Jesus’ Mother (Believing the Words & Promises of God) This is mothers’ day. And there is a lot to say about the mother of Jesus. Martin Luther called her the best among us. That is not her own doing. It was her Son. Jesus changes us. He brings the Word of God to us and brings us to faith. And what we see in Mary is the excellent work of Jesus. Let’s look at how that happened. (Luke 1:26-55) When the angel Gabriel came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you”, (Luke 1:28) how did Mary respond? She was greatly troubled at the greeting. (v. 29) That was her confession that she had done nothing to deserve such an honor. Mary proclaims that everything is by the grace of God. Then Gabriel began to explain. She would conceive, bear a son and call His name Jesus. He would be king, Son of David and Son of the Most High, and would reign forever. (vv. 30-33) How did Mary respond? She confessed that she did not understand, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (v. 34) Once again Gabriel explained. The Holy Spirit would act, it would be God’s doing, and the child would be holy, the Son of God. How did Mary respond? She believed, and she “spoke the ‘Amen.’” Faith is nothing else than to speak the “Amen” to God’s words. In our confirmation book we have a definition of what it means when we say the "Amen." 1 We acknowledge the truth. “What has been spoken is God’s Word and it is true.” Mary acknowledged the truth of the angel’s words. 2 We confess the goodness. “It is true for me, and yes, that is good.” Mary certainly confessed the goodness of what God was doing. 3 We speak our hope. “I will see God’s truth filling all creation.” Mary would then wait and hope for the day when she would see all of God’s promises fulfilled in her Son. All the promises are fulfilled and will be fulfilled in Jesus. We also hope and wait to see the glorious fulfillment. 4 We worship. “Praise God for His love, His wonderful words, and His mighty acts.” Mary responds in worship to God for His mercy, His grace, and His blessings. There in Nazareth that day, Jesus did His work of being the Savior. By His coming into the world and by His incarnation within her womb He created faith in Mary. She is the first of the New Testament Church, responding to the presence of Jesus in her life and soul. And Jesus then teaches and guides her in the song of praise. We call it the Magnificat. Here are some of the passages: “My soul magnifies the Lord” “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” “He who is mighty has done great things for me” “Holy is His name” “His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.” “He has filled the hungry with good things” “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy.” Mary “Acknowledges,” “Confesses,” “Waits and Hopes”; And her "Amen" must finish with Worship and Praise. There were a lot of things to happen. The wonder of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds and Wise Men. The prophecies of grief spoken by Simeon. -- In each of these Mary speaks the Amen deep in her heart. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, Worship. Then there was the flight into Egypt, the return, and the time when Jesus was 12 years old and stayed behind in the temple. Again, Mary spoke the "Amen" deep in her soul. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, Worship. And then there was the arrest, the crucifixion, the tomb, and Jesus rising from the dead. And again, the "Amen" deep, deep in the soul mingled with the grief and resounding in the amazing joy. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, and Worship. Worship and rejoice without end; worship and rejoice for all eternity. Christ is Risen! Lord Jesus, let me hold Your words in my soul, acknowledging the truth. Lead me Confessing the goodness of all that You have done. Set my eyes on all that is to come when You return in glory. And through everything that happens, through all the joys and sorrows, let me worship, because You are my Lord, My Savior, My Brother, and my Friend. Amen.
0 Comments
Truth: Part 2 (From Curses to Blessings) Jesus makes some pretty huge claims: to be God; the only Savior; and eternal. He makes claims about His words. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) And everyone who hears His words and builds on them “will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24) Jesus’ words are the word of God, and they have power. There are amazing things that happen when He speaks:
But did you ever notice: The first sermon of the Old Testament starts out: “… cursed are you …” and continues “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing …. [and] cursed is the ground because of you …. You are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:14-19) The first sermon of the New Testament begins, “Blessed are …” (Matthew 5:3-7:27) The change between curse and blessing is nothing else than Jesus; Jesus born for us, living for us; crucified for us and rising for us. Jesus’ words change things. More important than the miracles, they change our relationship with God. They bring forgiveness.
Jesus changes us from being cursed and separated from God, to being the beloved children of God and His own friends. And He gives promises: “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) When we have our souls filled with the eternal Word of God, we have eternity within us. And Jesus says, “Because I live, you will live.” (John 14:19) His promises are more powerful than any problem, trial, or misfortune that could happen to us. He hears our prayers and is with us every day, “to the end of the age.” Lord Jesus, fill my soul with Your promises. Fill my mind with Your words. Connect me to You that Your life may fill my life, Your heaven may be my home, Your resurrection may be my great hope, and Your eternity may become my future. Amen. Truth We hear the phrases. “My truth”; “your truth”; “truth to power”; and pretty soon truth becomes relative. That is the sad reality about our disagreements and arguments, that truth becomes relative way too quickly and then our disagreements are simply different sides asserting "their truth" at the other. Even more sadly, that is not rare in human history; and once we go down that road it hard to come back. I’ve noticed something. We humans appear to be stubborn. There is a whole different idea and standard of truth. It has been there all along; and it is still there no matter how often we ignore it. This is the Truth that God has spoken. He has His own ideas, His own opinions, His own sense of what is right and good. And He is not taking sides in our disagreements. Truth comes in the Word of God. He speaks and it is. It just is. So God says, “Let there be light;” and there is light. God says, “Let us make man in Our Image;” and we are formed in the image of God. That kind of truth is absolute. It isn’t just unchanging; it causes what it says. The creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God. There were challenges to the truth. The devil said, “You will not surely die …” Eve saw that the fruit looked good, and ate. Adam ate and then blamed God, “The woman You put here …” But the Truth that God speaks cannot be set aside. It reasserts itself, “dust you are and to dust shall you return.” And we ended up living on the wrong side of truth. When you read or hear the 10 Commandments, realize that they are not just commands; they are Truth spoken by God. The Jewish people had a saying. “When Messiah comes He will write the Law new.” That was the hope God spoke through Jeremiah, “ … the days are coming … when I will make a new covenant …. I will put My law within them and I will write it on their hearts. …” (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Jesus came into the world. He began to preach. And He started His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are … .“ Nine times over Jesus spoke the Word. (Matthew 5:3-12) “Blessed are …” He says, and the creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God. Jesus brings Truth and in His words He begins to rewrite the entire creation. Jesus IS the Truth and in His saving work he becomes the restart of God’s creation and His kingdom. This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ words, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6) Everything comes together in Him. When Paul talks about Jesus being obedient “to the point of death even death on a cross” and then says “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and … at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow”. Philippians 2:8-11) this is because Jesus IS the Truth. He is the beginning, the foundation, and the restarting of the new creation. He is the pattern for the entire world to come, and God the Father desires that every one of His people should “be conformed to the image of His Son”. (Romans 8:29) The resurrection of Jesus is the truth that changes everything about our existence. Who we are is Christians, connected to the one who defeated death. What our future is, is to share Jesus’ life and His blessings forever. The forming of our soul and inner being is this, “When He appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Lord Jesus, call me to know You, and in knowing You to find the Truth that is eternal. Be to me the eternal Truth that dispels my doubts and errors. Be the unchanging Truth that changes everything about me. Be the glorious Truth that I may see Your glory. And lead me more deeply into the Truth of Your Word that I may know You ever more fully. Amen. On the Road Again … I saw on the news today how sales of RV’s are soaring. All over the country people want to be out and “On the road again.” (Yes, the story had the song from Willie Nelson playing as the lead in.) Earlier this week Lois came by the church office. She had something to deliver, we wore our masks, we kept “social distance,” and afterward she headed back home. But one of the things she said rings true. “I just had to get out and see people.” The song goes, “On the road again … I just can’t wait to get on the road again.” We are not made to “stay in place.” It is difficult and it takes effort; and we will seek to do our duty as necessary. But God created time so we could move through events and enjoy things that are new and changing. It is part of our nature. When God called Abraham, what did He tell him to do? Leave and go to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1) When God called the people of Israel out of Egypt what did He do? Had them set up a “tabernacle,” a tent church so He could share the journey. And when Jesus was born how did John describe it? “The Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us.” (John 1:14) Yes, that is the Greek word, the same one used for the Old Testament tabernacle. God created us to be “on the road again” and Jesus was born so that He could be “on the road” with us, sharing the journey, walking the roads of the holy land with the disciples, being with the people of the land, the sick, the lame, the poor, sharing the journey. Jesus was ready to share the journey, even when the way was dark and filled with suffering. He walked our road all the way to the cross and then from the empty tomb on Easter. And then Jesus was “on the road” with His disciples, the road to Emmaus, the sea shore, and out to the mountain where He ascended. God created time so we could be “on the road again” and then came into the created world to be on the road with us. In fact, the third line of the song fits the pattern of Jesus with His disciples, “The life I love is makin’ music with my friends”. That is what Jesus called them to. And He was willing to pay a steep price in order to have them “on the road” with Him for all time, and making music “on the road” forever. The same word, “tabernacle,” comes around again at the end of the Bible. John says, “And I heard a voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man. He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” (Revelation 21:3) When I first learned that was the word I thought, “That’s odd. Why doesn’t it say “temple? Temple would be more permanent.” But there it is. The big difference is that a tabernacle is movable. I wonder. Is that intentional? Well, of course it is! The Bible is God’s Word, and He gets to influence and guide the writing of the writers. So, does this mean that when we get to the end it will not be the end? Does it mean that our eternal dwelling with God will not be a staying still, a staying in one place forever? At that point I come to the end and limit of what I can know. God does not reveal any of the “What next?” beyond the return of Jesus. But it is intriguing. And some of the prophecies say things like, “They shall go out …” God chose the word “tabernacle,” and did so on purpose. It is a pretty strong hint that eternal life is not going to be an endless staying in one place and doing the same thing forever. And why would it be? God created time for us so our life would not be endless sameness, but rather a wonderful passing through hours and moments of experiencing the blessings of God. There are adventures, there is going forward, and it is from glory to glory, “running” with Jesus forever. I think it really does fit the words: “On the road again I just can't wait to get on the road again The life I love is makin' music with my friends …” Lord Jesus, lead me on. You call us to go with You, and know that there will be glory, and joy, and it will be the most amazing adventure ever. Thank You for buying back my eternity, and inviting me to be on the road with You through endless ages. Amen. God Loves Life and Loves Giving Life The whole theme of the Bible is Jesus coming into the world, bringing life so we can have eternal life and live with God for all eternity. Right from the beginning that was the plan, Jesus bringing life. In getting ready, God packed the Old Testament full of hints and tips what everything was about. Jesus is the life of the world, and there is life in Him. He is "the Seed of the woman" the answer to death and dying. He is the Lamb, the substitute on the mountain (Genesis 22:13), the Passover (Exodus 12), and the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:6-7). So God prepared and finally the time was right. Jesus was born and John begins his Gospel, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4) Jesus is the life and He would heal the sick and raise the dead. All around the holy land He came to bring life. Jesus explained something about Himself, "As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself." (John 5:26) That is very distinct. His life is different from our life. We receive our lives because we were conceived and born. Jesus "has life in Himself." He is eternally living, and His eternal life is the same as the Father's. But Jesus came to bring life by being the substitute, standing in our place and receiving the sentence of death. This is the mystery. How is He who has life in Himself supposed to be subject to death? Even after being conceived and taking on a human body, He was still the Eternally Living One. How was it possible for Him to die? And yet Jesus willingly went to share our sentence of death, accepting what did not belong to Him. He came to bring life, and bring us into His life. Death cannot hold the One who is Life and has life in Himself? It cannot destroy the One who has no sin. It cannot keep the One who can raise the dead with just a few words. The One who said, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43) or "Child, arise." (Luke 8:54) could not be stopped. We say it all the time. Death is undone. It is broken. Jesus could not be held in the tomb, kept in the grave cloths, or have His body bound by death and decay. "In Him was life." And along comes another wonderful verse. Jesus said, "As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:21) We have comfort. And we have the promise. Jesus gives life to whom He will, and He has chosen to give life to us. No weakness or sickness, no wearing down of these bodies from long years, and no accident can stop the Son of God from giving life. Lord Jesus, You are my life and salvation. You hold in Your rising the promise of my life. You hold in Your eternity, all my years to come, and all the blessings of being with You. Keep me in faith and guide me that I may sing Your praise, forever. Amen. Abstract or Particular? "... He calls His own sheep by name ..." (John 10:3) We have heard the saying. The thing about Christianity is that it's about God's love. True. "God is love ..." says the apostle John (1 John 4:16) and "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) But there is more to say, and that is captured by the simple phrase, "He calls His own sheep by name". (John 10:3) There are a lot of religions and sets of belief that talk about love. And from the philosopher to the crooner singing love ballads, to the fellow in the bar, everyone has an opinion. And we will opine our ideas of love and theories of what it is all about. All of that is about love in the "abstract." You can go on about how love is sacrificing, or sharing, or caring, or being kind even when you do not feel like it. Many years ago I read "The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi." He had what sounded like a noble idea of love. It was to care about every living thing as deeply as you care about yourself. In theory he talked about love in caring about the animal or even the insect. He complained about Christians falling short of what Jesus taught about love. But he too struggled with putting his ideas of love into practice, even with those closest to him. In contrast, Jesus said, "He calls His own sheep by name". This is different. It kind of sneaks up on you all this means. This is not the abstract idea of love. It is personal. And it is particular. In the encounter with Jesus, one person after another in the Bible learned that love was not an abstract fluffy type of I'm-not-quite-sure-what-it-is kind of thing. It was particular to each one. Peter needed prompting and guiding. Nicodemus needed his scholarly learning challenged. (John 3:1-15) The leper needed Jesus to touch and heal him. (Matthew 8:2-3) The deaf man needed Jesus to put His fingers in his ears and look up to heaven and sigh. (Mark 7:32-35) The woman at the well needed to see herself and then see the Savior. (John 4) Thomas needed Jesus to face down his doubts. (John 20:27-28) The rich young man needed to be told to get rid of his love for possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22) The thief on the cross needed to hear the Savior praying for those who swung the hammer. (Luke 23:32-43) Martin Luther told how Jesus caught hold of him through the verse in Romans, "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe", (Romans 3:21-22) and then he ended up hammering a piece of paper to the church door. Four simple words, "the righteousness of God," that it was not God's demand that we be righteous, but instead the righteousness of Jesus Christ in our place, taking away our sin and making us righteous in the sight of God. And with that Jesus caught hold of his soul, opened up heaven, gave him the joy of eternal life, and sent him to tell everyone he could find. Each one is different. Each one is known by Jesus. My favorite illustration about this is Nathaniel, who is stopped in his tracks by the words, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." We have absolutely no idea what that meant, whether it was a moment of spiritual insight, spiritual struggle, or just nothing much. But Nathaniel knew. "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel." I continue to be amazed at the incredible number of ways that Jesus calls us to know Him. How many different verses does He use to catch hold of different men, women and children that He is bringing into His kingdom. Someone once asked, "Couldn't God have just told us, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.' and left it at that?" Well, not really, because Jesus is in the business of calling His own sheep by name. And there are a whole lot of different sheep. I am pretty sure that a lot of Christians I know have their own very particular story about how, deep inside the soul, the Good Shepherd called you "by name." He knows us long before we know Him. He knows our beliefs, attitudes, moods, and needs deep within our soul. And He calls us, each one in a particular way. One of the most curious I have heard was a fellow who said he came to faith as an atheist. So I said in my own mind, "Hunh?" and waited for him to explain. And then he said he didn't seem to be able to seek out God or find God, much less even want to believe in Him. And then he ran across a verse in the Bible that said exactly that same thing, "... not that we have loved God but that He loved us ..." (1 John 4:10) And Jesus took hold of him. "So," he said, "I stopped even trying to be religious and simply believed Jesus." I spent a bit of time trying to trace the path and see how it held together; and then I came to the conclusion that, "Yes, it does make sense, but even more than that -- Jesus is really good at what He does!" "He calls His own sheep by name" and it is amazing! My own particular hook is a little part of a verse in John 17. "Father, I want them to be with Me ..." (John 17:24, a bit of a paraphrase) It hit home one day, realizing that this is a personal thing. Jesus wanted me to be with Him. It wasn't numbers, or kingdom, or anything else. It was personal. It's what Jesus said, "He calls His own sheep by name." Lord Jesus, thank You that You know each one of us personally, and thank You for calling each of us to be a part of Your kingdom, to see and share Your glory and to live for all eternity. Thank You for being my Shepherd, even now, that each day, and whatever each day brings You call Yourself my Shepherd and call me Your sheep. Guard and keep me so I can be with You and see Your glory. Amen. Shepherd or Sheep (The Only Shepherd Ever!) The relationship of Shepherd and sheep is one of the great pictures of God's care for us. It runs almost all the way through the Bible. Think of David watching the sheep and then writing Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Psalm 80 starts out "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel" and Psalm 100 celebrates that "we are His people and the sheep of His pasture." The prophets also talk this way: Isaiah 40:11 says, "He will tend His flock like a shepherd ..." and Ezekiel 34 is all about God being the shepherd of His people. "I, I Myself will search for My sheep and will seek them out. ... and gather them from the countries, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, ... I will feed them with good pasture ..." (Ezekiel 34:11-31) There are a lot more verses like this. All through the Old Testament God claimed the right to care for and watch over His people like a shepherd watches over his sheep. It's a beautiful image. But there are hints of something else. Sheep are not only cared for. They are also used for sacrifice. This is the other theme about sheep in the Old Testament. The two interweave one another and play off each other. It's kind of like a beautiful symphony, where you hear one theme in the music played over and over with variations. And then a second theme begins to play, just a few notes at first and then clearer and clearer, until it becomes all that the music is about. So Abraham goes up the mountain with his son Isaac. And when Isaac asks about the sacrifice, Abraham says, "the Lord will provide the lamb for the sacrifice." (Genesis 22:8) God sends Moses to Egypt, and tells the Israelites, the night before the Exodus they are to sacrifice and eat the Passover Lamb, marking their doors with the blood of the lamb. (Exodus 12:1-23) Later Isaiah prophesies "like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7) These are the hints and pictures of what was coming. In the Old Testament God talks as clearly as He can about Himself being the Shepherd and we His sheep. From the Old Testament you hear the theme of the Lamb, but it does not come into clear focus until the New Testament. The story of salvation was waiting for John the Baptist to stand by the Jordan River and point at Jesus and say, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) It is fascinating how the Shepherd and Sheep themes blend and interplay. The Shepherd watches over His sheep. And He is going to be with the sheep. But what a way for the Shepherd to be with the sheep! He is Immanuel (God with us). He (the Word) "became flesh and dwelt among us". (John 1:14) And He promises to be with us to the end of the age. He came to be with us. What Jesus meant by being "with us" is amazing:
The Shepherd has become one of us. And not only one of us. He became the One standing in our place - "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) "The Shepherd" has become "The Lamb." Like the theme in a symphony that starts out quietly and grows more and more powerful; the theme of Jesus the Lamb of God becomes the entire song by the end of the New Testament. While Jesus is called "the Lamb" four times in the rest of the New Testament; the book of Revelation calls Jesus "the Lamb" 28 times. What better theme to have as the theme for the song of eternity? Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Shepherd and watching over my soul, teaching me the Gospel so I can have salvation in You. Thank You especially for being the only shepherd ever who became the Lamb, so that You could carry my sin and bring Your eternity to me. Amen. The Deepest Mystery of the Good Shepherd It is the most amazing part of John 10 (The Good Shepherd Chapter). In fact verses 17-18 might be the most amazing 2 verses in the whole Gospel of John. I have been studying these 2 verses for years and I am still astonished. Jesus said, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father." (John 10:17-18) Those verses start out looking like so many other verses. They tell how God "so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son" (John 3:16) And Jesus willingly came into this world in order to save us, to carry our sins to the cross and on the third day rise from the dead. But look closer and there is an astonishing contrast. God the Father loves His Son Jesus. And yet Jesus must go to the cross where He would be forsaken. Jesus would cry out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And yet in the moment of being forsaken He is loved. God the Father says, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased," (Matthew 3:17) and in Isaiah "Behold My servant!" (Isaiah 52:13)Jesus says, "the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life ..." (John 10:17) His death was a death under a curse. And it was death under the judgment of the Law. And it was death with forsakeness and a cry of abandonment. There is the contrast. Two truths in tension, looking like opposites. Two things seem to be as far as possible from each other, and yet they happen together. They are linked in eternity, and can only come together in Jesus. Set them side by side: "For this reason the Father loves Me ..." & "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And not only do they happen side by side. Each one reaches its climax at exactly the same time. God the Father turned away from His Son forsaking Him; and at the same time the Father had never loved His Son so completely and so adoringly. "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down My life ..." When Jesus went to the cross He was earning forgiveness and salvation for lost humanity, and that is what God the Father most deeply desired. He also went to the judgment of the cross with perfect faith. Jesus went with devotion to His Father, trusting the promises, believing the Father's love. He went with perfect faith, in the face of everything around. This is the measure of perfect faith; for Jesus to believe the words and promises of God in the face of judgment and death; and to surrender Himself into death trusting those words and promises even while being forsaken. This is faith carried into the most extreme challenge, facing death and separation from His Father and still believing the words and promises. No wonder, "for this reason the Father loves Me". So Jesus brought back all the promises of God, bringing them right into our place of separation. He faced the final enemy and died the death of perfect faith. He proved that the promises and blessings of God are there for us, even when we feel forsaken, and even when we have wandered as far away from God as we could go. Jesus the Good Shepherd came to our separation. He brought truth to dispel all the devil's lies, and He did so by taking our place, all so we could have His blessings and know that we are never forsaken. Jesus said, "For this reason the Father loves Me," and brought the love of God to face down our every problem and doubt. He said, "because I lay down My life" and swept away every sin that could separate us from the love of God. He said, "that I may take it up again" and began to unravel even death, so we could even have victory over the final enemy. And He said, "This charge I have received from My Father" so we can know that it is an eternal plan. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your victory over sin and death, that I can know I am set free to share in Your eternity. And thank You for Your faithful death, holding to the words and promises of God, that by Your victory, my doubts may be defeated, and I may walk with confidence that You are the Way and the Truth and the Life. Amen. Immanuel There is a cross-over between the Good Shepherd chapter (John 10) and Christmas. And it is important! We know the name Immanuel from the Christmas story. "The virgin will conceive and bear a son and will call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) The name Immanuel means "God-with us." or more precisely "With-us God" because the order of the parts matters. Jesus is God, and in certain ways that is not surprising. But that He would be "with us," actually want to be in our world, be one of this skin-covered, sometimes achy, hungry, tired and sore bunch called humanity; and want to hang around with sinners who (alone) can't seem to sort our right and wrong or truth and error, and (together) congeal into a mob of "who-knows-what-they-will-do-next" bunches of out of control sinners. That is amazing! With-us God! That is what He takes on Himself. There is a word for it. "Shepherd." Jacob, way back when describes it. "there I was: day by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes." (Genesis 31:40) As a young man David learned humility by being out with the sheep day and night. That is how God prepared him to be king. And so Jesus came to be among us, to eat with the tax gatherers and sinners; to know the troubles of their soul. and there is a reason why the favorite word for Jesus in the last book of the Bible is "The Lamb." The first Gospel starts with Jesus being called Immanuel. (Matthew 1:23) And it ends with the promise "'I Am' with you" (Matthew 28:20) using the Greek translation of the personal name of God "I Am." The story is from Immanuel to Immanuel. From "With-us God" to "'I Am' with you." How is He with us? Let's ask that question of John chapter 10, the Good Shepherd chapter. When we do here are some of the answers:
Now that is one amazing Shepherd! Good? More than just good! He is the Phenomenal-and-astounding -beyond-all-measure Shepherd! Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Shepherd, for knowing me, calling me, leading me through all I have to face in this life, for giving every blessing, for taking my sin and going to death for me, for calling me into Your Easter, for claiming me as Your own and leading me into eternal life. Help me to begin the eternal celebration even now, as I continue the walk through this life and this world. Amen. When An Atheist Prays ... What is this? Why would an atheist pray? Actually, it happens. There is an old saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes." A man who has had no use for religion finds himself in a life-threatening situation. Everything is falling apart, He does not know if he will get out of it. And suddenly with nowhere else to turn a man calls out to God.I have sat and talked to men with that kind of prayer in their background. They do remember the moment. What then? God claims the right to hear anyone who calls out to Him. Psalm 68 calls Him "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows ..." (Psalm 68:5) There is no mention of their belief. Only that God claims the right to hear and answer. Psalm 145 has this prayer, "You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." (Psalm 145:16) And Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that God "makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45) God is the One who gives daily bread, who gives life and breath, and insists on the right to hear the prayer of all His people, of all humanity, of all creation. And He answers and provides. How many accidents have we avoided and wondered? How many terrible things did we not even know we were protected from? And when we are in distress and trouble God insists on the right to hear our prayer and watch over us. So the un-religious man could talk with me about how God answered his prayer; and could still be celebrating that his prayer was heard. What then? God has more to give. So many prayers are offered up for physical needs. They have to do with what I need for "this body and life." (Luther's Small Catechism, explanation of the First Article) Those are good prayers, and God loves to hear them. But there is more. God has more to give than simply the needs for this body and life. We are more than skin covered collections of chemicals and nerve impulses. We are body and soul, and there is a whole other part of our life. So God hears and answers our prayers for daily needs. But He invites us into a deeper relationship. Always He has more blessings ready to go. God knows the things of the soul. He knows our need for comfort, hope, and promises brought to us by Jesus. He knows our spiritual needs. He knows our need for His promise of salvation in Jesus; for forgiveness earned by His Son; for the promise of eternal life. And He has those blessings all ready to go earned and offered through Jesus rising on Easter. It would be silly to pray for the bodily needs; receive God's answer; and walk away uninterested so many more gifts and blessings. That's like being at your grandmother's for dinner, and it's really good; but at the end when she brings out her famous pumpkin pie, you say, "Boring!" Right now we are in the middle of a time when a lot of people are remembering prayer. we are calling out to God in ways we haven't done for a long time. And God is answering, watching over us, keeping and defending us. What then? As we come through this, remember to remember. Remember God who answers prayer and has answers ready for prayers we haven't even prayed yet. (Isaiah 65:24) Lord Jesus, You are the gift and the answer. When I have called out You have been there, already ready to help. When my prayers were answered, You prepared even more answers. You are a never ending well of blessings, pouring out more blessings than we can even ask for. Help me remember to remember Your blessings and help in my times of need. And help me remember to praise You, my savior and Friend. Amen. |
Rev. Mark WilligPastor Willig is pastor emeritus of Friends in Christ Lutheran Church. Archives
December 2023
Categories
All
|