Category Archives: Sermons

All of the past sermons of Franklin United Church.

The Questions of Prayer
I Timothy 2:1-7

“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”

 

“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Rev. Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”

 

“Oh, no; no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud:
A man should pray with eyes fast closed
And head contritely bowed.”

 

“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” Said Rev. Doctor Blunt.

 

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well
Head first,” said Cyrus Brown,
With both my heels a-stickin’ up,
My head a-pinting down;

 

“An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there–
Best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standing on my head.”

 

This little poem is titled “The Prayer of Cyrus Brown.” It was written by the New England poet Sam Walter Foss sometime in the 1890’s.

Please allow me to share another prayer with you. It is the old Celtic prayer:

May those who love us, love us;
and those who don’t love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
so we’ll know them by their limping.

 

What do these two prayers show us? They show us that many people don’t know much about prayer. This really is true—even longstanding church members and veterans of the Christian faith have a lot of questions about prayer. We contemplate even basic questions like: How should we pray? Who should we pray for? What should we pray for?

It seems like every church tradition and every book written about prayer advocates something different. As in our humorous poems about prayer, some people say you should pray sitting, but others advocate standing, kneeling, or lying down. Likewise, some people say you should pray in solitude while others advocate public prayer. Some say we should only pray prayers of thankfulness while others say you should make requests. Even with all of the information we have about prayer, most of us still have a lot of questions.

In I Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul exhorted his young associate Timothy to remain in Ephesus and continue to stand against a group of rogue church leaders that was spreading heresy. Now here, in chapter 2, Paul begins to set some priorities for Timothy to get the church back on track and advancing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. In verse 1-7, he urges Timothy to make it his first and top priority to reestablish the prayer life of the church. This is why Paul begins with, “First of all, then, I urge…” in verse 1. No doubt, the prayer life of the church was suffering because they had spent so much time battling the false teachers. (Isn’t it interesting how prayer is usually the first thing to go when we face times of difficulty and busyness in our lives?)

As Paul reestablishes the priority of prayer in the Ephesian church, he also answers some critical questions about prayer—some of the same questions that people have about prayer today. This passage is certainly not an exhaustive teaching about prayer, but it does tell us something about how we should pray, who we should pray for, and what we should pray for!

 

1.) How should we pray? (1a)

In verse 1 Paul answers the question “How should we pray?” by using four different words for prayer—supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings. Although these terms are clearly linked together for emphasis, they each highlight different aspects of prayer. The first word “supplications” means entreaties, petitions, or requests. This is the common facet of prayer where someone asks God to meet a special need or desire in one’s life.

The second term translated here as “prayers” is the Greek word proseuca.j (proseuchas). It is the most common word used for prayer in the New Testament. It too involves petitions and requests, but it typically refers to asking for God’s general blessing and care rather than a specific need.

The third term “intercessions” refers to a bold and urgent appeal on behalf of another person. This is the type of prayer where someone “stands in the gap” or holds someone up before God when they are going through some particular plight or difficulty. It casts the image of one who comes to a king and appeals for the king’s favorable response for the person mentioned.

The fourth term is the Greek word euvcaristi,aj (eucharistias) from which we get our English word Eucharist. These are prayers gratitude and thanksgiving to God for what he has done; the assumption is that, when praying, the congregation remembers with gratitude how former prayers have been answered, and therefore prays with all the more confidence.

The fact that Paul uses four distinct terms for prayer shows that there is more than one right way to pray. He wanted individuals and the church as a whole to be engaged in all of these forms. Also, the plural form of all of these words shows that these types of prayer aren’t supposed to be used just once, but over and over again.

So, when you pray, how do you do it? Do you ever seriously sustain a supplication? When was the last time you uttered an intercession? How often do you pray prayers of thanksgiving?

It is easy for us to get locked into just one or maybe two ways to pray, but we need to keep all of these forms in view. For instance, some people are really good at asking God for specific requests in their lives, but they are not so good about praying prayers of thanksgiving after God has answered their prayers. Other people are really good at intercessory prayers, but they are not comfortable praying for their own needs and desires. As Paul urged Timothy and the Ephesian church, we also need to make prayer a top priority in our lives and utilize all of these forms in our prayer lives.

 

2.) Who should we pray for? (1b-2a)

Verse 1 not only answers the question “How should we pray?” but it also answers the question “Who should we pray for?” Paul makes it unmistakably clear that he expected Timothy and the Ephesian church to be praying “for all people.” But what exactly does this mean—every single human being on earth? Probably not! It would be virtually impossible for anyone to pray for every person. Paul most likely has in mind here “all [kinds] of people.” This is the typical meaning of the term throughout Paul’s writings and it fits the context best here, where he is counteracting the narrowness of the false teachers.

This point is reinforced further by the fact that Paul immediately highlights one “kind” of people in verse 2—“kings and those who are in high positions.” In the context of this letter, the “king” would have been the Roman Emperor and the civil authorities in Ephesus and throughout the Roman Empire. Now we have to remember that at the time of the writing of this letter, the Roman Empire was starkly opposed to Christianity. Their worldview and values couldn’t have been more different. Many Christians were being thrown into the arena to be eaten by lions, but Paul urged the church to pray for them anyway.

This verse echoes a theme that we see repeated throughout the New Testament about church and state relations. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus told his disciples, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In Romans 13:1, Paul says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” It is our Christian duty to pray for our governing authorities, even when we disagree with their laws, policies, and practices.

In our own time and context, it is our duty to pray for our president, our congress (Lord knows they need it), our governor, and our state legislators. We need to pray for the ones we like and dislike—the ones that we trust and don’t trust—the ones who share our worldview, values, morals, convictions, and the ones who don’t. Some of you love Barack Obama—you think he is the best thing since…well, Bill Clinton. That is fine! Make sure you pray for him! Some of you can’t stand him; you hate everything that he represents. That’s fine too! But you better make sure you are praying for him! God calls us to pray for all kinds of people! Will you do it?

 

3.) Why should we pray? (2b-7)

So, why did Paul want Timothy and the church to pray for the very government officials who opposed them? He gives a clear answer in the second part of verse 2 when he says “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and dignified in every way.” Paul knew that the governing officials had the power to make Christian’s lives miserable or peaceable. All Paul wanted was for the government to allow Christians to live out their faith in society, which reveals one of the main reasons why Christians should pray.

Along with this, Paul wanted the church to pray for the governing authorities because they had the ability to change the societal conditions that would enable the gospel of Jesus Christ to move forward. In verse 4, Paul makes a profound theological statement that directly contradicted the heresy that was being spread in Ephesus. The false teachers promoted a religious view that God’s grace and salvation were only for certain types of people, namely those who conformed to their judaizing philosophies. But Paul corrects this view by saying that “God desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” The term “all” means “all kinds” as it did in verse 1. God desires all kinds of people to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ; it is not limited by race, ethnicity, gender, background, or occupation.

Paul clarifies the gospel in verse 5 when he says, “there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all…” He is saying that the only way to receive forgiveness and get to God in heaven is through the one man Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who lived a sinless life and gave himself as a guiltless ransom. He is the only one who could provide atonement for humanity’s sins.

This message is the whole reason why Paul was appointed to be an apostle. It was his God-given mission to proclaim the faith and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul wanted Timothy to pray for the civil authorities. This is why he wanted him to pray for all kinds of people with supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.

Think about this! Paul is saying that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven! There is no other! Mohammed can’t get you there! Buddha can’t get you there! Good works can’t get you there! Being a “good” person can’t get you there! The pluralistic philosophy that affirms many different paths to heaven is false. Jesus Christ is the only way!

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you responded to the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the redemption of your soul? And if you want to know what to pray for, pray that this message would go forth and transform people’s lives and souls!

 

In closing, as I mentioned earlier, this passage doesn’t answer all of our questions about prayer, but it does answer some. I hope you will all pray with supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings! I hope that you will pray for all types of people, especially for our governing officials! And I hope that you will pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be advanced in our society and around the world!

 

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
1 Timothy 1:12-17

Most people have heard of John Bunyan’s classic Christian story, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Since its publication in 1678, it has become one of the most read books of all time. But most people haven’t heard of John Bunyan’s earlier book which is entitled Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Written during his twelve-year imprisonment in the Bedford County jail for preaching, this book is Bunyan’s spiritual autobiography. It chronicles his spiritual journey from his boyhood in his father’s house, through his conversion and call to ministry, to his imprisonment for not conforming to the official Church of England. Bunyan’s spiritual journey spans a life that was characterized by cursing, blasphemy, and desecration and that was transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Beginning with guilt and despair and ending with a comforted heart, thankful for the abounding grace of God, Bunyan wrote so that others might be encouraged in their struggles by reading about God’s work upon his soul. He chose this for the title for his book because, as a humble recipient of God’s abounding grace, he felt like he was the chief of sinners.

Now if any of you ever read Bunyan’s autobiography, you would learn that he was in fact a bad man before he became a Christian, but I doubt if any of us would call him “the chief of sinners.” But have you ever wondered who the real chief of sinners is? Have you ever wondered who the evilest person in the history of the world is?

Some people would say that it was Nero, Emperor of Rome from 54-68 AD. He murdered his brother, his mother, his first two wives, and many others who threatened his throne. He used to hang Christians on poles and burn them alive to illumine his garden at night. After setting his own capital city of Rome on fire to clear room for his new palace, he took out his fiddle and harmonized with the screams as he watched the city burn.

Some people would say that it was Vlad III of Romania (also known as Vlad the Impaler) who was Prince of Wallachia three times between 1448 and 1476. Vlad is best known for the the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign and for serving as the primary inspiration for the vampire main character in Bram Stoker’s popular Dracula novel. The list of tortures he is alleged to have employed is extensive: nails in heads, cutting off of limbs, blinding, strangulation, burning, cutting off of noses and ears, scalping, skinning, and boiling people alive. There are claims that ten thousand people were impaled in 1460 alone.

Many people would say that it is Adolf Hitler, who was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, becoming “Führer” in 1934 until his suicide in 1945. By the end of the second world war, Hitler’s policies of territorial conquest and racial subjugation had brought death and destruction to tens of millions of people, including the genocide of some six million Jews in what is now known as the Holocaust.

Who is the evilest person in the history of the world? Who is the real “chief of sinners? Some of you might say your mother-in-law. Personally, I would never say that, but someone might!

 

Paul: The Chief of Sinners (13-15)

So, who is really the chief of sinners? It is hard to say! I do find it interesting that in1 Timothy 1:15, the Apostle Paul says, “The saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” The old King James translates the last phrase “of whom I am the chief.” I also like The Message translation which says “I am Public Sinner Number One.” Paul refers to himself as the worst sinner in the history of the world.

What is particularly fascinating about this statement is when Paul makes it. Sure, in verse 13 he openly admits that that before he became a Christian, he was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and an insolent opponent of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, when Paul was blinded by the light and Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he was on his way to murder Christians. Yes, Paul had been a proud, arrogant, and violent man who hated Jesus Christ, but by the time Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, he had been a Christian for close to 20 years. The persecutor of Christians had become a preacher of Christ. He was a completely different person when he wrote this letter, but he still referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Even though he was a recipient of God’s abounding grace, he never forgot where he came from! He didn’t forget who he was. He never forgot the disgusting acts of his past and he knew his propensity toward sin in the present. Yes, Paul was one of the greatest missionaries, evangelists, and preachers in the history of the world, but he called himself the chief of sinners.

As we consider Paul’s humility in this statement, let me ask you again: Who is the real chief of sinners? I think you know the right answer. You are! I am! Before God’s holiness, we are all the chief of sinners. Can you just pause and think about your life for a moment. How have you sinned against God throughout your life? Sure, maybe you have never impaled anyone or massacred six million Jewish people, but if we added up every instance of bad behavior we have ever done, every vulgar or ungrateful word ever spoken from our lips, and every impure thought that has ever flowed through our mind, you will realize that we have all earned the title “Chief of Sinners.” The Apostle Paul and John Bunyan had enough humility to admit it, how about you?

We can’t be beneficiaries of God’s grace until we have reckoned with the fact that we are dreadful, atrocious, terrible, horrendous, sinners, just like all of these others that I have mentioned. Do you realize how bad your sins really are? I hear people say all the time: “Well, I’m not that bad; I never killed anybody.” Wow, how morally impressive! But it is not true! Every one of us is a murderer! How, you ask? It was all of our sins that nailed God’s perfect son Jesus to the cross. Paul understood what he had done, and that put him in a position to receive God’s abounding grace. How about you? Do you understand what you have done?

 

God’s Grace Abounds (16, 12, 17)

Once Paul establishes that he is the chief of sinners, he is now highlights the role of God’s abounding grace in his testimony. Yes, Jesus Christ came into the world to die for sinners and verse 16 reveals the reason for Christ’s saving Paul, the worst of sinners, was that he could showcase Paul as an example from other sinners who would believe on him for salvation. Paul is making the point that if God could and would save him that no one is beyond the hope of God’s grace or eternal salvation. If God could redeem his life and change him from a persecutor into a preacher, he can do anyone! If you haven’t noticed, God is in the business of transforming murderers into messengers for his kingdom. Now Paul certainly did not deserve salvation, but God showed him incredible mercy so that his unlimited patience in dealing with sinners would be displayed.

And after God saved Paul’s soul and redeemed his life, he gave Paul the strength and faithfulness to carry the true gospel message all over the ancient world. Today most people think of the Apostle Paul as the greatest preacher and missionary ever, but Paul never forgot who he was. Paul knew who saved him; he knew who gave him strength and faithfulness for ministry; he knew who appointed him to Christ’s service. Paul knew that God’s grace abounds even to the chief of sinners.

And that is why Paul concludes his personal testimony with the beautiful doxology in verse 17. A doxology is an expression of praise and thanksgiving to God, often a short hymn. Reflecting on God’s abounding grace to the chief of sinners compelled him to burst into words of praise and worship about God’s character. This particular hymn praises God for his eternality (his rule in all ages), his immortality (he is unlike any mortal on earth), his invisibility (no one can see him in his holiness), and his uniqueness (he is the only true God; all others are false). Therefore, honor and glory belong to him alone forever and ever!

Have you received God’s abounding grace? Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Has God transformed your life? Do you express your praise and thanksgiving through doxology?

 

As I conclude this morning, I want you to be 100% clear about today’s message. This is it: God’s grace abounds even to the chief of sinners! Perhaps you are here today and you never realized that you are the chief of sinners and you feel convicted and guilty. I want you to know that it doesn’t matter what you have done because God’s grace abounds to you. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, his blood atones for your sins, he restores your relationship with God, and he gives you new life now and eternal life forever.

If this message has moved your heart today and you want to know more about this Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners or this grace that abounds even to the chief of sinners, then I would like to get together with you and talk about it. May the eternal, immortal, invisible, and only God bless you forever and ever! Amen!

 

The Importance of Being Earnest
1 Timothy 1:1-11

The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde that debuted at the St. James Theater in London on Valentine’s Day 1895. The play is a humorous satire that mocks the rather serious social obligations of Victorian society. The story revolves around two young gentlemen who use the same pseudonym (“Ernest”) on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a hilarious mess of mistaken identities. Wilde uses the name “earnest” as a clever wordplay with its adjectival definition of “serious.” Throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde asserts that being earnest isn’t really all that important.

While Oscar Wilde’s play teaches us that we shouldn’t take our social obligations too seriously, the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy teaches us that we need to take our spiritual obligations very seriously. Paul’s begins this letter like he does most of his other letters: he states his name, his authority as an apostle, the recipient, and the traditional Christian greeting “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,” but he omits his typical word of thanksgiving because the Ephesian church didn’t give him much reason for thankfulness.

Instead, Paul launches right into his purpose for writing to Timothy, which was a very serious matter. Paul charges him to remain in the city of Ephesus and continue to oppose the false teachers who were corrupting the church. A group of leaders within the church had been teaching false doctrines and were leading people away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and Paul had appointed Timothy to combat the false teachers and restore the church to spiritual health. In the opening passage of Paul’s letter to Timothy, he establishes the importance of being earnest in Christian belief and Christian behavior, which are both necessary for a healthy church. As we look this passage, let us consider our own earnestness in Christian belief and behavior?”

 

1.) The Importance of Being Earnest in Christian Belief (3-7)

Timothy had already been in Ephesus for some time, but the problem of false teachers within the church was persisting. Therefore, in verse 3, Paul commands Timothy to stay there and continue to fight the good fight of faith against this group of people who were promoting false doctrines. The doctrines that they were spreading were different, strange, novel, and inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. These church leaders had instead devoted themselves to “myths and endless genealogies.” “Myths” refer to untrue stories or fables that only the gullible would believe or follow, which support nothing of value. “Endless genealogies” refers to wearisome lists of personal origins. Paul doesn’t explain the precise nature of these teachings, but they both seem to reflect some type of Jewish heresy infiltrating the church.

What we do know is that Paul stands boldly against such teachings because they produce speculations instead of God’s work. The Greek word translated here as “speculations” means “pointless controversies, meaningless talk, and worthless arguments.” These false doctrines were distracting the church from real spiritual growth and the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The teachers did not have pure motives nor did they have the right qualifications to be in church leadership. They desired to be teachers, but they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Paul’s motivation for Timothy to oppose the false teachers was love that is manifested in a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. The purpose for ordering the false teachers to stop spreading heresy was to help the church get back to what it is supposed to be doing; that is, making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Paul wanted Timothy to be earnest in protecting the church against false doctrine so that it could stay focused on its true mission.

It is sad to think about how many times throughout the history of the church that false teachers and heretical doctrines have diverted the church from its mission. For instance, I think about the scholastic theologians in the mid-1200’s A.D. who used to sit around and debate how many angels could dance on the head of a needle. (Talk about vain discussions and pointless speculations!) Some historians have linked this debate to the medieval theologian Duns Scotus, from which we get our modern term “Dunce Cap.” If it is true, it is certainly fitting!

Can you imagine sitting around and talking about something like this? What a waste of time! What a distraction from the church’s real purpose! But similar things happen in the modern church all the time. Some false teachers today lead churches into the heresy of legalism, where they spend more time debating how long a Christian’s hair should be than spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Other false teachers lead churches into charismatic heresies, where everyone in the church is passed out on the floor and barking like dogs, rather than promoting the real work of the Holy Spirit. Still other false teacher’s side-track the church by becoming political activists—I don’t think protesting outside the funeral services of our fallen soldiers is a part of the church’s true mission! As you can see, it is important to be earnest in our Christian beliefs!

 

2.) The Importance of Being Earnest in Christian Behavior (8-11)

Now that Paul has established the importance of sound Christian doctrine, he moves on to the importance of being earnest in Christian behavior. In response to the false teachers’ improper use of God’s law (the Old Testament in this context), Paul sets forth its real intent, which is distinguishing between right and wrong behavior. The law is God’s standard of moral conduct for human beings. It was given to show humans that they are all lawbreakers and sinners—the law shows us our need for a savior!

After asserting the purpose of the law, Paul reaffirms some of the foundational parts of the law by including a list of common sins. This list is certainly not exhaustive—that is why it begins with general terms like “the ungodly, sinners, unholy, and profane.” This would include anyone who does something that is contrary to God’s character or moral expectations that are laid out in the Bible.

The second half of the list bears a clear correspondence to the Ten Commandments. “Those who strike their fathers and mothers” is a breach of the fifth commandment to honor your father and mother. “Murders” obviously is a breach of the sixth commandment that you shall not murder. “The sexually immoral and men who practice homosexuality” refers to any sexual activity outside of marriage and to any type of homosexual behavior and it corresponds to the seventh commandment that you shall not commit adultery. “Enslavers” specifically refers to those who are involved in slave trading and human trafficking and breaks the eighth commandment that you shouldn’t steal. “Liars and perjurers” is an obvious breach of the ninth commandment. Paul rounds out the list with the categorical phrase “and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” or any other behavior that conflicts with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul includes this list of specific sins because Timothy needed to be reminded of God’s laws as he fought against the false teachers who were trying to change God’s laws. Like Timothy and the Ephesian church, we all need to be reminded of God’s laws. We need to be reminded that it is our duty before God to honor our parent’s, even when that is difficult to do. We need to be reminded that any sexual activity outside of marriage and homosexual behavior is sinful in God’s sight. We need to be reminded stealing, lying, and anything else that is contrary to God’s Word is a breach of his law.

I learned this lesson a number of months ago. I was driving to my in-laws house in St. Albans when I came to the traffic light at the three-way intersection at what is called Gallagher’s Corner. The light was red and I wanted to turn right. After seeing that an oncoming car was still quite a ways off, I turned right without coming to a stop. My wife, who was sitting in the passenger seat beside me, had the audacity to rebuke me for not stopping at the light. Then I began to explain to her that when you are turning right at a red light and there aren’t any cars around that you don’t have to stop at a red light. She objected and we found ourselves arguing about the law.

Our argument was rudely interrupted when I looked into my rear view mirror and saw the flashing lights of a cop car. As soon as I pulled over, I immediately knew that my wife was right. Thankfully, I got off with just written warning and a correct understanding of the law. The kids in the back seat thought the whole ordeal was exciting, but I wasn’t very excited when my in-laws drove passed us at that very moment. I had to deal with the embarrassment the rest of the day. Needless to say, I won’t forget that law ever again.

We all need to be reminded of the law, especially God’s law! That is why Paul reminds Timothy of God’s here. And that is why God is reminding all of us about his law this morning! We need to be reminded that it is important to be earnest in Christian behavior!

 

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is telling us that it is important to be earnest in our beliefs and our behaviors. We need to take them seriously! Don’t be lured away doctrines and teachings that go against God’s Word. Don’t engage in practices that go against God’s law! God wants us to live lives of purity for him!

But maybe there is someone here today who says to themselves, “Gosh, my beliefs haven’t been right” or “O my, I have broken God’s law.” I want you to know that you are not the only one. We are all law breakers! We are all ungodly! We are all sinners! That is why Jesus died for us on the cross! He died to take our sins away and whenever we repent from our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven completely and have the hope of everlasting life. This is the gospel of glory to which Paul refers in verse 11.

As we go from this place, may be all be earnest in pursuing proper Christian belief and behavior, but let us do it with the grace and mercy that we have received through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Déjà vu Disciple
John 21:1-19

Have you ever experienced that strange feeling that you get when you’re in a situation, and you feel like you’ve been in the exact same situation before, but really haven’t? It is that peculiar phenomenon when your mind plays tricks on you by making you remember something, but you’re not sure if the memory is real. I think there is a term for that phenomenon, but I can’t remember what it is!

This morning I would like to tell you about a time when my memory played tricks on me. It happened a number of years ago when I was going through the most difficult time of my life. I had made a series of really bad decisions and I was reaping the consequences. I made some serious mistakes and I was overcome with guilt. I had sunk into the darkness of despair and it seemed like my whole life was falling apart. I had done something that shook the core of my soul and made me question all of my beliefs.

It’s still hard for me to talk about it because, you see, I didn’t just make any old mistake. I made the kind of mistake that you regret for the rest of your life and other people remember you for— my best friend died, and I wasn’t there for him. I should have been with him, but a combination of fear, selfishness, and shame kept me away. What made it even worse, my best friend was Jesus!

I am ashamed to admit it, but on the night before Jesus was crucified, I denied him three times. While my Lord was being interrogated by the high priest, I stood outside in the courtyard warming my hands over a charcoal fire. Throughout the evening, three different people asked me if I was Jesus’ disciple, and I told them “no” each time. When I heard the rooster crow after the third denial, I hung my head in disgrace and walked away weeping. The next day Jesus was crucified on the hill called Calvary, and I remained hidden in shameful seclusion.

Have you ever made a huge mistake in your life? Have you ever failed Jesus Christ? Do you live with the pains of regret? Have you ever screwed up so bad that you thought God would never use you again? That’s exactly how I felt! And that is why I was so amazed by the depth of God’s grace and Jesus’ forgiveness.

 

Return to Galilee

The day after Jesus died I found John and he told me everything that happened. I didn’t tell him what I had done though; I was too ashamed. Even after I saw the empty tomb on Sunday morning and Jesus appeared to us in the upper room on Sunday evening, I couldn’t fully participate in the resurrection celebration. I kept thinking about what I had done. I wasn’t even sure if I was his disciple anymore, but when Jesus commanded the other disciples to go to Galilee, he told me to go too. So, I went.

I wasn’t sure why Jesus wanted us to go to Galilee, but after everything that happened, I was glad to get out of Jerusalem and breathe some country air again. So, we returned to my hometown on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. I loved the smell of the lake: it brought back old memories. Have you ever noticed how a scent can bring back a memory?

Well, as I watched the sun set over the horizon I felt the cool breeze kick up across the water, I wondered where Jesus was and how long it would be until he met us. We didn’t know what he wanted us to do, and I wasn’t even sure if I was his disciple anymore. I thought I would be doing ministry the rest of my life; that was, of course, until I failed him. So, I figured that I may as well go back to what I knew best, fishing. My old fishing boat was still there on the sand, right where I left it. We boarded and set out!

I had fished those waters a thousand times when I was growing up, and I knew how to catch fish, but that night seemed to stand still. We worked hard all night, but every time we would bring in the nets they were totally empty. “I failed as a disciple, and now I was failing as a fisherman too,” I thought.

Earlier, I told you that I wanted to tell you about a time that my memory played tricks on me. Well, this was it! As that night faded into morning, I remembered another time when I fished all night and didn’t catch anything. Jesus came along one morning and told me to cast my net on the other side of the boat and I caught so many fish that my nets began to break. It was that very morning when Jesus first called me to be his disciple—he told to leave my nets and follow him; he would make me a fisher of men. It was like I was in the exact same situation again.

And sure enough, as soon as there was enough light to catch a vague view of land, I saw a thin line of smoke rising into the misty sky. I couldn’t see very well, but I caught a vague view of a man building a fire. He yelled, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” Before I got a chance to respond, someone yelled back, “No!” He told us to throw the net on the other side of the boat and we would catch some. That’s exactly what Jesus had told me to do before, and I began to wonder if…

Within minutes of throwing the net on the other side of the boat, we had so many fish that we couldn’t haul the net in. As my eyes widened at the sight of so many fish, John’s eyes were peculiarly squinted towards the shore. All at once he jumped to his feet as if he had just discovered a treasure chest of precious jewels and shouted to me, “It is the Lord!” I was overcome with a mixture of joy and fear, and I wanted to see him. I had been away from my Lord too long. I threw my cloak on and dove into the water. It was as if I was walking across the water (that brought back another memory, but I’ll have to share that one with you some other time).

As I walked up to him, he was bent over a fire. The first thing I noticed was the fish and bread cooking. Good thing too, because I was starving. I almost asked him how he expected to feed all of us with just a few fish and loaves, but then I remembered that I had make that mistake before too.

When I got close to him, I stopped because I could smell that it was a charcoal fire. It was exactly like the one that I was warming my hands over on that dreaded night when I denied him. He never even looked up. It was as if he was reading my mind. He just asked me to go and bring over some of the fish that we had caught. The boat was almost ashore when I got to it. I hopped aboard and began to drag the net onto the sand. I could hardly budge the net. There ended up being 153 fish all together. Not only was the catch of fish miraculous, but it was also a miracle that the net was not torn. He still performs miracles even after his resurrection.

 

Breakfast of Failures (12-19)

As we walked toward the fire with a few fish in hand, Jesus embraced us with open arms and invited us to join him for breakfast. I gazed upon him with wonder as he broke the fish and loaves with love and distributed them to us. It didn’t take us long to finish the meal. The quenched hunger of our bodies was shadowed only by the satisfaction of our souls by the presence of our Lord.

I was sitting back away from the rest of the group a little. I was still feeling somewhat awkward; almost like I didn’t belong. Being in his presence was bittersweet. In one sense it was the last place I wanted to be, but it was where I wanted to be most.

It was then that Jesus stood up and gestured for me to follow him, and started walking down the long and lonely beach. We walked a while in silence, and when we had gotten out of hearing range of the others, he stopped and put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with those piercing brown eyes and pointed to the boat and nets that lay stagnant on the shore and said, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Jesus knew how much I loved fishing, but he also knew that I loved him more. I replied, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Then he said, “Feed my lambs.” He was telling me to rise up and get back to ministry.

I felt totally unworthy. Jesus loved his people more than anything, and he was telling me to take care of them. Then he looked at me a second time and asked me the same question, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me.” I looked up at him again and responded in the same way. Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

I couldn’t understand why he had asked me the same question twice. As I was pondering it, Jesus asked me a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Tears filled my eyes when he asked me that question for the third time. My mind went back to that awful night in the high priest’s court again. I could almost hear a faint rooster crow even though I knew that there was none for miles. My tears dripped on to the sand when I realized that Jesus the third rebuke to remind me of my third denial. Jesus gently pulled my hands away from my glassy eyes and peered into my soul and said one last time, “Feed my sheep.”

Then he went on to tell me that I would eventually be martyred on a cross just like him. Then he gave me two final words. They were the same two words that Jesus spoke to me three years earlier on this same shore. Jesus’ first and last words to me were, “Follow me!”

It was when he said these words I finally realized why he wanted us to go back to Galilee. He wanted me to remember when he first called me to ministry. He wanted to teach me the lesson: Even when you fail him, never stop following him. Oh, my denying him three times in one night wasn’t the first time I failed him, and it certainly wasn’t my last, but since that day on the beach, I’ve never stopped following him.

He didn’t throw my failure back in my face, but he used them to humble me so that I would be effective in service for him. He is gracious and forgiving.

I don’t know how you have failed Christ, but whether it was through action, word, or thought, I know that he still wants you to follow him. Just because you have failed him doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still love you! Just because you have failed him doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want you to be his disciple anymore! Just because you failed him doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still have a plan for your life! Just because you failed him doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want to use you in his ministry and service. With Christ, your past mistakes don’t have to define your present discipleship!

Even if we don’t want to admit it, most of us have failed Christ at some point in our lives. Most of us don’t like to talk about it. In fact, most of us don’t even like to think about it. For some it may have been a moral failure: Maybe you knew Christ’s standards for living, but decided to do things your way instead of his. For others it may have been denial: Maybe you were with some people who would persecute you if they knew you were one of his disciples, so you denied him. And there may be others who are too proud to even recognize that they have failed Christ. How about you?

Well, now that I have shared my experience of my memory playing tricks on me, allow me to conclude my story with one question and two challenges: Do you love Jesus this morning? Feed his sheep! Even when we fail Christ, never stop following him!

 

The Crying King
Luke 19:28-44

How many of you remember the television show M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital)? When I was a kid, I hated the M*A*S*H, but my Dad loved it, which meant that we watched the show all the time.

In one of the earlier episodes of M*A*S*H, the doctor known as “Trapper John” gets diagnosed with a stomach ulcer. Although initially upset about having to deal with a hole in his gut, Trapper John soon beams with joy when his bunkmate Hawkeye reminds him that according to Army regulations, Trapper was going home! His ulcer was his ticket out of the misery of the Korean War.

As the episode progresses, they arrange a huge farewell party for Trapper John. But minutes before Trapper shows up for his party, he is informed by the Company Clerk, Radar, that the Army had recently changed its regulations and his ulcer would have to be treated right there in Korea. Trapper goes to the party anyway and allows the festivity and joy of the evening to proceed for a good long while until he’s asked to give a final speech, at which time he tells everyone the truth: he’s not going anywhere after all.

But throughout the party, both Trapper John and Radar have a look in their eyes that betrays the truth, if anyone had looked close enough to notice. Trapper John smiles and even laughs during the party at times but it’s a bit muted and the sadness in his eyes tells the reason why: it’s a nice party but it’s not going to end the way he had hoped or the way all the other partygoers were anticipating.

I wonder if someone had looked deep into Jesus’ eyes on Pal Sunday if they might have seen something similar. Like the other gospel writers, Luke portrays Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as a joyful celebration of the arrival of the king, but Luke’s version includes some dark events and some ominous words. I wonder if the sorrow in Jesus’ eyes said, “This is a nice party but it’s not going to end the way all the partygoers were anticipating.” Let’s take a look at Luke’s version of the triumphal entry story!

 

The Humble King (28-38)

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he began to direct the events. Near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, some two miles from Jerusalem, he tells his disciples to procure an animal for entry into the capital. Luke describes the animal only as a previously unridden colt, but the other gospel writers specify the colt as a donkey. The disciples must untie the animal, and if anyone asks what they are doing, they are to simply say that the Lord needs it. This may seem a bit strange to us today, but in this culture it was customary for dignitaries such as rabbis to use people’s property for personal reasons. (For instance, if your pastor tells you that he needs to borrow your vacation home or time-share for the Lord’s work, don’t ask any questions!) The owners had no objection to the disciples taking the colt once they knew that it was needed for the Lord’s service.

Once the donkey was secured, Jesus’ disciples fashioned a makeshift saddle out of their cloaks and mounted him on the beast. As he rode along, the a large crowd of people gathered and laid their cloaks on the ground to create a type of royal red carpet; they waved their palm branches in patriotic fervor; and they sang their hosannas of praise to God and shouted the words of Psalm 118:26: “Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord.” Their king had finally come, and it was time to celebrate. But the whole time Jesus knew it wasn’t going to end the way the crowd was expecting; for he was not the type of king they were expecting.

Jesus’ choice of animal to ride for his coronation celebration shows us what kind of king he would be. A common donkey, a beast of burden, symbolized peace and gentleness. Kings typically rode on war horses, which symbolized pride and power. Jesus rode a donkey because would not succumb to the expectations of the crowd. He was not a political or military king. His mission was not to conquer the Romans or deliver the Jews from physical oppression. He was a humble king who came to conquer Satan and deliver the world from the penalty of sin.

It is so sad, but people treat Jesus the same way today! It is easy to get excited about Jesus when we think he is going to give us what we want, but it is just as easy to turn our backs on him when he disappoints us. We love to pray to Jesus when we or a loved one is sick, but if Jesus doesn’t heal, we don’t want to pray anymore. We are quick to serve Jesus when we think he supports our pet agendas, but we want nothing to do with him when we find out that his plans are different from our plans.

Jesus’ actions at the triumphal entry show what kind of king he is and isn’t! The irony shows us Jesus’ kingship is not a political or military, but it is spiritual. Jesus is no one’s political advocate or military conqueror; he is a humble king who came to Jerusalem to die for the salvation for our souls. Have you received Jesus as your savior and king?

 

Singing Stones (39-40)

Well, not everyone was celebrating the arrival of the king. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, Luke tells us that a group of Pharisees approach Jesus and ask him to reject the claims of kingship and rebuke his disciples. These claims were offensive to them. They did not even believe that Jesus was a genuine prophet from God, let alone the promised Messiah or Son of God. They saw only a false prophet riding on a donkey. They thought the crowd’s claims were blasphemous and they demanded that Jesus to put a stop to it.

But Jesus refused to silence the people’s praises. Instead, he rebukes the Pharisees when he says, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” By this, he is saying that if his disciples do not speak, the rest of creation will. He is implying that the inanimate creation knows more about what is taking place than they do. The Pharisees do not understand the nature of the God they spend so much time talking about. But for those who do see the king, praise is the only appropriate response!

Like the Pharisees, we all have to make a decision about Jesus! Is he the King of Kings or a false prophet riding on a donkey? Was the crowd shouting words of blasphemy or words of worship? Do you understand the nature of the God you talk about? Have you made a decision about Jesus Christ?

If Jesus really is the King, our only appropriate response is praise and worship! When we consider who he really is and what he has done for us by dying on the cross for our sins, praise should leap from the depth of our souls to the tips of our tongues! Therefore, I say to you today: If Jesus is the king, speak his praise from your mouth! If Jesus is the king, shout his praise with your lips! If Jesus is the king, proclaim his praise with your whole being! Because if you don’t, the rocks will!

 

A Crying King (41-44)

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, Luke gives us a unique look at Jesus’ heart. As Jesus looked up at the holy city in the distance, I wonder what thoughts went through his mind? Perhaps he thought about the glory of King David when he established Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a thousand years earlier. Perhaps he thought about all of the words that the prophets had spoken about this city. Perhaps he was thinking about how in just a few days his hands and feet would be nailed to a wooden cross and he would be lifted up to die in that city. One thing we can be sure of it that he thought about how the Jewish people had waited so long for the arrival of the Messiah, and now that he was here, they had rejected him. All of the emotions of Jesus’ humble humanity came to him at once; deep sorrow filled his heart and tears began to stream down his face. Amid all of the shouts and cheers of this Palm Sunday celebration, he began to weep over the city. Jesus was a crying king!

Like the weeping prophet Jeremiah from the Old Testament, with tears in his eyes, Jesus declares pending judgment for the nation. Though some individuals had responded to his call, the nation as a whole had rejected him. Rejection of the divinely selected king will cost greatly. The nation of Israel missed the Messiah who could bring them true peace, and now it was time for him to go. The consequence for missing the Messiah was physical destruction. Here Jesus looks ahead to A.D. 70 when the Roman government would have enough of the Jewish rebellions and would destroy Jerusalem. They would rampage the walls, demolish the temple, and murder the children.

As we see Jesus’ tears trickle down his cheeks and consider Jesus’ prophecy of judgment on Jerusalem, it ought to cause us to stop and think about what we have done with the Messiah; both individually and as a nation. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior or have you been holding him at arm’s length? Have you accepted him as your king or have you been rejecting the call of his kingdom? I plead with you to bow your life before the king today! Rejection always leads to judgment!

And for our nation, I don’t know about you, but I fear for a nation that would reject Jesus with its attitudes, law, and policies. I fear for a nation that has the audacity to declare something right when God has called it wrong. I wonder about the consequences for a nation that has been visited by God but has missed him. Missing the Messiah always leads to judgment!

It was thirty or so years after Jesus uttered these words before Jerusalem was destroyed. I wonder how long it will be before…

Well, as we join together in this Palm Sunday celebration today, remember that Jesus is a humble king who came to die to atone for our sins! Remember to wave your palm leaves, shout your blessings, and sing your praises to the king; if you don’t, the rocks will! But while you celebrate, make sure to remember to look at Jesus’ face. Make sure you see his tears of rejection and impending judgment. Make sure you know what will bring you true peace! Make sure you recognize the time of God’s coming to you! Make sure you hear the call of the crying king!

 

Jesus’ Transfiguration: A Mountaintop Experience
Matthew 17:1-13

A number of years ago, Jennifer and I set out on a bright bluebird winter morning for an epic snowshoe adventure. We drove to the village of Montgomery, VT and took Route 58, otherwise known as “Hazen’s Notch Road” and parked at the trailhead for Burnt Mountain. We knew the beauty of its summit in the summer and fall, but we wanted to see what it was like in the wintertime. So, we strapped on our snowshoes and began our accent. The snow was about eight feet deep and it took us four hours to trudge to the top. It was a frustrating and exhausting climb, but when we got to the summit, we knew that the payoff was worth the work. The snow formations among the trees looked like giant white mushrooms. They were so unique and pristine that we actually felt like we were in another world—a true winter wonderland. And when we got to the clearing on the summit and gazed at the 360 degrees of snow capped valley below us, we were paralyzed by the breathtaking beauty. It was a true mountaintop experience!

The expression “mountaintop experience” is commonly used in the English language to describe any transcendent or awe-inspiring event whether it actually happens on a mountain or not. Getting married, having a baby, winning an award, and achieving a sports victory are all considered “mountaintop experiences.” Have you ever had a mountaintop experience?

This expression has originated from the Bible because of the dealings God had with His people on various “mountain-tops”. Noah’s ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat. Abraham passed God’s test with his willingness to sacrifice his own son on Mount Moriah. God revealed his glory and gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and God spoke to him in a still small voice on Mount Horeb. The Old Testament is filled with mountaintop experiences!

In today’s text, Peter, James, and John, the three disciples in Jesus’ inner circle, have a mountaintop experience like no other. Jesus took them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. Jesus revealed his divine glory to these disciples in a way that he has never shown anyone else. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ transfiguration, the ultimate mountaintop experience!

1.) Jesus’ Divine Glory (1-8)

Six days after Peter’s climactic confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God and Jesus’ first prediction of his death, he led his inner circle up a high mountain to witness one of the most significant events of their lives, Jesus’ Transfiguration. The precise mountain is not identified. Mount Tabor has been favored throughout most of church history, but new archeological discoveries reveal that there was a Roman garrison stationed at the foot of Mount Tabor during Jesus’ time, making this theory highly unlikely. Today, most biblical scholars favor Mount Hermon, which was the most majestic peak in the region, towering 9,166 feet above sea level.

Regardless of which mountain it was, Jesus and the disciples ascended to the exact he wanted, and Matthew tells us that Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes. The Greek word translated here as “transfigured” is (metamorphoo) from which we get our English word metamorphosis. As a common caterpillar goes into a cocoon and is transformed into a beautiful butterfly, Jesus was momentarily transformed from his human form to his pre-incarnate divine form. Matthew uses the descriptions of Jesus’ face shining like the sun and his clothes became as white as light. The passive voice indicates that God the Father is the one who orchestrated Jesus’ transfiguration. Seeing Jesus in all of his divine glory would have been an incredible sight and it would have left no doubt in the disciple’s minds of Jesus’ true identity as God in human flesh and the promised Messiah.

As the three disciples fixed their eyes on Jesus, just then Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. They were two of the greatest Old Testament figures, representing the law and the prophets. Interestingly, both of these men had marvelous mountaintop experiences of their own. Their appearance on the mountain with Jesus indicates the greatness of Jesus, who transcends them both as the One who will be declared the Son of God. Peter recognizes that it was good for he and his fellow disciples to be there and offers to build three shelters or memorials in honor of the three holy men. But while he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

The voice from the cloud is obviously the voice of God the Father delivering the same statement of divine approval that he gave at Jesus’ baptism. Jesus has fulfilled the law and the prophets, now it is made clear that he is superior to Moses and Elijah, who revelations ultimately point to Jesus.

When the disciples saw this amazing sight and heard God’s unmistakable voice, they appropriately fell facedown to the ground in fear, wonder, and respect. And when Jesus came over to calm their fears, they looked up and saw no one but Jesus.

This mountaintop experience of Jesus’ transfiguration gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ divine glory and supremacy. Many people today like to say that Jesus was just another man. They say he was a good moral teacher, a wise philosopher, a powerful religious leader, but they say the same thing about Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Joel Osteen, and the Dali Lama.

A few weeks ago when I was flying home from Florida, I sat beside a girl from St. Johnsbury, who is a freshman at Tulane University. She was flying home to visit her family. After I asked her a few questions about college, she asked me what I did for work. When I told her that I was a pastor, she had a somewhat suspicious yet curious look on her face. Our conversation immediately turned to the topic of religion. She enthusiastically told me everything that she learned in her religion class last semester. She told me that her class even covered a unit on Satanism. I said, “Really! How was that?” She said it was really interesting. I asked her, “Now that you have studied Satanism, would you say that you believe in Satan more or less now.” She replied, “Oh, less, of course. I don’t believe in Satan.” Then she proceeded to tell me that she fell in love with the teachings of the Dalai Lama and that she respected him more than Jesus Christ. I asked her if she had much religious background before taking the class. She said, “Oh yeah, I’m Catholic and I can’t wait to attend mass on Sunday.

The girl obviously did not have a clue who Jesus really is. Even though she was raised Catholic, to her Jesus was just another religious figure. People are so confused today. Mohammed is not God—he is dead. Buddha is—he is dead. Confucius is not God—he is dead. Joel Osteen is not God—he isn’t even a good preacher. And the Dalai Lama is no different.

Jesus is the only one who is different. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity, he is the only begotten Son of the Father, he was the only one to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, he is true God of true God and yet humbled himself to become human flesh and dwell among us, he is the promised Messiah who is superior to Moses, Elijah, and the other figures of Judaism. He is the firstborn of all creation and is transcendent and supreme over everything because he created everything. He revealed his glory to these three disciples in this mountaintop experience! Do you know who Jesus is?

3.) Jesus’ Divine Mission (9-13)

As Jesus and the three disciples were coming back down the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after he was raised from the dead. Jesus didn’t want them to say anything because the crowds would have interpreted Jesus’ transfiguration and meeting with Moses and Elijah as the time for Jesus to effect national and military liberation. They would have pressured him into a different mission than he came to accomplish.

Then Jesus proceeded to explain to these disciples that the Old Testament prophecies about Elijah returning were already fulfilled by John the Baptist, but the Jews did not recognize him. Instead of recognizing him as a true prophet that came in the spirit of Elijah, they persecuted him, imprisoned him, and cut his head off.

Then, at the end of verse 12, Jesus drops the bomb again when he says, “In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Jesus knew exactly what his divine mission was. His mission was not to liberate the Jews from Roman occupation. His mission was not to provide the needs of the poor. His mission was not to bring justice to the oppressed. His mission was not to heal the sick and the lame. His mission was to die for the sins of the world, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that mission.

Today people use Jesus to support whatever social, political, or military agenda they are peddling, but Jesus will have none of it. His mission was to come to earth and die on the cross for the forgiveness of sins so that we would have a way of escaping eternal damnation in hell. His mission was to carry his cross to his own mountaintop experience on Mount Calvary. His mission was to endure the nails, the thorns, and the spear and to shed his precious blood for the atonement of our sins. His mission was and still is to bring hope to lost sinners like you and me.

Have you benefitted from Jesus’ mission? Have you repented from your sins and put your faith in the divine Son of God who died in your place. If not, I pray that you will do it today!

As I conclude this sermon, I would like to point out one last phrase found at the end of verse 5. After God the Father verbally affirms his Son during the transfiguration, he says three little words to the disciples—“Listen to him!”

We have seen a glimpse of Jesus’ glory at the transfiguration. We have seen a glimpse of Jesus’ divine mission when he told the disciples that he would suffer like John the Baptist. And these three words real God divine mission for our lives today—“Listen to him!”

So, as we leave this place today, I challenge you to listen to Jesus. Pattern your thoughts, words, and actions after him. Respond to him in faith. Follow him wherever he leads you. Listen to him every day. And you too, may have a mountaintop experience of your own!

 

Jesus the Teacher: False Disciples & Foolish Builders
Matthew 7:21-29

“Jesus never wrote on paper; he left no printed book; instead he wrote his message upon men, and these men were the apostles.” These profound words were penned by the great Scottish theologian William Barclay.

At the end of his public ministry, Jesus had nothing tangible to leave as a monument of his life work. There weren’t any buildings, foundations, institutions, or scholarships left behind to memorialize him. Instead, he invested himself in a small group of men called the Twelve “Disciples” or “Apostles.” From them eventually came the literature and institution of the church. As we look back at Jesus’ life, it is easy to see that his most important work before his death and resurrection was the selection and training of these disciples who would represent him in the world after he was gone.

A striking contrast between Jesus and the Jewish leadership of his day appears in the way the relationship with the disciples was set up. In the Judaism of the time it was the obligation of the individual to seek out a rabbi to whom he would attach himself for instruction. This was probably the way John the Baptist gathered his followers. But Jesus was different. He took the initiative in personally selecting and calling each one of his immediate circle. The disciples were the product of the Lord. They bore his stamp. They were not self-made men. We would not have heard of any of them had not the Master passed their way.

This is exactly what Jesus does with us today. He initiates a relationship with us. He calls us to become his disciples. He wants us to be partakers of his kingdom by becoming his followers. The question that continually haunts us is, “Will I respond to his call?”

In today’s text, Luke tells us the story of how Jesus extended the call to his first four disciples and how they responded. There was nothing particularly special about Simon Peter, Andrew, James, or John; they were just a bunch of blue-collar small town boys. They were two sets of brothers from a small fishing village of Bethsaida along the Sea of Galilee. They all worked together in the same family fishing business. They did not come from noble families; they did not possess any advanced degrees; and they did not have any amazing abilities. But they all responded to God’s call to become Jesus’ disciples, and they changed the world!

As we look at the way these four men responded to Jesus’ call and became his disciples, we see a pattern for how we can respond to Jesus’ call and become his disciples too. Like the first disciples, we can become Jesus’ disciples by obeying his instructions, bowing before him in humility, and sacrificing everything to follow him. Let’s take a look at these prerequisites for discipleship individually!

1.) We become Jesus’ disciples by obeying his instructions. (1-7)

One morning a large group of people from Bethsaida followed Jesus to the Sea of Galilee. No doubt, they had heard the rumors of Jesus’ powerful preaching and miraculous healings from the nearby town of Capernaum, and now they were crowding around him to see if he was going to say or do something spectacular.

As he was walking along the shore, he came upon two fishing boats and some fishermen washing their nets. They probably had disappointed and exhausted looks on their faces because they obviously hadn’t caught any fish. Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to push it out into the water so that he could teach the people from the boat. He did this to create some space and enhance the acoustics so the crowd could hear him better.

We don’t know what Jesus taught the people that day, but we do know what he said to Simon when they were on the boat. He told Simon Peter to go out into the deep water and lower his nets. Now you have to stop and think about this for a minute. What was Simon’s occupation? Right, he was a fisherman who had fished these waters his whole life. What was Jesus’ occupation? Right, he was a carpenter who had never fished these waters before. If you were a professional fisherman, how would you feel about receiving fishing advice from a carpenter?

Not only this, but Jesus’ instructions didn’t even make sense. Simon Peter and his colleagues had fished all night which was the best time to fish on the Sea of Galilee, and they didn’t catch anything. And now that the sun was coming up and the water was getting warmer, which was the worst time to fish, Jesus tells Simon Peter to go out further and let down the nets.

Simon had a dilemma! He had a decision to make! Was he going to trust his experience or was he going listen to Jesus? Was he going to follow conventional wisdom or was he going to obey Jesus’ instruction? We see that Simon made the right decision. His statement in verse 5 is powerful, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Simon obeyed Jesus’ instructions because Jesus knows best. And the catch was so big that both of their boats started to sink. Simon learned that Jesus was better than the best Bass Pro Fish Finder.

We who would become Jesus’ disciples face the same dilemma in our own lives. There are times when we have to decide between trusting in our experience and listening to Jesus’ voice. There are times when we must choose between conventional wisdom and heeding Jesus’ instruction. Sometimes Jesus’ instructions don’t make sense to us, but we need to decide who knows best—us or Jesus? If you want to become Jesus’ disciple, you have to obey his instructions!

2.) We become Jesus’ disciples by bowing before him in humility. (8)

When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish, he immediately fell to his knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Each of these actions shows Simon Peter’s humility before Jesus. First, falling before someone’s feet was an act of humility, symbolizing lowliness before that person. Second, when Peter tells Jesus to depart from him, he is declaring his humility. He did not think that a holy God should have anything to do with a sinful man, but what Peter did not realize that humbly admitting one’s sin is one of the most crucial prerequisites for becoming Jesus’ disciple. Third, Simon Peter addressed Jesus as Lord. These responses show that he understood his humble position below God and that he was ready to become Jesus’ disciple.

The famous inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered situations where he didn’t know what to do. Morse responded, “More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding.”

Morse received many honors from his invention of the telegraph but felt undeserving: “I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me.”

Just like Simon Peter, Samuel Morse bowed before Jesus in humility. If we are to become Jesus’ disciples, we too must understand our lowly position before God. We must be willing to fall down on our knees and admit our ignorance and our sin. We must acknowledge God for who he is and us for who we are! Even though Peter’s nets were full, he recognized that Jesus is really the one who caught the fish.

3.) We become Jesus’ disciples by sacrificing everything to follow him. (9-11)

The fishermen were so astonished by this miraculous catch of fish, and Jesus used this as an illustration for his call discipleship to discipleship. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men,” have become some of Jesus’ most famous words. This was a call to leave their ordinary and comfortable lives behind and follow Jesus wherever he would go. It was a call from God to give their lives for the sake of the souls of other people.

Notice what is says in verse 11—“So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. It was the greatest single catch of their lives, and they were willing to leave it behind to follow Christ. They left their boats, their equipment, their families, their hometown to become Jesus’ disciples. They didn’t know it yet, but their decision to follow Jesus would ultimately cost them their lives. Each of these four fishermen would eventually be martyred for Jesus. They would follow him in life and they would follow him in death.

Sometimes following Jesus will cost you your job, your family, your friends, or even your life. Think about that for a minute! If you know that following Jesus would cause you to lose your job, would you do it? If you knew that becoming a disciple of Jesus would force you to give up your friends, would you do it? If accepting Jesus call for life meant leaving your family behind, would you still do it?

Following God’s call sometimes means sacrificing your plans, your, dreams, your goals, and your desires. Sometimes I think about my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters who have been called to be priests, monks, or nuns. I ask myself the question, “If God called me to a life of singleness (no marriage and no family of my own), would I have accepted his call?”

How about you? Are you willing to give up your livelihood or your family to become Jesus’ disciple? Would you, like these two sets of brothers, sacrifice everything to follow him? Now I am not saying that God will call you to sacrifice all of these things; he may not. But if he did, would you?

This story shows us that there are three prerequisites to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ: obedience, humility, and sacrifice. Jesus is extending the call to each one of us today. Will you become a disciple?

 

On Becoming a Disciple
Luke 5:1-11

“Jesus never wrote on paper; he left no printed book; instead he wrote his message upon men, and these men were the apostles.” These profound words were penned by the great Scottish theologian William Barclay.

At the end of his public ministry, Jesus had nothing tangible to leave as a monument of his life work. There weren’t any buildings, foundations, institutions, or scholarships left behind to memorialize him. Instead, he invested himself in a small group of men called the Twelve “Disciples” or “Apostles.” From them eventually came the literature and institution of the church. As we look back at Jesus’ life, it is easy to see that his most important work before his death and resurrection was the selection and training of these disciples who would represent him in the world after he was gone.

A striking contrast between Jesus and the Jewish leadership of his day appears in the way the relationship with the disciples was set up. In the Judaism of the time it was the obligation of the individual to seek out a rabbi to whom he would attach himself for instruction. This was probably the way John the Baptist gathered his followers. But Jesus was different. He took the initiative in personally selecting and calling each one of his immediate circle. The disciples were the product of the Lord. They bore his stamp. They were not self-made men. We would not have heard of any of them had not the Master passed their way.

This is exactly what Jesus does with us today. He initiates a relationship with us. He calls us to become his disciples. He wants us to be partakers of his kingdom by becoming his followers. The question that continually haunts us is, “Will I respond to his call?”

In today’s text, Luke tells us the story of how Jesus extended the call to his first four disciples and how they responded. There was nothing particularly special about Simon Peter, Andrew, James, or John; they were just a bunch of blue-collar small town boys. They were two sets of brothers from a small fishing village of Bethsaida along the Sea of Galilee. They all worked together in the same family fishing business. They did not come from noble families; they did not possess any advanced degrees; and they did not have any amazing abilities. But they all responded to God’s call to become Jesus’ disciples, and they changed the world!

As we look at the way these four men responded to Jesus’ call and became his disciples, we see a pattern for how we can respond to Jesus’ call and become his disciples too. Like the first disciples, we can become Jesus’ disciples by obeying his instructions, bowing before him in humility, and sacrificing everything to follow him. Let’s take a look at these prerequisites for discipleship individually!

1.) We become Jesus’ disciples by obeying his instructions. (1-7)

One morning a large group of people from Bethsaida followed Jesus to the Sea of Galilee. No doubt, they had heard the rumors of Jesus’ powerful preaching and miraculous healings from the nearby town of Capernaum, and now they were crowding around him to see if he was going to say or do something spectacular.

As he was walking along the shore, he came upon two fishing boats and some fishermen washing their nets. They probably had disappointed and exhausted looks on their faces because they obviously hadn’t caught any fish. Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to push it out into the water so that he could teach the people from the boat. He did this to create some space and enhance the acoustics so the crowd could hear him better.

We don’t know what Jesus taught the people that day, but we do know what he said to Simon when they were on the boat. He told Simon Peter to go out into the deep water and lower his nets. Now you have to stop and think about this for a minute. What was Simon’s occupation? Right, he was a fisherman who had fished these waters his whole life. What was Jesus’ occupation? Right, he was a carpenter who had never fished these waters before. If you were a professional fisherman, how would you feel about receiving fishing advice from a carpenter?

Not only this, but Jesus’ instructions didn’t even make sense. Simon Peter and his colleagues had fished all night which was the best time to fish on the Sea of Galilee, and they didn’t catch anything. And now that the sun was coming up and the water was getting warmer, which was the worst time to fish, Jesus tells Simon Peter to go out further and let down the nets.

Simon had a dilemma! He had a decision to make! Was he going to trust his experience or was he going listen to Jesus? Was he going to follow conventional wisdom or was he going to obey Jesus’ instruction? We see that Simon made the right decision. His statement in verse 5 is powerful, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Simon obeyed Jesus’ instructions because Jesus knows best. And the catch was so big that both of their boats started to sink. Simon learned that Jesus was better than the best Bass Pro Fish Finder.

We who would become Jesus’ disciples face the same dilemma in our own lives. There are times when we have to decide between trusting in our experience and listening to Jesus’ voice. There are times when we must choose between conventional wisdom and heeding Jesus’ instruction. Sometimes Jesus’ instructions don’t make sense to us, but we need to decide who knows best—us or Jesus? If you want to become Jesus’ disciple, you have to obey his instructions!

2.) We become Jesus’ disciples by bowing before him in humility. (8)

When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish, he immediately fell to his knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Each of these actions shows Simon Peter’s humility before Jesus. First, falling before someone’s feet was an act of humility, symbolizing lowliness before that person. Second, when Peter tells Jesus to depart from him, he is declaring his humility. He did not think that a holy God should have anything to do with a sinful man, but what Peter did not realize that humbly admitting one’s sin is one of the most crucial prerequisites for becoming Jesus’ disciple. Third, Simon Peter addressed Jesus as Lord. These responses show that he understood his humble position below God and that he was ready to become Jesus’ disciple.

The famous inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered situations where he didn’t know what to do. Morse responded, “More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding.”

Morse received many honors from his invention of the telegraph but felt undeserving: “I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me.”

Just like Simon Peter, Samuel Morse bowed before Jesus in humility. If we are to become Jesus’ disciples, we too must understand our lowly position before God. We must be willing to fall down on our knees and admit our ignorance and our sin. We must acknowledge God for who he is and us for who we are! Even though Peter’s nets were full, he recognized that Jesus is really the one who caught the fish.

3.) We become Jesus’ disciples by sacrificing everything to follow him. (9-11)

The fishermen were so astonished by this miraculous catch of fish, and Jesus used this as an illustration for his call discipleship to discipleship. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men,” have become some of Jesus’ most famous words. This was a call to leave their ordinary and comfortable lives behind and follow Jesus wherever he would go. It was a call from God to give their lives for the sake of the souls of other people.

Notice what is says in verse 11—“So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. It was the greatest single catch of their lives, and they were willing to leave it behind to follow Christ. They left their boats, their equipment, their families, their hometown to become Jesus’ disciples. They didn’t know it yet, but their decision to follow Jesus would ultimately cost them their lives. Each of these four fishermen would eventually be martyred for Jesus. They would follow him in life and they would follow him in death.

Sometimes following Jesus will cost you your job, your family, your friends, or even your life. Think about that for a minute! If you know that following Jesus would cause you to lose your job, would you do it? If you knew that becoming a disciple of Jesus would force you to give up your friends, would you do it? If accepting Jesus call for life meant leaving your family behind, would you still do it?

Following God’s call sometimes means sacrificing your plans, your, dreams, your goals, and your desires. Sometimes I think about my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters who have been called to be priests, monks, or nuns. I ask myself the question, “If God called me to a life of singleness (no marriage and no family of my own), would I have accepted his call?”

How about you? Are you willing to give up your livelihood or your family to become Jesus’ disciple? Would you, like these two sets of brothers, sacrifice everything to follow him? Now I am not saying that God will call you to sacrifice all of these things; he may not. But if he did, would you?

This story shows us that there are three prerequisites to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ: obedience, humility, and sacrifice. Jesus is extending the call to each one of us today. Will you become a disciple?

 

The Temptation of Jesus Christ
Matthew 4:1-11

The 19th century author and humorist Mark Twain has two famous quotes on the topic of temptation. The first is: “I never struggle with temptation; I just yield to it.” And the second is: “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice. These two statements highlight the attitudes that many people have about temptation. On one hand, you could just have a flippant attitude toward sin and just give in to temptation, or on the other hand, you could hide from anything that even looks like sin and live your life in a box. As Christians, we know that neither one of these extremes is a viable option for dealing with temptation.

There are many places in the New Testament where we could go to learn about the best way to deal with temptation. James 1 is pretty good: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” I Corinthians 10 is also helpful when Paul says: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Or you could also glean insights from the Old Testament stories of Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba, and King Solomon and his 300 wives; where all of their lives were ruined by giving into temptation. And certainly, we must remember the very first temptation story where Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation of eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is what got us into this whole mess of sin in the first place.

But among all of the places in the Bible that teach us about temptation, there is one that stands out from all of the rest. The story of the temptation of Jesus Christ not only provides us with incredible look into the way the devil uses temptation to destroy people, but it also provides us with a model for how we can overcome the temptations that we face as we go through life. Let’s take a look at how our Lord tackled temptation!

 

The Context of Temptation (1-3)

Matthew tells us that after Jesus was baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan River and received divine approval from his Father, he retreated to the wilderness to complete his preparation for his public ministry. The Holy Spirit personally led him up to the wilderness to fast and to be tempted by the devil. If Jesus could not rule over his own body and soul, how could he lead anybody else? This significant event took place to prove that Jesus was ready to begin his earthly ministry and fulfill his divine destiny.

In a rather ironic understatement, Matthew tells us that after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was hungry. It makes me want to say to Matthew, “No, really?” It is certainly possible to go 40 days without food, but it is extremely difficult. For most of us, 40 hours without food would be difficult. Let’s be really honest—most of us start getting a little grumpy after about 4 hours without food. The longest I have ever fasted has been three days, and I felt like I was going to die. I cannot imagine going without food for 40 days.

Notice how Satan shows up at during Jesus’ 40 day fast, when he was tired, hungry, alone, and weak. There was no food, no shelter from the desert sun, and no other human beings around to hold him accountable to his mission. Satan attacked Jesus at the time when and place where he was most vulnerable.

Have you ever noticed that Satan employs the same tactic with us? He is clever and crafty. He doesn’t tempt us in times or areas where we are strong; he waits to attack us at the times and in the places where we are most vulnerable. He knows our individual weaknesses and waits for opportune times to capitalize on them.

A number of years ago now, Satan tempted a good friend of mine when and where he was most vulnerable. My friend loved his wife deeply and he was always faithful to her, but one day she confessed to him that she had been cheating on him with another man and now she wanted a divorce so that she could be with him. He was devastated! She moved out and he started going to bars to drink away the pain. One night when he was sitting at the bar, feeling particularly weak and vulnerable, a woman approached and propositioned him. Even though he knew that this woman had a promiscuous reputation, in a moment of weakness he succumbed to temptation and hooked up with her for the night. He justified his actions as a way of getting back at his wife.

A few weeks later when he began to notice some changes in his body, he knew that he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. He was too embarrassed and stubborn to see a doctor and get treated. He kept his secret hidden for the next eight years until one morning when he simply hunched over and dropped dead at work. He was only 47 years old.

Do you have certain times and places when you are most vulnerable? Do you know your weaknesses? That is where Satan is most likely to attack us! We need to be prepared for Satan’s temptations in the times and areas where we are most vulnerable!

 

The First Temptation- Relying on God’s Provision (3-4)

Satan knew that Jesus was the true Son of God, but in this first temptation he tries to derail him from doing God’s will by tempting him to rely on his own self-sufficiency rather than on the provisions of God. To do this, he challenged Jesus to turn the desert stones into loaves of bread, which is something that I am sure would have delighted Jesus in that moment. There was nothing inherently wrong or sinful about turning stones into bread to satisfy a hungry stomach, but this would have been a departure from God’s will. If Jesus had done this, he would have misused his power and have exercised improper independence from God.

This is really the same trick that Satan used with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It worked with the first Adam but not the second Adam. Jesus outwitted him by quoting scripture, a verse from Deuteronomy 8:3 which asserts that man should not live by bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God. God had fed the Israelites with manna from heaven when they were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Their hunger had been intended to show them that hearing and obeying God’s word was the most important thing in life. Jesus had already learned this lesson. He knew the importance of relying on God rather than relying on his own power and abilities.

How many of us face the temptation to rely on ourselves rather than God? Sometimes it appears so much easier to do things ourselves, rather than to wait for God. But that is exactly what Satan wants us to do! He wants us to act independently from God.

It is just like little kids who want to do everything by themselves, rather than waiting for their parent’s instructions. Little Miss Independent thinks she can figure it out all by herself. Little Mr. Independent thinks he knows what he is doing. Grown-ups do the same thing with God all the time!

Do you rely on your strength, abilities, intelligence, and experience, or do you rely on God? Are you ever been tempted to misuse your power to get what you want? Think about all of the people in our world who abuse their power to wrongly satisfy their desires! Do you really believe that hearing and obeying God’s Word is the most important thing in life? When you do, then you will be able to resist temptation!

 

The Second Temptation- Trusting God’s Protection (5-7)

In the second temptation, Satan tries to trick Jesus by twisting God’s word. The devil takes Jesus to the top of the holy temple in Jerusalem which was about 450 feet high and challenges him to jump off so that God would send his loving angels to rescue him. Like the first temptation, Satan approaches Jesus with the words, “If you are the Son of God,” but this time he uses (or rather misuses) Psalm 91:11-12, where the Psalmist asserts God’s protection for the faithful in Israel. Satan twists this passage to trick Jesus into forcing God into a supernatural demonstration of his protection.

Jesus’ hesitation came, not from wondering whether his Father could or would rescue him if he jumped, but because Scripture forbids putting God to the test (Deuteronomy 6:16). For both Israel and Jesus, demanding miraculous proof of God’s protection is wrong; the appropriate attitude is trust and obedience.

Does Satan ever tempt you to put God to the test? Do you ever hear a little voice in your head saying, “If God really loved me, he would—if God really cared about me, he would—if God was really there, he would…” Do you ever demand miraculous signs and wonders? Do you ever try to bribe or manipulate God into doing what you want him to do? Again, this is exactly what Satan wants us to do! God simply wants us to trust him!

 

The Third Temptation- Following God’s Plan (8-10)

The third temptation may have been the most appealing of the three, not because of the anticipation of the glory of ruling all the kingdoms of the earth—that was already part of God’s plan—but because Satan’s offer would allow Jesus to rule the earth without enduring the suffering and shame of the cross. God the Father already had a plan for Jesus to be the king of the world, but now Satan offers Jesus an even more appealing plan—a kingdom and all of its glory, minus the suffering. Satan promises Jesus that he can offer a better plan and way than God could. Had Jesus taken the easy way instead of the right way, he would not have gone to the cross and we would have no hope of salvation today.

Again, Jesus reaches into Scripture, interprets it accurately, and sends Satan on his way. Jesus goes back to Deuteronomy 6 and preaches a sermon to Satan about worshipping and serving God alone. Those words in particular must have stung Satan because this is exactly what Satan did not do when he rebelled against God. Satan must not have liked Jesus’ sermon because he immediately got up and left.

Satan does this same thing to us all the time. He offers an easy way as an alternative to God’s way. There is no doubt about it—God’s way is hard! God’s way is always marked with suffering and sacrifice! Satan offers us a bunch of empty shortcuts to glory and happiness, but they are all lies in the end. He tells us “go ahead and cheat on your income taxes; you deserve that money.” He says “if you divorce your spouse you will be much happier.” He says “it doesn’t matter who you hurt; all that matters is that you are number one.” He promises more money, power, popularity, success, and happiness if we take his easy way. But the only way to true happiness is through worshiping and serving the Lord!
And if there was any doubt about God’s love or compassion, look at how the story ends! Angels came and ministered to him. God was completely sufficient! He provided everything that Jesus needed! And he does the same for us today.

Like Jesus, if we if we rely on God’s provision…trust in God’s protection…if follow God’s plan…we will be able to resist the devil’s temptations too!

 

The Baptism of Jesus Christ
Matthew 3:1-17

How many of you remember when you were baptized? Those of you who were baptized when you were babies probably don’t remember it (unless you have the greatest memory in the world). Those of you who were baptized as adolescents, teenagers, or adults probably remember not only when, but also where, how, and by whom you were baptized. Some of you have been baptized three or four times, so you have a lot of memories—that is, if you can keep them all straight. Baptism is a significant life event that we should always remember.

I remember my baptism well. I was 21 years old and was in my second year of Bible College. I had been a Christian for a few years, but for some reason I had never gotten baptized at my home church. When I was going to become a member of the church I was attending in college, the pastor asked me when I was baptized. When I told him that I had never been baptized, a strange look came over his face. It may seem a little backward that I had been studying for the ministry for two years before I was baptized, but most things throughout my life have been a little backward—so why should my baptism be any different? Therefore, I was baptized at a Presbyterian church in Chicago in preparation for a life in ministry.

Likewise, when Jesus was 30 years old, he went to the Jordan River and was baptized by his cousin John the Baptist in preparation for his public ministry. Matthew fast-forwards from Jesus as a 12 year old boy in chapter 2 to Jesus undergoing the waters of baptism as a full grown man in chapter 3. We don’t know anything about Jesus’ teenage or young adult life, but this 18 year gap of silence is ended with the significant event of Jesus’ baptism.

 

John the Baptist Prepares the Way (1-12)

When Jesus showed up on the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist had already been engaged in the ministry of preaching and baptizing for some time. Even though John conducted his ministry in the remote wilderness regions of Judea, he had gained considerable popularity. The nation of Israel hadn’t had a bona fide prophet in their midst for 400 years, and John raised curiosity because he lived and spoke like a true prophet from God. With the peculiar garments of camel’s hair and an all natural organic diet of locusts and wild honey, he reminded people of the prophet Elijah from Old Testament times. (It is a good thing that PETA didn’t exist in John’s time, or they would have taken him to task for his camel’s hair clothing.)

John’s message was simple and straightforward: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance means sorrow for and a turning away from sin. John’s baptism was a symbolic gesture of repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah. After people confessed their sins, he immersed them in the river as a symbol of their souls being cleansed.

John’s message of repentance is important for us to consider today. For some reason, the necessity of repentance has gotten lost in the modern theological shuffle. Some people have said, “All you have to do is believe to be saved.” Is repentance necessary for salvation? Do I have to repent to go to heaven? The answer is unequivocally “Yes!” Here is why: if someone does not take their sin seriously, they completely miss the point of Jesus’ death on the cross. If we are not genuinely sorrowful for the things we have said and done that have broken our relationship with God, then Jesus died in vain. If we are unwilling to confess and turn away from our sin, we do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How about you? Have you repented from your sin? Do you feel sorrowful for your sinful thoughts, words, and deeds? Have you made a decision to turn the other way? Only then will you be ready to receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ death and the promise of eternal life through his resurrection! Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

John was an intriguing figure and his ministry became so popular that even the religious leaders (the Pharisees and Sadducees) came to the wilderness to hear his preaching and to the Jordan to see his baptism. But when they showed up, they were not greeted with terms of endearment; he lambastes them for their hypocrisy. In an instance of divine and sarcastic name calling, John accuses them of being a “brood of vipers”—a slew of spineless serpents who took pride in their spiritual heritage rather than a personal commitment to God. John tells them that if they don’t take their spiritual lives seriously that their souls are in jeopardy of judgment. Jesus will chop them down and burn the trees that don’t bear spiritual fruit. He will use his winnowing fork to separate the spiritual wheat from the spiritual chaff, and the chaff will burn in hell.

There are many people today who make the same mistake as these religious leaders. They base their spiritual security on their religious heritage rather than their own relationship with God. People say things like, “Well, my grandfather helped build that church! My grandmother attended church her whole life! My father gave a lot of money to that church! My mother reads the Bible all the time! I used to go to church when I was a kid! My family is Catholic—or Methodist, or Baptist, or some other denomination.”

Do you know what John the Baptist would say to any of these things? He would say a big sarcastic “Whipp-di-dooo!” He would say that God is not impressed by any of these things! He would say that none of these things matter! He would ask, “What about you? How is your relationship with God? How is your spiritual life? Have you taken Jesus Christ seriously?” Your salvation does not depend on your spiritual heritage or going through religious motions; it depends upon what you do with Jesus Christ!

Before we move on, I would like to notice one more thing about John: his humility. He never let his own abilities or popularity go to his head. He was comfortable with his call to be the forerunner to the Messiah. He knew that he was just a voice calling in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. He knew that the one coming after him was mightier than him and he wasn’t even worthy to carry his sandals. He knew that his baptism was only a physical baptism for repentance but that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He knew that he should be baptized by Jesus; not the other way around. He understood his position under Christ.

This is a good reminder for us today. American’s especially need to be reminded that we are not the Messiah. We need to be reminded of our humble position before God. God doesn’t owe us anything! The world does not revolve around us! We need to be reminded that life is not about our dreams, our desires, our goals, our aspirations, our preferences, or our possessions—our lives are about God’s call and plan. John understood that; do you?

 

Jesus’ Baptism (13-17)

Well, Jesus eventually came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John immediately recognized Jesus for who he was; that is why he was reluctant to baptize him. But Jesus must have been a big disappointment for the people standing there. Matthew makes a point to say that Jesus “came from Galilee.” Galilee was the insignificant rural northern area of Israel. Judeans looked down upon Galileans as being backwoods, uneducated, and unsophisticated. To be from Galilee was to be from the wrong side of the tracks. Jesus, as an average sized Galilean who wanted to be baptized by John like everyone else, would not have met the people’s Messianic expectations. They wanted a strong, powerful, outspoken, take the bull by the horns type leader who would overthrow the Romans and reestablish Jewish glory. At first glance, Jesus didn’t fit the bill. He was royal disappointment (pun intended).

Have you ever been disappointed with Jesus? If we are truly honest, I suspect most of us have. There has probably been a time in your life when you wanted Jesus to be something that he is not? You have probably had the experience where you wanted him to answer one of your prayers in a certain way and he didn’t? Maybe things didn’t turn out the way you thought they were going to, and you doubted God? This is exactly what the people by the Jordon were feeling, but let’s see what happens!

In spite of John’s reluctance, Jesus insists upon being baptized for the purpose of “fulfilling all righteousness.” Jesus did not need a baptism of repentance because he never committed a sin, but he wanted to be baptized to fulfill God’s saving activity that had been prophesied in the Old Testament. Instead of being the one standing up with John and calling on sinners to repent, he wanted to be down in the water, making himself one with the very sinners he came to save. Jesus’ baptism affirmed his humanity and inaugurated his ministry of salvation.

As Jesus walked into the water and John immersed his body, his baptism was complete. When he came up from the water two miracles took place. God opened the heavens and the Holy Spirit takes on the appearance of a dove and lighting and descends upon Jesus. A dove was a common symbol of peace and lightning was a symbol of judgment. Here stood the one who was destined to bring both peace and judgment to the world. Then everyone heard God’s voice from heaven say, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” These words confirmed Jesus’ divine identity as the Son of God and the promised Messiah as was prophesied in Isaiah 42:1. The crowd that witnessed this vision and heard these words from heaven must have been dumbfounded. Jesus did not meet their expectations, but this little family reunion between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit left no doubt about Jesus’ identity.

Likewise, Jesus did not come to meet our little religious expectations; he did not come to advance our political agendas; he certainly did not come to affirm our self-esteem. He is God’s divine Son, the promised Messiah who came to fulfill his Father’s will of bringing salvation to lost sinners like you and me. His ministry was inaugurated at his baptism, it was accomplished through his death and resurrection, and it will be consummated at his second coming. Have you repented from your sins? Have you put your faith in God’s son? Have you received his gift of salvation? Are you ready for his return?