Sunday, December 30, 2007

The Glory of the Church in Jesus Christ - Now and Forever

“Unity in Christ”

(John 17:1-24, Dec. 30, 2007)

John 17:1-24 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Introduction – The hour of His coming, but now another hour has come…

The entire Christian church has recently been rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. The hour of His coming was not random or purposeless. The Bible tells us that the Father sent His Son at the fullness of time. There are many things in the outworking of God’s great plans that were perfect for the birth of Jesus Christ. It was the right hour. That hour of His coming was followed some thirty years later by another hour that had been long decreed by God. When Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to go to Jerusalem in John 7, the Lord indicated his awareness that the time was not yet right for that second hour, the fulfillment of His mission. He said, “My time has not yet come.” Here in John 17 Jesus is well aware that the hour for the cross has now come. Therefore, he leads His disciples in a solemn prayer, as the most intense battle of His ministry is about to take place.

For the Father and the Son (1-5)

What does the Lord pray for in that hour? First He prays concerning His Father and Himself. He says, “Glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You.” The glory of God is God’s chief concern in all that He does, and it is clear that this should be the concern of all men. By the “glory” of God, we mean all the greatness and goodness of God made obvious before human beings. The glory of God changes people. That changing process is not just a one-time event at your conversion. The life that we have in Christ is a life of growing in the glory of God as we walk toward the day of our final glorification in the return of Christ. Christ was glorified both in the cross and the resurrection.

Many people stumble in their hearts at things like the resurrection of Jesus or the final resurrection of the dead at His return or the reality of eternal life in resurrection bodies. These have always been hard things for people to believe who can’t seem to hear the Word of God with faith. In the first five verses of this chapter, Jesus is praying about these things in the hearing of others. Does it help you to remember that Jesus believed in these things enough to pray about them when other people were listening? He is boldly asking the Father to glorify the Son. He refers to an earlier glory. Jesus was full of surpassing glory before the world existed.

What is all this glory, glorifying, and glorification? We in this world have a hard time even knowing what we are talking about when we use the word “glory.” Perhaps it would help to consider something by contrast that is all around us, something that is decidedly not glorious, something that Jesus had to face. We know that in just a short time the body of Jesus will be placed in a tomb. Can we all agree that a lifeless body in a tomb is not outwardly glorious? The glory that God has for His Son is different that that. This is a very obvious contrast, but now we can back up a step and remind ourselves that for all the years since Jesus spoke these words, billions of bodies have been made by God. Billions have lived their appointed years on this earth (Mathematicians and scientists today estimate that between 50 and 110 billion people have been born on earth), and billions of bodies have been placed lifeless in the grave or had some worse end. The mortal bodies we are currently blessed with are subject to disease and injury. Even if you lived as long as Methuselah, the evidence is that one day you will die. Glory is something more than that, and the ultimate glory that Jesus prays about is something wonderful, bright, and eternal, something having to do with God’s greatness and goodness and life being made wonderfully visible to us, something that the Lord set aside when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. He became subject to death for us.

There was a different glory that Jesus had while on earth. It was the glory of mission, and it can only be seen by faith. The glory of mission often looks like failure. Jesus glorified His Father on earth with the perfect accomplishment of the work that the Father gave Him, yet there was apparently a greater glory for the Son of God prior to His conception. Here He makes His prayer in the hearing of others for a return to His earlier eternal glory.

You and I did not have any prior glory or existence before our birth. This is a difference between us and Jesus Christ. If you consider the creation account, Adam did not exist spiritually prior to the creation of His body. It is God who breathed the spirit of life into Adam. Jesus, as the Son of God, had a pre-existent Spirit. This one God-Man was given authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom the Father had given Him. What is eternal life? At least one aspect of it is to know the Father and the Son. If God has given you the gift of knowing Jesus as the unique Son of God and of knowing the Father, then you have Christ’s gift of eternal life. Romans 1 tells us that everyone knows God in a way, though people suppress the knowledge of God in unrighteousness, because they do not want to worship Him or obey Him, except in the most superficial or ceremonial way. This is obviously not a saving knowledge. The saving knowledge that is eternal life is to know the Lord, to love Him, and to follow Him.

For the Son and His apostles (6-19)

Beginning in verse 6, Jesus prays for His disciples. He first prays for those who have been with Him for His three years of ministry. Do you see the connection between Jesus and His disciples according to this prayer? They belong to Jesus – “Yours they were,” he prays, “and you have given them to Me.” Jesus is also the source of saving knowledge for them through the Word that He has spoken to them from the Father.

So many times in the gospels Jesus is said to go off to a private place to pray. When He does this we do not often have much of an indication of what He prayed. Here we get the actual prayer that He prays for His disciples. His prayer exposes that there is an intense spiritual warfare going on. In this warfare there is an evil one who is trying to destroy them. There is also a world that they can so easily slide into, like spineless jelly into a mold. Jesus prays for these disciples that they will be kept in the name of God, and that they will not be lost to the devil and to the world. The powerful weapon that is given from God to do this battle is the Word, which Jesus has given to His disciples. By using this glorious Word of truth, God can set apart these disciples from the devil and the world. This is what Jesus asks the Father to do. They have a job to do in the world, just as the Lord had a job to do in the world. He is almost finished with that job. He will soon consecrate Himself to a death that we deserved. This will be his one great act of obedience. Without this death, the disciples of Jesus cannot be sanctified in truth. With the consecration of Jesus to His death, these hand-picked followers will be set apart for the Word.

For the Son and for those who will believe (20-23)

Armed with this powerful Word, the disciples will go out into the world and do something that will last. There will be new disciples, centuries of disciples, who will hear the God-given Word of Christ that the disciples will preach. Millions like us will believe in Jesus through their Word. Then these millions will know the Father and the Son, which will be eternal life for them. Then the church will be one – one in the word of the death of the cross, and one in the life of Jesus the Son of God. On that day there will be perfect unity of the church in Christ, a unity that Jesus prayed for, and a unity that we seek even now.

All in Christ are made for glory. In Christ we have a surprisingly glorious mission and a more visibly glorious destiny. Christ has given us a certain glory now like the glory that the Father gave to the Son in sending Him. It is the glory of a Word to believe in and the glory of a work to be accomplished, a mission to perform. When we are one in Christ, then the world will know that the Father sent the Son, and that the Father loves us as He loves the Son.

Another hour is yet coming (24)

When Jesus was born, that was one hour – the hour of the Savior’s birth. When Jesus died that was another powerful hour – the hour of atonement for the sins of the world. The resurrection of Jesus assures us of the coming of yet another great hour – the hour of the greatest life for the church. Jesus had the glory of mission during His earthly ministry, and He has granted to us who are in Christ that glory. He asked His Father for another glory in this prayer and He has now entered into that glory. In the final verse of this passage He asked the Father that we all may be with Him where He is in that great final and visible glory. If we are in Him in that coming hour, then we will see Him who is the very glory of God. Let us be one in Christ in this church, and let us be One in Him with every other assembly who will love the Savior and His Word, that God might be glorified in our brief lives here, and in eternity.

Questions for meditation and discussion:

1. What is the meaning of this petition: “Glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You?”

2. What are the most significant “hours” or events for Christ? What are they for any Christian?

3. What were the petitions of Jesus’ prayer for His current disciples?

4. What were His petitions for later disciples who would believe in Him through the word of the earlier disciples?

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve Message

“Glory to God in the Highest”

(Luke 2:1-20, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, Dec. 24, 2007)

Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Introduction – Something to ponder; someone to treasure

We are here for a reason tonight. 2000 years ago a baby was born, and over the years, we have come to mark His birth on this night. We do many other things to celebrate the birth of Christ, but we start here, at the story of what happened so many years ago. Here we have something to ponder. Here we have someone to treasure.

In those days (1-3)

Before we can say something about here and now, we need to say something about then and there. This birth took place in a very different place and time. During the reign of Caesar Augustus, the emperor ordered that a census be taken. This was probably around 4 BC, the best estimate that we have for the actual year of Jesus’ birth. The specific details of all of this are not as important as the fact that there are details. The birth of Jesus is not myth, but a reality. Luke wants us to know that. For this reason he identifies critical markers of history for us, and connects these to the birth of a baby. Christianity is not a movement of disembodied ideas, but a faith based on historical truths. We can no more deny the reality of a man known as Jesus of Nazareth than we can deny the fact that there was a Caesar Augustus, and that he had a fairly close associate with a military background whose name was Quirinius who presided over the Roman province called Syria.

A simple but real birth (4-7)

The truth of this birth is not only based on the mention of the names of two rulers. The account of the birth contains details that further indicate that Luke is presenting this simple birth as an overwhelming reality. There are many interesting facts presented that distinguish this from myth. There was a man named Joseph. He lived in a region called Galilee in a town called Nazareth, a place about which someone could say, “Can anything good come from there?” He was married to a woman called Mary who was pregnant. She is said to be his betrothed in this passage because the marriage had not yet been consummated. They were both descendants of the house of David, which meant that their ancestral home was the town of Bethlehem. That was why they had to travel there, because apparently the order of the census required that people return to their family towns.

There are still other details here. When the couple arrived in Bethlehem they came to an inn or a house, we don’t actually know which. What we are told is that despite Mary’s condition, they were not allowed to stay in the house. She gave birth to her son in a place where the animals are kept. If people are inventing lies, they try to avoid details that could expose inconsistencies. Details are unnecessary if you are creating myths. Yet details are a messy component of true stories. We don’t understand all the details in the Christmas story but they gently reassure us that the facts presented here are true. When we hear amazing stories we should seek independent witnesses who can back up the facts of the life of Jesus. We have this in four different gospel accounts, rather than just one. Luke testifies at the opening of his gospel that he has gathered information from written sources and from ministers who have apparently spoken to parties involved in these events who were still alive in His day. They present to us a picture of a poor couple, alone, away from home, apparently not wanted or loved by anyone.

Shepherds in glory (8-14)

What we have so far is a fairly normal story about people. What follows beginning in verse 8 is something very different, since it involves angels. Angels are different than people. When people go to be with the Lord, they do not become angels. Angels occasionally appear visibly as people, but they never become people. Angels are very powerful and wise spiritual creatures made by God. They have a variety of tasks to perform, often as servants to God’s people and as messengers of God. I mentioned that angels appear occasionally as people, but they also can appear in a more glorious form as shining beings, so marvelous that they inspire fear in the hearts of men. It is amazing that God chooses to bestow such a glorious assembly to a group of lowly shepherds at the coming of His only-begotten Son.

First a single angel of the Lord appears with a message of “good news and great joy.” Since sin entered the world through Adam, this world has been a place of misery. We appreciate the remaining good gifts that God gives to us daily. We love good food, presents, vacations, family gatherings, greetings from friends, societal stability, the beauty of the snow, the marvel of the sunrise, the majesty of mountains, and the vastness of the oceans. Yet, the fact of death looms over this world, and sin and disappointment are all around us. Since the fall of Adam, the world has been in great need of good news.

Good news arrived that night through the Angel of the Lord, and the greatness of the news was reinforced by the glory of the heavenly host worshipping God. What a sight! What was the message of the Angel of the Lord that was of such great importance that it was underscored by the appearance of this multitude of heavenly beings? “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The birth of one child was the good news that overturned the massive mountain of sin and misery accumulated over centuries of human life.

This baby was born in Bethlehem, the city of David the King, and was a descendant of David as had been prophesied. God had promised that somehow one of His descendants would be an eternal King. It had been almost six centuries since a true descendant of David had ruled in Israel at all, yet genealogical histories were passed down through the generations, so that people like Joseph and Mary were well aware that they were descendants of David. This was the reason they were in Bethlehem at that moment, apparently according to the requirements of the census. The angels announce that the baby is a Savior. The idea of a Savior/Redeemer/Deliverer is all over the Bible, both in the New Testament and in the Old. Most frequently the word refers to God, but it also refers to those God sends as rescuers of His people. In the book of Judges, men like Gideon and Sampson were saviors who came to deliver the people from life under the domination of some foreign power. This baby is a mighty Savior. He is also called the “Christ the Lord.” “Christ” means Messiah or Anointed One. Here it refers to someone who is set apart by God Himself for a special task. He is chosen by the Father to do what only he, of all the descendants of Adam and Eve, could ever have accomplished. “Lord” was the word used by the Jews when they wanted to say the name of God (“Yahweh” or “Jehovah”) without actually having to say the name that they felt was too holy to speak.

Put this all together, and the Angel of the Lord has announced the birth of a baby who is a descendant of David, and therefore in line to be the promised eternal King. He has come to deliver the people from their enemies. He has been appointed by God for this task that only He can do. In fact, this baby IS the Lord. Never has a more exalted birth been announced. Never has there been a more glorious team of God’s creatures assembled to make the announcement. And who are the recipients of this message? Shepherds. People apparently matter to God. Angels are servants to people. Even more than that, the Lord has come to serve people and to save them.

What they heard and saw; and what they said and did (15-20)

The shepherds were given a sign by the angelic host. The Bible tells us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and has probably been used that way to start at least two religious movements that are still with us today. If even a multitude of angels appears, it still may be wise to ask for a sign. The humble folk that night were sent on their way to look for a newborn baby lying in a manger. They went out quickly and they found Him. They did not keep all this to themselves. They told the people there what had happened, and especially what had been told them concerning the child – that is that He is our Savior, Christ, the Lord. The people who heard this wondered about it. Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. In just a few days she would learn more – that the child would be opposed by many. Of course, we all could have known that simply by reading the prophet Isaiah, who told us that when the Savior would come, he would have to suffer for us, and even die for our sins.

This Savior who was announced in the days of Isaiah, who had a host of angels leading shepherds to the place of His birth, who had a special prophetic forerunner in the ministry of John the Baptist – this Savior of the World, Jesus the Christ, our Lord, has come. He was put to death for our sins, and He was raised from the dead as a powerful sign that all who would put their faith in Him would be declared righteous in the sight of God. All of that was a long time ago. You are here now. I announce this Jesus to you tonight and call upon you to worship Him and serve Him.

If you will do this then you will lose your life. This is not a Savior who is content with something less than full devotion. You are not giving your life to a lie or to some demonic deception. You are not giving your life to a myth. You are giving your life to the most admirable of men and a historical fact. Those who lose their lives for this Jesus and for His good news will find a new life again given to them as a free gift of God. This is the Christmas gift that angels announced and shepherds saw with their own eyes. Glory to God in the Highest!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Sunrise from above

“What Will This Child Be?”

(Luke 1:57-80, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, Dec. 23, 2007)

Luke 1:57-80 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." 61 And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Introduction – Who is this coming King?

God had been preparing His people for the coming of Jesus Christ for centuries upon centuries. From the opening pages of the Bible, the Lord had announced the coming of “the seed of the woman,” the descendant of Eve who would overturn the work of that serpent, the devil. Through a great many signs and through the words and deeds of so many prophets, priests, and kings the Lord had already prepared the way for the birth of His Son. Yet the actual coming of the Messiah was of course the most important event known to man, and there was a need for one final forerunner. His name was John.

Elizabeth gives birth (57-58)

John, known to us as John the Baptist, would announce the coming of the ultimate miracle baby, yet his own birth was also a miracle, and a great mercy of God to his mother Elizabeth. That’s what all the neighbors and relatives said. Elizabeth had never been able to conceive, and now she was an older woman, beyond the age of child-bearing. The birth of this boy is an amazing fact. The Lord had shown great mercy to Elizabeth, and that’s enough of a reason to celebrate, but is there more mercy here than the kindness of God to Elizabeth and Zechariah in the Lord’s provision of a child for them? Is there something here for us?

Zechariah spoke (59-66)

The circumcision of the baby was a public event. The neighbors have already decided on a name for the boy. There is no evidence that it was customary for friends and extended family to name a child for the parents. Also it was not customary for parents to wait until the day of circumcision to name a baby. The name that both parents knew months before (through the words of an angel) has apparently been withheld from the others until this point of his public reception as child of the covenant. Elizabeth boldly says, “He shall be called John.” Back when the angel visited Zechariah, he was given a sign that this miracle gift of a child would take place: Zechariah was told that He would not be able to speak. Now that the boy has come, his father asks for a writing tablet. “John is his name.” Two things to notice in the Greek here: 1) The name “John” appears first in an emphatic position. 2) Zechariah does not say, “His name will be John.” He says, “John IS his name.”

The people wondered about all of this. We know that the boy’s name is John because of the instruction from an angel. The angel did not come up with the name, but only announced it, since God’s angels deliver messages that originate from God. God named this child John. There must have been a reason for the name. The name John has something to do with a “gift” and also with God as the giver. When John began his public ministry years later, he would draw attention to the sin problem in Israel, but the fundamental purpose of His life, and the reason that he even preached about sin, was to point to the wonderful gift of a savior who rescues us from sin and death.

At the revealing of this name John, the mouth of this new father is suddenly opened, another sign of something wonderful from the Lord. He immediately spoke words about God, blessing the Lord. The people were amazed by what they heard and saw that day, and they knew that this had something to do with this special baby, John. From before his conception, the hand of the Lord was with Him as the final forerunner of the Savior of the world, but what is the answer to the wonder of the public that day in the hill country of Judea? What is all this about? What will this child be?

A Horn of Salvation (67-75)

John is too young to speak for himself at present. His father, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks inspired words from God. His words are not first about John, but about the Savior. Jesus is “the horn of salvation” from the house of King David. The horn was a symbol of power in the ancient world, and particularly the power of a king. If you combine this with the idea of salvation, you have some important information about the meaning of the coming of Jesus Christ. He is the powerful answer to the problem of sin, a mighty force of the grace of God.

Zechariah also speaks of redemption. Redemption often involves the rescue of prisoners or slaves by purchase. Through Jesus, God Himself would visit his people and buy them back from the slavery of sin. Our Lord would defeat enemies much more frightening than the old adversaries of Egypt or Assyria. Jesus would defeat evil, and the prince of evil, that serpent of old. Zechariah is indicating that the coming One will be the long-expected seed of the woman, who will deal decisively with evil, crushing the very root of it. This would be the fulfillment of God’s great promise to Abraham. By the Spirit of God a great people (the spiritual descendants of Abraham) will serve the Lord of grace in holiness and righteousness forever. The redemption He will accomplish will involve a price. No longer will the blood of ceremonial lambs put on the doorposts of covenant homes accomplish the task of redemption. That picture was adequate in the days of Moses, but the coming of Jesus is always about more than symbolism. In Him we have the genuine article. The true cost of redemption is paid in the blood of the Messiah.

The Prophet of the Most High (76-80)

Zechariah now speaks of his son John in the final verses of this chapter. This child will be called the prophet of the Lord Most High. We would expect that of any true prophet. The Lord is the source of the message and His prophets are the messengers, but Zechariah is saying more than this. He is saying that John will “go before the Lord.” John will announce someone who is coming after him, and the one coming after him will be the Lord. John will prepare the way of the Lord. The blood that actually atones for our sin will be more than the blood of a great prophet or King – more than the death of an Elijah or a Josiah. The blood that rescues us will be the blood of the Son of the Most High. His death will bring the actual forgiveness of sins through the tender mercy of God.

John will be like the first glimpse of light after a very long, dark night. He will announce the coming of the sunrise. Sometime last winter I went out early in the morning with our two visitors from Ukraine to show them a beautiful sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of those mornings that keep you guessing as to where the sun will actually burst forth over the broad arc of the horizon. There were enough clouds that it was not immediately clear where the sun itself would rise. We could see that the light was coming, but we had to wait for the bright and beautiful sphere at the water’s edge to appear through the cloud cover. John the Baptist was the light of the coming sunrise that tells you that the time is right now, and that the place is right here. He was not the sun itself.

There were people in Israel who were looking for the sunrise, but they were looking in the wrong places and they were looking for a different kind of Savior. The true sunrise of heaven was just about to make His great visit to earth, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Long before Christ was born, many careful observers noted the amazingly regular annual pattern of the sunrise and sunset. Two days ago was the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. From that point on, though the sun still rises later in the morning into the early days of January, since it has already started to set later in the day since about December 10th, the end result is that between about December 17th and December 26th the time between the sunrise and the sunset reaches its annual low point in our latitude, yielding the shortest days of the year, approximately 9 hours and 1 minute. From this point forward we can expect more hours of light every day.

This is probably more information than you wanted to know this morning about the sun, but since the text speaks of coming of the Lord using the analogy of a sunrise, we ought to consider this amazing display of God in the heavens; that at a particular point, in small degrees perhaps, but in a predictable and decisive way, the light takes over. The birth of the Lord is something like that. Many would not have noticed, but the horn of victory had come. John would have the privilege of announcing that best of all sunrises. The light has dawned for us in Jesus Christ.

The coming of Christ as our strong redeemer was an expression of God’s tender mercy toward us. His was a gift so important that it demanded one final forerunner to prepare the way for the King. The great gift of Jesus Christ has decisively resulted in the defeat of darkness and sin. With the solid expectation that comes through faith, let us follow the Light, and eagerly seek the final culmination of God’s covenant promises in the Lord’s second coming.

Questions for meditation and discussion:

1. Why did the neighbors say that the coming of John was a great mercy?

2. What made them suspect that there was something special about the birth of John?

3. What do we learn about Jesus from the words of Zechariah?

4. What do we learn about John from the words of Zechariah?

Sunday, December 09, 2007

The Payment of Our Debt through Atonement

“You Will Find a Shekel”

(Matthew 17:24-27, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, Dec. 9, 2007)

Matthew 17:24-27 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" 26 And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."

Introduction – The Legacy of a Tax-Collecting Empire

Expanding empires have historically proven somewhat difficult to maintain. As they grow they need tax revenue from someone. It turns out that all kinds of people care about taxes, because people do not generally enjoy having their property taken away from them, no matter how good they feel about their new rulers. Growing empires breed tax revolts, and tax revolts lead to weakness and even to the eventual end of empires.

Civil authorities have been given a certain measure of authority by God. One of the things that they can do is to collect taxes. We are commanded by God to pay taxes. Wise governments will use their substantial power judiciously if they want to rule in peace. The nations of this world and all their taxes come and go, but there is one kingdom that will remain forever. It is probably best for our health if we do not talk about taxes all the time. Nonetheless, someone came to one of Jesus’ disciples when they were in Capernaum, and the unusual result that came from this encounter has been recorded for us in the pages of Scripture.

The Half-Shekel Tax (24a)

The taxes referred to in this particular passage did not originate from the authorities in Rome. The half-shekel tax was a religious tax that we read about in Exodus (See Exodus 30:11-16). In the Old Testament law this tax was connected to the census, and it had something to do with the payment of an atonement price for the people. The people of God had a debt to the Lord. Some means of payment needed to be found. When the fighting men within Israel were counted, blood money had to be paid, one half-shekel for every man over twenty years of age. The resources were to be used for the support of the temple, the place of atonement.

By the day of Jesus this had become an annual tax equivalent to two days wages, still for covering temple expenses. The people were given a two-week warning which I am sure was greeted with as much joy as the coming of April in the United States. Then tax tables were set up in various places where the tax could be paid. (By the way, after the destruction of the temple in AD 70, the emperor Vespasian ruled that this tax should continue to be paid even though the temple in Jerusalem was gone. The proceeds went instead to the support of the temple of Jupiter in Rome.)

An uncomfortable encounter with a tax collector (24-25a)

The end of Matthew 17 records an uncomfortable encounter between Peter and a tax collector. The collectors of the tax knew that Capernaum was something of a home-base for Jesus and His disciples. He had probably been away during the normal collection time, but these authorities ask Peter a question about the tax. We are not told what their purpose was in bringing up this issue, but it may have been similar to the spirit of those who came to Jesus about His disciples ignoring the customs of certain ceremonial washings. They may have been looking for something against Him, or they may have simply been doing their job of revenue collection.

Their question of Peter seems strange for two reasons. First if they have a question about Peter they should ask Peter about Peter, rather than asking Peter about Jesus. If they have a question about Jesus, they should ask Jesus about Jesus. Secondly, they do not address the non-payment of the tax directly for a given year, but seem to ask about His position on the tax in general: “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” As if to say, “We know your Rabbi has some interesting opinions on a variety of issues. Is this one of them?” Peter’s answer, on the other hand is very straight-forward. With the simple answer “Yes,” he indicates that Jesus pays taxes.

I wonder though… Had Peter paid his temple tax? Jesus is the one who brings up that issue. It is very clear from the miracle that follows that neither man had actually paid the tax at that point. Peter is not all that good in situations like this. Some time later He would be confronted by a servant-girl with a simple statement. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he would deny it, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”

The sons are free (25-26)

Jesus, on the other hand, is completely calm, and uses this occasion to further reveal Himself to His disciples as the Son of God. He does this by referring to kings and their sons. Do you understand Jesus’ remark about the kings of the earth? This requires some explanation since we live in a society where we expect everyone to pay taxes regardless of whether or not you are the President’s son. This was not the way among the rulers of tax-collecting empires. The king sent his armies to conquer in order to get things from them. The son of the king was certainly not the one who would pay anything. The vanquished lands had to pay tribute to the king and his representatives.

Jesus had been preaching about the kingdom of heaven. The temple tax was originally set up in the law of God. If the analogy with empires held, we would not expect that the son of God would have to pay this kind of tax in God’s kingdom. Jesus illustration is about more than the temple tax. He is making a bigger point here. Jesus is the Son of God. The kingdom in question is God’s kingdom, and Jesus is God’s Son.

Who are the real sons of the kingdom? First, Christ is the natural Son of the Kingdom as the only-begotten Son of God. Through faith in Him we have been adopted into the household of God and are sons of God. Using the analogy of empires, Peter, and especially Jesus, are sons of the kingdom and should not be paying this tax. Forget about taxes entirely for a moment, and consider your privileged position. God is who He is, and you are who you are, but because of what Jesus has done for you, you and I are sons of the true and living God, with all of the privileges and duties of this exalted position. You are loved by your Father in heaven now and forever.

Others who are outside the kingdom have a major issue to deal with. The Son of God is returning one day to demand what is just. He asks not for half a shekel from anyone. He asks for your perfect and perpetual obedience. How will you pay that tax? But for those who have had their debts forgiven, we are free from the bondage of this debt through the mercy and righteousness of Christ. We are not only free now in Christ, but we are also joint heirs with Him of our heavenly Father. We are the true sons of the Kingdom.

Not to give offense (27)

Now back to the situation at hand in Capernaum. There is a tax-collector nearby, and he wants to know whether Jesus pays the temple tax. He has an answer from Peter, but I suspect he has his own records as well. I can just imagine what it would have been like for Peter if Jesus had instructed him to go and pass on to the officials this news of His exemption from the temple tax explaining that he is a son of the kingdom. Day by day we need to decide what we want to debate. If we argue too much about taxes, we only seem like every other person who does not like to have his property removed by civil authorities. Arguments such as these are often traps that take us off of our focus. We need to think and speak about Christ and His Kingdom, and serve God and man. One way to avoid distraction from these things is to be careful not to give any unnecessary reason for offense.

Jesus’ way of accomplishing this is miraculous. Out of the Father’s vast resources the true Son of the Kingdom is supplied with funds for Him and for Peter. This is an enjoyable resolution in every way. Offense and distraction are excluded, and God’s love and provision are displayed. People in positions of privilege can do some amazing things, but can any earthly king collect funds from the mouth of a fish? This solution works in every way. The focus is taken away from any particular offence against a tax-collector or the temple, and once again the disciples are left to consider who this man is. Away with any controversy or power-play over taxes; it is time instead to marvel at the sovereign knowledge and power of God in Christ. We need the right coin in the right fish at the right time to be caught by the right man and all of this is no problem at all as the atonement money is paid.

When you face what appears to be unnecessary controversy, you may wish to consider whether there is a way out that will give glory to God and avoid distraction and offence. But there is not always a way out, and sometimes the fight is very consequential. When the day of the cross came there was no way out for Jesus Christ. This is what He asked about in the Garden of Gethsemene. He fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” There was no way to deflect this battle. The Son of God paid the price necessary that we might be called sons of God. He left that garden with a firm and courageous engagement in the fight that was necessary for our salvation, a battle that would cost Him His life.

As followers of the Lord, there are many conversations where a fight to the death is ill-advised. There are many areas where a deflection is wise. But as with Jesus, so with us, the cross is not one of these areas. Some may be offended by it, but we can have no deflection on this point. It was there that the full atonement price was paid directly through the blood of our perfect substitute. It was there that the just demand of the highest spiritual authority was forever satisfied. Because that tax was paid, you and I who are sons of the kingdom are truly free.

Questions for meditation and discussion:

1. How could there be a religious “tax” in Israel? Would this have been voluntary?

2. Why is Peter questioned, and what do you make of his response?

3. Does the analogy of the “sons of the kingdom” really fit here? What is Jesus doing with this response?

4. Is this passage useful in considering our obligation to pay taxes? What are some other purposes here?

Sunday, December 02, 2007

I Believe in the Resurrection

“He Will Be Raised on the Third Day”

(Matthew 17:1-23, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, December 2, 2007)

Matthew 17:1-23 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." 10 And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 11 He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." 17 And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." 21 22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.

Introduction – What do you do after a “mountain-top” experience?

The verse just before this passage is a quote from our Lord as follows, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise, and it happened just six days later. What Peter and John saw was like a part of heaven on earth right before their eyes.

But you and I are here now. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” writes King David in Psalm 23, “Thou art with me.” What would be a suitable mountain-top experience for you, to remind you that there is something beyond the valley of present things? I think it might help you if Jesus appeared to you this morning and said to you, “Come follow me,” and then he took you and one or two other fellow-travelers from these soft seats and led you up a high mountain where He allowed you to see Him as He is now! But what would you tell the rest of us after such an experience? Still, even if I had to keep it quiet, I would enjoy seeing the Lord in glory right now.

Transfigured, and also Moses and Elijah (1-3)

The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ was obviously a powerful experience. Both John and Peter refer to it later in their New Testament writings (Read 2 Peter 1:16-21), but they were not permitted to speak of it until after the resurrection of the Lord. This was a private experience by design. The transfiguration did not happen randomly or accidentally. Matthew tells us that Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain.

As we might expect when something of the heavenly kingdom comes to earth, it is very challenging to figure out what they saw there that they day. We have many questions. I am convinced that it was more than a mere vision, even though that word is used in verse nine. The Greek in that verse can just mean “the sight” and does not imply that what was seen was only an dreamy image. Nothing can override the plain statement of verse two that Jesus was transfigured before them. That must have been quite a sight.

There is a history of miraculously shining things in the Bible. From the first words of God recorded for us, “Let their be light,” to the final vision of heaven in Revelation 22:5, “The Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever,” God has shown forth His glory to us in the brightness of light. Very frequently His appearance to man is in a brilliant cloud of glory, even as we see later in this passage. When God gave a miniature representation of Himself to Abraham, he appeared as “a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch.” When He led the Israelites through the wilderness, He was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We are told that when Jesus returns He will come in a cloud with great power and glory.

At the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were with the Lord. We are not told why these particular two were there. It could well be, as many suspect, that Moses was the representative of the Law, while Elijah of the prophets. We are told in Luke 9:31 that they spoke of the Lord’s coming departure. Christ, the cross, the resurrection, the heavenly kingdom… these things are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Where do the bodies of these two departed heroes come from, since those who go to be with the Lord before the final resurrection do not yet have resurrection bodies, but are spirits? We do not know, but it is interesting that the graves of these two men were never found. How did Peter know that it was Moses and Elijah? Again, we are not told, but I think that there are a great many things that we will know when we are in the Lord’s heavenly kingdom, and many of these we will know in a different way than we currently do using our eyes, our physical brains, and other senses of our mortal flesh.

Listen to Him (4-6)

Peter exhibits a confused desire to be helpful here with His suggestion to make booths or tents. He did not know what He was saying. It was an overwhelming experience. Still, his offer is interesting, since the body is called a tent, and Jesus is said to have tented with us during His days on earth. Our bodies are tabernacles of the Holy Spirit provided by God Himself. Peter will not be making tents for any of these men any time soon.

What happened next is very important. The great Glory Cloud Himself who once filled the earthly tent of worship and the temple in Jerusalem comes and speaks a clear message: “Listen to Jesus.” Moses, Elijah, and Jesus are not equals. Jesus is the glorious King of the Kingdom, the Son of the Living God, as Peter had confessed days before. Now it was time to listen to Jesus, as God had commanded from heaven. Peter, James, and John were terrified.

In between (7-13)

And then it was all over. Jesus was once again the man they had known. As He had promised, these three had seen Him in His glorious kingdom in some way. He touched them and told them to rise and have no fear. Notice the obvious. Jesus did not fall on the ground when the Glory Cloud came and when the voice of God was heard. He was not surprised. He knows these things. He is the unique expert on heavenly things. They were not permitted to tell anyone until Jesus had risen from the dead. They had seen something of final resurrection glory ahead of time.

As they came down the mountain they had some questions. Elijah was there. They knew that. Yet Jesus had already been active in His Messianic ministry. Was not Elijah supposed to come first? This is what the scribes had taught, and they were right, but they had missed the significance of John. They did not recognize him as the forerunner of the Messiah. John was not the actual Elijah – the one they saw up on the mountain talking with Jesus. The prophesy of the coming Elijah was about one who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah and would prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist had done this, and while many did respond to his call to turn from sin, many did not repent. Therefore, according to the word of Malachi, the land was all the more cursed. But it would be the Son of Man with whom they were speaking who would take the curse of God on the cross that we sinners deserved. The Son of Man would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, just as John also had suffered.

They will kill Him (14-23)

They were down from the mountain now, and had come back to the battle in the valley of the shadow of death. Another desperate person needed the power of God. The battle now was not the fear of a sight too glorious for the eyes to see. It was the battle of faith, waged through prayer, asking the God of heaven for help and receiving heaven’s aid. A distraught father needed Jesus to help his son. He said, “Your disciples could not heal him.” Jesus faced the trial of the faithlessness and disappointment that people have with His disciples. Jesus showed that he could help this boy, and He did that very easily. He has real faith, the kind that can move mountains. Jesus knows something about the life of faith that we are apparently supposed to know, but we can’t seem to get it.

What is the faith that can move mountains? The perfect faith of the Lord Jesus Christ is faith that knows, faith that speaks, and faith that lives as if nothing is impossible for God even in the face of certain death, which Jesus again announced to His disciples. He also announced the resurrection, but they could not seem to take that in. We need faith to believe in the resurrection, faith in the Word of God that promises resurrection life.

Three of them had seen something of this glory on the mountaintop. That was quite an experience, but one of those three men later said that the Word of God was surer than what He had seen that day with his own eyes. He had learned the lesson of the voice from Heaven when He wrote in His later epistle that we have something more sure – the prophetic Word. Jesus had spoken that Word, and He has accomplished it. “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”

This is what Jesus says to you today, and He has done it. Do what God says concerning Jesus. “Listen to Him.” Let this word be your mountaintop experience today. Then add more faith to that experience – faith that can move mountains, because we have more of the valley of the shadow of death to live through before we see with our eyes what we already believe in our hearts.

Questions for meditation and discussion:

1. Why do you think Jesus showed Peter, James, and John his glory in this way?

2. Do you see any connection between Peter’s suggestion of tents and the word of God from heaven?

3. In what sense was John the Baptist Elijah? In what sense was he not Elijah?

4. What is faith that can move mountains? Is this only for Jesus, or is this for us as well?