THE LORD IS WATCHING
- In order to help
- Never to leave
There has never been a time - in any place, in any era - when the Lord was not watching his children. He has seen every trouble every Christian has ever gone through. He has been aware of every moment of every day in the lives of the saints. He has faithfully observed everything his loved ones have experienced since the beginning of time. The Lord has been watching. And he still is. The Lord is watching you. Your every move. Your every thought. Your every difficulty. He sees it. He knows it. He experiences it with you because he is always there. He is always with you. He is always watching.
I don’t want that to make you nervous. The Lord isn’t watching you to catch you making a mistake. The Lord doesn’t look over your shoulder like a boss watching his employees or like a teacher carefully scans her students during a test. That’s not why the Lord is constantly watching you. The Lord watches you in order to help. He doesn’t want you to fall into any danger and he doesn’t want you to fall away from the faith. And so he is always on his guard. He is alert and he is keeping track of your life closely so that he can help you in any situation that may arise. In fact, he’s been watching and helping each and every one of his children for thousands of years.
Do you remember who Samson was? He is probably the most famous judge that the nation of Israel had. He was the judge who had super human strength, long hair, and a lifestyle that didn’t necessarily demonstrate his faith at times. Near the end of his life, Samson fell into the hands of his enemies, the Philistines. They gouged out his eyes. They made him their prisoner. They forced him to do the work of a donkey. And they routinely brought him out in the middle of festivals just so that they could ridicule and mock him. But even during these dark days of Samson’s life, the Lord was watching. If you remember, at the end of Samson’s life the Lord gave him back his strength and God achieved a great victory over the Philistines through Samson’s death. The Lord had always been watching Samson - waiting for the right time to help.
The life of David is another good example of the Lord watching over one of his children during times of trouble. David, of course, suffered through many difficulties throughout his life. He was almost killed by his employer a number of times. Entire armies were hunting him down. One of his trusted friends defected to the enemy. His own son tried to have him killed. And his best friend died in the prime of his life. These are just the beginnings of what David had to go through. But the Lord was watching. And the Lord gave him help. The Lord saved him from his enemies. He gave him the throne. He blessed him with faithful sons. And, most importantly, the Lord forgave him. The Lord had always been watching David - waiting for the right time to help.
There is no reason to think it would be any different for you. The Lord is always watching you - waiting for the right time to help. Think about how many times he’s helped you in the past! When you were a child he protected you from a number of things that could have seriously injured you. When you were a teenager he made sure those stupid things you got involved with did not ruin your life. When you were a young adult he steered you along different and better paths than those you thought you were headed down. Last month, last week, yesterday, he did something else, whatever it may have been for you personally, to protect you, or to care for you, or to provide for you in some way - to help you - because he was watching and he knew you needed help. He was watching just like he always has been. Just like he always will.
“I lift my eyes to the hills,” our text says. “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This is a prominent theme of a Christian’s heart. This is the comfort we have in knowing that the Lord is always watching. And so it amazes me that I always forget that! As another year ends and I’m looking into the next, I’m thinking to myself, “How am I going to handle this particular problem I know I’ll have to deal with soon? How high is my gas bill going to go up next year? I hope my car lasts another until next December. Will the birth of our son go smoothly and will he be healthy? Are we going to be able to get this building project up and running in the near future?” Questions like that are floating through my head as the hours countdown to 2007, and don’t tell me, don’t tell me you don’t have similar thoughts floating through yours! What are you uncertain about this next year? What situations are you wondering if you can handle? What bills are you going to have to pay? What is making you unsure? What is causing you to doubt about your future?
But why are those thoughts floating through our heads? Haven’t we learned anything? Haven’t we been convinced by what the Lord has already done? Don’t we remember our text, Psalm 121? “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip… The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil - he will watch over our life.” How many times does he have to say it? How many times does the Lord have to repeat himself? How many times does the Lord have to prove it before we take it to heart? Before we believe it? It must pain God to see us so unsure and so uncertain about our futures! After all he has done for us! After all he has promised us! How blind we can be sometimes, isn’t it? How ignorant! How sinful. We find it so hard to leave our lives in God’s hands, even though he has been watching our lives before we were ever born. What lousy servants of the King we have proved ourselves to be. What pitiful, untrusting children of our heavenly Father.
Of course, that’s the very reason why the Lord has to watch us so closely in the first place. Because we continually fall. We continually mess up. We would be completely lost if left to ourselves. And because the Lord knows that, he fixed the problem before we ever arrived. He sent his Son. That’s how he fixed the problem. And he watched his Son’s life. He watched his Son suffer. He watched his Son being murdered. He watched his Son as he lay three days in a sealed tomb. But then he watched as his Son rose and as his Son ruled and as his Son reigns. He watched his Son’s life so that watching over ours would matter. Because of what Christ did 2000 years ago God the Father is now able to offer us forgiveness in our shortcomings and comfort in our uncertainties. The Father is able to point us back to his Son’s life and point us ahead to our eternal life. He is able to prove to us that if he gave us the greatest gift of all - free salvation through his Son - he can also give us any other lesser gift that we may need in this life. After giving up his Son to die, giving us help with our difficulties is easy for the Lord to do! And he wants to do it. And he does. And he will. He always will. The Lord will always give us what we need because he will always watch us. He will never leave.
God will never leave. That’s something we as Christians intellectually know, but it’s not something we can so easily comprehend. Because nothing on this earth lasts. No person on this earth lasts. No matter how much a person cares for you, no matter how sincere a promise someone makes to you, one day that person will no longer be there. It’s a fact a life - in a number of different ways. A parent may promise to stay awake with a child who has had a bad dream. But eventually that parent will have to sleep. Best friends may be inseparable for years. But many times they end up going their separate ways. A couple may be dedicated to each other, but all too often one side gives up. And if nothing else: people die. Those you love, those you count on, those you thought would always be there for you - suddenly are not. Because death ends all relationships on this earth. It ends all promises, no matter how heartfelt they may have been at the time.
This is why it is so hard to fathom that God will never leave. Because we have never experienced that before. We don’t know what it’s like to have somebody at our side who never sleeps, who never leaves, who never gives up, who never dies. But that is exactly who the Lord is. “He who watches over you does not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand.” It is almost unthinkable! The Lord’s eyes are on you every second of every day. Just as a shadow cannot leave your side on a sunny afternoon, neither does the Lord. He will be with you wherever you go and whatever you do. Helping you. Protecting you. Watching you.
One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 139 because it talks about this very thing. David says, “If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” There is no greater comfort going into a new year than this. The Lord will be with you wherever you go. The Lord will help you in whatever you do. The Lord will never leave. And so as you watch the clock tick down tonight, and 2006 slips away while 2007, with all its uncertainties, rushes in, I want you to remember the final words of our text. Remember Psalm 121. And tonight, tomorrow and every day for the rest of your lives, take the words of verse 8 to heart: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Amen.
“May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers. May he never leave us or forsake us.” Amen. - 1 Kings 8:57
Monday, March 23, 2009
12/25/06 - Christmas Day - Heb. 1:3
THE LIGHT HAS COME
- As the radiance of God's glory
- To purify us from our sins
It’s here. It’s actually here. It’s Christmas Day! Finally! The celebration of our Lord’s birth! The event we’ve been building up to for the past month during the season of Advent. Just waiting for the Light. Waiting to see it shine through the darkness. Waiting for our Savior to appear. And today is the day. Today the Light has come. And to celebrate the coming of the Light we look to the book of Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” This is the Word of the Lord. The Word that tells us the Light has come - the Light has come as the radiance of God’s glory and to purify us from our sins.
It’s really amazing to think about the little baby Jesus born in a stable as the radiance of God’s glory. Because a baby born in a barn doesn’t look like the radiance of God’s glory. It’s not radiant, it’s not majestic, it’s not glorious. And on top of that, throughout Scripture the glory of God was something that was so magnificent, so overpowering, so perfect that no mortal human being could see it and live.
For example: when King Solomon built that massive temple and dedicated it to the Lord, the priests could not enter it on the day of dedication to perform their duties. Why? Because the glory of the Lord filled the temple and they were not able to go into his presence. Years before that the prophet Moses specifically asked to see the glory of God. But the Lord wouldn’t allow him to. God instead gave Moses a glimpse of his back as he passed by because God pointed out that no one can see him face to face, no one can see the glory of God and live. The prophet Ezekiel had a similar experience. He received a vision in which he saw “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” He didn’t actually see the glory of the Lord. He didn’t even see a likeness of the glory of the Lord. He saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. But even when he experienced that 3rd hand version of God’s glory, he fell to the ground in fear and respect! That is how powerful and majestic the glory of the Lord is. We sinful human beings cannot experience it and survive the encounter.
Now, knowing how unbearable the glory of the Lord is for sinners, look again at what our text calls Jesus. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory.” Jesus, that little baby lying in the manger, is the radiance, is the brightness, is the blinding light of the glory of the Lord himself! This is God in human form just as Hebrews continues to say, he is “the exact representation of his being.”
The exact representation. The word in Greek is interesting because it comes from a word that can mean, “stamp” or “coin.” A coin was stamped exactly the same way as the instrument that made the impression. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being. Jesus is the same as his Father. Jesus is God. This baby is God. And so Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men got to do something Moses, Ezekiel, and all the other Old Testament believers never could - they saw the glory of the Lord face to face. How could they do that and live? Because the glory of the Lord was cloaked, veiled, hidden in human flesh and human blood.
The point is: don’t let the baby fool you. This baby is still the glory of the Lord himself. This baby is the Light of the world. And when you go home and look at your manger scene today, and you see Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, the sheep and the donkeys, and the baby Jesus in the middle - remember that he’s in the middle for a reason. Everyone is looking at him for a reason. Because he’s not just a cute baby. He is God. He is the Lord lying in straw. He is the Light wrapped in swaddling clothes. Yes, this is a day of joy and peace and comfort. But realize this is also a day of reverence and awe and worship. Because the Lord is here. God is born. The Light has come.
But why? Why did the Light come? Why did God bother clothing himself with flesh and blood as if he were a creature and not the Creator? Why did God, who was living in perfection, take on a human body and suffer pain and the effects of sin. Why did God, who could have had anything he wanted, give up his divine power for a time and become a servant to be ridiculed and mocked by those he created? One reason and one reason only: to purify us from our sins. That’s it. That’s why he came. That’s why he was born in a barn in Bethlehem on a normal night. To purify us from our sins. Because we’re dirty. We are dirty! Allow me to give you some Old Testament background to prove that point.
Back in Old Testament times the Israelites were required to bring a number of different offerings to the Lord. One of those offerings was called the “sin offering.” They were to sacrifice animals as sin offerings in order to purify themselves from their sins. Because a sin made them unclean. A sin made them dirty. And so they had to be purified, they had to have the filth and the grime and the crud of sin wiped away so that they could stand in front of a perfect God. It is no different today. Even though we are no longer required to offer animal sacrifices, sin still makes us unclean. Sin still makes us filthy dirty. Don’t think there is any way you are possibly good enough to be let into heaven! It doesn’t matter how many good things you’ve done! It doesn’t matter how good of a life you’ve tried to lead! Have you sinned? Well, then it’s over. You cannot stand in front of a perfect God by yourself if you’ve sinned even once. He will not accept anything but perfection. And any filth, any stain, any spot of sin on your person will not be tolerated. You must be purified. I must be purified. There is no other way. And that is why we celebrate Christmas. That is why the Light has come. “God is light,” John says in his first letter. “In him there is no darkness at all… and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from all sin.”
The blood of Jesus purifies us. When you look at a picture of baby Jesus lying in the manger - you normally don’t think of blood, do you? Blood is gross to some people, blood usually means pain, the sight of blood is more often than not a bad situation. But blood is the reason for today. Blood is the reason the Light has come. Because blood was the only way Jesus could purify us from our sins. That’s why God commanded that all those Old Testament sacrifices were to be made. To make it clear that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The blood of a substitute. The blood of God. The blood of this baby whose birth we celebrate today. And so when we look at Jesus lying in the manger we not only see God, we see a Savior. Who would suffer. Who would die. Who would rise from the dead. And he would do all this for you. To forgive you. To purify you.
And you are purified. You are now clean in the sight of God. You are pure right now even though we constantly stain our clothes with the filth of sin every day. And when you stand in front of God on Judgment Day you can be absolutely confident that no matter what you have done in this life, no matter how many or how great your sins have been, Jesus’ blood purifies you. You will be accepted because your Savior has been accepted. Jesus stands in front of his Father and he says, “Do not look at them. Do not look at all the sins they’ve committed. Look at me. Look at the perfect life I lived. Look at the death I died in their place. Look at the pains of hell I suffered so they didn’t have to. Look at my resurrection that made their possible.” And the Father looks at his Son and say, “I accept your substitute. I will accept them, because I accept you.” And Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father as we speak, ready to stand up on your behalf.
So what a great day this is. The start of Christ’s life here on this earth. A life that would be lived in perfection, climax in a sacrifice, burst forth from any empty tomb, and continue on into eternity. And so rejoice with me, my fellow believers. As the apostle Peter says, “Declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Declare his praises. Declare them to the world! It’s Christmas morning! Our salvation celebration has started! Our substitute has arrived! Our ransom has been born! Our Savior is here! The Light has come!
Amen.
“Hallelujah! For our Lord Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” Amen. - Rev. 19:6-7
- As the radiance of God's glory
- To purify us from our sins
It’s here. It’s actually here. It’s Christmas Day! Finally! The celebration of our Lord’s birth! The event we’ve been building up to for the past month during the season of Advent. Just waiting for the Light. Waiting to see it shine through the darkness. Waiting for our Savior to appear. And today is the day. Today the Light has come. And to celebrate the coming of the Light we look to the book of Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” This is the Word of the Lord. The Word that tells us the Light has come - the Light has come as the radiance of God’s glory and to purify us from our sins.
It’s really amazing to think about the little baby Jesus born in a stable as the radiance of God’s glory. Because a baby born in a barn doesn’t look like the radiance of God’s glory. It’s not radiant, it’s not majestic, it’s not glorious. And on top of that, throughout Scripture the glory of God was something that was so magnificent, so overpowering, so perfect that no mortal human being could see it and live.
For example: when King Solomon built that massive temple and dedicated it to the Lord, the priests could not enter it on the day of dedication to perform their duties. Why? Because the glory of the Lord filled the temple and they were not able to go into his presence. Years before that the prophet Moses specifically asked to see the glory of God. But the Lord wouldn’t allow him to. God instead gave Moses a glimpse of his back as he passed by because God pointed out that no one can see him face to face, no one can see the glory of God and live. The prophet Ezekiel had a similar experience. He received a vision in which he saw “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” He didn’t actually see the glory of the Lord. He didn’t even see a likeness of the glory of the Lord. He saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. But even when he experienced that 3rd hand version of God’s glory, he fell to the ground in fear and respect! That is how powerful and majestic the glory of the Lord is. We sinful human beings cannot experience it and survive the encounter.
Now, knowing how unbearable the glory of the Lord is for sinners, look again at what our text calls Jesus. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory.” Jesus, that little baby lying in the manger, is the radiance, is the brightness, is the blinding light of the glory of the Lord himself! This is God in human form just as Hebrews continues to say, he is “the exact representation of his being.”
The exact representation. The word in Greek is interesting because it comes from a word that can mean, “stamp” or “coin.” A coin was stamped exactly the same way as the instrument that made the impression. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being. Jesus is the same as his Father. Jesus is God. This baby is God. And so Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men got to do something Moses, Ezekiel, and all the other Old Testament believers never could - they saw the glory of the Lord face to face. How could they do that and live? Because the glory of the Lord was cloaked, veiled, hidden in human flesh and human blood.
The point is: don’t let the baby fool you. This baby is still the glory of the Lord himself. This baby is the Light of the world. And when you go home and look at your manger scene today, and you see Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, the sheep and the donkeys, and the baby Jesus in the middle - remember that he’s in the middle for a reason. Everyone is looking at him for a reason. Because he’s not just a cute baby. He is God. He is the Lord lying in straw. He is the Light wrapped in swaddling clothes. Yes, this is a day of joy and peace and comfort. But realize this is also a day of reverence and awe and worship. Because the Lord is here. God is born. The Light has come.
But why? Why did the Light come? Why did God bother clothing himself with flesh and blood as if he were a creature and not the Creator? Why did God, who was living in perfection, take on a human body and suffer pain and the effects of sin. Why did God, who could have had anything he wanted, give up his divine power for a time and become a servant to be ridiculed and mocked by those he created? One reason and one reason only: to purify us from our sins. That’s it. That’s why he came. That’s why he was born in a barn in Bethlehem on a normal night. To purify us from our sins. Because we’re dirty. We are dirty! Allow me to give you some Old Testament background to prove that point.
Back in Old Testament times the Israelites were required to bring a number of different offerings to the Lord. One of those offerings was called the “sin offering.” They were to sacrifice animals as sin offerings in order to purify themselves from their sins. Because a sin made them unclean. A sin made them dirty. And so they had to be purified, they had to have the filth and the grime and the crud of sin wiped away so that they could stand in front of a perfect God. It is no different today. Even though we are no longer required to offer animal sacrifices, sin still makes us unclean. Sin still makes us filthy dirty. Don’t think there is any way you are possibly good enough to be let into heaven! It doesn’t matter how many good things you’ve done! It doesn’t matter how good of a life you’ve tried to lead! Have you sinned? Well, then it’s over. You cannot stand in front of a perfect God by yourself if you’ve sinned even once. He will not accept anything but perfection. And any filth, any stain, any spot of sin on your person will not be tolerated. You must be purified. I must be purified. There is no other way. And that is why we celebrate Christmas. That is why the Light has come. “God is light,” John says in his first letter. “In him there is no darkness at all… and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from all sin.”
The blood of Jesus purifies us. When you look at a picture of baby Jesus lying in the manger - you normally don’t think of blood, do you? Blood is gross to some people, blood usually means pain, the sight of blood is more often than not a bad situation. But blood is the reason for today. Blood is the reason the Light has come. Because blood was the only way Jesus could purify us from our sins. That’s why God commanded that all those Old Testament sacrifices were to be made. To make it clear that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The blood of a substitute. The blood of God. The blood of this baby whose birth we celebrate today. And so when we look at Jesus lying in the manger we not only see God, we see a Savior. Who would suffer. Who would die. Who would rise from the dead. And he would do all this for you. To forgive you. To purify you.
And you are purified. You are now clean in the sight of God. You are pure right now even though we constantly stain our clothes with the filth of sin every day. And when you stand in front of God on Judgment Day you can be absolutely confident that no matter what you have done in this life, no matter how many or how great your sins have been, Jesus’ blood purifies you. You will be accepted because your Savior has been accepted. Jesus stands in front of his Father and he says, “Do not look at them. Do not look at all the sins they’ve committed. Look at me. Look at the perfect life I lived. Look at the death I died in their place. Look at the pains of hell I suffered so they didn’t have to. Look at my resurrection that made their possible.” And the Father looks at his Son and say, “I accept your substitute. I will accept them, because I accept you.” And Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father as we speak, ready to stand up on your behalf.
So what a great day this is. The start of Christ’s life here on this earth. A life that would be lived in perfection, climax in a sacrifice, burst forth from any empty tomb, and continue on into eternity. And so rejoice with me, my fellow believers. As the apostle Peter says, “Declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Declare his praises. Declare them to the world! It’s Christmas morning! Our salvation celebration has started! Our substitute has arrived! Our ransom has been born! Our Savior is here! The Light has come!
Amen.
“Hallelujah! For our Lord Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” Amen. - Rev. 19:6-7
12/24/06 - Christmas Eve - Isaiah 9:2
THE LIGHT IS DAWNING
- Through the darkness
- Through the Word
I want you to consider three things tonight. First of all, look outside for a second. Notice that, unlike other worship services, it’s getting dark outside by the time the sermon has started. Now look around in here. Candles are everywhere - more than usual - because it’s a candle light service. And thirdly, consider the date: December 24th, the night before the Lord’s birth, Christmas Eve. With these three things in mind, now listen to our text: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” What a perfect text for this hour of the day. What a perfect text for this type of a service. What a perfect text for this time of the year. Because tonight in Isaiah chapter 9 we watch as the Light is dawning, through the darkness and through the Word.
Many times when Scripture speaks about darkness, it is referring to spiritual darkness, spiritual blindness, unbelief. So when we hear Isaiah say that people are walking in darkness we automatically think that he is speaking about unbelievers. And we say to ourselves: “Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I’m not an unbeliever. I have faith in Jesus. I know who my Savior is.” That’s true. I’m not saying you aren’t a believer. I know you believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin. But let’s not be too quick to separate ourselves completely from the darkness. Let’s not dismiss the portion of Scripture right away. Let’s not be overconfident.
Let’s not be overconfident in our own faith and our own knowledge about the Lord. Especially during this time of the year. Because last week, tonight, and tomorrow morning it’s the Christmas story again! You know it! You’ve heard it every year from the time before you could even talk! You may even have parts of it memorized by heart! And that’s the danger. That’s when we get overconfident. That’s when we hear it but we stop listening. We stop studying. We stop taking it to heart. And that goes with the rest of our lives too, not just the Christmas story. We become overconfident in where we’re at in our relationship with the Lord. We think we have learned enough, know enough, thinking that the darkness is completely behind us.
You don’t need to come to Bible study? Really. You know that much? You understand so well? You are so confident in your knowledge of the Lord and his Word that you don’t have to bother learning more? Think about that. Evaluate how overconfident, how arrogant, you have become.
You don’t have to come to church every single Sunday? Really. You have that many opportunities to publicly praise God outside of a worship service? You are able to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ with the Word that many times during the rest of the week? You are so confident in your faith that worship every week would just be overdoing it? Think about that. Evaluate how overconfident, how arrogant, you have become.
Now, I’m not saying that if you don’t come to church every week or you don’t come to Bible class that’s it’s a sin each and every time. It depends on your motivation. It depends on your priorities. I realize it may not be humanly possible to get to church or Bible class every week. But with saying that, worship and Bible study should be on the very top of your priority list. That should be the most important thing you do. That should be the event you plan everything else around! Why? Because this is the Lord we’re talking about here. Your Savior. The Light that has brought you out of darkness.
And those of you who do come to worship and Bible class on a regular basis: do you really consider yourself out of the darkness? Are you so sure that your knowledge is adequate enough? Are you so convinced that you cannot fall away? Are you so confident because of your attendance that worship has become a routine and Bible study has become a habit? You see, none of us is out of the darkness completely. In fact, there’s a lot of darkness in us. There is a whole lot of darkness in me. There are many times when I am overconfident. There are many times when I fail to see the darkness of sin and how it has permeated my life and thinking and words. I still struggle with darkness. I still struggle with sin. And so do you. All the time.
This gives a whole new meaning to the words of our text, doesn’t it? Listen again, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” This portion of Scripture is not just for unbelievers. It’s for me. It’s for you. It’s hear to show us our sins of darkness and to show our Savior of Light.
This Light, Jesus Christ, is the light that shines in our hearts. Jesus himself said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Jesus shines on us. We don’t ask him for this light, we aren’t deserving of this light. We are stumbling around, not knowing where to go, not able to find our way out. Jesus shines on us not so that we can find our own way out, but so that we can be found. Jesus shines on us like a parent shines a flashlight on a little child lost in the dark. He picks us up. He carries us home. Why? Because he loves us. That’s it. Because he loves us. He knows we have sinned against him. He knows we have been overconfident, he knows we have disrespected him and his Word. But he forgives us anyway. He shines in our hearts. He erases our sins and our fears and our guilt. He wraps us up in his arms and keeps us safe. Because as John says the Light is not just a being up in heaven, “The true light that gives light to every man has come into the world.” Tomorrow. Tomorrow we celebrate the true Light coming into the world. To live. To die. To rise. The Light is dawning, my Christian friends. The Light is dawning for you.
But we’re not going to physically see him tomorrow, obviously. No one living has physically seen Jesus at Christmas time for 2000 years. But the Light will still dawn, and it will still shine in the same way it has shone every day. Right here. In the Word. Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world, shines through the darkness through the Word. In fact, that’s the only way he does. Do not expect Christ to come to you in a dream or while you’re meditating or even while your praying. Christ the Light doesn’t promise to come to you during those times. Only in the Word. Only in the Word will your faith be strengthened and your knowledge be broadened and your heart be comforted. Whether it’s listening to a sermon, contemplating the Word in Bible study, reading a family devotion or reading the Scriptures at home, Christ promises that his light will shine on you and in your heart.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” These famous words from Psalm 119 fit well here. The Word of Christ gives us light. That’s why it’s so important to be in church, that’s why it’s so important to be in Bible study, that’s why it’s so important to read your Bibles at home. It’s not a “pick one” kind of thing. It’s all of them, together, all the time, continually. “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly,” Paul says. Not sometimes, not occasionally, not just enough, not just when you feel like it. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. And this word is often times used to describe hug and powerful armies that no one can handle. So let the word of Christ dwell in your richly, over abundantly, so much so that you have an excess of the Word - if that were even possible.
The other day I was trying to remember the words to the well-known kid’s song, “Baa, Baa Black Sheep.” Baa, baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir… I couldn’t remember the next line. I had to ask my wife what the words were to every line because I had no idea. And the thing of it is: I knew them so well when I was a kid! I had heard them so often and song them so many times. What happened? Years went by without hearing them, without singing them, without being reminded of the words on a regular basis. Do not let that happen with the Word of Christ. Immerse yourself in the Word so that you will be showered in the Light. Live in the Word so that is will always be fresh on your minds. I long for the day when everyone in the worship service stays for Bible study. I long for the day when everyone on our membership list is in church on the same day. I long for the day when everyone in worship comes to Wednesday night Bible study. Why? Because I care deeply about your souls. I know that the Lord promises to shine his light in your hearts through the Word, and I know you hear it here. I know you read it here. I know you sing it here. And there is nothing else I want more than to be sure every one of you hears about your sins and your Savior as often as possible. And starts right here in the Word.
“And you will do well to pay attention to it,” the apostle Peter says, “as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns.” The day is dawning. The Light is dawning right now. It is just peeking over the horizon. So sleep well tonight, my Christian friends. Sleep well tonight. Because just as we see the light dawn tonight, tomorrow we will celebrate when the Light has come.
Amen.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
- Through the darkness
- Through the Word
I want you to consider three things tonight. First of all, look outside for a second. Notice that, unlike other worship services, it’s getting dark outside by the time the sermon has started. Now look around in here. Candles are everywhere - more than usual - because it’s a candle light service. And thirdly, consider the date: December 24th, the night before the Lord’s birth, Christmas Eve. With these three things in mind, now listen to our text: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” What a perfect text for this hour of the day. What a perfect text for this type of a service. What a perfect text for this time of the year. Because tonight in Isaiah chapter 9 we watch as the Light is dawning, through the darkness and through the Word.
Many times when Scripture speaks about darkness, it is referring to spiritual darkness, spiritual blindness, unbelief. So when we hear Isaiah say that people are walking in darkness we automatically think that he is speaking about unbelievers. And we say to ourselves: “Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I’m not an unbeliever. I have faith in Jesus. I know who my Savior is.” That’s true. I’m not saying you aren’t a believer. I know you believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin. But let’s not be too quick to separate ourselves completely from the darkness. Let’s not dismiss the portion of Scripture right away. Let’s not be overconfident.
Let’s not be overconfident in our own faith and our own knowledge about the Lord. Especially during this time of the year. Because last week, tonight, and tomorrow morning it’s the Christmas story again! You know it! You’ve heard it every year from the time before you could even talk! You may even have parts of it memorized by heart! And that’s the danger. That’s when we get overconfident. That’s when we hear it but we stop listening. We stop studying. We stop taking it to heart. And that goes with the rest of our lives too, not just the Christmas story. We become overconfident in where we’re at in our relationship with the Lord. We think we have learned enough, know enough, thinking that the darkness is completely behind us.
You don’t need to come to Bible study? Really. You know that much? You understand so well? You are so confident in your knowledge of the Lord and his Word that you don’t have to bother learning more? Think about that. Evaluate how overconfident, how arrogant, you have become.
You don’t have to come to church every single Sunday? Really. You have that many opportunities to publicly praise God outside of a worship service? You are able to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ with the Word that many times during the rest of the week? You are so confident in your faith that worship every week would just be overdoing it? Think about that. Evaluate how overconfident, how arrogant, you have become.
Now, I’m not saying that if you don’t come to church every week or you don’t come to Bible class that’s it’s a sin each and every time. It depends on your motivation. It depends on your priorities. I realize it may not be humanly possible to get to church or Bible class every week. But with saying that, worship and Bible study should be on the very top of your priority list. That should be the most important thing you do. That should be the event you plan everything else around! Why? Because this is the Lord we’re talking about here. Your Savior. The Light that has brought you out of darkness.
And those of you who do come to worship and Bible class on a regular basis: do you really consider yourself out of the darkness? Are you so sure that your knowledge is adequate enough? Are you so convinced that you cannot fall away? Are you so confident because of your attendance that worship has become a routine and Bible study has become a habit? You see, none of us is out of the darkness completely. In fact, there’s a lot of darkness in us. There is a whole lot of darkness in me. There are many times when I am overconfident. There are many times when I fail to see the darkness of sin and how it has permeated my life and thinking and words. I still struggle with darkness. I still struggle with sin. And so do you. All the time.
This gives a whole new meaning to the words of our text, doesn’t it? Listen again, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” This portion of Scripture is not just for unbelievers. It’s for me. It’s for you. It’s hear to show us our sins of darkness and to show our Savior of Light.
This Light, Jesus Christ, is the light that shines in our hearts. Jesus himself said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Jesus shines on us. We don’t ask him for this light, we aren’t deserving of this light. We are stumbling around, not knowing where to go, not able to find our way out. Jesus shines on us not so that we can find our own way out, but so that we can be found. Jesus shines on us like a parent shines a flashlight on a little child lost in the dark. He picks us up. He carries us home. Why? Because he loves us. That’s it. Because he loves us. He knows we have sinned against him. He knows we have been overconfident, he knows we have disrespected him and his Word. But he forgives us anyway. He shines in our hearts. He erases our sins and our fears and our guilt. He wraps us up in his arms and keeps us safe. Because as John says the Light is not just a being up in heaven, “The true light that gives light to every man has come into the world.” Tomorrow. Tomorrow we celebrate the true Light coming into the world. To live. To die. To rise. The Light is dawning, my Christian friends. The Light is dawning for you.
But we’re not going to physically see him tomorrow, obviously. No one living has physically seen Jesus at Christmas time for 2000 years. But the Light will still dawn, and it will still shine in the same way it has shone every day. Right here. In the Word. Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world, shines through the darkness through the Word. In fact, that’s the only way he does. Do not expect Christ to come to you in a dream or while you’re meditating or even while your praying. Christ the Light doesn’t promise to come to you during those times. Only in the Word. Only in the Word will your faith be strengthened and your knowledge be broadened and your heart be comforted. Whether it’s listening to a sermon, contemplating the Word in Bible study, reading a family devotion or reading the Scriptures at home, Christ promises that his light will shine on you and in your heart.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” These famous words from Psalm 119 fit well here. The Word of Christ gives us light. That’s why it’s so important to be in church, that’s why it’s so important to be in Bible study, that’s why it’s so important to read your Bibles at home. It’s not a “pick one” kind of thing. It’s all of them, together, all the time, continually. “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly,” Paul says. Not sometimes, not occasionally, not just enough, not just when you feel like it. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. And this word is often times used to describe hug and powerful armies that no one can handle. So let the word of Christ dwell in your richly, over abundantly, so much so that you have an excess of the Word - if that were even possible.
The other day I was trying to remember the words to the well-known kid’s song, “Baa, Baa Black Sheep.” Baa, baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir… I couldn’t remember the next line. I had to ask my wife what the words were to every line because I had no idea. And the thing of it is: I knew them so well when I was a kid! I had heard them so often and song them so many times. What happened? Years went by without hearing them, without singing them, without being reminded of the words on a regular basis. Do not let that happen with the Word of Christ. Immerse yourself in the Word so that you will be showered in the Light. Live in the Word so that is will always be fresh on your minds. I long for the day when everyone in the worship service stays for Bible study. I long for the day when everyone on our membership list is in church on the same day. I long for the day when everyone in worship comes to Wednesday night Bible study. Why? Because I care deeply about your souls. I know that the Lord promises to shine his light in your hearts through the Word, and I know you hear it here. I know you read it here. I know you sing it here. And there is nothing else I want more than to be sure every one of you hears about your sins and your Savior as often as possible. And starts right here in the Word.
“And you will do well to pay attention to it,” the apostle Peter says, “as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns.” The day is dawning. The Light is dawning right now. It is just peeking over the horizon. So sleep well tonight, my Christian friends. Sleep well tonight. Because just as we see the light dawn tonight, tomorrow we will celebrate when the Light has come.
Amen.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
12/10/06 - Advent 2 - Malachi 3:1
JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY
- The messenger of the King
- The messenger of the covenant
Look who’s here, my friends. Look who’s finally here. Someone we recognize. Someone who’s been here before! Someone we’ve been waiting for! It’s the messenger! He has finally arrived! And so it’s time to be excited, it’s time to celebrate because today is John the Baptist Day. That’s right, John the Baptist Day. The Second Week of Advent is when we traditionally celebrate the coming of the King’s messenger. Why? Not because John was such a great guy or a terrific preacher or a more upright individual than we are, but we celebrate John the Baptist Day because he was the messenger of the King and the messenger of the covenant. And so on John the Baptist Day it’s not so much the messenger we are celebrating as the message.
Back in biblical times messages made messengers very important people. Because, of course, you didn’t have things like phones, or email, or motorized vehicles. Messages had to be delivered by hand. And so the messenger was a person who people looked for and waited for and even hoped for. They would stand on top of the walls of the city just to get the first glimpse of a messenger on the horizon. Because if a messenger appeared, that meant there would be news about a war or about a distant nation or about the arrival of a King. And especially if the city was waiting for a King to visit, the sight of his messenger was an important event. The moment the messenger came into view the people knew the King would not be far behind.
This is John the Baptist Day. The day of the King’s messenger. And so you know that the King himself is close behind. You know that Christmas is just around the corner. And I realize that nowadays there a certain things that you might consider as the start of the Christmas season. Maybe it’s the Christmas parade. Or the first time you see Christmas lights on your neighbor’s house. Or the day you set up your Christmas tree. In our minds certain events that happen every year remind us of how close Christmas is. Now put yourself in a spiritual mindset. Forget about parades and lights and trees. Those things don’t tell you who is really coming. John the Baptist does. On John the Baptist Day. So every year, when the season of Advent rolls around again, look for, wait for, hope for the King’s messenger to arrive - because on that day, on this day, you know the King himself is near.
But the job of the messenger back in biblical times didn’t stop there. He didn’t just show up ahead of the King, he had a lot of work to do before the King ever got there. He had to get things ready, he had to make sure there were no unexpected surprises, he had to prepare the people to make sure they had everything in line. John the Baptist had to do the same kind of work. “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me,” the Lord says in our text. It was John’s job to prepare the people for the arrival of the King. It is his job to prepare you for the arrival of the King.
But don’t think that you are going to like it. You are not going to like this kind of preparation. Because in order for you to be ready for the King, John the Baptist points out your sins. John’s preparation was a preparation of repentance. He wants you to fall to your knees, confess your faults, and beg for the Lord’s mercy. All too often we forget that during this time of year, don’t we? Because when we think of Christmas we think of soft familiar music, time spent with family, the warm glow of candles, the sweet smell of Christmas cookies, the cute little baby Jesus in the manger, Mary and Joseph huddled together, the shepherds gathered around with their fluffy little sheep, and wise men coming with their fascinating gifts - and oh, what a great time of year and oh, what a wonderful atmosphere Christmastime creates!
But what about your sins? What about your sins? Because that’s the reason John the Baptist came. Repentance was the message of this messenger. It wasn’t nice feelings and quiet music and a moment to think about life. John came to point out sins. Because when Jesus was about to come into this world 2000 years agao the people were not ready! They did not care about their sins, they had forgotten their sins! John the Baptist’s job was to bring them back to reality. How were they ever going to be ready for the Savior King when they didn’t admit they had sins to be saved from? “You brood of vipers,” John said to them and to us. “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This is John the Baptist Day. This is a day of repentance. It’s not time for excuses. It’s not time to try to justify your sinful actions. It’s time to confess your sins and rely on your King for mercy.
I say that because I tend to make excuses. I tend to try to justify my sinful actions. If I say something out of line I’ll tell myself - “well, they had it coming to them anyway.” If I lose my patience I’ll try to tell myself - “well, I had a right to be angry with that person.” If I am lazy I’ll try to tell myself - “well, I was tired that day and plus, I had plenty of time to get things done later.” If I think poorly about someone I’ll try to tell myself - “well, it’s true, isn’t it? I’m just being honest.” Do you see the excuses? Do you see how we have to convince ourselves we’re OK? Do you see how we try to avoid confronting ourselves about our sins? We don’t want to deal with it! We don’t want to admit it! We don’t even want to think about it, do we? But that is exactly why John the Baptist came. To say, “Think about it! Admit it! Deal with it! Confess your sins, acknowledge you are helpless, and rely on the King. And do it now, because the King is right behind me!” This is the message of John the Baptist - the messenger of the King.
It is a little strange celebrating John the Baptist Day by repenting. That’s not a normal celebratory act, is it? But that is what it takes. That is what John encourages us to do. Because he is not only the messenger of the King. “‘The messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” John the Baptist is also called the messenger of the covenant. But what does that mean? Well, a covenant is a binding contract, a promise. Very similar to a will written out by someone about to die. And there are two main covenants mentioned in the Bible: the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was initiated to the Israelites through Moses. And this covenant was a two-way street. The Lord would bless them as a nation if they followed his commands and kept his regulations. The Israelites had to keep their end of the bargain if they wanted to benefit from the Lord’s love. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not keep their end of the bargain. They sinned, they rejected the Lord, and they did not keep his commandments. They broke the covenant they had made with the Lord. So John cannot be the messenger for this covenant. First of all, it already had been established by the time he was born, and second of all, God’s people had nullified it by their sins.
So John the Baptist must be the messenger of a new covenant. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” This new covenant is only a one-way street. We are not required to do anything. We do not have to keep our end of the bargain to benefit from the Lord’s love. The Lord simply gives his love to us free of charge. He forgives our sins and remembers our wickedness no more. This is the new covenant. A covenant of love and forgiveness. This is the covenant of which John the Baptist is the messenger. This is the covenant he prepares us for.
That’s why John the Baptist came and that’s why the King came: to establish this new covenant. He was born in that stable, he was tempted by Satan, he was persecuted by his own countrymen. His perfect life solidified that new covenant. His sacrificial death guaranteed that new covenant. His resurrection sealed that new covenant. It was all the work of the King and it was announced by his faithful messenger. And so that covenant which started in a barn in the town of Bethlehem will last forever for us in the temple palace of Paradise.
Today is John the Baptist Day. But John never wanted the spotlight on himself. When he saw Jesus walking he shouted out to the crowds, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The messenger pointed to the King. And so do we. We look to the one whom John prepares the way for. And we do that today and through the rest of this Advent season by taking John’s words to heart, repenting of our sins, and rejoicing in the riches of the new covenant in Christ’s blood. My friends, apart from Christmas day and the Easter season, there is rarely a better time of year than this. Because today the messenger is here. And the King is right behind him.
Amen.
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” - Rev. 11:15
- The messenger of the King
- The messenger of the covenant
Look who’s here, my friends. Look who’s finally here. Someone we recognize. Someone who’s been here before! Someone we’ve been waiting for! It’s the messenger! He has finally arrived! And so it’s time to be excited, it’s time to celebrate because today is John the Baptist Day. That’s right, John the Baptist Day. The Second Week of Advent is when we traditionally celebrate the coming of the King’s messenger. Why? Not because John was such a great guy or a terrific preacher or a more upright individual than we are, but we celebrate John the Baptist Day because he was the messenger of the King and the messenger of the covenant. And so on John the Baptist Day it’s not so much the messenger we are celebrating as the message.
Back in biblical times messages made messengers very important people. Because, of course, you didn’t have things like phones, or email, or motorized vehicles. Messages had to be delivered by hand. And so the messenger was a person who people looked for and waited for and even hoped for. They would stand on top of the walls of the city just to get the first glimpse of a messenger on the horizon. Because if a messenger appeared, that meant there would be news about a war or about a distant nation or about the arrival of a King. And especially if the city was waiting for a King to visit, the sight of his messenger was an important event. The moment the messenger came into view the people knew the King would not be far behind.
This is John the Baptist Day. The day of the King’s messenger. And so you know that the King himself is close behind. You know that Christmas is just around the corner. And I realize that nowadays there a certain things that you might consider as the start of the Christmas season. Maybe it’s the Christmas parade. Or the first time you see Christmas lights on your neighbor’s house. Or the day you set up your Christmas tree. In our minds certain events that happen every year remind us of how close Christmas is. Now put yourself in a spiritual mindset. Forget about parades and lights and trees. Those things don’t tell you who is really coming. John the Baptist does. On John the Baptist Day. So every year, when the season of Advent rolls around again, look for, wait for, hope for the King’s messenger to arrive - because on that day, on this day, you know the King himself is near.
But the job of the messenger back in biblical times didn’t stop there. He didn’t just show up ahead of the King, he had a lot of work to do before the King ever got there. He had to get things ready, he had to make sure there were no unexpected surprises, he had to prepare the people to make sure they had everything in line. John the Baptist had to do the same kind of work. “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me,” the Lord says in our text. It was John’s job to prepare the people for the arrival of the King. It is his job to prepare you for the arrival of the King.
But don’t think that you are going to like it. You are not going to like this kind of preparation. Because in order for you to be ready for the King, John the Baptist points out your sins. John’s preparation was a preparation of repentance. He wants you to fall to your knees, confess your faults, and beg for the Lord’s mercy. All too often we forget that during this time of year, don’t we? Because when we think of Christmas we think of soft familiar music, time spent with family, the warm glow of candles, the sweet smell of Christmas cookies, the cute little baby Jesus in the manger, Mary and Joseph huddled together, the shepherds gathered around with their fluffy little sheep, and wise men coming with their fascinating gifts - and oh, what a great time of year and oh, what a wonderful atmosphere Christmastime creates!
But what about your sins? What about your sins? Because that’s the reason John the Baptist came. Repentance was the message of this messenger. It wasn’t nice feelings and quiet music and a moment to think about life. John came to point out sins. Because when Jesus was about to come into this world 2000 years agao the people were not ready! They did not care about their sins, they had forgotten their sins! John the Baptist’s job was to bring them back to reality. How were they ever going to be ready for the Savior King when they didn’t admit they had sins to be saved from? “You brood of vipers,” John said to them and to us. “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This is John the Baptist Day. This is a day of repentance. It’s not time for excuses. It’s not time to try to justify your sinful actions. It’s time to confess your sins and rely on your King for mercy.
I say that because I tend to make excuses. I tend to try to justify my sinful actions. If I say something out of line I’ll tell myself - “well, they had it coming to them anyway.” If I lose my patience I’ll try to tell myself - “well, I had a right to be angry with that person.” If I am lazy I’ll try to tell myself - “well, I was tired that day and plus, I had plenty of time to get things done later.” If I think poorly about someone I’ll try to tell myself - “well, it’s true, isn’t it? I’m just being honest.” Do you see the excuses? Do you see how we have to convince ourselves we’re OK? Do you see how we try to avoid confronting ourselves about our sins? We don’t want to deal with it! We don’t want to admit it! We don’t even want to think about it, do we? But that is exactly why John the Baptist came. To say, “Think about it! Admit it! Deal with it! Confess your sins, acknowledge you are helpless, and rely on the King. And do it now, because the King is right behind me!” This is the message of John the Baptist - the messenger of the King.
It is a little strange celebrating John the Baptist Day by repenting. That’s not a normal celebratory act, is it? But that is what it takes. That is what John encourages us to do. Because he is not only the messenger of the King. “‘The messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” John the Baptist is also called the messenger of the covenant. But what does that mean? Well, a covenant is a binding contract, a promise. Very similar to a will written out by someone about to die. And there are two main covenants mentioned in the Bible: the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was initiated to the Israelites through Moses. And this covenant was a two-way street. The Lord would bless them as a nation if they followed his commands and kept his regulations. The Israelites had to keep their end of the bargain if they wanted to benefit from the Lord’s love. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not keep their end of the bargain. They sinned, they rejected the Lord, and they did not keep his commandments. They broke the covenant they had made with the Lord. So John cannot be the messenger for this covenant. First of all, it already had been established by the time he was born, and second of all, God’s people had nullified it by their sins.
So John the Baptist must be the messenger of a new covenant. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” This new covenant is only a one-way street. We are not required to do anything. We do not have to keep our end of the bargain to benefit from the Lord’s love. The Lord simply gives his love to us free of charge. He forgives our sins and remembers our wickedness no more. This is the new covenant. A covenant of love and forgiveness. This is the covenant of which John the Baptist is the messenger. This is the covenant he prepares us for.
That’s why John the Baptist came and that’s why the King came: to establish this new covenant. He was born in that stable, he was tempted by Satan, he was persecuted by his own countrymen. His perfect life solidified that new covenant. His sacrificial death guaranteed that new covenant. His resurrection sealed that new covenant. It was all the work of the King and it was announced by his faithful messenger. And so that covenant which started in a barn in the town of Bethlehem will last forever for us in the temple palace of Paradise.
Today is John the Baptist Day. But John never wanted the spotlight on himself. When he saw Jesus walking he shouted out to the crowds, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The messenger pointed to the King. And so do we. We look to the one whom John prepares the way for. And we do that today and through the rest of this Advent season by taking John’s words to heart, repenting of our sins, and rejoicing in the riches of the new covenant in Christ’s blood. My friends, apart from Christmas day and the Easter season, there is rarely a better time of year than this. Because today the messenger is here. And the King is right behind him.
Amen.
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” - Rev. 11:15
12/3/06 - Advent 1 - Jer. 33:14-16
THE DAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE COMING
- Righteousness born
- Righteousness given
Oh, how we have strayed. I say that because we have now entered into the last month of the year. Eleven full months of 2006 are now behind us. So that gives us an occasion to look back and remember all those things we’ve done, all those things we’ve said, all those horrible, nasty, vile things we’ve thought. Oh, how we have strayed. Oh, how we have sinned. Oh, how we have miserably failed to do what is right. We have fallen far short of righteousness.
And the sad thing is: that’s nothing new. Every year at this time, as the season of Advent begins, we realize once again that the righteous life we were supposed to lead as Christians was a sham - it was nothing close to righteousness! It was uglier than ever, it was pitifully inadequate, it was filled with missteps and blatant rebellions. Over this past year we have worked our way as far from righteousness as humanly possible.
That’s why it’s so nice to have the beginning of the church year come at the end of our calendar year. Because by this time of the year, we are so immersed in the sins we’ve committed that we need the kind of reassurance Advent brings. The reassurance of righteousness. So look ahead, my friends, to the end of this month. To the days of Christmas. To the days of Christ. Because the days of righteousness are coming.
Righteousness. It’s a big part of our text today in Jeremiah 33. And righteousness is a word you know. It’s a concept that you have used. But do you know what it is exactly? Righteousness really comes from a word meaning “straight.” Something that is not crooked, no bending, no veering to the one side or another. And so the word also came to mean a moral and ethical “norm” or a “standard.” A standard, of course, set by God. Righteousness is meeting the moral standard set down by God in his word. Walking that line perfectly. Not turning to the right or to the left. Not taking a misstep of any kind. Not breaking stride as you follow each and every one of the Lord’s commands in full.
That is righteousness. And oh, how we have strayed! And in so many different ways! I don’t want to know how you have strayed from the fine line of righteousness. I don’t want you to know how I have strayed! If God wrote a list of all the sins you had committed in the last year and gave that list to you, you would rip it up and burn it as soon as possible, right? I know I would! I wouldn’t want anyone to see the multitude of sins I have committed. There are thoughts I never should have thought. Criticism I never should have vocalized. Things I should have done that I never did. And I’m sure there would be plenty of things on that list that I wasn’t even aware of. I don’t even want to think about how far away from that straight line of righteousness that list would prove me to be. And I would imagine it wouldn’t be all that different for you.
I thank the Lord at this time of year that the days of righteousness are coming. I thank the Lord for a text like we have today. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’” The days are coming, less than a month away, the days are coming when we will celebrate once again the birth of the Branch. The righteous Branch. The one who follows the straight line of God’s righteousness. Not turning to the right or to the left. Not taking a misstep of any kind. Not breaking stride as he follows each and every one of the Lord’s commands in full.
The righteous Branch, of course, is Jesus. But can you imagine Jesus doing that from birth? Have you ever thought about that before? That means he was a baby who never selfishly screamed in the middle of the night because he was hungry. That means he was a two-year-old who never threw a temper tantrum. That means he was an eight-year-old who never lied. That means he was a teenager who never once talked back. That means he was a young man who never showed disrespect. That means he was a human being who never had a belittling thought cross him mind about anyone he ever met. Jesus walked the line. Perfectly. He did “what is just and right” just as our text says. That’s what makes him the righteous Branch. He wasn’t just another descendant from David, he was THE descendant from David. The one everyone talked about and looked for and hoped in. And once again for us, his days are coming. In the days of Advent we talk about and look for and hope in his coming. The days of righteousness are coming. The celebration of Christmas when God himself came into the world. When righteousness incarnate was born.
When that righteous Branch was born in that feeding trough in the town of Bethlehem he, of course, received the name “Jesus.” That’s nothing new to you. And throughout his life and throughout Scripture Jesus was given many names that mean a variety of different things. Beautiful, picturesque names that describe his work and our salvation. So without taking anything away from those wonderful names, I want to point you to the incredible name God the Father gives Jesus in our text. The Lord says, “This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.” Wow. How beautiful is that name? How telling. How simple. How profound.
First of all, the Lord calls Jesus “the Lord.” But even beyond that obvious and amazing revelation about Jesus’ deity, the second part of that name is even more remarkable. “The Lord Our Righteousness.” His name includes us! We are part of the Lord’s own name! Why? Because that is why he came. That is why he walked that straight line of righteousness. So that he could be Our Righteousness. The New Testament says the same thing. “God made him, who had no sin, to be sin for us. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God the Son gives us his righteousness. He walked the straight line of God’s will perfectly, and we get the credit! We get the credit for something we had no part in! Yet another wonderful example of God’s amazing grace.
And that’s exactly what it is: grace. We are so completely lost that God had to send his Son to this earth. We have walked so far away from the straight line of righteousness that Jesus had to walk it himself. We are so hostile to God as sinful human beings that the only way we were going to be saved was if Christ took a hold of us and yanked us back into his arms. We had nothing to do with our salvation. We have nothing to contribute to our faith.
That is why the Lord is called Our Righteousness and not called everyone’s righteousness. Because of faith. The Holy Spirit has worked faith in our hearts. Not because we were more accepting than someone else. Not because we were better than someone else. Not because we didn’t reject the Lord quite as much as someone else. The Holy Spirit worked faith in our hearts because of grace. Because of undeserved love - pure and simple. Why us and not others? I don’t know! Ask the Lord that question when you get the chance. All we know from his word is that we get all the blame if we reject the Lord, but the Lord gets all the credit if we are brought to faith.
The result of this wonderful gift of faith is righteousness. And it’s not just that we’re credited with righteousness, but we will eventually live in righteousness. Peter says, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” When we are in heaven, we will be living in righteousness. We will finally walk that straight line perfectly. We will not turn to the right or to the left. We will not break stride as we follow each and every one of God’s commands in full. Our wants and desires will be perfectly in line with God’s wants and desires. To me, that is going to be one of the greatest things about heaven. We will know exactly what God wants. We will know exactly what God thinks. We will understand why he does what he does - and we will be extremely happy about it! We will be completely content with everything forever because we will be living in the home of righteousness with Our Righteousness.
The days are coming, my friends. The days of righteousness are coming. 22 days, in fact, until we celebrate the birth of the righteous Branch. Look forward to that day. Look forward to Christmas. And rejoice in these weeks of Advent as we see Our Righteousness coming for us.
Amen.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
- Rev. 4:8b
- Righteousness born
- Righteousness given
Oh, how we have strayed. I say that because we have now entered into the last month of the year. Eleven full months of 2006 are now behind us. So that gives us an occasion to look back and remember all those things we’ve done, all those things we’ve said, all those horrible, nasty, vile things we’ve thought. Oh, how we have strayed. Oh, how we have sinned. Oh, how we have miserably failed to do what is right. We have fallen far short of righteousness.
And the sad thing is: that’s nothing new. Every year at this time, as the season of Advent begins, we realize once again that the righteous life we were supposed to lead as Christians was a sham - it was nothing close to righteousness! It was uglier than ever, it was pitifully inadequate, it was filled with missteps and blatant rebellions. Over this past year we have worked our way as far from righteousness as humanly possible.
That’s why it’s so nice to have the beginning of the church year come at the end of our calendar year. Because by this time of the year, we are so immersed in the sins we’ve committed that we need the kind of reassurance Advent brings. The reassurance of righteousness. So look ahead, my friends, to the end of this month. To the days of Christmas. To the days of Christ. Because the days of righteousness are coming.
Righteousness. It’s a big part of our text today in Jeremiah 33. And righteousness is a word you know. It’s a concept that you have used. But do you know what it is exactly? Righteousness really comes from a word meaning “straight.” Something that is not crooked, no bending, no veering to the one side or another. And so the word also came to mean a moral and ethical “norm” or a “standard.” A standard, of course, set by God. Righteousness is meeting the moral standard set down by God in his word. Walking that line perfectly. Not turning to the right or to the left. Not taking a misstep of any kind. Not breaking stride as you follow each and every one of the Lord’s commands in full.
That is righteousness. And oh, how we have strayed! And in so many different ways! I don’t want to know how you have strayed from the fine line of righteousness. I don’t want you to know how I have strayed! If God wrote a list of all the sins you had committed in the last year and gave that list to you, you would rip it up and burn it as soon as possible, right? I know I would! I wouldn’t want anyone to see the multitude of sins I have committed. There are thoughts I never should have thought. Criticism I never should have vocalized. Things I should have done that I never did. And I’m sure there would be plenty of things on that list that I wasn’t even aware of. I don’t even want to think about how far away from that straight line of righteousness that list would prove me to be. And I would imagine it wouldn’t be all that different for you.
I thank the Lord at this time of year that the days of righteousness are coming. I thank the Lord for a text like we have today. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’” The days are coming, less than a month away, the days are coming when we will celebrate once again the birth of the Branch. The righteous Branch. The one who follows the straight line of God’s righteousness. Not turning to the right or to the left. Not taking a misstep of any kind. Not breaking stride as he follows each and every one of the Lord’s commands in full.
The righteous Branch, of course, is Jesus. But can you imagine Jesus doing that from birth? Have you ever thought about that before? That means he was a baby who never selfishly screamed in the middle of the night because he was hungry. That means he was a two-year-old who never threw a temper tantrum. That means he was an eight-year-old who never lied. That means he was a teenager who never once talked back. That means he was a young man who never showed disrespect. That means he was a human being who never had a belittling thought cross him mind about anyone he ever met. Jesus walked the line. Perfectly. He did “what is just and right” just as our text says. That’s what makes him the righteous Branch. He wasn’t just another descendant from David, he was THE descendant from David. The one everyone talked about and looked for and hoped in. And once again for us, his days are coming. In the days of Advent we talk about and look for and hope in his coming. The days of righteousness are coming. The celebration of Christmas when God himself came into the world. When righteousness incarnate was born.
When that righteous Branch was born in that feeding trough in the town of Bethlehem he, of course, received the name “Jesus.” That’s nothing new to you. And throughout his life and throughout Scripture Jesus was given many names that mean a variety of different things. Beautiful, picturesque names that describe his work and our salvation. So without taking anything away from those wonderful names, I want to point you to the incredible name God the Father gives Jesus in our text. The Lord says, “This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.” Wow. How beautiful is that name? How telling. How simple. How profound.
First of all, the Lord calls Jesus “the Lord.” But even beyond that obvious and amazing revelation about Jesus’ deity, the second part of that name is even more remarkable. “The Lord Our Righteousness.” His name includes us! We are part of the Lord’s own name! Why? Because that is why he came. That is why he walked that straight line of righteousness. So that he could be Our Righteousness. The New Testament says the same thing. “God made him, who had no sin, to be sin for us. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God the Son gives us his righteousness. He walked the straight line of God’s will perfectly, and we get the credit! We get the credit for something we had no part in! Yet another wonderful example of God’s amazing grace.
And that’s exactly what it is: grace. We are so completely lost that God had to send his Son to this earth. We have walked so far away from the straight line of righteousness that Jesus had to walk it himself. We are so hostile to God as sinful human beings that the only way we were going to be saved was if Christ took a hold of us and yanked us back into his arms. We had nothing to do with our salvation. We have nothing to contribute to our faith.
That is why the Lord is called Our Righteousness and not called everyone’s righteousness. Because of faith. The Holy Spirit has worked faith in our hearts. Not because we were more accepting than someone else. Not because we were better than someone else. Not because we didn’t reject the Lord quite as much as someone else. The Holy Spirit worked faith in our hearts because of grace. Because of undeserved love - pure and simple. Why us and not others? I don’t know! Ask the Lord that question when you get the chance. All we know from his word is that we get all the blame if we reject the Lord, but the Lord gets all the credit if we are brought to faith.
The result of this wonderful gift of faith is righteousness. And it’s not just that we’re credited with righteousness, but we will eventually live in righteousness. Peter says, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” When we are in heaven, we will be living in righteousness. We will finally walk that straight line perfectly. We will not turn to the right or to the left. We will not break stride as we follow each and every one of God’s commands in full. Our wants and desires will be perfectly in line with God’s wants and desires. To me, that is going to be one of the greatest things about heaven. We will know exactly what God wants. We will know exactly what God thinks. We will understand why he does what he does - and we will be extremely happy about it! We will be completely content with everything forever because we will be living in the home of righteousness with Our Righteousness.
The days are coming, my friends. The days of righteousness are coming. 22 days, in fact, until we celebrate the birth of the righteous Branch. Look forward to that day. Look forward to Christmas. And rejoice in these weeks of Advent as we see Our Righteousness coming for us.
Amen.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
- Rev. 4:8b
11/26/06 - Christ the King - John 18:33-37
THE KING SHOWS CONCERN
- For the lost
- For the truth
Never before and never after did the nation of Israel prosper as much as they did under the reign of King Solomon. Solomon was that wise king, the one who built that magnificent temple to the Lord, the one who acquired great earthly wealth for the Israelite people. But after Solomon died everything went down hill. Because when he died his son, Rehoboam, took the throne. And when Rehoboam was crowned king, the people of Israel gathered together and said to him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” How do you think Rehoboam answered? After consulting with his friends, he came back to the nation of Israel and said this: “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” Obviously, Rehoboam didn’t listen to his people, he didn’t care about what they had in mind, he showed no concern whatsoever for their wants or needs.
And this biblical example is not uncommon in the history of governments all over the world, is it? Many times the person in that high position of authority in any nation at any time has not cared for the people of his kingdom. These rulers did whatever they wanted to do at their subjects’ expense - and they didn’t even give it a second thought. Rulers that have acted like this are countless. Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein... pick any era and you will find a ruler who acted just like so many that had gone before him.
My brothers and my sisters, thank the Lord that we have a King like no other. Our King, Jesus Christ, does care for his subjects. He does listen to his servants. He does show concern. Christ our King shows concern for the lost and for the truth.
And that is clearly the case in our text for today, the gospel lesson, John 18:33-37. As Jesus stood in the palace of the Roman governor, just hours away from being crucified, being questioned like he was a subordinate, the King showed concern for the lost - especially for Pontius Pilate. “Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’” Now, what would you expect Jesus to say in that situation? He could have said “yes” because he is the King of the Jews. He could have said “no” because he is not just the King of the Jews, he is the King of the Universe. Or he could have said nothing at all. And, in fact, saying nothing is what we’d expect him to do because he had done before. When he was standing in front of the high priest in the kangaroo court, he refused to answer their accusations. When he was sent to Herod to be questioned, again he did not open his mouth. When the Jews were accusing him before Pilate, he didn’t bother to say a thing. But here, alone in front of Pilate, in front of a lost soul, he did speak. But he didn’t simply say “yes” or “no,” to the question about whether he was the king of the Jews. He said, “Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?”
Why did Jesus say that? He could have said a variety of different things, so why did he ask Pilate that strange question? “Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?” He asked that of Pilate because he had concern for the lost. He wanted Pilate to think. He wanted Pilate to remember the message his wife had sent to him earlier that day about Christ. He wanted Pilate to recall all of the things he had heard about this “Jesus” who was preaching and teaching the people under his rule. Jesus was opening a door to win Pilate for the truth. But Pilate slammed that door shut.
Instead of getting into a discussion about Christ, Pilate said, “Hey, it was your own people that handed you over to me! You must have done something wrong!” Pilate didn’t want to discuss who Jesus was. All he wanted to know was what Jesus had done to deserve death. Any other topic did not interest Pilate in the least. Of course, Pilate then handed Jesus over to be crucified. So Pilate not only avoided Jesus’ question, he killed God. And the thing is: Jesus knew what Pilate was going to say and do. He knew Pilate would reject the invitation to talk about the truth. He knew Pilate would not stand up for what was right and hand him over to his death. But Jesus asked him that question anyway. Jesus showed concern for Pilate’s lost soul even though he didn’t have to, even though he already knew what was going to happen.
Isn’t it comforting that Jesus, our King, shows concern for our souls as well? Even though he knows we don’t always listen. Even though he knows we try to avoid the subject. Even though he knows we sometimes have different priorities other than him. It is a good thing, my friends, that we have such a patient, loving, and forgiving King. Because we, his subjects, do not deserve a lick of that concern. There is no reason why Jesus should love us. There is no reason why he should owe us any respect or any concern. He has every right to remain silent just like he did before the high priest and Herod and Jews. He is not obligated to open his mouth to us. He is not required to tell us anything. But he does anyway. He shows us his love and his care and his concern in his Word.
Isn’t that an incredible act of mercy on the part of our King? He not only shows concern for our souls by his act of ransom on the cross, but he writes it down so that we will always have it with us. All that he has done for us, all that he wants us to hear, all that he wants us to believe - he has written down for us - here. Do not let this out of your sight. Do not neglect this in any way. Your Bible is the most important thing you own. Why? Because it is your life. It is your salvation. It is God’s truth.
And that’s important. God’s truth is important to us because it’s important to him. Because our King doesn’t only show concern for the lost, he shows concern for the truth. This is also clear in our text for today. As he was standing in front of Pilate, the man who seemingly had control over his life and death, Jesus didn’t back down. He didn’t sugar coat his words. He didn’t soften the truth so that Pilate wouldn’t be offended. No, Jesus doesn’t apologize about the truth! He isn’t embarrassed about truth! He speaks the truth with a confidence and an authority that all may believe. He said to Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Jesus lays it all on the line here. He doesn’t leave room for any other options. The only truth is found in Christ. There is no other. Jesus made that perfectly clear to Pilate without any reservations and without any excuses.
The truth is important to our King - and so it should be for his subjects. We should strive to keep the truth and let nothing false infect it. But what is truth, you ask? The truth is really whatever Scripture says. “Oh, but any denomination will claim to have the truth of Scripture!” you might be thinking. Yes, that is probably the case. So how do we know which denomination has the truth of Scripture? That is when we go back to Scripture. Scripture is clear enough. Scripture explains what it means. The Lord made sure that what he had written down would not be a complete mystery that was open to a variety of different interpretations. It doesn’t matter how you feel. It doesn’t matter what you want to believe in. It matters what Scripture says. Because I would hope that your faith and what you believe is not based on the teaching of any particular denomination, but it is based on the Word. It is based on the truth. The absolute truth. The only truth.
So if one denomination interprets a passage one way and another denomination interprets a passage another ways, what one is right? The interpretation that is right is the one that is in line with the rest of Scripture. Remember: Scripture interprets itself. And so we look at other passages to help explain the one in question. God’s Word will make it clear what any particular teaching should be. It’s not up to individual or denominational interpretation. It’s up to what God clearly says in his Word.
Do you understand why we are not in fellowship with almost any other church body? Because in one way or another, their public confession of Scripture strays from the truth. Some might teach false things about the Lord’s Supper. Others about baptism. Others about faith. Other’s about Jesus himself. In any case, we want to publicly and boldly stand up for the entire truth of Scripture. We cannot back down, give in, or compromise any teaching of Scripture. Would Christ? Does Christ consider any teaching of his truth minor? Does he look the other way when people misunderstand and misinterpret his truth? Of course he doesn’t! Our King shows concern for the truth! He does not want his truth to be taken any other way. It’s not a matter of interpretation. It’s a matter of what Scripture clearly and plainly says. And the Lord has made sure there is no other way to correctly understand it than the way he has determined.
And I’m not saying that every person from any other denomination has false views. But their church body very well might. We can only go on the outward confession of that church. And if their confession contains errors, we must take them at their word. So if a person is a member of a church body who teaches something false, we must take them at the confession they have committed to. That person may disagree with the false things that church is teaching, but they have accepted those teachings nonetheless by becoming members. Just like you have publicly subscribed to the teachings of this church - you believe that we teach what Scripture does in all it’s truth and purity. The truth is important to you because it is important to your King.
There is obviously a lot more involved with the teaching of fellowship with other churches. I hope to have a Bible Study on that specific topic soon so that everyone knows what Scripture says. If you have questions before that time, ask me. It’s important to know and understand, because it’s important to our King.
Why do you think the King shows so much concern for the truth? Because he shows so much concern for the lost. The two are inseparable. The Lord knows that the truth is the only way the lost will live. That is the tool with which he reaches out to them. That is the tool with which he reaches out to us. He shows us the truth of our sins. And he shows us the truth of our Savior. He lived perfectly for us. He died on the cross in our place. He rose from the tomb so we could too. That is the simple truth. The truth you have known from childhood. The truth in which you believe. Because the truth is: we were once lost, but now are found - by Christ, by the Savior, by the King. May the Lord give us that kind of concern for the lost and for the truth that he has shown to us.
Amen.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Timothy 1:17
- For the lost
- For the truth
Never before and never after did the nation of Israel prosper as much as they did under the reign of King Solomon. Solomon was that wise king, the one who built that magnificent temple to the Lord, the one who acquired great earthly wealth for the Israelite people. But after Solomon died everything went down hill. Because when he died his son, Rehoboam, took the throne. And when Rehoboam was crowned king, the people of Israel gathered together and said to him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” How do you think Rehoboam answered? After consulting with his friends, he came back to the nation of Israel and said this: “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” Obviously, Rehoboam didn’t listen to his people, he didn’t care about what they had in mind, he showed no concern whatsoever for their wants or needs.
And this biblical example is not uncommon in the history of governments all over the world, is it? Many times the person in that high position of authority in any nation at any time has not cared for the people of his kingdom. These rulers did whatever they wanted to do at their subjects’ expense - and they didn’t even give it a second thought. Rulers that have acted like this are countless. Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein... pick any era and you will find a ruler who acted just like so many that had gone before him.
My brothers and my sisters, thank the Lord that we have a King like no other. Our King, Jesus Christ, does care for his subjects. He does listen to his servants. He does show concern. Christ our King shows concern for the lost and for the truth.
And that is clearly the case in our text for today, the gospel lesson, John 18:33-37. As Jesus stood in the palace of the Roman governor, just hours away from being crucified, being questioned like he was a subordinate, the King showed concern for the lost - especially for Pontius Pilate. “Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’” Now, what would you expect Jesus to say in that situation? He could have said “yes” because he is the King of the Jews. He could have said “no” because he is not just the King of the Jews, he is the King of the Universe. Or he could have said nothing at all. And, in fact, saying nothing is what we’d expect him to do because he had done before. When he was standing in front of the high priest in the kangaroo court, he refused to answer their accusations. When he was sent to Herod to be questioned, again he did not open his mouth. When the Jews were accusing him before Pilate, he didn’t bother to say a thing. But here, alone in front of Pilate, in front of a lost soul, he did speak. But he didn’t simply say “yes” or “no,” to the question about whether he was the king of the Jews. He said, “Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?”
Why did Jesus say that? He could have said a variety of different things, so why did he ask Pilate that strange question? “Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?” He asked that of Pilate because he had concern for the lost. He wanted Pilate to think. He wanted Pilate to remember the message his wife had sent to him earlier that day about Christ. He wanted Pilate to recall all of the things he had heard about this “Jesus” who was preaching and teaching the people under his rule. Jesus was opening a door to win Pilate for the truth. But Pilate slammed that door shut.
Instead of getting into a discussion about Christ, Pilate said, “Hey, it was your own people that handed you over to me! You must have done something wrong!” Pilate didn’t want to discuss who Jesus was. All he wanted to know was what Jesus had done to deserve death. Any other topic did not interest Pilate in the least. Of course, Pilate then handed Jesus over to be crucified. So Pilate not only avoided Jesus’ question, he killed God. And the thing is: Jesus knew what Pilate was going to say and do. He knew Pilate would reject the invitation to talk about the truth. He knew Pilate would not stand up for what was right and hand him over to his death. But Jesus asked him that question anyway. Jesus showed concern for Pilate’s lost soul even though he didn’t have to, even though he already knew what was going to happen.
Isn’t it comforting that Jesus, our King, shows concern for our souls as well? Even though he knows we don’t always listen. Even though he knows we try to avoid the subject. Even though he knows we sometimes have different priorities other than him. It is a good thing, my friends, that we have such a patient, loving, and forgiving King. Because we, his subjects, do not deserve a lick of that concern. There is no reason why Jesus should love us. There is no reason why he should owe us any respect or any concern. He has every right to remain silent just like he did before the high priest and Herod and Jews. He is not obligated to open his mouth to us. He is not required to tell us anything. But he does anyway. He shows us his love and his care and his concern in his Word.
Isn’t that an incredible act of mercy on the part of our King? He not only shows concern for our souls by his act of ransom on the cross, but he writes it down so that we will always have it with us. All that he has done for us, all that he wants us to hear, all that he wants us to believe - he has written down for us - here. Do not let this out of your sight. Do not neglect this in any way. Your Bible is the most important thing you own. Why? Because it is your life. It is your salvation. It is God’s truth.
And that’s important. God’s truth is important to us because it’s important to him. Because our King doesn’t only show concern for the lost, he shows concern for the truth. This is also clear in our text for today. As he was standing in front of Pilate, the man who seemingly had control over his life and death, Jesus didn’t back down. He didn’t sugar coat his words. He didn’t soften the truth so that Pilate wouldn’t be offended. No, Jesus doesn’t apologize about the truth! He isn’t embarrassed about truth! He speaks the truth with a confidence and an authority that all may believe. He said to Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Jesus lays it all on the line here. He doesn’t leave room for any other options. The only truth is found in Christ. There is no other. Jesus made that perfectly clear to Pilate without any reservations and without any excuses.
The truth is important to our King - and so it should be for his subjects. We should strive to keep the truth and let nothing false infect it. But what is truth, you ask? The truth is really whatever Scripture says. “Oh, but any denomination will claim to have the truth of Scripture!” you might be thinking. Yes, that is probably the case. So how do we know which denomination has the truth of Scripture? That is when we go back to Scripture. Scripture is clear enough. Scripture explains what it means. The Lord made sure that what he had written down would not be a complete mystery that was open to a variety of different interpretations. It doesn’t matter how you feel. It doesn’t matter what you want to believe in. It matters what Scripture says. Because I would hope that your faith and what you believe is not based on the teaching of any particular denomination, but it is based on the Word. It is based on the truth. The absolute truth. The only truth.
So if one denomination interprets a passage one way and another denomination interprets a passage another ways, what one is right? The interpretation that is right is the one that is in line with the rest of Scripture. Remember: Scripture interprets itself. And so we look at other passages to help explain the one in question. God’s Word will make it clear what any particular teaching should be. It’s not up to individual or denominational interpretation. It’s up to what God clearly says in his Word.
Do you understand why we are not in fellowship with almost any other church body? Because in one way or another, their public confession of Scripture strays from the truth. Some might teach false things about the Lord’s Supper. Others about baptism. Others about faith. Other’s about Jesus himself. In any case, we want to publicly and boldly stand up for the entire truth of Scripture. We cannot back down, give in, or compromise any teaching of Scripture. Would Christ? Does Christ consider any teaching of his truth minor? Does he look the other way when people misunderstand and misinterpret his truth? Of course he doesn’t! Our King shows concern for the truth! He does not want his truth to be taken any other way. It’s not a matter of interpretation. It’s a matter of what Scripture clearly and plainly says. And the Lord has made sure there is no other way to correctly understand it than the way he has determined.
And I’m not saying that every person from any other denomination has false views. But their church body very well might. We can only go on the outward confession of that church. And if their confession contains errors, we must take them at their word. So if a person is a member of a church body who teaches something false, we must take them at the confession they have committed to. That person may disagree with the false things that church is teaching, but they have accepted those teachings nonetheless by becoming members. Just like you have publicly subscribed to the teachings of this church - you believe that we teach what Scripture does in all it’s truth and purity. The truth is important to you because it is important to your King.
There is obviously a lot more involved with the teaching of fellowship with other churches. I hope to have a Bible Study on that specific topic soon so that everyone knows what Scripture says. If you have questions before that time, ask me. It’s important to know and understand, because it’s important to our King.
Why do you think the King shows so much concern for the truth? Because he shows so much concern for the lost. The two are inseparable. The Lord knows that the truth is the only way the lost will live. That is the tool with which he reaches out to them. That is the tool with which he reaches out to us. He shows us the truth of our sins. And he shows us the truth of our Savior. He lived perfectly for us. He died on the cross in our place. He rose from the tomb so we could too. That is the simple truth. The truth you have known from childhood. The truth in which you believe. Because the truth is: we were once lost, but now are found - by Christ, by the Savior, by the King. May the Lord give us that kind of concern for the lost and for the truth that he has shown to us.
Amen.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Timothy 1:17
11/22/06 - Thanksgiving Eve - Job 1:20-21
MAY THE NAME OF THE LORD BE PRAISED!
- He takes away
- He gives more
Thanksgiving is upon us once again. And as we celebrate this holiday tomorrow just like we’ve done every year before, we as Christians bring to mind all the things that we are thankful for. It’s only natural. We reflect on all of the blessings that the Lord has granted us in the past year and we look forward to all the blessings that he, Lord willing, will give us in the future. And although we do praise the Lord on other holidays, on Thanksgiving especially, the overriding theme of a Christian’s heart is “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. But what if you woke up tomorrow morning and your spouse did not. Would your first thought be, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” What if you rolled out of bed on Thanksgiving morning, but your child never did. Would you look up to heaven and say, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” What if you set the table for your family members tomorrow, but because of a car wreck those seats will forever remain empty. Would that prompt you to proclaim, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” I don’t think any of those situations would create a mindset of praise for the Lord. In fact, if those things did happen, it might just motivate you to think the opposite - to blame the Lord, to yell at the Lord, to question the Lord, “Why, Lord, why?” Many times when tragedy strikes, when pain happens, the farthest thing from your mind at that moment is the phrase, “May the name of the Lord be praised.”
So out of all the characters in Scripture, why were these the words of Job? If you remember Job was a Christian whose life couldn’t have been going any better. He was materially blessed beyond normal and he had a nice big family. Then in the span of only one minute’s time, he lost his job, he lost his savings, he lost his transportation, and he lost all of his children. “At this,” our text says, “Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” Job just lost everything. He lost everything he owned and each and every one of his children. And so what does he do? He falls to his knees in worship and says, “May the name of the Lord be praised!” How could Job possibly have said those words in the immediate aftermath of such a terrible tragedy? How could he look up to heaven and actually thank the Lord for what had just happened? Job could say those words because he was a Christian. And Job understood something that we sometimes forget: the Lord takes away, but the Lord also gives us more. And no matter what happens, whether he is giving or taking away, the Lord is always in control - and so his name can always be praised.
Sometimes we are in a similar situation as Job was at certain points in our lives. You and I might not be as materially blessed as Job was, but we do receive countless blessings every day from our Father, don’t we? There are so many of them in so many different aspects of our lives that it’d be impossible to name them all. In a way it is easy for us to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised” because we have so much to praise him about. So we are blessed just as Job was. But how long do you think you’ll have those blessings before they’re taken away? You don’t know. I don’t know. Whatever God has given us he can just as easily take away and he very well might! If it would be better for you to have blessings taken away, the Lord will not hesitate to do it! He will take blessings away for your good! So whatever a day might bring, whether you have many blessings or you have few, whether blessings are being poured out upon you or being ripped away, it is all according to God’s good and perfect will. It may be a strange thing to think of, but when God takes blessings away, that’s a blessing. If you consider a blessing anything the Lord does for your good, then when he takes blessings away it is a blessing! So anything and everything that happens - whether you think it is good or bad at the time - should motivate you to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
Even pain. When you are physically hurting, when your body does not function and does not move like it used to, praise the Lord! He might not have exactly caused you to suffer, but he will use that for your good, you can be sure of that because that’s a promise from God. Maybe to keep you humble. Maybe to remind you of who is in control. Maybe to force you to rely on him and not yourself. Who knows? There are many ways the Lord can work physical pain out for your good.
When you are emotionally and psychologically in pain. When you feel that you can’t handle a person or a situation or a day at the moment, praise the Lord! He may not have personally afflicted you with this stress and anxiety, but he will work it out for your good. Maybe to slow you down. Maybe to help you rethink your priorities. Maybe to force you to rely on him and not yourself. Who knows? There are many ways the Lord can work out strain and tension for the good of those who love him. In any sort of pain or trouble the Lord is always in control. So there is no reason not to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
I have underlined the last word at the end of verse 20 in my Bible because he amazes me every time I read it. “Then he fell to the ground in worship.” Job worshiped the Lord in the midst of pain! His children had just been ripped away from him without giving him a chance to even say goodbye. Why did he worship the Lord? Because he knew it was for his good. He knew the Lord was in control even if he didn’t understand it himself at the time. Job got it. Job understood. Do we? The Lord is using physical pain for your good and you complain to him about it! The Lord is using emotional stress for your good and you question him about it! The Lord is ripping away blessings from you to bring you closer to him and you yell at him for it! Throughout our lives we have been very ungrateful for what the Lord has done, not realizing that in everything the name of the Lord should be praised. That’s why Job fell to the ground in worship. And that’s why we can do the same. A valid prayer in any troublesome situation might very well be, “Lord, thank you. I don’t understand why you are doing the things you are doing right now, but I know you love me. I know you will take care of me. I know you are always in control. May your name be praised. Amen.”
Also remember that the Lord isn’t going to leave you empty handed. He takes away, but he gives more. And I’m not necessarily talking about physical blessings - although he definitely blesses us with material things above and beyond what we need. Just think of Job and how he was blessed twice as much at the end of his life than he was at the beginning. But I don’t want to focus tonight on the earthly blessings, but on the spiritual. Because he may take away your health, he may take away your children, he may take away your spouse, but he will never take away your forgiveness. In fact, he gives you more! Every time you sin, he gives you forgiveness again. Every time you stain that white robe he placed on your shoulders, he gives you forgiveness again - he cleanses it again in his own blood. Every time you complain or question him or yell at him instead of giving him thanks, he gives you forgiveness again. His forgiveness is never ending. It will never run out. And he will never take it away.
And the same goes for all the blessings of your salvation. No matter what you have or don’t have on this earth - you really have everything that matters. You have eternal life. That’s the ultimate blessing. That’s the ultimate goal. And that will never be taken away. You could go through this life experiencing pain and agony and suffering like no one else has before. But the blessing of eternal life is still yours. The Lord has blessed you with adoption. The Lord has blessed you with forgiveness. The Lord has blessed you with the gift of faith. The Lord has blessed you with a heavenly home forever with him. These things God gives you in overabundance. And these things will never be taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised!
And if that means the Lord has to allow you to suffer more pain to keep you by his side, then that’s the way it’s going to be. I think you’ll find that whenever you are sick or going through troubles or dealing with frustrations - you pray more, don’t you? You rely on God more, right? When I stumble or run into road blocks or am knocked down by a sickness of some kind, I go to the Lord. I pray more. I read the Bible more. I rely on him more. And I think that happens with any Christian. The more trouble you have, the more you go to the Lord - in prayer and in his Word. So why is it a wonder that you suffer in this life? Why is it a wonder that God allows you to go through all this pain? He wants you to rely on him. He wants you to always be at his side and not stray away. And he will do whatever it takes to keep you in the true faith until the day you meet him in Paradise.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. And as you sit down and pray, or as you sit down to reflect on the blessings this past year, yes, thank the Lord for the material blessings he has given you. It is a good thing to do. It’s a God-pleasing thing to do. And we should do it. But also remember to praise him for what he did during the pain and the trouble and the times that weren’t so pleasant. Because remember: what he did for you during those times are blessing too. They were blessings to preserve the greatest blessings of all. All the blessings won by his death and resurrection. Blessings that are all yours. Blessings that will never be taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised!
Amen.
“God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Philippians 4:19-20
- He takes away
- He gives more
Thanksgiving is upon us once again. And as we celebrate this holiday tomorrow just like we’ve done every year before, we as Christians bring to mind all the things that we are thankful for. It’s only natural. We reflect on all of the blessings that the Lord has granted us in the past year and we look forward to all the blessings that he, Lord willing, will give us in the future. And although we do praise the Lord on other holidays, on Thanksgiving especially, the overriding theme of a Christian’s heart is “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. But what if you woke up tomorrow morning and your spouse did not. Would your first thought be, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” What if you rolled out of bed on Thanksgiving morning, but your child never did. Would you look up to heaven and say, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” What if you set the table for your family members tomorrow, but because of a car wreck those seats will forever remain empty. Would that prompt you to proclaim, “May the name of the Lord be praised?” I don’t think any of those situations would create a mindset of praise for the Lord. In fact, if those things did happen, it might just motivate you to think the opposite - to blame the Lord, to yell at the Lord, to question the Lord, “Why, Lord, why?” Many times when tragedy strikes, when pain happens, the farthest thing from your mind at that moment is the phrase, “May the name of the Lord be praised.”
So out of all the characters in Scripture, why were these the words of Job? If you remember Job was a Christian whose life couldn’t have been going any better. He was materially blessed beyond normal and he had a nice big family. Then in the span of only one minute’s time, he lost his job, he lost his savings, he lost his transportation, and he lost all of his children. “At this,” our text says, “Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” Job just lost everything. He lost everything he owned and each and every one of his children. And so what does he do? He falls to his knees in worship and says, “May the name of the Lord be praised!” How could Job possibly have said those words in the immediate aftermath of such a terrible tragedy? How could he look up to heaven and actually thank the Lord for what had just happened? Job could say those words because he was a Christian. And Job understood something that we sometimes forget: the Lord takes away, but the Lord also gives us more. And no matter what happens, whether he is giving or taking away, the Lord is always in control - and so his name can always be praised.
Sometimes we are in a similar situation as Job was at certain points in our lives. You and I might not be as materially blessed as Job was, but we do receive countless blessings every day from our Father, don’t we? There are so many of them in so many different aspects of our lives that it’d be impossible to name them all. In a way it is easy for us to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised” because we have so much to praise him about. So we are blessed just as Job was. But how long do you think you’ll have those blessings before they’re taken away? You don’t know. I don’t know. Whatever God has given us he can just as easily take away and he very well might! If it would be better for you to have blessings taken away, the Lord will not hesitate to do it! He will take blessings away for your good! So whatever a day might bring, whether you have many blessings or you have few, whether blessings are being poured out upon you or being ripped away, it is all according to God’s good and perfect will. It may be a strange thing to think of, but when God takes blessings away, that’s a blessing. If you consider a blessing anything the Lord does for your good, then when he takes blessings away it is a blessing! So anything and everything that happens - whether you think it is good or bad at the time - should motivate you to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
Even pain. When you are physically hurting, when your body does not function and does not move like it used to, praise the Lord! He might not have exactly caused you to suffer, but he will use that for your good, you can be sure of that because that’s a promise from God. Maybe to keep you humble. Maybe to remind you of who is in control. Maybe to force you to rely on him and not yourself. Who knows? There are many ways the Lord can work physical pain out for your good.
When you are emotionally and psychologically in pain. When you feel that you can’t handle a person or a situation or a day at the moment, praise the Lord! He may not have personally afflicted you with this stress and anxiety, but he will work it out for your good. Maybe to slow you down. Maybe to help you rethink your priorities. Maybe to force you to rely on him and not yourself. Who knows? There are many ways the Lord can work out strain and tension for the good of those who love him. In any sort of pain or trouble the Lord is always in control. So there is no reason not to say, “May the name of the Lord be praised!”
I have underlined the last word at the end of verse 20 in my Bible because he amazes me every time I read it. “Then he fell to the ground in worship.” Job worshiped the Lord in the midst of pain! His children had just been ripped away from him without giving him a chance to even say goodbye. Why did he worship the Lord? Because he knew it was for his good. He knew the Lord was in control even if he didn’t understand it himself at the time. Job got it. Job understood. Do we? The Lord is using physical pain for your good and you complain to him about it! The Lord is using emotional stress for your good and you question him about it! The Lord is ripping away blessings from you to bring you closer to him and you yell at him for it! Throughout our lives we have been very ungrateful for what the Lord has done, not realizing that in everything the name of the Lord should be praised. That’s why Job fell to the ground in worship. And that’s why we can do the same. A valid prayer in any troublesome situation might very well be, “Lord, thank you. I don’t understand why you are doing the things you are doing right now, but I know you love me. I know you will take care of me. I know you are always in control. May your name be praised. Amen.”
Also remember that the Lord isn’t going to leave you empty handed. He takes away, but he gives more. And I’m not necessarily talking about physical blessings - although he definitely blesses us with material things above and beyond what we need. Just think of Job and how he was blessed twice as much at the end of his life than he was at the beginning. But I don’t want to focus tonight on the earthly blessings, but on the spiritual. Because he may take away your health, he may take away your children, he may take away your spouse, but he will never take away your forgiveness. In fact, he gives you more! Every time you sin, he gives you forgiveness again. Every time you stain that white robe he placed on your shoulders, he gives you forgiveness again - he cleanses it again in his own blood. Every time you complain or question him or yell at him instead of giving him thanks, he gives you forgiveness again. His forgiveness is never ending. It will never run out. And he will never take it away.
And the same goes for all the blessings of your salvation. No matter what you have or don’t have on this earth - you really have everything that matters. You have eternal life. That’s the ultimate blessing. That’s the ultimate goal. And that will never be taken away. You could go through this life experiencing pain and agony and suffering like no one else has before. But the blessing of eternal life is still yours. The Lord has blessed you with adoption. The Lord has blessed you with forgiveness. The Lord has blessed you with the gift of faith. The Lord has blessed you with a heavenly home forever with him. These things God gives you in overabundance. And these things will never be taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised!
And if that means the Lord has to allow you to suffer more pain to keep you by his side, then that’s the way it’s going to be. I think you’ll find that whenever you are sick or going through troubles or dealing with frustrations - you pray more, don’t you? You rely on God more, right? When I stumble or run into road blocks or am knocked down by a sickness of some kind, I go to the Lord. I pray more. I read the Bible more. I rely on him more. And I think that happens with any Christian. The more trouble you have, the more you go to the Lord - in prayer and in his Word. So why is it a wonder that you suffer in this life? Why is it a wonder that God allows you to go through all this pain? He wants you to rely on him. He wants you to always be at his side and not stray away. And he will do whatever it takes to keep you in the true faith until the day you meet him in Paradise.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. And as you sit down and pray, or as you sit down to reflect on the blessings this past year, yes, thank the Lord for the material blessings he has given you. It is a good thing to do. It’s a God-pleasing thing to do. And we should do it. But also remember to praise him for what he did during the pain and the trouble and the times that weren’t so pleasant. Because remember: what he did for you during those times are blessing too. They were blessings to preserve the greatest blessings of all. All the blessings won by his death and resurrection. Blessings that are all yours. Blessings that will never be taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised!
Amen.
“God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Philippians 4:19-20
12/19/06 - Saints Triumphant - Daniel 12:1-3
A VISION OF VICTORY
- We will be delivered in this life
- We will shine like stars in the next
Daniel was in Babylon. The Israelites had been exiled and Jerusalem destroyed. And on the 24th day of the first month in third year of Cyrus king of Persia, Daniel, a faithful believer of the Lord, was standing on the bank of the Tigris River. And while he was there gazing over that famous body of water, in the middle of that foreign country, Daniel was given a vision. Daniel himself writes, “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”
That’s a strange description of the man Daniel saw. But it’s not the only time we see this man in Scripture. In the book of Revelation the apostle John saw a man described in the very same way. And because of what John writes in Revelation we know that this man whom both John and Daniel saw was none other than Christ himself. The Lord had appeared to Daniel and Daniel knew it. His strength left him, he turned deathly pale and he fell to the ground. Then Daniel says, “A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you… I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.’”
And then the Lord proceeds to do just that! He told Daniel the future! For a chapter and a half he revealed to Daniel all the kings that would come, how they would fall, what they would do, and what would happen to the land of Israel. And if that wasn’t enough, after the Lord got done telling Daniel about all those things that would happen in this world, he explained to him what would happen at the very end. He gave Daniel a once-in-a-lifetime vision of the end of the ages. He gave him a vision of victory. And that vision of victory is where our text begins.
What an introduction! If that doesn’t peak your interest in the word of God before us today, I don’t know what would! Because our text is a vision of the future! It tells us what will happen at the end of this world! It gives us the comfort and reassurance that we will be delivered in this life, and will shine like stars in the next.
If you’ve read through the second half of the book of Daniel lately, you’ll know that the future revealed to us by the Lord doesn’t look all that promising. There are a lot of things that will not be advantageous for Christians. Especially close to Judgment Day. And that’s just what our text says, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.” These last days are not going to be pleasant. People will persecute you for your faith. They will make fun of you for falling for the “lie of religion.” They will look at you with disgust and disdain if you tell them homosexuality is a sin. They will roll their eyes and shake their heads if you speak against sex before marriage. Things will not be easy for Christians during the end times - and, in fact, these things are happening right now, aren’t they? Across the world Christians are being thrown in jail because of their faith. They have to meet in secret for the safety. Christianity in this country is being suppressed in public venues. We are no longer able to speak the name of Jesus to certain people in certain places. The truth of Christ is being replaced by the truth of each individual. These things are happening and will continue to happen as the end comes closer. There is no way around it.
The Lord knows this. The Lord realizes that it won’t be easy for us on this earth as we battle against Satan and all his demons. And so through the vision of victory he gave to Daniel, he promises to send us protection. “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.” God promises to send us Michael. But who is Michael and how is he going to protect us? Well, first of all, Michael is not Jesus as some religions may claim. Michael is not another name for Jesus simply because of the fact that Jesus is the one talking to Daniel in this vision. Jesus is speaking about Michael, so they have to be different individuals. So who is Michael? Well, to tell you the truth, not a whole lot is said about him in Scripture. He is only mentioned three times here in the book of Daniel, once in Jude, and once in Revelation. We do know that Michael is an archangel. But it’s not exactly clear what archangels do. And in our text for today he is referred to as the “great prince.” But what is a great prince? The word prince can mean anything from leader to official to master to commander. So Michael’s role is not necessarily spelled out for us in the area of our deliverance here on earth. When it comes down to it: Michael seems to be the leader of the angels who protect the believers here on earth. That is basically who Michael is. And when all these terrible things are happening to us as Christians in the end times, the Lord will send Michael with all the angel armies to protect us - and, in fact, the Lord probably already has sent this heavenly army general to deliver us from the times of distress.
That is our comfort. That is why the Lord showed Daniel this vision of victory in the first place. Because he wanted to reassure Christians of any era that he will take care of them in times of trouble. Because the fact of the matter is: you will run into problems. You will be in some difficult situations as Christians. But don’t be discouraged. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the ridicule or the mockery you may endure because of your faith. The Lord is aware of what happens to you. He will provide you with protection from above. You will be delivered in this life.
And you will shine like stars in the next. That’s the second part of our text and the second part of this sermon. You will not only be delivered in this life, but you will shine like stars in the next. The Lord tells Daniel, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Aren’t those beautiful words? Aren’t those comforting words to hear? “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens.” And “wise” here doesn’t mean people who are intellectually smart. “Wise” means people who believe in Christ as their Savior. The rest of Scripture makes that clear. Psalms says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” So truly wise people are those who trust fully in Christ.
You are wise. You have been given the gift of faith to believe in Christ as your Savior from sin. And so the Lord considers you as some of the wisest people on the face of this earth. Does that surprise you? Did you consider yourself a wise person before this? And the funny thing is: you didn’t do anything for it! God gave you faith as a gift, and now he considers you a wise person because of that gift! All the credit has to go to the Lord - and what a great Lord we have! That he would give the gift of faith to unworthy worms like us… that love is incomparable.
As I was initially reading through this portion of Scripture at the beginning of this week, I was, of course, comforted by this vision of victory, but I also hesitated for a moment at the last phrase of the text: “those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” The Lord describes those who are wise with faith as people who lead many to righteousness. He doesn’t give a command here. He doesn’t encourage us to lead many to righteousness. He simply says that one of the characteristics of a Christian is leading people to the truth. And I thought to myself, “Does that characteristic describe me?” Since I am a Christian, would I be described as someone who leads people to the truth? Not as often as I should. Not as effectively as I could. Not in a way that I could be proud of. I’ve really butchered that characteristic of a Christian. My actions have not always pointed others to God’s glory. My words have definitely not always focused others on Christ. My motivation in life is rarely aimed at leading people to righteousness in any and every way I possibly can. I have fallen miserably short of that Christian characteristic.
Ask yourself that question. Would you be characterized as someone who is constantly leading people to righteousness? Do your actions and your words and your motivation always point others to Christ? It’s an awful thing when we as Christians cannot act like Christians - especially to those people who are still lost. May the Lord forgive us for not leading people to righteousness, but for throwing obstacles in their way instead.
My Christian friends, I want to reassure you of the fact that although we do always act like Christians, that does not nullify our salvation. Look back at the first verse of our text: “Everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered.” Your name is written in the heavenly book of life. Not because of what you’ve done. Not because you’ve successfully led many people to righteousness. Your name is written in The Book because Christ wanted it to be. Spelled out in his own blood that dripped from the cross. Earned by his perfect sweat and effort on this earth. Sealed by the Holy Spirit whom was given you to create faith in your heart. Your name is in the book of life because of Christ. And it will never be erased.
So despite of your sins, you will shine like starts forever. And what does that mean exactly? Well, just like stars shine in a sea of darkness, so will you on Judgment Day. The Lord will single you out as a Christian, as a blood-bought adopted child of God. Out of all the unbelievers in this world, the Lord will see you, because he sees your Savior in your place. On Judgment Day, you will shine like God’s child that you are, and you will be loved as God’s child through eternity. That’s the picture the Lord is painting for us here: a beautiful vision of what is to come.
As we read through some of these visions and prophecies in Scripture, often times some of the pictures can get a little confusing. But not here. In these three simple verses near the end of the book of Daniel, the Lord gives us a clear picture of what will happen at the end. He gives us a vision that we will be delivered in this life. He gives us a vision that we will shine like stars in the next. He gives us a vision of victory. That is what God has promised. And so, my fellow brothers and sisters whose names are written in the book of life, because God promised, that is the way it always be.
Amen.
“The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ… to him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:10a,11
- We will be delivered in this life
- We will shine like stars in the next
Daniel was in Babylon. The Israelites had been exiled and Jerusalem destroyed. And on the 24th day of the first month in third year of Cyrus king of Persia, Daniel, a faithful believer of the Lord, was standing on the bank of the Tigris River. And while he was there gazing over that famous body of water, in the middle of that foreign country, Daniel was given a vision. Daniel himself writes, “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”
That’s a strange description of the man Daniel saw. But it’s not the only time we see this man in Scripture. In the book of Revelation the apostle John saw a man described in the very same way. And because of what John writes in Revelation we know that this man whom both John and Daniel saw was none other than Christ himself. The Lord had appeared to Daniel and Daniel knew it. His strength left him, he turned deathly pale and he fell to the ground. Then Daniel says, “A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you… I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.’”
And then the Lord proceeds to do just that! He told Daniel the future! For a chapter and a half he revealed to Daniel all the kings that would come, how they would fall, what they would do, and what would happen to the land of Israel. And if that wasn’t enough, after the Lord got done telling Daniel about all those things that would happen in this world, he explained to him what would happen at the very end. He gave Daniel a once-in-a-lifetime vision of the end of the ages. He gave him a vision of victory. And that vision of victory is where our text begins.
What an introduction! If that doesn’t peak your interest in the word of God before us today, I don’t know what would! Because our text is a vision of the future! It tells us what will happen at the end of this world! It gives us the comfort and reassurance that we will be delivered in this life, and will shine like stars in the next.
If you’ve read through the second half of the book of Daniel lately, you’ll know that the future revealed to us by the Lord doesn’t look all that promising. There are a lot of things that will not be advantageous for Christians. Especially close to Judgment Day. And that’s just what our text says, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.” These last days are not going to be pleasant. People will persecute you for your faith. They will make fun of you for falling for the “lie of religion.” They will look at you with disgust and disdain if you tell them homosexuality is a sin. They will roll their eyes and shake their heads if you speak against sex before marriage. Things will not be easy for Christians during the end times - and, in fact, these things are happening right now, aren’t they? Across the world Christians are being thrown in jail because of their faith. They have to meet in secret for the safety. Christianity in this country is being suppressed in public venues. We are no longer able to speak the name of Jesus to certain people in certain places. The truth of Christ is being replaced by the truth of each individual. These things are happening and will continue to happen as the end comes closer. There is no way around it.
The Lord knows this. The Lord realizes that it won’t be easy for us on this earth as we battle against Satan and all his demons. And so through the vision of victory he gave to Daniel, he promises to send us protection. “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.” God promises to send us Michael. But who is Michael and how is he going to protect us? Well, first of all, Michael is not Jesus as some religions may claim. Michael is not another name for Jesus simply because of the fact that Jesus is the one talking to Daniel in this vision. Jesus is speaking about Michael, so they have to be different individuals. So who is Michael? Well, to tell you the truth, not a whole lot is said about him in Scripture. He is only mentioned three times here in the book of Daniel, once in Jude, and once in Revelation. We do know that Michael is an archangel. But it’s not exactly clear what archangels do. And in our text for today he is referred to as the “great prince.” But what is a great prince? The word prince can mean anything from leader to official to master to commander. So Michael’s role is not necessarily spelled out for us in the area of our deliverance here on earth. When it comes down to it: Michael seems to be the leader of the angels who protect the believers here on earth. That is basically who Michael is. And when all these terrible things are happening to us as Christians in the end times, the Lord will send Michael with all the angel armies to protect us - and, in fact, the Lord probably already has sent this heavenly army general to deliver us from the times of distress.
That is our comfort. That is why the Lord showed Daniel this vision of victory in the first place. Because he wanted to reassure Christians of any era that he will take care of them in times of trouble. Because the fact of the matter is: you will run into problems. You will be in some difficult situations as Christians. But don’t be discouraged. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the ridicule or the mockery you may endure because of your faith. The Lord is aware of what happens to you. He will provide you with protection from above. You will be delivered in this life.
And you will shine like stars in the next. That’s the second part of our text and the second part of this sermon. You will not only be delivered in this life, but you will shine like stars in the next. The Lord tells Daniel, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Aren’t those beautiful words? Aren’t those comforting words to hear? “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens.” And “wise” here doesn’t mean people who are intellectually smart. “Wise” means people who believe in Christ as their Savior. The rest of Scripture makes that clear. Psalms says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” So truly wise people are those who trust fully in Christ.
You are wise. You have been given the gift of faith to believe in Christ as your Savior from sin. And so the Lord considers you as some of the wisest people on the face of this earth. Does that surprise you? Did you consider yourself a wise person before this? And the funny thing is: you didn’t do anything for it! God gave you faith as a gift, and now he considers you a wise person because of that gift! All the credit has to go to the Lord - and what a great Lord we have! That he would give the gift of faith to unworthy worms like us… that love is incomparable.
As I was initially reading through this portion of Scripture at the beginning of this week, I was, of course, comforted by this vision of victory, but I also hesitated for a moment at the last phrase of the text: “those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” The Lord describes those who are wise with faith as people who lead many to righteousness. He doesn’t give a command here. He doesn’t encourage us to lead many to righteousness. He simply says that one of the characteristics of a Christian is leading people to the truth. And I thought to myself, “Does that characteristic describe me?” Since I am a Christian, would I be described as someone who leads people to the truth? Not as often as I should. Not as effectively as I could. Not in a way that I could be proud of. I’ve really butchered that characteristic of a Christian. My actions have not always pointed others to God’s glory. My words have definitely not always focused others on Christ. My motivation in life is rarely aimed at leading people to righteousness in any and every way I possibly can. I have fallen miserably short of that Christian characteristic.
Ask yourself that question. Would you be characterized as someone who is constantly leading people to righteousness? Do your actions and your words and your motivation always point others to Christ? It’s an awful thing when we as Christians cannot act like Christians - especially to those people who are still lost. May the Lord forgive us for not leading people to righteousness, but for throwing obstacles in their way instead.
My Christian friends, I want to reassure you of the fact that although we do always act like Christians, that does not nullify our salvation. Look back at the first verse of our text: “Everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered.” Your name is written in the heavenly book of life. Not because of what you’ve done. Not because you’ve successfully led many people to righteousness. Your name is written in The Book because Christ wanted it to be. Spelled out in his own blood that dripped from the cross. Earned by his perfect sweat and effort on this earth. Sealed by the Holy Spirit whom was given you to create faith in your heart. Your name is in the book of life because of Christ. And it will never be erased.
So despite of your sins, you will shine like starts forever. And what does that mean exactly? Well, just like stars shine in a sea of darkness, so will you on Judgment Day. The Lord will single you out as a Christian, as a blood-bought adopted child of God. Out of all the unbelievers in this world, the Lord will see you, because he sees your Savior in your place. On Judgment Day, you will shine like God’s child that you are, and you will be loved as God’s child through eternity. That’s the picture the Lord is painting for us here: a beautiful vision of what is to come.
As we read through some of these visions and prophecies in Scripture, often times some of the pictures can get a little confusing. But not here. In these three simple verses near the end of the book of Daniel, the Lord gives us a clear picture of what will happen at the end. He gives us a vision that we will be delivered in this life. He gives us a vision that we will shine like stars in the next. He gives us a vision of victory. That is what God has promised. And so, my fellow brothers and sisters whose names are written in the book of life, because God promised, that is the way it always be.
Amen.
“The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ… to him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:10a,11
11/12/06 - Last Judgment - Heb. 9:24-28
CHRIST APPEARS
- As our High Priest
- As our Sacrifice
- As our Savior
It’s another beautiful morning in the land of Israel, and you are standing behind the altar, watching as the high priest takes a bowl of blood from a newly slaughtered goat and carries it into the tent. Why are you doing this? Because that’s the way it has to be. There is no other way. Last night you and your Israelite family went over to the neighbors for supper. Their young son had gone out that day to hunt, brought back what he had caught, and made it into a stew. Later that evening their son admits that it was rabbit meat you and everyone else had eaten. A rabbit, as any Israelite would know, is an unclean animal. It is a sin to eat it. And although you ate an unclean animal unintentionally, it was still a sin. And so, according to God’s law, you got up early this morning, found a female goat from your flock, let the priest know why you were there at the tabernacle, and brought it to the altar. And now you are standing behind that altar, watching as the high priest takes a bowl of that goat’s blood into the tent.
But you can’t follow him. You have to stay right there behind that altar. In fact, you will never be able to go through that curtain and into the Tent of Meeting. You will live your entire life without ever being able to peak inside. And as you look behind you there is a line forming. Some with goats, some with oil and flour and salt, some with entire bulls, some with pigeons. But none of them will be able to enter the tent either. Like you, they will have to remain behind the altar and watch as the blood of their sacrifice is taken into the tent for them. Why? Because the tent is where the Lord himself dwells. And out of all the Israelites only the priests are allowed to appear before the perfect God. And you understand that completely. Because you know that you, an infected sinner, would die in the presence of the Most High Almighty Lord.
God has not changed. He is the same today as he was 3000 years ago with the Israelites. He is still the Most High Almighty Lord. He still does not tolerate sin. He still demands perfection. God has not changed his mind about sin. What has changed is our perception about sin. Because we no longer stand in front of a bloody altar. Our sins are no longer shoved in our face in such a vivid way. We are no longer physically restricted from the presence of the Lord. And because we aren’t confronted with these things every day, we sometimes forget how completely sinful we really are. It’s not that we just commit sins, it’s that we are sinful. That’s who we are. “I was sinful from birth,” Isaiah said, “from the time my mother conceived me.” And we are all in the same situation. We were born in sin. So anything that comes out of us is infected with sin. Even the “good” things you do. Even those things that are noble and right and motivated out of love for the Lord, even those things are far from perfect.
Think of a pure glass of water. Now imagine that somebody drops a thimble full of poison into it. The poison infects the whole glass of water. You can’t get a portion of that water that doesn’t have some poison in it. It’s impossible. Any water poured out of that glass will be contaminated. And so are you. You are contaminated by sin. Every thought, every word, every action you will ever do will be saturated with sin. And don’t be fooled! Don’t be fooled by what people say nowadays: “Well, there’s a little good in everyone.” No, there’s not! There no good in anyone and a whole lot of bad. I am completely sinful. You are completely sinful. We are completely sinful - as far from perfection as humanly possible.
Don’t forget that even today we need a High Priest. We cannot do it by ourselves. We cannot stand in front of a perfect God. We cannot appear in heaven and think that we’ll be let in because of who we are. Because remember, we are sinners! We need a High Priest. We need Christ. After all, that’s who all those Old Testament high priests foreshadowed. They pointed to our great High Priest. “For Christ did not enter a manmade sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” Just as the Old Testament high priest went through the curtain and entered into the presence of God on behalf of the people, so Jesus appears in God’s presence for you. Because he is holy. He is not contaminated by sin. He is allowed to stand before God and speak on your behalf. And he does. He speaks specifically for you because he carries your name with him.
The high priests in the Old Testament had to wear special clothing when they went into the tent. One of those articles of clothing was called an ephod. On that ephod the 12 names of the Israelite tribes were engraved on stones. And so when the high priest went into the Lord’s presence, he would carry the names of the people with him. He was their mediator. Jesus carries your name. He is your mediator. He steps in front of God and the Lord Almighty sees your name. And more importantly, God the Father sees that Christ has appeared before him in your place.
Can you imagine how many sacrifices a single Israelite must have performed throughout his/her lifetime? There were five regular sacrifices they had to do: the burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering, the guilt offering, and the sin offering. And that’s not to mention the special festival sacrifices during the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Day of Atonement. Plus, the High Priest had to offer a sacrifice once in the morning and once in the evening every day for the whole community. The Lord was making the point over and over again that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of that principle. Because Christ is not only your High Priest that brings the sacrifice, he is the Sacrifice itself. The Old Testament high priests couldn’t go into the tent empty handed. They had to bring a sacrifice for the people and for themselves every time they entered. So Jesus couldn’t enter the perfect sanctuary of heaven empty handed either. He, too, had to bring a sacrifice. And that’s what he appeared on earth to do. “He has appeared once for all… to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Jesus, our Sacrifice, did away with sin. That means he completely removed it. He took every intentional, unintentional, secret, and blatant sin and completely removed it. This isn’t just a separation. This is being cut off from sin. Because Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed on the cross, those sins will never come back to you again. They are completely gone. You are completely clean.
And that’s what was so different about Christ’s sacrifice compared to the Old Testament offerings. Christ died once for all. The Old Testament sacrifices were on going. They were never enough. For every sin new blood had to be shed. For every person there was that reminder that their sins were ever-present. They could not do enough to rectify the situation. That’s the glory of Christ. He did rectify the situation. He did forgive all our sins past, present, and future. He died once for all - and once was enough.
As the Old Testament believers carried out those sacrifices every day, they were constantly looking ahead. They knew the promise of the Savior and so they waited in eager anticipation for their Messiah to arrive. We, too, wait for our Savior to arrive. “He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Our High Priest, our Sacrifice, is our Savior. And when he appears again it will not have anything to do with sin. That is over with. That battle is won. When Christ appears again he will not bear our sin, but rather he will bear our salvation.
And that’s one of the most beautiful pictures to me. He bears our salvation. That means he will take us to heaven, the place that is the true tabernacle, the true dwelling place of God. And so really Jesus is taking us behind that curtain that we could never go beyond. He is taking us into a place that we have no right to even peak at. He is taking us to see the ark of the covenant, the glory of God, and all the joys that go with it. And we don’t have to be scared. We don’t have to tremble any longer because of our sins. The Lord has accepted us already because he has already accepted our High Priest, our Sacrifice, and our Savior in our place, at whose side we will always be.
What a glorious day that is going to be. And so we wait patiently for him. We wait in anticipation for the day when he will appear again because although it will be a day of judgment, it will also be the day of our salvation. We will rejoice on Judgment Day as we hear the trumpets blast, see the angel armies, and experience the Son of God coming in all his glory. I can’t wait! I cannot wait to see that happen because we don’t have anything to worry about. Our High Priest has already appeared for us in God’s presence. Our Sacrifice has appeared on this earth in our place. And our Savior will appear again not to condemn us, but to bring us salvation. What a day that will be. What a day for Christians everywhere - dead or alive!
As we wait patiently for this day, my brothers and sisters, don’t forget to stand behind that bloody altar every once in a while. Whenever you read the Old Testament, the book of Hebrews, or hear about a sacrifice of any kind, put yourself in the place of an Old Testament believer. Stand behind that bloody altar. See you sins for what they are. See yourself for what you are and what it takes to cleanse you from that contamination. But don’t feel that you need to stay behind that altar. Because one day you will walk along side that High Priest into the Most Holy Place. You will watch him sprinkle his own blood. You will see him acting as your mediator. And, perhaps the greatest part: you will stand in the glorious, heavenly presence of the Most High Almighty Lord - and you will never have leave. Nor will you want to.
Amen.
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood… to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” - Rev. 1:5-6
- As our High Priest
- As our Sacrifice
- As our Savior
It’s another beautiful morning in the land of Israel, and you are standing behind the altar, watching as the high priest takes a bowl of blood from a newly slaughtered goat and carries it into the tent. Why are you doing this? Because that’s the way it has to be. There is no other way. Last night you and your Israelite family went over to the neighbors for supper. Their young son had gone out that day to hunt, brought back what he had caught, and made it into a stew. Later that evening their son admits that it was rabbit meat you and everyone else had eaten. A rabbit, as any Israelite would know, is an unclean animal. It is a sin to eat it. And although you ate an unclean animal unintentionally, it was still a sin. And so, according to God’s law, you got up early this morning, found a female goat from your flock, let the priest know why you were there at the tabernacle, and brought it to the altar. And now you are standing behind that altar, watching as the high priest takes a bowl of that goat’s blood into the tent.
But you can’t follow him. You have to stay right there behind that altar. In fact, you will never be able to go through that curtain and into the Tent of Meeting. You will live your entire life without ever being able to peak inside. And as you look behind you there is a line forming. Some with goats, some with oil and flour and salt, some with entire bulls, some with pigeons. But none of them will be able to enter the tent either. Like you, they will have to remain behind the altar and watch as the blood of their sacrifice is taken into the tent for them. Why? Because the tent is where the Lord himself dwells. And out of all the Israelites only the priests are allowed to appear before the perfect God. And you understand that completely. Because you know that you, an infected sinner, would die in the presence of the Most High Almighty Lord.
God has not changed. He is the same today as he was 3000 years ago with the Israelites. He is still the Most High Almighty Lord. He still does not tolerate sin. He still demands perfection. God has not changed his mind about sin. What has changed is our perception about sin. Because we no longer stand in front of a bloody altar. Our sins are no longer shoved in our face in such a vivid way. We are no longer physically restricted from the presence of the Lord. And because we aren’t confronted with these things every day, we sometimes forget how completely sinful we really are. It’s not that we just commit sins, it’s that we are sinful. That’s who we are. “I was sinful from birth,” Isaiah said, “from the time my mother conceived me.” And we are all in the same situation. We were born in sin. So anything that comes out of us is infected with sin. Even the “good” things you do. Even those things that are noble and right and motivated out of love for the Lord, even those things are far from perfect.
Think of a pure glass of water. Now imagine that somebody drops a thimble full of poison into it. The poison infects the whole glass of water. You can’t get a portion of that water that doesn’t have some poison in it. It’s impossible. Any water poured out of that glass will be contaminated. And so are you. You are contaminated by sin. Every thought, every word, every action you will ever do will be saturated with sin. And don’t be fooled! Don’t be fooled by what people say nowadays: “Well, there’s a little good in everyone.” No, there’s not! There no good in anyone and a whole lot of bad. I am completely sinful. You are completely sinful. We are completely sinful - as far from perfection as humanly possible.
Don’t forget that even today we need a High Priest. We cannot do it by ourselves. We cannot stand in front of a perfect God. We cannot appear in heaven and think that we’ll be let in because of who we are. Because remember, we are sinners! We need a High Priest. We need Christ. After all, that’s who all those Old Testament high priests foreshadowed. They pointed to our great High Priest. “For Christ did not enter a manmade sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” Just as the Old Testament high priest went through the curtain and entered into the presence of God on behalf of the people, so Jesus appears in God’s presence for you. Because he is holy. He is not contaminated by sin. He is allowed to stand before God and speak on your behalf. And he does. He speaks specifically for you because he carries your name with him.
The high priests in the Old Testament had to wear special clothing when they went into the tent. One of those articles of clothing was called an ephod. On that ephod the 12 names of the Israelite tribes were engraved on stones. And so when the high priest went into the Lord’s presence, he would carry the names of the people with him. He was their mediator. Jesus carries your name. He is your mediator. He steps in front of God and the Lord Almighty sees your name. And more importantly, God the Father sees that Christ has appeared before him in your place.
Can you imagine how many sacrifices a single Israelite must have performed throughout his/her lifetime? There were five regular sacrifices they had to do: the burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering, the guilt offering, and the sin offering. And that’s not to mention the special festival sacrifices during the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Day of Atonement. Plus, the High Priest had to offer a sacrifice once in the morning and once in the evening every day for the whole community. The Lord was making the point over and over again that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of that principle. Because Christ is not only your High Priest that brings the sacrifice, he is the Sacrifice itself. The Old Testament high priests couldn’t go into the tent empty handed. They had to bring a sacrifice for the people and for themselves every time they entered. So Jesus couldn’t enter the perfect sanctuary of heaven empty handed either. He, too, had to bring a sacrifice. And that’s what he appeared on earth to do. “He has appeared once for all… to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Jesus, our Sacrifice, did away with sin. That means he completely removed it. He took every intentional, unintentional, secret, and blatant sin and completely removed it. This isn’t just a separation. This is being cut off from sin. Because Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed on the cross, those sins will never come back to you again. They are completely gone. You are completely clean.
And that’s what was so different about Christ’s sacrifice compared to the Old Testament offerings. Christ died once for all. The Old Testament sacrifices were on going. They were never enough. For every sin new blood had to be shed. For every person there was that reminder that their sins were ever-present. They could not do enough to rectify the situation. That’s the glory of Christ. He did rectify the situation. He did forgive all our sins past, present, and future. He died once for all - and once was enough.
As the Old Testament believers carried out those sacrifices every day, they were constantly looking ahead. They knew the promise of the Savior and so they waited in eager anticipation for their Messiah to arrive. We, too, wait for our Savior to arrive. “He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Our High Priest, our Sacrifice, is our Savior. And when he appears again it will not have anything to do with sin. That is over with. That battle is won. When Christ appears again he will not bear our sin, but rather he will bear our salvation.
And that’s one of the most beautiful pictures to me. He bears our salvation. That means he will take us to heaven, the place that is the true tabernacle, the true dwelling place of God. And so really Jesus is taking us behind that curtain that we could never go beyond. He is taking us into a place that we have no right to even peak at. He is taking us to see the ark of the covenant, the glory of God, and all the joys that go with it. And we don’t have to be scared. We don’t have to tremble any longer because of our sins. The Lord has accepted us already because he has already accepted our High Priest, our Sacrifice, and our Savior in our place, at whose side we will always be.
What a glorious day that is going to be. And so we wait patiently for him. We wait in anticipation for the day when he will appear again because although it will be a day of judgment, it will also be the day of our salvation. We will rejoice on Judgment Day as we hear the trumpets blast, see the angel armies, and experience the Son of God coming in all his glory. I can’t wait! I cannot wait to see that happen because we don’t have anything to worry about. Our High Priest has already appeared for us in God’s presence. Our Sacrifice has appeared on this earth in our place. And our Savior will appear again not to condemn us, but to bring us salvation. What a day that will be. What a day for Christians everywhere - dead or alive!
As we wait patiently for this day, my brothers and sisters, don’t forget to stand behind that bloody altar every once in a while. Whenever you read the Old Testament, the book of Hebrews, or hear about a sacrifice of any kind, put yourself in the place of an Old Testament believer. Stand behind that bloody altar. See you sins for what they are. See yourself for what you are and what it takes to cleanse you from that contamination. But don’t feel that you need to stay behind that altar. Because one day you will walk along side that High Priest into the Most Holy Place. You will watch him sprinkle his own blood. You will see him acting as your mediator. And, perhaps the greatest part: you will stand in the glorious, heavenly presence of the Most High Almighty Lord - and you will never have leave. Nor will you want to.
Amen.
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood… to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” - Rev. 1:5-6
11/5/06 - Reformation - Mark 13:5-11
THE GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED
- Before the end comes
- By its witnesses
The gospel must be preached. That’s not so much an encouragement as it is a fact. The gospel must be preached - it is necessary for the gospel to be preached - to all nations before Judgment Day can come. Just like it was necessary for Jesus to be born of a virgin. Just like it was necessary for him to be handed over to his enemies. Just like it was necessary for him to suffer for our sins. Just like it was necessary for him to rise from the dead on the third day. All those things had to happen. It was necessary for them to happen because God said they would. So also the gospel must be preached. It’s not an option. There is no choice. Somehow, somewhere, by someone, the gospel will be preached to all nations before Judgment Day. Because in our text today Jesus says that’s the way it has to be. So the question is: how close are we? How close are we to this prophecy being fulfilled so that Christ will come again? Well, let’s take a look at some of the other prophecies Jesus makes in our text first and see how close we really are.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and will deceive many.’” This is a prophecy from Christ himself that has to happen before he comes again. Has it happened? Have there been people claiming to be the Lord? Sun Myung Moon, born in 1920 in Korea claims that he is none other than Christ himself. Matayoshi Mitsuo, born in 1944 in Japan claims that he is “God Jesus Christ.” Ted Kurts, a 47 year old American, runs a website promoting himself as “Ted Jesus Christ God.” A news blurb from a Massachusetts’ newspaper, dated last month on October 2nd, 2006 reports that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda leads four congregations in that state because he believes he is the second-coming of Christ. That’s just a sample of the false Christ’s you can find. There have been many people claiming “I am he,” and they have deceived many.
Jesus also, “There will be earthquakes in various places and famines.” How many earthquakes do you think happened in the last seven days around the world? 158. Some minor, some major, but earthquakes nonetheless. And in “various places” just like Jesus said would have to happen. And how about famines? You can’t tell me you haven’t seen all those commercials on t.v. about the famines in Africa. There have been famines there for years. There have famines a lot of places for years. That hasn’t changed and it won’t until Christ comes again.
Another prophecy Jesus made, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” I don’t think we have to talk a whole lot about war nowadays. Israelis, Palestinians, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the list could go on and on. And what about the rumors of war with North Korea - testing nuclear weapons? There are wars and rumors of wars constantly on every level. But again, Jesus says that these things have to happen. It is necessary for these things to happen before he comes again. And they’re happening right now.
And since they all are happening as we speak, we can be sure that Judgment Day is near. We are very close. “But pastor,” you might be thinking, “all of these things have been happening for centuries! Why should we think Judgment Day is close now when it hasn’t happened for hundreds of years before this?” I say that because of what Jesus says in verse 10, “the gospel must first be preached to all nations.”
That hasn’t really happened before in history. Since Jesus’ time the gospel hasn’t really been able to spread to all nations in every part of the world. Yes, there have been missionaries in the past. Yes, there have been efforts by past Christians to penetrate areas in which the gospel has never been heard before. But there has never been a situation like there is today in which the gospel is able to be preached to all nations so effectively. And there are really three main reasons why this is true.
First of all, the mission work we are able to do today. The Wisconsin Synod itself is doing extensive mission work in over 30 different countries right now. That is incredible! When has a church body ever had the resources and the motivation to reach out to so many people across the world? Second of all, transportation. Never before have we been able to travel to distance lands in less than a day like we have in the last few decades. In fact, Seminary professors regularly travel to foreign countries for two week spans, teaching people and helping the missions stay on level ground. And along with that, we are now able to send Bibles, supplies, and other resources overseas without much difficulty at all and relatively fast. Thirdly, the internet. Never before have we been able to send so much information to so many people so often - and all at once. Because of that technological tool, we are reaching thousands upon thousands more people than we could before. People who don’t know Christ. People who have never been to the United States. People who need the gospel. “The gospel must first be preached to all nations,” Jesus said. And it is possible right now. Right now we have all the means necessary like never before.
The gospel must be preached to all nations before Jesus comes again. But who is going to preach it? You are. You are. Because you are witnesses to the gospel. Jesus said, “On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.” That is exactly what happened to Martin Luther. He had to stand in front of governors and emperors and the leaders of his day as a witnesses to them. And the same will happen to you. The Lord will see to it that you have opportunities. Whether you like it or not. Whether you are looking for them or not. You will have opportunities to be witnesses to the gospel. To people in high positions and to people who are homeless. At your job and in your home. Across the street and across the country. The Lord will give you many opportunities to witness to many different people throughout your life. In fact, he already has.
Have you taken advantage of all those opportunities the Lord has afforded you? I doubt that you have. I haven’t. I’ll admit right now that I have yet to invite my neighbor - whom I talk to 2-3 times a week - I have yet to invite him to church. Why? Well, I could give you all sorts of reasons, all sorts of excuses, and many of them you would find legitimate, you would completely understand. But is there really a legitimate reason not to tell someone about their Savior? Is there really ever a bad time to invite them to hear the gospel? I have to reevaluate my own actions and my own reasons for what I’m not doing. I am a witness to the gospel. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this opportunity the Lord has placed in front of me?
Who is that particular person in your life? Who do you see every day or talk to on a regular basis or run into on more than one occasion? What’s holding you back from being a witness to them? And I know you have reasons, I know you have legitimate reasons why you have not witnessed to them as often as you could. But is there really a legitimate reason not to preach the gospel? You have to reevaluate your own actions and your own reasons for what you’re not doing. Because neglecting to offer somebody the gospel is a sin.
And don’t think that it’s hard to do. Preaching the gospel doesn’t mean you actually preach a sermon to them. Preaching the gospel means that you invite them to church, or Bible class, or talk to them about their life and give them the comfort you have in your Savior. Because when you do those things you are offering them the very same forgiveness that you received. Admit to them that you too have sinned. Admit to them that you have the same struggles. Admit to them that Jesus died for their sins as well as yours. You know that gospel. You are witnesses to it. You know that Christ has forgiven your sins of neglecting to tell people about his gospel! Yes, we have sinned. But let’s not repeat our offenses! Let’s take that forgiveness Christ won for us on the cross and run with it! Run with it to those you know and love and care for. Give them that pure, simple, powerful message, or invite them to church, or invite them to Bible class with you - do something to take advantage of the opportunity the Lord has given you.
And I know that many of you with certain people just don’t know what to say. They don’t want to hear about it and you don’t know how to bring up the subject. Listen to Jesus, “Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” That must have been an incredibly comforting passage to Martin Luther. He had to debate with the leading theologians of that time. He had to stand in front of people who wanted to take his life. He must have come back to this passage in Mark again and again as he struggled with witnesses to the truth. This is an incredibly comforting passage to me, too. Because when I read it I know that I don’t have to worry about saying exactly the right words every time to every person. Because the Holy Spirit is really the one speaking through those words. The gospel is his. And it’s the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. So this can be an incredibly comforting passage to you as well. Don’t worry about what to say to people. Just say whatever is given you at the time because it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit. Let that power loose. Let the Holy Spirit speak. Let him do the work for you. Take advantage of every opportunity to share that good news because the gospel must be preached.
I don’t want this to sound like I’m forcing you to do something. I’m not. It’s just that this text has such a sense of urgency to it. You know that Judgment Day is very near. You know that the gospel must be preached. And you know you are witnesses to that gospel. Don’t hesitate any longer. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait for the “right time” to bring up that subject with those you love. Because the time is now. “Now is the time of God’s favor,” Paul says, “now is the day of salvation.” Take that to heart. Ponder that. Because as you continue to see wars erupt, false Christ’s appear, famines devastate, and earthquakes destroy, you know that the end is near. But these things must happen. And the gospel must be preached.
Amen.
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” - Rev. 22:20
- Before the end comes
- By its witnesses
The gospel must be preached. That’s not so much an encouragement as it is a fact. The gospel must be preached - it is necessary for the gospel to be preached - to all nations before Judgment Day can come. Just like it was necessary for Jesus to be born of a virgin. Just like it was necessary for him to be handed over to his enemies. Just like it was necessary for him to suffer for our sins. Just like it was necessary for him to rise from the dead on the third day. All those things had to happen. It was necessary for them to happen because God said they would. So also the gospel must be preached. It’s not an option. There is no choice. Somehow, somewhere, by someone, the gospel will be preached to all nations before Judgment Day. Because in our text today Jesus says that’s the way it has to be. So the question is: how close are we? How close are we to this prophecy being fulfilled so that Christ will come again? Well, let’s take a look at some of the other prophecies Jesus makes in our text first and see how close we really are.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and will deceive many.’” This is a prophecy from Christ himself that has to happen before he comes again. Has it happened? Have there been people claiming to be the Lord? Sun Myung Moon, born in 1920 in Korea claims that he is none other than Christ himself. Matayoshi Mitsuo, born in 1944 in Japan claims that he is “God Jesus Christ.” Ted Kurts, a 47 year old American, runs a website promoting himself as “Ted Jesus Christ God.” A news blurb from a Massachusetts’ newspaper, dated last month on October 2nd, 2006 reports that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda leads four congregations in that state because he believes he is the second-coming of Christ. That’s just a sample of the false Christ’s you can find. There have been many people claiming “I am he,” and they have deceived many.
Jesus also, “There will be earthquakes in various places and famines.” How many earthquakes do you think happened in the last seven days around the world? 158. Some minor, some major, but earthquakes nonetheless. And in “various places” just like Jesus said would have to happen. And how about famines? You can’t tell me you haven’t seen all those commercials on t.v. about the famines in Africa. There have been famines there for years. There have famines a lot of places for years. That hasn’t changed and it won’t until Christ comes again.
Another prophecy Jesus made, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” I don’t think we have to talk a whole lot about war nowadays. Israelis, Palestinians, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the list could go on and on. And what about the rumors of war with North Korea - testing nuclear weapons? There are wars and rumors of wars constantly on every level. But again, Jesus says that these things have to happen. It is necessary for these things to happen before he comes again. And they’re happening right now.
And since they all are happening as we speak, we can be sure that Judgment Day is near. We are very close. “But pastor,” you might be thinking, “all of these things have been happening for centuries! Why should we think Judgment Day is close now when it hasn’t happened for hundreds of years before this?” I say that because of what Jesus says in verse 10, “the gospel must first be preached to all nations.”
That hasn’t really happened before in history. Since Jesus’ time the gospel hasn’t really been able to spread to all nations in every part of the world. Yes, there have been missionaries in the past. Yes, there have been efforts by past Christians to penetrate areas in which the gospel has never been heard before. But there has never been a situation like there is today in which the gospel is able to be preached to all nations so effectively. And there are really three main reasons why this is true.
First of all, the mission work we are able to do today. The Wisconsin Synod itself is doing extensive mission work in over 30 different countries right now. That is incredible! When has a church body ever had the resources and the motivation to reach out to so many people across the world? Second of all, transportation. Never before have we been able to travel to distance lands in less than a day like we have in the last few decades. In fact, Seminary professors regularly travel to foreign countries for two week spans, teaching people and helping the missions stay on level ground. And along with that, we are now able to send Bibles, supplies, and other resources overseas without much difficulty at all and relatively fast. Thirdly, the internet. Never before have we been able to send so much information to so many people so often - and all at once. Because of that technological tool, we are reaching thousands upon thousands more people than we could before. People who don’t know Christ. People who have never been to the United States. People who need the gospel. “The gospel must first be preached to all nations,” Jesus said. And it is possible right now. Right now we have all the means necessary like never before.
The gospel must be preached to all nations before Jesus comes again. But who is going to preach it? You are. You are. Because you are witnesses to the gospel. Jesus said, “On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.” That is exactly what happened to Martin Luther. He had to stand in front of governors and emperors and the leaders of his day as a witnesses to them. And the same will happen to you. The Lord will see to it that you have opportunities. Whether you like it or not. Whether you are looking for them or not. You will have opportunities to be witnesses to the gospel. To people in high positions and to people who are homeless. At your job and in your home. Across the street and across the country. The Lord will give you many opportunities to witness to many different people throughout your life. In fact, he already has.
Have you taken advantage of all those opportunities the Lord has afforded you? I doubt that you have. I haven’t. I’ll admit right now that I have yet to invite my neighbor - whom I talk to 2-3 times a week - I have yet to invite him to church. Why? Well, I could give you all sorts of reasons, all sorts of excuses, and many of them you would find legitimate, you would completely understand. But is there really a legitimate reason not to tell someone about their Savior? Is there really ever a bad time to invite them to hear the gospel? I have to reevaluate my own actions and my own reasons for what I’m not doing. I am a witness to the gospel. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this opportunity the Lord has placed in front of me?
Who is that particular person in your life? Who do you see every day or talk to on a regular basis or run into on more than one occasion? What’s holding you back from being a witness to them? And I know you have reasons, I know you have legitimate reasons why you have not witnessed to them as often as you could. But is there really a legitimate reason not to preach the gospel? You have to reevaluate your own actions and your own reasons for what you’re not doing. Because neglecting to offer somebody the gospel is a sin.
And don’t think that it’s hard to do. Preaching the gospel doesn’t mean you actually preach a sermon to them. Preaching the gospel means that you invite them to church, or Bible class, or talk to them about their life and give them the comfort you have in your Savior. Because when you do those things you are offering them the very same forgiveness that you received. Admit to them that you too have sinned. Admit to them that you have the same struggles. Admit to them that Jesus died for their sins as well as yours. You know that gospel. You are witnesses to it. You know that Christ has forgiven your sins of neglecting to tell people about his gospel! Yes, we have sinned. But let’s not repeat our offenses! Let’s take that forgiveness Christ won for us on the cross and run with it! Run with it to those you know and love and care for. Give them that pure, simple, powerful message, or invite them to church, or invite them to Bible class with you - do something to take advantage of the opportunity the Lord has given you.
And I know that many of you with certain people just don’t know what to say. They don’t want to hear about it and you don’t know how to bring up the subject. Listen to Jesus, “Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” That must have been an incredibly comforting passage to Martin Luther. He had to debate with the leading theologians of that time. He had to stand in front of people who wanted to take his life. He must have come back to this passage in Mark again and again as he struggled with witnesses to the truth. This is an incredibly comforting passage to me, too. Because when I read it I know that I don’t have to worry about saying exactly the right words every time to every person. Because the Holy Spirit is really the one speaking through those words. The gospel is his. And it’s the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. So this can be an incredibly comforting passage to you as well. Don’t worry about what to say to people. Just say whatever is given you at the time because it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit. Let that power loose. Let the Holy Spirit speak. Let him do the work for you. Take advantage of every opportunity to share that good news because the gospel must be preached.
I don’t want this to sound like I’m forcing you to do something. I’m not. It’s just that this text has such a sense of urgency to it. You know that Judgment Day is very near. You know that the gospel must be preached. And you know you are witnesses to that gospel. Don’t hesitate any longer. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait for the “right time” to bring up that subject with those you love. Because the time is now. “Now is the time of God’s favor,” Paul says, “now is the day of salvation.” Take that to heart. Ponder that. Because as you continue to see wars erupt, false Christ’s appear, famines devastate, and earthquakes destroy, you know that the end is near. But these things must happen. And the gospel must be preached.
Amen.
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” - Rev. 22:20
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