Laser Focused Disciples; A Laser Focused Church - Mark 1:14-20

Laser Focused Disciples; A Laser Focused Church

Mark 1:14-20

Introduction: Lasers are something we may take for granted. They have a role in all kinds of technologies: certain kinds of surgery, in gun sights, pointers, construction applications, weapons guidance systems, industrial applications, etc.  They are effective because they are focused, all the photons are aligned, moving in the same direction. Focused light is powerful, and a focused church can be more effective.  We’ve been talking quite a bit lately about getting more focused, “laser focused,” on our mission. The truth is, we can’t do everything as a church, we can’t do all the ministries that we might want to, but God doesn’t require that of us. We need to stay focused, and keep the main thing the main thing.

       God has ordained the church as His means of carrying out His mission in the world. Why did God save us and then leave us in this fallen world?  Because we all have a role in His mission!  Each of us who have been born again has a spiritual gift or gifts to use for the building up of the body.  And each of us has a group of people that God has sovereignly and strategically put on the “front burner” of our life. Family, neighbors, co-workers...  We’ve talked about listing those people, on average between 8 and 15 people that you rub shoulders with on a regular basis, and to be praying for them. Some are believers who are engaged in the church already, some may be believers who are not committed. Others don’t yet know the Lord. We can be praying for the faithful to keep looking up, to walk with the Lord. We can pray for the uncommitted to take their faith more seriously. And we can intercede for the unsaved, asking God, by His kindness, to lead them to repentance and faith.  Evangelism Explosion also encourages making a list, but focusing on people you know who are not saved. They say to make a list of your “Ten Most Wanted”! It is a good idea, since statistically, 95% of those who come to faith come primarily through the influence of someone they know. Could you be the “someone” God would use?  We’ll see in this passage that He uses ordinary people, like us.  Pray that He would help us to be available, always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us. 

The Maine* Idea: The call to faith is a call to follow Jesus, fully engaged in bringing the Gospel to a rebellious world.

I. The Gospel brings HOPE to a fallen world: It is the TRUTH that can cut through human rebellion (14, 15).

¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,  ¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." 

        Mark is pretty concise once again in giving us the setting: it was after John had been arrested. What in the world happened? Everything seemed to be going great, “all Judea” was coming out to hear John and was being baptized by him!  At this point no details are given about how and why he was arrested. It’s a reminder to us of the reality described in the second Psalm: the world is in rebellion against God and His kingdom. [It seems to me this is a clue as to the historical situation in which Mark is writing. He is writing to encourage Christians who are suffering for their faith.] He didn’t need to say more about John’s arrest because they knew why it had happened: The world is in rebellion against God (cf. Ps 2)! Only later (Mk 6) do we find out about John’s martyrdom. God has a plan for each of us! He will give us work until our life is over, and life until our work is done.

        Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel. Galilee might seem like an improbable context for the start of Messiah’s mission. Why not Jerusalem, and the region of Judea?  That is where the Temple was, that was the heart of Judaism. But God had a plan. Galilee also was predominately Jewish, but it was a crossroads of trade, a place where Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, and even Latin were spoken. It was a place where Jews rubbed shoulders with Gentiles. It was a place where people could hear the message Jesus preached and then carry it with them as they continued on their travels and trade routes. The distance from the religious center in Jerusalem was no doubt a part of God’s plan. Jesus would preach to the common people, calling them to repentance and faith, inviting them to prepare their hearts for the kingdom. The time would come to confront the leaders (and to be handed over to the Romans) but that time was not yet!

         Mark describes the “gospel” Jesus preached as the “Gospel of God.”  The apostles use that same phrase at times. We saw it in 1 Peter 4:17,   “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Paul also used the same phrase, for example in the opening of the letter to the Romans,

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,  ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh  ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord... (Rom 1:1-4).

       Back in Mark 1, Jesus calls his hearers to “repent and believe the gospel...” (1:15c).  As we saw in John’s preaching, the call to repentance was a call to recognize our sin, and to turn away from it. Jesus too connected repentance and faith: repent and believe the gospel. Of course the events of His death and resurrection were still future as Jesus was preaching! The “Good News” is that He is present, and that the New Age of the Messiah was at hand. The call was to turn from sin and to believe in Him, to recognize who He is and to put your trust in Him, and to submit to His Lordship. The “good news” is that the promised one was here, and that the age of fulfillment was at hand.  Jesus said that in v.15, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand...” 

       Jesus will reveal his sovereignty throughout this gospel as he teaches with authority, heals the sick, casts out demons, and shows his power over the elements. He hasn’t yet revealed that the kingdom will be made manifest in “stages.” In fact, even after the cross and resurrection, after Jesus appeared alive to His disciples for forty days, teaching them about the kingdom, the disciples asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).  That day will come, but it is still future. Right now He would reign in the hearts of those who recognize who He is and believe in Him, submitting to His lordship. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord! The Call to faith is a call to follow Jesus, fully engaged in bringing the Gospel to a rebellious world.

II. God uses ordinary people to call the world to believe in Jesus (16-18).

¹⁶ Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 

       Jesus meets Simon and Andrew as they are going about their lives, working as fishermen. He didn’t go first to the Temple in Jerusalem or even the Synagogue in Nazareth to recruit His first disciples. He went to the lake, and called working men, fishermen, ordinary people like you and me, to follow Him. Remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31,   

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  ³⁰ He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.  ³¹ Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

 That is a good passage to read when you need a lesson in humility!  He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, our boasting is in Christ alone! The good news is that He has called us, invited us to follow him. Where did you meet Him? He will use ordinary people like us in the extraordinary program of building His church.

       Notice that He uses an analogy that these fishermen could lay hold of: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!  The picture is inescapable, He was calling them for a purpose: to gather others into His kingdom.  That is God’s plan, disciples making disciples! Remember the scene after the resurrection, in Acts 1, as Jesus is teaching his disciples. After 40 days of teaching about the kingdom, He said “You will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth...” (Acts 1:8). He did not say “I want you to be” or “You ought to be” my witnesses. He said “You WILL be.” For better or worse, good witness or poor, we are His plan for bringing the good news to the world around us.  

       You might think, “I am a Christian, I believe, but I am not ready to be a disciple!”  Just as He called the disciples for a purpose, He called you for a purpose. That means he has given you a gift (or gifts) to use for the building up of others. And it means that He has placed you where you are, and He has placed a small group of people in your close “sphere of influence.” They are the people who know you and are watching you, and they are your first “mission field.” We need to love them enough, to pray for them, and to look for opportunities to share Christ with those who don’t yet know the Lord. The Call to faith is a call to follow Jesus, fully engaged in bringing the Gospel to a rebellious world.

III. There is a cost to committed discipleship: His mission must become our mission (19, 20).  Discipleship means we follow Him!

¹⁹ And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  ²⁰ And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

       The scene described here seems incredibly abrupt: Jesus called – they left their father – they followed Him.  There is a level of commitment pictured here that is not commonly seen in the church today.  Usually people want to think about religion, including Christianity, in terms of “feeling good” about themselves.  The goal of the gospel is not to boost my self-image or my sense of fulfillment. It is about reconciliation with God, peace with our Creator, because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to our account. 

       Mark does not mince words in this gospel. He clearly presents the teaching that Jesus promoted: Come and follow Him, but count the cost.  Salvation is free,  Jesus paid the price that we could not pay. In a sense, discipleship is costly, because we are crucified with Christ. Remember the story of the ship Captain who tried to dissuade missionary James Calvert as he was going out to evangelize the cannibals in the Fiji Islands: “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go out among such savages!” To which Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.” These fishermen who Jesus called didn’t know yet what they cost might be. But they left their livelihood, they left their father with the hired hands, and they followed Jesus. For most of the disciples Jesus called during His earthly ministry, the cost would be far higher than leaving our family.  Of the apostles, tradition tells us that all but John were martyred for their faith.  And John died in exile.

       Elisabeth Eliot was one who knew something about the cost of following Jesus. She knew that it is our hope of victory that helps us to persevere in the hard times. It’s the assurance of that coming crown that helps us bear our cross today.  Just one year after her husband was slain in Ecuador, along with five other Missionaries, Elisabeth Elliot wrote,

“We have proved beyond any doubt that He means what He says – His grace is sufficient, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We pray that if any, anywhere, are fearing that the cost of discipleship is too great, that they may be given to glimpse that treasure in heaven promised to all who forsake...”

She said that when we see the treasure ahead, it helps us bear the trials today. When we know the victory that awaits, it helps us persevere through the pain. When we glimpse the glory, then we can take the cross and follow Him.

         In our last series, we noted that Peter wrote his first letter to exiles, to pilgrims scattered among the nations who were suffering for their faith.  They lived like exiles and pilgrims in the world, because they knew that their citizenship was in heaven. That hope gave them strength to persevere in the mission. Mark, the interpreter of Peter, apparently is also writing to suffering believers, calling them to follow Jesus, whatever the cost.  There is no sugar coating here. Yes, God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. But we need to realize that plan is for eternity, for the future for which we were created. We will worship Him forever, and serve Him, and we’ll enjoy the face-to-face fellowship that Adam forsook, forever. Remember Paul said “to depart and be with Christ is far better.” But for the sake of the mission He realized that He still had work to do...

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  ²² But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.  ²³ But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;  ²⁴ yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.  ²⁵ And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith (Philippians 1:21-25).

        There is a division among professing Christians today just as surely as there is a division among Americans in general. I have never seen in my lifetime the level of disrespect of the office and pushback against a newly elected administration that we see today. Yes, as Christians we are called to use discernment, speak up for righteousness, and to be an advocate for the poor and oppressed. We are also called to respect those in authority, and to pray for them, that we might live quiet and peaceable lives.  This whole “not my president” thing, rejecting the authority of the office, illustrates the attitude many people have toward the ultimate authority, God’s rule in our lives. In fact, if we look at the words of the religious leaders as they delivered Jesus to Pilate, they said “We’ll not have this man to be our king!” He’s not MY king! That is the attitude of the unregenerate (see Psalm 2), it should never be the attitude of a believer. “Confess with your mouth Jesus as LORD, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.” That is clear enough; HE is Lord, HE must be on the throne. That attitude engenders endurance in trials because we trust in His sovereignty

What is God saying to me in this passage? The Call to faith is a call to follow Jesus, fully engaged in bringing the Gospel to a rebellious world.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Review with me the three primary questions Mark is answering in His gospel: 1) Who is Jesus? 2) Why did He come? 3) What does it mean to follow Him?  Most of us have an orthodox answer to the first question: He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, God the Son.  The second question can also be answered with confidence: He came to save sinners, to make it possible for us to have peace with God. The third question is a little tougher, because it asks not only what we believe, but how we will live in the light of the Truth.  What does it mean to follow Him? 

       If His “kingdom” includes His reign in our hearts (and not simply His future realm in a geographic sense) that means if I would follow Him I need to yield to his sovereignty here and now. Bill Bright from Campus Crusade for Christ used to use the illustration of a throne in our heart.  Who is sitting on the throne of your heart? Is Jesus your King? He is sovereign and He has placed you exactly where you  are. And He has arranged your life so that you have a relatively small group of people, probably on average somewhere between 8 and 15, who are in your close sphere of influence. Jesus said before His ascension, “You will be my witnesses.” We can’t reach the whole world, but each of us can determine to reach our world. Jesus said “You are the light of the world!” Lasers are very powerful, very focused, streams of light. None of us can reach the whole world, but we can focus on ours. If we can keep the main thing the main thing, we can realize our calling individually, and we can realize God’s purpose for our church.   

       Some in your oikos don’t go to church, some don’t know God. We’re going to print up some invitations for you to give them to our Easter services. Be praying, look for opportunities to share and invite, and let’s see what God will do!   AMEN.

Gospel Foundations - Mark 1:9-13

Gospel Foundations

Mark 1:9-13

Introduction:  The News, these days, is getting ridiculous. “Fake News” is offered as fact without verification. Political agendas make it hard to discern what is real and true and what is merely opinion.  One side says the real news is that stories were illegally leaked. The other side says that what matters is the “news” that was “uncovered by an unnamed source.”  Remember Sergeant Friday on the old TV show Dragnet?   “Just the facts mam, just the facts.”!  As we consider Mark’s portrait of Jesus, we get the facts, and let’s be sure to focus on the “Good News” in this Gospel!  Mark is not giving us a lot of detail about the teaching of Jesus, but rather he shows that Jesus came to reveal Himself in history and to carry out the plan of the Father. Jesus did not come primarily to teach us how to live a moral and respectable life. He did that, but the primary aspect of his mission was to save sinners, to give His life so that fallen humans could be reconciled to Holy God. That is REAL News, and it is really GOOD News! These two concise scenes at the beginning of the Gospel, the baptism and the temptation of Jesus, lay a foundation for the unfolding story of God.

The Maine* Idea:  Whereas Adam brought sin and death on all humanity, Jesus came as the second Adam, but without sin, to make possible forgiveness and life for all who will believe.

I. Jesus came in humility to meet the need of sinners: He was baptized not because of His own sin, but to identify with sinners (9).

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”

       It was “in those days,” i.e. during the preparatory ministry of John the Baptist, that Jesus appeared publically, ready to initiate his messianic ministry.  Paul pointed to this moment when he said to the Galatians, “When the fullness of time had come...” Remember the setting in Judaism of the first century. After 400 years of prophetic silence, the Jews were now under the oppression of another force: the Romans. There was a widespread longing for the Messiah, a yearning for the Rescuer spoken of in Scripture. Precious few, however, linked His coming with the problem of sin. Most did not understand that the Messiah must suffer and die (cf. Mark 8:31-33).

       Mark doesn’t tell us anything about Jesus’ early life, and like John, He doesn’t mention that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. Simply, “...Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee...” John makes a big deal of it, starting in the first chapter when Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Later, at the feast in Jerusalem, we read in John 7:40-42,  

⁴⁰ When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet."  ⁴¹ Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?  ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"

John mentions this apparent conflict, but then leaves the reader hanging, he never explains that Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem. It seems he is assuming that that tradition is so well known and so well established that he could assume that his readers already knew the answer. Mark doesn’t even mention the place of his birth, only that He came from Nazareth, from Galilee.

       Without giving any details, Mark simply states Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. Consider the circumstances involved, and how shocking this is based on the information we have so far. John was announcing the coming of Messiah, he was the forerunner who would prepare the way.  And John’s baptism was associated with a call to repentance.   Now put those facts up against what we know so far about Jesus. He is Messiah, Son of God, and more than that, in light of Mark applying Mal 3:1 and Isa 42:3 to Him, verses that spoke of YAHWEH, Jesus is the Lord God, He is God the Son! God is Holy, sinless. If John’s ministry was preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry, why would Jesus go to him and submit to baptism?

       That brings us to the heart of the Gospel. Jesus was without sin. But He came to save sinners, by being our substitute.  So even as he went down into the waters of the Jordan, the same water symbolically polluted by the sins of the people who were being baptized by John, Jesus indicated His purpose, to take our sins in His body.  He who was sinless, would be made sin for us. Think about the Maine Idea* here: Whereas Adam brought sin and death on all humanity, Jesus came as the second Adam, but without sin, to make possible forgiveness and life for all who will believe.

II. He is God the Son, sent by the Father and Anointed by the Spirit for His messianic work (10-11).

¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." 

       Just a side point at the beginning of verse 10, “...when he came up out of the water...” is most naturally describing a baptism by immersion. It seems clear that was what John was doing, and it seems certain that that is what the post-Pentecostal church practiced as well. It seems a little radical, to be immersed in water, but it symbolizes our unity with Christ in his death and resurrection (see Rom 6). 

       The ESV is a little weak on translating the verb, “...he saw the heavens opening...” [I noticed after publishing this post that the 2011 edition of the ESV corrected this using the phrase, 'He saw the heavens being torn open...' SN.]  It’s the verb schizo that usually has a stronger sense, “split, tear open.” Mark only uses this verb twice. The first is here, near the beginning of the gospel. The second is near the end, in 15:38, when the veil of the Temple is torn in two, from the top to the bottom. Think of the symbolism of that: the veil, separating the Holy of Holies, the place of God’s symbolic presence was ripped open, from the top to the bottom, only God could do that. And here in our context, Jesus sees heaven itself “torn open,” as the Spirit descends to anoint Him for his messianic work. Almighty God is reaching down into His fallen creation. John said it in his gospel explicitly, “The Word was God... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] for a while among us...”

       Mark speaks of Jesus seeing the theophany of the Spirit’s descent and hearing the voice of the Father.  Whether John or the others present heard it he leaves as an open question. I think in comparing the gospels we can be sure that at least John did. Mark wants to emphasize what the Father said, the full import of His declaration. It seems God intentionally brought together three Old Testament scriptures to make it clear who Jesus is. He said in Mark 1:11,

“You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”

   1) He alludes to Psalm 2:7b, "...You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”

   2) He may allude to Genesis 22:2, where God tells Moses “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there...” Mark is showing us who Jesus is, and he is reminding us why He came. As Abraham was prepared to offer his beloved son on the mountain, the Father in fact offered His beloved Son, as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

   3) A third text reflected here is Isaiah 42:1, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights [i.e. “with whom you are well pleased”]; I have put my Spirit upon him...” Remember he just referred in Isa 40:3 a couple of verses back, so the reader is already “attuned” to that context. Also, the reader of Mark has just heard the reference to the Spirit which fits exactly with this context in Isaiah.

If God indeed wanted us to think of Ps 2, Gen 22, and Isa 42:1, then he has brought together the three sections of the Hebrew Bible, The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The whole Bible points to Jesus. The reformer John Calvin eloquently said,

He [Christ] is Isaac, the beloved Son of the Father who was offered as a sacrifice, but nevertheless did not succumb to the power of death.

He is Jacob the watchful shepherd, who has such great care for the sheep which he guards.

He is the good and compassionate brother Joseph, who in his glory was not ashamed to acknowledge his brothers, however lowly and abject their condition.

He is the great sacrificer and bishop Melchizedek, who has offered an eternal sacrifice once for all.

He is the sovereign lawgiver Moses, writing his law on the tables of our hearts by his Spirit.

He is the faithful captain and guide Joshua, to lead us to the Promised Land.

He is the victorious and noble king David, bringing by his hand all rebellious power to subjection.

He is the magnificent and triumphant king Solomon, governing his kingdom in peace and prosperity.

He is the strong and powerful Samson, who by his death has overwhelmed all his enemies.

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father. If one were to sift thoroughly the Law and the Prophets, he would not find a single word which would not draw and bring us to him. . . . Therefore, rightly does Saint Paul say in another passage that he would know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Wow! He, Jesus, is the culmination of all the revelation of God. The whole Bible points to Him. He is at the heart of God’s story and His redemptive plan. That is the Jesus who took a human nature, and came to make possible our redemption and our reconciliation with God. Does that stir your heart? He loved you that much!  Whereas Adam brought sin and death on all humanity, Jesus came as the second Adam, but without sin, to make possible forgiveness and life for all who will believe.

III. Where Adam failed, Jesus stood firm against the temptations of the Enemy (12-13).

¹² The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  ¹³ And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

       Mark’s account of the temptation of Christ is very concise. We don’t have the details of the temptations and the responses of Jesus.  The account begins in v.12 with the words, “And immediately the Spirit drove Him out into the wilderness...” There was no delay, no time for basking in the anointing of the Spirit and the confirmation of the Father, there was work to do. The word “immediately” [euthus] is used more in Mark than in the rest of the Bible combined. He wants the reader to know that mission requires movement. The language of the Spirit sending Jesus into the wilderness here is pretty strong, sometimes translated “cast out,” the ESV gets the idea with the phrase, “...drove Him out...” Matthew and Luke use a different word, and report that the Spirit “led” Jesus into the desert.  Again, Mark is emphasizing the urgency of the mission. Think about our situation in the world. We are “on assignment.” And sometimes we can feel the pressures of living in a fallen world. Have you ever looked up and asked, “Lord, is this a test?” It probably was! Remember James 1:2-3,  “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness...” (see also I Pet 1:6,7).

       The duration of the temptation in the wilderness is expressed as “...forty days...” That again evokes the Old Testament.  After the Exodus from Egypt, the spies were sent by Moses to spy out the promised land.  They came back with a mixed report: abundance and prosperity of the land, but ten spies were also intimidated and frightened by the fortified cities, and the “giants” in the land. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, said “We can take these guys [with the Lord on our side!].” The people did not accept the minority report. Because of their unbelief, the Jews were in the wilderness forty years, one year for each day the spies were in the land (Num 14:34).  It was a 40 day period of testing, a call to believe, and they failed.  Moses was also on the mountain with God for forty days (Exod 24:18; 34:28). While Moses was there, getting the Ten Commandments, the people were having a wild party. They failed that time of testing.  We don’t know how long it took Adam and Eve to sin—could it have been forty days? Maybe. But now Jesus is tempted by the devil, and He stands firm in the face of the testing. By the way, that wasn’t the last time the devil attacked Jesus. One of the other gospels says “...he departed until an opportune time...” 
     Have you ever been in the midst of trial or temptation and asked, “How long O Lord?” Remember we have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.  Because of Him, we can have victory. 1 Corinthians 10:13, says “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

       Only Mark mentions the detail, “...and He was with the wild animals...” It may be that Mark is simply saying he was alone, no other people were with Him, only the “wild animals.” Perhaps Mark was noting that there was an element of danger in his being alone in the desert.  But consider this: in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament that was in common usage in the first century, the word “wild animals” [therion] first appears five times in Genesis 1 and 2, describing the animals that were part of God’s good creation.  Then, the sixth usage is in Genesis 3:1, where we meet the Serpent, who was more subtle than “all the therion...”  That is a pretty exciting connection, since that is the context of the first temptation, a time of testing that Adam and Eve failed. Their sin brought the curse on creation. And so there would be danger in the wilderness as the man and his wife were driven from the Garden.  The animals that once were docile would now be a threat to humans.  So now Jesus was cast into the desert, and He was “with the wild animals.” There may be a hint, an anticipation of the coming messianic age of blessing spoken of through the prophet,

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  ¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  ²⁰ The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,  ²¹ the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise... (Isaiah 43:18-21).

A new beginning, a new age, is being initiated through the presence of the Son, of that there can be no doubt. Aspects of His kingdom will await His second coming, when

⁶ The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.  ⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  ⁸ The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den... (Isaiah 11:6-8).

Now, as Mark begins his gospel, as he is introducing the public ministry of Jesus, we see a hint of what one day will be realized in the Messiah’s kingdom.  

       As I was looking back in Genesis at the story of the temptation, and considering the reference to the “wild animals,” I looked across the page to another scene (Genesis 4), picturing a temptation being experienced by the third human, the first son of Adam, Cain. God spoke to Cain after he was apparently jealous that his brother’s offering was accepted by God, and his was not. The LORD said,

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it...” (Gen 4:7).

Sin is pictured as an animal (or a demon!) crouching, ready to attack. But notice, we are not helpless: “...you must rule over it...” We know how that worked out: Cain killed his brother Abel. Because of Jesus we can have victory over the temptations of the enemy. Because Jesus stood firm, and made possible our justification by grace through faith, we don’t have to battle the enemy in our own strength. He has given us His Spirit to fill us, guide us, and empower us.

      “...and the angels were ministering to Him...” Could it be an allusion to Psalm 91:11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways...”?  We don’t “see” angels a lot in the New Testament, but they are present, not guarding the entrance to Eden preventing access to the tree of life, but as ministering spirits, sent by God to do His will.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Whereas Adam brought sin and death on all humanity, Jesus came as the second Adam, but without sin, to make possible forgiveness and life for all who will believe.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of the “fake news” that is being played out in the media. And I am thankful for the “Good News” that gives us a sure hope and peace even in the midst of chaos. Adam sinned, and brought death and separation from God on all humanity. Paul said, “By one man sin entered into the world and death through sin. And so death spread to all men, because all have sinned.” As Abraham told Isaac, God, Himself, has provided the Lamb. Because of Jesus, the One who took our sins in his own body on the cross, because of Him we can be reconciled with God. He identified with sinful humanity in submitting to John’s baptism. And he did not succumb to the temptations of Satan. The end of the story? “Jesus wins!” And if you trust Him, so do you. Remember who Jesus is and why He came. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Him.  Consider what that means to you, to your calling to be His witness. Go home and tell your people what great things the Lord has done for you!    Think about that, AMEN.

Messenger Service - Mark 1:1-8

Messenger Service

Mark 1:1-8

Introduction: In Brazil, important documents are delivered around the city of Sao Paulo by messengers on motorcycles, “moto-boys” they are called. Most of them are small motorcycles that can fit in between the lines of traffic, and make their deliveries rather quickly. It is dangerous work!  A pedestrian, a car mirror, an opened car door, a pothole, it doesn’t take much when there is so little space between cars and the bikes are moving so fast for something to go horribly wrong! In the city of Sao Paulo where we lived, every day someone dies in a motorcycle crash.  Yet the messengers have their work to do, they know the risk, and they continue.  They have counted the cost.

       We’ll see in Mark’s Gospel a call to discipleship, an invitation to believe in Jesus, and to follow Him. We’ll also see that Mark doesn’t present an “easy” picture of the Christian life. In presenting Jesus he emphasizes that He came as the suffering servant, the one who would be rejected and bear our sins. And he makes it clear that it won’t be easy for those who follow Jesus. Being a “messenger” is dangerous work, they need to count the cost. One of the most poignant scenes in the gospel comes about half way through. We read in Mark 8:31 – 38...   

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.  ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."  ³⁴ And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. [Don’t miss the connection between the suffering of Christ and the suffering of His followers! SN] ³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?  ³⁷For what can a man give in return for his life?  ³⁸For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."  

We’ll refer to that decisive context as we go through this gospel.

Context: Last week we read Mark 1:1,  “The beginning of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” I watched a video this week that suggested the entire Gospel of Mark can be outlined in terms of three questions: 1) Who is Jesus?; 2) Why did He come?; and 3) What does it mean to follow Him? We’ll be looking at those questions as we go through this gospel. Today’s passage touches on all three.

The Maine* Idea: If we know Christ, personally, as He is, as He has revealed himself to be, our mission is to proclaim Him, and the message of His grace.

I. THE MESSENGER (and messengers!) OF THE LORD: John was called and sent by God with a specific mission (as are we!) [1-3].

² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,  ³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

       First, notice that the Promised Messiah was announced by a messenger in accord with the prophecies written centuries before (2,3).  We sometimes see the New Testament writers subtly alluding to the Old Testament, trusting that his readers would make the connection. Here, Mark underscores John’s mission as being in fulfillment of Scripture by specifically referring to Isaiah (the quotation actually is a composite of Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3). God has spoken and the Prophetic revelation being fulfilled confirms God’s plan... (see Heb 1:1).

       As John announced the coming of Christ, and God would have us to testify that He has come.  John had his role in the unfolding drama of Scripture, and we have ours. He was the announcer, we are the proclaimers.

       The first part of the quotation actually comes from the prophet Malachi...

"Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts... (Mal 3:1).

       The Lord, Yahweh, sends His messenger in Malachi. And then the actual citation from Isaiah in v.3, “...prepare the way of the Lord...” Who is the “Lord” that Mark is referring to in his citation of Isaiah?  Jesus, without a doubt. When we turn to Isaiah 40:3 the Hebrew text is quite enlightening...

³ A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

“LORD,” written with all capital letters, translates the name “Yahweh.”  The parallel phrase reinforces that he is speaking of “...our God.” Mark immediately, at the very beginning of his gospel, shockingly, emphatically, applies this passage, speaking of Yahweh, God, to Jesus. This promised one, the messiah, the coming “Lord,” is Jesus. Who is Jesus? Mark confronts us immediately with a challenge to consider His identity as the God-man, the promised Deliverer spoken of in Scripture.  Do you know Him as He is, as He has revealed Himself to be? Then be assured that our mission is to proclaim Him, and the message of His grace.

II. JOHN’s Message Focused on our Sin Problem (4,5).

⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

       Arrival of the Messenger: “John appeared...” The precursor anticipates the Messiah’s work (4). Mark immediately alludes to the second question. The first question is who is Jesus? The second, why did He come? John came into the world under unlikely circumstances. Zachariah and Elizabeth were old and childless. But God is the Author of life! As he gave Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age, He again overcomes barrenness to send His chosen “spokesman” into the world. John was a voice, like an Old Testament prophet, in the wilderness. The promised one was coming!  As a herald would go before a king, announcing his approach, so John was sent to prepare the way for the Savior, announcing His arrival.

       Notice also that John presents a “correct” perspective on what the Messiah came to do.  He was pointing to the coming One as the answer to the problem of sin. It wasn’t merely the external participation in water baptism that dealt with sin. It was a baptism accompanied by repentance. That word literally refers to a change of mind, and it implies that someone has recognized their sin and turned to God.  Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. Faith is taking God at His word, believing that Jesus is who He claimed to be and trusting in Him as our only hope for forgiveness and life.  Repentance implies recognizing our need, our SIN, our separation from God, and turning from our reliance on self to trusting Him.  

       The response exposes the readiness of hearts (5). God is at work in the hearts of humans. When Mark reports that “All the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to Him...” he is using some oriental hyperbole. The point is not that literally every person from the region went out to John, but rather that a large number, from all over the region, went to him. An audience was being prepared to meet the Savior, the Messiah, Jesus.  By the way that can encourage us as we carry out His mission in the world. We have a challenge in our witnessing. People, for the most part, are dead, blind, and deaf to spiritual things. They CANNOT understand (I Cor 2:14).  We shouldn’t be surprised if they don’t receive the message! But some hearts have been prepared to hear and believe the truth. That is the work of the Spirit, who brings new life. If we know Christ, as He is, as He has revealed himself to be, our mission is to proclaim Him, and the message of His grace.

III. John’s Message pointed to Jesus (6-8). John would later say, “He must increase, I must decrease...” He knew that He was just the messenger, that it was all about Jesus...

⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.  ⁷ And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

John looked and lived like an exile in this fallen world (6).  In 2 Kings we read the story of the LORD sending Elijah to intercept the messengers of Ahaziah who were going to inquire of the prophets of Baal concerning the king’s recovery from an injury. They were met on the way by a rather unusual looking character who brought a message from the true God. We read in 2 Kings 1:6-8...   

⁶ And they said to him, "There came a man to meet us, and said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'"  ⁷ He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?"  ⁸ They answered him, "He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

The message surely helped, but the dress left no question, just by the description Ahaziah immediately knew it was Elijah! Why was John the Baptist’s dress mentioned by Mark? The Jews expected Elijah to return before the coming of messiah, and John the Baptist certainly looked the part! In Malachi 4:5-6a we read,

⁵ "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  ⁶ And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers...

We know that later Elijah appears with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, but Jesus also says that John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” so in a sense he fulfilled that eschatological expectation. We read in Luke’s account the angel’s word to Zechariah,

¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,  ¹⁷ and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared..."  (Luke 1:16, 17).

That was John the Baptist’s ministry, in fulfillment of Scripture. He was announcing the arrival of the promised one, and preaching a message that moved many to recognize their sin, and to look ahead for the Rescuer who was about to appear on the stage of human history.

       John understood his mission was to point people to Jesus (7).  “After me comes one who is mightier than I, the strap of who’s sandal’s I am not worthy to untie...” The lowest servant in a household would undo the sandals of the master and his guests and wash their feet. John expressed his humility by saying that he was unworthy even of that humble task. He knew his calling was specific, to point people to Jesus. Do you understand your calling?  Roughly 3 years after John’s death, after the cross and resurrection of Jesus, the Lord would tell his disciples, “...you shall be my witnesses, starting in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth...” (Acts 1:8).

       Jesus would accomplish salvation, and then send the Spirit to empower and mobilize the church (8). John says his baptism in water wasn’t an end in itself, it pointed forward to what the Messiah would do: baptize them in the Holy Spirit. Water baptism in John’s ministry is not the same as Christian baptism as it is practiced in the church. It was symbolic of cleansing, and like the baptism of proselytes, converts to Judaism, it pointed to a new spiritual beginning.  John is pointing ahead to Pentecost, when Jesus would pour out the Spirit on the church.  The Lord taught the disciples for 40 days after the resurrection. Then, as the time for His ascension drew near, we read in Acts 1:3-5,   

³ To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  ⁴ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;  ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Ten days to be precise. The ministry John predicted would be realized. They had to wait for the pouring out of the Spirit on the church.  Now there is some discussion and disagreement among believers (even in our church family) as to what this “baptism” is.  With humility and respect I suggest the scriptures point to Spirit baptism as the common experience of all true believers in this church age. We see it unfolding in Acts 2 as the Spirit is poured out on the church.  The disciples explain it in terms of the work of God in the last days as He pours out His Spirit. Peter says, “This is that!” It is the new reality of which all true believers in Christ are a part (Rom 8:5-11; I Cor 12:13). We have all been baptized by one Spirit into one body, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

       Now let’s take this back to the calling of John and our calling as the witnesses of Christ. John was preparing the way, looking ahead to the life and work of Jesus, and ultimately of His sending of the Spirit. We, in this post-Pentecost age, have the reality of His presence, to empower and to guide us.  Have you ever thought, “I can’t be a witness, I can’t share my faith. No one would listen!” In your power that is true. God is the one who has to open hearts. Paul talked about that in 2 Corinthians 4:4-7, affirming the need for divine intervention to open the hearts of humans...  

⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  ⁶ For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Remember those three questions: 1) Who is Jesus? The promised messiah. The suffering servant. God, incarnate. 2) Why did He come? To address our sin problem. To make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to Holy God. 3) What does it mean to follow Him? We are called to be His messengers, His witnesses. He doesn’t promise that it will be easy, quite the contrary. Remember, we are pilgrims in this fallen world! That’s the Maine Idea: If we know Christ, our mission is to proclaim Him and the message of His grace.

What would God have me to do in response? How then should we live? The moto-boys in Sao Paulo know they have a job to do, they’ve counted the cost and they are out there. We know how John the Baptist’s story will unfold. He’ll be arrested, and before long, he’ll be martyred.  Some believers, in other parts of the world, realize that might be the cost for them. Everyday people are martyred because they are willing to say, “I have decided to follow Jesus.”  For most of us, the cost is not so literally the ultimate cost.

       I was reading the story of Stephen, the first martyr of the post-Pentecost Church, in Acts 7. He knew what was happening when he was seized by a crowd and dragged out of the city. Still he spoke the truth. And he loved his countrymen, maybe some from his own oikos, he loved them enough that he even prayed for them as they were throwing stones at him to kill him. Most of our friends, relatives and neighbors won’t go that far! 

       Are you praying for those in your sphere of influence?  Have you identified your oikos, the 8 to 15  people that are closest to you in your day to day life? The people that you rub shoulders with on a day to day basis? You have to list them, at least in your mind, preferably on paper, in order to start praying for them. Praying, and looking for opportunities to invite, and opportunities to speak, to maybe give them a tract or a Gospel, and to say that this message, the Gospel, is true, it is real, it has changed your life, and if they are willing, it can change theirs.    Are you willing to be God's messenger?   AMEN.

The Good News and the Mission of God - Mark 1:1

The Good News and the Mission of God

Mark 1:1

Introduction: Some famous first lines in literature sound familiar to us: “Call me Ishmael...” from Moby Dick by Herman Melville. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Here’s a tough one, [you can probably figure it out even if you didn’t read the book] “I am an invisible man...” from Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952). The most famous and recognizable “beginning” in all of literature may be the opening words of Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...” For the Jews, the opening words of the Biblical books were even more recognizable, since they also served as the “title” of the book.  Mark’s opening may intentionally evoke the opening line/title of the book of Genesis, in order to clue the reader to the significance of the story that he is about to relate...

“The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

It is a new beginning, the beginning of the ministry that would make possible a New Creation. I was an awesome moment in God’s unfolding story, the history of redemption.  Mark points immediately to the pinnacle of God’s plan of reconciliation which is found in the sending of the Son, and starts His narrative at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.

       Why study this gospel? We have three others that are longer, seemingly more complete. God, in His sovereignty, gave us four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. None of them is a complete biography, but each one brings a message with unique emphases and urges the reader to believe in Jesus and to follow Him. Most of Mark is also contained in Luke and Matthew, but Mark’s unique, action packed telling of the story of Jesus has a message and emphasis that we need to hear. Tradition tells us that the writer of this gospel is John Mark, probably the same man who is commended by Peter as his spiritual son at the end of I Peter (5:13). The ancient church universally agrees that Mark wrote his gospel based on the preaching and reminiscences of Peter.  

       We meet Mark first in the book of Acts. After Peter is released miraculously from prison in Acts 12, he goes to “...the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying...” (Acts 12:12).  He is the young man who left the missionary team in Acts 13:13, and over whom Paul and Barnabas split in Acts 15:37-40. A few commentators think he was the unnamed young man who fled naked when Jesus was arrested in Mark 15:50-52, only Mark gives that detail. Think of the grace that is reflected in this guy being used of God to record one of the four gospels! He is recording the story from Peter’s perspective, Peter who three times denied Christ, and was restored by Jesus. 

       John Mark, the writer, perhaps the one who fled in humiliation when Jesus was arrested, and who clearly abandoned the team under unknown circumstances on the first missionary journey, who was the cause of Paul and Barnabas having a “sharp dispute” and going their separate ways... That was the writer of one of the four accounts of the life of Jesus. What Grace!  Even before we look at the text, I hope you find encouragement in that. You may feel like something from your past means you are now sidelined, that you have nothing to contribute, or that you have disqualified yourself from service. Think of Peter (the denier, but also the Apostle and leader), think of Mark (the quitter, but also the Gospel writer). Recognize that God’s grace is bigger than your sin. In fact your sin, and my sin, is exactly why He came. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is where this gospel starts, with a summary statement alluding to what Jesus came to do...

The Maine* Idea: Hear the Good News! Jesus, the Son of God, came according to promise to make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to holy God. 

I. The work of Christ is proclaimed in the Gospel: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus...”  This “beginning” is not the creation referred to in Gen 1:1 and John 1:1, but rather the start of the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, that would ultimately accomplish God’s plan to redeem a people for Himself.

       The Gospel. Mark begins by making reference to “the Gospel.” The word itself means “good news” and in a sense it refers to the story of Jesus that he is about to relate. What makes the gospel good news? God sent the Son into the world for a purpose, to address the problem of sin. That is not a popular notion today. People don’t like to admit that left to ourselves we would be lost sinners, without God and without hope.  All people are basically good, right? We all believe in the same god, whatever we happen to call Him, don’t we?  Well, no, we don’t. One summary of the liberal version of the “gospel” is that

A God without wrath bought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross...

The truth is much harder to face. The Gospel is good news precisely because of our sin problem. This week you may have seen an obituary in the local paper that included a simple drawing, picturing two peaks separated by a chasm [http://www.boothbayregister.com/article/jonathan-w-south/81627]. One side is labeled “Holy God,” the other, “Sinful Man.” There is only one way to bridge that gulf, it is pictured by a cross, and labeled Jesus Christ. That is good news! Sin separated us from God, but Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins, to offer forgiveness and life to all who will believe.  Paul points to the work of Christ when he explains in I Corinthians 15:1-3,

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,  ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you- unless you believed in vain.  ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures...

Notice what he says, this is the gospel, the message that saves: Christ died for our sins. He was without sin, and yet he willingly came to be our substitute. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) but He was sinless. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6). He died and was buried, but, hallelujah, the grave couldn’t hold Him. The resurrection proved beyond any question that He is who He claimed to be, and that he did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Notice that Mark relates the name is this savior,

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus...

His name was given to his earthly parents before he was born. We sometimes think about the “meaning” of a name these days, but usually we like the sound of it, or maybe it is chosen to honor someone in the family. In the biblical narrative, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins..." (Matthew 1:21). The name is the Greek form of the name “Joshua” and literally means “Yahweh saves.” His name reflects his purpose in coming, to be our substitute, to pay the price for our redemption, and to call sinners to repentance and faith. He came to make a way for fallen humans to restored to fellowship with God. Do you remember the angel’s word to the shepherds, unto you is born this day a Savior, Christ the Lord. He came to save. That is the Maine Idea! And it is Good News! Jesus, the Son of God, came according to promise to make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to holy God. 

II. The Plan of God was prophesied in the Scriptures: “...the Gospel of Jesus Christ...”

       This detail is one of those things that we could miss as New Testament believers in the 21^st century.  All of our lives we have heard the full expression of the Lord’s name, “Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In fact, other than someone sinfully taking the Lord’s name in vain, the only time we hear the word “Christ” is in reference to Jesus. It was however a word very well known to Jews in the Greco-roman world of Jesus’ day. Literally it meant “The Anointed One” and it was used to translate the Hebrew word, meshiach, or “Messiah.”  There was an anticipation of a coming one, a deliverer, throughout the Old Testament.

       The first hints of a coming deliverer are found in the passage that is called the proto evangelium, the “first good news,” in Genesis 3:15, in the context of the fall, as God is spelling out the consequences of sin, he speaks of a “seed” who would crush the serpent's head. That idea is repeated and developed throughout the scriptures, in the Law, the Prophets, and the writings (see Luke 24:44).

       During the inter-testamental period the messianic expectation was growing.  For the most part, the people hoped in a human deliverer, someone like David or Solomon who could unite the people and lead them to victory over their oppressors, establishing peace and security in the land.  Very few seemed to wrestle with the savior’s role in addressing our sin problem. Much less did they understand that the messiah would suffer, and even die for the sins of His people. The sacrificial system pointed to the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement. They should have understood the words of Isaiah the prophet which spoke of a suffering servant, one who would bear our sins. “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to our own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...” (Isa 53:6). They should have thought about the “Righteous Sufferer” in the Psalms, who seemed to be a king, innocent, yet rejected and suffering. Could this be God’s Messiah?  It could only be the Promised One! And then in the fullness of time, God sent forth the Son. That is the Maine* Idea... And that is Good News! Jesus, the Son of God, came according to promise to make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to holy God. 

III. The Identity of Jesus is revealed in His Sonship: “...the Son of God...”

       One of the titles related to the king, and by extension to the promised son of David, was “Son of God.” We sometimes think that Scriptures like Psalm 2 were purely prophetic of the coming messiah, and ultimately they were. But they were also applied to the king, who, in his leadership of Israel, served as God’s vice-regent, as the representative of his rule before the people. So at the anointing of the king the second psalm would be read, including the oracle, “You are my son, today I have begotten you...” (Ps 2:7). The background to this was the promise that God had made to David in 2 Sam 7:14 when he said that David’s son would be called the son of God. 

       What was true in type for the merely human kings of Israel, was true ontologically for Jesus. He is eternally the Son in relation to the Father, it is His nature. The Son existed from eternity in a face to face relationship with the Father and the Spirit. It was true with respect to His human nature, because Jesus had no biological, human father. As the Son of God He would be born miraculously to a virgin (cf. Isa 7:14). The angel’s announcement to Mary alludes to this extended meaning of the title,

³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."  ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"  ³⁵ And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy- the Son of God... (Luke 1:31-35).

Jesus would be fully man, and fully God. The theological term that is used to describe that paradox is the “hypostatic union.” The eternal divine Son, the Logos who was with God and was God, took upon himself a human nature. There was not (and is not) a human Jesus and a divine Christ, but one person with two natures. I believe Paul refers to this in Philippians 2:6,7,

“...though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  ⁷ but made himself nothing, [by] taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Jesus took upon himself a human nature. God the Son became the God-Man. To undo the sin of Adam. To bridge the chasm that separated sinful humans from Holy God. He came to open a pathway to reconciliation, and that pathway is the way of the cross.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Hear the Good News! Jesus, the Son of God, came according to promise to make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to holy God. 

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Have you trusted Jesus as your only hope of salvation? Have you acknowledged Him as the Lord of your life? The Gospel is a message of Grace, of God’s intervention in history, of the supreme demonstration of unconditional love: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...” His plan for getting that message to the world is US – you and me! Think about the people around you, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers... you are God’s ambassador, his missionary, sent to them to share the Good News of Jesus.  After all He has done for us, will we be found faithful in fulfilling that calling?  Remember what Jesus said to the healed man, “Go, return to your house (oikos) and tell them what the Lord has done for you.”

       As we embrace that mission, we hope to be equipping you to be a follower of Jesus and a witness in all of our teaching in this church. We want to have resources available like Gospels of John and tracts that you can give to the people you encounter. We also want to encourage you to invite the people around you to come and hear the truth. Jon’s faith was shared yesterday and in his obituary. No doubt hundreds heard the Gospel. Easter is just ahead, a time when some might be open to an invitation. Be praying now about who you can invite.

       Even now, as we prepare our hearts to share in the table the commemorates the sacrifice that bought our redemption, let us repent of the sin of complacency, and determine in our hearts to love our oikos, our household, the people that God has sovereignly and strategically placed in our extended sphere of influence, let us commit to praying for them, and asking God for the opportunity to give a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus. The table invites us to look back on His sacrifice, and also remember that we celebrate this ordinance “until He returns.” We don’t know the time, but now is the day of salvation!            AMEN.