Sunday, April 28, 2013
Love Each Other & Praise the Lord; Psalm 148, John 13:31-35
Our lectionary passages today are seemingly unrelated. We have a psalm of praise and a small snippet from John’s version of the upper room discourse, which takes place shortly after Jesus has washed His disciples feet and Judas has left to betray Jesus. So what do these passages have in common? They both contain essential commands that improve our well being if we obey them.
The two commands are: “Praise the Lord” and “Love one another.” “Hallelujah” is a command, not just an exclamation. We are commanded to praise. In this psalm, all creation is commanded to praise. All created beings in whatever location--in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth—are commanded to praise. The angelic messengers, the angelic warriors, all people, regardless of age, are commanded to praise. Even plants and animals are commanded to praise. Even more interesting, the things we don’t think of as living are commanded to praise—the sun, moon, and stars, the weather: storms, fire, wind, hail, snow, rain, the mountains and hills—are commanded to praise. And indeed, these inanimate things do praise, because they reveal the glory of God. They point us to God. If you were at the community Thanksgiving service at the Lutheran church last fall, you might remember that I preached on praise—that it is easier sometimes to offer praise than it is to offer thanksgiving. I’ve heard some of you lately saying you don’t feel joyful, and you don’t feel like celebrating. Begin with praise.
For what do we praise? . From that sermon, you may remember that the definition of praise is simply stating facts to God about God. These are truths that do not change regardless of our feelings or circumstances, time, or anything else. In this particular psalm, we see that with creation, we praise God for God’s creative power. “God, You are the Mighty Creator. You are the Source of everything. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” We praise God for His power to act by speaking. “God, You speak a word and it comes into being.” We praise God because God’s word has power. “God, You speak and things happen. Your written word reveals you. Jesus is the Word Incarnated. Your word has power to transform lives.” We praise God that God is a God of boundaries. God sets limits on us for our good, for our protection. “God, You set limits for the seas. You set limits on time. You set limits on me, all to protect us.” We praise God because God’s name is unlike any other name. We praise God because God is glorious. We praise God because God puts people in our lives that we can emulate. We praise God because God puts people in our lives who care for us and who intercede for us. We praise God because God gives us Jesus, our ultimate Intercessor, and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter. Jesus leads us, delivers us, gives us life. The Spirit empowers us and teaches us.
The second command comes from the mouth of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” He tells us twice in one verse to love one another. Jesus also calls it a “new” commandment. The command to love wasn’t new, remember the command, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” but Jesus renewed it and made it new by adding Himself, not ourselves, as the standard by which we are to love each other. “Love one another as I have loved you.” This means that we are to love with a self-sacrificing love. It is a love that risks getting hurt, and it is a love that is even willing to die for another. It is a love that forgives. Again, Jesus had just finished washing the disciples feet. Part of that washing was to demonstrate forgiveness as well as an example of caring and concern for the most basic needs. We are to love one another, attending to each other’s needs, with caring and compassion. We are to love both by word and action. Jesus uses a command tense that is continuous. We are to keep on loving. We love because Jesus loves us, and we are to love with His love. Love must be our unifying factor.
Both of these commands when obeyed are an external witness to the glory of God. Creation in praise witnesses to creation the glory, majesty, awesomeness, and reality of God. Praise is all about facts, not opinions or feelings. “Jesus died for our sins!” is praise. “God is Love” is praise. “Jesus is my Lord and Savior” is praise. These things are true and will always be true no matter where we are, what we’ve done, when we live. These things witness to others of our great God.
Jesus says that it is by our love for one another that we are witnesses to the world that we belong to Jesus. Our loves testifies to the person, love, work, and reality of Jesus. Love attracts the world to Jesus. Love that can disagree without being divisive is a testimony to the grace and love of God. In the deepest part of each one of us, we are all looking for real love.
Both commands, when followed also improve our well being—our attitude and our outlook. They enhance our emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Praise moves us towards thanksgiving. When we start with praise, we usually find things for which we are truly thankful as well, and we can offer our thanks up to God in addition to our “Hallelujahs.” Praise and thanksgiving enhance our gratitude. Grateful people are healthier. They adapt better to change and to bad news. They have lower blood pressure. They are more at peace. When we love, we come to experience Christ’s love for us more powerfully and personally. When we love, we are less selfish and less self-centered, which also reduces depression and anxiety. When we love, we are more receptive to love given to us. When we love, we are less judgmental. When we are love, we are not as prone to harmful anger. Our stress hormones are reduced, and we are healthier. Most of all, when we do these commands, we can be sure that we are in the center of God’s will.
Brothers and sisters of Grace Presbyterian Church, I don’t think I can leave you with any better exhortation that to praise God and love each other. If you do these two things, you will continue to be the church. In both of these we glorify God. Praise is worship. Love is Body life. In the midst of change praise reminds you of the One who holds all things, who is in control, who never changes. Love will keep you knit together and continue to be an outreaching witness to the community, that this is a church where people are treated like family because they belong to Jesus. Yes, there will be tough times ahead, but there are also times of great joy and delightful surprises ahead. In the midst of it all, love each other and praise the Lord. May the world know that you belong to Jesus.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
It is Finished!, John 19:30
“It is finished!” Weust calls this phrase, “A cry of victory in the hour of defeat,” and indeed it is! John’s gospel is the only one to record these words. Though these words probably weren’t shouted like some of the other sayings, they are cosmically important. What was finished? Jesus’s sufferings were about to end. His sojourn on earth was about to end. But more than that, Jesus had completed the work that the Father had sent Him to do. He glorified the Father and made God known. Even though He Himself said the sheep would be scattered when He the Shepherd was taken away, Jesus lost none of His sheep, except the son of perdition who was foreordained to destruction. Jesus had loved fully to the end. What greater demonstration of love could there be than for Jesus to take all the sins of the world upon Himself and to be the perfect sacrifice for sins.
The one Greek word for the phrase, “It is finished” is “tetelestai”. It is used in a variety of ways. Artists use it to describe a completed work of art—a finished painting or sculpture. At that point the artist can look back in admiration and wonder and so can all who view the work. The work of redemption was finished. There was no more work for Jesus and there is no more work for us. We cannot work for our salvation; Jesus paid it all. Jesus fulfilled the Law. All its symbols and foreshadowings were fulfilled in Christ. We do not work for our salvation; we serve God because of our salvation, and even so, the only merit, the only righteousness our service has is because Christ has given it to us. Our service doesn’t make God love us anymore. In our obedience we honor the finished work of Christ. We acknowledge its value and importance.
Another use of the Greek word for “finished” refers to a task that a servant completes for the master. Jesus completed everything the Father commanded. He fully submitted to the Father’s will. He made full satisfaction for the Law. Jesus’s finished work allows for the forgiveness of our sins. He opened the way to God. He made reconciliation with God possible. In Him are all things reconciled. We can be reconciled to God because we died with Him on the cross, and if we died with Him, we will be raised with Him. In His death, the veil was torn in two symbolizing the open access we now have through the Father by placing our faith in Christ Jesus and in His important finished work.
This brings us to two other uses of the word. It was used by the priests after they fully examined the sacrifices to see if they were indeed satisfactory. Jesus was the perfect once for all sacrifice. Hebrews 10:14 - 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Though we do not see ourselves as perfect, though we still commit trespasses, God sees us as perfect in Christ. The second part of this verse talks about an ongoing work; we are being sanctified. In His finished work, Jesus made a way for us to become more and more like Him. When He completed His part, He sent the Holy Spirit to take over and apply His work to our lives. Merchants used this word when full payment was made for a purchase. Jesus purchased us from slavery to sin and self. He redeemed us fully. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus paid the whole deal in dying for us. He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Because of His payment, we instead can receive the gift of God in Jesus Christ, the gift of eternal life.
In His finished work, Jesus also trampled down the enemy. The devil thought maybe Jesus was finished, but Jesus was saying the devil is finished. As victors with Christ, we can no longer claim, “The devil made me do it,” for we are drawn away into sin by our own lusts and enticed. Satan still prowls about like a roaring lion, but we have authority in Jesus name to rebuke him. His end is sure. Whatever our temptation, Jesus has made a way out. Though Satan may try to accuse us, his words have no power. “I’ve been redeemed! My identity is in Christ,” sends the devil away. The devil may try to condemn us, but he has no right. Only Christ can condemn, and Christ does not! Romans 8:1 tells us, “Now therefore, is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation was finished at the cross. Nothing can stand against the finished work of Christ.
Yes, there was a sense of completeness to the work of Jesus. Jesus demonstrates the completeness of that work in that He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He had arrived at His goal. In the finished work of Christ, we can end our search for forgiveness. It is granted to us in Him. We can end our efforts at trying to work for our salvation. No work we do could ever come close to atoning for our sins, but Jesus’s work was sufficient for all of us. In fact, the death of Christ ushered in the night of the last day when no man can work. The self was finished on the cross because as He died, we died with Him. We have absolutely nothing to add to Jesus’s finished work, and we dare not try lest we trivialize the work of Christ on our behalf. May we never say what Jesus did for us is not enough. May we never think that we are so good that we can add to Jesus’s work nor think we are so good that we don’t need Jesus. May we never think we are so bad that Jesus couldn’t pay for what we’ve done, that we can never be forgiven. Any good work we do is only because Jesus has worked it in us through the Holy Spirit. We can claim nothing of our own except to boast in Christ, to exalt Him, and lift up His name. May we give God the glory and the credit.
The finished work of Christ was cosmic. Though Jesus finished His work, it has long-lasting, ongoing effects. The work keeps working. The finished work of Jesus made way for a new beginning. It is a transforming work. Because of His work, we can have new life. The life we now live is His life. Because of His finished work, we have a restored relationship with God our Father. Because of His finished work, we have the power not to sin. Because of His finished work, we have assurance; our salvation is secure. Because of Christ’s finished work, we have acceptance; we can come boldly to the throne of grace. As David Carter says, In Jesus, we have “peace that cannot be taken away, rest that cannot be disturbed, joy that cannot be diminished, sure hope that cannot be disappointed, light [that cannot be overcome by darkness], happiness that cannot be stolen, wisdom that cannot be baffled, beauty that cannot be marred. [We have] a Resource that cannot be exhausted--THERE IS NO NEED HE CAN’T MEET, NO HURT HE CAN’T HEAL.”
Charles Spurgeon: What "it" was it that was finished? I will not attempt to expound it. It is the biggest "it" that ever was/ Turn it over and you will see that it will grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, till it fills the whole earth: It is finished!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
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