My Mother's Funeral Message

MOM’S FUNERAL

May 20, 2014

Our family has learned the “power phrase” of funeral preparation: “Mom would have wanted it that way.” It works on so many levels. We joked about it saying, “We need to get New Bothwell cheese. Mom would have wanted it that way.” Unbeknownst to Ethan who was not at the meetings, Ethan used that phrase saying, “Grandma would not have wanted any raisin buns at her funeral.” I agree.

            So, in all seriousness, when it came to funerals, one thing Mom did not like was when the preacher and the family would gush on and on making the deceased into some kind of saint who did no wrong. Mom would not have wanted that today.

            Our mother had flaws. She was a horrible back-seat driver when we kids learned to drive. She burned the tar out of hamburger when frying it. She was the Queen of her kitchen: One time when I was going to melt butter for popcorn on the stove, she challenged my use of pots. “Why are you using that pot?” she’d say. Her “why” questions were guilt-inducing. To this day I am wary of how I use the word “why.” She had a way of making you question your choices, like when Dad got ready for Church, “Why are you wearing that belt with that tie?” She even asked me why I wanted to get married. That is, until I found Sharon – then she didn’t ask why.

            Mom struggled with depression and low self-esteem. I was witness to some very low moments in her life. Actually, I guess I was privileged to pastor her through those times, even as her son. So you see, Mom was not perfect.

            But one thing about her kept emerging in my mind in the last few weeks: Mom was my Susannah Wesley. Who was Susannah Wesley? She was the mother of John Wesley (not to be confused with John Wesley Hardin, the infamous gunfighter, Murray). John Wesley was an 18^th century evangelist and preacher; his brother Charles was a famous hymn writer. Susannah raised her children with a strict but godly passion, instilling the fear of the Lord and the love of God into them. Her devotion to God is historical and largely responsible for the character of John Wesley. That’s my mom.

            I am not equating myself with John Wesley by any means. But I am saying that Mom laid a foundation for spiritual formation in me and in Murray and Kathy. She taught me that there is a God; she taught me to pray; she taught me to seek the Lord and to devote my life to him. She was my theologian in my early years. Mom even prayed that one of her children might enter the ministry.

            To honor my mother, it is my privilege to preach to you this morning about the hope she had, to tell you about Jesus and his love. That’s what Mom would have wanted.

The Apostle Paul was sensing that the end of his life was drawing close. In preparation, he wanted to encourage his spiritually adopted son, Timothy, with some final words. He wrote to Timothy and urged him:

            “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead…”

            The power of what Paul told Timothy carried the authority of God. Paul lived with the sense that God was all-powerful and everywhere-present. He also believed in the final day of judgment and the belief that Christ would one day judge all people. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “… we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).

            These words would have had an impact on Mom. She knew that her sins and the sins of her children would one day be taken to account. Her desire was not a legalistic do and don’t list, but for a holy life, a life that would be examined by Christ and found righteous.

            Paul continues in his words to Timothy “…and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word.” That is a weighty charge.

            John Piper explains that preaching is Expository Exultation. Preaching aims to exposit or explain the meaning of the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word – infallible, inspired and profitable in all its 66 books. The preacher’s job is to minimize his own opinions, and to explain what the Bible says so as to apply it to people’s lives. If I have opinions, they should be clearly seen as coming from the Bible. If the preacher’s opinions do not come clearly from the Word, the danger is that people will follow a man instead of God.

            Preaching is Expository Exultation – exultation with a “u.” The preacher does not just explain the Bible. Rather the preacher and the people exult over the Word. Preaching does not come after worship – it is worship.

            Why is this important as Mom’s funeral? Because she loved preaching. In my first six years of ministry she read over 80 of my sermons. I would go upstairs to my room and write out my sermon for Sunday, then bring it down to her to read. I would say “it sucked” and she would encourage me that it was “good.” That was our ritual. Her opinion of preaching shaped me. Her opinion was like Piper’s: less preacher and more of God’s Word. Sometimes she would writer her lengthy encouraging notes to me and tell me like Paul: Preach the Word.

            “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” I am a Bible-man because Mom was a Bible-woman. The Word teaches us all we need to know about God; it reveals the exact representation of his being in his Son Jesus Christ. We know what love is because God expressed that love for us on the Cross of Christ despite the fact that we were hostile to him. He loved us anyways. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

            The word for “preach” is kerygma, which is sometimes translated “proclaim.” So this word is not just for pastors; it is for all who believe in Jesus’ name. This gospel is what we proclaim: All have fallen short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. This is what we proclaim.

            Mom was a proclaimer. She did not have a congregation of hundreds; her congregation was a Sunday School class, a Pioneer Girls group or a Bible Study. Sometimes she led reluctantly but she did it faithfully. I am not saying she was super-great at it; I’m just saying she did what God asked of her.

            Faithfulness is what God desires. Paul knew that the time would come when people would tire of good preaching. They would eventually crave more entertainment, more jokes, more “how-to” sermons, and finally they would just water down the gospel so that people would leave the church in droves. In times like this, Paul charged Timothy to stay the course. Preach the Word of Christ even when people don’t want to hear that they are broken, hurting, sinful people in need of the healing touch of God through Jesus. Tell them God can make them whole.

            Paul gives this charge to Timothy knowing that his days are numbered. He needed to pass on the torch to someone, to give to someone this burning desire to run for Christ. We know this because Paul says,

            “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

            Mom’s wearing a crown now, the crown of righteousness. But this crown was not earned; it was given to her by her Savior. She wrote in her prayer journal, “O God, more than anything, I want to finish the race one of these days and be able to say, “I have kept the faith.” If I keep the faith, you will have a crown of righteousness waiting for me.” In another entry she wrote that the first face she sees when she closes her eyes in death and opens them anew is the face of Jesus.

            Her last entry was a prayer, “Heavenly Father, I sometimes feel as if I can’t go on. I am tired. I am weak. And I am worn. Thank you that you know my limits better than I do. And that, in your strength I can find the enablement to endure.

            Father, continue to bring me along so that I can rejoice in my sufferings, because I know suffering produces perseverance.

            I…pray that I will not be like those who receive the Word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. Help me to receive your Word and hang on to it tightly.”

           

As the Leukemia and the specter of death began to frighten Mom, we talked of death. I said to her, “Do you know what death is like? It’s like falling asleep and after a long sleep waking up into a new day.”

            She said, “Really?”

            I replied, “Do you know who told me that?”

            She said, “Who?”

            I said, “You did.”

I believe Paul when he says that the believers do not need to grieve like the rest of men because the saints fall asleep. Death cannot hold the person who has put their faith in Jesus.

            Again, I tell you these things not to paint Mom as some super spiritual person. But I invite you to follow the Perfect Christ that she followed. I invite you to know the God she strove to know. I invite you to live in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and be found faithful. That’s what Mom would have wanted.

                                                            AMEN

Anabaptist #1

FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS

I was ten years old when I first read about a group of believers who met secretly in the forest to worship. I was intrigued and read some more. Persecuted for their odd beliefs about Jesus and their views on baptism they were hunted and even killed.

            I had never heard about these people before but I was mesmerized by their dedication. Who were these people? What happened to them? It was a great mystery for a ten year old mind and it began an odyssey of discovery for me. What I discovered over time and especially in Bible College was that these people were radical followers of Jesus. They were called Anabaptists.

            What is an Anabaptist Christian? “Anabaptist” is an invented name meaning “re-baptizers.” It was given to 16^th century Christians who did not think it right to baptize infants according to their understanding of Scripture. So they baptized each other as adult believers upon the confession of their faith. These Anabaptist Christians were the forerunners of today’s Mennonite Christians and many others in the Free Church tradition. So what I found was that the little group that met in the woods to worship Jesus were our forebears in the faith.

            Today the lines have blurred between denominations so that many Non-Mennonite churches believe the same things we do. They believe in Adult-Believers’ baptism; they believe in the Free Church; they believe in communion the way we do, and so on. Sometimes there is little to distinguish us from other Evangelicals.

            There remain some distinctions however, slight but significant. This morning we begin a short series looking at the core values that make an Anabaptist Christian unique. The first of these that we will look at today is the centrality of Jesus Christ to our faith.

            All churches would profess to make Jesus central. What makes Anabaptists unique is how Jesus is made central in the life of the church and ultimately in the believer’s life.

1. We acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God

a) God has come in the person of Jesus Christ – Let’s begin with the fundamental truth of our faith. God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. I know this is very basic 101 type of stuff, but it is the foundation of what we believe.

            The Apostle John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known,” (John 1:18). Generations of God’s people were taught by the OT that to look upon God meant certain death. God could be known by his Word through the prophets but it was indirect. You don’t really know a person until you physically meet them. Two people could chat on the internet and get to know one another quite well, but it is quite a revelation when they actually meet.

            John tells us that God the Father had never been seen. He goes on to say that Jesus, His Son, has made him known. More than that, we read in the same Gospel account that one of his followers, Philip, wanted Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus replied to Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” (John 14:9).

            Jesus was not saying he resembled the Father, or merely represented him in some physical way. Philip knew in that moment that Jesus was saying, “You see me; you see the Father.” It was a literal statement that blew Philip’s mind. John’s gospel makes it very clear: Jesus is God in the flesh.

b) Jesus is the clearest revelation of what God is like – This is what John was saying and it was the writer of Hebrews leads off with. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word,” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

            We could say a lot of things about Jesus from this passage but I want to emphasize one thing: Jesus is the exact representation of God’s person. What the Greek literally says is that Jesus is the very stamp of God’s essence. As a coin bears the image and authority of the king, so Jesus bears, in a greater way, the precise image of the Father. He is a perfect likeness of God. If you want to know anything about God, look at the life of Jesus. There is no clearer revelation of God.

            What we are saying here is something that cannot be said of a human being. And yet that is exactly what we are saying. Jesus was a historical man who lived 33 years on this earth; he was born, he lived, he ate, he slept and he died. But then he rose again from the dead. By his life and death and resurrection we are convinced that he is the Son of God.

            Now what do we do with that? If he is who he says he is – since Jesus clearly taught that he is God – what do you do with Jesus?

2. We commit ourselves to following Jesus daily

a) God’s desire is that we be like Jesus – If Jesus is the clearest revelation of what God is like then there must be a reason God showed us himself. And there is a reason. God showed us himself in Jesus so that we would be like him.

            This is where the Anabaptist Christian begins to pull away from other faiths. We take seriously what Paul understood, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers,” (Rom 8:29). God’s intention in giving us Jesus as his exact representation was that we might become like Jesus.

            The Evangelical Church has long emphasized the new birth, or being “born again.” That is a great truth, but it is just the beginning. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John to come after him, he said “Follow me.” The term “born again” is used three times in the NT; “Follow me” is repeated 21 times.

            To “follow” is not merely stepping in the same footprints in the sand. To “follow,” as Jesus meant it, is to come and be like him, to come and learn from him. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” (John 8:12). Following Jesus is modeling your life after Jesus and doing what Jesus would do. In this way we learn to live life as God intended it and we avoid sinful acts. Hans Denck, an early Anabaptist said, “No one may truly know Christ except one who follows him in life.”

            Some Evangelical traditions have made it a point to emphasize the cross or the death of Christ as prime. I believe that everything in Jesus life and ministry pointed to the climax of the cross. However, if we only emphasize his death and our subsequent salvation, we miss discipleship – that “following” that Jesus calls us to. (Check out “the Apostles’ Creed).

b) We follow the Person not the Principles – Following Jesus can easily be boiled down to a checklist of principles. In our attempts to nail this discipleship thing down, we humans like to make rules. That’s called legalism. Likewise when the Gospel of Jesus is reduced to forgiveness of sin and going to heaven when you die, we miss the whole Gospel of Christ. We must move on from principles and grow from our salvation into mature followers of Christ. Jesus died for our sins so that he could reign in us, that is, to rule in us – our behavior, our words, our total life. The Christian life, then, is not a destination, it is a journey; it’s not principles, it is about a Person. Christ lives in us.

            Limiting the Christian life to what we eat, what we wear, who we love or who we vote for, fails to embrace the full Person of Jesus. Living by principles will fail you. We do not want to be principle-centered; we want to be Christ-centered. When we live by the principles of Christ we try to accomplish life in our own strength. When we live with the knowledge of Christ in us, living through us, we live life in the Lord’s strength. That is the difference. That is the goal.

            Paul drove this home when he said, “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me,” (Col 1:27-29).

            The glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you…that is fantastic. Christ is in us. Paul’s aim is to so encourage his churches with the wisdom of Christ’s life and teaching that they will grow towards perfection. And note this: Paul struggles with CHRIST’S energy, and with CHRIST’S power which works in him.

            So every morning when we Anabaptists wake up, we commit ourselves anew to following Jesus. This is the Person who is at work in us. The Gospel is not a principle; it is life.

3. We believe that the Church is Jesus Body

a) The fullness of Christ dwells in the Church – Anabaptists believe then that if Christ is central to our faith, and he central to our lives so that we follow after him, then to make Jesus central is to be united to his church.

            Many people today are abandoning the church. They say that faith is a private and intellectual matter. Some say they can worship God better in nature or at home with the TV. Churches are full of hypocrites and mean people. They know the “plan” of salvation and that is enough.

            But salvation is much more than a “plan.” It is the beginning of a relationship with God. And if every person who comes to Jesus in faith is united with God, the NT teaches that you are also united to his church. God never intended for a Christian to live in isolation from other believers.

            Paul wrote, “And God placed all things under (Jesus’) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way,” (Eph 1:22-23). The fullness of Jesus is experienced in the church, the body of believers. Apart from regular worship and participation in the community of faith, you cannot grasp all of who Jesus is. Commitment to this local group of people is participation in the body of Christ. You cannot have Christ without the church.

b) Jesus makes himself known through the Church – Anabaptist Christians also recognize that it is through the church that Christ works in the world. Paul again said this, “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” (Eph 3:8-10).

            How would the world ever hear the message of Christ if missionaries did not go to them with the gospel? And how could the missionaries go unless the church sent them? How could the church send them unless there was a body of people who agreed to send them and support them?

            It is through the church that others hear about the call to follow Jesus. Granted it is not perfect – the church sometimes fights itself and fails to resemble Christ, but regardless – warts and all – it is the body of Christ. We are not perfect but the head, which is Christ, the Person we follow, is perfect.

            There’s a story of a farmer who wanted to impress his hunting buddies. To impress them, he bought the smartest, most expensive hunting dog he could find. He trained this dog to do things no other dog on earth could do---impossible feats that would surely amaze anyone. Then he invited the neighbors to go duck hunting with him. After a long patient wait in the boat a group of ducks flew over and the hunters were able to make a few hits. Several ducks fell in the water. "Go get ‘em!" shouted the proud owner to his magnificent dog. The dog leaped out of the boat, walked on the water, and picked up a bird and returned to the boat. As soon as he dropped the duck in the boat he trotted off across the water again and grabbed another duck and brought it back to the boat. The owner beamed with pride as his wonderful dog walked across the water and retrieved each of the birds one by one. Unable to resist the opportunity to brag a bit he asked his fellow hunters, "Do you notice anything unusual about my dog?” One of them rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes," he finally said. "Come to think of it, I do! That silly dog doesn’t know how to swim does he??"

            The people of the church could walk on water and some would still find fault with it. But if Christ is central in your life, the church will be a huge part of your life too.

What is an Anabaptist Christian? An Anabaptist Christian is someone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. As the Son of God, he is worthy to be followed and imitated. And if you follow him and are connected to him, you will be committed to his body the church as well.

            Are you an Anabaptist Christian? You might agree with all the points I have made but refuse to put a label on it, like Anabaptist. That’s okay. And we have much to learn from Anglican, Pentecostal and other church traditions. The important thing in our church is that we agree that making Jesus central to life and worship is of ultimate importance. If we call that being Anabaptist, so be it.

            As Stuart Murray, author of the Naked Anabaptist stated, “My goal is not to promote Anabaptism for its own sake. My interest is in promoting a way of living that helps people to become more faithful followers of Jesus. Through it, I want to pay tribute to generations of Anabaptist Christians who witnessed faithfully, refused to conform to social norms, pioneered new ways of being church, challenged dominant assumptions about violence, and sometimes suffered appallingly. But, in the end, I am interested in the Anabaptist tradition only as a means to an end, and that end is to point us to Jesus as the one we are to follow and worship.”

           

                                                AMEN

Luke 24:13-35

ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

Someone once said the longest walk you’ll ever take is the walk away from the grave of someone you loved. For some it is the feeling that the world as they knew it has come to an end. They walk away and think about what used to be, and what might have been. This walk is a lonely walk that few can understand. Tears have been shed until there are no tears left, just the pain. Words like discouragement, disappointment, disillusionment and even depression come to mind. This is the longest walk.

            Two people were walking that walk out of Jerusalem. They were not alone in this walk but had each other. Passover was completed, Sabbath laws no longer binding, so they left the place of pain and loss. The travelers were not quiet but contemplative, talking about what had happened, asking questions but finding few answers.

            “Why did Jesus let them kill him like that? Where is Jesus when we need him so badly? We thought he was the One we were waiting for to make life better? Now what do we do? We need him more than ever. It’s not fair,” they may have said. They ask the questions we would ask. Maybe we still ask them.

            On the road to Emmaus however, we will find an unexpected companion. In this story is declared a living truth for all ages. In this story we will discover not only that Jesus is alive but also how we can recognize him on our own lonely walks down the Emmaus road.

1. An unexpected travel companion

No one today knows where the village of Emmaus was situated. It has long disappeared from the face of the earth. We know that this is where the two disciples of Jesus were going and it was only seven miles from Jerusalem. It was likely a casual walk since the conversation was the focus.

            Along comes a stranger from behind. It is Jesus, “but they were kept from recognizing him.” I find it extremely touching that Jesus should bother to find these two men, one whose name we know, Cleopas, and the other nameless (certainly not of the 12), and make a special effort for them. Jesus is the kind of person to seek out the so-called nobodies.

            Jesus comes up behind them and asks, “So what are you guys talking about?” All nonchalant, Jesus is, acting like he doesn’t know the biggest news to hit Jerusalem.

            Note the reaction of the two: “They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’” (17b-18). He stopped them in their tracks; he goaded them into reacting; Jesus wanted them to spill their hearts out about the last three days.

            Notice how they respond to his question, “What things?” They tell about Jesus of Nazareth and say “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed…they crucified him…we had hoped that he was the One…didn’t find his body…they did not see Jesus.” What do you notice? Past tense. Jesus was a prophet; was, was was. What’s missing from Cleopas’ speech? Why is it an unfinished creed? There is no resurrection! Jesus was dead. Evil had conquered. God could not overcome it. There was no gospel in Cleopas’ words because Jesus was killed and buried and gone…missing. This is Good Friday without Easter. Without the resurrection, the cross is just a tragedy, an unfinished story.

            Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones tells another unfinished story that found its conclusion.

            “I remember preaching in Wales one Sunday in the early 1930s. I was preaching in a country place at an afternoon and then an evening service. When I finished the service in the afternoon and had come down from the pulpit, two ministers came up to me. They had a request to make. They said, “We wonder whether you’ll do us a kindness.” “If I can,” I said, “I’ll be happy to.” “Well,” they said, “we think you can. There’s a tragic case. It’s the case of our local schoolmaster. He’s a very fine man, and he was one of the best church workers in the district. But he’s got into a very sad condition. He’s given up all his church work. He just manages to keep going in his school. But as for church life and activity, he’s become more or less useless.”

            “What’s the matter with him?” I asked. “Well,” they said, “he’s got into some kind of depressed condition. Complains of headaches and pains in his stomach and so on. Would you be good enough to see him?” I promised I would. So after I had had my tea, this man, the schoolmaster, came to see me. I said to him, “You look depressed.” He was like the men on the road to Emmaus. One glance at this man told me all about him. I saw the typical face and attitude of a man who is depressed and discouraged. I said, “Now tell me, what’s the trouble?” “Well,” he said, “I get these headaches. I’m never free from them. I wake up with one in the morning, and I can’t sleep too well either.” He added that he also suffered from gastric pains and so on.

            “Tell me,” I said, “how long have you been like this?” “Oh,” he said, “it’s been going on for years. As a matter of fact, it’s been going on since 1915.” “I’m interested to hear this,” I said. “How did it begin?” He said, “Well, when the war broke out in 1914, I volunteered very early on and went into the navy. Eventually I was transferred to a submarine, which was sent to the Mediterranean. Now the part of the navy I belonged to was involved in the Gallipoli campaign. I was there in this submarine in the Mediterranean during that campaign. One afternoon we were engaged in action. We were submerged in the sea, and we were all engaged in our duties when suddenly there was a most terrible thud and our submarine shook. We’d been hit by a mine, and down we sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean. You know, since then I’ve never been the same man.”

            “Well,” I said, “please tell me the rest of your story.” “But,” he said, “there’s really nothing more to say. I’m just telling you that’s how I’ve been ever since that happened to me in the Mediterranean.” “But, my dear friend,” I said, “I really would be interested to know the remainder of the story.” “But I’ve told you the whole story.” This went on for some considerable time. It was a part of my treatment. I said again, “Now I really would like to know the whole story. Start at the beginning again.” And he told me how he had volunteered, joined the navy, was posted to a submarine that went to the Mediterranean, and everything was all right until the afternoon they were engaged in the action, the sudden thud and the shaking. “Down we went to the bottom of the Mediterranean. And I have been like this ever since.”

            Again I said, “Tell me the rest of the story.” And I took him over it step by step. We came to that dramatic afternoon—the thud, the shaking of the submarine. “Down we went to the bottom of the Mediterranean.” “Go on!” I said. He said, “There’s nothing more to be said.” I said, “Are you still at the bottom of the Mediterranean?” You see, physically he was not, but mentally he was. He had remained at the bottom of the Mediterranean ever since. So I went on to say to him, “That’s your whole trouble. All your troubles are due to the fact that in your own mind you are still at the bottom of the Mediterranean. Why didn’t you tell me that somehow or another you came up to the surface, that someone on another ship saw you, got hold of you and got you on board his ship, that you were treated there and eventually brought you back to Wales and put into a hospital?” Then I got all the facts out of him. I said, “Why didn’t you tell me all that? You stopped down at the bottom of the Mediterranean.” It was because this man was dammed up in his mind that he had suffered from this terrible depression during all those years. I am happy to be able to tell you that as the result of this explanation that man was perfectly restored.”

2. What the Prophets said about Jesus

When the two men finished telling their sad story with its poor ending, Jesus replied, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself,” (25-27).

            The rebuke is strong but loving. It is foolish to be confronted with such a situation and respond with a dull mindedness. This is a laziness where we fail to apply our understanding of scripture to life. Everything we know about the Bible is forgotten in the face of a crisis.

            Jesus said they were “slow of heart” too. More than affections, the heart is representative of one’s spiritual condition. The heart is a muscle in this sense and one that needs to be exercised to remain healthy. Slowness of heart is a spiritual disease whereby the mind grows dull. We read our Bibles and our minds wander after a few verses; we try to pray but our imagination travels all over the place. Lethargy about the Christian walk creeps over you; a deadness in these things arises that you cannot blame on the church. It is a slowness of heart.

            For these two disciples, the foolishness and slowness of heart kept them from discerning the scriptures concerning Jesus. They rejected the suffering of Jesus as being stumbling block to the plan. His death, to them, was a disaster. But the prophets accepted God’s word as it was revealed, even though they did not understand how a suffering Messiah could save them. The prophets could see a Triumphant King and a Suffering Servant.

            Peter testified later, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow,” (1 Peter 1:10-11).

            Since the two men didn’t have a clue as to why Jesus had to die, Jesus took them through the prophets and showed them. He showed them that his death was not a wrench in the plan but was the plan itself. Jesus did not have his life taken from him, he had the power to lay it down and take it up again. He showed them how his suffering was foretold in Genesis 3 and 22, in 2 Samuel 7, Psalms 16, 22, 69, 110 and 118, in Isaiah 7, 9, and 53, and in Zechariah 12-14. He showed them the whole story from Genesis to Malachi. He showed them how a loving God had to take his own Son and make him suffer for the sins of humankind for all ages.

            The whole Bible testifies to Jesus. Every page is full of him, including the OT. As Geoff Thomas said, “He is the true theme of the OT – by type, by teaching, by sacrifice and by prophecy. He is the prophet greater than Moses. He is the priest greater than Aaron. He is the king greater than David. He is the captain greater than Joshua. He is the seed of the woman, the fulfillment of the brass serpent, the goal of all the sacrifices, and the true meaning of the tabernacle. He is the Kinsman Redeemer, the Scapegoat and the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. He is the great high priest who lives forever to intercede for us. He is the lion of the tribe of Judah and the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He is the Judge who will pass judgment on all mankind in the latter day.”[i] If you want to find Jesus just open your Bible.

3. “Then their eyes were opened”

Why did Jesus not just tell them who he was from the start? Why play this prank and then get all serious about the OT?

            What Luke reveals to us in these two men is a desperate need for the Word of God. We all need it. We need the divine revelation to understand the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and so he revealed his thoughts to us in His Word. The reason these two men despaired is because they did not see this event from God’s perspective.

            Luke wrote about this earlier when he retold Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man requested that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house, to his five brothers, so that they can be warned (27-28). Jesus replied that they had Moses and the Prophets (29), to which the man protested that a warning from one who had risen from the grave would be more forceful, more convincing. To which Jesus replied, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead,” (31).

            So the principle here is this: “THOSE WHO REJECT THE WORD OF GOD WILL NOT BE CONVINCED BY HIS WORKS.”[ii]

            Luke plainly connects the Word of God to understanding the resurrection. When the women go to the tomb on the first day of the week they are met by angels who say to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (24:5-6). Luke records, “Then they remembered his words,” (24:8).

            Later when Jesus appears to the disciples behind locked doors they thought he was a ghost. But he presents himself to them as a flesh and bones man who clearly bore the scars of crucifixion. Jesus said, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms,” (24:44). Luke then narrates, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures,” (24:45).

            So here too in our text when Cleopas and his friend are sitting down to a meal with Jesus and Jesus breaks the bread, something else breaks. Luke uses the same expression in these other two incidents: “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,” (24:31). In each case it was following a revelation of the Word of the Lord that the light went on. In the Word of God we find the understanding we need to see Jesus.

            When we open the Word to find Jesus and, like Cleopas and his friend, invite Jesus to stay with us and share this moment, then we will recognize Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Lord. Apart from the Bible we cannot recognize him.

This is not some feel-good story written to gladden our hearts. Luke is telling us something very important. Jesus comes seeking for us. Just like he went out of the city to look for two obscure disciples who we know nothing about but whom Jesus obviously cared very much about, he comes looking for you. He wants to show you something about himself in his Word. Then he wants you to recognize that he is Jesus, your Savior and your Lord.

            Jesus is not here physically, but he is here. You need his personal presence in your life. In the darkest moments of your lonely walk, you need Jesus to come alongside and ask, “What are you thinking about?” And he does. He went to sit at the right hand of God so that he could send his Spirit to do exactly that. To be with you. To walk with you. To fill you with the recognition of Jesus Christ.

            In those moments when we sit down with Jesus and His Word we set aside time for Him to show us. Those times are so good we apt to say, “Lord, it would be wonderful if you stayed longer.” Jesus replies, “I will never leave you.”

            Jesus is alive! Jesus is risen! And he is with us!

                                                AMEN

---

[i] Geoff Thomas, The Road to Recovery (sermon), May 26, 2013.

[ii] Bob Deffinbaugh

Luke 22:63-71

THE DECISION

Who is Jesus?

            We get a little nervous when we see specials on TV that declare they are going to explore the historical Jesus. A&E or History Television, from time to time, will present some radical or controversial aspect of Christ’s life. Underlying these documentaries is the intention to get at the real life of Jesus, who he was, what he did, while stripping him of the evangelical clothes or the Christian legend. That’s where we grow nervous; what kind of Jesus will they present?

            History cannot get away from the fact that Jesus impacted the world in a profound and unforgettable way. Even H. G. Wells declared, “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”

            However, simply being the greatest figure in history is not enough to describe Jesus. He was much more than that; he presented himself as more than that. Thomas Shultz said, “Not one recognized religious leader, not Moses, Paul, Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, etc., has ever claimed to be God; that is, with the exception of Jesus Christ. Christ is the only religious leader who has ever claimed to be deity and the only individual ever who has convinced a great portion of the world that He is God.”

            Jesus is presently on trial. He is being judged by the world and found to be a fraud, a charlatan, a con-artist, a lunatic, a menace, impossible to live up to, and a host of other descriptions. Some of you here today may still have Jesus on the examining table. You have believed in him but are still testing him to see if he is reliable. Some of you believe without a doubt that Jesus is the most significant person in your life. Jesus is being judged by humankind, yet one day he will come to judge humankind on the basis of what they thought of him. Who is Jesus?

1. Jesus is abused by men

In our text today (Luke 22:63-71), we are introduced to the cruel fury of humankind. It is inexplicable that the men, the police as it were, who were guarding Jesus after his arrest in the garden, would begin beating and mocking him. Why? What caused these men to unleash their crudest feelings on Jesus? “They blindfolded him and demanded, ‘Prophesy! Who hit you?’” (64). Then they insulted him.

            When we look back to how Jesus entered Jerusalem a few days prior, we see Jesus throwing tables around in the temple. But we also see a meek and mild Jesus taking the time to care for people. The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. He spoke powerful and loving words to the people that set them free.

            Oddly enough, this did not sit well with everyone. Matthew tells us, “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant,” (Mt 21:14). Yes the table turning and the claim of royalty were upsetting, but it wasn’t that which upset the priests. Something about Jesus created controversy.

            If a man came into our foyer during this service and healed a few people and they started shouting “hallelujah” and praising God, we might find that disrupting and upsetting, and we might ask that healer to leave. Can you imagine? Jesus was kind of doing that in the temple.

            On the other hand, I was at a Jets game the other night and heard Christ’s name being thrown about as a curse. I don’t know what Christ’s name had to do with the temperature of beer but even his name is abused in our public places. We don’t hear, “O for Buddha’s sake.”

            Jesus draws either the praise of men and women or the abuse. He is a polarizing character. The guards abused him, mocked him, spit on him, played games at his expense, and mimicked him. Why would a gentle man like this draw abuse?

2. Jesus is judged by the elders

The trial of Jesus began in the dark of night. What is not immediately apparent to us is that midnight trials are illegal. This is why we read, “At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together…” (66). With the sun up the real trial, if it can be called that, began.

            This is the Sanhedrin, a council of 71 members with the high priest serving as its leader. It was made up of Sadducees, Pharisees, middle-class laymen and wealthy men. Jesus was not being tried by a mob or by revolutionary upstarts. Behind this court lay a tradition of righteousness superior to anything the world had ever seen. Behind this court lay the prophets God had sent, the covenants, the Holy Scriptures, the sacrifices and offerings. Behind it lay the Ten Commandments. Behind it lay all the examples of case law and grieved over prophets whom God had sent, whom their fathers had murdered. These were top lawyers of Israel, skillful, learned and discerning.

            And yet, for all their experience and learning, they could not see who was sitting before them. Earlier, Jesus had said, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing they may not understand,” (Lk 8:10). That describes even today why some do not recognize Jesus. They just can’t see him.

            So they ask him, “If you are the Messiah, tell us,” (67). This is not a query for faith’s sake; they want to know so as to convict him.

            Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.” This is a similar situation as back in ch. 20:1-8 where they ask Jesus how he got his authority. Jesus turned this question on them and said, “Where did John’s baptism come from?” It doesn’t matter how Jesus answers the question, they won’t believe it. So why bother answering? Some people don’t want to know the truth.

            However, Jesus goes on, and what he says next seals his fate. “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God,” (69). As Jesus is being judged, he declares that he will be at the right hand of the power of God judging them. He refers to the Daniel 7 image of the Son of Man which is pregnant with meaning. It was not a crime to claim to be the Messiah; history reveals plenty of those that didn’t get convicted. Jesus is claiming here that he is able to go directly into God’s presence and rule at the divinity’s side from heaven. This is worse than defiling the Holy of Holies. Jesus is offending their sense of God’s holiness. He is claiming something no man has ever claimed.[i]

3. Jesus is accused of heresy

Luke records the question simply, “Are you then the Son of God?” (70). Matthew adds a detail, “The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God,” (Mt 26:63). 

            Witnesses proved useless. Jesus won’t talk. Finally, Caiaphas, the high priest, forces Jesus under oath to tell the truth. This is pretty humiliating. Imagine that a man who has dated a woman for two years decides it’s time to marry. He declares his love for her and proposes. She says, “I don’t believe you. Put your hand on a Bible and swear to me that you love me.” That is distrust. That is suspicion. That’s how Caiaphas treated Jesus. Caiaphas was saying, “I don’t believe that throughout your life you and your Father have been one. I don’t believe that you are the Messiah of truth sent by the God of light into the world.”[ii] He doesn’t want to know the truth. Caiaphas just wants to condemn him.

            But Caiaphas asks the most important question ever asked. Feminists ask why Jesus only chose men for his twelve. The gay community asks if homosexuality is really a sin. Post-modernists question the absolutism of the Scriptures. Evolutionists question the origin of creation. But the more fundamental question that supersedes all questions is this: Is Jesus the Son of God? Did God the Creator, the One and true living God, send Jesus into the world to bring his children out of darkness and into the light? If you answer “yes” you have found the starting point for the answer to all those other questions. We must always come back to Jesus.

            Jesus answers Caiaphas, “You are right in saying I am,” (70b). This is a roundabout way of saying “yes.” In effect, Jesus really says, “I will not deny it, but I would mean it a little differently from the way you mean it.” Jesus has admitted to claiming to be the Son of God. Ghandi revered Jesus as a great moral teacher; many admire him for his way of life; Jesus has changed history. But you cannot stop there; the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God will not let you. Either Jesus is the Son of God or some kind of mad man and deceiver. You can spit at him, or you can fall down before him and call him Lord and God. But he is not just some teacher.

4. Jesus is condemned for being Jesus

Following Jesus’ admission to being the Son of God, the elders said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard from his own lips,” (71). Matthew’s gospel adds details again. The high priest, Caiaphas, tore his clothes and cried out, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” (Mt 26:65-68).

            The answer from the council? “He is worthy of death.” Oddly again, they start hitting him again. Yes, he is confessing to be the Son of God. You call it blasphemy. But why hit him and spit on him and mock him again. Put him away in an asylum. But why lose control of all senses and logic? Why do they act like animals?

            Remember what Jesus prayed in the garden? “Father, not my will but yours be done.” This is it. This is the Father’s will. The Father’s will is that Jesus be handed over to the insanity of men controlled by their sinful natures and to be treated like the prophets of old. Jesus has identified with the prophets who were before him. He had to be rejected and be killed. This is the Father’s will. It goes against all human logic, but there it is.

            The high priest tore his robes. This is a sign of despair before the Lord, a sin actually, because the priest’s robe was designed never to tear. A priest must never despair before the Lord and tear his clothes (Ex 28:31-32).

            We see this despair in the lives of our friends and family who just can’t seem to grasp Jesus. We grieve their rejection of Christ and wonder why their eyes are blind to the Savior. But as Paul says, we were once like them (Eph 2).

            Even now we are guilty of taking our eyes off of Jesus and fail to see him. I read this week that we tend to look at our sins and mourn the long list of transgressions we have committed. The writer says it is not the sins we ought to grieve but the fact that we have offended a holy God. Our God is the focus, not our sins. And when we grasp who Jesus is, we find the One who died for our sins and cancelled them.

            Jesus is condemned for being Jesus. If Jesus is who he says he is, then we have to confess our sins and call him Lord and God.

Conclusion

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16).

            You must also answer the question: Who do you think Jesus is?

            Jesus is not merely a good teacher.

            Jesus is not an insurance policy against hell. Salvation is sometimes viewed as a reservation in heaven. If believing in Jesus is only about heaven and eternal life when we die, then living as a Christian in the present is futile.

            If Jesus is the Son of God, then a decision needs to be made. You and I must give him the space in our lives to be the Lord of all we do and think and say. All we plan and work at are under his authority then. If Jesus is the Son of God and you choose to believe this and confess this, He will change your whole way of life. This is called discipleship.

            Philip Yancey, in his book The Jesus I Never Knew, wrote “It occurs to me that all the contorted theories about Jesus that have been spontaneously generating since the day of his death merely confirm the awesome risk God took when he stretched himself out on the dissection table—a risk he seemed to welcome. Examine me. Test me. You decide” (JNK, 21).

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:23). That means a daily decision to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. When you wake up each morning - Jesus is Lord.

                                                            AMEN

---

[i] Darrell Bock, adapted.

[ii] Geoff Thomas, adapted.

Luke 22:47-53

BETRAYAL

Have you ever been betrayed?

            If you have trusted someone with a secret that you felt was too dark and horrible for the public to know about you, yet felt that it was too much to bear alone, then that someone went and exposed you, you know betrayal. It is an offense that is difficult to forgive. Many have shared with me how hard it is to open up to others after having been betrayed in this way.

            If you have taken a position on a critical issue and believed your friend or spouse to be on your side only to find that they do not support your position, you know betrayal. Our drama group in college was griping about a sketch we had to perform. We didn’t like it and it didn’t seem to have a point. When our director arrived, I spoke up and told her what “we” thought. I turned to the group and said, “Right, guys?” only to find that they had lost their tongues. Betrayal leaves you standing alone and feeling stupid.

            Jesus knew very well the feeling of being betrayed by someone who was close to him. We have entered into the darkest period of Jesus’ life with a look at his prayer in the Garden. The very next moment after his “Amen” was the coming of an angry mob who wanted his life. This mob was led by his friend.

            It may seem difficult to understand how a man who walked with Jesus for nearly three years, who received his love and teaching, and who felt the intimacy of his company, could turn and betray him. It is a wicked offense. But there is a sense in which his sufferings would not have been complete without his betrayal. How could Jesus sympathize with us in all our sufferings unless he himself had experienced this pain as well? When you feel betrayed – when you are betrayed – Jesus understands your hurt and your offense.

           

1. The Betrayer: The man who was called “Judas”

The Gospel writers, writing in hindsight, do not take a great deal of space to describe the man who betrayed their Lord. We get only snippets of his character here and there. What the writers do not do is take pot-shots at the man and defame him – his actions speak for themselves.

            John writes that when Mary, Martha’s sister, pours expensive perfume over Jesus’ head, Judas objects. He protests that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. John explains that he said this, not because he cared about the poor but because he cared about money and  as the keeper of the money bag he would often help himself to some of it (Jn 12:4-6).

            In our text, Luke simply writes, “While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them,” (22:47a). That is the extent of Luke’s description, and after v. 48 he is never mentioned again.

            His role in the band of disciples is a curious one. Two things stand out: First, it was prophesied long ago that someone would betray the Christ. David wrote in his Psalm about a personal betrayal. This was read by the Early Church as a prophecy. David said, “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me,” (Ps 41:9). Another Psalm of David foretold this feeling of betrayal, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng from the house of God,” (Ps 51:12-14).

            Second, not only was it prophesied that a close friend would betray the Christ, Jesus knew exactly who it was. Jesus made a remark to his disciples that John comments on, “Yet there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him,” (Jn 6:64). Shockingly, Jesus knew what Judas would do and included him anyways.

2. The Betrayal: The Pretence of Friendship

Jesus was no pretender. He was the Man of Love. His love was genuine and all-encompassing – no one was excluded. Even a Pharisee or a Sadducee could know this love if they wanted to.

            Judas was closer to this love than the general crowd since he was “one of the Twelve.” When a parable did not compute with the crowds, it was the Twelve that got a special and private interpretation. Judas was privy to the insider’s revelation of the Christ. Jesus knew his heart and yet drew Judas close as a dear friend. At the Last Supper, Jesus announced that his betrayer was among them. He said, “…the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table,” (22:21). That is an expression of intimacy.

            So when Judas comes with the mob to arrest Jesus, he arranges a signal, a token of intimacy to single Jesus out. A hearty kiss. The sign of oneness. It says, “There is no alienation between us.” Inferiors kissed the back of a hand. Servants might kiss the palm. Slaves kissed the foot. Kissing the hem of a garment expressed great reverence. But a kiss on the face and a full embrace is a sign of close intimacy and warm affection among equals. It is a mark of selfless love and affection. And that is what makes this kiss the most ugly act of treachery ever enacted.

            “He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’” (22:47b-48). I don’t know if anything surprised Jesus, but this must have come close. He knew what Judas was going to do in betraying him but with a kiss of intimate friendship? Jesus’ heart must have broken in that moment.

            Someone said that it is only a friend who can betray you. Strangers or enemies cannot be counted as traitors – they aren’t on your side to begin with. Betrayal is a deep wound precisely because friends aren’t supposed to do that. It makes you question everything you ever knew or believed in.

3. The Betrayed: The Faithfulness of Jesus

We have seen the kindness of Jesus towards Judas, his betrayer throughout the gospels. Knowing that he was the one to turn him over, Jesus still loved Judas. Jesus was and is a faithful friend.

            We have seen in the previous text that Jesus also did not change his pattern for the night. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives…” (39). He wanted and needed to be found by Judas. Someone wrote that the location of the Last Supper was not divulged to the disciples until it was time to eat so that Judas would not give away that location and spoil Jesus’ last moments with his disciples. I don’t know about that, but it seems plausible. What we do know is that Jesus was faithful to the Father’s plan and that he submitted in time and space through prayer to what was going to happen.

            What I will say is not found in Scripture but is consistent with the faithfulness of Jesus’ character. I believe that Jesus shows us his loving and forgiving nature when he restores Peter. He who professed that he would never deny or abandon his Lord in the face of crisis, three times denied ever knowing Jesus. That, to me, is the same as betrayal. Peter was overcome with fear and gave up his Lord. But Jesus brought him back into the intimate friendship of the Lord when he forgave Peter and commissioned him to feed his sheep (Jn 21:15-19).

            What I say that is not found in Scripture is this: Jesus would have forgiven Judas too. I cannot believe otherwise. That is the character of Jesus and I am sticking to it.

            However, we know that Judas was so distraught over his actions that he went off and killed himself. It seems that Judas was surprised to find that the chief priests and elders wanted to kill Jesus. So he gave back the thirty silver coins and went away to hang himself. Judas only cared about money; he didn’t think Jesus would die. As a result, we will never know what their reconciliation would have looked like.

Conclusion

There are two ways to apply this event known as the betrayal of Jesus:

            When we are betrayed, we have the example of Jesus who loved the person who betrayed him anyways. Incredible love. Jesus treated him as a brother despite his character. Jesus was ready, I believe, to forgive Judas, we ought to be ready to forgive our friends too when they hurt us.

            John Bevere, in his book, Bait of Satan, says, “Our response to an offense determines our future…Many are unable to function properly in their calling because of the wounds and hurts that offenses have caused in their lives. They are handicapped and hindered from fulfilling their full potential. Most often it is a fellow believer who has hurt them. This causes the offense to feel like a betrayal.” We must deal with these offenses and hurts in a way that does not let them ruin our lives. We must do the seemingly impossible: name the hurt and forgive the offender. That’s one side.

            The other side of betrayal is not always on our radar. Like Judas, we are capable of betraying our Lord. We turn our backs on him. We deny him when we are with our work friends. We are afraid to mention his name when the conversation cries out for the name of Jesus. There are times when we could declare what we believe about him but we are afraid to speak for sounding foolish or ineloquent. We betray our faith in Jesus too.

            But Jesus is faithful. Judas turned away from forgiveness thinking it impossible for his actions. Peter, just as guilty, turned to Jesus and chose grace and life. Peter is proof that because Jesus is faithful, we have the opportunity to become his faithful friends, disciples, servants and ministers of his grace.

                                                            AMEN

Lord Jesus

            You who were betrayed and who go on being betrayed –

            Grant us the courage to stand faithfully for you

            In every situation, no matter the cost.

            Transform our fearfulness and fickleness into faithfulness.

            When your eye searches us this week,

            May you find us loyal and true.

            May you never see betrayal in our actions

            Or hear denial from our lips.

            How much we long to be your faithful friends, O Lord!

            Thank you for your faithful love.

            You are a faithful friend to us to the end of time.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3, 8-9).

                                                            AMEN

Luke 22:39-46

THE ORIGINAL “BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS”

There are moments in our lives when it is difficult to pray. The pain and the sorrow are so intense that words get caught in our throats. We feel frustrated in those moments because we know we ought to pray, to cry out to God – we really want to – but the emotions we carry stifle our thinking processes. If only falling to our knees and crying were a prayer.

            But they are.

            And Paul taught the Romans that the Spirit helps us in our weakness. When we do not know what we ought to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Ro 8:26).

            Would it help you to know that Jesus felt the way you do? Would it help to know that he was so overcome with emotion and sorrow that he had trouble finding the words to pray to his Father in heaven?

            Luke tells us that the disciples were overcome with sorrow and that sorrow was manifested in drowsiness and sleep. Meanwhile Matthew and Mark record that Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” That is a heavy sorrow. Have we ever seen Jesus so distraught?

            Jesus faced a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee that threatened to sink their boat with confidence and composure. He faced demonic forces and satanic temptation and the grilling of Israel’s religious leaders with amazing courage. But here in the Garden the disciples saw something they had never seen before in their master: they saw him writhing in agony on the ground as he prayed. Something terrible was going to happen. Jesus knew it and the disciples sensed it.

            We love the Jesus who stood with courage and composure to face his opponents. He is our hero and our champion. But we need this Jesus who, in his greatest trial, revealed to us that even the perfect man could feel the crush of sorrow and anxiety. He is our Savior. We need this Jesus who suffered and knew what it was to wrestle with God in prayer.

1. The situation in which Jesus prayed

We read that Jesus went “as usual to the Mount of Olives” with his disciples trailing him. This might mean that with the thousands of pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the three big feasts of the year, Jesus and his disciples made their campground typically on the Mount of Olives.

            What it also tells us is that Jesus, knowing that his betrayer had gone to gather his forces to arrest Jesus, did not change his campsite. He did not run and hide in the valley of Ben Hinnom among the trash and refuse. He did not high-tail it to Galilee where friends could hide him. Jesus went “as usual” to the same spot on the Mount of Olives so that Judas could find him.

            Even though he knew what was coming, Jesus began to feel overwhelmed by the thought of it. Matthew tells us that he took the eleven disciples and told them to pray. Going a little further with Peter, James and John, he asked them to pray with him and be near him. Then he went a little further by himself to pray. Prayer played a central role in this event and in this text. Prayer was the only thing that could get them all through this night.

            Jesus prayed for what might have been three hours. But when he periodically checked on the disciples, they were sleeping. Jesus rebuked them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation,” and again, “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Have you ever wondered what temptation Jesus referred to in this command? To sleep? To run away? To flee the coming horror? To fight the guards coming to arrest him? The temptation is very specific. It is not a general temptation that we can all apply to our lives like some platitude pastors invoke. From the context of our Lord’s words it appears that there is a very present danger the disciples could succumb to if they don’t pray. Other gospels record that Jesus rebuked Peter for chastising Jesus about his coming death. This gospel records that just before the Garden event, the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest. Peter brags that the others may abandon Jesus but he never would. But the real danger and temptation for the disciples is that they would resist the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross. We see this briefly in Peter’s use of the sword on the temple servant’s ear. To put it in simple terms, the disciples were going to be tempted to resist the will of God for Jesus and themselves rather than submit to it.

We can understand that very well. When we see pain and grief in our immediate future, we want to avoid it. We may even deny it. The temptation is very great to explain away what is so clearly before us. But here in the coming death of Christ is the temptation to fight the will of God. We do this when we consider ourselves and say, “I am not that bad. Jesus did not need to die a horrible death for me. Surely our world is not as corrupt as all that. Look at the good society has done.”

2. Why Jesus prayed

If humankind is that good, why did Jesus pray as he did? Before we get to that we have to ask another question: Why did Jesus pray?

            Last week, a man who does not know Jesus very well, asked me that very question. I was explaining the Trinity to him and said that Jesus is God in the flesh. When Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Heavenly Father, Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me?” And Jesus continued to say that he and the Father were one. So why would Jesus need to pray to God, the man asked me?

            The Early Church fought heresies that declared Jesus was just a man. Jesus is God, the church said, and proved from Scripture this was true. But in the fight we may have forgotten the humanity of Jesus. Jesus was fully God and fully man. As a man he was baptized with a baptism of repentance, not because he was sinful, but because he wanted to identify with humankind in our sin. He also prayed because as a man, Jesus was dependent on God’s power and might.

            Don Macleod said it very well. “Why is this worth reflecting on? Surely for one thing, the very fact itself, that he prayed – that he prayed – because prayer is impotence grasping at omnipotence, and here is Christ praying. In him there is the reality of impotence reaching out towards omnipotence. His praying is the greatest single indicator of his own dependentness, of his own human sense that with his limited created resources as a real man he simply couldn’t handle the situation that was emerging before him.

            “I think we must drive it and ram it home to the depths of our own consciousness that awareness of being dependent on God to get by is not any sign of sinfulness; it is a sign of humanness. It’s a reminder to us that if Jesus felt that he couldn’t bear his load, or climb the mountain, or cross the river, or overcome the temptation except in the strong crying and tears which he offered to God then how before God can we hope to go through life day by day and say to God, ‘Father, it’s okay. We can handle it.’? We have to come before God in this crushing sense of our own sheer weakness, because when Christ is praying he is saying in the most eloquent fashion possible, ‘There is no way that in my naked and unaided humanness I can carry this load, nor finish this work, nor bear this burden, nor emerge from this trial.”

            Luke says that Jesus was in such anguish in his prayers that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When have my prayers been so earnest? I cannot recall. But there is no way that we can face the day without prayer. We must recognize our impotence and acknowledge the omnipotence of God through prayer and say with all honesty “this is too heavy.”

            For Jesus, a tsunami of horror was about to crash down on his head. He was facing a world of pain that he had never experienced, nor has anyone ever experienced then or ever again. And so he prayed.

3. What Jesus prayed

So in regards to this horror, what did Jesus pray? If humankind isn’t that bad why was Jesus a hot bubbling mess on the floor of the Garden that night? What brought him to the point of near physical death right then and there?

            Jesus prayed, “Father…” Mark says he cried “Abba, Father…” the term of endearment. Jesus cried out to his dear Father and begged him to hear this petition. Jesus was probing the Father’s heart to see if there was any other way to achieve the salvation of humankind. Was there not some other way for the sins of men and women to be forgiven?

            Christ’s death was the only way. The thought of death itself must have been agony alone. Death is the curse of a fallen world. It is an ugly reminder that we are subject to sin and judgment.

            That’s why Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me…” Give me a different cup. I don’t want to drink this cup if I can help it. What’s wrong with this cup?

            In OT terminology, “the cup” is a reference to God’s divine judgment. God put all his wrath against humankind into a bowl, all his righteous judgment against sin into a cup. Isaiah spoke of this cup when he wrote, “Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger,” (Is 51:17). And Jeremiah also referred to this horrible cup when he wrote, “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it,” (Jer 25:15).

            Jesus looked into the cup and said, “Eww. That is gross.” He looked into the cup and saw the sin of David, who committed adultery and murder; he saw the sin of Paul who murdered the saints; he saw the sins of the ages of all the people who went their own way and disobeyed or ignored God’s good commands for us; he looked into the cup and he saw your sin and my sin. And Jesus recoiled.

            John Calvin says that Jesus made a very human statement in asking his Father to take the cup away. His redeeming follow-up was to say, “yet not my will, but yours be done.” It was as if he was saying, “I know better.” Jesus was just expressing his disgust and then submitting to this cup.

            Here is something encouraging for us as we think of God’s will. Some might say that if we only knew God’s will for our lives it would be an easy thing to just do it. Did Jesus find the will of God easy? It was no easier for Jesus than it was for Paul and his thorn in the flesh. It is no use saying to Jesus or to anyone facing a trial, “If it’s God’s will…” because it is still painful.

            Jesus did not find the will of God easy. It was not automatically comforting to know that this was God’s will. Jesus does not tip the cup back as if it were a smoothie. He prays and he prays earnestly and in that prayer and only in that prayer is he able to say, “not my will, but yours be done.”

            Thus Paul could say, “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him,” (2 Cor 5:21).

When you struggle on your knees in prayer and find the words do not come, remember that Jesus struggled for you in his own prayer. Get on your knees and in your weakness reach out to the power of God. But remember that Jesus took all the sorrow upon himself so that your mere gesture of reaching out to God with wordless pain is a prayer in itself. Such is the grace of God that all we have to do is cry or sit or reach out to him in our hearts.

            And perhaps when you think of Christ’s agony, the words you see will come pouring out of you like a stream of praise.                                             AMEN