All Are Welcome, All Bow in Worship
by Ron Benefiel

 Luke 3:1–6

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

First Sunday of Advent

INTRO

In antiquity, when a king was coming to a region, it offered a good excuse to fix up the roads.

ILLUS. Picture the preparation for a king coming to town with the local townspeople out repairing potholes, smoothing over the rough places so that the king’s chariot would ride smoothly into town. Read Luke 3:4-6, this quote of Isa. 40:3-5, with this in mind.

I. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE

A. John preaching in the wilderness (vv. 1-3)

Picture John in the wilderness with the people coming to hear him preach and to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. John’s message is that there is One coming/sent from God who will build salvation. And they (the people) are to prepare the way for His coming.

B. John’s message of repentance (vv. 4-6)

John then reads from Isa. 40:3-5, which describes the building of a highway. As a city prepares for the coming of a king by repairing its roads, people are to prepare for the coming of the Lord by repairing their lives. They are to get ready, to prepare themselves for the coming of the King, not just an ordinary king, but the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace. They are to prepare themselves in repentance before the One who brings salvation from God.

C. The crooked made straight

John tells the people that they are to make the "crooked [places] straight, and the rough places plain" (Isa. 40:4, KJV). They are to come before God and line their lives up with the ways of God. They are to repent of their sinfulness, for the King is coming.

D. A highway of holiness

Isaiah 35:3-10 deserves our attention here. This is a wonderful passage about the deliverance of God. Verse 8 says, "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness." This is the perfect name for the highway John is proclaiming here in Luke 3. Picture John preaching, crying out to the people: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Erect a highway for His coming, a highway of holiness, a highway symbolizing your life. Make the crooked ways straight and the rough places plain." It is a call to all people to get ready personally and spiritually, to prepare for the coming King.

ILLUS. Handel’s Messiah—Can’t you hear it in the background here? Moving music to these words from Scripture: "Every valley shall be exalted, / And every mountain and hill made low, / The crooked straight and the rough places plain." I’m sure most of you have heard this majestic music many times. But have you ever thought of it as a call to repentance? An altar call, if you will?

ILLUS. Wonderful lines from "O Little Town of Bethlehem": "O holy Child of Bethlehem, / Descend on us, we pray. / Cast out our sin, and enter in; / Be born in us today" (Phillips Brooks).

I. THE PROMISE OF A NEW SOCIAL ORDER

A. Mountains and valleys

John the Baptist’s words not only are a call to personal repentance but have social implications as well. They are a description of the new social order in the Kingdom being ushered in by Jesus. When John quotes Isaiah saying that "every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low" (40:4, NABWRNT), it is a picture of the coming Kingdom in which the powerful will no longer be powerful, nor will the lowly any longer be lowly. The high and mighty will be brought down, and the powerless will be lifted up in the kingdom of God.

ILLUS. Interesting that the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord of Glory was born in such lowly circumstances. Mary and Joseph were poor, temporarily homeless, misplaced persons from Nazareth (a hick town whose people were looked down upon by the more sophisticated city folk of Jerusalem). The best estimates by scholars are that Mary was very young, perhaps 13-15 years old. She was an unwed pregnant teenager. Jesus’ birth in a manger is hardly the place where you would expect royalty to enter the world. But in all of this we see the place of the poor and lowly in the kingdom of God. In the Kingdom, the valleys are filled in. The poor and powerless who are not valued in the world are valued in the Kingdom.

B. The Magnificat

In the Gospel of Luke, Mary’s words in what is known as the Magnificat (1:46-55) are even more specific.

ILLUS. E. Stanley Jones calls this passage "the most revolutionary document in the world."

Speaking of the coming Kingdom, Mary says the exalted shall be brought low: those who are proud in their hearts (v. 51); rulers (v. 52); and the rich (v. 53). And the lowly shall be lifted up: the humble (v. 52); and the hungry (v. 53). In this Kingdom that is being ushered in, there are no rich and powerful, no haves and have-nots, no distinctions between people on the basis of power, position, or prestige.

ILLUS. Picture the manger scene. (Note: Actually not a very accurate picture according to scholars, but nevertheless a good illustration of the point.) Here we see a picture of:

1. Wise men from the East, the learned, wealthy, and influential bowed in worship, recognizing even with all their power and influence that they were in the presence of one who was far greater.

2. The shepherds, way down the social ladder with little prestige or influence in their society. They were not only invited but the first to know.

3. Mary and Joseph, the working poor, young, in trouble. Before Jesus, the King—all are welcome, and all bow.

CONCLUSION

Two pictures to keep in your mind:

1. John the Baptist shouting out, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." "Repent. Prepare yourselves for the coming of the King."

2. Before Him all are welcome, all bow.

Invitation to the Lord’s table.

Prepare yourselves.

Before Him all are welcome, all bow.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Second Sunday of Advent

INTRO

Christmas is full of interesting paradoxes. It is often marked by incredible ironies of trouble and tragedy in the middle of a season that is supposed to be characterized by peace and goodwill.

ILLUS. About five years ago, when we lived near downtown Los Angeles, our family was going through our annual family tradition of shopping for a Christmas tree. We looked all over until we found the perfect tree. The kids were in a Christmas spirit, plenty of songs and laughter. Christmas was coming, and they were ready for all it promised to bring. As we were loading the tree in the back of our car, we heard the familiar popping sound of gunfire nearby. We didn’t usually think much of it unless the shots were followed by sirens. In this case they were.

Being a pastor in the neighborhood, I decided to send the family on home and walk over toward where I had heard the shots and sirens. Less than a block away I ran into the yellow tape the police had put up to cordon off the area. I stood there for a minute and then noticed a young teenage girl standing nearby. She was obviously very disturbed by the incident. She seemed agitated and upset. I asked if she knew what had happened. She said, "They shot one of my homeboys." Trying to be helpful, I indicated that I was a pastor and asked if there was anything I could do to help. To which she replied, "Can you stop the bleeding? Can you make him come back to life?" I didn’t know quite what to say. She walked off across the street and into the night. Ironies of Christmas . . .

ILLUS. Last year about this time, I was struck with the irony just days before Christmas. I was listening to a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" as I read the newspaper accounts of President Clinton being charged and bombs falling on Iraq. Ironies of Christmas. . . . The moment reminded me of a piece of Simon and Garfunkel performed in the late ‘60s. The piece begins with "Silent Night." Very faintly in the background you hear a radio broadcast of the nightly news, including the latest casualty report in Vietnam and student unrest across the country. Gradually, the broadcast gets louder and louder until the music is nearly drowned out. The message of the piece is obvious: "Look around; it may be Christmas, but there is no peace on earth. Whatever was supposed to happen with the King of Peace, He didn’t deliver."

I. IMMANUEL, GOD'S SIGN TO US

A. Telling the story

It was about 700 b.c. Assyria with all its military might was threatening Israel—north and south—as well as Syria. The Northern Kingdom and Syria wanted to resist Assyria. The south (King Ahaz) was more inclined to form an alliance with Assyria. In an effort to force the south to resist Assyria, Syria and the north attacked Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem and King Ahaz were afraid.

B. Isaiah assures Ahaz.

Isaiah, the prophet of God, came to Ahaz with a word from God. Isaiah told Ahaz not to be afraid, but to trust in the Lord. And that the aggressors (Syria and the north) would not prevail against Jerusalem. The word from the Lord to King Ahaz was: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (v. 14). Immanuel—God is with us. The message to King Ahaz in the face of trouble and war was "Immanuel"—God is with us. The message was clear. Do not be afraid. Trust in the Lord.

C. King Ahaz’s response

Imagine King Ahaz. I’m sure he must have said to himself, "What kind of sign is that? A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel? I’ve got real problems out here. I have two armies camped outside the city. I need help now, and you talk about some baby boy being born?" That’s right, Ahaz. Hear the word of the Lord. A little boy is born named Immanuel. And it is your hope and salvation.

And then Isaiah says, "There is still more, listen to this: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end’" (9:6-7).

II. IMMANUEL, GOD IS WITH US

A. In the Incarnation, Jesus is Immanuel.

As Matthew was writing the story of the birth of Jesus, these passages in Isaiah made all the sense in the world. Matthew, with the early Christian community, looked at these passages in Isaiah and knew what they were all about. They were about Jesus.

"’She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’" (Matt. 1:21-23).

B. It is in Jesus that we know God is with us.

Here we are hundreds of years later, the people of God gathered together, and there is trouble all around. And we hear this word from God. There was a baby born just about 2,000 years ago now, of an unmarried peasant Jewish girl. And His name is Immanuel. God be with us. And it is our only hope and salvation.

C. If God is with us, where is the peace on earth?

The problem still remains. It is still difficult to put all this together. The Prince of Peace has come. The Kingdom of Peace has been inaugurated. The angels sang, "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men" (cf. Luke 2:14, KJV). But there is still all this brokenness in our world. How are we to make sense of all this?

ILLUS. There is a Christmas carol written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow titled "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." He wrote it during the Civil War, in fact on Christmas Day in 1864. To really understand this carol, there is something you need to know. Longfellow had just received word that his son had been killed in the war. In the middle of his grief, he heard the church bells ringing, the bells announcing that it was Christmas morning. And he wrote these words:

D. The peace of God is in the midst of trouble. There is something profound going on here. Longfellow discovered something important about the nature of the kingdom of God. In the midst of his despair, he was tempted to become bitter and hard; but he looked deeper, and right in the midst of his grief, he found the presence and peace of God.

ILLUS. (Read a few Christmas cards received this year from people who have experienced trouble or are in the middle of grief. They are discovering the same secret that Longfellow found: the peace and presence of God in the middle of grief or trouble.)

CONCLUSION

This is the point. The King of Peace is here. In the final day, there will be no more war, no death, no sadness. But in the meantime, we live in a fallen, broken world. But hear this, people of God. In and through the midst of the brokenness of this world—Immanuel—God is with us. Right in the middle of all the trouble we discover the presence and peace of God.

ILLUS. So, when you listen to the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and hear the evening news in the background, I’d like to offer a different conclusion than what Simon and Garfunkel came to. Rather than the message of "Silent Night" being drowned out, listen closely; if all you hear is the news report, you’re not listening closely enough. Listen closely; you will hear the sounds of the Kingdom—the presence and peace of God in the midst of the trouble.

The Joy of Giving
by Ron Benefiel
Matt. 1:21

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Third Sunday of Advent

INTRO

The Christmas season is here. We gripe about some of it—traffic, long lines, busy schedule—but it really is a special season, isn’t it? There are even brief moments of goodwill that peek through at us. If someone is rude, our response might be, "Well, Merry Christmas to you too." The implication is that somehow at Christmas things are supposed to be different. People are expected to be friendlier, more helpful, more giving.

I. CHRISTMAS—THE SEASON OF GIVING

A. There is a spirit of giving at Christmas. Most of the year it seems that people are thinking about what they want to get for themselves.

ILLUS. John Wesley said, "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can." But for most people the motto seems to sound more like, "Earn all you can, save all you can, keep all you can."

B. But then along comes Christmas, and the norms and expectations of our culture all seem to change, at least for a short time.

ILLUS. Employers are giving Christmas bonuses. Are these the same people you worked for all year long?

ILLUS. Parents buying presents for their children. It is intriguing to watch a mom, or dad, or grandparents buying Christmas presents for their young children or grandchildren. It is as though in the shopping they have a certain sense of anticipation of the surprise and joy that they expect their children will have on Christmas morning when they unwrap the carefully selected presents. Of course, when it finally comes time to open the packages, the kids end up playing in the cardboard boxes the gifts came in while the dads and granddads play with the toys.

ILLUS. People give to their favorite charities at Christmas. For most charitable organizations this is by far their best month of the year, both for contributions and for volunteer work. Some of the giving is for end of the year tax purposes, of course. But there is more to it than tax write-offs, isn’t there? People are in more of a giving spirit at Christmas, aren’t they?

C. But after Christmas, the "spirit of giving" stops. The crazy thing about all this is that the day after Christmas—WHAM. It’s over. Something changes. Everybody goes back to normal. Employers bring out their driving whips. People quit giving to charities. It’s uncanny—as though someone turns the switch, and the goodwill stops flowing.

D. Christmas giving is largely cultural. It is not that giving at Christmas is insincere, it is just that it is cultural. It is what we do in December. It is a part of the way we think—part of living in our society.

ILLUS. Giving at Christmas. "Oh, it is time to start giving again." "It’s time for a little extra goodwill." "Time to again remember the needs of the poor." Great. I love the spirit of giving at Christmas, don’t you? But then it is gone.

E. Generally, we are a selfish society. Since we live in this society, we know what giving is like, but we also know what not giving is like. If at Christmas we see a spirit of giving, the rest of the year we see something more like a spirit of hoarding. We have earned the title "the selfish society." We know some of the joy, freedom, and meaning of giving, but we are more familiar with the bondage of selfishness. In our country there is a great deal of poverty in the midst of our plenty.

ILLUS. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge is all too real. At some point those who live in a selfish society look at their own lives and discover a lack of meaning. Essentially, our selfishness turns us into miserable people.

II. Christmas—The Season of Receiving

A. Matt. 1:21 (the angel of the Lord to Joseph): "You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."

B. Jesus saving His people from their sins means we can be saved from our selfishness. Part of what it means to be saved from our sins is that we are saved from ourselves. It means we are saved from the bondage of our selfishness. We are saved from our self-preoccupation. As Christians we have the great privilege of discovering the great truth that God’s plan for us is not just that we would have a season of giving, but that we would become in Christ Jesus giving people, full of His love for the people of the world around us.

C. Christ did not come so we could have Christmas. He came that we might know what it is to be Christian. He didn’t come that we might have gifts. He came that we might become giving people.

D. On being giving people. So, long after Christmas is over and the rest of the world has retreated to the everyday self-centeredness of life, as followers of Jesus our giving has just begun. For the Christian, the spirit of giving is not just giving of our money and our time, it is the giving of ourselves. As Jesus has freely given himself to us, we are all called to give ourselves back to Him. And in so doing, we discover that the way He wants us to give back to Him is to give ourselves away to the things of the Kingdom, to the people of God (our family and the church), to the poor and broken of our world.

ILLUS. When Good Friday and Easter come along, we are still giving and loving as we remember that Jesus died for our sins and brings to us abundant life, life eternal. When Independence Day comes along, we are still giving as we remember that we serve the King of Kings and that our lives have been completely committed to Him. When Thanksgiving comes along, we are still giving as we remember that everything we have is God’s, and all we hope to be in Him can only be a result of His grace.

E. Christians giving at Christmas. And that brings us back to Christmas again. And here at Christmas, as people who are being changed by God’s grace into giving people, we discover that even the cultural symbols of Christmas can be symbols for us of following Christ.

ILLUS. As Christians, why do we give each other gifts at Christmas? I don’t know what you tell your kids, but in our household we understand that it is Jesus’ birthday. In honor of His birthday we give gifts to each other. I think this is actually rather profound. It is not just what Christmas is about, it is what Christ is about. Because of Jesus our lives are changed. As He has dealt with our fundamental sinful selfishness, our life focus is redirected. We become by His power people committed to love, to the well-being of others. We become more sensitive to the needs of those around us. So that giving gifts to others is a wonderful symbol to celebrate His birth. Of course, we naturally turn this into conspicuous consumption. And most of our giving is to our children or those we expect to receive from. But perhaps giving at Christmas for us as Christians could be—should be—more giving to those in need.

ILLUS. The First Church of the Nazarene in Los Angeles (pastored by Phineas Bresee as the founding church of the denomination) was well known for its commitment to the poor all year long. In addition to what they did throughout the year, at Christmas they would take a special offering for those in need in their community.

ILLUS. Where do we get the idea of Santa Claus? Who was the first Santa Claus? Saint Nicholas, of course. Actually, he was the bishop of Myra, somewhere in Turkey, early in the fourth century. He was a preacher. He was a man who understood the importance of bringing God’s love to others. There are many stories, of course, and it is a bit difficult to separate fact from fiction, but most of the stories have to do with his giving, usually in secret, often to the poor, mostly food and clothes. Sometimes to poor children he would bring toys. We don’t know much more about him, just that he loved Jesus and he loved people—oh, and he died as a Christian martyr.

CONCLUSION

So, here it is Christmas again. And all the culture around us is celebrating the season of goodwill, the season of giving. But for those of us who are followers of Christ, this is not just a season of giving, it is a call to be loving and giving people. It is a time to celebrate the fact that God has done a transforming work in saving us from our sins, saving us from our selfishness, saving us from ourselves. So, when we give presents to our children, to each other, and to those in need this Christmas, let it be more than a gift exchange. Let it be more than cultural tradition. Let it be the celebration of the King of Peace. And when you see the jolly man in red, remember Saint Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, a man of God who loved people, cared for those in need, preached the gospel, and laid down his life for the faith.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

First Sunday of January

INTRO

Happy New Year!

What an exciting time this is—the changing of the millennium. Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? Here’s my list: Lose weight, spend more time with my family, accomplish more in the office, get up an hour earlier every morning so I can spend more time in prayer, get more exercise, spend more time reading, spend more time with friends, start using dental floss, write a book, and—take life easier.

Actually, this is a list from three years ago. I’m not sure what it says about me, but it still works for this year. It has become obvious to me that I’m not going to get around to everything on my list. I suspect that even if there were 30 hours in a day and 10 days in a week, I would still end up with pretty much the same list of New Year’s resolutions. One of the things I am discovering about my resolutions and good intentions—they don’t often seem to change things. What I have especially noticed about my resolutions and good intentions is that they don’t seem to change me a whole lot.

ILLUS. Recently I got a call from the Los Angeles Times, asking me to be one of the clergy respondents to a column on ethical and religious issues. The question we were each asked to respond to was: "Only a few days remain before the end of the year. What are the most relevant New Year’s resolutions we can make for the world in the New Year? What can we do individually to help make them come true?"

How would you answer the question (in 115 words or less)? I realized that my New Year’s resolutions list didn’t really help me much in responding to the question. So I had to start from scratch. After thinking about it for a while, I wrote something like this:

I’m not sure that in my 115 words I was able to express it very well, but the idea is that, as a follower of Jesus, I am not called to promise to try harder and do better. But rather, what I must do day by day is draw closer to Jesus. Everything else in my life all revolves around His Lordship in my life.

I. ABIDE IN CHRIST

A. "I am the true vine" (v. 1). In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper. They are now gathered around the table as Jesus gives His final discourse to the disciples. Hear again these words from Jesus: "I am the vine; you are the branches" (v. 5). In the minds of the disciples the image of the vine was symbolic of Israel. Jesus is saying, "You have always thought of Israel as the vine of God. I am the true vine, the new Israel, the chosen One of God, the way through which God is revealing himself to the world. And you are the branches. You are part of Me, and as a result, you are participating with what God is doing in the world."

B. We are the branches in the vine. Think about a vine with its branches. The branches, because they are in the vine, are nourished—sustained—by their life in the vine. They have life because they are part of the life-giving vine.

ILLUS. We have a grapevine in our backyard. If you break off a branch and throw it on the ground, what happens? The branch withers up and dies. It is only sustained as it is connected to the vine. Jesus says to His disciples—to us as His followers—we are in Him, like the branches are part of a vine. And further, His Spirit is in us, the life-giving presence of God is in us. Apart from our life in Christ, we shrivel up and die in our souls. But when we are in Him and His Spirit is in us, we know life, the life of God in us.

C. Abiding in Christ. The word "abide" (KJV) (or "remain") keeps popping up here (see vv. 4-7). The word means "to live in, to have a permanent residence in." This is a wonderful word for describing our relationship with Christ. We have decided to live our lives, to make our homes in Christ, and His Spirit takes up permanent residence in us. So that being in Him means we are at home in Him. It means there is fellowship, communion, intimacy with Him. It means that we are one with Him spiritually.

II. BEAR FRUIT

A. Bearing fruit. Verse 5 says that if we abide in Him, we will bear fruit. Bearing fruit is the natural result of abiding in Jesus.

B. The fruit of the vine. What is the fruit Jesus is talking about here?

1. One thought is that it is a way of talking about evangelism. Either a healthy Christian abiding in Christ or a healthy Christian fellowship in Christ has the natural result of reproducing itself, bearing fruit. This is an important way to understand this passage.

2. A second way to think about a Christian’s bearing fruit has to do with our Christian character. In this sense, the fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. When we abide in Him and His Spirit abides in us, our lives change. The character of Christ begins to show itself in us. Referring again to Paul’s words in Gal. 5, he says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (5:22-23).

Jesus’ words to us are that when we abide in Him and His Spirit abides in us, we will be fruitful, full of Christ and His character. And it will happen naturally, just like a vine producing grapes.

I think it is a great frustration for many people who see true Christianity in the lives of other people and like what they see. They come to the place where they decide they want the character of Christ in their own lives, so they begin to try to live it on their own. But it doesn’t seem to work for them. It doesn’t seem to be true in their lives. They become frustrated and discouraged. They ask why it seems to be so real and meaningful for other people, but not for them. So they try harder. They make new resolutions about all they are going to do. They try harder to be all they think they are supposed to be. But it just isn’t there. There is no life of Christ in them to produce fruit. It is the picture of trying to be Christian without abiding in Christ. Verse 4 says, "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine."

III. WELCOME PRUNING

God prunes the vine. These verses also give us a picture of God as the gardener. He looks at the vine carefully and then begins to clip. Anything that is not of Him is cut away. Any impurity or immorality is cut away. Any selfishness or worldliness is cut away. Anything that hinders our relationship with Him, that gets in the way of His abiding in us, is all cut away. And the process continues until we are completely pruned.

ILLUS. The ancient’s word for pruning was "cleansing." As we abide in Him and His Spirit abides in us, there is a pruning, a cleansing, that takes place in our lives.

As we learn to abide in Him, we begin to learn to trust Him, to surrender ourselves into His hands. We learn obedience before Him as we release ourselves into the hands of the Gardener. And we discover that He takes good care of the vine. If I understand what Jesus is saying in this passage, we can only know the life and fruit that results from abiding in Christ when we surrender ourselves completely into the hands of God.

ILLUS. Picture of God pruning us. And as He prunes, His Holy Spirit begins to probe the depths of our souls and says, "This is good, it can stay, we can build on this—but this, this must go. It’s a hindrance. It will only hold you back. It will keep you from being fruitful. This must go." And our response is to say, "No, not that. I’m so attached to that." But just as often our response is one of relief, to finally be able to let it go:

to let go of the sin that binds us;

to let go of the preoccupations that divert us;

to let go of the meaningless things that clutter our lives.

What a relief—just let it go. Releasing ourselves into the hands of God. Holding nothing back. Protecting nothing from His scrutiny. Exposing our innermost souls to His blinding light and cleansing fire. What a wonderful thing to open our lives to the living God.

What does God want to prune in your life? Whatever pruning is in your life—let it go. Don’t be afraid. God loves you. You can trust Him.

CONCLUSION

When we abide in Christ, there is life in our souls. Bearing fruit is the natural result of abiding in Him. We can only know the life and fruit that results from abiding in Christ when we surrender ourselves completely into the hands of God. As we begin this new millennium, let this be your resolve: Abide in Christ.

Invitation to come to the Lord’s table.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Second Sunday of January

INTRO

Think with me for a few minutes about the gospel story. Two thousand years ago, God became man in Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin in a small town in Judea. He lived and taught and performed many miracles over a three-year ministry. He was crucified like a common criminal and rose from the dead. If we believe in Him, we are saved from our sins, reconciled with God, and given eternal life. What a wonderful story. In some ways, however, isn’t it a story that is somewhat hard to believe?

I. THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE CROSS AND THE WISDOM
OF GOD (1:18-25)

A. The foolishness of the Cross. "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1:18).

Paul says that many will consider our faith to be foolishness. Think about the word foolishness. It is a humbling word, isn’t it? It conjures up images of child’s play, kid stuff, things not worth our consideration. When Paul says that those who do not believe and are perishing consider the message of the Cross to be foolishness, we find that disturbing. The cross of Christ is a lot of things, but it certainly is not foolishness.

B. The Cross is the power of God unto salvation. But listen as Paul continues. He says that to those who are being saved, the Cross is the power of God that leads us to our salvation. The Cross is at the core of our faith. It may not always make sense to everyone, but we believe it is the truth of God. And for those who believe, Paul says, it is our salvation.

C. Jews and Gentiles (1:22-25). Paul says that Jews, in their search for God, looked for signs. Jewish history is full of signs from God: the parting of the Red Sea, the falling of the walls of Jericho, the day the sun stood still. According to Paul, this is what the Jews looked for to know that something was from God. Paul says that Greeks, in their search for God, looked for wisdom. Their models were Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. They looked for something that was logical and rational. But, Paul says, "We preach Christ crucified" (v. 23). To the Jews, this is a stumbling block. They would look at the Cross and say, "What kind of sign is crucifixion?" For them, the Cross was a sign of failure and weakness. To the Greeks, the idea of believing in Christ and the power of the Cross was only foolishness.

D. But, Paul says, "To those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [and the Cross are] the power of God and the wisdom of God" (v. 24). Because "the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom [the Greek idea], and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength [the Jewish idea]" (v. 25). Do you see what Paul is saying here? What appears to be foolishness, isn’t. What appears to be weakness, isn’t. God’s ways—His thoughts, His wisdom, His strength—are beyond our grasp and our reason.

II. GOD BUILDS HIS CHURCH ON US (1:26-29)

A. Paul takes a sudden shift in the discussion at this point and goes a very interesting direction with it. He says, "Speaking of foolishness, let’s talk about the nature of the Church for a minute. Look at us, there are not many of us who would really be considered wise or noble." Just as God works through the apparent foolishness and weakness of the Cross, He also has chosen to display His wisdom and power through the apparent weakness and foolishness of the Church. Here is this preposterous notion that God takes ordinary people who believe and who are gathered together in His name and through them accomplishes the work of the Kingdom.

B. The 12 disciples. What do you think of when you hear the names of Peter, Andrew, John, James, and the other disciples? Perhaps you think of great cathedrals named after them with huge, awe-inspiring stained-glass windows. From the looks of some of those cathedrals, those must have been unusually gifted men, exceptional people. Way up here somewhere, not down here with the rest of us. But let’s take a closer look.

ILLUS. Peter was loud and boisterous. He was seemingly always in trouble, and impulsive. (Think of the walking on water incident. And he declared his allegiance to Jesus only to deny Him three times.) James and John apparently were political and manipulative. (Think of their request to sit on Jesus’ left and right hand in glory.) Andrew isn’t mentioned much. He must have been one of those "behind the scenes" types. Thomas was a doubter. Need we say more? Matthew was a tax collector. Almost certainly had a terrible reputation in the community. The disciples were just ordinary guys who heard Jesus’ call to follow Him and stepped out and followed.

C. Jesus’ folly? Now you have to admit that it doesn’t seem very wise of Jesus to have picked such apparent losers. I think I might have selected people with connections and with influence, perhaps a few gladiators, maybe people who knew the king. But Jesus’ disciples were ordinary folks like you and me.

D. God’s ways are beyond our ways. God’s way is to take the ordinary and everyday stuff of life and through the ordinary, perform the extraordinary.

ILLUS. He took dust of the ground and created Adam.

ILLUS. Jesus took water and turned it into wine.

ILLUS. He took a boy’s lunch, broke it, and fed 5,000 people.

E. This is not our way of doing things. We would prefer to go with something we can count on—something more substantial and sure.

ILLUS. There is a story of a little boy who was coming home from Sunday School with his family. In the car, his mother asked him what he had learned in Sunday School. He replied that the teacher had talked about Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. His mother then asked him to tell the story. To which he replied, "Well, it happened like this. Moses was leading the people out of Egypt, and the Egyptian armies were following them. When they got to the Red Sea, Moses called out his construction battalion to build a big bridge. Then the people walked across the bridge to the other side. When they were all safe, Moses saw the Egyptian tanks coming after them across the bridge. So he got on his radio and called for an air strike. Then Israel’s jet fighters came up over the horizon and bombed the bridge and wiped out the whole Egyptian army." His mother looked at him with an appropriate measure of disbelief and said, "Is that really what your Sunday School teacher taught you?" To which the little boy looked down and replied, "No, but if I told the story the way she told it, you’d never believe me." God’s ways are beyond our ways.

F. God builds His Church on ordinary people like you and me. God’s plan is not to build His Church on the rich and famous of the world, but on ordinary folks like you and me. In fact, God does not even need the rich and famous. He has all the power in the universe at His disposal. He does not need our abilities to make it happen for Him. God’s way is to reveal His power in and through us. You see, if God would have chosen just the wealthy and powerful, the elite of the world, then when the Church was established or the kingdom of God advanced in some way, the people could say, "Look what we have done for God." But since He builds the Kingdom on ordinary folks like us, then when something happens—when people’s lives are changed, when there are miracles in the church, when the Kingdom is advanced—we know it must be God. For we know we are just ordinary folks. It can’t be a result of our abilities. It must be Him.

ILLUS. In the story of Gideon’s army, twice God told Gideon he had too many warriors. When the few men who went to battle won, they knew the victory was God’s.

So here we are. Look around. It’s just us in all our weakness, brokenness, and sometimes foolishness. We are not the haves. When it comes to the great calling of building God’s Church, we are not smart enough, strong enough, or rich enough. But God does not depend on our strength. He is not impressed with the influence and power we have to offer Him. He is not as much interested in our abilities as in our availability—our obedience, our surrender, our willingness to submit to His Lordship. He is more interested in our willingness to respond to Him, to look to Him, and to depend upon Him.

ILLUS. Moses before the burning bush. Moses says to God, "Who am I that I should go before Pharaoh? That’s too much for me. You’ve got the wrong man for this job. (You need someone more like Charlton Heston.)" But God said to Moses, "Go, and I will be with you."

CONCLUSION

Where there are people who are willing to submit in humility and surrender to God, who want nothing more and nothing less than to be God’s people, completely committed and dependent upon Him, that is where God’s power and wisdom are evidenced. Among such people, the kingdom of God is present, people’s lives are transformed, people are called to serve in the Kingdom, the Church is strengthened, and God is glorified.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Third Sunday of January

INTRO

Many of you have vivid memories of what you were before you came to the Lord. You remember how far you were from God. You remember how hopelessly lost you were. In the opening verses of this chapter, Paul is reminding the Ephesians of their condition prior to receiving the Lord. He reminds them that they were "dead in [their] transgressions and sins" (v. 1). He reminds them that when they "followed the ways of this world," they were in bondage to "the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (v. 2). Paul’s picture of sin is one of hopelessness and despair. And then these words, "But God" (v. 4, KJV). What wonderful words of hope. You were lost in your sins, but God. You were without hope, "but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved" (vv. 4-5). Most of us here know what Paul is talking about. We know what it means to be forgiven. We were hopeless and lost, but "God raised us up" (v. 6, emphasis added).

I. WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

We are reconciled to God. Paul picks up the theme in verses 12-14. He again reminds the Ephesians that before they came to the Lord, they were "separate from Christ . . . without hope and without God in the world" (v. 12). And here it is again: but God. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (v. 13). Paul is saying to the Ephesians, Remember who you were. Remember what God has done. You were lost, and now you are found; blind, but now you see. You have been reconciled to God. Reconciled to God—what does that mean? Reconciliation means "to cause to cease hostility or opposition." It means "to make good again."

II. WE HAVE PEACE WITH OTHERS

A. There is brokenness and alienation in our relationships. Go back again in this passage, beginning with verse 11. Paul asks the Ephesians to remember that before they were in Christ, they were not only at odds with God but also at odds with each other. And for many of us, brokenness was not just something that described our relationship with God; broken relationships described our whole life. Remember, he says, speaking to the Gentile Ephesians, you were called "the uncircumcision" by the Jews (v. 11, RSV). You were labeled as being "unclean" (TLB) and not suitable to associate with.

ILLUS. Jews and Gentiles had very deep divisions and conflicts. Jews could not touch or be touched by a Gentile. Intermarriage was strictly forbidden. Even Gentile converts to Judaism were considered to be second class. Obviously, there was a great deal of discrimination between the two groups.

Unfortunately there are too many similar examples in our world today.

ILLUS. Spencer Perkins (Christianity Today, 1994): "Somewhere we’ve got this notion that reconciliation is optional—that it is okay for us to witness to the unbelieving world a gospel that is too weak to bridge racial barriers. . . . For centuries, we have announced proudly to the rest of the world that Jesus . . . is the answer for the world. Maybe we should add a disclaimer that says, 'with the exception of race and culture.’"

B. We are to be reconciled with one another. In the kingdom of God, this [paragraph above] is not the way it is supposed to be. God is calling us to something much greater than broken relationships, prejudice, and alienation. Look again at Paul’s words to the Ephesians: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (v. 13). In this verse, Paul is talking not only about the Ephesians’ relationship with God but also about their relationship with each other. Specifically, he is talking about the relationship in the Church between Jews and Gentiles. Look at what he has to say next: "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (v. 14).

ILLUS. What is this barrier, this "dividing wall of hostility" Paul is referring to? The Jewish Temple had a series of courtyards or walled-off places. Inside the Temple was the most sacred of places, the holy of holies, which was entered only once a year by the high priest. Outside the holy of holies was an area where only the priests could enter in, performing their priestly duties. Outside the Temple there was a courtyard, the courtyard of the men of Israel. Beyond that was the courtyard for Jewish women. And finally, out beyond that there was a courtyard for Gentiles. Signs were posted in several languages warning Gentiles not to enter at the risk of losing their life.

Paul says to the Ephesians and to all of us that the Church of Jesus Christ is not like that. He is our peace. He has made both groups—all groups who come together in His name—into one Body of Christ; there are to be no distinctions between people. All the Keep Out signs are to be taken down. There is to be no distinction between Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female, Latino and Korean, Black and White, rich and poor, powerful and powerless. God has done a new thing in Jesus Christ. Our lives were full of division, hatred, and animosity. But Christ on the Cross has taken into himself the hatred and animosity. He is our reconciliation with God and with each other. He is our peace.

ILLUS. A few years ago there was a young Korean college student who was a leader in student Christian affairs at the University of Pennsylvania. One day while walking to the corner to mail a letter to his parents, he came face-to-face with a street gang—11 leather-jacketed teenage boys. For no apparent reason, they jumped him, beat him up, and left him in the street. There he died. The 11 boys were picked up. The district attorney secured legal authority to try them as adults and with the possibility of the death penalty. Soon after, the following letter came to the judge in the case from Korea. It was signed by the parents and 20 other relatives of the boy who died. "Our family has met together, and we have decided to petition that the most generous treatment possible within the laws of your government be given to those who have committed this criminal action. . . . In order to give evidence of our sincere hope contained in this petition, we have decided to save money to start a fund to be used for the religious, educational, vocational, and social guidance of the boys when they are released. . . . We have dared to express our hope with a spirit received from the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins."

When we look at the Cross, we remember what God has done. We remember how we have been forgiven. We are again aware of our own sin and unworthiness. We remember that we have been reconciled to God in Christ Jesus. And there at the foot of the Cross, we see Christ taking in himself our sin and hatred and prejudice. And there we hear Him say to us, "As I have forgiven you, forgive one another. Peace!"

III. WE HAVE UNITY WITH EACH OTHER

A. Christ has made us into one new man (vv. 15-16). Peace is one thing, but unity is still another. What Christ has done in this goes beyond peaceful coexistence; He makes us into one new, united body. There are two words for "new" in the Greek. One means "new in time" (e.g., I have a new suit); the other means "qualitatively new"—a whole new thing, something we have not seen before. The word used here is the latter one. He has made the two of us into one new man, the Body of Christ, a brand-new creation in Christ Jesus.

B. The nature of our relationships in the Church is something the world has never seen before. Those who were separated and alienated by race, ethnicity, social class, or by anger, bitterness, and jealousy have been brought together in Christ Jesus.

ILLUS. Picture in your minds people seated around a table where the Lord’s Supper is being offered. Look at the different people who are seated at the table: yuppies and tweeners and old-timers, Black and White and Latino and Korean, young and old, men and women, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, educated and illiterate, Baptist and Presbyterian and Lutheran and Catholic and Foursquare and Nazarene, the hurt and angry, the obnoxious and insensitive, the gentle and caring, and the lonely and afraid.

CONCLUSION

God has done a new thing in establishing the Church. He has taken the distance, the barrier of the dividing walls, the sin of our unforgiveness, into His own body on the Cross. He calls us to look at the Cross, to accept His forgiveness, to forgive one another, and to be one in Him. I think even now I can hear Him say to us, "Let the walls come down."

Matt. 4:1-11

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Fourth Sunday of January

(Note: I am indebted to the preaching of Reuben Welch in 
this series of messages on the temptations of Christ.)

INTRO

What is your earliest memory? Perhaps of a car or a home you used to live in. Maybe your mother or father. What do you suppose was Jesus’ earliest memory? When do you suppose He began to understand who He really was, that He was the Messiah, the Son of God? Surely not as a baby. Maybe He began to know that He had a unique mission when as a boy He was left in Jerusalem and ended up discussing theology with the teachers in the Temple. But the awareness of who He really was must have dawned gradually. There must have been a growing sense of the hand of God on His life. A sense of direction and calling, and yet, a sense of uncertainty as well. What a preposterous idea, that He was the Messiah. Could it actually be? How would He know for sure?

The day Jesus was baptized must have been a very significant day for Him in knowing that He was the Chosen One of God. His cousin, John the Baptist, was preaching in the wilderness. Jesus came to him to be baptized. And as He was baptized the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended on Him in the form of a dove, and the voice of God out of heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17, KJV). If there were any doubts in Jesus’ mind who He was, they must have certainly been gone now.

I. JESUS IS LED INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED

A. Imagine Jesus after His baptism experience. The Luke account says He went out from there here into the wilderness "full of the Holy Spirit" (4:1). But then there was another experience waiting for Him. Immediately after His baptism, Matt. 4:1 says He was "led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."

B. Tempted by God? How do you make sense of a passage like this? How can it be that He was led by God "into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" (NASB)? Is it possible that God would intentionally lead any of us into a situation in which we are tempted? James tells us that God never leads anyone into temptation. "When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone" (1:13). To understand what is going on in this passage, it is helpful to examine the Greek word used here for "tempt." It is the word perazein, which literally means "to test, to try, or to prove." This word is especially used in Scripture when God is helping people understand His call to obedience, sometimes in preparation for a great task ahead.

C. Tested and prepared by God (Deut. 8:1-6). The people of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for nearly 40 years. As they were about to enter the Promised Land, God spoke to them words that would help prepare them for what was ahead. Essentially, God says to them, "Remember how some of the days in the wilderness were tough? Remember how there were times when you did not know where your food or water would come from? All of that was for a purpose. You are now headed into the Promised Land. There are great things ahead for you, but you needed to learn to trust Me, to listen and be obedient to My voice. These years in the wilderness have been years of preparation."

II. JESUS IS STRENGTHENED BY THE WORD

Jesus lives by the Word of God.

Now, let’s go back to Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted. When we think of being tempted as being tested and prepared, the passage begins to come alive. In verse 2, the Scripture says that Jesus fasted 40 days and nights. Even the number of days of fasting appears to have significance in this story.

ILLUS. The number 40 was repeatedly used in the Old Testament as a number for probation or preparation. Consider the following examples:

1. Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.

2. Moses fasted 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments.

3. Elijah fasted 40 days in preparation for the last part of his ministry.

And now in this passage, we have Jesus after having just been baptized—commissioned for His ministry—immediately being led into the wilderness to be tested, prepared for what was ahead. And after 40 days of fasting, He was still tested further, this time not by God to bring out the best in Him, but this time tested by Satan to bring Him down.

III. JESUS IS TEMPTED TO USE ABILITY 
FOR SELFISH PURPOSES

A. "If you are the Son of God . . ." (v. 3). "If." What a huge word this is here. Apparently, much of what Jesus is in the process of coming to understand is that He is, in fact, the Son of God. Just when the affirmation of the baptism experience has confirmed His understanding that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, Satan comes along and plants some doubts: "If . . . if . . . if . . . you are the Son of God . . ."

B. Satan sometimes attacks at the point of our weakness and vulnerability. I suppose this comes under the category of Satan attacking at the point of our weakness, just where we are most vulnerable. Just as we think we are making progress, there is Satan muddying the water.

ILLUS. Remember times of spiritual commitment and assurance at youth camp? Inevitably the following week is a downer.

C. "Since you are the Son of God . . ."

A second way to possibly understand this first temptation of Jesus is not Satan attacking at the point of weakness, but actually at the point of Jesus’ strength. In this way of interpreting the story, Satan’s words were only temptation because Jesus actually had the power to turn the stones into bread. (Remember the feeding of the 5,000?) If Jesus did not have the power to turn the stones into bread, it would have been no temptation at all.

ILLUS. I do not have this particular gift of turning stones into bread. So it never has been much of a temptation for me to try. On the other hand, as Reuben Welch said, "I do have some experience at turning bread into stones." So this can also be understood as Satan attacking at the point of Jesus’ strengths. In fact, there is some evidence in the text that the word "if" here may be better understood as "since"—"since you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread."

D. Satan sometimes attacks at the point of our strengths. The temptation, then, would have been to use the power that was His as the Son of God for things other than what God intended. In this case, the temptation was to step beyond the direction and leading of the Father and use the power that He had over nature to fulfill His own personal needs and desires. The temptation is to use God-given abilities for self-driven purposes.

E. Satan tempts us to misuse our God-given drives. In this passage, Jesus is faced with satisfying His hunger. But in this case, He is tempted to take the matter into His own hands apart from dependence upon the Father. This is exactly opposite of everything He has been learning. It is contrary to the whole point of being prepared in the wilderness.

If the time in the wilderness has been a time of testing and preparation, a time of learning to depend completely upon the Father, then to come to the end of that time and use His ability to meet His own need apart from the dependence upon God would be out of the direction and leading of God. The point is that God would provide.

IV. JESUS IS VICTORIOUS OVER TEMPTATION

Jesus resists the temptation. So, what did Jesus do? How did He resist the temptation of Satan? He quoted Scripture, of course. Rather than facing Satan alone, He turned to the Word. He called upon the Father.

ILLUS. There is the story of a little girl who was asked what she did when she was tempted. She said, "When Satan comes knocking at the door of my heart, I send Jesus to answer the door. When Satan sees Jesus, he says, 'Oops, I’m sorry, I must have the wrong house.’"

And when Jesus quoted Scripture, what passage did He quote? Well, the one we talked about earlier. The one about the children of Israel in the wilderness being tested by God before being led into the Promised Land. Listen to the third verse of Deut. 8 once again: "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know . . . that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord" (NASB, emphasis added). In responding like this, He is saying to Satan, "I trust the Father completely. I will not take matters into My own hands beyond His will. You say I might die if I don’t eat. I do not need to live; I only need to trust and obey the Father.

CONCLUSION

How does Satan tempt you? At the point of your weakness? When you are down or discouraged, there He is with questions: "If . . . if . . . if . . . you are a Christian." Or is it at the point of your abilities and God-given drives that temptation comes to you? The temptation to take matters into your own hands. To misuse the abilities God has given you, or to fulfill God-given needs in ways God has not intended or ordained. Whatever the point of your temptation, hear the Word of the Lord: "Man cannot live on bread alone but lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deut. 8:3, neb).

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Fifth Sunday of January

INTRO

Briefly review the account of the first temptation

I. THE SECOND TEMPTATION (VV. 5-7)

A. The tempter took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple. It was the place that people looked to every morning when at sunrise a priest stood there and blew a trumpet. Satan chooses this place for the next temptation.

B. Satan tempted Jesus by quoting Scripture (Ps. 91:11-12). Paraphrase: "Isn’t God true to His word? This is what the Word says: If You are the Son of God, angels will catch You. They won’t even allow You to bruise Your foot. So, if You are the Son of God, why don’t You just throw yourself down and let God’s angels catch You?"

ILLUS. Climbing up some steep place and jumping off in hopes that the angels will catch me is not a great temptation for me personally. I’m a backpacker. I love to hike up the back side of great mountains. Half Dome in Yosemite is one of my favorites. Many times I have hiked up the trail and then peeked over on the other side. There is even a rock that juts out about 6 feet with absolutely nothing under it for about 4,000 feet. It is quite a thrill to look out over the edge, but I have never had the urge to just "let her fly" and jump off the edge. This is not one of the things I am tempted to do. So it makes me wonder why jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple could have been even a remote temptation for Jesus.

C. Satan was probably tempting Jesus at two different points.

1. If there were any lingering doubts in His mind as to whether or not He really was the Messiah, this would have provided the perfect opportunity to put those doubts to rest. After all, hadn’t God promised that angels would be watching over the Messiah? If there were doubts, this offered a quick and easy test. If He was the Messiah and jumped, the angels would be there for Him. If He was not the Messiah, it would end the debate.

2. This notion of jumping from the Temple with angels catching Him before He hit the ground was an opportunity to announce to the whole world that the Messiah had come, that He was the Promised One. In fact, the idea has a basis in Scripture. Malachi 3:1 says, "The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple" (NASB). Several would-be Messiahs had tried to prove that they were the Anointed One with some great miracle.

ILLUS. Theudas had led his followers out into the wilderness with the promise that at his word the Jordan would part (see Acts 5:36).

ILLUS. An Egyptian guru had promised that at his word he would lay flat the walls of Jerusalem (see Acts 21:38).

ILLUS. Simon Magus is said to have died as a result of a fall he took while trying to show his power by trying to fly (see Acts 8:9-24).

D. Satan tempted Jesus to put God to the test.

ILLUS. Picture Satan as he tempts Jesus with the words: "If You really are the Son of God, doesn’t it make sense that of all people in history God could be counted on to come through for You? This is a great opportunity for You to get rid once and for all of any self-doubts and, at the same time, show to the world who You are. So go ahead, put God to the test. After all, hasn’t He been testing You these past 40 days in the wilderness?"

Thesis: The core issue in this temptation is one of Jesus putting God (the Father) to the test.

E. Jesus responded by quoting Scripture. A little bit of detective work gives us confidence that we are on the right track in interpreting what this temptation is all about. Jesus responds to the temptation also quoting Scripture (v. 7): "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’"

This is a quote taken from Deut. 6:16, which states, "Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah."

So, how did the people of Israel put God to the test at Massah? Well, the clues to that puzzle lead us back to Exod. 17:1-7. Verse 7 says, "And he named the place Massah [margin, test] and Meribah [margin, quarrel] because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, 'Is the Lord among us, or not?’" (NASB).

Picture the situation. The children of Israel were in the wilderness. God had led them out of Egypt with the help of the 10 plagues. He had parted the Red Sea to deliver them from the Egyptian army. He had provided His presence in the form of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He had rained down manna from heaven to feed them every morning. He gave them the Ten Commandments through Moses. "Is God with us? If He is, then make Him give us water to drink. Is God among us, or not? If He is, we want a miracle to prove it!"

F. Jesus refused to put God to the test. Do you see how all this fits together? This is essentially the same issue that Jesus was faced with. Israel was saying, "We are going to put God to the test. If He is really with us, He will do a miracle for us." Satan was saying to Jesus, "Put God to the test. If you really are the Messiah, He will do a miracle for you." And Jesus responded to Satan with a quote from Scripture, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God [as they did at Massah]" (RSV). Essentially Jesus responds to Satan by saying that it is wrong to put God to the test, and He will not do it. Don’t even ask the question, "Is God with us?" Don’t try to put God in a box and somehow try to force His hand to do a miracle on your behalf.

II. FAITH AND PRESUMPTION

A. There is a fine line between faith and presumption.

1. Faith is believing in God and placing your trust in Him. It is acting in obedience to His call even if you are unsure of the outcome.

2. Presumption is putting God to the test. Sometimes faith gets twisted around a bit and sounds something like this: "God is bound by His Word, so I am going to claim this passage and put God to the test." This is not faith.

ILLUS. When we pray for people to be healed, sometimes we fall into the trap of saying, "Just believe God for a miracle." We call it "stepping out on faith." And it takes some unusual turns along the way, like claiming we are healed, refusing to go to doctors, quitting taking prescribed medicine, giving public testimonies about being healed when there are no indications of healing—all in the name of faith.

ILLUS. With finances we often do something similar. We cross the line from faith into presumption and begin to say things like, "Believe God’s Word is true, and put Him to the test. He will bless those who are His own. Since He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and since you are one of His children, doesn’t it make sense that He would want you to participate in wealth of His creation? The only thing that keeps you from having everything you need and want is your own limited faith. You can have as much as you believe God for."

B. It is far too easy to cross the line from faith to presumption. Some of us have crossed the line without even knowing it. We have moved from abiding, listening, surrendering, and obeying into the arena of dictating to God what we expect Him to do. We spend a great deal of time and energy trying to build a logical case from Scripture as to how God is bound to do a miracle on our behalf. Just like the people of Israel at Massah. Just like Satan tempting Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple. The temptation of presuming upon God is the temptation to put God in a box. It is the temptation to force His hand to act. It is to say to Him, "If You are God, You will do this."

C. But did it not work for the people of Israel? Did they not put God to the test, and He came through for them? They got their water. But listen; there is still more to the story.

Psalm 95:8-11: "Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness; 'When your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they had seen My work. For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart, and they do not know My ways. Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest’" (NASB).

D. Beware of the sin of presumption. Listen to the word of the Lord: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." He is God. He is the sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving Creator of the Universe. It is the sin of presumption to try to force God into action. As Thomas Kelly wrote in Testament of Devotion, "He is always the initiator, we are always the responders." We can never trick, trap, or box God into a corner, for He alone is the Almighty, independently acting God. We have only the option and yet the great privilege of responding to His invitation to enter into a loving, caring, abiding relationship with Him:

E. We must be people of faith. Please don’t misunderstand; there is a great need for people of faith to act on that faith. There is a great need for people who are willing to step out in faith. But this is the key point: acting in faith is always in obedience to the direction of God in submission to His will. Out of a tender, caring life of abiding in Christ comes the call of God not to go along with the herd, but to act in obedience to the God who loves. Faith is always listening and obeying. It is never manipulative or demanding.

CONCLUSION

"Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Don’t ask the question, "Is God with us?" He is with us always. Learn to abide in His presence.

Search Me, O God
by Ron Benefiel
Ps. 139

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000_

Second Sunday of February

INTRO

A. Happy St. Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

A day of celebrating relationships. A day to create love. Aren’t personal relationships wonderful? Isn’t it wonderful to fall in love? To be in love? Aren’t relationships scary? Isn’t it scary to fall in love? To be in love?

ILLUS. Within most of us there is a certain fear of intimacy. A fear of being known. There is something way down deep in most of us that says, "If you know me, really know me, you won’t like me." Often this makes us a bit tentative when we are getting to know someone. "Protective" would be a good word to use here. Wanting to put our best foot forward. Reminding ourselves that first impressions count. Perhaps, as we develop a friendship, or a love relationship, wanting to break the bad news about us to them slowly.

ILLUS. I am a professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. Once a week, I meet for an hour and a half with a group of four other professors on campus. We talk about things you might expect—things happening on campus, our own teaching, writing and research projects, our families. We talk about theology, faith, and ethics. And we talk about us—our hopes, fears, dreams, failures. When we first decided to start meeting, we decided that our primary purpose in getting together was "to know and be known." Our relationships together have become very important and meaningful to each of us. There is a great deal of meaning in the intimacy of our relationships. We have also known that it can be very scary to be known by others—even by friends. There is a certain vulnerability that comes with being known.

B. We know intimacy and meaning in our relationships with one another. Is it possible that we can know intimacy and meaning in our relationship with God? I believe that is what Ps. 139 is all about—being known by God.

I. GOD KNOWS US (VV. 1-6, 13-16)

A. What a wonderful (incredible) thing it is to be known by God (vv. 1-6). Can you even imagine what this means, that we could be known by Almighty God, the Creator of the universe?

ILLUS. Every summer I spend a week backpacking in the back country of Yosemite National Park. I am always in awe of the majesty of God’s creation—especially the stars. In fact, I am so taken with the incredible view of the stars that I generally put my sleeping bag outside the tent with the bears in order to fall asleep each night gazing at the stars. In those moments, I am reminded again and again of the awesome power and genius of God. I am also aware of how incredibly insignificant I am by comparison. In such moments, it is amazing to me that I could ever be known by the God who created the stars. The psalmist’s words become my own: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me" (v. 6, NASB).

B. God knows us intimately (vv. 13-16). Verse 13 says that God formed our "inward parts" (NASB). The words literally mean "kidneys."

ILLUS. God made my kidneys. Something about that strikes me funny. He knows me so well that He knows me right down to my kidneys. God’s creative genius is at work in us even in the way our bodies work. He knows us completely, intimately. What a wonderful thing to be known by God—clear down to our kidneys.

C. What a terrifying thing it is to be known by God. Can you even imagine that Almighty God would know us—fully, intimately, completely know us?

ILLUS. This psalm is attributed to David. I think it is interesting to link this psalm with the life and life secrets of David. (Briefly review the story from 2 Sam. 1—12.) When Nathan looks at David and says to him, "You are the man!" David knows that he has been discovered. His sin has been found out. God, who knows him fully, has known everything from the start, and now David is confronted with the truth. He is known by God, and it is terrifying. It is also his salvation. For it is only as he is confronted with the truth about himself that he can be restored.

II. GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US (VV. 7-12)

A. There is nowhere to go apart from the presence of God (vv. 7-9). Not only does God know us, but also He is always with us. There is no place we can ever imagine going where God would not be there.

ILLUS. The picture comes to my mind of revival meetings in which I can still hear the evangelist preaching that there is nowhere to run from God. The picture in my mind is of the Judgment Day (Rev. 6:16-17) in which people cry out for the rocks to fall on them to escape the judgment of God—but alas, not even death is an escape from God. I can hear in my head the words to the old spiritual, "Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?" The point is, if you are trying to escape the presence of God, there is no escape—nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. For someone trying to run from God, this can be terrifying.

B. "God is there with us" is also our hope. The fact that God is everywhere, that He is always there with us, that He will never leave nor forsake us, is also our great hope. Think of it: there is nowhere you will ever go, no situation in which you will ever find yourself, in which God is not right there with you.

ILLUS. My wife and I have three kids—Leanne, who is 13; Robyn, 11; and Timothy, 8. We observe the ritual of bedtime prayers in our home, with either Janet or me going in beside each of them and praying with them before they go to sleep. I find myself coming back to a few words over and over again as I pray with my children. The words are usually something along this line: ". . . and help Leanne, Robyn, and Tim to remember that You love them, and that wherever they go, You will always, always, always be with them." I want my children to know deep down in their souls this truth. So that when difficulty comes—the crisis of faith, the trouble, the sin—they will remember this truth, that God is there with them.

C. His hand is upon us. Look again at verses 8-10. Verses 8-9 say that there is nowhere we could ever go apart from the presence of God—not heaven, hell, east, or west. Verse 10 says that even in the most remote place possible, God is right there with us. That His hand has a firm grasp on us.

ILLUS. Have you ever been in so much trouble that when you prayed, the prayer came out something like this: "O God, help me. Jesus, hold on to me." That is a picture here. It is the picture of Almighty God with a firm grasp on us in the midst of trouble.

Look on to verses 11-12. Even the darkness is not dark to God. He is still there in the darkness. He is God; the darkest night, the deepest trouble, do not deter Him. God is still right there.

ILLUS. When I think of trouble and darkness, I can think of some pretty awful things: concentration camps, cancer, war, divorce, abuse, sin. But this is the word from the Word—even in the middle of the darkness, God is right there. The darkness is not dark to Him. Darkness and light are the same to Him (see Rom. 8:35-39).

CONCLUSION

A. The Lord is here today.

He knows you, He is here with you. Imagine the Lord here right now.

B. What is your response to Him?

For some it may be:

1. "Oh no—I’m found out—I am undone. Like David—my sin is uncovered."

For others it may be:

2. "Where have You been? It has been so dark. I have been so afraid, so alone."

C. And we hear Him say to us, "I am here with you. I have always been here with you. Your darkness is not darkness to Me. I have My hand on you. I have always had My hand on you. Follow Me."

D. Read Ps. 139:23-24.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Third Sunday of February

INTRO

So, what do you know about Samaritans? Jews of Jesus’ day didn’t like them. There was, of course, the story of the Good Samaritan. And then there is this story about Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.

So, what do you know about Samaritans? Perhaps a bit of review would be helpful.

ILLUS. Brief review of Samaria. After the Assyrian conquest of the 10 northern tribes of Israel, the Assyrians deported most of the Jews who lived there, resettling them in other nations that had also fallen to the armies of Assyria, where they intermarried and were eventually assimilated into those other cultures. In the place of the deported Jews, the Assyrians brought other conquered people to live in the north of Israel. There were five groups of people in particular who were brought in by Assyrians to resettle the land. According to 2 Kings 17, lions attacked some of the newly arrived residents in the north. They then went to the Assyrian king and blamed the attack on "the god of the land." The king responded by sending a Jewish priest back to Samaria to teach the people the "custom of the god of the land" (v. 26, NASB). As a result, the newcomers embraced Judaism. But as it turned out, they still worshiped the gods they had brought with them into Israel. These were the people who became known as the Samaritans.

Years later, when the southern tribes were conquered by Babylon and sent into exile, they did not intermarry but retained their Jewish identity and worship. When the opportunity came for them to return and rebuild the Temple in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Samaritans offered to help. But the Jews of the Babylonian Exile who had retained their Jewish identity and who had remained faithful to Jehovah refused the offer. From that time on (about 450 B.C.), relations between the Jews and Samaritans were strained. There existed a deep animosity between them that persisted into the days of Jesus.

I. JESUS MEETS THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL

A. Telling the story

Jesus was journeying from Judea to Galilee. The direct route was through Samaria. Most Jews went around so they would not have to pass through Samaritan territory. Jesus chose to travel through Samaria. One day about noon, He came to a rest stop by a well, Jacob’s well. He was alone and undoubtedly tired from the journey. A woman from a nearby town came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Woman, give me a drink."

B. The response of the Samaritan woman. The woman was amazed at the fact that He, being a Jew, would even be here, let alone talk with her. And to ask her for a drink? To drink from the same bucket as a Samaritan would have been unthinkable. Her response must have been something along the line of

"What are you doing here?"

"You really shouldn’t be here, you know."

"Someone might see you here talking to me like this."

"What are you doing here—Jesus?"

C. The Samaritan woman, a symbol of disobedience and sin. Biblical scholar John Marsh suggests that the Samaritan woman symbolizes all of the Samaritan people in this story. As this woman had been unfaithful and married five husbands, the Samaritan people had been unfaithful and "married" the worship of Jehovah with the worship of five other gods from other lands. She is, herself, a sinful woman, and she is the symbol of a sinful people. And here is Jesus talking with her. The question again is, "Jesus, what are You doing here, talking to this sinful woman?"

II. JESUS MEETS US AT THE WELL

A. Wherever you are, there He is.

ILLUS. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Wherever you are, there you are"? I think it is at the same time sort of cute and profound. You know, there is some event you are looking forward to, so you make your plans and get ready for the big evening. The only problem is, you are going to be there. All you know about yourself is one who is sometimes insecure and awkward, liable to say the wrong thing at the right moment. Perhaps we can get away from a lot of other people with all of their problems, but we just can’t ever get away from us—and all the problems we bring with us. Wherever you are, there you are. But let me suggest another take on all this: wherever we are, there He is.

B. He is with us always.

We all know and believe that in His great love for us, God is with us always. But let’s explore that some. When we are unfaithful, in the middle of our sinfulness, is God there with us then? Think about it a minute. Is Jesus with us in the middle of our secret thoughts? In the midst of that which we would want to hide from everyone? Especially Him. Is He there with us then? Let me put it another way. Is God there when we don’t want Him there?

ILLUS. The unpardonable sin. I’ve heard a few sermons in my time on the unpardonable sin. Some of the idea seems to have been that we had better not turn away from God, we better not tell Him to leave us alone, because He might just do it. He might just leave.

C. He is with us in our sin.

Could it be that God is there even when you wish He wasn’t? Wouldn’t it be something if we controlled when God was present?

ILLUS. Imagine the possibilities.

"All right, Lord, I need You now; I’m in a jam, I need some help; can You bail me out? Help me now. Thanks for being here when I need You." But then there are those other times—secret, private moments behind closed doors. Times when we lock others out, try to lock God out. Have you noticed that sin is usually something we don’t want others to know about? That it is usually associated with secrecy, guilt, and shame? That much of its power is often the power of it being a secret? But there in the midst is a knock on the door. It is Jesus—here, right in the middle of our sin, just here. Not pointing His finger at us. Not condemning us. Just here—right here present with us in our sin. The crucified Christ, the resurrected Lord, right here with us in our disobedience and shame.

ILLUS. We are surprised, embarrassed. "What are You doing here, Jesus?" "It’s really not a good time—could You call back later?"

ILLUS. Psalm 139—I’m still thinking about this passage from last week. "Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in [hell, KJV], behold, Thou art there" (vv. 7-8, NASB, emphasis added).

What are You doing here, Jesus?

D. Being fully known.

1. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to be fully known? To be in such a relationship with family and friends that we are really, truly known? One of the ways of talking about intimacy is to be fully known.

2. Isn’t it terrifying to be known—not even fully known—just a lot known? To have people get to know you, your bad habits, your idiosyncrasies, your bad attitudes, your insecurities—your sinfulness? Isn’t it terrifying—the thought of being fully known—by anyone? By the Lord?

3. To be fully known—what a wonderful thing. What a terrifying thing. The terrifying thing about it is that we are so exposed; the secret cover is taken off; there we stand, fully known, but fully exposed. Like the woman at the well, we now know that the One who is in our presence is no ordinary man, He is the prophet. No, He is much more, He is the Son of God. And He is here with us in our sin. Like David before Nathan or Saul on the road to Damascus, we are found out, and we are undone.

III. AFTER MEETING AT THE WELL, WHAT WILL WE DO?

A. The woman asks Jesus for the living water. Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband." "What? Go do what? Call my husband—what are you talking about?" In the passage, this line is very abrupt. It seems out of place. It is as though some scribe missed a few lines here. But as we read on, we see that Jesus is getting right to the point. In fact, when He asks her to go get her husband—it is the point (vv. 17-19). She has had five husbands, and the man she is with now is not her husband. That is precisely the point.

B. The woman caught in adultery.

John’s Gospel records the accounts of two women who in some ways are in similar situations. Their sin has been exposed. The other is the woman caught in adultery (chap. 8). In the account of the woman caught in adultery, we clearly see Jesus’ response to our sin.

ILLUS. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus this woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Their main point was they were trying to trap Jesus. The Law of Moses commanded that such a person be stoned to death. Picture this woman who is caught in the middle of their politics. From one minute to the next her whole life has been ruined.

Her future—if engaged, her engagement is broken. Her integrity and character in the community is lost forever. And now, perhaps even her life is in jeopardy. Brought before Jesus by a group of hostile people, her sin is exposed. She is embarrassed, afraid, guilty, ashamed, condemned, judged, helpless, and hopeless. How will Jesus respond?

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (v. 7, ASV).

And one by one, the accusers walked away until the woman was left alone with Jesus. She knew the Law—she deserved to be punished, condemned, put to death. But "Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did not one condemn you?’ And she said, 'No one, Lord’" (vv. 10-11a, NASB).

"And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’" (v. 11b, NKJV).

CONCLUSION

What a picture—a picture of forgiveness.

Jesus who is there with us in the middle of our sin. Just there with us. Even when we do not want Him there—there He is—with us always. And there we stand, our sin exposed. What will He do to us? What will He say?

"Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

Thanks be to God.

(Preacher’s Magazine 1999-2000)

Fourth Sunday of February

INTRO

A. This is the Gospel account of Jesus and His good friends. In the Gospel narratives, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (which means "God helps") are good friends with Jesus. Luke gives the account of how they hosted Jesus for dinner. It is Mary who will anoint Jesus’ feet with ointment and wipe them with her hair. John 11:5 mentions how Jesus loved them.

B. The news of Lazarus’s illness comes to Jesus. Jesus and the disciples are out of the area when they receive word that Lazarus is very ill (v. 3). Jesus’ response to the news is to wait awhile before going to Bethany because "this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it" (vv. 4-6). Jesus knows what is ahead and what He intends to do.

C. Jesus and the disciples head toward Bethany. Two days later Jesus indicated it was time to go to Judea. The disciples aren’t especially happy with this because of recent attacks by the Jewish leaders on Jesus. But Jesus insists, telling them that Lazarus has died. Again, He indicates that He knows what will happen in Bethany. "For your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (vv. 14-15).

ILLUS. Picture of Thomas in verse 16 who somewhat tongue in cheek seems to say, "We’ve come this far following this crazy Man, we might as well go on to Judea and die with Him." If only he knew what really was ahead for all of them.

I. JESUS AND MARTHA

A. Jesus arrives at Bethany. When Jesus and the disciples arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days. Lots of people had gathered to pay their last respects. Martha heard that Jesus was on the way and went out to greet Him.

B. Martha is confused. Martha is glad to see Jesus but wishes He would have been there sooner. If only He had been there a few days earlier, she believes He could have healed Lazarus. And Lazarus would not have died. Even now, since Jesus is here, she is hopeful that somehow something can happen; and yet, she knows that Lazarus is dead (v. 21).

ILLUS. Anybody here relate to Martha? "Jesus, I believe You are the Lord, that all authority is Yours. And yesterday sure would have been a good day to show it."

C. Jesus offers words of hope to Martha. Jesus looks right at Martha and says, "Your brother will rise again" (v. 23). Martha doesn’t know what to think. She is confused, hoping against hope that Jesus can still do a miracle in the midst of all this. But afraid to hope for the impossible. She replies, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (v. 24).

And then, Jesus looked right at her again and spoke words that would resound in history: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (vv. 25-26).

D. The "I Am" statements in John.

Remember Moses before the burning bush? Remember how God was sending him to free the people of Israel from Pharaoh? Remember how Moses said, "Who shall I say has sent me?" Remember the answer from God? God said to tell them that Yahweh (Jehovah) has sent you. Yahweh literally means "I am who I am." So when God identifies himself as Yahweh, He names himself as the great "I Am." In this passage, John is helping us understand who Jesus is. That Jesus really is the Son of God, the Lord of Glory, the Holy One of God, the One with all authority. He is helping us understand that Jesus is himself fully God. In a variety of situations, John tells the gospel story in such a way that we cannot help but see who Jesus really is. One of the ways John does that is to specifically include the "I am" statements of Jesus. In the Gospel of John, anytime Jesus begins a phrase with "I am," it reminds us of who He really is—that He is one with the Father, "the Great I Am."

E. Miracles help us understand who Jesus is. These are all wonderful miracles. But they are not miracles performed just for the sake of the miracles themselves or just for the people in need. These miracles help us understand who Jesus is. Jesus is not just a miracle worker. He is the Lord. There is healing hope and forgiveness and life where He is because of who He is.

ILLUS. One of the members of the church where I pastored in Los Angeles has a Picasso painting hanging in her entryway. I had sort of a crazy thought one day as I was visiting her home. I thought, "Wouldn’t it be interesting if Picasso were here? We could be proud to show him the great masterpiece hanging in the entryway." But then I imagined Picasso saying, "You like Picasso paintings? Bring me some paper and some paint. I am Picasso. I make Picassos. Wherever Picasso is, Picasso can make a Picasso." His paintings emerge out of who he is.

F. Wherever Jesus is, there is life.

So when Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had [only] been here, [Lazarus] would not have died," and when she said, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (vv. 21, 24), Jesus’ response is profound: "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Wherever I am, there is life. Where do you think life comes from? Where do you think resurrection will come from in the final day? The One who is the resurrection day is here in your presence. Wherever I am, there is resurrection and life."

G. Martha believes. When Jesus asks Martha if she believes, her response is very emphatic. "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world" (v. 27). Martha understands and believes.

II. JESUS AND MARY

A. Mary is in grief. She has been with those who have come to mourn with her. There are lots of tears. There is a pervasive sense of loss and grief. It’s a very sad scene.

B. Jesus empathizes with Mary. Mary went out to meet Jesus. The exchange of words between Jesus and Martha is repeated. "Lord, if you had [only] been here, [Lazarus] would not have died." But at this point the story takes an unexpected turn. Jesus sees Mary in her grief and is deeply moved in His spirit. And we have these very profound words: "Jesus wept."

C. The source of Jesus’ grief.

Wait a minute. Something doesn’t make sense here. Jesus knows what is ahead. He knows that He has come to raise Lazarus from the dead. That’s what this story tells us from the very beginning. It really doesn’t make much sense for Him to be weeping, crying. It can’t be because of His own sense of loss and grief, for He knows He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Then why is He weeping? It must be because Jesus felt her pain and her loss and took it into himself.

ILLUS. One day a few years ago, my wife, Janet, was home with our preschool children. In the hectic day of a young mom she found herself sitting on the couch softly crying. Our young daughter, Leanne, then came and sat down next to her and began quietly crying too. After a few minutes, Leanne looked up at Janet and said, "Mommy, why are we crying?" This is an incredible picture of Jesus crying with Mary. Here He is, the Lord, the Son of God, the Holy One, and the One who is the Resurrection and the Life, sitting on a rock next to a grieving friend, joining her in her grief, weeping.

ILLUS. (Ps. 139; Rom. 8:31-39). There is nowhere we could ever go, no situation in which we could ever find ourselves, no grief or loss too great, where God is not right there with us.

III. JESUS RAISES LAZARUS

And now, it’s all over but the shouting.

Jesus walked out in front of the tomb. He instructed them to remove the stone. The people objected, saying there would be a great odor, for Lazarus had been dead for four days. But Jesus insisted. I think it must have been Thomas who said, perhaps with a note of resignation, "We’ve come this far, let’s take the stone away." So they removed the stone, and in what must have been a very dramatic moment, Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven in prayer and shouted out to the tomb, "Lazarus, come forth!" (v. 43, NKJV). And out walked Lazarus, bound hand and foot. Jesus said, "Unbind him, and let him go" (v. 44, NASB).

CONCLUSION

Look, here he comes, Lazarus out of the tomb.

Look at what Jesus has done. He has raised Lazarus from the dead. But look deeper; this is not just about what Jesus had done, it is about who Jesus is. This is not just the story of some great miracle worker. This is the gospel account of the One who is the Resurrection and the Life. And it is about Jesus, the Son of God, who loves us enough to come near and share our grief and pain. Lazarus was raised from the dead, but it is not Lazarus alone who receives life, all of us who hear the story again today, and believe that Jesus is the Lord, this Life—eternal life—is also for us (John 20:30-31).