John 7:25-31 "Not from Where, but from Whom"

Well, Christmas has come and gone with a fury once again. I hope that it was a time of joy and celebration for you just as it was for me. One of the funnier aspects of Christmas is the “what now” moment that comes after the holiday has passed. I’m referring to that sense that we all have usually somewhere around Christmas evening or possibly even the next morning where we ask ourselves, “What now? Do I have to go back to ‘normal’ life? I can’t even remember what life was like before Christmas?” Ok, maybe it’s not quite as extreme as that last question, but there is a sense in which everything that we were doing in our lives that wasn’t Christmas related has become a momentary blur. Unfortunately for many of you, the world that awaited at work wasn’t as confused or forgiving. This is especially true for preachers, or at least as far as our preaching is concerned. Personally, everything that I had focused on for over a month now was centered around the birth of Christ. I have to admit that I had to go back and reread my last couple of sermons from before our Advent season to refresh my mind as to where we were going in John. So, I want to do you a favor and give you as brief of a recap as I can as to where we are in John’s gospel.

At this point, we are well into Jesus’ earthly ministry. He has performed miracles such as the healing of the lame man and the feeding of 5,000 (which we said was closer to 15,000). He has gained somewhat celebrity status amongst many who are hearing of the works that he has done. Word of the phenomenon known as Jesus is starting to spread across the land and the leadership in and around Jerusalem is becoming very annoyed with this fact. Our last text from John’s gospel saw Jesus going to Judea to attend the Feast of Booths. After initially declining to attend out of fear for his life, Jesus not only went, he went there and at some point began preaching and teaching. We saw the Jews, and particularly the Jewish religious leaders, question how Jesus could say such things. They questioned how Jesus could say all that he was saying since he had no real education. Upon hearing their questions, Jesus spoke of being sent from the Father and said that the authority that he had to say such things was from God Himself. He spoke to correct all of their misunderstandings about him, his ministry, and the authority given to him.

In our text today, we find that many additional people have gathered around and are hearing this conversation between Christ and the religious leaders in Judea. You see, the people knew that the authorities were seeking the so-called Messiah to kill him. If you will remember, all of the people who were talking about Jesus during this festival were doing so in private so that they didn’t face any punishment from the guards around the city. We’re reminded of that again in this text by seeing the surprise that exists among the people there when we find the words, “Is not this man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him.” It’s at this time where many of these folks are apparently getting their first look at Jesus as being the Christ, the Messiah, the one that they have heard so much about. You see, they have seen Jesus before, but they have never been told that he was the Christ, that he was the Messiah. They have seen this man and they somewhat know who he is, but they most certainly do not expect him to be the Messiah. We find the people saying, “Can it be that the authorities really know that this man is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” You see, the people knew that Jesus was from Galilee, whereas the Messiah was to be a native of Bethlehem or, according to some traditions, of unknown origin. Well, we know very well that although Christ may have grown up in Galilee, he was indeed born in Bethlehem. We looked at that very text a couple of times during our Advent series. It’s similar to how even if you are a citizen of one country and you deliver a child in a foreign country; your child is actually a citizen of either the foreign country or both countries. No one in Judea knew that Christ was actually born in Bethlehem, they just considered him to be from Galilee.

Jesus hears the questions from the people and he answers them saying, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” In actuality, neither Bethlehem nor Galilee were Jesus’ ultimate place of origin; He came from the Father. Jesus is telling the people that where he came from is less important that who he came from. He is telling them that his miracles and his teachings are of greater importance than his family tree and the location of his birth. Jesus is speaking about the closeness of the relationship between himself and the Father. He knows the Father, and not just from a distance. He is from Him; there is an intimate relationship there that no one can comprehend. Jesus isn’t standing before them because of his own want and desire to be with them, but because the Father has given him a very specific purpose and mission to accomplish with his life.

God’s plan, God’s will is always accomplished. Notice the words of verse 30, that even though the authorities were seeking to kill him, no one laid a hand on Jesus during this discourse with the religious leaders and the people of Judea. The reason why Jesus was not touched even though he was supposed to be killed is because that wasn’t God’s plan. God’s plan for Christ’s life did not involve his being arrested (as we will see next week) or killed at this time. The purpose of these events was found in the final verse of our text today, “Yet many of the people believed in him.” I find this statement both hilarious and tragic at the same time. Here is a group of people who seemingly have known Jesus to some extent and have seen him numerous times for years, yet they had no clue who he really was.

I have a younger cousin named Neil; he is my dad’s younger brother’s oldest son. When Neil was younger, he spent his summer as a lifeguard at a local golf course pool. There was a restaurant at the golf course where golfers and folks using the pool would go and eat. Neil would often go in and eat lunch from the restaurant since it was easier than going somewhere else to get food. About halfway through the summer, he noticed that there was this man who was sitting by himself every day eating lunch. No one even came to sit with him or really ever even talked to him. One day, Neil decided that he would go over and talk to him. To make a long story short, Neil ended up eating lunch with that man almost every day for an entire month. He was telling some of us about this man several months later and my dad asked him who the man was. He told us that his name was Davis Wade. My dad immediately stopped what he was doing and asked, “Davis Wade?” Neil replied, “Yeah, or at least that’s what he told me.” I was curious as to why my dad cared, so I asked him, “Dad, who’s Davis Wade?” My dad replied to me by saying, “Oh, only the founder of Alfac insurance and the guy who donated the nearly $50 million it took to expand Mississippi State’s football stadium. You know, Davis Wade Stadium?” You see, this man was someone who everyone knew his name because of his contributions, but very few knew who he was. Needless to say, my cousin was shocked that this man who he had started eating with sometime ago was indeed the same Davis Wade who founder Aflac insurance and had been such a generous philanthropist.

These people in Judea had seen the man Jesus numerous times. They had heard all of the tales of the Messiah’s works as well. Yet, they had no clue that the man known as Jesus was that very Messiah. He was right there in front of them the whole time, but they were completely blind to it. Unfortunately, the same can be said of many people, even Christians, in our own day-and-age. Christ is right there for all of us to see. He is all around us. There are things that happen each and every day that let us know that God is real and He is ever-present in our lives, but we don’t see Him. I see it every day; there are people in this world who God has so richly and mercifully blessed, yet they can’t and don’t see Him. So many who think that all that they have is because on them and their hard work and their determination. Why, even the fact that the sun comes up, stays up for a relatively known amount of time, and then goes down is proof enough that God is there. He has given order to the world around us, yet there are those out there that us this as proof of His non-existence. Friends, it is our job and duty as Christians, as possessors of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the good news with all those around us. It is our responsibility to point others to Christ. How, when we know the answer to the question that everyone is asking, can we remain silent and not help them to see Christ? You don’t ever know when that person is seeking and searching for an answer, for THE answer. What a joy, what a wonderful blessing it is and would be for each and every one of us for God to use us to point others toward Him. Friends, allow yourself to be an instrument of God, used to point the way to Christ, used to point the way to the light in the darkness. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 2:8-20 "The Angel's Message"

As we continue our Advent series in preparation for celebrating Christmas in just a couple of days, I want to remind you quickly about where we were last week. If you recall, we looked at the same passage of Scripture, except our focus was on the shepherds who received this message instead of the angels who delivered the message. We ended by asking the question of why God would send His messenger to speak to shepherds instead of someone else. We noted that there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the shepherds, but they were really of no status. Their work kept them fairly isolated from much of the population of many cities and so they were somewhat unknowns in their various communities. They also weren’t the most religious of people for a couple of reasons; the first being that their work prevented them from being able to leave their flock in order to attend worship services. The second reason why they weren’t seen as being very religious is because the fact that their jobs required them to handle animals all day long. You have to remember, that in the Jewish culture, this would have been seen as a very unclean job, and so their attendance at worship services would have offended some of the Jews. However, like I said last Sunday and a moment ago, there isn’t really anything wrong with shepherds in terms of their morals, but they probably aren’t the best candidates for taking a message from God to the people. If you will recall, we said that this was actually a very good thing from our perspective. We noted that it showed us that the Gospel is not just for those in ivory towers with royal blood or advanced education. The Gospel isn’t just for those who have been theologically trained or who have been born into wealthy families. No, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone; for all of mankind.

The thing that we took from our look at the shepherds was that God loves sinners. It’s the old adage of “love the sinner, hate the sin.” We live in an area where when asked about a particular person our answer is usually the same, “Oh, they’re good people.” I’ve often wondered what someone must do to not be considered good people, but that’s not the point. The point is that although they may be good, there is still some aspect of their life that needs improving, and that goes for all of us. Yes, it even goes for preachers. There are many times when I feel like it is more true of preachers than of other folks. However, we don’t have to be blameless in order to receive God, His Son, and His Gospel. We don’t have to live a life to perfection in order to receive our heavenly gifts of grace and mercy and salvation. And the reason that I can make that statement this day is because of the message that the angles had for those very shepherds that we spoke about last Sunday. Perhaps it would be more exact if I said that it was because of the one who the message was about instead.

So, let’s look for just a moment at the angels and the message that they had for the shepherds. We see in verse 9 that at first appearance there is only one angel that comes before the shepherds. However, the presence of this one angel is enough to illumine the entire night sky and also to fill the shepherds with fear. And this isn’t an uncommon reaction. You see, many times, particularly in the Old Testament, when God (through various forms such as smoke, fire, or angels to name a few) comes near His people and reveals Himself to them, fear is the reaction, and it’s no different today. All of us have had moments when we felt God speaking directly to us. Maybe it was telling us to make that commitment, to opt out of that choice, or to make a difficult decision based on the needs of others instead of ourselves. I know that my reaction has often been one of fear. I can tell you that a little over a year ago that God very clearly through a series of events was telling me that I was to go to Houma, LA and shepherd the flock of this church. All that I could think of was fear; fear of the unknown. I was scared to death because God had given me, and specifically me, a direct calling with my life.

You see, in addition to that fear that I felt, there was also a sense of ease because I knew that if this was what God was specifically calling me to do, then He would be with me each and every step of the way. That’s what we see here with the shepherds. If you will recall, even though they have such fear in their hearts at this moment, once the words of the angel end, their immediate reaction is to go to Bethlehem to find and see and worship and adore this child. The angel tells them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” So the angel tells them not to fear and that the message that they are receiving is a good thing. The angel is telling them that the Messiah, the long-awaited, God-appointed ruler of His people has been born and that they can find this child in the town of Bethlehem. After giving the shepherds these words, there isn’t just one angel before them anymore. No, instead there is now, “a multitude of heavenly host praising God.”

So the scene has gone from one angel giving this good news to a group of shepherds to a sky full of angels signing and proclaiming the words “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased,” or as some of us may have learned it, “peace and good will toward men.” The difference here is really a matter of interpretation. What I want all of us to focus on for just a second is not just the message that the now army of angels is proclaiming, but that they are so boldly and lovingly proclaiming. You see, the amount of angels in the sky at this point is thought to be equivalent to the stars. This is an army of angels that in mere moments could wipe out every human on the face of the earth; these angels are heavenly beings. The good news that they are bringing to the shepherds isn’t something that will save them. Yes, we may say that it is their job to proclaim God’s word and to sing praises to Him, but it’s more than that. It doesn’t take us very long to look at a person’s body language and how they carry themselves for us to know whether or not what they are doing is something that they love. My wife is a teacher at Oaklawn Jr. High in East Houma. The kids that are in her school can tell which teachers care about them and are excited to be there and which ones have a countdown in their heads that ends with the releasing of students. You see, just because it is the job of the angels to proclaim this news, doesn’t mean that they have to give it all they have, but they do. The entire army of angels shouts with as much might as they have the good news of the birth of Christ.

Like many of you, I watched the LSU/Alabama game this past year that took place at Tiger Stadium. Watching it on television I got the feeling that it was so loud that it was almost an act of God keeping so much crazy and chaos confined to one location. One announcer said, “If Tiger Stadium was a dome, it would have lost its roof tonight.” Yet, somehow, I don’t think that this scene in Baton Rouge, one of the loudest and craziest, that I can ever remember, holds a candle compared to the scene that night outside of Bethlehem. It’s at this point where I want to ask you one simple question. I don’t want you to respond aloud or anything like that, but just think to yourself. If the angels, who were already heavenly beings and weren’t worried for themselves about the salvation that was to come with this Promised Messiah, were as loud and a joyful in their rejoicing as they were, what do you think our response ought to be? The angels didn’t and do not need forgiveness; they’re already without sin. They didn’t need for Jesus to die. They had never rebelled against God, but you and I have. All of us, we are the ones who are in need of Jesus. We are the ones who are in need of forgiveness. We are the ones who are covered in sin. Yet, I would be willing to bet that very none of us in this room have witnessed an event where people worshiped in a greater or louder way than the angels that we are told about in our text. I doubt that any of us have ever seen anything close to such a sight. Just as I said a moment ago, I know that myself and many of you have seen passion that rivals that of the scene that we have here, but I doubt it was a worship service. It may have been a sporting event, graduation, some type of reunion, birth of a child, or even the moments after avoiding a disaster, but it probably wasn’t a worship service. That’s not to say that they don’t happen, but they don’t happen as frequently as these other events.

You see, if the angels are excited about the Gospel, shouldn’t we be even more excited? After all, we’re the ones who are the beneficiaries of all that is to come. As we all prepare our homes, our families, our schedules, and whatever else there is to celebrate Christmas; as we leave this place and for most of you hopefully rejoin us tomorrow evening; let us prepare our hearts. We need to take account and be reminded of the message that was received that day, but we also need to be reminded of the joy, the excitement, and the passion that filled the worship and praising of the angels. If the birth of Christ means so much to a group that really gains nothing from his presence on earth, shouldn’t that very same birth mean so much more to a group that quite honestly gains everything from what is about to come? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 2:8-20 "Why Shepherds?"

Each worship service during our season of Advent has begun and does begin with something a little different. Where we would normally have a Call to Worship (a text of Scripture designed to prepare our hearts for the worship that is to come), we have recited a litany of purpose that corresponds with the lighting of a candle on the Advent wreath. This is not a new tradition for this church or a tradition that is by any means exclusive to this particular congregation. Why, I would be willing to bet that most, if not all, Christian churches have some sort of Advent wreath lighting tradition within their congregation. However, there is a difference that exists amongst many Christians congregations as to what they call the candles and the different Sunday’s during Advent. Some churches just refer to them as the first, second, third, and fourth Sunday’s in Advent followed by the Christmas Eve service. Some have different names for each and every service which all have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, none of these titles or names are any more or less correct than any other method, they are just differences in worship. It’s the same as there not being a correct form of music (traditional, contemporary, or blended), but there are preferences. You may have noticed that we have referred to the three candles thus far as the Prophecy Candle, the Bethlehem Candle, and the Shepherd’s Candle. The final two are the Angel’s Candle and the Christ Candle. Each of these names celebrates a particular aspect of Christ’s birth as it is recorded for us in God’s word.

The first candle that we lit, the Prophecy Candle, also called the Hope Candle, celebrates the fulfillment of the words of the prophet Isaiah. Our text for that Sunday even looked at those very words of the prophet Isaiah that foretold of Christ’s being born of a virgin. We have a great sense of hope because of this fulfilling of prophecy because it lets us know that God is faithful and will keep the promises that He has made to us. The second candle, the Bethlehem Candle, also called the Candle of Preparation, is a celebration of God’s keeping of His promise that He made through the prophet Malachi when He told His people that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. The people of Bethlehem are to prepare and to get ready because they are to welcome God Himself in the person of the Messiah. We looked last week at the events of the magi going to Herod and Herod sending them to Bethlehem to find the child. We saw that once the magi arrived that they presented the newborn baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We saw that their reaction to coming into the presence of Christ was not one of doubt, but one of worship and adoration. They fell down and worshipped him. You see, we too are to get ready and prepare to welcome and to receive God. We don’t receive Him the exact same way as the people of Bethlehem did, but it isn’t as if God is any more or less active in our world today as He was back then.

This brings us to our third candle, the Shepherd’s Candle, or the Candle of Joy. The first thing that people always want to ask about this candle is, “Why is that candle pink when the other candles lit prior to Christmas Eve are all purple?” Well, you’re in luck today if that is your question because I’m in somewhat of a trivia mood; what all of y’all down here call lagniappe. You see, it was once a tradition for the pope to give someone a rose on the fourth Sunday of Lent before Easter to “liven up” the somber tone of the season. Prior to the commercialization of Christmas as we know it today, Advent was also a solemn time, as people fasted to prepare for the holiday. The rose custom became part of the third Sunday of Advent, and eventually the third candle turned pink as well. We call this the Candle of Joy as well because of the joyful message that the angels have for the shepherds. Now, some have argued that perhaps we should have this be the Angel’s Candle, but I want us to look at our text for today and see why it is a celebration of the shepherd’s, as receivers of the good news, just as much or more so than the angels as givers of the good news.

Let’s look at our text for today and see the joy that we have because of the good news received by the shepherds. Our text begins by telling us that somewhere near the area where Jesus had been born, there are these shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock during the night. An angel appears to them and tells them of the good news of the birth of the long-awaited Messiah. Now, we won’t look at the words that the angel spoke to the shepherds today. We will do that next Sunday when we look at this same text once again from the perspective of the angel and the multitude of heavenly hosts. What I want to do today is to look at the reaction of the shepherds after hearing from the angel beginning in verse 15.

We see that the immediate reaction of the shepherds is to want to go to Bethlehem. It seems like this group of shepherds simultaneously have the same thought, and that is to go to Bethlehem. I equate this to whenever Amy and I are sitting at home during the afternoon trying to figure out what to eat for dinner and then all of a sudden a commercial comes on with a great looking pizza in it. Two people who think so very differently are for a brief moment completely linked and are on the same page. We don’t even really have to tell the other one what we are thinking to get the message across. I imagine that this is similar to how the shepherds felt after hearing about Jesus from the angel. So, they go to Bethlehem to find Jesus. Much like the magi last week, they arrive and find Jesus, his father Joseph, and his mother Mary all there in the manger. They take one look at the child and they know that every word that the angel has said to them is true. Of course, you would think that they would have known that already since it came from an angel of the Lord, but that’s another matter entirely. They tell Mary and Joseph all that the angel told them. They leave out no detail and all those who are present to hear this are awestruck at the words of the shepherds.

Verse 19 tells us that Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” My first thought is wondering what this might mean, but think about it. This is really the first account of someone other than her family openly admitting, at least publicly, that this is indeed a virgin birth. I’m sure that even though Joseph knew that she was carrying the son of God, there had to be many in the land who thought that she was crazy. At best, they probably considered her to be a liar. They said that there was no way that this woman could have conceived a child without having ever knowing her husband or any other man. How Mary’s heart must have raced and fluttered as each and every word escaped the mouths of the shepherds. It’s not as if she needed that vindication, but I’m sure it was not unwelcome when it finally came.

After spending time in Bethlehem at the manger where Christ was born, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.” Very similar to the magi last week, the shepherds are completely overwhelmed by what they have just seen. They know without a doubt that this child is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of God that have been given about the Savior that was to come. There is one question, however, that I want to explore before leaving this text today. That question is, “why shepherds?” Why were these shepherds among the first to hear about this child? Why were these shepherds among the first to see this child? You see, the shepherd was thought of as being an average person. There was nothing really special about the vocation of shepherd. He was an average, every day, blue-collar worker. And I think that that is the very reason why these shepherds were given the privilege of being among the first to experience Jesus Christ. The announcement of this child to these men shows that God is committed to all of humanity and not just a select or chosen few. Those “on whom God’s favor rests” include those whose claim-to-fame may be nothing more than that they wake up each day and pursue a living in service to God.

Friends, the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all mankind. It isn’t for those of us in nice, clean church buildings. It isn’t just for people who are generally good-at-heart or who usually do the right thing. No, the Gospel isn’t just for one class, one ethnicity, one status, or one type of people. The Gospel is for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see. We celebrate this day a Savior who is for everyone. We celebrate that we have a God who cares for all of us no matter who we are or what we have done. Shouldn’t our response to this wonderful news be the same as the shepherds? Shouldn’t we go about our day “glorifying and praising God for all” that we have heard and seen and are experiencing this day? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matthew 2:1-12 "Just Fall Down and Worship"

In our text for today, there are several things that ought to jump out at us immediately. The first is that Jesus is born. Matthew doesn’t tell us the details like Luke does, in a text that we will look at on Christmas Eve. No, Matthew simply says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but he also tells us that it was during Herod’s reign as king of Judea. This is important because it sets the stage for what comes next in the life of Jesus. You see, Herod was an evil and vile ruler. He was so insecure and threatened by anyone who might try and claim his throne that he even had numerous members of his own family executed just so there would be no debate. He also had been given the title of “King of the Jews” by the Senate in Rome and had gone by this name for close to 40 years. So, these magi arrive from the east because they have heard that the Messiah has been born. They hear people refer to Herod as king of the Jews and they just assume that it is him. At first, we may miss out on what happened here. You see, the title Messiah means long-awaited God-anointed Ruler, who would overcome all other rule, and bring in the end of history, and establish the kingdom of God and never die or lose his reign. Obviously, Herod has never been referred to as Messiah, nor should he have been. However, this doesn’t stop his feeling threatened at the news that the Messiah has now been born. What if the people catch wind of this and try and do away with Herod as king in lieu of this Messiah?
Trying to figure out how he is going to deal with this news that he has just received, Herod calls together all his top religious officials and asks them where the Messiah, the Christ, is to be born. He can ask them this because the answer was given more than 400 years prior to Jesus’ actual birth. Much the same way that you saw last Sunday that the prophet Isaiah foretold of Jesus’ being born of a virgin, the location of his birth was prophesied as well. The prophet Malachi had said, “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” You see, God, through Malachi, has specifically told the people of Bethlehem that the king of kings, the ruler of all nations, would be born in their town. So, Herod’s scribes and religious officials knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, they just didn’t know exactly when. The presence of these magi from the east has given them the final piece of the puzzle. They now know that the Messiah is here, and he is in Bethlehem.

Now that Herod knows that the Messiah is here and where he is, he thinks up a plan to take care of the situation and to squash any claim that this man or any of his followers may have to Herod’s throne. He summons these magi from another land to him and quite honestly lies to them about his intentions. He says to them, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” You see, Herod has now given the magi their missing piece of the puzzle. He has told them where they may find the Messiah. He is simply pointing them in the direction that they need to go. His thought is that if these magi go and there is nothing there then he hasn’t wasted his time or even alerted anyone that he is looking for the Messiah. However, if they find the Messiah and then they come back and tell him about it, then Herod can use any of the people or forces at his discretion to take care of the situation. He is basically sending these magi off to unknowingly be his reconnaissance or scout team.

We are then told that as the magi went on their way to Bethlehem, that a star began to shine the way for them to Jesus. The magi were delighted by this, probably because after their first attempt to find Jesus ended with them in Herod’s presence, there was no way that they could mess up this attempt. They were finally going to find the true Messiah. They got to the place where Jesus was staying with his mother, Mary, and his father, Joseph. It’s at this point that I think many of us miss the most amazing statement in this entire story. Look at the reaction of the magi after they saw the child, “they fell down and worshipped him.” Yes, these are simple words and it doesn’t take a lot to understand what they mean, but think about what they are saying. Think about these three men, who have just come into the presence of Jesus as a newborn baby, and their immediate reaction is one of worship and adoration. There is no questioning or doubting amongst the magi. Isn’t it striking that we have Gentiles from the east (the magi) coming to worship the king, but in Israel, neither the king, nor the religious leaders, nor the people have the slightest idea that the Messiah of God has come into the world. Don’t get me wrong, some people know that there are those who are calling this child the Messiah, but they don’t really think that it is him. If they did they would not seek to kill this child, but they would seek him, much like these magi, only for the purposes of worshipping him accordingly. He is known by Gentiles, but concealed in Israel and that truth surely, my friends, teaches us that God must reveal Christ to us if we are to see Him, if we are to embrace Him.

Amy and I, along with the kids, spent last weekend back where we used to live, in Jackson, MS. We had a wonderful time catching up with friends who we hadn’t seen in quite a while. We got filled in on all the latest news as to who has changed jobs, gotten pregnant, bought a house, or had some other significant change. I am very thankful to Dr. Dick Gates for filling this pulpit last Sunday in my absence. Since he was here with y’all, we were given the chance to worship with our old church family at Grace Chapel EPC in Madison. As soon as I sat down in “our seats” (which oddly enough no one has claimed the third row from the front on the left side yet), it occurred to me: today marks only the third Sunday in the year of 2012 that I have not preached in a worship service. The act of attending a worship service and not leading or assisting in some way has somewhat become foreign to me. One of the stranger parts of the whole thing is that as I stand here before you today, I have absolutely no clue what you heard from this very pulpit last Sunday. I can tell you what the text and the title of the sermon were, but that’s about it. Sure I can guess as to a general theme, but nothing specific. As luck would have it, I heard a sermon preached from the same text although the focus of that message was on Joseph and how a Christian husband and father should act. The fact that two sermons could be preached by two highly gifted preachers on the same text and yet share hardly any similarities is astonishing to me. However, when we take into account that one pastor was at “his” church and another was doing pulpit supply, and that one pastor is in his late 40s and the other in his early 70s, and that one pastor is in a church that is finally starting to hit its stride so-to-speak after years of struggling along and the other is in what many of us would call a mega-church that has a long history of vital and active ministry, and that…well you get the point. These two men are coming to the pulpit but from different places in their lives and their ministries. The magi, Herod, the Jewish scribes and religious leader, and everyone else are all hearing the same things and they are for the most part all seeing the same things in the sky, but only some of them believe. The same way that two pastors can come to a text in different ways, these different groups of people are interpreting what is taking place differently from each other. The greatest difference is found in the fact that while both pastors are preaching the same gospel, the people of this day are not unified in their vision of the Messiah. Those who truly want to see him and are seeking him will find him, while those who seek only for themselves will not.

So, what’s the difference between these magi and those in Jerusalem? Well, I mentioned it just a bit ago, God has led them to Christ. He has given them the assurance of the truth that the one that they are seeking is indeed the promised Messiah. Their eyes are not blinded by their own selfish ambitions and their own desire to keep what they already have or possibly gain more. In fact, we even see them give away things that belong to them because of the mere presence of Christ. Now, the importance of these gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) and what they mean has been debated and we’re not going to take up that issue today, but the fact remains that they are presenting these gifts to a child. They know, because God has revealed to them, that this baby boy resting before their very eyes is the Christ, the promised Messiah. I don’t know if you have ever looked at a newborn baby, but it’s pretty hard to tell exactly who he is and what he is going to do with his life simply by looking at the child.

After seeing the child and having confirmed what they already knew to be true, the magi are once again spoken to by God, this time through a dream. God tells each of them that they are not to report back to Herod for his intentions are to harm the child and that they should return to their homeland. God has led them to Jesus and is now leading them away from Herod. As a side note here; yes, God could have led them away from Herod to begin with, but that was not the plan. Herod being alerted allowed for the prophecies of the Old Testament about the exile and the killing of children to take place. We may not understand it or like, but that’s the way it is. We may want to know why so many children were allowed to be murdered by Herod and his men and we are fine to wonder, but it was part of the will of God. There are bad things that happen in this life and God allows them to happen. The blessing, however, is that God can and does use those painful and emotional moments in life to work out His own will and to unfold His plan.

Friends, as we continue celebrating this Advent season, the birth of Jesus Christ, I want us to remember the reaction of the magi when they came into the presence of Christ. They didn’t run tests, ask questions, or use any other method to prove at they were right. They simply fell down and worshipped Christ Jesus. When we are faced with those moments of doubt, those moments where we question, those moments where all we want to know is why this is happening, shouldn’t our reaction be to simply fall down and worship. There is never a time in our lives, when prayers and shouts of adoration for Christ are not appropriate. The King has come, let us fall down and worship him. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

John 7:1-24 "The Turning Point"

If we were to make a movie of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, this very well might be the low point in the movie. You know that point when things start to seem so bleak for our hero that we begin to wonder “ok, when are things going to turn around?” well, this is it. Yes, I’m well aware that there are already several films that have been made about our Savior, but if we were to use only John’s gospel as our source of information, this would be that low point. Why do I say that? Well, let’s look at it why don’t we. Our text begins with Jesus walking about in Galilee. We’re told that he is walking around Galilee because Judea isn’t an option. It isn’t an option because the Jews that are in Judea want to kill him. Their solution to this whole “Jesus problem” is to do away with the person of Jesus entirely. They don’t want to put him in prison for a long time or evict him from their country; they want to kill him. It’s no wonder Jesus doesn’t want to go to Judea. However, it is currently the Feast of Booths, or as some call it, the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast or festival was a seven-day celebration of God’s provision for His people during their time in the wilderness. It also was a chance to commemorate the completion of the harvest. All Jews from all parts of the nation were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate. With this being the case, it is Jesus’ duty, under the law, to go to Judea for the feast.

Jesus’ brothers (Yes, Jesus does have brothers, but we aren’t going to get into that discussion today) advise him saying, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” Jesus’ brothers seem here to be working more as campaign managers than disciples. They seem to be saying “Hey, you’re never going to gain any fame or notoriety if you keep performing your signs and miracles in front of nobodies or in secret. Even when you do work in front of large crowds, you seem to run off before people have a chance to know that it was you or ask you anything. If you really want to get this thing some publicity, you ought to go down to Judea because everyone is going to be there. You aren’t going to get noticed up here in Galilee, you need to go where the people are.” You see, it isn’t as if his brothers are entirely wrong here. Jesus did in fact perform most of his miracles to this point in secrecy somewhat. What they didn’t understand, however, was that the signs and miracles done to this point were not performed by Christ with the intention of gaining fame.

I want you to look at Jesus’ words to his brothers at this point and tell me if they sound familiar. Verses 6-8 say, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” Sound familiar? Remember back to Jesus’ first miracle in chapter 2 of this gospel. What was Jesus’ response to his own mother when she told him that he had to save the wedding feast and fix the problem of no more wine? “My time has not yet come.” And, just like the wedding festival, after Jesus told those closest to him that his time had not yet come, he eventually does the very thing that they were asking him to do. Verse 10, “But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.” He went in secret because of the threat that awaited him in Judea; the threat that we talked about at the beginning of this sermon. The Jews knew very well that Jesus was required to be at this feast and they were looking for him. They had people who were given the sole task of finding and capturing Jesus so that he could be put to death. The problem for them was they were expecting him to stand out and for it to be obvious where he was. One of the things that happened as a result of him going secretly was that it gave him and his disciples a chance to hear what was being said about him. There were mixed opinions about him ranging from him being exactly who he claimed to be to him being a complete and total fraud. However, most of this talk was done quietly since the people were afraid to speak openly about him out of fear of the Jews.

This is why we say that this is possibly the low point in Jesus’ ministry. Let’s just recap the first part of this text today and the amount of unbelief that we see; mind you that Jesus has been at his earthly ministry for possibly a year now at this point. We have seen that the opinions about him amongst the crowd in Judea are mixed, but that isn’t the worst of it. The problem isn’t that some people do not believe, but that even those who believe won’t openly say it because they are afraid. They think that the penalty that the Jews can place on them is greater than the joy and hope found in bolding proclaiming Christ to be the promised Messiah. However, this mixed group in Judea doesn’t compare to the disbelief that Jesus finds in his own family. Remember back when we were talking about Jesus’ brothers there was the statement, “for even His brothers did not believe in Him.” Now, I don’t have any siblings, but I do understand the hesitance that they might have in saying that their sibling is God himself. But we have already seen that Mary knows Jesus to be who he claims to be, how could his brothers not share her sentiments?

As if having everyone, even his own family, doubting his being who he claimed to be, there is still a little bit farther that we have to go. Jesus decided, after getting to Judea, that he would not be silent anymore, but would begin to teach right in the middle of the feast. We are told that as he taught “the Jews therefore marveled, saying, ‘How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?’” Now the wording that is used here tells us that there was a sense of doubt about the Jews. They thought that since Jesus had no formal education, that there was no way that he could know anything about the matters of God. The Pharisees, scribes, and doctors of the law who had studied under Gamaliel, Hillel, or one of the other rabbinic traditions thought Jesus to be someone who simply wanted to corrupt the Christian faith. They wanted to know who he studied under. They wanted to know how he came to possess such knowledge. In other words, because of his lack of education, they doubted that Jesus even had any clue what he was talking about.

It is at this point where we see things start to turn and take a much more positive direction for Jesus and his earthly ministry. Jesus answers the Jews by saying, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” You see, Jesus said that his doctrine, what he was teaching, wasn’t his invention at all. It came from the source. It came from God. It isn’t as if Jesus knew everything from the time of his birth. He had learned all that he was teaching, but instead of learning it from different traditions, books, and teachers, he learned all that he knew from the Father. We say all the time that theology, the study of the things of God, is simply man’s interpretation of God’s Word, and that is a perfectly acceptable definition. However, this isn’t the same thing that we are getting from Jesus here. Here, we are talking about direct knowledge given to the Son from the Father. Yes, Jesus grew and studied Scripture just like any other man, but he happens to be the Son of God. In his study of God’s Word, he came to see and understand that the gospel is not about man, but it is about God.

Then, we have the heated exchange between Jesus and these Jews. Jesus said, “’Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?’ The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?’” They think he is a mad man. They think that he is crazy for thinking that someone is trying to do him harm. I think it’s great how Jesus turns things back around on them. “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision, and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Remember back when Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath how those in power condemned him for what he had done? Do you remember how Jesus had to teach them and let them know that it was not against the law for them to do good works on the Sabbath? Just as he is doing here, Jesus is having to correct all of the “experts” misguided notions about the law. He is in essence saying to them, “how can you question my teachings and my credentials, when you yourself simply hide behind a law that you do not fully understand?”

Friends, we could spend hours discussing any one of these statements made by Jesus Christ here today. We could dissect them from a theological perspective, an authority perspective, or some other angle, but what matters is this: Jesus Christ is beginning his public proclamation of his identity. Don’t misunderstand me, it isn’t as if he has hidden from people up to this point. However, he now is going on the offensive instead of the defensive. He is proclaiming his claims instead of defending them. The question that we have today when we come to this text is what this means for us. Well, ultimately, this is more evidence and proof that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, our Redeemer. However, there are some other things that can be taken from this passage as well. One is that no matter how bleak, no matter how hard or difficult things may seem for Christians today, we need to follow the example of Christ. Christ is in the midst of a period of doubt by many of those who claimed him to be Lord. He is facing a threat against his life, yet he remains unchanged in his ministry. He doesn’t let the circumstances around him deter him from what he knows that he must do. Secondly, we see how his disciples and even his brothers don’t believe him. They doubt him because of they have not understood everything up to this point. There are Christians today who say that God is in control, but they try and take matters into their own hands. They act as if God’s doesn’t have the power to deliver them from their troubles. I can tell you today, that God is real, He is ever-present, He has saved us, He has redeemed us, and He will deliver us from all evil and temptation until such time as we are called home. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 6:60-71 "Take No Offense"

If you will recall, last Sunday we concluded a multiple week look at Jesus’ discourse about him being the bread of life come down from heaven. If we were going to sum up our last two Sunday’s into one concise statement, it would be something to the effect of, “The only thing that allows us to enter into the kingdom of God is our union with Jesus Christ. Our religion, our church attendance, not even our good works will in-and-of themselves allow us to enter into heaven.” The truth of the matter is that it is far better for us that this is the way that things are. The less we have to do with our salvation means that more (in fact all) is done by God. I’m thankful for the fact that my salvation doesn’t depend on anything that I do or don’t do. However, this doesn’t really make it any easier for us to understand and grasp fully. After all, our natural inclination is to think that if it is something that pertains to us, that our actions ought to be what determines the outcome. We think that we ought to at least have a say-so in the matter at hand, but as we said last time, it is all about Jesus and what Christ has done on our behalf. And if you will recall, Jesus didn’t sugarcoat it. He simply said that he is the only way to the Father, the only way to heaven.

His disciples heard what he said and quite honestly many of them didn’t really like what he had to say and thought that it was too harsh. I think that we can identify with their sentiments, because as I mentioned earlier, it isn’t exactly what we think we would hear. Look at Jesus’ words in the second half of verse 61, “Do you take offense to this?” To fully understand what Christ is asking the disciples here we must differentiate between two similar, yet very different, principles. We have to distinguish between taking offense to something and giving or committing an offense. My sweet wife tells me from time-to-time that I have no filter. By this, she means that I say things that come to mind without any regard for how they will be received. I don’t mean anything by saying what is on my mind and I’m not trying to be hurtful; it just happens. I don’t understand why someone would ask for my opinion and not want my complete honest opinion. It doesn’t make sense to me. However, that does not mean that people have not taken offense to things that I have said. Why, there are people who have taken offense to things that I have said from the pulpit as I have tried to expound upon God’s word. We really cannot control whether or not someone takes offense to what we say, but as Christians, we are commanded not to give offense, not to violate people or do them harm. We can say or do the exact right thing sometimes and yet people will take offense anyway. When we call a sin a sin, there is a good chance that we are going to offend the guilty party in the process, but that doesn’t mean we are wrong. There has never been anyone more honest and forthcoming than our Lord and Savior. Nothing that he said was ever with the intention of causing someone to be hurt or offended, but that didn’t stop it from happening. I shudder to even guess at the number of people who took offense to Christ’s message during his earthly ministry, but that didn’t make what he was preaching any less truthful.

As our text continues on we see Christ ask, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” Christ is asking his disciples if they would be any less offended by his words if they were to see the true glory of the Son. Sure, they may be offended and have some sense of doubt while he is a man living on this earth, but if his ascension were to take place at that very moment; wouldn’t all the doubt be washed away? Of course it would, and there would be no questions left about whether or not what he was speaking is the truth. Now, we know that his ascension does occur, just not right now. Jesus goes on to tell these people why they are having such doubts and it is because of their perspective. They are corrupted by the flesh. When he says that the flesh is no help, he is really saying that the flesh is a hindrance. He is saying that it is only by the power of God that we can come to see the true meaning and true understanding of what he is trying to tell us. We saw this very same conversation back several months ago when Jesus spoke with Nicodemus in chapter 3 of this gospel, when Jesus told Nicodemus that the flesh cannot produce spiritual fruit. If we think that we can understand the things of God without the help of God then we are mistaken. For these disciples this day, they must rely upon Christ to give them the truth. For us today, we must rely upon the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and minds and reveal the truth to us. That’s why before our reading of God’s Word each Sunday, we pray that the Holy Spirit will illumine our minds, open our eyes, and allow us to see the fullness of the glory of God held within Scripture.

Jesus then goes on to speak about the truth that is found within the words that he is speaking and that the Spirit makes real for us this day, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe. This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” You see, for us to fully understand and know God, and I’m not talking about knowing all there is to know about God, it takes God himself. I’m talking here about knowing without a doubt that He is real and that He is ever-present in our world. I’m not saying that when we are Christians that we understand all of what Scripture says with 100% clarity. If that were the case, then we wouldn’t really need folks like me would we? If we understood all of Scripture just by becoming a Christian, then there would be no need for preachers and teachers of the Word. The word would be fully understood once someone became a Christian. However, the truth of the matter is that the Christian life is a process. It is a process that is not completed until that time that our Father calls us home. I don’t care how long you are a Christian, how much you study, or how much you try to do the “Christian thing”, it is an ongoing process. Not only is it an ongoing process, but it is a difficult and painful one at that. That’s why it is such a great thing that a) it isn’t about what we do, and b) it wasn’t up to us in the first place. Remember, it is God who has called all of His children to Him and it is God who will see them through their time on this earth until they enter into His presence.

Jesus watched as many false disciples left at the hearing of these words. It reminds us of how many times there are those in this life who claim that they want to know Christ and say that they long for him, but when things become difficult or their faith requires a difficult choice, they turn and walk away. Well, Jesus puts that to the disciples that still remain, “Do you want to go away as well?” Then, Peter answers with one of the greatest confession of the Christian faith that we find in Scripture. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter doesn’t deny that Jesus’ sayings were hard, but he also acknowledges that Jesus’ words were words of life. The Twelve have no other place to look for life other than in Jesus Christ, and neither do we.

Are you ever tempted to leave? When the Christian walk becomes difficult and seemingly too much to overcome what goes through you head? As much as I hate to admit it, I have been at this point many times in my life. No, I have never quit on the Christian faith, but I have been at the point where I wanted to. As much as I hate to admit it, I was already in ministry when the weight of a million different things fell upon my shoulders and trying to live as a Christian during the midst of such a storm nearly broke me. It wreaked havoc on my health, my lifestyle, and my family. However, where would I go if I left? After all, it isn’t as if Christianity is just one of many acceptable and viable options when it comes to faith. Christ is the only option, the only way to the Father, the only way to heaven. I’m not going to find words of eternal life in any other religion or tradition. I’m not finding the words of eternal life anywhere other than in the One who gave His life that we might live. No matter how hard the Christian life may be, and make no mistake about it, it is hard; there is nowhere else that we can look outside of Jesus Christ. We will be beat up, knocked down, and seemingly crushed by the weight of the world around us, but we must keep our eyes fixed upon the cross; for it is our only chance of salvation. Because of the sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ upon the cross, we have an everlasting hope that conquers all. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 6:35-59 "The Bread of Heaven - Part 2"

I mentioned to you last Sunday that I love what I do. I also told you that there are times when my calling can be quite difficult, and this is one of those times. It isn’t that I don’t love and enjoy discussing God’s Word, but that I don’t like defending it to a lot of preconceived notions. You may be wondering what in the world I am talking about. You see, this text, Jesus’ discourse on the bread of life, is one of the traditional and classic texts used to support the Reformed biblical doctrines of predestination and election. Basically, these doctrines work together to simply say that God chooses for no particular reason those who will be saved and that this is worked out by a plan that God has had since before the creation of this world. What that plan looks like I have no clue, but I do believe that there is one and it has already been established. Now, I am well aware that as these words are coming out of my mouth, that red flags have shot up all over the place. I know that for many people, hopefully none in this room, that these words in-and-of-themselves are a stumbling block for many people accepting the Presbyterian view of Christianity and salvation. I remind you, also, that it isn’t as if you have to fully understand these doctrines to be a Christian and to be a part of Christ’s Church. To put it as one of the members of our men’s Bible study on Wednesday mornings put it, “this is just one of those ‘now I see through a glass darkly’ types of subjects.” In other words, this is just one of those things that many of us do not and will not ever truly and fully understand. As this same person said Wednesday, “It’s above our pay-grade.” I can recall some good friends of mine and Amy’s back in Mississippi who we tried for years to invite to church resisting at all costs, and both of them were raised in the church and had ministers as close family members. They knew us, they knew the preacher of our church, and they even knew some folks within the church, and they liked everyone out of that group. So, Amy asked them one time why they wouldn’t come to church with us. If they didn’t like our church then we would leave it alone, but they wouldn’t even really give it a chance. Their answer was, “Well, we don’t really believe in predestination and from what we understand that’s what Presbyterians primarily preach about isn’t it?” My response to that is, “only when we have to because of the text.”

For those of you who are sitting here today and you are still wondering what predestination and election even mean, well I’m going to try and give you as simple of an explanation as I can, but I am going to start with what it is not. Predestination, in the sense that we say it, is not a belief that everything that you or I am going to do is scripted by God from birth to death. Often times, that’s what people think it is, and this is evident from old sayings like, “If it’s meant to be, it will be.” Sure, I guess that’s right, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this doctrine of predestination. It isn’t as if God cares whether I have pizza or gumbo for lunch after I leave church today. The doctrines of predestination and election pertain to matters of salvation, not each and every move that we make. They are in essence more of an end-game concept instead of a play-by-play matter.
I want to pause for just a moment and look at the words of Jesus beginning in verse 35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” In other words, Jesus is all that we need to survive. The nourishment that we get from earthly bread and water is only temporary, but the nourishment given to us by Christ is eternal and everlasting. “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” Here Jesus is speaking to this group of people who have witnessed him do some amazing things, and yet they still doubt him, as we will see clearly in just a moment, to be the one who he claims to be. We too have been given more than enough “evidence” or reasons to believe in Christ; to believe in God. However, we don’t, at least not as a society as a whole. We only ask for more. As soon as our latest moment of clarity and closeness to God passes, we find ourselves doubting and wondering. As soon as the good times end and troubles begin, we don’t wonder how God will deliver us, but instead think that He has forsaken us. Friends, I can tell you without a doubt that God is real and is ever-present in our lives today.

Then, beginning in verse 37, Jesus begins some of the most debated statements in all of Scripture. He spends the next several verses talking about those that the Father has given him and those coming to him, and these two statements seem somewhat contradictory. Look at verse 39, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” When we think of predestination and election we struggle with them because they make us feel like everything is already decided and that there is no hope for those currently outside of the Church. We struggle because it makes it seem as if God did not intend to save everyone with Christ’s death. We struggle because they make our God seem so exclusive. If you were a doctor and you prescribed medicine for a patient, do you cross your fingers and hope that it will have some healing impact on the patient’s life, or do you have a reasonable degree of confidence that the medication you prescribed will actually effect what you intend it to effect. Well, it would be the latter. Now, even though a doctor is highly educated, they are still moral and finite. They don’t have omniscience. They don’t know for sure that the medication they prescribe will do what they want it to do. That particular patient may be in the small number of people who have a violent reaction to that medication, and they don’t know that in advance. Nevertheless, they prescribe the medication anyway.

Now, let’s think about God. Do you think that when God planned His way of salvation that He just threw some “medication” out there and hoped that some people would take advantage of it and be healed? Or did He know the effect that it was going to have, since He had sovereignly determined that there were people who were going to be healed by the medicine of His grace, to honor His Son? You see, an overwhelming majority of Christians today think in terms of we come, we decide. After we decide then the Father recognizes our decision and makes us gifts to His Son, but that’s not what Jesus taught. “The ones whom the Father has given to Me will come to Me, every one of them.” The Father has already given, and Christ is waiting to accept them into his arms.

Feeling very much dumbfounded, much like we are today, over the words of Jesus, this group of people, this group of Jews, responds. They say that Jesus can’t be from heaven, they know who his parents are. How can this guy say that he has come down from heaven when they know where he was born and where he grew up? Jesus goes on to assure them that he is from heaven and that he is from the Father. He is the only way to eternal life; he is the bread come down from heaven. He tells them once again of the manna eaten in the wilderness and reminds them all those who received temporary nourishment from it died. They were fed for a time, but they too perished. Jesus, the bread of heaven, is the food that will nourish us and give us life everlasting. No, we do not become immortal on this earth, but we live eternally in heaven with the Father. Jesus was telling them that the way in which we have this eternal life is because of the sacrifice that he is going to make on our behalf, his very own flesh and blood.

The people are confused. They don’t understand this language of Christ being the bread of heaven and life being found in the eating of his flesh. And this isn’t an irrational thought. In the early centuries of Christianity, Christians were looked at as cannibals by outside groups because the language of eating and drinking the body and blood of their Savior didn’t make sense to other groups. Why, there are those out there today who are not Christians who still do not understand what it is we are doing when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. There is even a popular view of communion that believes that the elements of the bread and the cup are transformed into the actual flesh and blood of Christ upon partaking of them. Our view, however, in the Reformed tradition, is that the elements are merely symbols and represent the sacrifice of Christ. In our view, this sacrament commemorates Christ’s offering up of himself for our sins and it spiritually offers up to God every possible praise for that sacrifice.

As we prepare ourselves to receive these elements on this table before us, the bread and the cup, let us remember what they represent. The bread represents the body of Christ, the true food. The cup, representing the blood of Christ, is our true drink. Christ tells us that whoever partakes of these elements abides in Christ and Christ in them. Since the Father has sent him into the world and Christ lives because of the Father, those who feed upon him will live because of the Father as well. The bread that came down from heaven, Jesus Christ, is the one true nourishment that is found in this world, and I’m not talking about the elements but what they represent. When Jesus Christ is our goal, when we stop striving for the things of this world, then we are fully nourished and whole. Once God has called us to be His own and we have experienced the fullness of His glory and the richness of His love, then we will hunger and thirst no more. As Christ says of himself at the end of our text, “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 6:22-34 "The Bread of Heaven - Part 1"

Alright, let me set the stage for you just a little bit before we get started. If you will recall, prior to our text from last Sunday, Jesus had just fed the masses, retreated with his disciples, and gone into a time of solitude. Then, last Sunday, we saw that Jesus’ disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee in order to go to Capernaum. Jesus had stayed behind, but went to them later on walking on the water. Do you remember what I’m talking about? When our text from last Sunday ended, Jesus had brought himself and the disciples safely to dry land after they brought him onto the boat during a violent storm. Well, after all of this has occurred, the people who had just witnessed Jesus’ feeding of the multitude were looking for him at the spot where this event had taken place. In fact, more people, having heard what happened there, had come to try and find Jesus. Remember, there were those who wanted to make him a king, and even more who just wanted something else from him. The problem for them is that he is nowhere to be found. Some of the people in the area had seen the disciples get into the boat, but they didn’t see Jesus get in with them. In fact, they even saw him retreat for a moment alone and they know they didn’t see him go out onto the sea by himself. They don’t really know where he is, but they know he isn’t around there, so they go to Capernaum in search of him.

This group of people makes their way to Capernaum in search of Jesus, and they find him. After finding him they ask him when he got there, but what they are really wanting to know is not only when, but how he got there. Over this past week, as I read and reread this text, I found myself thinking how great it would have been if Jesus just looked at them and said, “I walked.” However, he doesn’t; he gives them these words instead, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Here Jesus is referring back to the aforementioned feeding of the 5,000. He’s saying to these people that the only reason why you are after me is because of what you got from me. The whole reason you wanted to make me a king in the first place was because you gained from the works that I have done. You care nothing for the thing that these signs are pointing to, but only what you get out of them. They don’t really care what the purpose is; they just care about what they receive. Does any of that sound somewhat familiar to you? It’s like the person who gets up and goes to church each and every week not to give thanks to God, but because they make some great connections at church or because it gives them something to do. They go more out of obligation than they do out of love for God. It’s like the person who becomes a Christian and really wants to live a Christian life, but won’t make the sacrifices and choices that are required. It’s like the person who wants God to only be part of their life instead of committing their life to God. These people here, and many people today, simply want all the good and none of the “bad” or difficult, but it doesn’t work that way. They want all of the reward, with none of the “risk” for lack of a better term. It isn’t about us and our getting what we want and need. It is about God, and don’t forget that God has promised to provide for all that we truly need in this world.

However, Jesus’ words to these people are not entirely condemning. He does give them some much needed advice for how they should proceed. “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” I’m one of the most lucky and fortunate people in the world. Now there are a lot of reasons why this statement is true, but what I am specifically referring to here is the fact that I love what I do. I absolutely love my calling, my vocation. Sure, there are some days when it isn’t very fun. There are those times when I have to do something that I would rather not do, but for the most part I love what I do. Maybe you are lucky like I am and you either love what you do or you did love it back when you were working. Unfortunately, not everyone has this good fortune. There are many people who wake up and go to work dreading what they are about to endure. You can ask someone who is in this type of situation why they do it. The entire reason why they do it is so that they can put food on the table and that’s it. There is no sense of calling or joy to what they are doing with their lives. Now, I’m not saying that this is a bad thing entirely. I have myself worked jobs just to make ends meet, but there was no joy there. I’m well aware of the fact that some people, most in fact, have to work in something that they don’t exactly enjoy. But ones occupation isn’t what Jesus is talking about here. He is quite simply giving us this one truth: don’t spend your life pursuing that which has no ultimate significance. For those who work and work just for stuff and possessions, it truly is a sad thing. Think about the non-Christian who does all of this and one day wakes up and realizes that they have done this for 30, 40, or 50 years and there is, at least in their minds, nothing else. However, as Christians, we know that there is something else. We know that that something else is much greater than this world. Our eyes are not fixed upon the things of this world, or at least they shouldn’t be. No amount of joy or happiness is what our goal should be. Our goal should be Christ. Our goal should be the proclamation of the Word. Our goal should be the growth of the kingdom. We should not labor for the things of this world, the things that perish. Instead we should labor for the Kingdom of Heaven, the things that endure to eternal life.

Our question at this moment is probably very similar to that of the people gathered around Christ, “what should we do?” Or in other words, if we are to work with Christ as our goal, then what should we be doing? Jesus responds, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” We are to believe in God and have faith that we are saved by grace through Jesus Christ. However, we want something more tangible than faith. We are as foolish as these people when they ask, “then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” This reference, of course, is of the events of Exodus 16 where God gave Israel bread from heaven to provide for them and to show them that He would indeed deliver them safely to the Promised Land. They want to know what sign they have from God this time that tells them that they should have faith and work only towards the goals of heaven and not the goals of man. Jesus tells them that they need not focus upon the sign, but the one who gives the sign. “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Israel’s receiving of the bread was not the important matter, but that God would provide for the needs of His people.

Look at it like this; think about it in terms of a baptism. The act of baptizing someone isn’t magical or a work of conversion in-and-of itself. Baptism is a sign and seal of the Covenant of Grace; a sign and seal of God’s promise of redemption for all who believe in Him. The water used during the baptism of a person doesn’t literally wash away the sins of that person. The water itself has no salvific power; it is the sign. What the water represents, our engrafting into Christ, our rebirth, the remission of our sins, and our yielding to God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life, is what matters. Jesus, here is saying that these people shouldn’t worry about the bread; not the bread given to Israel and not even the bread given by him the previous day. What they should concern themselves with is the bread of God which is Jesus Christ himself, the one sent from the Father. Jesus Christ himself is the one who has the power to satisfy and give life everlasting. Now, we will take a little closer look at Jesus as this bread of life next Sunday, but let’s leave this day singing the words of those listening to Jesus. “Sir, give us this bread always.” In other words, “Jesus, we want you. We want all of you. Lord, do not let our focus be upon the things of this earth. Do not let us worry about our earthly desires and the things of this world that are sure to perish, but let us focus upon you. Let us focus upon your kingdom. Let us focus upon the one who created us, redeemed us, and sustains us.” Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 6:16-21 "Do Not Be Afraid"

I know that it’s been a while (4 weeks to be exact) since we last looked at John’s gospel. So, I want to remind everyone very quickly of where we left off. Prior to our look at biblical stewardship, we had been working our way through John’s gospel. We had just seen Jesus heal a man who was almost completely paralyzed, defend his authority as the Son, and most recently feed some 10,000 to 15,000 people with some scraps of food given by a young boy. At the end of these accounts, Jesus and his disciples had to retreat quickly so that the people did not take him away and crown him king right there on the spot, because the type of king that they wanted and that they had in mind for him to be wasn’t the type of king that he is. That evening, after their retreating, Jesus’ disciples went out onto the Sea of Galilee in a boat in order to row back across the sea to Capernaum, but Jesus stayed behind for a time of solitude. We are told in Mark’s account of this event, that Jesus ordered them to leave him behind, meaning that he is purposefully placing them in this situation at this time. I have never been to this part of the world. I want to, and it’s on my bucket list, but I have talked to a great number of people who have stood along the shore there and even a few who have been in a boat in the middle of this sea. They have all told me how beautiful and surreal this particular sight is in person. They all tell me that you can almost feel the magnitude of all of the events that took place nearby when you are in that place. They all tell me that there is nothing like standing in a place where you know Jesus to have stood to make you feel the power and presence of God.

A little geography lesson here about this area will help us, I think, to gain a little better understanding of the situation at hand. You see, the Sea of Galilee is about 650 feet below sea level and 150 feet deep. It is almost completely surrounded by hills on all sides; almost as if it were at the bottom of a bowl. These particular physical features make the Sea of Galilee subject to sudden violent storms. The area over the open waters can be somewhat of a wind tunnel at times. I think that we can relate very easily to this type of atmosphere. One of the most unusual things to me during my first year here in Houma is how a perfect day outside can, seemingly without warning, turn into a downpour. The rain lasts for only a few minutes and then it’s almost as if nothing ever happened and the beautiful day continues. However, there is that brief time where it comes down and it comes down hard. When it comes to the Sea of Galilee, strong winds can come seemingly out of nowhere and catch those out in open waters by surprise. Fishermen would feel like they were out on a sheet of glass, and quickly find themselves in an all-hands-on-deck type of situation. Now, it was common knowledge that this occurs from time-to-time, but it still frightened those out on the water at the time. Think about it, just because you know that something is coming doesn’t mean that it isn’t frightening. I’m terrified of rollercoasters. I can see exactly what path it takes. I know what’s coming when I sit down, but that doesn’t prevent my heart from beating nearly out of my chest when the ride begins. When we look at this group of disciples, we see several of them who were either experienced fishermen or had at the very least spent a great deal of time on a boat. Even though they had such a wealth of experience on the water, they still were a little frightened by what was going on around them once the storms began.

As the disciples are trying to fight the elements, stay afloat, and row to their desired destination, they look out across the waters. They don’t expect to see anything, but they are just making sure that they aren’t about to crash into anything because of the massive winds and the fact that it is dark outside. I don’t know if you have ever been out on the water when it is pitch black dark with no lights, but it can be an intimidating thing for even the most experienced of boaters. As they look out, they see something coming towards them. In fact, it isn’t a something at all, but someone. They see Jesus walking towards them, and he’s not in a boat. He is walking on the surface of the water. In that instant, they probably think that due to the amount of terror and stress that they are experiencing in that moment, that they are seeing things. We’re told in the other gospel account of this event that they think they are seeing a ghost. However, they quickly realize that what they are all witnessing is very much a reality. Think about what the disciples had to be experiencing in that moment. They are witnessing their Master walk to them as if there is nothing going on at the same time that they are fighting for their very lives in the midst of this storm.

Then Jesus speaks, “It is I; do not be afraid” or if we were to take the full translation of the Greek text here we would find, “Don’t be afraid. It is I AM WHO I AM.” Yes, that is the very same name that God uses of Himself when speaking to Moses in Exodus 3, as well as other places in the Old Testament. In other words, do not fear, because God is with you. Simple words found in a moment that is anything but simple. This text of ours today is often lumped with the prior feeding of the 5,000 or our text for next Sunday where Jesus’ bread of life discourse is recorded, but that causes us to gloss over this account too quickly. In these 6 verses, by all accounts a short account in John’s gospel, there are seemingly two miracles that take place. The first is Jesus’ walking on water and the second is what we find in verse 21: “Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” Immediately they were at their desired destination. By the mere presence of Jesus Christ, those in the boat were safely upon dry land. The storms stopped and the seas were calmed because Jesus has authority over them. He has authority over all things.

Now, it can be a dangerous practice to read things into Scripture that aren’t there. Not every narrative in the Bible is meant to be read as if it were a parable. Most narratives simply tell the story and the events as they happened. This particular narrative both tells of the events, and provides us with a great lesson similar to those taught in the parables of Jesus. When we have Christ with us, there is something different. To quote R.C. Sproul, “life is a time of pulling against the oars, against resistance, trying to get somewhere. However, we’re not getting anywhere and we’re about to be engulfed. But as soon as Jesus gets in the boat, we’re home free.” No don’t misinterpret Dr. Sproul’s words here. He’s not saying, nor am I, nor does Scripture, that once we become a Christian and proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, that things become easy. In fact, I will tell you without hesitation that many times it is quite the opposite. When we live out our faith and try and adhere to the principles set forth for us in Scripture, many times life becomes even more difficult.

No, I’m not saying that Jesus makes life easier at all. What I am saying is that when Jesus enters into our hearts and our lives, He gets us through the darkness. He gets us through the violence. He carries us through the storms. However, there is much more to it than simply saying that you are a Christian and then allowing Christ to carry you through all of life’s trials and tribulations. Your faith, your relationship with Christ can’t just be a part of you; it has to be who you are. I know that personally I have had to learn this particular lesson the hard way. Unfortunately, I have had to have been taught this lesson on more than one occasion. It would have seemed the best idea for the disciples to keep paddling and keep rowing because if they stopped then they might meet their end, but that’s not what we see in our text. They hear Jesus speak to them and they stop and take him into the boat. The problem that I have had in my life, and maybe you have had this problem too, is that I refuse to stop rowing. I say that I am waiting for Christ to act and to see me through whatever I’m experiencing, but I won’t stop moving or talking or planning so that I can see or hear what He is telling me.

What do we need to make it through struggles? What do we need to overcome difficult times in our lives? Family, friends, vacations, stress-relievers, etc. Don’t you think that God uses all of these things to deliver us; that He places people in our lives to help us through our difficult times? Life isn’t an easy thing. We are going to experience joy, happiness, laughter, and victory, but will also know pain, suffering, loss, and defeat. No matter whether in good times or bad, I think that it is important to remember the words that Jesus spoke to the disciples during the storm. There is no need to be afraid because God Himself is with us. We may not come out of whatever situation it is without a few bumps and bruises, but He will see us through it. We may not enjoy our time spent enduring trials and tribulations. Things may turn out differently for you than you would have hoped or than you would have imagined. I know this has most certainly been the case in my life. However, God has not, nor will He ever, fail to deliver on His promises to see His children through any situation. Do not be afraid, for God is with you. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 "It's Not What, But How"

Over the last month, you have all patiently tolerated my thoughts and ramblings about giving, tithing, and stewardship. In addition to that, you have been so kind as to read a letter of preparation about how we were going to approach this stewardship season. Finally, you have listened to fellow members of your church family talk about what stewardship means to them. My hope is that as a result of all of this, that you have all challenged yourself to grow in your understanding of biblical stewardship and what makes a faithful Christian steward. As I said at the beginning of this series, both from this pulpit and that previously mentioned letter, I don’t want you to interpret this short series as a fundraising effort, but as a spiritual growth effort. The things that we have talked about over the last several weeks are much more important matters than the need for the church to have more money or the pastor to feed his family. Y’all can take one look at little Thomas and tell that nobody at my house is going hungry. This look at stewardship hasn’t been done as if it was a pledge drive or fundraiser. This look at biblical stewardship has been done for the purpose of helping all of us to think about what we are (a) commanded to give to God and (b) called to give to God. I hope that you have, and will continue to for the rest of this week, to sit down with your family and to determine the answer to both of these questions.

We’ve spent enough time looking at and talking about what we should give, and I want to end this look at biblical stewardship by looking at something a little different: how we should give. We’ve said that we hesitate to give to God because of worries about there being enough left over for ourselves and our family. We are hesitant and reluctant to give, and I’m not just talking about money. If you dedicate more time to God, will you have enough left over for your loved ones and your responsibilities? I know what it’s like to have an overcommitted schedule and feel like you are neglecting those at home. I will openly admit that while being enrolled in seminary full-time, working as a youth director, and doing some other odd jobs, that I made it as if Amy were a single parent for the first year of Ashby’s life. My desire to provide something and work towards a goal drove me to miss out on the very thing that I was working for. I had to learn that everything else would be fine. I had to learn that what mattered to my family was time with my family, and they needed me much more than the wages and fruits of my labor. I was so worried that if I gave up providing certain things, that they would be unhappy with me. I was letting a lack of faith keep me from giving of myself freely and generously to my family. I was not trusting that God would provide all that we needed in order for us to survive as a family. Paul tells us the same thing when it comes to giving to God. “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all time, you may abound in every good work.” The Lord has promised that He will provide for our needs.

Did you notice those few words there in the middle that seem somewhat counterintuitive: a cheerful giver? These words have caused many Christians a good deal of confusion for quite some time. What in the world is a cheerful giver? What does that even look like? I know many people who give and give generously, but how do you give cheerfully? Unfortunately, far too few people enjoy giving when it is done freely. Sure, we all enjoy giving presents to our family, friends, and our kids, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I love the look on my wife or my kids’ faces when I give them a present that they like, but I’m not really talking about giving someone a gift or present. I’m not even really talking about giving to a local or national charity or mission organization. I’m talking about specifically giving to God being something that is done out of joy instead of obligation. I’m talking about a tithe offering being the Christian returning lovingly to God what He commands us to give Him because of all that He has given to us. I’m not talking about begrudgingly giving our tithe to God because we feel guilty if we don’t. Hear me when I say this, if the only reason why a Christian gives to God is because of the command to do so, then I think that there is something missing there. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very important and proper for the Christian to respond to God’s commands with obedience, but there’s a little bit more to it. If the Christian views tithing as simply an unregulated and voluntary tax paid to the Church, then a great tragedy has taken place.

Our attitude when we give is more important than the amount that we give. Some of you may question this and wonder what many have thought before us and say, “Isn’t it better to give a larger gift or make a greater commitment to God? Isn’t the purpose to commit as much as we can to God? I thought the entire goal was fully committing all that we have to the Lord, or at the very least our firstfruits and our ten percent.” Or maybe you even look at it from the other side of the coin. Maybe there is a sense in which you are embarrassed with your ability to give only a small gift. I have talked with more people than I care to about them feeling less than someone else. Sometimes, we think that the value, the true worth, of a gift is measured in the amount, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. God is far more concerned with how we give from the resources that we have than what we give. Personally, I don’t care if you give 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, or any other percentage to God. What I do care about, however, is how you give it to Him. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not dismissing the principle of tithing. I’m simply saying that as I see things, the attitude is even greater than the amount. If you don’t want to take my word for it, you need only look at Mark 12:41-44 and the story of the poor widow’s offering. In this account we are told of all the people coming to pay their offering. We’re told how so many brought it in the most visually stunning way imaginable; similar to how we would pay for a $100 item in all quarters instead of simply a few paper bills. To give their offering, the people would come forward and drop these multitudes of coins into these large metal boxes, making as loud of a noise as possible so that everyone in attendance not only knew they were giving, but that they were giving greatly. All those in attendance were basing a persons’ wealth and generosity and piety on the amount of noise generated by their offering. Then this widow comes forward, and she places two small copper coins in the bins. Now, with this small offering, she shows everyone in attendance what true faith is all about.

You see, these two small copper coins, or two lepta, are worth nearly nothing. As a matter of fact, in this day and age, where the value of a coin was based off of its thickness and weight, a lepta was referred to as a “thin-one.” It was by all accounts as worthless a currency as there was at this time. Each of these coins was valued at less than the modern day equivalent of a penny. Think about today’s society where many toss pennies aside as if they have no value at all, and here is this woman, who places such a seemingly insignificant amount in the offering bins. In the midst of all of these people giving such massive amounts of coins, Jesus praises this widow for her seemingly miniscule offering. “Jesus called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” The value of a gift is not determined on the amount, but by the spirit in which it is given.

We’ve all heard stories of anonymous donors and mystery providers, so there’s really no need to go into such tales. However, I fully believe that if you were to ever sit down with one of these men or women who have ever made such donations, none of them would say that they did so in order to feel better about themselves or that they would have felt guilty had they not done so. I’ve sat with folks who have made such contributions to others, and I can tell you this, that every single one of them gave a donation because of how blessed they felt they had been. They didn’t feel like the owed it, but they wanted to show gratitude for what they had been given.

During our look at biblical stewardship, we have seen that we are to give a tithe (10%) out of our first and best fruits, but not only that, we are to give it cheerfully. I know that each of these truths come with their own set of challenges. I understand the difficulties that lie in making these things reality, but I want all of us to hear the closing words of our text from Paul on what happens when we give cheerfully. “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” I’m not going to stand up here and tell you that you will be given everything that you want when you give to God what is rightfully His. For me to do so would be a flat out lie and has no biblical standing whatsoever. What I can tell you with complete certainty is this: When we treat our Christian responsibility of giving to God what He commands, there will never be a time in which we do not have what we need. You may not see a difference in those two things, but there is a world between them. I don’t need many things to survive. Sure, there are a lot of things that I have gotten accustomed to and it would take a great deal of adjustment to do without them, but I don’t need them.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I have felt before like I’m doing without because one of my families two cars won’t work right, or I have to eat at home every night because restaurants are too expensive, or I can’t take a vacation because my kids’ school costs too much. Here I am complaining and focusing on the negative side of everything. Instead of being thankful that my family has transportation, food, and education, I focus on what I want instead of need. I’m not asking, nor does God command, you to give up everything in your life. I don’t think that there is a Scriptural command to give every last thing that we have, but I do think that we should commit everything to the Lord. I don’t hesitate for one second in saying that the blessings that God gives to us, which He has already given to us, could ever be mistaken for what He commands of us. Quite simply, there is absolutely no way that we could ever come close to giving to God what He has already given to us. Shouldn’t we rejoice and want to cheerfully give back to Him but a portion of what is rightfully His? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.