"Seeing is Believing" John 9:35-41

Seeing is Believing: Or, Spiritual Blindness Exposed! John 9:35-41

Introduction: I have never been a big fan of roller coasters. I’ve reluctantly ridden a few in my life but I just don’t particularly enjoy having my stomach tied in knots while I’m trying to figure which way is up! I remember the first roller coaster I rode, as the car slowly chugged up the hill I started having second thoughts and started looking around for a way off… there was none! With my bad neck I don’t think I’ll ever ride on another one! Some of you probably love them, no problem. No one enjoys the dips, dives and flips we sometimes experience in life. The blind man in John 9 experienced the highest of highs—for the first time in his life, he saw! And then, the leaders of the synagogue descend on him, his pastors and elders, his community leaders, and he is given the “third degree.” As a result, just because he only spoke the truth about what had happened, he was finally evicted from the synagogue, the center of Jewish life and culture. Rejected by his religious leaders, effectively banned from the community center and “church”, and so he was separated from his friends, his community, maybe even his family. What had happened, and why? In the short paragraph we look at today at the end of John 9 the healed man is approached by his Healer. And he who received physical sight now comes into the full light, and now with 20/20 vision, recognizes Jesus—he come to know “the Light of the World.” The Big Idea: Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

I. Seeing is believing: Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus (35-39).

The Old Testament prophets used a lot of images to describe the future work of the coming Messiah—one is that he would come and “open the eyes of the blind.” In those prophecies as here, I think both physical and spiritual healing is in mind. For example we read in Isaiah 35:5-6,

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.”

First, we see that “Spiritual sight results from divine initiative.” Just as Jesus “took notice” of the man initially, and called him and his plight to the attention of his disciples, now, after the healing, Jesus goes and finds the man again after he is cast out of the synagogue (v.35), “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him…” Remember the song “Amazing Grace,” “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” The man hadn’t been actively seeking healing (if he was, John doesn’t tell us about it). Unlike Bartimeus who had heard of Jesus and shouted for him as he passed by, this man was passively sitting there, waiting for alms from the passersby. After the healing there is no indication that he went looking for Jesus, but, Jesus found him. He had an even greater work to do, to open the man’s heart to the true and living God. Where were you when you met Jesus? Or rather, when He met you? Can you look back and recognize you were blind, and that He came to you, seeking you in your darkness? We also see here that “Spiritual sight is evidenced by faith” (v.35b-36). This is one of those “Chicken and the Egg” questions. We like to have our theology all worked out into a nice system—which comes first, life, the ability to see, or faith? The Calvinist says blind men can’t see and dead men can’t believe. The Arminian says faith is the response of seeing and believing the truth. “He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ 36 He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’" (I am going to get out it for now by saying John uses “faith” two ways, initial faith, which only happens when God works a miracle in the heart and mind, opening our understanding, and “continuing faith,” as we respond to his revelation, taking God at His word. We’ll dig into this question more in John 10). The healed man was ready. In dealing with the leaders he had “thought through” the implications of the sign that had been done. He could see the truth even if they couldn’t—God had to be in this! He lived his life in darkness—now the light was shining. And, to adapt the words of the Apostle Paul, the God who commanded the Light to shine out of the darkness, shined in his heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It’s also shown that “Spiritual sight recognizes Jesus” (v.37-38a). “And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ 38 Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’" The man had heard Jesus, but remember he was blind, and Jesus put mud in his eyes and sent him away—he had never seen Him, until now. ***Do you long to see Jesus?

The hymn writer Fanny Crosby wrote more than 8000 gospel songs. Although blinded as an infant she never held any bitterness in her heart because of it. Once a preacher remarked “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised clergyman. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my savior.” Some who are physically blind see more clearly than most of us!

Spiritual sight not only recognizes Jesus, but also responds to Him (“…and he worshipped Him…”) (v.38b). This is crucial to the point John is making: this man worshipped Jesus. John is writing his gospel to help us understand more fully and more correctly who Jesus is. The prolog of the gospel is almost shockingly abrupt in stating it at the outset, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Thomas finally gets it after seeing the resurrected Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Only God is to be worshipped. The healed man recognized Jesus for who He really is, and responded to Him. Worship is our right response to the Lord, when we understand who he really is, when we sense something of his character, his holiness, his love… “Worship” means to “prostrate oneself, fall down before…” the One we worship. We respond to Him not only as the “famous One” but as our God. We love Him, adore Him, praise Him, give Him thanks for life, for salvation, for every good thing we experience. He is not just our friend, He is El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, the Great I AM. He is the one Isaiah saw when he got a glimpse of his Majesty, the train of his robe filling the temple, the Serphim covering their faces singing Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. John says of Jesus, “we saw His glory.” I am going to ask you a personal question. It is a deep question that requires a thoughtful answer. Have you worshipped today? You might think, “Of course I’ve worshipped, I’m in church am I not?” Have you really recognized His presence and bowed your heart before Him? *** Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

II. Blindness to the truth: Rejection of Jesus (39-41). The response of the religious leaders shows us the other side of the coin, the other effect of the Light shining in the darkess:

Jesus will expose Spiritual blindness and judge unbelief. John 9:39 “And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." You can’t cure a blind man by turning up the light. The light was shining brightly—and the blind leaders still didn’t see. Their unbelief exposed their blindness. Spiritual blindness is refusal to see our need. John 9:40-41 “Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.” John Calvin explained this passage beautifully: “He is blind who, aware of his own blindness, seeks a remedy to cure his disease. In this way the meaning will be, “If you would acknowledge your disease, it would not be altogether incurable; but now because you think that you are in perfect health, you continue in a desperate state.” When he says that they who are blind have no sin, this does not excuse ignorance, as if it were harmless, and were placed beyond the reach of condemnation. He only means that the disease may easily be cured, when it is truly felt; because, when a blind man is desirous to obtain deliverance, God is ready to assist him; but they who, insensible to their diseases, despise the grace of God, are incurable.” The Pharisees didn’t see their own need, they were blind leaders of the blind, and they didn’t even know it. Jesus is saying the first step toward seeing the Light of the World is recognizing the darkness of our own heart.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

Some of you have spent some time on some roller coasters—and I am not talking about amusement park rides. You’ve experienced blessing and success, but also heart break and pain… As disorienting as life can be at times, Jesus is the Rock, the firm foundation, the fortress, the comfort in a time of storm. Do you see him in the midst of the turmoil? Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

The miracles recorded in the Gospel of John are called “signs” because they point behind the act as a demonstration of power, to the miracle worker, and reveal something more about who He is. Here we are reminded that He is the Light of the World— Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For it is the God who [In the beginning…] commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Have you worshipped yet today? If Jesus walked down this aisle right now, what would you do? As he looked into your eyes, knowing that he knows you, and even so, loves you, how would you respond? The healed man worshipped Him, will you?

I SEE, SAID THE BLIND MAN

This manuscript is the fuller text of what I intended to preach on Sunday, due to the busy day it was abbreviated…

I SEE, SAID THE BLIND MAN John 9:5-34

Introduction: God gave us ten commandments, but honestly, we hardly get past the first before we are in trouble and fall short! Most sin amounts to some form of idolatry, that is, there is something that we set up and put in the place of God. Often, it is our minds, our “reason,” that usurps the place that belongs to Him. We think it is up to us to decide what is “reasonable” and therefore “true.” The miracle stories in the Bible make it clear that human reason is limited because our minds are corrupted, tainted by sin. That is one of the things that John is showing in his Gospel: the evidence was incontrovertible, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The miracles were clear and convincing proof that Jesus came from God and that He spoke the truth, therefore He was who He claimed to be. Yet repeatedly we see the religious leaders rejecting Him, blind to the evidence that was right before their eyes. The healing of the man born blind is the sixth miracle leading up to the cross and resurrection. The response to this sign is shown in greater detail, I believe intentionally; to give us an example of the kind of “investigation” that perhaps typically followed the reports of Jesus’ miracles. It is a story that really is a kind of “historical parable.” It shows the power of God working through Jesus as the man is healed. It also shows the contrasting responses to the “sign.” The healed man gradually is led to understand who Jesus is, and responds to Him in worship. The religious leaders have their minds made up—they will not believe, they cannot consider the possibility that Jesus is who He claimed to be. They are exposed as blind men, spiritually speaking. This story makes it clear that our mission cannot be simply the human attempt to disseminate the facts of the Gospel to as many people as possible (see Acts 1:8). Our mission has to be carried out in the power of the Spirit with the recognition that something supernatural needs to happen: People are blind and need God to open their eyes in order to believe. Light has come into the world, and… Big Idea: When our eyes are opened by God we see the truth & are led into greater light. Those who refuse to see are exposed as truly blind. The Setting (9:1-5; cf. 20:30,31): A man blind from birth: Why? It was neither sin from the parents or the man’s own sin, but the plan of God to reveal Himself in what He was about to do. The miracles were “signs” because they were revelation. Just as certainly as the words of Jesus revealed something about his identity, work, and will for humans, so did the miracles reveal His glory. Remember the words of John in chapter 1:14: “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth… No man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.”

I. The Revelation of the Light of the World: The Signs Jesus did revealed His identity (6-12).

The means: We see examples in the NT of Jesus laying on hands, sending people to the temple, healing from a distance, here, he makes clay and puts it on the man’s eyes, and, like Elisha and Naaman in 2 Kings 5, He sends him away to wash… Do you remember that story? Naaman, commander of the Syrian army contracted leprosy. He learned from a captive Israelite girl that there was a great prophet in Samaria named Elisha. So he was sent with a letter of introduction and a tremendous gift of silver and gold to Israel. Elisha sends word: go and wash seven times in the Jordan and you will be healed. At first Naaman was angry, I come all this way and you tell me to take a bath?—but finally he acquiesced and did as he was instructed, and he was healed. At some point the obedience required faith. This man has mud put in his eyes, and is told to go and wash—he believes Jesus enough to go do as he is told, and he is healed. A little faith led to the miracle. I don’t believe that the Bible teaches that if we have enough faith we can claim physical healing (in this life—ultimately God will heal as He will give us a new, glorified body!). Yet we are told to pray, including prayer for those with a physical need of healing. It seems that this healing was a “miraculous sign” intended to bring glory to God, to reveal to those who had eyes to see that Jesus is the Son of God. The message of this story and the message of this Gospel is a call to believe Jesus, a call to believe in Him as God the Son, our one and only Savior. *** When our eyes are opened by God we see the truth and are led into greater light. Those who refuse to see are exposed as truly blind.

II. Obstacles to the Faith: One obstacle is that humans are sinners blind to the truth (13-23)!

Light illuminates the way for those who will believe, it also exposes what is hidden in the darkness, our sin… o Unbelief and legalism (13-17). Another obstacle can be “religion” in the form of “legalism.” Legalism is contrary to the doctrines of God’s grace, yet we easily fall into the trap. Somehow we can forget that Christianity is all about a personal relationship with God, through faith in Jesus and his finished work. *Remember the story about the young pastor who discovered the roads were blocked and the only way he could get to church was skating on the river? The elders were angry that he would be such a bad example as to ice skate on a Sunday. Finally one asked, “Did you enjoy it?” “Not really,” he replied. “Well then, I guess it is ok.” The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath! o Unbelief and “peer pressure” (18-23). Another obstacle to faith is “peer pressure.” Most of us will admit that we like the approval and acceptance of people, the question is, how far are we willing to go to get it. The blind man’s parents knew that if they said anything favorable about Jesus it would mean excommunication—being thrown out of the synagogue. For them that would mean separation from friends, family, their community. It was a price they were unwilling to pay. We usually reserve the term “peer pressure” for teens because we remember what it was like in high school – everyone wants to fit in, to be accepted, to be popular. It doesn’t stop there… in the work place, among neighbors and acquaintances, to we try to “blend in” or are we willing, when it is appropriate, to say something about the Truth? We need boldness to speak the truth in love. *** When our eyes are opened by God we see the truth and are led into greater light. Those who refuse to see are exposed as truly blind.

III. Revelation and Reason: The “natural man” is unable to discern spiritual truth, but God is able to open our eyes to His truth (24-34).

Most often, when someone ways, “I don’t believe that God is like that…” or, “My God wouldn’t do that…” the God they are talking about is one they have fashioned in their own mind based on what seems “right” or “reasonable” to them. Should we base our understanding of God on our “reason” or on His revelation? The God who “is” has spoken. He has revealed Himself. In fact, He took upon Himself a human nature and walked for awhile among us. “Give God the glory!...” (v.24). Think about the irony of what they are saying. In the works of Jesus His glory is revealed, John 1:14b says, “…We have seen His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father…” Yet their minds and hearts are so hardened that they have decided that God would be glorified in denying Jesus, “We know this man is a sinner…” What the truth is, is that they had decided they would not believe, their idea of “religion” was so ingrained that they could not even consider the facts that were right before their eyes. The dialog here is almost comical as the man who was blind logically follows the implications of his healing, and he becomes the teacher. Read v.25, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: though I was blind, now I see.” Just the facts! He isn’t an expert, doesn’t have all the answers, but simply and in a straight forward way relates his experience. They can’t deal with the facts, John 9:26-27

“Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?"

The blind man sees their hearts, and he now, with maybe a little sarcasm [!], he becomes their teacher.

John 9:28-33 “Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. 29 "We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." 30 The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 "Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 "If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."

Finally in V.34, The rulers can’t take it any more: How dare you teach us?! And they put him out. Who are the blind ones now?

What is God saying to me in this passage?

When our eyes are opened by God we see the truth and are led into greater light. Those who refuse to see are exposed as truly blind.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Paul spoke of the coming of the Light of the World when he said, 2 Cor 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Have you believed in the Light of World? It may be that as you are hearing the story of the healing of the blind man you have been feeling a tugging at your heart, you’ve been feeling a hopefulness that there is something real here, something you need, something you long for. The same God who spoke and created the universe may be shining his light on your heart at this very moment. Will you trust Him? It’s as simple as A.B.C… First, Admit that you are a sinner, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Believe that Jesus died for your sins on cross, that He was buried and raised again the third day. And then Confess Him as the saviour and Lord of your life. The Scripture says, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It may be that you are a believer but you feel there is so much you don’t understand. Keep reading, praying, seeking… Light exposes our need, it also leads the way, so that we can experience the abundant life of blessing that God wants us to have. One of our men this week said he just discovered, in a new way, that God speaks to us in his Word. Hear Him today. Amen.

Give Thanks for Godly Mothers!

Give Thanks for Godly Mothers! 2 Timothy 1:3-7

Introduction:

Our theme for last week’s message was the question of suffering, and we reflected on the truth that we are living in a world under the curse, affected by sin and infected with the consequences of sin. A couple of book titles in my library reflect the challenge of parenting today: “Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World,” and “Parenting isn’t for Cowards”! Today I am speaking about mothers, though fathers have been delegated the responsibility as the leader and chief shepherd of the family, the plain truth is that mothers, by virtue of the time and opportunity they have to teach and guide their children usually have the greatest impact on them. The “world” offers powerful temptations to our children and poses tremendous obstacles to faith, but a godly mother, by word and example, can guide them toward the truth. Famous men throughout history have stated the impact their mothers had on them: -George Washington: “The greatest teacher I ever had was my mother.” -Abraham Lincoln: “All that I am, and all that I ever hope to be I owe to my mother…” He also said, “…no man is poor when he has a godly mother.” -Emerson: “Men are what their mothers make them.” -The story is told of a London editor who submitted to Winston Churchill a list of all the teachers he had had throughout his life. Churchill returned the list with the comment: “You have omitted to mention the greatest of my teachers—my mother.” When we consider the obstacles to godly living and the evil in the world, If a mother had to face the job of parenting in her own strength, it could be overwhelming. Ideally, she shares the task with her husband. But whether or not she has that support, thank God he has given His guidebook, and he promises the presence of his Spirit to lead us.

The Big idea: A godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity: He has given us His Word, and he has promised us His presence.

I. The Problem in Raising a Godly Heritage: S-I-N.

Last we talked about the problem of evil, and the challenge of living the life of faith in the presence of the difficulties we struggle with in this world. The plain truth is this is a sinful world and in this letter Paul warns Timothy how bad things are going to get (cf. 2 Tim 3:1-5,12,13). We see how secular and relativistic our nation is becoming – with mass media and internet the filled with bad influences, with secular education espousing a worldview that contradicts Christian Theism, raising kids today is a challenge. Eunice raised Timothy in a pagan society—you are not the first. This is a sinful world, but to make the task of mothers more challenging, …Our children are born sinners – Psalm 58:3 says “Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.” David recognized in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” If you are a parent you already know that is true. I’ve heard one of our ladies say “I haven’t seen a child yet that needed to be taught to sin.” We’re born sinners! Our children are sinners, but its also true of parents, mothers and fathers alike, we are sinners, so we make mistakes. I recall some years back hearing a speaker on the “Focus on the Family” radio broadcast recalling a time he came home and found crayon all over the front of the TV screen… He went and asked his young son if he had anything to tell him… How did that happen?... Finally, he confessed… The next day a friend who had visited the day before called, apologizing for her daughter, who had confessed that she had colored on their TV screen while visiting the day before! We will at times fail to be consistent, we may even punish an innocent child. I remember my cousin’s son, at age 5 or so, speaking to his parents of the discipline they administered the previous day, “You made my heart bleed when you did that, I’m only a little boy!” But don’t despair, though the task of parenting is formidable, a godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity: God has given us his Word, and he has promised us his presence.

II. We see The Possibility of a Godly Heritage in the example of Timothy: The Good News is that God will give us as believers what we need to raise our kids well.

It is a bad world… but don’t despair! It’s a bad world, but today’s parents are the first to have challenges. Think of the world Moses was born into, a slave, Pharaoh ordered the death of the male children, God still enabled his mother to impact his life. God has given us His Word, and promised us his presence! N.B. v. 5, Timothy was marked by a “sincere faith” for which Paul thanked God… It is fairly clear that Timothy’s mother did not have an ideal situation, yet she was able in the midst of an immoral world to raise a child who made a positive impact for Christ. Acts 16:1 indicates Timothy’s father was a Greek. Paul makes no mention of him here, which may imply that he wasn’t a believer. Yet Eunice, guided by the example of her own mother Lois, made a positive lifelong impact on her Son. Paul could see the faith of Eunice and Lois, a sincere, authentic trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, was now evident in the life of Timothy. “Unfeigned faith…”, authentic, genuine trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. ***Though the task is formidable, a godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity: He has given us his Word, and he has promised us his presence.

III. The Promise of a Godly Heritage: We can affect the life, the character, and the eternity of our children.

Churchill said: “If we want to change our nation, begin by enlisting the mothers.” 2 Timothy 1:5 5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. With all the uncertainties of living in a Fallen World, we can influence our children toward coming toward the truth. Prov. 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Someone said, “The lessons of the cradle go all the way to the grave.” By what we teach and model, we help develop their character, notice 2 Timothy 3:15, “...from childhood you have known the holy scriptures…” Archbishop Leighton said “fill the bushel with good wheat and there will be no room for chaff and rubbish.” The world will supply plenty of chaff, we need to take responsibility as Christian families and as the Church helping our families, to add the good Wheat! *It goes two ways with kids: Cardinal Wolsey spoke of Henry 8th and said, “Be well advised and assured what you put in his head, for you shall never pull it out again.” Every mother wants to care for their child and give them good things, nothing could be better than introducing them to the savior. From childhood Timothy heard the Scriptures, which are able to make one wise unto salvation. He has given us his Word, and he has promised us his presence. We have truth, and we have God: a godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity.

IV. The Potential of a Godly Heritage: We can affect not only our children, but our children’s children, and the innumerable other lives they touch.

Someone once asked DL Moody how many converts he had had at a meeting. He replied, “Two and a half.” “Do you mean two adults and a child?” “No,” he replied. “Two children and an adult.” An adult’s life is half gone, a child has their who life in front of them! Notice that Paul mentions not only Eunice, but also Lois. In referring to the faith of Timothy, it seemed important enough for Paul to mention two generations of believers in that family. As a godly mother by word and example teaches her children, she is potentially affecting not only them, but also their children and grandchildren. And think of the lives that Timothy touched! Paul was himself encouraged by Timothy, and the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy have encouraged the church for over 19 centuries. Paul encouraged Timothy to pass the things he knew on to others (2 Tim 2:2) “The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these….” Cf. Titus 2:3-5, teaching and learning never stops. As long as we are here, we have responsibility to and for one another.

What is God saying to me in this text?

A godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity: He has given us his Word, and he has promised us his presence.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Mothers’ day can be a time of mixed emotions, for some who have never been a parent, or who have tragically lost a child, or others who perhaps gone through an abortion, there can be an emptiness, others may be conscious of mistakes they have made, some feel sorrow over estranged or rebellious children who seem far from God. Some may feel sadness about a mother who wasn’t a mom, or grief over a mother who has passed away. What ever your history or your situation, God’s mercies are new every morning – He is faithful. -If you had the example of a godly mother, be thankful for her – if she is still alive make sure to thank her today. -If you are a parent and have a prodigal, know that he or she is responsible for their choices: Proverbs 1:8 says “Hear my son your Father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching…” The very fact that that admonition is given indicates it is a possibility. If you have a prodigal, don’t despair, pray, be an example, love them, entrust them to God. We want today to especially honor the mothers present in our body, and to encourage you (and your partners in parenting!): The task of parenting is formidable, but you have in His Word and His presence godly mother has what she needs to impact her children for eternity.

If God is good, why do we suffer? John 9:1-5

If God is Good, why do we suffer? John 9:1-5 Introduction: The statistics in the Compassion presentation this morning are heart breaking—children starving to death every day around the world. We are bombarded with news of people in pain and suffering hardship and injustice. This week you probably saw the story of a family of seven traveling on the Bronx River Parkway in NYC– the driver loses control, hits the concrete divider, veers across several lanes of traffic, crashes through a guard rail, and plummets 60 ft. off an embankment – all seven die, including three children. Tragedies are in the news every week… In our own town a house fire and a fishing accident suddenly ended two lives last week. And Christians are not exempt. Just look at our prayer list and we are reminded that believers and their families suffer and experience trials just like the world around us. The five year anniversary of the death of my Hebrew professor from seminary just passed. He was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to his lungs and eventually his brain. His wife and four children watched him struggle with treatment for a little over a year before the end came. He kept a blog and a year after his diagnosis, a month before his death, he wrote,

…We have grieved, but always with hope in the resurrection we have through faith in Christ. While we would not have chosen it this way, we have seen God’s goodness, nearness, steadfast love, and faithfulness in unprecedented fashion. We have rested in the reality that he is absolutely in control and He is good.

The story of Joni Erickson Tada is another example of this: a 17 year old girl dives off a float in the Chesapeake Bay and hits her head, snapping back her neck. She was stunned for several seconds and realized she couldn’t move and something terrible had happen. Her spinal cord had been severed, and she was paralyzed for life. It wasn’t long before that that she had given her life to the Lord. How could He allow such a tragedy in her life? She struggled and gradually came to the point of accepting God’s presence in her life in the midst of her pain, ministered to others faithfully for 40 years, and then a couple of years ago was diagnosed with breast cancer! If we have a God who is good, who is all powerful, and also loving, why is there such suffering in the world? A famous story from over a century ago is that of Horatio Spafford. In the 1870s Spafford was a successful Chicago lawyer and businessman, and a close friend of evangelist D.L. Moody. Spafford had invested heavily in real estate, but the Chicago fire of 1871 wiped out his holdings. His son had died shortly before the disaster. Spafford and his family desperately needed a rest so in 1873 he planned a trip to Europe with his wife and four daughters. While in England he also hoped to help Moody and Sankey with their evangelistic tour. Last minute business caused Spafford to delay his departure, but he sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the S. S. Ville Du Havre as scheduled, promising to follow in a few days. On November 22 the ship was struck by the English ship Lochearn, and it sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the survivors landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband the brief message, "Saved alone." How do you survive crises like these? How do you go on? Today’s text tells us the story of Jesus and his disciples meeting a man who had been born blind. We can only imagine the experience of his parents as he came into the world. Joy and excitement—a son! What a blessing from God. And then realizing, oh God, he’s blind! No “braille” to help him read, nor special education to help him become independent—he would almost surely be a beggar for the rest of his life. Why God? What did we do to deserve this? Have you heard that question? Have you asked it? The Bible doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does point us to the One who is the answer. The Big Idea: Even in the painful situations of life we can be assured that God is good, and that He is working everything together for our good, and for His glory.

I. The Problem of suffering: There is suffering and injustice in the world.

Read John 9:1, “And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.” That is the issue this story begins with. Where does it come from? Why does God allow it? We might add, why, for Heaven’s sake, do Christians have to go through it? First of all, the Bible makes it clear that God created a world that was a paradise. He planted a garden in the midst of it and placed the first humans there. A sinless man and a sinless woman, in a paradise without pain, sickness, suffering and death. God gave them everything they could possibly need, and they lived happily ever after, right? Wrong! Inexplicably, the sinless man and his wife succumbed to the temptation of the evil one. Augustine pondered the truth that they were created without sin, so they were able not to sin, but they also were created with free will, so inherently they were able to sin, the possibility was there. Suffering and hardship and pain and death are not normal. The point is that when we see suffering and sickness, tragedy and pain, death and injustice, that is the result of human rebellion against God. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that “By one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned.” So there is a connection between sin and suffering, but not the connection the disciples were assuming. We can’t point to individual suffering and say it is the consequence of their personal sin. Many times I’ve had people come to me in the midst of horrific suffering and ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” They wonder if God is punishing them for something they did, or if He is unjust and they don’t deserve what He’s giving them. More often they are simply trying to make sense of what’s happening. Losing a job, a bad report from a doctor, a sudden accident and a serious injury, a break up of a family… It is normal and good in the midst of crises, and to cry out to God. The Psalms are full of the pleas of God’s people in the midst of their pain (See Psalm 3:1, 13:1, etc.). *God understands, we have a High Priest who can sympathize with us, He was tested in all point like as we are, yet without sin. There isn’t much doubt that this blind man’s parents cried out to God, why? What now? It’s probable that he did as well: Why am I different from everyone else? There aren’t easy answers, but we can be assured that… Even in the painful situations of life God is good, and that He is working everything together for our good, and for His glory.

II. The Purpose of suffering: Why do bad things happen to good people?

The disciples saw two possibilities, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind?” The purpose had to be that God was punishing, or at least chastening someone, right? Rabbi Kushner posed addressed the problem of suffering and the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” in a book by that title in 1981 and he was by no means the first. The church has approached the issue and struggled with it through the centuries. To the world it is usually assumed that either God is not all that good, or he is not all that powerful (that was essentially Kushner’s conclusion, “God can’t do everything, but he can do some important things”!). Biblical Christianity takes a more complex view: God is good, God is sovereign, He is so awesome that He is working together a master plan that is good, even over-ruling even the sinful acts of humans and the consequences of the Fall to accomplish His good purpose. The truth is we may never know “why” in specific cases, but we can know that God is working is working out His good plan in the world (vv.2-3).

John 9:2-3 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.

First, we see a wrong presupposition: The disciples thought that personal suffering must be related directly to personal sin. Surely either his parents had sinned or, the Jews of the time thought it was possible for someone to sin even while still in the womb, and so he was born blind as a direct consequence. The Hindu idea of “karma” has found its way into a lot of popular American theologies that allow for previous lives influencing the status or conditions that a person might experience in this life. None of that is biblical. It is appointed unto humans to die once, after that the judgment. The biblical world view is different in that it recognizes a bigger picture: God is good, and He is sovereignly working behind the scenes, causing all things to work together for our good and for his glory, even in the painful situations of life.

III. Our Purpose in Suffering: Jesus’ response really turns the question of the disciples completely around.

Rather than answering questions we might have about the sovereignty of God and the origin of evil, He points us back to God. We may not know why things happen, but we can focus on pointing people to Jesus, the One who endured suffering so that we could be saved (vv. 4-5). Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me…” (Phil 4:13). Because we are in Christ we can thrive in every circumstance of life. A. In 9:4 He says, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work…” Literally it says “It is necessary (dei)[often used of a “divine requirement”] to work the works of Him who sent me…” Some translations take that as “I must” (KJV, NKJV), others “we must” (NIV, NASB). Both are true. As the Scripture reminds us, we are His body, we are light in the world. While we are here we have a mission to carry out. Wednesday night we’ve been reading through the story of Joseph. This week was the amazing story of how Joseph was elevated from his position of imprisonment to second in command over all of Egypt. The account goes on to say that God gave Joseph two sons: Manasseh, which means “making forgetful,” he said “…for God has caused me to forget all my toil…” and Ephraim, “fruitfulness,” for “….God had caused him to be fruitful in the land of my affliction…” The point is, God didn’t take J. out of the land of his affliction, he blessed him in it (Joseph understood, see Gen 45:5-8; 50:19-21!). Jesus said in v.5 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” We know the story, the cross is the prelude to the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension into heaven. From there He sends the Spirit to empower the church – His “sent ones” (He’ll say in this Gospel, “As the Father has sent me, so send I you…”). As Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, we are His body in the world. WE are the light of the world. One way our light shines is our response to the trials we face. Another is our willingness to come alongside those who are suffering, not with easy answers, but to show them Jesus. What is God saying to me in this passage? Even in the painful situations of life we can be assured that God is good, and that he is working everything together for our good, and for His glory. He understands our pain and stuggles in this life. We have a High priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, he was tested in all points like as we are, yet without sin. And just as Adam brought death and the curse, Jesus provided the way to life: Hebrews 12:2-3

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”

As he blogged, just a few weeks before passing into the presence of his Lord, Al Groves reflected on some lessons God was teaching him:

First, God has continued to be a father to me. He still ferrets out the issues in my heart and leads me in repentance. The need for sanctification never ends; difficult circumstances have not given me a free pass. My failure to respond well to people or to reach out to others has been particularly an area in which I have been challenged. As painful as this kind of ‘heart’ surgery can be, I am reminded each time he puts his finger on something that he is there and is ever loving me. It may seem strange to some, but he shows his fatherly love and concern by continuing to love me through discipline (Heb 12:5-6). Secondly, as I already mentioned, we have peace and hope afresh in the resurrection, and we are learning about grieving with hope. Thirdly, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, we are not alone. We walk with one who has walked it already and has emerged alive on the other end, who leads us through that valley, and who will lead out to life all who trust him. We have had wonderful care, which we see as part of God’s providential hand in sustaining us. God alone heals. He does so in many ways. Sometimes his purposes are best served as we put off the perishable and put on the imperishable. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be his name.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Remember Horatio Spafford? He made the ocean crossing to meet his grieving wife, and sailed near the place where his four daughters had drowned. There, in the midst of his sorrow, he wrote these unforgettable words that have brought solace to so many in grief:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blessed assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Amen.

Who do you think He is?

Who do you say that He is? John 8:48-59

Introduction: We return to the scene we left a few weeks back in John 8, Jesus is in the midst of a confrontation with some of the leaders of the Jews; and He had just revealed that their rejection of Him was evidence that they did not know God (8:42-47) – Rather than being children of God, their unbelief revealed them to be children of the Devil. The One whom they should have been waiting for, the One predicted in the Scriptures they claimed to believe, the One promised since the Fall was there in their midst, and they did not recognize Him. In this scene Jesus is about to reveal more explicitly who He claims to be, and they are not ready to receive the truth! It was not enough to attribute the titles of the Messiah to Him, they needed to understand correctly what those titles meant. As I studied this I thought, there is a lot of doctrine in this chapter, a lot of theology, is it practical? It’s good to know whom we have believed. In fact it’s essential to understand what God is like and what He has done and can do and what He expects of us. As I visited with one of our senior saints in the hospital this week I read a few scriptures talking about the power and abiding presence of God, His steadfast love for His elect. Her reply: “I guess I don’t have much to worry about, do I?” She got it! Doctrine is not abstract it’s extremely practical. If Jesus is God, the Great I AM, and He knows us, loves us, and is with us always, what do we have to be afraid of? Whatever struggle we might face, knowing the God who is, knowing him intimately, is the answer. The Context: Read v.47, Jesus responds to their unbelief by saying their rejection of Him and His words reveals they are not God’s children: "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God…” If they were God’s children they would believe Him, but their unbelief reveals that their heart is far from Him.

The Big Idea: Jesus is God, the Son, deserving of honor and worthy to be praised. His words are the Word of Life. Do you believe that? Will you hear Him today?

I. The claim that faith will lead to life (read 48-51). First of all, the claim is made that if we believe Him we’ll be rescued from death, implied is the inverse: faith will lead to life. The dishonor of the Jewish leaders is shown by their attempt to insult Jesus rather than respond to Him: "Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan…” For a Jew in the time of Jesus, this was about as strong an insult as you can imagine…” For someone from New England it might be roughly equivalent to: “You are a Yankee fan and come from NJ…” How did the Jews come to hate the Samaritans? The history goes back to the time of the Assyrian captivity. You remember that after the time of Solomon the kingdom was divided, Israel in the north had Samaria as its capital, and Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah. Israel had a series of wicked kings in the north, men that did not walk with God, and God allowed them to be over run by the Assyrians in 922 A.D. The Assyrians carried off many of the men of Israel and enslaved them, and, according to their custom, transplanted other captured peoples to the land. We read about it in 2 Kings 17:23-24,

“So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day. 24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sephar-vaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel...”

These intermarried with some of the Jews that were left behind, so some knowledge of the God of Israel was preserved in the land. In 586 BC the southern Kingdom also fell to the Babylonians, and they were taken into exile. After 130 years or so, king Cyrus issued an edict allowing some of the people, under Ezra and Zerubbabel to return to the land. Now when they got there the Samaritans offered to help rebuild the temple and they were rejected – Ezra 4:1-3 tells the story,

“…Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here." 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel…"

And so it started… The animosity grew over the centuries. By the time of Jesus it was a given that “the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans…” (as we saw in the scandalous encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman in John 4. There she was, wearing her Yankee cap, “I luv New York tattooed on her forearm, and Jesus spoke to her, and revealed himself to her!). They were despised, and a Jew would go out of their way to avoid contact. Calling Jesus a “Samaritan” was intended as a provocative insult. Jesus doesn’t even respond to that part of their intended insult. They also said: “…you have a demon…” This insult was even more serious from the perspective of Jesus. He wasn’t a respecter of persons, so there was no sense in which He shared the prejudices of the Jews against the Samaritans. But saying He had a demon? He is the Son of God, and in his human nature He was living and acting as a man filled with the Holy Spirit. His teaching came from the Father and all that He did was to honor and bring glory to the Father… and they accuse Him of being possessed by a demon. They probably were not really saying they believed him to be demon possessed, but they were trying to be as strong as they could be in their insults. It was their way of saying, “Are you out of your mind? You’re crazy!” Jesus’ answer is pretty straight forward: “I don’t have a demon” and he essentially says that their dishonoring of Him, when the Father honors Him and seeks His glory, reveals that they are children of the devil. He then makes a statement that intensifies their anger and escalates the situation, v. 51, “…if anyone keeps my word he shall never see death…” The word order his is emphatic (it reads a little like “Yoda” on Star Wars– The one who “keeps” his word, “…DEATH, by no means [double negative for emphasis] will he experience forever!” He is clearly not saying that a believer will never experience physical death. Lazarus dies in just a couple of chapters , in the book of Acts we see believers being martyred and throughout the ages Christians have died just like unbelievers. He makes a parallel statement at the funeral of Lazarus in John 11:25,26… “Jesus said to her, "

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…"

It’s clear that He is saying that for the believer in Jesus death does not have the last word, it is nothing to fear, the believer will not experience ultimate and final separation from God. We have eternal life—that’s a promise from Jesus, God the Son, the One deserving of honor and worthy to be praised. His words are the Word of Life.

II. The claim to be the glorious Son; greater than Abraham and the Prophets (52-56).

First of all, we see the theme from the previous context reinforced here, they completely misunderstand what Jesus is saying. They are focused merely on physical death—how can Jesus say a believer will never die where all the prophets died?-Jesus is talking about spiritual life and spiritual death. The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death.' 53 "Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too…” We’ve seen this theme of “misunderstanding” frequently in John’s Gospel. Nicodemus didn’t understand when Jesus spoke of the new birth, “How can a man be born when he is old?” The woman at the well was confused about the water Jesus offered, “Give me this water that I may drink…” The people in chapter 6 wanted “bread” from Him when he offered the “Bread of Life.” Here he is talking about spiritual life and spiritual death, and they don’t get it. Their question (v.53c) is really at the heart of the matter: “…whom do You make Yourself out to be?" Who do you think you are? That’s the biggest question any of us can ask ourselves about Him, who do you believe He is? Or, do you really believe that He is who He claimed to be? In vv.54-56, Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word.” The God you claim to follow has spoken of me in his word! If you believed His Word you would believe Me! And then he says in v.56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." I think Jesus is speaking about more than just Abraham, but rather all the faithful of the Old Testament. Just as we look back on the coming of the Son of God and look ahead to the promise of His return, those who believed the prophecies and took God at His word were looking for the coming of the promised One. Just as we have a sure hope, a blessed hope that we know is coming, the return of Christ, their hope was sure that the promised when would come in accordance with God’s Word, and the hope of His coming was cause for rejoicing. It made them glad! If you know the God who created the universe, you have reason to be glad as well. Whatever the circumstance, whatever trials you might be passing through, “…if God is for us, who can stand against us?” For those who had eyes to see and ears to hear, fix your hope in Jesus, God the Son, the One deserving of honor and worthy to be praised. His words are the Word of Life.

III. The claim to be God, the Great I AM (57-59).

V. 57 reveals that the Jews still don’t understand what Jesus is saying: “The Jews therefore said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" You’re not even an elder, not even half a century old, how can you have seen Abraham who lived centuries ago! In 8:58 Jesus makes a powerful, unambiguous statement as to who He claims to be: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’" We’ve seen hints of this in the “I AM” statements that occurred up until this point in the Gospel, echoing through the pages, 10 times already before this: “I AM He, I AM (It’s me walking on the water!); I am the Bread of life, the Living Bread, the Bread from heaven, I AM the Light of the world, I am the true witness, I AM the One in whom you must believe, when the Son of Man is lifted up, then you will know that I AM, finally here, “Before Abraham was, I AM…” Their reaction in v.59, “And they took up stones to stone Him…” They knew what He was saying. If Jesus had simply said “Before Abraham was, I was…” He would have been claiming to have existed before Abraham, and that would have been pretty incredible. But He says, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Their immediate reaction leaves no doubt that they understood that He was identifying Himself with the God of the Old Testament, the God who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in Exodus 3, “I AM that I AM, tell them I AM has sent you…” Their reaction is a climax to this part of the Gospel. It is a powerful example of what was stated in the opening of the Gospel: “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not…” Even as they took up stones to kill Him, “He was hidden from them…” The scene reminded me of the sodomites who tried to take the angels that were sent to the house of lot, they were struck with blindness and wearied themselves trying to find the door. Jesus didn’t hide, but He was hidden from them, passed safely out of the Temple area. He would not killed by stoning. God had another plan. And the hour had not yet come. Jesus is God, the Son, deserving of honor and worthy to be praised. His words are the Word of Life.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Do you believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be?

He is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. He claimed to be God. He claimed that as the eternal Son He came to save. He pronounced on the cross, “It is finished,” i.e., the debt is paid, the work is done. He, the Good Shepherd, laid down his life for his sheep. The price was paid and the offer extended and your response will reveal whether or not you belong to Him. His sheep hear His voice and He knows them, and gives them life, eternal life. Do you hear Him calling you in this story? Could it be that the Spirit is prompting you to believe, to trust Him? Admit that you are a sinner and need His grace. Believe that He died for you and was raised from the dead, and put your hope and trust in Him as the Savior and Lord of your life. For you who know Him, be assured, whatever circumstance or trial or tribulation you might be passing through, He has promised to be with you always, to never leave you. When you think about that, you really don’t have anything to worry about, do you? AMEN.

Easter 2012: The Promise of Easter, I Corinthians 15:20-28

The Promise of Easter
I Corinthians 15:20-28
Introduction: My mother’s grandmother was Ukrainian; she came to this country as a young woman in the early 20th century and she continued some of the traditions from Eastern Europe, including the elaborate decoration of eggs at this time of the year. Some of the Ukrainians were extremely artistic, and the eggs would be carefully emptied of the white and the yolk so that they could be saved indefinitely. It is really an odd thing, a beautifully painted shell; it looks like an egg, beautiful on the outside, but empty on the inside. As we consider these verses from I Corinthians 15 Paul is making the point that without the resurrection of Jesus, the Christian faith would be an illusion, nothing more than an empty shell. We turn today to one of the most extensive chapters on the theme on the resurrection in the New Testament. My first message here two years ago on Easter was on I Corinthians 15:1-11, last Easter we looked at I Corinthians 15:12-20, and this year, to continue our series [!] we’ll focus on 20-28 (at this rate we should finish our series on this chapter in 2015, if the Lord tarries!). I’d like to repeat one of my favorite quotations on the theme of the resurrection because it summarizes the main point of the paragraph we’ll look at today and is also the historical and theological underpinning of the Christian life:

“The present age is Eastertime. It began with the resurrection of the Redeemer; it will end with the resurrection of the redeemed. Between lies the spiritual resurrection of those called into new life in Christ. So, we live between two Easters, and in the power of the first Easter we go to meet the last Easter.” Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified.

We live in a unique moment in the history of the world. The historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus 2000 years ago is what sets this age apart, and assures us that no matter how hopeless things may seem, if we trust Him we have a future: God’s good plan will culminate in the resurrection of believers and the restoration of all things.
The Context: In I Corinthians 15:1-11, we see that the Resurrection of Jesus is an indisputable fact of history. Paul outlines some of the evidence that affirms the historical fact of the empty tomb, emphasizing the eyewitnesses. His point is that the resurrection is not just an idea, or story. Remember that he is writing just 20 years after the fact. Twenty years ago, George W. Bush was president. Most of you can remember that. Those of you who were too young don’t doubt that it happened, because you can ask the people who were there and who remember all about it. Paul is telling his readers about the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, most of whom were still around. If there was any doubt about it they could go and talk to someone who saw him. It is a fact, and as such the basis for our faith. Baron Lyndhurst, one of the great legal minds in British history and three times high chancellor of England wrote, “I know pretty well what evidence is, and I tell you, such evidence as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.” After rehearsing some of the historical evidence Paul goes on to say in 15:12-19, if it wasn’t true, if Jesus had not risen, Christianity would be a colossal waste to time, hedonism should be our guiding philosophy, eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die! That’s if the resurrection wasn’t true, but it is true. That’s why we’re here today, to celebrate that pivotal fact of history: Christ is Risen!
The Big Idea: The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation and assurance of our future hope: because He lives, we can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone.

I. The Redeemer: The resurrection of the Redeemer is the historical foundation and theological basis of our future hope (15:20-22).
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, and become the firstfruits of those who sleep…” (v.20). If you been watching you’ve noticed that the earliest buds are coming out on the plants and trees, some have begun to push up through the soil. It’s only the start, it’s the promise of things to come!
“Firstfruits” is a reference to the Old Testament, and to the idea that the first part of the harvest was collected and set apart as an offering for the Lord. The “firstfruit” was full of promise, since it was a part, the first part, of the harvest; it was motive for thanksgiving and for celebration, and it offered hope that what had begun with that act would surely be completed. Paul uses that image to link the resurrection Jesus, an irrefutable historical fact, with the promise of a future resurrection for believers in Jesus.

“…those who sleep…” is clearly referring to the believers in Jesus who had died. Several places in the Bible refer to the death of believer as “sleep.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13,15 “13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope… 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.”
Sleep is temporary, it means that death does not have the last word for those who are redeemed. The empty tomb proved that truth.

Read I Corinthinans 15:21 and 22,“For as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a Man, for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive…” Adam was the first human, and as such his disobedience brought the consequences of sin on the human race. Adam and Eve were essentially on probation in the Garden, and their failure brought judgment on them and on their progeny (the entire human race!). He represented us and he is our “father.” Elsewhere Paul says, “By one man sin entered into the world and death through sin…” In Adam all die. So also in Christ all shall be made alive. Jesus came into this world and lived a sinless life. Fully God, He took upon Himself a human nature. He was tempted by the devil but he never gave in, he never sinned. There was a great exchange that took place on Calvary: “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Yes, He, the perfect One, the Sinless One, bore our sins in his own body on the cross. He became our substitute, he carried the sins of every last human who would one day trust in him. His atoning death was sufficient for all of humanity, and would be efficient for all who believe. The extent of the “all” who would be made alive through Christ is explained in the next verse: Christ the firstfruits, then those who are His. Believers. Born again. Forgiven. Think about that Good News! Death is an enemy that still lurks, but a defeated enemy. The consequences of the Fall are all around us. We mourn, but not as those who have no hope. It is the resurrection of Jesus that is the foundation and assurance of our future hope: because He lives, we can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone.

II. The Redeemed: The resurrection of Jesus is intrinsically connected with the future resurrection of believers (15:23). “But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.”
This is where Paul goes further than we typically do when we talk about the believer, death, and the future. We talk about going to Heaven when we die, but we don’t talk much about being raised from the grave and reigning with Him on the earth. The implication of “firstfruits” is clear: the concept of resurrection is not limited to the resurrection of Jesus that Sunday morning almost 2000 years ago. That was the start, the “first part” of what is coming. We weren’t created to be disembodied spirits for eternity. He made Adam and Eve sinless and placed them in the Garden. The New Heaven and New Earth that is our hope is a completion of God’s good plan. Just as the physical body of Jesus was transformed and resurrected, so will the bodies of those who die in Christ.

“…afterward, those who are Christ’s…” Resurrection unto life, a new life in a transformed body is something that not everyone will experience. Notice what Paul says, this future blessing is for “those who are Christ’s…” This promise is specific, its particular, Paul is speaking about the future hope of “those who are His.” Everyone will spend eternity conscious, but for those who reject Him that means an eternity of conscious judgment, separated from God. A young lady was sharing a testimony the other day about coming to faith in Christ in a car, along with her sister, and her motivation was pretty simple: we didn’t want to go to hell! That’s pretty good motivation! Through faith in Christ we have eternal life, and that includes the truth that Paul develops later in this chapter: this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality.

When? “…at his coming…” The lightening flashed 2000 years ago when the stone was rolled away. He arose, and for 40 days appeared to his disciples, presenting himself alive by many convincing proofs. That was the lightening flash. This entire church age has been the interval “between the lightening and the thunder.” Right now, for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That is really an intermediate state. His resurrection was the first fruits of a future resurrection harvest. He is returning, and “…at His coming…” the dead in Christ will rise first. The Day is coming! He is coming. Are you ready? The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation and assurance of our future hope: because He lives, we can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone.

III. The Restoration: The resurrection of Jesus assures us that God’s good plan will be consummated and order will be restored to this chaotic world (15:24-28). Sin brought suffering into the world.
Read verse 24: “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” The question might be raised that if Jesus defeated death through His death and resurrection, why do people still die? We are still living between the lightening and the thunder. You’ve experience the phenomenon: because light travels faster than sound you see the lightening in the distance before you hear the thunder. The closer it is the shorter the gap between the two. It as though the resurrection of Jesus, the firstfruits, was the lightening, the thunder is coming, His return and the resurrection of those who have trusted Him. Its like the famous story of the battle of Waterloo, the message, partially obscured came in, “Wellington defeated…” and there was great mourning, defeat! But then when the entire message was received: “Wellington defeated Napolean at Waterloo”—rejoicing! Its Friday, it might look bad as evil seems to prevail still, but Sunday is coming!
Verse 25 says “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.” This reflects the language of Psalm 2, where God says “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as an inheritance…” In Psalm 8 (and Psalm 110:1) says all things will be put under His feet. God’s Kingdom rule, finally, on Earth as it is in Heaven. That conquest continues as the gospel goes out and the elect from every nation hear and respond to God’s call. The gates of hell are being assaulted and they shall not prevail.

Verse 26 speaks of the last enemy: The Death of Death – finally the last enemy will be destroyed… We’ve all seen that enemy in our lives, among our family and friends, some even over the last week and the last few weeks. Some of you in sickness or in combat or in a close call in life have stared that last enemy in the face. I’ve been by the grave sides of husbands burying their wives and of wives burying their husbands, children burying parents and parents children, and it can be painful, dark, heart wrenching, to face that enemy. Some face it differently though, because of the promise of Easter… Because of what Jesus did for us, because he conquered death, we mourn, but not as those who have no hope. We know the enemy’s time is limited and victory is certain for those who put their trust in Christ. Someone has said “The simplest meaning of Easter is that we are living in a world in which God has the last word. Jesus wins.” Is Easter relevant to the world today? Does an empty tomb in a Garden in Jerusalem make a difference now, 2000 years later? Because He defeated death it makes all the difference to those who put their trust in Him. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation and assurance of our future hope: because He lives we can face tomorrow, whatever it may bring. Because He lives, all fear is gone.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Most religions in the world are nothing more than an empty shell. They may be beautifully decorated on the outside, colorful and attractive, but they are empty, they have nothing to offer. The tomb is empty. He is risen! Have you thought through the promise of Easter? Could it be that you’re hearing the story of the One who conquered death and you’re feeling a tugging at your heart? It may be that God’s Spirit is whispering to you, calling you to faith. Jesus invites us, “Come unto Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” The Apostle Paul wrote elsewhere, “Confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved…” Do you believe He is who He claimed to be? Have you trusted in Him as your hope for eternity? It’s as simple as admitting that you are a sinner, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23); recognizing that you can’t save yourself since “…there is none righteous, no not one…” (Romans 3:10); and then trusting Him, believing in Him as the Savior and Lord of your life, for “…as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God…” Will you trust Him today?

Palm Sunday: The Coming of the Passover King!

The Coming of the Passover King: Palm Sunday 2012
John 12:12-16
Introduction: For Palm Sunday, we’re jumping ahead a few chapters in our study of the Fourth Gospel. The scene is quite a contrast from what we had been looking at in John 8… Everyone likes a parade! I had a little guy come up to me after church a couple of weeks ago, 5 or six years old, and say “Pastor Steve, I have a suggestion. Why don’t we put a float in the Windjammer parade this year? And if we do, do you think I could ride in the front since it was my idea?” (I think he is currently working up a proposal for a committee!). The triumphal entry seems like a celebration! It is also one of the most ironic scenes in the Bible. The crowd speaks the truth as they hail the arrival of Jesus, but they don’t understand the full meaning of their own words. “The Son of God”—“The King of Israel”—“Save now!” The crowd was saying more than they knew, more than they understood. You see the scene is a prelude to the cross. Yes it’s Palm Sunday, but it was Passover week, Good Friday is only days away. Everything they say is true, that’s why Jesus accepts it and does not rebuke them. But they don’t grasp the full import of their own words – they don’t understand who He really is.

The New Testament writers show that part of the problem was a failure of the Jews to understand their own Scriptures. In the Bible we see hundreds of prophecies that were made about the Messiah fulfilled explicitly in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. God had a plan, that plan was revealed, in part, in advance in these OT texts, yet most people simply did not get it. Palm Sunday leads us into the last week of Jesus’ life before the Cross. The story unfolds exactly as God had planned it—confirming Jesus’ identity, inviting us to consider how we should respond to Him.

Context: The plot to kill Jesus after the miraculous raising of Lazarus (11:40-57) the anointing of Jesus “for His burial” (12:1-8) and the plot to kill Lazarus (12:9-11) strike an ominous note as the story unfolds. The contrast with what is about to happen is an example of Johannine irony. The crowds, even the disciples did not understand fully what was happening, what it really would involve for Jesus to fulfill His role as the “King of the Jews” (see 12:16). As we consider this we’ll see… The Big Idea: Palm Sunday invites us to consider the Lamb upon the throne, the Passover King, and calls us to worship Him.

John 12:12-16 “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!"

I. The Crowd was right, He is the King! (12:12-13). We’ve seen in John’s Gospel irony as the story of Jesus unfolds. The Jews were expecting a Messiah, a King, a Son of David who would restore the kingdom to Israel. They had somehow lost sight of the truth that the coming King was also to be the Suffering Servant. The title “King” doesn’t show up a lot in John’s Gospel, until chapters 18, 19 with Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. But there are some clues that John gives his reader early on:

The first time Jesus is called “King” in this Gospel occurs in the first Chapter, the confession of Nathanael: John 1:49 “Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Before this confession however, the reader has heard John the Baptist, twice, calling Jesus God’s Lamb: John 1:29 "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!; John 1:36 “And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’" Could they both be talking about the same person? We read that and take it for granted, we’ve heard the phrases and this language applied to Jesus in church. Imagine the disciples when they first heard it, imagine John’s readers when they first read this Gospel: for a Jew in the first century, “Lamb” whatever else it might mean, implies sacrifice. Lamb, and King? How could He be both Sovereign and Sacrifice?

The second time in John’s Gospel that the word “King” appears, is in Chapter 6, and comes in response to Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000 with 5 small loaves of bread and a couple of fish. John 6:14-15 “Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.” In response to this miraculous provision, they wanted to make Him king by force. Jesus knew their thoughts, what they intended to do, and went away. It wasn’t time for the king to be revealed. Moreover, they were looking for a king like the nations around them, not the God-Man Jesus. John has just reminded the reader of the Gospel, just a few verses earlier: John 6:4 “Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.” After hearing John the Baptist call Jesus the Lamb, the reader of the Gospel has a clue as to what is coming – the disciples on the other hand still don’t understand. He is the King – but He is also the Lamb.

The third use of “king” in John’s Gospel comes that first Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry. The crowd quotes from Psalm 118:25-26

“Save now (hosanna), I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.”

Notice in John’s Gospel that they add something to the text of the Psalm: John 12:13 “…took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" What they said was correct, and this time Jesus allows it, even though there is little doubt the crowd was still clueless as to what was about to happen. The reader of the Gospel, however, has just been reminded:

1) Passover was coming in just a few days, which means the Passover Lamb would soon be sacrificed (12:1).

2) Mary had just anointed Jesus, and He said it was “for His burial” (12:2-8).

3) The chief priests were plotting to kill Lazarus, because his being raised from the dead was irrefutable proof that Jesus was from God, and they wouldn’t hear it (12:9-11). Their minds were made up, they would not consider the evidence that Jesus was the messiah (see Peter’s word in Acts 2:22).

Part of the irony here is that the crowd, in quoting from Psalm 118, had forgotten part of the context: Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.” That rejection would reach its climax in just a few days when the leaders insist: “Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar!” Palm Sunday invites us to consider the Passover King, the Lamb upon the throne, and calls us to worship Him.

II. He is the King, and He came in fulfillment of the Scriptures (12:14-15). John takes us from the shouts of the crowd, which were ironically true, even though they didn’t understand correctly who Jesus was, to the actions of Jesus, taken in deliberate fulfillment of Scripture: “Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt."

The main point is that God had a plan, and every action of Jesus was taken in submission to and in fulfillment of the Father’s will. The cross was not a failure, it was not an accident, it was not plan “B.” Peter said on Pentecost that Jesus was delivered up by the predetermined purpose and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:22-24).
The Scripture, made centuries before was fulfilled precisely: He is the King. Notice that John leaves out a word from Zechariah’s prophecy: “Lowly” or “humble”. John was emphasizing His power, control, sovereignty, and glory. We’ll see Him as a servant in chapter 13 when He wraps a towel around His waist and bends down to wash the dirty feet of His disciples. Then, as the Suffering Servant, who is also the King, He goes to the cross and becomes obedient, even to the point to death. Palm Sunday invites us to consider the Lamb, the Passover King, the One who came according the Father’s plan, in fulfillment of Scripture, and calls us to worship Him.

III. He is the Passover King, the Sovereign Sacrifice, the Lamb of God (12:16). “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.”
The disciples didn’t understand at first what all of this meant. Even though He had repeatedly, explicitly told them about the necessity of His death and resurrection, they couldn’t grasp it.

“…when Jesus was glorified then they remembered…” In John, it’s especially on the cross that Jesus is glorified (see John 3:14,15). The cross was His lifting up, His exaltation, His glorification, because it proved who He was, fulfilling the Scriptures, and it accomplished what He came to do, giving His life for our sins.

1) Notice in our context, John 12:25-28 25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour '? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name…" Jesus is aluding to Psalm 6:3,4. There David is troubled deeply, and calls on God to save him. Jesus uses the same word to express what he is feeling, but He doesn’t pray David’s prayer. You see his hour had come, to pray for deliverance would be a contradiction. He chose to die so that David’s prayer for salvation, and Peter’s, and John’s, and your’s and mine could be answered. He is both Sovereign and Sacrifice, the King and the Lamb.

2) John 18:36-37 “Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.” He was not a king like the nations around them, not even a king like David in the limited sense. He was the Passover King, the King who sovereignly choose to lay down His life for His people.
What is God saying to me in this passage? Palm Sunday invites us to consider the the Lamb upon the throne, the Passover King, and calls us to worship Him. What the crowds said on Palm Sunday was true, but they didn’t grasp the full implications. Jesus was not a victim. He was in control. And as Sovereign, He fulfilled the Scriptures, and gave His life as a ransom for many.
Rev 1:5 He is “…the ruler over the kings of the earth… [He] who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…” In chapter three John sees in his vision He appears “…in the middle of the throne as a lamb that had been slain…” The Passover King, exalted, on the throne of heaven, worthy to open the scroll and loosen its seals. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. The One who was, who is, and who is to come.
What would he have me to do in response to these truths? What difference does this doctrine make in my life? Our response can only be to stand in awe of the matchless grace of God, and to love the One who so loved us. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. The Passover King, who gave His life, so that we could have life. Praise Him for His indescribable gift. All hail King Jesus! All hail Emmanuel!