Sermon Psalm 116 Answered Prayer

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Psalm 116 Answered Prayer

May 4, 2014

I am continuing today with my sermon series on the Easter Psalms. These are Psalms that the early church used to try to understand the biblical foundation of the resurrection of Jesus which they experienced. They would gather on Sunday mornings to remember what Jesus had said and done. Then, after work, they would gather again to share in a communion meal. We are still doing these things. Today we will look at something that we all want. Our topic is “answered prayer”. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

Lord Jesus, your rising from tomb heralds the dawning of life eternal as the dawning of this day holds the possibilities of life anew. Open my eyes to the signs of your resurrection and confirm in my heart

the power of your amazing love, that I may with confidence sing “Alleluia.” Amen.¹

Let's start with a wonderful story of answered prayer from Guidebooks magazine.

“Wrapped presents, homemade knit stockings, fresh-baked goods—I ran through a mental checklist of all the things I needed to bring to my son’s for Christmas Eve. Despite my recently acquired walking cane, I’d wheeled everything from my apartment to the car in a shopping cart.

Just because I lived in a retirement community didn’t mean I needed help getting ready for Christmas. I slammed shut the trunk. Ready to hit the road!

Moving to the retirement community had been a big change, although not as big as when I left Germany for America after World War II. I no longer had space to host Christmas Eve dinner. Fortunately, my son and his family lived nearby and had offered to pick up the torch.

I drove along, smiling at the thought of the young grandchildren’s happy faces when they saw all the goodies. On the radio, Bing Crosby sang “White Christmas.” Outside, the icy wind howled and the sky was laden with snow clouds, but I felt warmed by the Christmas spirit.

I was a few miles from my son’s when the engine made a funny sound. It coughed, sputtered, coughed again. That doesn’t sound good. I quickly turned the wheel and pulled over to the grassy median on my left. Or tried to. I came to a stop with the rear of the car still sticking out into the fast lane.

The gas pedal didn’t respond. Then I noticed the glowing orange icon on the dashboard display, and the gas tank needle. Empty.

How could I have neglected to keep an eye on my gas gauge? Me, who didn’t need any help? Why hadn’t I listened to my children’s pleas to get a cell phone?

“Mein heilig Schutzengel,” I prayed in German. Angel of God, my guardian dear. Cars honked. Drivers were impatient to get where they were going. I got out to flag someone down. Someone slowed to warn me to get out of traffic. Another, irate, yelled, “Call the cops!” Everyone else zoomed by at 60 miles per hour.

I stood there, leaning on my cane, shaking with cold and fear, almost in tears. The sky was getting dark. They’ll be wondering where I am. Could I walk to a service station? I’d have to cross the four-lane highway at the very least. What do I do?

Just then, a gray compact car pulled up. A man behind the wheel, a woman in the passenger seat. The woman got out and hurried toward me. She was of medium height, roundly built, her oval face framed by dark, wavy hair. She seemed to shimmer, surrounded with an aura of light.

Before I could say a word about my predicament, she called to me. “Go back and sit in your car. We’ve come to help you.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” I shouted. I did as she told me.

She came to my window. “You’ll be all right,” she said. “We’ll get enough gas for you to drive to a station.”

I watched the gray car drive off. After a minute, it returned, and the woman stepped out carrying a red gas can. She opened my gas cap and poured.

“How can I thank you?” I called to her. “Let me pay you for the gas.”

She shook her head.

“You’re like my guardian angel this Christmas Eve,” I said.

She laughed, finished pouring, and handed me the empty gas can. “Here, keep this in your trunk. Someday you can help someone else.” Then she leaned in the window and gave me a feather-light hug. “Merry Christmas. We’ll watch out for you as you pull back into traffic.”

I guessed everyone needed help some time, old and young alike. I started the engine and pulled into the lane. “I’m okay!” I called out, and looked back to wave good-bye. Only the gray car was gone. That’s when I wondered. How did they know gas was what I needed? I’d never told them.”²

This story brings us to today's question. What do you do when prayers are answered? When a loved one survives a car accident, or when a parent survives surgery what do you do? For the answer to this let's turn to the 116th Psalm.

1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”

So the psalmist was near death. There was nothing the doctors could do. Death seems to be only option. But the psalmist tried one more thing, more powerful than anything the doctors have, she prayed to God.

This is what we do whenever we face hopeless situations. Whenever our health fails, or a relationship ends, or a job is terminated, we turn to God in prayer. Sometimes God allows bad things to happen to accomplish his greater purpose. But sometimes God answers our prayers. Then what do we do? How do we respond to answered prayer? The psalmist puts it this way

12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

So the psalmist has promised to do three things in response to answered prayer. First, she will lift up the cup of salvation. This refers to the Passover meal when the Hebrews would remember how God had answered their prayers by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. This is what Jesus and his disciples were doing on the night before he died. So for Christians, raising the cup of salvation is what we do around this table. In communion, we remember how God redeemed us from slavery to sin. And like the psalmist, we too should respond to answered prayer by joining with others in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The second thing that the Psalmist promised to do is to pray in the presence of God's people. So our response to answered prayer must be to come to church where we pray for each other. That's why we have a time each Sunday to share both our joys and concerns. With our joys we can express our gratitude for what God has done for us.

And the third thing the psalmist has promised is to keep her vows. In our prayer life we not only express to God what we need, but we also pledge to be faithful followers. The proper response to answered prayer is to do what we said we would do in prayer. Fulfill our promises to God.

So there are three things that we should do when God answers our prayers. We come to church to express our gratitude in the presence of other believers. We gather with other believers around this table in communion with our Lord. And we keep our promises to God. Do these things and live a blessed life of answered prayer.

Father in heaven, we love you so much for all the prayers you have answered. We pledge to keep praying and remembering your son's sacrifice in this assembly of your people. We pray this in your sons name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 147.

2http://www.guideposts.org/angels-on-earth/guardian-angels/aaa-angels-always-on-alert?page=full

Sermon Psalm 16 Security and Confidence

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Psalm 16 Security and Confidence

April 27, 2014

In the weeks, months and years that followed Jesus' resurrection from the dead his followers tried to make sense of what they had experienced. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was an experienced reality in their lives. Their Bibles, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, was the bedrock of their faith. They would gather on Sunday mornings to bring together what they remembered about Jesus and to study what the Bible said. They were led in this by the Apostles. Both Apostle Peter and Apostle Paul preached early sermons on Psalm 16 to help the people of God understand the biblical foundation for our belief in the resurrection of the dead. Today we will do the same thing, but first, let's pray.

Holy One, you have made known to me the ways of life and have promised to fill me with the gladness of your presence. Keep me mindful of your guidance and your promise as I travel through this day,that my heart may be glad. Amen.¹

Psalm 16:1-11 ^NIV Psalm 16:1 A miktam of David. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. ² I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

King David, writing a thousand years before Christ, affirmed the trust he put in God. He knew that God had preserved his life and would continue to do so. He knew that God was the source of all his blessings, wealth and power. He rejoiced in the promise God had made to him that his descendants would sit on his throne forever. David's relationship with God was so strong, he felt confident and secure. And he wants us to know that if we follow this path we too will be richly blessed. Let's listen to what David says.

³ As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. ⁴ The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.

So, those who put their hope in God can expect to live securely, confident of God's blessings. But those who do not follow God and run after worthless idols cannot be so sure. If you put your hope on your money, you could lose it. If your hope is on your business or farm or job, it could go bankrupt. If your hope is on relationships or good health, these can fail. Our only source of hope, the only thing we can count on is God and God's faithfulness. So, how can we put our hope on God. Let's get back to David.

⁵ LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. ⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

God gives us confidence and makes our lives secure by giving us boundaries. If we live according to God's rules and do what he tells us to do then we will have less fear and feel more secure. But if we do what our culture tells us and we pursue wealth and power and processions then we lose our feeling of security because we may lose what we have. We have a choice. Let me tell you a story.

According to one of Grimm's fairy tales, “A man was a soldier, but when war ended, his parents were dead, and his brothers had no place for him.

A green-coated man with a cloven hoof appeared to him and offered to make him rich if he would for seven years not cut his hair, clip his nails, bathe, or pray, and wear a coat and cloak that he would give him. At the end, if he survived, he would be rich and free. If he died during the time, the devil would have him. The desperate soldier agreed and the devil gave him the green coat telling him he would find its pockets always full of limitless money and then a bearskin, telling him that he had to sleep in it and would be known as Bearskin because of it.

Bearskin set out, and gave much money to the poor that they would pray for him, to live out the seven years. After several years, he grew so revolting that he had to pay heavily to get any shelter. In the fourth year, he heard an old man lamenting and persuaded him to tell his tale: he had lost all his money, did not know how to provide for his daughters and could not pay the innkeeper, so he would be sent to jail. Bearskin paid the innkeeper and gave the old man a purse of gold as well.

The old man said that he would marry him to one of his daughters in gratitude. The oldest ran away, screaming, from the sight. The middle one said he was worse than a bear that had tried to pass itself off as human. The youngest one agreed to fulfill her father's promise. Bearskin gave her half a ring and promised to return in three years. Her sisters ridiculed her at length.

At the end of the seven years, Bearskin found the devil again and demanded he fulfill his promise. The devil then proceeds to bathe Bearskin, clip his nails and cut his hair until he is as good as new. Bearskin then demands that the devil say the Lord's prayer. The devil warns Bearskin not to push his luck as he has already won their bargain and disappears.

Clean and with his money, he dressed himself as a fine gentleman and went to the old man's house, where the older sisters served him, and his bride (dressed in black) showed no reaction to him. He told the old man that he would marry one of his daughters. The two older sisters ran off to dress splendidly, and Bearskin dropped his half of the ring into a wine cup and gave it to his bride. She drank it and realized that he was her bridegroom. They married.

Upon realizing who he was and what they gave up, one sister hung herself in rage and the other drowned herself. The devil knocked on the door to tell Bearskin that he had gotten two souls for the price of one.”²

So much for relying on the Devil to give us everything we want. Their are always strings attached. But scripture tells us there is another way of living. We can put God first. Listen again to David's psalm.

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.

Praise God and obey his commands. That's what you do to live a confident and secure life. God will always be with you, blessing you richly. But how do we know this to be true? What's the proof? Let's go back to David.

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

The promise we have of eternal life, through the resurrection of the dead, is what gives us our confidence and security. We know that nothing will harm us because not even death has power over us. Even if we die we will live in the glorious resurrection. And we know this for certain because Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

So don't put your faith in things other than God because these things increase your fear. Hold on to what gives you security and confidence. Put your hope in God and his promise of eternal life. Praise God and obey his commandments. And live secure lives with confidence in the resurrection to eternal life. Let's pray.

Father in heaven keep us from following gods that deceive us. We are tempted to follow money, possessions, and power as ways to get what we want. But what we really want is confidence and security. So remind us again and again that confidence can only be found in your faithfulness. We pray this in your son's name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 142.

2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearskin_(German_fairy_tale)

Sermon John 20:1-18 They Saw and Believed

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon John 20:1-18 They Saw and Believed

Easter, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter! This is the day we have been waiting for. Our forty days of preparation are over and it is time to rejoice. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Let's pray.

Jesus, victorious Lord, I exult in your resurrection. As I sing “alleluia” with my voice, let my life embody “alleluia” as a testimony to your love and a witness to your eternal life. Amen.¹

Let's start by reviewing what happened. Jesus was arrested, tried and executed on a cross. A couple of the religious leaders who believed in Jesus removed him from the cross and placed him in a nearby tomb. There is no question about it. Christ was dead. His disciples took their usual sabbath rest on Friday evening through Saturday. Let's see what happened early Sunday morning.

NIV John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

Mary made her way to the tomb in the dark. All of her hopes and dreams had been crucified the previous Friday. She had spent the weekend in the fog of grief for the death of a loved one. Then when she arrived at the tomb what she saw, or more specifically, what she didn't see scared her to death. Jesus was missing from the tomb. So she ran to get help. Here is what happened.

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes,

The two disciples have seen the empty tomb and discarded grave clothes. The head cloth was neatly folded. And we are told that one of them believed. What did this disciple, the one Jesus loved, believe? I think that he believed what Jesus had told him at the supper on Thursday night. Listen to what Jesus had said.

John 7:33-34 ³³ Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

So the disciple must have believed that Jesus had died, and his spirit went to heaven to be with God. This would have been consistent with first century thought. Our bodies die, return to dust, and our spirits go to heaven. Most people today would be comfortable with this belief as were the two disciples. So they went back home to grieve the death of their dear friend, Jesus. But as Paul Harvey used to say, let's look at “the rest of the story.”

11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."

Mary's grief is almost overwhelming. Not only had Jesus died, but now something has happened to his body. Mary must have been very angry at what was happening. Everything was spiraling out of control. Then, the most surprising thing in scripture happened.

14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Suddenly Mary's grief turned to joy. Jesus was alive! He was right there in front of her. She recognized his voice. All she wanted to do was give him a big hug. Let's hear what Jesus has to say.

17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Jesus is doing what he said he would do. Death on a cross could not stop him. He was a alive, physically alive. He was not a spirit or ghost. He was physically alive, resurrected from the dead. Let's get back to Mary.

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

The Gospel of John is filled with twists and unexpected endings. But no ending is more surprising than this one. Jesus' spirit had gone to heaven, paradise, with the soul of a man crucified at his side. But then his soul returned from heaven and entered his dead body. God made his heart to beat and blood to flow. His lungs filled with air. He stood up, folded his grave clothes, walked out of the tomb, and waited around for a chance to talk with Mary.

At first Mary did not recognize him. She thought he might be a gardener or something. But then she heard his voice and recognized it as the voice of the Good Shepherd. By seeing and hearing Jesus she became the first of many people who witnessed his resurrection from the dead. Jesus told her not to hug him because he had not yet ascended to heaven. We learn from this that Jesus will ascended to the father with his physical flesh and blood body where he lives today in heaven at God's right hand.

The resurrection of the Jesus Christ is a sign or miracle. It's purpose, as is the purpose of all signs in the gospel of John, is to bring people to faith. People see the sign and hear what it means and then come to belief. So what does this all mean? And what is it we should believe? For this explanation let's turn to the Apostle Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ^NIV 1 Corinthians 15:³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also.

So according to Paul the resurrected Jesus was seen by many reliable people. Since there were many trustworthy witnesses of the resurrection, we can believe their testimony. The story we heard today is true. It is an historical fact. But what does it all mean? Let's go back to Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:17-22 ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is proof that one day we too will be resurrected from the dead. When believers die our souls go to heaven to be with God. But then at the end of time a new world will be created with a new Jerusalem and our graves will be opened, our bodies will be recreated and reunited with our souls. And we will live forever under the lordship of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God. This is the promise of scripture.

Revelation 21:1-5 ^NIV Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

You have heard about the sign, Jesus' resurrection from the dead. You have heard testimony from Mary and many other witnesses who saw it. You have heard that this means that you too will one day be resurrected from the dead to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The sign is right there. The explanation make sense. There is only one question remaining. Do you believe it? Do you believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead? Do you believe that one day you too will be resurrected to live in his eternal kingdom? Do you believe these things? I think you do or else you would have found something else to do today. You believe that Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia, let's pray.

Heavenly Father we thank you and praise you for your promise of resurrection to eternal life. Strengthen our faith. Send your Spirit to bring everyone to belief this day. This we pray in the name of the one first raised from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 138.

Sermon - Mark 14:57-64 - Questioned

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pocomoke Ministerial Association

Ecumenical Good Friday Service

Sermon - Mark 14:57-64 - Questioned

Good Friday, April 18, 2014

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Jesus was taken to the religious authorities for questioning. They had to decide how charge him. What had he done wrong? What was his crime? And Jesus had to decided how to plead, guilty or not guilty. So, a hearing was held to determine the specific charges. The hearing was conducted by the High Priest and the religious leaders, a council called the Sanhedrin. Let's listen in.

Mark 14:57-64 ⁵⁷ Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸ "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'" ⁵⁹ Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

Because the witnesses cannot agree this charge is baseless. We know that Jesus did say something like this, but he was referring to his own body which would be killed and then resurrected on the third day. But the religious leadership of day cannot understand this. So let's hear Jesus' answer to the charge.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" ⁶¹ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Jesus refused to comment on this accusation. He probably thought that he shouldn't talk about these things during the trail. And anyway the witnesses didn't agree on what happened. So there was no reason for Jesus to make any remarks. The high priest decided to move on. Let's listen as he makes another accusation.

60b Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Caiaphas, the high priest has accused Jesus of being the messiah, the Christ or anointed one they had been waiting for. And he accused Jesus of being the Son of God. Let's listen to Jesus response.

⁶² "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

So Jesus has admitted to the charges. This high priest got it absolutely right. Jesus is the messiah. He is the Son of God. Let's see the high priest's reaction to his admission.

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. ⁶⁴ "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.

The crime of blasphemy occurs whenever someone claims to have the rights or qualities of God. In doing so the blasphemer demonstrates an irreverent attitude toward God. Jesus is claiming to be God. So he is guilty of blasphemy as charged, unless, of course, he can demonstrate in some way that he truly is God. The trial is not over yet. Amen.

Sermon - John 13:1-17, 31b-35 - Loving Others

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon - John 13:1-17, 31b-35 - Loving Others

Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2014

This is the 38^th day of Lent. Lent is a forty day period, excluding Sundays, when we are prepared for the event that comes this Sunday. We remember the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness preparing to enter the promised land, and Jesus' forty days of temptation preparing for his ministry on earth. We are preparing ourselves for Easter by gathering in a solemn assembly on this Thursday night. Let us pray.

O Lord, as I rest in you this night, keep me faithful. Let my dying and my living be precious in your sight so that I may rest in you forever; I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.¹

John 13 1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The conversation tonight that we are looking at is between Jesus and the people he loved the most, his disciples, on the night before he died. Jesus wants them to know about God's love. Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover. This festival was meant to help the people of God remember how much God loved them. He loved them so much that he freed them from slavery in Egypt. It was understood that God loved his people by blessing them and cursing their enemies. The Israelites were blessed by being allowed to leave Egypt to worship their God. The Egyptians were cursed by having all the firstborn of both the people and livestock struck dead. It was a awful curse God gave the Egyptians, but we are told that God did this to free his people. And so Passover teaches us that God's love comes to us as blessings upon us and curses on our enemies. Let's continue.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

Jesus and his disciples are sitting around low tables in a U shape. Jesus and two of them are at the head table. Five each are at the side tables. Everyone is on the outside of the U. They are all reclining on their left side and their heads are support by their left hands. They are reaching for food with their right and their feet are pointing away from the table. Let's see what Jesus does.

4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus has done the unthinkable. The work of washing guest's feet is the responsibility of a servant. The leader of the group should remain at the table talking and eating with others. But Jesus got up, removed his cloak and tied a towel around his waist the way a slave would to begin washing the guest's feet. Jesus has humbled himself, taking the form of a slave. Let's listen to the reaction of his disciples.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

The disciples thought that Jesus was washing the dirt from their feat. But this is not at all what Jesus was doing. Jesus was doing what we do in baptism. When we pass through the baptismal waters our sins are washed away. Through Jesus that night, God was forgiving the disciples and washing their sins away. Let's listen to Jesus' explanation.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The responsibility of the disciples is to wash each other's feet just as Jesus had washed theirs. They are to do what Jesus did, but not to literally wash feet. Rather, they are to forgive others just as they have been forgiven by God. Please note that the feet of all twelve of Jesus' disciples had their feet washed and their sins forgiven. Even Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Jesus' location to the religious authorities, was forgiven. If Jesus can forgive the man who betrayed him, then he can certainly forgive everyone who has done something wrong.

What Jesus has done here is to radically redefine what we mean when we say that God loves us. The disciples had thought that God loved us by blessing us and cursing our enemies. But Jesus wants us to know that cursing our enemies is not what God is all about. God loves us so much that he forgives our enemies and wants us to do the same. By forgiving us Jesus has glorified God. And if we forgive others we too glorify God. Jesus put it this way.

31b “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him ,God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

God loves you by forgiving you and washing away your sin. He does not hold grudges. He is not concerned with your past disobedience at all. All he wants is for you to confess and turn away from sin. And, of course, he wants you to love others by forgiving them too. This is why Jesus came to earth. In the Kingdom of God we are to love one another. Let's pray.

Father in heaven, we know that in Jesus Christ you love us. Jesus loved us do much he died for us. Help us to love one another as much as you love us. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 129.

Sermon John 11:45-57 – Jesus Speaks to the Powerful

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon John 11:45-57 – Jesus Speaks to the Powerful

April 13, 2014

I am continuing today with our Lenten study drawn from the Gospel of John. We have been following Jesus as he taught individuals and groups bringing them to faith. One technique that Jesus used in his teaching was to use ordinary words and phrases, but give them extraordinary meanings. When Jesus met Nicodemus he talked about being “born again”. Nicodemus thought that this referred to going back into your mother's womb. But Jesus said that it referred to a spiritual rebirth that comes with faith. Then when Jesus met with the Samaritan woman at the well he talked about “living water”. She thought that this meant “running water” like in a stream. But Jesus said that it referred to a spiritual rebirth that leads to eternal life. When Jesus healed the man blind from birth everyone thought that this was about Jesus' power to bring someone from the darkness of blindness into the physical light. But Jesus made it clear that really what he was doing was bringing someone from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. Today we will continue looking at Jesus' teaching. And his student will be none other than the Roman Governor, Pilate. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

I rise, O God, awakened by your Word, to live another day. Lead me in your path. Show me the steps to take toward greater faith. Hold me in your care as I move through this Holy Week where the 

shadows deepen even in the daylight. Hosanna! Save me now, dear God! Amen”.¹

One of my favorite television shows was Law & Order. This show appeared on the NBC network for twenty years tying it with Gunsmoke as the longest running series on television. This show would begin each week with the police investigating a crime. It would end with the district attorneys office prosecuting that crime in court. Along the way there were many twists and turns. I think that the writer of the fourth gospel could have written for that show. John has given us a story of a trial with many twists and turns. Let begin today in the office of the district attorney, the High Priest of Israel, Caiaphas.

John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

So, the ruling religious council has met and at the urging of Caiaphas has issued an indictment for Jesus. He has been accused of this: “for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one”. Jesus, by publicly performing miracles, has been bringing people to faith. Not only Jews, but gentiles too have witnessed these sign and heard Jesus' teaching and have come to belief. The ruling council is concerned that this could lead to the formation of a political movement that would threaten the Roman occupiers. This could bring down upon them the wrath of Rome. And so they have decided that Jesus must be stopped. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Jesus avoided capture for a couple of weeks, but then came to Jerusalem riding a donkey over palm branches. The symbolism was obvious. Jesus was coming as a king. The authorities bribed one of his disciples and arrested him at night. They brought Jesus to Annas, the former high priest for arraignment, and was ordered to appear before Caiaphas. Caiaphas, the prosecutor, took Jesus before the judge, Pilate. Here is what happened.

John 18:28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” 30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.

Caiaphas has refused to state specifically the charges against Jesus. He seems to prefer that Pilate determine the charges for himself. Maybe Pilate will come up with something. But Pilate knows what's going on. He has heard about Jesus, his miracles, and his coming into the city like a king. This could be a threat to Roman power so he took Jesus into his palace for questioning. Let's listen in.

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.

So Jesus is doing what we have seen him do in the past. He is using an ordinary word, “king”, but he is using it in an unusual way. He admits to being king, but not in the way Pilate expects. Pilate thinks that Jesus might be organizing an army to overthrown Roman rule. But Jesus is not that kind of king. Jesus is king in the Kingdom of God. In this Kingdom all in authority on earth including Pilate and the Emperor of Rome will one day bow down to him. So what kind of king is Jesus? What is he claiming to be? The psalmist says, Psalm 10:16 “The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land”. In the Kingdom of God, God is king. So if Jesus is king over the Kingdom of God he must be … God.

Pilate decided that he has no business convicting Jesus and he wants this problem to go away. So he went outside to speak with Caiaphas and the council.

38 With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” 40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

The Sanhedrin knows full well what Jesus is claiming and they want no part of it. They want Jesus dead and will not let Pilate release him on a technicality. So the Romans flogged Jesus, put a crown of thorns on his head and clothed him in a purple robe to mock his claim of kingship. When the council saw this they were angry and shouted “Crucify Him!”

John 19:¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. ¹⁵ But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

And with that the High Priest of Israel, Caiaphas and the others in the Sanhedrin admitted their own guilt. They worship only one king, Caesar. There is no room in their lives for their true king, God. They have effectively excommunicated God from the temple.

And so, like Law & Order, the story ends with a twist. The prosecutors have admitted their guilt. The religious leaders have seen the signs and heard Jesus' testimony, but they failed to come to belief. Sadly, there are many people today who see what God is doing in the world around us and know what Jesus has to say about it, but they don't believe. They are excluding themselves from the promise of resurrection to eternal life. We need to continue to pray for these people, help them to see God at work in their lives, and understand what it means. We need to bring them to faith in our savior, Jesus Christ.

Let's pray. Father in heaven, we that you for the gift of faith. Help us to bring others to Jesus so that they will receive this gift and enjoy with us the benefits of eternal life. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 124.

Sermon - John 9:1-41 - Light of the World

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek Church

Sermon - John 9:1-41 - Light of the World

March 30, 2014

In the early church new initiates into Christianity would undergo a two year period of instruction from the Old Testament scriptures. Then, during Lent, the gospel of Jesus Christ would be revealed to them and they would be taught how Jesus had fulfilled the scriptures. This education in the gospel of Jesus Christ would start with John, chapter nine, where we have the amazing story of a man emerging from the blindness of unbelief into the light of faith. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

Good morning, Lord. The day has dawned with the gift of sunlight, and I awaken from sleep into the light and grace of Christ. Thank you for this new day. Stay with me, I pray, shepherding me through all that the day will hold. Lead me into pleasant places, and give me the provisions I will need if I find myself in difficulty or danger. Whenever the cup of gladness overflows, help me to recognize that it is filled with your goodness and mercy. In praise and anticipation I begin this day; in Jesus’ name. Amen..¹

Let's begin with the context of our story from John 9.

John 9:1-41 NIV John 9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

So, we have a sign or a miracle. A man blind from birth now has sight. This all by itself is a remarkable event, but in this story it is just the beginning. Let's take a look at the reaction of his neighbors, those who knew him.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." 10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. 11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." 12 "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.

The neighbors barely recognize him. They know him only as a blind man. They have never looked below the surface of his blindness to see who he really is. So when his blindness is taken away they don't recognize him. Neither does the formerly blind man recognize who healed him. All he knows about his healer is his name, Jesus. Let's turn now to the religious leaders of the day to hear their reaction to this miracle.

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. 17 Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."

The Pharisees know who did the healing, and they suspect that he might be sent from God. But their expectation is that anyone sent from God would obey all of God's laws to the letter. Because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, some of the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus for who he truly was. But the man who had been healed sure did. He recognized that the man named Jesus must be a prophet of God. Let's turn now to the reaction of the people who knew this man the best, his parents.

18 The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. 19 "Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" 20 "We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

His parents knew full well who had healed their son. They had probably witnesses the healing and recognized Jesus as the rabbi and healer from Galilee. But fear prevented them from talking about their faith. This is the problem most Christians in North America have. We are fearful about sharing our faith with others. We fear what others will say or do if we talk about what God has done for us. So, like this man's parents we remain silent.

There is a very good new movie that shows us a different way. It's is Salisbury right now, and is called God's Not Dead. In this movie a university student is academically threaten by a professor if he publicly professes his faith. The student had a choice, either risk a failing grade by defending his faith, or remain silent. And unlike the parents of the formerly blind man, he accepted the risk and declared his faith. Let's go back to the interrogation of the blind man by the Pharisees.

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." 25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" 26 Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses!

The formerly blind man who started out only knowing his healer's name, now confesses to be his disciple. He recognizes what Jesus has done in his life. He knows that Jesus is a man of God. So he is now ready to risk everything and follow Jesus, even if this makes the religious establishment angry, which it did. This is the true miracle in the story. A man healed of blindness came to faith in Jesus Christ. But the Pharisees wanted nothing to do with this man. They sent him out of their presence. So, Jesus went and found him. Let's listen to their conversation.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." 38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

And with that the man who had been born blind, and lived in the darkness of unbelief was reborn to new life in the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Let's pray.

Lord God in heaven, we know that you do so much for us to bring us to faith. We believe in Jesus Christ, but we find it difficult to share our faith with others. We fear what will happen. Calm our fears and grant us courage to witness to our beliefs bringing others to faith. As his disciples we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 114.