Our Living Lord

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 11th of May, 2025, Mother's Day and the third Sunday after Easter and Resurrection Day.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

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

Well, Family, today is Mother’s Day, and we celebrate our mothers, those alive and those gone on before us.  Of course, not all mothers are good mothers, and not all women were, are, or will be mothers.  But we all have or had a mother, so today we honor the woman, or her memory, who gave us physical birth into this world.  Happy Mother’s Day, to mothers everywhere!

Today is also the third Sunday since Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave.  After His resurrection, Jesus walked the earth, in the flesh, for 40 days.  Counting Easter itself, today would be the 22nd day.  So in His time, Jesus would still be among us, not yet ascended into heaven.  Last week we looked at two times that Jesus visited with His disciples, the eleven, hiding there in the locked upper room, during this 40 day timeframe.

Now I want you to think back to what the angel told the Mary’s when they came to the tomb that first Easter morning and found it empty.  He said for them to run and tell the disciples that Jesus “is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him”, according to the Apostle Matthew’s account.  We don’t know the exact timing that this meeting occurred, but it was definitely within the 40 days after the resurrection and before the ascension.  Please listen and follow along to the Apostle John’s reporting of this third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples after being raised from the dead, from the 21st chapter of John’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 14, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

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.

--John 21:1-14 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to redeem us of our sin, and then resurrecting Him from the dead to show us we too can have everlasting life through Him.  Thank You for loving us this much.  But Father, we admit that we sometimes just don’t understand all the things You do, or why You do them.  And there are times we even have doubts, like Thomas.  We don’t always have the strongest faith, nor faith in the right thing.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Strengthen our faith as You guide us along this broken road we tread.  Help us be better, more obedient servants.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question.  The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the sidewalk, and stopped mere inches from a shop window.  For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said, “Sir, please, don't ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me!”  The passenger apologized and said, “I didn't realize that a little tap would scare you so much.”  The driver replied, “Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver - I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years”.

I guess life can be a little scary when you've been dealing with death for so long.  Driving a hearse, one would not expect a tap on the shoulder from behind.  And that could be a hard habit to break.

I think this is much like the experience of the disciples.  All their lives, and their parents lives and pretty much throughout human history, when someone died, they didn’t get up and walk around again, popping  up unexpectedly here and there, even into a closed-off, locked room.  Except for the people that Jesus Himself raised from the dead – which I’m sure surprised and probably scared everyone who witnessed the events – this just didn’t happen.  But here was Jesus, walking around just like before, like you and I, showing off the nail holes and spear wound in His flesh, proving that He lived yet again.

Do you remember when, after feeding the 5000, Jesus walked across the waters of the Sea of Galilee to join His disciple in their boat?  The first thing they thought when they saw Him approaching was, “It is a ghost!”, and they screamed in fear.  Sounds kind of like our cab driver.  But generally speaking, ghosts – if they truly existed – don’t eat.  In our scripture reading, Jesus prepared a breakfast of fish and bread over a fire of coals and invited His disciples to join Him.  What more proof could He give?

What more proof should any of us need?  We have the sworn accounts of the men who knew Him best, who walked with Him, and hundreds more who witnessed His renewed life after death.  Our Lord lives!

Now to me, that whole thing with breakfast was a cute touch, and something that obviously stuck with John.  But then, so was the fishing trip.  It quickly brings to mind the time that Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John had a similar experience.  In the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account, the four had fished all night and caught nothing.  The next morning, after using Simon’s boat as a speaking platform, Jesus told them to cast their net out again.  Simon protested a little at first, but then did so.  And they caught more fish than they could easily haul in, almost sinking the boat.  I love the way how everything ties together in our bible, and it all points to Jesus.

Christians, we have no reason to think that Jesus is not still alive today.  We serve a living God, and our Lord lives and sits at the right hand of God.  Jesus was raised to life in the flesh after being crucified, dead, and buried, and hundreds of people saw Him alive and well, with the wounds to prove it.

Jesus not only still lives after death, but He still works, too, and His work continued even after He returned – in the flesh – to heaven.  Listen to how the Apostle Luke tells of an event that happened to a young Pharisee named Saul, as recorded in Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles, from chapter 9, verses 1 through 19…

1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

--Acts 9:1-19 (NKJV)

Of course we now know that former Pharisee as the Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest missionary the world has ever known, and the author of about a quarter of our New Testament.  He certainly fulfilled the mission Jesus gave him, bearing our Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.  And he suffered greatly for the sake of Jesus’ name.

But the thing is, this life changing event happened after Jesus had ascended into heaven.  It just proves – to we who have the faith to believe - that our Lord is still living and still working, even today, alive and active from His heavenly throne.

What does it mean to be living, to be alive?  Is life only physical?  I've heard it said that no one is truly dead as long as someone remembers them and holds them in their heart.  We know Jesus was restored to physical life before ascending back into heaven.  We know He still lives.  And He also lives in the hearts of believers.

Let’s show Him to others, and especially non-believers, by showing them our hearts, our love.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our living Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to us in the flesh.  He could have come in a blaze of glory, the conquering hero everyone expected.  Instead, You sent Him as a humble servant, and He turned the world upside down.  Thank You for having mercy on us poor sinners.  Father, we admit we sometimes only think about Jesus as the miracle working preacher of the Gospels, fully God, yes, but also fully Man.  Too often we only think of the Man part, who died and rose from the dead to live again.  We just don’t always also consider the spiritual, God part, who still performs miracles  Please forgive us those times, dear Father.  Please help us keep in mind everything in our Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, because everything points to Your Son and Your plan for our salvation.  Help us do our part of Your new covenant with us by being more like Your Son in our interactions with the world.  Help us show Your love to others by giving of ourselves, giving of our love freely, unconditionally, sacrificially, just as Jesus gave of Himself for us.  And please help us share our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

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

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

Lord Jesus, You came to us as one of us - just a small, vulnerable baby.  And You lived like us, although You never sinned, something we do all too often still.  Thank You, Jesus, for showing us how to please God with our lives by how You lived.  Lord, we’re ashamed to admit it, but sometimes we struggle with trying to figure out all that You taught us, all You said and did.  Sometimes the “why” of what You did alludes us.  We seem to constantly battle with the Holy Spirit within us, rebelling at His guidance, thinking we know a better way.  Please help us in our struggles, Lord.  Help us be more like You, loving all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm, without any concern for reward or recognition or even being loved in return.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.

And Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.