My Message
Prayer
Thank you for Your presence Lord!
Let the words of my mouth and the dedication of my heart
Be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer - Psalm 19:14
This past Sunday, my family and I went out for breakfast at the Pacific Whey Café – one of my favorite places. I really enjoy breakfast, and I was excited about eating out.
We waited quite awhile for our food, but when it finally came I was in a zone. An omelet and some fruit, I was focused on what I wanted to do.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone was standing next to me. As I turned slightly I noticed a lady standing next to me with a sign. I looked at my wife and said what does she want? She said her sign said she was homeless, I have some kids, and we need some money for food and rent. Then I turned toward her and said no thank you. No thank you. And then I went to take my next bite.
I have to confess that I was annoyed – here I was in the restaurant, I had been waiting for 45 minutes for our food, and now a person was standing next to me asking me to stop what I was doing to help them.
Mrs. Smith talks about do over moments. That was definitely one for me.
I have thought about that moment many times since Sunday. I love David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24
23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
I pray from time to time that I want to be concerned over they things that You are concerned about Lord. Where you are concerned I want to be concerned. What you love, I want to love?
And so what does our God do?
Puts me in the situation to put that into practice. And how do I respond? I blow it?
I went out after breakfast and looked for her, but I could not find her. I felt terrible.
You’ve seen a few scenarios today where people were put in situations to shine, but they failed.
The Pharisees in the temple preparing for sacrifices
Judas Iscariot as a disciple
The disciples in the garden when Jesus prayed
Peter when he followed Jesus after His arrest
They all messed up
They all were in need of a Savior
I messed up
I am in need of a Savior
You mess up
You are in need of Savior
That’s what these next three days are all about.
· Today is a Maundy Thursday - the mandate - “Love one another as I have loved you.” Tomorrow - Good Friday - the best day as He gave His life for all of us, and
· Sunday - Easter Sunday - a day of celebration when He rose from the grave.
For Christians (and the world whether they know it or not) nothing is better than this weekend.
The only reason we exist as a school is because we believe that Good Friday and Easter Sunday really happened. Without the death and resurrection, we have no hope. We could strive to live a good life, or help others, but in reality it would mean nothing because all we would have to look forward to is an eternity apart from God.
It is why He came in the first place.
In Matthew 1:20-21 it says, “… an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph) him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Jesus did not come to surprise anyone of His purpose.
He told His disciples three different times – documented in the Gospels - what He had come to earth to do.
He would be taken by men, beaten, killed, but in three days would rise again.
He was really fulfilling what was already in the Scriptures. In Isaiah 53: 3-5, the prophet predicts,
“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Jesus knew His purpose. Think about His last words from the cross. “It is finished”
Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins. He knew the road would lead through the cross and the grave. But He would rise again. And reign forever.
That’s the key. Many have died. A few have been raised from the dead. But no one except Jesus was raised from the dead and continues to live. Paul tells us that over 500 people saw Christ after He rose from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:6
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
This story isn’t a made up story. It is the truth. And Paul reminds in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
We tend to skip over today and tomorrow and get right to Easter. We don’t want to think about what He had to go through because of our sin.
But because all have sinned – we blow it on a daily basis, we are in need of a Savior. We need a Savior because our sin separates us from God. The only result of our sin would be death for an eternity. But we have hope for a different ending.
as John 3:16 says…
“For God so loved the world that He gave only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”
Jesus spoke those words to Pharisee 2000 years ago who was trying to determine if He was the Messiah. A few weeks ago Applied Theology talked about him here in chapel. His name was Nicodemus.
Nicodemus is an important character in the story of Jesus. He shows us what happens when someone is transformed by Christ. In John 3 he came to Jesus in the dark – he didn’t want anyone to see him.
The next time we hear from him is at the end of John 7.
Jesus had gone to the temple to preach.
The Jewish leaders sent their police to arrest Him for inciting the crowd. The police couldn’t do it.
45That's when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, "Why didn't you bring him with you?"
46The police answered, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man."
47-49The Pharisees said, "Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him—and damned."
50-51Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?"
52-53But they cut him off. "Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee."
Here Nicodemus started to become brave and spoke to his friends publically about Jesus.
The seeds had been planted. His heart was changing.
He couldn’t hold it in anymore.
His passion was burning.
That’s what happens when Christ gets in your heart.
The last time we hear from him is in John 19. Jesus had just died and it was approaching the Sabbath so He needed to be buried according to Jewish law.
38After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.
39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.
Nicodemus came in broad daylight! It was light. Everyone could see him – he was not afraid.
He had been transformed. He could stand up for His Lord.
Christ had changed his light and gave him courage and conviction.
He wanted others to know.
When your life is changed, you want others to know the good news of Jesus Christ.
Services in Christian churches around the world start today – Maundy Thursday – the mandate – Love one another as I have loved you.
They continue tomorrow – Good Friday
Christ dies for you and me and everyone of all time.
He follows through His mission to the end.
It concludes with a celebration on Sunday – Easter Sunday.
The whole church greets one another with the words – He is risen – He is risen indeed. Alleluia! The Alleluia returns. The joy returns.
He is alive.
He is not dead. It is why we have a school. It is why we gather everyday. It is why we have hope that it doesn’t end with our death.
Lord,
May all of us believe that this is true and that You are real and You did die and that You did rise, and that You are living today.
Forgive us Lord for our sins.
Thank you for keeping all of Your promises.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Then we concluded with "Were You There"
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