Calvary Bible Church - Pastor Ken’s Weblog

Scripture for Sunday, March 30, 2008
John 21:
“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Resurrected Lord

There are at least ten distinct appearances of the Lord Jesus in His “resurrection body” recorded for us in Scripture. There are twelve, if you count His appearances to Paul and then later to the apostle John as recorded in Revelation; but at least ten “post-resurrection, pre-ascension” appearances. Those are the recorded appearances.

Twice in these final chapters of his Gospel, John states that not everything Jesus did was recorded or written down. There is no reason to doubt that He had more encounters with the disciples than those that are recorded, but those recorded are sufficient to establish the truth of the matter. I think this one is probably my favorite of them all, in fact, it is one of my all-time favorite Bible stories, and I have a lot of favorites! Just to set the background, this event was prior to the meeting in Galilee that the Angel and Jesus told the women to tell the disciples about in Matthew 28.

It was of course after He appeared to them on the evening of Resurrection Day, when they were locked in the house, fearing persecution and possible execution for being His disciples and afraid to go to Galilee as He had instructed them, and after He met them still there in Jerusalem a week later and confronted Thomas. After the Passover celebration people left Jerusalem and traveled back to their homes, it was natural for the disciples to return to Galilee, and Jesus had said they would see Him there. This story takes place while they were waiting further word on His meeting with them.

John 21:1-3: “Afterward (After His appearance a week after the resurrection in the house when He confronted Thomas) Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus) (Historically called “Doubting Thomas” from the previous story), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. John mentions seven of those remaining of the original twelve. They were hanging-out together, undoubtedly trying to figure out what in the world was going on and just what exactly they were to do now. Peter, the leader, has an idea. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” Sometimes, when your entire world has been turned upside-down, going back to a familiar place and task is comforting and helps you to work through the issues. A night on the sea, familiar tasks and familiar friends probably seemed like good medicine for the disciples. They may also have had a practical reason to fish. One commentary pointed out that it is quite possible that the financial support they had while with Jesus may have stopped after His death due to persecution fears, they may simply have needed to fish in order to meet their monetary needs. “ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” It wasn’t because they didn’t know what they were doing or didn’t put forth the effort, it was because a sovereign God had a plan.
Verses 4-7: “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.” (This seems to be a common aspect of His resurrection appearances, but this time it may have simply been a combination of the low light of early morning and the distance from the men in the boat, coupled with the fact that they did not expect to see Jesus. Has He ever shown up when You didn’t expect to see Him?) “He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” I hate to admit it, but here again is an instance where the NIV does a poor job of translating a word. Jesus literally called out “Little Children” or “My Children,” some even translate it “Lads”, but “My Children” is probably the best translation. It was a term of endearment; these were in fact Christ’s children! And He didn’t ask because He didn’t know, He wanted them to acknowledge their need.

Not knowing who He was or His intent, their answer was rather curt, as if speaking to a stranger who was looking to purchase some of the nights catch. “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” You can’t help but wonder if Peter was experiencing a little deja-vu’ right about then, can you? You remember the story. Luke 5:1-11 “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

Interesting, isn’t it? Andrew and Peter were brothers, probably the “we” referred to in the boat with Jesus, and James and John were his partners, in the other boat. Here they are again, this time together in a boat, receiving instructions from the Carpenter on how to catch fish! We don’t know why they would take the advice of a kindly stranger on the shore, after working all night and catching nothing, but they did. “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.” Isn’t that something to think about?

Together, in their own strength, they were unable to haul the net in because of the great catch of fish. Yet, following Jesus command, Peter did it by himself! “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” The first time He appeared to them as they were gathered together after the Resurrection, He asked them if they had any food, and they gave Him fish. Here, He serves them one more time, bread and fish. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds as they sat there on the shore, eating breakfast with the Lord? It’s an amazing story! But the best part is still to come!

The next section is the one that makes this one of my all-time favorite Bible stories! To really appreciate it though, we have to go back to the upper room, very late Thursday night. Look with me at Luke 22:31-34: “”Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” We know how the story turned out, Peter did in fact deny Him three times, and in verses 60-62 Luke records Peter’s third denial and the result for us: “Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Peter immediately was struck with remorse.

All his bravado, all his big talk, his big claims proved empty. Oh sure, he swung the sword and lopped off Malchus’ ear, but here, now, when it really counted, he had failed. He was crushed by the realization of his inability to take a stand for the Lord. But the Lord wouldn’t leave him crushed. He is the Lord of restoration! His purpose for Peter required restoration and healing, so that Peter could fulfill that command given to strengthen his brothers when he had turned back!

Verses 15-17: “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” Jesus fed his disciples bodies before He fed their spirit! Here we have Peter’s reinstatement and commissioning, and I don’t think it was any mistake that the others were listening. Jesus asked if Peter “truly loved” Him more than the other disciples did, if he had “agape” for Him, the love in which the entire personality, including the will, is involved. He was reminding him of the claims he had made earlier in the week. Matthew recorded another discussion Jesus had with the disciples after they had eaten together, just before His arrest. Matthew 26:31-35: “Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “`I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”

We sometimes focus so on Peter’s denial that we forget the others all denied Him as well. I doubt they did. Back to our story: “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Peter replied that Jesus knew he had failed in his agape, but that he had “phileo” or the love in which emotion plays a more prominent role than will, for Him. He also showed he had learned not to brag that his love was greater than the other disciples, he leaves that bragging behind him. Jesus didn’t push it, but went on: “Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” There’s the pastoral commission. “Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Same love question, without the comparison to the others, Jesus accepted Peter’s answer to that question. Peter gives the same “love” answer. “Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” Slightly different pastoral commission. “The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” No doubt his pain came from his remembrance of his triple denial. Yet his triple profession of love was part of the cure. “He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Peter was right; Jesus did know that Peter loved Him. By giving him charge of the “flock” Jesus showed His acceptance of Peter’s profession of love and His forgiveness for his earlier denial.

Only those who love the Shepherd are fit to shepherd His sheep. He told him to feed the lambs, the new believers, to feed the sheep, those more mature believers and to tend the flock. Peter took his commission to heart, as we can see in I Peter 5:1-4: “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Jesus then gives Peter a glimpse into the future, showing him the type of death he would endure for Christ. Verses 18-22: “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. (Can you imagine that, contemplating that your death would glorify God?) Then he said to him, “Follow me!” With this command, the restoration and commission was complete. Follow Me. No one else, just Christ. Here Jesus repeats what Matthew records was the initial call of Peter and his brother Andrew. Matthew 4:19-20: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.” Peter must have been reminded of that as well, because it would appear he got up from breakfast and followed Jesus.

Verses 20-22: “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” I love that Peter still was still learning. It gives me great hope for myself. After just experiencing such a phenomenal experience with the Lord, he gets distracted by what Jesus might have in mind for the other guys. Jesus sets him straight. Don’t worry about what God has in mind for others; take care of what He has called you to do. Follow Him.

Verse 23 “Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” Many commentaries state that this was one reason John included this epilogue to his letter, to squash this rumor that had started. He concludes his letter with the next two verses.

Verses 24-25: “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

I like to go back to his final verses of the 20th chapter to close with: John 20:30-31: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” That’s the key, the primary purpose for John’s testimony about Jesus Christ. That you might believe, receive, and live. How about it? Do you love Him?

In His Grip,

Passage for Sunday, March 23^rd, 2008

I Corinthians 15:1-26:  “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.”

Basic Christianity

If you are a 21^st century disciple of Christ Jesus, how can today not be the best day of the year?

He IS Risen!

We celebrate today, Resurrection Sunday, Christ Jesus’ victory over death, which is, according to our text, the “last enemy to be destroyed”.  What an amazing thought for us to consider this morning!   Jesus conquered death!  The tomb is empty!  This may well be the single most important doctrine of the Christian faith, for as Paul so eloquently tells us here, if this isn’t true, we’re wasting our time!  Now it’s true that death is still our enemy, but because we share in Christ’s victory it no longer has any more than a “physical” meaning for us.  We may fear the manner of our dying, but should no longer fear death!  I think the second-greatest resurrection story in scripture is that of Lazarus.  We won’t take the time this morning to look at the whole story, but Jesus makes a great point in His conversation with Lazarus’ sister Martha.  John 11:21-27:  “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”  I love that part of the story!  But as great as it is, it’s my second-favorite for a very important reason.  Of all the people recorded in scripture who were resurrected, Jesus is the only one who never had to die a second time.  Jesus rose to live forever!  He conquered death.  And because He did, we no longer need fear it.  As Paul stated in Philippians 1:23-24 all death does is usher us into the presence of the Lord!  In Revelation 20, at the Great White Throne judgment, we see that in the end Christ’s victory will be fully complete, and death too will be thrown into the lake of fire.  For the Believer, Resurrection Sunday is a great day!  For the non-believer, it should serve as a warning of what lies ahead.  Paul lays it out for us.

I Corinthians 15:1-2:  “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.  Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”  Paul was writing this letter to the Church in Corinth.  He was writing to believers, “Brothers” he called them, people who had heard the good news of Jesus Christ, believed it, and taken their stand on it.  But there were in the church those who professed belief, but their actions denied it.  That’s what he is alluding to here in this last sentence, not that having once believed they could lose their salvation.  “Holding firmly” means living in obedience to the Word of God; that is your mark of authenticity.  If you are not persevering in the Christian faith, it is an evidence that you did not have saving faith in the first place (cf. Judas Iscariot, who eventually demonstrated that he was not a true believer by betraying the Lord for 30 pieces of silver).  Paul then gives them that “reminder” of the Gospel he preached:

Verses 3-11:  “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”  (We looked at that, He was sinless, yet he died in our place, so that by believing, we would not have to die for our own sins.  And He did it according to the Scriptures.  Isaiah 53, remember?”  Listen just to verses 5-11: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.  After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” It sounds like Isaiah was there at the cross! Paul continues with his basic presentation of the Gospel) “that he was buried, (A very important point, by the way.  It means Christ was dead.) that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (Jesus pointed out that no sign would be given to unbeliever’s except the sign of Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” He told the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law who asked Him for a sign in Matthew 12:40) and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”  The resurrection took place about twenty years before this letter was written.  Paul names witnesses to Jesus resurrection, noting that while some had died, many of them were still alive and could be questioned!  Paul places himself last in the list of witnesses.  Although he was not one of the original apostles, he was a genuine Apostle of Jesus Christ.  “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (God’s grace had not only saved him, but also made him, the least worthy apostle, the apostle whom God used powerfully to bring the gospel to so many.  What a contrast between Paul’s gratitude and humility, and the self-righteous prayer of another Pharisee, the one in Luke 18:10-12: “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’). “Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.”  The plain gospel.  Jesus Christ died for our sin, was buried, and was raised again on the third day.  That‘s what they preached, and that’s what the Corinthians believed.  Paul then addresses the “question of the day,” so to speak.  There were some at Corinth who were saying that there was no resurrection of the body, and Paul addresses this false contention.

Verses 12-19:  “But, if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead.  But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”  Having just given proof of Christ’s resurrection, Paul points out the absurdity of the doctrine that there was no resurrection.  Go back to the Garden for a moment.  Matthew 28:11-15  “While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.  When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, `His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’  If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”  So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.  And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”  If there had been no resurrection, there would have been no reason to fabricate the lie to cover up the truth.  All they would have had to do was produce the body.    Paul also points out what hopeless and wasted lives we would be living if that false teaching were true.  If the dead do not rise from the grave, then (1) “not even Christ has been raised”; (2) “our preaching is useless”; (3) “so is your faith”; (4) we are “false witnesses” that God raised Christ from the dead; (5) “your faith is futile”; (6) “you are still in your sins” and as a result still carry the guilt and condemnation of your sin; (7) “those who have died “in Christ” are lost; and ( we are to be pitied more than all other men if only for this life we have hope in Christ and put up with persecution and hardship for His name.  We missed all the “fun” of sin for nothing!  Paul then reminds them of the results of the evidence:

Verses 20-26:  “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ  all (all who place their faith in Christ that is) will be made alive.  But each in his own turn: (there is a proper sequence) Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.  Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.   The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  I like Adam Clarke’s comment: “Death shall be destroyed; shall be counter-worked, subverted, and finally overturned.  But death cannot be destroyed by there being simply no farther death; death can only be destroyed and annihilated by a general resurrection; if there be no general resurrection, it is most evident that death will still retain his empire. Therefore, the fact that death shall be destroyed assures the fact that there shall be a general resurrection; and this is a proof, also, that after the resurrection there shall be no more death.” 

The doctrine of a bodily resurrection has been a source of contention for thousands of years.  In fact, this denial was a cardinal doctrine of the sect of the Sadducees at the time of Christ, according to Matthew 22:23.  Scripture, however, makes it clear that the people of God have always known of this promise.  Long before Isaiah’s time, Job had said in arguably one of the oldest stories in the Bible: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”  (Job 19:25-27).  After the time of Isaiah, the promise was still known.  Daniel records the words of the Angel telling him about end times in Daniel 12:1-3 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”  

These promises were not referring to some vague “immortality of the soul,” as some pagan religions taught, but to the resurrection of the body!  The question then is which resurrection will you take part in?  You will take part in a bodily resurrection.  Daniel got the word straight from the Angel sent from God to instruct him.  Paul talks about it, and John mentions it in the last Book of the Bible.  Jesus went as the “firstfruits” which gives promise to Believers of participating in a like resurrection, a resurrection to everlasting life with the Lord!  Those who refuse to believe will also experience a bodily resurrection, but to judgment and eternal punishment in the lake of fire.  Faced with the truth this “Resurrection” Sunday, the choice is yours.  I’m reminded of the words of Moses as he spoke to the Israelites just before he died.  Deuteronomy 30:19-20: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the LORD is your life,”  He plainly told them what God expected, and what would be the results of obedience and of disobedience, then called them to make a choice. 

We too see the stark difference between obedience, believing the truth of the Gospel, and disobedience, rejecting God’s offer.  Jesus said it clearly in John 3:14-18:  “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  Listen one more time to the fate of those who choose not to believe, those who, according to Jesus, stand condemned already.  Revelation 20:11-15:  “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it.  Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life.  The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” 

Why would anyone choose the lake of fire over life eternal?  If you have never taken that step of faith, placed your faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus, today would be a great day to make that decision!  Follow Paul’s counsel given in Romans 10:9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  Take that step today if you never have.  Share the resurrection joy and promise.  Accept the truth of Basic Christianity; Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and was He raised to life the third day, according to the Scriptures.

He is Risen!

P.S. In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph.  He didn’t profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems Paul’s teaching of the resurrection of the body must have influenced him.  Here’s what he wrote:

“The Body of B. Franklin, Printer like the cover of an old Book, its contents torn out, and stripped of its Lettering and Gilding, lies here, food for Worms, but the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new & more perfect edition, corrected and amended by the Author.”

Passage for Sunday, March 16th, 2008
Matthew 20:17 - 21
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ “ 

Some of the most difficult messages to prepare and give, I am discovering, are those that revolve around the most well know Bible stories, primarily those regarding Christmas, Palm Sunday and Easter. People have certain expectations on those days, and they want to hear messages that are pertinent to the occasion, I know I always did!

Now, as a preacher rather than a listener, I face the challenge of preparing and delivering a message that needs to be at least interesting and relevant enough to keep people awake while listening to a story they know as well as I do!  Fortunately, these stories are timeless, and repetition does not diminish the impact the biblical account gives.  I have been listening to Christmas and Easter messages for as long as I can remember, and now lately preaching them, and the story still thrills me!  Maybe that’s part of the meaning behind the writer of the Book of Hebrews description of God’s Word as being “living and active,” it never gets old!  We begin this morning with the theme we have focused on the last couple weeks, Jesus journey to Jerusalem, only now we find ourselves at the final stage.  If you had any doubt that Jesus knew what was waiting for Him, our opening verses dispel that doubt:

Matthew 20:17-19:  “Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.  They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.  On the third day he will be raised to life!”  Doesn’t sound much like a “Triumphal Entry” now, does it.  This was the third time He had pulled the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen, and the most detailed description.  Here He first mentions the fact He would be betrayed.  Here too He clearly states that the Gentiles would be the ones to put Him to death.  Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution, the Jews would have stoned Him, but that would not have properly fulfilled scripture.  Luke’s account records Jesus saying to the disciples: “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the Prophets about the Son of man will be fulfilled.” (Luke 18:31)  John records Jesus own prophetic words in John 3:14-15:  “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”   Here too He reminds them that death would not be the end for Him, but that on the third day He would rise again!  It’s interesting that there is no record of the disciples’ response to this detailed prediction.  The disciples evidently still didn’t really “get it” as evidenced by the next section:

Verses 20-23:  “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.  “What is it you want?” he asked.  She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”  “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”  Jesus here uses a figure of speech, “drink the cup” meaning to undergo or experience the same thing, here He is referencing the suffering and death He would soon endure.  “We can,” they answered. (How little they understood!)  Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant.  These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

They were still focused on an earthly kingdom, and trying to maneuver into the positions of authority and honor.  Jesus had just recently, following the story of the rich young ruler, promised that they would indeed sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (19:28).  That was probably what they had in mind, as they asked, through their mother, this privilege.  It’s almost as if they halfheartedly listened as He talked about His betrayal, suffering and death, heard the part where He said he would rise again and said: “Yeah, Yeah, we know, but what about the Kingdom?  Can we have…”  They just didn’t get it.  They also must not have been listening to the last parable He told, stressing once again that the first would be last and the last first, because here they are, seeking to be put first!  He exhibited great patience, didn’t He?

I’m glad He did, and that Matthew recorded it, because I often need that patience granted to me for my foolishness!  I too am still learning!  These Brothers would indeed drink of the cup of suffering for the Lord Jesus.  James was the first recorded martyr, beheaded by Herod, and tradition says John survived being boiled in oil in an effort to get him to renounce the Lord, which he would not do.  He was banished to exile on the island of Patmos for his faith in Christ.  Be careful what you ask for, right?

Verses 24-28:  “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.”  What a difference in the response.  The “ten” were probably upset that James and John beat em to the punch, so to speak!  “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Jesus turns things upside down.  We, as Believers, as members of the Body, as the Church, are not to model ourselves after the world, but the Savior!

The world says it’s all about authority and power, Jesus says its all about humility, love and service.  Again, Jesus quietly points to the example He has set, in an effort to get these guys on the right page while He still has time to teach and be an example to them.  He also pointed, for the first time, to the reason He was to die.  He would suffer and die in order to pay the ransom for the lives of all who would believe in Him.  He points out that His life was the ransom paid in place of, for, many others, not Himself.  He needed no ransom because he had never been a slave to sin.  We need the ransom to be paid for us because we cannot pay it ourselves.

Peter ties the two themes together and says it well for us in I Peter 3:17-18:  “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”  The narrative continues as they make there way toward Jerusalem:

Verses 29-34:  “As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.  Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”  The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”  How different this request than that of James and John.  These men realized this was their best opportunity to seek mercy; they may never get this close to Jesus again.  They made no demands, but pleaded mercy.  They pretended no advantage over Jesus, no sense of Him owing them anything, they simply believed that He, the Messiah, could heal them and acted on that faith.  “Jesus stopped and called them.  (Sometimes, persistence and disregard for the council of the crowd pays off!)  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.  “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”  Not a place of honor and prestige, not power or wealth, but that which they most desired, their sight.  “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.  Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” Luke’s Gospel records an extra detail, he says they followed, praising God, and when the crowd saw what had occurred, they too praised God!   Jesus responded to the appeal of these men to Him as Messiah.  Son of David was a title understood to be Messianic.

By stopping, responding with compassion and healing them, Jesus demonstrated His authority as the Messiah, the Son of David.  And the disciples and crowd of people recognized that aspect of what He had done.  And now we come to the “Triumphal Entry” where Jesus publicly presents Himself as King.  Here, finally, is our “Palm Sunday” reading!

21:1-5:  “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”  This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ “  Here Jesus displays omniscience, knowing where the disciples would find the donkeys.  He displays His authority as Lord, all things are under his command, even to turning the heart of the owner of the donkey and her colt favorably to lend them to Him.  He shows His humility, he asks for them, doesn’t demand them, and He only seeks a donkey and her colt, not a chariot and horses.  Scripture needed to be fulfilled!

Verses 6-9:  “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,  “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Hosanna in the highest!”

Verse 10: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”  The Son of David comes to the City of David as the true and rightful King.  He also came as the sacrificial lamb, on the very day that Jewish families were to select the Passover lamb for the Feast.  No coincidence there, just the working of God’s plan.  The people understood in part, but as we find out, quickly turned against Him, and many of the same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” would also shout “Crucify Him” a few short days later.

People still are quick to reject Him when He doesn’t live up to their expectations or act as they think He should on their behalf!

I want to close with this little story I came across.  It’s called: “Only a Donkey”
The donkey woke up, his mind still savoring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure and pride.  He walked into town and found a group of people by the well.  “I’ll go show myself to them,” he thought.  But they didn’t notice him.  They went on drawing their water and paid him no mind.  “Throw your garments down,” he said crossly. “Don’t you know who I am?”  They just looked at him in amazement.  Someone slapped him across the tail and ordered him to move.  “Miserable heathens!” he muttered to himself.  “I’ll go down to the marketplace where the good people are.  They will remember me.”

But the same thing happened.  No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place.  “The palm branches!  Where are the palm branches!” he shouted. “Yesterday, you threw palm branches!”  Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.  “Foolish child,” she said gently. “Don’t you realize that without Him, you are just an ordinary donkey?”

Just like the donkey that carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we too are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ.  Without him, all our best efforts are like “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and amount to nothing.  We’re just … donkeys.  When we lift up Christ, however, humble ourselves and serve one another in love, we are no longer ordinary people, but key players in God’s plan to redeem the world.  Let your praises ring out, shout your Hosanna’s, not just on Sunday, but everyday!  Jesus is King!

In His Grip,

Passage for Sunday, March 9, 2008

Luke 10:1-20  “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  

Rejoice!

With Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday fast approaching, I thought I’d stay here in Luke again this week as we look at the final months of Jesus earthly ministry.  Last week, we saw how He resolutely “set His face” to go to Jerusalem, determined to accomplish the father’s mission, and knowing His time was short, emphasized the cost of discipleship to His followers.  Discipleship is serious business, and no one knew that better than He.  We need to take our calling to discipleship seriously as well.  That journey to Jerusalem that we discussed last week probably took place in the fall, Jesus arriving in time for the Feast of Tabernacles, which took place in October.  He then left Jerusalem and traveled into Perea where our story today takes place, before going back to Jerusalem in December for the Feast of Dedication, after which He went back into Perea, Bethany beyond the Jordan according to John 10:40 and after teaching the people there, into Judea, traveling from village to village, which Luke documents in chapters 11-18, as He makes His way toward the final journey to Jerusalem in the Spring, the Triumphal Entry we celebrate next week as Palm Sunday.

Keep in mind that the purpose of the gospel accounts is not to give a precise chronological or historical account of Jesus’ life, but to reveal Jesus to us.  While each writer reports factual accounts, chronology was not important to them.  It is not unusual for a gap of time to fall between two accounts, as we see here between the end of chapter 9 and the beginning of chapter 10, or to report events out of their chronological occurrence.  In the culture to which the original accounts were written and received, none of this would seem unusual, as it does to us today.  Context is King, remember?  That applies to cultural context as well.  So now that you’ve hopefully got a better “big picture” idea of this journey, we come to today’s scripture, and take one more look at discipleship.       

Luke 10:1:  “After this (Jesus visiting Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles) the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where he was about to go.”  There is some debate about whether there were 72 or 70 disciples appointed and sent out.  Since the manuscript support for both readings is equally good and good reasons can be given for the authenticity of either number, it cannot be said for certain which one Luke actually wrote. Manuscript evidence is basically equal for either number.  Some translators picked 70 because it ties in better with their view of how Jesus operated, others used 72 for reasons they believe valid, which also tie in with how Jesus operated!  The number isn’t critical to the point.  The point is that at this stage in His ministry Christ had a large enough group of “committed” followers (remember last weeks focus on commitment?) that He could choose 72 of them and send them out on a short-term mission trip to prepare the people of the area He would be traveling through for His coming.  He sent them out, not alone, but “two by two” so they could strengthen and encourage one another.  This is a pattern followed by the early church, which we have seen in our study of Acts in our Adult Sunday School class.

Verses 2-4:  “He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.  Go!  I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.  Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.”   The instruction reveals the urgency of the mission.  Having chosen His Workers, He motivates and instructs them.  First He tells them that the harvest is plentiful.  Nothing helps motivate workers like the prospect of results!  But He also points out that their work will be all the more difficult because the workers are few.  72 may have seemed a big crew of reapers, but not when they understood the size of the Master’s field.  He tells them to pray, to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers, to help with the harvest.  That, by the way, was not intended as an “out” for those who had been “appointed” to go!  It was to be a prayer for help, not replacement or substitutions.  Some Christians today tend to use it as a way to convince the Lord to find someone else to go!  Then He gives them their “Marching Orders” as it were!  Go!  And another warning: they would be like sheep among wolves.  The mission was a dangerous one, they should expect danger.  But the Lord who sent them was their protection.

One Commentary said:  “He who is called to preach the Gospel is called to embrace a state of constant labor, and frequent suffering.  He who gets ease and pleasure, in consequence of embracing the ministerial office, neither preaches the Gospel, nor is sent of God.  If he did the work of an evangelist, wicked men and demons would both oppose him.”  That’s a sobering statement.  If you and I are facing no opposition, if you and I never feel like a lamb among wolves, never experience the opposition of “wicked men and demons” we need to take a hard look at how hard we are working as the Lord’s reapers, don’t we.  Jesus instructs them to go as they are, not to take a wallet (don’t worry about money), or suitcase (don’t worry about clothes) or extra sandals, and, to emphasize the urgency even further, not to be distracted even by the exchange of pleasantries with those they met on the way.  They were on a mission!  How easy it is to become “distracted” from the mission we have been given by the distractions of every-day life.  He continues:

Verses 5-7:  “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.  Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.  Do not move around from house to house.”  Jesus here gives the  reason for His earlier instruction on not taking the time to gather and carry provisions.  The people to whom He was sending them would extend hospitality to them if their hearts were ready!  Imagine that, hospitality as the test!  How would you fare?  When was the last time you opened your home to someone other than family or close friends?  The disciples, on their part, were to graciously accept the hospitality given, not ask for special treatment.  Don’t look for someone else to stay with that may treat you better, Jesus says!  He gives them further instructions, including an admonition not to be picky:

Verses 8-12:  “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.  (Can you imagine?  The disciples sit down to supper and say: What?  Dry bread and bean soup again?)   Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’  He also gave them the message to proclaim.  The kingdom of God is the rule of God and is both a present reality and a future hope. The idea of God’s kingdom is central to Jesus’ teaching throughout the Gospels.  Some of its different meanings in the Bible are: the eternal kingship of God; the presence of the kingdom in the person of Jesus, the King (which is probably it’s intended meaning here); the approaching spiritual form of the kingdom; and the future kingdom.) Here too we have an indication that Jesus not only chose the 72, but empowered them for the mission as well.  Healing the sick required God’s healing power, given to bring God the glory and authenticate the message of these disciples.

He continues: “But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, `Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you.  Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’  I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”  What to us seems a weird ritual had a far greater meaning to these people.  To “shake the dust off one’s sandals” was a symbolic act, practiced by the Pharisees when they left an “unclean” Gentile area.  Here it represented an act of solemn warning to those who rejected God’s message, a sign of rejection for their refusal to accept God’s message and messengers, and a gesture showing the disciples separation from everything associated with the place.  The warning and comparison to Sodom and the judgment was intentionally severe.  Although Sodom was so sinful that God destroyed it, the people who heard the message of Jesus and his disciples were even more accountable, because they had the gospel of the kingdom preached to them, yet chose to reject it.  These verses also point out what may well be another reason Jesus sent them out “two by two”.

According to Old Testament Law:  “One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”  (Deuteronomy 19:15) Two witnesses would testify against a town that rejected them.    The next couple verses continue this theme of greater judgment for those who had greater opportunity.

Verses 13-16:  “Woe to you, Korazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.”  Jesus spent much of His time during the Galilean Ministry in Capernaum, which was His headquarters, so to speak.  Korazin was a town only about two miles away, and Bethsaida was on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The inhabitants of these towns had many opportunities to see and hear Jesus.  Therefore the condemnation for their rejection was the greater.  Tyre and Sidon, by comparison, were Gentile cities in Phoenicia, north of Galilee on the Mediterranean coast, and had not had the opportunity to witness Jesus’ miracles and hear His preaching.

Listen to this from Adam Clarke: “In Jude 7 we are told that these persons (The people of Sodom and Gomorrah) are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.  The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened 1897 years before the incarnation.  What a terrible thought is this!  It will be more tolerable for certain sinners, who have already been damned nearly four thousand years, than for those who live and die as infidels (unbelievers) under the Gospel!  There are various degrees of punishments in hell, answerable to various degrees of guilt, and the contempt manifested to, and the abuse made of; the preaching of the Gospel.”    An awareness of the coming judgment should be a powerful incentive to do all we can to share the Good News with those who need it.  I chose the responsive reading this morning to help make that point.  People who die without trusting Christ for salvation are destined to spend eternity in hell.  We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, have the privilege and responsibility to point them toward the gospel!  The best spot in hell is still a terrible place to spend eternity.

Jesus emphasizes the point in verse 16:  “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me.”  We sit in Sunday School or in Church, or listen to our favorite radio or TV preacher or teacher many times forgetting that rejecting the truth of scripture taught is not rejecting the teacher or preacher but the God whose truth is being taught.  That is a sobering thought.  The true Believer doesn’t need to worry about hell-fire, but will in fact face a judgment and give account for what we have done with the truth we have been exposed to.  Our works will be tested with fire, according to I Corinthians 3:12-15.  Knowledge of truth is important, but it’s the application of the truth we know that really counts.  The 72 applied what Jesus told them.  Listen to the report:

Verses 17:  “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”  Here we have another example of how time transpires between verses.  We do not know how long these disciples were gone, how long the mission lasted, but probably for at least several days to several weeks.  They came back, and reported to Jesus. Can you imagine their excitement?  These disciples were mostly farmers and fishermen, common people like you and me.  Nothing like this had ever happened to them before, and they could hardly contain their joy!

Verses 18-20:  “He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”   What a powerful statement.  Jesus watched the reign of Satan on earth crumble as these disciples spread the good news, healed the sick and cast out demons, an indication that Satan was suffering defeat!  His fall was like lightning falling from heaven, the fall was sudden and apparent!  He reminded them that it was His authority that won the victory, and that as amazing and exciting as that was, the true source of their joy should not be in circumstances, in spiritual experiences, in victory over snakes and scorpions (probably a reference to demons), and even the protection they have against Satan himself, but the fact of their salvation, that their names were written in heaven!  This is a theme that runs throughout scripture.

Speaking of last days, Daniel writes in  Daniel 12:1-3: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”  Imagine that.  The faithful disciple has an amazing future to look forward to.  Shining like a star!

Listen to this from Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it.  Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life.  The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Knowing this, it is no wonder Jesus told the disciples to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.  I pray that is the source of your rejoicing as well, and that the awareness of the coming judgment will motivate you to accomplish the mission Christ has “appointed” you to!  I’ll close with this reminder of the message you should be proclaiming, from the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 6:1-2:  “As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”  Discipleship is serious business because judgment is serious business, and lost people need to hear and see the truth of Jesus Christ in us.  Their eternal destiny hangs in the balance. 

In His Grip,

 Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
Passage for today: Luke 9:51-62 

“He said to another man, “Follow me.”

Determined

Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. “I get up when I fall down,” said Harvey.  That’s a great example of determination. Proverbs 24:16 says, in part: “ …though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, …”.  Even better.  As Believers, we have the promise of divine assistance.  Psalm 145:14: “The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.”  James tells us in James 4:10: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”   David, I think, had the key though.  He said in Psalm 37:23-24:  “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”  That’s even better. 

The key though, is that it requires something on our part, it requires determination and commitment.  In order for the Lord to delight in your way of living, you need to be seeking His purpose and plan for your life and living obedient to His revealed will.  As we have been saying this year, it comes down to choices, doesn’t it.  Who are you going to follow, the Lord, or the devil?  That is the option, by the way.  It’s not His way or mine, its His way or Satan’s.

If you are not living your life for Christ, you are living it for the devil.  In Luke 11:23 Jesus said: “He who is not with me is against me.”  That puts it pretty plain.  In Romans 5 Paul says we’re either living to please the sin-nature or the Spirit.  Galatians 5 has the same theme.  We tend to think we can have our cake and eat it too, but it’s pretty hard to find scripture to back that theory up!  Jesus is our ultimate example, He chose to submit to the Father’s will, not develop His own agenda, even knowing what it would cost Him.  He said in John 6:38: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.”  

I love how the writer of Hebrews put it in Hebrews 12:1-3  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

That is an example of determination, of commitment, of perseverance that is worthy of emulating.  In our scripture reading today we have a verse that highlights Jesus’ specific choice, a point in time when He determined to fulfill His ministry.  We then see Him point out the importance of our understanding that following Him requires an informed and determined choice, not just an emotional, rash decision. 

 Let’s take a look:

Luke 9:51  “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”  One commentary stated:  “The time had come for Jesus to fulfill the ultimate destiny of his ministry on earth.  Therefore, the work of Christ is here divided into two great stages: all that preceded this belonging to the one, and all that follows it to the other.”  Most other sources made similar comments.  This was a major moment in the Lord’s ministry.  Knowing what was coming, he still chose obedience.  He chose to fulfill the Father’s plan.  He determined to go to Jerusalem.  And He did it out of love for you and for me.  

How amazing is that?  Listen to Matthew Henry’s commentary:   “The readiness and resolution of our Lord Jesus, in prosecuting his great undertaking for our redemption and salvation.  Observe:

1. There was a time fixed for the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus, and he knew well enough when it was, and had a clear and certain foresight of it, and yet was so far from keeping out of the way that then he appeared most publicly of all, and was most busy, knowing that his time was short. 

2. When he saw his death and sufferings approaching, he looked through them and beyond them, to the glory that should follow; he looked upon it as the time when he should be received up into glory, received up into the highest heavens, to be enthroned there.  Moses and Elias spoke of his death as his departure out of this world, which made it not formidable; but he went further, and looked upon it as his translation to a better world, which made it very desirable. 

3. On this prospect of the joy set before him, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem the place where he was to suffer and die. He was fully determined to go, and would not be dissuaded; he went directly to Jerusalem, because there now his business lay. He went cheerfully and courageously, though he knew the things that should befall him there. He did not fail nor was discouraged, but set his face as a flint, knowing that he should be not only justified, but glorified, not only not run down, but received up.  How should this shame us for, and shame us out of, our backwardness to do and suffer for Christ!  We draw back, and turn our faces another way from his service who steadfastly set his face against all opposition, to go through with the work of our salvation.”  

Hard to believe Mr. Henry wrote this in the 1700’s, he could easily be describing us today!  We haven’t come all that far, have we. 

Verses 52-56:  “And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.”    Did you ever notice how often rejection or resistance almost immediately follows a choice to do what is right?  This is a great example of not basing our decision-making on circumstances, or second-guessing a decision we believe to be God’s will for us when we meet resistance.  In reality resistance or opposition is often a sign we are doing God’s will!  Prejudice was a strong factor in the culture of Jesus’ day.  The Samaritans thought God should be worshipped on Mount Gerizim, not in Jerusalem. 

The Jews of course worshipped in Jerusalem, the Holy City.  The feud was long and bitter, and only part of the problem between the two, but it was undoubtedly part of the reason they would not welcome Jesus and his disciples in this town.  Listen to the reaction of the “Sons of Thunder” to the rejection by the Samaritans.  “When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  Prejudice dies hard, even in those who are disciples’ of Christ.  Maybe it was because they had just recently seen Elijah talking with Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration that this idea came to them, maybe because it was in this general area where Elijah had called down fire from heaven and killed the Samaritan King Ahaziah’s soldiers all those many years ago, but they were eager to smoke this group of Samaritans for their lack of respect and rejection of Jesus! 

Verses 55-56: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.”   One of the sources I looked at said: “Jesus’ rebuke of his disciples for suggesting that fire be called down from heaven to destroy the Samaritans is not to be understood as a disapproval of Elijah’s action, but as an indication that the disciples failed to discern the difference between the issue at stake in Elijah’s day and the unbelief of the Samaritans in their own day.”  They still had a lot to learn, they still were looking for an earthly kingdom and rule of Christ.  We move on to the next section.

Many men wished to follow Jesus, then as now, until they realized what was involved in “going to Jerusalem.”  The case of each of these three men stresses the idea of total and absolute commitment to Jesus.  The story is told of a woman who approached her pastor with a question.  “Will you please tell me,” said the Christian woman, “what your idea of commitment is?”  Holding out a blank sheet of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet, and then let God fill it in as He will.” 

That was a wise pastor.  That is what Christ asks of us.  Commit our way to Him.  Leave the details up to Him.  Determine to follow His lead, to seek His purpose and plan for your life, regardless.  Sign the paper and hand it back to him to fill out.  Easier said than done, Amen?

Verses 57-58:  “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”   It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t tell the man what to do, but pointed to the cost.  They had just been refused lodging, and Jesus used the incident to make a point.  If this man truly wanted to follow Christ, he would have to understand that it would involve hardship, not the least of which would often be making his bed on the ground, with no pillow or blanket.  In a society where even meager possessions were appreciated, this was no small consideration.  The story continues: 

Verses 59-60:  “He said to another man, “Follow me.”  This time Jesus initiates the conversation.  “But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”   Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”   This presents an interesting dialogue.  It seems the man was looking for an excuse.  If his father had already died, the man would have been occupied with the burial then.  But evidently he wanted to wait until after his father’s death, which might have been years away still.  Jesus told him that the spiritually dead could bury the physically dead, and that the spiritually alive should be busy proclaiming the kingdom of God.  How many of us have what we think are legitimate excuses for telling the Lord “not yet”? 

Verses: 61-62:  “Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”   Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  I spent one of the most wonderful springs of my life helping my Buddy with custom plowing one year when I lived in Wyoming.  He would work nights, I would work days.  10 to 12 hours on a John Deere 720 diesel tractor pulling a three-bottom plow in foothill meadows along the Greybull River valley with the Rocky mountains in the background.  To plow a straight furrow was critical, and you didn’t do it by looking back at what you had done, you fixed your eyes on a mark at the other end of the field and steered for it.  Jesus said if you start out plowing for the kingdom, you don’t look back at what you left behind in the world.  You fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. 

He is the example we follow.  All Jesus asks is everything you have.  No matter how reasonable your excuse may seem to you, and even to others, Jesus understands the danger of failing to commit totally to Him at that moment.  I am a classic example.  I will never know what could have been, if I had simply followed Him when first I believed.  But I had excuses, rebellions, and even what I thought were legitimate reasons.  When finally I said “Ok Lord, not my will, but Thine”, look what He did.  I am just grateful that I am now doing what I know I should have been doing all along.  But we cannot presume on grace.  You cannot pattern your life after mine.  Jesus calls us now.   Luke doesn’t record what choice these three made.  He only shows us the choice presented to them to remind us of the choice before us. 

Determine right now to follow him with everything you’ve got.  You will not regret it.  You will regret it if you don’t.  The spiritually alive should be busy proclaiming the kingdom of God.

During my “Read-through-the-Bible-in-a-Year” reading this week I was reminded of the blessing the Lord told Moses to have Aaron and his sons give the people.  It is my Son’s favorite benediction:  “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

In His grip,