Sermon Acts 2:1-13 “What Difference Does It Make”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Delaware City Presbyterian Church
Sermon Acts 2:1-13 “What Difference Does It Make”
June 9, 2019

Today is Pentecost Sunday.  For Israelites, two thousand years ago, this was the festival of first fruits.   The vegetables planted fifty days ago are ripening on the vine and the first of these are ready to be eaten.   So the people would gather to thank God for this blessing.   And they would open a scroll and read the story of God’s blessing to their ancestors when Moses ascended a mountain to receive the 10 commandments. 

Our story begins with Jesus’ disciples, both men, and women, waiting in an upper room.   We will get to what happens next and ask the question “What difference does it make?”.  But first, let’s pray.

“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)

For forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Jesus prepared his disciples for their own ministries.   When this period of preparation was complete Jesus gave them their mission.   He told them to do this.

Acts 1:8 “... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus has promised that they will receive the power that is needed for them to tell others about what they had seen and heard.   They will be witnesses of Jesus’ ministry and mission.   And the Holy Spirit will empower them to do what God wants them to do.   They will be evangelists and through them, a global church will be born.  But Jesus also said something surprising.

4 … “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Jesus told them to wait.  Wait?   Why wait?  Jesus has been with them for years.   He has been preparing them for forty days.   Jesus is ready to ascend to heaven.  Why not bring in the Holy Spirit right now?  Why wait?  I think the reason Jesus had them wait was so that they could see what church would be like without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  And then they would see what church would be like with this empowerment.   And then they would understand, “What difference does the Holy Spirit make?”

So, let take a look at what the church is like before the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled ...
23 …  They nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

  So before the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the church engaged in prayer, listened to Peter preach and teach from scripture, and held a congregational meeting to elect officers.   All this sound pretty familiar.   This is what the church does today.   We engage in fellowship, worship, prayer and Bible study.   We have meetings and elections.   We do everything the earliest church did before the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  But we are not empowered to be witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ to this community.  Let’s go back to scripture.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

This is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has promised.   Luke tries to describe if with figurative language, “violent wind”, “tongues of fire”.   And he tells us of the effect of the empowerment.  Christians can talk about Jesus Christ and people will understand it and respond. 

What difference did the Holy Spirit make in the church?    Before the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the church engaged in fellowship, worship, prayer, and Bible study.  They had meetings and elected officers.   But now, with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, they can do what Jesus told them to do.  They can be witnesses of Jesus, his ministry and mission, in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world.

We can see the empowerment of Holy Spirit at work in the Apostle Peter.  Fifty days before the empowerment of the Holy Spirit Peter was unable to be a witness.  On the night of Jesus’ arrest, on three occasions, Peter had an opportunity to give his testimony.  But this happened. 

Luke 22:55 … Some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

So fifty days before his empowerment by the Holy Spirit, Peter was unable to witness to his faith in Jesus Christ.   But fifty days later, all that changed.

Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

What difference does the empowerment of the Holy Spirit make to a church?   Without this empowerment, all we can do is have fellowship, worship, prayer, Bible studies, meetings, and elections.    That’s it.  With the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we have the extraordinary ability to witness to others, bringing them to faith. 

What about Delaware City church?  I know you have fellowship, worship, prayer, Bible studies, meetings, and elections.   But have you been empowered by the Holy Spirit?  Do you have the ability to go today and tell others, here is Delaware City, about your faith in Jesus Christ bringing them to faith?  Or are you waiting for the empowerment that Jesus has promised?

After Jesus’ ascension to heaven his disciples, both men and women went back to the upper room and engaged in constant prayer.   They prayed for Jesus’ promise to be realized.   They prayed for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that would allow them to do what Jesus told them to do.   They prayed for the Spirit’s power to go into the community, share their faith, and bring people to faith in Christ.  And those prayers were answered.

What if Delaware City Church engaged in constant prayer too?   What if we prayed for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?  What if we prayed for the ability to share the testimony of our faith with others?  What if we prayed for the ability to bring others to faith?  I think that the Holy Spirit would come upon us and we would have the ability to go into our community telling people about Jesus and bringing them to faith.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, your church is waiting for the empowerment of your Holy Spirit.  We ask that the Spirit come upon us and empower us to do what you have told us to do.   Empower us to go into our community and tell others about our faith in Jesus Christ.   Empower us to bring others to faith.    In Jesus’ name, we pray all of this.  Amen.

Sermon 2 Kings 2:1-18 "Elijah - A Double Portion of Spirit"

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon 2 Kings 2:1-18 "Elijah - A Double Portion of Spirit"
June 2, 2019

Listen to this sermon.

This is my final sermon in my series on the life of the prophet Elijah.   Last week we heard God’s instructions to Elijah from atop Mt. Horeb.  God told his prophet to begin the process that will lead to the downfall of the Omri dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel.  As part of that, Elijah was instructed to anoint Elisha as the Prophet of Israel.

Two weeks ago we talked about Elijah’s name.   In Hebrew it is Eli-yah, “My God is Yahweh”.      Elisha’s name in Hebrew is Eli-shua, “My God is the Savior”.  Let’s do a mental exercise.   Combine in your minds the last syllable of Elijah name, “yah” with the last syllable of Elisha’s name, “shua”.   “Yah-shua”.   Hold that name in your minds.  “Yah-shua”.

Nine centuries after Elijah an angel came to a young woman named Mary.   He told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive and bear a son.   And she would call this son, in Hebrew, “Yah-shua”.   “Yah-shua” means “Yahweh is the savior”.  It is a combination of the final syllables in the name Eli-yah and Eil-shua, Elijah and Elisha.   And when “Yah-shua” is spoken in English we say, Jesus.  So Jesus’ name is a combination of the names Elijah and Elisha and means “Yahweh is the savior”.   Let’s pray to Yah-shua, Jesus. 

“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)

God told Elijah to anoint his successor, Elisha.  Here is what happened.

1 Kings 19:19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

The whole community has gathered.  My guess is that Elijah has come to pray and bless them in the coming growing season.  Twelve pair of oxen have been yoked to plows.  After the prayer, twelve farmers each takes one pair of oxen out into the field to begin work.   Eleven farmers pass by Elijah and receive his blessing.  But when the twelfth farmer passes Elijah, the prophet removes his cloak and places it on the farmer.

Elijah’s cloak was a camel skin overcoat with a leather belt worn in cold weather.   It became associated with Elijah’s ministry so much that when people heard that a prophet was coming wearing a camel skin cloak with a leather belt they knew it was Elijah.   Wearing a cloak like this became the symbol of being a prophet.  Nine centuries later, John the Baptist wore a camel skin cloak with a leather belt indicating that he had come as a prophet like Elijah.   By putting this cloak on Elisha, Elijah was anointing him as new the Prophet of Israel.
But Elisha was not so sure that he wanted to be a prophet.   

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
This is clearly a delaying tactic.  Elisha wants to go home and talk this over with his parents.   Elijah is clearly annoyed at this but he lets Elisha go home to say goodbye to his family and village. 

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Elisha had a great feast to say goodbye to family and friends and then followed Elijah.   This began a season of preparation as Elijah taught Elisha how to be a prophet.  We don’t how long this lasted, but eventually, Elisha was ready,  and it was time for Elijah to leave.

2 Kings 2:1 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

So, the two prophets are traveling together and we know that it is time for Elijah to leave and go to heaven in a whirlwind.  But Elisha does not want Elijah to go away.

2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”  But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
Poor Elisha!  He does not want his spiritual mentor to leave.  So they continue walking together all the way to Bethel.

3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

Other prophets have come to Elisha.   They told him that the time had come for Elijah to leave.  They told Elisha that he would now be the prophet of Israel.  But Elisha didn’t want to hear any of this.  He wanted Elijah to remain.  So Elijah again to Elisha to stay behind but Elisha refused.  Elisha followed his mentor all the way to Jericho.

5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
The prophets of Jericho have told Elisha that this is the day.   Elijah is leaving you today.   You should stay here and let him go.  But again Elisha will hear none of this and continues to follow his mentor.

7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

Elijah takes his cloak, the camel hair overcoat, symbol of his prophetic identity, and uses it to part the waters just as Moses did when he used Arron’s rod to part the Red Sea.  And like Moses and the Hebrews, Elijah and Elisha crossed on dry ground.   Then they had their final conversation.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

The firstborn son of an Israelite inherits a double portion of his father’s assets.    Elisha is asking Elijah to treat him as his son.   Elijah has no earthly possessions, except a camel hair coat.  But what Elijah does have in abundance is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Elisha is asking for a double share of Elijah spiritual gifts.  Although this is a hard thing to promise Elijah says it will happen if Elisha watches what happens next.

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them.

Elisha can walk with Elijah no more.   God has intervened by sending a tank, a fiery chariot,  to separate them just as God sent the flaming swords to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to the Garden of Eden.  And then this happens.

11b and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.  12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Elisha is experiencing great grief.  He has lost his spiritual mentor, father, and friend.   Elijah is gone for good until Jesus has a committee meeting on the Mount of Transfiguration.  But for Elijah and Elisha, this is the end of the road.   Elisha will go forward alone. 

No!  Elisha is not alone.   He has a double portion of the Holy Spirit who will comfort him and empower him to do what God wants him to do.

13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

Just as God parted the Jordan River to allow Joshua and the Hebrews to enter the Promised Land so too is that river parted to allow Elisha to begin his ministry as the Prophet of Israel.

This is my last Sunday with you as Interim Pastor.  I have been with you for over two years.   My call to this church was to prepare you for the coming of a new pastor.   That work is complete.  Beginning next Sunday, the Rev. Dr. Carol Fisher will be in this pulpit.   God is taking me away to some other call.  I don’t think we will be seeing a whirlwind today.   Like Elijah, I won’t be here anymore.  My prayer is that you, New Covenant Church, like Elisha will inherit a double portion of God’s Holy Spirit.   With this, you will be comforted in parting with me and empowered to accomplish God’s mission here in Middletown, Delaware.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, pour down your blessings on New Covenant Church.   Bless them with spiritual growth as each of them grow into the stature of Christ.  Bless them with numerical growth as they welcome to this church people moving into the new homes being built.   And bless them with the resources and facilities needed to make this church effective in reaching this community for Christ.   I whose name we pray.   Amen.

Sermon 1 Kings 19:10-21 “Elijah - Zealous for the Lord”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon 1 Kings 19:10-21 “Elijah - Zealous for the Lord”
May 26, 2019

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This is my second in a series of sermons drawn from the life of the Prophet Elijah.   Elijah was called by God to deal with a problem King and Queen, Ahab and Jezebel.   They were so terrible God had to send the greatest prophet he had to try to bring them to repentance.   Today we will see what happened, but first, let’s pray.

“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)

Ahab and Jezebel were the worst king and queen ever. 

1 Kings 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

So, here we have a problem king.   Ahab has turned his whole country away from God.   He has them worshiping Baal, the god of nature, and Asherah, the goddess of sexuality.   God will do something about this.   God will give Ahab the opportunity to repent and return to Him. 

As we saw last week God sent the prophet Elijah to Ahab to propose a test.   This test would be to see which god, Baal, the god of nature, or Yahweh, the God of Israel, answers prayer.  And in a most spectacular way, Elijah proved that only Yahweh, the God of Israel, answers prayer. 

King Ahab, King of Israel saw all of this.   Certainly, he repented and returned to the God of Israel.  Right?   Well, no.  Ahab did not turn from the gods of nature and sexuality.   He did not return to God.   Rather, he turned to his wife, Queen Jezebel.

1 Kings 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

Jezebel could have killed Elijah if she wanted to.   She could have sent her army and they would have returned with his head.  But she didn’t.   She didn’t want to kill Elijah because that would turn him into a martyr.   And martyr can be very dangerous to a king.   So what she did was what tyrants always do.   She intimidated him.   Jezebel wanted Elijah to be so afraid of her that he would no longer bother them with prophecies.   And her intimidation worked.   Elijah was scared to death.

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

Elijah was so afraid he ran away and gave up.  He got out of Israel as fast as he could, fired his assistant, and went a days journey into the desert without food and water to die. 

God needs courageous prophets.  But Elijah’s courage had failed.  Elijah needs some encouragement.  So God dispatched an angel.

5b All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank.

God started his encouragement of Elijah by preparing him physically.   God made sure that Elijah had enough sleep and plenty to eat because there was something big God wanted Elijah to do.

 8b Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

When you see the number 40 in the Bible remember that it always refers to a time of preparation.    Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the 10 Commandments from God.   The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the promised land.   Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days before beginning his ministry.   The forty days and nights Elijah spent on a journey was preparing him to take on Ahab and Jezebel.    The purpose of these forty days was to give Elijah the courage he needed to bring about reform in Israel.  And this courage would be tested on Mt. Horeb.  Mt. Horeb is the mountain of God when Moses had received the 10 Commandments.   On this mountain, Elijah’s courage will be tested. 

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Was Elijah afraid of the hurricane?  No.   Was Elijah afraid of the earthquake?  No.   Was Elijah afraid of the fire? No.   Did Elijah run away and give up after any of these?  No!  Elijah’s courage has been restored.   And he is ready to receive God’s instructions.

12b And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

Now we know how Yahweh, God of Israel will deal with Ahab and Jezebel, King and Queen of Israel.   God has demonstrated his power to his king with a draught, but Ahab refused to repent.   So now God will remove the Omri Dynasty from the throne of Israel.   Elijah will anoint Jehu to lead a revolution that will topple the king.  He will be assisted by Hazael, the King of Aram.  And they will have a prophet to lead them, Elisha.  This is God’s plan to deal with the evil king and queen, Ahab and Jezebel.   They will lose their thrones because they led the people astray toward the gods of nature and sexuality. 

This is a warning to all those in power who seek to lead people away from God.   Anyone who leads a nation toward the worship of nature and sexuality risks losing their power to an angry God.

We Christian must be courageous.  We must proclaim the truth no matter the cost.  We must constantly call people back to the one true God, whom we know as Jesus Christ.   God will encourage us through our spiritual practices of worship, prayer and Bible study. 

Elijah never saw the end of the Omri dynasty.   He was gone before the revolution.   But he knew that through his courage he was helping implement God’s plan for the world.  So too with us.   If we act courageously to witness to God’s amazing love and call people to faith the fruits of what we do may not be known in our lifetimes.   But rest assured that God is using your courageous work to bring his glorious plan into fruition.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven we thank you for the courage you give us.   Help us to hold fast to your truth and proclaim it to a world hungry to hear it.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Sermon 1 Kings 18 “Elijah - A Wonderful Life”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon 1 Kings 18 “A Wonderful Life”
May 19, 2019

Listen to this sermon.

I am beginning today a three-part sermon series on the life of the prophet Elijah.

Earlier this week I received an email from the Trump campaign asking me to support them by purchasing a MAGA hat.   MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, this is the slogan for the Trump campaign.   If you wear a MAGA hat in public you are making a political statement that you support the president.   But be warned that if you do this, other people who do not support Trump may be offended by your hat.   And this can cause problems for you.

We see this sort of thing going all the way back to the ninth century before Christ.   The people of Israel had abandoned the God of their ancestors.   Instead, they worshiped the gods of nature and sexuality.    A prophet came forward to challenge them.   And his name produced the same reaction a MAGA hat might produce today.   The prophet’s name was Elijah.   This is a Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is God”.  So every time his name was spoken he challenged the worship of nature and sexuality and called people back to worship Yahweh, the God of Israel.  Some people, especially the king and queen, were offended by Elijah’s name.  We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.   

“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)

I would like to talk about two movies which I think will illustrate an important change that has taken place in Western culture. 

The movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, came out in 1946.   The lead character was George Bailey played by Jimmy Stewart.    George had a life-long dream to travel the world.  But time and again circumstances, including the divine interruption by an angel, blocked his ability to travel.  The caused great distress in George.   But by the end of the movie, George realized that he had been richly blessed by God with faith, family, and friends.   He truly had A Wonderful Life.

Now let’s fast forward to 2010 and the movie Eat Pray and Love.   This movie was based on the memoirs of the author Elizabeth Gilbert.   The lead character, Liz, was played by Julia Roberts.  Liz, like George Bailey, had a life-long dream to travel the world.   And like George Bailey, she had a husband, a home, and a career that prevented her from traveling.   But unlike George Bailey, Liz Gilbert decided that nothing could stop her.  So she divorced her husband, quit her job, left her home, and began world travel.   As the title suggests, she ate exotic foods, sampled the spiritual practices of the world’s religions, and fell in love with several different men.   I wouldn’t call this a wonderful life.

What happened between 1946 and 2010?  Our culture changed.   We abandoned the institutional church.   We abandoned the Christian faith.   We abandoned Judeo-Christian morality.   And we have begun worshiping nature and sexuality.   So let’s hear from the prophet Elijah.

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.

The people of Elijah’s day had no answer to his question.    They had no idea why they had abandoned the God of their ancestors.   They couldn’t explain why they worshiped Baal, the god of nature.  And they didn’t know why they worshiped Asherah, the goddess of sexuality. 

And we don’t know either.   Why do we value material things so intensely?  Why do we engage in unlimited sexual activity with anyone, anywhere at any time?   Why have we let our culture abandon God?   We can’t answer this.   So let’s go back to Elijah.

23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”
Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah has proposed a test.    They will set up an altar to worship the gods of nature and sexuality.   Elijah will set up an altar to worship God.   And we will see which one works.

I suggest that this sounds like a pretty good test.   We, the church, will worship God and obey what God tells us to do in scripture.   Everyone else can worship nature and sexuality all they want.   Then we will see who lives a wonderful life.

 We will live lives full of faith, family, and friends.   They will live a life of things and casual sexual experiences.   Who will have a better life?   We will see.

 Let’s get back to our story.

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered.
     
They tried.  They asked the god of nature to send the lightning they needed to start the fire.   But there was no response, no answer.
That’s what happens when we turn to the gods of nature and sexuality.  They destroy our faith, family, and friendships.  They are powerless to give us what we really need.   What we need is a God that will answer us when we call.  We need a God who, if we follow, will bless us richly.  Let’s go back to our story.

And they danced around the altar they had made.  27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

The gods of nature and sexuality don’t care about you.  They don’t want you to have a good life.   They are offering you fools gold.  They are trying to trick you into giving up your blessings.  They want you to worry that if we don’t do something the world will die in twelve years.   They want you to give up the blessing of marriage and family and engage in mindless sex.   They have no answers to the problems you face.  Why would you follow them? Let’s see what Elijah has to say.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs[a] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”
34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Elijah is calling the people back to worship the one true God, the God of their ancestors, the God who answers our prayers.   Elijah has asked God to demonstrate his faithfulness to people again.  And he has asked God to fill his people with faith so that they will turn away from the gods of nature and sexuality and return to faith, family, and friends.   He wants God to give them a wonderful life.

This is my prayer for you today, that God will demonstrate his love for you and give you a wonderful life.   Let’s see if the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob answers Elijah’s prayer.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

They cried out Elijah, Elijah, Yahweh is God!  Yahweh is God!  Oh, that all of us would experience this, that we would see God working in our lives, that we would turn away from the gods of nature and sexuality, and embrace the true God who made us and wants us to have the blessings of faith, family and friends, a wonderful life.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we confess that you are God.  We have turned from you to worship nature and sexuality.   We now desire to return to you.   And we ask for blessings of faith, family, and friends.   We ask for a wonderful life.  In your son’s name.  Amen.
 

Sermon Philippians 2:3-4 “Humility”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Philippians 2:3-4 “Humility”
May 12, 2019

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This will be my final sermon in the series I started last fall based on the book, Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus, by Randy Frazee.  Last fall we began by looking at ten things Christians believe.   We talked about God, a Personal God, Salvation, the Bible, Identity in Christ, Church, Humanity, Compassion, Stewardship and Eternity.   Then, last winter we talked about spiritual practices, Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Single-Mindedness, Total Surrender, Biblical Community, Spiritual Gifts, Offering My Time, Giving My Resources and Sharing My Faith.   Last Advent and this spring we have talked about Christian virtues, Love, Joy, Peace, Self-Control, Hope, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Gentleness.   As a result of what we believe and what we do we become virtuous like Jesus.  Today we turn to the final virtue, Humility.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

“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)

Let’s hear some biblical wisdom:

Psalm 18:27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
Psalm 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalm 147:6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
Proverbs 18:12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 22:4 Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.

There is no question about it.   It is wise to be humble.   Let’s look at humility.

Suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than anyone else in the group.   And you lord it over them.   You always tell them what to do.   You criticize them when are doing it wrong.   You are always on them to get better.   Is this humility?  No.  This is arrogance.   You think that your superior gifts entitle you to boss everyone around.   They won’t like it.  They think you are arrogant.   And arrogance is the opposite of biblical humility.  You don’t want to be seen as being arrogant.

Now suppose you are part of a group, but you have low self-esteem.   You do not consider yourself to be very strong or smart or educated.   You don’t think that God has blessed you very much.   And you get pushed around by others.  You are a wimp.   Is this biblical humility?  No.  This is humiliation.  You don’t want to be a wimp.

To be humble you must have high self-esteem.   You must think of yourself as strong, smart and educated.  But unlike the arrogant person, you do not compare yourself with other people.   You do not think of yourself as better than others.   Rather, you compare yourself with God.  And when you do this you find that God is much stronger than you.   God is much smarter than you.   God is more educated than you will ever be.   You are pretty good but God is a whole lot better than you.  And when you realize this you will be humbled.   This is the virtue of biblical humility.

Suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than any else in the group.   But you realize that you are nothing when compared to God.  What do you do?   Let’s turn to today’s scripture.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Again, suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than any else in the group.   But you realize that you are nothing when compared to God.  You have the virtue of biblical humility so you are concerned not with your own wants and desire but with the interest of the members of the group.  You lift the group up by helping them use their gifts.   You are not arrogant.  You are not a wimp.   You are humble. 

Jesus was certainly humble.   He came as our king but was born in a stable, wrapped with rags, and slept in a feeding trough.  Jesus ate his last supper with us, but instead of sitting in the place of honor he washed our feet.  Jesus came into Jerusalem as a messiah but instead of leading an army he went to a cross, for us.   That is biblical humility.

Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  6 Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.  7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Jesus had high self-esteem.   He was strong, smart and educated.   But he wasn’t arrogant.   And he wasn’t a wimp.  He was humble and did everything to serve us. 

Let’s listen to Jesus’ own teaching on humility.

Mark 10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
39 “We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Let me tell you a story about a man who learned humility the hard way.   His name was Saul in Hebrew.   But you probably heard his Greek name, Paul.   Paul was a strong man, very smart and highly educated.   He had extremely high self-esteem.   And it came out as arrogance.   He heard about a Jewish sect in Jerusalem that was worshipping a man who claimed to be the Messiah.   And he decided that they had to be stopped. 

He was part of a mob that stoned a church deacon, Stephen, to death for his belief in Jesus Christ.    He persecuted Christians pulling them out of churches and throwing them in jail.  And when he had decimated the church in Jerusalem he received permission to carry his persecution of the church to Damascus.   On the way to Damascus Paul met Jesus and converted.  And as a Christian Paul, this stong, smart and educated man,  became humble.   Let’s listen to his own words.

2 Corinthians 12:7 … Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So through a physical difficulty, Paul started comparing himself, not to others, but to God.  And this strong, smart, educated man realized the when he compared himself with God he was truly weak.   This created in him the Christian virtue of humility.   And it changed his behavior toward others.

2 Corinthians 13:9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

So when we are humble we have high self-esteem and we use our gifts to build others up and not tear them down.   The Prophet Micah said that this was the essence of a faithful life.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Let’s pray.  Father in heaven, teach us to be humble.   Help us to be strong, smart and educated.   Give us high-self esteem.   But keep us aware that we are nothing compared to you.  And in our humility help us to lift up others.   Bless us we pray, in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sermon Philippians 4:5 “Gentleness”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Philippians 4:5 “Gentleness”
May 5, 2019

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We are continuing with our look at Christ-like virtues.  These virtues are developed from our faith and spiritual practices.  So far we have talked about Self-Control, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness.   Today we turn to the Christian virtue of Gentleness.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

“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)

When I was a kid I learned a very helpful proverb.  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”   The meaning of this proverb was that there was a distinction between words and violence.   And it was important to keep our disputes non-violent by using words.   This is the basis of our court system.  If someone does something violent to me or my property, I can go to court and argue for damages rather than respond with violence. 

But today in many universities children are being taught that there is no difference between violence and speech.   They say that some speech is a form of violence.   And they say that if speech is used violently then a violent response is justified.

Recently a political commentator, Michael Knowles, spoke a the University of Missouri, Kansas City.  His topic was “A Man is not a Woman”.   His idea was that you cannot change your gender.  This was seen by some students as violent speech.  So they responded violently by squirting an unknown liquid at Mr. Knowles.   Rather than disciplining the student who had attacked Mr. Knowles the president of the university condemned Michael Knowles for his violent speech.

This is dangerous because it means that we can no longer use speech to defuse violent situations.   If words are a form of violence then words cannot be used to stop violence.   And if we cannot talk non-violently about our problems then violence will get worse. 

Our only hope is that the Holy Spirit will develop in us the virtue of gentleness.  Only then can we respond to violence calmly, in a thoughtful, considerate way.   
In the New Testament, there are two Greek words which are translated into English as “gentleness”, prautes and epiekes.   These words both mean gentleness, but they have subtle differences in meaning.  Let’s look at prautes.  Prautes is the virtue that you develop so that you are not overly impressed by your own self-importance.

2 Corinthians 10:1 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!

While I was attending seminary I became the Multicultural Intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church.  The church had three worshiping congregations.   Each worshiped in a different language, Spanish, Korean and English.   Pasadena is one church with three different language groups.  As the Multicultural Intern, I was to find ways of bringing the three groups together.   I was assigned the task of developing a Bible study for Lent.   We would intentionally form Lenten small groups with Spanish, Korean, and English speaking participants. 

Usually, when you try to do this the English speakers dominate the discussions.   They already had mastered the language.  They had been born in America.  And they had been members of the church for many years.   Korean and Spanish speakers were new people with limited skill in English.   So the English speakers usually dominated the discussions while the others sat there quietly. 

I wanted to avoid this situation.   I wanted people from all three language groups to participate in the discussion equally.   So I used a technique called “Mutual Invitation”.   A group facilitator would welcome the group and see that they were all seated comfortably.   Then the facilitator would pray, read scripture and ask a question.   The facilitator would then invite someone to speak.   The rules were simple.  Only one person could speak at a time, and everyone else had to remain silent when someone was speaking.   The person speaking could take a few moments of time to compose his or her thoughts;  this was very important for the Korean and Spanish speakers to get their answers into English.    No one could interrupt the person speaking.  And when that person was finished he or she would invite the next person to speak. 

This process was repeated until everyone had spoken.   Then the facilitator would ask the next question.

The results were amazing.   The English speakers who wanted to interrupt had to remain silent.   The Spanish and Korean speakers had time to think before speaking, and they could speak without being interrupted.   Everyone had an equal opportunity to speak.  Through Mutual Invitation the dominant group learned to be gentle, and the less powerful groups had opportunities.  Prautes means that you are gentle; you do not think of yourself to highly.   

Let’s now turns to the other Greek word translated as “gentleness”.   This is the Greek word, epiekes.   Epiekes means that you exhibit gentleness by not insisting on your rights.

Suppose you are in a crowded parking lot.   You have been driving around looking for a parking space.   Then you see someone get in her car and begin to back out of a space very near the store you are about to visit.   You thank God for this blessing and turn on your turn signal telling everyone that this is your parking spot. 

Then you see a car coming from the other direction.   You see an older man behind the wheel.   You see that the car has handicapped license plates.   There are no handicapped spaces available.   Your parking space is the only one.   What do you do?   Do you take the parking space right near the store as is your right?  After all, you were there first and your turn signal is on.   Or do you let the elderly driver with the handicapped plates use this spot while you find another?  If you have developed the Christian virtue of gentleness, then you will give up your right to the parking space and give it to the elderly driver.

Of course, all this is hard to do.   We have difficulty giving up our privileges and giving others a chance.   This is especially true at church.   When someone comes to a church they want to participate in decision making and use their spiritual gifts.   In a growing church, people will give up some of their own prestige and power to the newcomers.  That is why leaders of the church should not be an elder, trustee or deacon forever.   It is important to cycle off these boards so the newcomers can cycle on.  If you are organizing Fellowship activities or VBS or mission projects, your job is to get new people involved so that they will replace you.   This will only happen if you have the Christian virtue of gentleness, and are willing to giving up some of your rights and privileges so that others can participate in decision making and use their gifts

So what are some practical things we can do to nurture the virtue of gentleness?

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The first thing we can do is to be thoughtful.   In every situation, we take time to think about the proper thing to do.  We don’t act like a bull in a china shop pushing everything over, trying always to get our own way.  Rather, we try to always encourage others and do little things to help them.

We also need to be considerate.   Whenever we have an important decision to make we think about the impact it will have on others.  We get input from other people and take their opinion seriously.  And we follow our Christian role model, Jesus, to learn how to be gentle.

And finally, we must remain calm.  We have to let the passions of the moment dissipate and then act in confidence.  When someone comes at us filled with anger, we need to resist the temptation to respond violently.  Rather we try to diffuse the situation before it can get worse. 

So, with the Christian virtue of gentleness, we are to calmly be thoughtful and considerate in everything we do.   We are not to think too highly of ourselves.   And we are to forgo our rights and privileges in order to benefit others.  And this brings us to today’s scripture.

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

The reason we are to be gentle is so everyone will know that Christians have something good to offer.  We are willing to give up our rights and privileges to lift others up.   We do not think too highly of ourselves.   And we always act calmly with thoughtfulness and consideration of others.  We do this because our Lord is here with us, watching us and guiding us.  We act as he did.   And we do what he told us to do.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Let’s pray.   Lord Jesus, we thank you for teaching us how to be gentle.   We promise to give up our rights and privileges to benefit others, and not to think too highly of ourselves.   With your help, we will remain calm, thoughtful and considerate.    This we pray in your gentle name.  Amen.

Sermon Luke 24:1–12 “Wondering About This”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Luke 24:1–12 “Wondering About This”
April 21, 2019

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I have always loved reading mystery novels.   My favorite mystery author is Agatha Christie.   I have read most of her books.  I also really love Sherlock Holmes.  In most mysteries, someone has been murdered and a great detective is brought it to determine “who done it”.   Today we are looking at a biblical mystery.   There is a missing dead body, and we have to figure out what happened.    We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

“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)

Our story begins three days ago when this happened.

Luke 23:55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Jesus died on a cross.  His body was removed and placed in a tomb.   A large stone was rolled in front of the tomb to seal it.  As the sun was setting the women went to where they were staying and prepared for a Sabbath rest.  From sunset Friday to sunset Saturday they did no work.   They enjoyed the company of each other, shared stories about Jesus and prayed.   And they experienced the grief we have all felt at the death of a loved one. 

The sabbath ended with sunset on Saturday.   It was too dark to go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and perfumes.  So they went to sleep.   But very early the next morning, the third day, they went back to Jesus’ tomb and this happened. 

Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this …

We have some clues in our mystery.   The large stone has been rolled away.   Who did it?   Why did they do it?   And Jesus’ body is not inside.  Why not?   Where is it?  Who took it?  All of these questions had to be spinning around in the minds of the women as they pondered what they were seeing.   It was at this moment that God dispatched two angels with an important message for the women.

3… suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

So the angels came from God with a most important message.   First, they asked the women a question.   “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”  The women are in a cemetery, the place of the dead.   They are looking for Jesus.   So the implication of the question is that Jesus must be alive.   The women are to look for a living Jesus.

Then the angels told them what happened, “He is not here; he has risen!”  So Jesus was raised from the dead and somehow left the tomb.  Now, if we were in a cemetery looking at an empty grave where a loved one’s body should be the last explanation that we would believe is our loved one had come back to life.   In all our experience, dead people never come back to life.  So the women would not be able to accept this explanation.   Saying that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead would be crazy.

The angels knew that they had to persuade the women that Jesus truly was raised from the dead.     So they made the following argument.

6 … Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’

The crux of the angel’s argument was that Jesus had predicted his own resurrection.    In fact, Jesus had made this prediction three times in Luke’s gospel.  So, did this argument cause the women to believe that Jesus was brought back to life?  Well, no.   All it did was to remind the women what Jesus had said,  “8 Then they remembered his words.”   But the Bible does not say that they believed those words. 

The angels, having done what they were instructed to do when back to heaven.   And the women went back to where they were staying in Jerusalem.   There they met the men and told them about their extraordinary experience at the tomb.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

The eleven apostles of Jesus heard the women’s story.   They heard about the stone being rolled away.   They heard about the angels and the proclamation that Jesus had been raised from the dead.   And the women reminded the men of Jesus’ own prediction of his resurrection.   So, did the apostles believe the women?

11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Testimony about an empty tomb, a missing body, an angelic proclamation, and Jesus’ own words did not bring the apostles to belief that Jesus was raised from the dead.  Peter went to the tomb himself to find out what is going on.

12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,

Peter had seen an additional clue.  The strips of linen that had covered Jesus’s body in the tomb had been discarded.  Now, did all of this convince Peter that Jesus had been resurrected?   Well, no. 

12 … and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.”

Let pause here for a moment and wonder about this.  Both the men and women had seen a stone rolled away, an empty tomb and a missing body.   Peter had looked into the tomb and saw the burial cloths.  The women saw and heard angels proclaim Jesus resurrection and remembered Jesus’ own words about his resurrection.  The women shared all this with the men.  But no one believes it.
Every Easter the church proclaims the angelic message that Jesus has been raised from the dead.   Every Easter the church reads scripture predicting Jesus’ resurrection.   But the combination of the angelic message and scripture is not sufficient to bring us to the point where we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.   We need more to believe this.

The men and women who followed Jesus needed more than an angelic message and a memory of Jesus’ words.  Eventually, they came to belief.    So what happened that caused these people to believe in the resurrection?

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

The men and women who had been accompanying Jesus experienced for themselves the resurrected Jesus.  But before they could believe in his resurrection, they had a question that had to be answered.   Was Jesus a ghost?

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”  40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

That should do it, seeing and touching the resurrected Jesus.   Surely that would bring all of them to belief in the resurrection.  Right?  Well, no.

“41 And while they still did not believe it”

What does Jesus have to do to get them to believe in his resurrection?    Jesus decided to have breakfast with them.

41  because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

Surely this should do it, seeing, touching, listening to and eating with the resurrected Jesus.   This should bring them to faith, but it didn’t.   They still did not believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.  But Jesus knew what to do.   He knew exactly how to bring people to faith, and believe in his resurrection.

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”  45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

In order to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, we must read scripture illuminated by Jesus himself.   That is why every Sunday we pray for insight before we read scripture.   That is why we pray for inspiration before Bible studies.   We want Jesus to open our minds so that through the Bible we come to belief in his resurrection.  So if you want to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ you must read the Bible under the inspiration of Christ’s Holy Spirit.
There is a great benefit to believing in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.   We read about this benefit in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   The benefit of believing in the resurrection of Jesus is the promise of our own resurrection to eternal life.

If you do not yet believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead I urge you to get involved with a good, Bible-believing, church like this one.   Pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.   Study the Bible as much as you can.   You will come to belief.   You will receive the promise of eternal life.

If you do believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, congratulations, you are assured of your own resurrection and eternal life.   Now which life is more important, the 80 to 100 years you have in mortal life or the eternity you have in the resurrected life?   I think eternal life is far more important.   If so then we should live our lives not focused on our material mortal lives.   We should focus all our efforts in building up our eternal lives.   So love God will all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

We have solved the mystery.   The reason the tomb was empty was that our Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.   The promise of eternal life is available for all who believe.  Let’s pray.

We give you thanks, great God, for the hope we have in Jesus, who died but is risen and rules over all. We praise you for his presence with us. Because he lives, we look for eternal life, knowing that nothing past, present, or yet to come can separate us from your great love made known in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen. (Worship Sourcebook p. 630.)