Not Quite Finished

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered at 12 noon on Good Friday, the 30th of March, 2018.  A video of the service may be found on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The Apostle Luke describes that dark day when man showed just how cruel he can be.  Jesus came to earth to offer mankind the greatest gift of all: salvation from sin and life eternal with God in heaven.  And in return, we taunted Him, we beat Him, we tortured Him, and we nailed Him to a rough cross, there to die a horrible death.

Not once did He ask for mercy.  Not once did He cry out begging to be spared.  Not once did He condemn any man for the terrible actions of that day.  Not once did He call out to His Father God to send an army of angels to rescue Him.  For He knew that His job was not quite finished.

Listen to Luke’s Gospel account from chapter 23, verses 13 through 56, reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible...

13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this Man to me, accusing Him of leading a revolt. I have examined Him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find Him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent Him back to us. Nothing this Man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.”  17 Now it was necessary for him to release one prisoner to them during the Passover celebration.

18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill Him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has He committed? I have found no reason to sentence Him to death. So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.”

23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with Him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified — one on His right and one on His left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by casting lots.

35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let Him save Himself if He is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked Him, too, by offering Him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to Him, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above Him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself — and us, too, while You’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this Man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust My spirit into Your hands!” And with those words He breathed His last.

47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this Man was righteous.” 48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.

55 As His body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where His body was placed. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint His body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.

--Luke 23:13-56 (NLT)

Jesus had a job to do, assigned to Him by His Father.  Completing that job came at great cost.  We observe today, Good Friday, as the final installment of the full payment of that price.


So much happened that fateful Friday.  First Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve men He chose to follow Him and help with His ministry.  And then He was betrayed by the very people He came to offer salvation to.

Just a few days ago, these very Jews had cheered Jesus as He entered the city of Jerusalem.  They waved palm branches in the air and covered His path with flowers and even their cloaks.  But the job wasn’t quite finished, and the people’s shouts of “Hosanna in the highest!” quickly turned to those of “Crucify Him!”, “Crucify Him!”

Jesus was first taken before the high priests where they accused Him of blasphemy and spat on Him, tore His clothes, and beat Him.  The Roman soldiers taunted Him, put fancy clothes on Him, gave Him a “royal” staff to hold, made a crown from thorns and crammed it down on His head, drawing blood.  They mockingly bowed down to Him and addressed Him as King of the Jews.  Then they took off the fancy robe and beat Him time after time with the staff.  But they weren’t quite finished with Him.

Pilate ordered that Jesus be flogged.  A cat-o-nine-tails would have been used, a horrible little whip made from attaching nine straps of leather onto a short wooden handle, and then tying bits of broken pottery and scraps of sharp metal onto the leather strips.  The resultant tool would literally strip the flesh off its victim, leaving them bleeding and raw.

After the flogging, Jesus was paraded through the streets of the city, His clothes and His flesh in tatters and hanging from His battered and torn body.  No shouts of Hosanna nor flowers met Him this time.  They would have forced Jesus to carry His own cross to the hill called Golgotha, but He was too weak from the beatings.  So they grabbed an innocent worker returning from the fields and made him carry it.

They laid the cross down, stretched Jesus out over it, and drove crude iron nails through the flesh of His hands and into the wood.  Through the flesh of His ankles and into the wood.  Then they hoisted the cross upright, pulling our Lord into a painful position where His weight was supported only by the nails through His flesh.

Breathing is difficult, hanging by the outstretched arms like that, so crucifixion victims would try to put their weight on their feet, as painful as that would be, so that their lungs could extend and take in air.  But soon their legs would give out and they would slump, again only to be supported by their hands, again to labor just to take in breath.

If the victim did not die fast enough, either from blood loss or suffocation, their legs would be smashed with the hammer and broken so they could no longer support themselves to breathe.  Jesus succumbed before that last act of barbarity became necessary.

I know of no form of execution devised by man that is crueler than crucifixion.  Even that last breath, that last shout to His Father, would have been sheer torture.  Yet it wasn’t quite finished.


The crowds slowly dispersed, leaving only the Roman soldiers, Jesus’ friends, and the women who had followed Him from Galilee, including His mother.  One Jew who witnessed this scene opposed what had happened, what had been done.  His name was Joseph, he hailed from the town of Arimathea, and he was a member of the Jewish high council, and he recognized Jesus for what He was.  He asked Pilate for the broken body of Jesus, a request that was granted.

Joseph prepared the body for burial and then laid it in a newly carved tomb, late that Friday afternoon.  The women followed him to see where the body would be placed, and then went home to prepare some spices and fragrant oil and ointments so they could go back and anoint the body.  But before they could finish their preparations, the Sabbath had begun, and being good Jews, they rested as required by the Law of Moses, as commanded by God.  Their job wasn’t quite finished.


By now you may be wondering what’s left to do?  Jesus died for us, right?  He suffered the punishment we deserved.  He took all the world’s sins – our sins – upon Himself so that we could be seen as sinless in God’s eyes.  What more was left to do?  What more had to be paid before the full cost of carrying out God’s plan was covered?  What wasn’t yet finished?


To the world, that Friday long ago, to Jesus’ friends and followers, to His mother and brothers, it surely looked like it was all over.  Jesus was dead, buried, His ministry done and over.  They couldn’t see how anything good could come tomorrow, or the next days, or anytime ahead.  Their future looked bleak and hopeless.

Had it ended there, that Friday afternoon, with Jesus’ body lying in the tomb, there would be no church today.  The world would still be seeking its savior.  Mankind would be doomed to eternal damnation, everlasting separation from God and His love.  If it had finished when Jesus died on the cross and was laid to rest, we would have no hope, no promise, no future.

But the job was not quite finished.  The cost had been paid in full, but a few details remained to be completed.  We know the rest of the story.  We know that God raised Jesus from the dead, as a promise of our own bodily resurrection.  We know that Jesus returned to heaven still in that body – a sign of our own future as believers.

But still, it’s not quite finished.  There’s a little more yet to do.  Because Jesus promised He would return some day and set the world aright.  He will come back to us and defeat evil, punish the wicked, and reward the faithful.  And then we can live with Him and our Father God forever, just as God planned all along.

But we’ve not quite gotten to that point yet, and there’s still a little more to do.  This time, the task is left to us.  Before He left us, our Lord commanded us to go out into the world spreading the Gospel, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all we have been taught about Jesus.

That’s our job and it’s not quite finished.  So let’s roll up our spiritual sleeves and get to work.  We can’t allow the great sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf to go unappreciated, to be wasted, His blood shed for nothing.  We are the body of Christ Jesus left on the earth to continue His work.  And it’s not quite finished.  It’s time we get to it.

In the blessed name of Him who died so that we might live, the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Lord Jesus, we cannot even imagine what You went through that last day of Your mortal life, that fateful Friday so long ago.  None of Your life here came easy.  Like the prophet Isaiah foretold, the very people You came to save hated and despised You.  They plotted Your death and betrayed You.  They even denied You.  Forgive us, Lord, because sometimes we still don’t know what we are doing.

But You knew, Lord.  Every step of the way, You knew what was coming.  You knew how the events of every single day would play out, including Your last day lived as a mortal man.  You knew exactly how God’s plan must be accomplished, and that it was not quite finished before You left.  So You instructed us on what to do until You return to wrap up the job.  Help us, please Lord, to be faithful to the task You left us.  Help us to be strong when the weight of our responsibility bears greatly on our shoulders.  Help us do as You commanded even when we are afraid to stand up, to speak up, to show the world how much You mean to us.  Forgive us when we hesitated to witness to You.  Forgive us when we turn away from the needs of those around us, oblivious to their plight.  Forgive us when we fail to love sacrificially, unconditionally, as You love us.  Help us be worthy of Your great sacrifice.  In Your precious name, Lord Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Thy Will Be Done

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Maundy Thursday evening, the 29th of March, 2018.  The service this evening also included the observance of Holy Communion, held before the meditation.  A video of the service may be found on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

During their last meal together, Jesus sadly mentioned that one of His chosen dining with Him that evening would soon betray Him.  Then they all sang a hymn, left the house, and went out to the Mount of Olives.  As they walked, Jesus told Simon Peter that he would deny His Lord three times this very night before the rooster crows twice – a charge which Peter vehemently denied.

Listen and follow along as I read a little more from the Apostle Mark’s Gospel account of that evening, the evening we observe as Maundy Thursday, from chapter 14, verses 32 through 46, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

--Mark 14:32-46 (NKJV)

Normally we would observe Holy Communion after the meditation message, but our scripture tonight follows after our Lord’s last meal, so I thought it fitting to partake of that meal first.  Tonight is Maundy Thursday and we get that word, “Maundy”, from the Latin word meaning command or commandment.  On this night, at that last supper, Jesus gave us a commandment to “Do this in remembrance of Me”.  So we shared the elements of His body and blood, the new covenant between us and God sealed by the precious blood of Jesus.

As we look further into that night, we see more of the human side of the Son of God, the Son of Man as Jesus often called Himself.  And what we see is a man deeply troubled and distressed, sorrowful even to the point of death!

Jesus knows what is coming.  At supper he predicted that one of His chosen followers would soon betray Him to the authorities, and another would deny Him three times that very night, deny even knowing Him!  Betrayal, denial – that’s pretty harsh treatment from men who are supposed to be your friends!  Wouldn’t we feel great anguish if we were treated like that?

In our Responsive Reading earlier, we read where Isaiah foresaw that Jesus would be hated and rejected, and that He would be filled with great sorrow and would endure terrible suffering.  This is so obvious in our scripture reading, where Mark notes that Jesus prayed that this hour might pass from Him.  We can sense that Jesus nearly begged, “Father!  You can do anything.  Please take this cup away from Me!  Don’t make Me go through with this!”

But then the divine side of Jesus, the God side took over, and He submitted to His Father’s will.  “Not My will, but Thy will be done!”  Even Jesus – the Son of God – understood that what we want is not important!  The only thing that matters is what God wants, what God wills, what God commands!


But we often have trouble doing what God wants, don’t we?  Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to wait for Him, to watch and pray until He came back from spending a little time alone with God.  How well did they carry out that order?  Jesus returned after only an hour to find them fast asleep.  Again He asked them to watch and pray, again He went off alone to be with His Father, and again He returned to find the three men sleeping.

Once more this scenario repeated, but the third time Jesus returned to His disciples, it was too late for them to do as He commanded.  His time was up.  The hour had come for Him to be turned over into the hands of sinners.  For here came Judas, leading a “great multitude” of armed men, Temple guards and servants of the priests and elders.  Judas walked right up and betrayed Jesus with a kiss.  And they laid their hands on Him, and took Him away.


This night marked only the beginning of the physical suffering Jesus would soon endure.  But the suffering of betrayal, of denial, of His closest friends and followers not doing as He asked…  that had to hurt as much if not more.

Jesus knew all of this would happen!  The physical suffering, the mental and emotional anguish, being hated and despised, taking the punishment He didn’t deserve…  He knew it all was coming!  He suffered because of the sinful things we have done!  He suffered as a sacrifice to God to take away our sin and guilt!  And as Isaiah noted, He did everything that God had planned.  “Not My will, but Thy will be done.”


This night is the perfect time to do as Jesus did and speak earnestly with our Father God.  We need to go to God in prayer and ask that He more clearly show us what His will is for our lives.  If you’d like to come down to the foot of Jesus’ cross to pray, here at His table, then please do so.  Jesus knew God’s will, but for us it isn’t so easy.

Ask God for help in discerning His will, and then carry out what He shows us.  It may not be what we expect.  It may not be what we’d like.  It may not be what we want.  But what we want doesn’t matter.  All that matters is what God wants.

Thy will be done, Lord.  Thy will be done.

Let us pray…  Lord Jesus, You gave so much of Yourself on our behalf.  You took our punishment, You bore our stripes, You died so we could avoid the final and permanent death just by believing in You and accepting You as Lord.  But even greater suffering You bore was our betrayal, our denial, our rejection of You.  Yet You carried on and saw our Father God’s plan through to the bitter end.  You knew that the only thing that mattered was to do God’s will.

Forgive us, Lord, our times of doubt and confusion.  Forgive us when we refuse to believe, when we reject Your authority, when we think we can go it on our own, when we would rather do as we will rather than as God wills.  Help us, please Jesus, to better see how we personally fit into God’s great plan.  Show us how to love as You love, how to help others as You help us, how to sacrifice of our time and resources on their behalf.  Help us carry out God’s will in all we do.

This we pray in Your sweet name, Lord Jesus, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life

[The following is a full manuscript of my abbreviated message delivered on Palm Sunday morning, the 25th of March, 2018.  This Sunday also included a service of Confirmation for six youths and baptisms for five youth and one adult.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today we celebrate that Sunday morning long ago when Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem - on the back of a donkey, no less – to shouts of “Hosanna” as the people turned out in droves to cheer Him.  He and His disciples came for the great feast of Passover, as did so many other Jews and visitors.

It was during this time of feasting that Jesus tried to explain more of God’s mysteries to His followers, telling them more of what to expect, sharing with a greater urgency because of what He knew was coming.  In one such teaching moment, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.  Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 14, verses 1 through 11, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."

--John 14:1-11 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, today we join in the bittersweet celebration of Your Son’s last entry into Jerusalem.  But while we shout our loud Hosannas, we don’t want to forget how Jesus described Himself so that we can try to be more like Him.  Thank You, Father, for speaking Your truth through Jesus.  Please help us more fully understand Your truth and how it affects our lives.  Speak to us now, Father, and show us Your will.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray.   Amen.


To please his father a freshman went out for track.  He had no athletic ability, though the father had been a good miler in his day.  His first race was a two-man meet in which he ran against the top school miler.  He was badly beaten.  Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home, "You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best miler in school.  He came in next to last, while I came in second."


Well, he was telling the truth, after all.  But I think he has a great future ahead of himself as a politician, or the press secretary for one.


And then there was the woman whose red station wagon was crushed by an elephant at a circus.  The owners of the animal apologized, explaining that the normally gentle beast for some reason simply liked to sit on red cars.  In spite of the damage, the station wagon was still drivable, but on the way to the garage she was stopped short by an accident involving two other cars just ahead of her.  When the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, the attendants took one look at her car and ran over to assist her.

"Oh, I wasn't involved in this accident," she explained.  "An elephant sat on my car."  The ambulance attendants quickly bundled her off to the hospital for possible shock and head injuries, despite the lady's vehement protests.


Sometimes the world just can’t accept or even comprehend the truth.  This woman told the truth, but the ambulance attendants wouldn’t accept it so they whisked her off for a mental examination.  Jesus shared the truth with the world, but the world would not accept it so they hung Him on a cross to die.


Like I mentioned, Palm Sunday is when we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem.  This would be His last visit, but the people didn’t really know that.  Some were finally beginning to think that maybe Jesus could be the promised Messiah, but they still didn’t quite get it.  They still didn’t understand what He had been trying to tell them.  They still expected a conquering hero to swoop in and save them from Roman rule.

A little earlier in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 12 and 13 and 37 through 49, we read of that entry, and of Jesus’ response…

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”

41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”

--John 12:12-13, 37-49 (NKJV)

Jesus quoted Isaiah there to explain to us why the people didn’t get it, why they couldn’t fully believe.  It was because they were not able to!  God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so they could not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts.

Now, that might sound kind of cruel, that God would not let these people see the truth.  But we must remember that God chooses who He will save.  And since God is indeed God, we must accept and understand that everything He does is good and righteous.  Otherwise everything in our Bible is a lie and there is no truth.

But Jesus said “I am the truth”.  And some did in fact believe, but they were afraid to confess their belief before their fellow man.  They were afraid they might lose esteem in the eyes of others.  They loved the praise of man more than the praise of God.

But Jesus didn’t condemn them.  He said He came as a light into the world so that we might see our Father God who sent Him, so that we might see the truth.  And notice that He adds that He doesn’t judge us for our disbelief.  No, our own words and actions serve as our judge.  His words, spoken so long ago, will judge us if we fail to heed them.  For they were not spoken under His own authority, great as we see that to be now, but under the ultimate authority of God Almighty!  That last should sound familiar, for we read it earlier in our message scripture, in verse 10 of John’s chapter 14 when Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

He goes on to say that if we don’t want to believe His words, then we only need look at all the miraculous works He performed and that should make us believe in the truth that He really is the Son of God.  And oh, by the way, the same Father that Jesus said dwelt in Him dwells in us, too!  By our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Master, God sent His own Holy Spirit to live within us, to empower us, to encourage us, to strengthen us!

Family, this is the truth!  Our Bible is the truth!  Jesus is the truth, the only way to the Father, the life to sinners!


Now it’s up to us.  Jesus has gone home to be with His Father in heaven, but He didn’t leave us without the truth.  It’s in our Bible, the inerrant, inspired word of God.  The absolute word of truth.  Jesus left us with the command to share that truth.  If that weren’t enough, He also showed us by His own example how we can share that truth.

Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life… I am the way, the truth, and the life”.  We need to show others the way.  We need to lead them to Jesus who can raise them from spiritual death into life in Him.  Because there’s no other way to the Father except through Jesus, His Son.  And that’s the truth.

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


Let us pray…  Father God, You are good, You are righteous, and You are the absolute truth, for You are God.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to fully grasp this simple reality – You are God.  You are the truth and Your word contained in our Holy Bible is the truth.  Your Son Jesus is the truth.  Thank You for not hiding Your truth, for sharing it with us through Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to bring light to the world that we might see, to bring life to those dead in sin, to show us the only way to the Father, to bring us His truth.  Help us, please Lord, to share this truth with others, to be a witness to the truth that is You.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Sacrifice

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday evening, the 18th of March, 2018, at the third joint Lenten service between Bethlehem, Emanuel Reformed, Paul's Chapel, and Pilgrim Reformed Churches, hosted by Bethlehem Church of Midway, NC.]

Back in the middle of February, on Ash Wednesday, we began a long and arduous journey known as Lent, an annual trek that carries us from the wilderness where Jesus was tempted by Satan and leaves us at the foot of the cruel cross where our Lord was crucified.  A common practice during this time is to give up a little something, some habit or tidbit we are especially fond of, to serve as a reminder of all that Jesus gave up.  Through our observance of Lent, the hope is that we may grow a little closer to Jesus, that we might experience some small token of the suffering He endured on our behalf.

In a way, it’s all about sacrifice – the sacrifice God made of His own Son, the sacrifice Jesus made for us, the sacrifice we are willing to make to show our understanding and appreciation for all that’s been done for us.  But not all sacrifice is physical.  Listen and follow along as I read all of chapter 17 from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

--John 17 (NKJV)

Let us pray… Father God, Your Son, even though perfect, prayed to You more than any man, not less.  He prayed for His followers, both those present that day as well as all who would follow later, like us.  And He prayed for Himself, knowing the pain He would soon endure.  Yet He knew that Your will must be done, Your plan must be carried out.  No sacrifice was too great.  Speak to us now, Father, directly to our hearts, that we might better understand the message Your Son Jesus has for us, that we might better discern Your will for our lives.  In the blessed name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble.  Wars had been costly, and in trying to rebuild the nation, he was seriously short of finances.  He couldn't disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable.  After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country.  For each donation received, he decided to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude.  Each decoration would be inscribed, "I gave gold for iron, 1813."

The response was overwhelming.  Even more importantly, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry.  The reason, of course, is clear.  The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king.  Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross.  Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see.


When we Christians come to our King, we’re also asked to exchange the fancy things of this life for a cross.  Our King gave up His own life on a cross of wood.  For us, the cross is the symbol of sacrifice.


When we think of the sacrifice Jesus made, we think of the persecution He endured from the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the scribes.  We think of the crown of thorns pushed down upon His forehead.  We think of the beating He took, with His flesh literally ripped from His body.  We think of the nails being driven through His hands and feet, the spear thrust into His side.  We think of His suffering upon that cruel wooden cross.  And the thing is, Jesus knew what was coming.  He knew exactly what would happen, what would be done to Him, the pain He would endure.

Our scripture passage this evening is the longest recorded prayer our Lord made to His and our Father.

In this prayer, Jesus starts by praying for Himself, but not that He be spared what is to come!  That’s what we’d probably pray for isn’t it, that we not have to suffer what is coming?  No, Jesus prayed to His Father God that both He and God be glorified by His coming suffering and by how He bears up under it.

In the Apostle John’s telling of the life of Jesus, this prayer comes right before Jesus is arrested.  The other Gospel writers share a shortened version of the prayer our Lord made, perhaps because they were not as immediately present as was John that night.  Listen to the what the Apostle Luke recorded, in the 22nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 39 through 44…

39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

--Luke 22:39-44 (NKJV)

Again, in Luke’s account, Jesus prays for Himself, but here we can see the human side coming through a little.  “Father, I really don’t want to have to go through this.  But Your will must be done, not Mine.”

Do you think all of this didn’t bother Jesus?  Luke tells us He was in agony, with His sweat falling like great drops of blood onto the ground as He prayed even more earnestly.  Do you think He was only worried about His physical suffering to come?  There would be plenty of that, for sure.

But I think His greatest sacrifice, what He was worried about the most, was the taking of all our sins upon Himself and carrying them to the grave!  Jesus was perfect, without sin.  He knew no sin at all, the unblemished Lamb.  Yet God’s great plan of salvation for mankind required that He take on all the sin of the world!  Sin is disobedience of God.  It separates us from God.  How horrible would that be for Jesus, who always did as God commanded, who was with God from before time began…  How unbearable would it be for Him to be separated from the Father He so loved?!?  That is sacrifice, and it was made all for us!


The Apostle Paul was certainly no stranger to pain and suffering, or to making sacrifices for others.  It was like a badge of honor for him to do so.  In the 2nd chapter of his letter to the Philippians, verse 17, Paul says…

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

--Philippians 2:17 (NKJV)

Paul says that he rejoices if he can serve as an offering, a sacrifice to God, on the behalf of others.  So it should come as no surprise that he would ask the same of us.  In his letter to the Romans, chapter 12 verse 1, Paul begs…

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

--Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

Jesus gave up His own mortal body for us.  Paul suffered many beatings and much physical pain, and was eventually martyred while serving our Lord.  But both also suffered mental anguish, pain affecting their spirits more even than their mortal bodies.

If we are to experience even a shred of what Jesus endured, we must be willing to make a sacrifice of our own, so that God’s will be done.  At the very least we should have given up something meaningful for Lent, as Jesus gave up His own perfection to take our sins upon Himself.  And we can still do so, even if we are nearing the end of the Lenten season.

But we can do more, so much more.  We can show Jesus that we understand and appreciate His sacrifices, both physical and spiritual, by making sacrifices of our own in His service.  Just as He acknowledged that God’s will must be done by carrying out His plan, so too can we by doing what God wills for us.

We can better discern God’s will for our lives by studying His word and then spending earnest time in prayer, seeking His will, asking Him to show us our part in His great plan.  We can do as Jesus tells us, loving others as Jesus loves us.  Paul put it like this, in the 5th chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, verse 2…

2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

--Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)

Not all sacrifices have to be physical, or fatal.  Some offerings can be a sweet aroma to God’s nose, a beautiful sound to His ear.  Walk in love as Jesus walked, giving of ourselves as Jesus gave.


We don’t know when our time on this earth will be finished and done.  But tonight, in this place, we still have time to make a sacrifice.  We still have time to give of ourselves to others in service to our Lord.  We can honor the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf by making a sacrifice of our own.

If you would like to recommit yourself to Jesus, now is the best time to do so – now, because tomorrow might not come.  If you want to make a sacrifice for Jesus, now, during Lent, is a very appropriate time.  If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, now, while we still draw breath, is the time to let Him into your heart.

I ask my brother Pastors gathered here tonight to join me down front as we sing our closing hymn.  If you want to accept Jesus as your Master and Savior, if you want to rededicate your life to Him, if you want to offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, if you just want us to pray with you, then please come down and join us at the foot of our Lord’s cross.  No sacrifice is too great.

In the glorious name of the one true Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your plan of salvation comes with a heavy price: the sacrifice of Your own Son.  You had to stand by and watch as He suffered for us, as He gave up His mortal life for us.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much.  Please help us fully understand and appreciate the sacrifice both You and He made on our behalf.  Forgive us when we are not willing to make sacrifices of our own for the sake of others.  Please hear us now, Lord God, as we come to you in the silence, repenting of our sin, seeking Your forgiveness, praying straight from our hearts…

Lord Jesus, You gave Your all for us, taking the punishment we deserve.  You even took our sins, carried them to the grave and left them there, so we could appear sinless in our Father God’s eyes.  Thank You, Lord, for suffering so much just so we might avoid the final death: separation from God.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we are unwilling to make a meaningful sacrifice of our own time and resources for the good of someone else.  Forgive us when we ignore Your sacrifice and fail to serve You.  Help us, please Lord, to be more loving, more giving, more helpful in our daily lives.  Help us to love sacrificially, unconditionally, and not just during Lent but every day of the year.

This we pray in Your righteous name, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 18th of March, 2018.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

As I reflected the other day on our series based on Jesus’ “I am” statements, I was awed by how well they fit into the Lenten season leading up to Easter Morning.  It just shows how the Holy Spirit can nudge us in the direction God wishes us to follow.  We just have to go with the nudge.

Easter morning is Resurrection Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus rising from death and leaving behind an empty tomb.  By this He shows that a greater life can follow our earthly death, if we believe and remain faithful.  But before that morning, before His death, Jesus brought others back to mortal life.  In one such instance, He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life”.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 11, verses 1 through 44, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible.  This will be a rather long reading, but please bear with me…

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

--John 11:1-44 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we are spending a little extra time looking at some of the things Your Son Jesus did while He walked among us as a man so that we might be more like Him, be more Christ-like, be more righteous in Your eyes.  Thank You, Father, for showing us through Jesus that death is only temporary.  Thank You for giving us the faith to believe.  Speak to us now, Father, that we might better understand Your word and Your will for our lives.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray.   Amen.


 “Do you believe in life after death?”, the boss asked one of his newer employees.  “Yes, Sir.” the young man replied.

“Oh, well, that's okay then!”, said the boss.  “Because after you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped by to see you!”


And that reminds me of the old joke about the man who took his wife and mother-in-law to visit the Holy Land.  While in Jerusalem, his mother-in-law suffered a heart attack and died.  Trying to figure out what to do in a foreign country, he spoke to the US Embassy.  The aide to the Ambassador told him that he could have his mother-in-law flown home with him and his wife, but it would cost about $4000.  On the other hand, she could be buried there in Israel for only $1000.  The man thought long and hard before replying, “I guess we’ll pay the extra to fly her home.”  The aide responded that it would be a lot cheaper to bury her there and they would do a very nice job with the service.  The man replied, “Oh, I have no doubts it would be nice.  But you see, a man died here 2000 years ago and was buried, and then just three days later He came back to life.  I just can’t take the chance of that happening again.”


Some will tell us that death is no laughing matter.  And it isn’t, especially when the death seems so tragic.  But as believers, we should know that death is not the end, it is not the final statement to our life.  No, it is simply the next step to an even greater life.  For those of us who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the one true Son of God, that eternal life will be wonderful beyond our wildest imaginings.  For those who refuse to accept Jesus, eternity won’t be quite as fun.


The Apostle John tells us of a man named Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, two sisters we see mentioned more than once in our Bible’s New Testament.  The sisters send word that their brother is dying, imploring Jesus to come because they know He can make Lazarus well.

And did you catch Jesus’ response?  Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death, but is ultimately for the glory of God, so that the Son of God can be glorified through it.  And then He waits until the third day to go there.  Why?  So that people can see Him work and believe He is indeed the Son of God.

But let me point out that in verse 14 Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead”.  The message He received was that Lazarus was dying, but Jesus said he is already dead.  And sure enough, in verse 17 we see that after waiting those two full days, Jesus arrives to find that Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.

Of course, a little thing like death was no big deal to Jesus.  He order the stone sealing the tomb be removed, even though Martha was concerned the smell may be a bit offsetting.  And for the sake of those watching and listening, Jesus thanks our Father God for doing what He is about to ask so that the onlookers might believe that Jesus was indeed sent by God.

Then He orders Lazarus out of the grave, and out he comes, bound up in his grave cloths, with his face still covered.  Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.”  He said that to the people there, but He could have as easily said it to death itself.  Some day He will say that to death for us: “Loose them and let them go.”


Lazarus is not the only person Jesus brought back from the dead.  Another earlier resurrection was of the young daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, as told by the Apostle Luke in the 8th chapter of his Gospel account.  But the first recorded instance of Jesus raising someone from the dead, and my personal favorite, is recorded for us also by Luke in chapter 7 of his Gospel, verses 11 through 15…

11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

--Luke 7:11-15 (NKJV)

This is my favorite because I can’t help but imagine the reaction of the people carrying the open casket when the widow’s son suddenly sat up and began to speak!

But family, these are stories of love, and of giving.  In both of these instance, for the sisters of Lazarus and for the widow whose son had died, Jesus showed love and compassion.  He cared, not only about the deceased, but about those left behind who mourned.  He grieved with them, groaning in His own spirit.

And we do mourn, those of us left behind by the loss of a loved one, even when we know our loved one has gone on to a much better place.  That better place is indeed one we all long for, and one we will see if we believe and accept Jesus.

Just as He offered new life to Lazarus and the widow’s son, He offers new life to all who believe.  Because death is only temporary.  Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.


Now in each of these “I am” messages, we’ve seen how we can apply the same description to ourselves that Jesus used to describe Himself.  But how does that work today?  We can’t bring someone back to life can we?  Well, maybe, if it has just happened and we know CPR or have an emergency defibrillator close by, but certainly not someone who has been in the grave for four days!

While we may not be able to bring the mortally dead back to life, we may be able to help save the spiritually dead.  We can help those who are dead in sin find new life through and in Jesus.  For when we were dead in sin He came to us and gave us new life!  And He will do the same for all who are spiritually dead, if they will only come to Him, accept Him, believe in Him.  We can help with their spiritual resurrection by sharing with them our story, by telling them how important Jesus is to us, by offering our witness and our testimony, by showing them Jesus in how we live our lives.

Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life”.  Be willing to help all others, loving unconditionally, sacrificially, providing for their physical needs so that their spiritual needs might also be met, shining the light of God’s truth so that all might see.  Take them by the hand and lead them to the door, fully committing ourselves to Jesus and His service, giving our very all to Him, helping others who are spiritually dead find resurrection and life in Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You did not want us to face eternal death and separation from You because of our sin and disobedience, so You sent Your Son that we might be saved.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to share that great gift with others, when we hesitate to tell them our story, when we forget to give You the glory.  Thank You for loving us so much that You set in motion a plan to save us all, if we would only believe.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You showed us that our life on this earth is only temporary by restoring life to those who had died, by walking out of the grave Yourself.  And you gave us new life when we accepted You as our Lord and Master, knowing You to be our Savior.  Help us, please Lord, to share this wonderful news with others, to offer our testimony in words and in how we live our lives.  Help us help others who are spiritually dead find that same resurrection in their lives.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 11th of March, 2018.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

We’re continuing today with Jesus’ “I am” statements, and we’re actually going to pick up right where we left off last week.  If you’ll remember, we read where Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep”.  At that time I emphasized that Jesus did not say He was the shepherd, but the door by which the shepherd and sheep go in and go out.  In this way we see Jesus providing us access, as a door gives us a means of access.  In this case, though, Jesus gives us access to our Father God and His kingdom.

But as He continues speaking His parable, Jesus confirms what we’re more used to by saying, “I am the Good Shepherd”.  Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 10, verses 11 through 18, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

--John 10:11-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we are looking at how Your Son Jesus lived, what He did, what He taught, and how He described Himself so that we can try to be more like Him, more Christ-like and more righteous in Your eyes.  Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son that we might be saved.  Speak to us now, Father, and let us hear and understand Your message and Your word.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray.   Amen.


I'm sure you've heard this little anecdote, but it bears repeating.  A hen and a hog were walking down the street one day and came upon a church with a sign out front that read, "Help the needy."  The hen and the hog thought this to be a great idea.  "I know how we can help," said the hen.  "We can host a breakfast and give them bacon and eggs!"  The hog thought for only a moment before replying, "That's easy for you to say!  For you, this would only require a contribution, but for me it would be a total commitment."


Pause for just a bit and think about what Jesus did for you, for me, for each of us here.  Did He make a contribution, or a total commitment?  And now think about us, what do we do in return?  Are we totally committed to Jesus, or just contributors?


It doesn’t take much thought to see that what Jesus was describing in our scripture reading was the difference between a commitment and a contribution.  A hireling, someone just paid to do the job, will indeed contribute by watching over the sheep.  But when push comes to shove and a deeper commitment is required, the hired hand will say something about this being above their pay-grade and will slip out as fast as possible.

The good shepherd, though, will stay and give whatever it takes, even if it takes everything.  That is commitment.  Jesus was totally committed to carrying out God’s great plan of salvation on our behalf.  What is our level of commitment to Him?  He constantly tells us to love one another, but what do we really know of love?  In chapter 15 of John’s Gospel account, verses 12 through 14, Jesus says…

12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."

--John 15:12-14 (NKJV)

Would Jesus consider us His friends?  Do we do what He commands?

Consider the Apostle Matthew.  As a tax collector, Matthew made easy money.  He was despised by all the people for collaborating with the Romans but he relished his world of riches.  Then one day Jesus comes by, looks at Matthew, and simply says, "Follow Me."  And for one brief moment, Matthew faces a dilemma.  An image of all his gold and silver and his house and possessions flashes before his eyes.  He looks at Jesus and realizes he's got to make a choice - he can't have both.  But there was no comparison.  He recognized instantly that he was looking at the true treasure, the real riches.  And with that he left everything behind.  He made a sacrifice, but it turned out to be no sacrifice at all.

In chapter 9, verses 10 through 13 of his Gospel account, Matthew adds to his report of this scene…

10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

--Matthew 9:10-13 (NKJV)

Jesus said to learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”.  Jesus often quoted scripture, especially in Matthew’s account.  This time He quotes the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who spoke for God in chapter 6 verse 6 when God said…

6 "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

--Hosea 6:6 (NKJV)

We know that God is merciful, but are we?  Do we show mercy to others, forgiving them of their trespasses against us?  Jesus said He came to call the sinners to repentance.  We’re sinners, but are we repentant?

Let me sidetrack for a moment and look at how Hosea opened chapter 6 that Jesus quoted from.  Hosea begins in verses 1 and 2 by speaking for himself, not God…

1 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.
2 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)

First Hosea calls us to repentance, to return to the Lord, just like Jesus does.  But doesn’t the rest sound awfully familiar?  After two days God will revive us, and on the third day raise us up that we may live in His sight.  We confirm this in our Apostles’ Creed: and on the third day He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty!  And Hosea promises the same will be our blessing.


Jesus said “I am the Good Shepherd”, and we can see He was talking about being totally committed - to the point of giving His own mortal life to save His sheep.  Sacrifice and commitment.  He asks nothing less of us.

Matthew recorded another time when Jesus instructed His disciples on how we should live and why, in chapter 16 of his Gospel account, verses 24 and 25…

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

--Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)

That’s a form of sacrifice, isn’t it, to deny ourselves of the worldly ways we are so comfortable with?  That’s commitment, to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus, including accepting ridicule and persecution from a hostile world.

If we seek to keep, to save, a worldly life – living more for the flesh and its lusts and less for God – then we risk losing any chance of a heavenly life to come.  But if we are willing to commit fully to Jesus, to make sacrifices for Him, then our eternal life is secure.

Jesus sacrificed for us.  He laid down His mortal life for us.  But that is not necessarily the sacrifice He asks of us.  He just wants us to give up the worldly life.  The Apostle Paul, in the opening of the 12th chapter to his letter to the Romans, begs us to make of ourselves a living sacrifice to our Lord.  We don’t need to die, to give up our mortal life.  We need to die to the life of the world and make of our lives more meaningful gifts to those in need, both spiritual and physical needs.  Jesus asks us to sacrifice our time and resources, to give up those things the world thinks important and become more committed to Him and to His service.

Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd”.  Be willing to help all others, loving unconditionally, sacrificially.  Help provide for their physical needs so that their spiritual needs might also be met.  Shine the light of God’s truth so that all might see.  Take them by the hand and lead them to the door so they too might be saved.  And commit fully to Jesus and His service, giving our very all to Him.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your plan for mankind’s salvation required that Your Son lay down His life for us.  He had to die so that we might live.  Jesus was fully committed to Your plan and He made that great sacrifice.  Forgive us, please Father, when we hesitate or even refuse to make sacrifices of our own in service to You and to Jesus.  Forgive us of our disobedient nature.  Thank You for showing us mercy even when we are not merciful to others, for forgiving us even when we fail to forgive others.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave Your life for us that we might have everlasting life.  You did so willingly, obeying Your Father, knowing His love.  You are the Good Shepherd, giving Your all for Your sheep.  Help us, please Lord, to commit ourselves to You and Your service, just as You fully committed to God’s great plan of salvation.  Help us to hear and follow Your voice.  Help us be willing to give up our worldly ways, to serve You by seeing to the physical and spiritual needs of others, by sharing Your Gospel and the truth of God, by showing them the door that You hold open, and by sacrificing our time and resources to help them in any way we can, so that they too might be saved.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Jesus, the Door of the Sheep

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 4th of March, 2018.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning we will continue looking at how Jesus described Himself in a series of “I am” statements.  Our hope in doing so is that we might better understand how to become more like Him, become more Christ-like.

We have seen that Jesus was willing to help any and all others, that He provided for their needs both physical and spiritual, and that He brought vision to a blind and dark world.  Today, let’s look at a parable Jesus taught in which He said, “I am the door of the sheep.”  Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 10, verses 1 through 10, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

--John 10:1-10 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we are trying to learn how to be more like Your Son Jesus.  He set the example for us in how He lived and what He taught.  Thank You for sending Your Son to give us access to Your word and Your kingdom.  Speak to us now, Father, that we may hear and understand how to be more Christ-like and thus more righteous in Your eyes.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


19th century Scottish revival leader, Dr. Andrew Bonar, told of how, in the Highlands of Scotland, sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet to get to it, and then they can't jump back up again, and the shepherd hears them bleating in distress. They may be there for days, until they have eaten all the grass. The shepherd will wait until they are so faint they cannot stand, and then he will put a rope around them and pull that sheep up out of the jaws of death. Dr. Bonar was asked, "Why don't they go down there when the sheep first get stranded?" "Ah," he responded, "if the shepherd did that, the sheep are so very foolish they would dash right back over the precipice to get to the sweet grass again, and be killed."


Isn’t this pretty much the way of men?  We won’t completely go back to God until we have lost everything, until there’s nothing left, not even a friend.  Otherwise we just jump right back into whatever hole we’ve dug ourselves.  Are we really as foolish as sheep?


Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep”.  What is a door?  It’s what we use to go in and out, right?  It is a means of access.  A door can be locked or otherwise blocked off, limiting our access, can’t it?  And unless we locked ourselves out, a door is usually blocked to keep unauthorized people out.  Jesus says that if someone tries to come into where the sheep are kept other than through the door, then they are thieves intent on stealing or doing harm to the sheep.  But the shepherd comes in by the door, and the sheep know his voice as he calls them out, and they follow.

Notice though, that in this passage, Jesus does not call Himself the shepherd, but the door by which the shepherd and sheep go in and out.  In fact, He says that anyone who comes in by Him will be saved.

Now when we think of a doorway, it’s usually a rather confining space, where only one or a couple people can pass through at a time.  The door into the sheepfold would be no different, allowing only a few sheep to enter side by side.  A doorway is narrow.  Jesus acknowledged this, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in his Gospel account, chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, when Jesus said…

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

--Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

Yes, a doorway is narrow, but the way that leads to salvation is narrow and difficult to walk, and there are few who find it.  I would even say there are few who try to find it.

Jesus said, “I am the door… enter by the narrow gate”.  So there can be no doubt, Jesus puts it all together for us, as saved by John in chapter 14 of his Gospel account, verse 6…

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

--John 14:6 (NKJV)

Jesus is our access to God’s kingdom, our only access.  If anyone tells you otherwise, then they are like a thief or robber, trying to come in another way.  And although the way to the Father may be narrow and difficult to navigate, the door is never locked.  Jesus gives access to all who will hear His voice and follow His commands.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of this access, how we have it, and what it provides.  In chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 of his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us…

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

--Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Not only do we enjoy being at peace with God through our Lord Jesus, we also have access through Him – through the door – into the grace in which we now stand, and the hope and glory that is yet to come.


Jesus is our door, the narrow gate that leads to heaven.  Paul reminds us of this again, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, but carries it further and I think provides us with a very broad hint of how we should respond.  Listen to what Paul tells us in chapter 2 of his Epistle to the Ephesians, verses 17, 18, and 19…

17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God...

--Ephesians 2:17-19 (NKJV)

Jesus came and preached peace to us when we were as far off as one can get – separated from God by our sin and disobedience.  Through Jesus we enjoy one Spirit – the Spirit of God.  Through Jesus we now have access to our Father God.

And then comes what I believe is the kicker, the part I think shows us how to be more Christ-like.  Because of the access Jesus gives us to the Father, we are no longer strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and full members of the household of God!  To me, that says that as full members of God’s household, we should also offer access to His household to others we encounter in our daily walk!

Now I’m not saying we can be the door, as Jesus is.  Believing in us won’t do anyone any good.  Jesus is the only way to the Father.  But we can help others find the door.  We can help the lost find their way back to the narrow gate.  We can toss down the rope and pull them back from the precipice and show them the straight and narrow way that leads to the access Jesus provides!  We are not the door, but we can show them the path to the door and hold it open for them.

Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world…  I am the door”.  Be willing to help all others, loving unconditionally, sacrificially, expecting nothing in return, just like Jesus did.  Help provide for the physical needs of others so that their spiritual needs might also be met.  Shine the light of God’s truth so that all might see.  And take them by the hand and lead them to the door so they too might be saved.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your laws seem so simple, yet since the fall of Adam, it is just not in our nature to be able to abide by them.  We disobey You by our actions, our thoughts, our feelings.  Forgive us, please Father, for our disobediences and sins.  Forgive us when we take for granted all You provide.  Thank You for Your great mercy and grace.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your mercy and forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, we were all afar off, separated from God by our sin.  You came and opened a doorway for us back to God.  You came and pulled us from our pit of despair and offered us hope.  You give free and open access to the Father, but that way is open only through You.  Help us, please Lord, to stay on that straight and narrow path.  Help us be willing to serve You by seeing to the physical and spiritual needs of others and by sharing Your Gospel and the truth of God with them.  And please help us show them the way to the door You hold open, so that they too might be saved.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.