Power Struggle

Psalm 33:16–22 (NLT) — 16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. 17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you. 18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. 19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. 20 We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
____

Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, believed that underneath everything we do our ultimate drive is the will to power.

Everyday life, going to work, getting married, having kids, joining clubs, all of it is at bottom a struggle to gain more power. Is he right?

That certainly seems true for a lot of people that I know...including myself.

Is that all there is to life?

Verses 16 & 17 seem to be saying that there is more...or at least implying that there is more to this life than chasing after power.

The thing that pisses people off about Christianity is that it's backwards. It's like you're told you're going to a great party that's been really hyped up so you're expecting the social elites to be there, then when you show up it's really just party with homeless looking, smelly people.

You think, "this is it?! I don't want to be seen with these people!"

You see with Christianity you never gain any power unless you give it up. It's backwards!

What do I mean?

In our American culture we're told that if we work hard, if we study hard, then we can eventually through blood, sweat and tears become powerful. Christianity says that it's only when you realize that you aren't powerful do you actually gain power.

No one shows this better than Jesus himself. If Jesus really is God you would certainly expect him to make a much grander entrance into his creation wouldn't you? But he didn't...instead He gave up power and submitted to the only who does have ultimate power (God) and in turn that's what gave him power!

Philippians 2:6–11 (NLT) — 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You see we spend our whole lives grasping for power. We want to take our desires and make them into reality...that's what power is. We spend our whole lives trying to closer the gap between our "wants" and our "reality." Only one person truly has that power, the power to take a want or thought and make it reality and that's God. 

We spend our whole existence striving to be God and have nothing to show for it. But Jesus, though He was equal with God gave up the divine privileges and became humbled even to die a filthy, naked, shameful death of a criminal. It's because He gave up power, it's because He submitted to the only one that has true power that He in turn was exalted.

"he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names"
Christianity is like that party with the dirty smelly people because in order to enter you first have to realize that you're dirty and smelly to! There's aren't any "elite" people, we're all broken, we're all messy! If you believe yourself to be elite, or you are striving to be seen as elite then this a party you wouldn't want anything to do with it! 

We want to earn it, we want to perform well and earn God's praise and entrance into His kingdom. What we don't want to do is admit that we are and never would be worthy to enter...but that's what it actually takes to gain entrance!

When it comes down to it what does a Christian trust in? It's not his moral performance, it's not his money, it's not the size of his army or his strength like the text says..

"Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone."

“While men and women have put themselves in God’s place and tried to take prerogatives only God deserves, God in his infinite love has put himself in our place and taken upon himself that which only we deserve. We tried to be God, and we have failed. God sought to become human, and he succeeded. He became human. He was incarnated. He was born here. He was Jesus Christ, and he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our power grabbing.”

A Christian is somebody who begins to realize the root of all of his or her problems has been our power-grabbing against God for years. A Christian is somebody who looks into the heart of God through the gospel. The gospel is that he died for you, that he’s committed to you, that he puts his life on the line, that he’s cut off from the land of the living. That’s his unfailing love."¹

That's the only real way to gain power is to submit to the ultimate power who is Jesus Christ. When the cards are on the table your life is on the line somehow, your job, your accomplishments, all of it...they're powerless to save you. Only Jesus has the power to save you and He's already shown that death is no biggie for Him.

________________________
¹Keller, Timothy. "The High and Loft One; His Majesty." Oct 11, 1992.

Hoping Through Despair

Luke 22:31–32 (ESV) — 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
_____

When life comes crashing down, where do you run for cover?

Recently Isaac Hunter, pastor of the church Summit has left his post. He recently resigned from the position of head pastor due to moral failure - an affair...

This news has rocked many that know Isaac and the Hunter family. For those of you that don't know, Isaac is the son of Joel Hunter, senior Pastor of Northland church here in Orlando and part of Obama's Advisory Counsel on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

So when something like this happens, what are we to think? Did God fail? Does this prove that God isn't real? Does this prove that it was really a scam all along?

Behind the Scenes

To give you some context to this verse, this is taking place near the end of Jesus' life. The disciples had shared their last meal with Jesus, the Passover meal, and this is right before Jesus is unjustly arrested, judged, and tortured.

The text above is foreshadowing the events to come. Peter is going to deny that he has any relationship with Jesus at all by his actions and his words. He's not going to make this mistake once, but three times and take an oath on it.

In the text we get a peek behind the scenes to see that there is more than meets the eye.

It's not just that Peter makes mistakes or messes up...we all do that...but there is more to it. This isn't just a casual mess up, Peter is an important man. Peter is the leader of the disciples, he will be the man that is one of the pillars of the Christian movement, whose life will influence millions of people and who God will use to bring others to a knowledge of His Son Jesus.

This is a strategic, crippling attack on a church leader by Satan himself.

We would expect that the whole Jesus-following movement would have come to a halt, we would expect that the other disciples would lose heart. If the leader himself fails, how can anyone else succeed?

Rules of Engagement

Notice that even though this is a terrible blow to the Jesus-movement Satan has to ask permission! Do you realize the implications of this detail? This means that when all is said and done, the one who is in control is not the devil...it's Jesus.

This means that whatever sin has overcome you or whatever sin has been done to you, there's hope. How can this give you hope?

This means that Satan is nothing but a lackey.....this means that even the great antagonist of the world cannot harm one of God's children unless he has permission. Why is there hope? Because of the one who is in control. Even when all hope seems lost and despair seems to be crouched at your door the devil is not in control...God is...

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) — 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

If God is the one in control, that means there is no sin that's ever touched your life that God can't redeem and use for the building up of your faith and the faith of those that you will come in contact with. God will build his church not in good times alone, but God can use even the fiercest trials to build his church.

That means that hurt and pain are not meaningless. Imagine that sin is a knife, think of the knife in the hands of a psychopath and think of a knife in the hands of a surgeon. God is like a surgeon in that even our deepest wounds, the most painful things we will endure can be used to draw us and others closer to God.

A Living Hope

We tend to have things in our lives that we know we can depend on. Some things change, they move around, they shift, but there's always a few things in your life that we've learned are stable and can be trusted.

What do we do with ourselves when our stable things are fractured, when those things, those people, those relationships that we've come to depend on are broken, when our worlds are turned upside-down and whatever the foundation you thought was solid feels more like quicksand?

If it ultimately comes down to you being able to endure, you being able to stand when everyone else around you is falling...if it comes down to your moral strength and stamina, when pressed hard enough you will fail....we all will..

What are we to hope in when there is no hope? Where are we to find light when it feels like we have been abandoned in the dark?

When Peter has all the reasons in the world to despair, he turns again to Jesus...but why? How? How did he get through it? When Jesus needed Simon Peter the most...Peter ripped their relationship apart. How did Peter continue on when it seemed he had been broken beyond repair? 

Here's the answer. When all hope is lost, when you've failed utterly and completely and don't even know which way is up......you have to hope in someone else.

Look at our text, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail."

Peter's faith is sustained not because Peter is great or a moral superstar, Peter's faith is sustained because Jesus is the one that is sustaining it. Jesus prays for Peter, Jesus intercedes for Peter. Your faith is ultimately in the hands of Jesus and the Bible tells us that He began the faith in us, He intercedes for us when we fail, and that He will see that our faith is made perfect (Heb 12:2 & 1 Jn 2:1,2).

Because Jesus endured the ultimate loss of hope, we never have to lose our hope. Jesus really did despair on the cross where He endured not only physical suffering, but the mental anguish and despair of having His stable, perfect relationship with the Father torn apart. Jesus was cast out of His Father's good graces so that we could be brought in. Jesus endured separation and loneliness so that we never have to face any trails alone.

You see because Jesus has endured the ultimate rending of trust, we can always trust that the Father is there for us. Our trials are nothing compared to what Jesus endured, and when you see that the biggest trial has already been conquered, then you're free to endure the smaller trials in your life.

When you see that you will never have your world shaken like Jesus did, when you see how much He loves you to have endured it for you, you are free to endure the smaller earthquakes that threaten to tear your world two.

How can we have hope in a fallen world? Because Jesus is in control, Jesus is the one that sustains your faith, and Jesus has already endured the ultimate trial for you. 

The future of the Church rests not in us, but in Jesus our Savior, the true leader of the Church.

1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Lord of the Wine pt.1

John 2:1–11 (ESV) — 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

____

There are a lot of people that reject or turn away from Christianity without really understanding it. The misconception is that if you want to have fun, you have to do that apart from Christianity.

There are reasons to reject Christianity but that’s not one of them. If you have rejected Christianity because you believe that you can’t have fun and be a Christian then you have rejected it without understanding what it is.

Do you like partying? Dancing? Celebrating? Can you imagine going to a party that lasts and entire week?!

That's what a Jewish wedding was like and that's the setting for this text. At Jewish weddings there would have been tons of food, wine, dancing and games. The party would have been huge to; it’s likely that the whole community would have been involved.

The first miracle that Jesus performs is at a party like this. I'd like to point out that Jesus isn't standing outside the party being "holy" while everyone is inside having a good time. Jesus was right there, inside the party. Jesus was actually known to hang out with the “unrighteous” and was constantly invited to different parties. Some of His critics actually accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard.

Now, this isn't just a miracle that Jesus does here...it's his first miracle and the Bible tells us it's more than just a miracle, it's a sign. That means that there's more meaning to this, it actually is a parable of what Jesus entire ministry is going to be like.

This miracle also has the earmark of authenticity. Let me tell you what I mean. If you were going to make up a religion and you were writing fictional stories about the miracles that your deity is going to perform....you would want the deity's first miracle to really set the stage. You would want it to be awesome and really make a statement. Think about how important first impressions are, your deity's movement is going to be judged by this first "act." It's just like a website, your first look at a website should impress you and invite you in further, if it looks shady or lame you don't want anything to do with it.

What was Jesus' first miracle? He saves some irresponsible teenagers from being embarrassed by throwing a poor party and only the servants and his disciples knew about it. That's not exactly a grand entrance. He could have raised the dead or made a blind man see or walked on water....but instead He makes a bad party into a great party and the only people who even knew about it were those that were low on the social ladder, without any influence in society. That's the calling card that He leaves.

That's a mark of authenticity...you wouldn't make that up! It's too unimpressive; it would only be recorded that way if it actually happened that way.

Because the Bible tells us that this is a sign, we know that Jesus is making a statement here. This miracle shows us what he's really come to do. He has come to take our lives (that are quickly coming to an end just like the supply of wine at the wedding) and make them new and abundantly more than we had before.

Jesus didn't come to the earth to condemn it; He came bringing joy...which is what He does at this party.

In verse 9 you see a man referred to as "the master of the feast." This is the guy that would have been tasked with making the party fun. You know the type of person, this guy in our day would announce the new husband and wife as they walk into the reception dinner, or that gets everyone over to the dance floor. It was his responsibility to keep the party going and to make sure everyone was having a good time.

Jesus, however shows Himself to be the true Master of the Feast. Jesus is the one that saves the party from being an embarrassment and provides more wine...and just not box wine....the good stuff!

There’s a misconception that Christianity is something like this, "Well, I have to follow these rules...I don't like it but it's either this or hell."

Or

"Well, I've had my fun...now it's time to buckle down and start being a good person."

Christianity is actually a continual chasing after pleasure. You see that Jesus didn’t rebuke the people for partying; He actually elevated the party to a whole new level. That’s what Christianity is like. As humans we have a deep-seated desire to chase after pleasure, once you become a Christian you still chase after what gives you the most pleasure…but you’ve found something that gives vastly more pleasure than the tiny pleasures that our culture has to offer. Jesus is saying that following Him is actually the highest pleasure.

A Christian treasures their relationship with Jesus and finds more fulfillment and joy in that than they do in the pleasures of the world. It’s the difference between seeing a picture of a gooey chocolate cookie and eating the gooey chocolate chip cookie. It’s the difference between seeing a picture of the Grand Canyon and white water rafting through the Grand Canyon. It’s the difference between watching a roller coaster on TV and actually sitting on the front row of the roller coaster as it descends into a 100-foot plummet.

So how do you get a relationship with Jesus that’s like this?

I’ll first tell you how not to do it.

You do not get a relationship with Jesus like this by modifying your behavior. You do not get it by doing good things and not doing bad things. You do not get it by getting more knowledge about the Bible. You do not get it by treating others as you would have them treat you. You do not get it by going to church. You do not get it by giving to the poor. You do not get it by sitting through a sermon without falling asleep. Do you see a pattern here?

Usually we assume that if I do A, B & C then I have put God in my debt, He owes me. If I just did A, B & C then my life would be better.

You know where this ends right? This will either end in pride or despair. Either you will buckle down and do A, B & C or you will try your hardest to do it a fail.

If you are the one that is able to succeed in pulling it off this is what life will likely feel like to you…there will be days where you feel great because you’ve had a good track record, then there will be days where you feel like you can’t approach God because of how you’ve let him down by not doing your end of the bargain. You will likely look down on others who are unable to perform as well as you. You may say that you are saved because Jesus died for you, but at the end of the day what you really believe is that you are saved because of how you’ve performed recently and your whole relationship with Jesus stands or falls on how you’ve done that day. This ultimately ends in pride.

Here’s the other path. You try your hardest to do A, B & C and you fail. You have realized that it’s not even possible to live that way. But you notice that other people seem like they are able to do it so you fake it. Even though you know you can’t live up to the standards you make it seem as if you are so that others will think that you are a “good” Christian. This just ends in despair; your whole walk with God is reduced to a sort of play that you act out and changes depending on who’s around at the time.

This it is not genuine Christianity. A life lived like either of these does not really believe that Jesus paid the debt in full at the cross. A life lived like this believes that Jesus paid some of the debt on the cross, but really when it comes down to it there is still some debt that you have to pay on your own. When the cards are on the table what it really comes down to is that you have to perform in order to please God.

That’s not what the gospel is.

So how do you get a relationship with Jesus that is founded on the gospel? It starts with admitting that you’re empty.

The party would have crashed and burned if no one admitted that they were running out of wine. That’s where it all begins. And notice that the problem was brought to Jesus. That’s where you need to start off. If you want a relationship like this, start by telling Jesus that you’re out, that you’re empty. It’s only then that Jesus will take your bad wine that’s quickly running out and replace it with far better wine in great abundance.

Jesus is the true Master of the Feast, He has come bringing joy…if you want to experience the joy that Jesus brings it all starts with saying, “I’m empty Jesus, please help me.”

The Deliverer

Mark 15:6–15 (NLT) — 6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. 7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. 8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual. 9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” 15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
____

What do you live for? What gives your life meaning? What comforts you?

However you responded to those questions, whatever answer you gave...are you happy with it? Do you think what makes you happy now will continue to make you happy in a year, two years, ten years?

What if I told you I could offer you something better?

You might be saying, "Oh great, some flimsy spiritual answer." But give me a chance, hear me out.

Oppression

The Jewish people were once enslaved by the Egyptian government. They were given poor living conditions and forced to work for almost no pay or food. They are the ones that the Egyptian higher ups would take advantage of to build their buildings and any other manual labor they didn't feel like doing. This went on for some 400 years.

The Jewish people cried out to their God, Yahweh, to deliver them from slavery and Yahweh subdued the Egyptian government through various plagues and miracles and caused the Egyptians to rid themselves of the Jews rather than face the wrath of Yahweh. Part of this deliverance involved killing a lamb and smearing its blood around your doorpost. God spoke to their political leader Moses saying that the angel of death would pass over those homes which had the blood on their doorposts and not kill the first born of that family.

Now this isn't a fable or myth, if you watched a History channel documentary on the Jewish people this is literally their history and the way the story is still told today.

To remember this deliverance from oppression the Jewish people celebrate once a year a feast called Passover. It is to remember that Yahweh delivered them from slavery to the Egyptian government and brought them through the desert into land that was promised to them.

This text picks up at the time of Passover. The Jewish people of Jesus' time were ruled by the Roman Empire. Rome had control over the Jewish nation and allowed the Jews freedom to regulate themselves as long as it didn’t oppose Caesar or get out of hand. However, the Romans were seen as superior to the Jewish people. For instance, at any time a roman soldier could ask any Jew to carry his pack and belongings for one mile….the Jew by law was required to comply or face penalties.

The Jewish people were tired of being second class citizens and longed for some way out. They longed for someone to deliver them from their problems.


A Choice Between Saviors

There was a tradition each Passover that the Roman government would release one prisoner.

The options this Passover were:

*Barabbas - a Jewish man who was involved in a revolt against the Roman government and in the process had committed murder.

*Jesus of Nazareth - A Jew from Galilee who had developed a following by preaching about the coming Kingdom of God and who had performed many miracles and healings.

Now to give you a little background...

The Jewish people believed in a Messiah, a man chosen by God, who would come and rise up as a military and political power to overthrow the Roman government. There had been many people that claimed to be the Messiah and had gathered together a following to attack the government, but ultimately they were killed and their followers disbanded.

This happened time and time again.

Now here are two men, Jesus who is claiming to be the Messiah and claims that the Kingdom of God is not only coming, but is now here...and there's Barabbas a man who not only talks the talk but walks the walk as he has already been involved in an attempt to overthrow the Roman government and will likely try again and learn from his mistakes.

The Jews want to once again be released from oppression and here are two men with very different methods trying to do just that.

The crowd is given a choice, "which prisoner will you choose?"

The crowd shouted, "Barabbas!"


A Practical Savior

We all feel under oppression in some way. We all look at something in our life and can see that it’s just not right.

“I shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
“I don’t deserve this.”

Once we identify the oppression, then we look for a savior.

What are you feeling oppressed by?

Maybe it’s a dead-end job. Maybe it’s being single. Maybe it’s your family, or your marriage, or your home, or being poor, or not having enough friends.....whatever it is we all look to something in our life this way.

Then we set our sights on a savior.

If I could just work for a different company, if I just found someone to love me, if I could just move away from my family, if I could just get out of this marriage, if I could just get a bigger home, if I could just make more money, if I could just be more popular……then I’d be happy, then I’d be free from this oppression.

But what happens? Think about the past, now that you see this pattern…look through your experiences in the past. When you get your savior, does it really make you happy?

False saviors may satisfy for certain situations, but they never address our underlying needs.  So history just repeats itself time and time again.

You get a glimpse of this in our text. Barabbas was trying to overthrow the Roman government but it didn’t work because Rome’s military power is vastly superior to a rag-tag group of political rebels…..but what if he had one more shot, then maybe he would succeed!

When our false saviors don’t cut it, we often think, “If I could just have more, then maybe that would fix the problem.”

Do you see how fruitless this is? It didn’t work before, but maybe more of it will.

We do this with money, sex, social status, possessions…you name it.

What I have isn’t good enough, but more would make me happy.

These are all functional, false saviors, they promise eternal happiness but they can only provide temporary pleasure.


How to choose the Better Savior

The name Barabbas means Son of the Father.  Isn’t it ironic that Jesus is the true Son of the Father? The Jewish people saw both men offering solutions to their oppression, but they chose the false savior over the real Savior.

When push comes to shove, we don’t choose Jesus either. When life wounds us we cling to vacations, our bank account, our education, our relationships, etc to save us and comfort us but I want to show you how to choose a better Savior, the True Savior.

The reason we cling to these practical saviors is because at bottom we don’t believe in Jesus as Savior. Whatever you’re struggling with, the reason you are unhappy and unsatisfied is at bottom a belief problem. Imagine that you are in a Nazi concentration camp as a Jew….the situation is horrendous…but what if you knew that today was that last day before you were liberated? You may still be abused, atrocities will still happen, the evil is still just as real….but because of your knowledge of imminent liberation you aren’t affected like someone who doesn’t know of the liberation, someone without hope. The internal belief changes you.

Whatever your heart runs to when it's been wounded, it's settling for a bootlegged, grainy movie in a foreign language when it could have a surround sound movie theater experience. The problem isn’t in our desire to be rescued; the problem is that we fill that desire with lesser saviors. C.S. Lewis puts it this way:

"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Jesus is the only Savior that can still provide, even when your bank account can’t. He will still be there when your other relationships let you down. That job won't always be there to give you identity, but Jesus’ work on the cross will be there to give you identity.

In the text we see Barabbas and Jesus. Barabbas really is guilty for murder and rebellion against the Roman government, but Jesus is innocent. Pilate found no guilt in Him and neither did King Herod. Jesus is the one that receives the punishment so that Barabbas (the guilty) can walk free. This is a foretaste of what was to be accomplished on a cosmic scale on the cross. The guilty can be set free because the truly innocent has taken the punishment.

How do you know that Jesus will satisfy? How do you know He’ll come through? How do you know He’ll hold up His end of the deal? Because he’s already accomplished the most difficult part, all the problems you’re dealing with are a piece of cake compared to what He’s already been through to save you.

He lost the only relationship that really matters, His relationship with God the Father so that you could gain it. He left His heavenly family so that you join it by being adopted into it. He left all the riches He had in heaven so that you could gain the only riches that matter in this world. He left the fame, popularity and acceptance of heaven so that you could gain the only acceptance that is of any value.

Don't you see? Because Jesus came down and suffered oppression for you, you can be freed from the only oppression that really matters. Because of Jesus coming down, living a perfect life, suffering the cross and rising from the dead, you can be free from enslavement to sin and death.

Instead of being disappointed by practical saviors, turn to the real Savior that loves you and has already paid the highest price possible to save you.

Romans 8:32 (NLT) - 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

For Barabbas the price was paid, he was set free. Our trying to earn salvation or acceptance from God is like a child trying to buy a yacht with his weekly allowance. Barabbas wasn't set free because of his good behavior. The price was paid while he was in all probability an enemy of Jesus. He was set free because of Jesus and what Jesus chose to do.

It's only when you see that Jesus paid the price for you that you can step out of the endless cycle of false saviors. Why settle for dumpster diving when you can walk inside and eat at the buffet for free?!

It's only when you see that Jesus has already given you the most valuable possession in a relationship with the Father and eternal life that you can be freed from running to false, practical saviors that will in the end leave you worse off than you were before.

This text takes place during the Passover, a time when the Jewish people remembered how God had delivered them from slavery years ago. It was during this Passover that the true lamb of God came down and by His blood set His people free not only from slavery to Egypt, but from slavery to sin and death.

Jesus fulfilled the true meaning of the Passover by becoming our Passover lamb. Because of Him, we too have been set free.

Jesus the Politician

Mark 12:13–17 (NASB95) — 13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

____

Was Jesus a Republican or Democrat? Was he for big business? What about social justice? 

As hostile as the political arena seems today, it was even more toxic in Jesus' time. If you fell on the wrong side of a political issue when you were in the wrong crowd, it could mean death.

Jesus was born a Jew while the Jewish people were subjugated by the Roman government. The Jewish people were allowed to police themselves to an extent, but if things got out hand the Roman government stepped in and handled the matter severely...a shoot first, ask questions later approach.

Rome was ruled by a Caesar who had absolute authority and whose commands were executed without any questions asked. You did not want to do anything that pitted you against the Caesar.

In this text we have recorded an incredible account of Jesus interacting with the politics of His day. I wanna show you Jesus' political position, He was not politically complacent nor did He put politics before all else. His position is radical.

To give you the context, before this encounter with the Pharisees and Herodians Jesus had barged into the temple, interrupted the commerce there, and chased people out with a home-made weapon. Then he set up camp there and began teaching and drawing crowds with his talk of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Needless to say this upset the people he drove out, namely the Pharisees and Herodians, who by the way were not friends but had united to try and take down Jesus.

They had devised a plot to get Him killed. They were going to ask Him a loaded question. If he responded one way He would lose His following and been seen as a phony, if responded another He would get himself killed. Either way they would win. The question is one that still has interest for us today...taxes.

But this tax was no ordinary tax....it was a head tax. It was one denarius which isn't a lot. If you had to put it into a modern equivalent that would be something like a quarter. So why is it such a big deal?

Let me explain, Jesus is a Jew from Galilee. When this tax was implemented, some 25 or so years before this event there was another Jew from Galilee named Judas. Judas had busted into the temple and drove out the gentiles and cleared the place of riff-raff. Then Judas of Galilee had instructed his followers not to pay the head tax. While the tax wasn't a significant amount, it was purpose of the tax that was offensive to a Jew. The head tax was a tax simply for having the pleasure of being under the rule of Caesar.

Judas of Galilee started a military and political rebellion that caused the Roman government to step in and silence them.

Then here comes Jesus, a Jew from Galilee who has developed a following of his own by preaching about the Kingdom of God.

Now because we are apart of western mindset we imagine that the Kingdom of God is some sort of spiritual, inner experience, not an actual Kingdom. The Jewish people would not have heard it that way, they were expecting Jesus to rise up in political and military power to crush the Roman government and restore Israel back to power.

Jesus is even walking in the footsteps of Judas by storming into the temple and clearing it of riff-raff. The echoes of Judas actions still ring in the ears of the Pharisees and Herodians as they ask the question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?"

If he says no, then his followers (who would have been there to hear his response) would see that he was just blowing smoke. If he says yes, then he's essentially saying that he's here to start a rebellion against Caesar....which they could then report to the Roman authorities and have Jesus killed.

Jesus, what party are you for? Which side are you on? Where do you stand on this issue, are you for it or against it? Tell us! Yes or no?

Jesus's response is remarkable.

He says, "bring me a denarius to look at." Notice that Jesus doesn't even have one, he has to ask them to provide one. Then he says, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 
On the coin would have been an imprint of Caesar's image, but here's the thing...do you know what the inscription read?

"Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine." The other side would have read, "High Priest."

17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

What's so amazing about that?

The word we translate as "render" means give back what they deserve. Jesus is saying give Caesar what he deserves.......and how much does a tyrannical, power-hungry murder deserve after all? The coin has his image on it so it must be his, at least give that to him.

Then he says, give to God what he deserves. The coin had Caesar's image on it, but humans are made in God's image.

Jesus answer is amazing because of how much it said and how little it said. He said essentially said yes and no at the same time. Respect Caesar but Caesar isn't the ultimate be-all end-all, God is....and He's who you ultimately need to pay homage to.

His answer expressed all this meaning without falling into the traps they had set...

But that's not what's impressive about this encounter. Why is it recorded in three of the gospel accounts? What's so important about it?

Here the stage is set for the contrast between a great king and the King of kings. 

You have Caesar, the king with all the wealth and Jesus the King without a quarter. 

Jesus is a completely different kind of King. The things that Caesar spends his life chasing after are seen as valueless by Jesus. Jesus earlier had contrasted the values of this world with the values of His kingdom. He says...

Luke 6:20–26 (NASB95) — 20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

Jesus is saying, you here in this world...you orient your life around power, status, wealth, comfort. All the decisions you make in this life are to bring you more power, more wealth, more comfort to yourself...but my kingdom is completely different. Those won't satisfy, those won't fulfill, only my Kingdom can give you the fulfillment you are looking for. Once you are in my kingdom, you are freed from slavery to those things and free to use them for the good of others.

Don't you see? Where do politicians go wrong? They go wrong when they get caught up in chasing the values of this world. Politicians are dirty when they seek their own wealth instead of the wealth of the people they're supposed to be representing. When they seek the comfort of themselves instead of the comfort of the people.

Only through faith in Jesus can you been freed from those things in order to truly help others. Only in Jesus can you be freed to truly be a political activist that can make a difference.

Jesus' political view was to complex to be simplified with a label, He was not a pacifist nor did He ascribe highest value to politics. Jesus started a political revolution that changed the world. He didn't just overthrow the king, he overthrew all of the values of the worldly kingdom. He didn't just change the players, he changed the game.

Caesar claimed to be the son of god and the high priest but Jesus is the real Son of God and true High Priest. Caesar kills those that oppose him but Jesus prayed forgiveness for those that were killing Him as they crucified Him. Caesar lives in a lavish palace and uses his strength to oppress the weak. Jesus gave up his heavenly palace so that we could have a place in it. Jesus gave up his strength in order to save those who are weak.

Don't you want a King like that?

Two Brothers

Luke 15:11–32 (NLT) — 11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’ 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”

____

There are two ways to live apart from Jesus, to openly deny Him or to live a life so "good" that you don't need Him.

This is a parable that Jesus told, right before this parable he tells two more...

Luke 15:4–7 (NLT) — 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

and...

Luke 15:8–10 (NLT) — 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Jesus is showing that when a sinner repents, God responds with love and joy. But what about the Prodigal Son parable.....it's different but how?

The father in the Prodigal Son parable still responds with love and joy as God would, but there's a third character involved...the older brother.

Why is that important?

In this parable Jesus is showing us what it looks like to come to him. In order to come to Jesus, to be in relationship with Him, you first have to realize your need for Him, and you have to realize that you have nothing to offer Him...you are relying upon His mercy.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” 

Then the parable shows us how God responds...

 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

God meets our cries for help with love and compassion. Notice that the father ran out to meet the son when he was a long way off.

Now keep in mind what the Father has been through, the son asked for his share of the inheritance....this is essentially saying, "I wish you were dead so I can have the money that's coming to me."

Also this was an agrarian society, in order to give the son his inheritance the father would have had to interrupt the regular farm life, try and sell his property and possessions potentially endangering the sustainability of the farm all to give a foolish, unappreciative boy his money.

This was not normal practice, this would have been an absurdly selfish request.

In spite of the wrongs that the son had committed against the father, the father is happy to see the son and runs out to him meeting him where he's at.

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 

These are all signs of of sonship, distinguishing the son from the hired hands. The finest robe was a sign of position in the family. The ring was a sign of his restored family position and authority. The sandals were a sign that he was the son of the owner, not a hired hand. The fatted calf, Jews only ate red meat on special occasions, it was the most valuable meat. Also it's implied that the whole community would have been invited because of the amount of meat that's being prepared (fatted calf). This means that the father would have solved the problem of the sons acceptance back into the community with this feast.

But in all of this, how does the older brother react? When the young son asks for his inheritance..the older brother is silent. Is that normal? We would think of an older brother as knowing better and trying to talk sense into the younger brother...but we see in the parable that the older brother does not.

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

The older brother is not happy that his younger brother has returned. Wouldn't we expect an older brother to take care of his younger brother? The older brother should have gone out searching for the younger brother and tried to reconcile the younger brother with the father. But we see that not only has the older brother not looked for his younger brother, he's angry when he comes back home!

There is no love in the older brother. The older brothers life is characterized by strict discipline, doing exactly (and seemingly only) what's expected of him. He didn't care when his brother left, he didn't try to talk him out of it or reason with him or hunt him down. He says, "this son of yours," this shows the extent of the anger and bitterness he feels towards his brother.

Also his reaction to his father's actions upon the younger brothers return shows a lack of communication with his father. It seems that they had never discussed what would happen if his brother was found, the older brother seems shocked at the fathers continued love for the younger brother. A simple conversation would have revealed this, but the older brother did not know this about his father showing that the relationship that the older brother has with the father is one of duty, not genuine relationship.

Why is it important that the third parable involves an additional character (the other parables were the lost sheep and the lost coin)? It shows that there are two types of responses to God.

There are those that reject God and want to be god of their own lives doing whatever they see as desirable. There's also a second category of people, these are people that have the appearance of a relationship with God, they have the appearance of righteousness, but inside there is no love and they do not know God.

The second approach is that of legalism, morality, earning God's favor by your own behavior.

Both of the brothers in this parable are distant from the father, but the younger repents and is given grace. The older brother has tried to be so good that he doesn't need grace, which is equally if not more rebellious than the younger brother was in the beginning.

Which brother are you more like?

While God is represented by the father in this story, the older brother certainly leaves us wanting and points forward to a greater older brother. In Jesus we have a better older brother, who not only lives a life that perfectly pleases the father but is in a perfect relationship with the father. An older brother who doesn't just let us leave the farm and waste our life but who travels great distances to chase after us and find us when we're eating with the pigs and bring us home.

Jesus came down from heaven where he lived in perfect harmony with the father, traveled a great distance by coming to our planet in the form of a baby. Jesus lived a life that we couldn't live, sinless, perfectly pleasing the Father, Jesus died on the cross causing himself to be separated from his Father so that we could gain a relationship with our true Father. He gave up his robe, ring, and sandal so that we could wear them. He left the heavenly feast so that we could partake in it.

We don't have the humility and boldness to return to the Father on our own like the younger brother nor do we have the ability to swallow pride to see that we can't earn the Father's affection like the older brother should have. It's only when we see what Jesus has already done for us are we able to humbly come before the Father. 

When you see that you are completely unworthy because of your sin, but you realize that you are accepted in the Father's sight because of what Jesus has done, only then will you have the humility and boldness to come before the Father. Without Jesus you may realize that you are a sinner, but you won't have the boldness to approach the Father or you may be bold but not realize the depth of your sin and need for mercy. Only in Jesus can you be both humble and bold before the Father.

Only in Jesus do we truly see how demanding the law is, it doesn't require just good behavior, it requires a love for the Father and a love for others that we can't fake. The older brother lacked love as we do when we try and earn our salvation, only in Jesus do we see perfect obedience and perfect love. Only when we see how high the standard is in Jesus can we come to grips with our inability to keep the law and our need for grace.

Only through faith in Jesus can we be reconciled to the Father.

Better Than Chicken

Acts 2:42 (NASB95) — 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

____

Well, I feel like I have a personal relationship with God...I pray, I just don't like religion.

I don't see why we need to meet together in a church. Sometimes I feel like they just want my money.

Church is just good for families anyway.

Why are there churches? What do they do? Are the churches we have today doing what they are supposed to be doing?

I think these questions can be answered by going back to the root. Let's see what church is for and what it's about by going back to when it started.

It's in the book of Acts that the Christian church really started to become it's own thing apart from Judaism. In the beginning it was still seen as a sect of Judaism and it was known as "The Way."

Jerusalem is the heart of Israel, it is where the temple was built and it was also where the highest religious and political affairs took place. People would travel from all the surrounding areas in order to visit the temple and worship in Jerusalem especially during certain times of year. It was Pentecost and Jerusalem was filled with Jews that lived in different parts of the world, all had travelled there to be in the Holy city of Jerusalem.

This is the scene that the Christian church was born into. Below is an excerpt from Acts...Peter has just stood up and reasoned with a crowd of Jewish believers regarding Jesus....let's see what happened...

Acts 2:36–47 (NLT) — 36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” 37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Seems unreal...right?

This is what church started out as. 

The intent of church is this - a real relationship with Jesus will profoundly change your heart...and once you've experienced the love of Christ, you want to share it. Church is about getting people together who have experienced the love of Jesus in order to show that love to others who have not yet experienced it that they may also come to know the love of Jesus.

So how do we go about this?

Acts 2:42 (NASB95) — 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

I want to be straight forward about this. Your natural instinct is to hate this. What comes naturally to us is to not want to be at church. If you are going to try and use your own moral strength to go through the motions...you will fail.

So what are we suppose to do then?

I want to tell you about verse 42 and then we'll answer that question.

At the core of verse 42 is fellowship. The breaking of bread, the teachings of the apostles and prayer are important too, but I believe that they flow out of fellowship. Let me explain.

In the context, fellowship is immediately referring to living in community with other believers in Jesus. But it's more than that....it has to be or it wouldn't work.

It's not just a sharing, a living with, a community experience with believers in Jesus....it's a sharing, a living with, a community experience with God Himself.

If that's not at the core of it, then it will fail. 

What do I mean by it will fail?

Think about in the past when you've gone on a camping trip, or lived in dorms, or had a friend stay over at your house. In general it seems that we can get along with people when we're only around them a little bit, but to actually do life with them?! That's when friendships can really take a turn for the worst.

Maybe they're messy and you're neat, or they like to listen to loud music and you like it quiet, or they're night people and you're a morning person. Being around a lot of people, for extended amounts of time, on frequent occasions tends to stress us out or get on our nerves.....add to that sharing resources with them like money, food, property, etc......that's precisely what church is about.

Do you see? Do you see why this isn't a natural thing? What's natural is to think, "I don't need that. I can take care of myself. I don't need others to help me out and I certainly don't want to help others that can't take care of themselves. They need to learn how to take care of themselves anyway, if I help them then they won't learn."

If you are going to try and muster up the "feelings" to go out and fellowship with Christians...you won't be able to do it.

You will never enjoy fellowship unless you first see that Jesus lost the ultimate fellowship in order for you to have the only fellowship that will ever matter. On the cross Jesus lost the fellowship He had with His Father so that you can enjoy that very same fellowship!

God is the only being whose fellowship fuels our desires, our emotions, our needs, instead of draining them. Any human fellowship you have will ultimately drain your "resources" in some way or another. A fellowship with God is the only fellowship that supplies you with more "resources" by satisfying your desires, your emotions, and providing for your needs.

Only when you see what Jesus has already given you can you truly enjoy human fellowship. A church is built on this kind of fellowship. Because you have fellowship with God through Jesus, God gives you "resources" that not only fill you up but leave you overflowing. Once you are locked into living with, sharing with, doing community with God, you won't want to let those overflowing "resources" go to waste.

You will want to help others, you will want to love others, you will want to include others, you will want to let others know what God has done for you, and you will want to show others the way to this amazing love.

Once you see what Jesus has freely given in order to bring you into His community, only then can you can be set free to give so that others can be in your community.

That's what church is.

Old Hat

Luke 4:14–30 (NLT) — 14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

____

Sea of Galilee

"I heard that Jesus stuff before, doesn't do anything for me."

Wanna know why it doesn't do anything for you? Let me tell you...

This text above is near the beginning of Jesus ministry. To put it in context he has been baptized, gone through the trails in the dessert, turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, and probably healed a few sick people.

His reputation precedes him, we can see in verses 14 & 15 - "Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone."
People had heard about Jesus, they had heard of the effects that He had on people, they had heard of the miracles that He had done........just like you probably have.

In synagogues even guests could speak, Jesus was asked to read from the scroll of Isaiah (which can now be found in our Old Testament) and Jesus turns right to Isaiah 61, which is known as one of the Messianic prophesies. He then reads “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

It was custom to read from the scroll, place it back, sit down, then once you were seated to elaborate on what you had just read. Jesus does the same and all eyes are on Him.

Then just as now, when Jesus is doing what you want Him to do, what you expect Him to do, you're okay with it. As long as He's just some idea that some people are into, as long as He is just another religion (and you're not really into religion), as long as He's not God....then you're fine with it.

Jesus says.....that's me, that verse that I just read that was written some 400+ years ago...that's about me.  “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. Literally this mean "the words of grace" that proceded from his mouth. Notice that no one really has a problem with him yet. Not until....

 “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

This is where things start to turn south. Everything is fine until Jesus starts talking about how He's the Messiah. What is their objection? "I know this guy! He's that carpenter! He can't be the Messiah, I already know all about this guy!"

Does that sound familiar? So many of us feel immune to Jesus because we've grown up in the church. "I've heard all this stuff before," or "I've tried Christianity and it didn't do anything for me." This is how Jesus responds to the incredulity...

Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 

This is the cry of everyone who doesn't want to believe in Jesus. "Sure, I'd believe in Him if He would just show himself! Have Him do some sort of miracle and then I'd believe! Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence! Provide that and then I'll believe!"

How does Jesus respond to that? How does Jesus respond to you?

He says......you are proud, I will not dance to your tune. I am the Creator and you are the creature.

Jesus gives examples in the past of where the pride of the Jewish people has kept God's mercy away from them and the people become furious and try to get rid of Jesus.

This is the same pattern today. You're okay to hear about Jesus until He convicts you of your pride, then you want nothing to do with Him.




But wait, there's good news to be had here.

This is who Jesus is...

He brings Good News to the poor, He sets captives free, He makes the blind to see, and He sets the oppressed free.

Get rid of your pride! Look at your life, is it going the way you want it to go? Of the people Jesus listed (the widow and the leper)...you know why it's good news that He uses them as examples? The only thing they had to offer Jesus was empty pockets, empty hands, and a need for Him.

What's going on in your life now that's bringing you down? Do you feel stuck in a job? Do you feel unsatisfied with your friends, your various electronic toys, your car, your house, your apartment? Do you feel stuck in a bad marriage or relationship and you can't breathe? Do you feel lost at sea in your life?


I'm saying to you, with the authority of the Word of God......Jesus has come to set you free.


The widow that is referenced in verse 25 & 26, she realized her need for a Savior and the Lord provided for her both practically with food and Spiritually.

The leper referenced in verse 27, he realized his need for a Savior and the Lord brought him healing and restoration.

The good news is that Jesus came to set the oppressed free....in order for that to work in your life, you have to first realize that you are oppressed, that you are blind, that you are captive, that you are poor and that you can't fix the situation......you need a Savior.

James 4:6 (NASB95) — 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT) — 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

FEAR! not?

Luke 12:4-7

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. ⁵ But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.^[a] Yes, he’s the one to fear.

⁶ “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins^[b]? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. ⁷ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

___________

Jesus was meek and mild so Christians should be meek and mild too right?

Wrong...

I think it's easy to get this picture of Jesus as a big ol' teddy bear. The picture that the Bible paints of Him has much more depth than that though.

In Luke 11, the chapter that precedes our verse, Jesus wipes the floor with the Pharisees.

The Pharisees are like the politicians of the day and the church leaders of the day all rolled up into one. Jesus, while speaking to a large crowd was invited over to a Pharisees house for dinner. At this dinner were many Pharisees as well as other distinguished people of Jewish society like lawyers. 

Jesus knew the way that the Pharisees operated, it was part of their law to wash your hands before dinner, but Jesus didn't do it. When it draws their attention he lays into them and tells them how hypocritical they are. 

When the lawyers speak up and tell Jesus that he's offending them Jesus turns his attention to them and lays into them as well.

(You can read this in Luke 11:37-53)

Afterwards when he's with his disciples and the crowd he begins to teach them to have no fear towards other authorities. There's only one person you need to fear, and that's God himself.

Let's look again at our verse.

Luke 12:4-7

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. ⁵ But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.^[a] Yes, he’s the one to fear.

⁶ “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins^[b]? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. ⁷ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

The Pharisees that Jesus just told off had the power to have Him killed. Here Jesus is giving us a glimpse into His boldness, the source of it. If we are to be followers of Jesus, there are times when we too need to be bold.
In verses 4 and 5 He gives the hard truth, then in verses 6 and 7 He gives reassurance of God's loving character.

Verses 4 and 5 reminds me of a scene from a movie. It's one of those where the main character (let's call him Jack) is talking to another character (Lucy) and Lucy seems to be very concerned that she can't find her cell phone charger and she is ranting to Jack about what will happen if she doesn't find it.

All the while Jack is staring in horror at a catastrophe that is approaching them behind Lucy's back.

Jack doesn't care at all about the missing cell phone charger because he's got bigger things to fear.

We don't like to talk about it, but ultimately it is God who has power over hell. It's not like God is in charge of heaven and Satan is in charge of hell. Hell is God's creation as well to execute justice/judgement. Our main concern should be that we are in right standing with our Lord.

If that is our focus, other smaller worries pale in comparison.

The next two verses reassure us of God's character so we don't get carried away with the fear aspect.

Luke 12:6

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins^[b]? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.

This is also mirrored in Mathew.

Matthew 10:29

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁹ What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin^[a]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.

Jesus is saying that nothing happens without the Father being aware of it. He's aware even when a sparrow falls to the ground. If God so cares about the sparrows (which are not worth much) then He cares even more for you.

Jesus goes on...

Luke 12:7

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Not only is He aware of you, He is intimately aware of every detail of your life. And He sees you (even though He knows every mistake you've ever made) as valuable. 

Jesus is saying you don't need to be afraid of the people or things of this world. There is only one thing that is ultimately worth worrying about, and even then the one person that is truly worthy of your fear...that person loves you.

What are you afraid of? Is there something that keeps you from being bold regarding your faith?

Trust that God knows all the details and that He loves you and is in control. God is the ultimate authority, He has the final say. Focus on Him and the troubles of this world will lapse into secondary concerns.