Category: Sermons

Categories
Sermons

Psalm 1: A Vision of a Flourishing Life

If you look at the end of the Psalms, you will find a series of Psalms called the “hallel” psalms. They are psalms that focus on praising God. If you think about it, this is how you might expect the book of Psalms to begin. However, the Psalms do not begin that way. They begin, “Blessed is the man . . .” They provide for us a song about a righteous man. If I were to write a book of songs for the church, I’m not sure that I would do that. Yet that is what we have in our Scriptures. It’s remarkable.

Why is this the case? God wants to give us a vision of what it means to live a life rooted in Him. He wants us to see that the way of blessing is rooted in Him. He also wants to warn us that if we go in another direction, then there will be terrible consequences. We and the universe are not made in any other way than to glorify God and rejoice in Him. So, He gives us songs to help keep that vision in front of us. “Blessed is the man . . .”

In this passage, we have two key elements of what that vision is. First, the righteous man is rooted in the law of the Lord. This means that He meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. In every situation, He has a refreshing stream from the law of the Lord that blesses him and provides him with what he needs. Whether he is seeking guidance, is struggling with anxiety or anger, or rejoicing, the law of the Lord is an unlimited resource.

This rootedness leads to activity. “Whatever He does prospers” (1:3). He is active in good works, and these works are blessed just as the righteous man is. “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever . . .” (Psalm 112:9). As they work, they reflect the goodness and compassion of God and attune themselves to the universe.

This is in contrast to those who do not root themselves in the law of the Lord. They are just like chaff that the wind blows away. Whatever they do is destined to perish, and they are destined to perish. It is only in the rootedness that God provides in His Word that we find the blessing and flourishing life God intends for us.

One interesting thing about this passage is that it says “Blessed is the man . . .” That is the literal rendering, though “they” is not wrong because it refers to any human. But the way the original Hebrew reads make us think of both an original man and all the people who may be like this. As we read this, we recognize that we have not always been fruitful, and we have not delighted ourselves in the law of the Lord as we should. However, there is a man who did! That man is Jesus Christ. He is the truly blessed man, and we are blessed in Him, and we are made active and fruitful in Him.

This is just what Jesus said in John 15. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (15:7–8). This is the vision that God has for us. He wants it to go deep down in us. He has given us a song to remind us. Let’s keep singing it, praying it, and meditating on it, seeking the fruitfulness that redounds to our Father’s glory through Jesus Christ.

Categories
Sermons

Jesus Ascended (Luke 24:13-53)

[Listen to an audio version here]

Is there any hope for a renewed and revitalized world? When we see so many who have turned from God, is there any hope? When we see nations devastated by war, is there any hope? When we see children taken advantage of and families broken apart, is there any hope? When we see the world racked by drugs and all the dirty business of getting it here, is there any hope?

The answer of this passage is a big “yes.” There is hope because Jesus is risen. He has overcome death, sin, and hell and come out on the other side. So, there is hope. The question is, how does it come about? How does God bring hope to this world? The answer is what we have in our text.

Knowing the Fact of the Resurrection
Before we continue in Luke 24:13, let’s review what we have seen so far. The women encountered the empty tomb and did not know what to think. They were not expecting Jesus to rise. They had to have an angelic explanation before they understood what was happening. They then went to the other disciples and told them what had happened. They did not believe the angelic message. They thought that what they were saying was nonsense. The disciples were not looking for Jesus to rise from the dead either. They thought that their hopes were dashed. This helps us understand the conversation on the road to Emmaus.

On the road to Emmaus, there were two of Jesus’ disciples walking. Of course, they were talking about all that had happened, all the things that we have read and considered in Luke 22 and 23. As they were doing this, Jesus appeared alongside of them. God kept them from recognizing Jesus immediately so that they might better discern the fact and the meaning of the resurrection. Here God closed their eyes so that later He might open their eyes to a fuller light.

Jesus joined them and asked them what they were talking about. They gave a general answer, all the things that had happened in Jerusalem. He then asked, “What things?”

Continue reading “Jesus Ascended (Luke 24:13-53)”
Categories
Sermons

Jesus Resurrected (Luke 24:1–12)

[Listen to an audio version here]

Introduction
My Grandmother was a female hemophiliac. What that means is that her body could not produce the platelets that would enable her blood to clot. As a result, she was not expected to live into old age. Problems that might have been minor for you and me quickly became big problems for her because her body could not stop the bleeding. Beyond all expectations, she was able to have four children and live into her seventies. However, she was repeatedly in the hospital and at the point of death several times. One time, she told me, she was able to look down on her own body. It seemed like she was dead at that point, but then her spirit returned to her body. She knew her time was not yet up. I’ve actually read about and heard tons of stories like that.

What we are dealing with here is something completely different. Imagine the time when my Grandmother did finally pass away at 74. Then, her body is brought to the funeral home. They do their work. Two full days later, they do a viewing for her. Then, imagine that at the viewing with all the family there, she gets up and starts talking. Now, that, I can tell you is something that I have not heard many stories about! But that is what this text is talking about. We are talking about a man rising from the dead two full days later. He dies on Friday, remains in the grave all day Saturday, and then rises from the dead on Sunday. A truly astonishing fact. This is what really happened 2,000 years ago on a Sunday morning.

Does that seem hard to believe? Well, it seemed hard to believe to the people who experienced it. And this is another extremely interesting fact about the resurrection of Jesus. It came to His followers as something completely unexpected. So, let’s look at how they encountered the resurrection and see what this might teach us about our own doubts and questions and the meaning of Easter.

The Women & the Resurrection
Remember that the women had been watching over Jesus while He was crucified, died, and was buried. They wanted to go back to the body of Jesus to show it the care that it deserved by putting spices and perfume on it.

When they got there, they were surprised to find that the stone that had been put over the mouth of the tomb was already rolled away. What did this mean? When they entered the tomb, the body of Jesus was gone. Now, what they did not conclude from this was that Jesus had risen from the dead. Instead it made them wonder what in the world had happened to Jesus’ body?

They needed angels to interpret this for them. Two men dressed in white and shining like lightning appeared before them. The women were scared to death, as you and I would be to encounter these heavenly beings. So, they bowed to the ground, which was all that they knew how to do.

Then, the angels spoke these powerful words. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5–6). Against all their expectations, He had come back to life. He was no longer among the dead. He had risen!

Continue reading “Jesus Resurrected (Luke 24:1–12)”
Categories
Sermons

Jesus Dead and Buried (Luke 23:44–56)

[Listen to an audio version of this sermon here]

For some reason, the death of my Grandmother, Dorothy Basham, in November of 2022, has been particularly sobering for me. I have one Grandparent left, my Grandfather David Keith. Once he is gone, that entire generation of grandparents will be gone. For some reason, my Grandmother’s death made me think on this more deeply. Perhaps it’s because I have often thought of saying something or mentioning something to her or asking her something, and then I remember that she’s gone. All this reminds me of the fact that I am headed to the grave, and one day I will join them.

Death is not the way it is supposed to be. God did not create humans to experience death but to live in joy forever. Nowhere is this more poignant than the death of a child. We always expect that our children will outlive us. I was with a woman recently who experienced a joyful occasion where everyone was happy and rejoicing. But . . . it reminded her of the death of her son. She was weeping uncontrollably and had to leave. My heart went out to her both because I saw that everyone was happy and yet I realized that this reminded her of that which hurt her more than anything else in the world could.

We need to think about this. It is part of life, and it has extreme significance. Here, in this passage we encounter a death. It is the death of Jesus, the Son of God. What does this event tell us about death? Does it help us in any way as we process our own death and the death of those we love? That’s what we want to consider here. There are two aspects to this story that will be our two points, the death of Jesus and the burial of Jesus. Then, I will conclude by making some points about the suffering of Christ in general.

The Death of Jesus
There are two things that happen in our text which indicate opposite things, the darkness and the rending of the temple veil. Let me explain.

First, consider the darkness. Think about what it must have been like to see the crucifixion. Jesus had already been crucified, and then thick darkness comes over the land. The sun stopped shining. Here is a scene where Jesus was crucified and the movements of the weather cause it to be black and dark. The weather, which is under the control of God, demonstrated the blackness of the whole event, the reign of darkness, as Jesus said.

However, there is something more. In the Bible, the darkness and clouds represent the judgment of God. Joel, for example, describes the day of judgment as a “day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (Joel 2:2). However, this day of darkness and gloom was always coming upon people because of their sin. As Zephaniah the prophet said when he was speaking of another such day, it was “because they have sinned against the Lord” (Zeph. 1:16).

The question here is, why would the judgment of God come against Jesus? He was the beloved Son in whom the Father, just a short time ago had said, “He was well pleased.” Jesus had not done any wrong. He was so sure of this that He said that none of them could show where He had sinned. This may seem prideful, but it is not. Humility is an accurate estimation of what we are and that is almost all there is to it.

So, again, why would the black clouds of judgment come against Him? Because He was there as the representative of sinful humanity. He was there as their substitute. He died because “they have sinned against the Lord,” and He was experiencing judgment on their behalf so that they would not have to. His death in place of ours.

That leads us to the second image here. The veil of the temple was torn in two. It was a thick heavy curtain, and, miraculously, it was ripped in two from top to bottom. Now the veil guarded the way to the holiest place in the temple. Only the high priest could enter there where the ark of the covenant was, and that only once a year! It was a symbol of God’s grace and the sacrifice of atonement that Jesus would make, but it was also a reminder that the way had not yet been opened. They were still shut out from the presence of God unless the true sacrifice took place.

Continue reading “Jesus Dead and Buried (Luke 23:44–56)”
Categories
Sermons

Jesus Crucified (Luke 23:26–43)

[Listen to an audio version here]

When you consider the future, do you think of good things? Do you think that there will be blessing? Or do you expect things to turn out badly, a curse? What about for your children?

The blessing and the curse. There are many reasons why we might expect a curse. After all, we all have to die. The time of death is often not very pleasant. If it extends itself out a long time, it can be worse. I was praying for someone’s mother last week who is having an awful time as she continues to decline in health. It’s the sort of thing I don’t really even want to share the details of. It just breaks my heart. It is things like that which make us think that future will bring a curse and not a blessing.

Last week, I talked about God’s purposes to do us good, to bless us. One person said that cancer and Ukraine make me wonder. This was person was right. It does make us wonder. It rightly makes us wonder if God’s purpose for us is good, if it is blessing.

Beyond this, we have to ask, what do we really deserve? Have we really treated people as the image of God? Have we given God the honor He deserves? Have we really loved Him? Have we made a good use of the things He has given us? The answer is often, “no.” The wages of sin is death. It is a curse. So, why would we expect blessing?

Well, our passage today gives us reason to expect that the future will bring blessing rather than a curse. This hope, ironically, is founded on the terrible punishment of crucifixion, an excruciatingly painful way to die. How in the world could the cross, the crucifixion, give us hope of blessing? That’s what I want you to see in this text.

The Way to the Crucifixion
The place where they would crucify Jesus is called “The Skull.” It’s interesting that I hear a lot of people around here saying “Calvary’s cross.” I’m not sure that really communicates to us what the Bible is talking about. The word Calvary comes from the Latin word calvaria. Calvaria means “skull.” So, it might be better for us to say, “Skull’s cross,” if we are going to say it. It’s called “skull” because it is a place of death. The skull is the symbol of death. It is the place of execution.

Now, Jesus was in Pilate’s court, but he had to walk to The Skull, to Calvary. Our text describes for us to the way to The Skull, the way to the crucifixion. It does this through three different foci on various people. These three foci are on Simon, the women of Jerusalem, and the two criminals.

Continue reading “Jesus Crucified (Luke 23:26–43)”
Categories
Sermons

Jesus Condemned (Luke 22:66–23:25)

Gabbatha: possible location of Jesus’ Trial in Jerusalem

[Listen to an audio version here]

There’s no question that the problems we face in Eastern Europe present a big problem for our nation and the nations of the world. A large military force has invaded a smaller country and threatens several others. It’s just these sorts of situations that the prophets of the Old Testament faced. Much of their message is given in the context of an imperial power threating to invade and then actually invading the smaller and less powerful countries around them.

What the prophets saw was that God was not going to let this go on forever. He would come in power and glory to judge the nations. The problem, though, was that when God called the world to account, how could anyone survive? Yes, Assyria, the predatory imperial power of the day was going to face judgment, but, when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, he said, “Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips and live amongst a people of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5).

Our own conscience bears witness that we must give an account to God. We will have to answer the question, have we done all that God has asked of us? Have we done what God has forbidden us? In this world, we may compare ourselves to others and feel good about ourselves, but when we come before the throne of God all our games will be put aside, and we will deal with the absolutely holy God whose glory fills the universe.

Then, we will have to admit, “Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips!” How can I survive the judgment of God and not be condemned and punished?

That is the key question of our existence, and that is the question to which our text gives the answer.

Jesus Before the Priests of His People
Jesus was going to be judged. The first people to judge Him, though, were not the civil authorities. They would be the religious leaders of His people. “The chief priest and the teachers of the law” oversaw certain aspects of life in Israel. They were the ones who had arrested Jesus, and they were the ones who would judge His people now.

Do you like to be judged? People can get very sensitive about this. Often, people feel judged in church. If you have never experienced court, it’s judgment on a whole different level. It’s serious and stern. It’s not something that you want to experience. Yet this is what Jesus was going to experience throughout this whole day. He was going to be set in front of everyone and judged for what He had done.

Continue reading “Jesus Condemned (Luke 22:66–23:25)”
Categories
Sermons

Jesus Arrested (Luke 22:39–65)

[Listen to an audio version here]

I remember a few years ago, a friend called me. Their spouse had been put in jail. They thought that they had taken care of some minor traffic incident, but they had not. The next time they got in contact with law enforcement, this was on the record and this person was arrested. When I got the call, they were distraught. It was totally unexpected. Now, their spouse was locked up in jail.

That’s scary. To be taken against your will and arrested is very hard. This is what Jesus experienced. We now turn in this sermon series to consider the suffering of our Savior on our behalf. We should remember two things here. First, how great his suffering was. Second, that it was all done out of love for the human race, to bring us back to God so that we could be freed from suffering and given eternal life.

In this passage, we will consider three things here: the prelude to the arrest, the arrest, and the loneliness of the arrest.

The Prelude to the Arrest
After the celebration of the Passover, the disciples and Jesus went to a place they had gone often. They went to the Mount of Olives to pray.

When Jesus arrived, He told His disciples to pray. He had a concern for them. He said, you should pray so that you may not fall into temptation. They were about to enter into a great trial, and they needed help to be delivered from this trial. When we have a great trial, it is an important time for us to begin to pray.

After that, Jesus went off to pray by Himself. There, we have a record of what He prayed. He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Alfred Edersheim writes in his amazing work, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah:

We are here in the full view of the deepest mystery of our faith: the two Natures in One Person. . . . Was there, then, any thought or view of a ‘a possibility,’ that Christ’s work could be accomplished without that hour and Cup? Or did it only mark the utmost limit of His endurance and submission? We dare not answer; we only reverently follow what is recorded (846).

Wonder seems to be the best response here. It is an astonishing moment. It is the deepest wrestling of Jesus with the great suffering that He will undergo.

Continue reading “Jesus Arrested (Luke 22:39–65)”
Categories
Sermons

The Sacrifice of the Passover Lamb

[Listen to an audio version here]

Last year for the 4th of July, I decided that I would work. I would drive Uber. My first ride took me from Sevierville to Knoxville, so I decided I would just stay in Knoxville instead of driving back. I drove all over the city of Knoxville. I went down all sorts of side streets. What was amazing there was that even though fireworks were illegal in Knox County, everyone was doing fireworks. There were celebrations everywhere! I picked people up at large family gatherings, gatherings of friends, and city events. It was a great atmosphere, and I really enjoyed it.

One man, however, didn’t have a great time. He felt completely betrayed by his family. He cussed and swore about them for the 15 minute ride from his family gathering to his home. He explained to me over and over the wrongs that he perceived that his family had committed. Now, this man was no Jesus, and I don’t know what his family did or didn’t do, but it still illustrates this point: betrayal really hurts. When we feel that those whom we are close to are turning on us, it is extremely painful.

In this passage, we have a sort of July 4th of Israel. It was a celebration of their national liberation. But how does this story begin? With a betrayal!

The Betrayal that led to the Sacrifice
If we are to understand the Passover, then we should understand Israel would have seen it as a sort of July 4th, an Independence Day. Egypt had enslaved the people of Israel and even put to death their male children. But God had liberated them from this slavery and brought them to the land of Canaan. It was a day to remember.

Many of the Jews would celebrate this day by going up to the temple in Jerusalem. That’s where the big celebration would take place. People would gather from all over the world to enjoy their day of national independence. But when they got there, they had a problem. Celebrating their independence, they would see the signs of their lack of independence. They would see the evidence of the tyranny of Rome like the Roman governor and the Roman soldiers. So, you can imagine that this might be a volatile situation. The Roman authorities probably would not like this celebration very much.

What is interesting is that even the chief priests and the elders of Israel were afraid of the people. They wanted to get rid of Jesus. The people regarded Him as a prophet or more, and they were afraid to act because of the people. That’s what they were thinking about as the Passover approached. They knew Jesus would come and wanted to get rid of Him. So, what were they to do?

When we hear the name Judas, we cannot think of anything but evil. However, remember that this was one of Jesus’ close companions. They had spent day and night together for 3 years. They were close.

Satan entered Judas, but I imagine that Satan used some feelings of bitterness that were already there. Other parts of the account of Jesus indicate this. I wonder if Judas was looking for someone to liberate them from Rome and restore their independence. That’s what most of the people were looking for. Over time, Judas may have begun to think that this was not going to happen through Jesus and given up on Him.

So, he went to the chief priests in order to discuss with them how he might betray Jesus and hand them over to them without the people seeing it, “when no crowd was present” (v. 6), as our text says. The leaders even agreed to give Judas money in order to do this, and so he became the greatest traitor in the history of the world, betraying the best human being who had ever lived for a few pieces of silver. But, let’s not forget that Jesus washed his feet.

The Passover Lamb to be Sacrificed
The next verse takes us back to the Passover. It says, “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed” (Luke 22:7). Luke draws our attention to a key but easily forgotten part of the Passover. It was the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.

The sacrifice of the Passover lamb is extremely instructive and has everything to do with what will occur in the rest of the book of Luke. The Passover lamb was sacrificed because of the 10th plague on Egypt. There were 10 plagues that devastated Egypt because they refused to let the people of Israel leave their land. The 10th plague was the death of the firstborn of the land. However, death was going to come not only on the Egyptians. It would come on the Israelites as well. The only way of escape was to slaughter a lamb and put the blood on the doorposts of their house. They would be saved by the blood of the lamb.

Now, this might have been a hard message to hear. Sometimes, in the conflict of the nations, it is difficult to know who is right and who is wrong. However, in the case of Egypt and Israel, this was not the case. Egypt was clearly the aggressor, and Israel was the victim. Egypt was unjust, and Israel did not deserve what they received from them. So, Egypt was in the wrong. However, the Passover lamb said that all have sinned, and all need forgiveness before God. That might have been hard to hear.

Think about the situation with Ukraine. Rarely has there been a war where one nation is so obviously in the wrong. Ukraine was trying to live as an independent nation, and Russia has tried to gobble it up in a brutal way. Russia is clearly in the wrong. However, this does not mean that Ukraine has no sin. The Passover lamb teaches us that all have sinned and are liable to God’s judgment. It is only by the blood of the lamb that they are saved. In the face of an unjust attack, this might be a hard message to hear.

That’s what Jesus was facing. Israel felt unjustly attacked and conquered by Rome. A message that all had sinned and were in need of God’s grace might not have been popular. Indeed, many of Jesus’ contemporaries didn’t like it at all. The idea that Rome could be forgiven and find grace was something they liked even less.

However, Jesus knew what the Passover was all about, and he was eager to partake of it with His disciples. He had arranged for a place for them, and through a series of signs, He was able to get to a place where he could eat the Passover with His disciples. So, like so many that night, Jesus gathered with His disciples to eat the meal. There, He told them what the Passover was really all about.

To understand what Jesus is doing, think about the fact that this is the last time of fellowship with the disciples before His death. I have observed many funerals and participated in many. One thing that is always powerful is when someone can talk about the last things that someone said. Many at the funeral might not have been able to hear those words. It was moving to me to hear from the woman who was with my Grandma when she died this past November. This woman sang hymns to my Grandma throughout the night. It was comforting to know that she was there. For me, I remember one of the last times we spoke. It had been a while since we talked. She said at the end of the conversation, “It’s amazing to me that even if you don’t talk for a while, how easily old friends can pick up where they left off.” That has stuck with me. It made an impression on me to see how she regarded our relationship, and it’s something that will stick with me as long as I live.

That’s what we see here with Jesus. What Jesus did was to take the bread and the cup of the Passover and to give them new meaning. Why didn’t He take the lamb? I think because He was making things easier for us. He wanted the new Passover, the Lord’s Supper, to be easy and transportable so it could easily go out into all the world. That’s why He took up the bread and the wine. He also didn’t want to use literal blood. Once the blood of Christ had been shed, there would be no longer any need for shedding of blood. The sacraments of the New Testament are bloodless.

So, He took the bread, and He said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). His body was given or handed over for you, so that you might never have to be given over for your sins. This bread will represent His body that would be the sacrifice.

Then, He took the cup that he had already poured out and handed to them. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). His blood is going to establish a new covenant, a new arrangement between God and man. The cup and the fruit of the vine within it would represent that. Consider the wonderful significance of this. The first covenant of God and man was that man was to obey and live. If he did not, then he would face death. But all have sinned. So, how can we find life? There would be a new covenant. Jesus would suffer as a sacrifice for our sins. He would face the death that we had to face so that we could live. He would become a curse for us so that we might receive endless blessing. That’s the amazing new covenant. He gives everything, and we get everything, as we will see in a moment.

Let me stop, though, and talk about this sacrament for a minute. Jesus said to them that they were to do this in remembrance of Him. They were to keep doing it as a way of remembering Jesus. So, this should be very significant to us.

To understand this, just think of something that you have received that reminds you of someone else. When I was a young boy, there was exciting news in the family. My Grandpa had gotten a dog. He named it Winston. It was a bulldog. Now, the thing about Winston was that he never moved. He was a statue. However, I just remember all the family laughing about it and enjoying the fact that my Grandpa had gotten this dog. It captured my imagination, too. Now, thanks be to God, my Grandpa is still living and doing well. However, as he’s gotten older, he’s needed more help, so he went to live in a small apartment in my Uncle’s house. He had to downsize. My parents asked me if I wanted anything of his. I said, “I want Winston,” whom I had seen in the apartment he was moving from.

Now, I have heard people speaking of the Lord’s Supper as a memorial and saying, “It’s not just a memorial.” But, what we must remember is that a memorial is not just a memorial. It is powerful. Winston is sitting in a corner of my living room, and, in and of itself, he is not worth much. However, it has a certain power. Every time I see him, I think of all my family reunions and the joy of connection with my family and the legacy of my Grandfather and Grandmother. It’s not “just a memorial.” It has a power. That’s how we should think of the Lord’s Supper. It’s what Jesus has left for us to remember Him. If our human memorials have power, how much more this one with the power of the Holy Spirit behind it?

What an amazing moment! What an intimate and glorious time with the Savior! And what happens after this beautiful moment? A fight breaks out. Have you ever had that happen? You are having a beautiful moment with your friends or family. Then, someone says something that offends someone, and they all start fighting. Some join in. Others slowly back away or just shut their mouths, looking at the other people who are shutting their mouths with concern. It may give us some measure of assurance to know that even Jesus experienced such fighting at the table.

The Benefits of the Sacrifice
Now, we have to note that the fight is occasioned, not caused, by Jesus Himself. After telling them of the New Covenant, He said, “But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” This increases their anxiety dramatically. “They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this” (v. 23).

Then, as the anxiety increased, they all started to wonder about their place and position. “A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest” (Luke 22:24). Here Jesus is facing His greatest trial, and His disciples are fighting with one another.

Jesus used this occasion, however, to teach them something about what His sacrifice meant. Sometimes, Jesus brings us into situations in which our anxiety increases in order to teach us the true solution to anxiety, which is trust in the benefits that flow from His sacrifice.

In order to understand this, we need to think about why people dispute about who is the greatest. They do it because they are concerned about their position and situation. It’s just like us. When we perceive that others slight us or don’t give us attention, we worry about it. We worry about our reputation. We worry what others will think. We worry that others will take from us.

However, Jesus used this occasion to teach them about three benefits of His death. First, Jesus told them that He was conferring on them a kingdom. Jesus told them that, in a way, they don’t really need to worry about their position. He was giving them a kingdom! Their place and their honor was secure. Even if others don’t honor us, our honor is secure with God!

Jesus went on to explain. The people of the world want to be the people who are recognized as great. Jesus told them that He had come to serve. It’s not mentioned explicitly here, but Jesus had just washed their feet as a servant of the house would. That’s what they should focus on, too. Why? “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29–30). In other words, don’t worry so much about what you will get from others. Don’t worry if you don’t get the houses or the vacations or the cars or the recognition or the place. You are getting a kingdom! You eat at the king’s table! That’s what the Lord’s Supper means. You don’t need to worry so much about your reputation, about your future, about your pleasures, about your dreams. They will all be fulfilled. “I confer on you a kingdom.” Jesus says. He was handed over for our sins, and we get a kingdom instead of a punishment! That’s the new covenant! Glory be to God!

The second benefit Jesus would give them was protection. They might wonder if they had the strength to stay with Jesus. Who was going to betray Him? They asked. Jesus wanted to assure them that those who had stuck by Him would remain with Him. If someone went out from them, it was because they were not of them. For those who were His, even if they failed, they would be brought back.

That’s the assurance that Peter was going to need because Jesus knew he was going to fail. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But 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). Peter, here called by his other name, Simon, would fail, but Jesus had prayed for him so that his faith would not fail.

What hope do we have that we will inherit the kingdom? Jesus has prayed for us so that our faith would not fail.

Third, Jesus would give them provision. “Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’

“‘Nothing,’ they answered” (Luke 22:35).

Jesus had provided for them. Now, though, He told them, that He wanted them to plan, being careful to take what they needed, even having self-protection in the form of a sword. In this way, Jesus would care for them as well. He would provide for them through their planning. In either case, He would take care of them.

Conclusion
So, as we face the world with all its injustices and challenges, what do we need to know? We have a new covenant with the Lord. We are receiving a kingdom. This is the foundation of our hope and our life.

I read something interesting this week that illustrates this point. Henri Nouwen was a Christian writer and speaker. He was widely recognized and appreciated for his insights. He wrote books, and he had recognition from prestigious schools like Yale and Notre Dame. In 1986, he went to work as pastor in a community for intellectually disabled adults. One thing that he found out right away is that none of them cared about his books or his intellectual attainments. They didn’t like him or dislike him based on any of that. It was a real challenge for Henri Nouwen. It is good to do things that are respected in the world, but what do you do when you are a part of a community who has no understanding of it or appreciation of it? Then, what do you base your self-image on? Nouwen felt like he had to start over and base his own feelings about himself on something better.

What that illustrates in a powerful way is that so many things that we base our value on are not a good foundation. We have to go back to the foundation, and it is the words of Jesus. “I bequeath to you a kingdom.” As we experience the Lord’s Supper each month, let us be a reminder that we are more valuable than we could imagine because of the amazing love and honor that the Lord gives us that we can sit at the table of His kingdom. Amen.

Benediction: When you feel disappointment this week, remember that these setbacks are just temporary. God is doing something marvelous. He is bestowing on you a kingdom and a place at the table of the Lord!

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.—Jude 24–25

Categories
Sermons

When You Hit a Wall (Acts 4:23–31)

[Listen to an audio version here]

“I quit!” That’s what Geri Scazzero told her husband. After years of taking care of the kids alone, doing everything he needed her to do for the church, and skipping vacations, she finally decided to quit. She was through overfunctioning for her husband at home so he could overfunction at church. She had hit a wall, and she couldn’t do it anymore. That’s the story she tells in her helpful book The Emotionally Healthy Woman.

Maybe that’s where you are today. You’ve tried and tried and tried, and you’ve hit a wall. There is no going forward in the direction you are now going. Something has to change.

What do we do when we hit a wall? It’s a frustrating experience. You thought you were going forward, and, suddenly, you realize you aren’t making any progress. Maybe you’ve been stuck for years in the same pattern, and it isn’t getting you anywhere. What are you supposed to do?

Our text tells us of a time when the disciples hit a wall. They had been moving forward, doing what Jesus told them to do, and they hit a wall, the opposition of the leaders of the nation. What were they going to do? This text tells us what they did when they hit a wall. We will see this answer in four points: the context, the wall, the prayer, and the answer.

The Context
Let’s look at the really big picture first. The big picture is that God created the world for Himself. He made human beings to enjoy harmonious fellowship with Himself and with others. He made them to be productive and to enjoy the world. However, our parents turned from God, we’ve been doing it ever since. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The result has been war, enmity, destruction, addictions, debilitation, and death across the ages. The good news is that God still loved this fallen, sinful world. God sent His Son. This means that there is one God, but He has revealed Himself as existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son took on Himself a human nature and died and rose again to reconcile God and humanity. This is the greatest wall humans have ever faced, and the Son of God overcame it.

On the authority of the Son of God, you are now offered peace, life, and forgiveness as a free gift. God offers full reconciliation and restoration. This is the gift that is available to everyone.

But how will you know about it? You’ve got to hear about it. How is that going to happen? Jesus thought of that. He sent out people to tell others about Him. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, He said to His disciples. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, will empower them to tell others about Him. That’s how it happens.

Now, let’s go back to our chapter. They had done what Jesus asked. The Holy Spirit had empowered them to tell others about Jesus. Thousands had believed. The church had grown. It was a miracle of God’s grace. All over Jerusalem, people were trusting in Jesus as the one who could give them a new life and a new hope.

One way Jesus got the church off the ground is that He gave them special signs. They did miracles. A man who had begged every day at the gate of the temple was there. He begged because he could not walk. Peter and John told him to walk, and he was healed. How? “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:16). The power of Jesus made this man well, and everybody knew it.

The Wall
Then, they hit a wall. The leaders of the people were alarmed at the growth of the church. They were “greatly disturbed” our text says (Acts 4:2). So, they took Peter and John and put them in prison. They had hit a wall.

Continue reading “When You Hit a Wall (Acts 4:23–31)”
Categories
Sermons

Living Open-Hearted (Psalm 112)

[Listen to an audio version here]

When I was in Egypt, I saw over and over again a spirit of generosity that really surprised me. Everywhere I went I had experiences like the ones I had in a restaurant one night. A guy had on a Star Wars shirt, and I really liked it. I told him so. Without any hesitation, he replied, you can have it, if it fits you. This was the sort of response I got everywhere.

Here’s another example. After going to two restaurants, I told our tour manager, this is just too much food. We cannot eat all of this. We can’t even come close! Here’s what he suggested. After you eat, he said, ask for a box. Then, ask them to give it to someone who needs this food or have your tour guide help you give it to someone in need. That way, you will bless someone who needs it, and it will help you build a relationship with the people who see you give.

Everywhere I went, I found this same sort of attitude. It was not just giving to the poor. It was welcoming people with gladness. It was truly valuing people. I came up with a name for this type of living. I call it open-hearted living.

Of course, as I reflected on what I saw, my mind went to many passages in the Scriptures. For example, Jesus said, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Mt. 5:42). It’s not easy to live open-hearted. We get wrapped up in our own activities. We have anxiety over our own things. We get preoccupied with our own problems.

So, here is the question I kept asking myself, how do we find the resources that will enable us to live in an open-hearted way toward others? How can we keep giving, when others don’t give to us? How can we remain gracious when times are tough? What resources do we have to enable us to show kindness when others are unkind? That’s the question that I think this Psalm answers for us. Let’s consider this answer in four steps. First, let’s consider the reaction that we should have to those around us. Second, let’s look at the resources we have to react that way. Third, we’ll look at how we should respond to the resources available to us. Finally, we will look at the amazing results that come from using this resource.

Our Reaction to Those Around Us
How does the blessed man live in relationship to those around him? He is a giver. “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor” (Psalm 112:9). The word used here for “freely scattered” indicates a wide variety and large quantity of gifts. It involves money and material resources but also encouragement, friendship, and emotional support as well.

Let me note on the side here that the person who is truly open-hearted is not only a good giver. He is a good receiver. You build community not only by giving to others, but you also build community by allowing others to do you good. In other words, you build community not only by loving but also by letting others show love to you.

Continue reading “Living Open-Hearted (Psalm 112)”