One With Jesus

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 25th of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Let’s think for a moment what it means to be one with something or someone.  We can say it’s being of the same mindset, being in agreement, having something important in common, being just alike in many ways.  Some of that can be by choice.  We can choose the groups we associate with, that we are one with, based on our personal thoughts and feelings, on our worldview.  Just like we can choose to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus.  And if we do choose to be a Christian, we should be one with Christ, one with Jesus.

In his Gospel account and his three letters to the early church, the Apostle John gives us some great instructions on what it means to be one with Jesus.  Please listen and follow along to what John wrote in the 3rd chapter of his 1st letter to the early church, verse 1 and verses 13 through 24, and I’ll be reading this from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that He lets us be called His children, as we truly are. But since the people of this world did not know who Christ is, they don’t know who we are.

13 My friends, don’t be surprised if the people of this world hate you. 14 Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. But if you don’t love each other, you are still under the power of death.

15 If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. 16 We know what love is because Jesus gave His life for us. That’s why we must give our lives for each other. 17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. 18 Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.

19 When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. 20 But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near Him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey Him and do what pleases Him. 23 God wants us to have faith in His Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. 24 If we obey God’s commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with Him, and He will stay one with us. The Spirit that He has given us is proof that we are one with Him.

--1 John 3:1, 13-24 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You would adopt us as Your children.  The world may not know us or understand our faith, but You know us.  The world may hate us, but You love us.  Father, please help us truly love others, just as Jesus loved.  Help us show the love of Jesus in our daily walk, even to those who hate us and would do us harm.  Help us be one with Jesus in all we do, so that others may see Him in our actions and deeds.  And Father, please keep us safe from Satan’s evil works and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and our service to Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these worrisome times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how to be one with Your Son.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Joe Wagner once wrote in Reader's Digest about attending a junior livestock show when a grand-champion lamb, owned by a little girl, was being auctioned.  "As the bids reached five dollars per pound," he wrote, "the little girl, standing beside the lamb in the arena, began to cry.  At ten dollars, the tears were streaming down her face and she clasped her arms tightly around the lamb's neck.  The higher the bids rose, the more she cried.  Finally, a local businessman bought the lamb for more than $1000, but then announced that he was donating it back to the little girl.  The crowd applauded and cheered."

"Months later," he continued, "I was judging some statewide essays when I came across one from a girl who told about the time her grand-champion lamb had been auctioned.  'The prices began to get so high during the bidding,' she wrote, 'that I started to cry from happiness.'  She continued: 'The man who bought the lamb for so much more than I ever dreamed I would get returned the lamb to me, and when I got home, Daddy barbecued the lamb -- and it was really delicious.'"

Everyone thought the little girl loved the lamb and hated to part with it.  But this wasn't the case.  She was more interested in the money than the lamb.  Well, at least until suppertime.

Sometimes love shows itself in much simpler ways...  William C. Schultz related such a moment.  His daughter, Laurie, was about three years old when one night she requested his aid in getting undressed.  He was downstairs and she was upstairs, and ...well...  “You know how to undress yourself,” he reminded her.  “Yes,” she explained, “but sometimes people need people anyway, even if they do know how to do things by themselves.”

People need people sometimes, even if they do know how to do something for themselves.  Sometimes people just need help.  And sometimes they just need the reassurance of someone else being there with them.

I realize I’m emphasizing love quite a bit so far.  Both of those little stories centered on love, of one sort or another.  And in our scripture reading, John talked about love, and it’s close cousin, hatred.

God loves us, but the world hates us, just as it hates Jesus, God’s Son.  The world hates us because we try our best to not let it control us.  The world hates us because it doesn’t understand us.  It doesn’t understand why we can have faith in something we can’t see or touch.  It doesn’t understand why we won’t give in and be just like everyone else.  The world hates us because we are not one with it.  Instead, we are one with Jesus and God loves us for it.

But to remain one with Jesus, we must do as He commands us and love each other.  If we hate each other, then we are murderers, just as Jesus told us.  And since murderers are condemned to eternal torment rather than everlasting life, as murderers we cannot be one with Jesus, who does have eternal life.

In his 1st letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us that "he who is joined to the Lord is of one spirit with Him".  To truly be one with Jesus we must be of the same spirit, loving others just as He loved, keeping their welfare foremost in our minds.  And if we love them, we’ll want them to be saved, too.

John goes on to make a very interesting point.  When we love others, that action will assure us that we belong to Jesus, belong to the truth, and that assurance will make us feel more at ease in the presence of our Father God.  This, in turn, will give us the courage to come near Him and ask anything of Him.  And because we obey Him and do what pleases Him, He will give us whatever we ask.

Family, Paul is talking about our praying to God, and Him answering our prayer.  God and Jesus want us to love others, not hate them, and if we do we will stay one with Jesus and be rewarded.  God’s Holy Spirit within us is proof that we are one with our Lord.

So what do we pray for?  The courage, conviction, and strength to do as Jesus commands us: to love one another.  This is selfless love, unconditional love, loving the unlovable, loving those who would just as soon harm us if they could.  In other words, this can be a very difficult task.  So we need to pray and ask for help.  We need to ask for boldness to counter our own fears and shyness.  The disciples prayed for boldness, so we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for the same for ourselves.

Picking up where our scripture reading of last week left off, after Peter and John healed the lame man at the temple gate, they were taken into custody and had to face the high priests.  The religious leaders ordered them to never again use the name of Jesus for any reason, much less to heal anyone else, and then let them go.  The Apostle Luke recorded what happened next, in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, verses 23 through 31…

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,

And the people plot vain things?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together

Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

--Acts 4:23-31 (NKJV)

They prayed for boldness, and God heard that prayer.  They knew God heard them because the whole place shook, and they knew God answered them because they could feel the Holy Spirit moving within them.  And they went out speaking the word of God with boldness.

To be one with Jesus, truly one, we must do as He commands us.  We must love each other, and we must go into the world preaching the Gospel and making disciples.  The second part of that command shows that we really do the first part, for if we love others, we will want them to have eternal life with Jesus.  If we love them, we will want them to be one with Jesus, too, sharing our bounty in heaven.

But both of these actions on our part require boldness, both involve a certain amount of risk.  Granted, we don’t have Herod or Pilate or the high priests of Israel or some occupying army to deal with.  We here don’t have to worry about being arrested or executed for our belief in Jesus and trying to do what He commands, at least not yet.

So what’s holding us back?  Why do we even need to ask God for boldness?  Because we are fearful.  We are fearful, not for our lives, but of being humiliated, shamed, or embarrassed.  We are afraid of being made fun of and teased.  We are worried about saying or doing the wrong thing and turning someone away from Jesus rather than leading them to Him.  Fear is a powerful force that can stop us in our tracks.  And the fear of doing as Jesus commands us comes directly from Satan, who doesn’t want us to carry out our mission.

We belong to the truth so let us seek God’s help to be one with our Lord.  Feel at ease in His presence and come near to Him in prayer.  Ask for boldness to truly love others and to spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus.  God will answer our prayer, and will reward us for being one with His Son.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord!  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You are so good to us.  You provide for our needs and so much more.  You even offer us eternal life with You in heaven if we just become and remain one with Your Son Jesus.  Thank You, Father, for loving us so much.  But Father, sometimes the glitter and glamor of the world tugs at us.  And sometimes we let fear keep us from doing what we should.  Please help us let go of the world.  Help us overcome our fears.  Give us the strength and the courage to go out into the world telling everyone all about Your Son.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, we try really hard to do what You command, but sometimes the things of this world get in our way.  We let our fears hold us back when we should be sharing the Gospel.  Our biases and hatreds keep us from loving others.  We want to remain one with You, but sometimes we are just too weak in our faith and our will.  Lord, we ask You to strengthen us and encourage us.  Fortify our will to do as our Father wills us.  Reassure us that we are one with You.  Help us do as You command us.  And please stand at our side as we try to show Your love to a world that so desperately needs it.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Rise Up and Walk

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 18th of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This is the third Sunday in Easter and I’m trying for a while longer to stay close to the same timeframe of that very first Easter so long ago.  By the time of our scripture reading, Jesus has risen from the grave, appeared before hundreds of people who personally witnessed Him in the flesh again, and gone on to heaven to be with His Father God.  Some of His disciples have left Jerusalem, mostly out of fear of being arrested and executed themselves, but also out of their commitment to carry out their Master’s command to go into the world making more disciples.

Most of the faithful followers remained in the city, setting the foundations for the early church, with Peter and John being chief among them.  They too should have feared for their lives and stayed in hiding, but instead they continued their normal daily routines, even visiting the temple.

The Apostle Luke, in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, wrote of one such outing and a man these two met at a gate of the temple.  Please listen and follow along to the account Luke recorded for us in verses 1 through 19 of Acts chapter 3, And I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to beg alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

--Acts 3:1-19 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, by the mighty power of Your Holy Spirit, You raised Jesus from the dead.  It is that same Holy Spirit that Peter and John were able to call upon in the name of Jesus to heal the lame man.  And it is that same powerful Holy Spirit that resides in each of us that follow Your Son Jesus.  Thank You, Father, for giving us Your Spirit.  Please help us use Your Spirit as the Apostles did, in the name of Jesus, to glorify You and help advance Your kingdom.  Help us in our daily walk to be better followers of our Lord and to do as He commands, loving all others and making even more disciples.  Father, please keep us safe from Satan’s traps and snares, and from those who do his wicked bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and our service to Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these worrisome times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Take away the chains that cripple us and bind us to this world so that we might rise up and walk as a witness to Jesus and a testament to You.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A couple, married for 15 years, began having more than the usual disagreements.  They wanted to make their marriage work, though, and agreed on an idea the wife came up with.  For one month they planned to drop a slip of paper in a "Fault" box for each of them.  The boxes would provide a place to let the other know about daily irritations.  The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach.  Examples of what she left for her husband included "leaving the top off the jelly jar", "wet towels on the bathroom floor", "dirty socks not in the hamper", that sort of thing.  This continued until the end of the month.  After dinner on the last day of the month, they exchanged boxes.  The husband went first, and quietly reflected on those things he had done that annoyed his wife.  Then the wife opened her box and began reading.  They were all the same - the message on each slip was, "I love you!"

Did that really happen?  Who knows.  Could it have happened?  Sure.  Could the roles have been reversed?  Sure.  But to me, whether this actually occurred or who said what doesn’t matter as much as the points the story makes, and I see two of them.  The first point is that usually, for most of us, it’s the little things that drive us crazy.  Those little aggravations and annoyances we have to deal with on a daily basis eventually break us down and we self-destruct.

And the second point is, as long as we have love in our hearts, those little things won’t matter to us after all.  We are created to love, we are called to love, we are commanded to love.  When we let love take full control over us, when we give in to love, the little aggravations will slowly pale in comparison to the love we feel.  

Everything that Jesus did and said was for our benefit, the benefit of mankind in general and each of us individually.  That goes for His command to love others.  It benefits the ones we love, and it benefits us, too.

Luke tells us about a lame beggar asking for money.  Have you noticed a lot of our Bible stories involve a lame or blind or otherwise handicapped person, one very often asking for financial or physical help?  Why is that, you may wonder.  So that we can more closely relate to them.  In a very real way, we are all blind and lame and handicapped, and we all need help whether we ask for it or not, whether we realize it or not.

This particular man had been lame since birth.  Each day, some friends or family carried him to the Beautiful Gate so he could beg for coins from those entering the temple.  Peter and John happened to be going in one day so naturally he asked them for anything they could spare.

Peter made sure he had the man’s full attention before replying, “We don’t have any money, but we can give you something else, something better.”  “In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk!”  And the man did just that.  Not only did he walk, he also jumped around, praising God.

All the rest of the people who saw him were astonished, for they knew the man to be lame.  Peter didn’t want them to think that he or John did this under their own power or authority, so Peter launched into one of his short sermons, letting the people know by what power they acted.

The power was in the name of Jesus, the Prince of life that they had put to death, who rose from the dead to live again.  Peter was willing to forgive them, for they had acted out of ignorance.  But now they knew better, so they needed to repent and believe in Jesus as the Christ and be reborn, refreshed in Him.  They, too, needed to rise up and walk.

Now if we think for a moment on all the times Jesus healed someone, it was usually associated with them truly believing in Him and His authority.  He would often say something to the effect, “Your faith has made you whole.”  But notice that Peter told the onlookers that it was the name of Jesus, through faith in His name, that healed the lame beggar.

We don’t know if the beggar himself had faith in Jesus or in His name, but Peter and John sure did.  Jesus had told them to ask in His name and it would be done, and they believed Him!  So it was their faith, not necessarily the beggar’s, that made the man whole.  It was by their faith in the power of the name of Jesus that the lame man could rise up and walk.

I mentioned how Jesus healed many people, usually because of their great faith and trust.  But it wasn’t always their faith that brought about the healing.  In the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 17 through 25, Luke saved this incident for us…

17 Now it happened on a certain day, as Jesus was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” — He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 

--Luke 5:17-25 (NKJV)

“Your sins are forgiven you; rise up and walk.”  Jesus acted upon the faith of the men who carried the lame man and lowered him down through the roof to where Jesus stood.  Whether the lame man himself believed or not didn’t matter, only that those who were trying to help him believed.

But the interesting thing here is in the choice of words Jesus spoke.  He said, “Your sins are forgiven.”  As He explained to the scribes and Pharisees, who were thinking His words blasphemous, Jesus could have just as easily said, “Rise up and walk”.  The words don’t matter – it’s the power behind the words that performs the miracle.  Rise up and walk!  Faith has made you whole.

I said it earlier: we are all lame, we are all blind, we are all handicapped.  Our sin makes us infirm, our disobedience cripples us.  But now, family, by our faith we are healed!  Our sins are forgiven!  All we have to do is rise up and walk!

Let’s rise above our sins.  Let’s rise up and jump around and praise God, giving all honor and glory to the name of Christ Jesus.  Let’s rise up and walk into the world, loving all others, telling them about Jesus, making disciples, and advancing the kingdom of God.

From the cross Jesus said, “I love you, your sins are forgiven.”  Now rise up and walk!  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord!  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, while He walked this earth, You gave Your Son Jesus the power and the authority to heal the lame and the blind, all so that You would be glorified.  And then You gave those who believe that same power, the power of Your Holy Spirit, so that we too might do wondrous works in the name of Jesus.  Thank You, Father, for so great a gift.  But Father, so many of us think we do not really have the power to heal, to effect miracles of any kind.  Please help us truly understand just who it is that lives within us.  Help us realize that the power is not ours, but that through Your Holy Spirit we can wield it.  Give us true faith.  And help us do as our Lord Jesus commands us: to rise up and walk, to love others, and to be a witness of His goodness.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You rewarded the faithful by healing them or those they loved.  Their faith was real, true, and solid.  They had no doubt that You could do miracles, things far beyond the capabilities of mortal man.  Lord, we ask You to strengthen our faith, and to remind us that You still do miracles.  Reassure us that sometimes You work wonders through those who believe and call upon Your name.  Help us as we rise up and walk, sharing the Gospel with others.  Please hold us up and stand with us as we try to show Your love to a world that so desperately needs it.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Follow Me

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 11th of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Jesus was executed and His body laid in a tomb that was sealed by a huge stone rolled across the entry.  But the stone didn’t stay in place and neither did the body of Jesus!  When some of the women came to anoint the body of their Master, they found that He had already risen from the dead and left the tomb.  Later on, now alive and in the flesh again, Jesus began appearing to His followers; first to a few at a time and then to all of the disciples as they gathered behind locked doors.

Now if you’ll remember, when the angel at the tomb instructed the women to go tell the rest of the disciples, he said that Jesus was going before them into Galilee.  His closest followers were to go up to that region around the Sea of Galilee, or the Sea of Tiberias, as the Apostle John called it, with Tiberias being a major city in the area.  They were to meet up with the risen Jesus there.

Please listen and follow along to how the beloved disciple recorded this eventful meeting, as I read verses 1 through 19 and verse 25 from chapter 21 of John’s Gospel account, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” — knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”

And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

--John 21:1-19, 25 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son into this world to offer us forgiveness of our sins by speaking two little words: “Follow Me”.  Thank You, Father, for Your great love and mercy.  Please help us in our daily walk to be better followers of our Lord.  Help us to do as He commands, loving all others and making more disciples.  Father, please keep us safe from Satan as he prowls across the land, carrying out his evil schemes.  And shield us from those who do his wicked bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Take away anything that clouds our vision so that we might clearly see the path Jesus laid for us to follow.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Doctor, medical missionary, and author S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but whose heart sank when she read the question on the application form that asked, "Are you a leader?"  Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst.  To her surprise, she received a letter from the college that read: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders.  We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."

That little story puts a smile on my face every time I read it.  All those new student applicants, hoping to be incoming freshmen, had replied, “Yes, I am a leader”, because that is what they figured the college wanted: natural born leaders.  This one young lady carefully examined herself and knew she did not fit that description, so she truthfully answered, “No”.

Whoever wrote the reply and acceptance letter had a great sense of humor.  All those leaders needed someone to follow them.  I mean, what’s the point in having a leader if there is no one to follow them?  What purpose does a leader serve if there is no one else to lead?  A leader can’t lead if there is no one to follow them.

That’s one thing Jesus never had to worry about, not having someone to follow Him.  And no one had to fill out an application to be a follower.  He simply extended an invitation to those people He chose, and they quickly accepted.

Jesus began exerting His leadership with the start of His ministry, shortly after His baptism in the River Jordan.  And it began in the same region where our scripture reading took place.  

In the 1st chapter of his Gospel account, verses 16 through 18, the Apostle Mark relates the events of one day as Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee…

16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

--Mark 1:16-18 (NKJV)

“Follow me.”  “If you follow as I lead, I will make of you fishers of men.”  These were the very first two men Jesus chose to be His followers, brothers Simon and Andrew.  And we know Simon to be the one Jesus later called Peter.  “Follow me”, He said, and they immediately left everything behind to do just that, to become followers and fishers of men.

If we read a little further we see that brothers John and James were chosen next with the same two words: “Follow Me”.  And like Simon and Andrew, they dropped everything to do just that.

It sounds so simple, to follow someone.  But being a faithful and true follower is anything but simple.  I remember as a kid playing follow the leader, and the leader would do everything possible to throw off their followers, making it very hard to follow them.  And following Jesus, truly and faithfully following Jesus, can be one of the most difficult tasks we ever attempt.

Jesus even warned us of this.  Listen to His words as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 16 of his Gospel account, verses 24 through 27…

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. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” 

--Matthew 16:24-27 (NKJV)

If we want to follow Jesus, we must be prepared to deny ourselves and take up our cross.  This means we must get rid of any and all pride in self, toss out whatever it is that holds us bound to all the niceties of this world, and be ready to suffer any consequences that may arise because of this, just as Jesus suffered for us.  If we want to save our life, we must be willing to lose our life.

Now Jesus doesn’t mean that we should give up our mortal life, unless it comes to that to carry our cross.  No, we must be willing to give up our old life, our life filled with pride and hatred and envy, our life of sinful disobedience that keeps us apart from God.  And then, by truly following Jesus, we will be greatly rewarded when He returns in all His glory.

While following Jesus is definitely not easy, if we listen to Him and do as He instructs, it will be to our benefit.  Look at the opening of our scripture.

Maybe he was bored.  Maybe he was feeling lost without Jesus being there to lead him.  We don’t know the reason, but Peter decided to go fishing and some of the other disciples decided to go along, too.  In a way, we can see this as the first step in Peter taking over a leadership role.

Anyway, they went fishing and caught nothing.  The risen Jesus happened to be walking along the shore, again, although they didn’t recognize Him at first.  He asked if they’d caught anything, they said “No”, so He told them where to toss out their net.  And the catch was so great they couldn’t haul it in.  In this act, Jesus showed who He was and proved His authority once again, and He rewarded His followers with a tremendous catch.

What follows next is a little more telling, in our study of being good followers.  It is critical to remember that, not too long ago, Peter denied even knowing Jesus, much less being a follower, because he was afraid of what might happen to him.  Is that the act of a good follower?  No, but Jesus still had plans for this man.  So by His grace, our Lord restored Peter to a place of love in His heart and of authority in His church.  And He restored Peter’s self-image.  But then, Jesus again asked Peter to follow Him.  One of the first invited, one of the first chosen, Jesus saw the need to engage the disciple again.

Following Jesus isn’t easy, as Peter now knew.  It will never be easy, but it does have great rewards.  To truly follow Him, we must do as He tells us and feed His lambs, tend His sheep.  There are many sheep out there who would be His if they only knew more about Him, if someone would spend a little time with them and encourage them.

Peter became a leader of the early church by following Jesus.  Let us take up our cross, care for His sheep, go out into the world making more disciples, and follow Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God, our Savior and our Redeemer.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, Jesus is Your Son, but He is also an aspect of You, just as is Your Holy Spirit: Three Persons in One.  So when we follow Jesus, we are following You.  Thank You, Father, for choosing us to follow Your Son.  You know it isn’t easy for us, so please help us be good and faithful followers.  Help us keep our faith and belief strong and active.  Help us take up our cross and endure any struggles we may face.  And help us do as our Lord Jesus commands us: to love others, and to be a witness of His goodness.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us an invitation to follow You, and You warned us that it wouldn’t be easy but that it would bring us great rewards.  You chose us to follow You, just as You chose Peter.  When he stumbled in that task, You picked him up and restored him.  Lord, we ask You to pick us up and restore us, too.  We are sometimes weak, fearful of where we walk, too cautious of where Your path might lead.  Please guide us, Lord, as we follow You.  Help us be better servants,  doing as You command.  Help us when our cross becomes too heavy and burdensome to bear.  Stand with us as we try to show Your love to a world that so desperately needs it.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Are We Too Afraid?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Easter Sunday, the 4th of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This morning's service also included Holy Communion with our Lord.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning, at our Sunrise Service, we looked at how a few of the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee had prepared some aromatic spices and fragrant oils that they would use to anoint the body of Jesus, now laid in the tomb.  We learned that they wanted to do this because they really and truly did not believe what Jesus had said about rising from the grave.  But they were prevented from actually anointing the body because of the start of the Sabbath and the halting of any labor.  So they waited, until the sunrise of this morning, Sunday morning, the third day after Jesus had died on the cross.

The Apostle Mark tells us what happened when they went to the tomb with their spices and oils and their task at hand.  Please listen and follow along as I read verses 1 through 16 from chapter 16 of Mark’s Gospel account, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples — and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

--Mark 16:1-16 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for offering us forgiveness of our sins through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus.  And thank You for not allowing death to keep its grasp on Jesus!  You raised Him from the grave.  Jesus conquered death, and in doing so promised that we, too, can share in that victory!  We, too, will be resurrected from the grave and given eternal life with You in heaven.  And all we have to do is believe in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Master.  Please, Father, help us understand the full impact of all You and Jesus have done.  Help us fully trust in You and not be afraid to share the joy of our salvation with others.  And Father, please keep us safe from Satan and his evil schemes and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Take away all our fear and show us how to better serve You and Jesus in our daily walk.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Keep your fears to yourself; share your courage with others.”

During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily.  When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man…  The truth is, I am an utter craven coward.  I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.”  Years later, when Patton's autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.”

I’d say that Patton took Stevenson’s words to heart.  You would never imagine the great general to have known fear.  And yet he thought of himself as a coward, utterly scared at the sight or sound of battle.

Have you ever known anyone that you feel very well fit the description of brave and courageous?  Cassandra Star and Callahan immediately come to my mind.  But don’t you suppose that all these brave people are really just keeping their fears to themselves while sharing their courage with us?

Under the right circumstances, any of us will be afraid.  Little strikes fear in most people’s hearts than facing what they perceive as certain and imminent death.  Even us Christian folks who know that death to this life simply means stepping into the next everlasting life in heaven, even we sometimes fear death.  The trick is not to be afraid, but to hide the fear, to keep the fear to ourselves and share courage with others.  Or for us Christians, to share the Good News of forgiveness and salvation through Christ Jesus.

So these women believers go to the tomb to anoint the body of their Master Jesus, but instead of finding the body they find an angel sitting in the otherwise empty tomb.  And by “empty” I mean body-less; containing no body.

Forgive me here, but you know, it’s kind of funny…  They went to all this trouble preparing the anointing balm and heading to the grave so early in the morning, and yet gave no thought at all as to how they would get the huge boulder rolled away from the tomb entrance.  They knew it was there, they knew it was heavy, but it was only as they approached the grave that they wondered who would move it for them.  Sometimes we just don’t think things through all the way.

At any rate, they get to the tomb and find this angel instead of Jesus’ body, and they are scared speechless.  Mark says they were “alarmed”, but you can be assured that the sight of the missing boulder and the young man all in white where Jesus should have been scared them silly.

So the angel assured them and told them not to be afraid, or “alarmed” as Mark put it. He informed them that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He said He would, and was going back to Galilee ahead of them.  They were told to go and relay all this information to the disciples, but what did they do?  According to Mark’s telling, they got out of there, quickly, trembling in fear, and said nothing to anyone.

Why?  Because they were afraid.  Even though the angel told them not to be, they were afraid.  They were afraid, and they said nothing.

This morning I mentioned that there was a lot of fear going around among the disciples, fear for their lives, and for good reason.  If someone like Jesus, who had done nothing to deserve it, could be arrested, tried, and executed, then what chance would they have?  Many of them hid behind closed and locked doors, dreading to hear a knock.  Maybe all this played on the fears of the women.  But fear shouldn’t have hardened their hearts, or the hearts of the disciples.

Sometime later, Jesus Himself appeared to Mary Magdalene, so she could see and believe.  This time she did go and tell the disciples.  Only trouble is, they wouldn’t believe her.  Jesus appeared to two others, probably the two going to Emmaus.  They tried to tell the disciples, too, but again were not believed.

Fear?  Stubbornness?  Lack of faith?

Finally, Jesus appeared to Peter and the rest and admonished them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.  And then He point-blank told them what to do.  “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  He really didn’t give them a choice to be afraid or not, to be timid or shy or not.  Just go do it.  Keep your fears to yourself and go share the Gospel.

Fear can literally paralyze us.  It can keep us from doing something we want to do, something we know we should do.  It can even keep us from believing what we know we should believe.  And likewise, disbelief can give way to fear.

Listen to a little incident that occurred while Jesus still walked among us, during His ministry around the Sea of Galilee.  Mark recorded this for us in the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 21 through 24 and verses 35 and 36…

21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

--Mark 5:21-24, 35-36 (NKJV)

Do not be afraid - only believe.  Don’t be afraid that your daughter is dead.  Just believe that I can bring her back to life.  And of course, that is exactly what Jesus did.

We must not let fear keep us from believing in Jesus and in what He can do.  He has given us the job of going into all the world preaching the Gospel.  Are we just too afraid to go out and do it?  Do we have any reason to fear that He won’t be with us as we do so?

Sure, some people may laugh at us, or ridicule us, or hurt us.  Some may even take our mortal life from us.  But as long as we believe, they cannot take our eternal life.  That is a gift from God, our reward for believing.

But for most of us, the worst that can happened is that we might get embarrassed or teased.  We may not get the words just right, we may think we’re doing more harm than good.  But if what we say and do is filled with love, if we are sharing the love of Jesus, then we have nothing to fear.  God’s Holy Spirit does all the hard lifting for us.  We just have to open the door a little for Him.

So let’s keep our fear to ourselves and go share the Gospel with the world.  Don’t be afraid; just believe.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God, our Savior and our Redeemer.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You put a great plan in place to save mankind from the sin of our disobedience, but the completion of this plan came at a horrible cost.  Your only begotten Son, Jesus, had to die so that the blood of the one true Spotless Lamb could atone for our sin.  Only by His blood could we be washed clean and forgiven.  Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to offer us salvation.  Father, please help us be worthy of His great sacrifice.  Help us keep our faith and belief strong and active.  Help us be more obedient to You and to Jesus and do as He commands us: to love others, and to be a witness to them.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your mortal life for us after living so little of it.  You took the punishment for our sin.  You allowed Yourself to be humiliated, ridiculed, beaten, and nailed to a cross, and You suffered it all for us.  And then You carried all our sin to the grave and left it there!  We are forgiven, we who believe in You and accept You as Lord!  We are forgiven and seen as pure in God’s eyes because of the sacrifice You made on our behalf.  You conquered death and by God’s mercy we too will share in that victory!  Thank You, Jesus, for giving it all to us.  We are so undeserving of Your love.  Please, Lord, help us be better servants.  Help us do as You command.  Help us in our mission to be Your witnesses to those who do not know You.  Help us share with them all that You said and did.  Encourage us and strengthen us to show Your love to a world that is so starved for true love.  And Jesus, please help us keep our focus on the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer us.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Preparing the Body

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at our Easter Sunrise Service on the 4th of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place due to the pandemic.  The service also included Holy Communion.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us, in the 23rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 50 through 56, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. 

--Luke 23:50-56 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, this morning we can rejoice, for You have resurrected our Lord Jesus!  You raised Him bodily from the grave so that He could defeat death.  And You and Jesus did it all just for us!  Your Son suffered, and You had to stand by and watch, just so we might enjoy everlasting life in paradise with You both… if we only believe in Him and follow His voice.  We believe, Lord Jesus.  We believe that You are the one true Son of God, and we believe that You rose bodily from the grave.  This morning we celebrate that glorious day.  Bless us Lord, and help us prepare ourselves for Your return.  Help us to better serve You and to never falter in our belief and faith.  In Your sweet name, Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

You may find my choice of scripture a little odd for this morning.  The moments it describes actually took place shortly after Jesus breathed His last on the cross, on Friday evening just before sundown.  Our Lord’s body had been wrapped in burial cloths and placed in the tomb, but then everything stopped in observance of the Sabbath.

Some of the women who had followed Jesus down from Galilee had gotten oils and spices ready to anoint the body, but had to wait.  Luke mentions no names, but the Apostle Mark says these were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome.  The Apostle Matthew says it was just the two Mary’s.  But none of that matters at the moment.  What I want to point out is that they had every intention of properly preparing the body of Jesus for entombment, but did not get the chance to carry out their preparations.

As with many passages in our Bible, there are a number of very interesting aspects in this short reading.  The first is that this took place on Friday, which was the Jewish Day of Preparation.  Since no labor was allowed on the Sabbath, what we know as Saturday, folks had to get stuff done on Friday or it would have to wait until Sunday, the first day of the week.  So I find it a bit ironic that the women were not able to prepare the body of Jesus for burial before Preparation Day ended.

Of course, we today find this concept of not doing anything on the Sabbath somewhat nonsensical.  Most folks think nothing of mowing the grass or going shopping or even working at their place of employment on a Sunday, which is our “holy day”.  And surely something as important as preparing a body would be allowed.  Even Jesus noted that it is OK to do some things on the Sabbath, like healing the ill and infirm.

But back then, the religious leaders were very strict in seeing that the Sabbath was properly observed.  And those who had followed Jesus all this time were very much afraid to call any attention to themselves right then.  After all, if Jesus could be arrested, tried, and executed, they could easily suffer the same fate.  So the Day of Preparation ended without the body of Jesus being properly prepared.

Now, let me ask this…  What would they have prepared Jesus’ body for?  What purpose would the spices and fragrant oils have served?  The body had already been wrapped in linen, tradition burial cloth.  Why would the women want to anoint it, too?

Well, in that time, the spices and aromatic oils were used to mask the smell of decomposing flesh.  So you see, the women did not really expect Jesus to rise from the grave in three days like He had said.  They did not truly believe Him, in their heart of hearts.  They thought His body would rot and stink, just like every dead body has ever done and ever will do.

They had wanted to prepare Jesus’ body for that ultimate fate.  But they were prevented from doing so by the ending of the Day of Preparation and the onset of the Sabbath.  They were prevented from doing something that was not really necessary in the first place.  And they would have realized this, had they only believed Jesus.

Which brings me to why I wanted to look at this particular passage this morning.  The women wanted to do something they really didn’t need to do.  They had heard what Jesus said, they just didn’t truly believe what they heard.

Do we believe Him?  We know He told the truth because He did indeed rise from the grave on the third day.  But do we believe everything else He said, the stuff that hasn’t happened yet?  Do we believe it when He said He would come again someday to call His church home to Him?

We say the words and we profess it out loud, but do we truly believe it, down deep in our heart of hearts?  The women didn’t believe, and set out to do something that wasn’t necessary.  If we do believe, then what they wanted to do will be necessary for us.  We must prepare the body of Jesus, but not for burial.  We must prepare the body for resurrection and life eternal!

Family, we are the body!  We are the body of Christ Jesus, left on this earth to carry out His work!  And that is how we prepare the body for His return, by carrying out His work until that sweet day when He calls us home.

Let us do as He commands and love one another.  Let us go out and tell everyone all about Jesus and the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life through Him.  Let us make more disciples for Him so that more can come to know His love.  Let us prepare the body of Jesus for His return.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

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

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

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

What Is Truth?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Good Friday, the 2nd of April, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place due to the pandemic.  The service also included Holy Communion.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Last night, we shared the Passover meal with Jesus and His dearest friends and closest disciples.  His heart was heavy as He announced that He was about to be betrayed, arrested, and put to death.  One of those seated at His table, Judas Iscariot, rushed off in the middle of the meal, led by Satan to make a deal with the Jewish authorities.  What followed, from last night through today, are the darkest hours in the history of mankind.

During the night and into the day, Jesus was betrayed, denied, humiliated, ridiculed, tortured, beaten, whipped, and nailed to a cross.  And through it all, He remained mostly silent, as the Spotless Lamb led to the slaughter.  Our church reading earlier, from our hymnal, is adapted from Mark 15 as sort of a summary.  I’d like to read the full story of this event to you now, beginning just after supper last night and continuing through the trial and execution of Jesus.  This is rather long, but God, through our Bible, preaches far better than I’ll ever be able to.

Please listen and follow along to the Gospel account of the beloved Apostle John, as I read chapters 18 and 19 from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible...

18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”

And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

He said, “I am not.”

18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”

The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

--John 18-19 (NKJV)

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

That is a very long passage and there is much of importance in it.  All four of the canonical Gospel writers recorded this event, from their own perspectives.  We know by this repetition how critical it is that we grasp just what Jesus went through, and why.  For those who love our Lord, this is by far the saddest period of our Christian calendar.

Judas brought along a full detachment of troops and officers, happily provided by the Jewish chief priests and the Pharisees.  They came to the garden where Judas knew Jesus often met with His disciples.  And they came well-armed, as if either expecting trouble or just to make a show of force.

But did you notice their reaction when Jesus confirmed that He was the one they sought?  They drew back and fell to the ground.  These trained and armed soldiers were gripped by fear in the presence of this unarmed man who stood before them.

Jesus again tells them He is the one they seek, and in a sign of the sacrifice yet to come, He implores the soldiers to let His followers go in peace.  “Take Me, but let the rest go.”  Jesus shows His selfless, sacrificial love that finally becomes evident to all on the cross.

What is truth?  So far I’ve only looked at the opening event of all that takes place in a span of less than 24 hours.  And everything that occurred is important.  It is critical for us to hear of everything that happened to Jesus and to understand why it had to happen this way.

But I think it also crucial that we - as followers of Jesus, as those who bear His name – it’s crucial that we are able to recognize the truth.  We need to be able to answer that question: what is truth?  After all, it is one of the things that Pilate asked Jesus.  Jesus didn’t answer the Roman commander directly, but He does tell us, and more than once.

The first time Jesus answered this question was there in the beginning of our reading, when He admitted, without any hesitation or prompting, that He was the one the soldiers sought.  He didn’t try to hide it.  He didn’t try to run away, or put His followers in harm’s way by using them to block the soldiers.  “I am the one you’re here for; let the others go.”  Peter tried to intervene, as Peter so often did, but again Jesus answered our question by affirming that the truth of prophecy must be fulfilled.

And speaking of Peter, there at supper Jesus told this firebrand of a follower that he would deny Jesus three times this very night.  Peter refused to believe the words of his Master.  But he found out the hard way, painfully, the truth that Jesus spoke.

So Jesus is hauled off and taken before Annas who asked Him to go into detail regarding His doctrine and His followers.  Jesus responded that He’d never hidden anything, that He always spoke openly and kept no secrets, and that if Annas wanted to know what He had said that he need only ask someone He talked to.  Whereupon one of the guards slapped Him for being impudent to the high priest.  Again Jesus explains the truth, by simply asking what evil, what wrong, had He spoken.  The guard, realizing the truth of Jesus’ word, had no response.

Finally, Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and commander.  Jewish law did not allow for a person to be put to death, and the religious leaders so wanted for Jesus to be put a permanent end to, so they took Him to the man that could make that happen.

But the trouble is, Pilate didn’t see anything wrong with Jesus.  The ultimate authority in the region found no guilt in this quiet, stoic figure standing before him.  Pilate tried to coax some misdeed out of Jesus, so he could appease the Jews and prevent a riot.

The high priests claimed that Jesus called Himself a king, and the Son of God.  Well, the Romans only recognized one king, and that was Caesar, so claiming to be a king could be a capital offense.  Jesus answered truthfully that He is a king, but not of this world.  He came into this world for the very cause of bearing witness to the truth.  Which led Pilate to ask our question, “What is truth?”.

What is truth?  Back in my youth, there was a rock opera titled “Jesus Christ, Superstar”.  It was based on the last few days of Jesus’ life on earth, His trial, His death, and His resurrection.  In the lyrics of the song at this point in the opera, Pilate asks, “What is truth?  Is truth unchanging law?  We both have truths.  Are mine the same as Yours?”.

That is a very poignant question.  Is my truth the same as yours?  In this day and age, too many people want to make everything relative to the times.  There is no black and white, only many and various shades of grey.  And even “truth” is flexible – it can be different things under different circumstances.

But these people are wrong, dead wrong!  There is only one truth and it indeed is unchanging law, the law of God Almighty.  There is only one truth and it is written in black and white and contained in our Holy Bible!  What is truth?  Jesus is truth!

Throughout our scripture reading, Jesus fulfilled the truth of prophecy that described this day.  Jesus came for the cause of bearing witness to the truth.  Pilate recognized the truth when he had “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” written on a sign and nailed to the cross above Jesus’ head.

John testified to the truth in this report.  He wrote, “He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.”  John told us the truth so that we might believe.

What is truth?  The truth is that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God – begotten, not created.  The truth is that Jesus came into this world to offer salvation to all who would believe the truth.  The truth is that He shed His precious blood so that we might be forgiven of our sins against God.

The truth is… Jesus.  Believe the truth, and live forever in paradise.  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, You came offering the living water that leads to eternal life.  You came to us when we were lost in our sin, holding out Your hand to us.  You came to break the chains of sin that hold us captive to this world.  You came to save us from ourselves.  And how did we react to all this mercy and grace?  We refused to accept You.  We tortured You and nailed You to a cruel cross.  You asked Your Father God to forgive those who tormented and beat You, because they just didn’t understand.  Yet still, to this very day, even we who are called by Your name, we still drive nails in Your hands.  We believe in You and Your goodness, but the world has too strong a grasp on us, and we are afraid to let it go.  We judge others based on their looks or their background or the color of their skin, without taking the time to see what is in their hearts.  Forgive us, Lord, because sometimes we 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 would be accomplished.  You knew why it was necessary for You to be slaughtered, the Spotless Lamb, for the atonement of our sin.  You knew the truth.  Help us, please Lord, to fully grasp the importance of Your sacrifice to our eternal soul.  Help us realize that Your greatest suffering came not from any physical pain, but from having to take all our sin upon Yourself.  Forgive us when we fail You.  Forgive us when we won’t listen to Your voice, when we don’t live as You would have us live, when we hesitate to speak out in Your defense, when we deny You by our actions and our inactions.  Forgive us when we fail to love sacrificially, unconditionally, as You love us.  Help us be worthy of Your great sacrifice.  Help us better serve You.  In Your precious name, Lord Jesus, we pray.  Amen.