We Are Witnesses

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the second Sunday of Easter, the 24th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, today is the first Sunday after Easter, but let’s step back in time to that very first Easter nearly 2000 years ago.  Each of the four Gospel writers records the events of this day from a slightly different angle, giving us a fuller picture of all that happened.

Early in the dawning hour, the women went to the tomb and found it empty.  They ran back to tell the disciples what they had seen, a few of whom also went to look and verified what the women had said.  A little later in the day, while the disciples were hiding behind closed and locked doors, Jesus suddenly appeared to them, too.

At this point, the resurrected Jesus has been witnessed by the women who had followed Him from Galilee and by most of the disciples.  According to John’s account, Thomas hasn’t yet seen Jesus again, but the other ten have along with many other followers who had not yet fled Jerusalem.

But there is another appearance noted, and this time by two who had left the city in fear for their own lives.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in chapter 24 of his Gospel account, verses 13 through 53, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus Himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing Him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

19 “What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the Man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and He was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed Him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified Him. 21 We had hoped He was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

22 “Then some women from our group of His followers were at His tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said His body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, His body was gone, just as the women had said.”

25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, 29 but they begged Him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared!

32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized Him as He was breaking the bread. 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus Himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

38 “Why are you frightened?” He asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at My hands. Look at My feet. You can see that it’s really Me. Touch Me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As He spoke, He showed them His hands and His feet.

41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and He ate it as they watched.

44 Then He said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And He said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting His hands to heaven, He blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped Him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

--Luke 24:13-53 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us the gift of faith so that we might believe.  We believe in You as the one true God, all mighty, all powerful, Creator of all there is.  And we believe in Jesus Christ, that You sent Him to us as Your Messiah, our Christ, who came to us in the darkness of our sin to offer us salvation.  Thank You Father for showing us such mercy and grace and love.  Forgive us, please, when we fail to share how much this all means to us with others we encounter.  Please help us be braver, more courageous in witnessing to Jesus.  Help us openly and willingly tell how much He has done for us, and what He can do for others.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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.  We see You in everything we do, we feel You every second.  Help us share this with those who need to hear the truth.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Thomas Henry Huxley, a well-known agnostic, was with a group of men at a weekend house party.  On Sunday morning, while most of them were preparing to go to church, he approached a man known for his Christian character and said, "Suppose you stay at home and tell my why you are a Christian."  The man, knowing he couldn't match wits with Huxley, hesitated.  But the agnostic said gently, "I don't want to argue with you.  I just want you to tell me simply what this Christ means to you."  The man did, and when he finished, there were tears in Huxley's eyes as he said, "I would give my right hand if only I could believe that!"

This is the kind of witness Jesus asks of us.  No fancy elocution, no well-rehearsed speech.  Just telling our own story of what Jesus means to us, of what being a Christian means to us.

We’re not all preachers, nor public speakers, nor great orators, but we do all have a ministry, we who call ourselves Christians.  Jesus gave us that ministry, that mission to tell all the world about Him.  Nothing fancy, no five-dollar words needed, just simply what this Christ means to us.

Our scripture reading this morning was long, but I think it covered some points that are very important for us to consider.  We start out with two of the disciples who had fled Jerusalem after Jesus’ crucifixion and were headed to the town of Emmaus.  We’re only given the name of one – Cleopas – so we know that these were not two of the eleven remaining of the twelve that Jesus personally chose.

So they’re walking along, sad and downcast, discussing the recent events, when Jesus came up and joined them, although they were not able to recognize Him.  Jesus asks what they’re talking about, why they’re so glum, and they tell Him everything that has happened, including how the women found the tomb empty.

I can just imagine that Jesus shook His head before asking, “Why do you people find it so hard to believe everything that the scriptures and the prophets said about the Messiah, about how He would have to suffer and die, and then rise from the grave on the third day?”  So He proceeded to tell them everything contained in the scriptures about Him, scriptures they should have known since these would have been Jewish men.

They knew all this, they just didn’t believe it.  In their heart of hearts, they just could not believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah as foretold by their own prophets.  So effectively, Jesus had to witness to Himself.  And then their eyes were opened and they recognized their Lord before them, and He immediately vanished from view.

Now even though it was late, and even though they might be heading to their own arrest, the two rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the other followers that they had seen and talked with the risen Jesus.  When they arrived, they were told that Peter had already seen Jesus, so they shared their story with the group.  And as they were telling what had happened, who should suddenly join them again but Jesus, who suddenly appeared in the closed room with the disciples.

Rather than being elated and excited, they were startled and frightened, like they had seen a ghost.  And again, it’s because they just couldn’t believe everything that had been foretold about the Messiah.  That, or they didn’t really accept that Jesus was the Messiah.  So again He had to witness for Himself.

“Look at my hands, my feet, that were pierced by the nails.  Touch me – am I not of flesh again?  When I was with you, I explained how everything written by the prophets regarding the Messiah, everything in the Law of Moses, everything in the Psalms must be fulfilled, and you can see it now fulfilled in Me.”

Then Jesus gives us a prelude of our mission when He notes that the scriptures also say that this message must be proclaimed in His name to all nations, to all people, starting in Jerusalem, that “there is forgiveness of sins for all who repent”.  And He adds, “You are witnesses of all these things.”

Those followers gathered there that day had walked with Jesus and witnessed the miracles He performed.  They witnessed His betrayal and execution.  And now they were witnessing His resurrection, there in the flesh before them.  “You have been told, you have witnessed, now go tell the world.”

Remember earlier I said that on the day of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to almost all of the disciples while they were still in hiding, but that Thomas wasn’t there that day?  Because he wasn’t there to see Jesus with his own eyes, he didn’t believe them when the rest said that Jesus lives again.  Which is how we got that nickname we attach to people when they don’t believe testimony someone gives – we call them a “Doubting Thomas”.

Well, Thomas got his chance after all.  Listen to what the Apostle John reported in chapter 20 of his Gospel account, verses 24 through 31…

24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

--John 20:24-31 (NKJV)

Thomas finally got the chance, like all the rest, to see the resurrected Jesus in the flesh, to touch His wounds, hear His voice, feel His love.  So he believed, just as all the rest.  But none of them really believed until they saw Jesus with their own eyes.  None of them fully trusted in the scriptures, or truly understood that Jesus was the Christ, not until He showed them.

Where does that leave everyone else?  What about all the people back then who didn’t see any of this, or all the people since that time who have not been fortunate enough to experience Jesus, the risen Jesus in the flesh?

Jesus answered that earlier, when He was talking to His Father God in prayer.  We looked at that a few weeks ago, in chapter 17 of John’s Gospel account.  Jesus prayed for His disciples, His apostles of that day, and He prayed for all of those who would come to believe because of the words spoken by those apostles.  He prayed for us, we who believe because of those words saved in our Holy Bible.

And then Jesus blesses us for our belief, even though we have not seen Him, either while performing all those miracles or after His death and resurrection.  We have not seen Jesus with our eyes, but we see Him clearly in our hearts.

We are witnesses.  And it’s up to us to proclaim to the world that there is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.  This is our mission: to tell the world all about Jesus.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be eloquent, it just needs to be heartfelt.  We just need to tell others what it means to us to be a Christian, what Jesus has done for us, what He means to us.

Let’s be witnesses for our Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, the universe bears witness to You.  Your eternal power and divine nature have been clearly visible since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.  We are witnesses to this, and to Your glory every single day.  Thank You, Father, for giving us this beautiful garden to live in.  And especially we thank You for the gift of faith so that we can believe, even in what we have not seen.  Father, sometimes we fail to be a good witness of all the wonders You’ve shown us.  We don’t take the time, or we’re too timid to share with others.  Sometimes we just worry that we won’t get the words right and say the wrong thing.  Forgive us, Father, for the times we don’t give You all the glory.  Forgive us when we hesitate to share our faith and belief with others.  Please help us be better servants.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

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, there was a time when You had to be a witness for Yourself, to remind others everything that had been foretold of the Messiah’s fate, and to show them how You fulfilled the prophesy of God’s Christ.  Even those who followed You struggled to understand, struggled to believe that You were, indeed, the Christ.  Thank You, Lord, for showing them the truth so that they in turn could influence so many others to come to believe, including us today.  And thank You for allowing us to carry on the work You began on earth.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we don’t enthusiastically do as You command.  Help us get put aside any doubts and fears and start spreading the Good News of salvation that comes only through You, and by this, show them Your love.  Remind us that this is the job You gave us.  Show us the lost that we might help them be saved.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Our Promise

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Easter Sunday, the 17th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Today's service also included an infant baptism and our observance of Holy Communion with our Lord.  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.]

Today is one of the two most joyful and glorious days on our Christian calendar, and not only because we baptized little Jordy.  One of those two days is when God’s Christ was sent to earth, when our Lord Jesus was born.  And the second is when He was raised from the dead.

I put those two on an equal basis because they are both critically important to all mankind, whether everyone believes it or not.  Had the Christ not been sent to us, we would have no hope whatsoever and would all die in our sin.  Had God not bodily raised Jesus from the grave, then we couldn’t really believe much of anything He said, including the promise of our own resurrection.  But because Christ came and was given eternal life, and because we believe what we have not seen, our promise, our only hope, is secure.

Not everyone believes in the resurrection of the body, though, or in life eternal (either in heaven or especially in the lake of fire).  The Sadducees in particular denied that the soul is immortal and that the body could be resurrected after death.  The seed of doubt was even planted and began to take root in the early church, among those who had not witnessed Jesus alive in the flesh after His crucifixion but before His ascension.  Some in the church in Corinth had concerns, questions, doubts, about this whole resurrection thing.  The Apostle Paul was quick to address those concerns.

Please listen and follow along as Paul expounds upon the basis of our belief, from chapter 15 of his letter to the Corinthians, verses 35 through 58, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

35 Someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain — perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a hidden truth: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O Death, where is your sting?

Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

--1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for raising Jesus from the dead, and in this giving us the promise of our own resurrection.  Jesus conquered death so that we may conquer it too, to be raised to a new body and life eternal.  Thank You Father for keeping Your promise to resurrect Your Son so that we can rest assured in Your promise to us.  Forgive us, please, when we fail or hesitate to share this wonderful news with those who most need to hear it, who refuse to believe what they hear.  Please help us be more mindful of our commission to spread the Gospel.  And help us remember how You kept every promise You ever made, how You did everything You ever said You’d do.  Help us rest on Your promises.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Booker T. Washington described meeting an ex-slave from Virginia in his book Up From Slavery: 

I found that this man had made a contract with his master, two or three years previous to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself, by paying so much per year for his body; and while he was paying for himself, he was to be permitted to labor where and for whom he pleased.

Finding that he could secure better wages in Ohio, he went there.  When freedom came, he was still in debt to his master some three hundred dollars.  Notwithstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation freed him from any obligation to his master, this black man walked the greater portion of the distance back to where his old master lived in Virginia, and placed the last dollar, with interest, in his hands.

In talking to me about this, the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay his debt, but that he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken.  He felt that he could not enjoy his freedom until he had fulfilled his promise.

We owe a debt to Jesus that we could never repay.  So we place ourselves in servitude to Him, in slavery to Him, and call Him our Master.  We pledge to follow Him and do as He commands.  Even though He has freed us from the tyranny of death and sin, we have promised to serve Him through our love to others, sharing the Good News of salvation with those of this world who do not know or do not believe.

How well do we fulfill our promise?

What will we look like when we are resurrected?  Which me will be brought back: the old me, the young and strong me, the me like when I died, the me as I see myself in my head?  I’ve been asked this question before, and my response is, “the you as Jesus sees you”.  I believe Paul gives a far better answer.  The me that returns to life will be the incarnation of the spiritual me.  It will be a different me, but still me.

I know…  that sounds confusing.  Let’s use Paul’s example.  When I plant a tomato seed, another tomato seed doesn’t come up out of the ground.  No, a plant that will bear tomatoes comes forth.  The same for a kernel of corn: it doesn’t result in another kernel, but in a stalk from which grow ears of corn.

What we are now is a physical form that will produce a spiritual form when brought back to live again.  The new form will be much greater but still similar to the old form.  For one thing, the new form will no longer be corruptible, it won’t wear out and die, it won’t rot.

And of course Paul uses the example of Jesus, who lived among us as a flesh and blood man but was resurrected to the spiritual Man that returned to heaven and His Father God.  This physical body is corruptible, sinful, weak, dishonorable in the eyes of our Lord.  Before we can enter God’s kingdom, the corruptible must be made incorruptible, the mortal made immortal, the physical made spiritual.  This is our promise, made to us by God, reinforced through the example made of His own Son Jesus.

Paul isn’t our only source of information in our Bible regarding the resurrection.  The Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the body, tried to trip up Jesus with a contrived question about what would happen to a woman who had married seven brothers.  Jesus’ response surprised them.

Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded of this conversation, in the 22nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 23 through 33…

23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

--Matthew 22:23-33 (NKJV)

Jesus doesn’t go into near as much detail as Paul does, but He does confirm that our resurrected self will be different, more like the angels in God’s heaven, themselves spiritual beings.  And then He lets the Sadducees know that they are wrong in their thinking, since they believe the dead simply stay dead.  Our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living!  We will be brought back to life, incorruptible life, because God is the God of the living!

Family, this is our promise, that God will resurrect us from the dead and give us new bodies that will never age and never die.  He showed us this through the resurrection of His own Son, and He gives us a preview of what this will be like in our daily lives.

A seed, when it dies and is planted, will bring forth a marvelous new and better form of itself.  The earth, though it seems to die in winter, opens up to new and renewed life each spring.  A little baby will share the attributes and make-up of both its parents, yet will be a different creation, with its own personality, its own future, its own capabilities and talents.

Now we need to be a little careful here, because it’s not only believers that will be resurrected at the last.  Remember that in the Revelation of Christ, our Bible tells us that at the end of the age, all graves will be opened and the earth and the seas will give up their dead, and all will be judged.  The sheep will be separated from the goats, the believers from the non-believers, with the believers living eternity in paradise while the non-believers burn forever in the lake of fire.

Believers can echo Paul when in verse 57 he proclaims, “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.  We just need to follow his final instruction in verse 58, when he tells us to, “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord”.

Our promise is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Blessed be that holy name, the name of Jesus.

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

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

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

Let us pray…  Father God, You promised that through our belief in Your Son Jesus we would have everlasting life.  Since our mortal body cannot live forever, You will give us a new body, one that will not die.  You showed this through the resurrection of Jesus, and we know You always do as You promise.  Thank You, Father, for being our living God, the God of the living.  Father, sometimes we just can’t see far enough to understand the workings of Your plan.  Sometimes we cannot fully grasp the ultimate power You wield, that You truly can do anything You will.  Forgive us, Father, when we harbor little doubts.  Forgive us when we hesitate to defend You and Your promises to those who refuse to believe, who scoff at You and Your plan of salvation.  Please help us be strong and fearless, yet humble servants in all we do.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

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, some sweet day You will return and we will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye, those still alive at the time and those sleeping in their grave.  We will be given new bodies that will not die.  And by accepting You as our Master, we will spend eternity in those new bodies in paradise with You and our Father God.  This is our promise and in this we place all our hope.  Thank You, Lord, for washing us clean with Your blood.  Thank You for accepting us as Your own.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we don’t follow Your commands as You would have us do.  Remind us that if not for You we could never again be reunited with our Father God.  Show us how we can be more steadfast, immovable, and abounding in Your work.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Seeking the Living

 

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered at our Sunrise Service on Easter morning, Sunday the 17th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee - including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons - watched as Jesus was crucified and died.  When Jesus' body was laid in the tomb, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" were there, sitting opposite the tomb.  They returned home and prepared spices and fragrant oil to anoint the body.  Then they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment and the Law.

Please listen to how the Apostle Luke described the discovery of the now empty tomb, as recorded in the 24th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 12, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”

8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like nonsense, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

--Luke 24:1-12 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Thursday evening we were enraged that our Master Jesus had been arrested, but we were also a little scared that we might be taken into custody too.  Friday we were saddened because Jesus was executed.  We watched as He took His last breath on the cross, and as He was buried.  And all the while our fear increased that we might be next.  But then this morning, this beautiful morning, Father, we can rejoice, for You have resurrected our Lord Jesus!  You raised Him bodily from the grave so that He could defeat death.  And You and Jesus did it all just for us!  Your Son suffered, and You had to stand by and watch, just so we might enjoy everlasting life in paradise with You both… if we only believe in Him and follow His voice.  We believe, Lord Jesus.  We believe that You are the one true Son of God, and we believe that You rose bodily from the grave.  This morning we celebrate that glorious day.  Bless us Lord, and help us prepare ourselves for Your return.  Help us to better serve You and to never falter in our belief and faith.  In Your sweet name, Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

It’s Sunday morning, the day following the Sabbath.  Just two days ago Jesus died on the cross.  His body was wrapped in burial cloths and placed in a brand new tomb.  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 because everything stopped in observance of the Sabbath.

But now the Sabbath is past, the dew is still fresh on the grass, and the sun is just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon.  This is the best time for the women to get to the gravesite, anoint the body, and get back before anyone can even notice they’re gone.  Or at least that’s what they planned.  

So the women get to the tomb and find that the stone has been rolled away from the entrance.  

Oh, yeah…  the stone.  From what we know of the burial customs of the period, huge stones would be chiseled into round, thick wheel shapes and used to seal off a tomb door.  A depression as much as six inches or so would be dug at the entrance and the stone rolled into that depression.  A couple of stakes or spikes might also be driven into the ground or the side of the tomb on each side of the stone to further secure it in place.  The end result would be a very effective door block, one that would prove difficult for a couple of men to budge.  We aren’t told how these women planned to move it, so it’s very fortunate for them that it had already been rolled away.

At any rate, they didn’t seem too concerned about the stone and its removal, for they went right on into the tomb to get about their task.  But nobody was there – no body!  They came to anoint the body of Jesus but there was no body to anoint!  Did someone come in the night and take the body of their Master, their Friend?  Is that how the stone got rolled aside?

As they pondered the situation with a growing sense of concern and confusion, two men suddenly stood beside them, glowing in the gloom of the tomb.  This would have definitely scared me, and it scared the women too.

And then the men asked the women what to us might seem an obvious question:  “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”  “Why are you looking for Jesus here in this grave?”  “Don’t you remember that He told you He would rise from the grave on the third day and live again?”  “Or didn’t you believe Him when He said it?”

I added that last question, because I think that’s a little closer to the cause of their confusion.  It isn’t so much that they didn’t believe Him as maybe they didn’t think He meant it literally.  I mean let’s face it… if I said I was going to die within the week but then I’d rise from the grave two days later, who would believe me?  Even though Jesus did so many incredible miracles, even though He raised three people from the dead Himself, could they still have grasped that He would literally walk out of the grave on the third day after His death?

Our scripture reading says that after the men’s reminder, they remembered Jesus words.  Or maybe it finally dawned on them that He had meant exactly what He said.  Anyway, they ran back to where the disciples were hiding, for fear that they might be next to suffer the same fate as Jesus.  The women told them what they had seen, and the men believed every word of it.

Not!  The Apostles thought the women were talking pure nonsense.  One version called it “idle tales”.  To them, the story was unbelievable, and they indeed didn’t believe it.

But I guess Peter’s curiosity was aroused, because he got up and ran to the grave to check for himself.  He looked in and saw the linen burial cloths lying by themselves, with no body to be found.  Peter left the tomb amazed at what he had just seen, marveling at what had happened.

Why did they seek the living among the dead?  The women and Peter all went to the tomb expecting to find the dead body of their dear friend Jesus.  He was dead, after all.  They had watched Him die.  And some of the women had seen Him buried in that very tomb, and watched as the entry was sealed.  The body was supposed to be there.

The trouble is that none of them – not the women, not Peter, not the rest of the disciples – none of them took Jesus at His word.  None of them believed He could come back to life, even though He promised He would.  They came to the place of the dead seeking the dead, not the living.

What about us today?  We believers know and trust in the story.  We believe that Jesus was bodily raised from the dead and walked this earth again before returning to heaven.  We believe it because we believe the testimony of the eyewitnesses to this miracle.

But so many in our world do not believe it.  So many refuse to even listen, calling the story nonsense, nothing but idle tales.  Even we believers may not take everything Jesus said literally.  We may not take Him at His word regarding everything that hasn’t happened yet, that we don’t yet have eyewitness reports of.

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?

Do we truly accept Him as our Master, fully believing that we will all be judged, individually, judged on everything we ever done and said, and everything left undone and unsaid?  Do we really grasp that He holds our very future in His hands, and will justly determine how we will spend all of eternity?

Are we seeking the living, but hoping for the dead?  Do we hope that the final judgment won’t be as strict as the Bible says, that we’ll be given one last chance, that we’ll be granted leniency because we are basically good at our core?

Family, Jesus lives.  He is alive and well and sitting at God’s right hand in heaven.  And some day He is coming again to call His church home and to judge the entire world.

We need to stop looking for the dead and start seeking the living.  We need to prepare for His return by doing what He commanded us to do.  Love one another as He loves us: unconditionally, sacrificially, without consideration of reward or repayment, humbly, giving all the glory to God.  Show our love by helping others learn about Jesus, telling them all that He did while He walked this earth, all that He has done for us in this life, His promise of everlasting life in heaven when this age has ended.  Let’s help those living now find eternal life in paradise.

Seek the living.  Seek Jesus.  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 continue to seek You, our living Lord, and be completely prepared for Your return, which You also promised.  May we fully grasp what You told us before, and what You are whispering now in our hearts.  May we serve You, with all that is in us.  This we pray, in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Master and Savior.

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

It Happened One Friday

 

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Good Friday, the 15th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Yesterday afternoon, we shared the Passover meal with Jesus and His dearest friends and closest disciples.  One of those seated at His table, Judas Iscariot, rushed off in the middle of supper, led by Satan to make a deal with the Jewish authorities.  What followed are the darkest hours in the history of mankind.

During the night and into the day, Jesus was betrayed, denied, humiliated, ridiculed, tortured, beaten, and whipped.  Throughout all this, He remained mostly silent, as the Spotless Lamb led to the slaughter.  Today, a little before three, He will be nailed to a cross.

Our church reading earlier, from our hymnal, is adapted from Mark 15, giving a somewhat condensed version of the last day of Jesus’ mortal life.  But how did the betrayer feel now?  And what about the crowds who greeted Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna!”, “Save us!”, mere days before?  Will they come to Jesus’ rescue, or will God send an army of angels to free Him?  And what about the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate?  Is this part of the job he signed up for?

I’d like to look at how the Apostle Matthew reported the events of that day.  This is a little long, but I think it’s important that we know and understand all that happened one Friday.  Please listen and follow along to the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew as I read verses 1 through 61 of chapter 27 from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible...

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, “Barabbas!”

22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that an uproar was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”

25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

“They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.”

36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting in front of the tomb.

--Matthew 27:1-61 (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.

Our modern workday world has a saying that I myself have repeated quite often: “Thank God, it’s Friday!”  For the Jewish people, Friday was the day of preparation.  Saturday is the Sabbath, when no labor is allowed to be performed by law.  So anything that might be needed for Saturday had to be prepared before sundown Friday, as their day went from sundown to sundown.

We know that Jesus was arrested by Judas and the temple guards sometime Thursday night; after supper, after He washed His disciples’ feet, after they left the house singing hymns and onto the mountainside, after He went off for a while to pray.  In other words, it may have been quite late when Jesus was taken into custody and to the temple.  But He wasn’t allowed to rest, for they took Him before Caiaphas, the high priest, who had called the scribes and elders, the chief priests into assembly.  They held their little mock trial and had Jesus beaten a bit, just for good measure.  And next we’re told that morning had come, with no word of sleep or rest.

Friday morning, the one we usually look forward to, didn’t start off very well for Jesus.  I can’t say that Judas was enjoying it much either.  We he saw the result of his betrayal, that Jesus had been condemned by the Jewish leadership and carried off to Pilate for sentencing, he was filled with remorse.  He went back to the high council, offering to give back the money he had been paid, seeking atonement for his sin.  They shrugged him off, saying it was no concern of theirs what he did, now that they had what they wanted.  So in his anguish, Judas went off and killed himself.

That was of no help to Jesus, of course.  He now stood in judgment before the highest human authority in the land, the commander of the occupying army, Pontius Pilate.

But quite frankly, Pilate would rather have not been involved at all.  He was a Roman, not a Jew.  He worshiped multiple gods, not just one.  The only reason he cared about any of this at all is because the leaders of the occupied people were stirring the crowds into a frenzy, and he feared riots and unrest might erupt.  He was there to keep the peace, the Roman peace, and that meant keeping the people under control, by any  means necessary, even putting this man Jesus to death if that would quieten the mob.

Still, Pilate wasn’t convinced that Jesus had done anything deserving of death.  First, he gave Jesus a chance to answer the charges against Him, but He said nothing, other than agreeing to the governor’s assertion that He was the King of the Jews.  That ploy didn’t work, so next Pilate offered the people, the mob, a choice: he could pardon either Jesus or the notorious prisoner, the murderer Barabbas.  “Which do you choose?”, he asked.

At this point, Pilate was convinced that the Jewish leaders had planned all this and brought Jesus here for judgment because they were jealous of Him, envious of His popularity with the people, covetous of His power and authority over illness and affliction.  Even Pilate’s wife realized these proceedings were wrong, that it would all turn out bad, for she had been warned in a dream so she sent word to her husband to have nothing to do with this matter.

Still he persisted, “Which do you choose to free, Barabbas or Jesus?”  “Free Barabbas!”, they cried.  “And what then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”, Pilate asked, amazed by the mob’s reply.  “Let Him be crucified!”, they shouted.  The same people who began the week by greeting Jesus as He entered Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna” now called for Him to be put to death in a most horrible way, by crucifixion.

And now Pilate had run out of options.  He ignored his wife’s warning and his own gut feelings.  He had no other choice if he wanted to appease the crowds and maintain the peace.  This Jesus had to die, guilty or not.  So he washed his hands of the whole mess as the people accepted responsibility.  Barabbas was released and Jesus was carried off for more torture and then to be nailed to the cross.

It’s still Friday morning.  Matthew doesn’t get into great detail about it, but Jesus was scourged, which in the day was to be whipped with a cat-o-nine-tails.  This was basically a handle with a number of short leather straps tied on it, and those strips of leather had shards or pottery and bits of metal embedded in them.  The end result was a tool of torture that would literally peel the flesh off a person’s back.  This is what Jesus was beaten with.  This is what the prophet Isaiah was shown when he reported that the Good Servant bore our stripes.

During this scourging, blood loss would be great, leaving the victim physically weak.  Those sentenced to crucifixion were required to drag their own crosses up to the place of execution, up to Golgotha, the Place of a Skull.  But after the scourging, Jesus was unable to shoulder the cross very far, so the Romans grabbed a man out of the crowd and forced him to carry it the rest of the way.  This poor famer who was simply returning from his fields, Simon of Cyrene, will forever be remembered for this act.

Now before actually nailing Jesus to the cross, they offered Him a drink that was a mixture of sour wine and an ingredient Matthew calls gall.  The net effect of this concoction was to act as a pain blocker, much like a narcotic would be used today to deaden any pain.  When Jesus tasted what was in the mixture, He refused to drink it.  This isn’t to imply that Jesus was trying to be a masochist or that He enjoyed pain.  No, but He was here to suffer for us, to take our punishment, to feel all the pain that our sin has caused.  He had to experience the full brunt so that we could relate to what He endured… just for us.

So they crucified Him, just as the mob demanded.  The Roman soldiers gambled over His clothing, again just as Messianic prophecy foretold.  (Matthew made it a point to show how Jesus fulfilled everything ever predicted regarding the Messiah.)  Then they sat down and watched as Jesus suffered.  They watched as those who passed by mocked and ridiculed Him, including the chief priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees, and even the criminals crucified alongside Him.

“If You’re the Son of God, come down off that cross, and then we’ll believe in You.”  Do you remember what Jesus told Thomas when He appeared before the disciples after His resurrection?  He said, “Thomas, you believe because you have seen My nail scarred hands and spear pierced side.  Blessed are those who believe who have not seen.”

The unbelieving Jews wanted more proof.  It didn’t matter that Jesus had performed miracle after miracle, they demanded yet another sign.  But it was all for naught, for their hearts were already hardened and cold, just as foretold.

It is now around noon on Friday.  The sun has faded out and darkness covers the land for the next three hours.  Finally, at 3 in the afternoon, the mortal side of Jesus breaks through, and He cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”.

How many of us have ever cried out like that?  How many of us, in a moment of great pain and anguish have shouted, “My God, why are You letting this happen to me?”

Jesus was God, but God in the flesh.  That means He could feel physical pain, and emotional anguish.  With all He has endured – the sleep deprivation, the betrayal, the torture, the unbearable suffering – is it any wonder the human side would slip through for a moment and allow a mortal cry for help to escape?

And then He breathed His last, and it was over.

Of course, we know it was not really over, not that day, and certainly not in God’s great plan.  The earth shook.  The veil in the temple, that separated man from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.  And graves were opened, allowing the saints to rise again from the dead, as witnessed by many in Jerusalem.

The centurion and soldiers who had presided over the execution took note of all these events, and became very fearful.  “Truly this was the Son of God!”, they realized.  If only they and the Jewish people had understood this before.

Evening and the start of the Sabbath was rapidly approaching.  A rich man from Arimathea by the name of Joseph, who had become a believer in Jesus, approached Pilate and asked that he might be given the body of Jesus to give a proper burial.  Pilate granted that request, and Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean cloth, laid it in a new tomb which he had hewn out of the hillside rock, and then rolled a large stone across the doorway, blocking the entrance.

By now it was the Sabbath, and all Mary Magdalene could do was sit in front of the tomb, and weep.

All this happened one Friday.  We could almost make that a title for a love story, couldn’t we?  “It Happened One Friday”.  For Jesus and those who followed Him, this was a very long and tragic day.  This Man they had followed for three years, the One who was supposed to save them, had been horribly put to death and now laid buried in a tomb!  Where is the love in that?!!?

Well, it really is a love story.  And it’s a story that starts out, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

This is love, that Jesus suffered and died for us, that He allowed His flesh to be torn and His blood to be shed so that we could be washed clean of our sin.  And it happened one Friday, a day much like today.

Of course, we know that it did not end that Friday.  On Sunday we will celebrate our Lord’s resurrection and the promise of our own new life.  But today, let us mourn with the disciples and His mother and the women who followed Jesus from Galilee.  And let us remember all that He went through just for us.  Remember that He took the punishment we deserve.  Remember that He suffered at the hands of those He came to save.

Sunday we can rejoice, but today let us weep and reflect on what happened one Friday.  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 to us holding out the arms of God’s love.  You came to us when we were lost in our sin, reaching out Your hand to us, offering to redeem us.  You came to break the chains of sin that hold us captive to this world.  You came to save us from ourselves.  And how did we react to all this mercy and grace?  We refused to accept You.  We tortured You and nailed You to a cruel cross.  You 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 each day would play out, including that one Friday when You lived Your last day as a mortal man.  You knew exactly how God’s plan would be accomplished.  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.  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.

That We All May Be One

[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Maundy Thursday, the 14th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Today's service also included our observance of Holy Communion with our Lord.  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.]

In his Gospel account, the Apostle John doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about what we now refer to as “the Last Supper”, but he does go into great detail concerning the events after that meal.  More specifically, John tells us things that Jesus did and said that the others may have missed.  Without this record, we would have missed out on a lot very meaningful information.

John summed up that last meal in chapter 13 of his account by starting out, “And supper being ended”, and then proceeding to tell us of how Jesus, the ever faithful and loving Servant, washed the feet of His disciples, His followers.  Then John recounts some of the things the other Gospel writers tell of, such as identifying His betrayer, giving us our new commandment, and predicting how Peter will soon deny Him.

But then we get a much dearer, more personal view of Jesus, as John records His own words as He reveals the Father to us, promises to send the Holy Spirit to us, prays for us and gives us His peace.  There follows much more inside information from John, more of Jesus just talking to us, warning us of things to come, loving us.  And then we are allowed to listen in on what I think is the most intimate moment in Jesus’ mortal life: the time He spent talking to His Father God.

Please listen and follow along to all of chapter 17 from the Gospel account of the beloved Apostle John, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

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

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

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

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

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

--John 17 (NKJV)

Let us pray… Father God, this afternoon we step back in time to a night so long ago that may have lost its meaning for many.  So much happened that night, and it was all for our benefit, we poor sinners.  Speak to us, Father, speak into our hearts, that we might relive that night and understand its true meaning and full impact on our very lives.  Speak to us that we might know the truth of our ways.  Convict us of our sin and forgive us of our disobedience.  This we pray in the name of Your Son Jesus.  Amen

Tonight is Maundy Thursday.  The word, “Maundy”, comes from the Latin word meaning command or commandment.  On the night of His last supper with His disciples, Jesus gave us a commandment to “Do this in remembrance of Me”.  He also gave us a new commandment: to love each other, just as much as He loves us.

In just a few minutes we will share the elements of our Lord’s body and blood, just as He shared the bread and the wine with His disciples that night.  We will renew the covenant God made with us, sealed by the precious blood of Jesus.  But first, let’s look a little more closely at the words Jesus spoke with God.

Now it’s important to remember that Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen.  He knew that in just a few minutes, one of His own followers would betray Him, leading to His arrest.  He knew that He would have to stand trial first before the Jewish high priests and then before the Roman governor.  He knew that the very people He came to this earth to save, who sang praises to Him just days before, would now turn on Him and demand His death.  He knew that He would be beaten, His flesh ripped and torn, and then nailed to a cruel cross to die.

Did He try to run and hide?  No.  Did He appeal to God for an army of angels to come down and rescue Him?  No.  But He did appeal to God.

He stopped and prayed to God, even as the world was falling in on Him, now, during this darkest hour.  Yes, He prayed a little for Himself, knowing what He was about to endure.  But mostly He prayed for us, for His disciples of that day and for all who would follow their words and believe in Him as Lord.  He prayed for us.  He suffered for us.  He died for us, the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb, so that we might be washed clean of our sin by His own precious blood.  He loved us to the very end, and loves us still.

In our scripture reading, Jesus started out by briefly praying for Himself.  He didn’t pray for relief or rescue.  He didn’t pray that God would relent and not require Him to go through the next phase of His plan.  He only prayed that now that His job was almost finished, that He be allowed back into heaven, back alongside His Father, and back to the glory He had before He came to this earth.

Everything He had done here had been to glorify God.  He had taught His disciples - given to Him by God - the truth of God and His heaven, and they believed That Jesus was indeed the Christ, so He had granted them eternal life.

Then Jesus prayed for His disciples, knowing that they would still be stuck in this world when He returned to heaven.  He prayed that the Father would keep hold of them, and not let them slip back into the world and worldly ways, not let them become lost to sin and Satan.  Jesus noted that only one of those who God had given Him had been lost, and that was Judas, and then only in fulfillment of prophetic Scripture.  Now they were to go out into the world, advancing God’s kingdom, so Jesus asked God to protect them from the world that hates them.  And He also asks that these men may be one as Jesus and God are one – that they may be one in spirit, one in mind, one in purpose, one in faith.

Then Jesus takes it one step further.  He knows what is to come, not only in the next few days but also throughout the rest of this age.  He knows that His church will grow, starting with the efforts of these very disciples as they go about sharing the Gospel.  They will speak the truth given to them by Jesus, and others will believe and become disciples themselves.

So Jesus prayed for all of these, all who would come to believe in Him as Lord because of what they have been told.  He prayed for us, who two thousand years later would gather into a family called Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Jesus prayed that we all may be one.  Just as God the Father is in Jesus the Son, and Jesus is in God, He prayed that we too may be in the Father and in the Son, that we may be made perfect in one.  For in this way, the world may come to know and believe that Jesus was sent from God as the Christ, sent to save the world from everlasting punishment.

Jesus prayed that we all may be one: one with Him, one with God, and one with each other.  One church, one family, one body of Christ left on earth to carry on His work and the mission He assigned us.  But we sure don’t always act like it!

From almost the very beginning, the church splintered into groups based on slightly different interpretations of scripture and what those early evangelists said and wrote.  This gave birth to denominations and off-shoots and sects and all manner of independent churches, all of whom seem to agree on only one thing: that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Some denominations merged because of shared beliefs and convictions, others split apart over divisions from within.  Even within a given church, differences in belief and opinion can drive a wedge between families, tearing the body of Christ to pieces.

Jesus prayed that we all may be one, but I’m afraid we – collectively, His church universal - have let Him down.  Family, it’s time we put petty differences aside.  It’s time to swallow all pride and learn to give and take, to compromise, to see the other person’s side.  It’s time we came together as one family, with one belief that Jesus is Lord, and with one mission: that salvation is available to everyone if they would only believe in Jesus and accept Him as Lord.  There is only one way to the Father, and that is through the Son.  Help the world believe, so that we all may be one.

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

If you are feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit, if you are weighed down by the guilt of your disobedience, if you are holding a grudge against a fellow believer, if there is anything in your life that God would see as sinful, lay it all at the foot of our Lord’s cross, repent, and seek forgiveness.  Get right with God.  Remember that Jesus want us all to be one – one with Him, one with God, one with each other.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, this afternoon we reflect back on a time when mankind saddened You yet again.  For on that night long ago we betrayed Your Son, Your only Son, whom You sent to offer us salvation.  Instead of receiving Him, we rejected Him.  And even today, we are often too timid and shy to testify for Him, too fearful of what others may think or say.  Forgive us, Father, for our fear and hesitation to do what we know is right.

Father, we pray that You show us not only the error of our ways, but also how to do what is right in Your eyes.  You gave us the faith to believe in Your Son Jesus, and then You gave us to Him, to be one with Him.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much!  Please help us understand how everything we do, while being the name of Jesus, reflects back on Your Son.  Please let others know Your love through our words and deeds.

Lord Jesus, You gave so much of Yourself on our behalf.  You took our punishment, You bore our stripes, You died so we could avoid the final and permanent death just by believing in You and accepting You as Lord.  You accepted us as if a gift from God, and You loved us to the very end.  

Forgive us, Lord, our times of doubt and confusion.  Forgive those who refuse to believe, who reject Your authority.  Forgive us when we could stand up for You against the doubters and disbelievers, but we are just too timid, too afraid, to do so.  Forgive us when we can’t let go of the world, refusing to put all our faith and trust in You and our Father God.  Help us, please Jesus, to not be so concerned with what others may think about us, or with anything this world might offer.  Give us the strength of our convictions, the fullness of our faith, so that we can serve You by serving others.  Help us be good and faithful servants.

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

Blessed Is He

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the sixth and final Sunday in Lent, the 10th of April, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Today's service also included recognition of our Confirmands and the receiving of a new member.  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.]

Today is the last Sunday in our season of Lent and our walk with Jesus through the final weeks of His mortal life on this earth.  The cross is looming ever closer, but our Lord is the only one who truly understands what lies just ahead.  Even though He has tried to tell His followers what is soon to happen, they just have not been able to grasp what He has said.

The time of the Passover feast has come, and Jews from all over are streaming into Jerusalem.  Soon, the unspotted Lamb will be sacrificed for that celebration of the people’s deliverance by God.  Jesus’ followers now truly believe Him to be the promised Messiah, who will again deliver them from captivity.  And as they approach Jerusalem, they come with joyful hearts, singing and shouting along the way.

Please listen and follow along as the Apostle Matthew describes how Jesus and His disciples entered Jerusalem and the events that followed on that day, from chapter 21 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 17, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

--Matthew 21:1-17 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son, the Messiah, our Christ, to deliver us from captivity to sin.  Even though so many of Your chosen people failed to recognize it at the time, You kept Your promise to free us from the chains of sin and death, granting us access to Your heaven by our faith and acceptance of Your Son as our Lord.  Thank You Father for keeping that promise.  Forgive us, please, when we fail or hesitate to share this wonderful news with those who most need to hear it.  Please help us be more mindful of our commission to spread the Gospel.  And help us remember how much Jesus did and continues to do for us.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In the early 1920s, Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an anti-God rally.  For over an hour he abused and ridiculed the Christian faith until it seemed as if the whole structure of belief was in ruins.  Then questions were invited.  An Orthodox church priest rose and asked to speak.  He turned, faced the people, and gave the Easter greeting, "He is risen!"  Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud and clear, "He is risen indeed!"

This reminds me of the Apostle Luke's telling of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  With so many people shouting their praises to Jesus, the Pharisees commanded He rebuke His disciples.  Jesus replied, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”  Bukharin may have thought he had silenced those Christians, turning their belief to stone, but then they all cried out, “He is risen indeed!”

The Apostle Matthew is most noted among the four Gospel writers for showing how Jesus fulfilled all the Messianic prophesies from the Scriptures, from what we now call the Old Testament.  Our reading this morning starts out with one of those times, as Jesus rode right into the heart of Zion on the colt of a donkey, as foretold by the prophet Zechariah.

A more humble entrance one could not imagine, yet the people treated Him as that King.  They cut branches from the trees and waved them and laid them in the roadway.  Some of them even spread their cloaks on the road, so the donkey wouldn’t kick up too much dust.

And they shouted:  “Hosanna in the highest!”  “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Little did they know that in just a few days they would be calling for this King’s death.  But Jesus knew.  Jesus knew, yet He continued doing what He had begun: serving His Father God, ministering to the people, healing them of their afflictions.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  In His mortal life, Jesus never acted all high and mighty, never “lorded” it over anyone.  Although He performed mighty acts and signs, He remained humble through it all.  Even with such a great fanfare greeting His arrival, He rode in on the back of a lowly donkey.  This was not a conquering king, but a humble servant.  In chapter 2 of his letter to the Philippians, verses 5 through 11, the Apostle Paul tells us to be more like Jesus in this regard…

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though He was God,

He did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;

He took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When He appeared in human form,

8     He humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor

and gave Him the name above all other names,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

--Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

The name of Jesus.  

Jesus was humble.  There should be no doubt, by anyone, that He was God in the flesh while He walked this earth.  He could heal any affliction, drive out any demon, even raise the dead back to life.  What more could He have done if He had wanted to?  Yet He used His great power only in service to God, not to His own glory but to glorify God.

We who profess our belief in Jesus as Lord call ourselves by His name: Christian.  When we come in His name, when we work in His name, we are truly blessed.  But as Paul said, we must have the same attitude that Jesus had.  We must take up the humble position of His bondservant, serving Him through our service to others, loving Him through our love to others.

May all we do glorify our Lord.  For some sweet day, every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus, and every tongue will declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You bless us beyond measure.  You even sent us Your own Son that we might be reconciled back to You.  Thank You, Father, for such great mercy and love.  Father, sometimes we forget that we are here to serve You, to worship You, to glorify You.  Sometimes we get too wrapped up in our own lives to worry about how others might be getting along.  Forgive us, Father, when we turn too far inward, looking more to our own needs than to helping others.  Forgive us when we lose sight of the things of heaven.  Please help us be humble servants in all we do.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

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 set the example of how we should live: ever humble, always serving others.  You glorified God in all You did.  Thank You, Lord, for coming to us and offering us redemption from sin and salvation from death.  Thank You showing us what it means to be a humble servant.  Please, Lord, forgive us when fail to follow Your lead.  Help us be worthy of bearing Your name.  Remind us that through all Your suffering, You remained steadfast in Your faith and Your mission.  Show us how we too can carry out the mission You gave us.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.