Andrew G. Pittman
Sunday Morning
April 22, 2007
When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians…
Romans 1: 18 – 32; 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 11; Galatians 5: 16 – 22.
I. Introduction.
I have no proof about what I am about to speculate. However, I believe, with the exception of September 11, this past week—the third week of April—is perhaps the deadliest week on the 52 week calendar.
Thursday, April 19 was the 12th anniversary of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building in 1995, that killed 168 people. That same day was the 14th anniversary of the U.S. government raid on the Branch Davidians outside Waco, TX in 1993. When the government raided the compound, the Branch Davidians set fire to the buildings and 81 people died. Then, Friday, April 20, was the 8th anniversary of the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in which 15 people were killed.
These anniversaries did not receive as much news coverage this week, because they were overshadowed by the events that took place on Monday, April 16 at Virginia Tech. Twenty-three year old student, Cho Seung-Hui, killed 31 people and then took his own life.
The Virginia Tech shooting has captured the top story of most newscast for the past week. Some networks even dedicated several hours to cover the events and accusations. NBC made a controversial decision to broadcast pictures and video clips and excerpts from a package the killer mailed to NBC news the day of the shooting. This was controversial to some, because they feared that NBC actually gave the murderer the notoriety that he wanted. NBC chose to broadcast the materials in order to give more information about the person and some of his motives.
After reading through some of the materials that NBC made available, it was apparent to me that Cho was angry at the entire world. He singled out just two groups of people. He was angry at the “rich kids” who had everything. And he was angry at religion. He made statement against Christianity and made some veiled references to Islam.
The most amazing thing about the events at Virginia Tech and the information about the murderer is that no one was really surprised. Of course, we were shocked by the sheer brutality and the way the murderer showed no remorse for what he had done. But, we’ve been here before. This was not the first time we have lived through a tragedy like this, and it was not the first time we have seen this happen at a school.
Since we were not really surprised, it made me begin to think of this tragedy as a Non-Christian person acting like a Non-Christian.
Throughout the Bible, we find numerous lists of sins and activities that Non-Christians perform. I did not search through the lists in the Old Testament, but I did search the New Testament. I found that the Apostle Paul wrote nine lists of sins in his letters. I want to look at three of Paul’s lists this morning and find three responses to the statement “When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians…”
Paul’s first list comes in the letter that appears first in our New Testament. It was more than likely written at the very end of Paul’s life and career as a Christian missionary.
Read Romans 1: 18 – 32.
Romans contains the “most complete” theology written by the Apostle Paul. It follows a typical Pauline structure of theology and ethics. The first eleven chapters of Romans describes Paul’s theology, while the last five chapters describe a practical application of theology—How to live an ethical, Christian life in community with other Christians.
Some New Testament scholars refer to the book of Romans as “The Gospel According to Paul.” Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are Gospels in that they have written the narrative story of the life and ministry of Jesus. These books describe Jesus’ mission to bring about the Kingdom of God and to save all who would follow Jesus from the reign of Satan on earth. Romans, however, does not contain a narrative story of Jesus. Romans is a Gospel in the sense that Paul has written a theological treatise for those of us who live in the world AFTER the earthly life and ministry of Jesus.
We can say that Paul has written a Gospel, because the Greek word translated “Gospel” literally means “good news.” However, Paul begins the “good news” by first describing the “bad news.” The “bad news” is that we live in a world in which Satan has deceived humankind.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In this moment of creation, God established an order. There is night and day—a time to work and a time to rest. There is a week—six days to worry about human things and one day to worship the God of creation. There is synergy and interdependence among creation—plants and animals and earth and humans need each other for oxygen and carbon dioxide and life and food. God created male and female of every animal species and commanded humans to “be fruitful and multiply” and continue the circle of life on the earth.
Paul wrote about creation as a way that all humanity could know that there is a God and that the God of creation sustains life on this earth. God has a plan for his creation. God’s plan can be known by observing the created world around us. However, sinful humans have refused to live according to God’s plans. We have exchanged God’s ways for a way that we think is better—more enlightened, more tolerant, better suited for the 21st Century.
Notice how God responded to our rebellion: Romans 1: 24, “Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts…”; Romans 1: 26, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts…”; Romans 1: 28, “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind…” God gave us our way! We wanted to live contrary to God’s plan. And God gave us what we wanted.
This is the bad news. The world lives as if there is no God. There is idolatry (v. 25), homosexuality (vv. 26 – 27), envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogance and disobedience to parents (vv. 29 – 30). This is bad news, but it is not the end of the story.
Read 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 11.
Once again, we have read a list of sins from the Apostle Paul’s writings. The world lives as if there is no God. And, the world demonstrates this by acting out numerous sins that are contrary to the order that God created into the world and contrary to the laws and commandments God gave his people.
There are two things that I want you to notice in this passage. You are not going to like this first one. Paul says that people who live as if there is no God are sexually immoral, homosexual and GOSSIPS. It’s interesting to me that there are two places where the New Testament states that homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle. And in both references, Paul says that GOSSIP is just as evil. We will just have to revisit the sin of gossip in another sermon.
The second thing to notice in this Scripture is verse 11: “And that is what you WERE…” In other words, every Christian person worshipping in this room and in churches all over the world started out as a wicked and vile sinner. “That is what you WERE.” But through faith in Jesus, God has changed us into clean, holy and righteous men and women. We could not change ourselves. But Jesus has changed us. We used to act like the world. But now, we act like Jesus.
I suggest we could apply this to our current situation by saying: “When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians…Christians Should Act Like Christians.”
II. Christians Should Act Like Christians.
When the world around us acts like murderers and sinners, we should act differently. We act differently, because we are different. We have been washed, sanctified and justified by Jesus. We are clean, holy and righteous. We used to act like the world, but now we act like Jesus.
Read Galatians 5: 16 – 23.
This is the place where Paul makes his best case that Christians and Non-Christians live different kinds of lives. On one hand, there is a life that is controlled by the sinful nature. On the other hand, there is a life that is controlled by the Spirit of God.
The life controlled by the sinful nature is best characterized by the “acts of the sinful nature.” The life controlled by the Spirit of God is best characterized by the “fruit of the Spirit.”
The “fruit of the Spirit” is not something that you and I are capable of doing on our own power. No. The word “fruit” could also be translated “harvest” or “produce.” In other words, when we have been washed, sanctified and justified by Jesus, these are the things that God produces in our lives. AND…This is the way we are supposed to respond when the world lives as if there is no God.
When the world is filled with sin: hatred, murder, sexual immorality and gossip, we are supposed to respond with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We should be the first ones to respond to tragedy with tangible expressions of peace and kindness.
III. God Is Still God.
I suggest the second way we can say this morning is: “When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians…God Is Still God.”
What do you believe about God? Do you believe that everything that happens in the world today is God’s will? That is what the Muslims believe. They teach that everything that happens in the world was caused by God. That is why it is possible for a Muslim to fly an airplane into a building, killing thousands of innocent people and say that it is God’s will. God does not allow things to happen, God causes things to happen. And God only causes things to happen if those things are in fact God’s will.
The Christian view of God is somewhat different. We believe that the world lives as if there is no God. The world lives in rebellion against God’s plan and order for creation. Therefore, there are some things that happen which God did not cause to happen. Some things happen as a result of sin and rebellion.
What is it that makes God, God? Is it possible for God to stop being God? Is it possible that a tragedy can be so great that God is no longer God? The Apostle Paul answers this question with a verse from Romans that we have all heard quoted dozens of times.
Read Romans 8: 28.
Paul does not teach us that God causes all things to happen. Paul tells us that God is working “in all things”—even when we are witnesses to a senseless tragedy. God did not cause these things to happen. God is there—in the midst of tragedy—to bring about his good purposes.
I like to think of Romans 8: 28 this way: “Despite everything that happens, God is working for good…”
Despite everything that happens, God will receive glory…And the surest way for God to receive glory is for Christians to act like Christians…Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
IV. Jesus Is Still Jesus.
The last thing we can say this morning is that “When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians…Jesus Is Still Jesus.”
I shared this outline with several people this week as I prepared for this Sunday service. I joked with several people that I am doing something radical by preaching a “three-point sermon.” I even printed an outline in the worship bulletin this morning. Radical! I usually don’t print an outline, because my sermons don’t have points. I preach “pointless sermons.” As I shared this outline, one person asked the question: “Isn’t it redundant to say ‘God is still God’ and ‘Jesus is still Jesus’?”
I do not intend this to be redundant. God is still God, because God can work in all circumstances. Jesus is still Jesus, because Jesus is the only way our world will be changed.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph found out that his finance was pregnant. He spent an entire night trying to decide what to do. An angel of the Lord came to Joseph and told him that Mary’s child was from God and would be the Savior of the world. The angel instructed Joseph to go home, get married and name the baby “Jesus.”
In the Gospel of Luke, an angel of the Lord came to Mary and told her that she was pregnant. Mary was confused how this could even be possible. The angel told her that the baby was from God and that Mary should name the baby “Jesus.”
Why was it so important that this baby be named “Jesus?” Because the name “Jesus” is a form of the Hebrew word “Yeshua,” which means “salvation.” There is no other way to be saved. There is no other way to be washed, sanctified and justified. There is no other hope for you, for me, for the world we live in.
The last word for our sermon—and the last word for our world today—Jesus. You once lived like the world. But not any more. You have been washed, sanctified, justified…by Jesus.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Andrew G. Pittman
Sunday Morning
April 15, 2007
Jesus and the Tax Man
Luke 19: 1 - 10.
I. Introduction.
Lee Strobel was a confirmed Atheist. He had the best education offered by the secular world, including a Journalism Degree from the University of Missouri and a Law Degree from Yale. He spent thirteen years as a Journalist and eventually became the Legal Affairs Editor of the Chicago Tribune.
As a journalist and a lawyer, Lee Strobel had been trained to be a professional skeptic. He doubted everything, until it could be proven by the weight of evidence. And that is why he refused to believe in Jesus. He was not convinced that there was enough evidence to settle all his doubts.
In 1979, something strange and totally unexpected happened to Lee Strobel. His wife became a Christian and began asking him to attend church with her at the Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago.
Just one year later, Lee Strobel began a monumental quest to research and discover the truth about the Christian faith. His original intent was to prove that his wife’s new faith was not true and get her off his back about going to church and becoming a follower of Christ. He approached this project just like he would an in-depth article for the legal section of the Chicago Tribune. He traveled all over the United States to meet with experts and conducted hours of interviews to get all the facts about the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus.
Can you guess what happened as a result of all his research? On November 8, 1981, Lee Strobel decided that the evidence overwhelmingly proved that Jesus of Nazareth was the Incarnation of God himself…That Jesus died a painful and humiliating death on a Roman cross…That Jesus rose again on the third day…That the Christian faith was the truth. In Strobel’s own words, he discovered that “It would require much more faith for me to maintain my atheism than to trust in Jesus of Nazareth.”
Lee Strobel became a Christian that day. He later left his position with the Chicago Tribune to become Teaching Pastor at Willow Creek Church in Chicago and now serves in a similar position at Saddleback Church in California. He also sat down and wrote a book that details his interviews and research to help other atheists to weigh the evidence and decide for themselves to become followers of Christ. (The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.)
Lee Strobel’s story serves as an important reminder for us on this First Sunday After Easter. We have just celebrated the highest and holiest of all Christian holidays. Jesus died on the cross…Jesus rose again on the third day…What’s Next?
Lee Strobel discovered for himself that Jesus died and rose again. But he was not content just to understand the facts…He understood…Then he asked the question: Why Is This Important? What are we going to do next?
Our Scripture today is not taken from the biblical events that followed the resurrection…But it does illustrate Why Jesus died and rose again and What’s Next.
Read Luke 19: 1 – 10.
II. The Rich as Outcasts.
We usually associate the story of Zacchaeus with memories of our childhood and singing the song: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…” But this is not a sweet, children’s story. This is a scandalous story of Jesus reaching out to the untouchables.
Since today is April 15, and Tax Day…Just imagine how you feel about paying your taxes. No one likes to pay taxes. We worked for the money, and we want to take home all the money we worked for. It was even worse in Jesus’ day. Zacchaeus was despised, and verse 2 indicates how despised Zacchaeus truly was.
Wealthy…This is very difficult for us to understand, because our culture looks at the wealthy differently than the ancient Jews did…Late Jewish theology had developed to an association of poverty with piety. In the previous chapter (18: 24f) Jesus had described the difficulty of the rich entering heaven. Wealth indicated independence & self sufficiency, even rebellious spirit…rebelling from religion. Poverty indicated dependence & need for God.
Tax Collector…Usually understood as traitor and a thief. Collected taxes for Roman Empire from Palestinians. They were not paid by government, but from what they collected. They collected tax plus profit.
Chief Tax Collector…Worse than simple tax collector. The Chief Tax Collector set the fees & contracted lower tax collectors (Publicans) to do the actual collecting. Zacchaeus, possibly had been so good at what he did that he rose to management.
Total package. Luke described Zacchaeus as everything necessary to be worst possible sinner. And the original audience would have recognized that.
Zacchaeus was highly criticized by the religious establishment. The Pharisees were separatists. They taught the Jewish people not to run around with “sinners.” Separate yourselves from all evil people.
Dominant theme in Luke’s Gospel involved outcasts as recipients of salvation…Women, children, blind, lepers, Tax Collectors. This was an important and welcomed theme to Luke’s readers…Readers were just like you and me…Gentiles, non-Jews who were previously considered left out of God’s plan of salvation…And Luke shows us that it is possible for both Jews and Gentiles to be saved…Poor and Rich…Men and Women…Jesus came that everyone might be saved.
III. Jesus Associated with Known Sinners.
When J. associated with Zacchaeus, the religious folk began to whisper. Jesus was “Guilty by association.”
There was a common belief that for a person to partake in ill-gotten gain was same as participating in (or at least giving approval to) the crime that brought it about. Therefore, Jesus was guilty in their eyes. They accused Jesus of being Zach’s partner.
But Zach. did not remain a sinner for long. A real change / conversion took place in his life. Jesus called him a child of Abraham.
Zacchaeus demonstrated fruit of his new kind of life.
Repaid fourfold. . .Jewish law only required additional 1/5
Gave away half his possessions to the poor.
There was a real change…A conversion that took place in his life…
When I use the word “conversion” I don’t necessarily mean sudden conversion…But a change ALWAYS take place when a person encounters Jesus.
For some this conversion takes place over a course of time, slowly…For Zach. it was sudden.
When a baby is born, there is a certain degree of suddenness. One day there are two, the next day there are three. But this is not a sudden change, it is a process that took at least nine months to complete.
Read Luke 19: 10.
IV. Jesus and the Lost.
How many times have we heard sermon or bible lesson on this story with Zacchaeus as the hero? Verse 10 turns this view completely around.
No longer is the story about Zacchaeus searching for Jesus. Jesus initiated salvation!
Nobody else knew that Zacchaeus was in the tree.
No mention in Luke or other Gospels that Jesus knew Zach.
Jesus invited himself to dinner (v. 5)
Son of Man CAME. . .Active.
Son of Man SEEKS. . .Active.
Son of Man SAVES. . .Active.
The story of Zacchaeus is a story that describes the two sides of salvation. On one hand, Jesus has come into the world to search for sinners. On the other hand, there is a distinct responsibility for each of us to “come to Jesus.” One of my favorite verses that captures this best is John 6: 44… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…
There are always 2 sides to salvation…The Father must draw…The individual must come.
Jesus stood at the foot of the tree calling Zacchaeus. But Zacchaeus. put himself in that tree where Jesus could call, and Zacchaeus accepted the Savior’s call.
V. Conclusion.
This is what Easter was all about. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save all who are lost. Easter is about salvation…Salvation for you and me…Salvation for the world.
And guess who Jesus came to save…Jesus didn’t come to save the good, religious, and church going people of the world. Jesus came to save the outcasts of the world…Outcasts like you and me…Luke was assuring his readers that salvation had come to them, even though they were outcasts: Gentiles.
We even see this by observing Jesus, the places he went and the people he spent time with…Jesus did not spend most of his time inside the church with Christians. Jesus spent his time in the world with those who needed to hear his message of salvation.
If we are to be the light of the world, then we must live in the darkness of the world in order to be effective.
The story of Zacchaeus is not a sweet, children’s story. It is scandalous and offensive. If you find this to be offensive, so be it…There is no other Gospel.
Sunday Morning
April 15, 2007
Jesus and the Tax Man
Luke 19: 1 - 10.
I. Introduction.
Lee Strobel was a confirmed Atheist. He had the best education offered by the secular world, including a Journalism Degree from the University of Missouri and a Law Degree from Yale. He spent thirteen years as a Journalist and eventually became the Legal Affairs Editor of the Chicago Tribune.
As a journalist and a lawyer, Lee Strobel had been trained to be a professional skeptic. He doubted everything, until it could be proven by the weight of evidence. And that is why he refused to believe in Jesus. He was not convinced that there was enough evidence to settle all his doubts.
In 1979, something strange and totally unexpected happened to Lee Strobel. His wife became a Christian and began asking him to attend church with her at the Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago.
Just one year later, Lee Strobel began a monumental quest to research and discover the truth about the Christian faith. His original intent was to prove that his wife’s new faith was not true and get her off his back about going to church and becoming a follower of Christ. He approached this project just like he would an in-depth article for the legal section of the Chicago Tribune. He traveled all over the United States to meet with experts and conducted hours of interviews to get all the facts about the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus.
Can you guess what happened as a result of all his research? On November 8, 1981, Lee Strobel decided that the evidence overwhelmingly proved that Jesus of Nazareth was the Incarnation of God himself…That Jesus died a painful and humiliating death on a Roman cross…That Jesus rose again on the third day…That the Christian faith was the truth. In Strobel’s own words, he discovered that “It would require much more faith for me to maintain my atheism than to trust in Jesus of Nazareth.”
Lee Strobel became a Christian that day. He later left his position with the Chicago Tribune to become Teaching Pastor at Willow Creek Church in Chicago and now serves in a similar position at Saddleback Church in California. He also sat down and wrote a book that details his interviews and research to help other atheists to weigh the evidence and decide for themselves to become followers of Christ. (The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.)
Lee Strobel’s story serves as an important reminder for us on this First Sunday After Easter. We have just celebrated the highest and holiest of all Christian holidays. Jesus died on the cross…Jesus rose again on the third day…What’s Next?
Lee Strobel discovered for himself that Jesus died and rose again. But he was not content just to understand the facts…He understood…Then he asked the question: Why Is This Important? What are we going to do next?
Our Scripture today is not taken from the biblical events that followed the resurrection…But it does illustrate Why Jesus died and rose again and What’s Next.
Read Luke 19: 1 – 10.
II. The Rich as Outcasts.
We usually associate the story of Zacchaeus with memories of our childhood and singing the song: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…” But this is not a sweet, children’s story. This is a scandalous story of Jesus reaching out to the untouchables.
Since today is April 15, and Tax Day…Just imagine how you feel about paying your taxes. No one likes to pay taxes. We worked for the money, and we want to take home all the money we worked for. It was even worse in Jesus’ day. Zacchaeus was despised, and verse 2 indicates how despised Zacchaeus truly was.
Wealthy…This is very difficult for us to understand, because our culture looks at the wealthy differently than the ancient Jews did…Late Jewish theology had developed to an association of poverty with piety. In the previous chapter (18: 24f) Jesus had described the difficulty of the rich entering heaven. Wealth indicated independence & self sufficiency, even rebellious spirit…rebelling from religion. Poverty indicated dependence & need for God.
Tax Collector…Usually understood as traitor and a thief. Collected taxes for Roman Empire from Palestinians. They were not paid by government, but from what they collected. They collected tax plus profit.
Chief Tax Collector…Worse than simple tax collector. The Chief Tax Collector set the fees & contracted lower tax collectors (Publicans) to do the actual collecting. Zacchaeus, possibly had been so good at what he did that he rose to management.
Total package. Luke described Zacchaeus as everything necessary to be worst possible sinner. And the original audience would have recognized that.
Zacchaeus was highly criticized by the religious establishment. The Pharisees were separatists. They taught the Jewish people not to run around with “sinners.” Separate yourselves from all evil people.
Dominant theme in Luke’s Gospel involved outcasts as recipients of salvation…Women, children, blind, lepers, Tax Collectors. This was an important and welcomed theme to Luke’s readers…Readers were just like you and me…Gentiles, non-Jews who were previously considered left out of God’s plan of salvation…And Luke shows us that it is possible for both Jews and Gentiles to be saved…Poor and Rich…Men and Women…Jesus came that everyone might be saved.
III. Jesus Associated with Known Sinners.
When J. associated with Zacchaeus, the religious folk began to whisper. Jesus was “Guilty by association.”
There was a common belief that for a person to partake in ill-gotten gain was same as participating in (or at least giving approval to) the crime that brought it about. Therefore, Jesus was guilty in their eyes. They accused Jesus of being Zach’s partner.
But Zach. did not remain a sinner for long. A real change / conversion took place in his life. Jesus called him a child of Abraham.
Zacchaeus demonstrated fruit of his new kind of life.
Repaid fourfold. . .Jewish law only required additional 1/5
Gave away half his possessions to the poor.
There was a real change…A conversion that took place in his life…
When I use the word “conversion” I don’t necessarily mean sudden conversion…But a change ALWAYS take place when a person encounters Jesus.
For some this conversion takes place over a course of time, slowly…For Zach. it was sudden.
When a baby is born, there is a certain degree of suddenness. One day there are two, the next day there are three. But this is not a sudden change, it is a process that took at least nine months to complete.
Read Luke 19: 10.
IV. Jesus and the Lost.
How many times have we heard sermon or bible lesson on this story with Zacchaeus as the hero? Verse 10 turns this view completely around.
No longer is the story about Zacchaeus searching for Jesus. Jesus initiated salvation!
Nobody else knew that Zacchaeus was in the tree.
No mention in Luke or other Gospels that Jesus knew Zach.
Jesus invited himself to dinner (v. 5)
Son of Man CAME. . .Active.
Son of Man SEEKS. . .Active.
Son of Man SAVES. . .Active.
The story of Zacchaeus is a story that describes the two sides of salvation. On one hand, Jesus has come into the world to search for sinners. On the other hand, there is a distinct responsibility for each of us to “come to Jesus.” One of my favorite verses that captures this best is John 6: 44… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…
There are always 2 sides to salvation…The Father must draw…The individual must come.
Jesus stood at the foot of the tree calling Zacchaeus. But Zacchaeus. put himself in that tree where Jesus could call, and Zacchaeus accepted the Savior’s call.
V. Conclusion.
This is what Easter was all about. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save all who are lost. Easter is about salvation…Salvation for you and me…Salvation for the world.
And guess who Jesus came to save…Jesus didn’t come to save the good, religious, and church going people of the world. Jesus came to save the outcasts of the world…Outcasts like you and me…Luke was assuring his readers that salvation had come to them, even though they were outcasts: Gentiles.
We even see this by observing Jesus, the places he went and the people he spent time with…Jesus did not spend most of his time inside the church with Christians. Jesus spent his time in the world with those who needed to hear his message of salvation.
If we are to be the light of the world, then we must live in the darkness of the world in order to be effective.
The story of Zacchaeus is not a sweet, children’s story. It is scandalous and offensive. If you find this to be offensive, so be it…There is no other Gospel.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007
Andrew G. Pittman
Sunday Morning
April 8, 2007 (Easter)
The New Beginning.
Mark 16: 1 – 8.
I. Introduction.
There are many things about Easter that I love. As a pastor, I love to have the church filled. I love the excitement in the air as children have eaten too much candy before church and are thrilled to search for colored eggs in the yard after church. I love the beauty of a light snow on the ground. But most of all, I love that Easter is not a federal holiday. I’m being serious. I enjoy having my mail delivered on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is a reminder that this is our holiday. Easter belongs to Christians only. This is not a worldly or commercialized event. Of course there are some worldly elements to Easter, like the chickens and rabbits and eggs. But Easter is more than a celebration of Springtime. Easter is the celebration of the single most important event in all of human history—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I do not intend to reiterate the gruesome details of a Roman crucifixion. Let me simply say that the condemned person was beaten, mocked, stripped naked and nailed to a wooden cross. The pain experienced during crucifixion was worse than anything that human words could ever describe. In fact, the Romans invented a new word to describe the pain of the cross. It was not Agony. It was not Brutal. It was not Severe. It was Excruciating. This word Excruciating comes from two Latin words: ex (Out of) and crux (Cross) which mean “Out of the Cross.”
More than likely, the person being crucified would have been nailed to the cross by the wrists and the feet. Traditional art depicts Jesus as having nail prints in the palms of his hands. However, archaeology has revealed that the Romans put the nails in the person’s wrist in order to hold up to the person’s weight.
Have you ever bumped your “Funny Bone” and rolled around on the floor because it hurt so badly? The nerve that we call the funny bone runs through the wrist and would have been either smashed or severed by the seven inch spikes that were hammered into Jesus’ flesh.
This is only part of the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross. Yes, Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain. However, Jesus also experienced other pain that we might classify as emotional pain. Jesus was an innocent man. I don’t mean that he was innocent of the crimes he was accused of committing. Jesus was actually innocent in every sense of the word innocent. Jesus had never committed any sin. Although Jesus had been tempted in every way you and I are tempted today, Jesus had resisted temptation and remained pure. But Jesus was not crucified for his sins. He was crucified for your sins and my sins. Can you imagine the emotional weight and strain of having the guilt of the entire world placed on your shoulders? Many of us feel weighted down with our own guilt and sin. But Jesus felt the emotional weight of all guilt and sin.
On top of this emotional weight of guilt and sin, Jesus felt abandoned by all his friends in his moment of need. According to three of our Gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke—all of Jesus’ disciples ran away when Jesus was arrested.
Just a week before the crucifixion, Jesus had been surrounded by twelve disciples, a larger group of followers, a group of women and a crowd. Then just a day before the crucifixion, Jesus had made a bold prophesy—They will strike the shepherd and the sheep will flee. Jesus knew that all his disciples would run away when faced with danger. Of course, Peter did not believe this was possible. Peter jumped to his feet and announced in front of God and everybody, “Though everyone else might fall away, I will never fall away.” But that wasn’t exactly what happened. Peter ran away—just like Jesus told him he would. Then Peter even denied Jesus in front of others.
In the Gospel of Mark, the last words spoken by any disciple were Peter’s words: “I don’t even know this man.” And Jesus died on the cross, while his disciples said, “I don’t even know him.”
However, the cross was not the end of the story for Jesus. And denial, betrayal and running away was not the end of the story for Peter and the rest of the disciples. Just as Jesus had promised his disciples, he was crucified; but on the third day he rose again.
Read Mark 16: 1 – 8.
Mark began this story by telling us about three women who had been followers of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome. These three women had remained closer to Jesus than the disciples had. The disciples ran away. The women stayed at a distance and watched the crucifixion. There were two reasons why these women might have traveled to the tomb on the third day after Jesus was buried. First, they might have gone to the tomb to see if Jesus would keep his promise. On three separate occasions in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus had predicted that he would be killed by the religious leaders and on the third day rise again. But these women were not wondering if Jesus would keep his promise.
They had watched Jesus die. They had watched as Jesus’ body was lowered from the cross. And they had watched as Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus’ body in the tomb. There was one thing these three women knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. They knew that Jesus was dead. And they came to the tomb on the third day with burial spices in their hands. There was no doubt in their minds that Jesus was dead. They were simply there to finish the process for burial. That is why they came. They had not come to see Jesus!
Jewish tradition was to place spices and perfumes on the dead body and then to wrap the body inside cloths. However, the circumstances of Jesus’ death prevented the women from preparing Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus died on the day before the Sabbath Day right before sunset. Jewish people mark time differently from the way we mark time. We think of a day as morning and night. Jews think of a day as evening and morning. The Sabbath Day begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday.
Since Jesus died right before sunset at the beginning of the Sabbath, the women could not prepare Jesus’ body, because it would have been a sin for them to work on the Sabbath. Since the Sabbath ended at sunset on Saturday, the women chose to wait until early the next morning, because no one likes to walk through a cemetery after dark.
It was unusual for the women to come to the tomb several days after a person died, but in this case, it was the earliest possible time for them to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
When the women arrived at the tomb, Mark tells us they saw a young man dressed in white. We should probably interpret this as an angel. Angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Sometimes it can refer to a human messenger who was sent to communicate to other people. Other times it refers to a heavenly messenger who was sent to deliver a message from God. In this case, it is best to think of this young man as a heavenly messenger. He was there to report two things to the women. First, Jesus is alive! “He has risen! He is not here.” Second, he had a specific word of instruction: “Go tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
The message from the angel on the first Easter Sunday morning is an announcement. He has announced a new beginning.
II. New Beginning for Jesus.
The resurrection was a New Beginning for Jesus. Just three days earlier, Jesus had borne the weight of all the guilt and sin of the world on the cross. He had died at the hands of his enemies.
The Roman government was threatened by Jesus, because they thought he might be able to rally support from the Jewish people and lead them in a rebellion against the empire. The Jewish religious leaders were threatened by Jesus, because he taught a new interpretation of the Jewish Law. The leaders wanted to use the Law as a way of oppression and control over the people, and Jesus set people free from the Law. Satan was threatened by Jesus, because Jesus is God’s only Son. Jesus began his ministry by preaching about the Kingdom of God on earth. Satan didn’t like that, because Satan is the king of the earth.
When Jesus hung lifeless on the cross, it appeared that he had been defeated by his enemies. It was a good run. He preached a wonderful message of freedom from the Law and life under the Lordship of God himself. But if Jesus were dead, it was over. His enemies had won.
But the Enemies did not win…If death is a symbol for defeat, then resurrection is a symbol of victory…
III. New Beginning for the Disciples.
The resurrection was a New Beginning for Jesus’ disciples. The Gospel of Mark does not show the disciples in very favorable light. Mark shows them as real human beings who had great moments, like when Jesus sent them out on a missionary journey to preach repentance and to cast out demons. But Mark also shows the disciples as men who were struggling to follow Jesus. James and John argued about which one would sit on Jesus’ right hand in the Kingdom. Peter failed Jesus by promising that he would never run away and then breaking his promise when Jesus was arrested.
But in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus kept all his promises. Peter couldn’t keep his promises, but Jesus could. Peter denied that he was a disciple and professed that he never even knew who Jesus was. But at the empty tomb, the angel gave the women specific instructions. Go find the disciples, and go find Peter. Go tell the disciples that they have a second chance. Go tell Peter that he can have a New Beginning.
There is nothing Peter could do to escape from the love and forgiveness of the cross. There is nothing that you can do either. No matter what you have done in your life. No matter what sins you struggle with. However you might have failed, you are never out of the reach of grace. You too can have a New Beginning. This is only possible because of the cross, and because of the empty tomb.
IV. New Beginning for the Gospel.
The resurrection is also a New Beginning for the Gospel. If you are reading from the New International Version, you will notice a parenthetical statement right after verse 8. It says: “The earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not have Mark 16: 9 – 20.”
In New Testament translation, scholars like to use the oldest Greek manuscripts available. They have discovered that the older copies are more reliable. Just like you and I write in our Bibles, sometimes people would write in the margins of their copies of Scripture and over time, those notes got added to some of the copies. More than likely, that’s what happened to the end of Mark. The oldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of this book end at verse 8.
It seems rather abrupt and a little bit awkward for Mark to end like this. But look with me at Mark 1: 1. Read Mark 1: 1.
Mark was not trying to write a complete Gospel about Jesus. He specifically told us in his very first verse, “This is just the beginning of the Gospel.” The Gospel has not ended. It is still being written, even today. You and I are supposed to complete the Gospel.
I think Mark has written an abrupt and awkward ending so that we will not be satisfied with what is written. We are supposed to ask questions. What did the women do? Did they ever deliver the angel’s message? If the women will not tell others about the resurrection of Jesus, who will tell?
We are supposed to tell. We are supposed to complete the Gospel by telling everyone we know that Jesus is alive!
V. Conclusion.
How much preparation did you put into Easter today? Did you buy new clothes for yourself and your family members? Did you cook lunch, or make a reservation at the country club? Did you polish your shoes? Did you decorate eggs? Did you tell anyone that Jesus is alive?
It comes as sort of a shock to read that the women said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. But that might just be our story today as well. The only difference…The women did not tell, because they were afraid. What about us? We have no reason to be afraid. Who needs to hear? And who among us is willing to tell the world about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?
Sunday Morning
April 8, 2007 (Easter)
The New Beginning.
Mark 16: 1 – 8.
I. Introduction.
There are many things about Easter that I love. As a pastor, I love to have the church filled. I love the excitement in the air as children have eaten too much candy before church and are thrilled to search for colored eggs in the yard after church. I love the beauty of a light snow on the ground. But most of all, I love that Easter is not a federal holiday. I’m being serious. I enjoy having my mail delivered on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is a reminder that this is our holiday. Easter belongs to Christians only. This is not a worldly or commercialized event. Of course there are some worldly elements to Easter, like the chickens and rabbits and eggs. But Easter is more than a celebration of Springtime. Easter is the celebration of the single most important event in all of human history—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I do not intend to reiterate the gruesome details of a Roman crucifixion. Let me simply say that the condemned person was beaten, mocked, stripped naked and nailed to a wooden cross. The pain experienced during crucifixion was worse than anything that human words could ever describe. In fact, the Romans invented a new word to describe the pain of the cross. It was not Agony. It was not Brutal. It was not Severe. It was Excruciating. This word Excruciating comes from two Latin words: ex (Out of) and crux (Cross) which mean “Out of the Cross.”
More than likely, the person being crucified would have been nailed to the cross by the wrists and the feet. Traditional art depicts Jesus as having nail prints in the palms of his hands. However, archaeology has revealed that the Romans put the nails in the person’s wrist in order to hold up to the person’s weight.
Have you ever bumped your “Funny Bone” and rolled around on the floor because it hurt so badly? The nerve that we call the funny bone runs through the wrist and would have been either smashed or severed by the seven inch spikes that were hammered into Jesus’ flesh.
This is only part of the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross. Yes, Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain. However, Jesus also experienced other pain that we might classify as emotional pain. Jesus was an innocent man. I don’t mean that he was innocent of the crimes he was accused of committing. Jesus was actually innocent in every sense of the word innocent. Jesus had never committed any sin. Although Jesus had been tempted in every way you and I are tempted today, Jesus had resisted temptation and remained pure. But Jesus was not crucified for his sins. He was crucified for your sins and my sins. Can you imagine the emotional weight and strain of having the guilt of the entire world placed on your shoulders? Many of us feel weighted down with our own guilt and sin. But Jesus felt the emotional weight of all guilt and sin.
On top of this emotional weight of guilt and sin, Jesus felt abandoned by all his friends in his moment of need. According to three of our Gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke—all of Jesus’ disciples ran away when Jesus was arrested.
Just a week before the crucifixion, Jesus had been surrounded by twelve disciples, a larger group of followers, a group of women and a crowd. Then just a day before the crucifixion, Jesus had made a bold prophesy—They will strike the shepherd and the sheep will flee. Jesus knew that all his disciples would run away when faced with danger. Of course, Peter did not believe this was possible. Peter jumped to his feet and announced in front of God and everybody, “Though everyone else might fall away, I will never fall away.” But that wasn’t exactly what happened. Peter ran away—just like Jesus told him he would. Then Peter even denied Jesus in front of others.
In the Gospel of Mark, the last words spoken by any disciple were Peter’s words: “I don’t even know this man.” And Jesus died on the cross, while his disciples said, “I don’t even know him.”
However, the cross was not the end of the story for Jesus. And denial, betrayal and running away was not the end of the story for Peter and the rest of the disciples. Just as Jesus had promised his disciples, he was crucified; but on the third day he rose again.
Read Mark 16: 1 – 8.
Mark began this story by telling us about three women who had been followers of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome. These three women had remained closer to Jesus than the disciples had. The disciples ran away. The women stayed at a distance and watched the crucifixion. There were two reasons why these women might have traveled to the tomb on the third day after Jesus was buried. First, they might have gone to the tomb to see if Jesus would keep his promise. On three separate occasions in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus had predicted that he would be killed by the religious leaders and on the third day rise again. But these women were not wondering if Jesus would keep his promise.
They had watched Jesus die. They had watched as Jesus’ body was lowered from the cross. And they had watched as Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus’ body in the tomb. There was one thing these three women knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. They knew that Jesus was dead. And they came to the tomb on the third day with burial spices in their hands. There was no doubt in their minds that Jesus was dead. They were simply there to finish the process for burial. That is why they came. They had not come to see Jesus!
Jewish tradition was to place spices and perfumes on the dead body and then to wrap the body inside cloths. However, the circumstances of Jesus’ death prevented the women from preparing Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus died on the day before the Sabbath Day right before sunset. Jewish people mark time differently from the way we mark time. We think of a day as morning and night. Jews think of a day as evening and morning. The Sabbath Day begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday.
Since Jesus died right before sunset at the beginning of the Sabbath, the women could not prepare Jesus’ body, because it would have been a sin for them to work on the Sabbath. Since the Sabbath ended at sunset on Saturday, the women chose to wait until early the next morning, because no one likes to walk through a cemetery after dark.
It was unusual for the women to come to the tomb several days after a person died, but in this case, it was the earliest possible time for them to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
When the women arrived at the tomb, Mark tells us they saw a young man dressed in white. We should probably interpret this as an angel. Angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Sometimes it can refer to a human messenger who was sent to communicate to other people. Other times it refers to a heavenly messenger who was sent to deliver a message from God. In this case, it is best to think of this young man as a heavenly messenger. He was there to report two things to the women. First, Jesus is alive! “He has risen! He is not here.” Second, he had a specific word of instruction: “Go tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
The message from the angel on the first Easter Sunday morning is an announcement. He has announced a new beginning.
II. New Beginning for Jesus.
The resurrection was a New Beginning for Jesus. Just three days earlier, Jesus had borne the weight of all the guilt and sin of the world on the cross. He had died at the hands of his enemies.
The Roman government was threatened by Jesus, because they thought he might be able to rally support from the Jewish people and lead them in a rebellion against the empire. The Jewish religious leaders were threatened by Jesus, because he taught a new interpretation of the Jewish Law. The leaders wanted to use the Law as a way of oppression and control over the people, and Jesus set people free from the Law. Satan was threatened by Jesus, because Jesus is God’s only Son. Jesus began his ministry by preaching about the Kingdom of God on earth. Satan didn’t like that, because Satan is the king of the earth.
When Jesus hung lifeless on the cross, it appeared that he had been defeated by his enemies. It was a good run. He preached a wonderful message of freedom from the Law and life under the Lordship of God himself. But if Jesus were dead, it was over. His enemies had won.
But the Enemies did not win…If death is a symbol for defeat, then resurrection is a symbol of victory…
III. New Beginning for the Disciples.
The resurrection was a New Beginning for Jesus’ disciples. The Gospel of Mark does not show the disciples in very favorable light. Mark shows them as real human beings who had great moments, like when Jesus sent them out on a missionary journey to preach repentance and to cast out demons. But Mark also shows the disciples as men who were struggling to follow Jesus. James and John argued about which one would sit on Jesus’ right hand in the Kingdom. Peter failed Jesus by promising that he would never run away and then breaking his promise when Jesus was arrested.
But in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus kept all his promises. Peter couldn’t keep his promises, but Jesus could. Peter denied that he was a disciple and professed that he never even knew who Jesus was. But at the empty tomb, the angel gave the women specific instructions. Go find the disciples, and go find Peter. Go tell the disciples that they have a second chance. Go tell Peter that he can have a New Beginning.
There is nothing Peter could do to escape from the love and forgiveness of the cross. There is nothing that you can do either. No matter what you have done in your life. No matter what sins you struggle with. However you might have failed, you are never out of the reach of grace. You too can have a New Beginning. This is only possible because of the cross, and because of the empty tomb.
IV. New Beginning for the Gospel.
The resurrection is also a New Beginning for the Gospel. If you are reading from the New International Version, you will notice a parenthetical statement right after verse 8. It says: “The earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not have Mark 16: 9 – 20.”
In New Testament translation, scholars like to use the oldest Greek manuscripts available. They have discovered that the older copies are more reliable. Just like you and I write in our Bibles, sometimes people would write in the margins of their copies of Scripture and over time, those notes got added to some of the copies. More than likely, that’s what happened to the end of Mark. The oldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of this book end at verse 8.
It seems rather abrupt and a little bit awkward for Mark to end like this. But look with me at Mark 1: 1. Read Mark 1: 1.
Mark was not trying to write a complete Gospel about Jesus. He specifically told us in his very first verse, “This is just the beginning of the Gospel.” The Gospel has not ended. It is still being written, even today. You and I are supposed to complete the Gospel.
I think Mark has written an abrupt and awkward ending so that we will not be satisfied with what is written. We are supposed to ask questions. What did the women do? Did they ever deliver the angel’s message? If the women will not tell others about the resurrection of Jesus, who will tell?
We are supposed to tell. We are supposed to complete the Gospel by telling everyone we know that Jesus is alive!
V. Conclusion.
How much preparation did you put into Easter today? Did you buy new clothes for yourself and your family members? Did you cook lunch, or make a reservation at the country club? Did you polish your shoes? Did you decorate eggs? Did you tell anyone that Jesus is alive?
It comes as sort of a shock to read that the women said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. But that might just be our story today as well. The only difference…The women did not tell, because they were afraid. What about us? We have no reason to be afraid. Who needs to hear? And who among us is willing to tell the world about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?
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