Grace and Peace Episode 20

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Grace and Peace Episode 20

Presbyterian Church of Easton

January 19, 2021

Watch Episode 20

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

40Q.  Why did Christ have to suffer death?

A. Because God’s justice and truth require it: nothing else could pay for our sins except the death of the Son of God.

41Q.  Why was he “buried”?

A. His burial testifies that he really died.

42 Q.  Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?

A. Our death does not pay the debt of our sins. Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life.

 “They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden, there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:40-42)

Death is a reality.   As I write this one member of our church just lost his wife just a few weeks short of their 50th wedding anniversary.  Another member is at home receiving hospice care.   A dear friend of ours lost her husband this week to Covid.  And another dear friend’s husband is in ICU will the virus.   Most people fear death.   They know that with death, relationships end, and grieving starts.   Most people have no idea what happens to a person after death.   And they fear that after death there is nothing at all.

But we Christian have hope.   Our hope is in eternal life.   When a believer dies we believe that he or she is with Jesus.   And our hope is that one day we will all be resurrected to new life.   Why do we believe in resurrection?   We believe in it because we know that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.   And if our Lord and Savior was resurrected so too will we.

The Bible is clear, that when sin came into the world so too did death.   Death is the natural result of sin.   But with Jesus’ death, our sin is forgiven.   Why then would Christians continue to die?  Shouldn’t saved Christian just live forever?  Well, yes! We will live forever.   For Christians, death is not the end of anything.   Death is just a transition to a new kind of life with Jesus.

This is why Christians face death without fear and filled with hope.   We believe that when a faithful Christian dies he or she is with the Lord in heaven.  And we have hope of seeing them again in the resurrection.   So filled with hope in eternal life, we face death with confidence that our loving savior, Jesus Christ will welcome us into heaven.  Let’s pray.

We thank you, Jesus, for leading the way to heaven.   We thank you for the blessings of eternal life. We thank you for filling us with this hope.  Amen.

Sermon Mark 1:4-11 “The Spirit Descends”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Mark 1:4-11 “The Spirit Descends”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
January 17, 2021

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I was born in New Jersey.   My Dad worked for RCA in Camden and we lived in a neighborhood called Collingswood.   We attended the Haddonfield Presbyterian Church.  Our Pastor was the Reverend Doctor Bryant Kirkland.  Dr. Kirkland baptized me. 

My Dad told me, many times, that Dr. Kirkland was the best preacher he ever heard.   So when his name went up on the sign in front of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC I knew that I had to hear him.   I was in the congregation the next Sunday.   

I agree with my Dad, Dr. Kirkland was the best preacher I ever heard.   I came back every Sunday to hear him and eventually became a member of the National Presbyterian Church.  Dr. Kirkland died on Easter Sunday 2000.  And I will always remember him as the one who baptized me, and years later began my spiritual development.  This morning we will talk about baptism.   But first, let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for all that you are doing in this church.  We thank and praise you for the ministry of this church for so many years.   Bless us Lord as we return from the Covid shutdown that we will not only do what we used to do but will also do new and exciting things that will help us to grow and serve this community.  We praise you, in the highest. Amen. 

Mark 1:4-11   4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.  11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased."

Shortly after arriving in California to attend seminary, I decided to spend one afternoon in Hollywood.  While growing up in the east I often dreamed about being in Hollywood with all the movie stars and celebrities.  It seemed like a magical place.  So I got in my car in Pasadena and drove south on the 110 looking for the 101.  I got on the 101 and after driving for a few minutes realized that none of the exits said anything about Hollywood.  I kept driving assuming that Hollywood would soon appear and saw that I was driving south.  It occurred to me that maybe I was going the wrong way.  So I had to turn around, but I didn’t know-how. I took the next exit, found myself on another freeway, and was completely confused and lost.  I ended up in a place called Long Beach which I now know is very far away from Hollywood.

From time to time we find ourselves going in the wrong direction.  Despite all of our preparation and planning, we find ourselves in places we never intended to visit.  We work hard to find just the right partner, get married with the hope of a lifelong relationship, and then find ourselves divorced and lonely again.  Or maybe we are in school with the promise of a bright future, but after months of partying our grades are slipping and we can’t shake the bad habits we have acquired.  Or maybe we are in a beautiful new home with the job of our dreams, but our company downsizes and the bank forces us out of the house.  We think we are on the way to the Promised Land and somehow we end up in the wilderness. 

This is what was happening in our gospel lesson from Mark.   People were going the wrong way.   After God’s people had followed Moses for forty years in the wilderness Joshua led the people through the waters of the Jordan into the Promised Land.  But in the time of John the Baptist people were leaving the Promised Land and entering the wilderness.  They were going the wrong way.  So they were returning to the Jordan river, for baptisms,  hoping to turn around and again find the Promised Land.

Whenever we are going the wrong way,  doing those things God does not want us to do, or not doing those things God insists on, we need to stop, change direction and go the other way.  The people of God in the first century who were headed to the wilderness needed to stop, change direction, and go back.  This process of stopping, changing direction, and going the other way is called “repentance”.   God is calling on us to stop our sinful behavior, change direction and return to him.

Repentance always starts with confession.  When we confess we truthfully admit to ourselves and to God that we have fallen short of God’s expectations.  Falling short is why we find ourselves on the way to the wilderness.  Confession is what allows us to stop and change direction.   It signifies our awareness that a problem exists and permits us to make the necessary changes.  We realize that we are not living the lives God created us to live.  This realization is necessary if we are to make real changes in our lives.  So I invite you to confess your sins to God and ask for help in stopping, changing the direction of your life, and returning to the Promised Land.

Whenever God hears our confession God responds with three gifts:  forgiveness, direction, and empowerment.  Let’s look at each of these. 

First, God provides us with the gift of forgiveness.  God hears our confession and pardons us releasing us from deserved punishment, guilt, and shame.  All of our offenses are purged from our history.  All of our debts are paid in full.  Whatever we are running from is removed and this allows us to return to where we were created to be, in the Promised Land.

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift.  But there is another.  The second gift that God provides is direction.  In ancient times God provided the people a leader, Joshua who led the people through the waters of the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  For us, a new Joshua, or in Hebrew Yeshua, or in English, Jesus, has come to meet us where we are, in the wilderness, and lead us through the waters of baptism to the Promised Land.  By following Jesus we know where we should go so we can repent:  stop, change direction, and go to where we are supposed to be.  We follow Jesus by following his example of living a sinless life and obeying his teaching to love God and to love our neighbors.   When we do these things Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives.   We decide to follow Jesus wherever he might lead us.  And Jesus leads us through the waters of baptism to new life.

Forgiveness and direction are blessings.  But there is a third gift.  The third gift that God provides us is empowerment.  Without this gift, our hope of repentance to new life would evaporate.  Without empowerment how could we ever end addictions or reconcile relationships?  Left alone we will continue to stumble in the wilderness of sin.  But with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to follow Jesus through the waters of baptism to a new life of obedience to God in the Promised Land.

So this is what baptism is all about.  It starts with a confession that we have fallen short of the expectations of God.  This allows us to receive from God the gift of forgiveness which allows us to turn away from sin and head to new life.  In baptism, we realize that we need to follow Jesus to that new life and that following Jesus requires a public declaration that Jesus is our Lord and savior.   Once we make this declaration we then pass through the baptismal waters where we die to our old sinful lives and are resurrected to new life in Jesus Christ.  And when we emerge from the baptismal waters we are empowered by the Holy Spirit who descends upon us to help us to live the lives of obedience that we were created to live.  

Confession not only benefits an individual.   It can be of great benefit to churches as well.   Let me suggest, as your pastor, that this church may be going in the wrong direction.   The average age of congregation members is 72 years old.   And membership is down to 130 people.   We are going in the wrong direction.   I urge the church to confess that you are going the wrong way.  If we do so God will forgive us.   Jesus will lead the way in making new disciples.   And the Holy Spirit will empower us to do what is necessary to grow the church.

So if you find yourself going the wrong way I urge you to stop, turn around and go the other way.  Do this by confessing your sins to God who will forgive you and allow you to return to the Promised Land.  Jesus will lead the way.  And the Holy Spirit will empower you to make the changes that need to be made in your behavior.  

If you have not been baptized I urge you to do it.   If you have been baptized then I urge you to remember your baptisms and the other baptisms you have seen, confess your sins, follow Jesus, and accept the empowerment to new life from the Holy Spirit.  Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, we have confessed our sins this day and are ready to repent.   Lead us in the way of God and empower us with your Holy Spirit to lead the lives we were created to live.  We pray all of this in your faithful name. Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 19

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 19
Presbyterian Church of Easton
January 12, 2021

Watch Episode 19

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

37Q.  What do you understand by the word “suffered”?

A. That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, he might deliver us, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gain for us God’s grace, righteousness, and eternal life.

38Q.  Why did he suffer“under Pontius Pilate” as judge?

A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by an earthly judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us.

39Q.  Is it significant that he was “crucified” instead of dying some other way?

A. Yes. By this, I am convinced that he shouldered the curse which lay on me since death by crucifixion was cursed by God.

Presbyterians tend to avoid Good Friday.   We love the children waving palm branches on Palm Sunday.  We love the beautiful communion service on Maundy Thursday with its new command to love.   And we especially love Easter when everyone comes in their best clothes.   But we pass right by Good Friday.  We leave that one for the Catholics and Episcopalians.

Good Friday is the day we remember Jesus’ death on a cross.  Both the religious and political authorities tried him, and even though Jesus had done nothing wrong, he was sentenced to death.  Jesus was flogged, mocked, and beaten.  And on a hill, he was crucified where all could see his humiliation.   After three hours he died and was buried in a tomb.

But Good Friday is important because that is the day that God blessed us.   It was on Good Friday that Jesus paid the price for all of humanity’s sins.  It was on Good Friday that Christ released us from slavery to sin.  It was on Good Friday that God declared us forgiven.   It was on Good Friday that Christ’s righteousness became our righteousness.   Since Adam and Eve, we have been under a curse.   Their disobedience condemned all future generations to sin and death.   But on Good Friday, Christ’s obedience freed us from this curse.  No wonder we call it good.

So this year let’s not ignore Good Friday.   Let’s remember the awful things that happened to Jesus.   And let’s remember the wonderful things that Jesus did for us.   Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for all you Son did for us on a cross.   We are so grateful for the blessing of salvation we have received.   Thank you for your forgiveness.   Thank you for freeing us from sin.   Thank you for giving us Christ’s perfect righteousness.  This we pray in Jesus’ glorious name.

Sermon: Judges 2:6-16 “Political Violence”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Judges 2:6-16 “Political Violence”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
January 10, 2021

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We are experiencing political violence in our country.   Peaceful protests over police misconduct, last summer, turned into riots in American cities.   Peaceful protests over election irregularities turned into violence at the US Capitol this week.   Political violence seems to be getting worse.  We need to turn to scripture to see what this is all about.  And we need to pray for God’s protection of our nation.

Heavenly Father, we turn to you in this trying time for our country.   We ask that you bless us with your protection.   We ask that you deliver us from those who riot and plunder.   We ask for peace.   And we pray this in the name of the prince of peace, your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Here are some headlines from this week.

Daily Wire:

https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-chief-at-least-fourteen-officers-injured-amid-capitol-violence

At least fourteen police officers were injured amid the demonstrations and subsequent violent unrest in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, including two police officers who were hospitalized after getting attacked while on-duty.

One officer was hospitalized after “he was pulled into a crowd and assaulted,” and another officer was hospitalized with facial injuries after getting “struck by a projectile,” said Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee in a press conference Wednesday evening. 

The other injuries weren’t as serious in nature, said Contee, but were still concerning. It’s not clear where exactly the injuries took place. 

“These officers should be commended for their work. They fought hard to protect our Democracy, not only today but every day they wear that uniform,” said Contee. 

The police chief also said that four people died amid the Capitol building unrest, which began after anti-certification protesters stormed the building and halted Congressional proceedings. 

One woman, who was part of a group allegedly attempting to gain access to the House chamber, was killed after she was shot by a plainclothes Capitol police officer, said Contee. The woman, reportedly an Air Force veteran, was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. 

Another three people, one woman, and two men died in what Contee described as apparent “medical emergencies” in the area surrounding the Capitol grounds. He did not provide additional information about those three individuals, and it is unclear when exactly they died in relation to the unrest. 

Having abandoned the House and Senate chambers mid-session, members of Congress reconvened at around 8pm, after the police department and U.S. Capitol police swept the buildings and removed trespassers established a secure perimeter, and pushed back remaining individuals in the area. 

Contee also said police recovered a pipe bomb at the Democratic National Committee, another pipe bomb at the Republican National Committee, and a cooler with Molotov cocktails on the grounds of the Capitol. More than 52 people were also arrested throughout the course of the day, including 26 people on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol for curfew violations or unlawful entry violations. 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who called the incident an “unprecedented attack on our American Democracy,” said the nation’s capital would remain under a nightly curfew for the next fifteen days “so that we can continue to ensure peace and security” through inauguration day. 

Vice President Mike Pence, addressing the Senate after it reconvened for the evening, called the situation a “dark day in the history of the United States Capitol” and condemned the violence.

“As we reconvene in this chamber, the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy, for even in the wake of unprecedented violence and vandalism at this Capitol, the elected representatives of the people of the United States have assembled again, on the very same day, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said the vice president.

Today’s sermon will not be political.  I don’t really care if someone voted for Trump or someone voted for Biden.   I have my own political views, but the pulpit is not the place for their expression.  Rather the pulpit is where the word of God is proclaimed.   And so we came this morning in the midst of political violence to hear what God has to say.

First, let me say something you will find surprising.   As I read scripture, it is evident to me, that political violence is not the exception, rather it is the rule.  Time and time again in scripture the people of God suffer political violence. In the early chapters of Genesis, we read this story.

Genesis 14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

So the kingdoms of Sodom and Gomorrah lost the first war recorded in the Bible. They were plundered and Abram’s nephew was carried off as a slave.

This set the pattern for what follows.   Over and over again people engage in political violence.  Why?  Why can’t we live peacefully with each other?  The answer to that question is sin.   When sin came into the world, political violence came with it.  And we still suffer from it.   So, what will God do about it?  Here is what God did after the first incident of political violence.

Genesis 14:13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.   

So what did God do?   God sent a deliverer.  God sent Abram to redeem his nephew and recover the plundered goods.  What we learn from this is that God does not prevent political violence from occurring.   Rather God blesses the faithful living in the midst of violence.

This pattern of political violence followed by divine deliverance can best be seen in the Book of Judges.   

Judges 2:6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9 So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

So the people enjoyed peace for a generation.   Throughout that time they worshiped the Lord, God of Israel.   God blessed them richly with peace.  Then another generation came along that did not know the Lord.   Here is what happened to them.

Judges 2:11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes. 

14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.

So as long as the people worshiped the Lord they were blessed with peace.   But as soon as they abandoned God they experienced political violence.

For 100 years after the Civil War, our churches were full and growing.  We experienced the blessings of God with peace.  The wars we fought were far away in Europe and Asia.  Here at home we were basically free from political violence.   We were blessed and protected by God.

But for the last generation we have been pulling away from God.  The doctrine of the “separation of church and state”  has caused many to think that the government no longer needs to pay attention to God.   The Bible no longer has any authority when determining public policy.  Our culture denigrates Christians in movies and books.  Our schools teach materialism.    Athletic events for children are scheduled for Sunday mornings conflicting with worship.  And we see falling attendance in churches.  So is there any surprise that political violence has been unleashed upon us?

The good news is that with our God there is always hope.  Let’s return to the Book of Judges and see God’s plan to deal with the political violence we face. 

Judges 2:16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them.

God does not want us to suffer from political violence.   And God will send someone to lead us back to faith and deliver us from evil.  But sin continues to lift its ugly head.   And people forget what God has done for them.   They again pull away from God and find themselves once again in the midst of political violence.  

And that is where we are today.   We have pulled away from God and we are now suffering the consequences.   Political violence is with us.  

King David lived in a time of political violence.   He turned to God in prayer.

Psalm 140:1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;

    protect me from those who are violent,

2 who plan evil things in their minds

    and stir up wars continually.

3 They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,

    and under their lips is the venom of vipers.

 

4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

    protect me from the violent

    who have planned my downfall.

6. I say to the Lord, “You are my God;

    give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.”

7 O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,

    you have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

    do not further their evil plot.

King David knew what we should remember.   That our true deliverer from political violence is God.   

We need to turn away from our secular ways and return to God.  The whole country needs a renewal of faith.   We need another great awakening.  We need to acknowledge God as our deliverer.  We need to confess Jesus as our savior.   We need a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.  This is the only way that political violence will end and peace will be restored.   

Political violence is a product of a sin-stained world.  People turn to God and ask for deliverance.   Peace arrives and we respond with gratitude by worshiping God.   But as the years pass we forget how God has blessed us.   We turn away from God and political violence returns.  That’s where we are today.  Our only hope is for the nation to return to God.   Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, our nation is filled with violence.   Last summer our cities burned and were looted.   This week our Capitol was violently occupied.   All of this is because our nation has turned away from you.   We ask, Lord, for your protection in this violent time.  And we ask for a deliverer who will lead our nation back to you.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Grace and Peace 18

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 18
Presbyterian Church of Easton
January 5, 2021

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

35Q.  What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”?

A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might also become David’s true descendant, like his brothers and sisters in every way except for sin.

36Q.  How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you?

A. He is our mediator and, in God’s sight, he covers with his innocence and perfect holiness my sinfulness in which I was conceived.

My favorite comic hero is Superman.   The Man of Steel can fly through the air. Sometimes Superman is in disguise, he appears to be a mild-mannered newspaper reporter named Clark Kent.   Although he is really Superman he looked like an ordinary human.  Some people believe that this describes Jesus.   They think that Jesus is really God, but came to earth only appearing as an ordinary human.   Jesus’ humanity was just a temporary disguise.   This is the theological heresy of Docetism, Jesus was truly divine, but only appeared to be human.

Many people in the church today believe this.   We spend so much time talking about Jesus being God we forget that he was also an ordinary human like you and me.   But we must remember that Mary did have to change his diapers.  Jesus was not God pretending to be a human.   Jesus was a human who experienced what we experience who was also God.  But Jesus is not like us in one area.   All of us are slaves to sin.  We’ve been sinners since the day we were born, but not Jesus.  Jesus did not sin.  Jesus was completely righteous.  

This allows Jesus to be our mediator before God.  When the day comes that God will judge us for what we have done and for what we have left undone, Jesus will be there to intercede on our behalf.   He will clothe us with His righteousness.   We will be forgiven and declared not guilty.     

We read in the Book of Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.”   Jesus is fully human and fully divine. In Him, we have been forgiven and freed from slavery to sin and the power of evil.  What a blessing!

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth as both the manifestation of God and human like us.      We thank you that your righteous life covers our sinful lives. We thank you for freeing us from the power of the devil.   We pray this in your name.  Amen.

Sermon: John 1:1-18 The Light of All People

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: John 1:1-18 The Light of All People
Presbyterian Church of Easton
January 3, 2021

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Today is the tenth day of Christmas.  Christmas is a season of twelve days beginning on December 25, when we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Here in the United States, we like to get the jump on Christmas,  starting the celebration long before it comes.  Then Christmas arrives and suddenly we put the decorations away.  We then forget about Christ for a week and focus our attention on New Year’s Eve Parties, parades, and Bowl games.  

But for much of the world Christmas starts on December 25th and continues for twelve days to the great feast of Epiphany on January 6.  So with “ten drummers drumming” echoing our ears let us continue our celebration of Christmas and prepare for the great feast of Epiphany.  But first, let’s pray

Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate your birth on Christmas and the manifestation of God’s glory through you on the Feast of Epiphany.  We believe that you are God because though you God’s glory shines to the world.  Bring us from darkness into the light.  Amen.

John 1:1-18  NRS John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being  4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.  8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  

9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.  11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.  12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,  13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.  

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 

 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")  16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

When the Jews arrived back in Jerusalem after their Babylonian captivity they saw a terrible sight.  Their once beautiful city was in ruins.  What amounted to the government was horribly corrupt.  The beautiful temple of God erected by Solomon had been burned to the ground.  

The preacher who wrote the last few chapters of Isaiah assembled his people and gave them a message of hope that the glory of God would one day return to Jerusalem.  One day, the paying of tribute to the Assyrians, the Babylonians and now the Persians would end and other countries would bring gifts to Mount Zion.  One day their children would return from being dispersed all over the world.  This was a vision of great hope for a generation that had walked in darkness for so long.  This hope was that one day the light of the glory of God would pierce through the darkness.  

That hope was fulfilled when wise men from the east came to Jerusalem following the light of a star.   They were searching for a new king of the Jews.   They found they found him in Bethlehem and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  All countries were bringing tribute to the King who had brought light into the world.

Years ago I knew a homeless man who liked to sit on the wall in front of my apartment building.   His name was Mark.   I talked with Mark and his wife almost every day.   

For several years Mark had walked in darkness.  After his son died, the light of Mark’s life seemed to be extinguished. Mark lived in the shadows of homelessness and alcoholism overwhelmed by the darkness until one day when too many pills and too much vodka finally put Mark’s darkness to an end.  

What can we say to people who have lost all hope of living in the light and are consumed by the darkness of their lives?

After Mark died his wife asked me to do his memorial service.   I said yes and started to prepare.   I didn’t expect many people to come to Mark’s funeral, after all, he was just a homeless guy.  But the church was packed for Mark’s funeral.   Homeless people from all over the city came to pay their respects to Mark.  And my prayer that day was that through me they would experience some of the light and love of Christ.   

The opening of the Gospel of John gives hope to all who walk in the darkness.  This hope is in the form of a gift that empowers us to be the children of God.  This gift comes from God and is transmitted to those living in darkness by John the Baptist and others who witness Jesus Christ.  What they saw and what gives us great hope is the light of the Glory of God that pierces through the darkness of our lives.  And the source of this light is Jesus, from whom emanates the glory of God.  

Whenever we are in a dark room our pupils dilate.  So when the light comes on we have trouble seeing.   Gradually our seeing improves and we are given the choice either to believe what we see or not.  This is what happens when Christ comes into our lives.  At first, our eyes have to adjust to the light.   Gradually we see Jesus clearly and begin to realize that we are seeing God.  We realize that this is the light of God’s glory coming out of Jesus and bringing us out of our darkness into new light. Once we see clearly that it is in Jesus Christ that the glory of God fills our lives we are given a choice to believe that Jesus is God or not.

If we choose not to believe that Jesus is God then we return to the darkness of Jesus’ death on the cross.  But if we make the other choice, if we choose to believe that Jesus is God then Jesus’ death becomes for us not a return to darkness, but rebirth in the glorious light of God.  The choice to believe that Jesus is God is a leap of faith.  To make that leap we have to trust that what Jesus says is true; that God chose to live on this planet as a human being.  So that’s the choice we have.  To hold back and stay in the darkness of unbelief, or take a bold step into the light and believe that Jesus and God are one.

If we step into the light and truly believe then we are empowered by God for great things.  We become God’s own children, able to point to the light of the glory of God in Jesus Christ.  Accepting the light means also accepting the responsibility of sharing the light, reflecting the light to others who still walk in darkness.  This is our mission as Christians to be people of the light who shine the light of Christ wherever darkness remains.  This is the purpose of evangelism, to bring people from darkness to the light of the glory of God in Jesus Christ.  So when you talk to your friends and neighbors about your faith tell them your story of coming from darkness to light through your belief in Jesus Christ.

There is a church in California that meets in an old YMCA.  It is called Victory Outreach.  For 35 years this church has gone into the streets of North East LA to find people in darkness.  They go to the most dangerous places to meet the most hardened gang members.  The message they bring is the light of God in Jesus Christ.  To gang members living in darkness, the light of Christ is offered as a choice.  And for those who make the choice to accept the light and believe in Jesus Christ, the darkness is pushed out and they experience rebirth as the children of God.  Most of the members of Victory Outreach are former gang members who were once in darkness but through the work of faithful Christians and the Holy Spirit, they have experienced the transforming effects of being in the light.

And that is what this church should be doing.  We should be helping people who have been living in the darkness come into the light of Jesus Christ.  As we bring people to Christ, their eyes will slowly adjust to the brightness of the light.  And many of them will begin to believe that what they see is true, that the light this church points them to is none other than the glory of God.  And our hope is that the people of Easton will embrace the light and choose to believe that what they see in Jesus is an Epiphany, the glory of God manifest on earth.

In a few moments, we will gather around this table and eat this bread and drink from this cup.  These are signs of the light that is coming into your lives.  As you eat the bread and drink from the cup our eyes will need time to adjust to the light but eventually, we will see the glory of God in the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  If you choose not to believe this you will return to darkness and the light you have glimpsed will fade.  But if you choose to believe that the glory of God is present in the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus then you will remain in the light and beginning today you will be blessed as the children of God.  Let’s pray. 

Lord Jesus, we asked that the glory of God be in this sacrament today.  Help us to see you as God in the bread and the wine.  Bring us into the light of God’s glory.  And receive us as God’s children. Amen. 

Grace and Peace Episode 17

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 17
Presbyterian Church of Easton
December 29, 2020

Grace and Peace Episode 17

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

33Q.  Why is he called God’s “only begotten Son” when we also are God’s children?

A. Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God— adopted by grace through Christ.

34Q.  Why do you call him “our Lord”? 

A. Because— not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood— he has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own.  

As I write we are in the midst of our Christmas celebrations.   I hope that you and your family are having a very Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year.

Christmas is when we remember the coming of God’s Son to earth as a little baby.   The baby, born that night, had a mother named Mary.  He also had a father, but it wasn’t Joseph.   Jesus’ father was the Holy Spirit.   And this makes Jesus the one and only Son of God.  

We, who believe, are also children of God.   We are adopted into the family by God’s grace through Jesus Christ.   We read in Ephesians 1:4-6,  “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”  So we can celebrate both Jesus’ birth and our adoption as God’s children at Christmas.

We call Jesus, “Lord”.   Our English word “lord” comes from the Old English, hlāford, or “loaf warden”.   This was title given to the family member who had the responsibility to protect the home and put loaves of bread on the table for the family to eat.  “Lord”, “loaf warden” became the title for the nobility who were responsible for protecting the community and ensuring that everyone had loaves of bread to eat.   When translators took the Hebrew word Adonai and the Greek word Kurios they translated them into the English word Lord, loaf warden.   The Lord protects us from harm and blesses us with food to eat.  

And the good news of Christmas is the gospel message.  We read in Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  And so at Christmas, we celebrate the coming to earth of our Lord, loaf warden, Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray.   Lord Jesus, we thank you for coming to us on Christmas.   We thank you for adopting us as children.   We thank you for protecting us and giving us food to eat.   And so we confess with our lips that you are Lord.  Amen.