Our Kingdom Come

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 14th of April, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

The Apostle Luke wrote two books, both addressed to a person named “Theophilus”.  That name literally means “loved by God”, or, a little more loosely, “friend of God”.  We don’t know who Theophilus was, but in his Gospel account, Luke addresses him as “most excellent Theophilus”, a phrase usually applied to an important or esteemed person.  From most accounts, Luke was a well-educated doctor, so would have been considered important and esteemed himself, and could probably include a number of other esteemed persons among his friends and acquaintances.

Anyway, Luke addressed two books to Theophilus.  The first, his Gospel account and the book now bearing his name, detailed the life, acts, and teachings of Jesus during His earthly walk, ending with Jesus’ return to heaven.  The second book is called the Acts of the Apostles – or, more simply, Acts – and it deals with the rise and growth of the early church.  And it is the opening of this second book I’d like to look at this morning, for it answers a question that has been repeatedly asked for nearly 2000 years:  When will Jesus come again?

Before we get into that, though, I want you to think about how many times Jesus spoke to His disciples, alone or with the multitudes, telling them about the Kingdom of God.  In the opening chapter of his Gospel account, the Apostle Mark says that Jesus began His Galilean ministry by “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God”.

And there were all the parables, where Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a pearl of great wealth or a field holding a great treasure, to the man who scatters seeds, even  to mustard seed.  He said only those like innocent children can enter the kingdom of God, and that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.  His first command to us all, then and now, was to repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.  And on and on and on.

So maybe it won’t surprise us to see that Jesus was still telling His disciples about the kingdom of God even after His resurrection, before He ascended back into heaven.  And we should also expect Luke to mention God’s kingdom in his account for Theophilus, since it was such an important topic for Jesus.  Please listen and follow along to the opening of the second book Luke wrote to Theophilus, in the first 12 verses of the 1st chapter of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day He was taken up to heaven after giving His chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after He suffered and died, He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

4 Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, “Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him. 10 As they strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!”

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.

--Acts 1:1-12 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for the promise You made to us in Your word, that some sweet day Jesus will return and restore Your kingdom, our kingdom, on earth.  You will make all things new and will live among us.  We anxiously await that glorious day.  Sadly though, Father, not everyone believes in You or Your promises.  There are even many who believe in You, but do not accept that Jesus is Your Son, sent to save us from sin and eternal death.  Please help us reach out to the non-believers of the world, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  Help us spread the message of salvation through Jesus to all we encounter.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to serve You and our Lord, even though we have no good reason not to do so.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for the hope You give us through Your Son Jesus, a hope that will not fail.  Help us share the Gospel, this Good News in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

An unknown author once wrote, "As a boy, I thought of heaven as a city with domes, spires, and beautiful streets, inhabited by angels.  By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven much as before, but with one inhabitant that I knew.  Then another died, and then some of my acquaintances, so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew.  But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself.  Afterward another went, and yet another.  By that time I had so many acquaintances and children in heaven that I no more thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of inhabitants.  Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth." 

Charles L. Allen, in his book Home Fires, tells of a little girl taking an evening walk with her father.  Wonderingly, she looked up at the stars and exclaimed; "Oh, Daddy, if the wrong side of heaven is so beautiful, what must the right side be!"

What is our view of heaven?  We’ve been told that it is more beautiful and wonderful than we can even imagine, but some of us have pretty vivid imaginations.  The land of milk and honey with streets of gold.  According to our bible, though, we won’t live in heaven, exactly, at least not for long.  For when Jesus returns and brings forth our new kingdom, it will be the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven onto the newly reformed earth.

The Apostle John in his Book of the Revelation of Jesus tells us this new Holy City will be shining brilliantly like a jewel, the city wall made of jasper and the city itself of purest gold.  The foundations of the city will be decorated with every kind of precious jewel, each gate made from a single pearl, the streets paved with gold.  The city will need no sun nor moon for the glory of God will be its light and Jesus its lamp.  And this will be our home.

Now we need to realize that John was shown an image more beautiful and glorious than anyone can imagine, and then he had to try to put what he had seen into words, even though he had no words for it.  It’s like in other parts of the Revelation, where we can see what is described as possibly being the effects of nuclear warfare, or even space-based weapons in action, but John had no knowledge of such things so he had to describe them in words of his times, in a way his audience might understand them.

And so I think it is with heaven and the new Jerusalem.  John had no words to adequately describe what he was shown, and neither would we.  When we look at how beautiful God’s creation is that He gave us to live in now, we can’t even imagine how gloriously, wondrously beautiful His greatest creation will be for us to live in forever.

I once read some advice to a single person, and have since shared it with some of those folk who have become a little depressed in their search for a soulmate.  And that advice is to stop looking all around, stop focusing on other things, and start running toward Jesus, focusing only on Him.  As you run, if you happen to see someone running in the same direction, run alongside them, for that is the person you should be with.  Focus on Jesus, seeking first the kingdom of God.  Don’t let anything else distract you.

In our congregational reading we acknowledged that we must discipline ourselves to seek God’s kingdom.  Self-discipline, self-determination, is key, because Satan will try every trick to draw our gaze elsewhere.  Two of his favorite tricks are worry and guilt.  He’ll make us feel guilty about things we really have no control over, or he’ll make us worry about anything and every little thing.  Jesus tells us not to worry about what we might or might not have, but to set our sights on living righteously.  Please listen to how the Apostle Matthew recorded this in chapter 6 of his Gospel account, verses 31 through 33, during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount…

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

--Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT)

Live righteously and God will give us everything we need.  At another time Jesus said the even though the birds do not labor, they still have plenty to eat because God sees to their needs, and we are more precious to Him than the birds, so He will see to our needs, too.  Some people ponder over that word “righteous”, thinking it only refers to the very devout and pious, and certainly not to a sinner like me.  Well, living righteously simply means living in a manner that is right in God’s eyes, doing the things He would have us do, serving Him by helping others, obeying His commands.

We’re all sinners – that’s why God sent Jesus to us – but we can still live righteously by turning from our sin and serving God.  He will make sure we have what we need, so we’ll have no reason to worry.  We just need to seek first - before anything else – first seek the kingdom of God.

As the disciples watched, the resurrected Jesus was taken up in a cloud, rising into heaven.  Two white-robed men suddenly stood with them, explaining what just happened.  Jesus had returned to heaven, but someday He will come back to the earth, and in the same manner that He just left.

Jesus had said the same thing earlier, while He still walked among us, that He would return in the clouds.  And it is repeated in John’s Revelation, when Jesus calls His church to Him in the clouds.  This is the promise we believers hang on, not that He will come in the clouds, but that He will call us home.  And then, once He has judged the world, God will make all things new again, including our new home.  This is the coming of His kingdom, our kingdom, what we have to look forward to.  Please listen to what the Apostle John wrote of the coming kingdom in chapter 21 of his Book of the Revelation, verses 1 through 5…

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God himself will be with them, their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then He said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

--Revelation 21:1-5 (NLT)

When our kingdom has come, God will make His home with us.  He will live with us and we will be His people.  God Himself will be with us.

Family, this is beauty beyond measure, beyond our greatest imaginings – that God will be with us.  Forget about precious jewels in the foundations of the city or streets of gold.  These are things meaningful and desired in this life.  When we have come into our kingdom, the only thing meaningful or precious will be the presence of God Almighty among us.  Everything we know, everything we’ve experienced, everything we treasure in this life will be gone and forgotten, for God will make everything new.  Write this on your hearts, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.

Just as He had done during His time on earth, after His resurrection, Jesus continued telling His disciples about the Kingdom of God.  They were more concerned about the kingdom of Israel, and the return of its freedom and glory.  Nowadays, people seem to obsess on America becoming greater than ever, although there are many differing viewpoints on how that should happen.  But if we were wise, we would be more concerned about the kingdom that is yet to come, that has been promised us, that the "two white-robed men" alluded to as Jesus vanished into the clouds.

We have received the promised Messiah.  We have received the promised Holy Spirit.  And now we await the coming of the promised kingdom.  We who believe pray that day comes sooner rather than later.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to redeem us, who was raised from the dead into flesh and returned to heaven, and who is coming again to judge us all and then to usher in our kingdom with God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for the promises You made us, for they give us courage and hope as we face our greatest enemy and all that he throws at us.  You provide for our needs, including the strength to face each day.  Thank You, Father, for watching over us.  Sometimes, Father, we become distracted and our focus slips.  Sometimes we obsess over things and events in this life and lose sight of Your great kingdom.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us prepare for our new life.  Help us be more forgiving, more merciful in our dealings with others.  And Father, guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You spoke often of the kingdom of God, trying to help us understand what wonder and beauty awaits us.  You wanted us to focus more on this than on anything else.  Thank You, Jesus, for being patient and constantly reminding us of what is yet to come.  As we continue our walk through this life, please help us be more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, knowing that this is our Father’s will for us.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world with the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Believe and Live

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 7th of April, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Last Sunday, some of the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went to His tomb and found it empty.  As they returned to tell the others that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He said He would, He appeared before them in the flesh.

Later that day, two of the disciples were on the road to Emmaus when Jesus joined them, but they did not recognize Him until later, when they had stopped for the night and He blessed and broke the bread.  The two ran back to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened, when He…

Well, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.  Let’s just say the risen Jesus had a busy day that first day of the week, that third day from His death, that first ever Resurrection Day.

According to scripture, Jesus and His disciples had come to Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, to celebrate the Passover.  They came in on Sunday, but then on Thursday He was arrested and persecuted throughout the night.  On Friday He was executed, crucified on the cross, the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb for the atonement of our sin.  And as the sun set, the Passover Sabbath began.  Then Sunday came, and we found the tomb empty.

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, we celebrated just what that empty tomb means to us.  And now it is a week later.  I would like us to once again step back in time to these two weeks in the resurrected life of Jesus.  Our scripture reading this morning starts out on Easter Sunday and then skips a week to the eighth day of Jesus’ resurrection, counting Easter day itself.

Please listen and follow along to the events of these two Sundays as recorded by the Apostle John in the 20th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 19 through 31, and I’ll be reading from the Easy-to-Read Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

19 The day was Sunday, and that same evening the followers were together. They had the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 20 As soon as He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were very happy.

21 Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you. It was the Father who sent Me, and I am now sending you in the same way.” 22 Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven. If there is anyone whose sins you don’t forgive, their sins are not forgiven.”

24 Thomas (called Didymus) was one of the twelve, but he was not with the other followers when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We saw the Lord.” Thomas said, “That’s hard to believe. I will have to see the nail holes in His hands, put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side. Only then will I believe it.”

26 A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at My hands. Put your hand here in My side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “You believe because you see Me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing Me!”

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs that His followers saw, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through His name.

--John 20:19-31 (ERV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, again we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus into this world to offer us salvation and forgiveness of our disobedience.  He atoned for our sin by the shedding of His own blood.  And then You raised Him back to life to show not only that He lives again and will live forever, but that we also will live again, in new, incorruptible flesh.  Sadly, Father, not everyone believes in Jesus as Your Son and accepts Him as their Lord.  Please help us reach out to the non-believers of the world, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  Help us spread the message that all anyone has to do is to believe in Jesus and accept Him as Lord and they will live again after this mortal life ends.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to serve You and our Lord, even though we have no good reason not to do so.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for saving the eye-witness accounts of the resurrected Jesus so that we might read them and believe.  Help us share this Good News in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Little Philip, born with Down's syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old boys and girls.  Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences.  But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and accept him as part of the group, though not fully. 

The Sunday after Easter the teacher brought in some L'eggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like large eggs.  She gave one to each child and told them to go outside on that lovely spring day, find some symbol of new life, and put it in the egg-like container.  Back in the classroom, they would share their new-life symbols, opening the containers one at a time.  After running about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed their containers on the table.  Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open the eggs one by one.  After each one, whether a flower, butterfly, or leaf, the class would ooh and ahh. 

Then one was opened revealing nothing inside.  The children exclaimed, "That's stupid.  That's not fair.  Somebody didn't do their assignment." 

Philip spoke up, "That's mine." 

"Philip, you don't ever do things right!" one student retorted.  "There's nothing there!"  

"I did so do it," Philip insisted.  "I did do it.  It's empty.  The tomb was empty!" 

Silence followed.  From then on Philip became a full member of the class.  He died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off.  At the funeral this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar not with flowers, but with their Sunday school teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose egg.

We believers have a couple of symbols we use to denote our faith.  Early Christians used a sketched image of a fish, knowing that Jesus had first chosen fishermen to follow them with the promise of making them fishers of men.  They were persecuted and could not use anything obvious to show they were Christians, so they would draw the image of the fish in the dirt to recognize each other, a sign that could easily be obscured by a simple sweep of the foot.  And we still use that sign today, even though most folks now know it as a Christian symbol.

More prevalent in our culture, though, is the cross.  We use the cross as a reminder of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus made on our behalf.  Our churches have crosses on prominent display, we wear them on our clothes, in our ears, and around our necks.  Some use them as a mere decoration, but we know what the cross truly means to us.

While the empty tomb might be a more appropriate symbol of our faith, it would not be an easy one to reproduce as jewelry or church adornments.  Which makes little Philip’s idea an exceptionally good one, I think.  I’m not sure if they still make L’eggs pantyhose anymore, but an empty box could serve the same purpose.  

Or maybe an empty glass.  In his 2nd letter to his young protégé Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand."  (2 Timothy 4:6 (NKJV))  Jesus poured Himself out for us, leaving behind an empty glass, an empty tomb.

Little Philip got it right.  The empty tomb is indeed a great symbol of new life.

Jesus had been arrested, beaten, and crucified, but He was the Messiah!  If they could do this to Him, what couldn’t they do to His followers, too?  So the disciples went into hiding.  Some scattered, leaving Jerusalem as soon as they could, before the authorities could come for them.  Two of them that left town actually ended up walking with the risen Jesus without realizing it.  When they finally did recognize Him, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the others.  Even though they had left earlier out of fear, they came back to share their good news.

And suddenly, Jesus appeared among them!  He came right there into the locked room, right into their midst, and simply told them to be at peace.  And then He told them that if they forgive the sins of another person, that person’s sins will be forgiven.  But if they don’t forgive that person’s sins, they will not be forgiven.

Now we need to remember how Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive the trespasses of others”, and when He said, “You will be judged with the same measure that you judge others”.  I just wonder if we don’t forgive the sins of another person, and their sin is not forgiven by God because of it, are we taking a risk that our sin won’t be forgiven, too?  Just to be on the safe side, let’s be sure to forgive the sins of others as we seek forgiveness for our own sin.

Now we don’t know why, but Thomas was not in the upper room with the others that first Easter Sunday.  When he did finally join them, the others told him about Jesus’ visit and how they saw Him in the flesh.  But Thomas didn’t believe them.  In his defense, their story would have been tough to accept, had Jesus been an ordinary man.  The only way he would believe that Jesus was alive and in the flesh again would be to see Him with his own eyes, to see His hands and touch the nail holes and stab wound.  Then, and only then, would he believe.

Fast forward a week to the following Sunday.  The disciples were all together in the same place as before, and this time Thomas was there with them.  Again the doors were locked, barred from the inside, and again Jesus just suddenly appeared among them.  That in itself would be quite startling and a bit unnerving, wouldn’t it.

After His usual greeting of “Peace”, Jesus looked right at Thomas and said, “Put your finger here. Look at My hands. Put your hand here in My side. Stop doubting and believe.”  And of course, Thomas believed – he no longer had a reason not to.

Now the Apostle Matthew, in his account of these times, recorded that Jesus sent word to the disciples through the women who had gone to the tomb to go to Galilee and He would meet them there.  Please listen to Matthew’s last entry in his Gospel account, from chapter 28, verses 16 through 20…

16 The eleven followers went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 On the mountain the followers saw Jesus. They worshiped Him. But some of the followers did not believe that it was really Jesus. 18 So He came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to Me. 19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.”

--Matthew 28:16-20 (ERV)

This is our great commission.  This is the mission Jesus gave us.  We are to go and make followers of all people.  We are to go to them, not wait for them to come to us.  And we are to go to all people, not just those who look and think like we do.  Anyone and everyone is fair game because God wants everyone to be saved.  He sent His Son Jesus that the whole world might be saved through Him!

Black or white or yellow or red or brown; rich or poor; knowledgeable or ignorant; liberal or conservative; make or female or any other sexual orientation or chosen lifestyle…  None of that matters, because once we believe, once we accept Jesus as Lord, we are changed into new creations – the old has passed, the new has come.

Thomas became a believer in the resurrected Jesus because He had seen his Lord in the flesh, risen from the grave and alive again.  We are blessed – truly blessed – to believe without having seen Him, without having touched His wounds.  We believe without seeing, because that is what faith is all about.

God gave us faith, and we are truly blessed.  Because through our belief, we can have life eternal through the power of the name of Jesus.  And so can anyone.  Let’s help others believe, and live.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to redeem us, who was raised from the dead into flesh and returned to heaven, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us the faith to believe in Your Son Jesus so that we can enjoy eternal life.  We believe, even though we have not seen Him with our eyes, or touched Him with our fingers.  We believe!  Thank You, Father, for so great a gift of love.  Sometimes, Father, we hesitate to share this gift with others.  Sometimes we even refuse to forgive someone for what they did to us.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us be more forgiving, more merciful in our dealings with others.  And Father, guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You blessed Thomas by allowing him to see You in the flesh and to touch Your wounds so that he could believe.  And You bless us for our belief even though we have not seen nor touched You except in our hearts.  Thank You, Jesus, for following our Father’s will and giving of Yourself for us.  Please help us be more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, remembering that we are all created in our God’s image and that You came to save us all.  So Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world with the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Third Day

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Easter Sunday morning, the 31st of March, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

The prophet Hosea implores us to, "Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.  After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight."  (Hosea 6:1-2 (NKJV))

“On the third day He will raise us up.”  Those three words – the third day – are seen together 48 times in the New King James Version of our Holy Bible.  They occur together twice as many times in the Old Testament – 32 – as in the New – 16.  And each times denotes a special event.

Now, the number three holds a special place in our worship, in our Bible.  The number three represents God – God in three Persons, the Holy Trinity, the Triune God, God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  So anytime a “three” appears, in any form, we know it has something to do with God or His will, His purpose.  And the third day is no exception.

Looking at a calendar, we note that while today may be the last day of the weekend, it is the first day of the week.  The Jewish Sabbath was yesterday, Saturday.  Well, actually, it ran from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, because the early Jews observed a “day” being from sunset to sunset.  In six days God created the heavens and the earth, and then He rested on the seventh day and declared it holy, as a day of rest for His creation.  God didn’t need to rest, of course, but He set the stage for His creation to be able to rest.  So on the seventh day, the Sabbath day, all labors ceased for the Jewish people.  But then came the first day again, when people could return to their normal daily routines.

Please listen and follow along as I tell you about some of the events that occurred one very special first day, one beautiful Sunday, that also has a connection to “the third day” I mentioned earlier.  This was recorded by the Apostle Luke in the 24th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 31, and I’ll be reading from the New English Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. 5 The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then the women remembered His words, 9 and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and saw only the strips of linen cloth; then he went home, wondering what had happened.

13 Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus Himself approached and began to accompany them 16 (but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him). 17 Then He said to them, “What are these matters you are discussing so intently as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 He said to them, “What things?” “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied, “a Man who, with His powerful deeds and words, proved to be a Prophet before God and all the people; 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed Him over to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Furthermore, some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find His body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. 24 Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Him.” 25 So He said to them, “You foolish people — how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things written about Himself in all the scriptures.

28 So they approached the village where they were going. He acted as though He wanted to go farther, 29 but they urged Him, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening and the day is almost done.” So He went in to stay with them.

30 When He had taken His place at the table with them, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Then He vanished out of their sight.

--Luke 24:1-31 (NET)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Christ to free us from the bonds of sin!  Jesus came to offer salvation to all the world because You love us all.  And He commands us to go and make disciples of all the world.  Sadly, Father, not everyone believes in Jesus as Your Son and accepts Him as their Lord.  Please help us reach out to the non-believers of the world, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  Help us spread the message that Jesus has risen from the dead and lives again.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to do Your will and as our Lord Jesus commands us.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for raising Jesus from the dead to show that we too will be raised to eternal life if we just follow Him.  Help us keep the joy of His resurrection in our heart and our actions as we go about each day doing Your will.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A man and his wife saved up and could finally afford to visit Israel and tour some of the holy places.  Even though the husband really hated the thought, they took the wife's mother along because she had always wanted to see the Holy City, Jerusalem.  When they visited the site that is believed to be the burial place of Jesus, the mother was completely overcome with emotion, so much so that her heart stopped beating and she died on the spot.

At the American consulate, the husband met with an officer who told him, "You have two options: you can either have your mother-in-law interred here in Israel, or you can have her body flown back home for burial there.  I can tell you that burying her here will cost much, much less than flying her back to the states.  Which would you rather do?"

The husband thought for only a second before responding, "I guess we'll fly her back home.  From what I understand, about 2000 years ago, a man was buried here and he came back to life three days later.  I just can't take the chance that it might happen again."

That’s a funny little story.  But it reminds me that a lot of people just don’t understand the resurrection of Jesus, and that includes some believers.

While there have been instances where medical teams have been able to revive someone whose heart stopped, and we know CPR and automatic emergency defibrillators can work to revive someone, but there is a point when we can do nothing and the person just dies.  There’s no bringing them back.  No normal mortal has ever brought a person back to life after that point has been reached.

We don’t need a medical examiner’s certificate of death to know that Jesus had indeed died on the cross.  A soldier stuck His body with a spear, drawing blood, but getting no reaction from the limp form.  Jesus was wrapped in linen and placed in the tomb, where He remained for at least 24 hours, until the Sabbath ended.

Jesus was dead.  And yet He rose from the dead and lived again, witnessed in the flesh by over 500 people.  Man could not have revived Jesus at that point, not even with modern techniques and tools.  But God could, and did.

Of course Jesus was no ordinary man.  As God in the flesh, Jesus could also resurrect the dead, and I can think of three times He did so.  Probably the first that comes to mind is when He raised His friend Lazarus back to life after the man had been dead and buried for four days!  And then there was the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum.

The third one we might not remember as quickly.  As Jesus and His disciples were entering the city of Nain, a funeral procession was coming out, for a young man, the only son of a widow, had died.  Jesus took pity on the woman and raised her son from the dead.

But Jesus’ resurrection was different.  For one thing, Jesus predicted it, more than once.  One of those times He told His disciples that the Son of Man – that’s the title He used for Himself that comes from the prophecy of Daniel – “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  And His resurrection fulfilled some of the more indirect, individual Messianic prophecies I mentioned last week. 

But of greater importance to us, when God brought Jesus back to life in the body, He showed that we would also be given new life, new bodily life, life in a new body.  Reading our scripture, we see that neither the women at the tomb nor the two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized the risen Jesus at first.  It even took the two disciples quite some time before they realized just who had been walking with them.  Could it be that Jesus had a slightly new body, foreshadowing our own to come, just different enough that those who had been close to Him didn’t recognize Him?  We don’t know; our Bible doesn’t say it, but it is interesting to think about.

Not everyone understands Jesus’ resurrection, not even those whose walked with Him.  The two disciples walking to Emmaus must not have, although they did remember what Jesus said would happen on the third day, and they’d heard about the empty tomb.  But they were still hung up on their Lord’s death.  So Jesus, unrecognizable to them at the time, went over all the old prophecies that were written about Him, all the Messianic prophecies, explaining their meaning to the men.

I worry that many, still today, even among believers, don’t see the connection between Jesus being brought back to life in the body and our own future bodily resurrection.  Some believe that we’ll go to heaven and live there as souls, in the spirit form, for all eternity.  But God promises us a new body to live in the new earth and the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven.

On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead and He exited the tomb in His body.  All four of the Gospel writers documented this in some fashion in their accounts of their time with Jesus.  And one other prominent apostle reported it as well.  Please listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in verses 1 through 11 of the 15th chapter of his 1st letter to the Corinthians regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus…

1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received — that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.

--1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NET)

Jesus died on the cross.  He was buried in a tomb with a huge stone sealing the entrance.  And then, on the third day, God raised Him from the dead back to bodily life, as attested by over 500 who saw Him.  There is no record, in any text or history book or letter, of even one of those 500+ people refuting that Jesus was seen in the flesh after His death and burial.  Not one person refuted the fact of the resurrection.  We might not completely understand it, but we can agree it happened, just as He said.

Family, today is the third day.  Thursday we stood by as Jesus was arrested, and then we scattered and hid, afraid they’d come for us next.  Friday we listened in disbelief as the crowd cried out for Jesus to be crucified, after having welcomed Him to town just a few days earlier with shouts of Hosanna.  Then we watched in horror as the Romans nailed Him to a cross where He breathed His last and died.  He was laid in a tomb and a large stone was rolled into place to seal the entrance.  On Saturday, the Sabbath, a day of rest, we waited, hidden, but nothing happened.

Today is Sunday, the first day of the week, the third day of Jesus’ death.  But look…  the tomb is empty!  Jesus has been raised from the dead!  Our Lord Jesus lives!  Alleluia!

In just a few moments we will come to the table of our Lord to share His last meal with Him.  The Apostle Paul warns that we must be right with God before doing so.  Otherwise, we share the guilt of His execution, of His death, with those who committed the act.

Now is the time to get right with God.  If you are feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit, if you are weighed down by the guilt of disobedience, if you are holding a grudge against a fellow believer, if there is anything in your life that God would see as sinful, lay it all at the foot of our Lord’s cross, repent, and seek forgiveness.  Get right with God.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to redeem us, who was raised from the dead into flesh and returned to heaven, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for raising Your Son Jesus from the dead!  He gave up His mortal life to atone for our sin so that we could always be with You, and then You resurrected Him in the body to show that we too will be resurrected in the body when our mortal life is finished.  You will give us a new, incorruptible body that will last for all eternity.  Thank You, Father, for such wonderful gifts, for having mercy on us.  Sometimes, Father, we don’t understand everything that has been saved for us in our Bible.  Sometimes we don’t understand because we don’t spend enough time in study and reflection.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us better grasp all that Jesus taught us, and all that the prophets wrote about Him.  Give us greater insight and visibility into all You have promised.  And Father, guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, on this day – the third day - so long ago You left an empty tomb behind as You were raised to renewed life by our Father God, just as You said You would be.  So many had trouble believing this, even those who walked with You.  So You showed Yourself to them, in the flesh, and we have their reports and witness so that we can believe.  Thank You, Jesus, for taking our sin upon Yourself, leaving our sin in the grave, and walking forth into a new day.  Please help us follow Your example and pattern our life after Yours.  Help us see through Your eyes.  Help us be more understanding, more merciful, more forgiving, remembering that we are all created in our Triune God’s image and that You came to save us all.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world with the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Now Hurry!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Easter Sunday morning during our Sunrise Service, the 31st of March, 2024, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.]

It was a quiet morning, much like it is now with most of the followers of Jesus hiding for fear of being arrested and taken away.  The sun was about to rise above the horizon.  Birds lifted their sweet songs toward heaven.  The world had not yet realized it, but Jesus our Lord had already risen from the grave, just like He said He would!

Rejoice, for Christ has risen today!  Let us come together now to worship Christ Jesus our Lord.

Please join me in our call to worship, “The Resurrection of Jesus”, taken from the 28th chapter of the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew…

Leader: After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

People: There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

Leader: His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

People: The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

Leader: "He is not here; He has risen, just as He said...  Go quickly and tell His disciples: 'He has risen from the dead.'"

People: So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples.

Leader: Suddenly Jesus met them.  "Greetings," He said.

People: They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him."

Leader: Amen.

Some of the women who had followed Jesus and His disciples from Galilee watched as He was crucified and died on the cross.  These included Mary, His mother, her sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Mary Magdalene.

Joseph of Arimathea secured Jesus' body from Pilate, wrapped it in linen cloths, and laid it in a new hewn tomb just before sunset, Friday afternoon.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas followed Joseph to see where Jesus was laid and saw the huge stone rolled in place to seal the tomb.  Then came the Sabbath, when no labor is allowed and no work can be done.

Sunday marked the first day of the new week, the first opportunity anyone had to visit the tomb.  Sunday was also the third day of the crucifixion, counting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Did anyone remember what Jesus had told them about that third day?

Please listen to the report the Apostle Matthew left for us describing what happened at the first visit to the tomb that Sunday long ago.  I’ll be reading in the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible, from the 28th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 10…

1 The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. 3 The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.

5 The angel said to the women, “Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. 6 He isn't here! God has raised Him to life, just as Jesus said He would. Come, see the place where His body was lying. 7 Now hurry! Tell His disciples He has been raised to life and is on His way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see Him. This is what I came to tell you.”

8 The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell His disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near Him, held on to His feet, and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said, “Don't be afraid! Tell My followers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there.”

--Matthew 28:1-10 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Thursday night we stood by and helplessly watched as Your Son was arrested.  We were scared that they might take us into custody, too, so we fled, leaving Jesus on His own, denying that we even knew Him.  Friday we were horrified to see Him being crucified.  Many of us hid in rooms in the city, still afraid of what the Romans and temple guards might do to us if they caught us.  And then Jesus took His last breath on the cross, and was buried.  But then this morning, this beautiful morning, Father, we can rejoice, for You have resurrected our Lord Jesus!  You raised Him bodily from the grave so that He could defeat death.  And You and Jesus did it all just for us!  Your Son suffered, and You had to stand by and watch, just so we might enjoy everlasting life in paradise with You both… if we only believe in Him and follow His voice.  We believe, Lord Jesus.  We believe that You are the one true Son of God, and we believe that You rose bodily from the grave.  This morning we celebrate that glorious day.  Bless us Lord, and help us prepare ourselves for Your return.  Help us to better serve You and to never falter in our belief and faith.  In Your sweet name, Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

It’s Sunday morning, the day following the Sabbath.  Just two days ago, in our way of reckoning, Jesus died on the cross.  His body was wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a freshly hewn tomb.  And then everything stopped in observance of the Sabbath.

But now the Sabbath is past, the dew is fresh on the grass, it’s still dark but the sun is just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon.  And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary - the wife of Clopas and the mother of James the Less and Joses - have come to the tomb of our Lord.  The Mary’s were among those who had traveled with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.  Another Mary, the mother of Jesus, also came and they all watched Him take His last breath and die on the cross.  What a horrible thing for a mother to have to witness!

So now the two Mary’s have come to the tomb under the cover of darkness, right before daybreak, probably hoping no one would see them.  And just as they arrive, suddenly there is a strong earthquake.  An angel descends from heaven, an aura as bright as lightning surrounding him, his clothes as white as snow.  The angel rolled away the large stone that was used to seal the entrance and nonchalantly sat on it.  The temple guards placed there to make sure none of Jesus’ followers came to take the body were absolutely terrified.  They shook with fear and fell to the ground.

Then the angel spoke, saying to the women, “Don’t be afraid!”  I imagine the guards heard this too, although it wasn’t directed to them, but I bet it had no affect on lessening their fear.  The angel reminded the ladies of what Jesus had said, and then invited them to look in the tomb to see no body, to see the place where His body had been lying.

Now back up just a second…  When the angel rolled the stone away from the tomb entrance, did anyone come out?  Did Jesus walk out and say, “Hey, Ladies!  How’s it going?  Nice morning, huh.”  No, Jesus didn’t walk out because He was already out.  The angel even told the ladies, saying, “He isn't here! God has raised Him to life.”  Jesus did not need for the stone to be rolled away before He could exit the grave, because He had already defeated death.

Then why did the angel open up the tomb?  So that the women could see for themselves, with their own eyes, that the body of Jesus was no longer in that cold, dark tomb!  And sure enough, the grave was empty.

Then the angel told the ladies to hurry and tell this good news to the disciples, and let them know that Jesus said He would meet them in Galilee, where they can all see Him again.  As can be expected, the Mary’s were frightened by all that had just happened, but overjoyed by this new development, that their Lord had been raised to life again.  So they did as they were told and hurried off to tell His followers the news that Jesus lives!

But then, suddenly, Jesus appeared before them, and greeted them.  They ran to Him, fell down at His feet and worshiped Him.  And Jesus repeated the angel’s message:  “Don't be afraid! Tell My followers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there.”  I imagine that His presence and message had a more calming effect than when the angel delivered it, considering all the circumstances.

Everyone thought that Jesus was dead, dead and buried Friday afternoon.  They expected His body to be in that tomb on Sunday morning.  I guess they just never fully believed all that Jesus had told them, no matter how often He repeated it.  He was dead and that was the end of it, the end of everything they’d worked for these past three years.

Not only was their Master, their Teacher dead, but any of them might be next.  So they hid behind locked doors, venturing out only when necessary.  But then the Mary’s rushed in with an amazing report: “Jesus lives!  We saw Him on our way here!  He said to tell you to go to Galilee where He will meet us and you can all see Him for yourselves!”

Back at the tomb, the angel accomplished what he was sent and instructed to do by delivering the message to the women.  This is made clear by his comment, “This is what I came to tell you.”  And the women did what they were instructed to do by hurrying to tell the disciples this wonderful news.

Before returning to heaven, Jesus gave us the assignment of telling this Good News to the whole world.  He didn’t necessarily tell us to hurry, but He did say, “Go”.  “Go and make disciples of all the world, teaching them to obey all the things I have command you.”

Just that word “go” carries a sense of urgency, doesn’t it?  I mean we can’t “go” by sitting in our nice comfy homes, or even by coming here to worship every Sunday.

We have to get up, get out, and go to the people of the world, sharing the Good News of salvation through Chrit Jesus.  And family, there are just too many signs in our current age that point to the time when Jesus will return to judge the world.  To me, this ups the urgency level for us to do as Jesus commands.  And seriously, it would be rather hypocritical for us to teach others to do as Jesus commands if we’re not willing to do as Jesus commands ourselves.  So let’s hurry and tell others the wonderful news that Jesus the Christ has risen from the dead and lives again!  Hallelujah!  He is risen!  Christ has risen!

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer, Master…  You came as our Messiah, our Savior.  But You died on the cross, and for a moment the world lost hope.  Then You rose from the grave, just as You said You would, once again alive and full of life!  You conquered death and promised we would share in that victory if we would only believe in You and accept You as Lord.  As the sun rises on us this morning, just as it did on You so long ago, that promise remains our expected and anticipated hope.

Dear Lord, may our faith remain strong and not waiver during our struggles and trials in this present age.  May we continue to see You, our living Lord, always at our side.  And may we be completely prepared for Your return, which You also promised.  May we fully grasp what You told us before, and what You are whispering now in our hearts.  May we serve You, with all that is in us.  This we pray, in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Master and Savior.

And now, Father God, hear us as we pray to You as Your Son Jesus taught us…  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.

Now if you would, please join me in our reading of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!”…

Christ the Lord is risen today!

Sons of men and angels say,

Raise your joys and triumphs high!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply,

Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? 

Dying once, He all doth save!

Where thy victory, O grave? 

Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done,

Fought the fight, the battle won,

Death in vain forbids Him rise,

Christ has opened paradise!

Alleluia!  Amen!

He is risen!  Rejoice, for Jesus lives!  Our Lord lives again!  He’s not still hanging from the cross.  His bones are not lying in a tomb somewhere.  His body did not need sweet smelling oils and spices to cover the stench of decomposition, for He rose and walked away from that grave!  Jesus is alive and lives to this very day!  God’s Christ has risen from the dead and opened paradise for all who would follow Him.

Let’s share this Good News with all the world.  Let everyone know that Jesus lives!  Alleluia!  Amen.

It Is Not Finished!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Good Friday, the 29th of March, 2024, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Yesterday afternoon, we shared the Passover meal with Jesus and His dearest friends, His chosen disciples.  One of those seated at His table betrayed Him, one denied Him, and all abandoned Him, fleeing for their lives, scattering like sheep whose shepherd had been struck down.  What followed are the darkest hours in the history of mankind.  During the night and into the day, Jesus was not only betrayed, denied, and forsaken by His own followers, He was also humiliated, ridiculed, tortured, beaten, and whipped, by His fellow Jews and by the Romans.  Throughout all this, He remained mostly silent, as the Spotless Lamb led to the slaughter.

Today, at about this time, He will be nailed to a cross where He will take His last breath around three this afternoon.  Our church reading earlier is adapted from Mark 15, giving a somewhat condensed version of the last day of Jesus’ mortal life.  But what role did the Jewish religious leadership play in the day’s events?  And what about the crowds who greeted Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna!”, “Save us!”, and threw their cloaks and palm branches out into the street before Him just a few days ago?  Will they come to Jesus’ rescue?  Will God send an army of angels to free Him?  And what about the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate?  Is this just part of the job he signed up for?

I’d like to look at how the Apostle John reported what took place that Friday afternoon.  This is quite long, but I think it’s better to listen to what God thought important enough for us to hear that He ensured all four Gospel writers included it in their reports.  Please listen and follow along to the Gospel account of the Apostle John as I read from chapter 18 verse 28 through chapter 19 verse 42, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible...

18:28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then He was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this Man?”

30 “We wouldn’t have handed Him over to you if He weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

31 “Then take Him away and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way He would die.)

33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked Him.

34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about Me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought You to me for trial. Why? What have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My Kingdom is not of this world.”

37 Pilate said, “So You are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

40 But they shouted back, “No! Not this Man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

19:1 Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. 2 The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. 3 “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped Him across the face.

4 Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring Him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find Him not guilty.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the Man!”

6 When they saw Him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

“Take Him yourselves and crucify Him,” Pilate said. “I find Him not guilty.”

7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law He ought to die because He called Himself the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. 9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked Him, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 “Why don’t You talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t You realize that I have the power to release You or crucify You?”

11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over Me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”

12 Then Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this Man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

13 When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). 14 It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your King!”

15 “Away with Him,” they yelled. “Away with Him! Crucify Him!”

“What? Crucify your King?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

16 Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed Him to the cross. Two others were crucified with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

21 Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

22 Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His clothes among the four of them. They also took His robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s cast lots for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided My garments among themselves and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what they did.

25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And He said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

28 Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they didn’t break His legs. 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may believe.) 36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of His bones will be broken,” 37 and “They will look on the One they pierced.”

38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

--John 18:28-19:42 (NLT)

Let us pray… Father God, this afternoon we remember the darkest day in all of Your creation – the day we tortured and executed Your Son, nailing Him to a cruel cross.  Jesus came to offer us salvation, but the world refused Him.  We drove nails into the hands He stretched out to save us.  We cursed Him, spat on Him, beat Him, killed Him.  But You knew all this had to happen.  By Your law, only a blood sacrifice can atone for sin, and only the blood of the one true Spotless Lamb could wash us clean and atone for our sin.  Thank You, Father, for Your great love and mercy.  Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice.  Imprint this day on our hearts so that we might understand just how important this is to us and to others, how critical it is for our eternal life.  This we pray in the name of the Lamb, Your Son Jesus.  Amen.

The Jewish religious leadership were through with Jesus now.  They’d done all they could do under Jewish law.  They arrested Him, accused Him of ridiculous crimes, had Him slapped around some by their guards.  It was time to turn Him over to someone who could do what they couldn’t – put an end, once and for all, to this Jesus and His New Way, scattering His followers in the process.

Now Jesus stood in judgment before the highest human authority in the land, the governor of the region, the commander of the occupying army: Pontius Pilate.  But quite frankly, Pilate would rather have not been involved at all.  He was a Roman, not a Jew.  He even said as much when questioning Jesus.  He worshiped multiple gods, not just one.

The only reason he cared about any of this at all is because the leaders of the occupied people were stirring the crowds into a frenzy, and he feared riots and unrest might erupt.  He was there to keep the peace, the Roman peace, and that meant keeping the people under control, by any  means necessary, even putting this man Jesus to death if that would quieten the mob.

Still, Pilate wasn’t convinced that Jesus had done anything deserving of death.  So he gave Jesus a chance to answer the charges against Him, but He said nothing in His defense.  That didn’t work, so next Pilate offered the people, the mob, a choice: he could pardon either Jesus or the notorious prisoner, the revolutionary Barabbas.  “Which do you choose?”, he asked.  “Who would you have me release, Barabbas or Jesus?”  “We want Barabbas!”, they cried.

Pilate still saw no guilt in Jesus or His actions, but the mob was rapidly approaching the boiling point, so he ordered that Jesus be flogged with a lead-tipped whip.  The Roman soldiers went a bit further, jamming a crown fashioned from thorns onto His head, cutting His flesh.  They put a purple robe on Him, then slapped Him across the face as they mockingly shouted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”

Hoping this would be enough to appease the crowd, Pilate had Jesus brought out on bloodied display.  Instead, the chief priests and temple guards led the mob in shouting, “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”  The same people who began the week by greeting Jesus as He entered Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna” now called for Him to be put to death.

Pilate was quickly running out of options.  In his frustration he shouted, “If you want this man crucified, take Him yourself and do it!  I find no guilt in Him!”  But then the Jewish leaders replied in a way that actually frightened Pilate, made him even more concerned about putting Jesus to death.  They said, “He calls Himself the Son of God!”

OK, so this is just a normal, ordinary, human man.  Right?  If He were a god or a son of a god, wouldn’t He be… different, in some way?  But what if He really is the Son of the Jew’s God?  Who in their right mind would be willing to face the wrath of a god for killing his son?!?

So Pilate had Jesus taken back into the building again and almost pleaded with Him, “Please!  Talk to me!  Who are You!  What are You?  Don’t You realize I have Your life in my hands?!?”

And then Jesus utters a very telling response:  “Any power you have over Me comes to you from above.”  Pilate’s power doesn’t come from Caesar or Rome, it comes from God in heaven.  A little later, the Apostle Paul, in the opening verse to the 13th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, echoes this sentiment when he writes, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”  (Romans 13:1 (NKJV))  Any power that those in authority over us have comes from God.  God is the ultimate authority.  If it had not been God’s will that Jesus would be in the hands of Pilate, then Jesus would not have been.  It’s that simple.  This was all part of God’s plan, God’s will in action.

Pilate tried one last time to free Jesus, but the Jewish leaders would have none of it and the mob was getting more hostile by the moment.  He ignored his own misgivings.  He had no other choice if he wanted to appease the crowds and maintain the peace.  This Jesus had to die, guilty or not.  So he turned Jesus over to the soldiers, who took Him away to be crucified.

It’s still Friday morning, but fast approaching noon.  Jesus was forced to carry the very tool of His execution: His cross.  And there at Golgotha He was nailed to it.  The cross was stood on end and dropped into a hole to hold it erect, there between two other convicted men.  Pilate ordered that a sign be nailed to the cross above Jesus’ head reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”.  This upset the Jewish leaders who demanded it be changed, but for once Pilate refused.  The Roman soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes, fulfilling yet another Messianic prophecy.

Hanging there, Jesus saw His beloved disciple John standing beside His mother.  He initiated a covenant with John, that he would take care of Mary, treat her as his own mother, and that Mary should consider John as her son.  And for what we can tell, John held true to this for the rest of Mary’s days.

Finally, Jesus uttered His last words, “It is finished!”, bowed His head, and died, giving up His spirit.

Now, to understand what John tells us next, we need to see just how horrible a method of execution crucifixion was.  It wasn’t the blood loss from the beatings or from being nailed to the cross that killed the person.  They didn’t die from starvation or dehydration.  They died, very slowly, from suffocation.

If you are crucified, nails are driven through your wrists just below the palms, one through each hand as your arms are held outstretched.  And then your feet are brought together and one nail is pounded through both of your ankles.  When the cross is stood up on end, you are not holding on to anything or standing on a little ledge.  Those three nails are holding you in place.  It hurts, a lot, but if you let your body slump, giving in to the pain in your ankles and legs, then your lungs can’t fully expand because of your outstretched arms.

So after a while of struggling just to catch a breath, you force your weight back on to the nail through your ankles.  Eventually you tire of this and slump down again, restricting your lungs once more.  This repeats, over and over, often for days until you finally can stand no more and you slowly suffocate.

But on this day, the Jews couldn’t allow the condemned men to hang there for days.  Tomorrow was the Sabbath, the day of rest, and a very important Sabbath this time because it came during the Passover celebration.  It just wouldn’t do for these three men, or their bodies, to be hanging there in full sight on a special Sabbath like this!  So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by having his men break their legs.

That’s right – the Jewish leaders wanted the Roman soldiers to break the leg bones of these three men – including Jesus – who were already suffering so much on their crosses.  Why?  Because with their legs broken, they could no longer push themselves back up, relaxing their lungs so they could breathe.  Their death would come quicker.

Pilate relented and the soldiers went about smashing the legs of the two men on either side of Jesus.  When they got to Jesus, they found Him already dead.  Just to make sure, one of the Romans jabbed Him in the side with a spear, and a little blood and fluid oozed out but the body otherwise did not react.  These two incidents also fulfilled Messianic prophecy, that the Messiah would be pierced but no bone would be broken. 

The rest of the passage deals with the kindnesses shown by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the Pharisee who had secretly met with Jesus one night, whom Jesus told one must be born again, born of the Spirit, to enter the kingdom of God.  These two men ran some risk in asking for and receiving the body of Jesus, for who knows what the Jewish leadership may have done to one of their own for what they may have seen as treachery.  So they took the body, anointed it with a huge amount of ointment mixed from very expensive spices, wrapped it in long sheets of linen, and prepared it for burial.

Near Golgotha was a garden, and in the garden was a newly dug tomb which had never been used.  By this time it was almost sunset and the time of the Sabbath and Passover was at hand, when they would no longer be able to do any labors, so they laid the body in that new tomb and left.

It is finished.  That’s the last thing Jesus said on the cross – “It is finished”.  But what did He mean?  What was finished?  His mortal, human life?  That would seem obvious, since we know He died there on the cross.  And John says He gave up His spirit, lowercase “s”, the part of us that gives us life.  But we know the rest of the story.  We know that in just a couple of days, Jesus will conquer death, rise from the grave, and walk among us again.  Hundreds of people saw Him alive and in the flesh again, and not one ever refuted it.  So, no, His mortal life did not completely end at that point.

What about His ministry on earth?  Surely it ended there on the cross.  After all, only a few of His followers showed themselves in public at this point.  He would no longer walk around teaching and preaching and healing people.  Again, we know the rest of the story, and we know that His disciples finally got it all together and, with the addition of a former Pharisee named Paul, they began carrying the Good News of salvation to the people, creating the early church in the process.

So what was finished, there on that cruel cross?  Jesus’ role in God’s plan for mankind’s redemption was completed, finished.  He had done what He was sent to do.  Only the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb could redeem a man of his sin against God.  Only God’s own Son, the true Spotless Lamb, can redeem the sin of all mankind.  By His selfless sacrifice upon the cross, by His precious blood shed, we are washed clean of our sin in the sight of God.  God gave Jesus human life again, for a short time, so that we could know the truth, and as a promise to us of our own return to eternal life once this life is finished.  By that knowledge, it’s up to us to stay clean.

Now we know that all sin, all have fallen, all come short of God’s glory.  So God gives us a wonderful gift.  If we will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the one true Son of God, and if we follow His commands, accepting Him as our Lord and Master, then we will stay clean, and our sins will be forgiven and forgotten when we stand before God.  All we have to do is believe, truly believe, and in our belief, live as Jesus would have us live.

So for us, it is not finished.  For one thing, we still have this earthly life to get through.  We have a race to finish, as Paul put it.  But more than that, we have a job to do.  Before going back to heaven to be with God, Jesus left us with a new commandment and a mission.  We are to love one another just as much as we love ourselves, just as much as Jesus loves us.  And we are to go into the world making disciples, telling people all about Jesus, about what He has done and everything He said.

God set His plan in motion to reconcile mankind to Himself.  He wants us all to be with Him again, like we were in the very beginning before we sinned.  Jesus did His part to make that happen.  He gave up His own life one Friday long ago, and we who believe are the beneficiaries; we are saved.  But there are way too many out there who have not accepted Jesus as Lord.  And this is where we come in.  It’s our job to help the lost come to salvation.  Jesus finished His part.  Now let’s get out there and do ours.

On Sunday we will celebrate our Lord’s resurrection and the promise of our own new life.  But today, let us remember all that Jesus went through just for us.  Remember that He took the punishment we deserve.  Remember that He suffered at the hands of those He came to save.

Sunday we can rejoice, but today let us weep and reflect on what happened that Friday many years ago.  In the blessed name of Him who died so that we might live, in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Lord Jesus, You came to us holding out the arms of God’s love.  You came to us when we were lost in our sin, reaching out Your hand to us to pull us from the depths of our sin, offering to redeem us.  You came to break the chains of sin that hold us captive to this world.  You came to save us from ourselves.  And how did we react to all this mercy and grace?  We refused to accept You.  We tortured You and nailed You to a cruel cross.  You forgave Your followers who fled for their lives in fear when You were arrested and executed.  You came to them after Your resurrection and brought them back to You.  Yet still, to this very day, even we who are called by Your name, we also abandon and deny You from time to time.  We fail to witness for You, we fear speaking out for You, we hesitate to go out helping the lost find their way.  We believe in You and Your goodness, but the world has too strong a grasp on us, and we are afraid to let it go.  We judge others based on their looks or their background or the color of their skin, without taking the time to see what is in their hearts.  Forgive us, Lord, because sometimes we just can’t force ourselves to do what is right.

Lord Jesus, every step of the way, You knew what was coming.  You knew how the events of each day would play out, including that one Friday when You lived Your last day as a mortal man.  You knew exactly how God’s plan would be accomplished, and when Your part in it was finished.  You knew why it was necessary for You, the Spotless Lamb, to be sacrificed for the atonement of our sin.  You knew the truth.  Help us, please Lord, to fully grasp the importance of Your sacrifice.  Help us realize that Your greatest suffering came not from any physical pain, but from having to take all our sin upon Yourself.  Forgive us when we fail You.  Forgive us when we won’t listen to Your voice, when we don’t live as You would have us live, when we hesitate to speak out in Your defense, when we deny You by our actions and our inactions.  Forgive us when we fail to love sacrificially, unconditionally, as You love us.  Help us be worthy of Your great sacrifice.  Help us better serve You.  In Your precious name, Lord Jesus, we pray.  Amen.