Victory over death part 2

April 5, 2020

Today is “Palm Sunday.” This story is found in all for Gospels, (first four books of the New Testament about Jesus life, ministry, and miracles).

From Mark’s account we see an interesting bit about the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.” [Mark 11:2 NLT] A donkey, in American thinking, is stupid and stubborn. Riding one that nobody has ever ridden would have been almost impossible. Yet this is a fulfillment of prophecy. “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey -- riding on a donkey’s colt.” [Zechariah 9:9 NLT] The choice of a donkey is significant because it is what a king would ride if he were entering a city in peace. In war time, the choice would have been a horse.

As Jesus entered the city, “Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God (Hosanna) for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!” [Matthew 21:9 NLT] This comes from Psalm 118:26 – 27. The Jewish tradition at the time was to shout “Hosanna” and wave palm branches around the Torah (first five books of the Bible) during the festival of Sukkot (Booths/Tabernacles).  This outraged the political elites of Jesus’ day. They insisted Jesus quiet the crowd. Jesus’ responded, “... “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” [Luke 19:40 NLT]

This is five days before the Passover. According to the Old Testament Law, this was the day the Passover lambs were chosen (destined for sacrifice they were taken into the home) . With the huge amount of lambs (and what they drop on the road) brought into the city that day, no wonder the crowd laid down their cloaks. Jesus is openly displaying Himself as the Messiah to the people that day. But Jesus was understood to be the Passover lamb to be sacrifice so the people would be spared. John the Baptist declared, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” [John 1:29b NLT] Paul understood, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.” {1 Corinthians 5:7c NLT]

Jesus enters the Temple, looks around, and leaves. [Mark 11:11] He does nothing. He doesn’t start what would have been an expected rebellion. He doesn’t give a sermon. He simple goes back to Bethany (and goes to bed). I’m guessing that may have been a letdown for people expecting a deliverer. But, Jesus does not meet our expectations, especially when He has something better in mind. The path to victory is not through the sword or sermon. Victory comes only as Jesus lays down His life. Deliverance comes only through the shed blood of Jesus.

The whole trip, from the “Triumphal Entry” to the crucifixion seems scripted as suicidal. Jesus’ confrontations with the political elite, posing as experts of religion, looks like He is poking, prodding and provoking them to into their actions. Yet, I think this shows Jesus is in control of every situation, event and outcome from beginning to end. Jesus clearly understood what He was doing. Listen in on His conversation with the disciples, “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.” [Matthew 16:21 NTL]

I do not know what the future holds; except Jesus will return and set all wrongs right. Nobody knows the day or the hour. Who knows how this COVID-19 will fit in, if it fits at all. Yet I see humanity doing everything it can to escape the inescapable. Death waits for us. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or next week; but it waits and will take every one of us (short of divine interruption in the natural course of history). Just remember our expectations can be very different than Jesus’ plan. His plan is always better than we expect.

Victory over death part 1

April 4, 2020

Tomorrow is “Palm Sunday.” It is the start of the final week of Jesus’ earthly life. Christians around the world consider it a holy week.

The set up for the most dramatic confrontation between good and evil begins with a resurrection. The story is found in John 11. I invite you to find a Bible and follow along.

Verse one is like the dramatic music that signals a turn of events. It starts with “A man named Lazarus was sick.” [NLT] There is a bit of explanation about Lazarus, he has two sisters who call for Jesus to help. [2 – 3] At this point Jesus does something strange. We might start a Congressional investigating over what He knew, when He knew it, and why He acted the way He did. John states, “he stayed where he was for the next two days.” [verse 6] The next verse records Jesus’ decision to go “back to Judea.”

The disciples object [verse 8] because Jesus’ life is in jeopardy. Jesus gives a cryptic answer about walking in light and stumbling in darkness [verses 9 – 10]. Then Jesus declares in verse 11, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” [NLT] They don’t understand so He has to tell them in verse 14, “Lazarus is dead.”

Why did Jesus allow His friend to die? I’m so glad you asked!!!

Jesus' lesson is dramatic. A lot of theology comes from this chapter. Especially about who Jesus is and the resurrection of the dead. We’ve all been to funerals. Chances are you have heard a verse or three read from this chapter.

After some more misunderstanding from Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha. Jesus leads a procession to the grave of His friend. There are a lot of people crying. “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.” [John 11:33] I’m not amazed at the mourning. That’s the natural trajectory of human experience. People die, we miss them, and we mourn their passing.

What amazes me is found a two verses later; for effect, it is the shortest verse in the Bible (in English). “Jesus wept.” 

With all the deep emotion the story continues, “Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” [John 11:38 – 39] For the record, the Greek does say that Jesus was angry. Actually it has the force of being VERY angry.

I don’t think it was because the people were having a hard time wrapping their mind around what Jesus was about to do. I don’t think it was because they accused Him of not being efficient enough to prevent Lazarus’ death [verse 37]. I think Jesus was angry because He was feeling the sting of death. Death is the consequence of sin.

After a bit of dramatic set up we read, “Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” [John 11:43 – 44 NLT]

I can’t imagine the power of that shout. It literally raised the dead. The power of Jesus’ command to do what “everyone” would say was “impossible.” But this is not even “the tip of the iceberg” of Jesus power. Someday at His command the dead will be raised, everyone will be judged, there will be a new heaven and earth, and “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Philippians 2:10 – 11 NLT]

Six days before the Passover, Jesus returned to Lazarus’ home [John 12:1]. The next day Jesus entered Jerusalem as its rightful king. The King of Glory stepping toward certain death on the cross. Winning a victory for us forever. Robbing sin of its power. Soothing the sting of death. Crushing the head of Satan.

Jesus, the chicken (Luke 13:31 -- 35)

Luke 13:31 – 35

GAP: We sometimes see God’s wrath and punishment as something He relishes or executes with glee and excitement.  (Fact: Jesus wept at this point… strong emotion)

TENSION:

            1.         Pharisees come to Jesus… warn Jesus (threat? Or pretend to be friend?)

            2.         Jesus calls Herod a “fox.”

Fox: not an alpha predator but very dangerous.

            a.         Our expression: “Fox in the hen house.”

            b.         Foxes will kill for the excitement of killing (unlike most alpha predators that kill                            for necessity).

TENSION:

            1.         Jesus delivers then delivers THREE prophecies:

                        a.         [v 32] “on the third day I will reach my goal.”

                        b.         [v 33] “no prophet can die outside Jerusalem.”

                        c.         [v 35] “you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes                                                 in the name of the Lord.”

            2.         What is Jesus saying?

                        a.         [v 32] Driving out demons and healing people… three days… goal….

                                    1.)        This is a prophecy of the three days Jesus would be in the grave.

                                    2.)        Two key ideas of what He would be doing those days:

                                                a.)        “Driving out demons” (destroy the works of the devil)

                                                b.)        “Healing people” (Isaiah: “by his stripes we are healed)

REALITY:

            1.         God must break the power of the “Law of sin and death.”

                        a.         On the cross Jesus provided the perfect, full, and sufficient atonement                                          (covering, payment) for our sin.

                        b.         At the resurrection Jesus shattered the power of “sin and death.”

 "Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?" [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 15:55 – 56]

            2.         We often mistake salvation as JUST a legal matter.

                        a.         Forgiveness in the court of heaven… legal standing before God.

                        b.         HOWEVER, there is the practical matter of right now… how we live…

                        c.         Healing is a reversal of the damage of sin,

                                    a restoration of the image of God in us,

                                    a revival of the soul toward our Maker and Savior!

EXPLORATION:  How was Jesus going to accomplish this?

            1.         The image of the mother hen…

                        a.         Our expression, “they want to get out from under their mother’s wings.”

                        b.         Problem: chicks like to wander:

                                    1.)        There is a big world they want to explore… BUT they don’t know                                                     what cats, or hawks, or foxes will do to them.  They are easy prey.

                                    2.)        They want to fight on their own… BUT this is unwise.

                                    3.)        They feel smothered under protective wings…

                        c.         Reality: We, like the chicks, are defenseless and dependent.

            2.         How does a mother hen protect here chicks?

                        a.         The hen “clucks” to call here chicks… she does NOT run to protect them.

                        b.         Their defense comes from them running to her… she uses here beak and                                       her life to protect them.

            3.         This is what Jesus WANTED to do for Jerusalem (and by implication, us)

                        a.         Sad statement “you were not willing.”

                        b.         Instead they killed the prophets and will kill the Christ.

 ***** Huge contrast between God’s willingness and our unwillingness. *****

RESOLUTION:

            1.         An ancient Psalm and prophecy: Psalm 91:4

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

            2.         An ancient promise and prophecy: Isaiah 40:31

“But those who hope in the LORD  will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;     they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

            3.         Here it is:

                        a.         In Psalms there is a promise of protection… a place of refuge.

                        b.         In Isaiah there is a promise of strength… a place of accomplishment.

(Ill.) A mother/father eagle will push her baby of the nest… the little eagle will have to fly or die (so it thinks).  At the last moment, the mother/father eagle will swoop and catch the young eagle… take them high and drop them again.  This happens over and over until the young eagle learns to fly.

***** The idea is in Psalm 91 that the word translated “cover” is “Shekinah.”  [As in the “Shekinah” glory of God. *****

MEANING: What Jesus intended to do what place Himself between His people, “all fluffed up and hunkered down,” and the danger.

            1.         There was the “tooth and fang” of the fox verses the power of an unyielding and                          uncompromising love.

An American expression: “And God bet the farm” (everything) on the mother hen.

            2.         Jesus loves us with a love stronger than death...

***** Today we celebrate when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shout of “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” as remembering but also looking forward to when Jesus returns. *****

***** Today we celebrate God unyielding and uncompromising love for us demonstrated Good Friday on the cross. *****

***** Today we are faced with the question: Are we willing?  Are you willing to take shelter in the Most High and live in the shadow of the Almighty? *****