I'm a Christian - Chapter 2

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Chapter 2 – Jesus Restores

No one singular person has made as great an impact in the world as Jesus of Nazareth. So who was this man who changed the world? What did he say that was so influential? What did he do that caused the world of his day and shortly after his death to be turned upside down? There are thousands of books on this subject and so we are not going to spend a tremendous amount of time in this short course discussing the reason for Christianity. But we are going to address three questions in order to attempt to understand what it means to be a Christian. The first is the most important question in regard to our individual spiritual walk and that is the question, “Why did we need him?” The second area spends time understanding the question, “What were the Hebrew people looking for?” Finally we will answer the question, “What did we get and why?”

1.    Why did we need him?

The answer to this question is fairly complicated and requires us to understand sin. When Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden, they were both protected and perfect. Humanity had been created in the image of God and God said it was very good. Then sin entered into the equation. Now when we speak of sin, we are always talking about “original sin” or “disobedience to God.” We often make our lists of sins and their consequences but almost always we are referring to the symptoms of sin, not sin itself. Sin is simply our disobedient nature to the will of God. And when we fully understand that we are on the road to being better children of God. The foundational problem is this. We want to be in control of our lives and we really don’t want God to tell us what to do. It has become our inherent nature. John Wesley talks about the depraved nature of humanity. Paul refers to it in Romans 3:23 when he says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So in order to make that right, we humans can try to take the Ten Commandments and live by them to the best of our abilities. But the truth is we fail again and again. Following the questions at the end of the thic chapter are some drawings that sum up our understanding of Sin. It is like a great divide that no matter what we do or how hard we work at being good, we cannot ever cross it. So to simply answer the question, we know that God loves us so much that God is atoning for our sin. Now there are many different definitions of atonement theory but the one that the author subscribes to is closely related to what is called the ransom theory. If we view the Old Testament scripture, we will see that God demanded an offering and sacrifice to atone for unrighteous behavior. And in Jesus (see Romans 3: 24-26), God atones through the offering of Jesus as his rightful sacrifice for original sin. In other words, without Jesus we would be sinful people without hope for redemption and forgiveness.

2.    What did the Hebrew people expect?

[Please read, Genesis 49: 8-12; 2 Samuel 7: 12-17; Isaiah 11; Jeremiah 23: 5-7; Micah 5: 2-3; and Isaiah 9: 2-7]

This question is important because it allows us to understand why the Hebrew people did not believe in Jesus and in fact many still today do not believe him to be the Messiah.  The Hebrew people were an oppressed enslaved people to the Romans at the time of Jesus. Though they were given religious freedom within the Roman structure even that was abused by the Sanhedrin, Sadducee’s and Pharisee’s. From the very beginning a Messiah, one would be appointed by God, ordained if you will to be the rightful ruler of Israel was the promise that they expected. We know that Jesus fulfills that but not in the way the Hebrew people expected it. So the people of the first century were certainly looking for this ruler to come, reunite the old Israel and send the Romans packing. Our reading further emphasizes this with the language of this Messiah being a ruler in the house of David, ruling forever and bringing peace. Did Jesus bring peace?

3.    What did we get and why?

With Jesus this part of the question could take weeks, months or even years to define. I think it is important that you read or have read all of the four Gospels in order to better discuss this answer to this question. The truth is we got lots of things with Jesus. Throughout his ministry we certainly have the best example of how to live as a Christian totally submitting ourselves to the will of God. In his teachings we have all that we need in order to understand fully how to develop, maintain and build up relationships that lead to perfect discipleship. And in his death as we addressed in the first of the three questions, we have the atonement we need through his sacrifice in order to free ourselves of the taint of original sin. But even much more than that! For in his resurrection we also have the promise of eternal life.

            So as Christians and United Methodists, we believe in Jesus that:

·         Jesus is God the Son

·         Jesus is God in a particular person

·         Jesus is the Christ (Messiah)

·         Jesus is our example and teacher

·         Jesus is our shepherd

Like our definition of God, our definition of Jesus is more difficult when we attempt to define Jesus in terms that fit our human understanding rather than a divine understanding of Jesus. If we simply say, “Jesus restores” or “Jesus redeems”, we sum up completely what Jesus did while he was here on earth. But more than that, Jesus restores God’s order among humanity and sets eternity right. Jesus restores us to our original purpose, to love God and one another. Jesus restores us to our original righteousness through the cross. And Jesus restores us to God for eternity through the resurrection.

Questions:

1.    What does your understanding of Old Testament Sacrifice and atonement say to you about Jesus death and resurrection?

2.    How does the Old Testament describe the Messiah?

3.    How do we describe Jesus from the Gospel accounts of his life?

4.    Did Jesus know himself to be God while he walked the earth?

5.    How might your answer skew your understanding of his sacrifice at the cross?

Supplement to Chapter 2

The very first question I was asked when I set foot at Asbury Theological Seminary by Dr. Chuck Gutenson was this one, “Did Jesus know that he was God while he walked the earth?” It is a great theological question that leads to lots of discussion. I have listed pertinent chapter and verse in the Gospel of John so that you might see all sides of this argument. The real underlying questions have to deal with how we see Jesus, when he walked the earth and now. And what his divinity means in relation to the sacrifice of his life for ours.

Subordinate (I am not God)

3:16; 4:34; 5:19b-20a; 5:30; 5:36; 5:37; 6:28b-29; 6:38; 6:57; 7:16; 8:16; 12:44-45

Equal (I am equal to God, but….)

5:21; 5:26; 6:39-40; 6:44; 6:54; 10:17; 10:30; 17:2

I AM (I and God are one)

8;24; 8:28; 8:58; 13:19

Jesus understood himself:

There is no reference to what he understood about himself in his own words

Resurrection/ crucifixion overshadows everything else

His teaching is consistent with Old Testament – different style – same words

Therefore:

Jesus understood himself to be:

Human; devout Jew; Pharisee – accepted a lifestyle of following God; Galilean holy man; a prophet; a teacher; the son of man; Messiah; Suffering servant;

            Son of God

Atonement Theories

Ransom – crucifixion represents price paid to Satan to ransom people from

Satan back to God. Clearly God cannot ransom God, can God?

Appeasement – God must be appeased. King is everything and you must bring a

gift. Christ’s death becomes the gift to God because God’s grace to us.

Must be a blood price paid to seal a covenant. Can God be the blood price? Does it cheapen the gift if Jesus knows he is God?

Moral influence –     Crucifixion is pain inflicted on God through human sin

                                    Pain inflicted on human beings because of human sin

Crucifixion shows lengths God will go through to bring us back into the fold.

Is it possible for God to inflict pain on God? If Jesus knows that he is God, is his pain then real? Or does the divinity take it away since God is not human.

Hope

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 11/27/16

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^NRS  Luke 21:25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶ People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  ²⁹ Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰ as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁴ "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

As I began to ponder this sermon the events of the last few days and weeks have imprinted on my mind important questions that this season answers. We celebrate the first Sunday of Advent today, a season of hope, peace love and joy. A season when we begin to act like Christian people in a way we should have been acting all year long. Charity becomes part of our makeup, compassion becomes part of our character, and joy becomes part of everyday nature. Now if I sound a little jaded it is because as Christians we should be doing these things all year long, not just at Christmas. To be fair, many of you are in fact sharing and caring all year long. Part of it comes from seeing God at work in our midst which always creates in me a questioning attitude wondering why people don’t get God. Why don’t people understand Christian behavior instead of being surprised by it? Why it is that prayer is not our first priority in life when God clearly wants to communicate with us? Why do people find it so surprising that Baptist and Methodist would worship together? Why are people so surprised that we would have a meal and give it away? Why do they put an “X” where “Christ” should be? Why are we so confused about the season, what hymns to sing and how to act? Why are Christians so upset about the commercialization of the holiday or respectful of others who celebrate their traditions at the same time as we do? Shouldn’t we be more concerned with whether that homeless man that came to the dinner has food today? Or the children we sponsor at Christmas, who provides for them during the year? Who gives them birthday presents and breakfast?

Welcome to the first Sunday of the season of Advent. Advent is a season of anticipation as we wait the celebration party of the birth of a King. Advent is a season of anticipation as we wait the celebration party of the coming of the King in judgment and glory. You see as Christian people we should live in a perpetual state of anticipation. After all, no-one else in the history of the world worships a risen savior. No-one professes their faith in a man who has died for us and was resurrected by God so that we can receive eternal life. So when we enter into Advent we should begin to celebrate that anticipation and share in its reflection on our lives through our actions, prayers and songs. When we anticipate the promise fulfillment of God, we live lives focused on eternity, not today or tomorrow, but forever and ever.

Today we celebrate the gift of prophecy as we anticipate the meaning of this season. I often preach on prophecy. Why is it important? What can it tell us? It can tell us several important things about God. First, it tells us what God is up to. God wants us to know what God is doing in the world and by giving us the future plans, we can have hope no matter how dismal the world around us gets. But many argue that we read into prophecy what we hope is there. So to counter that argument, let us remember that prophecy in the Bible is also past tense. And it is that past tense which gives us proof that God delivers what God tells us is the future plan. So much about the world around us in unknown, isn’t it great to have something that is set in a firm foundation for us.

We are tasked by God to make a difference in the lives of the world around us, right? Making a difference that lasts all year long. A difference that is evident in the expressions on people’s faces and the joy they share when they realize that your love for them is genuine and authentic. Like the expressions on the faces at a meal given to them because God loves them, no strings attached. Or the expressions on children when they open presents they hoped for but figured that Santa, like everyone else they know, was broke this year and there would not be anything under their trees this year. What if we had angel tree’s in February and provided hearts full of love, food and gifts. What if at Easter we focused on where their lives had emptiness and provided fulfillment of those needs. Or help them celebrate independence from poverty which holds them where they are by giving them educational opportunities to make a difference in their lives.

What is the meaning of Christmas? Two thousand years ago that light shone through the darkness and it tells us that the Shepherds were afraid. We are always fearful of what we cannot understand. Maybe that is why we cannot understand when friendship can overcome denomination, when prayer continues even if no-one comes and why the Greeks used “X” as their symbol of “Christ” so “xmas” is actually Christmas after all. And even though we cannot understand it, it still comes year after year. If they took all the nativity scenes away, Christmas with its special feeling, compassion and love will still arrive on time and it is a witness to the power of God, even if they find a way to disguise it. If we get upset that others are trying to push us out, let us consider that maybe they feel this mystical, magical power of God this time of year and they want a part of it even if they cannot find a way to truly understand it. Maybe by grabbing a piece of that mystical power, God can work within them to show them peace, love, grace and mercy. What we learned two thousand years ago is that God is supreme and God’s plan will prevail. If people are amazed that we can share worship, then maybe they can learn that while they focus on our differences, we focus on our promised resurrection.

I love the movie “It’s a wonderful life.” Just the idea of having a chance to see what the world would be like if you had never been born. The opportunity to see not only the good things you did but the mistakes you made and how they impacted the world around you. How the people you impacted changed the world for the better. All of these things would be wonderful to know, wouldn’t they? I am going to take a little literary license with an old favorite story of mine. You may recognize its source. My little friends say there is no God? Well Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the selfishness in this skeptical age. They do not believe unless they can see if for themselves. They think if they cannot see it, touch it and wrap their arms around it then their minds cannot conceive it. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s, women’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours we are a mere insect, an ant, in our intellect, as compared with the boundless world about us, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a God. God exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound, especially this time of year and give to our lives its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no God. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia’s. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance, and no redemption to make our existence in this world tolerable. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.     

Not believe in God! You might as well believe that there is no tomorrow and the sun will no longer rise in the East. If you set about to find God without opening your eyes you will never find God. But that is no sign that God does not exist. Did you ever see bottom of the oceans or create the rays of sunshine that shine down upon us. Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You can take about the fabric of life itself, explore its DNA, determine the makeup that brings life into the world but you cannot create it or duplicate it. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside the curtain and view the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No God! God lives and God lives forever! A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten thousand years from now, God will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.  Remember Virginia as you hear those bells more loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.[i]

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[i] Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “Is there a Santa Claus” by Francis Pharcellus Church,  September 21, 1897, New York Sun

Await my Return

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC on November 20th, 2016

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^NRS  Matthew 24:42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

"A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from poor neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she knew that most of them would draw pictures of turkeys on tables with food. The teacher was taken aback with the picture Douglas handed in... a simple childishly drawn hand. "But whose hand? This class was captivated by the abstract image. 'I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,' said one child. 'A farmer,' said another, 'because he grows the turkeys.' Finally when the others were back at work the teacher bent over Douglas's desk and asked whose hand it was. 'It's your hand, Teacher,' he mumbled. "She recalled that frequently at recess she had taken Douglas, a scrubby forlorn child, by the hand. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. 'Perhaps this is everyone's Thanksgiving, not for the material things given to us, but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others,' she thought"

(Author Unknown, Stories from the Heart (Multnomah Books: Sisters, Oregon, 1996), 52).

Someone shared with me what would we do if the only thing we could have are the things we thanked God for today. What would they be? How empty would be the closets of our life if the only things we could have in them were the things we thanked God for. I share with people to pray constantly because we were told by our ancestors to do good, to do no harm and to pray daily to God. Maybe we could be more thankful for the hands that guided us when we needed to be guided, for the hands that held us when we need to be surrounded by love and for the hands that worked to provide us opportunity and growth.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying all the usual things at those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed his big smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." People would automatically respond with comments such as "How lovely." or "Continue on with your great work." Nobody listened to what he was saying, except for one foreign diplomat. When the president said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning," the diplomat responded softly, "I'm sure she had it coming to her.

Sometimes we spend so much time focused on ourselves or the big things that we miss the little things. How often have you been going up the road and remarked on something new only to have the person in the car with you tell you that new thing has been there for a long time and you realize that you had never seen it? You have heard me say this before that homeless people become invisible. We are so focused on the store we are going towards that we ignore those around us and have actually made them invisible to our conscious mind. We do the same thing with everything we don’t like in life. That way we don’t have to deal with it. But what about the good things in life? We do the same thing with them. We stay so focused on the things that attract our attention, like tragedy, violence and dramatic things that we miss out on the good things. A young man helps on older woman through a doorway and we don’t even register that a good thing just happened. Yes, I am generalizing as I often do but truth is truth. We do it all the time. So here we are in this week of Thanksgiving and we need to celebrate the things that are good in our world.

As we celebrate this week let us leap ahead into the Passion narrative of Easter. Jesus is looking into the face of death itself. He knows what is coming soon and in spite of that, He asks God to stand by the promise that all of humanity is given into the hands of Jesus. Jesus tells us that He has complete authority over the whole earth and all of its inhabitants, not just for the first century but for all time. Jesus is asking God to give us, those that believe in the love of God brought through the love and sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus, to receive the promise of eternal salvation and life. All of this while looking into the very depths of Hell itself and death. What kind of love is there that can do this kind of thing? I suspect one that we cannot truly understand or appreciate. But this is exactly what happened and what we must be thankful for it. How can we ever repay that which is given to us freely and without strings attached unless we spend our lives witnessing to the grace and mercy of God? How can we ever truly sit at our tables or in our houses comfortable without thinking about the sacrifice that God has given to us? Thanksgiving is a time to do that very thing. Jesus is saying to us that He is ours if we are willing to open our hearts to Him and invite Him in. Will you, can you, won’t you?

Next week we will begin the Advent season. There are some things I want you to know. First and foremost, this season is all about how much you are loved. God loves us so much that God sent us God, in the form of a little baby boy named Jesus, who showed us how to live in that love and how to love when he went to the cross for our lives. Nothing is as important as that message and it is the message of Christmas past, present and future. God still loves us as strongly as that morning when Jesus came into the world to bring peace, be our counselor, our savior and our friend. No matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done or how you’ve lived your life, God’s love never wavers nor leaves you. We Methodist refer to that as Prevenient Grace, the love of God who desires to be in relationship from the moment of conception until the last breath we take. No greater gift can or has ever been given than that grace which we celebrate on Christmas morn.

The second is that the world is focused on commercialism not Christianity. It has been that way since the beginning of time and will not change until Christ comes again. Even the Peanuts Christmas classic in 1965 discussed the commercialism of Christmas and who can ever forget Linus sharing the Luke story of Christmas for us. So we need to get over ourselves when someone chooses to have a plain red cup instead of one with Christmas decorations all over it. I understand that this year’s Starbuck cup is actually all of the designs of those who took the plain cup and made it special and unique. Actually if we are thinking, we should realize that the world is giving us additional time to share the true story when they extend the Christmas selling season. It allows us to touch more lives, to bring the message of love to more people because we have more days to do so. And “X” is the Greek first letter for Christos or Christ. So when the world makes Christmas, Xmas, they haven’t done anything to persecute us. Whether they realized it or not they simply accented the name of Christ for which this season is all about.

And finally, we live in a difficult time in the world today. There can be no doubt that there is more violence and bloodshed, hate and anger, than when many of us were young. The world is full of terrorism and hate amongst the peoples of the world. We saw it played out in throughout the world and in our own country in recent days. But we must also remember that there are thousands who have struggled in those places where hate originates and they are fleeing to bring better lives for their families and themselves. Is that any different than the story of the Exodus from Egypt by the people we call Israelites under Moses? Or for most of us, the stories of our ancestors who came to this country fleeing religious persecution, difficult times in their homes countries of Europe, Italy and the Middle East. Can we but take a moment and remember that if not for the generosity of this place we call America; all of us would have lived and died in places like Syria though the names would have been Scotland and Ireland, Germany and Italy among many.

We are reminded that we are a people of anticipation. As we approach Advent we begin that season of anticipation. People get nicer, friendliness seems to surround us and the sounds of the season make us better people. Jesus told us to look for the signs so that we might know when He is coming again. Truth be told, we should be anticipating His arrival whether He will arrive today, next week or a thousand years from now. Jesus gave us signs so that we might begin the work that needs to be done. That is, to share the Gospel of the Christ, the love of God not only with those who come into the pews on Sunday morning but every single person wherever they live.

Jesus said that as we see the world around change dramatically, the telling of the season when He would return would be approaching. For thousands of years people have predicted, without success I may add, the actual day of His arrival. Whether it was the Millerites who sold off all their possessions in 1843 and stood on top the mountain waiting for the return of Christ or the misguided prophet some years back who wanted everyone to know that Christ was coming again on May 21^st, 2011. Both were wrong by the way. Jesus said to us there would be wars and rumors of wars. We certainly live in that kind of world today. He said that the Gospel would be preached throughout the world and it is coming to that fulfillment today as we sit here among the pews of this church. He foretold of entire weather patterns shifting and of illness and famine throughout the world. All of these things are currently happening.

Paul wrote to us in 2^nd Timothy, ^NRS 2 Timothy 3:1 You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. ² For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them. The writer of 2nd Timothy is telling us at the end of the age, the moral fabric of the world will decline.

I believe that Christ will come when it is time. And none of us will know the hour or the day until it arrives. I also believe that Jesus if He were up here talking to us would say to us, be thankful for what we have, share it with the world around us and await my return with anticipation sharing the love of God with everyone so that when I do return, all will be waiting like the wedding party for the bride and groom. Happy Thanksgiving!