Sermons From My Heart

We’ve all played games as children, and some of us still play games today-games such as golf or curling. Every game has rules, and so does life. Our rulebook is the Bible, and it was written by God. We have to learn the rules before we can play any game, and we have to know the rules God gives us. The only way we can learn God’s rules is to read and study the Bible both by ourselves and as part of a larger group.

In the passage we heard from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus went to the synagogue and started teaching. The people were amazed because Jesus sounded like someone who had written the rules-and He did write the rules, because He was God in human form. Whereas the people were “astonished” at Jesus’ authoritative teaching, they were amazed in this instance because Jesus had absolute authority over the demon. His words had full power to accomplish what He spoke.

In our churches it’s unlikely that a stranger would be allowed to walk into the church, enter the pulpit and begin teaching. There are rules to be followed. There is the issue of credentials. I am a lay minister with credentials issued by the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and I also serve under the guidance and direction of my Parish priest. Churches have to be careful about who gets to teach and preach, especially since there is a lot of bad theology such as the prosperity gospel in the world today. We might not be comfortable with Jesus getting up and preaching, especially if we don’t have a sense of who He was (or is) beforehand. Most ministers would let Jesus take the pulpit if they knew He was coming.

The regular teachers of the people interpreted the Law for the people and decided cases. In their teaching the scribes would have drawn on past teachers and commentators. They wouldn’t have claimed their own authority. When Jesus taught, he referred to no source of authority beyond Himself. He was (and still is) the source of authority. Without saying so, Jesus laid claim to be the Son of God. The only authority He had was the confidence that what He did and said was God’s will and God’s truth. His authority lay in the power of His words and deeds. His authority lay in his living as God’s servant. Jesus used His authority to serve humanity, not to obtain power for Himself.

Every rule has exceptions. Every rule can be broken occasionally, and when that happens, there are consequences. Jesus broke one of the Pharisees’ rules when He healed the demon-possessed man. Jesus did the healing on the Sabbath, and that was against the Pharisees’ rules. Healing was work, and the people weren’t allowed to preform healing on the Sabbath. When He performed the exorcism, Jesus said to the Pharisees in effect, “You are making void the Word of God through your tradition which you hand on.” Does Jesus turn to us with the same accusation? In our longing for greater certainty and clearer religious authority, it is often people who suffer. In order to shore up the tradition we devalue precious women, men and children. How, for example, can churches continue to make judgments about gay and lesbian people without hearing and seeing precisely people who have been judged by religious rules? We must judge ourselves and our churches by Jesus’s insistence in valuing people more than laws.

Does any of this sound familiar? Sometimes our “unclean spirits” take up residence in our holy places. That is, we carry our destructive habits and tendencies right into our churches, our friendships, our families, and our workplaces. Sometimes our demons — our fears, our addictions, our sins, and our compulsions — recognize Jesus first because they know that an encounter with him will change everything. So they make us recoil as soon as he shows up in the guise of a loving friend, or a provocative sermon, or a pricked conscience. Sometimes our lives get harder when we move towards faith and healing, because unclean spirits always fight the hardest when their time is up.

When Jesus ordered the demon to come out of the man, the demon obeyed, but not without a fight. When Jesus’ authority is invoked in teaching and preaching, there is a violent confrontation with the demons who possess our souls and rule our lives. You see, the devil wants to obey his own rules, not Jesus’, but the devil does respect Jesus’ authority.

The demon instantly recognized Jesus and called Him the Holy One of God, perhaps in hopes that identifying Jesus by name would give the demon power over Him. The title “Holy One of God” refers to Jesus’ high priestly authority. Ironically, the demons recognized this first.

The demons had authority over both the man and the congregation. When Jesus used his authority to strip the spirits of their ability to control human beings, He denied their capability to have a settled place or influence in the world. When they lost opportunities to win over people’s bodies and minds, they lost the authority they thought they had.

Jesus didn’t use his authority to self-aggrandize or to consolidate power. He used it only to heal, to free, to serve, and to empower those around him. Maybe this is precisely why his audience found him so compelling — his was the authority of a servant king. He had no political power. No earthly throne or kingdom to speak of. But he had an integrity and a consistency that compelled people to follow him.

Second, Jesus stepped directly into the pain, rage, ugliness, and horror at the heart of this story. He wasn’t squeamish. He didn’t flinch. His brand of holiness didn’t require him to keep his hands clean. He was in the fear, in the sickness, in the nightmare, ready to engage anything that diminished the lives of those He loved.

The people waited a long time for God to come to their aid. Jesus’ teachings and power revealed that God had arrived and enabled them to resist and overcome evil. The exorcism is visible proof of God’s very present power. Jesus also wants to restore people to the community, and one example of this is the exorcism. Jesus is still at work today, because through His resurrection He is present with us now. He still speaks and acts with an authority that overcomes evil.

Jesus paid a price for revealing His authority in the synagogue. Hope began to stir among the people, and they came to Jesus for healing. His authority for healing is as much the Good News as His message that the time has come, and the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus connected His teaching with His miracles. The miracles were designed to point to the validity of both His teachings and His personal claims.

The power in God’s Word has the capacity to help us make profound changes in our lives. It has that power because it is backed up by the rules God has given us to govern our lives. These rules tell us something and do something to us. For example, when the priest pronounces the absolution of our sins during a worship service, we not only learn about forgiveness, but we experience forgiveness as God casts our sin aside and frees us from whatever bondage grips us. In our last hour God’s Word will have the power to call us from the grave and create us anew.

Are we astounded by God’s Word today? Are we willing to grant Him authority in our lives, even over the many other sources of authority in our world? How do we stay on the narrow way? How do we maintain our standing before God? How do we progress in the Christian life? The answer to these questions is the power of the authoritative Word of Christ. It commands, and in the strength of the Holy Spirit, those hostile powers that would undermine our faith are subdued. We hear and are set free by the grace of Christ’s authoritative Word. Our standing as a Christian yesterday, today and tomorrow rests on Christ’s authoritative promises, not on what we may, or may not, be able to do.

This story is mostly about Jesus’ authority. It is about recognizing Jesus as one of authenticity and power. The demon-possessed man knew this most of all. He expressed his fear that an encounter with Jesus changes everything that ever was and ever will be. He knew who Jesus is and he knew what this means. The question for us is this. Do we know who Jesus is and what this means? Where are we still amazed by Jesus’ authority, by His teachings and His deeds that can change our assumptions about what is possible? Where can we see souls set free from destructive tendencies and powers that we thought were beyond anyone’s control?

The people acknowledged Jesus’ powerful and effective teaching, but they didn’t line up behind him and follow him out of the synagogue. They didn’t make a commitment to follow this teacher who showed forth God’s authoritative presence by his teaching and deeds. They didn’t change their lives. They were admirers, but not followers, which is something a lot of modern people do — admire the “great teacher Jesus” but not follow him.

The man with the unclean spirit cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” That’s a good question for us to ask ourselves. What changes for the better have Jesus caused in our lives? Then, when we realize his authority over our lives has been a guiding and saving light for us, we are ready to give thanks.

The result of the advent of Jesus’s authority is liberation and awe. The authoritative word of Jesus is a word that offers a course to the directionless, release to the bound, possibility to the cornered, and hope to the despairing. It also creates an appropriate fear as, along with giving people a new and liberating direction, the authoritative word of Jesus imposes the weight of responsibility and the dread of the accountability that accompanies it.

Jesus’ authority reaches out to us today-more than 2,000 years since He walked the earth. We are still captured by His words. We feel His authority and the power of His words to guide and direct us. He wants to be in control of our lives. He wants to be in control of the plans we make, the words we say, the things we do, and the places we go. Why? Is he a control freak? No! He wants to be in control because he wants what is best for us. The Bible tells us that God has a plan for us. It is a good plan that will give us hope and a bright future, but we will never see that plan work unless we allow Jesus to be in control.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1344)
2. “Living by the Rules.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 47-49)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2005)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2006)
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 4^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. Wendell Debner, “Mark 1:21-28.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
8. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Mark 1:21-28.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
9. The Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, “A New Kind of Authority.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. Rev. Janet Hunt, “As One Possessed: Recognizing Jesus.” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com
11. Matt Skinner, “Commentary on Mark 1:21-28.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
12. Stephen Hultgren, “Commentary on Mark 1:21-28.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, Fourth Sunday (B), January 28, 2018.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
14. Debie Thomas, “The Exorcist in the Synagogue.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
15. “Who’s in Control?” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

Have you ever noticed that everywhere you go in life, people in authority are telling you what to do and what not to do? These people can be teachers, police officers, government officials or even the staff of nursing homes or hospitals. Hopefully these people will do what they feel is best for us instead of what is best for themselves. Someone else who has authority and can tell us what to do and what not to do if we will let him is Jesus. We see a good example of his authority in the reading we just heard from Mark 1:21-28 a few minutes ago.

The demon recognized Jesus and called him the Holy One of God, perhaps because he hoped that by identifying Jesus by name he would have power over Jesus. The title “Holy One of God” refers to Jesus’ authority as a high priest. It was ironic that Jesus’ authority was first recognized by a demon. The people were amazed at Jesus’ authority and teaching, especially his authority over the demon. His words had full power to accomplish what he said.

The purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry was teaching, not performing miracles or casting out demons, even though these actions accompanied his teaching and told of God’s presence within him. Casting out this particular demon reinforced Jesus’ authority to teach. When he taught in the synagogue, he referred to no source of authority beyond himself, unlike the Jewish rabbis who referred to the authority of the Scriptures. Jesus is the source of authority. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, and the demons reinforced this claim by acknowledging him to be the Son of God. The demon came out because it could not resist Jesus’ authority. The Scribes and the Pharisees only recognized a Jesus who threatened their authority.

A Bible teacher who wants to have an impact on his/her students must teach life applications from the Scriptures that they have lived out personally. In other words, the teacher must “practice what he/she preaches.” Jesus did that when he cast out the demon.

There are people who capture the interest and attention of their audience every time they speak. These people often speak with authority. Jesus was one of those people. When he spoke, people listened because he spoke the very word of God. When God speaks, there is a ring of authenticity. His authority and power can encourage us to make changes in our lives. An encounter with Jesus and his authority changes everything. A good example is the apostle Paul. He met Jesus while on the road to Damascus, and that encounter changed him from a persecutor of Christians to an eager disciple of Jesus.

All of us have been given authority to tell others about the Good News of the Gospel. Some of us have been given a particular anointing from God to use to touch the lives of others. God will reveal our anointing only if we ask him-and that asking includes prayer.

The Gospel emphasizes the authority of Jesus and his teachings instead of his words. We need to study his teachings to see the authority they have to change our lives. This can only happen when Jesus is the highest authority in our lives.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1344)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, pp. 47-49)

• Os Hillman, “Teaching versus Imparting.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com.

• Berni Dymet, “The Blah, Blah, Blah Treatment.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• The Rev. Dr. Janet Hunt, “As One Possessed.” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com

• Exegesis for Mark 1:21-28. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

Let’s play a game that most of you probably know. I’m going to give the first person in the pew a message and then I’ll ask him/her to pass it on. The last person in the line then has to tell the congregation what the message was. Are you ready? Cover your ears tightly while I tell the congregation what the message will be. 

Boys and girls, why do you think it’s important for us to pass on a message properly? Well, sometimes, the message might be an emergency, such as when you call 9-1-1. When the operator answers the phone he or she needs to know the exact details of your emergency so that you can get the exact help that you need. Here’s an example.

One day I had to call 9-1-1 because my mother was very sick. The first operator asked me what the nature of the emergency was. I told her that my mother was very sick, and the operator connected me with an ambulance service operator. He asked me some more questions so that he could pass on information to the paramedics so that they could look after my mother and take her to the hospital. The doctor at the hospital asked me some questions so that she could get the information she needed to take care of my mother. I’m pleased to tell you that because of the information the paramedics and the doctor had, they were able to help my mother get better, and even though she is still in the hospital, she is well on her way to making a complete recovery.

If you had an important message to give to someone, how would you give it to them? Well, you could give it to them in person like we did a few minutes ago, but supposed you wanted to give a message to someone who lived far away? You could call them on the telephone, speak to them over the Internet by email or through Skype, or you could mail them a letter.

Jesus also had an important message to deliver, but when he lived on earth he didn’t have the Internet or telephones or the post office. He had to deliver the message in person, and I’ll tell you about it by reading a passage from Mark’s Gospel  

Boys and girls, Jesus calls on all of us to deliver the same message. Some of us might take it to people in a land far away, and others might take it to a neighbour or friend. I put the message in my sermons and my children’s talks, and in turn they are posted on my blog, which is read by people from all over the world. The important thing to remember though is to carry the message.

Let’s close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for the gift of your message. Help us to be faithful messengers so that we can carry your message to people who need to hear it. In Jesus’ name we pray.  

Bibliography

 * “Answering the Call.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

• “Carrying the Message.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

In Mark 1:14-20, we hear the story of the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He is beginning his ministry just as John the Baptist is ending his ministry. Both of them called on the people to repent. The main difference between both ministries is that while John the Baptist was a one man show, Jesus built a team. Jesus knew that he would not be able to do all of the work himself, so he went out and recruited his disciples. One would think that Jesus would have chosen educated people, perhaps even some of the religious leaders of his day, but Jesus chose ordinary, common people. Some might think his choice was unwise, but Jesus, like God, knew what he was doing.

God calls ordinary people like you and me to be the church, the body of Christ in the world today. God doesn’t necessarily choose those who are particularly gifted or capable or who are made of the “right stuff”. Jesus chose them because he saw qualities that were needed for successful discipleship:

1. Diligence. Fishermen are always busy doing something. God needs people who are not afraid to work.
2. Patience. It takes time to find a good school of fish, and it takes time and patience to win others to Christ.
3. Experience. Fishermen have an instinct for going to the right place and dropping their nets at the right time. Winning souls demands skills too.
4. Perseverance. Fishermen have to go from place to place until fish are found. God wants people who won’t give up when things get tough. Fishermen have to work together, and God’s work demands cooperation.
5. Courage. Fishermen often face danger from storms and other mishaps. It takes courage to reach out of our comfort zone and touch lives in the name of Jesus.
6. Humility. A good fisherman keeps himself out of sight as much as possible. A good soul winner keeps himself out of the picture as much as possible as well.
7. Faith. Fishermen cannot see the fish and are not sure their nets will enclose them. They have to have faith and trust in their fishing gear. Soul-winning requires faith and alertness too, or we will fail.

God calls the unlikely and he says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Discipleship involves taking a leap of faith into the unknown while at the same time trusting Jesus to lead us to the right destination. Jesus took the strengths and weaknesses of the first disciples and taught them how to be his servants working in his power. He does the same thing for us today. He takes our strengths and weaknesses and uses them to do his work in our world. We are Christ’s eyes, ears, hands and legs. Only then do we become really useful to our fellow man.

Mark’s Gospel captures the sense of urgency that Paul conveyed to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31. Jesus was operating under a sense of urgency. He had too much to do and not enough time to do it. He had a sense of immediacy. He had an immediate message that required an immediate response because the message was so life-changing and so wonderful that the people who heard it could be immediately moved to repent, respond and react. That was the reason why the disciples answered his call without hesitation.

What response will we make to Jesus when he enters our lives and invites us to “repent and believe”? He announces a call and invites us to answer with a new way of thinking and acting. He doesn’t spell out in detail what he expects of us. He doesn’t give us a rule book explaining how we are to behave. Instead, he comes and announces a new time and invites us to follow and trust him. We don’t have a roadmap into the future, but we follow Jesus who leads us there.

We must answer the call right away when he calls us. Only then will we be enriched spiritually. Jesus will teach us just like he taught the disciples, and just like the disciples in turn taught the people. The response will be immediate when we know by faith that Jesus’ death on the cross has conquered our sins and defeated Satan. We belong to Jesus because he sought us out, just like he sought out the first disciples. We are to spread the Good News that Christ loves people-not just deacons and elders, not just choir members, and not just Sunday school teachers. He loves all people, and we are called to love people like noisy neighbours, beggars on the street, or the homeless alcoholic. We are called to make Christ’s love known to them, and the only way to do that is to love those people as Jesus does.

We are the same as the disciples. We are all the same no matter our education or ability or experience or enthusiasm. We remain sinners who need to repent and hear the Good News of acceptance and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. We need to hear over and over again about God’s love for us in Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. We need to be reminded that we are called to repent and believe and follow. Repentance loosens our hold on things of this world and tightens our grip on the things of God’s world. It involves embracing the source of life itself.

Bibliography

• Charles Spurgeon’s Evening Devotional. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Matthew Glowacki, “Following Him”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org/dailydevotionsprt.asp?date=20100716

1. Mark D. Roberts, “Follow Me!” Retrieved from www.TheHighCalling.org
2. Pastor John Barnett, “Are You Fishing for Eternal Souls?” Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
3. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), January 23, 2000”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
4. Charles Spurgeon, “Fishers Follow Him”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
5. Exegesis for Mark 1:14-20. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
6. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Immediately”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon1-22–6.htm
7. The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Gareas, UMC, “Follow, Follow, Follow”. Retrieved from www.day1.org/529_follow_follow_follow.print
8. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Fishers of Men”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
9. The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “The Good News of God”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
10. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Third Sunday after Epiphany. Retrieved from www.lectionary,seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-third-sunday-after-epiphany
11. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), January 22, 2012”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
12. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible Software package
13. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible Software package

Come and see.

Think for a moment about the effect those words might have on you if you were to hear them in an everyday context. Would they generate a sense of excitement about whatever it might be you were being invited to witness? Perhaps they might ignite your curiosity. Perhaps you might be thankful that someone thought to include you?

Come and see.

The words are both simple and warm, issuing an invitation not only to see something, but also to join a community. To come along and be part of something.

Come and see.

Have you ever used those words to invite friends to come to church with you? Have you ever talked to your friends about Jesus and what He has done in your life? If some laugh and say you’re foolish to believe as you do, don’t argue with them. Be friendly and accept them as Jesus does. After a while, your friends may be curious and willing to “come and see” what church is all about. Best of all, they may come to know Jesus.

We see a good example of this in the passage we heard from John’s Gospel. Philip invited Nathaniel to come and see the long-promised Messiah. The law and the prophets were the two most important parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Philip told Nathaniel that he found the one that the Scriptures had been telling them to anticipate. The Messiah was now in their midst, but He went beyond the prophets of the Old Testament. He was the Word-the one who most perfectly revealed God and God’s will.

Nathaniel couldn’t believe that the Messiah came from Nazareth. Nathaniel was prejudiced. He came from Cana, which was another town in Galilee. Galileans were hated by the Judaeans, and Galileans hated people who came from Nazareth. The reason might be because Nazareth was an insignificant village that didn’t have prophetic importance. Today, many people allow their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and they pronounce their prejudice without examining the subject. The invitation to come and see is an invitation to join Jesus as He walks in the footsteps of the poor and stands in solidarity with those who suffer from systems of injustice and prejudice.

The darkness of the sin called prejudice allows us to sit and judge everyone and everything around us. It allows us to jump to conclusions about people without knowing their full story. It’s too bad for the people who don’t fit into our nice, neat categories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nerdy kid at school who doesn’t dress like we do or that estranged family member, the strange neighbour or a congregation full of hypocrites. We even do the same with God. We judge His holiness and faithfulness by the circumstance of our lives. We don’t give God the right to be God.

The world is prejudiced against Christianity today. The world asks if any good can come from the One who calls us to stake our whole existence on Himself, and who calls us out of our individual worlds to follow Him to His cross. Our culture finds that offensive and labels it as a need to bring punishment on ourselves. The person of Jesus is the great cleaving sword of humanity. He divides those who come to faith in Him from those who reject Him. He separates the sheep from the goats as written in Matthew 25.

People do not need to be argued into the kingdom of God. Philip simply told Nathaniel, “Come and see.” The role of believers is to introduce people to Jesus, sharing His story and their stories of what He has done. Philip didn’t try to reason with Nathaniel. He asked Nathaniel to go and examine things for himself, to see Jesus, to hear Him speak, to lay aside his prejudices and to judge after he made a fair and candid personal inquiry.

Similarly, we should encourage people to lay aside their prejudices against religion and Christianity. If people want to know what God is like, they can look to Jesus. If they want to know what Jesus is like, they should be able to look at His followers. Can people see Christ in us? Seeing Jesus is the most compelling argument that exists for Christianity.

The heart of Christian evangelism is inviting people to come and see Jesus, God’s gracious Word and flesh for themselves. To come and see those who are inspired by Jesus enough to follow Him. To come and see how God continues to work in the world and in our lives. The invitation to “come and see” is the only appropriate response to having seen the grace and mercy of God taking shape among us.

Despite the setbacks of being from Nazareth, Jesus had insight and intuition that the best family, geography and education can’t give. He knew people, their nature, their motivation and their desires. That’s what drew him to Nathaniel as He saw him sitting under the fig tree.

Jesus sought out Philip and went after Him. Philip was an ordinary man, but Jesus invited Philip not just to stand out, but to keep on following Him. This encourages those of us who are shy and feel that we have so little to offer, just like the little boy in the Christmas Carol, “The Little Drummer Boy.” These are the type of people He looks for most eagerly. Similarly, Philip sought out Nathaniel and invited him to come and follow Jesus.

Jesus saw Nathaniel for who he really was. Nathaniel lived up to everything he saw and did. He was sincere and upright. Jesus knows who people really are. He sees their hearts. He sees their true motives. Jesus is divine, so He sees what we do when we think we’re doing it in secret. He sees us even when we don’t think He sees us. He sees us in our private devotions, hears our prayers and sees our meditations. He judges our character chiefly by our private devotions. If we have faith in Jesus, it will always be strengthened. If we believe His Word, we will see proof that it is true. Jesus was under God’s protection, and His friends will also be protected. God will defend us and save us if we put our trust in Him.

When he addressed Jesus as the Son of God, Nathaniel didn’t understand the full meaning of that title, but he knew that Jesus had an unusual relationship with God. Nathaniel called Jesus the King of Israel, but since Jesus referred to Nathaniel as an Israelite, Nathaniel surrendered to Jesus as his own king. This should encourage all of us to surrender to Jesus as our own king.

Nathaniel will be given far deeper grounds for belief than Jesus’ perception of who he is. As Jesus’ ministry unfolds, Nathaniel will see mighty works, great and wondrous surprises that will reveal God. We will see the same things when we surrender our lives to Jesus. It’s only as we get real and courageously honest with ourselves and God that He can help us become the people HE wants us to be. If we live up to all we know, we will know more. If we are all we can be, we will become more.

Nathaniel went on to become a disciple and friend of Jesus. He traveled across India, Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, sharing the gospel and drawing people to Jesus. When he encountered Jesus, he stood under a fig tree minding his own business. As he trusted that Jesus knew him inside and out, it changed the direction of his life.

What gifts are inside of you? They may seem ordinary to you, but not to Jesus, He sees our gifts of hospitality, deep compassion, music or writing. He is happy that you are good with kids or a good planner, or that you have a natural ability to lead others. Jesus sees those gifts because He gave them to us. Are we using them to their fullest potential? Are we using them to do God’s work in the world?

What does it take for us to believe? God doesn’t need to prove He is God as much as we need to prove we believe He is God. Despite how we feel, what we see or how we think, in the words of Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith goes beyond the senses to a deep understanding and knowing that He is God in the midst of a hassled day and the hurts from life’s circumstances. Faith is believing without seeing, as Jesus told the apostle Thomas.

The essence of discipleship is to follow Jesus. It’s what most of us want for ourselves, our family members and our friends. Life is much better for people when they follow Christ. To be a Christian is to realize that we have been called by God. Called to grace, called to life, called to move. Our proper response is to follow Jesus-slowly, perhaps not perfectly, but to try and follow nonetheless.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1443)
2. “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.KeysforKIds.org
3. Barnes, Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package
4. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 56-60_
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1451-1453)
7. Suzie Eller, “He Sees the Gift in You.” Retrieved from devotions@proverbs31.org
8. Richard Innes, “Authenticity.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
9. Pastor Dick Woodward, “A Fig Tree Fellowship.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. “Just Believe.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
11. Rev. Wayne Palmer, “The Darkness of Rash Judgment.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
12. Matthew A. Maus, “John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
13. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. David Lose, “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org.
15. Pastor Edward Markquart, “Come and See Gospel Analysis.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. We remember the visit of the three wise men, but we also remember that Jesus came into the world for everyone-Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, upper class people and lower class people, humble shepherds and wise men and so on.

It is also a happy time or a sad time depending on how you look at it. It marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the end of the holiday season. For most of us, the decorations have been put away for another year, the parties and celebrations are over, visitors have returned home, and we are settling back into our daily routines after the Christmas season. We, like the Magi, need to break away from our daily routines and busyness to take time to look for the Christ Child. It might mean stopping in the midst of our daily lives to pray that God will help us center our thoughts on Jesus more than our daily lives. It might mean that we have to put down our to-do list to pick up our Bibles to read and absorb God’s Word.

The wise men endured a long, difficult journey. They endured dangers, hardships and scorn to find Christ, and so should we. When they found him, they worshipped him, and so should we. They set an example for us as Christians to follow. The Magi were on a quest, looking for more in their lives. They were not satisfied with the way things were. Otherwise, they would have stayed put. Change started for them when God made the first move and showed them a light in their darkness. They didn’t have to follow that light, but they picked up and began a journey that took them to Christ. They left their daily routines to find Jesus.

The star the Magi followed was not a natural phenomenon. It is a reminder that we need divine intervention to find out where Christ is in our lives. The busyness of our everyday lives can distract us from seeing the Messiah. When the light of Christ dwells in us, it guides us and blocks out the light from outside, worldly distractions. The light of Christ gives us the strength we need to make the name of Jesus known throughout the world.

The wise men studied the stars and believed in astrology. They believed that a person’s destiny was influenced by the star they were born under. They believed that if something strange happened in the sky, it was because God was breaking into the natural order to announce some special event. That is why they noticed and followed the star of Bethlehem. They had a limited sign and came to the Messiah, but those who knew the truth about God, his words and actions failed to take the Messiah’s birth seriously when they found out about it. In fact, they, like Herod, saw it as a threat to their positions and their way of life. Herod even saw it as a threat to his rule.

The Magi could not return to their old way of living after they met the Messiah, and we can’t return to our old way of living after we meet the Messiah. Jesus’ presence changes everything. There is more to life than our routines and careers. Life has more meaning now because the light of God’s presence is among us.

Those who refused to take the Messiah’s birth seriously were wrong. Jesus was a threat to their positions and their way of life because he challenged their way of doing things. He challenged them to change their ways, accept God in faith and follow his ways and teachings. He was ignored and despised not only because he challenged the established way of doing things, but also because he was not the type of Messiah people were looking for. They were looking for a Messiah who would come from the established ruling class and drive out the Romans. Instead, they got a humble servant who came from earthly parents who belonged to the lower classes of society. This fit in with one part of God’s plan for salvation-concern for the poor and disadvantaged members of society.

Epiphany is more than the inclusion of the Gentiles as part of God’s Kingdom. It is about breaking down the barriers that divide people. It challenges us to reconsider how we look at people whom we see as being outside the boundaries of God’s love. We must remember that God’s love knows no boundaries. We must take off our spiritual blinders and welcome those whom we don’t want to love.

The wise men represent us in God’s plan. They represent everyone who sets out in search of a king and finds the son of God. They gave Jesus the most precious material gifts they had, but each and every one of us can give him something even better-ourselves. Those who, like Herod and the chief priests and scribes, try to derail God’s plan for salvation will fail. They are no match for God or God’s people. God loves everyone, and Jesus came to save everyone.

The Magi were foreigners in the eyes of the ruling class, but Jesus was of keen interest to them. They went out of their way to find him and set treasures before him. The gifts the Magi brought were symbolic. Gold was a gift fit for a king, and Matthew’s Gospel introduced his Jewish audience to a king who would rule with love instead of hate, peace instead of violence. Frankincense is a gift for a priest. Jesus ministers to God on behalf of men. Myrrh is a gift for someone who is about to die. Jesus came to die for us on the cross. As we end another Christmas season, one of the best things we can do is to think about what gifts we can bring to him.

Bibliography

• Billy Graham, “Who Were the Wise Men?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Augsberger, M.S. and Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

1. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
2. Jim Liebelt, “The First Christmas Gifts”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
3. Mel Lawrenz, “”Magi”. Retrieved from thebrookletter@me.com
4. Exegesis for Matthew 2:1-12. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Epiphany of the Lord (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
6. Karen Ehman, “Search Carefully”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2, Feast of the Epiphany (A)” Retrieved from Volume2@preacherexchange.org 

Today, we heard about Jesus’ baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit on him. John proclaimed Christ’s superiority by distinguishing between his own baptism with water and the baptism that Christ would provide with the Holy Spirit. Several Old Testament passages speak of the Holy Spirit being poured out like water. Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit supplies us with supernatural power just like the Holy Spirit revealed its supernatural power at Jesus’ baptism.

All three members of the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-were present at Jesus’ baptism. The parting of heaven was a foretaste of both Jesus’ statement in Mark 1:15 that the kingdom of heaven was near and the tearing of the veil of the temple when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ birth ended the separation of God and man that was created when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

The Holy Spirit changes things. It works through Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God. Reconciliation with God was possible because of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. Not only was this gap first bridged at Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove, it was also bridged at his death when the veil in the temple was torn in two. The Temple was divided into several sections, including the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. The only person who could enter this particular part of the temple was the High Priest, and even then he could only enter on the Day of Atonement. No one else could enter, so a rope was tied to the high priest’s waist so that if anything happened to him he could be removed without anyone else having to enter. A bell was attached to the high priest so that people on the outside could hear him move. If the bell stopped ringing for any length of time, the people would know that something happened to the high priest and that they needed to pull him out of there immediately.

God claims us through baptism. In the waters of our baptism, God speaks our name, unites us to Christ and grants us the promise of new life. He says that he loves us, he claims us and he is proud pf us. Nothing else is needed. No one can take our new identity in Christ away from us. No matter what other names we are called by others or even by ourselves, we are now beloved children of God. In the Baptism Service in the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services, there is a line that is read when a person is baptized-“I sign you with the sign of the cross, and I mark you as Christ’s own forever.” We have been adopted into God’s family. God’s love for us can’t be changed. It guides our behaviour. Because of God’s love, there are certain things we won’t do and there are certain things we will do-things that we must do. Through Jesus, we have a love that will take risks and a family identity that can’t be broken.

Baptism tells us that we are deeply rooted in the possibility toward goodness. That is a revelation to us. It goes against the stain of original sin which I mentioned earlier. It encourages us to take a risk by going into this unknown territory. God offers harmony, intensity, peace, compassion and justice-things that are alien to our world.

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? After all, he was sinless. Jesus said in Mathew 3:15 that he needed to be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” It was God’s counsel in Luke 7:29-30 that people be baptized of John. In other words, God tells us to repent. Jesus asked John to baptize him as an act of obedience to God’s purposes. Jesus wanted to set a good example for us by doing the Father’s will. His baptism also served to introduce him to John and the people of Israel as the long-promised Messiah.

Jesus’ baptism was necessary in order to fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament law, which required repentance from sins and hence John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance. Jesus had to be baptized because he was born and died under the law to deliver us from the law (which was so strict that it could not be obeyed perfectly). The Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at his baptism commissioned Jesus for a unique service. Jesus carried the Holy Spirit wherever he went and gave it to those who were receptive to his message. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are empowered to do God’s work in our world.

Jesus was God’s answer to Isaiah’s prayer that God would come down to earth and be fully present with humanity. He was and is God’s son in a way that others created in God’s image are not. Jesus was the Son of God, but his baptism gave him the verbal assurance that he was indeed God’s son. He was born of the Holy Spirit, but his baptism gave him the visible assurance that the Spirit was certainly present with him. Jesus’ baptism gave him the positive assurances that he would need during his temptation, his time of ministry, his sufferings and death.

We long for someone to tell us the truth even if it will hurt us. God created this longing in our hearts. We long to have someone who can help us understand what is going on in the world and what we need to do. That person may or may not be a prophet as long as he or she speaks the truth of God’s word. Take me, for example. I don’t consider myself to be a prophet, but each and every message I preach is based on the truth of God’s word as written in the Bible.

Jesus and John the Baptist also spoke the truth. They spoke of the need for repentance, and repentance is the first step in a journey that leads us to baptism by the Holy Spirit. It requires us to change our direction. In other words, we have to “turn or burn.” Baptism is the second step in the journey. It means a burial with Jesus and resurrection to a new life in Christ. Baptism with water is a symbol of the washing away of the dirt of our old, sinful life. Forgiveness of sins is the third step. It is ushered in by our baptism and our repentance. When God forgives us, he wipes our record clean. He takes his big bottle of Liquid Paper or his big roll of correction tape and crosses out the mistakes of our lives, just like the father forgave his wayward son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Jesus’ baptism ushered in a new way of dealing with sin. People did not have to go to the temple in Jerusalem because Jesus became the new temple. Repentance is not something we can do only once in our lives and then forget about it. Repentance must be done each and every day because each and every day Satan will try to get us to move in a different direction. When we come together in worship, God tells us that he loves us, and in return we tell him that we love him too.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit allows us to see ourselves as gospel peacemakers in our world. It allows us to be merciful to those who ask for forgiveness. It allows us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves-the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, prisoners and so on. It allows us to spread God’s love to everyone.

When I was preparing this homily, I saw a story about a mother who was at home with her two young daughters one lazy afternoon. Everything seemed to be just fine until the mother realized something strange. The house was quiet. And as every parent knows, a quiet house in the daytime can only mean one thing: the kids are up to no good.

Quietly walking into each of the girls’ rooms and not finding them there, she began to get worried. Then she heard it: the sound of whispering followed by the flushing of a toilet. Following the sound, she soon realized where it was coming from. It was coming from her bathroom. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Poking her head into the room, she was able to see both of her daughters standing over the commode. Whispers, flush. One of them was holding a dripping Barbie doll by the ankles and the other one had her finger on the handle. Whispers, flush. Wanting to hear what her daughter was saying, she slipped quietly into the room. Whispers, flush. And this is what she heard: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and in the hole you go.” Flush.

We know what it feels like to have life grab us by the ankles and dangle us over the waters of chaos. And we know that this happens in spite of our faith. We even know that, at times, it happens precisely because of our faith. When this happens, we can take comfort in the knowledge that because we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we have the strength we need to face life’s challenges.

Baptism means that God has broken through the barrier between him and us. In return, we are to break through the challenges and problems of the world with everything we have been given by the Holy Spirit. Saying yes to our baptism means saying yes to facing the challenges of our world and yes to a life torn open by God’s love. Saying yes to our baptism means that our sins have been forgiven and we have been given a new start in life through Jesus Christ.

As soon as he was baptized, Jesus was on the move, and that fits in with the urgency of Mark’s Gospel. We have a similar calling. We are baptized for action. We are baptized to go out into the world and be the hands, voice and presence of Christ. We are baptized for the sake of others and for the sake of the world. For example, I publish all of my sermons on my blog-www.sermonsfrommyheart.blog.ca-and they have been viewed over 88,000 times by people from all over the world. Regardless of what we do, say or think, we must be bold in our actions and faithful to our calling. That way, when we get to the Pearly Gates, we can hear God say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Exegesis for Mark 1:4-11. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Kristopher J. Hewitt, “I Love You Too.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Baptism of the Lord, (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• The Rev. David Lewicki, “As It Was in the Beginning.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• The Rev. Timothy T. Boggess, “In the Hole He Goes.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Rick Morley, “Handling Sin: A Reflection on Mark 1:4-11.” Retrieved from www.rickmorley.com/archives

• Brian P. Stoffregen, “Mark 1:4-11, 1^st Sunday after the Epiphany/Baptism of Our Lord-Year B.” Retrieved from http://www.crtossmarks.com/brian/mark1x4.htm

• The Rev. Maxwell Grant, “Torn Open, By God.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Pastor Dave Risendal, “Baptism: the Heart of our Faith.” Retrieved from http://onelittleword.org/?p=6765     

I want to take you (especially those of you who are among the older members of this congregation) on a trip down memory lane for a minute. Some of you may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a TV show in the 1970s, and on this show he had such famous characters as Geraldine Jones and Brother Leroy. He also had some famous lines, including one that ties in nicely with the reading we heard from the Book of James earlier in today’s service. That line was, “The devil made me do it!” The characters in Flip Wilson’s comedy routines often blamed the devil for leading them into trouble, and they were partially right. The devil can’t make anyone do anything, but he can definitely tempt us and influence our choices.

The devil is part of earthly wisdom, and James contrasts earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. People’s lives reflect the source of their wisdom. There is “earthly, unspiritual, devilish” wisdom that leads to “envy and selfish ambition” in the individual and “disorder and wickedness of every kind” in society. Against this, there is “wisdom from above” that is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…” Trouble arrives, he tells us, when we act based on earthly wisdom and not out of faithfulness to God.

The Letter of James was controversial for much of Christian history, largely because its emphasis on doing good works seemed to clash with parts of Paul’s writings that emphasized salvation by faith alone and not by works. This passage can help us understand that faith in God and charity towards our neighbor are inseparable. It is our faithful adherence to the “wisdom from above” that spurs us to act gently, justly, and in ways that will yield “good fruits.”

If we have a right relationship with God, we will be understanding people and show concern for others, and therefore we will demonstrate heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is shown through Jesus, available through the Holy Spirit, written in the Bible and delivered in a steady flow from God to us. Heavenly wisdom is the foundation for our Christian lives. When we draw close to God, he will draw closer to us in response. If we put ourselves under God’s control, we will be open to God’s grace. This will be the ultimate challenge for proud people.

If we trust in God’s wisdom, we will be seen as meek. This is not to be confused with the world’s definition of meekness, which is cowardice and passivity. Earthly wisdom comes from sin and Satan. Earthly wisdom causes chaos, self-ambition and the playing of the “blame game.” Peace is the opposite of selfish ambition. If we bring peace, we will harvest a rich crop of righteousness.

Selfish desires cause people to make war against each other, even in the church. For example, James talks about murder taking place in the church. How could that happen? One possible reason is that the rich were taking the poor to court and basically stripping them of all they owned. Without food or the necessities of life, the result was death. In addition, how many churches have been divided because of selfish desires? Some of us may remember the division in the United Church of Canada several years ago when the Church’s General Council decided to allow the ordination of homosexual clergy. That decision caused several individual churches to leave that denomination.

Another example is people who leave a church because they don’t like the Order of Service or the music or the minister or something else. We don’t come to church because of the Order of Service or the music or the minister. We come to church to worship with both God and fellow believers.

We show earthly, sin-filled wisdom when we are estranged from God. James tells us that if we try to get what we want through our own efforts instead of asking God, we will end up being frustrated. Worldly pleasures never satisfy us. They provide short-term pleasure and long-term pain. External conflict is often a sign of internal conflict, because if we are not at peace with ourselves, we are not likely to be at peace with others, especially within the church.

One of the deepest problems in our world is the problem of the human heart. If there were no greed, jealousy, anger, covetousness or any other sin, the world would be a much better place. If we truly loved one another and treated each other with respect, the world would also be a much better place. Unfortunately, this will be wishful thinking unless and until we put others first instead of ourselves. This will be wishful thinking unless and until we seek God’s will for our lives

Wisdom is more than understanding something intellectually. Wisdom must be demonstrated in our Christian lifestyle. Wisdom must be pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without hypocrisy or partiality, and show true justice. This type of wisdom comes only from God. James is concerned with our ability to understand the truth of God’s Word and live it by faith. We do these things by submitting to God, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses daily and humbling ourselves before God. When we humble ourselves before God, we grow closer to him, and when we grow closer to him, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time, our faith will increase and our concern for the spiritual conditions of others will expand. Heavenly wisdom is full of sacrificial earthly action. We must use our circle of influence or friends to make a difference for God. After all, wisdom is not what we know but what we sow.

The main way we humble ourselves before God is through prayer. God makes us ask for what we want and need, even though he already knows what we need and want. He makes us ask because he wants to have fellowship with us, and the only way he can have fellowship with us is for us to talk to him through prayer. Those who humble themselves before God and trust him to provide for their needs will receive his grace. That grace will give us the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases him.

Prayer is the lifeblood of our relationship with God, but sometimes we have questions about its power and effectiveness. We will find the answers to those questions when we take them to God, study the Bible for answers and talk to a trusted spiritual mentor. Some of these answers will cause us to question the motives behind our prayers.

God is very concerned with those motives. He’s interested in the state of our hearts. We need to check our motives from time to time. James points out that there are two problems in prayer lives-lack of prayer and wrong motives. Believers don’t get what they ask for when they do not ask or when they ask with selfish motives. Some of us have promised God that we will walk closely with him or that we will spend time in his word only to find that we became busy or tired and therefore broke those promises. We became disappointed with life’s circumstances, so we gave up on the promises we made.

Resisting the devil means that we have submitted to God, and that means going to his word as written in the Bible to counteract our earthly thoughts, feelings and wants. If we obey his word, he will draw near to us, and when that happens, wars will cease. We will not be at war with God, so we will not be at war with ourselves or with others. Prejudice, bitterness, anger and hatred will be uprooted at the foot of the cross. We as Christians must not have any of these things in our hearts because we are all sinners in need of a Saviour in spite of our differences.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• David Jeremiah, “Defeating Temptation.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

• Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/ Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Spiritually Satisfied.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Bayless Conley, “The Motive of Faith.” Retrieved from Christianity.comn@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Ed Young, “Make the Most of Your Opportunity.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Coming Back to the Cross.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• Stormie Omartian, “Maturing in Prayer.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Neil Anderson, “Your Position in Christ.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Alex Crain, “Not What You Wanted?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Does Prayer Make a Difference?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com

• Billy Graham, “What is the World’s Greatest Challenge?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Steve Arterburn, “Fellowship with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

Well, Christmas is almost over for another year. For most of us the holidays are over and our lives get back to normal this week. Children will be going back to school, people will be going back to work, family and friends will be going home (if they haven’t gone home already), and we will be settling back into our normal routines.

There is one more part of Christmas to come, and that’s why I said that Christmas is almost over. There is one more gift for all of us, and today-the Feast of the Epiphany-we receive that gift. That gift is the fact that Jesus came for all of us-both Jews and Gentiles. This concept is represented in the visit of the Magi, which we heard in Matthew 2:1-12, but it is also represented in the legendary story of the fourth wise man-a man named Artaban.

As he journeyed with his friends, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, he became separated from them. He never made it to Bethlehem. For many years he sought the Christ Child and in the process had many adventures and assisted many people, including dying beggars and frightened mothers, to whom he gave two of the three great jewels he had originally planned to give to Jesus. He even traveled to Egypt, hearing that Jesus and his parents had gone there, but was again frustrated in his quest. Now, after 33 years of searching he arrived in Jerusalem, hoping at last that he might find the child.

At Passover time, Artaban, now an old man, noted an unusual commotion and inquired about its cause. People answered him, “We are going to the place called Golgotha, just outside the walls of the city, to see two robbers and a man named Jesus of Nazareth, who are being crucified on crosses. The man Jesus calls himself the Son of God, and Pontius Pilate has sent him to be crucified because he claims to be the king of the Jews.”

Artaban knew instinctively that this is the king he had been searching for his whole life. Thus, he rushed to the scene. On the way he encountered a young girl being sold into slavery. She saw his royal robes and fell at his feet pleading with him to rescue her. His heart was moved and he gave away the last jewel for her ransom. Just then, darkness fell over the land and the earth shook, and great stones fell into the streets. One of them fell upon Artaban, crushing his head.

As he lay dying in the arms of the girl he had just ransomed, he cried out in a weak voice, “Three and thirty years I looked for thee, Lord, but I have never seen thy face nor ministered to thee!” Then a voice came from heaven, strong and kind, which said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me.” Artaban’s face grew calm and peaceful. His long journey was ended. He had found his king!

This popular story powerfully presents the Epiphany message. The three magi of whom Saint Matthew speaks in his gospel brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. Additionally, their presence in Bethlehem demonstrated how Christ was manifest to the nations. In a similar way, Artaban’s adventure showed that Christ calls us to manifest his glory to all nations. Artaban’s goodness and openness to all, even those he did not know, brought the face of Christ, namely the one he sought, to him. Additionally, those to whom he came, the poor and destitute, became Christ to him. Without realizing it, all his life he had been achieving his goal, to see the Christ Child. We, in turn, are challenged to be Christ to others; we must be ambassadors of the Lord.

God came to us in the form of Jesus so that we could come back to him. When we come to Christ, we are adopted into his family. We are also freed from the bondage of sin. That freedom has a purpose, which is being part of God’s plan for our lives. Our lives and the paths we take in life matter to God. We are to remember this when our lives seem aimless and without direction.

The church was unknown in the Old Testament and the Gospels. It wasn’t fully revealed until the events in Acts 2 occurred, especially the events that happened on the Day of Pentecost. It was not fully explained until Paul began his mission. The heart and soul of the mystery of the church is that Jews and Gentiles are joined into one body. The Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews, fellow members of God’s household, and fellow partakers of the promise of salvation for everyone. This process started with the visit of the Magi, but it was not fully realized until Peter preached to and baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family.

Paul was the apostle, teacher and preacher to the Gentiles. The sufferings he experienced during his ministry were on their behalf, just like Jesus’ suffering and death were for everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. There are times when we as Christians will suffer for our faith like Paul, Christ and the disciples did. When we praise God, especially when we suffer, it forces us to keep our eyes on him and lifts us out of the pain of our suffering. It allows us to see clearly how God works in and through all believers to change something that is evil into something that is good. That does not mean that God causes pain and suffering. It means that God is with us and that he can use our suffering for his purposes.

Paul’s calling to preach to the Gentiles was the disposition of God’s grace. God not only appointed Paul a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles through grace, but anointed him with power. This verified Paul’s apostleship-an amazing thing considering that Paul so violently persecuted the church previously.

Christ came to unite Jews and Gentiles into one body of believers through the Gospel. Christ revealed the mystery to Paul on the road to Damascus and at other times during his ministry. The purpose of his ministry was of interest to angels, especially since they rejoice when a sinner repents.

The mystery is made known to us through both God’s direct intervention in our lives and through Scripture. This revelation is a gift for everyone, whereas until Christ was born it was seen only as a gift to the people of Israel. We are to share the promise with everyone.

If we enlarge our horizons, our theology will not be restricted to a denominational understanding but will affirm the ecumenical affirmations of the Christian faith centered in Jesus Christ. To be sure, we ought to preserve the best in our own theological tradition, but admittedly we do not possess the whole truth. We can learn from one another, and as we dialogue we sharpen our basic convictions. I’m speaking from experience. I have learned from preaching and leading worship here at Bridgewater United and at other non-Anglican churches, and in return I have been able to share parts of the Anglican Church traditions.

In order to share the gift, we have to use the gifts God has given us. Some of us have the gift of preaching and teaching. Some of us have the gift of singing. Others have the gift of leadership, and still others have the gift of just being able to talk to other people and share what God has done for them in their lives. We know what our gifts are, but we also know our limitations. We don’t have to worry, because God will make up for our limitations.

God created the church to be a public testimony to his grace-a place where anyone (both Jews and Gentiles) can go to receive a constant flow of mercy, and a place to hear the message of the Gospel. Yet the church not only declares the truth to humanity; God also designed the church to display the truth to angels.

The church is called to be a house of prayer. God’s people don’t need a priest to be a mediator to approach him, as was required in the Old Testament. Jews and Gentiles both have full access to God through Jesus.

Within the church there are to be no divisions due to race, spiritual or social reasons. Faith gives us free and unlimited access to God. When we place our trust in God, it opens the way for us to communicate with and have fellowship with him at any time and in any place. Anyone and everyone can come to him. We can do so because of God’s grace.

God wants everyone to see and share his wisdom. It’s up to us to make certain that this happens. Sometimes we can’t see that Christ came for everyone and can use everyone. We need to share our gifts and burdens just like Christ shared himself with everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. We are to spread the Good News to a world that desperately needs to hear it. When we spread the Good News, we are to share it with everyone, because Christ came for everyone-and that is the greatest gift that everyone can give and receive.

Bibliography

 * Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1642-1643)

• Preaching Magazine, November/December 2015 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing Inc.; p. 65)

1. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pgs. 175-182)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Don Ruhl, “Our Job: Make People See the Manifold Wisdom of God.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
5. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Moments of Weakness.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Let Me Not Shrink.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
7. Dr. R.C. Sproul, “Answering the Ultimate Question.” Retrieved from Corsswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Pastor Bob Coy, “Access-able.” Retrieved from www.activeword.org
9. Don Ruhl, “The Privilege of Sharing the Preaching of Christ.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
10. Richard Hasler, “Enlarge Your Horizons.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermon/enlarge-your-horizons/14228
11. Richard Gribble, “Ambassadors of the Lord.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermons/ambassadors-of-the-lord/1467337

UNICEF-the United Nations Children’s Fund-estimates that 353,000 babies are born every day-just over four babies each second. Birth begins a life of 70-100 years and impacts those whose lives overlap with the child’s. Every generation relates most profoundly with those who share their time in history. Jesus is the exception to that statement.

Many people wonder why Jesus didn’t come sooner and why mankind didn’t have the benefit of His birth, death and resurrection immediately after Adam and Eve sinned. The answer is that the time which was predicted in the Old Testament, and when it was proper that He should come, was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready. It was the time when all prophecies centered in Jesus were fulfilled. It was proper that the world should be brought to see its need of a Saviour, and that a fair and satisfactory opportunity should be given to all men to try other ways of salvation and that they might be prepared to welcome Him.

It was also a time when the world was at peace. There was order under Roman rule. Because of roads built by the Romans, communication between various parts of the Roman Empire was faster and more secure than at any other time in history. The Jews were scattered throughout the Empire. They were familiar with the promises and were looking for a Messiah. They had synagogues where the Gospel could be preached. Thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the same language (Greek) was spoken and understood throughout the Empire.

Figuratively speaking, God’s calendar had a day with a big star on it-then the time was right for Christ to be sent forth into the world. It was the proper time to make God’s plan of salvation known. It was the appropriate time for the people to be freed from the bondage of sin. The fullness of time was the fullness of God’s time to fulfill His promise to Abraham. That fulfillment was Christ’s birth. He accomplished His purpose of providing the way for all of us to become children of God. He came from God to stand beside us as we face evil. He became our brother so He could suffer the punishment we deserve for our sins. Jesus was born under the law so that He could fulfill every claim and demand of the law on our behalf. He fulfilled the moral law in His life and the ceremonial law in His death. Jesus had to be fully God for His sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. He also had to be fully human so He could pay the penalty for our sins.

From a human perspective, Jesus’ birth and life on earth were not confined to His own generation. Simeon declared in Luke 2:31 that Jesus appeared “before the face of all peoples.”-old people like Simeon and the very young. Because Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He is alive for every generation following His own.

God, the Creator of the universe, submitted to the rule of others so we could claim His holiness as if it was our own. Talk of being a child of God is common in Christian circles, but how often do we stop and take time to consider what a privilege being a child of God is and what that really means not only to us but to God? When we are heirs because of adoption by God, it means that God is well pleased when we become children of God, exercise our authority and enjoy the fullness of our inheritance.

In New Testament times, some 60 million slaves lived in the Roman Empire. When someone bought a slave, the buyer could either own and use the slave or set the slave free. When God purchases or redeems people through Christ, He does so to set them free. Because we are not natural children of God, we can become sons and daughters only by divine adoption. Because we have been adopted as God’s children, we have the spirit of Jesus-the Holy Spirit, which is in our hearts and reassures us of our relationship with God. He encourages us to speak with love and trust and total openness to God our loving Father, just like a child on his or her father’s lap.

When we receive Christ, His Spirit takes up residence in the core of our being, giving us an internal power that we never had before and transforming our hearts from hateful and rebellion to loving and obedient. Our hearts control our words and actions. It isn’t easy for us to accept ourselves; to love and be loved, to feel worthwhile to ourselves and others. It is a time of overwhelming grace when we accept the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us thoroughly.

When God adopts us, his reaction is similar to that of a little girl named Olivia. Olivia had always liked to hear how her parents loved her from the time they first saw her at the adoption agency. But as she approached her twelfth birthday, the fact that she was adopted didn’t seem so entertaining any more. “I don’t really belong to anybody,” she thought one day as she picked wild berries in a field near her home. “Sure, Mom and Dad took care of me since I was six weeks old, but I’m not a blood relative, so I’m not really a member of their family.”

As Olivia started home, a rather dirty, skinny little dog timidly approached her. “Hi, little guy,” Olivia said gently. “Did someone dump you along the road? Why don’t you come live with me?” It didn’t take much coaxing to get the hungry puppy to follow her home. I wonder if Mom will let me keep him, she thought. Nice word–Mom. I wish it were really true.

Olivia’s mother saw them coming and went out to meet them. “Did you bring company for supper?” she asked, dropping to her knees and stroking the little dog. “I wonder if he has a name? He doesn’t look like he’s got a home.”

“Can I keep him?” Olivia asked eagerly. “We need to find out if he has an owner,” Mom replied. “If not . . . we’ll see.” No owner was found, and Olivia’s parents decided she could keep the dog. She called him Bingo.

“Well,” said Dad one morning, “it looks as if your adopted dog is happy here with you, Olivia.”

“Adopted!” Olivia exclaimed. “Dad, he’s not adopted. He’s my very own dog!”

“Of course he is,” replied Dad, “but he wasn’t always your dog.”

A slow smile crossed Olivia’s face as the truth sank in. That’s right! she thought. Bingo and I really belong together, even if it wasn’t always that way–and Mom and Dad and I belong together, too. Bingo wouldn’t want to be any other place in the world, and neither would I!

“Being adopted isn’t a bad thing, you know,” continued Dad. “In fact, all of us who are Christians are adopted, too. We’re adopted into God’s family.”

Olivia giggled and gave her dad a big hug, “We’re one big, happy family of adoptees–even Bingo,” she said.

For God, adoption matters more than blood. Whatever family race or religion we inherited by blood, our real Parent isn’t finally the one to whom we’re genetically related, but the one who adopts us and makes us heirs to the greatest of estates-the heavenly Kingdom.

Although a human father cannot give his own nature to an adopted child, God can. The Holy Spirit, whom God places within us at the moment of salvation, confirms us as God’s children and stirs us to cry, “Abba, Father!” This term is found only two other times in the New Testament, and means “Dearest Father.” It is the Bible’s greatest argument against legalism.

God’s family includes second-class people, those who are never quite good enough to be members of a church, never included in the social elite, never with enough money to quite fit the mold. Some potential church members might be considered second-class people by church leaders, but God has no second-class children. God’s love reaches down, forgives us and accepts us freely and without reservation.

The bondage of the Law had to precede the telling of the Gospel. It was like the period of development by which children are trained for adulthood. The child is subject to the terms of a will by a loving parent. Eventually the child will be free, but for now the child is restricted by the parent’s rules. The child is no different from a slave.

Through this bondage children learn to trust their parents. Similarly, through the bondage of the Law we learn to trust God. It allows us to pray “Abba, Father” as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane because we know the joy of being not a servant but a child of God. Before we can receive our inheritance from God, we must respond in faith to His promise.

When a person is saved, the law moves to the side and love moves to the centre. The believer is no longer enslaved to the harsh master of sin, but becomes a mature son or daughter of God. This shift in a person’s essence from slave to child with full rights as an heir of God is immediate, although believers often do not understand it until later in their Christian experience.

When we have a relationship with God, things change for the better. We feel different about our time, money and gifts. We realize that they belong to God, and He allows us to be stewards of them. We can experience His love in each situation. That changes everything. How many Christians today have received Christ’s forgiveness but miss out on living in the freedom they have? We don’t have to live under the impression that we have to earn our salvation.

God is our redeemer and liberator. The goal is freedom-not a freewheeling looseness without purpose and direction, but the kind of freedom where we can be what we are created to be, where we can reach the goals from whose glory we have fallen short. There is no reason for us to return to a life of slavery. We can live in the freedom that Christ has brought us-and that is the best gift we can receive at Christmas or at any time in the year.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1628)
2. “Part of the Family.” Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 78-83)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. John North, “Time with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Dr. Jack Graham, “What Would It Be Like if Jesus Hadn’t Come?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Harold Sala, “No Second-Class Citizens in His Kingdom.” Retrieved from guidelines@guidelines.org
10. Pastor David McGee, “Our Relationship Changes Everything.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
11. “Living in the Freedom Christ has Given You.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “A Man for All Ages.” Printed in Turning Points Magazine, Dec. 2017, p. 45
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s Living Insights: Galatians/Ephesians (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: 2015; pp. 89-92)
15. Quinn G. Caldwell, “Real.” Retrieved from www.ucc.org