Tawa Baptist

Hinge

Scripture: Mark 8:27-38

Video Link: https://youtu.be/D8Rd-gYujQI

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Identity
  • Paradox
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we start with a crossword. The word we are looking for has five letters. And to make it easy for you, I have provided several clues: elbow, depend, joint, pivot, axis and connect. Any guesses? [Wait]

Yes, that’s right. The answer is hinge.

A hinge is a pivot point. Movement and change hangs on the hinge. Hinges allow doors to open. From time to time, we face hinge moments in our lives. Times of decision when it feels like we are about to break through some barrier or turn a corner. Hinge moments are often accompanied by an epiphany, an ‘aha’ moment, when the penny drops and a connection is made in our minds.

This Sunday’s lectionary reading focuses on Mark 8, verses 27-38. Chapter 8 is a hinge passage in Mark’s gospel. It comes in the centre of the book of Mark and describes a significant turning point in Jesus’ ministry.

It is also a hinge moment for Peter and the other disciples as they become aware of who Jesus is, what he came to do and what it means for them.

From Mark 8, verse 27 we read…

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

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

Identity:

Time for another crossword. This word has 8 letters. Here’s a few other words to serve as clues: name, signature, self, family, whakapapa and fingerprint. What do you reckon? [Wait] That’s right, identity.

At the core of Mark’s gospel, we read about Jesus’ true identity. The revelation of Jesus’ identity is a hinge moment for the disciples. Understandably, it proves too much for them to take in all at once.

In verse 27 of Mark 8 we read that Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the city of Caesarea Philippi. This was north of the Sea of Galilee, near the source of the Jordan River.

At the time of Jesus, Caesarea Philippi was a centre of emperor worship.

Before that the city had been a centre of worship for Pan, the Greek god of nature. And before that it had been a site of Baal worship. [1]

Now you would think this was a most unlikely location for Jesus to reveal his true identity, like hearing God speak to you at a Metallica concert, or in a shopping mall. Totally unexpected. But that is why Jesus came. To topple the idols in our hearts.

Whales communicate by a technique called echo-location. They can’t see all that well under water, so they make high pitched sounds measuring how long it takes for the sound to bounce back to them. The longer it takes for the sound to come back the further away the object.  

Jesus uses a bit of echo-location with the disciples on this occasion. Jesus doesn’t come straight out with it saying, “Guess what guys – I’m the Messiah”. No, he gently questions the disciples to sound out how far they are from understanding who he really is.

In an area which is renowned for its worship of false gods Jesus says to his followers, “Who do people say I am?” And they reply, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets.”

This tells us most people didn’t yet perceive who Jesus really was. Yes, they had a vague idea that Jesus was a messenger from God but their vision of Jesus was still blurry. Most people thought of Jesus as a forerunner to the Messiah.

So Jesus asks his disciples another echo-location question. “What about you? Who do you say I am? This is more specific, more personal. Peter replies, “You are the Messiah”

The word ‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘anointed one’.

The Greek equivalent is ‘Christ’. Messiah and Christ mean the same thing.

In Old Testament times, when God wanted to identify someone to be king he would have one of his prophets anoint the chosen one by pouring oil on his head.

The words ‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ are not surnames for Jesus; they are titles.

To call Jesus, ‘Messiah’, was like calling him King, a rival to Caesar. This title was politically explosive, a treasonable offence.  

Verse 30 tells us that Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone about him. The Jews thought the Messiah would be a military leader (like king David) who would destroy Israel’s enemies. If word got out that Jesus was a king like David, violence might follow. So Jesus orders his disciples to remain silent about his true identity. Jesus didn’t come to take life; he came to give life.  

In the verses just before today’s reading, Jesus heals a man who was blind. First Jesus takes the man outside the village, away from the crowd. Then he put spit on the man’s eyes, laid his hands on him and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’

The man looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around’. The man had some sight, but the healing wasn’t complete. So Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes once more and this time his sight was fully restored so he could see everything clearly.

This miracle of sight came in stages. It serves as an acted-out parable for the disciples and for us. Jesus wants to open the eyes of his disciples so they will see who he is and what he came to do. But, like the blind man, they don’t see fully or clearly at first. Their vision of Jesus comes into focus in stages.

Peter had correctly confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. That was true but there was more to it than Peter imagined. Peter could only see the crescent.

He couldn’t see the whole of the moon.

The disciples (for whom Peter was the spokesman) were under the common misconception that the Messiah would spill their enemies’ blood. But Jesus’ blood was the only blood to be spilled.

From verse 31 we read how Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

There’s quite a bit going on here. Firstly, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. This is Jesus’ preferred title. Son of Man can simply mean, an ordinary human being. But, in this context, it more likely refers to a vision the prophet Daniel had centuries before, during the Babylonian exile.

In Daniel chapter 7 we read…

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 is one who endures great trial and suffering, but who emerges victorious in the end. This concept of suffering first, then glory later, is the picture Jesus wants his disciples to see.

The thought of a dead Messiah is anathema to Peter and the other disciples. They cannot imagine such a thing. How can you win by losing? How can you save us from our enemies if you are killed? How can you be from God if the religious leaders reject you? It doesn’t make sense.

But Jesus insists it must happen this way. This is part of God’s plan. There is no plan B. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how passages from the Old Testament, like Isaiah 53, were plainly talking about the suffering and vindication of God’s servant, the Messiah.

But the disciples (in Mark 8) didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. They only saw the crescent. Jesus saw the whole of the moon. Jesus’ picture of a suffering Messiah destroys Israel’s hopes. And without hope, what do they have? Well, false hope is no hope at all. It is kinder in the long run for Jesus to be truthful.

And yet there is hope in these verses. For beyond suffering and death there is resurrection. Did the disciples catch that part? Maybe not. 

When Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke him, Jesus rebukes Peter saying…

“Get behind me Satan. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Ouch! That must have stung. What’s happening here? Well, the devil is using Peter to create a moment of temptation for Jesus. But this is not Jesus’ first rodeo. He sees through it.   

Mark’s gospel highlights three times when Jesus was sorely tempted. The first is at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Immediately after his baptism the Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan.

The second is in today’s reading when Satan tempts Jesus through a friend.

And the third instance comes near the end, when Jesus wrestles in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Father, not my will, but your will be done.

The temptation to avoid the cross was very real for Jesus, which is why he rebukes Peter as strongly as he does. Jesus cannot afford to allow his disciples (or anyone else) to define Messiahship. It is for God to define the identity of the Messiah. Jesus must stick to the straight and narrow way God has chosen. 

Although Peter wears the brunt of the rebuke, he was only saying what everyone else was thinking. Jesus may have been talking to Peter, but he was looking at the other disciples as he spoke. They (and we) have all had our thinking distorted by the devil.

We must not miss Jesus’ grace though. Jesus is not telling Peter to get lost. Jesus is not rejecting Peter outright. Rather, Jesus is telling Peter, ‘Follow me’. Stop trying to lead me. Stop trying to manage me. Stop trying to set the agenda for me. Get behind me as my disciple. I need your support not your opposition.

Paradox:

One more crossword. You might find this a bit harder. This word has seven letters and the clues are: contradiction, puzzle, mystery, catch-22 and conflict. What do you think? [Wait] That’s right: paradox.

A paradox is a contradictory statement that proves to be true. For example, you have to leave home to find home. When I am weak, then I am strong. Less is more. Go slow and you’ll finish sooner. There’s no success like failure. And infinite possibility leaves you with no choice.

Perhaps the greatest paradox is life itself. As Jesus says in John 12…

Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

In verse 34 of Mark 8, near the centre of the gospel, Jesus says… 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me…”

Again, we don’t really appreciate how shocking this would have been for people in Jesus’ day. For Jesus’ first century audience, carrying your cross wasn’t a metaphor for putting up with a difficult person or living with a chronic illness. Carrying your cross meant being treated like an outlaw, a criminal of the worst kind.

Carrying your cross was like digging your own grave. To carry your cross was to go to your own execution in the most humiliating and painful way imaginable.

It involves looking like the bad guy in the eyes of others, even though you have done the right thing.

To deny yourself does not mean pretending to be something you are not.

Self-denial, in this context, means putting aside what you want in order to do what Jesus asks of you. Denial of self involves the obedience of faith.

Being a disciple of Jesus means following Jesus’ example. We see Jesus’ integrity here. Jesus does not ask us to do anything he has not already done himself.  

In verse 35, Jesus gives us the paradox of salvation in a nutshell…

For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

The word translated as life, in verse 35, is psyche in the original Greek, from which we get the word psychology. Psyche is the Greek word for soul.

Your soul is your life force but it’s also your mind and personality. Your soul is the essence of who you are, deep down. It’s your true identity. 

Perhaps, among other things, Jesus is saying: you can only find your true self in me. You won’t find your self by pursuing a high-flying career or becoming the world’s best at something. You won’t find your self through fame or fortune or pleasure or good deeds or anything else this world might offer. We are defined by God and so we find our soul (our true self) in and through Christ.

With these words of Jesus, we find ourselves on the cusp of mystery.

The meaning is elusive. The paradox of life (and salvation) is like a rainbow.

A rainbow is meant to be enjoyed from a distance. If you try to understand a rainbow by getting close, it will keep evading you.

The full meaning of Jesus’ words cannot be grasped this side of eternity.

What we do know is there is no rainbow without the rain. There is no glory without suffering. There is no hope without waiting.    

We see the paradox of salvation worked out in the events of Easter. Jesus died on the cross in obedience to God’s will and God raised Jesus to eternal life on the third day. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection millions are saved and find eternal life. This is a wonder, beyond our comprehension.

In verses 36 and 37, Jesus says:  36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

The word translated as soul is psyche in the original Greek, the same word translated as life in verse 35. You are not just a collection of chemicals. By God’s grace you are a living soul. There is a value to your life and soul which cannot be measured. You are priceless.

Today’s lectionary reading finishes with Jesus saying: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Jesus is calling for loyalty here. Mark’s gospel was written for the early church and the early church was a persecuted church. Christians were being brought before the authorities and faced with a brutal choice. Renounce Jesus or die.

Jesus is saying it is better in the long run to remain loyal to him, even if that means being killed. If we share in Jesus’ suffering, we will also share in his glory. Some Christians around the world today still suffer violence for their faith. I imagine these words of Jesus carry real weight for them.

Although the church in New Zealand is not persecuted like the church of the first century, Christianity generally has fallen out of favour in this country.

We have witnessed a gradual erosion of trust between church and society.

Also an erosion of basic Biblical knowledge. Wisdom is called for.

We want to live in respectful relationship with others in our society, without compromising our loyalty to Christ. We need to conduct ourselves in a way that honours the name of Jesus.

We must face the reality that some people will respect our faith and others will view us with contempt, irrespective of what we do. We cannot control what other people think or feel. But, with the Spirit’s help, we can follow Jesus’ example of being gracious and true.

Conclusion:

Jesus’ words in our reading today are incredibly challenging. The spiritual equivalent of trying to climb K2. We cannot follow Jesus in our own strength. Peter tried and ended up denying Jesus three times. But the Lord restored Peter and Peter went on to remain loyal to Jesus, even unto death.

How you finish matters more than how you start, but you still need to start.

If you are feeling inadequate to accept the call of Christ, then you are not alone. Take courage. God has a way of giving you what you need when you need it. We walk by faith, not by sight. If you fall or fail, do not give up.

Take a breath, seek forgiveness and carry on. Your soul is more valuable than you think. God’s grace is sufficient for you.

May goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life and may you dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Can you think of a hinge moment in your life and faith? What happened? How did you feel?
  3. Why did Jesus prefer the title ‘Son of Man’, rather than ‘Messiah’? What is the difference?
  4. Why does Jesus rebuke Peter saying, ‘Get behind me Satan’?
  5. Discuss / reflect on verses 34-38 of Mark 8. How would people in the first century have understood Jesus’ words? How do you understand these verses? What are the implications for us today?
  6. Who do you say Jesus is?

[1] Ben Witherington, ‘The Gospel of Mark’, page 240.

Tawa Baptist

The Spirit & Peter

Scripture: Acts 2:1-41

Video Link: https://youtu.be/hckX4rgSt9I

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Spirit’s presence
  • Peter’s message
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning, everyone.

Many of you probably know that the Tawa tree (from which our suburb gets its name) relies on just two birds for the dispersal of its seeds, the kererū and the kokako.

The fruit of the Tawa tree is quite big, up to 3.5cm long. The kererū and the kokako are the only birds large enough to eat the fruit and pass the seeds through their gut unharmed. If the kererū and the kokako became extinct then the tawa tree might follow.

Everything in God’s creation is connected. Each part relies on the parts around it for propagation and survival.

Today, we say goodbye to Joseph and hello to the book of Acts. During the month of August, we will focus on four messages from the book of Acts in support of Arotahi, the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. Then, at the end of August, we will take up a special Renew Together offering for our Baptist missionaries.

The book of Acts tells how the message about Jesus started to spread throughout the world. Just as God uses kererū and kokako to spread tawa tree seeds, so too the Spirit of God uses ordinary men and women to spread the gospel.

The Spirit’s presence

Let’s begin then with a reading from Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost. From Acts 2, verse 1 we read…

When the day of Pentecost came, they [the disciples of Jesus] were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?… 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

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

You may have heard of the goldilocks principle, named after the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Like Goldilocks, we human beings want things ‘just right’. Not too hot or too cold. Not too hard or too soft and not too big or too small.

Dark KitKat is (for me) a goldilocks chocolate. Not too sweet (like milk KitKat) and not too bitter either. The biscuit gives the KitKat a nice texture without breaking your teeth (not too hard or too soft). And one KitKat finger is just the right amount, not too much or too little.   

Planet earth is in the goldilocks zone, situated the perfect distance from the sun and the moon and in the right part of the galaxy. The temperature and gravity (and hundreds of other things) are just right for supporting life.

The day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, is a goldilocks moment. Thousands of God-fearing Jews from all over the known world have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Pentecost. It has been seven weeks since Jesus’ death and resurrection. The disciples have spent much of that time in prayer and worship. They are in the zone, spiritually speaking.

The disciples are together, ready and waiting for what God will do next, when a sound like a violent wind blowing from heaven fills the whole house. This sound is not too loud that it deafens them and not too soft that they don’t notice it.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind in some ways. A powerful, untameable, uncontrollable, unseen energy. But it’s not like the wind in every way. The Spirit is more than just an energy. The Spirit is a person; creative, intelligent, intentional and capable of self-control. The Spirit is just right.  

After the sound like wind, the disciples saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. The Spirit’s touch was not too hot or heavy. No disciples were harmed by the tongues of fire.

In the ancient world, fire was thought to be the purest thing of all. The Holy Spirit is like fire in some ways, an agent of cleansing and purification. But the Spirit is not like fire in every way. The Spirit is life giving. The Spirit fills people just the right amount, without destroying them or requiring a 111 call.

Verse 4 says all of the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in different languages (languages they did not know and had not learned) so that people from all over the known world heard a message in their mother tongue.

Why did the Holy Spirit do this? Well, the Spirit is given for the purpose of mission. The Spirit empowers believers to communicate Jesus.  

One thing we observe about the Spirit, from our own experience, is that he has a unique way of creating connections. It appears the Spirit was connecting the dots for those present at the Pentecost festival in Acts 2. 

If you find yourself in just the right place, at just the right time, with just the right skills and resources to help someone, that’s probably not a coincidence.

A goldilocks moment like that may well be the Holy Spirit’s way of connecting someone with Jesus. Making Jesus real for that person.

The crowd were amazed and perplexed, asking one another, “What does this mean?” They cannot understand how uneducated men from Galilee (a despised place) were able to speak so fluently in foreign languages. From verse 14 we pick up the story…

Peter’s message:

14 Peter raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. …this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

In the Old Testament, the festival of Pentecost celebrated the giving of the Law. For Christians though, the festival of Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit. The Law was given through Moses, but the Spirit was given through Christ. 

Peter quotes some familiar verses from the prophet Joel as a way of interpreting these events. This is what the prophets foretold centuries earlier. This is God pouring out his Spirit on humankind.

The remarkable thing about the gift of the Spirit is the universal scope. It had always been God’s intention to pour out his Spirit on all people, not just the Jews, but Gentiles also. Not just men, but women too. Young and old.   

About 35 years ago, I worked for Youth for Christ as a volunteer. In those days YFC ran youth groups, camps and rallies, through which the gospel was presented in creative ways. YFC also provided training for their leaders. One skill they taught us was how to give a short talk about the gospel.

When speaking in front of a crowd your talk needs four things: hook, look, book, took. The hook is something to get people’s attention. Something that connects them to the message. Once you have people’s attention you tell them what your talk is about. ‘Look, here’s the point of what I’m saying’.

Then you support your main point with some words from the Bible, that’s the Book part. And the ‘took’ is the takeaway, something people can do to apply what you’ve said so the message sticks.

We see this pattern of hook, look, book, took, in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit provided the hook, by enabling the apostles to speak in foreign languages that the audience could understand. That certainly got people’s attention. It brought them together and connected them.

Then Peter (by the inspiration of the Spirit) provided the look, book and took parts. In verses 22-24 Peter points to Jesus, as if to say, ‘Look, here’s the point’…   

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

In just three short verses Peter directs his audience to look at the work, death and resurrection of Jesus, which was all part of God’s plan of salvation for humankind and directly linked to the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s comment that it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus, indicates that Jesus has conquered sin and death. For if death is the consequence of sin, then it logically follows that Jesus was without sin, for death had no claim on him.

Peter draws on various Scriptures (from the book of the Old Testament) to support his point. For example, in verses 25-27 of Acts 2, Peter quotes Psalm 16 saying…

25 David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.

Peter is saying here that king David was talking about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead when he wrote Psalm 16. More than this, Jesus is even greater than David, for God did not raise David from the dead. So, Jesus is God’s promised Messiah. 

In verse 36 of Acts 2, Peter drives his main point home saying…

36 “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”  37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

This is gutsy stuff from Peter. He is telling his audience, quite bluntly, you are responsible for killing Jesus, the Messiah of God.

Verse 37 says the people were cut to the heart when they heard this. What Peter said resonates as true and they cannot deny it. They are convicted to their core.

This feeling of conviction and remorse is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit shows us the truth about ourselves so that we realise our need for God’s grace and call out for help.   

In verses 38-39, Peter finishes with his took. This is the takeaway of his message. This is what his listeners are to do, so the message sticks…

38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Peter gives us a recipe for Christian conversion here. Becoming a Christian involves believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as repentance, water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit.

The elements of Christian conversion don’t always happen in the same order and they don’t always happen on the same day. Elsewhere in the book of Acts we see a variety of conversion experiences, all of which are based on faith in the resurrection of Jesus. And all of which are orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is always pointing us to Jesus. Always looking for ways to connect us to Christ and make Jesus real in our experience.   

Not everyone accepted Peter’s message that day, but for about 3000 people it was a goldilocks sermon, it was ‘just right’. Most of those 3000 had been present for the Passover festival, two months earlier, when Jesus was condemned and crucified. Now they were present for a miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Many of the 3000 were pilgrims from other parts of the world. They were like the kererū and the kokako. On returning to their homes, they took with them the digested seed of the good news about Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus has conquered sin and death. Through Jesus, God’s Spirit is poured out.

Conclusion:

One other thing we notice and that is the transformation that takes place in Peter in such a short time. Just seven weeks earlier, the night of Jesus’ trial, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times. At that stage the Holy Spirit had not been poured out and Peter was understandably afraid for his life.

Now at Pentecost, when the religious leaders are still a very real threat, Peter (an uneducated fisherman from the backwaters of Galilee) is filled with the Spirit and boldly tells thousands of people about Jesus.

Without the Holy Spirit, Peter’s best intentions to stand for Jesus, end in failure and shame. But with the Holy Spirit, Peter bears witness to the risen Christ, with courage and clarity.

The Holy Spirit does not always manifest his power in such dramatic ways, like he did in Acts 2. But, 2000 years later, he is still very active in the world, creating connections and making Jesus real for people.

The work of the Spirit does not need to be dramatic to be effective. We may not speak in foreign languages, like the apostles, but our experience of the Spirit is still valid. There is a certain winsomeness and intimacy in seeing the Spirit do something special that only you and one or two others notice.

The point is, when it comes to Christian mission, we cannot do anything without the power and guidance of God’s Spirit. Our part is to prayerfully wait for the Spirit, remaining open to receive what God wants to give and ready to respond to Jesus’ prompting.

Whether we are speaking to thousands, like Peter did, or simply sharing our faith with one person over coffee, may we go on being filled with the Spirit of Christ. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. In what ways is the Holy Spirit like wind and fire? In what ways is the Spirit not like wind and fire?
  3. Why does the Holy Spirit empower the apostles to speak in foreign languages? Why is the Spirit given?
  4. What is the main point of Peter’s message in Acts 2?
  5. If you had the opportunity to tell people about Jesus, what would you say?
  6. How did you become a Christian? Are any of the elements of conversion, mentioned by Peter in Acts 2:38, missing for you?
  7. What is your experience of God’s Spirit? How does the Spirit help you to share the love and truth of Jesus?
Tawa Baptist

Back to the Future

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-36

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Zjd842v-qhk

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Several years ago Robyn and I attended an end of year Christmas function which included a Christmas themed quiz. Most of the questions were from pop culture but there were some related to the original Christmas story.

One question in particular stuck in my memory. The quiz master asked, what were the names of the three wise men? I sighed inwardly. Yet another example of how the Scriptures have been hijacked by manmade traditions.

We have no way of knowing whether there were, in fact, three wise men, let alone what their names may have been. The Scriptures don’t say. We know there were three gifts and from that an assumption was made. For all we know there might have been five wise men bearing three gifts.

Sometimes we read things into the Bible that are not there. It’s misleading. Certain traditions of interpretation build up over the years, like barnacles on the bottom of a boat that need to be scrapped off.  

Today we continue our sermon series for Lent, looking at some of the things Jesus did and said in the week leading up to his crucifixion and death. Last Sunday we heard about Jesus’ clearing of the temple. Our reading this morning focuses on Matthew 24, in which Jesus talks about the future.

This is one of the most difficult passages of Scripture in the New Testament. There is a great deal of misunderstanding and false assumption surrounding Matthew 24 due, in part, to a poor tradition of interpretation.

So, I’m asking you put aside everything you thought you knew about this text and listen to what the Scripture is actually saying in its original context. It may surprise you.

Our reading this morning covers the first 36 verses of Matthew 24, which is quite a lot to take in all at once. To make it easier, I’ll break the passage into smaller bite size bits.

Two Questions (1-3)

Let’s start at the beginning. From verse 1 we read…

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 But he said in reply, “Do you see all these things?” Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; it will all be demolished.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him and asked him privately. “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

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

The Greek word for coming, used in verse 3, is Parousia. In ancient Greek, Parousia is a special word reserved for the coming of a king. It’s not the same as asking when your husband or wife will be coming home for dinner.

Matthew only uses the word Parousia to refer to Jesus’ second coming to earth. For the sake of clarity, he uses a different Greek word for coming (erchomenos) when he’s not talking about Jesus’ return. [1] Unfortunately, the differentiation is lost in translation, which only adds to the confusion for English readers.

Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple building caused his disciples to ask him two questions: When will these things happen (that is: when will the temple be destroyed) and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?

The disciples want to know what sign they should be looking out for that indicates Jesus’ Parousia (his coming as King in glory) is near. In their minds, the destruction of the temple and the Parousia of Jesus were connected in some way. But Jesus makes it clear they are two separate events.

The experts are divided, as usual, but basically Jesus answers the question about the temple first and the question about his Parousia second.

Sadly, people down the centuries have tended to confuse Jesus’ two answers. They have read what Jesus said about the destruction of the temple as if he were talking about his second coming in glory. When we do that, we get ourselves into all sorts of bother.

So let’s listen to what Jesus has to say from verse 4…

Routine history (4-14)

4 Jesus answered: “Be careful that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

It’s been a pretty rough few years for New Zealand. Our country has been through a global pandemic, an ongoing housing crisis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, a mass shooting, severe flooding and growing economic inequity.

Every night on the news we are bombarded by images of war and disaster around the wider world. Most recently it is the war in Ukraine. Before that it was Afghanistan and before that the focus was on Syria.

Some dooms day prophets might say these things are surely a sign that Jesus is coming soon, but they are not. The wars, famines, natural disasters and persecutions Jesus describes in verses 4-13 have been happening for the past 2000 years and so they cannot be a sign that the end is near. They are routine history. We should not be alarmed.

We might paraphrase Jesus’ advice as ‘Keep calm and carry on in the faith’. Don’t go down the rabbit hole of the latest conspiracy theory.

The end of the temple (15-22)

Having talked about things that are not signs of the end, Jesus addresses the question of when the temple will be destroyed, from verse 15… 

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand — 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 

For many years I misread these verses, thinking they were talking about Jesus’ second coming and the end of the world. If we read it that way, we will be terrified. However, when we understand that Jesus is not talking about his Parousia here, he’s actually talking about the destruction of the temple, we can park our fear.    

Jesus spoke this prophecy around AD 30. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jewish nationalism festered and in AD 66 the Jews revolted against the Roman empire. Long story short, the Roman General Titus, laid siege to Jerusalem for five months and the city (along with the temple) were both destroyed in AD 70, forty years after Jesus predicted it.

The sign Jesus gave, that people should flee Jerusalem, is a rather cryptic phrase from the prophet Daniel, ‘the abomination that causes desolation’.

We can’t be sure what this abomination was exactly but the gospel writer Luke understood it to be the Roman army. When you see the Roman army on the move, get out as soon as you can.  

Some Jewish believers did heed Jesus’ warning and fled to Pella. Tragically, many more Jews ignored Jesus and gathered inside the walls of Jerusalem thinking they would be safe. But that only made things worse.      

The Jewish historian, Josephus, lived through the siege and described the horror experienced by the people. Over 1,100,000 people died, most from starvation. Some mothers ate their children to stay alive, that’s how bad it was. The suffering was catastrophic.

We see God’s mercy, entwined with his judgement, in at least two ways. Firstly, God gave people 40 years’ warning to avoid disaster. And secondly, God cut the siege short. 

False hope (23-28)

The distress caused by the siege of Jerusalem would inevitably create a hope in people’s hearts that the Messiah would appear to save the day. Jesus does not want to give anyone false hope and so he says, from verse 23…

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Up until verse 26 Jesus had been talking about the destruction of the temple. But in verses 27-28 he briefly touches on his Parousia, comparing his second coming to lightning.

We know that Jesus is talking about his second coming, in verse 27, because Matthew uses the Greek word Parousia to describe the coming of the Son of Man. (‘Son of Man’ is Jesus’ favourite way of referring to himself.)

Jesus’ Parousia will be like lightning. Lightning is powerful, it illuminates the darkness. Lightning is unmistakable, it can be seen everywhere by everyone. And lightning is unpredictable, no one knows when it might strike. 

The point here is that Jesus’ second coming in glory will not be ambiguous. Jesus’ Parousia will be clear to everyone. There will be no doubt.

The meaning of verse 28 is not clear.  We are probably best to think of false Messiahs like a rotting carcass and those who gather around them as vultures.

Once again, the point of application for us is: Don’t follow the crowd. Don’t be sucked in by conspiracy theories. Learn to think for yourself.

Jesus’ enthronement (29-31)

From verse 29, Jesus returns to the subject of the temple, describing (in poetic terms) what will happen in the wake of the temple’s destruction…

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

Most people make the false assumption that Jesus is talking about his second coming in this verse. They also make the mistake of reading the words literally.

We know that Jesus is definitely not talking about his Parousia, in verse 29, because he says, ‘Immediately after the distress of those days’. Jesus did not return to earth immediately after the destruction of the temple, so verse 29 cannot be talking about his Parousia.

We know Jesus is using poetic language, in verse 29, because the physical stars did not fall from the sky. We can still see literal stars and planets in the night sky today. 

Scripture interprets Scripture. Jesus is quoting from the prophet Isaiah.[2] In the context of Isaiah, the sun being darkened and the stars falling from the sky is a metaphor to describe the end of the Babylonian empire. (The Babylonians being the great world power back in the day.) It’s a poetic way of describing political chaos.

Jesus is borrowing Isaiah’s metaphor, which his disciples were familiar with, and using it to describe the end of the temple system. The temple was the heart of the Jewish nation and religion. Everything revolved around the temple. To lose the temple was like losing the sun, moon and stars.

Jesus’ point seems to be that just as God passed judgement on Babylon, so too he will pass judgement on the Jerusalem temple. This is a shocking reversal. [3]

Incidentally, about the same time the temple was destroyed, four Roman emperors came and went (one after the other) in the space of a year. So, the metaphor of stars falling, might also refer to chaos in the Roman empire as well as chaos in the nation of Israel.    

Of course, when a power structure with as much gravity as the Jerusalem temple is destroyed, something else needs to take its place. In verse 30, Jesus explains that he (the Son of Man) will replace the Jerusalem temple.     

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the tribes of the land will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Jesus is still on the subject of the temple in these verses. He’s talking about himself as the replacement for the temple system. Jesus becomes the new centre of worship, the new heart of Israel, the new means of drawing near to God.

We know Jesus is not talking about his second coming to earth, in verse 30, because the word used to describe the coming of the Son of Man is erchomenos, not Parousia. [4]   

We also know Jesus is not talking about his second coming to earth here because, in verse 30, the Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven (not the clouds of earth). Jesus is saying those in the heavenly realm will see him come in glory, soon after the temple is destroyed. People on earth wouldn’t see this because we human beings can’t see what’s happening in heaven. You with me.

The other thing that is lost in translation for most of us is that Jesus is referencing the prophet Daniel, in verse 30. Scripture interprets Scripture. The term Son of Man, in the book of Daniel, is a metaphor for the faithful people of Israel (the saints of the Most High).[5] Jesus uses the term Son of Man to refer to himself. Jesus is the true leader (or ruler) of God’s faithful people.

Jesus is making the audacious claim that, once the temple is destroyed, he will be enthroned as Son of Man in heaven. This means the people of God will no longer be defined exclusively as ethnic Israel. With Jesus’ enthronement in heaven, the people of God are now defined as those who are in Christ, regardless of their ethnicity. This claim got Jesus killed.

For a long time, I thought angels gathering God’s chosen people from the four winds (in verse 31) was talking about the rapture, when Jesus returns. This might be how the rapture happens, we don’t know. What we do know is that verse 31 is not talking about the rapture. It’s most probably talking about the spread of the gospel throughout heaven and earth.

The word translated as angels literally means messengers. An angel is a messenger. The angels in view here don’t all have wings. They may also be human messengers (apostles, missionaries) delivering the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the four corners of the earth.

This interpretation fits the historical context. With the fall of Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians were scattered to the four winds and communicated the gospel wherever they went.

If you are still not convinced that these verses are about the destruction of the temple and not about Jesus’ second coming, then verse 34 should clear it up. Jesus says: 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

‘This generation’ means the people of Jesus’ day. Jesus did not return to earth during the first century. We are still waiting for Jesus’ Parousia 2000 years later. Therefore, all these things, must refer to the destruction of the temple and Jesus’ enthronement in heaven.

Jesus doesn’t start to answer the disciples’ second question about the sign of his Parousia and the end of the age until verse 36, where he says…

Jesus’ return (36 forward)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father.

In other words, with Jesus’ second coming there will be no warning sign. It will come like a thief in the night, at a time we are not expecting. Jesus cannot give us a sign because he doesn’t know the timing.

For the rest of chapter 24 and all of Matthew 25, Jesus talks about his Parousia and the end of history, mostly using parables. In summary, because the time of Jesus’ return to earth is unknowable, we must always be ready, making the most of the opportunity to do good while we can.    

Conclusion

We have covered a lot this morning, some of which may be challenging. Having our preconceived ideas and false assumptions exposed can be unsettling. I make no apology. Blind faith won’t sustain you. Truth gives faith eyes to see.

If you are struggling with some aspect of today’s message, you can revisit the sermon notes on the church website. And if you still don’t get it, then let it go and think about something else for a while. Perhaps it’s not meant for you at this time.

As I said at the beginning, Matthew 24 is a difficult chapter to interpret. Attempting to understand Jesus’ teaching about the future is like trying to climb K2. You shouldn’t do it alone or without the right preparation and equipment. It requires humility.

For those of you who prefer a simple message, here’s three quick takeaways…

Firstly, avoid conspiracy theories. Learn to think for yourself. When terrible things happen in the world, don’t panic. Keep calm and carry on in the faith. It will be worth it in the end.

Secondly, Matthew 24, verses 4-35, is mostly about the destruction of the temple in AD 70. It’s not about Jesus’ second coming, so don’t try to read the end of the world into it. That will only make you more afraid.

And thirdly, the timing of Jesus’ second coming is unknown. There is no warning sign, so be ready. Make the most of the time by doing good. Jesus could return at any moment.

May the Lord bless you with clarity and peace. 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 is it important to question our assumptions (or traditions of interpretation) when reading the Bible?  How might we test / challenge our assumptions, without throwing the baby out with the bath water?
  • Why does Matthew use the Greek word ‘Parousia’ to describe Jesus’ second coming to earth?
  • What should we do when we hear of wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes and famines? How might we discern conspiracy theory from truth? 
  • Scripture interprets Scripture. In what way(s) does Isaiah 13:10 & 34:4 help us to understand Matthew 24:29? In what way(s) does Daniel 7:13 & 18 help us to understand Matthew 24:30? 
  • In what way(s) is Jesus’ second coming like lightning? Why is Jesus unable to give a sign of his second coming?
  • What should we do as we wait for Jesus’ second coming? How can we be ready for Jesus’ return?

Outtakes

In verse 14, Jesus says…

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The traditional way to interpret this verse is that Jesus cannot return to earth until every nation and culture has heard the gospel. And so there was a push at the beginning of the 20th Century to evangelise the whole world in order to speed the return of Christ.

While the vision to reach all nations with the gospel is good, using this verse as the basis for global evangelism is a bit shaky. For evangelism to be authentic, it needs to be born out of our own experience of God’s love and a desire to share His love with others. Otherwise it comes across as a bit self-serving, a bit fake.

Jesus is most likely talking about the end of the temple in verse 14, rather than the end of history. What’s more, the whole world, in verse 14, probably means the whole known world at that time; the Mediterranean world. Jesus’ disciples would not have known about the Americas or Australia. 

By the time the temple was destroyed in AD 70 the known world of the Mediterranean had been largely evangelised.

[1] Refer RT France, NICNT Matthew, page 924.

[2] Refer Isaiah 13:10 & 34:4 in relation to Matthew 24:29

[3] RT France, NICNT Matthew, page 922.

[4] Ibid, page 924.

[5] Daniel 7:13 & 18

Tawa Baptist

Joy

Scripture: Isaiah 12

Video Link:  https://youtu.be/KGIJF20p74w

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The joy of God’s salvation – personal acceptance
  • The joy of God’s presence – public celebration
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Today, because it is the third Sunday in Advent, our message focuses on joy. Joy is a positive energy, one which usually gives us a pleasant feeling and inevitably finds expression in our words and actions.

Isaiah chapter 12 has some things to say about joy. In particular joy is the product of God’s salvation and presence. From verse 1, of Isaiah 12, we read…   

In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

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

These verses from Isaiah 12 fit neatly into two parts. The prophet quite conveniently introduces each of the two parts with the phrase, In that day you will say, (Isaiah uses this sentence in verse 1 and then repeats it in verse 4). 

This tells us Isaiah is picturing some day in the distant future. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, first the judgement, then the hope. First the demolition of Israel, then the rebuild. First the invasion by Assyria, then the restoration by Yahweh. First the grief, then the joy.

As I see it, verses 1-3 are about the joy of God’s salvation, which calls for personal acceptance.  

While verses 4-6 are about the joy of God’s presence, which calls for public celebration.

The joy of God’s salvation – personal acceptance:

In the ancient world most people could not read or write. Communication was largely by the spoken word, rather than the written word. It was an oral culture.

This meant people had to be good listeners and good at remembering. It also meant if someone wanted to make their message clear they had to repeat key words. Repetition was like highlighting or underlining what you wanted to say.  

When we look at the first three verses of Isaiah 12 we see quite clearly the word salvation repeated three times. We also notice the words comforted, defence and strength, which all describe different aspects of God’s salvation.   

The other thing we notice is the high frequency of singular personal pronouns like I, me and my.

You have comforted me. God is my strength, my defence, my salvation.

To someone in the ancient world, the first half of Isaiah 12 is talking about God’s salvation in a very personal way. You can hardly miss it.

So what is this salvation that Isaiah is at pains to highlight?

Well, salvation denotes an act of deliverance, like when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt or when Jesus delivered the disciples from a storm on the lake.

God’s salvation is a vehicle. It is that which takes a person from a bad state of being to a good state of being. Salvation, then, is God’s means of transport.

There’s a funny line in the movie, Kung Fu Panda, where Panda finds himself at the bottom of a mountain and he says, ‘My old enemy, stairs’. Salvation for Panda, in that instance, would be an elevator. Something that would transport him to the top of the mountain easily.

Or, if you happen to find yourself in a burning plane, then salvation is a parachute. The parachute transports you safely out of a bad situation.

And of course, there is the famous salvation of Star Trek. Whenever Captain Kirk found himself in trouble on an alien planet he simply said, ‘Beam me up Scotty’, and in seconds he was transported to the safety of his ship.

You may sometimes hear Christians using the word rapture. Perhaps you have had that panicky feeling when you find yourself alone, with no one else around, and you start to wonder, ‘has everyone been raptured and I’ve been left behind’.

The word rapture has two meanings. Rapture means intense joy and it also means transport. Rapture, in a Christian understanding, is the idea that Jesus will one day transport us to where he (and God) are. This is cause for great joy. To be raptured is our salvation, our ‘beam me up Lord’ moment.   

The name Isaiah actually means Yahweh is salvation.[1]God’s salvation, his means of transport from a bad situation to a good situation is multifaceted. God’s ride comes in many different forms.

 As verse 1 (of Isaiah 12) makes plain, the salvation in view is the removal of God’s anger. God had been angry with Israel because of their immoral behaviour. But God’s anger does not last forever. His anger is not divorced from his care. God comes to Israel’s rescue. His salvation will eventually transport the people from a state of wrath to a state of comfort.    

For the Jewish exiles, reading Isaiah’s prophecy in a foreign land, salvation meant being transported out of exile back to Zion, to Jerusalem their homeland.

What does God’s salvation mean for you, personally? What sticky, unpleasant, perhaps painful situation, do you find yourself in? What transport do you need right now?

Do you feel guilty because of something bad you’ve done? Or ashamed because of something good you haven’t done? Then the vehicle of salvation you need is forgiveness and redemption.  

Do you feel hurt or angry because of some injustice or loss you have suffered? Then the vehicle of salvation you need is vindication and restoration.

Do you feel alone in a crowd, misunderstood, a stranger and out of place? Then the vehicle of salvation you need is friendship and intimacy.

Whatever your situation, the Lord knows it and he sees your heart. He understands perfectly the transport you need.

One thing I would say about God’s salvation: we don’t decide what form the transport will take. It might be a Mercedes Benz or it might be a skate board. Either way, our job is to accept God’s vehicle of salvation however he chooses to provide it.    

In verse 2 we read: Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.

The key to accepting God’s salvation is trust. The trust that is meant here is practical not just theoretical. Trust doesn’t just say, ‘the train exists’. Trust gets on the train and allows the train to transport you. Trust believes that you will reach your destination, even though the train may go through some pretty long and dark tunnels at times.

Trust doesn’t just say, ‘God exists’. Trust holds on to Jesus and walks with him, day by day. Trust accepts the fact that Jesus will bring you home to God, even though you can’t physically see Jesus or always feel his presence. 

Verse 3 gives us a wonderful metaphor: With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

In the ancient middle east, people didn’t have running water coming out of a tap in their kitchen. They couldn’t jump in the shower to get clean or flush a toilet.

In the ancient world, people had to go to a communal well, a hole in the ground, and draw water out with a bucket. It was time consuming, physically demanding and a bit of a chore. Not really enjoyable. But people still did it because of necessity. You can’t live very long without water.      

Verse 3 says that this mundane, labourious task will be done with joy. You are going to have energy for it. You are going to want to do it. Why? Because you are thirsty and the water of God’s salvation is good, the best you will ever taste. Salvation then is something we are drawn to by our need.

The image of wells of salvation, suggests that salvation is something we imbibe. It is something we take into ourselves. Something that is life giving. Something that sustains us and our transport.

Pilgrims travelling through the wilderness might ride a camel or a donkey or a horse. Or at least they would have an animal to carry all their stuff. At strategic points along the way they would stop at a well to let their animals drink. Sort of like we might stop to fill up our car at a petrol station.

The implication here seems to be that God’s salvation involves a journey.                              

Earlier in the service we read a passage from John 4 (in the New Testament) where Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well.

The Samaritans came about as a consequence of the Assyrian invasion that Isaiah had predicted. The Jews of that area intermarried with the Gentiles and a new race came into being. The Samaritans were sort of half Jew, half Gentile.

Historically Jews and Samaritans hated each other. But Jesus tried to find some common ground. Jesus makes himself vulnerable and asks this Samaritan woman for some water from the well.

The woman doesn’t realise that Jesus is the primary well of God’s salvation. The water Jesus has to offer is the Holy Spirit. For those who believe, Jesus and his Spirit are the means of transport home to God.

Joy is the product of God’s salvation and presence. The joy of God’s salvation calls for personal acceptance, while the joy of God’s presence calls for public celebration.      

The joy of God’s presence – public celebration:

In his book, A Different Drum, Scott Peck tells the story of a monastery that had fallen on hard times. Over the years its ranks had dwindled until there were only five monks left.

In the woods near the monastery was a small hut where the Rabbi, from the local town, would sometimes go for retreat. The Abbot went to visit the Rabbi to see if he had any advice to save the monastery.

“I know how it is”, said the Rabbi. “The spirit has gone out of the people. Very few come to the synagogue anymore. The old Rabbi and the old Abbot sat in silence for a while, feeling the weight of the years, then spoke quietly of deep things.

When the time came for the Abbot to leave, they embraced and he asked the Rabbi, “Have you any advice that might save the monastery?”

The Rabbi answered, “No, I’m sorry. The only thing I can say is that the Messiah is among you.”

When the other monks heard the Rabbi’s words, they wondered what this could mean. “The Messiah is among us, here at the monastery? Do you suppose he meant the Abbot? Of course, he has been the leader for so long. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Thomas is so kind. Certainly he could not have meant Brother Elrod because he is often grumpy. But then again, Brother Elrod is also very wise.”

As they contemplated in this way, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect, on the off chance one of them might be the Messiah. They also thought about themselves differently.

Every human person carries the dignity of being made in God’s image. And every Christian believer carries the Spirit of the Messiah.    

Because the monastery was on the edge of a beautiful forest, people occasionally came to have a look. They sensed the extraordinary respect and love between the five aging monks. The Spirit of the Messiah was indeed among them, in the way they related with each other.   

Visitors became more frequent and stayed to talk with the monks. There was a real peace in the atmosphere. The brothers’ simple joy, the positive energy people felt just by being with the monks, was contagious. After a while one young man asked if he could join and then another and another. Within a few years the monastery became a thriving order once again.

Verse 6 talks about the joy of God’s presence, where it describes the Holy One of Israel being among you.

Isaiah is looking forward to that time in the future when the Lord God will walk among his people again, like God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Before that could happen though, the people would feel the pain of God’s absence.

In the gospel of John, chapter 1:14, we read how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy of Isaiah. The apostle writes: The Word [that is, Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

After Jesus had completed his work on earth he ascended to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to be present with his church on earth. While we do not see Jesus physically in the present, we have the words of Jesus who said: ‘wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them’. The Lord also said, ‘By your love for one another will all people know you are my disciples.’

And so, the Messiah is among us now, by his Spirit.

But wait, there’s more. The Christian belief is that one day, when Jesus returns in glory to establish heaven on earth, the Lord will again dwell among us in person. In Revelation 21, the second to last chapter in the Bible, we read…

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Isaiah foresaw a time, at the fulfilment of human history, when God would live with his people. A time of great joy. Not just an inner feeling of personal joy or contentment but a public celebration of communal joy.

Verses 4-5 of Isaiah talk about the public celebration that is called for with the joy of God’s presence on earth…

4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

In that day it won’t be just the thought that the Messiah is among us. We will actually see Jesus face to face.

Conclusion:

That day has not been realised in its fullness yet. Joy is the product of God’s salvation and presence. Isaiah 12 is big picture stuff. It gives a long range, Hubble telescope, view of the future.

In the meantime, what can we do to put ourselves in the path of joy…

We can take one day off in seven, a Sabbath day to rest and to renew our perspective through worship. We can also maintain regular patterns of sleep and not leave it too long between holidays.

We can make good moral decisions, choosing a lifestyle that is in line with our values. We can think about the needs of others and find ways to show kindness, without embarrassing people or leaving them in our debt.

We can carve out time for simple pleasures like losing ourselves in a good book or hanging out with friends or spending time in our garden or going for a walk. Whatever it is that helps you to let go of the pressures and worries of life.   

Probably the most important thing to remember though, is that we cannot expect to feel joyful or happy all the time. It is completely normal to feel sad sometimes or angry or tired.

Some of you may have become Christians under the false expectation that, in order to be a good witness, you must always be up, always smiling, always positive, always playing the glad game. Nothing will empty you of joy quicker than pretending to be something you’re not. If the psalms teach us anything it is to be honest with ourselves and with God.     

My sense is that many people in our community are feeling quite weary at present. I imagine some here don’t feel much like celebrating this Christmas. Joy may seem a long way off. But the truth is, Jesus could return for our rapture at any moment. Things can change very quickly.

Let us pray…

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, you are the source of our joy. Thank you for your salvation and your presence among us. Give us eyes to see the transport you provide and hearts to trust you, even in the darkness. Renew our strength and lead us in the path of peace, for your name’s sake we pray. 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?

  • What is your experience of joy?
  • What is God’s salvation? Have you experienced God’s transport from a bad state of being to a good state of being? What happened? How did you feel? How did you accept God’s vehicle of salvation in that situation?
  • Discuss/reflect on the metaphor, wells of salvation. What are the implications for us?
  • How is the presence of the Messiah made real among us today? Can you think of a moment or a relationship in which Jesus has been real for you recently?
  • What can you do (practically) to put yourself in the path of joy? 
  • Take some time this week to bring to mind the things you are thankful for. Do something to celebrate (with others) the things that have gone well.

[1] Refer John Goldingay’s NIBC on Isaiah, page 89.

Tawa Baptist

Peace

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-9

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-iOYOs5t4dg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Wise Spirit
  • Righteous Judge
  • Universal Peace
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kia ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Have you ever noticed how many dystopian movies there are these days? Dystopia is a term used to describe a highly dysfunctional society, in contrast to utopia which refers to an ideal society.

A dystopian film is usually set in the future with a government that is evil or corrupt. As a consequence, the people suffer in a nightmarish society, ruled by violence and fear and injustice.

Examples of the dystopian genre include The Divergent Series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Matrix series, Gattaca, The Running Man, Snowpiercer and Escape from New York.

The main function of these dystopian films is to critique our present day society. It’s like these movies are giving a prophetic message of what could happen if we don’t fix the problems we have now.

The Bible also critiques contemporary society but it does so without giving in to despair. The Bible critiques the present day and inspires hope by imagining a good future.       

Today is the second Sunday in Christmas Advent, traditionally associated with peace. Advent is a time of consciously waiting for the peace only Jesus can bring. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Our message this morning focuses on Isaiah 11:1-9. In this passage the prophet paints a picture of a utopian future, one of universal peace. From verse 1 of Isaiah 11, we read…

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord – 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearlingtogether; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

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

This passage from Isaiah is about the Messiah, God’s anointed King. The Messiah is empowered with a wise Spirit. He is a righteous judge. And, through his wise and just rule, the Messiah will ultimately bring about universal peace.

The Jews of Isaiah’s day were not sure who this ideal king would be, but they could be sure his wisdom and righteousness were a critique of many of Israel’s previous kings who were far from wise or just.

Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. We believe Jesus will one day usher in universal, lasting peace.

Wise Spirit:

In verse 1 of chapter 11, Isaiah gives us this metaphor for the Messiah:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Jesse was the father of king David. David’s descendants sat on the throne of Israel for many years. Some of those kings were good but many of them were rotten. God was patient but there is only so much he will tolerate.

Eventually God decided enough was enough and he brought an end to the Davidic monarchy. He cut the descendants of David off from the throne, like cutting down a tree and leaving only the stump.

In chapter 11, Isaiah foresees the day when a new king (a descendant of Jesse and David) will be restored to the throne. This new king will be different to any of the kings that went before. He will bear good fruit, the fruit of righteousness.

Two things we notice about this metaphor. Firstly, the new shoot (or the new Messiah) grows out of something considered long dead. This is a miracle of resurrection.

Secondly, waiting for this new Messiah will require some patience. What God has planned is not going to happen overnight. It will take many years for the new shoot to appear, grow and bear fruit.

In verse 2, Isaiah describes the special power and authority of this new Messiah, saying: 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

In other words, the Messiah will be empowered with the Spirit of God.

Wisdom, in a Biblical understanding, isn’t so much about head knowledge or being book smart. Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come from having a PhD. Wisdom is more practical than that. Wisdom is about making good moral choices and the way one lives their life day to day.

Understanding suggests being able to join the dots correctly. So, someone with good understanding can see how general principles apply in specific situations. Understanding also suggests an awareness of how people tick.      

Jesus demonstrated wisdom and understanding on numerous occasions, especially when questioned by the religious leaders. One time they asked Jesus, ‘Teacher, is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “…why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax… Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? …Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”     

Wisdom and understanding you see. Jesus understood the hearts or intentions of his questioners. He also had the wisdom to know how to apply the spirit of God’s law to a specific situation, which wasn’t necessarily detailed in God’s law.

Returning to our passage from Isaiah. The Messiah will also have the Spirit of counsel and of might. Counsel here is about the right kind of strategic advice. Drawing on last week’s message, the Messiah will be a wonderful counsellor (or wonder planner), good at chess. 

Might is associated with power but, in this context, it’s not so much the power of brute force. More the power of thinking smarter and having the will or courage to follow through on your convictions.

Jesus also fits the bill when it comes to counsel and might. Jesus’ counsel, if someone hits you, is to turn the other cheek. Incredibly difficult to do but an excellent strategy for minimising violence.

Not only was Jesus’ teaching on this point smart, Jesus also had the might, or the strength, to turn the other cheek and not respond with violence when he was physically beaten at his trial. 

Knowledge of the Lord, means knowing God through relationship and experience. Knowledge doesn’t just mean knowing facts about God. Knowledge comes from tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. Knowledge of God is the basis of trust in God.

Fear of the Lord has to do with awe and reverence and respect for God. As Proverbs tells us, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’.

The Messiah will delight in the fear of the Lord. I quite like Abraham Heschel’s rendering of verse 3: Through the fear of the Lord he [the Messiah] will have supreme sensitivity.

Sensitivity speaks of discernment. When a woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, in John 8, the Lord showed supreme sensitivity in his dealing with the angry crowd and the frightened woman.    

Righteous Judge:

In ancient times, if people wanted to settle a serious dispute, they might go to the king for a resolution. King Solomon, who lived many years before Isaiah, was renowned for His wisdom. People brought their disputes before him.

Famously, two women came to Solomon one day. They both lived in the same house and both had infant sons. One of the sons had died, but both women claimed the surviving child was theirs.

Solomon ordered one his soldiers to cut the living boy in two and give half to each woman. One of the women just shrugged her shoulders, she was pretty unmoved by this command. But the other woman begged the king to spare the child’s life and give the baby to her rival.

Solomon had no intention of harming the baby. It was a test to see which of the women was the true mother. Obviously the child belonged to the woman who was prepared to give up her baby to save his life.

In Isaiah 11, verses 3-4, we read…

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

These verses are basically saying that the wise Messiah will be a righteous judge. He won’t give preferential treatment to someone just because they happen to be rich and powerful.

There is a famous statue of lady justice holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The balanced scales represent fairness and equity. While the sword represents punishment for wrong doing.

The interesting thing is that lady justice is wearing a blind fold. The message with the blindfold is that justice does not take into account a person’s race or religion or wealth or position in society. Whatever your demographic, whatever your background, your case will be decided on the evidence, not on who your parents are or how much money you have.

The inspiration for lady justice comes from passages like Isaiah 11. The Messiah will not judge by outward appearances. He will look deeper, to the heart of the issue, because things are not always as they first appear. 

For example, if a widow steals a loaf of bread to feed her hungry children, then the righteous judge (who is also the king) will acknowledge the law has been broken but also look deeper as to the cause. Why is this woman so poor that she has to steal bread to feed her family?

Is it because her landlord is charging too much rent? Is it because her boss isn’t paying her enough? Or is it because someone has a monopoly on bread making and can charge whatever they want?

If the woman stole bread because the system is broken, then it’s not fair to punish her for something she has no control over. This righteous judge is also the king of the land. His word is law. He controls the system. So he can fix whatever the larger problem (with society) is.   

So that’s the main idea with these verses in Isaiah 11. The Messiah is a righteous judge who looks at the heart of the matter in order to make his kingdom (his society) a fair place for everyone. A place in which widows don’t need to resort to stealing.

But let me develop this idea a bit more, because I don’t want to leave you with the false impression that the rich are evil and the poor are saints. We all know that people are more complex than that. Nor should we think that every act of wrong doing can be blamed on a faulty system. Individuals still have to take some responsibility.

The point we need to keep hold of here is that God’s Messiah does not judge by outward appearances. Sometimes needy people are hidden in plain sight.

Sometimes they are businessmen wearing suits and a thin smile to hide the emptiness they feel inside. Or they may be lampooned politicians who everyone loves to criticise. Or the tired, busy (and somewhat invisible) parent sacrificing their own needs and wants for their family.

No one liked Zacchaeus the tax collector. They all thought he was a corrupt businessman who got rich by robbing decent hard working folks. But that was more of a prejudice. They did not see his loneliness or feel his hurt at the comments people made at his expense.  

Jesus did not judge Zacchaeus by what he saw or heard people say. Jesus looked deeper, beneath the outward appearance, and saw a generosity and faithfulness in Zacchaeus that was just waiting to be released. Jesus honoured Zacchaeus and the whole community was blessed, particularly the poor.  

You know sometimes we judge ourselves by outward appearances. Maybe we look in the mirror and we don’t like what we see. We wish we were a different shape, with better skin or better hair or a bit taller. All superficial things, most of which we have little or no control over.

Or perhaps we get to our middle years and look back at our life, wondering what have I accomplished? What difference have I made in the world? What if I had climbed a different ladder?

In 1946, Frank Capra directed a movie called It’s a wonderful life.  It’s a Christmas movie, although probably not that well known in New Zealand today.

The main character, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) is a kind man who always puts others first, at his own expense. He is a regular middle class guy, a businessman, who helps people with their finances.

His generosity to others puts him in a vulnerable position. He reaches a low point in his life and his nemesis, Mr Potter, rubs salt in the wound. Potter tells George that he is worth more dead than alive, and George believes him.

George is ready to throw in the towel but then a guardian angel comes along and shows George the good news about himself. Clarence, the angel, shows George the positive difference his hard work and kindness has made in the lives of others.

Maybe you can identify with George. Maybe you do your best to help but still end up feeling like it’s not enough somehow. That your life and efforts have fallen short of the mark. Don’t judge yourself or your efforts. You don’t know how God will use your life for good. What we do know is that God does not waste anything done in love.

Having a Messiah who is a righteous judge, saves us from judging ourselves.

Or, to put it more strongly, you have no right to judge yourself. You are not qualified. You can’t see deep enough or far enough, like Jesus can. You will either think too much of yourself (like Mr Potter) or too little (like George).

Returning to Isaiah 11. The poetry in verses 4 & 5 is vivid. It points to a Messiah (a king) with divine power.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The King, Isaiah has in mind, can slay the wicked with his words. That’s how wise and powerful he is.

Accountants get a bit of a hard time. I know this because I used to be one. But actually accountants have quite a bit of power to do good. You would be surprised by how helpful accounting is in pastoral ministry.

Many of us tend to like movies where the hero takes out the bad guy with a fist or a gun. The movie sets us up to hate the villain with a sense of righteous indignation. Then it satisfies our desire to see revenge.

In real life, it doesn’t necessarily play out that way. In the 1930’s it wasn’t Batman or Wonder Woman or Dirty Harry or Bruce Willis who dealt a blow to the mafia. It was actually the work of an accountant, Frank J. Wilson, who finally brought Al Capone to justice.

The Messiah pictured in Isaiah 11 doesn’t carry a gun or a sword. He doesn’t need to swing his fists. He is more like an accountant, who uses his head. The Messiah’s weapons are righteousness, faithfulness and words of truth. Possibly also a calculator (although Isaiah doesn’t mention the calculator in these verses).   

Universal Peace:

God’s promised King, foreseen by Isaiah, has a wise spirit, he is a righteous judge who ushers in universal peace.  In verses 6-8 we read of a utopian future…

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearlingtogether; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

In this metaphor we have the hunters and the hunted; the weak and the strong; the deadly and the vulnerable; the cunning and the innocent. Each of these pairs of opposites is living together in peace, safely and without fear. When everyone knows the fear of the Lord they feel secure and are not afraid of their neighbours. 

John Goldingay sums up the meaning well when he says: ‘Harmony in the animal world is a metaphor for harmony in the human world. The strong and powerful live together with the weak and powerless because the weak and powerless can believe that the strong and powerful are no longer seeking to devour them.’ [1]

Verses 6-8 are a metaphor about how the world will be when the fruit of the Messiah’s reign is realised in its fullness. It is life as it will be when Jesus returns in glory. This is paradise on earth, at the dawn of a new age.

For this utopian future to be realised, the hearts and minds of the whole world need to be transformed by experiential knowledge of the Lord. Verse 9 reads…

9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

This is telling us something that is hard to believe – that the peace will be universal. The peace is not limited to a particular holy place. The peace fills the whole earth, like the waters cover the sea. Think about that for a moment. The waters of the sea of peace are deep, inexhaustible and full of life. 

In that day preachers, like me, will be out of a job. We won’t need to explain the Scriptures to you because the reality to which the Scriptures point (that is, Jesus the Messiah) will be real in people’s lived experience.

Conclusion:

Sadly, this is not life as we experience it now. This utopian vision of universal peace is a critique of the present world in which weak and vulnerable people are often taken advantage of by ruthless and greedy individuals. This world is still a dangerous place. So don’t go putting your hand in a snake’s nest.

Although universal peace is not a reality for us yet, personal peace with God is possible now through faith in Jesus. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead opens the door to friendship with God.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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?

  • Do you have a favourite dystopian film? What is it and why do you like it? What critique might this film be making about our society today?
  • What does Isaiah’s metaphor of a shoot growing out of a dead stump reveal about God’s promised Messiah?
  • What does Isaiah have in mind when he talks about the Spirit of wisdom, counsel, understanding, might and fear of the Lord? Can you think of examples from the gospels where Jesus demonstrates this Spirit of wisdom?
  • Do you judge yourself? Where does this lead? Why is it important to leave judgement (of ourselves and others) to Jesus? 
  • Discuss / reflect on the metaphor of the animals in verses 6-8. What is Isaiah saying with this word picture? Can you imagine a world like that?

[1] Refer John Goldingay’s commentary on Isaiah, page 85.

Tawa Baptist

Stones

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:4-8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Cornerstone
  • Living Stones
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When our kids were younger, and we were on a road trip somewhere, we often played the word association game. With the word association game one person starts by saying a word and the next person has to say another word which is related to the previous word and so on. The idea is to keep it going as long as you can without repeating any words. 

So, for example, I might start with the word Milk and then you might say Cow and someone else would say Pasture. Green. Spinach. Dinner. Dessert. Ice-Cream. Sundae. Church. Chocolate fish. Birthday. Party… You get the idea.

Today we continue our series in 1st Peter, focusing on chapter 2, verses 4-8. Over the last couple of weeks, we have heard about the Christian believer’s personal relationship with God and other believers. This morning’s passage focuses on the church’s collective relationship with God.

One of the things we notice about today’s reading is the abundance of Old Testament references. It’s like Peter is playing a word association game, using only words and ideas from the Hebrew Bible. Peter associates Christian believers (collectively) with God, with the temple, with the Messiah, with Israel and with the priesthood. From 1st Peter chapter 2, verses 4-8 we read,  

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being builtinto a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood,offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 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.”

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,”

8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

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

Peter’s writing here has more layers than your nan’s trifle. As usual, there is so much going on. Two handles, to give structure to the message:

Firstly, Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s new temple

And secondly, Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s house

First, let us consider Jesus, the cornerstone of God’s new temple.

Cornerstone:

When you hear the phrase, “You are such a brick”, what do you think of?

“You are such a brick” reminds me of The Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton. I’m not sure if that phrase was actually used in the original Famous Five books but for some reason I associate it with them. “You are such a brick Julian”.

“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 from 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.” [1]      

This morning’s reading begins with Peter referring to the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him.

Then, in verses 6, 7 & 8 Peter continues his stone theme with three quotes from the Old Testament. The first quote comes from Isaiah 28:16 where the prophet 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.”

Before the time of Jesus, the stones in these Old Testament passages were understood by the Jews to be a reference to the Messiah. So when God says through prophet, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, he means, the Messiah is coming.

Peter picks up this stone metaphor. The living Stone, the cornerstone, 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, lasting, permanent. To say that Jesus is the living Stone, implies his permanence. The life of Jesus is a resilient life; a life everlasting.

As well as being the living stone, Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s new temple. In ancient times 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 course of the walls was taken from the cornerstone. So it was important that the cornerstone was square and true, otherwise the building would not be level. [2]

If we read on into verse 17 of Isaiah 28, the Lord says, I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.

In other words, the Messiah (the cornerstone of God’s new temple) will be square and true. There will be no crocked-ness, no injustice in God’s holy house.

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. [3] 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.

As a result of becoming Christians many of Peter’s readers had suffered a loss in social status, a loss in honour, a loss of face. What an encouragement to them to be reminded that in God’s kingdom the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Those who suffer shame for Christ now, will one day share in his honour.

In verse 4 and verse 7 Peter faces the fact that Jesus (the Messiah) has been rejected by men but chosen (or elected) by God. In verse 7 Peter quotes from Psalm 118:22, which reads: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.

The builders, in this context, are the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The Jewish religious leaders believed they were building God’s temple, but ironically they discarded the most important building block of all. They rejected Jesus. But God vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead and making him a living stone, the cornerstone of His new house, a temple not made with hands.       

In verse 8 Peter goes on to retrieve another stone quote, this time from Isaiah 8:14. To those who do not believe, [Jesus is] “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall”.

The point here is that there is no sitting on the fence with Jesus. You cannot be neutral when it comes Jesus. Jesus will either be a firm foundation on which you build your life or he will be a stone that trips you up.

In 1st Peter 2:8 the apostle writes: They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

This does not mean that God has predestined some people to disobey and fall. No. God wants everyone to be saved. If it was up to God, no one would stumble and fall. But God has given us freewill. And the choices we make come with consequences.   

The parable of the two builders (in Matthew 7:24-27) informs our understanding here. If we build our house on the firm foundation stone of Jesus’ teaching. If we trust and obey Jesus, then our house will stand through the storm. We will not be ashamed on judgement day.

But if someone builds their house on the shifting sands of popular opinion. If they reject Jesus’ teaching, then their house will fall. Not because God decided for them, but because of what they have decided for themselves.

A number of commentators make the observation that Peter does not refer to himself as the foundation (or cornerstone) of God’s new temple. In fact, Peter does not give himself any sort of special place in these verses. This is interesting, especially when we remember what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18.

After Peter makes his confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus says to Peter: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

In this gospel story, Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter; which means rock or stone. It’s sort of like Jesus is saying, “You are such a brick Simon”.

Because of tradition we tend to understand Jesus’ words to mean that he will build the church on Simon Peter. But I’m not sure that is how Peter understood it. Otherwise he might have named himself as the cornerstone of the church. It seems that Peter understood Jesus to be saying that the Lord will build the church on Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.[4]     

If this is the case, then the rock on which the church is built is not Peter. The rock on which the church is built is the confession that Jesus is the Messiah. As people profess their faith in Jesus the church is built.

And that brings us to the second main point in our message today: Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s temple. Jesus is the cornerstone and we, who believe in Jesus, are living stones aligned with him.

Living stones:

Let me tell you a story about a girl named Lucy. In fact, it’s probably better if I let Lucy tell you in her own words. Lucy says…

When I was a child I went to the local diocesan school for girls. It was a church school with borders and daygirls. I was a day girl. Being a church school, we started each morning with a chapel service. Nothing too fancy. Just two or three hymns, a couple of prayers and a Bible reading.

It was a nice way to begin the day. Some of the girls complained about religion being stuffed down their throat but it wasn’t like that. Actually the rhythm of daily worship was comforting, like sitting in a rocking chair.

The chapel services were led by the school’s chaplain, who also taught us religious instruction and coached hockey. He was married to Mrs Barry who taught home economics. They lived on site, so they would be available for the girls at any time.

Chaplain was a lovely guy and quite a practical man. He invited any of us who were interested, to help him during lunchtime, to make bricks for an extension to the chapel. 

Making bricks was a bit like baking, except we did not cook them in an oven. Instead we had these wooden frames which formed the moulds for the bricks. The wooden moulds were oiled up (sort of like greasing a cake tin) so the bricks would slide out easier afterwards.

We shoveled cement and aggregate into a concrete mixer, added some water and let the mixer do the rest. When it was ready we poured the slurry into the moulds and let it set for a few days before releasing the bricks from the frames.

It was satisfying work. You saw something permanent for your efforts. We broke a few finger nails in the process but we also discovered meaning in doing something good for someone else.

Brick making is a slow process. I was at that school for six years. For the first five years we made bricks. It was only in the last year those bricks were used to build the extension to the chapel.

Although he had every opportunity, Chaplain did not try to draw out some life lesson from the making of the bricks. He let the experience speak for itself and it did, but not till many years later.

As I reflect back on my time as a brick maker (now a woman in my forties with a family of my own) I realise how God has formed us as living bricks in his house.

The concrete mixer has become a symbol to me of the rough and tumble of life. Life is not easy. Suffering turns us upside down and inside out, but the mixing process is necessary to build integrity and resilience.    

I am thankful for the daily rhythm of chapel services. This pattern, of starting each morning by focusing on God, was like a mould holding me together until my faith firmed up. I still start each day with a devotion. It comforts me and sets my mind on a good path. 

Now, in talking about brick moulds, I do not mean to imply that all Christians are the same. Yes, we come from the same tradition of faith, we believe in the same Jesus, but each of us emerges from that mould with our own unique imprint. What’s more, each of us is given a different place to serve in God’s house.  

And then there is the silent work of time. Just as the bricks needed time to cure and to strengthen in the fresh air, so too my faith has cured over time. When we are young we are often in a rush to experience everything all at once. And in our hurry to prove ourselves, we grow up too fast. Usually we are better served by slowing down. Some things can only be properly appreciated with age and time.

Perhaps the most significant learning from my brick making though, was the day I dropped a brick, fresh out of the mould. It broke clean in two. I felt terrible and thought briefly about hiding what I had done, but in the end decided to confess my sin to Chaplain. Actually I didn’t say anything; I just showed him the broken pieces, one in each hand.

To my surprise, he was not cross. He smiled and said, “Don’t throw those away Lucy. Give them to me. I know just the place for them.”

In this way, Chaplain showed me that God is not angry. To the contrary, there is value in my mistakes. God does not waste anything. He can use my mishaps and my broken pieces in building his house. Nothing is too difficult for Him.   

Returning to 1st Peter chapter 2. In verses 4 & 5 Peter tells us: As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him— 5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.   

We come to Jesus by faith, by believing in his resurrection from the dead. We become what we believe in. The pattern of Jesus’ life is the mould for the slurry of our faith. Just as Jesus is the living Stone, rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him, so too we become living stones precious to God. Collectively, we become solid and reliable, a people of integrity and strength.

We may suffer rejection in the concrete mixer of this world but that is only for a time. We need to keep the bigger picture in mind and remember that we are precious to God.   

It may take some time for our faith to cure but one day we will share in Jesus’ resurrection to eternal life. We stand to inherit Jesus’ resilient life; life everlasting.  In the meantime, our job, collectively, is to be living stones bearing witness to the reality of God’s presence in the world. Like the soldiers of Sparta, every woman, every man a brick.     

Verse 5 says we are being built into a spiritual house, or a temple in other words. The word house has a double meaning. It can mean both a building as well as a household. [5]

Peter is not thinking of a literal temple building here but rather a group of people holding God’s presence in common. A holy priesthood, like the household of Aaron in the Old Testament.   

Peter calls this household of God, a spiritual house. Last week heard about the Greek word logikos, which is translated in English as spiritual. In verse 2 of chapter 2, Peter says we are to crave spiritual milk. That is, we are to feed on that which is true to our real nature as children of God.

However, the Greek language has more than one word for spiritual and the word translated as spiritual in verse 5 (as in spiritual house and spiritual sacrifices) is not logikos but pneumatikos. Pneuma means air in motion, breath or wind. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the pneuma or the wind or breath of God.

Spiritual, in the sense of pneumatikos, refers to something that we cannot see but is still very real. We cannot see oxygen but that does not make the air any less real. We can feel the wind on our face, for example, and we certainly notice when the air is removed from our lungs. Likewise, we cannot normally see the Holy Spirit, but we can learn to be are aware of His presence.

So the spiritual house (in 1st Peter chapter 2) is the community of Christian believers who, collectively, form a household filled with the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, spiritual sacrifices are not literal animal sacrifices, as Peter’s first century readers would have been familiar with. Rather ‘spiritual sacrifices’ refer to the many sacrifices (large and small) of a life lived in holiness and obedience to God, with the help of the Holy Spirit.             

Reflecting on Peter’s spiritual house metaphor; we in the 21st Century western world, have a tendency to think individually. In contrast, Peter’s household metaphor represents collective thinking. So, in the context of 1st Peter, it is not that each of us, individually, is a house or temple of God. Rather it is that collectively we are God’s household. 

Another implication of Peter’s words here is that we do not need to travel all the way to Jerusalem to meet God in his temple. We simply need to meet with one or two other Christian believers.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s house,

while Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s house.

What Peter is getting at here is our identity and belonging in Christ.

We are not defined by the world around us. We are defined by God.

We are precious to God and acceptable to Him through faith in Jesus. 

As living stones, joined to Jesus, we have a certain solidarity with one another.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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?

Play the word association game with those with you, starting with the word ‘Stone’. 

What does it mean that Jesus is the living Stone and the cornerstone?

Many of Peter’s first century readers had suffered rejection and a loss of status for their faith in Jesus. How would Peter’s words, in these verses (2:4-8), have encouraged them? What encouragement do you take from Peter here?

Why do you think Peter makes no special mention of himself when talking about the building of God’s house? How does this help us to interpret Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18?

What life (or faith) lesson(s) do you draw from Lucy’s brick making story?

What does Peter mean by ‘spiritual house’?

Take some time this week to reflect on our collective identity and belonging in Christ?

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

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

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

[4] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 151.

[5] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 150.

Tawa Baptist

Prince of Peace

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

Title: Prince of Peace

Structure:

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

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a number of phrases…

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

–         Two weeks ago we considered the title Wonderful Counsellor

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Luke 8:42b-48

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         The salvation of one individual affects the whole community

 

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

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

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

 

The woman with the bleeding complaint lived in an eastern culture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         The disciples don’t understand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         We can’t have peace without justice

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

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

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

 

Then Jesus refers to her tenderly as his ‘daughter’

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

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

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

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

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

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

“My daughter, your faith has made you well.

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

–         Faith is the conduit for salvation and peace

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         From superstition to understanding

–         From isolation to inclusion

–         From secrecy to confession

–         From anonymity to intimacy

 

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

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

–         Personal salvation affects all of us collectively

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

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

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

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

 

Luke 19:41-48

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Jesus has more than one approach for creating shalom

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

So what is needed for peace?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         They thought peace would be achieved by overthrowing the Romans

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

–         Jesus replaces the temple – he is the new temple

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

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

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Footnotes:

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

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

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

[4] Isaiah 42:3

[5] Leon Morris, Luke, page 160.

[6] Luke 19:38

[7] Joel Green, Luke, page 693.

[8] Joel Green, Luke, page 692.

[9] Refer Matthew 5:38-48

Tawa Baptist

A New Perspective

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Title: A New Perspective

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A new perspective
  • Who is Jesus?
  • Jesus revealed
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. “Kneeling is definitely best,” claimed one preacher.

–         “No,” another contended. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.”

–         “You’re both wrong,” the third insisted. “The most effective prayer position is lying face down on the floor.”

The repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer. “The best praying I ever did was hanging upside down from a telephone pole”.

The telephone repair guy put things in perspective for the three preachers

 

During the month of March we take a break from our sermon series on the life of Abraham to focus on the Tranzsend Prayer & Self Denial campaign

–         As already mentioned the overarching theme of this year’s Self Denial campaign is Made New – Jesus came to make all things new

–         Last week we heard how the newness that Jesus brings begins with the initiative of God’s Spirit

–         The headline for today’s message is A New Perspective

–         Understanding who Jesus is gives us perspective

 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 9 – page 90 toward the back of your pew Bibles. This is Luke’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus

–         As they witnessed the transfiguration Peter, James & John were given a whole new perspective on who Jesus really is

–         From Luke chapter 9, verses 28-36 we read…

About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray. 29 While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfil God’s purpose by dying in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus’ glory and the two men who were standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not really know what he was saying.)

34 While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. 35 A voice said from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!”

36 When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

A new perspective:

We are talking this morning about a new perspective – but what is perspective?

 

Perspective is understanding how aspects of a subject relate to each other and to the whole

–         In other words, perspective is seeing things in proper proportion and as they really are

 

Let me give you a visual example to illustrate

–         Here we have a picture of what appears (at first glance) to be three people leaning against a wall – we think we have the right perspective on this…

 

But when we widen the frame of the photo and turn it around we see things in better perspective – more accurately

–         The three people we thought were leaning against the wall are in fact lying on the ground with their feet against the wall

–         Perspective is seeing things in proper proportion and as they really are

 

New perspective comes from new information, from new experiences

–         For example: learning how to read

–         Going to university

–         Leaving school and getting a job

–         Becoming a parent

–         Or travelling overseas and experiencing a different culture

–         All these things give us a new perspective on life

 

I remember being so excited the first time I put on prescription glasses because I was able to see leaves on trees

–         Up till that point in my life trees were just a blurry green smudge

–         Glasses helped me to see with clarity – a whole new perspective

 

It should be acknowledged that loss can also give us a new perspective – whether it’s losing your health or your job or a loved one or whatever

–         There’s a line in the Hall & Oats song, Rich Girl, from the 1970’s which says: It’s so easy to hurt others when you can’t feel pain

–         If you can’t feel pain then you can’t see things from the other person’s perspective

–         Suffering pain & loss have the potential to give us a new perspective, a new understanding, a new sensitivity toward others

 

New perspective comes from new information, from new experiences

–         Humility is the awareness that we may not have all the information and so our perspective might not be quite right

 

Douglas Adams tells a true story about humility & perspective. Douglas writes:

  • – It was April 1976, in Cambridge, UK. I was a bit early for the train so I got myself a newspaper to do the crossword, a cup of coffee and a packet of cookies. Then I went and sat down at a table.
  • – There was a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit & carrying a briefcase. It didn’t look like he was going to do anything weird.
  • – What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of cookies, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.
  • – Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There’s nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your cookies.

 

In the end I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it, pretended to read my newspaper and had a sip of coffee

  • – After a while I took out a cookie for myself. I thought, That settled him. But it hadn’t because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another cookie.
  • – Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around.
  • – We went through the whole packet like this. When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight cookies, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one.
  • – Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief

 

A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, got to my feet, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the paper were my cookies.

  • – [I had been indignant because I thought he was stealing my cookies when in fact I had been stealing his]

 

Douglas Adams finishes his story by saying…

  • – “So next time you are convinced that you know everything and that you are right, make sure you check under the newspaper first. You might just be missing something important”

 

Who is Jesus?

There are many different things that can inform our perspective but ultimately, the biggest game changer is understanding who Jesus is

–         We might think we know enough about Jesus but really we don’t know what we don’t know. So the question is: Who is Jesus?

 

In Luke chapter 8 (after Jesus had calmed a storm) the disciples asked each other in amazement, ‘Who is this man?’

 

Then a little bit later (in Luke 9) when Herod heard about all the miraculous things that Jesus was doing he also asked, ‘Who is this man?’

 

And a few verses after that Jesus asks his disciples, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’

–         To which the disciples replied, ‘Some say you are John the Baptist, others that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.’

–         ‘What about you?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Who do you say I am?’

–         And Peter answered, ‘You are God’s Messiah’

 

‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘Anointed One’

–         In Old Testament times, when God wanted to choose someone to carry out a special role or task (like being a king) He would have the chosen one anointed with olive oil

–         For example God told the prophet Samuel to anoint David as king of Israel. This identified David as the Messiah – God’s chosen king

 

Peter got it right when he said that Jesus is the Messiah but there was more to it than this

–         Peter didn’t quite understand what kind of Messiah Jesus was

–         Most Jews of his day thought Jesus would be a king like David – a king who would conquer his political enemies and be victorious in battle

–         But God was doing something new with Jesus

–         Jesus was the kind of Messiah who would suffer much, be rejected and die before being raised to life on the third day

–         Jesus’ victory would not be a military victory

–         Jesus’ victory would be a victory over sin & death

–         And it would look more like defeat, at least at first

 

Jesus tried to tell his disciples this but they didn’t seem to listen or understand

–         The reality of what Jesus was saying washed over them

–         Sometimes we listen selectively

–         We only hear what we want to hear – the nice bits – the comforting bits

–         And we are deaf to the things that we don’t like or can’t understand

 

Jesus revealed:

And that brings us to our reading this morning – the transfiguration of Jesus

–         About 8 days after Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Messiah

–         Also 8 days after Jesus had predicted his own death and resurrection

–         The Lord takes Peter, James & John up a mountain to pray

For some of us prayer may feel like a waste of time

–         We’ve got lots to do and we just want to get on and do it

–         But prayer is very important for refreshing our perspective

–         The problem with just getting on and doing it (without taking time to pray) is that we risk losing our perspective

–         We risk forgetting why we are doing what we are doing and we fall into the trap of thinking we are doing it alone

–         Prayer is a way of looking under the newspaper – it has the power to restore our perspective

 

While Jesus is praying the disciples are heavy with sleep

–         Then Jesus’ face changes in appearance and his clothes become dazzling white – he is transfigured

–         The Biblical scholar, Joel Green, explains: “In Old Testament and Jewish tradition, one’s countenance [their face] is a mirror of one’s heart and a manifestation of one’s relationship with God” [1]

–         So in ancient Jewish thought your face essentially reveals what’s going on inside, indicating the quality of your relationship with God

–         A bit like we might say today, ‘The eyes are the windows of the soul’

–         Basically Jesus’ inner being, his true heavenly identity, is being revealed to the three disciples

–         It’s sort of like Jesus has been in disguise but his disguise is removed for a little bit and his true heavenly glory is revealed

The disciples are wide awake now and they see Moses & Elijah talking with Jesus about his departure – his exodus – his death on the cross

–         This scene (the transfiguration) does not compare with anything in our own experience – it is shrouded in mystery

–         We can’t be sure but it seems the disciples were being shown a window (or a glimpse) into eternity

–         Eternity (like Jesus) provides the ultimate perspective

 

I’m reading a book by Laurie Guy at the moment and in it Laurie retells the true story of the Australian, Arthur Stace [2]

–         Arthur Stace had a pretty tough childhood

–         He never learned to read or write properly and grew up on the streets. He got involved in petty crime and became a ward of the state because his parents didn’t take very good care of him

–         He served in France during World War One and turned into an alcoholic

–         Then in the 1930s Arthur discovered who Jesus is and found a new perspective on life

–         He converted to Christ, gave up the drink and turned his life around

 

After hearing the evangelist John Ridley tell a congregation in Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle that he wished he could ‘shout eternity through the streets of Sydney’ Arthur Stace was inspired!

 

He became gripped with the word ‘eternity’, secretly writing it over 500,000 times in chalk on the pavements of Sydney (at least 50 times a day for 33 years)

–         Arthur was giving people a new perspective – lifting their focus out of the here and now to think about their lives in the light of eternity

–         Can you imagine people in the 1930’s, during the great depression, facing hard times and seeing that word ‘eternity’ on the streets – a message of hope that this life is not all there is

 

He died in 1967 but his legacy still lives on in the Australian imagination

–         When the lights lit the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the new millennium they emblazoned Arthur Stace’s word: ‘Eternity’

 

The disciples had caught a glimpse of who Jesus really is from an eternal perspective but they don’t yet understand – it takes time for this new information to sink in

–         Moses & Elijah start to leave but Peter wants them to stay

–         He wants to build shelters for them

–         Maybe Peter has the feast of tabernacles in mind

–         Or maybe he just wants to capture the moment – to preserve it

–         But he is missing the point – he does not know what he is saying

 

While Peter was speaking a cloud appears and envelopes them – the disciples feel afraid

–         The cloud + fear is a clear sign that this is a manifestation of the presence of God Almighty

 

A voice from the cloud says three things to endorse Jesus…

–         ‘This is my Son,

–         my chosen;

–         listen to him.’

Seeing by itself is not enough

–         The disciples also need to hear the divine voice in order to make sense of what they are seeing

–         Jesus is not John the Baptist or Elijah or some other prophet from the past come back to life, as the crowds thought

–         Peter was right – Jesus is the Messiah – the one chosen by God

–         But he is not like any Messiah the Jews have ever known before

–         For Jesus is the Son of God

–         Jesus is divine – He is quite literally from heaven

–         This might seem old hat to us 2000 years later but it was a completely new perspective for the disciples at that point in time

 

The voice from the cloud also refers to Jesus as ‘my chosen’

–         ‘My chosen’ is a reference to the servant of the Lord, described in Isaiah 42: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice…; a bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

  

The third thing the voice from the cloud says is: listen to him

–         This is both a command and another reference from the Old Testament

–         In Deuteronomy 18 Moses predicted Jesus’ coming when he said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to him. 

 

We are to listen to Jesus because he shows us how to interpret the Law and the prophets (as represented by Moses & Elijah)

–         Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on the Bible

 

We are to listen to Jesus because he comes to confront evil and set people free from slavery to sin & death

–         Like Moses confronted Pharaoh and set Israel free from slavery in Egypt

–         Like Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and set Israel free from the futility of paganism

–         Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on right & wrong

 

We are to listen to Jesus because he tells us the way of the Messiah is the way of the cross – for if anyone wants to follow Jesus, he (or she) must deny themselves and take up their cross daily

–         Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on the difficulties we face in our own lives

 

We are to listen to Jesus because, as God’s Son, he shows us what God is like and what God wants

–         Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on God

 

Most people of Jesus’ day thought he was just a prophet or a great moral teacher but Jesus is so much more than that

–         In his book ‘Mere Christianity’ C.S. Lewis writes…

 

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell.

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Conclusion:

Luke’s account of the Transfiguration finishes by telling us the disciples kept quiet about all this, and told no one at that time anything they had seen

–         This was the best response in the context

–         Whenever we are given a new perspective we need time to be silent and reflect on it – to take it in and allow the new information to do its work in adjusting our old perspective

 

We are in the season of Lent – when Christians traditionally take time to be still and reflect on who Jesus really is

–         Lent is a time for perspective prayer

 

Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, we (like the disciples) have an inadequate understanding of who Jesus is

–         For example, we might think of Jesus like a first aid kit – someone we only turn to in an emergency

–         And while it is okay to turn to Jesus in a crisis there is more to him than that – he wants to be involved in our whole life

 

Or we may think of Jesus like a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine – someone who gives us comfort when we are down

–         Again there’s nothing wrong in looking to Jesus for comfort but by the same token, he doesn’t exist primarily for our comfort

 

Maybe you think of Jesus like a kind older brother – someone you feel close to, someone who looks after you, someone you aspire to be like one day

–         That’s wonderful, what a beautiful relationship you have with him,

–         But the gospels also show us a side to Jesus which is less cozy, more demanding

–         Jesus is our brother, yes, but he is also our Lord & God. Can we obey Him?

 

Perhaps your perception of Jesus is not cozy at all – perhaps he is more like a distant dead relative in a black & white photo on your wall, you pass by him every day without really noticing he’s there or even knowing who he was

–         That’s sad. The gospel perspective is that Jesus is alive and he wants to share life with us – he wants to know us and he wants us to know him

–         Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective

 

I encourage you this week to find time to contemplate who Jesus is to you personally

–         And ask yourself ‘how does that fit with who the gospel tells us Jesus is?’

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    What is perspective?

3.)    Can you recall an experience in your own life that gave you new perspective?

–         What happened and how did your perspective change?

4.)    Can you think of a time when praying has restored your perspective?

5.)    Discuss / reflect on the three things God says from the cloud to endorse Jesus: “This is my Son, my chosen. Listen to Him.”

6.)    How do you think of (or picture) Jesus? Who is He to you personally?

–         How does your picture of Jesus fit with what the gospels tell us about Jesus?

7.)    Take some time to reflect on that word ‘eternity’. What are you in touch with?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-march-2018-a-new-perspective

 

[1] Joel Green, NICNT, ‘The Gospel of Luke, page 380.

[2] Laurie Guy, ‘Unlocking Revelation’, page 23.

Tawa Baptist

A New Spirit

Scripture: Luke 3:1-18

 

Title: A New Spirit

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • What is spirit?
  • The spirit of John’s message
  • The Spirit of Jesus’ baptism
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

During the month of March we take a break from our sermon series on the life of Abraham to focus on the Tranzsend Prayer & Self Denial campaign

–         The overarching theme of this year’s Self Denial campaign is Made New – Jesus came to make all things new and that newness begins with the initiative of God’s Spirit

–         With this in mind the headline for today’s message is A New Spirit

 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 3 – page 79 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         I’ve chosen the reading from Luke 3 because it fits in a number of ways

–         Firstly, Luke 3 features John the Baptist and John is the picture of self-denial (the opposite of self-indulgence) – living in the desert on locusts and wild honey, making his own clothes out of camels’ hair

–         Not only that but John’s preaching signals a new move of God’s Spirit, as John is the herald or forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah

–         John baptised with water but the Messiah baptises with the Holy Spirit & fire. From Luke chapter 3, verses 1-18 we read…

 

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, 2 and Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests. At that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.” 4 As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Someone is shouting in the desert:
‘Get the road ready for the Lord;
make a straight path for him to travel!
5 Every valley must be filled up,
every hill and mountain leveled off.
The winding roads must be made straight,
and the rough paths made smooth.
6 The whole human race will see God’s salvation!’”

7 Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. “You snakes!” he said to them. “Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! 9 The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

10 The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?”

11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”

12 Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”

13 “Don’t collect more than is legal,” he told them.

14 Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”

15 People’s hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. 16 So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

18 In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

What is spirit?

We are talking this morning about a new spirit – but what is spirit?

–         Well, the word spirit can mean different things in different contexts

 

Usually spirit refers to some kind of non-physical quality or attribute – so spirit is not something we can touch or measure in a scientific sense

–         Spirit can also refer to that which is the deep essence or the most important part of a thing – as in ‘the spirit of the law is love’, or the spirit of the game of cricket is fairness

–         Other times the term spirit can be used to describe temperament or character – as in ‘he had a generous spirit’ or ‘the Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of grace & truth’

 

Spirit is commonly used in relation to a person’s underlying motivation or emotional tank, their mental strength or energy

–         When understood in this sense, the ‘poor in spirit’ are those whose emotional tank is empty so they don’t have the energy reserves to face the difficulties of life

–         The really wonderful thing, Jesus tells us, is that the poor in spirit are blessed (they’re lucky) for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven

–         Perhaps what Jesus means here is: it’s when you are at the end of your rope, when you’ve got nothing left to give and your emotional tank is empty that you are able to receive what God wants to give you

 

When the word Spirit is spelt with a capital ‘S’, in the Bible, it generally means the God’s Holy Spirit

–         The Holy Spirit is the power or breath of life which animates the body, giving us vitality & special ability, making us come alive & sustaining us

 

The human spirit (with a lower case ‘s’) is different from God’s Holy Spirit

–         The human spirit is our capacity to respond to or relate with God

–         So a spiritual person is someone who is aware of their capacity to relate with God and in fact exercises that capacity

 

By way of analogy, the human spirit is like the sail of a yacht catching the wind of God’s Spirit

–         So a spiritual person is someone who knows how to trim their sail to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

 

Or to use another analogy, if the human spirit is our capacity to relate with God then our spirit is like a wifi connection with God

–         Or like a radio or TV aerial, designed to pick up the signal of God’s Spirit

–         A spiritual person then is someone who is tuned in to God – they are aware of what God wants and they respond accordingly

 

The spirit of John’s message

Luke 3 begins with reference to the various political and religious authorities at the time John began his ministry

–         The 15th year of the Emperor Tiberius places John’s ministry in historical context – beginning around 28 or 29 AD

–         Old Testament prophets were often introduced in the same way, so Luke is showing us that John the baptiser stands in the same tradition as men like Isaiah & Jeremiah & Elijah

 

God’s word doesn’t come to John in a vacuum – it comes at a time when the Romans are in charge

–         The spirit of the age (as in the character of the age) is hierarchical, it is a top down dictatorship and brutally violent at times

–         This spirit breeds inequality and abuse of power – there is an underclass and oppressors

–         John’s role is to prepare the way for the Messiah and that means challenging the spirit of his day by calling people to change their behaviour

 

The spirit (or essence) of John’s message is summarised in verse 3, where John is quoted as saying…

–         Turn away from your sins and be baptised and God will forgive your sins

–         John is trying to get people to trim their sails to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

–         He is encouraging them to realign the aerial of their human spirit and tune in to what God is doing

 

In some ways John’s message is not new – he is warning people that God’s judgment is coming and so they should repent to avoid being destroyed

–         Verse 9: The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire

–         Turn or burn basically

–         The prophets of the Old Testament had a similar message – they also called people to change their behaviour – to act justly & mercifully

 

Having said that, John’s approach is not exactly the same as his forebears

–         John is saying God will forgive the people’s sins if they repent and are baptised – the baptism part was new

–         Up until that time the Jewish people made atonement for their sins through animal sacrifice but John doesn’t require animal sacrifice for forgiveness – which implies the sacrificial system was on the way out

 

Now when I say baptism was new, I mean it was new for the Jews

–         Jews didn’t baptise themselves – they felt they were already clean and didn’t need a spiritual bath as it were

–         They reserved baptism for Gentiles who were converting to Judaism because they considered Gentiles unclean, spiritually speaking

–         So in calling Jews to be baptised John was basically saying to his own people, you guys are not clean – you are no better in God’s eyes than a Gentile – this was really insulting stuff if you were a Jew

 

The spirit (or character) of John’s message is that it’s our behaviour that counts, not genetics – It’s how we treat our neighbour that matters, not who our great grand-daddy was.

–         Verse 8: Do those things that will show you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor.

–         I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham.

–         The image of God bringing forth descendants for Abraham out of stones is an image of God giving new life & breath (new Spirit) to that which is lifeless and without spirit

–         If God can give life to a stone on the ground then he can certainly give new life to a people with hearts of stone

 

The predominant spirit of our age (21st Century western society) is (among other things) one of permissiveness and individualism

–         Many things are socially accepted now that weren’t previously permitted

–         Hand in hand with this spirit of permissiveness & individualism goes a spirit of entitlement and consumerism

–         The spirit of our age is not all bad though – there is a growing sense of environmental responsibility which, to some degree, mitigates against our sense of entitlement and consumerism

–         But we also seem to be a less robust, less resilient and more sensitive, more fragile, generally speaking, so John’s ‘turn or burn’ message probably sounds quite harsh and overly severe to most people today

 

John calls the people a brood of snakes (snakes being a symbol of evil)

–         And he paints a picture of God that seems very punitive

–         God is going to burn you (he’s going to vaporise you) if you don’t change your ways – like he did the people of Sodom & Gomorrah

–         John’s words are very strong because he has such a clear vision of God’s goodness and when we see God’s goodness as clearly as John did we tend to have a low tolerance for anything that falls short of the justice, mercy & humility that God requires of humanity

 

By the same token having a clear vision of God’s goodness also widens our awareness of the scope of God’s redemption

–         What I mean here is that the spirit of John’s preaching is not narrow – it’s remarkably broad in the cultural context of his day

–         Even those who were most despised by the community (tax collectors and soldiers) could be forgiven if they acted justly

 

Because John is preaching in a hierarchical, top down society, where power is often abused, his message is aimed at those in a position of relative power

–         If he can get the powerful to change their ways then the powerless will benefit

–         When people come to him asking, ‘What should we do?’ (Or what does repentance look like in practical terms) John answers…

–         Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none and whoever has food must share it.

–         John is encouraging practical acts of mercy when it’s in our power do so

 

In speaking to tax collectors and soldiers John essentially tells them to act justly

–         Don’t take more tax than is legal

–         Don’t extort money from people or accuse anyone falsely

–         Be content with your pay

 

Tax collectors and soldiers were generally hated by the Jewish people because they colluded with the enemy and often used their position to feather their own nest, at the expense of others

–         The interesting thing here is that John doesn’t require tax collectors and soldiers to leave their jobs – what good would that do?

–         Someone else would only replace them and do just as bad or worse

–         But if those tax collectors & soldiers change their behaviour and stay in their jobs then the system changes too

–         The spirit of John’s preaching was broad in its reach of redemption and immensely practical

 

Sometimes we might think that our so called ‘secular’ employment is somehow less spiritual or less Christian

–         But actually spirituality is not determined by who our employer is

–         You might sell real estate or used cars

–         You might work in education or insurance

–         You might make lattes or drive a truck

–         You might work in the city or you might stay home looking after the kids

–         You might be paid for what you do, you might not

–         You might write reports or read them or both

–         You might work in the private sector or for government, it doesn’t matter

–         God is no less present in those jobs than he is in the work of the church

 

You see spirituality isn’t about what we do for a living

–         Spirituality is about our capacity to respond to & relate with God   

–         You can be aware of God and relate with him in your work Monday to Saturday, just as much as you can in church on a Sunday

–         So if you are a retailer then being spiritual means being aware that God is just and engaging in fair trade practices

–         Or, if there is someone in your work place who you find particularly difficult, then being spiritual means remembering that God loves that person and Jesus died for them – which might lead you to pray for them

–         Or if you find your job frustrating or menial then being spiritual means doing that job as for the Lord (giving your best) and being mindful of Jesus who took the role of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet

 

One of the reasons we gather for worship each Sunday is to stay in tune with the Lord so we can sense what he is doing Monday to Saturday – so we can trim the sails of our spirit to catch the wind of His Spirit

 

The Spirit of Jesus’ baptism

Okay, so we’ve talked about what it means to be spiritual

–         And we’ve talked about the spirit of John’s preaching

–         But the whole reason John was calling people to repent was Jesus

–         Jesus, God’s Messiah, was coming and he would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire

 

In the Old Testament the prophet Ezekiel said…

 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

 

If you have a stringed instrument (a guitar or a violin or a piano) and the strings break, you don’t throw the whole instrument away – you replace the broken strings

–         It’s similar with the human soul

–         If the human soul is the whole instrument then our spirit is sort of like all the strings together – our spirit carries the music

–         If the strings of our spirit break or our spirit becomes so damaged it can no longer hold its tune then God has the power to replace our spirit

–         He has the power to transform a heart of stone (a dead heart – a heart without a spirit) into a heart of flesh (a living heart, with spirit)

 

Central to John’s message was this idea that the Messiah was coming soon and he would give those who were willing a new spirit

–         By the power of God’s Holy Spirit Jesus gives people the capacity, the energy, the motivation, the discernment to respond to & relate with God

 

It’s sort of like the sails of our human spirit have been torn so they no longer catch the wind of God’s Spirit

–         God’s remedy is to give us new sails and put his wind in those sails, so we can move in the right direction

–         Or, it’s like the aerial of the human spirit has been broken so people can’t pick up God’s signal anymore

–         God’s solution is to replace the aerial of our spirit so we can tune in to what God is saying and doing

 

Jesus came to make all things new and that newness begins with the Holy Spirit

–         John baptised with water whereas Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire

–         To be baptised with the Holy Spirit means to be immersed in the life and energy of God

–         But what does John mean by Jesus baptising with fire’? – because that sounds really uncomfortable to me

 

Well, let me offer three possible meanings

–         Fire is one of the images in the Bible associated with the Holy Spirit

–         For example, at Pentecost when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, what looked like tongues of fire came down & touched each person there

–         In this case fire is just another way of saying Holy Spirit – so it’s like John is saying the same thing twice for emphasis

 

Of course a ‘baptism of fire’ can also mean a difficult or painful ordeal – as in a particularly vicious battle in war time

–         Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were literally baptised in fire when king Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace

–         On that occasion God delivered them

–         Certainly Jesus predicted that those who followed him would suffer and face many trials and ordeals – so becoming a disciple of Jesus involves its own baptism of fire, much like becoming a soldier involves battle

 

A third interpretive possibility is that the fire applies to those who reject Jesus

–         Fire destroys things – so those who reject Jesus are destroyed

–         While those who accept Jesus are immersed in God’s life giving Spirit

 

All three meanings are possible at the same time – so you don’t have to pick one

–         But it seems the third meaning is the one foremost in John’s mind

–         In verse 17, straight after talking about Jesus baptising with the Holy Spirit and fire, John says of the Messiah…

–         He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out

–         John is essentially talking about the future judgment here

 

It’s tempting to read these verses in a lazy or superficial way so the grain (which is saved) equates to good people and the chaff (which is destroyed) equates to bad people

–         But that kind of black & white, simplistic interpretation just won’t do

–         It’s not consistent with the gospel – Jesus came to transform bad people

–         Nor is it consistent with our experience in this life

–         The reality is, none of us are 100% grain or 100% chaff – our lives are a mixture of both

 

Grain has substance, while chaff is light and without substance

–         It makes more sense to say the grain represents those things of eternal value – things that last, like our acts of justice & mercy, our deeds of faith motivated by love and the truth we speak

–         While the chaff represents that which is temporary – things like money, our reputation and the lies we tell ourselves, the sorts of things you can’t take with you when you die

–         God’s judgement is the process of separating the grain from the chaff, separating the eternal from the temporal

 

John’s message is this: God’s Messiah is coming for judgment so make sure your house is in order before he arrives

–         Invest your trust, your hope, your whole lives in God’s Messiah (in Jesus) because by doing that you are investing in eternal life

 

One thing we notice is there was a real urgency with John’s message

–         It seems that in John’s mind judgement would happen with the arrival of the Messiah – but things didn’t happen exactly as John expected

–         God, in his grace, has withheld the day of judgement to give humanity more time to turn to him – but there will still be a day of reckoning

–         When Jesus returns in glory we will have to give account for how we have used our freedom – so John’s message of pending judgement and the need to repent is still relevant for us today

 

Conclusion:

The main thing to take away in all of this is that Jesus makes all things new

–         And it begins with the work of the Holy Spirit

–         Jesus has the power to give us a new spirit – one that is tuned in to what God is doing, one that is able to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

 

Questions for Discussion or reflection

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

2.)    What is spirit?

–         How is the Holy Spirit different from the human spirit?

–         Can you think of some other analogies to describe the relationship between God’s Holy Spirit and our human spirit

3.)    What does it mean to be spiritual?

–         How might you be spiritual in your job &/or everyday life?

4.)    What is the spirit of our age? (I.e. what characterises our time & culture?)

–         How does this spirit express itself?

5.)    What was the spirit (or essence) of John’s message?

6.)    What could it mean to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire?

7.)    Discuss (or reflect on) John’s image of God’s judgement as winnowing

–         What does grain represent?

–         What does chaff represent?

8.)    Are you ready for Jesus’ return?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/4-march-2018-a-new-spirit