin to remain in His presence.

Here’s how serious God is about sin. God created the Angels to serve Him. They are spirit beings of great power. But He also created them as free creatures. Some of them used their freedom to rebel against God.

Led by Satan, these angels failed to overthrow God and were removed from their high positions of glory and authority. Their sin divorced them from God, forever.

Forever. Did you catch that? Forever. There was no going back. No way of returning to God. Eternity apart from God and all His goodness was now their fate.

In Revelation 20, verse 10 John saw a vision of Satan’s destiny.

“10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10 NIV).

This is how serious God takes sin. This is why sinful human beings NEED a priest to go between them and the Holy God.

When the first two human beings rebelled against God, God did something that He hadn’t done with the angels. He had mercy us. He told Adam and Eve, Trust me, I will rescue you. Where the angels had no Savior, God promised the human race a Savior. Someone who would go between God and us, and would bring a sacrifice for us.
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We’ve talked about how the seriousness of sin, and how it makes a priest, or a “go-between” necessary. Now we need to talk about the Old Testament priesthood.

People can be easily confused by the Old Testament priesthood. God told the Israelites to set up a worship center and have priests who tended to all that went on there. God then also commanded all sorts of sacrifices to be presented there.

But these sacrifices couldn’t actually remove the sins of the people. Hebrews 10, verse 4 says…

“…those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 NIV).

The sacrifice that WOULD actually do something was yet to come.

The sins of Old Testament believers were forgiven because of their faith in God’s promises. That’s what it’s always been about. When they brought the sacrifices God commanded, they were offering them in faith. With trust that if God said I should bring this offering to be purified, than I’ll do it. The sacrifice itself didn’t do anything, it was the trust in God that mattered.

If an Old Testament person didn’t really trust in God’s promises but brought animals to the temple to be sacrifices anyway, those sacrifices had no value in God’s eyes.

If an Old Testament BELIEVER was enslaved and taken far away from the Temple in Jerusalem so that they couldn’t offer the sacrifices that God commanded, but he still looked to God in faith, praying for forgiveness – that person was forgiven. It’s always been about faith in God’s promises.
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Much of the Old Testament way of worship was meant not to actually take away sins, but to foreshadow the Messiah who would. Each animal offered on an altar for sins was a picture of how Jesus would offer Himself on the Cross.

The priesthood itself was a picture of the Messiah. Only descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron could serve as priests.

God’s Great High Priest couldn’t be just anybody. He had to be a descendant of King David, born in Bethlehem, born to a virgin in order to fulfill the ancient prophesies. Only God’s chosen could serve as the Great High Priest.

Priests had to prepare themselves in very specific ways before they offered sacrifices for sins of the people. On the Festival day called, “The Day of Atonement” this meant the High Priest had to take a special bath, put on pure white under clothing, pure white priestly robes that were reserved for this day only. Then he had to had to offer a certain sacrifice for his own sins, and only after all that had taken place could he then offer the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

All these things pictured how God’s Great High Priest would need to be clean. Holy. Sinless.

Above all, the Old Testament priests had to offer the proper sacrifice. The one God had commanded for the situation. And they had to offer that sacrifice in the way that God had prescribed it to be offered. To see how serious God was about the correct offering being brought, turn to Leviticus 10, verse 1.

“1Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1-2 NIV).

If you weren’t a descendant of Aaron, you didn’t approach God’s altar. If you weren’t prepared, you didn’t approach God’s altar. If you didn’t have the necessary commanded sacrifice properly prepared, you didn’t dare approach God’s altar.

That’s why there is no other way to God than through His Son Jesus. Only Jesus is God’s Great High Priest. He was chosen by God for this work. He was sinless and therefore able to approach God with our sacrifice. He came with the sacrifice of His own sinless life given freely and wrapped in His fervent love for sinners. And His sacrifice for sinners was accepted.
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And now, we’re finally ready to peak at our sermon reading. Turn to Hebrews 4, verse 15.

“15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

Guilt sometimes drives people to think of some sin as being too big to be forgiven. Have you ever felt that way? THIS SIN is too much for to be forgiven. Maybe it’s a GROUP of sins: these sins that I’ve done are too much. They’ve crossed the line. Or maybe it’s a certain CATEGORY of sins that weighs heavy on you own conscience.

But our High Priest knows what it is like to be tempted, and He is compassionate. There is no sin that we could tell Him about that would come as a surprise. He knows everything that we have done because on the Cross of Calvary, He suffered for each and every sin that you and I HAVE EVER or WILL EVER commit!
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When Judas realized that Jesus was going to be executed because of his betrayal he was overcome with guilt and regret. Judas tried to undo what he had done. He went to the chief priests and tried to give them the money back saying,

“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4 NKJV ).

But Judas didn’t get any relief for his conscience from these priests. They didn’t comfort him by telling him they’d appeal to God and offer the right sacrifices on his behalf. They said,

“What is that to us? You see to it!” (Matthew 27:4 NKJV).

They his sin back in his face. It’s your problem, you take care of it. THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF HIGH PRIEST WE HAVE!

Our High Priest is merciful and loving. When we open our hearts to Him and speak of our darkest sins, He says, “Be at peace! Your problem was my problem. I made your sins mine and by my suffering in your place, your sins have been removed forever.”

That’s why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to KEEP COMING to the throne of Christ, because it is the throne of GRACE! The place where were receive mercy and forgiveness.
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I AM NOT YOUR PRIEST. I have no sacrifice to offer God in your place. Jesus has already done that. YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN PRIEST. Don’t try to approach the throne of the Holy God without Jesus. You can’t succeed.

Instead leave the Savior’s work to the Savior. Let the High Priest ordained by the Father from eternity do what He does. Let Him stand as the one who was tempted and found without sin. Let Him stand as the sinless sacrifice that sets you free.

Just go home, singing with joy in your heart that Jesus is your High Priest. And whenever your sins poke and prod at your faith, return to His throne of grace in prayer with complete openness. He is YOUR HIGH PRIEST, and His promise is clear.

Turn to 1 John 1, verse 8. There our High Priest has recorded His eternal promise:

“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.” (1 John 1:8-9 NIV).

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Two Fallen Disciples - Feb 17, 2010

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent. Pastor Paul Naumann joined us for soup supper and shared a message. His message was the first in a sermon series titled: Lenten Shadow and Light. Here's the whole series...

-Two Fallen Disciples
-Two Masters of Israel
-Two Types of Sorrow
-Two Chance Acquaintances
-Two Malefactors
-Two Romans

Please join us next Wednesday:

6pm Soup Supper
7pm Worship

To LISTEN to "Two Fallen Disciples" online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

We Have Seen His Glory - Feb 14, 2010

To LISTEN to this week's sermon online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Sermon:

The Transfiguration of Jesus: A harmony of Matthew, Mark and Luke (NIV)

“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a high mountain, where they were all alone, to pray.
As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Him, “Master, it is good for us to be here, if you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
While he was speaking, a bright cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

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The account of Jesus’ transfiguration is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. But none of these men were actually present at the transfiguration. They had to be told what happened up there on the mountain. Only Peter, James and John saw it with their own eyes.

John wrote his Gospel a number of years after Matthew, Mark and Luke and he leaves the transfiguration account out altogether. I suppose John didn’t feel the need to rehearse it again. The description found in the other Gospels was sufficient.

Still, John hinted at the transfiguration in the first chapter of his Gospel. Turn to John 1:14. There we read…

“14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV).

We have seen His glory.

That’s what the season of Epiphany is all about, seeing Jesus for who He really is. Seeing His glory as the Son of God. Seeing Him as the Savior who came to rescue sinners like you and me.

Of all the snapshots of Jesus that we’ve seen throughout this season of Epiphany, perhaps no picture of Jesus is so complete as this one we see on the mount of transfiguration. In fact, here we see a whole handful of snapshots, each from a different angle, each helping us to see His glory.
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First we see His appearance change from the ordinary face of a Jewish carpenter, to the dazzling brilliance of a god. Of THE God actually. Throughout His life, Jesus had stowed His visible glory away. It’s hard to teach everyday farmers, soldiers and fishermen when they’re all terrified because your skin is shining like the sun. But here in the privacy of the mountain wilderness, Jesus let the curtain fall away and the magnitude of His identity shine out: this is God the Son.

That He is also the promised Messiah becomes clear as two figures join Him. Two men who had not made the hike that morning appear beside Jesus: Moses and Elijah. These men represent the whole Old Testament, Moses who wrote the first five books of the Bible at the direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Elijah was the greatest of the ancient prophets.

But while these men represent God’s Old Testament message, they were also ACTUALLY THERE. The same Moses who had been raised in Pharaoh’s court. The Same Elijah who had hidden from King Ahab in the wilderness.

And lest we get distracted by the presence of such great men, their conversation directs us back to Jesus and His importance. They are talking about “His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem”.

Jesus’ departure from this world would not be through the customary door of death. Jesus would indeed suffer and die to win forgiveness of all sinners. But then He would rise from the grave three days later. His departure would happen forty days after that. From the Mount of Olives He rose up into the air, taking His visible presence away from earth.

Jesus’ “departure” would happen, but only AFTER He had succeeded in redeeming the world of sinners. He would depart only AFTER God the Father had trumpeted His success to the world by raising Him from the dead.
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Everything about Jesus on the mountain is remarkable. His appearance, brilliant. His company, outstanding. Their conversation, confident concerning the salvation He was about to accomplish for sinners.

But everything about the disciples on the mountain, is fear.

We’ve almost forgotten about Peter, James and John. Jesus had taken these men with Him, to pray. And like the weak men they were, they had fallen asleep.

When they woke to see Jesus in glory, with Moses and Elijah standing beside Him, they were both filled with fear, and with confusion.

Peter begins to ramble away about setting up shelter so that they can stay a bit longer. They’re amazed, afraid and distracted. But then God the Father re-centers their attention back on Jesus.

As Peter rambles a bright cloud envelopes them and the voice of the Father Himself speaks from the mist. He says,

“This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5 NIV).

Jesus’ glory surges again. This time His glory is the approval of God the Father. Of the rest of the human race God has declared,

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6 NIV).

But of His Son, the Father says, “with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” This is the highest endorsement that anyone could ever receive.

And it’s all to much for these simple, ordinary sinners to take in. They fall face down to the ground, terrified in the presence of the Almighty.

And once again, the focus falls back on Jesus. This time, by His own kind consideration. He reaches out to touch His disciples, and to tell them not to fear.

These men did not understand. Though they trusted in Him, they did not understand what lay in store for Jesus in days to come. How He would suffer. How He would be degraded and spit up so that they could be elevated and forgiven. Jesus knew they didn’t understand, and He was patient with them. He is still patient today when we fail to understand what He so clearly lays before us.

We too have seen His glory. We have seen His glory through the Word of God recorded by sinners like us. Sinners forgiven through the Cross of Christ. And now, as we leave the season of Epiphany and enter into the season of Lent, we will see His glory in greater detail.

We will see His glory as we travel toward jeering Jerusalem. Toward Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas. Toward the road to Golgotha and our Savior’s cross. So let’s keep the focus of the Transfiguration in our minds.

Lent IS about seeing our own sins and turning away from them. It IS about looking inside to see the unworthiness and the failures of heart and soul which stain us on a daily basis. But above all, Lent is about the Savior who came not only to show us our sin, but to remove the punishment for those sins.

Above all, Lent is all about seeing His glory, and not being afraid anymore.

I’d like to close our meditation today by reading from John one last time.

“16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:16-18 NIV).

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Jesus the Powerful Healer - Feb 7, 2010

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Sermon:

During this Epiphany season we’ve been meditating on the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the shortest of all the Gospels. For example, Matthew is 28 chapters long, Mark is just 16. Mark’s Gospel is short and punchy, presenting Jesus to us in a series of snapshots.

So far we’ve seen Jesus the teacher. Jesus the enemy of demons. Jesus the chooser, selecting His representatives and not the other way around. We’ve seen Jesus stilling the storm and His disciples doubts about God’s love. Last week we saw Jesus feed the 5,000 illustrating that God wants to give to us, not take from us.

Today Mark presents Jesus as the Powerful Healer.

Mark 7:31-37 (NIV)

31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 35At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

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May the Spirit of God open now our ears to hear and our minds to comprehend. May our hearts be led to trust Him more firmly, and may our mouths sing praise to Him. Amen.

It’s quite obvious that Jesus healed people because He loved people.

“14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14 NIV).

“32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” (Matthew 20:32-34 NIV).

“40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured” (Mark 1:40-41 NIV).

Jesus did these healings in a personal way. He was there. The sick were there. He healed them with a touch. But there were other times when Jesus healed with just a word. Did you notice from our reading today how Jesus did this strange thing, He put His fingers in the man’s ears and put His spit on the man’s tongue? But that wasn’t what healed the man. When Jesus said, “Be opened” THEN the man was healed. It was the word that did it there.

And sometimes Jesus healed at a great distance, without a word. In the section immediately before our sermon reading Jesus cast a demon out of a woman’s daughter. The daughter isn’t present. Jesus just tells the girl’s mother, “…you may go; the demon has left your daughter” (Mark 7:29 NIV).

So, if Jesus could heal at will, why didn’t He just heal all the sick people in Israel, or the world, (snap) just like that?

An here’s another odd thing. Jesus actually told people NOT TO SPREAD THE WORD about His healings! Didn’t He want people to know what He was capable of?

I would suggest to you today that Jesus didn’t heal people in a “wholesale” way for a very important reason. HIS MINISTRY WASN’T ALL ABOUT HEALING THE SICK. That was PART of His ministry, but it was not the main point. Jesus’ ministry was all about the MESSAGE that He was preaching. Above all He wanted people to know how heaven is reached – through the Savior that God sent.

Jesus’ miracles of healing were done out of love for the sick and needy, but the main purpose of these miracles was to validate THE MESSAGE that He preached. The message of sin and salvation.
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Look at it this way. When Adam and Eve sinned the first time, the ANCIENT DISEASE CALLED SIN entered the world. With sin came symptoms like blindness, deafness, paralysis, aids, flu, muscle pain, back aches, allergies, etc.

Sometimes Western medicine gets black labeled as “only treating the symptoms”, not the inner physical breakdowns that cause the symptoms. But really, all human medicine is only treating the symptoms, the symptoms of sin. Eventually the disease of sin brings us all to the grave.

Every time Jesus healed someone’s illness or deformity, He was treating a symptom. But Jesus wasn’t only interested in treating symptoms. He came to kill the disease.

Now, if we were writing the story, maybe we’d have the Son of God invent a time machine so that He could go back and stop Adam and Eve from sinning. But God’s plan was different.

The problem with sinners is that the God of Justice has to punish them. If He didn’t He wouldn’t be just. He’d be like a corrupt judge that lets a case go without justice being served. The sentence for our sins couldn’t just be dismissed.

So, God the Son became Human so He could take the punishment for our sins on Himself. While Jesus was being crucified He was also experiencing the horrific punishment due for every sin. The ones you committed yesterday. The one’s you’ll commit tomorrow. All have been suffered for already, by God’s sinless Son.

During His ministry, Jesus treated the symptoms of sin so that people would believe that He was here to kill the disease.
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Jesus once said,

“26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NIV).

We could also say, what good is it if I live a healthy life, free from hunger or disease, only to die and spend eternity in Hell, separated from God?

The snapshot of Jesus that I see here is “Jesus the Powerful Healer”. But if we only see Him as a physical healer, we’ll have missed the point. He released many from the symptoms of sin, but He provides release from sin itself FOR ALL PEOPLE through His sinless sacrifice on the cross.
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As individual Christians we can set people free from the effects of sin by giving. We can give to food banks and feed the hungry. We can give to charities that support the poor. Many have supported relief efforts in Haiti by simply text messaging ten bucks with their phone.

We can also set people free from the symptoms of sin directly. We can help someone to find a job. We can give someone who is homeless a place to stay. Or we can simply lend a listening ear and an encouraging voice to someone who needs it. We can pray to God for people we want to help. We can do these things, just as Jesus did, out of compassion.

But we must not fail to also treat the greater disease of sin. We can’t only treat the symptoms. Jesus didn’t come to be our Aspirin. He came to be the cure for sin. He came to lead us to Heaven, where symptoms and sin have no place.
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The apostle Paul once wrote,

“16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:16 NIV).

Through faith in Jesus, the antidote to sin courses through our veins. Your sins stand forgiven because of Christ. Let’s share that medicine with our family and friends.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

God is a Giver, Not a Taker - Jan 31, 2010

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Sermon:

Across the street from the house where I grew up there was a volunteer fire department. As a kid I thought this was great. Not because I liked fire trucks or felt safe living there. I thought living by the fire department was great because they had a pop machine outside their door.

But, this pop machine was picky. No Canadian coins. Dollar bills had to be fed face up. And if your dollar was crinkled or worn in the wrong spot, you just weren’t getting a can of pop.

Some people see God as the “divine pop machine”. If you want something from Him, you better come prepared to give.

But in today’s Gospel reading, Mark describes God in a very different way. Mark describes God as a giver, not a taker.
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This Epiphany we’ve been reading from Mark’s Gospel. With each story we’ve seen a new snapshot of Jesus. In addition to seeing Jesus we’ve also tried to see where we fit in each of these photos from Mark.

Today’s snapshot of Jesus comes from…

Mark 6:30-44 (NIV)

30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

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The disciples were excited to get back to Jesus. He had sent them out in groups of two to teach His message in the villages. Along with His message Jesus had also given them His power. They had been able to exercise demons and heal diseases, something they had never done before.

But when they got back to Capernaum, the crowds around Jesus were just as thick as ever. Sick people wanting to be healed. Students asking for a lesson. Gawkers just waiting see what Jesus would do next.

And in the middle of all this commotion the twelve learned that John the baptizer had been beheaded by King Herod. This came as a hard blow to the disciples. Some of them had been John’s disciples first. They had followed after Jesus because of John’s advice.
With all that was going on, perhaps it would be best just to get a little food and wait for things to cool down around the Master. Ah, but who were they kidding. That wasn’t going to happen here. There were to many people who needed something. Food was postponed. Then put off. Then abandoned altogether.
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But Jesus was not blind to the needs of His disciples. He knew their limitations. That they needed rest.

And so He sought to give them rest for their bodies. Time alone to sort things out. Some time with the Master, away from the crowds, where He could speak more intimately. Where they could actually eat when it was time to eat!

Jesus said…

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31 NIV).

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In many ways, God IS very different than us. He is a spirit not bound by time and space. He is invisible. Because of these differences we may think of God as being far away. Out of touch with us and our daily troubles. But this is far from the truth.

The Bible says that God surrounds us. In Him we live and move and have our being. He knows our physical limitations. Our need for down time. Our spiritual confusion.

In Hebrews 4, verse 15 we are told that Jesus knows exactly what it is like to be human, because He IS human.

“15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

Jesus understands when we have to step away for a moment. And He invites us to step away WITH HIM. In silent prayer and quiet reading. In simple communion with the Master, away from the world. He wants to give US rest, just like He tried to give the disciples.
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I say “tried” because the disciples didn’t get the rest they were looking forward to. When their boats hit the beach near Bethsaida, they found a huge crowd of people waiting for them. Five thousand men, not to mention all the women and children.

How would you feel if after a twelve hour work-day you stumbled into your home to find your boss and your co-workers, with their work stations arranged throughout your living room and kitchen. “We’ve got a few more things we need to get ready for tomorrow. Is it alright if I sit in this chair? And sorry about the kitchen, we had a little accident with the coffee machine. It’s different than the one at the office.”

How would YOU react to that?

It would be easy to see Jesus rebuke the crowd. Couldn’t we see Him just say, “Hey, people, My disciples need to rest. I’m sorry, but the office is closed. The doctor is out. They need rest, I need rest. You’re just going to have to wait a few days and try again.”

But that’s not the snapshot of Jesus that we see. Instead we see a compassionate giver. One who put the needs of others first, considering them more important than Himself.

Jesus once described His life’s work by saying…

“…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV).

God is a giver, not a taker.

This concept is hugely important. Manmade religions often see God as a far away entity that must be appeased. A monster who wants something from us in exchange for a good crop or a fruitful business venture.

People coming to Christianity often carry this mistaken idea along with them. They think that it’s all what WE DO FOR GOD. We gotta believe He exists and then do good things. Live good lives. THEN GOD WILL REWARD US.

But this isn’t what Christianity is all about! At its CORE Christianity ISN’T ABOUT WHAT WE DO FOR GOD. At its core, Christianity is all about WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US!

We’ve failed. We’d committed every shade of sin. Our souls are stained with every color of shame. These stains should have disqualified us from ever knowing God or coming anywhere near Him.

But God the Father GAVE His Son to save us. Jesus took the blame for our sin, suffered the wrath of God in our place, and through Jesus’ cross our stains have been washed clean. Bleached whiter than white. Sins forgiven in the eyes of the Almighty.

God is a giver, not a taker.
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This concept has another important application. Toward the end of our reading Jesus’ disciples ask Him to send the people away. It was getting late, and these people needed to go get food.

But Jesus told His disciples that THEY should feed the people.

This must have seemed absolutely ridiculous. Even if they had their whole life savings in their back pocket they wouldn’t have been able to do this. Where would they buy this food? How would carry it back? To the disciples Jesus was asking the impossible.

But let me say it again: God is a giver, not a taker.

And because this is true, God DOESN’T ASK US TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. When it seems like God is asking us to do the impossible, He’s probably just inviting us to be part of HIS MIRACLE.

That’s what He was did with the disciples. Jesus knew they needed rest. He knew they needed time alone. But Jesus knew what they needed most: TO TRUST HIM ABOVE ALL. He asked them to feed the 5,000 so that they would learn to rely on Him.
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God doesn’t ask us to do the impossible. He invites us to be part of His miracle.

God told Noah, I’m going drown the evil world. Make a boat big enough to preserve the animals who can’t swim.

Okay God.

God told Abraham that through his son Isaac his family would become huge. Then God told Abraham to sacrifice him on a mountain.

Okay God.

God told Moses, Hey sheep herder, go down to Egypt and take my people away from the King.

Okay God.

God told Joshua, You know that city with the impenetrable walls? Yeah, Jericho. I want to you and the people to walk around it a bunch of times. Then blow your trumpets and yell. That should do the trick.

Okay God.

The Son of God told His disciples, You saw me crucified to death. Now I stand before you alive. Through me your sins have been forgiven. Go take this message to everyone in the world.

Okay God.

God tells us, I have always loved you. I gave my perfect, precious Son to rescue you from Hell. Stop trying to earn my love and forgiveness, in Christ you have it.

Okay God.
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You remember that picky pop machine outside the fire department? Well, one summer something inside it got stuck. At first it would spit out two pops for the price of one. Then it just decided change wasn’t necessary at all. Suddenly pop was free.

Well, nothing broke inside God to make Him the way He is. He’s is who He is. A giver. A Savior. Our pocket change isn’t necessary at all. God’s love and forgiveness is free because Jesus bought it for us when He GAVE His life on the cross.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

God, Don't You Care? - Jan 24, 2010

To LISTEN to this week's sermon online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Sermon:

For the last couple Sundays we’ve been reading from the Gospel of Mark. In each reading Mark has given us a snapshot of Jesus. He’s been showing us something about who Jesus is, by describing something that He did.

As Mark has shown us these snapshots we’ve been able to see Jesus, and then we’ve also tried to see ourselves also. We ask, if this is Jesus, where am I in this picture.

Today our snapshot of Jesus comes from…

Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

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Jesus was teaching the people along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that had gathered was so large, that He had decided to preach to them from a boat. So, He got into a boat and pushed off into the shallow waters. From there Jesus preached to them, all day long. When evening came, and Jesus was done teaching, He said goodbye to the people and headed for the other side of the lake.

The Sea of Galilee is nowhere near the size of Michigan’s Great Lakes, but it isn’t exactly small either. It’s a roundish lake. At it’s widest point it’s eight miles across, east to west. That’s further across than most places on the Puget Sound.

After a whole day of projecting His voice to crowds on the beach, Jesus was tired. It’s not surprising that He fell asleep as His disciples rowed across the lake.

Maybe this was the first snapshot of Jesus that His disciples saw on this particular day day. They looked back in the boat and saw the dedicated teacher, taking some well deserved rest. But it wasn’t long before this perception of Jesus changed in the disciples minds.
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As they rowed, a nasty wind came barreling through the hills and roared across the lake unexpectedly. And the little fleet of boats was overtaken. Shaken. Battered by rough seas.

Now, these men weren’t vacationing tourists in rented paddleboats. Some of them were experienced fishermen. And we can assume that those who weren’t were at least familiar with travelling on the lake. But this storm was violent enough to shake their courage. In fact, Luke’s Gospel tells us point blank that they were in real danger.

Some bailed water as fast as they could. Some yelled directions against the howl of the wind. Some pulled on the oars with all the force their tired muscles would allow.

And then their eyes fell on Jesus. There He was, still in the back of the boat, sleeping on a cushion. This detail tells us a lot. Mark could have just said Jesus was sleeping. But he adds the detail of the cushion.

This was appalling. Here they were fighting for their lives, and Jesus was taking a nap, as if they were back in Capernaum in someone’s living room. So, in the voice of the disciples we hear contempt. Listen again to their words found in verse 38.

“…Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 3:38 NIV)

In this question there is an accusation. Maybe an accusation of laziness? Perhaps. But there is definitely a worse accusation here: that Jesus didn’t care.
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This accusation has fallen on God throughout the course of human history, and still falls on God today: God don’t you care?

God, don’t you care about the hungry?
The homeless?
Don’t you care that I’ve lost my job?
That I have cancer? That my child has died?
That my friend has left the church?
Don’t you care about all the suffering people in Haiti?
Can’t you see what’s happening on this planet God?
Don’t you care?

The underlying implication is this: If God really cared, He’d listen to us and solve our problems, when and how we think they ought to be solved. Most of the time that means, “Right now God. If you really care about me you’re going to do this now. Now listen up I’ll tell you what you need to do.”
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Obviously disciples weren’t thinking about all these things. But with their words they were expressing their doubt of God. Their doubt that He was watching over them, guarding them from danger.

And so Jesus did something.

Their questions was, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” His answer is in verse 39.

“39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:38-40 NIV).

Jesus didn’t JUST still the storm in order to save these men from drowning. The danger from the storm was real, but so was the God who held their lives in the palm of His hand. Jesus stilled the storm so that He could SPEAK TO THEM, and address the greater problem that faced them out there on the lake. They were already drowning, in doubt and fear.
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Now fear is an emotion. So, in one sense we can say that fear is unavoidable. We don’t consent to our emotions, they just are. People say things or do things that make us sad, angry, happy, frustrated, fearful. Pick an emotion. We can’t help it.

This is especially true for those who suffer from depression or anxiety stemming from a chemical imbalance in their body. Ever since sin entered the world, things don’t work the way God intended them to work. Our emotions included. We may feel something completely inappropriate, or illogical, and have no explanation for why we feel that way.

But, even though we can’t control whether we feel fear, we can learn to control our reaction to it. I’m not saying that we can learn to never flinch or feel afraid. I’m just saying we can learn to react better to fear. God can help.

As God’s followers our first response to fear is prayer. God instructs us to respond to fear with prayer in Psalm 50, verse 15.

“…call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15 NIV).

This may seem like quite an obvious thing for a Christian to do, but in the middle of tragedy we may forget. Rushing to do what we can with our own hands, we easily forget to tag God with a prayer, saying, “Lord, I need some help here!”

That’s why God tells us to cultivate a constant prayer habit. He wants us to continually depend on Him through prayer. Philippians 4, verse 6 says…

“6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).

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When a problem is drawn out over a longer period of time, there is another thing we can do. We can review God’s past record to calm our fears.

When we look at how God has dealt with His people’s problems in the past, we see a pattern. There’s the initial problem. Then there’s time in which a person either doubts or trusts God. Then there’s the end of the matter when God comes to the rescue.

Think of Joseph in the Old Testament. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers. For years he remained a slave in one form or another. Then Joseph was made second in command over all Egypt and brought his whole family to live there in the rich region of Goshen. Problem, time in between, God comes to the rescue.

Think of Job. His children died. His possessions were taken away. His health went downhill in a serious way. There was a time where he questioned God’s wisdom in these things. Then God restored Job, gave Him more children, greater possessions and health once more. He lived to be an old, old man. Problem, time in between, God comes to the rescue.

Think of Adam and Eve. You thought you’ve messed things up before. They screwed up EVERYTHING. They brought sin and death into the perfect world God had made for them. They cursed every one of their descendants because of their foolishness. But, God promised to save them through one of Eve’s children. Thousands of years went by, but finally, the Savior arrived, set the sins of the whole human race on His back and took them away through dying on the cross. Problem, time in between, God come to the rescue.

When we’re in the middle of our problems and fear is biting at our hearts, we need to recall that we are just in that middle time. The God who says He loves us is NOT GOING TO FORGET ABOUT US! Maybe that sound cliché to say, the He’s not going to forget about us, but that’s His promise. He says, “Trust in me, I will not let you down.” In Romans 10, verse 9 it says…

“9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame”” (Romans 10:9-11 NIV).

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I find it pretty amazing that Jesus didn’t respond to the disciples’ question in the boat more sharply. They said,

“…Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 3:38 NIV)

YES HE CARED ABOUT THEM! That’s why He was there! That’s why God the Son had been born into the human race! That’s why He was preaching the message of salvation through the countryside in Galilee! He was on his way to Jerusalem where He would suffer for them, die for them, and take away the greatest threat to their souls, their own guilt and sin. And they asked DON’T YOU CARE?

Here is the snapshot of Jesus that I see here. I see a Polaroid picture labeled, “Exhibit A”. Here Jesus is the EVIDENCE that God does care. Jesus stilling the storm says: God is with us. He cares. He is to be trusted.

King David knew God would come through. He expressed his trust in the Psalm we read together earlier this morning. In Psalm 27, verse 1 David wrote…

“1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1 NIV).

And at the end of this Psalm, after David has talked about all the enemies and problems and fears that existed in his life then he says…

“13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14 NIV).

I heard someone once say, “Jesus is not going to come and solve our problems for us.” I’m here to tell you the opposite. All the problems we face in life ARE solved by Jesus. He either resolves them right here and now in life, or He supports us through them by His Holy Spirit until He takes us away from all problems and fears, into Heaven.

At the end of Mark’s reading the disciples whispered to one another, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” We know the answer to that question. He is our mighty God before whom even our greatest anxieties and our most sticky problems must eventually fall away.

Jesus is with you now, just as much as He was with those disciples. He before He ascended to the Father’s side He told them,

“…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).

Wait for the LORD, dear Christians, be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. We’ve got problems now. We’re in that waiting time in between. But eventually He will come again, visibly. And He will come to rescue us. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

It's Not About Them, It's About Him - Jan 17, 2010

To LISTEN to this week's sermon online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Sermon:

May God’s love for you rest on your hearts. And may the undeserved mercy of Christ fill you with peace. Amen.

It’s probably been a while since you last played dodge-ball. But I’m sure you remember how teams are picked on the playground. First you pick two team captains. Then you line everybody up and take turns picking who you want.

The older, bigger and faster kids usually get picked first because captains like to win. Captains generally pick players because of what they can do.

But in our reading for today, Jesus picks His team with a different guiding principle. He doesn’t pick people because of who they are, but because of who He is. It’s not about them. It’s about Him.
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Mark 3:13-19 (NIV)

13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. 16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

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We are currently in the part of the church called “Epiphany”. The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “appearance”. During Epiphany we see how Jesus was revealed to be the Son of God during His ministry.

This year we’re reading from the Gospel of Mark. With each reading Mark is showing us a “snapshot” of Jesus. Once we can Jesus, then we want to look for ourselves in the picture. This is Jesus. This is me.

The “snapshot of Jesus” that I see in today’s reading is “Jesus the Chooser”, the “Selector”, “Jesus the Team Captain”.
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Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus had been on the mountain all night long, praying. While we aren’t told exactly what He was praying about, it’s safe to assume some of His prayers concerned the men He was about to select as His twelve apostles.

Jesus wanted these men to remember that HE CHOSE THEM, not the other way around. Not only did He make a big deal of selecting the twelve and designating them apostles. Years later He specifically reminded them of this fact.

Turn to John 14, verse 16. This is Jesus speaking to His apostles the night before His death. He says…

“16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…” (John 15:16 NIV).

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Jesus wants Christians today to remember that same truth. We did not choose Jesus, He chose us.

Many churches make a big deal out of making a “choice for Christ”. They present the message of sins forgiven through Christ, but then suggest that faith is a choice. As if faith were a switch that we could turn on and off at will.

Faith is NOT a choice that you make. Faith is not created through saying “I believe”. You cannot create faith or jump start it with a prayer. Faith is created by God through His Word and by His Holy Spirit.
God called out to our hearts through the history of His life and death. The Holy Spirit worked through this recorded history and convinced us of its truth. This is how we came to faith.

First Peter 1, verse 23 says…

“…you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23 NIV).

Coming to faith is like being born. Last time I checked babies don’t choose to be born.

Ephesians 2, verse 4 says…

“…God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV).

When Lazarus lay dead in His tomb he didn’t hear Jesus outside and think, “Hmmm, I choose life!”

The fact that Jesus chooses us, and not the other way around leads to two important realizations. First, our salvation is completely God’s Work. Not even on little bit is because of our doing. Secondly, if Jesus is the one who chose us, He’s team captain. He calls the shots. He is both our Savior and our Master.
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Okay. Back to the twelve apostles. One question that arises when we see a list of all these guys is, “Why them?” Why did Jesus choose THESE twelve men?

Well, I can assure you it wasn’t because they were a specially pure group of fellas.

Simon Peter was impulsive, but also violent. Remember how he struck out and cut off another man’s ear when Jesus was arrested? Well did you ever think of what he was TRYING to do? He wasn’t aiming at his ear! He was trying to KILL THE MAN by sword-ing him in the head!

Or how about James and John. Jesus knick-named these two brothers the “Sons of Thunder”. They probably liked the knick-name, but I’m guessing it was a sarcastic rebuke from Jesus. These were bold men who once asked Jesus whether they should call down FIRE on a village that didn’t welcome Jesus. He told them “No.”

Or how about Matthew the tax-collector? The Jews considered him to be both a traitor to Israel (since he was collecting taxes for the Roman government) and a thief (since tax-collectors were known for becoming rich by overcharging people).

And then on the other end of the spectrum was Simon the Zealot. All we know about the guy was that he was once a “Zealot”. That was a sect of Jews who refused to pay taxes to Rome for religious reasons. Eventually their sect degraded into a band of outlaws named for the type of dagger that they used.

Then there’s good old doubting Thomas. Known for stubbornly refusing to believe Jesus had come back from the dead until Jesus appeared right in front of Him.

And who can forget Judas the betrayer. Before he sold Jesus out for 30 silver pieces, he acted as treasurer for the twelve. The Bible says he was a thief, freely helping himself to the money he was entrusted with.

Clearly these men were not chosen for their purity. Throughout Jesus’ ministry it became painfully clear that they hadn’t been chosen for their spiritual insight either. Repeatedly we hear them asking Jesus, “So, what did that parable mean again?”

They had no particular talents that were indispensible. They weren’t even educated men? I like how the King James puts it in Acts 4:13…

“13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were UNLEARNED and IGNORANT men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 KJV).

They were uneducated idiots, but they had been with Jesus.

Jesus first chose the twelve to save them, and so that He might save others through them. For the apostles it was, “Ask not what you can do for Jesus, but what He can do for you.”

And it’s the same for Christians today. He chose us, to save us. He saved us, to save others through us. It’s as simple as that.
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Let me draw your attention back to verse 14-15. Here we are told exactly what Jesus wanted these twelve apostles to do.

“14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons.” (Mark 3:14-15 NIV).

They were unlearned and ignorant men, but they were being selected to be with Jesus. To learn from Him. To go out with His authority. These men couldn’t preach Jesus’ message correctly without first being connected to Jesus in order to learn that message. Really, they had to believe it in order to preach it with power.

These men had no magical abilities. They couldn’t cast out demons or heal sicknesses without Jesus GIVING THEM the power to do those things. They had to be connected to Jesus.

I’ve got a book that lists Bible readings for every Sunday of the Church year. It also describes what each season is about. Let me read what it says about Epiphany…

“[Epiphany] and its season…show forth the glory of Him who has come, born a babe in Bethlehem, and how this glory must shine also through the members of His kingdom so that men may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven” (Biblical Texts, by Nesper).

Through their connection to Jesus, Jesus would shine through the apostles to the world. They were “selected to be connected”. And they were connected to shine out His glory. His glory and Creator, as Savior, as caring Friend.

Christians, we to have been selected to be connected – to Jesus. Through that faith connection we receive forgiveness for every sin we commit. Through that connection to Jesus we are continually protected from evil. Through that connection to the Son of God we receive power. We can speak His message in a world that wants us to shut up. We can shake off our guilt in the shadow of His cross and the light of His empty tomb.

It’s not about us, it’s about Him. He is the Chooser, we the Chosen.

Most team captains choose players in order to win. Our Captain picked us in order to share His victory with us. And now, even though we are not designated “apostles”, we have also been sent out. That’s what apostle means by the way. One sent out. One sent out with a message to carry and share.

Let’s get sharing. May the light of Christ shine, through our connection to Him.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Snapshots of Jesus in Capernaum - Jan 10, 2010

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Sermon:

Good morning. This past Wednesday was the first day of the Epiphany season. Epiphany means “manifestation” or “appearance”. When Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30, few knew who He was. As Jesus interacted with the people, teaching, preaching and performing miracles, many came to know Him as the Savior sent from God. The one who would take their sins away.

This year our Epiphany messages come from Mark’s gospel. Mark’s gospel is the shortest of the four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It has been described as a collection of “snapshots” of Jesus. Jesus the healer. Jesus the teacher. Jesus the miracle worker, and so on.

We’re going to use this idea of “Mark’s Snapshots” to help focus our minds to see Jesus. This is what I want you to do. As you listen to our readings from Mark, imagine that Mark is actually sitting beside you in the pew. He’s got a shoebox full of old photographs, and with each one he shows you he says, “This is Jesus.”

Once you can see that reading’s “Snapshot of Jesus” in your mind, take the visualization one step further. Find yourself in the picture. If this is Jesus, where am I?

AN AUTHORITATIVE TEACHER

In Jesus’ day, when the Jews couldn’t get to the Temple in Jerusalem, they worshipped in local worship halls called “synagogues”.

The ancient synagogue was remarkably like our church building. It had a main open space where people could gather. It had windows. Opposite the entrance of the synagogue there was an indentation in the wall where there was a box, which looked somewhat like this altar. In this box the scrolls of the Old Testament were stored. There was even a raised platform and podium, much like our pulpit, where these scrolls could be laid out and read to the people.

The worship that took place in the ancient synagogue was also similar to our worship. In fact, you could say that our worship has descended from the synagogue. Synagogue worship had three basic parts. There were prayers spoken back and forth by the congregation and the synagogue leader. There were readings from the Bible. There was a message meant to help everyone understand God’s Word.

In our first snapshot from Mark’s gospel, Jesus steps up to the podium at the synagogue in Capernaum.

Mark 1:21-22

21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

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When Jesus stepped down from the podium in the synagogue of Capernaum, the people were stunned. This Jesus, who had grown up some 20 miles away in Nazareth, had just knocked their socks off. It says very simply,

“The people were AMAZED at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had AUTHORITY, not as the teachers of the law” (Mark 1:22 NIV).

There are two parts of a good teacher. First, a teacher has to know what he’s talking about. Second, he has to be able to communicate that knowledge effectively. In other words, he has to have the truth to speak, and the words to speak it so it can be understood.

The problem with the scribes (called “the teachers of the law” here) was that they didn’t know the truth. They had God’s Word, but they didn’t understand it.

The Savior from sin was not part of THEIR message. They twisted the promised Savior of the Old Testament into some political figure.

The intimidating Law of God was also not part of their message. They had dumbed down God’s standards so that it was possible for them to believe they had lived lives worthy of heaven. In their storm of manmade doctrines, the true meaning of God’s Word was lost to these teachers.

This is why jaws dropped when Jesus spoke. It wasn’t just because He was a brilliant communicator. The congregation at Capernaum was stunned because Jesus spoke something that the scribes had lost. He spoke the simple truth of God’s Word. And this truth RANG TRUE in the ears of the people.

This is the snapshot of Jesus that I see. I see Jesus, standing with one hand on the open scroll of some Old Testament book. His other hand raised in the air gesturing His point home. On His face is an expression that is both intense and joyful at the same time. He is teaching them the Father’s truth, with the Father’s own words (John 14:24). He speaks of damning sin and salvation through faith in the Christ.

This is Jesus. A brilliant teacher to be sure. But a teacher whose authority came from the fact that His message was God’s message.

So, what about me? Where am I in this picture? Well, let me tell you a story. The other day I was discussing the way we worship with an organist (neither of ours), and the conversation fell on the sermon. I expressed that while the sermon may not be the jewel of the worship service around which everything else is built, but it’s still pretty important (spoken like a true pastor, right?). And my friend said to me, “You know, I’ve always cherished the confession and absolution more than the sermon. I’m a terrible sinner. And to know that my God has taken my sins away, well, I NEED that. As for the sermon, it’s often tainted by one sinful man’s opinion.”

Ouch.

In first Peter it says…

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God…” (1 Peter 4:11 NIV).

This is what I want to do when I speak to you, God’s people. I want to speak the words of God, not one sinful man’s opinion.

So, if Mark’s snapshot shows Jesus the brilliant teacher, I want to be the student sitting at His feet. Reaching out every word and concept. Listening diligently so that I may know HIS MESSAGE accurately, so that I too may speak with the Father’s authority.

Mark gives us another snapshot of Jesus here. Verse 23.

ENEMY OF ALL DARKNESS

Mark 1:23-28 (NIV)

23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil 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!” 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”

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First they were amazed by Jesus’ teaching. Then by His command over demons.

There are a number of occurrences of demon possession throughout the ministry of Jesus. It appears that demon possession was more common at that time.

The reliable information we have about demon possession comes from Biblical accounts. First of all, we know that the evil spirits were once good angels, created to serve God. They chose to rebel against God with Satan as their leader. Though we are unsure about the full extent of their abilities, we know these fallen angels are far more powerful than any manmade weapon.

We know that sometimes one or more demons enter into the body of a human being and seized control. The demon possessed person may then begin to act crazy, becoming dangerously strong and violent. Their habits become strange and inhuman. One group of demons that Jesus drove out of a man had caused that man to stop wearing clothes, and to live in burial caves among moldering corpses. There he passed the time by purposefully injuring himself in painful ways.

The presence of a demon may cause the possessed person to lose physical abilities like speaking, hearing or seeing. When the demon is driven out, these senses are restored. Understand that this wasn’t some silly superstition cooked up by simple people to explain illnesses that they didn’t understand. The Biblical accounts draw a distinct line between people who were sick and diseased and those who had physical problems BECAUSE of demon possession.

It appears that demons were not easily driven out once they had taken control of a person. But at the command of Jesus, demons had to obey.

Jesus was teaching the Word of God in the synagogue of Capernaum. Boldly a demon raised his stolen voice to yell angrily at Jesus. This demon knew very well what those around him have yet to comprehend. This Jesus was the Holy One of God. The Savior. He had come to destroy the Devil’s work. He had come to set sinners free from sin and hell by His selfless sacrifice.

Jesus responds to the Demon’s angry voice with a stern face and imposing tone. He simply commands that the Demon do two things. Shut up and get out. And this ancient fallen angels, this powerful spirit of darkness is gone. No Hollywood fight scene. No magical incantation. A simple word of command from Jesus.

This is the snapshot of Jesus that I see. Jesus stands as a warrior. A gunslinger. A soldier. He stands as the enemy of all darkness. But His power doesn’t come from muscle, or lead or atomic bomb. His power is in the Word He speaks. And this first mighty miracle in Capernaum testified also, saying, Pay attention. This warrior speaks God’s truth, and God’s power is with Him also.

So, what about us? Where are we in this picture? Well, we’re like the man who yelled out at Jesus. We were held captive by sin. We were faithless and hopeless. There was no way we could remove the darkness that lived in us. But the Word of Jesus has set us free. He tells us that we deserve hell because of our sins, but He also tells us that He suffered that hell in our place. On the cross. Our sentence has been served. And like the Demon who had to listen to Jesus’ voice, our hearts have heard this Good News with relief.

Now you might have noticed that I didn’t read the last verse yet. Verse 28.

What Capernaum Didn’t See

Mark 1:28 (NIV)

28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

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The people of Capernaum were surprised and amazed at the way Jesus taught. They were astonished when they witnessed the power His Word had over an evil spirit. The word spread quickly across the countryside about what Jesus had done in Capernaum. But the snapshot that remained in the minds of the people had a hole where Jesus was.

They remembered His powerful speaking, but not His message. They remembered His command of demons, but not what that fact pointed to. They were amazed by Him, but they did not believe in Him. They did trust their Savior.

Later in His ministry, Jesus had harsh words for Capernaum. Matthew 11, verse 23.

“23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:23-24 NIV).

When you see Jesus, don’t just see the powerful teacher. Don’t just see the enemy of demons. See the Savior who died in your place to erase your sins forever. See the Savior who reaches out His hand to take yours. To begin and continue a conversation with your heart. To begin and continue a friendship with you. This is Jesus.

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Father Cares for the Christ Child - Jan 3, 2010

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Sermon:


May the Father’s love for you rest on your hearts. And may the undeserved mercy of His Son fill you with peace. Amen.

John 3:16 is probably the most widely known Bible passage. I’d bet that most of us could say it by heart. In fact, let’s try that right now. It doesn’t matter if your translation is slightly different, try to say it out-loud with me now.

John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).

In that verse Jesus is called the “only begotten Son” of God. The Bible refers to angels as “sons of God” because they are His mighty servants. The Bible calls God’s followers “sons and daughters of God” because they have become part of His family through faith in Jesus. But Jesus is the Son of God in a way that no one else is. He alone is the “only begotten Son” of the Father.

God the Father loves God the Son with the same love that a human father has for his children. Only God the Father’s love is perfect, completely pure, intense and never wavering.

In today’s reading we’ll see God the Father caring for the Christ Child. We’ll see Him leading, protecting and providing for His little Boy.

Matthew 2 (NIV)

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On 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 and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

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If there’s any idea that stands out in this part of Matthew, it’s the idea of “LEADING”. God is leading all sorts of people in this chapter.

Even before this chapter God led Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. On the surface the trip seemed like one more annoyance imposed by the Roman government. Caesar calls a census and so we’ve got to walk 75 miles to Bethlehem. But in reality, it was God who was leading Mary and Joseph to that city. Because God’s prophet had foretold that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

Last Sunday we heard how Mary and Joseph didn’t leave Bethlehem right away after Jesus’ birth. They remained for a month or so. Luke’s Gospel tells us they had to present Jesus to the LORD at the Temple because He was Mary’s first-born. And Mary herself had to wait a month before she could offer certain sacrifices of cleansing.

The next big event Luke reports in the life of Jesus’ family is their return to Nazareth. But Matthew tells us the rest of the story. Matthew fills in the gap and informs us what happened BEFORE they returned to Nazareth.

Apparently, Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem for longer than a month. It appears that they stayed in Bethlehem for a year, maybe as long as two.

Verse 16 tells us that when Herod got angry with the Magi, he…

“…gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” (Matthew 2:16 NIV).

We assume Herod padded the age of the child to make sure he got Him, putting the age of the Christ Child between 1-2 years.

Now we might ask, Why did Mary and Joseph remain in Bethlehem that long? Who knows. Perhaps Mary needed more time to recover from her labor before making the 75 mile hike back to Nazareth. Maybe Joseph found a good job in Bethlehem or nearby Jerusalem.

We don’t know ALL the details that kept them in Bethlehem for months after Jesus’ birth. But we do know this: the Magi were coming.

When Jesus was born a special star had appeared. And these mysterious people, these Magi from the east somehow knew that this new star meant that the King of the Jews had been born.

This King of the Jews was significant to them because He was the Savior. That the Magi understood this is shown by their actions. They came to King Herod looking for “King of the Jews”. They knew Herod was the reigning king in Judea. They knew Caesar was the greater king ruling over much of the world. But they weren’t looking for these rulers. They were searching for a Ruler of much greater significance. They had put their lives on hold, and had started off on the long journey to Bethlehem to see this King.

Now, they didn’t know they were headed for Bethlehem at the start. At first they just headed to Israel. Perhaps the star which had appeared was already leading them. But either the star wasn’t leading them at first, or it disappeared for a time, because when they got to Jerusalem they had to ask for directions.

And because they had to ask for directions, more people turned their eyes to the Christ. Herod was concerned, and all of Jerusalem was also. What was going on here? Had the Christ really been born?!
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Since God the Father was purposefully drawing all this attention to His Son, He also made sure to protect Him. Do doubt Satan did not want this Child to live long. And any who Satan could use to murder the Christ, he would use.

One candidate for this job was Herod the Great. He was a crazy man and a murderer. He murdered family members that he considered threats to his throne. Brother in law. Uncle. Wife. He even gave orders to his henchmen to execute important Jewish leaders and their families upon his own death. Why? So that there would be true mourning in Jerusalem on the day of his death. Herod was nuts.

We might think, God why would you have the Magi go anywhere near Herod? I can think of two reasons. First of all, the Savior has been born to save ALL PEOPLE. God even offered salvation to a bloodthirsty and paranoid man like Herod. Secondly, the Father was demonstrating His ability to protect. Though often in the spotlight and hated by many, God’s Son would remain safe until the right time came for His perfect sacrifice to be offered to wipe our record of sin off the board forever.
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After the Magi saw the Christ Child and offered their gifts, the Father sent His angel to tell them not to go back to Herod. He was protecting His faithful followers.

God then also dispatched an angel to tell Joseph, to get his family out of town. Obviously God was protecting His Son. But here we also see God PROVIDING for His Son, for the Magi brought gifts.

What we know about the Magi is pretty much from this chapter. We don’t actually know how many there were. We guess three because there were three kinds of gifts. We don’t actually know if they were kings or not. They must have had some money to be able to put their lives on pause to take this trip, and to offer expensive gifts like they did.

We guess they had come to know about the Savior from faithful Jews who had been captive in Babylon. The ancient sage-priests who were called the Magi were known to have existed in Babylon. But we don’t know for sure where they came from, except that they were from the east.

Their gifts to Baby Jesus were Gold, incense and myrrh. Some have suggested that they gave the Christ Child gold because He was king, incense because He was God (incense was commonly offered to gods), and myrrh because He was truly man (myrrh was used in burial practices).

While it is true that the Christ Child was king, God and man, it is more likely that these gifts were simply the best they had to offer. And that’s where we see the hand of the Father providing for His Son. Pretty quick Jesus’ guardians were going to have to make a trip to Egypt, and with no time to save up the money needed to do so.

Right on cue come the Magi, bearing gifts that could be sold to pave the way to Egypt. The Father leads, protects and He provides.
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Now, the Father did all these things for His Son Jesus, but He also did these things for you and me. The whole reason that God’s Son was born into the human race was to save sinful people from hell. To do this He had to live a sinless human life so that He could die a pure and sacrificial death. In this way He traded His perfect life for our life of sin and failure.

Every time that God protects His Son in this account, He’s also protecting our salvation.

Having just started a new year, this is a perfect time to be reminded how God the Father leads, protects and provides. He does this for His sons and daughters, and also for those who do not yet know Him.

Turn to Acts 17, verse 24. Here Paul is sharing the Good News of sins forgiven through Jesus with the philosophers of Athens. He says to them…

“24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:24-27 NIV).

God has lead people into our lives so that we can tell them about Jesus. He had lead us here to listen to His Word grow in faith. God will continue to lead, protect and provide for us in this coming year.
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We have an amazing promise from God. The promise of forgiveness through His Only-Begotten Son. So, let’s do what Joseph did. Each time God’s messenger appears to Joseph in a dream he doesn’t question it, he just does it. When we hear God’s voice, let’s not question Him, let’s just do it.

Let’s also be like the Magi, frequently putting our day to day lives on hold so that we can go to Jesus, presenting Him with our greatest gifts: our hearts, our lives, our dedication, our thoughts, our dependence, our trust.

We can do all these things with confidence and a feeling of peace. Because, at the end of the day, whether we’ve failed or succeeded in what we’ve laid our hand to, we have Christ. At the end of every day we can look to Jesus and know: He was born, to die, and to rise, so that I might be forgiven and live forever with His Father.

Happy New Year, Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.