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February 29, 2008 by admin.
Mark 14:42-52
On our travels down the crossroads, we have seen Jesus traveling with his disciples. Whether it was a trip from Galilee to Judea, Bethany to Jerusalem, or the upper room to Gethsemane, Jesus was surrounded by people who loved him and pledged their allegiance to him. Tonight, all that changes. Tonight we see them leave. We see Jesus walk a crossroad without a companion. As he walks alone, he’s bound. At first glance, it appears to be a scene of helplessness and weakness. But upon further study, we’ll see it as a scene of strength and determination.
The crossroad Jesus walks tonight begins in Gethsemane—where Jesus often went to pray. While agonizing over the weight on his shoulders, Jesus hears the enemy approaching and so he tells his drowsy disciples, “Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” That statement, in and of itself, leads us to marvel at our Savior. Instead of running away when he hears the enemy, he goes and meets them, voluntarily putting himself on another crossroad—a crossroad that will lead from Gethsemane to the Jewish high court, which is also called the Sanhedrin.
I. Jesus Was Bound
The journey begins with a kiss, as Judas the betrayer greets Jesus according to the custom of the day. But this kiss is not one of respect. It is Judas’ signal to the club holders and sword bearers that Jesus is the target. Thus “the men seized Jesus and arrested him,” and Jesus begins the walk down this crossroad as a prisoner. He is bound.
Why do his enemies treat him like a malicious, dangerous criminal that needs to be bound? He had never lifted a finger against them—or against anybody. Why arrest him with such force? Thus Jesus asks, “Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?” Perhaps it wasn’t Jesus that the enemies were worried about. From earlier accounts, we know that Jesus’ enemies had been worried about resistance from his followers (Mk 12:12). And the way in which Peter quickly drew his sword to fight solidified their thinking. Therefore, they were hoping to show a strong force, perhaps a couple hundred strong, to squelch any resistance. You might say that they used the “shock and awe” strategy.
But the truth of the matter is, no matter how many armed soldiers flexed their muscles before Jesus, he didn’t have to be captured. He wasn’t forced to be bound on this crossroad. He allowed it to happen. Remember what was said earlier: What did Jesus do when he heard the encroaching enemy? He said, “Let us go.” He went to meet them instead of ducking behind the olive trees. When he met them, he asked, “Who is it you want?” When he identified himself as the target, they all fell back. Doesn’t that show his power over them? And when Peter drew his sword, Jesus chastised him, reminding Peter that if he had wanted to put up a fight, he could have called up an angelic army that far outnumbered this enemy band.
When we consider Jesus bound on this crossroad, we realize it was not the leather straps or chains around his wrists that bound him. What bound him was his love. His love for sinners compelled him, his love for you and me forced him to be bound by measly chains. His love for God’s eternal rescue plan led him to be bound. Jesus says, “The Scriptures must be fulfilled.” That’s why we see Jesus bound on this crossroad. He was bound and determined to carry out the purpose for which he came. And the purpose for which he came—to save the world from sin—could only be accomplished by him. This perhaps explains something else we see on this crossroad. Not only was Jesus bound, he also was alone.
II. Jesus Was Alone
For three years, Jesus had a close following of 12 men. Wherever he went, they seemed to go—or at least a portion of them. And it wasn’t only the disciples that followed Jesus. Whether it was his miracles or his message, Jesus and crowds went together. People were attracted to him—but not tonight. Oh, Judas, one of the Twelve, is there—but he’s not with Jesus. He’s not following Jesus. He’s against him. For some time already, he had been plotting to hand Jesus over to the chief priests. Oh, Peter is there—and at first glance it looks like he’ll stand by Jesus’ side as he promised. He’s willing to fight. He cuts off a servant’s ear. He’s not going to let Jesus go alone. But in reality, Peter is not walking with Jesus either. By his actions, Peter shows he’s going in a completely different direction than Jesus wants to go, which is why Jesus orders him to put away his sword. Oh, then there’s the young man who followed Jesus, whom some believe to be Mark, the inspired author of our lesson. But when the arresting crowd attempted to seize him, “he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.” Very sadly, as our lesson reports, “Everyone deserted him and fled.” Everyone. Jesus was alone.
What a sad picture! What a weak, frail picture of Jesus. Bound. Alone. Walking this crossroad surrounded only by enemies. Yet it’s anything but weakness on the part of Jesus. This is a picture of strength—strength that only Jesus had. Let’s not bemoan the fact that Jesus had to walk this crossroad and future crossroads by himself. Let’s rejoice. Rejoice that he could do and did do it by himself. When we stop and consider Jesus’ traveling solo from this point on, we can see God’s wisdom as well. For if even one of the disciples had stuck with him and had suffered martyrdom, sooner or later someone would have credited that disciple for contributing to our redemption. And nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus could win heaven for us. Therefore, Jesus walked this crossroad alone.
Now let’s take a moment and consider the impact of Jesus’ walking this crossroad bound and alone. Without Jesus, we too are bound. Not with chains. And certainly not with the love that Jesus had. Rather, by nature we are bound by our sins. We are handcuffed. By nature we are slaves to sin—unable to get away from it and its impact on our lives. But because Jesus was bound on this crossroad, the shackles of sin drop from our wrists. Because Jesus allowed himself to be bound, we are free. Isn’t that a neat contrast?
Or consider the concept of being alone. By nature we are alone with our sins, alone to face judgment. Individually, we each have to give an account for what we’ve done in light of God’s law. That’s a frightening position to be in—to be standing alone, facing our sins. But with Jesus in the picture, things change. Because Jesus walked this crossroad alone, we don’t have to face our sins alone. Rather, Jesus is there. He is there with his righteousness, with his perfection wrapped completely around us. And not only is he there in regard to our sins but he’s there for all our needs. When we’re down, he kneels beside us and promises, “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt 28:20). Because Jesus walked alone, we will never walk alone.
Finally, let’s consider just one more thing about this crossroad from Gethsemane to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, would eventually meet Jesus this night in the high priest’s mansion. There would be a court session that would predetermine that the one who stood before them would be found guilty. We too are walking a path that will lead us to stand at the mansion of a judge who demands perfection. In our case, the verdict is also predetermined. Not because of anything we’ve done but because Jesus walked the crossroads, we will stand before our judge in the mansions of heaven and hear the word innocent. What a day that will be! The day we’ll be with our God. The day we’ll be free from sin and its consequences. The day we’ll enjoy because Jesus walked this crossroad bound and alone.
Amen.
–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff
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February 25, 2008 by admin.
Ephesians 5:8-14
In the name of Jesus, our Lord and our Light, dear fellow children of God,
The temperature today is supposed to top out somewhere in the low 50s – not too bad for February. But I imagine most of us would prefer that thermometer reading to rise a little higher, especially after the day or so we had early last week when temperatures bounced into the 60s. And would any of us complain if sometime in the next week we’d challenge the record temperature for Wichita in February – 87 degrees set in 1996! Instead of watching our step in yet another batch of slush as we bundle up and crank the heaters in our cars, we’d much rather be throwing on some shorts and pop open the sun roof. Even with the mild climate we enjoy in Kansas, we’ve had about enough of the cold, wet stuff and the gloomy skies that go with it. We want spring to hurry up and get here. We want the warm weather to arrive and stick around. We want to feel the sunshine!
Who doesn’t enjoy basking in the light that comes from a shining sun? It warms our bodies and has a tendency to put us in a better mood, chasing away the dreary days of cold, dark skies while promising that warmer days are sure to come.
No matter what the weather forecast might be for this week, this morning we’re told that as Christians we never have to live under dark skies again, not if we just learn to:
“Let God’s Son Shine!”
I. Christ brought us into the light
II. Christ keeps us away from the darkness
The apostle Paul is writing to Christians living in Ephesus who weren’t lifelong Christians. At one time they were unbelievers, children of the devil, living in the darkness of their sins. But then they heard about Jesus, and things changed. Paul describes that change in this way (v 8), “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Earlier Paul had described their previous spiritual condition this way (Eph 2:1), “You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” They had been living in the dark, like spiritual zombies, with no flashlight of their own to help them out of their self-inflicted blindness. Not only were they “in the dark,” but notice that Paul says that they themselves “were . . . darkness.” The darkness of sin had so overwhelmed them that there was no evidence of any shining light in how they lived their lives.
“But now . . .”
Paul continues, signifying that there had been a transformation. “But now you are light in the Lord.” The Holy Spirit had used Paul to turn the light on for them by telling them about Jesus, “the light of the world” (Jn 9:5). From then on things changed. Not only were they enlightened, but the Ephesians also became light! What a difference knowing their Savior made, a difference that was to be reflected in how they lived their lives! That’s why Paul tells them to “live as children of light.” Literally, he’s telling them to “walk around in the light,” to follow the Savior, to let God’s Son shine in their lives!
Paul lays out for them what it means to live as children of light (v 9), “For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” Letting God’s Son shine produces “goodness,” a genuine striving for moral excellence, to always want to do what’s right. The desired result would then be “righteousness,” actually doing what God says is right, living by the “truth” of his Word instead of by what this world has to offer. Letting God’s Son shine means leaving behind the bad, unrighteous, and dishonest lies of darkness so that we can now bring forth “the fruit of the light” – “goodness, righteousness and truth” – all of which are revealed to us in God’s holy Word.
Paul encourages us to “find out what pleases the Lord” (v 10). What he really says in the original Greek is for us to “approve of” or “put our stamp of approval on” what pleases the Lord. He uses the same word that was used to describe the testing of metals and coins to make sure they were authentic. If we are to let God’s Son shine in our lives, to reflect Jesus and all that he has done for us to others, we have to find out what’s real. We have to figure out what God would have us do so we can say no when Satan tries to pull us his way. In John’s first epistle he tells us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 Jn 4:1). And how do we do that?
If I want to know what makes my wife or my son happy, it’s important that I listen to them. I have to put down the newspaper, quit listening to the radio, stop what I’m doing, and give them my attention. It’s no different if you want to “find out what pleases the Lord.” You have to give him your time and attention. You have to listen to him as he speaks to you from his Word, whether here in worship or at home with your Bibles. The psalmist gets it when he writes (Ps 119:105), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” For us to experience that light we have to make sure we’re plugged in to God’s Word, that we’re connected to the only one who can bring us into the light.
The alternative is to slip back into darkness. Were you ever afraid of the dark? Even as adults, we must admit that there’s something about the dark that unnerves us a bit. Spiritual darkness is even scarier. We were all born “in the dark,” lost and condemned creatures, deserving of nothing but an eternity in the dark dungeons of hell. But along came the Son — God’s Son — shining the light of his salvation into our hearts, opening our eyes so we could see again. We see our Savior, on the darkest of days, giving up his life on a cross to bring light to the world. Things changed! We were rescued from darkness and brought into the light of our Lord when God let his Son shine on Calvary!
Now that we’ve been brought into the light and are able to live as children of light, let’s stay put! Let’s stay where it’s safe. Let’s trust that our Savior will keep us away from the darkness.
Where there is light, there won’t be darkness. The two cannot coexist. Paul tells us that the choice is obvious (vv 11,12), “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” In Corinthians Paul proclaims (2 Co 6:14), “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” Remember, we were once darkness, but now we’re children of light. Let’s not wander back into the dark, but let’s continually work with the Holy Spirit to put off the deeds of darkness so we can continue to let God’s Son shine in our lives.
But notice that Paul tells us to do more than just stay away from the deeds of darkness. He also calls for us to “expose them.” When it comes to speaking out against sin, we can’t be bystanders. We can’t remain neutral, and we dare not compromise our beliefs. Introduce light into a dark room, and the things hidden by darkness are revealed for all to see. As children of light we’re called to let God’s Son shine to expose the sins of others. It’s not optional for us. Jesus says very clearly (Mt 5:14), “You are the light of the world.” He doesn’t ask us if we want to be light. He doesn’t give us a choice. Either we’re light or we’re darkness. If we are the light of the world, then we’re meant to shine. We’re meant to reflect the light of our Savior in exposing the deeds of darkness.
That means that we can’t be afraid to call a sin a sin, especially when the world around us is all to eager to sugarcoat the deeds of darkness with nice-sounding terminology like “meaningful relationship,” “significant other,” “alternate lifestyle,” and even “pro-choice.” But let’s call it what it really is. A “meaningful relationship,” if it involves premarital sex, is nothing but fornication. Having a “significant other” without the blessing of marriage is adultery. An “alternate lifestyle” involving two men or two women is referred to in Scripture as homosexuality and is called unnatural. Being called “pro-choice” is simply masking the fact that a person believes in the murdering of unborn children. These and other such deeds of darkness are “shameful even to mention,” and yet to cover them up and leave them unexposed won’t do anyone any favors. We are called to let God’s Son shine, and that means we can’t continue to let sin hide beneath the cover of darkness.
By exposing the deeds of darkness we help ourselves and others see sin for what it really is. Paul continues (vv 13,14), “Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.” A few years ago I found out at that I’m allergic to macadamia nuts. If I eat anything containing macadamia nuts, my throat begins to swell up and becomes quickly irritated. So if I were about to chow down on a macadamia nut cookie without knowing its contents, I would sure hope that someone would speak up and alert me to the impending danger. Too many people are living in danger today and are on a fast track to hell. What’s truly sad is that many of them don’t even know it. Who’s going to sound the alarm? Who’s going to expose their sins for what they really are? With God’s Son shining light into our lives, we’ve been saved from darkness. What are we going to do to help save others?
We’re going to warn them (v 14), “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Paul uses what may have been an old Christian hymn to get his point across. It’s time to wake the dead, those spiritually sleeping in the darkness of sin. To do so, we have to speak up! We’ve been silent for far too long. It’s time for us open our mouths, to call people out of darkness, to lead them to repentance, and to let them see what a different it makes to live in the light. Let’s start in our homes. Let’s talk to our kids about premarital sex and abortion, about drugs and alcohol. Let’s not hide our beliefs when we hear people at work defending the deeds of darkness. Let’s not be afraid to use the blunt language of the law to expose sin when necessary. Without the sting of the law the healing message of the gospel won’t mean a thing to people. Show people their sin so you can then show them their Savior, the Savior who proclaims (Jn 12:46), “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Let God’s Son shine!
Earlier this morning we sang (CW 343:1), “Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none other; Born in our darkness, he became our brother.” The reason Jesus came into this world was to bring us into the light. As we live in this sinful world, awaiting our eternity in heaven, he continues to be with us, keeping us away from the dark. We know that comfort, that joy, that peace that is ours as we live in the “Son-light,” the light of our Savior! Let’s stay put where it’s nice and warm, where it’s safe, wrapped up in the loving arms of our Lord – but all the while still living as children of light, letting God’s Son shine for all the world to see!
Amen
–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff
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February 21, 2008 by admin.
Mark 14:26-31
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps 118:24). That is probably not the greeting you were expecting for a Lenten sermon. Easter Sunday — yes. Lenten service — no. It’s especially not the greeting you expected when you checked your service folder and saw that tonight we are traveling with Jesus on the crossroad to Gethsemane – that garden where Jesus wrestled with anguish in the cold night, sweating drops of blood. And yet I proclaim today, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” By no means am I trying to make light of or ignore our Savior’s suffering by greeting you with a line of praise. Rather, I’m simply starting out this journey from the upper room to Gethsemane the way that Jesus did, with a hymn of praise on his lips.
I. Hear a Hymn of Praise
In our crossroads travels, we have jumped to Thursday evening, Maundy Thursday. It’s been an emotional night. Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet, to their amazement. Jesus and his disciples have celebrated the Passover, that heartwarming festival for the Jewish people, recalling the mercy of God and his deliverance of his people from slavery. Jesus has handed a piece of dipped bread to Judas, marking him as his betrayer, and has excused him from the room. Jesus has introduced a new covenant with his disciples by taking the unleavened bread and saying, “This is my body, given for you.” And he took the cup of wine, saying, “This is my blood, poured out for you.” The evening has been packed full of significant words and actions. And all of this has happened while Jesus knows what awaits him. He knows he’s going to Gethsemane to meet his betrayer. He knows that the next morning he’ll have his back gouged by Roman whips. He knows that in less than 24 hours, he’ll be bleeding at Calvary as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. All this is clearly before his eyes. All this he has attempted to explain to his disciples. While they may not fully grasp what lies ahead, the impending crisis brings about a deathly silence in that upper room. With solemn and perhaps heavy hearts, they clear the table, gather their things, and prepare to journey to Jesus’ favorite garden. And how do they conclude? “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (v 26). They wrap things up with a hymn of praise!
How great is that! Our Savior in that mournful hour does not say, “I cannot sing. . . . My heart aches too much. . . . I’m choked up with grief. . . . I’m too sad for praise. . . . Strike up a death march!” Not at all! Instead, he leads this chorus of male voices with hymns of praise that resonate off the walls. With a spirit glowing with a holy desire to carry out his Father’s will, Jesus belts out genuine songs of adoration. How amazing! How heart-moving for us to hear Jesus begin his journey from the upper room to Gethsemane with a hymn of praise.
Dare we celebrate this holy season of Lent with anything less? I understand the symbolism of not singing Alleluias during Lent to help us focus on the seriousness of our sin and as a way to enhance the joy of bursting forth Alleluias on Easter Sunday. I understand that a black gown may better reflect the somber tone of Lent as opposed to a festive white one. And that’s fine. That’s great. Such symbols can enhance our worship. But for them to do so, let those things serve their purpose. Let them shed light on the beauty of Lent. Let them shed light on the magnitude of Lent. Don’t let them rob the joy of Lent. As we travel these crossroads year after year, it becomes so apparent how much our Savior loves us — he so willingly gave himself for us. Doesn’t that make you want to rejoice? Doesn’t that make you want to sing, “Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, dearest Jesus, unto thee”? May every Lenten hymn we sing, every Lenten offering we bring, every Lenten prayer we utter, and every Lenten sermon we hear be filled with praise. Even as we travel this crossroad from the upper room to Gethsemane, we have reason to sing a hymn of praise.
And so, humming hymns of praise, let’s descend the steps from the upper room and put ourselves on that road now. The path Jesus and his disciples took was not the most cheery path a traveler could take. Their walk would take them through the Kidron Valley, a deep ravine on the east side of Jerusalem that was dry for most of the year. Some have said that its steep, rocky sides, with their large, black crevices seem like yawning jaws of an evil monster. The path also served as a burial ground, with white tombstones lining the highway with a shadowy silence. The place was also associated with King David’s mournful weeping as he fled from his rebellious son, Absalom, using this path. It seems to provide the perfect eerie backdrop for a suspense thriller movie. This path was familiar to the disciples and, therefore, they were usually relatively calm when traveling this road. But on this evening, this chilling backdrop provided the scenery for some unnerving news that our Savior had to share. The humming of hymns of praise had come to an end. We now hear Jesus give a prophecy of desertion.
II. Hear a Prophecy of Desertion
Jesus quotes the prophet Zechariah (v 27), “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Jesus tells his followers, “Something’s going to happen to me, and you guys are all going to leave. You’re going to abandon me.” How would you react if someone whom you loved and respected told you that? How would you react if your mom or spouse said, “I’m going to be going through some tough times the next couple of months, and I know you won’t be there for me”? Wouldn’t we be hurt? Offended? We’d insist, “Of course, I’ll be there for you. Why would you ever doubt my love for you?” Well, that’s the reaction the disciples had when they heard this prophecy of desertion. Particularly Peter, who replies (v 29), “Even if all fall away, I will not.” But instead of being assured by this promise of Peter’s allegiance, Jesus responds with an even sterner warning for Peter. For the second time that evening, Jesus warns (v 30), “I tell you the truth, . . . today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
Now you would think, since this was the omniscient Jesus talking and since Jesus was quoting Scripture and since this was the second time Jesus warned Peter, Peter would have gotten on his knees and confessed the sin that Jesus said he was going to commit. Or he would have asked for strength not to desert his Savior’s side. Instead, we see him putting himself above the wisdom of God, claiming to know himself better than Jesus knew him. Peter emphatically replies (v 31), “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And it’s not only Peter who had the gall to disregard Jesus’ prophecy. All the disciples chimed in with their undying devotion (v 31), “And all the others said the same.”
What can we learn from this conversation on the road? Are we not to apply the same warnings to our lives? The Word boldly warns each and everyone of us, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Co 10:12). We are no different than Peter. We love the Lord. We can’t imagine leaving him. We love to commune with him. We love to pray to him. We love everything he brings to our lives. We profess at our confirmations that we are willing to die for Jesus’ sake. We may even echo Peter, “Others may leave you, Lord, but not me.” We may think things like, “My family has always been active in the church. Certainly, I won’t leave.” Or I could say, “I’m a pastor. I study your Word for a living. Certainly, I won’t leave.”
Brothers and sisters, let us not be so arrogant to think we don’t need to heed the warnings issued on this crossroad. A great philosopher, Socrates, once said that the greatest quality a person can possess is to know oneself. In response, another wise man said, “Who will introduce me?” God introduces us to ourselves. We think we know ourselves, but we often neglect to take into account the frailty of our hearts. How many times don’t we overestimate our own strength to live for God and then fall flat on our faces? How many times don’t we underestimate God’s warnings and find ourselves denying him with our actions? Through this prophecy of desertion heard on this crossroad, let us be reminded not to rely on ourselves. Let us be reminded not to rely on our faith. Rather, let us be reminded to rely on the object of our faith — Jesus. Let him teach us about ourselves. Let him, through his Word, strengthen us for our spiritual journeys. Let him share with us his will and his way. And it’s his way that he also shares with us on this crossroad. For sandwiched in between the two prophecies of a desertion, we hear the promise of a resurrection reunion.
III. Hear a Promise of a Resurrection Reunion
Did you hear it when I read it earlier? If not, we’re no different than the disciples. Based on their quick reaction to defend themselves, it seems that they completely missed the beautiful promise that Jesus extended on this crossroad. Let’s not miss it ourselves. After saying the sheep will be scattered, and before Peter’s response, Jesus said (v 28), “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Cherish this promise of Jesus. He’s saying, in theory, that the devil has a good plan. Striking the shepherd does cause the sheep to scatter. We see the devil still using that tactic today. He peppers people in leadership positions with false doctrine, so they in turn lead others astray. It’s a successful strategy. But when the devil would strike the Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, in this way, his victory would be short lived. For the Shepherd, although he would be struck, would not stay down. He would come roaring back. He would come back to be reunited with his followers. His resurrection would mean a reunion.
And the same holds true today. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we will have a reunion with our Savior in all eternity. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we will have a reunion with all the saints in glory everlasting. And that truth, that promise of victory so briefly mentioned on this crossroad from the upper room to Gethsemane, puts the hymn of praise back on our lips — a hymn of praise in the middle of Lent!
Amen
–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff
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February 17, 2008 by admin.
Two boys were walking through the woods along side a river. They came to a tree that had fallen across the river and decided to walk across it. The younger boy started out on the log, but after taking a couple of steps, he got scared and backed off the log. The older boy assured him that it was safe, and offered to go over first. He walked across the log and then turned to urge his friend to come across. He was a bit surprised to see the younger boy already crossing the tree and congratulated him when he reached the other side.
Sometimes we all need a little reassurance before we trust someone or something. And many times if we have a reference or someone who has been successful before us, we are more willing to venture ahead. In our text for today, we have an example set by Abraham that will encourage us in our lives of faith. God made a promise to Abraham which he fully trusted and acted on in faith. As a result, Abraham was blessed by God. When we hear and believe God’s promises and act on them in faith, we will also be blessed by God. God’s Word today will teach us to
“Live by God’s Promises”
I. Listen and Believe
II. Respond
Moses wrote, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’” What God asked Abraham to do was quite a challenge. By this time Abraham was pretty comfortable in Haran. He had a family and friends and was settled in his homeland. God came to him and told him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household. And to top it off, he didn’t tell Abraham where he was supposed to go!
To encourage Abraham, God attached a seven-fold promise to his command. He said, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” God never expects his people to blindly put their faith in him or his promises. Remember the words of the hymn verse that say, “How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word…”(CW 416:1) In Romans 10:17 Paul explains, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
The command from God to Abraham and the promise that God made were both pretty impressive. Abraham had a lot at stake as he listened to what God told him to do, and God offered him some pretty bold promises. God promised to bless Abraham and make him a great nation. He promised to bless others through Abraham, going as far as to say, “…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham had a lot to consider and his response would require a great faith.
The commands that come from God are sometimes quite challenging. He told Noah and his family to build an ark warning them of a world-wide flood that he was going to send. He told Moses to lead his people through the wilderness and promised to be with him. Jesus told twelve men to leave their families and follow him and promised to give them everything that they would need. In each case the people listened to the Lord because the promise he gave them was powerful. If they had been told to do those things by anyone else, they may have hesitated or refused. But God’s word has power to convince people to do what he commands.
Each of us has been influenced by that power in our own lives. God has called us to put our faith in him for eternal life and promised that he will take us to heaven. How do we know that he will? What proof do we have that there is a heaven or that those who trust in Jesus ever go there? If you thin about it, the only assurance that we have is that the promise comes from God. And yet we, along with millions of others, believe and have believed that God will do what he has promised. Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” David also wrote in Psalm 25:10, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful…”
We can live by God’s promises because they are God’s promises. The examples that we have from the Bible give us added assurance that God is faithful, but his Word alone has the power to make us listen and believe what he says. Remember that God created the entire world with his word alone. He cast out demons and healed the sick and raised people from the dead simply by saying the words.
Through the Word of God we have been given many promises by God, and we have been called by God to do certain things. Our text shows us today that those who listen to God’s promises and believe them will
The Lord had told Abraham to leave his homeland and had promised him many blessings if he obeyed. The very next verse of our text says, “So Abram left, as the lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.” The call to Abraham was unique, but the principle remains the same. The promises God makes creates faith, and faith empowers a person to do what God says.
As Abraham carried out the command of God, he was further encouraged by God. Moses wrote, “Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” God gave Abraham another promise, one that might have seemed a bit unlikely. The Canaanites were well established in the land and strong warriors. But God said that one day Abraham’s offspring would possess the land, and in response, Abraham built and altar and worshiped God.
As he moved further, he went with the assurance of the Lord. Moses says, “From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” As Abraham followed the Lord, the Lord led him safely. In response, Moses says that Abraham “…called on the name of the Lord,” which means he publicly professed the name of the Lord, or in other words, he told people about his God. No doubt the people wondered who he was and what he was doing there, and Abraham wasn’t afraid to tell them. He acted on the faith that God’s promises created.
During the season of Lent, we see another perfect example of faith in action. The faith that Jesus had in his heavenly Father is clearly demonstrated by his perfect obedience and willing sacrifice. There were some pretty ugly moments in the story of Jesus’ suffering and death. There were times when his followers couldn’t take the heat any longer and deserted him. But when Jesus felt the burden of his responsibility, he turned to his heavenly Father in prayer. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew says he “…fell with his face to the ground and prayed.” (Mt. 26:39)
The challenges that we face can lead us to God or away from him. The promises that he gives us pull us toward him. Those who use his word regularly, who read and hear it and make it a part of their lives, find it easier to trust God and his promises. When challenges come to the strong Christian, he is better equipped by the faith God has given him to meet them.
We all face attacks from the devil throughout our lives. We are encouraged in Proverbs 3:5,6 to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Abraham responded in faith to the command of God and trusted the promises God gave him. As a result, Abraham was blessed by God and stands today as a pillar of faith for us to copy. Although each of us faces different trials and tests in our lives, we all have the common promise from God that he will “…be with you always, to the very end of the age.” Live by that promise from God. Listen and believe, then respond. When you do, God will be glorified and you will be blessed.
Amen.
–Rev Roger Rockhoff
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February 14, 2008 by admin.
Mark 11:12-14,20-25
In the name of our Savior who poured out his lifeblood for you and for me, dear friends,
Life is full of expectations, isn’t it? Your boss expects you to accomplish certain tasks during the day, unless you want to become unemployed. A teacher expects students to be done with their homework. You came to services today expecting to hear a sermon. Life is full of expectations.
As we continue our journey on the crossroads, we see Jesus also had expectations. He had expectations of what he was going to have to endure. He had expectations of others—be it his disciples or his enemies. In today’s lesson we find him having expectations of a fig tree. It’s his expectations of this fig tree that will serve as a teaching tool for us to see what Jesus expects of us.
The setting for our journey today is Monday morning, the day after Palm Sunday. Jesus had received a hero’s welcome the previous day as he entered Jerusalem. But he had not been able to take a look around town before heading back to the suburb of Bethany for the night. Now, on Monday, Jesus and his disciples were eager to check out the happenings of Jerusalem. They headed out early in the morning, probably without breakfast, which is where our lesson picks up (vv 12-14), “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.”
Upon the first reading, it seems like Jesus woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Why would he curse a tree for not having figs when it wasn’t even the season for fruit yet? Wasn’t he expecting a little much of this tree? Did Jesus resent Mondays as much as you and I do? To understand Jesus’ disgust, we need to know a little bit about fig trees. Fruits and leaves are supposed to appear simultaneously on a fig tree. Therefore, since this tree was “in leaf,” Jesus had every right to expect to find fruit on its branches. But the tree was not what it seemed. And that’s what upset him: This tree flaunted its leaves from a distance, but upon closer inspection it was worthless. It was empty. This tree was a hypocrite—good on the outside, worthless on the inside. And so Jesus cursed it. The next day, Jesus and his disciples were once again walking this road from Bethany to Jerusalem when they saw this same fig tree. Peter called attention to it, saying (v 21), “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
So what can we learn from this little visual aid that Jesus used? What can we learn as we walk this particular crossroad with Jesus and his disciples? In our closing verses, Jesus tells us what he wants. What he wants, what he expects, is for us to bear fruit. He doesn’t want followers who simply put on a good show. Rather, he expects there to be substance. He expects to find figs. But what is that fruit? What are the “figs” Jesus expects to find in us? Plain and simple, it’s faith. On the road from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus instructed his disciples (v 22), “Have faith in God.” Faith in God is what Jesus looks for in each one of us. And isn’t faith in God what Lent is all about? Perhaps like no other time of year, Lent is an opportunity for us to review just where we stand with our God. On the one hand, Lent leads us to contemplate the seriousness of our sin and how God cannot stand to be in its presence. On the other hand, Lent leads us to contemplate how God dealt with our sin through his Son, that Son who is the cornerstone of our faith. Yes, faith—faith in God is what the message of Lent is intended to produce and strengthen. And faith in God is not dead. It is not withered. Faith In God Shows. Let me say that again, noting the first letter of each word: Faith—F; In—I; God—G; Shows—S. F-I-G-S. As a gradeschool cheerleader would say, “What’s that spell?” Figs. Just as Jesus expected figs from that tree bordering the crossroad from Bethany to Jerusalem, you might say Jesus expects FIGS from us. But how will faith in God show itself in our lives? The first way he says faith will show itself is in prayer.
I. Faith in God Shows Itself in Prayer
After saying, “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered (vv 23,24), “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
To get the full effect of what Jesus is saying here, you have to picture the disciples on this crossroad. They’re on a steep, mountainous ridge heading west to Jerusalem, which sits about 2,500 feet above sea level. But if they look back to the east, they can see the Dead Sea, which is located 1,600 feet below sea level. Jesus used this view to point out what it means to have faith in God. It means trusting that God has the ability to do anything. He could even throw the mountain they were climbing into the depths of the sea. That’s how powerful God is. And it’s that unbelievable power that the disciples were connected to through faith in God. And so Jesus encouraged them to show that faith, to tap into that power through prayer. He says that because your God is so powerful, pray with a heart that doesn’t doubt. Pray with a heart that believes God can do anything he promises.
But we don’t just hear Jesus telling us to pray. Time and time again as we travel with Jesus during this season, we see him praying. In the Upper Room, we see him pray. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see him praying so earnestly that his sweat was like drops of blood. Certainly, one of the things to marvel about Jesus’ last week, one of the things to marvel about Jesus’ life, is his spending so much time in prayer. And then, when we examine the content of his prayers, we stand in even more awe. We don’t find him praying selfishly, “It’s got to be done this way. My way or the highway.” Rather, we find him submitting to the wisdom of his heavenly Father as he prays, “Your will be done.” We don’t find him praying only for himself. We find him praying for others—his friends, his followers, and even his enemies. As he hung on the cross, what did he say? “Father, forgive them.”
Which leads to another FIG that Jesus looks for in us. Not only does he expect faith in God to shows itself in prayer, but also in a forgiving spirit.
II. Faith in God Shows Itself in a Forgiving Spirit
Jesus goes on to say in our lesson (v 25), “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” What’s the connection between faith in God and a forgiving spirit toward others? Let’s think this through. If we refuse to forgive someone, we are saying that people need to atone for or suffer the consequences of their own sins. Right? They have to make up for it. Now, if that’s the case, what are we telling God? We’re telling him not to forgive us either. We’re telling him, “I need to make right for my sins. I need to pay.” And that, brothers and sisters, is not faith. That is not trusting in God to do what he promises. That’s trusting in ourselves to make things right with God. On the flip side, when we do have a forgiving spirit toward others, indicating that we indeed do have faith in God, then look what follows: “Your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Faith receives the blessings that God promises. In this case, faith receives the blessing of forgiveness that God offers through Jesus.
Now just as we talked about in regard to prayer, Jesus doesn’t just tell us to show our faith through a forgiving spirit. He demonstrates what that forgiving spirit looks like. Consider the way he handled Peter. In a few weeks, we’ll hear how Peter denied knowing Jesus. But not long after that, Jesus would assure Peter of his forgiveness by reinstating him as one of his gospel workers. Or think about that thief on the cross. In one scene he’s hurling insults on Jesus. In the next, we hear Jesus forgiving him his sin by saying (Lk 23:43), “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Whether it was to a friend or a foe, Jesus freely and frequently offered forgiveness. As recipients of that forgiveness through faith, may we freely and frequently offer that forgiveness to others as well. That’s the FIG Jesus wants to find in us.
Now one more thing needs to be said. If faith in God shows itself in prayer and if faith in God shows itself in a forgiving spirit, what if I don’t always see that in my life? What if my prayer life is riddled with doubts? What if I struggle to forgive others? Does that mean I don’t have faith? A wise seminary professor once said, “Whenever I look inside of me for my faith, the little bugger hides.” His point was that in order to answer the question whether or not we have faith, we cannot look at the roadmaps in our hearts. Rather, we need to follow the crossroads mapped out in the Word. These crossroads that we’re traveling lead us to our Savior. Our Savior who prays for us. Our Savior who forgives us. When the Holy Spirit guides us to follow these crossroads, as he is right now, our faith will become stronger and our Savior will see more FIGS.
Amen
-Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff
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February 10, 2008 by admin.
Matthew 4:1-11
In the Name of Jesus, the Valiant One Whom God Himself Elected, Dear Christian Friends,
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Ge 3:7). That’s how our First Lesson for this morning ended. What an embarrassing defeat! Adam and Eve were led to believe that they didn’t need God, that they could handle the devil, disguised in that talkative little snake, all by themselves. So they let him serve the first shot, but they couldn’t volley with him. His lies looked too good to resist. He was promising them divine status, and they took the bait. The result? They lost, and they looked bad in doing so. Instead of rubbing elbows with God they ended up scurrying for something to cover their nakedness which, for the first time, made them uncomfortable. Now they knew shame. Now their eyes were open, and what they saw bothered them. Now they saw a ruined creation, a sin-stained shambles of what they once had. They had been to battle with the devil, and the result was a humiliating and deadly defeat.
But, as the saying goes, the devil may have won the battle, but the war was far from over. The cavalry was on the way. The Lord promised to send help when he told the devil (Ge 3:15), “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This morning Matthew shows us the Lord’s “crusher” in action. We see Jesus in hand-to-hand combat with the devil, and this time we’re not disappointed by the result. Let’s see how the devil takes his best shots, but every time our Lord responds with winning returns. In the end the decision is clear. Jesus wins:
“Game, Set, Match!”
I. Jesus refused to play Satan’s “game”
II. Jesus refused to be “set” up by Satan
III. Satan proved to be no “match” for Jesus
God sent his Son to this world for one reason (1 Jn 3:8): “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Jesus was eager to take the battle to him. We see this in the opening verse of our text (v 1), “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” Being led by the Spirit to face the devil’s temptations doesn’t mean that Jesus did so against his will. Quite the contrary. To defeat the devil Jesus knew he had to face him, one-on-one. And he knew the one he was up against. In the Greek language the word diabolos is the word we translate “devil.” It’s the word from which we get our word diabolical. It means “slanderer” or “liar,” very fitting descriptions of what Satan is all about. He invented the lie and worked it to perfection. That’s why Jesus refers to him as “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). Satan knew who Jesus was. He knew he was the Lord’s Messiah. So he was determined to do whatever it would take to get Jesus to slip up, to just once go against his Father’s will. He had already won a battle against Adam and Eve. Now he wanted another victory so he could claim the whole world as his own. So he launches his attacks against Jesus. This morning we’re told about just three of these confrontations between our Lord and his evil adversary, but we’re left with no doubt as to who the victor is.
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, [Jesus] was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’” (vv 2,3). Jesus had been fasting for almost a month and a half. Being true man, Jesus naturally was hungry. For the past 40 days, his heavenly Father had sustained him as he had refrained from food. In his Gospel Luke tells us that the devil made regular visits to Jesus in the desert (Lk 4:2), “For forty days he was tempted by the devil.” There weren’t just three temptations lobbed at our Lord. This shouldn’t surprise us. The devil is called “the tempter” here. Tempting is what he does for a living. The temptation he launches at Jesus here is for him to ease his hunger by using his divine power to turn stones into bread, to avoid suffering and to stop trusting his heavenly Father to provide for him. It was the same technique he had used on Eve, trying to raise doubts and suspicions in Jesus’ mind. If, in fact, he was the Son of God, why should he wait for his Father in heaven to provide for him? Why didn’t he just take matters into his own hands?
Jesus refused to play Satan’s game. He answered this temptation by using “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17). “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (v 4). Jesus used the words of Deuteronomy 8:3 to show that man does not live because of food, but because God says so. Jesus demonstrated his complete trust in his Father to provide for him. He later would proclaim (Jn 4:34), “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” All the bread in the world wouldn’t keep him alive if his Father didn’t want him to live. If he wanted Jesus around to save the world, he would make sure that he would survive, even after going 40 days without food. Jesus refused to doubt his heavenly Father, and he refused to play Satan’s game. Round one goes to our Lord!
If nothing else, the devil is persistent (vv 5,6), “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’” Another attempt to create doubt. If Jesus truly was the Son of God, certainly his Father wouldn’t let anything happen to him. So Satan was telling Jesus, “Prove it! And since you’re in the habit of quoting Scripture, look what he says in Psalm 91. He’ll send his angels to protect you. So go ahead and jump. You’ve got nothing to fear — if you really believe that your Father will protect you.”
Jesus refused to be set up with this temptation. Once again he answers with Scripture (v 7), “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Satan had tried to quote Scripture, but he had pulled it out of context. The verses he had quoted from Psalm 91 are not a promise of unlimited angelic protection under all circumstances. They are instead an assurance of the Lord’s protection as we go about our daily activities. Martin Luther had this to say, “If the devil does not succeed in robbing us of our confidence in God, he will go to the other extreme and try to make us cocksure and much too daring.” To tempt God in such a way is not an act of faith, but a demonstration of doubt. It’s trying to make God prove who he is by forcing him to perform a supernatural act. Instead we are to rely on him and trust in him to watch over us, as Jesus proved by avoiding the trap Satan had set for him. Round two again goes to our Lord!
But Satan wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He tries again, this time attempting to make a deal with Jesus (vv 8,9), “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” This may have been the toughest test of all for Jesus. Remember, Jesus had come to win the world. Now Satan was saying it all could be his without having to suffer and die for it. He was giving Jesus a better option, a shortcut to his final goal, if he would just forget about his Father’s will and bow down to him, the prince of this world.
The father of lies was living up to his name here. First of all, “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” didn’t belong to the devil. If Jesus had bowed down to him, not only would he have not won the world for himself, but the exact opposite would have occurred. The world would have been lost because it would have lost the Savior. Satan had lied. Scripture tells us (Ps 24:1), “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” Satan was selling, but once again Jesus wasn’t buying.
A third time Jesus uses the power of Scripture to refute the devil’s temptation (v 10), “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” To worship the devil would have been worshiping a false god, thereby breaking the First Commandment. Jesus would not commit such an idolatrous act. He wasn’t looking for shortcuts to get around the will of his Father. He was determined to walk the path his Father had set before him, no matter how difficult that path may have been. He had come to do his Father’s will, and he wanted nothing to do with what the devil had to offer.
In his Epistle James tells us (4:7), “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus proved this to be true (v 11), “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Satan proved to be no match for Jesus! When told to leave, he had to obey. Sure, he’d be back again, but the result would always be the same. He could never stack up against Jesus. As we sang this morning (CW 200:3), “This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done! One little word can fell him.” Our Savior proved this to be true as well. Now we rejoice in his victory, because “the kingdom’s ours forever” (CW 200:4)!
So what do we take home with us today? Three points seem to stand out. First of all, let us never underestimate “the old evil foe.” Peter tells us (1 Pe 5:8), “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Satan never takes a vacation. He never takes a day off. He doesn’t even pause for a coffee break. He’s constantly on the prowl, waiting for us to slip up. And he knows our weaknesses. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and he tempts us accordingly. We have to be on our guard at all times. The moment we think that Satan can’t get to us is the moment he’s got us right where he wants us. Keep in mind the warning of the apostle Paul (1 Co 10:12), “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
How do we stand up against the devil’s temptations? We use what the Lord gives us (Eph 6:10,11,17), “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Use the same weapon Jesus used — the Word of God! Sunday School children and those in confirmation, now do you see why we have you memorize those Bible passages? God wants us to be ready to counter the devil’s temptations, to send him away by firing back at him with God’s Word. If we don’t know the Word, we can’t use it. If we don’t arm ourselves with the weapons the Lord provides for us, then we’ll fall and give in. Remember, “one little word” — God’s Word — “can fell him”!
Finally, we can’t go home this morning without realizing that by overcoming the devil’s temptations Jesus proved to us that he is the unblemished Son of God who lived a perfect life for you and me. We rejoice when we read in Hebrews that “we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without sin” (4:15). During this Lenten season our attention so often is centered on the cross, the place of our Savior’s death. But don’t forget to look at all that took place before the cross came into the picture. Before we look at our Savior’s death, let’s look at his life. The cross wouldn’t mean a thing if Jesus didn’t have any righteousness to exchange for our sins when he died. He had to do battle everyday against every assault the devil launched against him. He had to overcome every temptation hurled his way. He had to be perfect — and he was! His perfect obedience to the will of his Father is what made it possible for us to be clothed in righteousness as we stand before our God in heaven, confident that we are fit to spend eternity with him. Before he died for us, Jesus lived for us. And in so doing he won the war over Satan — for us and for all people!
The best news of all? When Jesus defeated the devil, his victory was complete. There’s nothing left for us to do. When we put our trust in our Savior, Satan can’t harm us. When we resist him with God’s power, he has to leave us also. Jesus has rendered him powerless. If we venture out on our own, he can still do some damage. But with Christ at our side, we have nothing to fear. The victory has been won!
So, if you’re scoring at home, jot down the winner. It’s a rout! The margin of victory is overwhelming! Our Lord remains undefeated! The devil has been defeated. Jesus’ victory is complete — game, set, match!
Amen
–Rev Jonathan Rockhoff
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February 7, 2008 by admin.
Mark 10:32-34
Have you ever dreaded going somewhere? Maybe it was the dentist office to get a tooth filled. Maybe you dreaded going to school on the day of a big exam. Maybe you dreaded going to Aunt Ethel’s house because you couldn’t stand the distinct odor and the fact that she always had the furnace set at 80 degrees. When we have to go to such places, we look for every excuse in the book not to go.
While a trip to the dentist, the classroom, or Aunt Ethel’s may all be less than inviting, what if we knew the time and place we were going to die? What if we had 100 percent guaranteed information that as soon as we pull into the driveway after services, we will die—would we go home from here? Would we eagerly jump in the car after services and beat the traffic, saying, “I can’t wait to get there”? Probably not. More than likely, we’d book a room at the Holiday Inn and call the moving company to go in and start packing up our things. We would avoid even getting close to our homes again.
Today, as we begin our journey with Jesus on his crossroads, we find ourselves on the longest geographical route we’ll travel over the next six weeks. We’re on the road from the northern region of Galilee to the southern region of Judea. This 75-mile trek would provide ample time for reflection and conversation for Jesus and his disciples. But what’s most amazing about this trek is that they were on it at all. Jesus knew that this road would lead him to the cross. In a sense, this road could be marked “One Way.” He knew he was going to Judea to die. Yet, he went. As we travel this crossroad with Jesus, we’ll see him as a leader. We’ll see him as a teacher. And most important, we’ll see him as the Savior. So let’s lace up our sandals and join the disciples and Jesus on this long crossroad, seeing Jesus, first of all, as a leader.
I. See Jesus as a Leader
How would you define a leader? Someone once said, “A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn’t like the tune.” Can’t that be said of Jesus in this case? In regard to his human nature, what Jesus was facing must have been overwhelming. Down the road, he could see the Roman hammer driving a nail through his flesh. In the distance, he could feel the spit of mockers oozing down his cheeks. He could hear his friends betraying and denying him. This was the music playing in Jesus’ future—yet he faced it head-on. Our lesson says, “Jesus [was] leading the way.” He wasn’t just part of a pilgrim crowd heading to celebrate the Passover. He wasn’t being dragged along for the ride. He was out in front, urging, “C’mon, let’s go.” Hear him coaching the disciples along the way: “C’mon Peter, you can’t be tired. Let’s pick it up, Philip, c’mon. Let’s get to the next town before dark. Let’s go guys.”
While Jesus was determined to push forward to get to Judea, the emotions of his companions were quite different. Our lesson says that the disciples were “astonished” as they walked this road. They were dumbfounded perhaps because they knew Jerusalem was the hotbed for Jesus’ enemies. They couldn’t understand why Jesus would be so eager to head into enemy territory. Wouldn’t he want to stay in the comfy confines of Capernaum or some other Galilean town? They couldn’t figure it out, and you can bet the disciples were talking privately along the road, discussing why Jesus was pushing forward with such determination. As for the other pilgrims who followed Jesus, there must have been an eerie feeling that hovered over them. Something clued them in that a momentous, perhaps tragic, event was looming. For the Bible simply reports, “[They] were afraid.”
Now let’s ask, what would we have been thinking if we had been on that road to Judea? Or better yet, what emotions do we experience now as we walk the difficult roads of our faith-life? All too often we mimic the crowd or disciples, don’t we? We fear what lies ahead. We wonder how we’re ever going to get through a difficult situation. We doubt God’s presence in a time of turmoil. We doubt his wisdom. But then, out of the blue, we see Jesus leading. Through his Word, we see his love shining through. Through his Word, we see him grabbing us by the hand, picking us up from the dirt of despair. We hear him say, “C’mon, let’s go. I’ll be with you. Follow me. I’ll lead.” Indeed, when we find ourselves on our own crossroads—crossroads that are far less dangerous than the one Jesus traveled—we still see him leading. We see Christ as our leader.
But there is more to being a good leader than just being out in front, cheering and serving as an example in the face of adversity. A good leader will also take the time to explain his actions to his followers, thus equipping them to face similar adversity in the future. On the crossroad from Galilee to Judea, we see Jesus doing just that. We see Jesus as a teacher.
II. See Jesus as a Teacher
Our lesson continues, “Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.” The key word here is again. This is at least the fifth time that Jesus has told his disciples about his upcoming suffering and death. Perhaps there were other times that are not recorded for us in the pages of Scripture. But what’s the big deal that again and again we hear Jesus telling this to his followers? It shows the patience of Jesus. As a teacher, Jesus had every right to bang his head against the wall, frustrated that his pupils just didn’t seem to get it at times. In one instance he says that the first shall be last, but soon afterward we see the disciples arguing about who is the greatest among them. In one scene the disciples witness a miracle, a few hours later they completely forget about Jesus’ power and are scared for their lives. Jesus so easily could have thrown his hands up in disgust and given up on this group. But he didn’t. Rather, time and time again he patiently taught them. And here, on his final trip to Judea, he pulls them aside for one more lesson. One more review before they would face a major test of their faith.
This leads to another point about Christ as a teacher—look at the subject matter he taught his pupils. He didn’t just share the flashy news about himself. He didn’t just wow them with his miracles. He shared the truth—the whole truth—even the parts they maybe didn’t want to hear. He didn’t gloss over the hard-to-swallow teachings. In fact, he called special attention to them. It’s not so much reflected in our NIV translation, but in the original language, Jesus’ prediction begins with an attention-getting word. He says, “Behold!” or, “Listen up!” Then he goes on to say, “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.”
If you’re a disciple walking this road, what’s going on in your head, having heard this? I imagine this news was difficult to face. While they had faith in Jesus as their spiritual Messiah, the disciples also wrestled with the common hope of Jesus being their political Messiah. All this talk of their leader being humiliated and killed dashed such hopes. This is maybe why we heard earlier that they were “astonished.” How could their leader escort them into this hornets’ nest? Why was he doing this? Should they stop him? Valid questions. Questions that only a masterful teacher could answer. Jesus knew that in the long run, this seemingly gloomy prediction would comfort the disciples. Therefore, he didn’t hide it from them. As a great teacher, Jesus knew that months later the disciples would recall this conversation and see how he had taught them that he was in control. They could look back and see that Jesus had taught them how everything that had happened during holy week had been according to God’s plan. And imagine the comfort that would eventually bring. Comfort from their teacher.
But it wasn’t only the disciples on this crossroad that had Jesus as their teacher. We also are pupils of Jesus, whom he teaches in a similar way. So often we fail to “get it.” He invites, “Come to me with your problems,” and we seek so many other solutions first. He soothingly says, “You’re forgiven,” and we beat ourselves up over our sins. He instructs, “Let my Word be your guide,” and we choose alternate paths. Yet he’s patient with us. Again and again he pulls us aside and speaks to us through his Word. Oh, the message may not always be what we want to hear. We don’t always want to hear about the seriousness of our sin. We may not want to hear about how we can expect difficult times as followers of Jesus. We may cringe when that law pierces us so sharply. But in the end, the masterful teacher knows such things are what we need to hear. The law ultimately is for our good because it paves the way for Jesus to teach us the most important truth, the truth he taught his disciples on this crossroad: Not only is he our leader, not only is he our teacher, but most important, he’s our Savior. See Christ as the Savior.
III. See Jesus as the Savior
Jesus drives home this point with a concise little sentence to end the conversation with his disciples. It’s almost as if Jesus is describing a boxing match. He piles up one verb upon another, like a boxer taking one little jab after another. He’s mocked (jab 1); he’s spit on (jab 2); he’s flogged (3); he’s killed (KO). Jesus falls to the canvas of the tomb, seemingly knocked out for good. But then, with the referee about to slam down his hand for the final count and declare Jesus defeated, Jesus pops up from the canvas and delivers a KO himself. Jesus declares, “Three days later [I] will rise.”
Unfortunately, the disciples at this time didn’t comprehend Jesus’ prediction that he would deliver the knockout punch. Luke’s gospel reports, “The disciples did not understand any of this” (18:34). They were probably caught thinking about the jabs their leader was about to take. But in the end, they would learn to appreciate the weight of these words. They would learn that these words were more than an empty hope that Jesus held out to them. They would learn these words proved his victory over his enemies. They would look back on these words and see Christ as their Savior.
And that’s what we do today as well. As we begin the Lenten season and travel these crossroads with Jesus, our minds can be consumed about all the jabs that our Savior took. During Lent we reflect on how our sins were jabs that landed on him. Now certainly, it’s healthy for us to understand the seriousness of our sin. But it’s only healthy if we understand that Jesus not only absorbed the jabs, he fought back and won. He conquered our sins. He knocked out our sins. He saved us from our sins. Remember that as we travel these crossroads. Remember that these roads which lead to the agony of the cross merge into another road that takes us to the empty tomb and the glory of eternal life. Traveling with Jesus through the darkness, we are led to see Jesus as the light of heaven. May our Lenten journey, therefore, be a blessing to us as we see Jesus as our leader, our teacher, and our Savior.
Amen.
–Rev. Roger Rockhoff
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February 4, 2008 by admin.
Matthew 17:1-9
In the name of our glorious Savior, who gives us every reason to say with Peter, “It is good for us to be here,” dear friends gathered to hear the Word of our Lord,
In many aspects of life, people get caught up in finding the next “real thing.” In politics, we’re lured by promises from many a candidate, trying to get us to believe that he or she is the next real thing. In sports we become captivated when a rookie puts up amazing numbers, making us wonder if he could be the next real thing. Even in the business world, the up-and-coming young prodigy offers so much promise of making millions for the company that many hope they’ve stumbled upon the next real thing. All that’s left is for the anointed “real thing” is to back up the press clippings and fulfill the unlimited potential and promise that lies ahead.
Jesus came into this world with unlimited potential. The Old Testament press clippings, along with the Holy Spirit himself at his baptism, had anointed him to be the One everyone was waiting for, the One who would fulfill all those promises made by the prophets, the One who would be the Savior of the world.
The Epiphany season is all about Jesus giving proof that his proclaimed potential was more than just a pious pipedream. He was everything he was proclaimed to be. On this the last Sunday of the Epiphany season, we ponder the awesome event known as the transfiguration, an event that truly proclaims:
“Jesus Is the Real Thing”
I. His glorious divinity
II. His heavenly connections
III. His ultimate goal
What we have before us this morning is a spiritual “pit stop” for Jesus before the final lap of his race here on this earth (v 1), “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” It was time for Jesus to get away from his active routine of preaching and teaching, healing and counseling. Now he takes advantage of the opportunity to retreat to a place where three of his closest friends – Peter, James, and John – would face no distractions as they were about to see something beyond human comprehension. What a fine example for us today, reminding us of the importance to take time out from our busy schedules to recharge and to be enlightened by our Lord with the wonderful message of his Word.
What these disciples saw on that mountaintop might best be described as a glorious metamorphosis (v 2), “There [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” I used the word “metamorphosis” because that’s the actual Greek word used to describe what took place. In a glorious manner, the form of Jesus as the disciples knew it was altered. We may marvel at a caterpillar turning into a butterfly or a tadpole changing into a frog, but neither compares to the brilliance and majesty on display as the divinity of Jesus shone through his humanity up on that mountain of transfiguration. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” That’s how Matthew describes the change that took place. The other Gospel writers offer their own descriptions. Mark puts it this way (9:3), “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” Luke says that “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning” (9:29). To be sure even all these human descriptions fall short of portraying the glorious divinity on display during our Lord’s transfiguration.
As difficult as it may be to describe, we still know what was taking place: Jesus was allowing some of the splendor of his divine nature to shine through his human nature. Martin Luther once said that just as the worm covers the fishing hook and hides the hook from the fish’s eye, so the humanity of Christ covered his deity and hid it from the people’s eyes. Now the disciples received a glimpse of that glorious divinity. Even though they had been told by Jesus that he was truly the Son of God, and even though this fact was clearly demonstrated time after time through his miracles, this was different. There would be no denying that Jesus was who he proclaimed to be. He was not only true man. Along with the humanity came the divinity. The transfiguration declared that Jesus was the real thing – he was true God!
But why now? Why make this undeniable display of his deity at this time? Imagine what this did for the three disciples privileged to witness this event. It was approximately nine months before Jesus would enter the depths of his humility, when he would be arrested, tortured, cruelly executed, and buried in a tomb. The disciples needed to know that this was not just some ordinary man whose cause was lost in defeat, another self-proclaimed Savior who couldn’t deliver on what was promised. No, the transfiguration backed up what Jesus was claiming all along, and later the disciples would write about the certainty that this event gave to them. We heard Peter proclaim earlier this morning (2 Pe 1:16), “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” In his Gospel John writes (Jn 1:14), “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The transfiguration of our Lord proved to the disciples – and to us – that Jesus was indeed the divine Savior of the world. He is the real thing!
Need more proof? Check out the heavenly connections who visited our Lord that day.
If the sight of Jesus’ glorious divinity wasn’t enough to bedazzle the disciples, what happened next did the trick (v 3), “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.” This was no dream or illusion. Here was Moses, the great leader of Israel, and Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, the Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle of the Old Testament, standing and talking with Jesus! Luke tells us what they were talking about (Lk 9:31), “They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” Call it a spiritual “pep talk,” words of encouragement for Jesus as he would soon make his way to Jerusalem for the last time. These two great warriors of old were there to remind Jesus that his heavenly Father was indeed fulfilling his plan of salvation through him.
This experience was so overwhelming for the disciples, they didn’t want it to end. Serving in his usual role as the self-appointed spokesman for the group, Peter had a suggestion (v 4), “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” “Let’s stay here, Lord! This is all too wonderful! We don’t want it to end! Let’s just live up here for a while and enjoy this little bit of heaven on earth!” Who among us hasn’t had moments that we wish would never end! But then the party’s over, the vacation wraps up, and Monday morning comes again. So don’t laugh too much at Peter’s suggestion. If anything, he was just a bit anxious to get to that heavenly state where joys and wonderful experiences never end.
If the appearance of these two Old Testament icons wasn’t enough to convince the disciples of Jesus’ divinity, there was more (v 5), “While [Peter] was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” A bright (Greek = “radiant”) cloud signified what we call a “theophany” – a visible appearance of God to man. For 40 years the Israelites had experienced such a theophany while traveling through the wilderness as God guided them in the form of a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. Not only was God’s presence made known by the cloud, but his words echoed the approval he had first given his Son at his baptism. Here we find God talking about God – a concept beyond our human understanding, and yet so very true! God the Father was giving his approval to the work of salvation being fulfilled by God the Son. He states that he was “well pleased” with his Son, actually saying that he “approved of” his work, that he “took delight in” what he was doing. Jesus was fulfilling his role as the world’s Messiah. He was the real thing, as evidenced by his heavenly connections on the mount of transfiguration.
And yet this mountaintop experience had to end – and for a very good reason! Jesus had work to do. His ultimate goal had yet to be fulfilled.
The disciples exhibited the normal reaction when sinners stand in the presence of the holy God (vv 6-8), “When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” The Greek says that the disciples were frightened “out of their wits” by the voice coming from the cloud. But Jesus lends his comforting touch, and when the disciples opened their eyes, they saw Jesus back in his earthly state, once again cloaking his divinity with his humanity.
It was time to head back down the mountain. But as they made their descent, Jesus wanted this event to be kept a private matter, at least for the time being (v 9), “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’” This experience had been for the disciples’ benefit and for now wasn’t to be shared with others. Jesus didn’t want to fuel any “superman” ideas among the people but instead wanted the disciples to store away what they had seen until a time came when all the pieces of the puzzle would fit together. Perhaps this is why he so often refers to himself as “the Son of Man” instead of as “the Messiah” or “the Son of God.” His actions would speak for themselves in proving his deity. For now he wanted to remain focused on his ultimate goal of saving the world from sin, and he didn’t want others to be distracted by misunderstanding his mission. After his resurrection it would all make sense. Then the disciples would have a story to tell!
That’s why, even against the wishes of Peter and the other two disciples, Jesus had to do down from the mountain. His ultimate goal had yet to be accomplished. Scripture proclaims (1 Jn 3:8), “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work,” and Jesus was determined to do just that. He had a mission to accomplish, and nothing would sway him from it. The disciples also couldn’t remain mountain men, for they also would have work to do. There would be other “mountains” yet to come. They would see Jesus agonizing in prayer on the Mount of Olives and suffering in agony on Mount Calvary. For now they were to take to heart what they had seen, being fully convinced that Jesus was indeed the Son of God sent from heaven. He was truly the real thing!
Whenever we assemble here in God’s house we’re privileged to have our own little “mountaintop experience.” Jesus gives us a glimpse of his glorious divinity and introduces us to his heavenly connections through the pages of his Word. We’re reminded of how he fulfilled his ultimate goal in those very same Scriptures. It’s not hard for us to share the same enthusiasm as Peter and proclaim, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” – especially if it’s a potluck Sunday, right?!
But we have to head down the mountain as well, because we too have work to do. But the vision of our glorious Savior learned from his Word goes with us, and it’s that light-giving vision that we share with a world shrouded in darkness. To bottle up what we experience in our hearts by the working of the Holy Spirit is to deprive others of getting to know Jesus, the real thing — the only thing — when it comes to our hope for this life and the life yet to come. The joy that we have in our hearts is just a snapshot of the eternal joy awaiting us in heaven. And there’s enough of it to go around. That’s why we can’t stay on the mountain top. That’s why we climb back down into a world that needs to know there’s hope for the future, hope found only in Jesus.
He’s the real thing. Politicians can show so much promise while campaigning but often end up being such a disappointment when elected to office. Many a promising rookie athlete fails to live up to the hype and to the press clippings predicting greatness. And in the business world so-called “prodigies” often lose their edge and fall back to the “9-5″ pack. They prove to be anything but the real thing.
But not so with Jesus! He delivered on all of his and his Father’s promises. That’s what the season of Lent, which begins this Wednesday evening, is all about. Join us and let us once again show you that Jesus was no impostor, no pretender. When it comes to being true God and our Savior, he was and always will be the real thing!
Amen
–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff
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