A Lord's Day Message for September 11, 2011

“Three Babies, Three Blessings, Two Nations, One Savior”

Genesis 16:1-12, 17:1-8, 15-22 and I Corinthians 11:23-26

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21)

(Sermon preached by Rev. Larry A. Langer, First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, IN, September 11, 2011)

As we begin today, there are a few things we have to know as our foundations. The first and most important thing to always and forever remember is that God is “Sovereign.” God always has been, God is, and God will always be “in charge.” As such, God is always in control.

Even when it seems that there is no God, or that God has left us, or that we are being treated badly or even punished by God, God is sovereign. God is always in control. This is the bedrock foundation on which all else is built.

The second thing that we must know as we build on God’s foundation is that God has a plan for each individual life, and that God has known this plan since before we were even conceived, since before we were even “in the womb.” And, even though many, many human beings don’t act like it, Psalm 8:5 and 6 tells us, “Yet, God, you have made them a little lower than the angels, and have crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…”

The third thing we need to know and believe is that, on the one hand, God desires that all people come to love God and live up to their fullest potential as a Child of God by “glorifying God and enjoying God forever.” On the other hand, however, in God’s sovereignty, in God’s plan for each person, God has given what the Bible calls “a Blessing.” And, this “blessing” is pretty much the guide as to what a person will be and do in life.

We will see three specific blessings from Scripture in a moment, but we first want to know of what a Scriptural blessing consisted. I have used and shared this resource before. It behooves us to be reminded of the parts of a Biblical blessing as we talk to our children, no matter their ages and as we talk to our friends and our co-workers.

We often say “we want the best for someone.” If we follow five simple steps, we will go a long way to helping a person be the best they can be, and if we are wanting God’s best for the person, what we say using the five steps from Scripture will help a person be the best Godly person he or she can be.

Gary Smalley and John Trent have summarized from Scripture in their book The Blessing[1] these five steps:

One, give “a meaningful touch.” For a child, this is usually a hug. For an adult, it can be a hug, a held hand, a warm hand shake, a joyful pat on the back, just almost any kind of warm, appropriate, physical contact.

Two, a blessing consists of “a spoken message.” These can be just chit-chats with each other. These can be the “Hi, how are you” kinds. These can be the “How was your trip” kind of message. Smalley and Trent advise, “To see the blessing bloom and grow in the life of a child, spouse, or friend, we need to verbalize our message. Good intentions aside, good works are necessary to provide genuine acceptance.”

Three, a blessing consists of “attaching a ‘high valley’ to the one being blessed.” Says Smalley and Trent,

In Hebrew, the word bless literally means ‘to bow the knee’…words of blessing should carry with them the recognition that this person is valuable and has redeeming qualities. In the Scriptures, recognition is based on who they are, not simply on their performance.

Four, a blessing pictures “a special future” for the one being blessed. I think this begins for us with our children by saying, “You can become anything you want to become!”

Five, is to have “an active commitment” to help fulfill the blessing. When we say, “You can become anything you want to become,” out of caring and love we add, “And I will help you achieve it.” With children, we see to their education and moral upbringing. With employees, we see to training and mentoring. With faith matters, we help teach the Word of God and its applications.

So, five steps to a biblical blessing: A meaningful touch; a spoken message; attaching a high value; picturing a special future; and, helping to reach that future.

Now, let’s think about these steps in relation to our relationship to God. But with God, we may receive these steps in reverse order.

First, God says, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.”

Second, God pictures a very special future for us; God says, “I want you to live with me, in a house not made with human hands, eternal in heaven.

Third, God attaches a very high value to us by giving us the words, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For your life is more than food, the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: They neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouses nor barns, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more values are you than the birds! (Luke 12:22)

Fourth, God’s spoken message to us is, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have ever lasting life.”

And, fifth, God does touch us in many meaningful ways. God touches us in sensory ways through touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell. God touches us in emotional ways: With human love between two people; with the bonds of love between parents and children; with the joy and companionship between friends. God even touches us with God’s still, small voice through our prayers.

God’s greatest desire for our lives is that we be blessed. But we must also remember that God is sovereign, and God’s ways are often mysterious, and we are not necessarily supposed to spend our time trying to figure God out, but are supposed to spend our time making sure our “names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

Specifically, today on this September 11^th “Day of Remembrance” of what happened 10 years ago, I want us to consider these blessings that our Bible records. I think they shed light on why the tragedy occurred.

The first blessing is the blessing given to Ishmael. Ishmael, the first son of Abraham and Sarah’s mistress Hagar. Ishmael, the first born of what would become the Ishmaelites, of what would become the religion of Islam.

Listen to what the “messenger,’ the angel of the Lord said to Hagar, after she ran away because Sarah was mistreating her:

Return to your mistress, and submit to her. I will so greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for the multitude…Now you have conceived and shall bear a son; you shall call him Ishmael, for the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin.

Remember what we said at the beginning. God is sovereign; God has known us even before we were in the womb; God knows the design of our life before we live it out.

Ishmael was a blessing to Hagar because of the name, “The Lord has Given Heed.” But the future part of the blessing did not picture a very positive one: “A wild ass of a man; against everyone and everyone against him, including his kin.” As we know, this is the truth today.

The second is the blessing given to Isaac. Isaac, also the son of Abraham, but the first born of Sarah his wife. First, came the blessing to Abraham and Sarah:

Then the Lord said, “I will bless Sarah, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and he shall give rise to nations; kings of people shall come from her…You shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

Included in this word to Abraham also comes an additional word about Abraham's first son, Ishmael:

God says, “I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But (and this is a huge “but”), but, my covenant I will establish with Isaac.

Ishmael received – and I say – only a blessing from God for his life. Isaac received the promise of interaction with God for his life. In a covenant from God, God is bound for life to do what God promises, and in this covenant, the one called throughout Scripture as the “Abrahamic Covenant,” is the model for all other covenants God made with biblical characters; for example, Moses, Noah, David, and others.

But if I can be so bold and simplistic, the difference between what Ishmael and Isaac received is that Ishmael was blessed and turned loose in and on the world. Isaac was not only blessed by God, but God promised to be with him throughout his life. In a covenant, God promises the future and walks with the recipient into it.

True to the two blessings of God, both have come to fruition with the nation of Islam and the Jewish nation. Can't we see this? Do we believe this?

Then, comes the last blessing and the last covenant we want to be reminded of, that in this day and age would make all the difference in and for the world.

The blessing came in the form of the foretelling of the birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary. First, the angel said to Joseph,

Mary will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been said by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means. “God is with us.”

Then the angel said to Mary,

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now you will conceive and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

And then - and then - comes Christ’s covenant with us, and we will listen to the Matthew version:

While Jesus and the disciples were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, ‘Take eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from this all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

And we add from I Corinthians, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

So, on this 10^th year anniversary of when Muslims acted on what they insisted was their faith, I think we can understand some of what was going on in their souls. They were living up to what God said they would be. It is in the DNA of their faith.

The Hebrew nation, in many ways, is living up to their DNA blessing. They are being faithful to the promise of the Messiah. They are claiming the land of Israel that they believe has been promised from the beginning.

And we, we Christians, what about us? Are we living up to Christ’s covenant with us? Are we remembering him until he comes again? Do we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls and with all our mind…and our neighbors as our selves? Are we going out into all the world and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything God has commanded?

Herein lies the difference! We, as the song says,

…Serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today.

We know that He is living, whatever men may say.

We see His hand of mercy; we hear His voice of cheer.

And just the time we need Him, He’s always near.

So…

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian. Lift up your voice and sing –

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King!

The hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind.

He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.

He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives.

He lives within my heart![2]

And this has made, does make and will make, all the difference.

Amen.

---

[1] Gary Smalley and John Trent, PhD., The Blessing (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), p.24

[2] “He Lives” text and music by Alfred H. Ackley, ©Rodeheaver Co. (a div. of WORD MUSIC).

A Lord's Day Message for Sunday, May 1, 2011

“Though You Do Not See Him...”

 I Peter 1:1-9 and John 20:19-31

“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:8-9)

(Sermon preached by Rev. Larry A. Langer, First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, IN, May 1, 2011)

What would you have given to have an invitation to the Royal Wedding on Friday? It probably would have taken someone to give us an all-expense paid trip to jolly ol’ London, including the formal wedding wear! But none of us were invited, so we didn’t have to worry about getting there or what to wear.

However, we may have tuned in to one of the networks that carried the wedding live on Friday morning. I have to admit that as I was doing my Friday morning chores, I had the television on. I enjoyed seeing the British precision, the pomp and circumstance, and the vows. I also appreciate it when couples who have been living together off and on decide to be married and ask for God’s blessing. So, may the Lord bless William and Catherine for a lifetime commitment in the bonds of marriage.

But, perhaps, many of us didn’t watch the celebration, for whatever reason. Even though we didn’t, this doesn’t make William and Kate less married. Just because we didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. If we need proof, we can ask to see the videos of the ceremony. Then we probably for sure would believe it happened, just as the various reports said it did.

Coming back over to this side of the pond now, I wonder how many folks do still not believe that President Obama was born in the United States. Supposedly this week, we have seen the “Official ‘Long Form’ Certificate of Live Birth” from Hawaii. But, it could be a fake, couldn’t it?

Some folks still say it is because his father is listed as being “African,” rather than then more common for that day, “Negro.” What we will believe, we will believe, though. We weren’t around in 1961 and neither were a lot of folks, and a lot of those who were are not around anymore. What will we believe?

This question brings us to our question of faith for this day: What do we believe about Jesus Christ? Do we believe there was a baby born in Bethlehem to parents named Mary and Joseph? Do we believe that he had the life that has been written about in the Bible and in other documents, especially the document by Jewish historian Josephus? Do we believe the report of the death he suffered?

Remember, now, we weren’t there. Conspiracy theorists believe that it wasn’t Jesus that was on the cross, nor that it wasn’t Jesus put into that tomb, nor that if Jesus was put into the tomb, he was taken out of it sometime during the night.

Then, we have the reports that he “appeared” to many people after he supposedly was killed, so maybe he wasn’t killed after all. Finally, there are the reports written in the Bible that his disciples watched as he ascended from earth into the sky, until he disappeared from sight. Oh, my, what do we believe about that?!

It would be nice, wouldn’t it, if this room was the “upper room,” and Christ would come stand in our midst, right now,  today? Wouldn’t it be easier for our faith if we could see the nail holes and the side scar and the scabs from the crown of thorns? But, no, we have to rely on the gift God has given us, the gift of faith.

We need to hear the very direct and loving words of how Peter assures us. He really names it for us when he says,

Although you haven’t seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The phrases “although you haven’t seen him” and “even though you do not see him now” go even deeper than just not having been around during Jesus’ life. The folks to whom Peter was writing were not well-satisfied, problems solved people. They were having a hard time, a very hard time, in life because of their faith. They were in exile; they had been dispersed. They had been abandoned by their families, whether Jewish families or Greco-Roman families because of their faith in Jesus. Both cultures had rejected Christianity. Families were split. Christianity was a despised, foreign religion by the authorities and by friends and families.

So, Peter once again lays out the bedrock of our faith. Here it is from The Message transliteration:

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven – and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all – life healed and whole.

Do we think that folks down in Tuscaloosa feel that they have “everything to life for” today? Probably more than a few will be adamantly insisting, “We have nothing to live for; it is all gone!”

Perhaps we have seen the report that the Chinese government outlawed the Christian Church’s Easter celebrations last weekend. Perhaps the Christians in China said, “We have noting to live for if we can’t worship on Easter Sunday!”

Peter’s letter makes the point, “You have everything to live for anyway and always!”

Let’s think back over our lives. There have been times, haven’t there, when we have thought, “We have nothing to live for,” yet here we still are. But are we really living?

Perhaps for some of us, it is often just putting one foot in front of another, day by day. Perhaps it is difficult for us to consider that we have “everything to live for”; yet, somehow we hear the words of Peter’s letter, and we continue on, even begin to feel more unburdened as we go along.

A great part of feeling less and less burdened is that we believe and say that Jesus also experienced the pain and agony that we face, and if we believe it, to a much greater degree than we. And, we can remember that even Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but (what did he say?) fear not, for I have overcome the world!”

Peter doesn’t try to sugarcoat things, but says things that give us strength. Again from The Message:

I know how great this makes you feel (that is, the belief of faith that we have everything to live for), even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime.

I love this: “Even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime!” These ‘aggravations’ are the things that make us stronger, as we handle them with our faith. Peter reminds us that  “Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes our proved genuine. When Jesus wraps all of this up, it’s your faith, not your gold that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.”

So, the question for us today is can God put our faith on display and be proud of it because our faith is evidence of his victory? Here’s the check list of questions:

One, “Although we haven’t seen Jesus (and this not with our eyes, but with the full comprehension of our minds), do we still love him? The word for ‘love’ here is the agape form of love. In other words, even though we don’t fully comprehend the whole idea of faith, are we still willing to live our life and give up our life for Jesus? Yes or no?

Two: “Since we can’t see him now (and this refers to actually seeing him with our two eyes), do we believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable joy” that we do? When we heard the words last Sunday “Christ is risen!” how did we respond? Some of you responded with a great look of assurance, “He is risen indeed!”

Do we believe it with joy when we say it in both the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed: “On the third day he rose again from then dead in accordance with the Scripture; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.” The Nicene adds. “He will come again in glory,” and “His kingdom shall now no end.” Yes or No?

This is our good news, my friends; Christ is risen; he’s on his throne; he will come again; and, his kingdom will never end! We can get into this!

Third, and this is our blessed assurance: Peter says, “For you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” The Message puts is this way:

You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him – with laughter and singing. (And) because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you are looking forward to: total salvation.

Jesus himself said we ‘are blessed.’ He said it to Doubting Thomas when Thomas made his great profession, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”

We are the blessed, my friends, because we haven’t seen Jesus, either with our eyes nor our brains. But we have come to believe because of faith alone gifted to us by God’s grace. Yes or no?

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift of Jesus Christ for us and his indescribable gift of faith to us. Glory to God! Amen.

A Lord's Day Message for Sunday, April 24, 2011

“Seven Who Encountered Jesus: (7) Us!”

Matthew 28:1-10 and John 20:1-18

“Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come; see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.” (Matthew 28:5b-6)

(Sermon preached by Rev. Larry A. Langer, First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, IN, April 24, 2011)

What in the world are all of us doing here, outside, in this weather, at 7:00 on a Sunday morning? Are we crazy or something? I mean, it is enough, isn’t it, that we come to church at 10:30, 9:30 if we are in Sunday school on a Sunday morning. 7:00 AM on a Sunday? What it is all about? What are our reasons?

Are we here to “get church over with” so we can have the rest of the day? Are we here because it is just a different kind of service? Are we here because it is our tradition? OR, are we here because it makes our faith seem more real to us?

Perhaps we are here to somewhat feel what it was like for Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (and the other women) when they went to the tomb “very early in the morning” as the text says. Perhaps we want to close our eyes and picture the rough ground with the hewn-out cave with first the stone in front of it, then the stone “rolled away.” Perhaps we are imagining what it would be like to hear the news, as did Peter and John, and run to the tomb and experience its emptiness.

Knowing what we believe and know now, I think it would be wonderful to run to the tomb, find it empty with the folded grave clothes, have Jesus appear to us, and have our faith in the promises of God validated!

Anyway, this is what I dream and think about when this day comes around every year. How about you? We want to “see” the resurrection so we can more deeply believe. So, we re-enact going to the tomb on Resurrection Day, very early in the morning. We go back to the stage, we see the setting, and we place ourselves in the shoes of the actresses and actors. We see ourselves in the roles. We hear the dialogue in our mind’s ear. So, let us hear and see for ourselves, once again,  this morning.

The first thing we hear at the tomb is, “Don’t be afraid.” The angel says to Mary, “Don’t be afraid.” Remember the scripture we read at Christmas time? The angel says to both Mary and Joseph, “Don’t be afraid.” Remember clear back in the Old Testament the many times when God or an angel said to a person of God, “Don’t be afraid”? If there is a practical, everyday part to our faith, it is the wise counsel, “Don’t be afraid.”

Don’t be afraid of what? We aren’t to be afraid of the “unknown,” because God is already there. We have the Bible to tell us that God is already there in any circumstance we can imagine and how God resolves any circumstance we can imagine.

In our Good Friday service, we read the very pastoral verse from John 19:27, where Jesus is hanging on the cross with his mother and “the disciple Jesus loved” standing there. Jesus “says to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciples took her into his own home.”

Then we heard Kyrstan sing beautifully the wonderful words of assurance from the hymn, ‘Be Still, My Soul.” Remember?

Be still, my soul! The Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provided,

in every change He faithful will remain.

Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend

through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

Be still, my soul! Thy God doth undertake

to guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul! The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”

There is no greater instruction that we can hear from God through our faith than “be not afraid.” Then, there is no greater instruction we can tell ourselves in response than “Be still, my soul, in every change, God faithful will remain.” We come to the tomb to believe this is true once again.

The second thing we hear at the tomb is “Come and see…come and see the place where he lay.”

It is an interesting thing that when we go to Israel on a tour, the place people want to see the most is the place that is said to be where Jesus was born. People throng to the depths under the Church of the Nativity. There are long lines just to see (actually, two places, depending on one’s faith perspective) where they say Jesus was born.

But there are smaller lines to see Golgotha, the upper room, or the cave in the garden in the Church of the Holy Seplecur. On the tours, we will walk the Via Del La Rosa, the path Jesus walked through Jerusalem, but we won’t go to the cave. We might even enjoy the shade and cool breezes in the Garden of Gethsemane, but we won’t go to the cave. Yet, the angel invited the Marys and Peter and John to check it out on their own, to see that the cave was empty. Mary originally thought that some “they” had taken Jesus, and she “didn’t know where they had taken him.”

There is a strong sense in which we have to “see” the resurrection before we can “see” what is really going on in the world, now that God has risen crucified Jesus from the dead. We can see the empty tomb, but we can’t really “see” the resurrection. We have to believe the resurrection before we can see.

The women show us that it is only as we venture forth- dare to come out to the tomb in our darkness, willing to be surprised, willing to obey the messenger of God, willing to see the risen Christ, willing to go back to Galilee, expecting to meet him there – that we will see.

The good news for us is that when we hear “come and see”,” it can be about what God is doing and wants to be doing in our lives now! Remember when John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Jesus if he was the one they had been waiting for or did they need to wait for someone else?

Jesus said, “Go and tell John what you see and hear: The blind receive their sight; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Luke 7:22-23).

We really don’t have to have “blind faith’ to accept that the Lord is present and active in our lives. What we do require, though, is to have a faith that believes in, listens for and to, and follows and gives glory to God. Seeing the empty tomb, even if only through the eyes of faith on Easter Sunday morning, is part of this for us. So, the angel’s instructions are important for us: We should always try to come and see things through eyes of faith. Our prayer should be

Open my eyes that I may see,

glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key

that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now, I wait for Thee.

Ready, my God, Thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.

The third instruction we hear at the tomb is, “Go and tell…Go quickly and tell others.” Tell the others what – that the tomb is empty? No, tell others that “Jesus has been raised from the dead and goes ahead of you…”

This is the crux of our faith and the promise of the resurrection: Jesus has been raised from the dead and goes ahead of us. Remember what he said to his disciples?

Do not let you hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go and prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you do know the place where I am going, because you know me, and I am the way, the truth and the life.

You know, Mathew’s Gospel stresses these necessities: Not only loving Jesus, but obeying Jesus. Not only admiring Jesus, but following Jesus. He stresses that faith in Jesus requires active participation, obedience and discipleship: Be not afraid, come and see, go and tell.

And, haven’t we found over the years that we more fully believe the more we venture out in faith, risk, obey, are surprised and mix up the fear and joy? The truth of Easter and the Resurrection is a truth that we cannot understand in arguments, nor detached, measured reflection and consideration.

The truth of Easter is known only as we are in motion, going out to obey and to tell.

We often hear that Jesus came to “turn the world upside down.” Really, he came to turn the world right side up! The world, especially these days, is shaking, figuratively and literally. The world shook back then, too. Matthew says there was an earthquake. Back then, it was the sign of a beginning. We have had shakes lately, as well as winds and waves and fires. Are these signs of the end of things as we know them and the beginning or the promised things? Are these the birth pangs of Christ’s second coming? Some say so. If so, it will fulfill the scriptures that Christ will come again.

But back then, the world shook. The powerful soldiers shook in their boots, so afraid that they were like dead men. In fact, they had absolutely no explanation for what happened, such that they had to be bought off to keep quiet and the officials had to put a spin on things. But the women who previously were powerless are now the bearer of the experience, the teller of the story, and the relaters of the truth.

So, the important thing for us today is to also obey the risen Christ: “Do not be afraid; come and see; go and tell my brothers and sisters to meet me; they will see me, to!” If we obey, if we overcome our own doubts and fears, if we go and tell, out in Galilee or wherever we find ourselves, then we, too, will see the risen Christ, raised so that he might return to us, encourage us, and reveal himself to us.

This is the message of Easter: Be not afraid…come and see…go quickly and tell…Christ is risen; Christ is risen indeed.

Hallelujah! Amen!

A Lord's Day Message for Sunday, April 17, 2011

(© by Rev. Larry A. Langer, First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, IN, April 17, 2011)

“Seven Who Encountered Jesus: (6) The Crowd”

Matthew 21:1-17 and Romans 13:1-10

“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:10-11)

I was at McDonald’s the other morning eating breakfast after a “fasting” blood test. As I sat there eating my “Cholesterol Special” of hot cakes, hash browns, biscuit, scrambled eggs and sausage (do know that I usually eat oatmeal and fruit every day at home!), I was next to a group of ten or so of Jasper’s finest men. I couldn’t help by overhear them speaking about the Integra bank Trust Department being bought by Old National and about other such current events.

What I observed about these men was that each of them sat back as if they already knew everything, such that it seemed that it all was just a “re-cap.” It seemed that each man could shrug his shoulders and say, “That’s the way it was; that’s the way it goes.”

Eventually, some of the men got up and went on their ways, perhaps to other errands, perhaps to work, perhaps to home. And, I suppose, each man who had been there and part of the conversation felt that they were up on the current news.

What I also know is that there are other groups just like this all over town: At Hardies, at Headquarters, at the other Mc Donald’s, at Denney’s. All of these groups share the news and their analysis of it, and have a common fellowship: “Going for Coffee!” The thing I wonder about is what impact these “coffee” times have on the day for these men – and women – who have gathered? Does it make a difference in what they do? Does it change their life? Does it make them a better person? Does it help them with their decisions throughout the day and beyond?

These same questions could be asked of those who experienced what we label “Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.” We read of the instructions to the disciples; the preparation by the disciples. We read of the reactions of the crowd; we read about what they said. We read, then, about what Jesus did, and who saw, heard and reacted to it. Finally, we read of where and how Jesus went – to the temple to cleanse it.

Yes, we read all of these things, probably for the umpteenth time, right? Ever since we have been in church, this passage, this recollection, comes around every year. We always get the passage about “Jesus’ Triumphal Entry” on what we call “Palm Sunday,” because it begins Holy Week, the days leading up to Jesus’ last Supper, his crucifixion, his death, and his resurrection. We always get it, perhaps so much so that it has become old hat to us, and we sit back like so many men and women at coffee and think, “I know that.”

Then we get up and go for another week.

But what if we really tried to contemplate this triumphal entry as if we were there? Of course, this is what I hope we do after each Sunday’s Worship Service and message: I hope we think about it and it somehow changes what we do and who we are during the week!

What if we were one of the disciples, one of the chosen twelve? We have been with Jesus pretty much full time for three years now. We are pretty much used to his sometimes strange actions. So, when he tells us to go into town and get the donkey and her colt, we might shrug and think, “Okay, the Lord has need of them. We don’t know why, but the Lord has need of them.”

Not even John’s Gospel, which always fills in the details, fills in the cracks that would have Jesus telling the disciples that he was about to enter Jerusalem on one of those animals. No, there were no questions or explanations, just “Go into town, get the animals, and if anyone says anything, say, “The Lord has needs them.”

So, as Jesus’ disciples, what do we say when someone asks us to do something, because of our faith, because we are Christian, because we are church members, because we are trying to be good, Godly people? I can tell you what most of us do: We say, “Why?” Most of us want an explanation of why we might be asked to do something, especially if it seems to be as obtuse as going into town and getting a donkey and her colt. I mean, Jesus and his disciples seemingly have gotten by without one for three years; they have walked every place. So, why a donkey and her colt now? The answer is, “The Lord has a need…The Lord has a need.” (It also fulfills the Old Testament prophecy about how the “King of the Jews” will come into power!)

However, now, the Lord has a need for us to be his disciples, and there has never been a greater time to meet the needs as Jesus’ disciples.

I bet that when we think of “meeting needs,” we think of “money issues.” But there is so much more than just supplying monetary needs. Particularly at the age and stage most of us are, there is the need of time and tender loving care, not only to our own people, but to those around us.

There is also our own need to be helped. We might even say, “I don’t want to be a bother,” or “I’d hate to ask someone to do that.” But, sometime, perhaps a lot of the times, people who want to meet needs are available; they just don’t know what needs to meet. If we have needs, and we let others know, there are usually people around to meet those needs.

The best habit to get into as a disciple of Christ is to develop the attitude of saying “sure” to requests. “Sure, I’ll do that for you, if at all possible.” “Can you give me a ride?” “Sure, when?” “Can you help me at my house?” “Sure, what can I do?” “Would you be willing to (fill in the blank)?” “Sure, I’d love to!”

Again, Jesus’ disciples weren’t told any more than “The Lord has need of it,” when asked to go into town. They trusted that they could do what Jesus asked, and it would be for the good. If someone asks us to do something good, especially a fellow believer, there is no reason not to acquiesce to the request.

What if we were who I would call the “cheerleaders” that day? These were the folks who were around Jesus, but not officially “disciples.” These were the people who listened to his teachings, who followed him around, and who now were the cheerleaders, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” They were creating quite the stir!

What do we think Jesus was doing, though, While the crowds were cheering? What do we think was the expression on Jesus’ face? What do we think were the expressions on the twelve disciples’ faces? Somehow, I just can’t see Jesus waving and grinning to the crowds as he rode that donkey into town.

Perhaps he did look resolute. Perhaps he had a look of satisfaction on his face, because this was the way things were supposed to be. Perhaps he was thinking ahead to the rest of the week.

We know that other recollections of this Palm Sunday entrance make this “Passion Sunday” rather than “Palm, Sunday.” I have always thought that it is important to see this as “Palm Sunday” to get the full impact of the juxtaposition between the joyful celebration that the Messiah of the peoples’ dreams has come, and the sadness that Jesus wasn’t truly the “King of the Jews.”

Have we ever thought of the look on Jesus’ face as he rode into town on the donkey, with the crowd of cheerleaders in front and behind?

Have we ever been a cheerleader for Jesus?

Some of us may say, “Not really, we’re Presbyterians. We’re called the “Frozen Chosen.” If we want to jump and shout, we would be something else!” Yet, we don’t have to put the “jump and shout” into “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

It really is also effective when we say it with great surety: “Jesus is Lord; Jesus is the promised Messiah; Jesus is the Son of David; the Son of Man; the Son of God. Thanks be to God!”

Are we cheerleaders for Jesus? Do we ask people if they believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? Do we ask people if their life would be better with forgiveness and love and knowing for certain God loves them? Do we ever ask folks if we could tell them about our Savior? Are we cheerleaders for Jesus?

Are we “the others” in the crowd, part of the “Whole city (that) was in turmoil” crowd? There was probably a very large group, probably the majority, who wondered, “Who the heck is this anyway? The streets are blocked, there is what appears to be a riot on the main street, and it is being led by some guy on a donkey. What is going on; it really is a real pain!”

Oh, my friends, if only the world knew and believed what we know and believe: That Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and yes, he disrupts lives, but for eternal purposes! Unfortunately, in our present age, politics has become our main means of salvation – or not, our main means of protection – or not – from cradle to grace, our main source of security and well-being – or not. As someone has said, “We raise armies to produce peace. There was a time when we fought wars for national expansion or for the good name of the king. Now we fight wars for security.”

Do we dare say that we Americans will soon be fighting wars for our financial security? I haven’t seen any seriously non-political commentary on the budget proposals that aren’t negative. The Wall Street Journal had a blistering article this past week, though. My gut feelings are that we are quickly becoming a socialist nation. We are a long way from responding the way the Middle East countries are responding, but we will get there sooner than those countries have. You see, we have known the “good life,” the prosperous life, so much so that we have gotten very used to it. I’m afraid we are about to lose it – and we don’t know that we are, and if we did, we wouldn’t know what to do about it.

I know this is a political statement, but most of the citizenry of this great country depend on politics, not the Lord Jesus Christ, for prosperity, health, and well-being. If we chose to be the followers of Jesus, we would give our fullest effort to answering the age-old question with our lives, as much as it depends on us. We would constantly be asking “What does the Lord require of us?” We know the Biblical answer: “Only this, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord.”

When we see the guy on the donkey named Jesus, are we seeing him from the perspective of the disciples, the cheerleaders or the townspeople? Hopefully, we are at least the cheerleaders, preferably we are the disciples!

What if Jesus asked us to get him a donkey?

Amen.