Tawa Baptist

Palm Sunday – by Sam Barris

Scriptures: John 12:12-19, Hebrews 10:22-25, Matthew 27:15-26, 1 Peter 3:15-16

Palm Sunday – by Sam Barris:

Good morning everyone, have you ever been swept in the energy or the excitement or the momentum of a crowd?

Maybe you’ve been at a sports game, jumping up and down out of your seat cheering when your team has scored.

Maybe you see on TV that everyone is panic buying toilet paper and suddenly you’ve bought enough rolls to last you far too long?

Maybe you’ve been ordering at a restaurant, the waiter is going around the table, you know exactly what you’re going to get, it’s obvious – the beef burger with fries and a coke zero. Although, you’re hearing some of the other orders around the table and you’re starting to doubt whether you really want your go to burger and coke. Your last 3 friends around the table have just ordered the fish and chips and oh boy, you haven’t had fish and chips in how long? The waiter comes to you and in that fleeting moment, that last second – you change your mind. You go with the fish and chips. The food comes out and the regret starts to build up. Why did you get the fish and chips? Who orders fish and chips at a restaurant? This is going to cost you $34 when you could have gone to one of the countless fish and chip shops in Tawa and paid a quarter of that price for a tastier meal!

As you can probably tell by the length of that example, that one was a personal one and one I have learnt and grown from.

Whether it’s a crowd the size of a stadium or a few of you at a restaurant, a work meeting or just at the dinner table – we’ve all been influenced by the actions of the group or the collective mood.

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we remember Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, days before his crucifixion on Good Friday. This is Jesus fulfilling prophecy from Zechariah and therefore Him publicly letting the people know He is the Messiah. He comes as the prince of peace, riding in on a donkey.

What I want to focus on today is what the crowd were thinking and feeling at this time, how they responded to Jesus in this triumphant entrance contrasted with the crowd’s response at Jesus’ trial, and also how we respond to Jesus – what influences us in those moments?

Let’s begin by turning in our Bibles to John chapter 12 verses 12 to 19. I’m reading from the New Living Translation version which you can follow along on the screen.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hail to the King of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.

Look, your King is coming,

    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Growing up hearing this story, I would never quite understand the magnitude of this event. I felt like all the depictions of Jesus riding into Jerusalem that I saw made me believe that there was Jesus riding in on a donkey and maybe 10 people welcoming Him in.

While there’s not a direct statistic given to us about the number of people witnessing this, there are some clues that it was quite a large crowd.

Firstly, there was a large crowd that had followed Jesus and His disciples since they left Jericho where He had just healed two blind men sitting on the road (Matthew 20:29) so even before His entrance into Jerusalem, the crowd was already building.

Secondly, as we read in verses 12-13, there was a large crowd of Passover visitors who heard that Jesus was on the way into Jerusalem.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him.

Thousands of people would travel to Jerusalem for Passover. While I don’t know for sure, there are estimations that the regular population of Jerusalem at this time was around 20 to 30 thousand whereas at Passover time, this would jump up to hundreds of thousands. Those who would travel in for the festival would often be camping outside the city as there was no room within for them so Jerusalem was full!

Finally, as we read in verse 19, the Pharisees look on this crowd with defeat. There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after Him!. This also leads me to believe it was quite a large crowd as they probably wouldn’t have been too worried if there was a measly few welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem.

Again, while we don’t know exact numbers, there’s enough here for us to believe, this was a very decent crowd. A lot of people laying down palm branches, praising God, hailing Jesus as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

On the face of it, this sounds great and it would have been a very exciting thing to witness. We know how this story continues on though, Good Friday is just around the corner.

Let’s now look at how the crowd are responding to Jesus, what has led them to be here and are they seeing Jesus for who He truly is?

In January this year, American fried chicken chain Popeyes opened a restaurant in Lower Hutt. Here’s an article from the opening day:

Lower Hutt’s Popeyes chicken is proving to be so popular amongst the community that it has had to bring in traffic management to prevent long queues from spilling onto the road.

The restaurant is so popular that when it opened its Lower Hutt outlet earlier this month, customers were queueing from as early as 3am, and the queues did not stop there.

“We’re big fried chicken fans, so we’re happy we found a new spot to go,”

“We tried once but it was too busy so we’re trying a second time,”

“Maybe KFC level, maybe a little better because they’re new, you know, they like to put out the best,”

Let’s take a moment to pause and remember, my focus right now is on the crowd of people. In no way am I even starting to compare the wonder of Jesus with fried chicken from Lower Hutt.

As we know already, Jesus was building up a crowd wherever He went. There were people who were swept up in the hype as they had all heard the rumours that this man had raised Lazarus from the dead. Many were simply there to lay eyes on this man who could perform miracles. As we read in verse 17 & 18, many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. These people were spectators, interested in whatever was causing this hype and rush – the hot topic of the week. These are the people who would queue at Popeyes at 3am.

In saying that, this in itself is not bad intention. People come to church out of curiosity, wanting to spectate, see what’s going on – maybe church is hosting an exciting outreach event and they’ve heard all about the friendly people there and want to head along. That’s great and I’m sure there were many people in this crowd who started off caught up in the hype and the rush of this miracle man who raised someone from the dead and then grew to truly understand why He was here and what He was here to do. I’m sure there were also people who were also attracted by the sensationalism of Jesus but that’s all it was for them – some who saw Jesus as a sensation on this day were later shouting for His death.

Another quote from the Popeyes article:

“Look at this line. Nothing’s worth this line. I didn’t even want to come but she (I assume his wife) goes ‘yes let’s go’ and then I got stuck in the line,”

There were people in the queue for Popeyes who thought it wasn’t all it was cracked out to be, it didn’t meet their own expectations. There were also people there who had the wrong end of the stick of who Jesus was and who He was going to be. A lot of the crowd saw Jesus as a new national leader, a military leader who was going to lead them to overthrow the Romans and restore their nation to its former glory. That is what they felt like they needed and they ignored the words of prophets and were blind to Jesus’ real mission. When they later realised that Jesus was not going to fulfill their misguided hopes and dreams, many of these people also turned against Him.

 We also see the disciples get caught up in this way of thinking momentarily – they also were caught up in the hype of the crowd. Later on, they realised what Jesus was doing. As we saw in our verses, His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. His previous words and actions, at the time of His resurrection, took on new meaning and made more sense to them. In retrospect, the disciples saw how Jesus had led them into a deeper and better understanding of His truth.

Does any of this echo with you in how you respond to Jesus in your own life?

Are we welcoming Him in, laying things down in front of Him, shouting His praises?

Or are we here following what others are doing? We’ve heard about Jesus but really, we love the energy, singing together, people to talk to, something to do on a Sunday morning. Remember – this isn’t a bad way to start but it’s not all there is.

What about when life doesn’t go our way or we put our faith in Jesus and it doesn’t give us what we think we need? We’ve believed and trusted in Jesus, put our faith in Him and are trying to live a life that would please Him but actually, why isn’t life getting easier? Do we turn away from Him and try to find something else to make our problems go away or do we remain strong and determined in our faith?

Or maybe we’re like the disciples. We’re caught up in the rush and excitement, we’re going along with the flow, life is busy and we’re just getting on with it. Stop now and think – think about the events in your life leading up to where you are now. How has God led you to this point? As we grow in our faith, let’s continue to look back and see God’s hand in our lives, guiding us through. It’s harder to see in the moment.

Why are you here? What is your foundation? Our foundation needs to be in Jesus. We need to work hard to understand God’s word, pray for continued growth of our own understanding and we need to be ready to discern. Am I here because I want to praise God in community and grow in my faith or am I here because I like the people who are here, I like singing songs, I enjoy having a cup of tea and a chat – all of those are good things but by themselves, are they going to be enough when life gets tough? Are we leaning on Jesus and putting our faith in Him regardless of what is going on? With that, are we noticing and thanking Him for working through us and guiding us in our walk with Him?

Hebrews 10 verses 22 – 25 tells us … let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Start with that firm foundation. Go right into God’s presence, accept that Jesus has made us clean by dying for us and hold tightly to hope. What does accepting Jesus look like? It is believing who He says He is, that He is the son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again.

With that, community is so important. Coming to church is so important. We are here to build each other up, motivate each other to do good works and show love. We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord. Just like those in Jerusalem who chose to welcome Jesus, let’s continue to create an environment where He is at the center, where we can shout praises to Him as that’s happening less and less all around us.

Now, let’s look at a different crowd and how they responded to Jesus. Let’s fast forward to Friday, the day where Jesus was crucified. 5 days after he arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds praising and welcoming Him. Jesus has now been arrested and is standing before Pilate on trial.

Please join with me in reading Matthew chapter 27 verses 15 to 26:

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

This crowd has substituted Praise Him for Crucify Him. There is a similar hype, excitement, building off each other’s energy from what we saw from the last crowd but this is negative. There may be people here who would have happily welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem a few days before but with persuasion from the leading priests and elders and the mentality of the crowd shifting, they no longer see Jesus as an interesting novelty but a dangerous heretic. This mob won’t listen to reason or questions such as, ‘What crime has he committed?’, they want Jesus dead and gone. They are even willing to take responsibility for this, even having responsibility placed on their children. They’re not kidding about it.

Here we can really see the pressure of the crowd wearing Pilate down. He doesn’t see why Jesus should be crucified. He hesitates and questions why Jesus deserves this. He believes Jesus is innocent and under Roman law, there’s no reason why He should be put to death. His wife even encouraging him to let Jesus go due to a nightmare she had. There was a lot in favour of Jesus being let go here, but clearly not enough.

Pilate was scared. He was scared of the mob – he didn’t want a riot to break out. He was also selfish, he didn’t want this impacting his political opportunities and was worried if he didn’t do what was asked of him here, he would be worse off. He tried to claim innocence by washing his hands but his inaction caused Jesus to be crucified. 

How do we respond to Jesus when those around us aren’t also praising Him? Maybe they are indifferent or even against Jesus. You don’t have to look far to see that – I’m sure a lot of us see it very regularly – whether that’s at work, in what we see on the news and in politics, there’s a continuing shift away.

It is harder and harder to find places where Jesus is loved or even believed in. I’m sure we’ve all been in environments or seen situations like that, maybe not quite at a mob level of anger and shouting but we’ve all been in spaces where Jesus isn’t loved by all and that’s being made very clear.

How do we react? I believe the best response comes with balance because it can be too easy to go one of two ways.

We could be like Pilate and fold. We go along with the crowd for our own benefit, maybe we’re in a situation where it would just be easier to not be honest and open about your faith. We know what we truly believe but whatever situation we’re in, it would make it awkward to speak up.

It’s not easy to avoid that option either, right? We saw that from Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, just before His trial before Pilate. He went from defending Jesus, cutting off someone’s ear to protect Him from arrest to denying he even knew Jesus three times – probably because he felt the pressure of the crowd.

We should also be careful of going too far the other way, moving away from Peter’s denial and more towards the ear chopping territory. We could be courageously standing up against the crowd in Jesus’ name and laying down all the biblical truths but if we’re approaching it in a way that is seeking to win an argument, show off, or act high and mighty over those who aren’t Christians – we’re not representing who Jesus is well.

We need to balance both of these by being steadfast in our beliefs and also allowing people to question us and providing responses with humility and kindness.

1st Peter 3v15 & 16 tell us And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Just like Jesus, we need to ride into these conversations on our donkey, bringing courage and peace.

In all of this today, we’ve seen that people are uncertain. We fluctuate, we can struggle to respond in the right ways depending on changing environments, differing opinions, and challenging ideas. One thing remains constant though.

Try to picture how Jesus felt riding through Jerusalem. He knew the thoughts and feelings of the crowd – some not understanding that he wasn’t there to conquer with military force, he is the prince of peace. He was surrounded by people praising Him, knowing that 5 days later they would fight angrily for His death.

What does He do? He does exactly what He came here to do. He rides a donkey through Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy and show them the King he has come to be. He sits through his trial calmly and allows everything to happen as He knows it is supposed to.

The mood of the crowd doesn’t turn Him away from His purpose. On the cross, He asks God to forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing, he dies in our place and offers us eternal life. He did that for those praising His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, He did that for the angry mob calling for his crucifixion, He did that for the religious leaders plotting His death and inciting the crowd, and He did that for you and me as well.

After Jesus died on the cross, there was an earthquake. In Matthew 27 v 54 we read, The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Where do you place your faith? Is it in the ever changing mood of those around you? Is it in yourself and what you think is best? Or do you look to Jesus and say this, that he is truly the Son of God?

Let’s pray

Father God, thank you that you sent your Son down to die for us.

Thank you that he came as the prince of peace, riding in on a donkey.

We pray today that we can see Jesus for who He truly is and what He has done for us. May we carry that with us everyday and let it be our leading influence as we seek to honour You.

In Jesus name

Amen

Tawa Baptist

Doubt – by Sam Barris

Scripture: John 20:24-31

Sermon Notes:

I grew up in a Christian home. I was very blessed to have known and heard about God my whole life. Early on as a kid, I wasn’t sure if God was real. I hadn’t heard anything, seen anything, or really felt anything. I tried praying to God, asking for Him to show me he was real. I would read all these Bible stories about God intervening in a physical way, miracles taking place, angels appearing to people, staffs turning into snakes, bushes lighting on fire and wondered why none of this happened to me. I would ask God to show himself to me in a physical way – maybe it was a sunny day and I’d pray “God, turn this weather into a thunderstorm” and then I’d count God down from 5.  5, 4, 3, 2, 1, still sunny, shock. One time I remember standing outside and praying “God, let a Bible fall from the sky to show me you’re real”. What a fool. Please pick up your pew Bibles and throw them up and let them land on your head. That’s what I was praying for. Thankfully, God is infinitely wiser than me and did not let a Bible hurtle from the sky at a child’s head. 

While these are quite silly examples, I was experiencing a very normal thing. Doubt. Doubt is defined as a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. I think doubt can be something we’re afraid of or keep to ourselves. We might feel that we’re less faithful or not a good Christian if we’re doubting God or doubting what we hear at church. Today, I want us to understand that doubt is normal, it happens, we see it happening in the Bible but also: how do we deal with it and use that doubt to strengthen our faith? I thought this would be a good topic this week coming off Easter last weekend. At Easter, we hear how Jesus became human, sacrificed his life for all of us, to pay for our sins, and then 3 days later, was resurrected from the dead. It’s exciting stuff but believing it and understanding the true impacts it has takes faith. 

I went away to Easter Camp with our youth group and it’s an incredible weekend where teenagers have these opportunities to hear the Easter story, hear how God loves them and has a plan for their lives – but then so often, we head home and there are a lot of questions to answer still. If God loves me, why does my life still suck? I’ve heard God has a plan for my life, surely it’s not this life? We come away from this weekend of high emotion and praising God and then normal life hits again and doubts about what was experienced this weekend come flooding in. I think that can apply to everyone else as well, right? We might experience this incredible moment that feels like God’s hand is involved or we hear Will speak about God’s everlasting love and compassion and then go to work on Monday and wonder how this all works in the day-to-day. Where is God when work is stressing me out, when my family is sick, when I’m not where I want to be in my life? 

Let’s look at how doubt is addressed in the Bible. I want to start with the story of when Jesus appears to Thomas. Please turn with me to John chapter 20 verses 24-31, I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation version so feel free to read along with the words on the screen. 

One of the twelve disciples Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him “We have seen the Lord!”. But he replied “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” 

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name. 

Let’s look at this in 3 parts. Firstly, I want to touch on how Thomas deals with his doubts, secondly how Jesus intervenes, and finally how does Thomas respond to that? 

I feel a bit bad for Thomas, he’s remembered almost solely in the Bible for his doubts, ‘doubting Thomas’ he can sometimes be known as. I think he makes a fair point here in this cartoon – why don’t we call Peter ‘Denying Peter’ or Mark ‘Ran away naked Mark’? Despite being stuck with the name Doubting Thomas, we should respect Thomas for his faith and how he dealt with his doubts. It can be easy to read the Bible from the perspective of the all knowing audience thinking “Come on Thomas, why don’t you just trust that Jesus is alive again?” but let’s be real here. I know for a fact I would massively struggle to believe if it was me in Thomas’s sandals. I’d absolutely have the same reaction “OK, where is he then? Show me an alive Jesus, I’m not just going to take your word for it”. 

It’s better to doubt out loud than to disbelieve in silence. Thomas shows us a great example of how to deal with our doubts. He seeks to believe – he doesn’t just disregard what the disciples have told him, called them crazy, and stopped hanging out with them. He’s been honest and said “I’m going to struggle to believe it until I see it”. If we hold on to our doubts and don’t open up about them, confess them to God, and search for the answers to the questions raised by these doubts, that’s when we can be at risk of turning away from God or falling into temptation. Times of doubt and questioning can help us sharpen our faith but staying in that space can also be dangerous. When we are doubting, those are the times to lean further into God, read his Word, sing praises, and seek to understand like Thomas did. The worst thing we can do is go off and try to find the answers ourselves without God. This is obviously much easier said than done, it is not an easy thing to put into practice when you are in the midst of your doubts, but it is the way forward out of doubt and into true understanding. 

So Thomas has expressed his doubts, said “I’ll believe it when I see it” and then 8 days later, Jesus is there standing amongst Thomas and the other disciples. Let’s look at how Jesus intervenes on Thomas’ doubts. 

Then he said to Thomas “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe.”

Jesus gives Thomas what he needs to believe. In this case, what Thomas needs and wants seem to match up. This is not always the case for us, sometimes what we need from Jesus isn’t a sudden thunderstorm to appear out of nowhere or a Bible to hurtle from the sky towards your face but He knows what we need. We might also find that our answers don’t arrive in the timeframe we expect – maybe we catch ourselves counting God down from 5 like I did, giving Him a time frame that we want an answer. It takes 8 days from when Thomas expresses his doubts until he sees Jesus. Maybe sometimes things go unanswered for us for longer than 8 days, maybe it’s weeks, months or even years. 

I want to quickly turn to Luke chapter 7 and look at another scenario where John the Baptist is doubting Jesus and how Jesus deals with that. 

From Luke chapter 7 v 18-23: 

The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples and he sent them to the Lord to ask him “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting or should we keep looking for someone else?”. John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him “John the Baptist sent us to ask ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting or should we keep looking for someone else?’. At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and restored sight to many who were blind. 

Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. 

In the same way as Thomas, Jesus gives John what he needs to believe. All he does is point them to what he has done. To John, he says “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good New is being preached to the poor” – a pretty compelling list. To Thomas he says “Feel my wounds, look at what I’ve done for you” – you can’t really argue with that. 

Just like Thomas, John’s doubts were natural and Jesus didn’t rebuke him for having them. He responded in a way that led to understanding. “Look at what I’ve accomplished”. God can handle our doubts and he welcomes our questions. 

These are great examples of how Jesus intervenes and quashes doubts but how can he do that for us? Jesus isn’t walking the streets of Tawa, performing miracles on the Main Road, or turning up here to physically show us his wounds. I sometimes used to think that if I was around when Jesus was on earth and saw him performing miracles, I would obviously just fully trust in Him, follow Him and how could anyone who saw these miracles in person do anything differently? Jesus counters that with “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me”. If we’re looking for answers, we have all the proof we need in the words of the Bible. “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of his name” – just as Jesus gave the evidence to John the Baptist and Thomas, he gives it to us. 

But not just through reading the Bible. Engage in this church community, talk about your faith and your doubts with each other, listen to the testimonies of those around you, pray that God reveals these answers to you. Jesus isn’t anymore real or present to the people we read about in the Bible than he is to us. 

So we’ve looked at how we should raise our doubts using the example of Thomas, and we’ve seen how Jesus helps us with our doubts, how do we respond to that? How does Thomas respond when Jesus appears to him? 

He could have chosen to respond by saying “8 Days? You made me wait 8 days? You appeared to the others ages ago but made me wait! Why? Where have you been?”, questioning Jesus’ plan and timing. 

He could have said “I don’t know. How’d you pull this off? What kind of trick is this?” and carried on doubting, turning away from Jesus. 

All he says is “My Lord and my God”. 

He had his doubts, sought to believe, Jesus revealed himself to him and he believes. He doesn’t question the way this has happened or whether Jesus is tricking him, all he does is believe. 

How often do we hold onto doubt when all we’ve been asked to do is believe? We might get an answer from God and get stuck asking “Why did you make me go through this for 5 years before you gave me the answer I wanted?” or we get so caught up in trying to fix our problems ourselves that we miss the answer from God right in front of us. Or maybe we find ourselves in a tough spot and forget about how God has already helped us previously and the doubts come back. All we have to do is believe. 

There’s a story in Mark chapter 8 where Jesus and the disciples are on a boat, crossing a lake but they’ve forgotten to bring food – they had one loaf of bread with them. Jesus is trying to warn them about “the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod”, yeast symbolising evil in this passage. The disciples are just not paying attention, they’re arguing about how they all forgot to bring food and what are they going to eat? If only they knew a man who could do something about it. They’re arguing about their own problems amongst each other, wondering how they’re going to eat when literally just before they had seen Jesus feed 4 thousand people with 7 loaves of bread. 

Jesus says to them from the end of verse 18 

“Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward? 

Twelve, they said. 

And when I fed the 4000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up? 

Seven, they said. 

Don’t you understand yet? He asked them. 

They were trying to solve their problem by ignoring Jesus and arguing amongst themselves as to who should have brought the bread. All they needed to do is believe and they didn’t understand that yet. When going through doubts or just a tough time in general, it can be easy to question God – why is this happening to me? In that space, take time to reflect. What has God already done for me? Do I actually need to worry and doubt or has God dealt with this before and will do it again? 

It wasn’t God’s plan for me to control the weather or let Bibles fall from the sky. God knew that wasn’t what I needed to believe. I believe through what I read in the Bible, the incredible life-giving changes God has brought to those around me, and through a great community. Sometimes it is hard to believe that God loves me, other times it’s as easy as “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”. His love doesn’t waver like we do, whether I’m having a hard time believing it or not, it doesn’t matter what we think – He loves us. 

I wanted to end by sharing this article from 2020. A Christian group called Voice of Martyrs launched balloons containing bibles towards North Korea. When the balloons reach an altitude of between 20,000 to 30,000 feet, the atmospheric pressure forces them to pop. The bibles within them will then fall to the ground, landing, hopefully, in North Korean territory. God will make bibles rain from the sky if that is his plan. It wasn’t his plan for me but it was for those who truly needed it. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful that we can come to You at any time, about anything. We come to you with any lingering doubts on our minds and hearts and we ask for Your help. Have mercy on us in our doubts and give us vision and hope for what You will do. Deepen our trust in You. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Tawa Baptist

The intimacy of opposites

Scripture: John 20:11-18

Video Link: https://youtu.be/EJA2Fnz9wX8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Mary Magdalene
  • Blinded by grief
  • Seen by Jesus
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone and happy Easter.

We have a tradition, in our house, of making pancakes every Saturday morning. It says the weekend is here. For reasons I can’t really explain, it just doesn’t feel the same eating pancakes any other day.

Pancakes by themselves are a bit bland, they need some kind of topping. Being a creature of habit, I usually add lemon and sugar. There’s something about a sweet and sour combination that tastes so good. An intimacy of opposites.

Lemon and sugar on pancakes is a kind of parable for life. Much of day to day life is pretty bland, pretty flat. It’s the interaction of opposites that gives life it’s flavour. A squeeze of sourness here and a sprinkling of sweetness there. We need both, in the right measure.  

This morning’s message is based on John chapter 20, verses 11-18. The first thing that strikes me about this passage is the intimacy of opposites. In John 20, sweet meets sour. From verse 11 we read…

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Mary Magdalene:

Put up your hand if there is someone in your family named Oliver, Jack or Noah. Now put up your hand if there is someone in your family named Charlotte, Isla or Olivia. Apparently, these are among the most common baby names in New Zealand in recent years. (You can put your hands down now.)

The name Mary doesn’t appear in that list but if we went back a few years I expect it would. Mary seems to have been a very popular name among Jewish women in the first century.

Today’s reading features Mary Magdalene. So who is she?

Well, this is not Mary the mother of Jesus. Nor is it Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Magdalene is not Mary’s surname. It is most likely the place she comes from, on the shores of Lake Galilee. ‘Magdalene’ means watch tower.

In Luke 8 we learn that Mary Magdalene (among others) provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples after Jesus had delivered her from seven demons. This would suggest Mary was relatively wealthy, very capable and probably a leader in her own right. Mary Magdalene is a tower of strength.

In popular culture there is this idea that Mary Magdalene was a bit promiscuous, maybe even a prostitute. But there is no historical evidence for this thought. Mary Magdalene was not the woman of ill repute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. That’s a different lady.

And, contrary to what the fiction writer, Dan Brown (of Da Vinci code fame), would have us believe, Mary Magdalene was not Jesus’ girlfriend or wife.    

Mary Magdalene was devoted to Jesus though. Not only did she support Jesus’ work in practical ways, she was also present at the cross when Jesus died just days before. The past 72 hours have been sour for her indeed but they are about to get sweeter.

Blinded by grief:

When I was a kid, my grandfather made my cousins and I an onion salad for lunch. When I say ‘salad’, it was basically a bowl of raw chopped onions with a few slices of tomato on top. No lettuce. No dressing.

He wasn’t being mean. He was a kind and generous granddad. But, for some reason, he believed that raw onions purified the blood. In his mind, onions prevented cancer. I’m not sure if there is any science behind that but I can tell you for a fact, it cured me of eating raw onions.  

Many years later I discovered caramelised onions. When you cook brown onions in a pan on a low heat, add some balsamic vinegar and a little brown sugar, the raw onion is transformed from bitterness to sweetness. A beautiful flavour. Who would have thought; vinegar & sugar. The intimacy of opposites.   

In verse 11 we catch Mary at a vulnerable moment, weeping at Jesus’ tomb. The sweetness of love, coupled with the bitterness of death, an intimacy of opposites. The more we love someone, the greater our grief when they die.

Mary isn’t just upset that Jesus has died. She is distraught that Jesus’ body is missing. Her mind is dragging her down a path she doesn’t want to go. She thinks ‘they’ (maybe the religious leaders) have stolen Jesus’ body.

When she looks inside the tomb she sees two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been. They ask her why she is crying. They are not asking because they don’t know. They are asking because tears are out of place at this moment.  

You would think the sight of two angels would startle Mary out of her grief but she doesn’t miss a beat. Her devotion to Jesus is so powerful, not even the presence of angels can distract her. Mary wants just one thing, to be close to Jesus.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives the beatitudes. The beatitudes hold together the sweet and sour of being a follower of Jesus. These beautiful sayings of Jesus describe the intimacy of opposites. To live inside the beatitudes is to be close to Jesus.   

Mary is living inside three beatitudes in particular…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.   

And blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Mary is poor in spirit, at the end of her rope. Heaven has come to earth for her. Mary is mourning, crying her eyes out. She is comforted by angels. Mary is pure in heart, willing one thing, to be close to Jesus. She is about to see God’s Son.

When Mary turns around, Jesus is standing there. But she doesn’t recognise him at first. She thinks Jesus is the gardener. Perception is a funny thing. So often we see what we expect to see, not what is actually there.  

When I write a sermon, I check the grammar and spelling. I think it’s all good to go and then I read it again the next day, with fresh eyes, and notice the odd word missing. With the first edit I saw what I expected to see, not what was actually there. It pays to take a second and third look.

Mary was not expecting Jesus to be alive and so she didn’t see him at first. She assumed him to be the gardener, perhaps because they were in a garden and who else would you expect to see that early in the morning.

But when we reflect on this scene, in the context of the Old Testament, we see there is perhaps a deeper connection here. The garden Mary and Jesus found themselves in would be fragrant with the myrrh and spices of Jesus’ grave clothes lying neatly in the tomb. This setting reminds us of the Song of Songs, that sacred love poem, which takes place in a garden filled with fragrance & spice.

In the Song of Songs the woman says…
16 Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere…
And the man replies…
1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.

The Song of Songs celebrates a love so powerful it conquers death. The power of God’s love (in Christ) has conquered death. 

To be clear, Mary and Jesus were not lovers in a physical sense, but they did care deeply for each other. Mary’s devotion is tempered with restraint. You know that bitter sweet feeling (when you are young) and you like someone but you hold your feelings back? Lemon and sugar. The intimacy of opposites.

Seen by Jesus:

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
And in that moment Mary’s eyes are opened, her perception is changed and she recognises Jesus. He is risen. He is alive.

The interesting thing in verse 16 is that Jesus addresses Mary using the Hebrew version of her name, Miriam. Jesus speaks Mary’s heart language.

Tell me, who is Miriam in the Old Testament? [Wait] That’s right, Miriam is the older sister of Moses.  Miriam was devoted to Moses, taking care of him as a new born child, watching over him as his basket floated down the Nile to where an Egyptian princess was bathing.

Intimacy is when someone sees into you. They see you as you really are and still accept you. To be intimate with someone is to let down your guard, take off your mask and stop pretending. If you are comfortable to be yourself with someone and they are comfortable being themselves with you, that’s an intimate relationship.

Jesus had seen Mary at her worst, when her life was a mess and she was under the influence of seven demons. But Jesus saw past the mess and the demons. Jesus saw who Mary truly was, on the inside. Who God had made her to be.

Jesus is the new Moses. The new leader of God’s people. The one who fulfils the law. By calling Mary, ‘Miriam’, Jesus is honouring her as his big sister; a tower of strength who has taken care of him in life and in death.  Jesus is saying to Mary, ‘I see you’.

It’s only after Mary realises that the Lord sees her, that she is able to see the risen Jesus herself. It’s in being seen for who we are that our eyes are opened. It is through intimacy that we are set free to be our true selves.  

Intimacy requires trust. Trust is at the heart of faith. Putting your faith in Jesus doesn’t just mean believing he exists. Putting your faith in Jesus means trusting him enough to be yourself with him.  

Of course, when it comes to intimacy, we need to exercise wisdom. We cannot trust everyone. We cannot be intimate with everyone. We must be discerning about who we reveal ourselves to. Don’t put the pearls of your trust before swine. Your trust is precious. Value it.

Mary replies by addressing Jesus as ‘Rabboni’ (which means teacher). This indicates that Mary sees herself as one of Jesus’ disciples. She is his student, his apprentice. Sometimes men overlook the fact that Jesus had female disciples as well as male disciples.

In verse 17, Jesus says to Mary, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…”

The first thing this verse tells us is that Mary is holding onto Jesus. Maybe clasping his feet or giving him a hug. It’s little wonder Mary responds by reaching out to hold Jesus. She loves him and is overjoyed to see him again.

The fact that Mary is able to touch Jesus shows us the risen Jesus has a physical body. He is real. Mary is not hallucinating. Jesus is alive, he is not a ghost.

We might be a little puzzled as to why Jesus tells Mary to stop holding on to him. It’s not that Jesus is afraid of being contaminated by Mary in some way.

Rather, Jesus wants Mary to know: I’m not leaving right now, but I will be ascending to God my Father soon, so our relationship is going to change. It won’t be like it was before when we all hung out together. Once I’ve ascended, we will have a different kind of intimacy, a deeper intimacy. You won’t see me or be able to touch me, but I will be with you and among you by my Spirit.     

Although Jesus doesn’t explicitly mention the Holy Spirit in his conversation with Mary, later in verse 22 when the Lord meets with the other disciples, we read how Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.

The other reason Jesus tells Mary to let go, is because Jesus has something he wants Mary to do. Jesus says, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

It’s interesting that Jesus chooses Mary to give this most important message. In the first century women were not legally allowed to be witnesses in court proceedings. They were considered inferior or not reliable enough.

That idea is offensive to us today and Jesus didn’t like it much either. Peter and John were at the tomb only moments before. Jesus could have appeared to them first but he waited until they had left and then appeared to Mary instead.

Jesus did not think women were inferior or unreliable. Jesus sees Mary and he commissions her to be an apostle to the apostles. By trusting Mary with the good news of his resurrection, Jesus was letting the disciples know that women have equal status, equal value with men.      

Notice though the intimacy in Jesus’ statement: “Go to my brothers… My Father and your Father. My God and your God.”

With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples’ relationship, to Jesus has changed. Now they are family. Which means they have a closer connection, a deeper bond, with God through Jesus.

In obedience to Jesus, Mary went to the other disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord”. Intimacy with Jesus produces faithfulness to Jesus.

Conclusion:

Don’t you find it curious that when Jesus rose from the dead he didn’t appear in the temple and say, “I’m back”. Jesus did not reveal himself to the masses. He didn’t issue a press release and stage a massive rally. No.

Jesus revealed his resurrection personally, intimately, to individuals and small groups of people whom he had formed deep relationships with. Why did he do it this way? Because eternal life is not a stadium rock concert. Eternal life is intimacy with God through Jesus.

The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our hope of resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have real hope of being raised to eternal life through faith in him.

But eternal life is not just something in the distant future when we die. Eternal life is intimacy with Jesus. And intimacy with Jesus can be experienced now, in this world, when life is making us suck lemons.

I would like to offer you a recipe or a formula for creating intimacy with Jesus, but it doesn’t work like that.

Maybe you have enjoyed an intimate experience with the Lord while working in your garden, or singing praise in church or reading your Bible in private or walking in the hills. But it’s not like that every time is it. Sometimes reading the Bible feels dry. Sometimes being in the garden is a chore. If Mary had gone back to the garden the next day, she would not have found Jesus there.

Intimacy isn’t something we can switch on like a light. Intimacy cannot be manufactured. Intimacy comes to us as a gift at the intersection of opposites, in the crucible of personal suffering, when we are least expecting it.   

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The intimacy of opposites. When we find ourselves inside the beatitudes, we are close to Jesus. May the Lord bless you with intimacy.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How do you like to eat your pancakes? (What topping do you prefer?) What culinary opposites tend to work well together?
  • What do we know about Mary Magdalene from the Bible?
  • What is intimacy? Why do we need intimacy?
  • Discuss / reflect on the beatitudes of Jesus as examples of the intimacy of opposites. What does it mean to live inside the beatitudes? Which of the beatitudes are you living inside at the moment?
  • Why does Mary fail to recognise Jesus at first? How does Jesus enable Mary to see?
  • Why does Jesus tell Mary not to hold onto him? Why does Jesus choose Mary to be an apostle to the apostles?  

Outtakes

To mistake Jesus for the gardener reminds us of another garden and another gardener. I’m thinking of the garden of Eden, before the fall. We read in the opening chapters of Genesis how God took the first man (Adam) and put in him the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Now Jesus, the second Adam, the new paradigm or model of what it means to be human, is thought of (in Mary’s mind) as a gardener. We also read of the intimacy (the close companionship) Adam and Eve enjoyed with God, as the Lord walked in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day. Now Jesus, the Son of God, is walking in the garden of resurrection with Mary.

Tawa Baptist

It is finished

Scripture: John 19:30

Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-7-apr-2023-it-is-finished

Good morning everyone.

Our reading for Good Friday comes from the gospel of John, chapter 19. In this passage of Scripture, we hear how Jesus died on the cross. From John 19, verses 28-30 we read…

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Good Friday reflection – It is finished:

Finishing is hard to do. There are not many things, in this life, we can say are truly finished. You can never finish mowing the lawns or washing the dishes or painting the house because jobs like these will always need to be done again.

The search for meaning in life is another thing that never seems to finish. When we are young, being good at cricket or netball or chess or skate boarding might be how we find meaning. But, as we get a bit older, finding a boyfriend or a girlfriend matters more. Then building a home and a career. By the time we get to the end of our life, meaning is found in leaving some kind of legacy. 

What seems meaningful keeps evolving as we grow through the different stages of our life, so that we never quite find what we are looking for. We never totally feel like we have finished ticking the box of our life’s purpose.

The command to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves is another thing that never finishes. There is no end to caring for your family, your friends, your enemies and complete strangers.

Then there are the things we wish would finish but just seem to drag on. Small talk. A tedious sermon. A chronic illness. The burden of grief. Nagging guilt. The prejudice others dress us in. The torment of living with an abuser. Not to mention famines, wars, climate change and the fallout from these.

Like being stuck in a car, on a never ending road trip, the child inside us wants to cry out, ‘Are we there yet?’. But the grown up won’t let the child talk.

Finishing is hard to do.

It is significant that, in John’s gospel, Jesus’ last words from the cross (before he died) were, “It is finished”.  The other gospel accounts say that Jesus gave a loud cry and then he died. Putting that together, it appears Jesus didn’t say, “It is finished” in a quiet whisper. He shouted it out for all to hear.

Jesus is celebrating the fact that he has completed the work God gave him to do. He has accomplished God’s purpose for his life. “It is finished”, from the lips of Jesus on the cross, is the cry of victory.

Jesus’ life and death accomplished many things. Let me briefly mention three…

Firstly, Jesus reveals God’s love and truth. Jesus has shown the world God’s heart. God’s intentions toward us are good.

Secondly, Jesus shows us what it looks like to be truly human. The good we are unable to do Jesus has done for us. Jesus has lived the perfect life on our behalf.

Thirdly, Jesus makes it possible for us to be friends with God. Some people think God was punishing Jesus (on the cross) for our sins. But that wouldn’t really be fair or honest. I believe Jesus took our sin upon himself so that when Jesus died, our sin died with him.

This means the cross isn’t about punishment. It’s about forgiveness and reconciliation. Through faith in Christ, we can have a fresh start with God.

“It is finished” means Jesus’ work is complete, it is accomplished, there is nothing more we can add. Trying to improve on the work of Jesus, through our own efforts, would be like trying to touch up Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa. It would be vandalism.

When a mother has given birth, the doctors don’t try to put the baby back. The labour has finished. Now the new work of caring for the child begins.

Finishing is hard. We can’t do it on our own. We need help. Do you have unfinished business with God? What is it you need to leave at the foot of the cross for Jesus to finish?

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, we thank you for revealing the heart of God and for showing us what it means to be truly human. We thank you too for taking our sin upon yourself, that we may have friendship with God. Grant us grace to finish this life’s journey with faithfulness and courage. Amen.                 

Tawa Baptist

Irony

Scripture: John 19:1-16

Video Link: https://youtu.be/aSyEdB_BGD0

 Good morning everyone.

A fire station burns down, a police station gets robbed, a pilot who is afraid of heights. What word would we use to describe these three situations? [Wait] That’s right, irony.

Situational irony is when an event or situation is the opposite of what is expected. No one expects a fire station to burn down.

In the same vein, verbal irony is the use of words to mean the opposite of what is said. The name of one of Robin Hood’s merry men, Little John, is ironic because he is actually big in stature and big in heart.

This morning we continue our series for Lent looking at Jesus’ last week before his crucifixion and death. Today’s reading, which focuses on Jesus’ trial before the Roman governor Pilate, is full of irony. We don’t have time to read the whole account of Jesus’ trial, so let’s pick up the story from John 19, verse 1…

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Let me give you a window on this passage. Imagine four panes of glass…

On the bottom left we have Pilate, the Roman governor, who (ironically) is acting out of fear and ignorance. That’s ironic because Pilate has the authority and power of the Roman empire behind him, yet he doesn’t know who Jesus is, nor does he have the courage to see that justice is done in this situation.

On the bottom right we have the Jewish priests who, like Pilate, are ignorant but, unlike Pilate, they are fearless. Again, it is ironic that Israel’s theologians are ignorant of who their own Messiah is.

On the top left we have the disciples who are informed as to who Jesus is but are fearful for their lives. We don’t read about the disciples in today’s passage because they are in hiding.

And then, on the top right we have Jesus who is both informed and fearless. Jesus knows who he is and he knows God’s purpose. Jesus is not afraid. He faces his trial with courage and calmness. Nevertheless, Jesus is not immune from the irony of the situation.

As we work our way through these verses, keep this window in mind.

Dramatic irony is when the audience can see the irony of the situation but the characters inside the story can’t. So dramatic irony is like a secret only the audience know. We are the audience and that puts us in a good position to see the irony of Jesus’ situation.

In John 18, Jesus stands trial before the Jewish high priests, Caiaphas and Annas. They struggle to find two witnesses to agree that Jesus has done anything wrong. Eventually, they trump up some charges of blasphemy which, under Jewish law, is a capital offense worthy of the death penalty by stoning.

But Israel is subject to Roman law, which means the chief priests can’t kill Jesus without getting permission from the Roman governor and so they hand Jesus over to Pilate asking him to execute Jesus.

Pilate interviews Jesus and finds no basis for a charge against him. It is clear to Pilate that Jesus is innocent. But when Pilate tries to release Jesus, the chief priests won’t let him. We see the dramatic irony of the tail wagging the dog.    

In the opening verses of John 19 we read that Pilate had Jesus flogged. The soldiers heard that Jesus was accused of being the King of the Jews, and so they used sarcastic irony to mock Jesus.

They made a crown of thorns and put it on his head. Then they clothed him in a purple robe (purple being the colour of royalty) and said ‘Hail, king of the Jews’, striking him in the face. By mocking Israel’s king, the soldiers are mocking the nation of Israel as a whole.

Ironically, the Roman soldiers are like the Jewish priests, in that they are ignorant of who they are really dealing with. The dramatic irony, that we the audience can see, is that Jesus actually is a King, the King of heaven and earth. 

You may be wondering, if Pilate thinks Jesus is innocent, then why did he have Jesus flogged?

Verses 4-5 indicate that Pilate had Jesus whipped as a strategy to get him released. Bringing Jesus out before the people, beaten, bruised, covered in blood and wearing a crown of thorns, demonstrates clearly to everyone that Jesus poses no real threat to the Roman empire. He can hardly be accused of treason.

Pilate presents Jesus saying, ‘Here is the man’. There is a deeper meaning to Pilate’s words here that the governor is not aware of. The Hebrew word for ‘man’ is Adam. Jesus is the new Adam. The new paradigm or model of what it means to be human.

The first Adam (back in Genesis) was created by God to be a king over the earth and all the creatures in it. Sadly, the first Adam sinned and failed to fulfill God’s original intention for him. [1]

But, in Christ, God’s intention for humanity is fulfilled. Jesus, the Son of Man, shows us what the image of God looks like. Jesus shows us how human beings are to rule over creation; by caring for it with love and wisdom.

Jesus is representative of humankind in another sense here too. The first Adam (and his descendants) committed treason against God Almighty. Now Jesus, the second Adam, (who is faithful and innocent) faces the accusation of treason. Jesus stands before the judgement seat in our place, to face the charges we are guilty of. [2]

You would think people would feel sorry for Jesus, seeing him in such a pitiful state. Ironically, the chief priests have no pity and shout ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ A priest with no pity is like a pub with no beer or a bakery with no bread.

Pilate repeats what he has been saying all along, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Clearly, Pilate can see Jesus is innocent but, at the same time, he doesn’t want to deal with this. A governing official who won’t make a decision is like a car with no steering wheel or a boat with no rudder.

When (in verse 7) the chief priests say that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, Pilate becomes even more afraid. Pilate has been hamstrung by his fear all along but now his fear goes into overdrive. It is extremely difficult to make good decisions when you are afraid.

Ignorance only fuels fear. Knowledge of the facts helps to calm our fear. So Pilate asks Jesus where he comes from. ‘Son of God’ was a title the Emperors used for themselves. Maybe Pilate was afraid Jesus was somehow related to the Emperor.

Then again, as a pagan, Pilate may have simply been superstitious. People at that time believed the gods sometimes walked among them. If Jesus was supernatural, then Pilate may well have feared a reprisal from the gods. 

In contrast to Pilate, who is panicking right at that minute, Jesus is completely calm and says nothing. This is not what Pilate might have expected. Normally the accused would be trembling in the dock and chaffing at the bit to defend themselves, but not Jesus.

Jesus’ courage comes from being informed. Jesus knows he is innocent and he knows God’s purpose is being worked out through these proceedings. Jesus, the King, submits to God’s will for him.

In frustration, Pilate says to Jesus…

10 “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

There’s some dramatic irony right there. Pilate is kidding himself if he thinks he can free Jesus. Clearly he wants to, but he hasn’t been able to.  

Jesus’ answer is full of grace and truth, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 

Power is given and taken away by God. Pilate only has power because God has given it to him. There’s a humbling thought. Power comes in many forms. Knowledge, money, social influence, official positions of authority at work or in government. Whatever power we might hold is a gift from God. It is not ours as of right. It is only ours by the grace of God and for a limited time. How are we using the power entrusted to us?

Jesus goes on to explain that Caiaphas, the high priest, is responsible for handing him over and so Caiaphas is guilty of a greater sin. This doesn’t mean Pilate is off the hook altogether. He is still guilty of a lesser sin. But the grace and truth of Jesus’ words touch something in Pilate.

In a way that Pilate isn’t really expecting, Jesus, who has just been flogged and abused by Pilate’s soldiers, shows understanding of the difficult situation the governor finds himself in. Jesus turns the other cheek and loves his enemy. Pilate seems to appreciate the understanding Jesus has extended to him.  

Despite Pilate’s efforts to set Jesus free, the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar…”   

To be a friend of Caesar was like a formal title bestowed by the Emperor. Roman historical sources tell us that Pilate had become ‘a friend of Caesar’ through the good graces of an imperial official called Sejanus.

The emperor Tiberias was notoriously suspicious and killed his officials from to time to time. Sejanus had recently been killed in one such purge of the palace. This meant Pilate no longer had friends in high places to protect him. [3]

A word in the right ear in Rome and Pilate was a dead man. The Jewish leaders were essentially threatening Pilate with a bad report, one that could get him killed.

Pilate didn’t have a great track record as it was, so he found himself in the unenviable position of having to choose between political expediency and justice. Between saving his own skin and doing right by Jesus. Pilate chose to save his own skin.

It is significant that Pilate does not declare Jesus guilty. He simply says to the Jews, “Here is your king” and when the cry rings out, “Crucify him”, Pilate responds not with a  judgement but with a question, “Shall I crucify your king?”

Pilate reflects the priests’ words back to them and avoids condemning Jesus, for he knows Jesus is innocent. It’s like Pilate is saying to the Jews, ‘these are your words, not mine’.    

The condemnation of Jesus comes from the chief priests who answer by saying, “We have no king but Caesar”. This is incredibly ironic, especially when we consider it is not the crowd who are saying this. It is the chief priests themselves.

When Israel entered into a sacred covenant with God at Sinai, and the Lord gave them the ten commandments, the Israelites were basically saying, ‘Yahweh, from now on you are our King, we have no other’. So when the chief priests of Israel said, “We have no king but Caesar”, they were breaking Israel’s covenant with God. They were breaking faith with Yahweh.

The priests were supposed to encourage the people to remain faithful to the covenant. Caiaphas an co. did the opposite. They renounced God.

Some, through the past twenty centuries, have misused John 19 (and parallel passages from the other gospels) to stir up hate and aggression toward the Jewish race. This is utterly wrong, not to mention ironic.

Whether we agree with Israel’s politics or not, we should respect Jewish people because they are our brothers & sisters and because Jesus was Jewish. It is not fair or reasonable to condemn a whole race of people based on the bad behaviour of a few individuals 2000 years ago.

The high priests, in John 19, were religious fanatics. A religious fanatic is both fearless and ignorant (a dangerous combination). We need to steer well clear of fanaticism of any kind.

That means avoiding extremes. It means not becoming entrenched in an either / or, them verses us, mindset. It means cultivating the curiosity to find a new way of thinking about things. Getting some balance in your life. Spending time with Christians and non-Christians. Becoming comfortable with not having all the answers. Slowing down and listening. Getting your information from reliable sources.

Jesus is the man. Jesus is our King. He is our model, our pattern. We take our lead from him. Jesus did not seek to get even or take revenge on Caiaphas. Jesus was fearless in the face of condemnation and death, knowing God’s purpose would prevail. Jesus did not act out of ignorance but rather out of informed integrity.

We might not have the same clarity or courage or integrity as Jesus did. We are more often like the disciples who ran and hid. That’s okay. God’s grace is sufficient for us.

We are not likely to be crucified. But we are called to be living sacrifices, serving Christ day by day. That is our spiritual worship. 

Let me finish with a poem titled ‘Irony’ by Eileen Duggan…

Not hawk, not leopard is ironic.

Believe me it needs mind

To see the moral wit of

Using kind on kind.

Some poor fellow for a pittance

Made the cross-bar sure

To hold another carpenter

On it for the poor.

Grace and peace to you this holy week.

The musicians will lead us in sung worship now as we prepare for communion.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is irony? Can you think of a situation of irony in your own life (either past or present)? What irony do we observe in John 19:1-16?
  • Why does Pilate think Jesus is innocent? Why does Pilate have Jesus flogged? Why is Pilate so fearful?
  • What feelings (or memories) are you in touch with as you read of Jesus’ abuse at the hands of the soldiers and the miscarriage of justice at the hands of Pilate?
  • Discuss / reflect on the deeper meaning of Pilate’s words, “Here is the man”, in verse 5.
  • What power has God given you? How are you using that power? Does anything need to change?
  • How might we avoid religious fanaticism? How might we cultivate informed integrity in our own lives?  

[1] Richardson quoted in Leon Morris’ NICNT ‘John’, page 702

[2] Bruce Milne, BST ‘John’, page 276

[3] Bruce Milne, BST ‘John’, page 272

Tawa Baptist

Open

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Sm-a5vJA_Gg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Open mouths
  • Open book
  • Open home
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What do these four things share in common: a thumb print, a cork screw, a pin number and a key? [Pause]

That’s right, they open things. A thumb print opens your phone. A cork screw opens a bottle. A pin number opens your bank account and a key opens a door.

This morning, because we are in the season of Easter and because we are celebrating communion, our message focuses on Luke chapter 24, verses 13-35. In this passage Jesus opens the mind of two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus, the afternoon of the first Easter Sunday. From Luke 24, verse 13 we read…

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven milesfrom Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

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

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this passage Jesus opens his disciples’ minds to the reality of his resurrection. This involves opening their mouths, opening the book (of Scripture) and opening their home. First let’s consider how Jesus opens the disciples’ mouths.  

Open mouths:

Do any of you have a cupboard at home that you use to hide your mess. Perhaps the things in this cupboard were stuffed away in a hurry, because you had guests coming over and you needed to make the place look tidy. 

Sorting out the cupboard is one of those jobs you know you need to do but somehow just can’t seem to find the time or the motivation for. Avoiding the cupboard will eventually create more stress for you though, when you can’t find what you are looking for.

To tidy up the messy cupboard you have to start by taking everything out and sorting it into piles. Decide what you are going to keep and what you are going to throw out. Then put the keepers back in the right place.

Sometimes our hearts and minds can become like the messy cupboard. We stuff thoughts and feelings, doubts and anxieties, hopes and longings into a metaphorical cupboard inside us, which no one else sees and which we ignore, because it is easier than unpacking everything and sorting through it.

That strategy may work for a little while but it’s only a matter of time before the contents of the cupboard cannot be contained any longer. Talking about the things that are troubling us (the messy things we stuff away, out of sight) is one way to empty the cupboard in our mind and get our head straight.

We need to exercise wisdom though in choosing who we talk with about our mess. You are probably best to avoid sharing deep personal stuff with someone who is not equipped for that kind of conversation or who can’t be trusted with the information.

God is equipped though and he can be trusted. A big part of prayer is emptying the cupboard in your mind by talking with him and asking his help to sort the mess.  

In Luke 24, Jesus found two of his disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus talking about him and all that had happened, in particular, his suffering and death.

They didn’t recognise Jesus at first. Perhaps the thing that prevented them from seeing Jesus was the messy cupboard in their mind.

Jesus seemed to understand this and so he got them talking (he opened their mouths as it were) simply by asking them what was on their mind. Jesus knew it was important that they be allowed to express their thoughts and feelings.

It’s interesting that Luke gives quite a bit of space to what the disciples have to say here (at least seven verses). The implication is that listening to others empty the messy cupboard in their head is really important. It is a sacred duty in fact. 

Sometimes when we are listening to someone else we can feel tempted to jump ahead of them. Perhaps anticipate what they are going to say or short circuit the listening part and give them the benefit of our advice. But that never works.

The first and most essential part of cleaning out the cupboard is emptying the contents. Letting others talk is how we empty the contents. If you give your advice before someone has finished talking, that’s like putting more stuff in, you only make the mess worse.

Jesus gets his bewildered disciples talking and he listens.

In verse 21 the disciples express their disappointment when they say…

21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

They had high hopes that Jesus was going to deliver them from their enemies the Romans. But their hopes of military and political supremacy were dashed when Jesus was killed.

Jesus does not minimise or deny his disciples’ feelings. Jesus accepts that they feel disappointed but he does not leave them in the pit. After they have finished saying what they need to say, Jesus opens the book of Scripture for them.

Open book:

When we were kids we used to love doing those join the dot pictures. You know the ones, where each dot on a page is numbered so that when you draw a line, following the numbers in the right order, you end up with a picture.

Before joining the dots, you can’t really see the pattern. It’s only afterwards that you see the image. It was a bit like that for the disciples. They needed Jesus to help them join the dots.

In verse 27 we read: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.     

The Scriptures that Jesus used to join the dots were the Hebrew Scriptures, what we know as the Old Testament. The Scriptures are sort of like a map. They provide some perspective and direction. They help us find our way in life.

Of course, we need to know how to read the map. Maps are two dimensional. They don’t always show you how rugged or steep the terrain is. One inch on a map might not seem far but if that inch includes a mountain or a deep gorge, then it may take more than a day or two to navigate on foot.

When the disciples read the map of the Hebrew Scriptures they saw the parts about the victory and the glory of the Messiah and they overlooked the hard terrain, about the Messiah having to suffer first.

So their hope was built on the false assumption that the Messiah was going to deliver Israel from suffering. Whereas the Prophets were actually saying that God was going to bring deliverance through the Messiah’s suffering.

And that deliverance wasn’t just for Israel but for all the other nations as well, including Israel’s enemies 

So, how might we know we are on the right track with our reading of the map of Scripture?

In verse 32, after the disciples had recognised Jesus, they said to each other: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Three things we note here. Firstly, the disciples’ hearts were burning within them as Jesus spoke. Fire is a symbol of God’s Spirit. I understand this to be a poetic way of saying they felt the presence of God’s Spirit within them.

This is not to imply that God’s Spirit always feels like a burning sensation within. The Spirit may manifest himself in any number of ways.

One point of application for us is, when we read Scripture we may find a particular verse stands out for us or we get a strong impression that God is wanting to speak to us through a specific passage. We need to pay attention to that sensation in our spirit and ask God to confirm it and clarify it. 

Secondly, the disciples felt the burning sensation together at the same time.  When it comes to reading the map of Scripture we need to do so in dialogue with other believers. If our individual understanding is not in harmony with the Christian community, then we should not put too much weight on it.  

The third thing we note in verse 32 is that the disciples saw the meaning in the rear vision mirror (as they reflected on their experience). Often the meaning God wants us to get from the Scriptures is not obvious to us until after the fact, when we are looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight.

Some of you here may do the daily Wordle on your phones. Robyn does it and recently (while on holiday) I joined her. With Wordle you have six chances to work out a five letter word.

You start by guessing any five letter word. If you guess the right letter in the right place it shows up as green. If you guess the right letter in the wrong place it shows up as yellow. And if the letter is not in the word at all, it shows up as purple. It’s a process of elimination.

This particular day our first guess was GRACE. We got the E in the right place so our next guess was SPIKE. The I was correct too but we still needed to find the other three letters.

After a bit of thought we went with the word OLIVE. The O was spot on. We were getting closer but still no cigar. The harder I looked at the word OLIVE the more the answer evaded me. I could not for the life of me think of a five letter word that started with O, had an I in the middle and ended in E.       

After doing something else for a while, Robyn figured it out…

The word was OXIDE. In hindsight it seemed so obvious. But beforehand I just could not see it. This is often how it is with discerning what God is saying. We get a few clues along the way but the harder we strain to figure it out the more it alludes us. Eventually though the answer comes (with patience).

So, to recap, three keys that open the book of Scripture (from verse 32) are the Holy Spirit, other believers and hindsight.

That means we need to read the Bible with a prayerful sensitivity to God’s Spirit. We need to dialogue with other believers to discern a shared understanding of the Scriptures. And we need to reflect on specific Bible verses in light of our own experience (in hindsight). 

Interestingly, it was not an exposition of Scripture by itself that opened the eyes of the disciples. Rather, the revelation came when the disciples opened their home to Jesus.  

Open home:

In verses 28-29 of Luke 24 we read…

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

It would have been more difficult and dangerous to travel alone in the dark and so the two disciples open their home to Jesus for the night, even though they still have no idea that it was Jesus who had been walking & talking with them.

By inviting him in to their home, the disciples were opening their lives to Jesus personally. What we notice here is a process of drawing closer to Jesus. A journey towards intimacy.

It’s sort of like pass the parcel. You know, that party game where you pass a parcel around a circle of people and when the music stops, the person holding the parcel takes a layer of wrapping off, and so on, until you get to the final layer and the present is revealed. Verse 30 tells us what happens when the last layer of wrapping is removed.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

It is at this point that the disciples’ eyes and minds are opened and they realise that Jesus has risen from the dead. This is the greatest revelation of all time, indeed the greatest present ever.

Note the oddness of this scene though. When you go to someone else’s house for dinner you expect the host to serve the meal. But Jesus, who is supposed to be the guest in this situation, takes the role of the host and begins to serve the disciples.

Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks and breaks it, just as he did at the last supper and just as he did when feeding the multitudes. Just as he will do again one day when we feast in heaven with him.

The point is that Jesus is the host of our salvation and we are his guests, if we accept the invitation.

After this we read that the two disciples wasted no time in returning to Jerusalem to tell the others. Their joy could not be contained. And when they arrived their experience of Jesus’ resurrection was confirmed. Peter had also witnessed the risen Jesus.

Conclusion:

Jesus opened his disciples’ minds to the reality of his resurrection first by opening their mouths and listening to them and then by opening the book of Scripture so they could join the dots. 

The disciples responded by opening their home to Jesus and sharing the good news of his resurrection.

Where are you at in this process of realising that Jesus is risen from the dead?

Are you cleaning out the cupboard in your mind?

Are you joining the dots of Scripture?

Have you invited Jesus into your life and your home?

Or perhaps you are ready to tell others the good news that Jesus is alive?

Let us pray…   

Lord Jesus Christ, you have conquered death. Thank you for listening to us and joining the dots of understanding. May we make room for you in our hearts, our homes and our daily lives. Open our minds to the reality of your resurrection. Move us to faithfulness by the impulse of your love. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why does Jesus ask the disciples what they are talking about? (in Luke 24:17 & 19)
  • How do you manage the messy thoughts and feelings in your life? Do you have a trusted friend you can unpack the messy things with?  How do we listen effectively to others? 
  • Take some time to do a join the dots picture. Make it a hard one that isn’t obvious before the dots are joined. Why do you think it was difficult for Jesus’ disciples to join the dots of Scripture?
  • Discuss / reflect on the three keys for opening the book of Scripture? (Refer Luke 24:32) E.g. How might we recognise (or be sensitive to) God’s presence / Spirit when reading the Bible? What practical things can we do to reflect on Scripture in light of our own experience?
  • What is significant about Jesus acting as host while a guest in his disciples’ home? Why do you think the disciples recognised Jesus in the breaking of bread? How does Jesus’ resurrection inform the way we understand communion?   
  • Using the four stages in the Emmaus story as a framework, where are you at in the process or realising Jesus is alive? Are you cleaning out the cupboard in your mind? Are you joining the dots of Scripture? Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and your home? Or are you ready to tell others the good news about Jesus? What do you need in order to progress in this process?
Tawa Baptist

Capstone

Scriptures: Psalm 118:22-24; Mark 12:1-12; 1st Peter 2:4-7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/pqaLFDN6etA

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 118:22
  • Mark 12:10
  • 1st Peter 2:7
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

The story is told of a king who had a close friend. [1] The two men had grown up together. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation in his life (whether positive or negative) and saying, ‘This is good’.

One day the king and his friend were out hunting. The friend reloaded the gun but it misfired, blowing the king’s thumb off. As usual the friend said, ‘This is good’. To which the king angrily replied, ‘No it’s not – I just lost my thumb’. And, in his frustration and pain, the king sent his friend to prison.

About a year later the king was out hunting again, only this time in an area he should have known to stay clear of. Some bandits captured him and took him to their hide out. They tied him to a stake hoping to get a ransom for him.

That night, when the guard had fallen asleep, the king managed to slip his hands out of the ropes and escape. Having a missing thumb enabled him to get his hands free.

On his way home the king remembered how he had lost his thumb and he began to feel bad about putting his friend in jail. As soon as he got back he went straight to the prison to set his friend free.

‘You were right’ the king said, ‘it was a good thing that my thumb was blown off. I’m sorry for sending you to prison for so long. It was wrong of me.’

‘No’, his friend replied, ‘this is good.’

‘What do you mean, “This is good”? How is it good that I sent you, my best friend, to jail for a year?’

The friend replied, ‘If I had not been in prison, I would have been kidnapped with you.’

It’s funny, isn’t it. Sometimes the things that we discard as bad or unfortunate are the very things God uses to save us. We don’t choose the moment or the means of our salvation. God does that.

Psalm 118:22

One of the lectionary readings for today (Easter Sunday) comes from Psalm 118, traditionally read by Jews as part of their Passover celebration. It was during the Passover festival that Jesus was killed.

Verses 22-23 of Psalm 118 read…

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this and it is marvellous in our eyes.

The capstone is like the key stone – it is the most important stone, the one that holds all the others together. And it’s usually a different shape to the others, so it doesn’t look like it fits or belongs at first, even though it is indispensable.

Now, when a person of Jewish faith reads this verse, they would most likely understand the capstone to be either the nation of Israel or the king of Israel, while the builders are the rulers of the nations – those who hold the power in the world.

So it’s like saying, although Israel and her king are rejected by the other nations (because they appear different) God has redeemed them and set them aside (as holy) for a special purpose; to hold everything together and bring God’s order (his kingdom) to the world.

Mark 12:10

Not long before his crucifixion, Jesus quoted this verse (about the capstone) in the context of the parable of the tenants. Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees and religious leaders. From Mark 12, verse 1 we read…

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.  3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?” 12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. 

May God bless the reading of his word.

The vineyard in this parable is Israel and God is the vineyard owner. The tenants are the religious leaders and Jesus is the son of the vineyard owner. Jesus’ parable was a prediction of his death at the hands of the religious leaders.

At the same time though, Jesus was alluding to his resurrection. When Jesus quoted Psalm 118, he was implying that the religious leaders of Israel were the builders rejecting him, the capstone.

Jesus’ message is: ‘Even though you plan to kill me, God will redeem my life for a greater purpose’. 

Returning to Psalm 118 for a moment. In verse 24 we read: This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. The day in mind here is the day of salvation. The point is, the ‘day’ of our salvation is ‘made’ by the Lord, not by us.

Sometimes what we despise and reject is the very thing God uses to save us. We don’t choose the moment or the means of our salvation. God does that. The day of our salvation orbits Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

Jesus is the odd shaped stone, rejected by the builders, whom God the Father has made the capstone, holding everything together.

1st Peter 2:7

The phrase, “You are such a brick” is a compliment. It’s a way of saying you are solid and reliable. A person of integrity and strength.

Possibly the saying originated with king Lycurgus of Sparta. The story goes that king Lycurgus was boasting to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. When the visiting monarch looked around and saw no walls, he said to the Spartan king, “Where are these walls then?” And king Lycurgus pointed at his soldiers. “These are the walls of Sparta. Every man a brick.” [2]     

In first Peter chapter 2 we read…

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…. 

 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Verse 6 here, comes from Isaiah 28. Peter is saying, the cornerstone Isaiah was talking about is Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. Unlike an actual stone, Jesus is living, for God has raised Jesus from the dead.

A rock or a stone is not a perishable thing. A stone is imperishable, everlasting. To say that Jesus is the living Stone, implies his permanence. The life Jesus offers is a resilient life, abundant eternal life.

As well as being the living stone, Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s new temple. In ancient times the cornerstone was different to the capstone. The cornerstone was the very first foundation stone to be put in place.

The cornerstone set the profile for the whole building. The angle and plumb line of the walls were taken from the cornerstone. So it was important that the cornerstone was square and true, otherwise the building would not be level. [3]

Peter is saying here, there will be no crocked-ness, no injustice in God’s holy house, because the cornerstone (King Jesus) is righteous, just and true. As living stones in God’s house, we follow the plumb line set by Christ. 

Peter continues in verse 7 by quoting from Psalm 118…

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

Peter gives Psalm 118, verse 22, a slightly different nuance by referring to Jesus as the cornerstone, rather than the capstone. The main point remains the same: Jesus is the most important stone in the whole building. 

Jesus, the cornerstone, is described as precious to God and to those who believe. The word translated as precious comes from the Greek word for honour. [4] If we put our trust in Jesus, we will not be put to shame at the final judgement. In fact, we will share in Jesus’ honour.

In quoting Psalm 118, Peter is picking up on Jesus’ parable of the tenants in Mark 12.

Although the builders (the religious leaders) discarded the most important building block of all by rejecting Jesus, God vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead and making him a living stone, the cornerstone of His new house.  

Conclusion:

So what does this mean for us?

Well, it’s funny, isn’t it. Sometimes the things we reject as bad or unfortunate are the very things God uses to save us. Sometimes the things we don’t like about ourselves are the very things God uses for his unique purpose.

We don’t choose the moment or the means of our salvation. The day of our salvation may not happen as we expect. In fact, at first, it may feel like losing a thumb (or worse). The good news is God does not waste anything. Nothing is too difficult for him.  

The Easter story shows us God’s power to transform shame into honour, guilt into forgiveness, suffering into healing, rejection into acceptance, loneliness into friendship, death into life and fear into love.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the capstone. You hold everything together. You make sense of life. You are also the cornerstone. The true foundation on which to build our lives. We ask you to make us alive with your presence. May you transform our fear into love, to the praise of God’s glory. Amen.    

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Can you think of an experience in your own life that, at the time, seemed terrible but later you came see God’s salvation or provision in it? What happened?
  • What is the main point of Jesus’ parable of the tenants in Mark 12:1-12? How does this parable point to the events of Easter?
  • What was Peter getting at (what was his meaning) with the metaphor of living stones? (in 1st Peter 2)  
  • Why did God raise Jesus from the dead? What are the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for us?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various transformations revealed through the Easter story. What transformation has God brought in your life so far? What transformation do you wait for? 

[1] Adapted from a story retold by Mark Stibbe.

[2] Refer William Barclay’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 231.

[3] Refer Edmund Clowney’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 84. 

[4] Refer Thomas R. Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 110.

Tawa Baptist

The Cross

Good Friday Reflection: Four dimensions of the cross

Video Link: https://youtu.be/XnyM2pIaKUw

Good morning everyone.

John 19:28-37

A reading from the gospel of John chapter 19, for Good Friday. This is John’s account of the death of Jesus. From verse 28 we read…  

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Four dimensions of the cross:

The cross of Christ has many dimensions. Today we briefly touch on just four of those dimensions: Relational, Psychological, Global and Physical.

First and foremost, the cross of Christ is relational. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. Through faith in Jesus our sins are forgiven. In fact, our sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus.

And so, when we face the cross we face our mistakes; those things we might prefer to ignore or forget. We also face the hurts we have received.

Jesus taught us to pray: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. What things do we need to ask God’s forgiveness for? And, who needs your forgiveness? We need God’s grace to forgive others.

Another aspect of Jesus’ suffering is the psychological dimension. Jesus was forced to wear a crown of thorns. This crown of thorns was a cruel joke of the soldiers, a parody of Jesus’ claim to be a King.

The physical anguish of the thorns digging into his scalp points to the psychological anguish Jesus suffered. Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends. He was deserted by his disciples, separated, mocked, alienated and alone in a crowd. Most people did not see him for who he really was.

The prophet Isaiah foretold how the Messiah would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief.

Many people these days live with psychological trauma. Many people struggle with the yawning chasm of loneliness. Many are exhausted by anxiety and the toll of emotional pain and grief. Perhaps you can identify with Jesus in this way.

The Spirit of Jesus intercedes for us with groans and sighs too deep for words.

The cross of Jesus has a global dimension as well. You see, Jesus was innocent. The accusations against him were false. Jesus did not deserve to die. Through the cross, Jesus stands in solidarity with all those who suffer injustice, wherever they are in the world.

There are many in this world who suffer injustice. The people of Ukraine are hanging on the cross of war, through no fault of their own. Millions of people hang on a cross of slavery and unfair trade. Millions more find themselves on the cross of abuse or poverty, not by their own choice but by the callousness and greed of others. 

Isaiah said of the Christ: A bent reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out till he leads justice to victory. The justice Jesus will bring to the earth is global, reaching every corner of the earth. And it is a justice that restores.

The fourth aspect of the cross, we are thinking of today, is the physical dimension. Jesus suffered in his body. He was beaten, scourged and crucified. He was thirsty too, after having lost so much blood. The physical pain Jesus endured is unimaginable.

We are coming through a global pandemic. But even without the pandemic, many in our world suffer sickness in other forms and are feeling the pain of hunger and thirst in their bodies.

The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah: by his stripes we are healed. The healing in view here is both physical and spiritual. Jesus’ suffering is the source of our ultimate healing and wholeness.

Our environment is suffering too. Deforestation, global warming, extreme weather events, dirty water, plastic in our oceans and our food chain. The whole planet is physically sick. Jesus came to make all things new. ‘All things’ includes the whole of creation, not just human beings.

The cross of Christ has relational, psychological, global and physical implications for all people everywhere.

I invite you to take some time now to pray into these four areas.

Examples of things you could include, in your prayer, in relation to each of the four dimensions of the cross…

Relational: What things do you need to ask God’s forgiveness for? Who do you need to forgive or make peace with? Pray for God’s grace to forgive.

Psychological: Pray for someone you know whose mental health is suffering. Pray for people who are lonely. Pray for those who are suffering the grief of losing a loved one. Pray for those who are overly anxious or afraid.

Global: Pray for those who are suffering some form of injustice. E.g. Unfair trade / modern day slaves, the poor, survivors of abuse, refugees displaced by war or famine, the people of Ukraine, etc.  

Physical: Pray for the healing of our bodies and our environment. Pray for someone you know personally who is unwell. Pray for an end to the Covid pandemic.

Tawa Baptist

Symbols

Scripture: John 21:1-14 and Isaiah 25:7-8

Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-recording-4-apr-2021-john-211-14

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Mission
  • Devotion
  • Meal
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you have ever been to a Marvel super hero movie (like Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor or the Avengers) then you probably know that, when the movie has finished and the end credits are rolling, there is an extra bonus scene after the credits. Usually this final scene provides some crucial piece of information that sets you up to watch the next movie. It points forward to what’s coming next.

Please turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 21. John 21 is a bit like the last scene after the end credits in a Marvel movie. It’s a kind of epilogue. This is not to imply that chapter 21 is separate or unrelated to the rest of John’s gospel. It is still very integral to the whole. The point is that John 21 has a special role in pointing forward to what comes next. From John 21, verses 1-14, we read…

After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together. 

3 Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.”

“We will come with you,” they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing. 4 As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

 5 Then he asked them, “Young men, haven’t you caught anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered.

6 He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish.

7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away. 9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish.

14 This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from death.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This scene, from John 21, did not happen on the first Easter Sunday. It happened some weeks later. According to John’s gospel, on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to Mary and then, later that evening, to the other disciples in Jerusalem.

A week after that Jesus appeared to the disciples again, this time including Thomas, who wasn’t there for Jesus’ first resurrection appearance. Now, in chapter 21, Jesus appears to his disciples a third time. Only they aren’t in Jerusalem anymore. They are in Galilee, about 70 odd miles north of Jerusalem.

We might think the symbol of Christianity is the cross but it wasn’t our first symbol. For people in the first century a cross was an instrument of torture and execution. It was a painful reminder of the threat they lived under. It was not a comfort.

Instead early Christians identified themselves using the symbol of a fish. If you met someone you didn’t know you might find out if they were a believer by drawing the shape of a fish in the dirt with your toe. At a time when Christians were persecuted it was sort of like a secret handshake. These days the fish symbol is a bumper sticker.

John’s gospel is packed full of symbols. There are two main symbols in today’s reading: one is the miraculous catch of fish and the other is the meal afterwards. Both symbols point beyond themselves to something bigger. First let’s consider the miraculous catch which points to Jesus’ mission for the disciples.

Mission:

Most of you have probably heard of the term succession planning. Succession planning is the process of identifying and developing new leaders who can replace the current leaders when they leave or are promoted to glory.

The British monarchy have a very clear succession plan. When the Queen retires or dies, Prince Charles is next in line for the throne and after him Prince William and then Prince George and so on. In the business world, succession planning involves identifying and developing internal people to fill key positions in the organization as these positions become vacant.

Jesus had a succession plan too. Jesus looked to develop internal people (his disciples) to carry on his work after he had ascended to heaven.

Peter and some of those with him were fishermen by trade. They had been up very early (while it was still dark) trying to catch fish. The miracle of Jesus’ resurrection did not do away with the practicalities of life. They still needed to eat.

A man on the shore, who they couldn’t recognize from a 100 yards in the early dawn light, asked if they had caught anything. They replied, they hadn’t. So the man suggested they try throwing their net on the right side of the boat. Perhaps he could see something they couldn’t.

When they did this, they caught so many fish (153 to be precise) they struggled to pull the net in. Even so, the net did not break.

In verse 7 we read: The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

This ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’ was most likely John, the author of this gospel. Apparently John recognised the miraculous catch as a symbol of Jesus.

In Luke 5, when Jesus called his first disciples (including Simon Peter, James and John) the Lord told the men to throw their net out again, even though they had caught nothing all night. And, on that occasion, the catch was so large the net began to break. This time though (in John 21) the net does not break.

Various commentators throughout the centuries have suggested some symbolic significance in the number of fish caught. But we shouldn’t try to find a symbolic meaning in everything. Most likely the number 153 simply shows us this was an eye witness account. Fishermen had to count the catch in order to divide it equally with everyone involved.

If anything, the large number of fish points to the abundance and blessing given by the risen Jesus. It is the presence of the risen Christ that makes the difference. What’s more, it is as the disciples, lean not on their own understanding, but instead listen to and obey Jesus, that the fish come in.

The miraculous catch is both a historical fact and a parable (or symbol) of Jesus’ mission for the disciples. Right at the beginning of his ministry, when Jesus first called the fishermen to be his followers, the Lord had said ‘I will make you fishers of men.’ Meaning, you will catch people and bring them into God’s kingdom. This post resurrection miraculous catch is Jesus’ way of reminding the disciples that they are his succession plan.

Matthew’s gospel ends on a similar ‘succession plan’ note, only Matthew puts it more plainly, with Jesus saying: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…  

Returning to John 21; if the miraculous catch is a parable of Jesus’ mission for the disciples, then the net symbolises the church universal which will not break no matter how much strain it is under. The picture Jesus gives here is full of hope with many entering God’s kingdom, not just a select few.

The image of the disciples catching people to bring them into God’s kingdom shouldn’t be pressed too far though. This is not to imply that new converts are like fish that will be gutted and eaten. No. The point is the fish need to be taken care of. Verse 11 tells us Peter himself dragged the net ashore. We notice that each fish is counted and none are wasted.

We also notice how the metaphor changes to one of shepherding, in the verses that follow, when Jesus takes Peter aside and charges him with responsibility for feeding his lambs. Three times, in verses 15-17 of John 21, Jesus tells Peter to take care of his sheep. This means Jesus wants Peter to look after the people who come into the fold of the church.

Okay, so that’s the first symbol in John 21. The miraculous catch represents Jesus’ mission for the disciples to bring people into God’s kingdom. This catching of people for God’s kingdom happens when the risen Jesus is present and obeyed.

Having said this, it should be noted that as important as Jesus’ mission is, it is not the most important thing. Devotion to Jesus is more important.  

Devotion:

Verse 7 of John 21 gives us an indication of Peter’s devotion. As soon as Peter hears that it is the Lord, he girds his loins, dives into the water and swims ashore to see Jesus. That’s how eager he is to greet Jesus. Peter is more interested in the living Christ than he is in the miraculous catch.

This reminds me of that scene in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest is driving his shrimp boat into the harbour and he sees Lieutenant Dan on the wharf. Forrest is so excited to see his old friend he jumps overboard, while the boat is still moving and swims to greet Lieutenant Dan.       

Jump first and deal with the consequences later; that’s classic Peter behaviour. Keen, enthusiastic and committed. The point of application for us is that Jesus doesn’t always choose the best and the brightest to carry out his mission. I think Jesus chose Peter because Peter was devoted to him.

Sometimes in Christian work it can become about us. Maybe we serve in the church to prop up our reputation and make ourselves look good. Or maybe we do outreach work to satisfy some unmet (and unconscious) need within ourselves; to make ourselves feel better. (Like ‘playing Jesus to the lepers in our head’, as Bono would say).

God sees the heart and he knows our true motives, even if we are not fully conscious of this ourselves. For the mahi (work) of mission to be effective our devotion needs to be to Jesus, rather than to the work itself. 

I am thankful for Oswald Chambers who reminds us…

“The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service to Him. It is never ‘Do, do’ with the Lord, but ‘Be, be’ and He will ‘do’ through you.”

This is what Jesus was getting at in John 15 when he said ‘I am the vine. You are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.’

The point is: Devotion to Jesus is more important than service to him. Peter may not have been the most skilful or articulate or intelligent of men. But Peter was devoted to Jesus, as his Forrest Gump like dive off the boat to greet Jesus shows. Yes, Peter made some mistakes. He got it wrong sometimes but, because he was devoted to Jesus, he was able to get over himself and move on with Jesus. 

We do well to remember that one day the work of mission will be over but our relationship with Jesus will never end.

If the miraculous catch is a symbol representing Jesus’ mission for the disciples to bring people into God’s kingdom, then the meal that follows points forward to a time when the mission is complete and people of all nations party together with Jesus in the fullness of God’s kingdom.

Meal:

Some of you may have given up something for Lent. Special acts of devotion like this are between you and God.

Maybe you gave up chocolate or coffee or alcohol or swearing or screen time or some other comfort. If you did give up something, then you are probably really looking forward to today, because Easter Sunday is when Lent finishes and you can finally break your fast. Easter Sunday is the day you can finally eat your Easter eggs.

It is significant that the risen Jesus cooks breakfast for the disciples. Breakfast is the first meal of a new day. John 21 describes a new day or a new beginning for the disciples and indeed for the world.

When the disciples step ashore they see that Jesus has already got some bread and fish ready for them. I love the practical thoughtfulness of Jesus here, making a meal for the disciples who were no doubt tired and hungry after a hard day’s night.

This meal of bread and fish reminds us of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes in John 6, to feed the multitudes. After that miracle Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life.’ The risen Jesus sustains those who believe in him with the hope of resurrection to eternal life.

At the same time, Jesus preparing a meal, also reminds us of the heavenly banquet that awaits the faithful. In Isaiah 25 the prophet talks about the Lord Almighty preparing a banquet for all the nations of the world – a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. 8 The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord himself has spoken.  

Isaiah’s vision of a heavenly meal is a parable or a symbol of what God planned to accomplish through Jesus long ago. To be welcomed to dine with a King is to receive a royal pardon. It is a great honour for it means the King considers you his friend.

But Isaiah’s parable of the banquet goes even further, for it is here that death and sorrow and disgrace are removed forever. We might think of the richest food as a symbol of eternal life and the finest wine as a symbol of everlasting joy.

Jesus fulfils this prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus’ resurrection is both a historical fact and a living symbol. Jesus’ resurrection is the first taste, the deposit if you like, guaranteeing God’s promise to destroy death and wipe away every tear.

Now while the breakfast by the Sea of Galilee is not the actual banquet Isaiah had in mind, Jesus preparing a meal for his disciples like this foreshadows Isaiah’s vision of God preparing a meal for humanity in the fullness of His kingdom.

In verse 12 of John 21 Jesus invites the disciples to, ‘Come and eat.’ Apparently the disciples were slow to come for verse 13 tells us Jesus went over, took some bread and gave it to them. Then he did the same with the fish. In other words, Jesus served his disciples.

I wonder if the disciples appreciated what Jesus was doing for them in that moment? Probably not at the time but I imagine afterwards they did. It seems the disciples were all a bit overwhelmed. Verse 12 goes on to say that none of the disciples dared ask, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord.

Perhaps the reality of Jesus’ resurrection was still sinking in. Perhaps also the risen Jesus did not look exactly the same as the pre-risen Jesus. We cannot expect someone to be the same after they have been through death and come out the other side.

Conclusion:

The miraculous catch, in John 21, is a symbol of Jesus’ mission for the disciples to catch an abundance of people and bring them into God’s kingdom.

But to be fruitful in carrying out Jesus’ mission we must be more devoted to Jesus himself than to his work. 

Likewise, the meal of bread and BBQ fish points forward to that day in God’s kingdom when the King Himself will serve the nations of the world with a royal pardon, with honour and with eternal life.  

We are all invited to that banquet. Will you come?     

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples in John 21. How do you feel seeing the risen Jesus? What would be going through your mind? What would you like to say to Jesus?
  • What is the meaning of the miraculous catch of fish? What is Jesus communicating to his disciples through this symbol?
  • Where does your greatest devotion lie? Are you more devoted to Jesus or to the work he has given you to do?
  • Why does Jesus prepare breakfast for his disciples? How does this meal connect with the bigger picture of the Biblical story?
  • John 21:1-14 sounds a number of symbols of hope. Discuss / reflect on the hope implied in these verses.  
Tawa Baptist

When I survey the wondrous cross

Scriptures: Galatians 6:14, 1st Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 22:37

Good Friday Reflection:

Good morning everyone.

For many years the BBC Good Friday radio broadcast has started with the hymn, When I survey the wondrous cross. ­The words for When I survey were written by Isaac Watts in 1707 in preparation for a communion service. Isaac Watts was about 33 years old at the time. The hymn was originally named “Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ,” but apparently that didn’t catch on and these days we simply call it by the opening line When I survey.  

Isaac Watts was the son of a deacon in the Independent Church. As an 18 year old Watts was critical of the hymns they sang in church in the 17th Century, so his father said to him, “Make some yourself then.”

And that’s exactly what Isaac Watts did. He started writing his own hymns. Over his lifetime he penned the lyrics for about 750 songs, including Joy to world, which we sing at Christmas time.

Many consider ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ to be one of the greatest hymns ever composed. Certainly it was ground breaking in its day. When I survey is unlike the other hymns, of that time, in that it reflects a personal spiritual experience. It describes the affect the cross of Christ can have on the human soul.

The sentiment of the opening line (and indeed the whole song) is that “We cannot understand the full meaning of the cross of Christ. We can only stand in silence before it, acknowledge its wonder, and submit to its power.”  [1]

At that stage in church history many people had been focused on getting their doctrines right. While good doctrine is helpful for guiding our thinking about God, Watts could see that doctrine by itself wasn’t enough. Faith in God isn’t just a set of philosophical principles or ideas to be examined under the microscope of our mind. We don’t define God. God defines us.

On some level Isaac Watts knew that God is relational and people need to have a personal encounter with Jesus. We need the love of God to touch us on the inside. Songs like When I survey were controversial in Watts’ day, perhaps because they were considered too subjective or too emotional. And yet, for over 300 years,the song When I survey the wondrous cross has opened people’s hearts to the wonder of God’s love and given us a way to express our deep personal gratitude to Jesus.

The second line of the song refers to the ‘Prince of Glory’. This is a title for Jesus. Prince of Glory (with a capital G) means Prince of heaven.

‘Prince of Glory’ also indicates that all glory and honour are due to Jesus.   

In the last line of the first verse of the song Watts talks about pouring contempt on all my pride. Contempt is the feeling that something is worthless. And pride, in the context of this song, is a feeling of self-satisfaction. Pride says, ‘I don’t need God. I can do this on my own.’ Therefore, ‘to pour contempt on our pride’ is to consider our own achievements as worthless and to rely, not on ourselves but rather, on what Christ has achieved through the cross. 

C.S. Lewis had some things to say about pride. He said, for example,

…pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense. [2]

A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. [3]

…it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

In verse 2 of the hymn we speak directly to God saying, ‘Forbid it Lord that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my Lord’. This is a paraphrase of Paul’s words in Galatians 6:14, where the apostle writes,

‘May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.’  

The world, in this verse from Galatians, refers to everything that is against God. The world then is not so much a geographical place. The world, in this context, refers to an ‘anti-God state of mind’. Paul is saying the cross of Christ has (for him at least) killed his pride. In other words, Paul’s anti-God state of mind has been crucified. He no longer thinks of himself as not needing God. He now thinks and acts with reference to what God wants.

Taking his cue from Paul, Isaac Watts (like C.S. Lewis) had the insight to see that the cross cuts to the core of the matter – human pride. When we face the cross of Jesus squarely and honestly it humbles us.  

To put it another way; if we think of our pride as a house of cards (something we have spent a lot of time carefully constructing, but which isn’t very stable or resilient), then Christ’s sacrifice on the cross flattens our house of cards. 

The second part of verse 2 of the song continues the theme of ruthlessly crucifying our pride: All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. This line reminds me of what Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 1:18-31. Let me read you read some of the verses from this passage of Scripture…

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

… 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…

31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”   

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

What the world values and holds in high esteem: things like youth, beauty, wealth, skill, success, popularity, performance, winning and so on, these are of little eternal consequence. What really matters in the end is faith expressing itself in love [4], as demonstrated by Christ’s obedience to God in going to the cross.

You know, as we grow older and more self-aware, we come to understand the paradox that our strengths contain the very seeds of our weaknesses.

What are the vain things that charm you the most?

If verses 1 & 2 of the song seek to crucify pride, then verse 3 of the hymn shows us what we see when we survey the wondrous cross … 

See from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet? Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

This verse sets our minds on Jesus, bleeding out on a cross; a crown of thorns on his head, nails through his hands and feet. Sorrow mixed with love speaks of self-giving love. It also suggests not just the physical pain Jesus endured but also the mental anguish and grief Jesus suffered over his separation from God.

The final verse of the song indicates what our response should be…

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

This verse speaks of the fact that Jesus was the only one worthy to make the sacrifice to atone for our sin. Nothing else in all creation could have sufficed. When we understand that God did not hold back even his own Son for us, our conscience requires us to not hold anything back from God.

We know from the Law of Moses and from Jesus’ teaching that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. Jesus shows us, by his example, what that means and through the cross he provides the motivation to love God.

Now it needs to be acknowledged that we are all on a journey with this. While the final verse of the song holds up an ideal response, we don’t always manage to love God with our all. Wherever you are at on the journey I encourage you to not give up. Keep walking with Jesus. God is gracious and he understands our intentions are often bigger than our capacity to deliver (like a child at a smorgasbord whose eyes are bigger than his belly).

Peter was adamant that he would never abandon Jesus and yet, within a few hours, his enthusiasm was drained and he denied Jesus three times to save his own neck. Like Peter, we have all fallen short of our own best intentions. The good news is that Jesus did not condemn Peter. Jesus restored Peter and Jesus wants to restore us too.

When we survey the cross we face mystery. We cannot understand the full meaning of the cross of Christ. We can only stand in silence before it, acknowledge its wonder, and submit to its power.”  [5]

Let’s do that now as we sing in our bubbles, When I survey the wondrous cross…         

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my All.

[1] Stanley Grenz, ‘Theology for the Community of God’, page 340

[2] C. S. Lewis (2003). “A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis”, p.115

[3] C. S. Lewis (2003). “A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis”, p.114

[4] Galatians 5:6b

[5] Stanley Grenz, ‘Theology for the Community of God’, page 340