His Goodness and Mercy Pursue us

 After our two-week pause for Holy Week, we now continue where we left off in our series through the 23^rd Psalm. Today’s text comes from the last verse of the psalm, but here is the entire psalm for context:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

 

And now, verse six: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

I want to begin today’s message by first reminding us that this verse helps illustrate why it is so dangerous to take Scripture out of context. If we do that – take God's word out of context – one could draw a terribly incorrect conclusion that God‘s mercy and goodness follow EVERYONE – regardless of their beliefs and lifestyles – and that they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

I suppose there are many people today in and out of the church who believe ‘God is love,’ and therefore He will never condemn anyone to an eternal hell. Most churches that promote that devilish heresy are usually associated with the acceptance and promotion of sinful sexuality and perversion.

But if we take this entire psalm in context – beginning with the first verse, which reads, “The Lord is our shepherd’ – then we must conclude that it is only those for whom God is their Lord that verse six, as well as the entire psalm – applies.

 

As we’ve seen through this series on Psalm 23, it is the Lord Jesus who is our shepherd. He told His disciples: “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep (John 10:14-15).

 

In that same context of chapter 10 of John’s gospel, the Lord also told the disciples that His sheep hear His voice. So, unless Jesus the Christ is our Lord, and we OBEY His voice, we cannot say He is our shepherd, and we cannot have any expectation that His goodness and mercy will follow us to our hospice bed or beyond. We can have no expectation to dwell in His house forever.

 

This really is a critically important point, which is why I plead with you to make sure you are truly His sheep. Do you routinely confess your sins to God? Have you asked Him to forgive your sins because of what Jesus did for you on the cross? Are you baptized? Are you following Him by obeying His commandments?

 

Our answer to these questions have eternal consequences for each of us in this sanctuary. God repeatedly warns humanity with texts such as this in Hebrews 9:27 – “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

 

So, let’s return now to that last verse in Psalm 23. The Greek word translated ‘follow’ is better translated by the word ‘pursue.’  In other words, the Christian can understand the verse to read: “Surely, goodness and mercy shall PURSUE me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

We should pause here for some contemplative thought. The shepherd pursues us even in the valley of the shadow of deep darkness. When we stumble into sin, He pursues us. If we become trapped in sin, He pursues us. In despair, He pursues us. In our loneliness, He pursues us. When we are broken, He pursues us.

 

Listen to the Scripture tell it to us again: (Psalm 94:17-19) If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

 

 

The Shepherd doesn’t follow or pursue us like an inquisitor waiting to catch us doing something wrong. No, not at all. The Shepherd chases after us, to catch up with us, to lovingly and patiently whisper in our ear (Isaiah 30:21) “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

 

Some of you may be familiar with the Poem, “Hound of Heaven.” Listen to a portion of it: “I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him . . . Up vistaed hopes I sped . . . Down Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears, from those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, and unperturbèd pace, deliberate speed, majestic instancy, they beat—and a Voice beat – more instant than the Feet.”

 

It was about this poem that Fr. John Francis Xavier (d. 1920) wrote: "As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with unhurrying and unperturbed pace, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Divine grace. . . Divine grace follows after, unwearyingly follows ever after, till the soul feels its pressure to turn to Him alone in that never ending pursuit."

 

So yes, God pursues us. Why? Well, why does a parent chase after his child who just dashed into traffic? God chases after us, God pursues us, because He loves us. He wants to protect us. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that.

 

But – and this is also important to understand – contrary to what some false teachers and false pastors might tell their congregations, for those who persist in their rebellion against God and His laws, there DOES come a point in their rebellion that God no longer pursues them. And THAT is a dreadful place to be.

 

Yes – please hear this: THAT is a dreadful place to be when God stops pursing us. It is then that He then lets us go our own way along that wide road that leads to destruction and eternal damnation.

 

Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us in this text to the Christians at Rome:

Romans chapter 1:18-28 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness . . . Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  . . . For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another . . . And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind . . . .”

 

And this frightening text in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 which speaks of the antichrist’s appearance, “Whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.”

 

Listen, please. We need to hear this: (Galatians 6:7-8) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

 

God expects holiness from us. Nothing less. And when we fall short of holiness, He requires our repentance – which means to turn from our sins.

 

Yes, we stumble. And fall. A lot. And that is why, in His incomprehensible goodness and mercy, God gave us His Son as a sacrificial atonement, to be our substitute, to receive on Himself the Father’s wrath against us for our sins so that He might reconcile the sinner to Himself.

 

St Paul assures the Christian: “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in [Christ]  and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:19-20a)

 

But being reconciled with God first requires the sinner to recognize his or her sins, to confess them to God and repent. No surprise, then, that the Lord Jesus told us: (Matthew 7:13-14) “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

 

God requires of us a holy lifestyle. It is totally insufficient for salvation to simply attend church services and give to the poor and perform good works without living a holy lifestyle in accord with His commandments.  God warns us: “Pursue . . . . sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

 

Again: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

 

A holy lifestyle is not God’s suggestion. It is not His recommendation. He doesn’t say please. He simply says, “Do it.”

If that sounds harsh, I don’t know how else to say it and still say it truthfully. I know you expect me to tell you the truth as best as I know it. And oh, by the way, God also requires YOU to tell others the truth about God's word as best as you know it. Our primary role in this life is NOT to please others. Our primary and overarching purpose in life is to please our Creator. As Solomon wrote: The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

But let’s return for a few more minutes to this text in which God tells us His goodness and mercy shall pursue us all the days of our lives.

 

The older I get, the more I realize how LIMITED my remaining time on earth is becoming. When I first met Christ in 1972, I was in my early 20s. In those days I measured my expected lifespan in decades. But now, I measure it only in years. And, oh! How I want so much to be able to say on my last day – as the apostle Paul said: (2 Timothy 4:7) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

 

I am certain you also want for yourself the same thing, because you know, even if it is only intuitively, you know that life is aimless and fruitless without Christ.

 

It was CT Studd who wisely said: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

 

Christian: Unless the Shepherd pursues us, catches up with us, and we LISTEN when He whispers, “This is the way, walk in it” – then we will come to His Throne empty handed, with nothing to give Him in return for the many gifts He’s given to us.

 

Oh – think on that for a while. Unless we follow His voice, we will come to His Throne empty handed, with nothing to give Him in return for the many gifts He’s given to us.

 

(John 15:5) “I am the vine, you are the branches,” the Lord told His disciples. “He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

 

Which now brings us to that last clause of this last verse in this psalm: Surely, goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life . . .  and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

In one of the earlier messages in this series, I said commentators are divided as to when David wrote this 23^rd psalm. Many believe he did so in his later years because the psalm seems to be more reflective of his past than anticipatory of his future. It could be he wrote the psalm as he remembered when King Saul and his army hunted him. Or he could have been thinking of the time his son, Absalom, tried to kill him and take his throne.

 

But when David wrote this last verse, perhaps he was remembering God's superabundant mercy toward him after his shameless and arrogant adultery with Bathsheba and the abhorrent murder of her husband, Uriah.

 

And yet, David confidently wrote that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. How could he write that with confidence? Because he believed God's word through Nathan the prophet, who told the king God had heard his confession, taken note of his repentance, and had forgiven the king. (see the story in 2 Samual 12)

 

David could confidently write that last verse for the SAME REASON you and I can confidently recite it, believe it, and cling to it. As I’ve already said, it is because of God's mercy that He sent Jesus to the cross to receive on Himself the Father’s wrath for our sins. All of our sins.

So, what is the application of this point? What is the relevance of this piece of history dating back to King David? Well, it is this:

 

What sins have you committed in your life – including the worst you’ve ever done? Are you grieved because of them? Have you repented of them? Are you living your life today in such a way as to demonstrate your repentance and disgust with your past sins?

 

If so, then you can be as confident as David was, that God’s goodness and mercy will chase after you – to guide you, protect you, keep you – despite your history of sin. And you WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

And to all that we say, Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.

 

Amen.

Just as He Said

My text for this afternoon comes from the last chapter of Matthew’s gospel. By this point in the narrative, the Romans had crucified Jesus, and a soldier stabbed through His heart just to make sure He was dead. Joseph and some other disciples took His corpse from the cross and laid it in a tomb cut out from a hillside. And, because it was the Sabbath, they all left the gravesite to observe the commandment of God. We now pick up the story in verse one of chapter 28:

 

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:1-6a)

 

In retrospect, it might seem a little surprising that NO ONE expected this. NONE of His disciples expected the resurrection of their Lord – even though Jesus had often told them that He would die and then return to life. For example, here is Matthew 16:21 – “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

 

And also, in John 10:17-18 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

 

In fact, Jesus’ promise of His resurrection was so widely known that after the crucifixion, the Jewish clergy approached Pilate and said, 'Sir, we remember, while he was still alive, how that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise." Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, "He has risen from the dead." So the last deception will be worse than the first' (Matthew 27:62-64).

 

From our perspective in the 21^st century, we know what His disciples didn’t know at the time – that Sunday morning was coming. And so, we ought to be able to sympathize with the disciples who were in despair and in fear for their lives after Jesus’ arrest, murder, and burial.

 

They just didn’t know what was about to happen – just as WE so often in life, especially when things seem their darkest – neither do we know our Sunday is coming.

 

I love the message spoken by the angel at the tomb: “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

 

The women didn’t believe it. But the gospel writers tell us the men weren’t any better. Indeed, they ALL were certain it was over. Their hopes for a new messianic age were hopelessly crushed. We don’t have time to go there today, but you can read the 24^th chapter of Luke’s gospel and pay attention to the conversation between the two men on the road to Emmaus when they met the ‘stranger.’

 

As I prepared this message, I then thought about the angels who met the women. God's angels never wonder, or doubt, or question any of their Lord’s promises or anything else that comes out of God's mouth. They simply accept it as true because God said it. And for them, that settles it.

 

And so, they were – and I am speculating here since the Biblical record says nothing of their tone of voice – I think the angels were incredulous at the surprise of the women and also of the apostles when on that first day of the week, they were frightened and confused that they couldn’t find the body of Jesus.

 

To paraphrase their remark: “Uhhh . . why are you so upset? Jesus is not here. He’s risen, just as He said. How is it that you didn’t believe Him?”

 

Christian! We need to get that. The angel told them, “He is risen – just as He said.”

 

I love that message because if Jesus did what He said He was going to do – rise from death – then that in and of itself alone should compel all of us who believe the message of the resurrection – that alone should encourage us to have the absolute conviction that EVERYTHING ELSE Jesus said is also true.

 

I mean, think this through logically: If He overcame the impossible – who ever heard of anyone physically rising from the dead on His own power after three days in the grave? So, if He overcame the impossible, and therefore the impossible is true, then how shall we doubt anything else He said?

 

And all that begs the question – what ELSE did Jesus say? What else did the King of glory say that we must hide in our hearts – because He said it and therefore it is true?

 

Well, we don’t have more than a few minutes on this Resurrection Sunday to look in depth at them all, but let’s highlight only a few

Number one. Jesus said to the penitent thief on the cross next to Him, “This day you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) After the criminal acknowledged to Jesus his sin, the Savior promised that before the sun set on that Friday, he would join Jesus in paradise.

Why is it important to know what Jesus said to the thief? I can think quickly of at least two reasons. First, since Jesus completely and totally forgave the thief of his sins, then there is no reason for you or me to think Jesus will not completely and totally forgive OUR sins when we bring them to Christ in repentance.

 

Furthermore, in the Lord’s response to the penitent thief, He did not even hint at what some call ‘soul sleep.’ That erroneous theory posits that when the body dies, the soul remains with the corpse until the general resurrection. But that is NOT what Jesus said to the thief. He told the thief “THIS DAY, you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

Nor is that idea of soul sleep found in any of the New Testament letters. They all tell the reader that when any Christian closes his or her eyes in death, they immediately open them in the presence of their Savior Jesus. That’s why the apostle Paul told the Christians at Philippi: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” (Philippians 1:21-24)

 

It’s also why Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth: “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6–8)

So, Christian – and my remarks here are directed ONLY at the true Christian – when you die you will immediately open your eyes to see your risen Savior. You will be with him in paradise. Jesus promised it to us, just as He promised it to those in our Ashwood family who have already gone on to be with their Lord and ours.

 

But to the non-Christian – regardless of your religious affiliation – when you die you will immediately enter an eternal agony away from God's presence. I’ll address that point shortly, and that is why I plead with you, even now, to repent of your sins. Turn to Messiah Jesus. He alone can take your sins and exchange them for His righteousness.  

 

Number two – What else did Jesus say? Well, He said not all people are children of God. THAT is an important point and often overlooked or even dismissed in many churches. 

 

Yes, in a generic sense all of us are His creation; But scripture is very clear that not all people are God's children, but ONLY those who are adopted into God's family through their faith in Jesus as God incarnate, who died as a sacrifice for their sins.

 

The Jewish teachers and theologians thought THEY were children of God. But Jesus told them they were dead wrong. “If God were your Father,” Jesus said, “you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God . . . ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil . . . [and ]He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” (see the entire context in John 8:42-47)

 

False teachers and pastors tell their congregations that all men and women are children of God. But that is a lie from hell itself. As the Scripture says: “He [Jesus] came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13

 

And now let’s again take a moment for personal application: Are YOU a true child of God?  How do you know you are? If you believe Jesus died as your atoning substitutionary sacrifice for your sins, that He rose from the dead, if you’ve been baptized, live in ongoing repentance of sins, and strive to obey Him day by day – then you can be certain you ARE a true child of God.

 

Number three: What did Jesus say about the eternal destiny of all true children of God? Well, descriptions of heaven defy description because we’ve never experienced anything like heaven. Thus, we have no clear reference points. How can a person born blind understand the colors red or yellow or green or blue? How can a person born deaf ever know the auditory magnificence of a Mozart symphony? As the Scriptures tell us: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

 

So, I will not focus our attention on the physical description of heaven. Instead, I draw our attention to Revelation 21: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

 

And Isaiah 25:9 – “And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

 

Christian, did you get that? No more pain, or loss, or separation, or tears, or loneliness, or sadness, or illness. Oh! I do not care about streets of gold and gates of pearl if I can live forever without any sorrow or loss or loneliness. I don’t care what heaven looks like if I can see our Father’s face – maybe even sit in His lap like a little child, and feel His arms around me – like my children when they were small sat in my lap and I wrapped my arms around them.

Number four: What did Jesus say about hell? No honest seeker of truth can read the New Testament and come away without a healthy fear of that eternal destiny in which all who are NOT God's children will find themselves for ever and ever. I know I’ve already addressed this terrible destiny, and I do so again because of its importance to all of us.

 

Many of you remember the story Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus. You’ll find it in Luke 16. When both men died, Lazarus went to Father Abraham’s bosom, while the Rich Man went to hades, or hell. It was there, in utter and unending torment, that he begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them to change their lives so they would not end up in that terrible place. “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But [the Rich Man] said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But [Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” (see Luke 16)

 

False teachers and pastors tell you that a loving God would never send anyone to eternal torment. But Jesus said hell is real. The Lake of Fire is real. And all who continue to reject God's offer of reconciliation with Himself, who live a lifestyle of disobedience to Christ will, unquestionably, spend eternity in torment. No one in hell should be surprised that they’re there – because it will be just as Jesus said.

 

Finally for today’s message, number five: What did Jesus say about His forgiveness of our sins? Plenty. And He said it so often as to make an unshakable point about His forgiveness.

Essentially, it is this: When we confess to Him our sins – no matter how egregious and horrible and awful and wicked those sins – when we honestly and humbly confess our sins to Him – He forgives all of them. Not a shadow of sin remains. He has cast even our worst sins as far from Him as east is from west.

 

Here are only a few of the assurances He said about forgiveness: (Matthew 26:27) “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

 

Luke records for us: and [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:46-47

 

Furthermore, the Lord, by His Holy Spirit through the apostle John promises us: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9)

Why is it so hard for so many people to take Jesus at His word when He said, “Your sins are forgiven”?

The angel seemed to me to be incredulous that those at the empty tomb were shocked that Jesus was not there. “He is risen,” he told them. “Just as He said.”

 

Are angels of God equally incredulous with us when we don’t believe what Jesus said – about Himself, about the identify of God's children, about heaven, about hell, about forgiveness of our sins, and about how the Christian immediately enters Christ’s presence at death?

 

Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us, day by day, to trust the Lord with all our heart, and NOT lean on our own understanding. In all our ways to look to Him, and He WILL guide our paths. (See Proverbs 3:5)

 

He said He would.

Good Friday Message

 It was not a good Friday for the disciples. It was a terrible Friday. But they didn’t know God's glorious plan in it all. Paul explains it as well as any of the other Biblical writers when he writes: Jesus “was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification.” (Romans 4:25)

Delivered to death as our substitute, to receive on Himself the Father’s full and undiluted wrath against us for our sins. And then He was raised on the first day of the week to secure for us full and undiluted justification with the Father – meaning God now declares us to have the righteousness of Christ Himself.

Now, mind you, this protection from the Father’s wrath and the attaching of Christ’s righteousness to us applies only to the faithful follower of Jesus. It does not apply to non-believers, whether Jew or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist, or any other faith or non-faith.

Nor does it apply to the “Christian-in-name-only.” You know the type who call themselves Christians, but you’d never know it by how they live and how they talk.

No, safety from the Father’s unquenchable wrath and to be declared by Him to be ‘righteous’ only apply to the obedient and faithful Christian.

But there is more yet that occurred on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Listen again to Paul: “For [Christ] rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins . . . 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” (Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23)

Notice the verb tenses. They’re all past tense – things already accomplished by God for the true Christian: Rescued from darkness. Transferred to the kingdom of Christ. Redemption. Forgiveness of sins . . . if we continue in the faith.

Good Friday did not seem good to the disciples. But they didn’t know Sunday was coming. And it might be that for some of you, Good Friday is not better or worse than any other Friday.

I hope that is not the case, but if it is, then I also hope you will consider this bit of good news:

If you’ve read this far, then you can have confidence that God is not finished with you. You are clearly still open to His truth. Otherwise, you’d have stopped reading at the first paragraph.

So, if you’ve read this far, then have confidence that God is still calling you to Himself. That He is still holding out His hand of welcome, redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life.

That means that for you, this Good Friday can be the best Friday of your life. I hope it will be. You only need to ask Him – right now, in the silence of your heart – to forgive your sins and make you His child. Then make plans to be baptized, get involved in a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church, and learn to obey His commandments. If you wish, contact me and I will try to help you to find a good church community.

And now, I ask the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that through His Spirit, He will grant you a blessed Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday, and a new life in Christ Jesus! Amen

Palm Sunday - Who is This?

 Today is Palm Sunday, and so my text is found in Matthew 21:1- 10

“When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,  saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them."” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

 

It is on this day 2000 years ago that the Lord rode into Jerusalem. In a few short days, He will be crucified on what the Church calls Good Friday – crucified – as Peter told it – according to the predetermined plan of God (Acts 2:23).

 

Predetermined? Yes. Predetermine by God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For example, listen to Isaiah, 700 years before the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem: Jesus “pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we were healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

 

Palm Sunday also marks the beginning of what many in the Church call “Holy Week.” Tradition tells us Jesus cleansed the Temple on Monday. On Tuesday He and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives where He delivered his Olivet Discourse found, for example, in Matthew 24. On Wednesday, He and His disciples probably rested in preparation for their Passover celebration on Thursday. On Friday, the Lord was crucified. He lay in the tomb on Saturday. Then, on the first day of the week – Sunday – He arose, just as He said He would.

 

The Gospel writers record that the Lord’s Last Supper – His last Passover supper – occurred four days AFTER He rode into Jerusalem. This year, however, Passover occurred yesterday, on Saturday. The reason Passover and Palm Sunday occur at different times each year has to do with the differences between the Lunar and Gregorian calendars and that history is beyond the scope of my message today.

 

But what IS within the scope of this message are these two main points:

 

First, before His crucifixion on Good Friday, Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover as was proscribed in the books of Moses. You’ll find such references in Exodus 12, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9 and Deuteronomy 16. And second: When the Lord rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds hailed Him as a prophet – but not as Messiah.

 

So, let’s begin today’s message by looking briefly at the Passover Jeus and His disciples celebrated to commemorate the time God rescued His people from Egyptian slavery. We won’t look at Exodus 12 in detail today because of time, but you will remember God inflicted ten plagues on Egypt to force the Pharaoh to let Israel leave Egypt. The last of those plagues was the death of all the first-born in Egypt. Moses writes: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.” (Exodus 12:29)

 

In preparation for Israel’s protection during this last plague, God commanded His people to kill a sacrificial animal, catch its blood in a basin, and put the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts of their homes. God further said: “The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)

 

The lintel and the two doorposts – making a sign of a cross – a foreshadowing of what the Lord Jesus was going to do on Good Friday when the blood from His head wounds, and from His hands and feet would remind those on Calvary’s hill – and remind us today – of the places on the doors of Jewish homes in Egypt which were marked with the sacrificial blood.

 

And it is very much worthwhile to pause here a moment and consider what would have happened in any Jewish home in Egypt where they ignored God's commandment about that sacrificial blood to be painted on their lintels and doorposts. Actually, we don’t have to wonder very long. God warned them: “When I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)

 

In other words: No blood – No protection.

 

So, the question for each of us in this sanctuary in application is this: The Lord Jesus died and shed His blood on that cross as our sacrificial Lamb, the Lamb who would rescue us from the wages of sin – which is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Which begs the question: “Is your house – your LIFE – protected by the blood of Christ?” And that question raises another: HOW does a person ensure his or her life is protected by the blood of Christ?

 

The answer is not complicated. Peter said it very succinctly to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost. You’ll find his words in Acts 2 – but essentially he said this when they asked what they needed to do to be saved. Peter responded: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:38-39).

 

Believe. Put your confidence in God's promises of forgiveness to the penitent. Obey His commandments. Be baptized. THAT’S how we become protected by the sacrificial blood of the Savior – protected from eternal death in the Lake of Fire.

 

Which brings us to the second point of this Palm Sunday message. As the Lord rode into Jerusalem to their adulation and song, Matthew records: “all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10-11)

 

And therein lay the problem they faced, and the problem we in the 21^st century face: WHO is Jesus? Merely a prophet, like one of the prophets of the Old Testament? Or is He much, much more?

 

Listen, please. If any prophet in the Old Testament said the things that Jesus said of Himself, he’d have been taken out and immediately stoned to death. God commanded Israel through Moses: “But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:20). And it was BECAUSE many of the Pharisees and Sadducees believed Jesus was a false prophet that they often tried to stone Him.

 

So, what kinds of things did Jesus say that would give the religious leaders reason to call Him a false prophet, a demon, a liar from hell? Well, He said many things that brought their wrath down on Him, and if you know your Bible, you know what He said. But for the sake of time, let’s look only at a few texts.

 

First, Jesus told the religious leaders: “I and the Father are one.” The apostle John goes on to tell us that at this word, “The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” (John 10:30-33)

 

Jesus also referred often to Himself as the ‘Son of Man.’ The Pharisees knew that title, as Jesus was using it, referred to the Messianic title of Daniel’s prophecy. And that further infuriated them. Why? Listen to that text in Daniel chapter seven in which the prophet writes:

 

“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened . . . . “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

 

Coupled with this prophecy of Daniel, is this from Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.”

 

Prophet, or much more? The Lord asked His disciples a similar question. Matthew records it this way: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16)

 

On Palm Sunday the crowds in and outside Jerusalem were shouting to one another, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Which now brings us to this next question for you and me. Is Jesus to us simply prophet? Or is He, as Peter said, “The Christ, the son of the living God”?

 

This is REALLY an important question. For two millennia some held him to be simply a prophet – but no more. Even today, in some church pulpits and church pews, there are those who do not believe Jesus to be God incarnate.

 

What do you believe about Jesus? I expect all of you will answer that question as St Peter answered it: He is the Christ, the son of the living God. I expect that you will say Jesus is Lord.

 

And that is why I think we should pause here for a few minutes and ask ourselves what it actually means when we say Jesus is Lord.

 

Listen to what the Lord Jesus said of Himself: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth . . . .”

 

Here also is what He tells us in Matthew’s gospel: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

 

In other words, Jesus told them what He also tells us, “Don’t call me, ‘Lord’ if you are not going to do as I say.” And what He tells us encompasses a range of attitudes and behaviors – not only of immoralities, but also of attitudes such as prejudice, greed, selfishness, anger, gluttony – and hanging onto a spirit of unforgiveness toward others.

 

We all know the Lord’s prayer: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. ‘And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’  (Matthew 6:9-13)

 

But now look with me at the next two verses: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14)

 

We don’t have time to also read the parable about forgiveness in Matthew18:23-35, but that parable ought to be very disturbing for those who refuse to forgive others, because at the end of that parable, Jesus warns those who refuse to forgive others that they will themselves NOT BE FORGIVEN by God.

 

We all need to let that grave warning sink into our souls. If we refuse to forgive others, God will not forgive us.

 

Some think forgiveness is driven by feelings. But that’s wrong. Forgiveness isn't a feeling, it's a decision. It’s a decision to treat the offender with kindness and respect – despite how much they hurt you. It’s a decision not to carry a grudge. It’s a decision to push thoughts of revenge out of your mind and to let God be judge, and not we ourselves.

 

When the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem, the city was stirred to ask: “Who is this?” And so, as I close this message on this Palm Sunday, with the question that ought to remain with us, not only on Palm Sunday, but every day. Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus to me?

 

We do not want the Lord to say of us as He said of those in Isaiah’s day: “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13)

 

God loves you. He loves me. But because we hear that so often, I wonder if we sometimes no longer actually HEAR it. God loves you. That’s why He’s given us His rod and staff – His scriptures – to guide and protect us.

 

God loves us. That’s what Passover is all about: God's promise to redeem us from bondage to our sin nature. That’s what Palm Sunday is all about: God-Incarnate riding toward His torturous death that would occur later that week. And that’s what Good Friday is all about. As the apostle Paul writes: (1 Corinthians 5:7) “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”

 

Palm Sunday and Good Friday would never have occurred if God did not love us with a passion so great that all creation bows its knee in awe and wonder. So, come, let us in our own minds do as the Psalmist urges us to do: (Psalm 95:6) “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”