[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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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.”--Luke 22:39-44 (NKJV)
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.
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)
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)
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)
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.
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