The Awe & Wonder of the Journey of the Wise Men

Mystery, awe, wonder.

Three men, in an ancient observatory, looked up into the night sky, filled with intrigue. Filled with desire. Filled with a longing they could not explain.

It seemed their entire lives had led up to this moment. This longing had pulled them from the time they were young, wondering, what is really going on in the world? What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of all things?

Why does tragedy occur? Why does the night sky inspire me so much? What is this draw in my soul toward something beyond this world? Is there someone who could change this world, and change me from within?

They gazed up in awe at a new star that had risen in the night sky that night. And they knew nothing would ever be the same again.

From Matthew 2:1-2: “2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Somehow these magi, these wise men from the east knew that this bright light in the sky was leading them to Israel. Somehow they knew it signified the birth of a king.

The most likely explanation, from a biblical perspective, is that the light they saw, was a supernatural sign created by God to guide them.

This “star” rose in the skies over Israel, and these three wise men, knew, perhaps from a dream, or a vision from the Lord, to make a long journey to Israel to inquire of the location of the birth of the messiah.

How do we today fit into this saga? What does it mean for us?

I remember growing up, I was maybe 4 or 5 years old, and I stopped for one moment on a beautiful summer day, and I thought to myself, “Why am I here? Why do I exist?”

Over our lives, through the prism of hundreds and thousands of different experiences, and I think of my own experiences... riding four wheelers at the farm, digging in the sandbox as a child, watching the twin towers fall on 9/11, reading books about fantasy and adventure, exploring forests, Christmas family get togethers, bullying in school, losses of loved ones, scraped knees, and quiet moments watching sunsets, a pull begins to take us, drawing us toward a realm unseen.

It’s a desire for a country we’ve never been. It’s the hunger for something bigger than our experience in this world. And it’s something as we begin to experience God, and His Kingdom, that we begin to get small tastes of here and there, of that world beyond this world, that owns our deepest desires.

The magi may be chasing a star, but they are ultimately chasing a desire within themselves, a desire which God has placed in every human heart. The desire for eternity, as it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, God has placed eternity in the human heart.

That is why you are here, you are drawn by a power that you can’t quite explain, to long after the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Our hearts resist it at first, but what if it really is the meaning of behind our lives?

Let us then go together tonight, chasing toward the Lord, with the wise men, as they make their journey to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

Verses 3-4: "3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.”

The wise men ask Herod about the newborn king. And Herod is disturbed. In fact the entire city is disturbed.

The reaction from Jerusalem is not a positive one. And that’s not surprising. When Jesus was an adult, preparing to enter Jerusalem he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you…" (Matthew 23:37)

Herod is troubled, because the birth of a king is a threat to his kingship.

This is why many, many people are not willing to let Jesus be the Lord of their life. They are the lord of their life. They are in control. They do what they want to do. And that’s power. Unfortunately, with us as the lord of our life, our lives falls apart. I know from experience.

That’s why it’s so important to raise our children in the Lord, then they never have to go through the trauma of trying to build their own little kingdom, and then watching it crumble all around them.

We make a bad god over our own lives.

But I think what happens is, the enemy lures us in with pleasure, power, good feelings, and encourages us to build a world around ourselves. We get hooked on addictions, and pleasures, and invested in self-based pursuits. And once the enemy has us there, on our own little throne, but he’s actually the one in control, we’re so deep into our own little kingdom, that when we see the offer of Jesus, we don’t want to give up what little we have, and have a king over us that’s not us.

So Herod asks the religious leaders where the messiah is to be born. Here is their response: (v. 5-6) 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

The location is of course Bethlehem. And here the religious leaders quote Micah 5:2, 4. But notice, the messiah is said to be the shepherd of the people. And what does a shepherd do?

He leads the sheep. With his shepherd staff, the sheep follow the leading of the shepherd, and the shepherd protects the sheep in times of danger, and even rescues them when they wander off.

We were all searching so hard for something beyond ourselves. Something greater. And when we found it, it at first was a bit hard to swallow. Because we wanted to be in control. We wanted to run our own lives. But we remembered where that got us, it didn’t go well. So, we gave our lives to Jesus, to let him be our shepherd, to shepherd us toward heaven, the news heavens and new Earth. And in that place, we believe we will ultimately find fulfillment of the hunger for eternity in our souls.

Next we see a secret meeting between Herod and the Magi, verses 7-8: “7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

A secret meeting in the dark of night, at least that’s how I picture it, in the king’s chamber, oddly quiet, few servants around, and Herod urges the Magi to go and search out the city of Bethlehem.

We’re seeing a powerful contrast between Herod and the Magi, Herod is scheming, rejecting the new king, trying to learn information from the Magi, but the Magi are honest seekers, hungry to know the truth about who this new king really is. We see the Jewish authorities very much resistant to the messiah, and gentile strangers from foreign lands seeking the messiah.

Where do we fit in this? Well, we either seek to protect our own power like Herod, or we honestly submit to the messiah. Even after becoming a Christian, this is an ongoing question in our lives: Will we begin to take our will back? Or will we continue to seek the messiah, and return again and again to our first love, which is Jesus himself?

If you’ve found in yourself a resistance to Jesus lately, a distance growing, a desire to control your own life, lay it at the altar tonight, submit yourself afresh to the Lord, and return to your first love. For Jesus loves you.

Next, verses 9-10: “9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

Can you imagine what this must’ve felt like? They had seen a star before, but now, they are headed to Bethlehem, and the star appears again, this time it moves ahead of them, as they follow it. I think my head would be spinning. I’d be thinking.. Is this a dream? Is this really happening?

They follow the star, which reminds me of how we follow God’s leading.

Let’s put ourselves in this moment. We see in the natural the wise men are following a star, to find the newborn messiah.

But now think about someone who doesn’t know about Jesus, but then they hear the gospel. This begins a journey similar to the wise men, of groping in the dark toward God. It’s like following a dim light in the distance, and slowly, we pursue it, not sure even what it is, but, as we get closer and closer it becomes clear, Jesus is really real.

Now think about for a Christian, someone who is reconciled to God by Jesus, we are on a journey too. We follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. See when one believes in Jesus for salvation, they receive the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity to come and live within them. And by the Spirit, we receive guidance from God, I like to call them divine nudges, and so we continue to follow the Spirit as if it were that star in the sky the wise men were following. That is our journey to heaven.

So then the “star” stops over the house where Jesus is. Can you imagine? Wow. It stops in mid air! 

For the magi, the appearance of the star causes them to be overjoyed. I know when I sense a divine leading of God, and follow it, the result is joy. God’s leading in all it’s awesomeness, really will lead us back over and over again to a person, to Jesus himself.

Next, verse 11: “11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

The magi arrive, and find Mary and the newborn Jesus, and they worship Him. Only God may be worshiped. How do we know Jesus is God in human form? He was worshiped in his life, over and over.

They gave the family gifts, gold representing Jesus’ royalty, Frankincense representing Jesus’ priesthood, and myrrh representing Jesus healing ministry, as well as his future death and resurrection.

What was the purpose of these gifts? Many have speculated that these gifts would’ve been helpful when Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt after Jesus’ birth. But we don’t really know how they were used.

Lastly, verse 12: “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

One last supernatural experience, a dream given by God to one of the wise men concludes the miraculous events we celebrate each year over Christmas.

The wise men discover from God that they should not report back to Herod, so, they take another path back to their homelands, forever changed by their experiences on that fateful journey to Bethlehem.

In conclusion tonight, after encountering Jesus, we return to our lives, forever changed. I remember in 2012 when I received Jesus in my heart, one of those church services, I came back home and looked around that same home with new eyes.

After some new adventure with God, we still live our lives day by day, same people, same family members, similar connections, same stores we go to, but we start to see everything differently. Because we may have gone home, but Jesus came with us, we are new, and nothing will ever be the same.

I’ve read many books, had many experiences, had overwhelming experiences, went to parties, traveled different places, studied different philosophies of life, but no matter what I studied or what experience I had, I always came back the same person, but, when I gave my heart to Jesus, and named Him as savior of my life, everything changed. Why? Because God changed me. And nothing else can compare to that. It’s real.

Like the wise men that fateful night… chase after God. Seek Him diligently. Explore who Jesus really is. And when you’re ready, call out on His name, and He will change everything. And the new adventure begins. For those of us already on that adventure, continue to seek Jesus, follow His Spirit’s leading, and He will take you deeper and deeper into spiritual depths beyond your imagining.

Like the many stars in the sky, our lives shine in the darkness of this world, as a witness to the lost world that Jesus really is real.

The awe and the mystery of Christmas is the joy of knowing the God who made us. Let him light the fire of the Holy Spirit within you. And if your flame is getting dim, let him restoke that fire within you afresh.

As they say, wise men and women still seek Him. Merry Christmas!

Why the Early Church Grew Through Suffering

When you look through the pages of history of the church, which is something I love to do, you find so many amazing stories of faith. These stories are so very inspiring, from people like Richard Wurmbrand who suffered under communism in Romania, to Corrie Ten Boom who went through terrible suffering in the Nazi concentration camps, to people like John Wesley who faced such severe opposition, he was kicked out of so many churches or William Booth who had a vision of the lost drowning in the seas and the platform of safety, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer or so many others. They were people who trusted in their God, and their God did amazing things through them. When we read their stories, it inspires us to trust more fully in our God. But, what we must always remember is that part of each of their stories, indeed central to each of their stories, is pain and difficulty.

We admire people like Daniel, from the Bible, because he really did endure a night in the Lion’s den. We admire Elijah because he dared to believe that God would send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in front of the false prophets of Baal. We admire Stephen because he spoke so boldly in front of a mob, that then picked up stones and killed him moments after he finished speaking.

I think we all intellectually understand that part of the Christian life involves suffering. But, it’s different when we’re in the suffering. We wonder, what is going on? Where did this come from? Why is this happening?

And for many of us those questions have led us to prayer, and more prayer, and deep prayer and honest crying out. And the result has often been, that as we pray and seek God honestly, something begins to carry us through the suffering. And we bear it, with grace. A grace we didn’t expect, and couldn’t conjure on our own.

Today, I believe we’re going to learn about the grace available in suffering in particular, for the spreading of the gospel. 

I think that when we simply accept that it is going to be painful, and embrace that, we will find that fear loses it’s power over us when it comes to sharing our faith with others.

Our scripture today says, in 1st Peter 3:13-14 “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”

There are different kinds of suffering in life.

First, there’s the suffering because we made a bad decision. I’ve done this with me and my wife. We cook something, and we start to eat it, and realize, oh wait, this meat tastes funny. My wife stops eating, I don’t. I made it, I’m eating it. It smells good, and I’m hungry. Even though it tastes weird, I keep eating. And then the next day I’m sick. Basic suffering for being stupid.

Second, suffering because people are stupid. Chelsey and I were leaving Walmart about 2 weeks ago. And there was a ton of traffic, and the intersection ahead of me was jammed, but, it trapped the guy behind me in a spot where someone couldn’t get past him. So as he went by me later he did some unique hand signs with his fingers. I became upset, and it caused some suffering for me, albeit small. 

Third, suffering for Jesus. This is when you suffer because you’re a Christian. This is when you do something like risk a relationship to speak up about something in your friend’s life. You share the gospel with someone and they mock you. You go out and witness to people for hours and you get home emotionally exhausted. It's small, but it's still a gift of suffering for Jesus. 

Our suffering is often small in comparison to the greats throughout human history who even gave their lives for their testimony about Jesus. But hey, start small, if you can get out there with your faith, and share the message of truth, and you suffer as a result in some way, you should be excited.

Because to share in the sufferings of Jesus is a noble and beautiful thing. It’s something richly rewarded in heaven. Rejoice if you are mocked like Jesus was mocked. There is in fact a special crown in heaven for those who endure persecution for their faith, it’s called the crown of life.

Second portion of verse 14: “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

Do you struggle with fear in your life? I know I do. I think many people do. They secretly battle a lot of fear.

I know I’ve struggled with some fear in my life.

Fear can be so paralyzing. If we allow it to get out of control, it can control us, and keep us from sharing our faith openly.

Are you afraid to share your faith with others? Or are you pretty bold and open about Jesus?

For me it all depends on the day. Some days I feel quite bold, other days I just want to hide away and be by myself.

The Lord has encounters written for us, across this city. People you are meant to slow down and minister to. Every single one of you are called to it. 

How do you know when though? When does God want me to act? You will sense a nudging from the Lord.

And he will call you forward to serve someone, in some way. This is really what we’re going to focus in on.

Are you open to God’s openings? We won’t be able to engage in every encounter God has for us. We’re human. We make mistakes. We miss things. We get busy. And the Lord has told me, "Justin I will always forgive if you miss an encounter with someone."

But I don’t want to miss any more encounters.

Watch for these encounters in your life. They are treasure. They are stories you will tell and retell. They are opportunities.

And if every one of you began to see your life that way, and you were watching for nudgings from God, we’d come back here in a week, and 15 of you would have stories where you encountered someone and you blessed them in some way.

And as the weeks go by, hundreds of encounters would happen, and each of those encounters would slowly bring this city closer and closer to Jesus Christ.

Three tips for these encounters:

The first thing to remember, is to slow down and watch for opportunities. We get going so fast as Americans, we miss opportunities. Slow down in your life and watch for "God moments." 

The second, is to see this world as a mission field that you are called to.

Third, understand small things are actually big things. If you can strike up a conversation with someone, whether it’s the waitress at the restaurant, or someone in line at the grocery store, or someone walking on the beach, God can do a lot with those openings.

Fourth, be bold. Recite this scripture over your life, "The righteous are as bold as a lion." Pray for boldness, God will help you. 

One encounter at a time. It can be with family, it can be with friends, it can be with neighbors, it can even be with strangers.

How many of you are willing to put your relationships on the line for Jesus? How many of you are willing to invite your friends and family to church even though you might appear to be one of “those religious people?” How many of you are willing to walk up to a stranger and give them the gospel?

We need something in all this that we can only get from Jesus himself. We need holy boldness. The scriptures say the righteous are as bold as a lion.

I wonder if, when Peter wrote this, he wasn’t thinking about the incident in Acts 4, where Peter and John were arrested by the religious leaders and told to stop speaking about Jesus.

And after being released, Peter and John met with the church and they prayed for boldness, they prayed to God saying, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” -Acts 4:29

Next, it says: "15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord."

Sanctify the Lord God in your heart. Regard God as holy. Reverence Him. Look to Jesus. Look at Jesus.

He is your God. Worship Him. Trust Him. Reverence Him. Submit to Him. Yield to Him. Surrender yourself entirely to Him.

He will give you everything you need. He will help you. He will carry you. Look at Jesus. Ignore the fear, and look at Jesus.

I think it’s asking yourself the question, “Is Jesus Christ really my God?” Is he really in charge of my life? Or do I live for myself?

That’s the first portion, look to Jesus. Second portion, be prepared.

It says, verse 15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

Explain the gospel: Jesus is the Son of God. He came and lived a perfect life. He taught the truth. He died a sacrificial death to cover over all my sins with his blood. He rose from the grave. He is a living savior. He will change your life. Make him the Lord of your life. Jesus will save you from your sins.

If you’re not comfortable giving a gospel presentation like that, go to your testimony. We all have a testimony. Write down the main events of your story, if you haven’t ever done that. And in the future, I’m going to be challenging many of you here, to come forward at a service in the future, and give a 5 minute testimony of how God changed your life.

A simple testimony.

It’s simple. Tell the story. For me, after my parents divorced, I got into drinking and drugs, got into trouble, and became increasingly depressed, until I was suicidal. My grandpa who had recently become a Christian, invited me over, and gave me my first Bible. He shared about the love of Jesus, and how Jesus had died for me. I asked him hard questions. He didn’t have all the answers. I rebelled more. But slowly began reading the Bible, and I connected with the story of Jacob’s ladder. I watched the gospel of John movie over and over, until I finally realized, wait a minute, I need Jesus. And at rock bottom, I got on my knees, and I cried out and said Jesus please help me. His presence came upon me. And he led me on a journey into recovery, healing, and ministry. He saved me, he can do the same for you.

My story is wild, but your story is just as important ,it doesn’t have to be wild, it can be, “I was longing for something more, and a friend invited me to church, and I found out about how much Jesus loves me.” That’s just as powerful and probably more relatable to most people.

Do you have your testimony memorized, in your back pocket? If not, write it down, rehearse it, and then you’ll be ready.

Do all this with gentleness and respect.

If someone is rude to us, we can still be gentle and respectful. Also, if someone is resistant, I try to take a step back, and just listen. And kind of let them talk themselves out. Honestly, once they feel heard and respected, they are more willing to listen. So, even if they are snarky, if you can stop yourself from getting upset, and just listen with kindness, it may actually help win them over.

Next, verse 16: “...keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Keeping a clear conscience is very important. If on the one hand I have this great testimony and I’m sharing the word with people, but at the same time there’s things in my life that speak a contrary word, it’s going to undercut what I say.

So it’s wise to deal with our sins, and clear them out. Repent of them. Ask Jesus for help to be free. We have the Holy Spirit, so we can expect to find healing and victory over anything that might upset our Christian witness.

At the same time don’t bully yourself, or abuse yourself with shame, accept that where you’re at is where you’re at, and God is doing something beautiful. And understand many sins are stuck because healing is needed, not because you’re a bad person. Invite God to do a healing journey in your life.

Next, verse 17: “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

Peter reminds us again here, that is good to suffer for doing God’s will. But I think it’s wise, he mentions the concept of God’s will. I write a Christian blog, I have for about 12 years. Many times I would challenge young people on my blog to take up their places of ministry in the body of Christ, start websites, start podcasts, become ministry leaders, start businesses, and so on. But, I regret this for one reason: I never properly instructed them to do so only if it’s God’s will.

That’s something we all should learn as Christians. Often times we jump into something because we personally want it. But that isn’t how we should operate. We should always check with God, and ask Him, is this your will?

Next, Peter points us to the example of Christ, verse 18: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”

What Christ did, his crucifixion, effectuated for you, a complete process, of bringing you from total disconnection from God, to connected. His death accomplished this.

Jesus paved a literal trail of blood to bring you from abandoned to adopted by God. A trail of blood brought you home. Is it so much for us to pave a trail to bring the lost to the feet of Jesus? There is no blood involved in that. Only some sweat and some tears. Jesus gave so much more! 

When we minister to someone, we are helping bring them to Jesus, who will then bring them to God, if they allow Jesus to do so. Our task is to be the ambassador, who brings them to Jesus. If they choose to say yes or no, is none of our concern. We’ve been faithful to show them Jesus.

Next, verses 19-21: "19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God."

There is a lot there, but suffice to say, we’re getting a picture of baptism. That when we are saved by Jesus, one of the benefits we receive is the washing away of all our sins. This gives us a clear conscience.

Lastly, verse 22, Peter concludes his gospel presentation, which began with bringing us to God, through baptism, and now to the resurrection.

It says, “It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

Jesus did not stay dead, he could not be our savior if he did. He is alive. He is in heaven, with all authority under Him.

As you engage in the task of spreading the gospel in this community, sharing your testimony, and bringing people to this church, know that Jesus Christ will be with you always.

All authority belongs to Him. By the power of His name, you shall be victorious.

Keep taking everything to that seat of authority. Bathe everything in prayer. If you ever give someone a tract, or share your story with them, or invite them to church, always pray for them after the encounter, when your at home or in your car.

One more thing: Expect the supernatural. Peter and John prayed for a man who couldn’t walk, and suddenly he was leaping and praising God, and this incident sparked everything else in Acts 4. One of the main ways our message goes out is through the demonstration of the power of Christ in healing and miracles. So expect for Jesus to use you and your prayers to bring healing and even miraculous events.

This is going to be a message that I harp on week in and week out, as we grow together as a family, your job is to spread the gospel, to evangelize your city. Have that mindset. Ask Jesus for help and boldness, and you shall succeed.

Think back to the legends we discussed at the beginning of the message. Wurmbrand, Ten Boom, Booth, Daniel, Stephen they suffered for Jesus, because they stop talking about Jesus. None of them did exceedingly complicated things, they simply obeyed the Bible and spoke up boldly. And we regard them as the greats. But they were just average people like you and me. In the great halls of faith, here we come to our hall, the hall of faith for our city, our nation, our time on Earth. By some simple actions by you, in obedience to the word, you become part of the hall of faith, of those who spoke up for Jesus. Pray about it. Make a plan. Then go out and do it.

How to make an Approach to God

Before I had faith in God, I went through a series of changes over years that brought me slowly closer and closer to knowing God. So if you're someone today who doesn't know God, but you honestly wish that you did, you may be wondering, how can I make an approach to God?  Here's how...

First thing you'll notice is, you start to feel a sense of longing. You will sense an urge for something more that you can't explain. 

The word of God says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." –Matthew 5:6 

You will long for something pure, something good, something beyond this life’s messiness.

Suffering hones this search- problems in your life, as hard as they are, actually will draw you toward the bigger important questions of life. So embrace difficulties as something that will actually help your search for God. 

If you sense a draw from God, act on it, move toward what God is saying to you. It may be a slow unveiling of who he is. Make the choice to interact in the search for God. 

Ask people of faith that you know to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, surround yourself with people praying for your spiritual journey.

Get access to a Bible and then keep it in your bedroom, and instead of playing on your phone, read a chapter from the Bible each night. You may not understand it, but keep studying it. For years I read the Bible from time to time, but it didn't make sense to me. 

When you're ready, begin to ask God this simple question: Lord Jesus, if you’re really real, please show yourself to me in a way I can understand. Make this your daily prayer.

Watch for nudges from God – it’s something you’ll notice, something that speaks to your heart, it could be a conversation with a friend, it could be something beautiful in nature, it could be a sign on a billboard. Be open to what God is showing you. 

All of this is having a spiritual experience – and here’s the thing, as soon as you decide to have it, it will start happening. 

It's a decision you make in your own heart and mind, that you are open to an experience with God. Immediately upon making that decision the experience will commence. 

As you engage in the experience and watch for it, you'll be amazed that you begin to have moments in your life where God interacts with you. 

All of this will lead you toward God’s son Jesus, and what Jesus did for you. Slowly but surely you’ll notice what Jesus did on the cross. What happened there will begin to matter to you. And as you do, slowly your heart will realize, "I need Jesus."

You’ll sense an ache in your heart, a loneliness, a sense of disconnection, a guilt over the sins you’ve committed, a sorrow of being distant from God, and as you do, slowly but surely, it’ll connect, the reason for that sorrow and disconnection, is because "I need Jesus."

Then, last thing, it’ll connect in your heart and head, if I need Jesus, then I need to call out to Jesus, who will hear my cry and answer me. This is a form of prayer, to call out on the name of Jesus.

God will bring you to a moment when you are sufficiently emotionally and spiritually moved, to call out to Jesus, and you’ll need to do this verbally, with your mouth.

The word of God says it, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9-10

When you call on Jesus, you’re believing that he can help you, you’re believing he’s God, you're believing he will forgive your sins, and you’re believing that he’s alive right now. That’s sufficient to receive Him. Then you’ll be born again. And suddenly you'll become connected to God through Jesus. But remember, this is not the end of the journey. It is the end of one journey, but the beginning of another. 

The Most Important Event in History: The Crucifixion of Jesus

Painting by Jon McNaughton "Peace is Coming"

Every human being on planet Earth longs for a truly great leader, someone who is upright, incorruptible, someone who speaks the truth boldly, who is authentic, who is kind but firm, deep down we all long for that perfect leader.

Sometimes we get glimpses of greatness like this in certain leaders, I think of leaders like Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, or spiritual leaders like Billy Graham, or John Wesley or Smith Wigglesworth.

But in the end all our heroes fall short. They are just human. They make mistakes and they aren’t always kind or just.

We all long for a president, a king, a pastor, a leader who can transcend this world and it’s brokenness and make things right. That’s why we’re drawn to heroes and superheroes and stories and cinema and concepts of justice and injustice.

It’s rare for someone who is truly great, to make it into the seat of authority. We have a gap of leadership in our world right now. The ones who would make great leaders don’t seek leadership. And the most corrupt and petty seem to seek after the seats of power and find them, so they can gain money and authority from the position. This has led to great corruption in our world.

There was one man born into the world who was perfect. There was one man who was the perfect leader. There was one man who was incorruptible. His name was Jesus. Every word he spoke, perfect, every action he took, just and right. His kindness to clear and obvious, his justice so sharp and true, yet his mercy so ever flowing and his grace like a cloud of love and acceptance. That’s Jesus, the one true King of the Earth, the one true leader of leaders, who would be qualified to have total authority over every president, prime minister, parliament, congress, business, power, authority, and regime in the world, and would not in any way misuse that power, favor some over others, or violate the liberties of the people. His every decision is right. His every command is just.

We all long for a leader. Is it so hard to draw the conclusion then, that Jesus Christ would be and will be one day the perfect king of the Earth?

Yet on the Earth, two thousand years ago, when Jesus lived, he did not find himself often in the places of power and authority. And when it was so, his hands were bound, and he was being questioned.

We see him in Mark chapter 15, as recorded in the Bible, in a palace. But he is not there to be a leader, but he is being held captive.

How can this be?

It says in Mark 15:16-17, “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him."

A crown of thorns, instead of a crown of gold. This was the plot of Satan, the devil, the adversary, the kill the son of God. A crown of thorns or a crown of gold, which would you choose?

In this life, as Christians, we may be faced with the challenge of being offered power if we’ll just give up Jesus. Would you deny the crown of gold for a crown of thorns? We may one day face that challenge.

But what can we gain, if we gain this whole world, but lose our souls after we die? Can that crown of gold save me after I’ve denied Jesus? No, certainly not. I would die with nothing but coins, having lost my very soul to the fires of hell.

Jesus understands that this world is not the end. This world is temporary. Anything we gain in this world is temporary.

But, if we gain Christ in this world, God’s word, we’ve gained something infinite. Something that goes beyond this world.

All that Jesus does here, is set on the backdrop that Jesus understands that this world is not the end. This world is temporary. There is a spiritual world that is more real than this world. There is a judgment after this world. This world has an expiration date. This world will one day be destroyed completely and God will start over with something entirely new.

So Jesus endures the trial of mockery.

In verses 18-20 they are mocking him, it’s not sincere. But it is factually true. He is the king of the jews. He is king of all.

It says this: “And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

Next, we see the journey to the cross. Jesus must carry his cross. But a man is forced to help him.

Jesus has been up all night. He’s been flogged and abused, and he’s bleeding. He’s exhausted. And he can’t go on.

Have you ever felt this way? Know that Jesus understands that in you. So many times in life and ministry I feel I don’t have the strength to keep going through the day. I’m often very fatigued and tired and dizzy and my body will ache and hurt. But I try to keep going.

Yet Jesus finds that he simply can’t. He tried to carry the cross but he is unable. So help is recruited for him.

It says this in 21-24: A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.”

Many have wondered where Golgotha is, an area called the place of the skull. It was somewhere just outside Jerusalem. There is a church at a supposed location in Jerusalem today. But it’s not known for sure exactly where it was.

He was offered wine, he did not take it. The soldiers cast lots over his clothing. All of this was predicted in the old testament, hundreds of years before Jesus was even born.

All of this Jesus did for you and me. His purpose was to become a sacrifice, to become death for each of us, so we could taste life, so our sins could be removed.

But it took a gruesome, and miserable road. Jesus was well acquainted with suffering.

Here next we see the most important moment in the history of planet Earth, we see the moment where Jesus was crucified.

It says in verses 25-27: It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the Jews.

27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left.”

9am, nine in the morning, the time many of us are getting ready for the day, enjoying a cup of coffee, the sun is shining, a new day, Jesus has begun his crucifixion experience. The darkest moment in human history. The most important moment in human history. The moment that changes everything for lost humanity.

Yet we miss it, I think. We have a hard time seeing it’s significance. We have a hard time understanding why Jesus dying this day matters to us. I get that. I understand that we struggle to see why it matters to us.

It’s because we don’t understand just how sinful our sin is. It’s because we don’t understand the cost of sin. It’s because we don’t understand God’s wrath, and hell, and punishment for sin. We have a hard time understanding these things as humans.

But we have to ask ourselves, who am I? What am I? Why am I here? What’s really happening on Earth? And in the end what’s really happening in my own heart? I want to do right, but I can’t quite do it. I want to be good, but I can’t be good. I want to not sin, but I sin. What’s wrong with me? Is the question many of us finally come to. There’s something wrong inside me!

Instead of affirming what’s wrong in us, celebrating what’s wrong in us, hiding what’s wrong in us, explaining away what’s wrong in us, if we can admit, that there is something fundamentally broken within me, and in need of restoration, we can begin to make our way, through the all night despairs of Jesus, through the false trial, through the beatings and mockery, along the road of carrying his cross, to the hill of Golgotha, and through the crucifixion, and see ourselves in it.

I’ve done wrong. I’ve sinned. I’ve done ugly things. I’ve hated. I’ve refused to forgive. I’ve wanted to get back at them. I’ve been selfish. I’ve been rude. I’ve abused others verbally. I’ve misused my own body. I’ve added to the evil in the world.

And I deserve God’s justice. But because Jesus Christ received God’s justice for me, I can be free. I can be forgiven. I can have all my sins forgiven. Because Jesus Christ became sin for me.

Here in verses 28-32 I think we see the last temptations of Satan against Jesus. It says this 29-32: "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

I believe Satan was speaking through these people mocking Jesus. I believe Satan was giving his last temptation, “Come down from the cross.” Instead of dying, Jesus was being tempted to stop it from happening right there. But Jesus didn’t listen to those lies. It was not his place to come down from the cross. But it was his place and his mission to die on the cross. And he would not waiver from that mission.

Understand that you will face demons and their lies in your life. They will whisper lies to you. And you have to know in those moments the truth of God’s word to counter those lies. Also recognize when the enemy lies to you he try to get you to think it was your own thought. But it wasn’t. he planted that thought. And you can reject that thought as false. Happens to me all the time.

The enemy plants a lie and I laugh to myself, and say, haha, nope, that’s a lie. It’s not from me either. It’s from the enemy. And I disregard it as a lie.

The lies are usually like this: Well that proves God is unjust. God is mean he doesn’t really love you. God can’t be trusted. God did something wrong there. Look at all you’ve been through why would God let that happen? All sorts of lies and questions and accusations meant to draw me away from God. Don’t buy it. Don’t believe it. Trust God. Deny the lies of the enemy.

Three hours later we see the following events take place: "At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

Psalm 22 is where the phrase comes from, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Psalm 22 is full of prophecies of the death of the messiah. The last line of psalm 22 says, “he has done it.” Sounds oddly familiar to when Jesus said, “it is finished.”

So many prophecies in Psalm 22, read it today after church when you’re home. They pierce my hands and feet, they cast lots for my garment, so many references fulfilled in Jesus.

The psalms were written in about 1000 BC. Somewhere between 930-1010 BC. Written a thousand years before Jesus would die. Yet Jesus fulfilled these prophecies and many others! He was no mere man!

He was again offered wine vinegar, and the people continued to mock him and were confused, asking about Elijah. It says in 36-37:

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.”

With one final cry of horror Jesus breathed his last. That’s how one would die when crucified. You would have to lift yourself to be able to breath, but eventually you wouldn’t have enough strength to lift yourself to catch your breath. So most would suffocate and die. After 6 long hours, Jesus dies.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

In the holy of holies in the temple, where God and man met together, once a year, between only the high priest and God, at the moment Jesus died, the blocking curtain, was torn in half, symbolizing that the wall of separation between God and man was over, because of Jesus perfect sacrifice. The lamb of God had paved the way for intimacy between God and man.

And a gentile, a roman guard at that moment, declares, Jesus is the son of God. The first of many gentiles to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.

This brutal death I never understood. I didn’t get why it mattered to me. Now I do. I can’t quite explain how much it means to me what Jesus did. It turned my world, from a nightmare, like the things Jesus went through, being mocked, being arrested, being in trouble, being misunderstood, being hated, being broken, and turned that nightmare into a peaceful serene beautiful summer day. Everything turned in my life around the cross of Jesus Christ, from brokenness and self destruction to life, and victory. It’s so profound it can’t be compared to anything else in life.

It took the brutal death of Jesus to buy that for me. Because it took slaughter to cover my sins. But the lamb of God, did that for all of us. If we’ll simply believe, like a little child, that he loves us, and we love him.

A tribute to the fierce loyalty of women, you see here in verses 40-41, “Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.”

The men were in hiding. The women stayed with Jesus til the end. Their loyalty, their dedication to their savior was beautiful. The stayed with Jesus til the end. The loyalty of these women is beautiful. Let’s all learn that loyalty, that never leaves or forsakes our savior, as he never leaves or forsakes us.

Lastly in section four we see the burial of Jesus’ body.

It says this in 42-45: It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.

Joseph was bold and brave enough, to go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus, so he could give an honorable burial.

All of this was again God’s plan playing out just as it should. But we can learn boldness from Joseph’s actions. He pushes past his fear and goes directly to the roman governor and asks for the body of Jesus. And from this boldness, results are true, and God’s plan moves forward. Praise the Lord.

Lastly in verses 46-47, “So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.”

Lastly today we see Jesus the messiah’s body being laid to rest in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus is dead. The disciples are in hiding. The women are in mourning. The authorities seem to have crushed another good man. End of story, right? Wrong. The story doesn’t end there.

As it often with God, the dark end, is really the new beginning. The paradox of God’s kingdom, death leads to life, victory comes from the ashes of defeat. From the death of God’s son, billions of Christians are bought back to God with the blood of Jesus. And heaven is filled with rejoicing, excited, amazed people who have humbled themselves, accepted Jesus as Lord, and have made his mission their mission, to carry the cross each day, and walk in the way of the suffering servant.

That my friends, is the meaning of life.

First, we admit that the problem is found within my own heart. It’s not oppression ,it’s not society, it’s not colonialism or ideology, it’s the sin in my own heart.

Second, we humble ourselves enough to see that God is really real and made the universe, the stars and the human race

Three, we embrace the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as all we need for forgiveness of our sins.

Four, we pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus through this life, to the very last day

Five, we find a restored Eden, in the after life, a new Earth, a new planet, a new future, a new city, the New Jerusalem, the city of God, a paradise, prepared by Jesus for us. That, is the meaning of life.

The doorway to the eternal city, to paradise, to the meaning of life, is in fact through the dark way, the valley of the shadow of death, the suffering and struggle of this life, carrying our cross for Jesus, following Jesus, loving Jesus, walking with Jesus and spreading his gospel.

That is the way, the way of grit and struggle and pain. Your decisions will dictate the path you take.

One of two reactions, it’s real, you have to understand it’s as real as your house, your car, this room, the stars, the moon, this city, it’s real, two reactions, one, man I’m glad I listened to pastor Justin when he said that about following Jesus, or Why didn’t I listen, if only I had listened, I wouldn’t be in this horrible place of fire. Heaven or hell, what will you choose? Jesus is the way to life. Self is the way to hell.

Are you ready now? Ready to give your life to Christ? To Cry out to Jesus?

Begin the journey with this prayer:

Father God of the Bible, I realize now that you're real, your Bible is real, and your son Jesus Christ is real.  I admit to you Father that I've sinned against you, I confess my sins to you now (confess them one by one).  I repent of my sins, please Lord set me free from every sin. And I admit that I need a Savior.  You have provided that Savior.  I accept him Father, today I accept your son Jesus Christ, and his work on the cross as the necessary payment for all my sins. I recognize that Jesus resurrected from the dead to give me eternal life.  Please Father, cloth me in His righteousness.  Father God I acknowledge you as the sovereign Lord of my life, please grant me your Holy Spirit to guide me in my new life as a Christian.  Thank you so much Father, it's in Jesus Christ name I pray this prayer, Amen. 

Only by Remembering our Past can we Face the Future: The Woman who Anointed Jesus

It’s so incredibly important that we remember our history, our heritage, and who we are. If we don’t know who we are, the history of our people, our nation, our faith, our religion, our family, our state, our city, all of these things, then we’re liable to believe anything that we’re fed, and to be manipulated by the forces in the world around us that are trying to promote their various ideological agendas.

I want to talk to you about the history of Israel, in particular this morning, which as Christians is part of our story:

Long, long ago the nation of Israel was only one man and his family, it was Abraham, and his wife Sarah. And their children and extended family. Abraham would have two children, Isaac, from Sarah, and Ishmael from Hagar, his wife’s servant girl. Ishmael according to tradition would go on to found the modern Arab nations, including many who are part of modern day Islam.

Isaac and his wife Rebecca would have children, and one their children’s children Joseph, would save his family from a terrible famine that had come across the land. That is what led Israel to live in Egypt. Joseph became a leader in Egypt and helped shelter his family in a place called Goshen in Egypt.

God blessed the Israelites and they became numerous. But the Egyptians began to fear them because of their great numbers, so they enslaved them.

They had been slaves for 400 years, building the wealth of Egypt. But God was at work. He began working through a man named Moses, to bring Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and into the promised land, the land that would be called Israel. And it’s capital, the city of Jerusalem, which means, “city of peace.” A place of peace between God and man.

Moses died, and Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of Israel, and led them into the promised land. The nation was founded, amongst their enemies.

But once God brought them into the land, he gave them detailed instructions in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, on how to celebrate festivals each year to remember everything God did for them.

That is our first point today, a single word: Remember.

If we don’t remember, we’re liable to forget, as they say.

It was very important that Israel remember what it was like to live as slaves in Egypt, and what it was like to travel through the wilderness.

Why would that be important? None of the generations born after the journey through the wilderness and out of Egypt were even there? Why does it matter if they remember it?

Because it’s part of their history. It’s part of their identity under God.

It was the most important festival of the year, Israel was celebrating, the Passover festival, and the festival of unleavened bread. These two festivals celebrated first, the Passover lamb, that the blood of the Passover lamb was slaughtered and the blood was wiped on their door posts, and this protected them from the wrath of God against the nation of Egypt.

Secondly, they would celebrate for seven days after, the festival of unleaven bread, to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt and into the wilderness.

Jews to this day celebrate these festivals each year. The purpose is to remind them what God has done for them.

What happens when we stop reminding ourselves what God has done for us? We forget what God has done for us. We start to drift away. We start to think we don’t need God. We stop coming to church. We go back into the world of sin. And we end up shipwrecked once again.

I’ve seen many people come in the church and learn and grow, and then leave. They slowly seem to forget all that God had done for them, and they go back to the world of sin. This is a very sad and tragic thing so, don’t let that be you. Always remember.

Set a pattern in your life. Remember the day you received salvation through Jesus Christ. Celebrate that day. Rejoice. Remember the day of your birth, the day God gave you life. Celebrate Christmas, that Jesus was born. Celebrate Resurrection Sunday, that Jesus is alive.

The reason we so carefully come ot church each Sunday, and attend bible study, and celebrate holidays, and to consistently remind and re-remind ourselves of all God has done for us, so we never forget, and so that we always remain grateful, and joyous, and focused on God.

We as sheep are prone to wander, the Shepherd Jesus helps us to stay on course, but we ought to try not to wander, but to stay close to the shepherd.

All of that to explain, that in Mark chapter 14 today, in verses 1-26, Jesus and the twelve disciples were all preparing for the festival of Passover and unleavened bread.

It says in Mark 14:1-2: “Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

The leaders in Jerusalem are plotting to kill Jesus, but they want to avoid a riot because of the festival.

Meanwhile Jesus is about 2 miles away at Bethany, and we see a very beautiful event take place.

It says in verse 3: While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

This woman takes some very expensive perfume and anoints Jesus head with it. The woman was really saying, “this is how important Jesus is to me.” The nard was worth a great deal of money, we’re talking worth about $30,000 dollars, or as the Bible says, a year’s wages. And she uses it as an act of worship to Jesus her Lord. It’s beautiful. It’s a statement of understanding, just how important Jesus is. And I think sometimes we miss that. We’re focused on work, paychecks, retirements, cars, family, friendships, coffee, vacations, and we forget that Jesus Christ is worth more than every cent we’ve ever had or will have.

I know deep down I don’t fully realize just how valuable Jesus Christ is, and how much I need Him every moment. I don’t feel see it right at this moment. I may not ever until I see him face to face. But I want to know the truth.

That’s our second point today, hunger for the truth. Maybe you realize right now, I don’t see Jesus the way the woman does, who poured out the nard on Jesus’ head. But you can want to know. You can say to yourself, and to God, “Lord, I want to know you like that.

Be hungry for the truth. Want to know. Then ask God to show you.

It continues in verses 4-5: Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.”

This is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples who rebukes the woman. And I just have to smile when I see this. Because we see the same thing today in the news quite a bit.

When a big corporation buys something, or when we talk about money in politics, or when Elon Musk bought twitter, you had all these keyboard warriors, on social media, crying out that for the price Musk paid you could solve world hunger. And you see that a lot.

But this isn’t just something that happens to big corporations or social media. Your mom or dad probably told you growing up when you didn’t want to finish your peas or beans, “there are children starving in third world countries.” And you probably thought to yourself, well, if I don’t eat it, it’s not like it’s going to appear suddenly in another country.

Let’s see what Jesus says to this statement by Judas. In verses 6-7: “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.”

Don’t worry about the poor right now, says Jesus, how insensitive right? Wrong. Jesus is absolutely right. It was beautiful what this woman did. Don’t worry about the approximate value of the nard.

The Lord continues in verses 8-9: “She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Jesus here foreshadows his own death which he knows is rapidly approaching. It’s only a few days away. He says this perfume is preparing for his burial. Then he gives this beautiful picture for us today, wherever the gospel is preached around the whole world, people will talk about what this woman did.

Now I’ll tell you this, I looked it up, the distance from Bethany, Israel to Owosso, Michigan is 6,003 miles. So we do qualify I think when Jesus talks about being “throughout the world.”

Jesus doesn’t say this about many other people around him who did great things. But he says that this woman’s act of anointing him, will be remembered, in memory of her.

And that brings back to our first point today, “Remember.” Are you beginning to see how important it is to remember? We must have memorials in our lives. We do that with loved ones we lost. We visit their grave. We keep their memory alive. How much more so should we keep our entire calendar year centered around our relationship with the God who made us?

And if you’re truly hungry for the truth, our second point today, you’ll “remember” and by “remembering” you’ll stay hungry for the truth. Do you see how it all fits together? As we remove pieces and parts from Christianity, like a car engine, eventually the car will start running badly as we remove parts, and eventually it will break down all together.

Jesus has just rebuked Judas. Now let’s see what happens next.

In verses 10-11, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

With some people in the body of Christ, you can just tell, as you watch them, that they are watching and looking for something to get mad about, they are on guard for something they don’t entirely agree with. And they are like pregnant with controversy and they are on the edge of their seat waiting for a disagreement. And then at last you say something that offends them and off they go to another church.

That’s one variety of what you might call “church hoppers” they bounce from church to church to church. Which is very unhealthy. And every time they have a conflict of any kind, they bounce to the next one. But instead, we should look to work out the disagreement, sit down and figure it out. It’s awkward, it’s sometimes uncomfortable, but it’s worth it, to work it out, instead of running. I remember I told someone a few years back who was upset, if you keep storming off and leaving every time you have a disagreement, you’re going to be running your whole life. It will never end. You have to put an end to that pattern, with whatever it may take, conflict management books, anger management with a counselor, something to break that toxic pattern.

But as you can see here Judas gets upset, he’s pregnant with evil, and he heads off to the chief authorities to betray Jesus to them for money.

We know from other gospels that the chief priests offer Judas 30 pieces of silver, which is not very much, it’s the cost of purchasing a slave, one slave. But he takes them up on the offer.

It’s a crazy moment because as we go through the entire gospel of Mark, there’s no thought to the possibility that Jesus’ closest disciples would ever totally betray him. Sure they struggle to understand what he’s saying, they make mistakes, they struggle with unbelief, they argue amongst themselves but you get the sense that they all have true hearts of devotion despite their failings.

But suddenly we see Judas, and off he goes, to betray the son of God.

Consequently that’s our third point today, “break the toxic pattern.” We all have toxic patterns in our lives, things that repeat. I’ve known people who were cleptos, they couldn’t stop stealing. Others like we talked about have anger issues. Others always seem to be in the middle of drama. Others it’s drinking, drugs, cigarettes, gambling or pornography. Those are the obvious ones. But what about manipulating people for your own benefit? For your own pleasure? What about refusing to forgive someone that hurt us in the past? What about stealing from your employer, or cheating on your taxes, or bad mouthing people behind their back? What about excluding people you know you should try to include in your “in group”? All those things are just as toxic as obvious things like drugs or stealing.

Judas was caught in a mindset of wealth, money, influence, power, and he lost sight of who Jesus really was to him. And off he went, pregnant with evil.

Now if we “remember” point one, we will know our history, our past and all God has done for us. And if we remember, then we’ll hunger for truth, because we’ll know the truth from our past enough to want it badly, And if we remember the past, and then we hunger for the truth, then we’ll have the courage, and devotion, and grit, to point three, break toxic patterns.

But if we don’t remember, then we won’t hunger for truth because we won’t know it, and if we don’t hunger for truth we won’t have the grit and courage and devotion to break toxic patterns in our lives. It all fits together.



Next we see in verses 12-16, “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”

It’s now earlier in the day on the festival of Passover, on the first day of the unleavened bread festivals 7 days. The disciples go make all their preparations and Jesus makes sure everything is ready for them. It’s a good reminder that someone has to set the table, but don’t worry, Jesus will provide a good venue. And he certainly does.

So then they all gather there in the room Jesus has provided for them.

Then it says in verses 17-21: “When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Here we have each of the disciples asking Jesus, is it me, am I the one who is going to betray you? They are all worried and concerned. They rightly understand that the chief issue with a follower of Jesus is within ourselves. They don’t trust their own actions. They are afraid that they will fall away in the future. Which all of them will aside from John, but Peter would rally them afterwards, and they would be restored.

Point number four, Check Yourself. Each of the disciples ask the question, “Is it I Lord?” They are checking their own heart. They are judging and evaluating themselves, and then bringing it to Jesus. That is wisdom. Check yourself, in other words, guard your heart.

It’s shocking though, the statement Jesus makes, that it would be better for Judas Iscariot after betraying the son of God, that it would be better if he’d never been born at all. I think this implies the punishment he will receive in hell for all eternity, it must be particularly terrible. And in the court of God’s justice, it should be. As sad as it is, justice requires it.

I’ve heard some well meaning Christians try to make the case that Judas is in heaven. Honestly I don’t know how backwards you have to be in your theology, and think basically everyone just goes to heaven no matter what, to think that. It’s ludicrous. Would Jesus make this statement about Judas if he was in heaven? Of course not.

Lastly, we see verses 22-26: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

Jesus says, this is my body, this is my blood. Jesus would of course soon be giving his own body over to death, to cover our sins. Jesus would become our Passover lamb. As the doorpost was painted with the blood of the Passover lamb in Egypt, and the angel of death did not harm those who were in that home, so we are painted in the blood of Jesus, our sins are covered over by his sacrifice, and then we are given a clean slate before God, all our sins are forgiven.

Yet Jesus also affirms that he would not drink again the fruit of the vine until he was alive again in the kingdom of God. So Jesus knew, though he would die, he would be raised from the dead, and would be in the kingdom of God forever, in heaven.

Point five today, rest in the love of Christ. As you remember the past and keep in touch with your mindset, you hunger for truth and pursue it, then by the leading of the Holy Spirit you are active in finding healing for toxic patterns, and you’re also checking yourself, evaluating your actions and your heart, so lastly, you’re walking the Christian lifestyle faithfully, now the goal is to find the mindset of rejoicing in the restful love of Christ.

But pastor you told me all this stuff I need to do, remember, hunger, heal, evaluate, and yes that’s all true, but at the same time, that’s not how you get saved. That’s how you build your walk with Christ and guard the danger of falling away. But since you’re there. You can rest in the love of Christ. Remember you are working from acceptance, not for acceptance. You’re guarding against falling away, you haven’t already fallen away. You’re safe and secure in the love of Christ.

Lastly, I do want to point your attention to verse 26 which mentions that they sang a hymn before leaving for the mount of olives.

I can only imagine what this night was like, but it was a time of celebration, yet also a time of angst for the disciples, they knew Jesus was saying he was about to be betrayed and killed. And yet after all this, they sang a hymn together.

And we’re pretty sure we know what song they sang, it was traditional for Jews as part of the Passover ceremony to sing Psalms 116 through Psalm 118. This was called the Hallel, part of it would be sung before the meal, then part of it after, generally it was Psalms 113 through 118. With the last 2-3 being sang after. But it’s astonishing that in psalm 118:20-24 it says, “

20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.[d]
23 This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Main Points:
1. Remember

2. Hunger for Truth

3. Break Toxic Patterns

4. Check Yourself

5. Rest in Christ’s Love

The Transfiguration of Jesus: What is the 'Mountain Top Experience' Christians talk about?

Have you ever had an experience in your life where you saw something beyond this world?

These experiences are rare. We live in a physical universe and we experience life in the physical universe. But, we know there are many things that go beyond what can be perceived by our five senses.

We know that the law of gravity is true, but we can’t see it. We can see the effects of it. We know that thoughts existence. But we can’t see them. We know that feelings, like love exist, but we can’t see them. We know things like atoms and electricity exist, as well as radiation and energy fields, but we can’t necessarily see them.

We also know, instinctively, that a spiritual universe exists. That it exists in the same place and time as we do right now. And that we interact with it through prayer and worship and other forms of Christian living.

There are rare moments though, in our lives, when we do see the spiritual reality around us.

These experiences are quite rare. But I’m sure there are times in your life when you remember sensing God’s presence. Or you saw an angel for a moment. Perhaps you saw something in a dream that you knew was from God. Maybe you’ve even had a vision from God, like the apostle Paul did, of heaven, or hell.

Many have seen these things. Brief glimpses into the spiritual realm.

And that’s what we’re going to be talking about. A moment in history when the spiritual realm broke into the physical universe and became visible to the naked eye for just a few moments. Experiences like that change your life forever.

In the Bible we see various individuals who had spiritual experiences. Some of them include Jacob, who had a dream of a a staircase leading into the sky, Isaiah who saw God and was terrified. Ezekiel, who saw an angel. Elijah, and Elisha, who saw angels. Daniel, who when he saw the son of man, collapsed in terror and lost all strength in his body.

Often these experiences are associated with fear and sorrow at the complete and utter holiness of God. To see even a part of God’s holiness, we are intensely aware of our sinfulness.

When Simon Peter saw the miracle of Jesus providing the catch of fish for him, he said to Jesus go away from me, I’m a sinful man.

But Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid.”

Just as was said to Daniel and Ezekiel and Isaiah, don’t be afraid.

I think if any of us saw the throne of God, we’d instantly lose a lot of our questions and struggles with faith.

So then why doesn’t God show himself to everyone? Because then there would be no free choice. You’d be compelled to believe. He wants people to freely choose him.

Today we’re talking about an event in history where Jesus is revealed to be supernatural, to be beyond this world, to be God in human form.

This is a shocking moment for the disciples, three of them, who are his inner circle. Only Peter, James, and John are invited for this moment. They are the closest followers. Only they may see this.

But we’re going to see how this event is deeply connected with the Old Testament, and other events where God meets with man. The whole Bible, it’s all connected, and we can’t understand the word properly unless we understand those connections.

This event in the life of Jesus is called by theologians “The transfiguration of Jesus.”

This is for me the center piece of the gospel of Mark. Last week, and this week, we’re seeing the very beating heart of who Jesus is. Last week we talked about the crucifixion, the carrying of the cross, the death to self, and Jesus predicting his own death.

Now we see the hope after such darkness, is new life, is resurrection life, is the fact that Jesus is alive. And this event foreshadows the fact that Jesus would resurrect three days after he died.

From Mark 9:2, “After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.”

First, notice it says after six days. This is the number of days Moses waited, before the glory of God was revealed to him.

From Exodus 24:16, “...and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.”

Second, notice that they are following Jesus up a high mountain. Note that Moses met with God on mount Sinai. And Elijah met with God on mount Horeb. Both up high mountains.

Third, consider the Greek word for “transfigured.” It is the word Greek word “metamorphoō” met-am-or-fo'-o which means to be changed into another form.

Interesting note is that the Greek work “metamorphoō” is the same word used by the apostle Paul in describing the transformation the Holy Spirit does in the heart of the Christian.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (G3339) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

And in 2nd Cor 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed (G3339) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

It says in verses 3-4: "His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus."

Here in this moment the disciples are seeing Jesus as he really is. When Jesus came on this rescue mission to be born into a human body, he would come in disguise, as a plain looking human. He was and is in fact the son of God, the Lord, but he had to come in disguise to achieve his mission.

They see for a moment that Jesus is more than a man. He is glowing, he is bright, he is shining with God’s glory.

And not only that, suddenly, two men appear with Jesus, Elijah and Moses.

Why Elijah and Moses? Elijah was the greatest of the prophets, Moses represented the old testament law, and Jesus is fulfilling all of it, the whole old testament, is being fulfilled in Christ. The law, and the prophets, Jesus came to fulfill. As it is written.

At this moment Peter starts rambling. They were all so afraid, he didn’t know what to say, but felt he should probably say something. In verses 5-6:

"Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)"

Next, we see an event called a theophany, which is an appearance of God in the Bible.

In verses 7-8: "Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."

Just like the tent of meeting in the time of Moses, a cloud would descend over the tent of meeting, and God would commune with Moses, and talk with him.

The voice of God comes forth, and says, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Jesus is my son. I love Jesus. Listen to Jesus.

Pretty simple, pretty straight forward, listen carefully to Jesus

God the Father, the God of Moses, the God of Elijah, comes and gives his official stamp of approval on Jesus in this moment.

We sometimes hear Christians talking about mountain top experiences with God. There are times in my life where God has made something very clear to me. He has changed the course of my life. He has called me to a new place or a new mission. He has delivered me from something. He has healed me of something.

That is a mountain top experience. It’s an encounter with God. We come into contact with God in some way, not necessarily a giant flashy event where we see God or hear God’s voice, but, it’s fundamentally this: a moment when we encounter God in some way.

That is the mountain top experience many of us seek in our lives time and again when we need it.

Do you need a mountain top experience with God in your life right now? Seek after the Lord. He calls us to those moments, but in His timing, not our own.

They are often short moments. Just a brief word. A nudge. A sense from God. A scripture repeated to you. A breakthrough. A new hope. A new refreshing. A feeling. A dream. A blessed conversation you had with a close friend.

To have connection with God though, takes getting along with God. It takes going off somewhere alone and sitting with God, talking to God, and seeking His response. Many will do this by doing something in nature. Climbing a mountain. Hiking long trails. Bike riding. Sitting in a beautiful place and praying. Sitting somewhere and reading the Bible for hours. Don’t be afraid to seek those experiences with God. God wants to communicate with us. But we need to seek Him out to have that.

Next in verses 9-10. “9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.”

A mountain top experience is very often something meant for you only. You had this experience with God, and it’s for you. Jesus tells them not to tell anyone about this experience, until after he has died and risen from the dead.

And here I think we get the hidden meaning of the transfiguration. Jesus had said in chapter 8, I’m going to be crucified. It’s explained as the way of the cross, the way of death.

But here we get a secret of what’s coming, Jesus would not stay dead. He would rise from the dead. He would live again. Just as in the transfiguration Jesus glows with the glory of God, so Jesus would resurrect, and have a new resurrection body. Jesus would rise from the dead.

Lastly in our scripture today, the disciples ask Jesus a question, in verse 11: And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

And the Lord replied in this way, verses 12-13:

Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

The teachers of the law knew prophecy indicated that Elijah would come to make the way for the messiah straight.

Jesus explains that this was John the Baptist, who came baptizing in the wilderness, getting people ready for Jesus to come on the scene later.

And John the Baptist was mistreated, and then arrested, and later put to death by Herod as we saw in previous chapters of the gospel of mark.

So in conclusion today, we see the great mountain top experience for the disciples, as Jesus was transformed into his true nature, a being of bright light, talking with Moses and Elijah, and then God the Father himself came forth declaring Jesus to be His son.

We find emphasized this simple point: The messiah must rise from the dead to be the true messiah. Jesus told his disciples well ahead of time, I will bodily rise from the dead 3 days after they kill me.

If not, then I was just a liar. But, if it really happens like that, then you’ll know that I’m really the son of God.

We don’t serve a dead Jesus today. Why would we? That wouldn’t make any sense. We serve a Living God, a living savior, a living Jesus Christ. How could he answer our prayers if he was still dead? How could he save people today? He is alive. He did in fact rise from the dead. And he showed himself to many witnesses after rising, to prove to them, see I’m alive, I’m not a ghost, I’m God, and I’m alive, and I’m the savior you need, to forgive you of your sins and give you new life. Only Jesus can do that.