Tawa Baptist

Everlasting Father

Scriptures: John 1:1-5 & Luke 15:11-32

Title: Everlasting Father

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus is the source
  • Jesus has all authority
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of 3 men: George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela

–         Can anyone tell me what these three men have in common? [Wait]

–         That’s right – they are all leaders and in fact are the Father’s of their Nation, respectively

 

‘Father of the Nation’ is an honorific title given to a man considered the driving force behind the establishment of his country

–         George Washington is the Father of the Nation of the United States of America – he was the first U.S. President

–         Nelson Mandela is the Father of the Nation of modern South Africa – he was the first black president

–         Mahatma Ghandi is considered by most people to be the Father of the Nation of India because of his role in campaigning for independence from British rule and advocating for the rights of the poor (although the Indian government doesn’t officially recognise the title)

 

I’m not sure if NZ has a Father of the Nation as such

–         In any case, the Father of the Nation is the person who established their country and way of life, albeit with the help of others

 

Today we continue our series on the royal titles ascribed to the Messiah in Isaiah 9, verse 6

–         Isaiah 9 is often read at Christmas time as Christians believe this prophecy is talking about Jesus – verse 6 is familiar to many of us…

–         For unto 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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

–         So far we have considered the titles Wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace. Today we consider how the title Everlasting Father fits for Jesus

 

In some ways it seems odd to ascribe the title of ‘Father’ to Jesus – we are more inclined to think of Jesus in the role of God’s Son or the Son of Man

–         But when we consider who a father is and what a father does we soon see how the title Everlasting Father fits hand in glove for Jesus

 

Among other things, Jesus came to establish God’s Kingdom (His country) on earth – Jesus is the Father of the Nation for us Christians

 

There are many characteristics or facets of fatherhood that we could explore in relation to Jesus but I only plan to touch on two this morning

–         Jesus is our Father in the sense that he is the source of our life and of God’s Kingdom

–         And Jesus is our Father in the sense that he has all authority in heaven and on earth

 

Jesus is the source:

First let’s consider Jesus as the source of life

–         Please turn with me to John chapter 1, page 118 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         These are the opening verses to John’s gospel – they talk about Jesus the source, the Word at the beginning

–         From John 1, verses 1-5, we read…

 

In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

The Greek language has two expressions for Word – Logos and Rhema

–         Rhema (as in Radio Rhema) refers to the spoken word

–         While logos (as in logic) is the unspoken word – the thought or the idea  inside someone’s mind before it is expressed

–         The logos comes before the rhema – we could say the logos is the father of the rhema (the thought is the source of the spoken word)

 

Jesus is the logos of God – Jesus embodies what God is thinking & feeling & willing

–         Jesus is the logos (or the logic) through whom God created the world – one with God before time began

–         If we want to know where we came from, and therefore what it means to be human, we look to Jesus – someone very good

–         He is the source of our life and the source of God’s kingdom on earth

 

If the Kingdom of God is compared to a forest then Jesus is the single seed from which the forest began – he was planted and died and raised to eternal life

–         Or if the Kingdom of God is compared to a river then Jesus is the spring or the lake which feeds the river

–         Or if the Kingdom of God is compared to a house then Jesus is the architect and builder of that house

–         Jesus is an Everlasting Father because he has conquered death and his Kingdom (his way of life) never comes to an end

–         His seed never perishes, his spring never runs dry, his foundation never erodes – he is the light which the darkness has never put out

 

I don’t need to labour this point – you get it – Jesus is the source of life and in that sense he is our Everlasting Father

–         Jesus is also our Everlasting Father in the sense that all authority in heaven and on earth rests with him

 

Jesus has all authority:

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 15, page 100 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         This story is commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son

–         ‘Prodigal’ is a word that simply means wasteful or extravagant

–         This story might be better described as the parable of the loving father and the two lost sons

–         The father in this parable reminds us of Jesus – he shows extravagant love to both of his sons. From Luke 15, verses 11-32, we read…

 

11 Jesus went on to say, “There was once a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. 16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. 17 At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and started back to his father.

“He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. 21 ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ 22 But the father called to his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.

25 “In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him, ‘What’s going on?’ 27 ‘Your brother has come back home,’ the servant answered, ‘and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.’ 28 The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. 29 But he spoke back to his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! 30 But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’ 31 ‘My son,’ the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Authority is the right to do something, as distinct from power which is the ability to do something

–         I might have the power (or ability) to drive a car but without a license or a warrant of fitness I don’t have the authority to drive

 

In the culture in which the Bible was written the father had authority over everyone in his household – it was simply given that he was the boss

–         The father’s word was practically law – he had the license to tell those under his roof what to do

–         It was considered a huge disgrace, a great shame, when someone in the household undermined the father’s authority

–         By the same token, how the father chose to exercise his authority revealed a great deal about his character

–         In the parable, in Luke 15, the father (who points to Jesus) uses his authority to protect and restore his sons

 

Jesus’ story starts with a dysfunctional family

–         The younger son dishonours his father by asking for his share of the estate while his father is still alive, which is like saying he wishes his father were dead

–         And the older son isn’t much better – he dishonours his father by doing nothing to stop his younger brother

–         If the older brother had cared about his family he would have intervened

 

The father has the authority (or the right) to say ‘no’ to his son and not give him an advance on his inheritance – in fact the father has a license to give his son a severe beating and send him away empty handed, but he doesn’t

–         The father uses his authority graciously – giving his younger son what he asks for

–         As the Everlasting Father Jesus has authority over us but he doesn’t use his authority to trap us or coerce us – we have considerable freedom with Christ

 

The prodigal son leaves town and squanders his inheritance – money he was supposed to use to care for his Dad in his old age

–         The younger son has basically wasted his father’s superannuation fund

–         When the money runs out the young man finds himself in a personal hell of his own making

–         He comes to his senses and decides to return home, not because he loves his father but because he is starving. His plan is to say…

–         ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers’

 

The young man is repenting but on his own terms

–         His repentance comes with the idea that he might still save himself

 

Verse 20 says…

–         But while he was still a long way off his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 

Here we have a picture of the father’s welcome – a welcome which ensures the son’s safety

–         Men in Middle Eastern culture never run in public – it is a very undignified thing to do

–         And yet the father humiliates himself in front of the whole village by running to his boy

–         Why does he do this?

 

Well – two reasons…

–         Firstly the father wanted to demonstrate his great love for his son, so the son would know beyond all doubt that he is valued and accepted

 

And secondly the father was protecting his son from the rest of the village

–         The neighbours would have looked at disgust on the younger son who had rejected his father and his home

–         They would most likely have mocked him and shouted abuse at him as he returned to the village

–         For in leaving the village the way he did the son not only rejected his father, he also offended his community

–         By running out to greet him the father saves his son from running the gauntlet

–         By throwing his arms around his boy and kissing him the father sends a clear message to the other villagers to accept his son & not mistreat him

 

This picture of the father leaving his house and running out to welcome his son is a picture of what God has done for us in Christ

–         By leaving heaven, by humiliating himself and going to the cross, Jesus has run the gauntlet to save us

–         Jesus, like the father in this parable, uses his authority to protect those in his household

 

After the father’s welcome the son begins his pre-prepared speech saying…

–         ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

–         But then he stops short of offering his own solution

–         Overwhelmed by the father’s extravagant grace the son cannot say, ‘make me like one of your hired men’ , because he realizes this would be to reject his father all over again

–         His father does not want another servant – he wants his son back

–         As unworthy as he knows he is the son confesses his wrong doing and abandons his plan to save himself

–         Instead he humbly receives what the father offers, for this is what the son needs and it is what the father wants [1]

–         It’s what Jesus, the logos of God, wants

 

One of the things we get from our fathers is a sense of identity

–         Identity is about knowing where we come from and who we are

–         With identity comes belonging & security

–         Other people can’t give us a sense of identity in quite the same way that our fathers can because other people don’t have the same kind of authority as our fathers

–         I’m not suggesting that we are all predestined to be just like our dads

–         Our identity is also shaped by the choices we make and the cultural milieu we are a part of

–         But at some deep level our father’s treatment of us has a profound influence on what we believe about ourselves

–         If your dad ignores you or treats you badly then that carries more weight somehow than when a stranger or a friend mistreats you

–         Likewise, if your dad treats you with respect and trusts you then that carries more weight because your father (implicitly) has more authority

 

 

To call Jesus, ‘Everlasting Father’ is to say, ‘Jesus, you are the father figure, or the authority figure, in my life. I get my identity from you’

–         When we consider what Jesus has done for us, giving his life for ours, that should have a profoundly positive effect on what we believe about ourselves – we matter, our lives are valuable, but not because of what we produce or achieve. The younger son was wasteful & unproductive and yet he was still accepted.

–         We are not hired hands, we are sons & daughters of God

 

By accepting the father’s costly grace the younger son is found – he is born again in a sense. And he now lives with the father (willingly) as a son and not as a hired hand

 

The father wants his son to experience welcome & care from the whole community so he exercises his authority, saying to his servants…

–         ‘Hurry, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast…’

 

As Kenneth Bailey observes, the father does not say to his son, ‘Go and have a wash and get yourself changed’. He actually orders the servants to dress him

–         In this way the son is assured of proper respect & care from the servants

 

The best robe is probably one of the father’s own robes and is a sign to everyone that the son is accepted by the father

–         The ring is quite likely a symbol of authority – like a signet ring – which implies that the father trusts the son in an astonishing way

–         Jesus shares his authority with us

–         And the shoes are a sign that the son is a free man in the house – he is not a slave or a servant

–         So by dressing the younger son in this way the servants are demonstrating that they accept the son as their master has

 

The father’s final instruction to the servants is to kill the prize calf and prepare a party for the whole village, to celebrate the prodigal’s return

–         In sharing this meal the village would then be able to make their peace with the son

–         The father’s purpose is to help reconcile his son to those he will now be living with

–         The father (like Jesus) uses his authority to restore his son

 

But it’s not just the younger son who needs to be restored

–         The older son is also lost, even though he has never left home

–         The younger brother was outwardly estranged and rebellious

–         While the older brother was inwardly estranged and rebellious in his heart

–         Both of them were lost in their own way

 

When the older son learns that his father has killed the fattened calf to celebrate his younger brother’s return he becomes angry and refuses to go in

–         He turns a family disagreement into a public spectacle and brings shame on his father

 

For the second time in this parable the father (in a generous outpouring of love) humiliates himself by leaving the house and seeking one of his sons

–         He pleads with his first born to come in, but the older son says…

–         ‘Look! All these years I have worked for you like a slave and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? …’

–         Clearly the older son is alienated from his Dad

–         He sees himself as a slave and not as a son

 

Jesus’ Middle Eastern audience would expect the father to be furious at his eldest son but the father is gracious & truthful

–         Far from being angry the father appeals to his son to rejoice in his brother’s return

–         The older son represents the Pharisees and religious leaders

–         Jesus is like the father in the parable in that he is pleading with the religious leaders to come in and join the party – to celebrate the return of the lost sons & daughters of Israel

–         But Jesus doesn’t use his authority to strong arm or coerce the religious leaders – he doesn’t need another slave, he wants people to be free

 

The parable ends there. It is left hanging – the conclusion unresolved

–         The older son is still outside deciding whether he is going to be a son or a slave. What will he choose?

 

Conclusion:

Authority is something that many people in our society resist today

–         Some resist authority in openly aggressive ways, like the younger son

–         And others resist in more passive aggressive ways, like the older son

–         This anti-authority (down with the man) attitude could be because leaders sometimes abuse their authority and break trust with those around them

–         But it might also be that people have generally become more self-centred, by which I mean the centre of authority has shifted to the individual

–         So people are more inclined to think – I can do what I like

 

To say that Jesus is the Everlasting Father is to say that Jesus is the source of life and our ultimate authority

–         Jesus never abuses his authority – he uses his authority for the well-being of others, to protect and restore

–         But the distinctive thing about Jesus’ authority is that it’s everlasting

–         The governments and powers of this world will pass, but Jesus’ kingdom will never end – he is the Father of an Eternal Nation

 

Footnote:

[1] Refer Kenneth Bailey, ‘Poet & Peasant’

Tawa Baptist

Prince of Peace

Scriptures: Luke 8:42b-48 & Luke 19:41-48

Title: Prince of Peace

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Luke 8:42b-48
  • Luke 19:41-48
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a number of phrases…

–         Bitter sweet, old news, civil war, jumbo shrimp, lead balloon, working holiday, great depression, original copy

–         What do these phrases have in common? [Wait]

–         I’ll accept two answers for this – they are all examples of paradox or oxy-moron – putting together seemingly contradictory words or terms to create an innovative thought

 

Today we continue our series on the royal titles ascribed to the Messiah in Isaiah 9, verse 6

–         Isaiah 9 is often read at Christmas time as Christians believe this prophecy is talking about Jesus – verse 6 is familiar to many of us…

–         For unto 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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

–         Two weeks ago we considered the title Wonderful Counsellor

–         Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom – he reveals the Lord’s wonderful plan of salvation

–         Today we think about the title Prince of Peace and how this fits for Jesus

In the original Hebrew Prince of Peace is sort of a paradox

–         The word translated as Prince suggests an army commander – like a General – only this army commander is one who brings peace [1]

–         So Jesus is an army general who makes peace and brings an end to war

 

The Biblical concept of peace (or shalom) is more positive than just the absence of conflict

–         Peace has to do with the wellbeing of the whole person – including health, prosperity, security, friendship, salvation and justice

–         Peace isn’t just about an individual’s inner tranquillity – it’s about the well-being of the whole community

 

Luke 8:42b-48

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 8, verse 43, page 88 toward the back of your pew Bibles [2]

–         To set the scene Jesus has just returned from the other side of Lake Galilee after calming a storm and delivering a man from a legion of demons

–         In other words he has used his power to restore peace

–         On arriving back he is welcomed by a crowd eager to see him

–         Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, is there and begs Jesus to come and heal his 12 year old daughter who is dying

–         We pick up the story from half way through verse 42…

As Jesus went along, the people were crowding him from every side. 43 Among them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one had been able to cure her. 44 She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once. 45 Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and crowding in on you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I knew it when power went out of me.” 47 The woman saw that she had been found out, so she came trembling and threw herself at Jesus’ feet. There in front of everybody, she told him why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once. 48 Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading

 

Generally speaking Christians in the east are more inclined to think collectively while Christians in the west are more inclined to think individually

–         We, in the west, often think of salvation as inviting Jesus into our heart, personally, so we can go to heaven when we die

–         But in the east Christians are more likely to think of themselves in relation to others – so salvation of the individual affects the community as a whole

–         Both the eastern & western perspectives have something valuable to offer and are needed but we (in the west) do well to remember, the Bible came from the east

 

In his book ‘The End of Suffering’, Scott Cairns tells a story which illustrates this difference between east and west

–         A western evangelist visited a Christian monk in the east and asked if Jesus Christ was his personal Saviour, and the smiling monk replied without hesitation saying, ‘No. I like to share him’ [3]

–         The point is, we are not saved in isolation from other people

–         The salvation of one individual affects the whole community

 

We, in the west, might think of salvation as inviting Jesus into our heart and while that is true in a sense, the Bible also thinks of it the other way around

–         It’s more like God is inviting us into his heart – that is into Christ

–         Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” – so when we become a Christian we are like a branch that is grafted into the main trunk of Christ’s body, alongside a whole lot of other branches that have been grafted in

 

The woman with the bleeding complaint lived in an eastern culture

–         Her situation at the beginning of this story represents the opposite of peace

–         She is not physically healthy and hasn’t been for a long time – she is unwell

–         She is not prosperous – she is poor having spent all she owns on doctors

–         What’s more the woman’s bleeding made her ceremonially unclean so she couldn’t participate in religious rituals and couldn’t even touch other people because that would make them (temporarily) unclean as well

–         From an eastern perspective she is like a branch that is separated from the tree of the community – she lives in isolation from others

–         This woman’s situation is the opposite of peace because, in a Biblical understanding, you can’t have peace (or wholeness) without being in right relationship with those around you

–         Not only that but the community can’t be whole without her

 

Wishing herself invisible, the woman squeezed through the crowd behind Jesus, saying to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will get well”

–         By reaching out to touch Jesus the woman was breaking the Law of Moses, but at the same time she was seeking peace with God

–         Because if she was healed she could then participate in the community rituals of worshipping God

–         Her action was a form of prayer in so much as she was seeking a connection with God

–         And she is not disappointed – the moment she touched Jesus’ clothes her bleeding stopped and she knew inside herself that she was healed

Jesus also knew at that moment that power had gone out from him

–         The woman’s peace cost Jesus some of his power

–         Peace comes with sharing the power of Christ (his Spirit of grace & truth)

 

Lots of people were touching Jesus – the crowd were pressed in on every side – but only one person drew a current

–         Jesus turned round and asked, “Who touched me?”

–         The disciples don’t understand

–         But Jesus waits and watches – he is giving the woman a choice here

–         Jesus doesn’t force her to come forward – he invites her to respond

When the woman realised that Jesus knew she acted in faith again

–         Coming forward she knelt at Jesus’ feet and told him the whole truth

–         Not only was this embarrassing – sharing the intimate details of her life so publicly – it was also dangerous

–         What if the crowd turned on her for making them unclean – she must have touched dozens of people getting to Jesus

–         And what if Jesus was angry with her for stealing his power – what if he made the bleeding come back or something worse?

 

But Jesus is not angry – A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice [4]

–         You know there is a strong connection between justice and peace

–         We can’t have peace without justice

–         It was completely unfair that this woman suffered so much because of her medical condition those 12 years

–         The bleeding wasn’t a morally bad thing – it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t control it and yet she was punished by being excluded

–         By healing the woman Jesus puts right what is wrong – he does justice for her so she can have peace

 

Then Jesus refers to her tenderly as his ‘daughter’

–         One of the titles ascribed to the Messiah is Everlasting Father

–         Jesus looks on this woman with the love of a father for his daughter

–         Leon Morris says, she is the only woman Jesus is recorded as having addressed in this way [5] – it is a special term of endearment

–         To call this woman ‘daughter’ is to say there is a strong bond between us – we are deeply and inseparably connected

–         What a beautiful thing to say to someone who has been disconnected for 12 long years – you can never stop being someone’s son or daughter

–         It’s like Jesus is saying, you’ll never be lonely again

“My daughter, your faith has made you well.

–         In other words, it wasn’t my clothes that made you better – my cloak is not magic – your courageous trust was the key

–         Faith is the conduit for salvation and peace

–         As far as Jesus is concerned the woman is not untouchable because of her bleeding – rather she is clean because of her faith

–         By making her healing public in this way Jesus has restored the woman to her community with honour – he is grafting her back into the tree

 

Jesus finishes his conversation with the woman by saying, “Go in peace.”

–         The woman came to Jesus for physical healing but there is so much more to peace than mere physical healing (as important as that is)

–         Jesus helps the woman to make the shift from shame to honour

–         From superstition to understanding

–         From isolation to inclusion

–         From secrecy to confession

–         From anonymity to intimacy

 

Jesus isn’t just bringing about peace for the woman though

–         He is also creating peace for the whole community through her healing

–         Personal salvation affects all of us collectively

–         As long as the woman was segregated the community wasn’t whole

–         It was like the body of the community was missing a hand or a kidney or something

–         By healing the woman and restoring her to her community Jesus had made the community more whole – he is the Prince of Peace

–         Whenever someone leaves the church I always feel sad because the congregation is less whole – our peace is being eroded

 

Luke 19:41-48

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 19, verse 41, page 107 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         In Luke 19 Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as the crowds shout ‘Hosanna, God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory to God’ [6]

–         Riding a donkey (as opposed to a war horse) is a sign of peace

–         Clearly the crowds see Jesus as the Messiah – the Prince of Peace, even if they misunderstand what that means

–         We pick up the reading from verse 41 of Luke 19…

41 He came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it! 43 The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side. 44 They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!”

45 Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out the merchants, 46 saying to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer.’ But you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!”

47 Every day Jesus taught in the Temple. The chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him, 48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people kept listening to him, not wanting to miss a single word.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

If you build a house you need a variety of tools and materials

–         Not just a hammer, but a saw and a spade and a measuring tape and a chisel and so on

–         Not just wood & nails but concrete & glass & gib & paint and so forth

–         Likewise if you are fixing an engine you need a diverse tool kit as well as a varied skill set – you need to know about carburettors and brakes

–         And if you are playing 18 holes of golf you don’t just carry one club – you have a range of different sized clubs, including a driver, a wedge and a putter to suit the changing conditions

–         Driving off the tee requires a different technique from putting on the green

 

Like building a house or fixing an engine or playing golf, making peace is a complicated business and requires a variety of tools and strategies

–         Jesus has more than one approach for creating shalom

–         In Luke 8 Jesus created peace by healing a woman and gently restoring her to her community

–         In Luke 19 Jesus takes a different approach, overturning the tables of the money changers and clearing the temple for prayer & teaching

 

Before getting to the temple though we read of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem

–         Jerusalem means something like ‘city of peace’ – which is quite ironic when we consider the conflict surrounding Jerusalem over the centuries

–         As he came closer to the city Jesus wept over it – not just a quiet tear or two but huge gut wrenching sobs

–         Jesus sees into the near future when the Romans would besiege the city in AD 70 and then destroy it due to a Jewish uprising

–         The tragedy is, the loss was avoidable – it didn’t need to happen that way

–         God tried to prevent this violence by sending Jesus but the people missed the point. If only you knew today what is needed for peace

–         If only you recognised the time when God came to save you

 

So what is needed for peace?

–         Well, a number of tools are needed, for example: justice, mercy, forgiveness, confession of the truth, humility, faith and so on

–         We saw some of those things in the healing of the woman in Luke 8

–         The woman demonstrated courageous faith in reaching out to touch Jesus and in confessing the truth before everyone

–         Just as Jesus demonstrated mercy & justice in healing the woman and restoring wholeness to her and the community

–         But before we can have peace for ourselves and with others we first need to make peace with God – we need to pray

At the beginning of Luke 18 Jesus tells two parables about prayer

–         In the first parable a poor widow persistently asks a judge for justice

–         Eventually the judge gives her justice so they can both have some peace

–         In the second parable a tax collector humbles himself and makes a true confession, asking God for mercy, and he is given peace with God

–         Putting these two parables together, prayer is characterised as the persistent pursuit of justice[7] and humble openness to God’s mercy

–         Prayer is the pursuit of those things which lead to peace

The temple, in Jerusalem, was meant to be a place for people to pray and make peace with God but when Jesus arrived he found the court of the gentiles choked with merchants selling animals for sacrifice and changing money

–         They had made the temple a hideout for thieves – a place in which people of violence retreat to escape justice

–         Cleary this is the opposite of what God intended for the temple and so Jesus was rightly angry at the abuse

–         Jesus is having an emotional day – he goes from sobbing uncontrollably to angry outrage and indignation

–         Jesus clears the temple, reclaiming God’s house for its legitimate purpose: the pursuit of peace through prayer, healing and teaching

 

Joel Green observes that through his teaching Jesus was reforming Jewish conceptions of God’s salvation [8]

–         The Jews thought of God’s salvation in military / political terms

–         They thought peace would be achieved by overthrowing the Romans

–         They imagined the Messiah (the Prince of Peace) would be an army commander (a general) who would lead them to victory in battle

–         Jesus means to replace that fantasy with a more accurate picture of what peace-making looks like

–         Peace-making involves turning the other cheek, forgiving people who don’t deserve it and going the extra mile for your oppressors [9]

–         Paradoxically peace requires the peace-makers to suffer injustice, at least temporarily

–         It is painful, costly and vulnerable work – not attractive or easy at all

–         Sadly, the leaders of the people didn’t recognise what is needed for peace and plotted to murder Jesus, the very one sent to save them

 

Conclusion:

The temple building in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD70

–         Jesus replaces the temple – he is the new temple

–         Jesus is now the one we enter, to make our peace with God

–         Jesus is the one we enter, to pray in good faith – seeking God’s justice & mercy in a spirit of humility

–         Jesus is the one we enter, to receive healing and wisdom and wholeness, not just for our own benefit but for the sake of those around us as well.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    In what sense is the title Prince of Peace paradoxical?

3.)    How is the Biblical understanding of peace (or shalom) different from our contemporary western concept of peace?

–         List some of the ways we see Jesus bringing peace (shalom) in the gospels

4.)    Discuss / reflect on the two ways of understanding salvation: i.e. us inviting Jesus into our heart personally and God inviting us into his heart (into Jesus)

–         What insights on salvation & peace does each perspective offer?

5.)    Why did Jesus pause to ask who touched him (in Luke 8:45)?

– How does Jesus bring a more holistic peace to the woman personally?

– In what sense does the woman’s healing bring peace to the wider community?

6.)    What are some of the tools and strategies needed for peace?

–         How is Jesus’ approach to peace different in Luke 8 & Luke 19?

7.)    What do the two parables at the beginning of Luke 18 show us about the nature of prayer?

8.)    Take some time this week to reflect on what it means that Jesus replaces the temple?

 

Footnotes:

[1] John Goldingay, NIBC Isaiah, page 71.

[2] Walter Brueggemann refers to the woman with the bleeding complaint, in relation to Jesus’ peace, in his book ‘Names for the Messiah’, and in an article on peace in the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.

[3] Scott Cairns, ‘The End of Suffering’, page 75.

[4] Isaiah 42:3

[5] Leon Morris, Luke, page 160.

[6] Luke 19:38

[7] Joel Green, Luke, page 693.

[8] Joel Green, Luke, page 692.

[9] Refer Matthew 5:38-48

Tawa Baptist

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