Sermons From My Heart

I’m going to take you for a walk down memory lane for a couple of minutes. How many of you remember the TV show, “I Love Lucy?” On that show, the main character, Lucy Ricardo, was always getting into mischief. Sometimes it was so bad that her husband said, “Lucy, you’ve got some explaining to do!”

In the passage from Acts 11:1-18, Peter had some explaining to do to the rest of the apostles. They heard the reports about Peter preaching to Cornelius and his family, and they were not happy. The Jews believed that as God’s chosen people they were the only people who could receive the Holy Spirit and the Good News. The idea that the Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit was extraordinary and contrary to the ideas of the Jews. It is not surprising therefore that Peter would have to do some explaining when he returned to Jerusalem. Instead of debating his accusers, Peter told them the remarkable story of all that had happened. Peter made sure they knew that he went to Caesarea in direct obedience to the Spirit, and that six Jewish believers had accompanied him to the house of Cornelius.

Peter showed that the best way to silence opposition is to make a plain statement of things as they occurred. Opposition most commonly arises from prejudice or false or exaggerated statements. They can best be removed not by arguing but by truthfully telling the facts.

As Peter told the disciples what happened in Caesarea, the Holy Spirit was at work in the minds of the disciples. They loved Peter and believed in him. They gave him a good hearing. Peter and the disciples asked the question, “Who are we that we can withstand God?” They carefully considered the evidence and received the message that the Good News was open to everyone.

This story has implications for us. There is a difference between the Lord being on our agenda and us being on His agenda. God urges us to keep our focus on Him. God is preparing the next step for each of us. God will move us on in our growth. He won’t let us stay where we are. He will gently nudge us and give us the desire to receive what He wants to give us. He will involve us with people who need Him more than they need their next breath.

Once we clearly see God at work, we are wise to join Him or stay out of the way. For example, it never occurred to the early Jewish believers that God might choose to send the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. Once they saw the truth, they responded correctly by praising God. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for people to have their lives changed and in the process, change the world where they are, and so make the kingdom of God a reality here and now.

Another truth revealed in this passage from Acts is that God gives gifts to others who may or may not believe or practice their faith in the same way that we do. God gives gifts to both unbelievers and believers. God accepts all people even as He has accepted us. It is useless for us to argue with God or contradict God. We can’t win.

This story has implications for the church. Culture clashes are inevitable, especially when churches try to hold on to rules that have nothing to do with the Gospel. There are times when it takes much more strength to let go of these rules than to hang on. There are also clashes with different denominations and their cultures.

What would happen if all the churches agreed, on a given day, to change their names simply to “church?” What if all references to denomination were removed and we were just Christians? And when, people chose which church to attend, they wouldn’t do so by the sign outside. They would do so by the hearts of the people inside. When people were asked what church they attended, their answer wouldn’t be a label but just a location.

The message from this passage holds power for us today. Peter, with the help of the Holy Spirit, entered a space in which he was unfamiliar, in order to become like “the others.” Peter’s experiences are remarkable in and of themselves, but in sharing his story with skeptics in the church, he expanded the horizon of possibilities for his own people. Are there times when our experiences outside of the realm of church need to be shared with those within the church? How might those experiences change the ways that we are called to follow Jesus? How can we be loving toward people who have differing, even contrary, worldviews and ideologies and practices to our own? What does extending love look like when individuals do not want to receive love? We need to remember these three things:

1. There is one Gospel: God accepts all who have faith in Christ.
2. There is one body: In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.
3. There is one rule: In Christ, love others as God loves you.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1506)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 187-189)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New Kings James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)

“Oh, look!” Winnie said as her mother parked the car at Grandpa’s farm. “I see Grandpa’s new sheep! Let’s go pet them.” The children climbed out of the car and raced toward the sheep, but the animals darted to the far corner of the pen.

“Oops! We scared them,” said Josiah. “Let’s try again. Let’s pull some grass for them, and this time let’s walk, not run.”

Winnie agreed, and they each pulled a handful of grass and slowly carried it toward the corner where the sheep huddled. But as they approached, the flock spun around and dashed away. Winnie dropped her grass. “I give up.”

“Me too,” said Josiah, throwing his grass on the ground.

A moment later, the children saw their grandfather coming. They ran to give him a hug. “Grandpa, why do you have those baby bottles?” Winnie asked when she saw what he was carrying.

“Two of my lambs need these,” replied Grandpa. “I feed them because their mother died.”

“I wish I could feed one of them,” said Winnie, “but your sheep don’t like us. They run away.”

Grandpa smiled. “Watch,” he said as he led the children to a small pen beside the barn. They saw that it held two little lambs. “Here, Fluffy. Here, Snowball,” Grandpa called as he opened the pen. The lambs scampered out and followed him as he crisscrossed the lawn.

Josiah laughed. “They’re playing follow the leader!”

Grandpa handed each of the kids a bottle. “Here,” he said. “You can hold these for them.”

“Cool!” said Winnie, offering her bottle to one of the lambs. She giggled in delight as the lamb eagerly took it. “This one dances while he eats!” Winnie looked at Grandpa. “But why wouldn’t your other sheep eat the grass we pulled for them?”

“Sheep know their shepherd’s voice and follow him. They tend to run away from strangers,” explained Grandpa. “It always reminds me that we are like sheep. We follow our Shepherd–Jesus–by obeying Him and trusting Him to guide and protect us and not let anything or anyone lead us away from Him.”

The fourth Sunday of Easter is designated as Good Shepherd Sunday. It might seem strange to us that an entire Sunday every year is given to a single image of Christ and God, especially one that is culturally remote from most modern Christians. The prophets predicted that the Messiah would be a shepherd to His people. Jesus referred to His followers as His sheep.

Shepherds of Jesus’ day raised their sheep in the Judean hills. The countryside was rocky, hilly and creased with deep crevices and ravines. Grass was sparse. The shepherd had to establish a personal relationship with each sheep, nurturing its love and trust in order to lead it to where the path was the smoothest, the grass was the greenest, the water was the cleanest, and the nights were the safest. The shepherd always led the sheep. He knew their names, and when he called them, they recognized his voice and followed him. When he stopped, the sheep huddled closely around him. Their personal relationship with him was based on his voice, which they knew and trusted.

Sheep are among the dumbest of all creatures. Most animals will survive if released into the wild. They will learn to fend for themselves and make it. A sheep released into the wild can’t survive. Sheep have no survival skills. They depend on the shepherd. The sheep know that when the shepherd speaks they should follow him because His plan for them is better that their plan for themselves.

The Bible describes our relationship with Jesus as being similar to the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. That relationship is based on the sound of His voice. Jesus’ sheep can be recognized because they hear and follow His voice, which is God’s Word, the Holy Bible.  God has supplied His Word not so people will obey it out of obligation or fear but to assure His children of their relationship with Him and guide them home.

Jesus’ declaration that He and the Father are one means that they are unified and they enjoy perfect equality. Jesus and the Father are distinct persons, yet they share the same essence and attributes. Eternal life is not something believers receive when they die; they obtain it the moment they believe in Christ as Saviour. There are forces at work to try and snatch us out of Jesus’ hands. Some are subtle, and some are direct. Jesus reminds us that we are secure in God’s hands. No one will be able to snatch us out of God’s hands. His followers will never be cast into hell. Jesus and God are united in redeeming and preserving their followers. If we get something that is very valuable as a gift, what do we do with it? We protect it. We keep it safe. We might even buy insurance for it. If we are believers, we are God’s most precious treasure. He keeps us safe.

Often we are like tiny, helpless birds. God holds us in His hands and brings us to safety. We can’t always see what’s ahead, and sometimes we feel like we’re stuck. God scoops us up and protects us. He reminds us that in His hands we’re in the safest place we could be. No one is excluded from God’s love. We experience this love only when we accept the path of Jesus and it’s alignment with God’s character and plans for us.

God never drives us to anything. He leads us with love. We can choose to follow Him or go our own way. If we follow Him, the reward is eternal life. Do we hear His voice? Does Christ know us? Are we following Him?

Jesus can only be known as the Messiah by spiritual insight and not by verbal or human proof. That’s why the Pharisees could not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They wanted Him to state clearly that He was the Messiah. Jesus’ deeds were the evidence that He was the Messiah, but the Pharisees ignored that evidence.

Jesus also performed miracles, and to the scribes and Pharisees that was evidence that He was the Messiah. They had one problem. They claimed that the Messiah could not come from Galilee. He was poor and hated. He did not meet their expectations. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being an imposter, but God would not give power to an imposter. The power of working miracles was proof that Jesus was the Messiah. His words and deeds make who He really was known to those who sincerely seek the truth about Him.

Jesus told the Pharisees that if they would only open their eyes and see what He has been up to, they would see that He belongs to the Father. If they would open their ears to hear His voice, they would understand that they could belong to His sheep. Their refusal to become part of His flock makes it impossible for them to believe.

We are like the Pharisees. People want concrete evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, but they refuse to look at His deeds. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to declare openly that He was the Messiah so they could justify attacking Him.

Putting our faith and trust in Jesus is crucial because of who He was. He was God in human form. We hear the voices of the world and long to listen to them, but Jesus’ voice never fades away. There are thousands of radio and television frequencies all around us, but we don’t hear them all because we’re not tuned in. If we tune a radio or television to one of those frequencies, we will pick up the signal.

In the same way, God is constantly transmitting to us. He wants to lead us, guide us, protect us and give us insight, but too often we’re not tuned in to His frequency. We have to pay attention to Him and learn to hear His voice. God doesn’t speak to us out loud most of the time. Sometimes He speaks to us through subtle things such as inner peace.

Jesus speaks to us every day. He summons us in our restlessness and our longing. He calls to us in our deepest sorrow and in the incompleteness and dissatisfaction of our greatest joys. We have to train ourselves to hear His voice above all others, because His voice is the only voice that matters. We hear His Word by reading His Word daily and spending time listening for His instructions. That’s the only way we can know God’s will for our lives.

How does His ultimate care and protection shape our daily lives? It begins with remembering that God brings more good things than physical health and protection or even material wealth. Sometimes God’s protection and goodness may not be experienced in physically tangible ways at all. The truth that ‘nothing can or will snatch us from Jesus’ hand’ is known in these ways or ways like them:

1. In an imagination which keeps creating even when it has been rejected too many times,
2. In the ability to love again, even in the wake of heartbreak,
3. In the courage to risk once more even when things didn’t work out as hoped the last time or the time before that.
4. Perhaps it is in the wonder that faith does not fail us even when evidence for believing seems meager.
5. Indeed, maybe it is in being given a heart which is open to the pain of the world and which keeps seeking to respond even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges…

And maybe it is in the ability to keep singing even as suffering and death seem to be winning the day.

Jesus calls us not as individuals but as a flock. That’s why we attend church on Sundays. We celebrate the resurrection because it is safety. It’s safety from death’s grip and from grief and anguish. It’s safety because the shepherd sees to it that our needs are met. It’s safety because our shepherd is totally committed to the well-being of the sheep. It’s safety because the shepherd knows his sheep intimately.

We aren’t just to listen to Jesus’ voice as one among many. We are called to hear Jesus’ voice as we hear the voice of a beloved parent. We are called to recognize the good news in the voice of the Shepherd-and to trust Him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p.1460)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Fredrikson, R.L& Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 180-181)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Anne Graham Lotz, “The Sound of His Voice.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
6. Debbie McDaniel, “When Strong Winds Blow: We’re Secure in His Care.” Retrieved from crosswalk.com
7. The Rev. Billy Graham, “Isn’t Belief in God Enough?” Retrieved from aarcamax.com
8. Ed Young, “That Still, Small Voice.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
9. Daniel Darling, “God Loves Whom He Treasures.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. David H. Roper, “Listening to His Voice.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
11. Greg Laurie, “How Are We Like Sheep?” Retrieved form com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Rick Boxx, “They Know My Voice.” Retrieved from com@crosswalkmail.com
13. Joel Osteen, “Tune to Him.” Retrieved from no-reply@joelosteen.com
14. Richard Innes, “The Shepherd’s Call.” Retrieved from com@crosswalkmail.com
15. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 4^th Sunday of Easter, -C-.” Retrieved from preacherexcahnge.org
16. Margaret M. Primrose, “Grandpa’s Sheep.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org
17. Paul Simpson Duke, “John 10:22-30.” Retrieved from https://blogs.baylor.edu/truettpulpit/2016/04/14/john-1022-30/
18. David Lose, “Resurrection is Protection.” Retrieved from workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4602
19. Amy Lindeman Allen, “The Politics of Hearing and Response-John 20:22-30 & Acts 9:36-43.” Retrieve from https://politicaltheology.com/the-politics-of-hearing-and-response/
20. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The Fourth Sunday of Easter-May 12, 2019.” Retrieved from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2019/05/the-adventurous lectionary.com
21. Janet Hatt, “No One Will Snatch Them Out of My Hand…” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com
22. Paige G Evers, “John 10:22-30.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

The theme of the Easter season is redemption. Jesus died to save us from our sins and to restore our relationship with God. The readings from Acts 9:1-20 and John 21:1-19 are good examples of Jesus’ work of restoration.

Paul’s transformation was one of the most famous transformations in Christian history. Here was a man who was a religious zealot. He was so convinced that the way the Pharisees worshipped God was the only way that he actively persecuted the early Christian church. He was present when Stephen became the first Christian martyr. Paul even called himself a strict Pharisee in Philippians 3:5.

Jesus spent most of his time on earth arguing with the Pharisees. He argued that it was not necessary to worship God by obeying the 600 or so rules that the Pharisees had. He tried to make the Pharisees understand that God is for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles. He had little success—until he quite literally made Paul “see the light.

Why did Jesus choose Paul to lead the church in its expansion to the Gentiles? We don’t know for certain. God’s ways are not easy for us to understand, even when we ask him “why”.  Take Ananias, for example. God used him to go to Paul and lay hands on him. God always uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God used Ananias to deliver the Holy Spirit to Paul, thereby preparing Paul for his ministry.

Paul’s reputation preceded him, but Ananias did not know that Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. At the same time that God was speaking to Ananias, Paul was waiting in prayer and fasting for a word from Ananias to tell him what to do. Ananias was the one chosen by God to go to Paul and tell him where his future was. Ananias’ knowledge of Paul’s reputation was a barrier to obeying God’s order immediately.

Like Ananias, we have a word from God. We have an order to bring the Good News to a world that is tumbling toward hell. Our knowledge of people’s reputations and opposition to the gospel often hinders our work. We have yet to hear that many people have reached the end of their hopes. We have yet to hear that people are in the depths of despair. We have yet to hear that people are frustrated by pleasure-seeking. We have yet to hear that people are frustrated by a daily routine without meaning.

Ananias also had his doubts. He told God about how Paul persecuted Christians, but God mentioned that he chose Paul to do his work. Ananias saw Paul as an enemy, but God saw Paul as an ally. God transformed Ananias from a doubter to a faithful servant. Ananias answered God’s call so that Paul could answer God’s call. No one is beyond salvation. No one is beyond hope. Even if our past is dirty, God can clean us and make us whole.

Paul saw the light of Christ even before he lost his physical sight. Paul had to lose his physical sight and be humbled by God so that he could gain spiritual sight. During his period of blindness, he ate and drank nothing, Was it because he was ashamed of his previous life? Maybe, but some scholars believe that he was preparing himself for the work God called him to do. Each of us has a place of obedience. Some of us only need a gentle nudge to lead us to God, while others need a lightning bolt. Paul realized that he was lost. He realized that by persecuting Christians, he was actually persecuting Jesus, the Messiah who had already come. Paul’s conversion gave him a vibrant faith and a strong commitment to his calling.

Paul still had a will of his own, but he needed his own will and determination to do God’s work. Paul is a good example for us to follow. When our will is merged with God’s will, we can do great things for God’s kingdom. We all want to control our own lives. Paul controlled his own life for more than 30 years, but when he “saw the light”, he became dependent on others, including God. When he was redeemed by God, Paul surrendered control of his life to God. In return, God led Ananias to Paul, and God led Barnabas to introduce Paul to other believers and to help start Paul’s ministry.

New believers need fellowship. Pastors can only do so much from the pulpit. New believers need living examples of what a Christian is. What do Christians do with their free time? How do Christians treat each other? New believers need to be out there in the real world with fellow believers, seeing how their new life will play out.

Now, we turn to Peter, a man who often suffered from “foot in mouth disease”. Almost every time he opened his mouth, he put his foot in it. He had a bad habit of acting first and thinking later. For example, Jesus said that Peter would deny him three times on the night before his crucifixion. Peter said he would be loyal to the end, but when the pressure was on him, he did deny Jesus three times. Not only that, but Peter and the disciples denied both the Christian way of life and their calling from God when they returned to fishing.

There are times when we want to throw in the towel and give up. There have been lots of others who have been down that same road. The good news is that God is faithful and abounding in steadfast love, and even when we feel discouraged and impatient and when we have lost all hope, God comes to us and calls us back into fellowship with him.

The disciples were discouraged when they thought that their walk with Jesus was over. It was at that point when Jesus showed up on the shore to extend forgiveness and draw the disciples back to him. Jesus often comes to us when we are at a low point in our lives. He often comes to us when we are discouraged, because it is precisely when we are discouraged and doubtful or uncertain in our faith that Jesus comes to us and gives us the strength we need.

God came to Paul, Ananias and Peter when and where they needed him. In return, they learned four hard lessons:

1. Seek God’s will for your life. Otherwise, you will come up empty-handed.
2. When God calls you to do something, do it!.
3. Watch what you eat for spiritual food.
4. Live out your faith. Don’t just show it.

When Peter was asked three times if he loved Jesus, Jesus was really asking him “Where am I on the scale of your affections?” Jesus knew the answer, but Peter needed to evaluate where Jesus was on his love scale. Jesus knew whether Peter’s act of repentance truly brought him back  in undying love. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved him so deeply and personally that he would faithfully obey Jesus in the mission he was given. It was not a question of how many green leaves came forth in Peter’s life, but how much fruit he would bear because he abided in Jesus’ love. Peter cared for all the sheep. He fed the young ones, disciplined the stubborn ones and tenderly watched over the old ones.

For every public denial Peter made on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus gave him a public opportunity to state his faith. It was Jesus’ way of hearing Peter’s confession and pronouncing forgiveness for past sins. It was Jesus’ way of saying, “Peter, since you love me, I need you to work for me”. Jesus says the same thing to each and every one of us. Jesus died to take away every one of our sins. He assures us that our sins have been taken away. With the faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit gives us, we are forgiven of the past and empowered for the future.

Jesus redeemed Peter and the rest of the disciples, and they carried on his work in spite of persecution and opposition. Like them, we are redeemed by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We are restored in faith to God, and then we can go and do his work in our world. Jesus loves us even when we turn away from him like Peter and the disciples did.

When we obey God, we will be rewarded. When the disciples cast their nets on the right side of the boat after Jesus told them to, they were rewarded with a huge catch. When we obey God by casting the net called the Good News when and where he tells us to, we will also be rewarded with a great catch-a great catch of souls.

The reading from John’s Gospel concludes with an invitation to Peter and all of us to follow Jesus in the manner of both his death and his service to others. We are challenged to obey Christ even in the face of persecution. We would be wise to remember that many of our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are persecuted-even killed-because of their faith, but they still persevere in their faith because that is what Jesus has told them to do. If they can persevere, so can we.

We might think to ourselves, “I do love Christ, so why am I not doing what he has called me to do? Am I afraid of actually doing what he is calling me to do?” We can do everything Jesus is calling us to do. All we have to do is rely on him like Paul, Ananias and Peter did. We do not have to rely on our own strengths. Jesus is asking us today, “Do you love me?” Thanks to the redeeming power and grace of his love, we, like Peter, Paul and Ananias, can say “Yes”.

Bibliography

• Dale Vander Veen, “Converting Grace”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
• John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Easter 3. Retrieved from lectionary.seemslikegod.org.
• Exegesis for Acts 9:1-20. Retrieved from lectionary.org
• Os Hillman, “Called to Someone Versus Something”. Retrieved from Today_God_Is_First@crosswalkmail.com
• James MacDonald, “When God Finds Someone”. Retrieved from com@crosswalkmail.com
• Charles R. Swindoll, “A New Beginning”. Retrieved from for.Living@insight.org
• Charles R. Swindoll, “No Surprises”. Retrieved from for.Living@insight.org
• Greg Laurie, “What New Believers Need”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
• Randal Matheney, “Don’t Believe Everything You Hear”. Retrieved from forthright@fastmail.fm
• Os Hillman, “The Place of Obedience”. Retrieved from Today_God_Is_First@crosswalkmail.com
• Pastor Jack Hibbs, “Do You Love Me?” Retrieved from wttw@calvarycch.org
• Exegesis for John 21:1-19. Retrieved from lectionary.org
• Frederickson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series: Vol. 27, John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1985)
• Philip W. McLarty, “Living the Promise”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
• Dr. Ken Klaus, “Do You Love Me?” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
• Jim Penner, “Do You Love Me?” Retrieved from hourofpower.org
• John Van Schepen, “Revisiting Old Hurts”. Retrieved from thisistoday.net
• Philip W. McLarty, “Come, Break the Fast”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z.” Hailey looked at her three-year-old brother. “Okay, Curtis, now you try.”

Curtis looked like he was thinking intensely. “A!” he suddenly shouted, and then, after a pause, “Z!”

“Ugh!” Hailey put her hand on her head in frustration.

Dad, who was watching the whole thing, began to laugh.

“I’m glad you think this is funny,” Hailey said. “I’ve been working with him for an hour, and he’s just not getting it.”

“Why is it so important that he know the alphabet right now anyway?” asked Dad.

“Jenny and I are having a race,” replied Hailey. “I’m trying to get Curtis to learn the alphabet before she teaches her dog to sit and roll over. If Curtis learns the alphabet first, I get to pick the movie we watch this weekend.”

Dad chuckled and shook his head. “You guys are silly.”

Hailey laughed. “Yeah, I guess.” She put her head in her hands and sighed. “Yesterday Jenny asked me a question that made me feel really silly. She asked me how old God is. I didn’t know what to say.”

Curtis walked over to where Dad was sitting, and Dad picked him up and put him in his lap. “Well, Curtis just told you the answer,” he said.

Hailey gave her dad a confused look. “But all he said was, ‘A, Z.’ That’s not a number.”

“In the Bible, Jesus says He’s the Alpha and Omega–the beginning and end. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, like our A and Z. God is A to Z, just like Curtis said. He always was, is, and will be. He doesn’t have an age.”

“So God has no beginning or end?” Hailey asked.

“That’s right.” Dad’s eyes twinkled. “And yet, He was born–and also died.”

“But wait, you just said…” It took Hailey a moment to realize what Dad meant. “Oh, I get it–you’re talking about Jesus! He was born as a baby and died on the cross for us.”

Dad nodded. “Jesus is God, who is eternal with no beginning or end, but He was willing to become human and die for us so we could have eternal life.”

“Wow,” said Hailey. “He really sacrificed a lot to save us!”

All three members of the Trinity-Father (“Him who is and who was and who is to come”), Son (“Jesus Christ”) and Holy Spirit (“seven Spirits”)-were involved in creating the Book of Revelation. They were present at the beginning of time, and they will be there at the end of time. God is Lord over all of history-past, present and future. There is more to be expected from Him than what we have experienced so far. God the Father is described as Yahweh, the One who ultimately is, and who makes Himself known, the One who is author of grace and peace. The Holy Spirt is described as being in fellowship with the Father and Son, and who from that presence also sends grace and peace to the churches and to us.

The words “Alpha” and “Omega” are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In this passage they point to the eternity of Christ and to His all-inclusive power. Jesus is the boundless, timeless and powerful One. Unlike humans and everything else, God doesn’t have an age–there was never a time when He didn’t exist! But even though He has no beginning or end, He still chose to be born on earth and die on the cross so we could be saved. He made that sacrifice so we could be with Him forever.

Although each of the seven churches received a special letter from Christ through John, each congregation could read what was written to the others because everything was contained in this one, larger letter. God’s people have the same advantage today. To have the perspective of the divine Head of the church is convicting. Modern churches could solve some of the problems they face by reading the Lord’s recommendations to these New Testament congregations.

How do we hear a word for us even though the letter is clearly addressed to them? We don’t need to be persecuted or enslaved by temporal powers like the early Christians were in order to desire freedom. We are all in bondage to sin and can’t free ourselves. Wholesome people may face an imminent end. All of us will eventually die and will find comfort in the knowledge that Jesus opened a way for those who believe in Him. The promise of Jesus’ return is a promise that the sufferings in this world will come to and end and a world of peace, joy and love will take its place.

Both John and Paul use the phrase “grace and peace” in their letters. John makes the connection that grace and peace come from God. Grace is the surprise gift from Him. Peace is wholeness and health. The result of grace is peace whereby the walls of hostility are broken and we see ourselves as belonging to a new world view ruled by all three members of the Trinity.

Jesus Christ is described as the one who loved His people, freed them from the bondage of sin and lifted His people up. The term “washed” could more literally be translated as “loosed” or “freed.” John 11:44 describes Lazarus as being loosed from his grave clothes. The word also recalls that the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Jesus has likewise freed believers from their sin!

Only in the Book of Revelation is Christ given the title of “faithful witness”. He was a genuine martyr, faithful unto death. The phrase “ruler over the kings of the earth” refers to Christ’s present reign, not His future one. He is now the King of Kings.

Revelation identifies Jesus as a faithful witness as the “firstborn of the dead.” Revelation ties Jesus’ glorious reign to his most inglorious death. If Jesus reigns through His faithfulness, His followers will inherit His kingdom through their own faithful testimony.

Verses 7 and 8 present the theme of the entire Book of Revelation: the return of the King and establishment of His rule over the kingdom. The word “coming” expresses Christ’s return. It describes the arrival of the King and the changes in the situation that His return produces. Jesus is the most important person in the universe. He thinks we are so important He gave His life for us. In His eyes we are important.

In Revelation we are introduced to ourselves and we learn of our own worth, the meaning of our lives and the task of our living in the world. We also learn about the meaning of history, which is one of the theses of Revelation. We also learn about God’s love. When we see God’s love for creation, we see what we have to do to care for creation as His priests. When we see how God controls the future, we don’t have to worry about our own future. We are encouraged to take hold of our time as followers of Jesus. What we do and say has lasting significance because of Jesus.

Priests are mediators between people and God. They represent humanity to God and God to humanity. That’s our role on earth. We introduce to people to God and help them grow in their relationship with God. Jesus will return to earth and make all things new. It’s an exciting message. Until He returns, we have to tell the world that there is a God, we matter to Him, and He has a plan for our lives. If we cooperate with Him and serve Him, He will change our lives for the better.

God’s grace has set us free from our sins by Christ’s costly grace. This gift of freedom is a daily experience and obligation for those who receive it. People who receive this gift are the ones who are willing to become Christ’s servants and His kingdom in the world.

In our pleasure-driven society, guilt is frowned upon. We try to avoid it through frantic activity, alcohol, entertainment, talking to a therapist or blaming someone else, but we can’t get rid of it. It’s like a stain in our clothes that we can’t get rid of no matter how many times we wash it. The stain has become part of our fabric. The only way we can wash away our sin and guilt before God is through Christ’s shed blood. God has given us a conscience with a guilt alarm that goes off when sin enters so that we can go to Christ for cleansing.

Will all of our problems vanish if we give our lives to Christ? No, not necessarily. But we will no longer be alone. Christ will give us wisdom and courage to tackle our problems.   We are on a journey where we will encounter cancer, death, hunger, wars, terrorism, AIDS and other dangers. We will be tested with idols. At times we will be tempted to compromise with the world, but if we put our trust in God, He will lead us to a place where He lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp.1838)
2. “How Old Is God? (Part 1)” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org
3. Palmer, E.F. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 35: 1,2&3 John/Revelation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 110-114)
4. Dale Melenberg, “A Kingdom and Priests.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
5. Anne Graham Lotz, “Just Think on Jesus.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
6. Pastor Allen Jackson, “An Exciting Message.” Retrieved from contact@intendministries.org
7. The Rev. Billy Graham, “Will Jesus Make My Problems Go Away?” Retrieved from arcamax.com
8. Anne Graham Lotz, “Washed in the Blood.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
9. Israel Kamudzandu, “Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8.” Retrieved from workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2825
10. Greg Carey, “Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8.” Retrieved from workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2683

Have you ever noticed that people aren’t always receptive to the Good News of the Gospel? We’re living in a world where it is increasingly forbidden to share the Good News with a desire to win converts. The situation is getting to the point where the only place where the Gospel can be proclaimed is in a church.

This problem isn’t new. The disciples were some of the first victims of this type of persecution. We heard an example of this persecution in Acts 5:27-42. Peter and John were arrested for preaching and brought before the Jewish authorities. They were released with orders not to preach-orders they promptly disobeyed. They were arrested again, and when they were asked why they disobeyed the order, Peter made a speech similar to the one he made on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 5:27-42 is a story about obeying God regardless of the consequences imposed by mankind. Like Peter, we as Christians are to obey the Lord rather than man in situations where the two are in conflict. For example, when obeying our political leaders would cause us to do something that goes against God’s Word, we are to obey God’s Word instead of our political leaders. At all other times we are to obey our political leaders as commanded by the apostle Paul.

In this reading, Peter and the disciples have been arrested and brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin, or high court, on charges of preaching the Gospel in spite of being ordered not to. In their defence, Peter preaches the second of his two famous sermons as recorded in the Book of Acts, the first one being preached on the Day of Pentecost. It is in this second sermon that Peter teaches that we as Christians are to obey God instead of man in cases where the two are in conflict.

Was Peter’s speech inspired by the Holy Spirit? We don’t know for sure, but I believe that it was. Was Gamaliel’s speech inspired by the Holy Spirit? Again, we don’t know for sure, but I believe that God used Gamaliel to save the lives of the disciples. If they had been put to death, Christianity would also have died. Instead, Gamaliel fulfilled his part in God’s plan by encouraging the members of the Sanhedrin to leave the disciples alone.

The problem the Jewish authorities had was not what the disciples preached but how they did it. They were drawing public attention to the message of a Jewish man who was executed on a Roman cross. That message was contradictory to common ideas about God’s anointed Messiah. Their message challenged claims associated with Roman rule. The authorities failed to realize who the apostles were because they failed to recognize who Jesus was.

God first delivered the disciples from jail through supernatural means by sending an angel from heaven. Then God delivered them through natural means by causing an enemy of Christianity to argue for their release. This is passage is proof of the work of God’s sovereign hand in history. He can even use the thoughts of those who oppose the gospel to preserve and protect His servants.

Gamaliel’s advice was wise, both for us and the Sanhedrin. There are times when certain people and causes are obviously a contradiction to the Word of God that we know they are not of Him. There are times when they may be great truths wrapped up in new methods with which we are not familiar. Wait. If they are of God we can’t stop them. If not, they will not succeed.

The disciples also obeyed God by continuing to teach and preach in spite of the warning from the Sanhedrin. The disciples knew that God wanted to fill the minds of the people with truth. That was the only way they could oppose the lies that Satan wanted to fill the people’s minds with. We as Christians today also need to be filled with spiritual truth in order to counteract the lies that Satan and our sin-filled world want to fill our minds with. We get spiritual truth by  attending weekly worship services, studying the Bible either by ourselves or as part of a small group, and by listening to sermons preached by people such as me or other preachers.

Peter’s claim that the disciples had to obey God instead of man was a continuation of the tradition of appealing to a higher authority to support or challenge actions. He made the same points that he made in the speech he delivered on the Day of Pentecost:

1. Christians must obey God rather than men
2. Jesus the Messiah is alive.
3. Jesus lives in us.

Peter and the disciples knew that following the outdated rules and regulations of the Jewish authorities would not lead to the forgiveness of sins. Only Jesus can provide forgiveness.

God calls on us to make disciples of all nations. This will likely mean that we will be persecuted, but the end result might be a period of revival. We are not alone in facing persecution. Our Christian brothers and sisters in the Third World face extreme forms of persecution such as death-all because of their faith.

As Christians, we must acknowledge that there is a tension between obeying God and obeying civil governments. God, not government, is to be obeyed when it comes to the mission of the church, which is to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. Civil governments might seem to be the answer to all of our problems, and they might even seem to be the potential saviours of our world, but they aren’t. Civil governments must be obeyed except when they overstep their bounds by trying to stop the work of God. When that happens, governments must be disobeyed. When injustice and oppression are part of religious, social and political systems, nothing short of mass activism will transform them.

Here in Canada we are fortunate in that we can share our faith with others. In many other countries it is against the law to share our Christian faith. We as Christians have an allegiance to a higher authority-God. In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, who is the President of In Touch Ministries and the man who compiled one of the study Bibles that I use when I prepare sermons, when God tells us to do something such as sharing our faith with others, we have to “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him”. We must expect persecution for doing God’s work, but we must remember that if we are persecuted for obeying God, God might not stop the consequences from happening. He might not ease the consequences. The persecution we face might be part of God’s plan for our lives.

Would we, like the disciples and the apostle Paul, rejoice if we suffered for the Lord? If we feel battered and bruised, we must remember that God sometimes delivers us through the battering and the bruising, not from through the battering and the bruising. We, like the disciples, must remain committed to obeying God, regardless of the cost.

When we obey God by doing things such as loving an enemy, people will be amazed because it is not the logical thing to do. Obeying God is the Christian thing to do. In contrast, obeying man is the worldly thing to do. When we obey God, we don’t know what the result will be, but God will bless our obedience in some way.

God wants us to acknowledge that He is sovereign and trust him instead of rejecting him and following our own plans. The disciples decided to follow God’s plan, and in doing so they set a good example for us to follow. If we are ever asked to do something that would cause us to disobey God or violate our conscience, that is where we have to draw the line. Our conscience tells us what is morally right and morally wrong, and if we go against our conscience, then that is sin. Our allegiance must be to God and not to man, because God is the ultimate authority that we must answer to.

God is in charge of our lives. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, forgiven us and brought us into his family. The proper response is for us to be so grateful that we will spread the Good News in spite of opposition. God calls us by our baptism and authorizes us to keep doing what the apostles were doing. The Holy Spirit calls us by the gospel, and the gospel creates hearts that are obedient to God. We are latter day apostles. We get to follow the first apostles and speak the gospel to people who are gathered in places where anyone can come.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Randy White, “A Time of Risk?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
3. M. Moore, “When Not to Obey.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/colummns/viewpoint/18240-when-to-speak
4. Charles Stanley, “Obeying God.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
5. Bayless Conley, “When Is It Right to Disobey?” Retrieved from com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Kyle Fever, “Commentary on Acts 5:27-32.” Retrieved from workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1616
7. Bruce K. Mondahl, “As One with Authority.” Retrieved from Sabbatheology@Crossings.org
8. Exegesis for Acts 5:27-32. Retrieved from lectionary.org
9. Preaching Magazine, January/February 2016 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing; p. 52)
10. Mitzi J. Smith, “Commentary of Acts 5:27-32.” Retrieved from workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2824
11. David Jeremiah, “Cause for Amazement”. Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
12. Fred Gillett, “Obedience, Not Outcome…”. Retrieved from hourofpower.org
13. Jack Graham, “Loving God with Your Heart and Mind”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
14. Bayless Conley, “When It Is Right to Disobey”. Retrieved from answersweekly@answersrbc.org
15. M. Moore, “The Courage to Endure”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
16. Charles R. Swindoll, “An Unexpected Ally”. Retrieved from for.Living@insight.org
17. Exegesis for Acts 5:27-32, 40-41. Retrieved from sermonwriter.com
18. Ogilvie, L.J.; The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983)
19. The NKJV Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2007)

Picture the scene in John 20:19-31. All the disciples except Thomas are in a room behind locked doors at night. It was common for early Christians to meet at night. In times of persecution they were forbidden to meet during the day, so they had to meet at night. The disciples are scared. They saw their leader brutally killed, and they are afraid that they will also be killed. In more ways than one, the room and the situation are dark.

Suddenly, Jesus appears. He walks through the locked door. The first words Jesus says to the assembled disciples are, “Peace be with you.” They are terrified, first for fear of the Jews and because they thought they were seeing a ghost. But when Jesus shows them His wounds, they know this is their Lord. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come. Just as God created humanity with His breath in Genesis 2:7, He gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples by breathing on them. God is recreating humanity in Christ. The darkness of the room is dispelled by the light of Christ.

Jesus gave the disciples and us a mission, but we and they can’t begin this mission of healing and peace without the power and energy of Jesus’ risen life. Jesus breathed on these men. As God  breathed His life into that first man and he became a living soul, Jesus shared the intimacy of His own life with His disciples that they may be a new humanity, recreated and empowered for their mission.

If Christianity seems to us to be having rather less than a remarkable impact on the world, it’s because too many people have the idea that we’re in a waiting game, that we are basically killing time until Jesus comes back and we all get to go to heaven. We’re sitting around like people waiting to catch a flight. That isn’t what Jesus told us to do. He didn’t say, “Now sit tight in those pews and twiddle your holy thumbs. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He said in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I send you.”

Part of Jesus’ mission, and hence part of the mission of the disciples and us is to deal with forgiveness. Specifically, we are to declare on what terms, to what people and to what temper of mind God will extend forgiveness. It is not the authority to forgive people. It establishes the terms and conditions on which people can be pardoned, with a promise that God will confirm all that they taught-that is, that all might have assurance of forgiveness if they comply with these terms.

In John’s Gospel, sin is a failure to see the truth-a refusal to accept the risen Christ. Jesus is sending the disciples and us into the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the risen Christ. Some people will accept their testimony and ours, and others will reject it. Their response will determine whether they will find themselves among those whose sins are forgiven or among those whose sins are retained.

One of the sins that can be forgiven is unbelief-specifically, refusing to believe that Christ rose from the dead. Thomas was guilty of this sin. He refused to believe the disciples’ statement that they saw the risen Christ. He wanted concrete proof. Many people today are like Thomas. They refuse to believe because they do not see Jesus. The testimony of fellow believers, like that of the other disciples, should be enough proof that He rose from the dead.

Jesus didn’t scold Thomas for his unbelief. Rather than belittling Thomas for His doubts, Jesus welcomed his reach and touch, which moved Thomas from unbelieving to believing. Thomas saw and believed, and Jesus affirmed his belief. But then He added, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Anyone today can have as much confidence believing without seeing as those who saw and believed. Jesus approved Thomas’ faith, but He more highly approves the faith of those who should believe without having seen the risen Saviour.

To Mary, Thomas and the disciples, sight of the risen Lord was granted. Faith doesn’t rest on sight or smell or touch, but on the word and call of the risen Lord! As the apostle John believed before he saw the risen Lord, so we believe and trust the witness of those who have seen and believed. We have seen His life revealed in the community of those on whom He has breathed and as we have heard Him speak our name and responded in trusting faith, we have been born into His family. The Spirit then confirms that we are the children of God, as blessed as those who have seen and believed.

Closely connected with the sin of unbelief is the sin of doubt. Doubt destroys faith if doubt is not resolved.  At times it serves as an excuse not to do God’s will. It can also be used as a cover to do evil. Doubt can’t remain without harming us. To cease doubting means that we must take action, to believe, to trust in the Lord, to surrender our lives to Him, to follow Him-and to confess Him as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God!”

Will we be more like the disciples during the first week after Easter, who claim to believe in the resurrection, but whose lives give no sign that it has made a difference for them? Or will we be like the kind of people whose words and actions proclaim the faith that has claimed our lives, graced us with peace, and has given us a sense of meaning and purpose?

The cause of Thomas’ defection was his own doubting and denying heart. Those who profess to be Christians and yet deliberately absent themselves from fellowship with their Christian brothers and sisters are the ones who are usually most in need of Christian fellowship. There are certain things that we can only experience when we are part of Christian fellowship. The idea that we don’t have to go to church to be a Christian is a folly. We can only know God’s blessing when we are part of His body here on earth.

Amid the scandal of the crucifixion and the empty tomb, Jesus doesn’t hide. He reveals himself, makes himself known to those who love Him. When we go through the struggles and temptations of life we are sometimes tempted to hide from our trouble. During this time, we find ourselves only wanting to be with the selfish trinity of me, myself and I. We find ourselves no longer wanting to fellowship with friends and family and becoming most distant from those whom we love. It might be beneficial during times of trial to retreat, but we must do what Jesus did. We must make ourselves visible instead of hiding like Thomas did.

One way we can make ourselves visible is to tell our own stories of joy and pain, sunshine and rain. When we share our stories, we create the opportunity to become wounded healers. If we have a story of suffering, we must share it, because there is glory to be found in our story.

What will it take for us to believe? Our eternal destiny rests on our answer. Jesus lives and because He lives we can agree with a no-longer doubting Thomas and say, “My Lord and my God.” If we do, our lives will be eternally changed for the better.

Are we doubting Thomases? Do you doubt God could ever love someone like you? Maybe you’ve been ridiculed and bullied and struggled with your self-worth? Author Philip Yancey once said, “Grace does not depend on what we have done for God, but rather what God has done for us. Ask people what they must do to get to heaven and most reply, ‘Be good.’ Jesus stories contradict that answer. All we must do is cry, ‘Help!’”

When we embrace God’s love, it’s easier for us to let go of the need to please people, the need for validation. We choose to please God through obedience because we love Him and He loves us, unconditionally.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1478-1479)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 275-280)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Selwyn Hughes, “Missing from the Meeting.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. “Stop Doubting.” Retrieved from forthright.net
7. Pastor David J. Risendahl, “Doubting Apostles.” Retrieved from StPlC.org
8. Ken Klaus, “What Will It Take?” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
9. The Rev. Billy Honor, “How to Handle a Scandal.” Retrieved from day1.org
10. “An Invasion.” Retrieved from dailyreadings@ransomedheart.com
11. Gregory Seltz, “How is God Present in My Life?” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
12. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 20:19-31.” Retrieved from lectionary.org

Carol Round, “Are You a Doubting Thomas?” Retrieved from noreply@assistnews.net

Hello boys and girls!

Has anyone told you something that was so amazing that you could not believe it?

Sometimes people like to tell us things that we can’t believe. For example, some people might have told you that there is no such thing as the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

Have any of you ever heard of a book called “Ripley’s Believe it or Not?” The man who wrote it enjoyed collecting stories that were unbelievable but true. For example, a young girl from California once swung 68 hula hoops on her body at the same time. A man once had a chicken that laid a square egg. The world’s largest hot dog was over 3000 feet long, weighed 885 pounds and took 103 butchers to carry it. As I mentioned a few moments ago, these stories are hard to believe, but they are true.

Even the Bible has stories in it that are true even though they are hard to believe. For example, Thomas the disciple refused to believe the other disciples when they told him that they had seen the Risen Saviour. He was not with the other disciples in the room when they saw Jesus on the first Easter night. He refused to believe them until he could see Jesus in person. One week later all of the disciples (including Thomas) were in the same room when they saw Jesus again. Jesus knew that Thomas needed proof of his resurrection, and that’s why he invited Thomas to put his finger in the nail holes in his hands and the spear hole in his side. Only then did Thomas believe.

Some people are like that today. They refuse to believe that Jesus rose from the dead because they have not seen him with their own eyes. They want concrete proof. On the other hand, all of us know that Jesus rose from the dead because we believe it in faith. We do not need to see it with our own eyes. We have faith in Jesus’ promise that he would rise from the dead.

Let us bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Give us the faith we need to accept the Resurrection by faith.  We ask this in the Name of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “Believe It or Not!” Retrieved from webservant@sermons4kids.ccsend.com
2. “Identification, Please.” Retrieved from webservant@sermons4kids.ccsend.com

The passage from John 20:1-18 is the key point of our faith because it is about the Resurrection. Christ’s resurrection is the basis of our faith. Without it:

1. The Gospel would be meaningless.
2. Forgiveness of sins would be hopeless.
3. Present life would be joyless.
4. Godly living would be fruitless.
5. Future life would be worthless.

The resurrection of Jesus is like the quiet dawning of a new day heralding the defeat of the night. Our Saviour meets us personally and intimately at unexpected times and places. When we meet Him, our grief and doubt are overcome. We are flooded with joy and peace as we move from sight to faith.

Early on that first Easter Sunday morning, Mary expected to find death, but instead she found new life. We also expect to find death. We know what it means to expect death but find new life. We know what it feels like to follow on Good Friday only to be confronted with Easter Sunday. We have stood there looking into the empty tomb experiencing the impossible. We don’t go looking for resurrection. It finds us.

Jesus’ resurrection is about God loving us so much that He is willing to go to any length to find us in all the wrong places. Like Mary, we go looking for God in the familiar, in the places where we expect to find God. In Jesus’ resurrection God finds us when we are down and out, when we are at the end of our rope, when we have lost hope. God rolls back the stones that bind and confine us. He stands waiting with a familiar voice that calls us to new life and to “go and tell.”

Jesus opened up a new relationship for us through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. No longer do we have to go through a high priest to seek atonement for our sins. Jesus became the final sacrifice for our sins. He has given us free access to God the Father, to whom we can come in times of need.

There is something about a living testimony that gives us courage. Once we see someone else emerging from life’s dark tunnels we realize that we, too, can overcome. In the eyes of humanity, death was still the black veil that separated them from joy. There was no victory over this enemy. It invaded every human, convincing us that life was only meant to end abruptly and senselessly.

Jesus revealed the true nature of death. It was on the Cross that the showdown occurred. Jesus was tired of seeing humanity fooled by death. He entered the dark tunnel of death to prove that there was an exit. As the world darkened. creation held its breath. Jesus emerged from death’s tunnel, lifted a triumphant fist toward the sky and freed us from the fear of death. Even though demons, darkness and death have been defeated, they continue to fight against everything God has created. We don’t have to worry though. Jesus is alive with a new kind of life that He wants to give to all believers.

Two different ways of seeing are depicted in verses 5-8. Both John and Peter viewed the facts-the tomb was empty, with the burial cloths lying there. But the text implies that John saw at a deeper level; he believed. Today, the tomb still stands empty, and people still can “see” the evidence. But not everyone believes that Jesus has, in fact, overcome death and provided the only way to eternal life.

John saw the empty tomb and folded grave clothes and believed that Jesus was alive. Love brought him to faith. Later, Jesus explained the Scriptures that testified to His resurrection-teachings the disciples didn’t understand during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Many of us came to faith in the same way. We believed in a God whom we knew only in a small part, and we recognized that our faith was incomplete. As we grew older, our faith deepened and our ability to talk about it grew but looking back we understand that there was something wonderful even about our immature faith.

Jesus appeared to Mary to comfort all who have become penitent believers after leading lives of sin. It was meant to show them and us that no matter how far we and they have fallen, we and they are raised to complete peace with God if we and they believe the Gospel.

Why did Jesus tell Mary not to hold on to Him? There are three possible answers:

1. Having accomplished the sacrifice, He was on His way to present the sacred blood in heaven. Between meeting Mary and another meeting referred to in Matthew 28:9, He had ascended to heaven and returned.
2. Mary was to become His messenger-the messenger of the Resurrection.
3. He merely meant, “Do no detain me now; I am not yet ascended. You will see me again; run to my brethren.”

Jesus told Mary, “Do not cling to me,” because He had not yet ascended to the Father. Exactly what He meant is not certain, but He did have an assignment for Mary: “Go to my brethren and tell them the Good News.” Jesus commanded His followers not only to pray but to go out and serve and witness. Christians are the conduits of His love to others. Just as Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him, He tells us not to hold on to the things we cherish. We must go and tell people about the Good News. Rather than allowing her to cling to Him, Jesus sends her on a mission to tell the others what she has seen and heard. Like Mary, we are sent forth to announce that Jesus’ body is not in the tomb. He is with the Father in resurrected glory.

 In His resurrection, Jesus broke the bonds of sin and death and the limitation of space, time and the weaknesses of earthly existence. By the power of God He has brought forth a new creation, a new order. He is now returning to His Father. Mary is to cling to Him when this journey is completed and He is in perfect union with the Father. Through the Holy Spirit, she will then live with Christ and “cling” to Him as her permanent place of abiding.

Part of proclaiming the Good News includes telling people that God is their heavenly Father. He isn’t a tyrant who blesses us when we are good and curses us when we are bad. He is a loving Father who loves us unconditionally.

We do not worship a dead god but a living Lord. We worship a God who has placed all our burdens on Himself. We don’t have to find Him because He never loses us. He promises that if we see, Him, we will find Him as He comes to us. We are never lost from His sight. We may not see Him but He is always there, even sometimes from behind.

God does lead us from behind at times and we can feel that we have lost Him. But like Mary, when Jesus calls our name even from behind, we will recognize His voice. We must remember to keep seeking Him and desiring to be with Him even if He seems to be missing. We have not lost Him because He can never lose us.

So how do we get close to God and keep close to Him? First, we do so by prayer. The person who keeps close to God is the one who is always talking to God. Second, we do it by constant study of the Scriptures. God’s word is alive with meaning, and when we read it, something will happen to us. Third, we do it by sharing with others. Nothing is ours if we do not share it. When we share, the things go deeper inside us. We have to share what God is doing, both with our fellow Christians and with non-Christians also. In the four Gospels, half of the references to people running occur in the Resurrection stories. Their urgency was due to excitement. Jesus’ disciples today should retell the story with the same excitement.

All Jesus wants from us is our hearts. He longs for our lives. In return, He will be with us everywhere and all the time. He will be with us in the good times and in the tough times. He doesn’t promise that we will be immune from the problems of this life. He does promise that He will go ahead of us. He meets us along the way of life’s journey. Sometimes the harsh realities of life are so overwhelming that we forget Jesus is alive. He has conquered death, and our future is safe in His hands.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1477-1478)
2. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 269-275).
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; p. 1498)
6. Steven Davey, “Then Comes the Good Part.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. “What Jesus Most Longs For.” Retrieved from dailyreadings@ransomedheart.com
8. Pastor David J. Risendal, “Christ is Risen.” Retrieved from StPLC.org
9. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 20:1-18.” Retrieved from lectionary.org
10. Pastor David McGee, “Out of the Mire.” Retrieved from crossthebridge.com
11. “Whom Are You Seeking?” Retrieved from info@dailydisciples.org
12. Pastor Jim Collins, “Father God: Protector and Provider.” Retrieved from BeyondPopsitiveThinking.org
13. “Jesus Lives.” Retrieved from info@dailydisciples.org
14. Charles R. Swindoll, “Not to Worry…He’s Risen!” Retrieved from insightforliving.ca
15. The Reverend Deon K. Johnson, “Practice Resurrection, Easter (C)-2016.” Retrieved from episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
16. Pastor Greg Laurie, “A New Relationship.” Retrieved from harvest.org

What is so good about Good Friday? That is the question many of us probably ask when Good Friday comes around every year. After all, what is good about a day that commemorates Jesus’ horrible torture and execution on a Roman cross?

Good Friday is a dark day in some respects because it commemorates the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but it is also a bright day in other ways because Jesus’ death and resurrection on Easter Sunday paved the way for our relationship with God to be restored. This is the good news that Jesus has asked us to spread, but in order to understand the good news, we have to understand the bad news that is called our sinful, human nature. Once we see that we are slaves to sin, the good news of deliverance makes sense.

The book of Hebrews tells us to live by faith in God alone. The father of our faith is Abraham. His faith in God made him “right” before God. As a result of this righteousness, God protected the Israelites as they grew into a nation. Moses was their first official leader to establish their worship, culture and laws. God spoke to Moses as he wrote down God’s ways for the people, including the Ten Commandments.

These rules were given to teach the Israelites how to live. They were enforced to protect the Israelites from walking away from God and to protect them from destroying themselves and each other. These rules were not designed to replace faith, but by the time Jesus came these rules were more important than faith, mercy and kindness. The rules were more important than the people. Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. He came to fulfill it so that we, like Abraham, could be righteous through faith in God.

The good news of salvation is the cornerstone of the joy of Easter. In order to appreciate the joy of Easter, we have to appreciate what Jesus endured on Good Friday. Sin had to be punished because God is a just god who demands justice and hates sin. Because he hates sin, and because he wants to restore a loving relationship with us, someone had to pay the price for our sins.

In Old Testament times, sins were paid for by sacrificing animals. These animals had to be prefect in the eyes of the priests, which led to the marketplace in the temple where animals who were deemed to be perfect for sacrifices were available for sale. That was the same marketplace where Jesus upset the tables and drove out the moneychangers. When he laid his hands on the animal, the priest symbolically transferred sins to the animal, and the animal’s death symbolically cleansed the people from their sins.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. These sacrifices had to be repeated every time someone sinned, and because the priests were human, they also had a sinful nature. God wanted one ultimate sacrifice in order to complete his plan for our restoration to him. The only perfect sacrifice that would fulfill his plan was Jesus Christ, who was the perfect sacrifice because of his sinless nature.

We can’t underestimate the importance of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Before his death, we were separated from God. No one could approach God in the Holy of Holies portion of the Temple except for the high priest, and even then he could only enter it once a year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus’ death destroyed the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple and provided a way for us to be reconciled to him. Jesus removed the barriers for anyone who wanted to know and worship God. We can serve the Lord and abide in his presence.

When we accept what Christ did for us on Good Friday, we can get out of the black hole of our sinful, earthly life. That can be a struggle that we can’t fight on our own. The Holy Spirit will help us, but other Christians are also ready to fight alongside us. The writer of Hebrews even states in Hebrews 10:24-25 that we must “not neglect our meeting together, as some do, but encourage one another, especially now that Christ’s return is drawing near”. Around Jesus were a close-knit group, but those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour were quickly shunned by non-believers. The writer of Hebrews encouraged the early believers by reminding them that God will never abandon them. We as believers today can also be confident in our hope because God will never abandon us.

It is important for believers to gather together on a regular basis to worship God. We were not designed to “go it alone”. Belonging to a church not only protects our fellowship with God, but it is a vital part of how God matures us and transforms us to his image. Part of that transformation includes believing in Jesus in faith, especially in what he did for us on Good Friday.

There is strength in numbers. Getting together with other Christians strengthens our faith and provokes us to do more for God. All of us can encourage someone, whether it is a family member, friend, co-worker, casual acquaintance or a stranger. We can encourage others to keep going in times of difficulty. By worshipping with other Christians, we can celebrate the Eucharist and remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We can’t keep our faith strong unless we have encouragement from fellow Christians, just like Jesus encouraged his disciples and the early followers. True believers will not look the other way when we sin, just like God can’t and doesn’t ignore sin. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can have eternal life. We have direct access to God, unlike the Israelites in the Old Testament. Jesus’ sacrifice means that we do not have to feel guilty about sinning against God, provided that we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us.

Belonging to a good church is so beneficial for both individuals and families that it is well worth finding a church where leaders and members not only love God and believe and teach his Word, but also where they are loving, accepting and non-judgmental; where they present grace with truth; and where they are committed to ministering to each other’s needs. That’s why God designed the church, and that’s why people such as Pope Francis are trying to bring the church back to its roots just like Jesus brought the church back to its roots by his sacrifice on the cross. That, my friends, is one reason why Good Friday is good for us.

The Christian life is based on God’s promises. These promises fall into two categories:

1. Unconditional: These are promises made without exceptions. A good example is the promise God made to Abraham to bless all the families on earth through him. Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, fulfills this promise because salvation is made available to all believers because of what he did on Good Friday.
2. Conditional: These are promises that are subject to certain conditions. A good example is the promise that Jesus made to the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them if they waited in Jerusalem. We as humans can only make this type of promise because we can’t control every circumstance.

The truth of the cross is that God remembered every single sin that every believer has committed or will commit (no matter how small) and punished Jesus for each and every one of them as our substitute. Jesus’ righteousness is imparted to us so that we stand before God completely spotless. God forgets our sins because Jesus took them upon himself for us. The penalty has been paid, and so our sin debt has been forgiven.

 God promises in Hebrews 10:17-18 that he will forget our sins if we confess them and believe in him in faith. The key words are “in faith”. There are people who make what sounds like great confessions of faith, but in reality they have no faith at all. Real confessions come from the heart when believers get God’s Word so deep in their hearts their lives are aligned with God’s plan for their lives. For example, believing in the forgiveness of sins calls on us to live our lives in a particular way. When we live with God’s forgiveness in our hearts, we are positive and hopeful. The hope of forgiveness comes from the pain of Good Friday.

I want to close my message with a story about a little boy who was visiting his grandparents. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn’t you, Johnny?” And then she whispered to him, “Remember, the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper.” But Sally smiled and said, “Well, that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” And she whispered again, “Remember, the duck?” So Sally went fishing, and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window, and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”

Jesus Christ is like the Grandma, standing at the window. He sees all our sins, but because he had made the ultimate sacrifice with his blood, we can have forgiveness. Christ is the sin eater who has taken care of all our sins, and that is another reason why Good Friday is good for us.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
2. Justin Holcomb, “What’s So Good About Good Friday?” Retrieved from http://www.christianity.com
3. Gwen Smith, “Through the Veil”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmil.com
4. Steve Preston, “Assembly Together”. Retrieved from bibletalk@freegroups.net
5. Elizabeth Cole, “Friends Don’t Let Friends…”. Retrieved from Homeword_with_Jim_Burns@crosswalkmail.com
6. Robert A. Schuller, “Live Guilt Free”. Retrieved from positiveminute@hourofpower.cc
7. Amy Carroll, “Drawing Near”. Retrieved from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com
8. Dick Inness, “What a Good Church Can Do for You, Part III”. Retrieved from http://www.actsweb.org
9. Dr. Charles Stanley, “The Promises of God, Part I: Our God of Promise”. Retrieved from http://www.intouch.org
10. Rev. Ken Klaus, “No Forgiveness”. Retrieved from http://www.lhm.org
11. Rick Renner, “True Profession is Form the Heart”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Dr. Keith Wagner, “Our Faith in Action”. Retrieved from wsww.lectionary.org
13. Dr. Mickey Anders, “The Sin Eater”. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org

A little boy wanted to meet God. Not knowing where God lived, the boy packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and started out on his journey. When he had gone a few blocks, he met an old woman who was sitting in the park staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. Shed accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! Together they sat all afternoon eating and smiling.

As it grew dark, the boy realized it was time to go home, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”.

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I had Twinkies and root beer with God, and you know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

John 13:31-35 is part of Jesus’ farewell speech to his disciples. It takes place on the night before his crucifixion, and he is giving his disciples final instructions for continuing his work. Many of you have also provided instructions for loved ones at other points in your lives. For example, if you went away on trips you likely gave instructions to other people for picking up your mail, checking on your homes or mowing your lawns. Hopefully most of you have also prepared wills in which you give instructions about how your property is to be dealt with after you die.

In John 13:31-35, Jesus is teaching his disciples about humility, acceptance and love. This particular passage occurs just after Jesus has washed the disciples’ feet, and after Judas has left to betray Jesus. Judas’ departure began the process by which Jesus was glorified by God. Jesus knew that Judas’ actions would result in victory over sin and death, but the disciples didn’t realize it even though Jesus told them several times that he would die and rise again. Jesus was their source of comfort and strength, but he knew that they would have to learn to support each other after he returned to heaven. That’s one reason why he issued the commandment to love one another. It is also the new commandment that we as his modern disciples are to follow.

Jesus told the disciples that he will be glorified through his death and resurrection. His death and resurrection opened the door of salvation for us. Before we can walk through that door, we have to obey God’s commandments, including the new one Jesus introduces in his farewell speech-love each other just like I have loved you. This commandment is not entirely new. The Israelites were told in Leviticus 19:18 to love their neighbours, and Leviticus 19:34 told the Israelites to love both foreigners and fellow Israelites.

This commandment is new for four reasons. First, Jesus was a clear model of the love he requires, and he proved that by washing the disciples’ feet. Second, the commandment focuses on the Christian community. We are called on to love everyone-friends, enemies and total strangers. Third, it creates a new covenant based on love and not obedience to all of the Jewish laws. Fourth, this new commandment is open ended. There is no end to the requirement, so we can never say that we have obeyed it entirely. Even if we can’t feel affection for someone, we can still help them, and when we do, we show Christ’s love.

In his book “Miracle on the River Kwai”, Ernest Gordon described an incident in which British prisoners of war tended the wounds of injured Japanese soldiers and fed them. The Japanese soldiers were covered with mud and blood. Their wounds were infected, and they were left uncared for by their own people. The British prisoners saw them, took pity on them, bathed their wounds and gave them a little food to eat. They cared for the enemies who starved and beat them and killed their comrades. God broke down the hatred and conquered it with love.

We love our neighbours when we seek them out. We love our neighbours when we make ourselves available to serve them. We love our neighbours when we shepherd them in their walk with the Lord and teach them 0in God’s Word.

Jesus’ humility and service to others, especially when he washed the disciples’ feet, is a good example for us to follow. Here was the Master serving others, and not the other way around. If Jesus could serve others, so can we. He showed his love for others by serving them. If he can love others by serving them, we can also love others by serving them.

We don’t have the option of ignoring this new commandment. Obeying it is a sign of our love for Jesus. It requires us to throw ourselves on God’s mercy. It’s hard for us to love others as Jesus commanded because it goes against our human nature. It goes against human reasoning and logic. It’s not logical for us to love our enemies or those who hate us. It’s not logical to love people who are different from us, or at least that’s what the Jews thought. They did not want to love the Gentiles. In fact, the Jews often referred to the Gentiles by names that were rather uncomplimentary, such as “dogs”. God showed Peter in Acts 11:18 that he loves the Gentiles as much as he loves the Jews, and to refuse to accept the Gentiles would be hindering God and opposing his will. When we find it hard to love our enemies or those who are different from us, all we have to do is remember what Jesus did for us. All we have to do to respond to what he did for us to is love our neighbours just like Jesus loves us.

Bibliography

• Exegesis for John 13:31-35. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
• Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “To Love As Jesus Loved Us.” Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
• Randy L. Hyde, “Family Tales”. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
• Swindoll, Charles R., Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010
• Bobby Schuller, “Living a Life of Love”. Retrieved from http://www.hourofpower.org
• M. Moore, “How to Know When You Love Others”. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org
• Exegesis for Acts 11:1-18. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org