Immanuel - Matthew 1:18–25

                

What’s in a name? Our names are important; they reveal to the world who we are. Names are not neutral; they carry our reputation. When I left home, my dad took me aside and told me to protect our name by not doing anything stupid to hurt it. He told me that he handed down a name filled with respect and honour, the most precious thing he could give us. This has made me always conscious on how my actions and attitudes affect how people see and judge, not so much myself, but my family. God sends an angel to talk to Joseph about the baby Mary is going to have, and the name Joseph is to give this baby boy, but Matthew also points us back to how the prophets referred to this coming baby.

Matthew shares with us some of the details surrounding Jesus’ birth. Mary’s engaged to Joseph, a righteous man, a good man who tries to follow God in the ways he’s been taught. Then something goes horribly wrong. Joseph discovers that Mary’s pregnant and it’s not his child! This is serious enough for the village to get together and stone Mary to death if they find out. Today we’re used to couples having babies before they get married, if they even get married. Many of us don’t feel Joseph’s anguish and sense of betrayal. We read this story and it’s become so familiar there’s no shock anymore. Yet Jesus is a child of shame; his story filled with embarrassment and tears. Jesus is born into a family with real issues, with real hurts, confusion and still his parents have a trust in God that will shape Jesus’ life. But his mother’s reputation will also follow him around during his life, making him more sensitive to those who find themselves with similar reputations.

Joseph’s a righteous man and a kind man. While Joseph isn’t Jesus’ biological father, he has an influence on shaping the kind of man Jesus later becomes. Because of Joseph’s kind heart, he decides not to expose Mary to the judgment and punishment of the community, instead he plans to quietly divorce her. Now it’s time for God to get involved, so he sends an angel to encourage Joseph to take Mary as his wife because the baby is going to need a father with skin and bones. The angel tells Joseph that the baby’s from God and that Mary’s innocent of what Joseph is thinking. Joseph has a tough decision to make, does he trust this vision as coming from God, or does he do the smart thing and divorce Mary. Joseph decides to accept the burden of Mary’s shame and the responsibility of being Jesus’ father. Joseph is a good model of what it means to obey God and do God’s will instead of his own, even if it’s hard. Jesus learns from Joseph that it’s not easy to carry someone else’s burden when you’re innocent, as Joseph carries Mary’s reputation on his shoulders. Jesus later takes on our shame when he goes to the cross.

Jesus is shaped by who his parents are. His parents make sure that all the religious ceremonies are followed, so Jesus is circumcised, dedicated in the temple; a sacrifice is made for him as the oldest son, and Jesus goes through a Bar Mitzvah just like any other Jewish boy would. Mary tells Jesus the story of his birth and the stories of Israel and God. Jesus learns trust in God from Mary, even when you don’t understand what God’s doing. He learns a trade from Joseph and works at it the first few years of his adult life. He probably got yelled at by his bosses when they had a bad day and Jesus needed to learn how to get along with his co-workers and work with them. This is all part of making sure your name is respected and honoured, part of growing up. From Joseph, Jesus learned what righteousness looked like lived out in relationships and real life, he learned kindness and compassion, he learned what it looks like to protect the vulnerable and scorned. The role of Joseph in Jesus’ life as his father helps Jesus learn faith-living.

The angel tells Joseph to name Mary’s baby boy Jesus. The Hebrew name where Jesus comes from is Joshua and means “The Lord saves.” As the angel tells Joseph, this is because “he will save his people from their sins.” But Matthew, who’s writing to a Jewish audience, now takes them back to the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Matthew reminds his readers, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” The prophet Matthew’s referring to here is Isaiah. In Isaiah 7, the kingdom of Judah is under attack by the northern kingdom of Israel and the allied kingdom of Aram. Isaiah and his eldest son go to the king of Judah and tell him to request a sign from God of his choosing that will show him that things would work out for Judah, but King Ahaz refuses to choose a sign, so God tells him that a specific young woman, a virgin, will conceive and give birth to a child.

Before the child is old enough to know right from wrong, the cities of the kings that threatened Judah will be in ruins. The woman will call her child Immanuel, which means in Hebrew, “God is with us.” The name is a sign of hope, that even though war and the threat of war is all around them, God will save Judah. As one commentator writes, “The message that “God is with us” would be true when the kingdoms of Aram and Samaria were laid waste and Judah was saved. The message that “God is with us” would be no less true when the Assyrians laid siege to Judah and her citizens were killed and enslaved. God is with us not just in times of deliverance, but in times of devastation.”

Matthew is writing after the fall of the temple in 70 AD. God’s home on earth has been destroyed. The city of God’s presence in the Promised Land has been destroyed by Roman legions. Thousands of Matthew’s readers’ friends and relatives have been brutally killed, hundreds of them by crucifixion on crosses. The world and the future doesn’t look good for the Jews, or the small but growing church. This is the context in which Matthew is telling the story to the people of the angel’s visit to Joseph. Matthew reminds his readers of a prophecy about a child born hundreds of years earlier whose birth pointed to both deliverance and destruction. Matthew argues that Jesus’ birth fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy even more than in its original context. The temple has been destroyed, but Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection are a shout to the world that God is with us!

Matthew translates Immanuel as simply God with us, pointing us straight to Jesus as God’s son, as God himself. This is more than just a promise of God’s presence. It shows God’s deep desire for closeness with us. God’s not far away, up in heaven watching us from a distance; he’s here with us. God becomes one of us in order to live and experience our world in the same with we do, with flesh on his bones, with a heart that beats blood, a stomach that growls when it’s hungry; a man who cries real tears, whether of sorrow or laughter. The theological word for this is “incarnation,” meaning that God takes on human flesh. As one unnamed writer puts it, “This means that everything that makes up the physical world – from our planet to our bodies – is important to God. Spirit and matter are not separate, but are one, and God is to be found within our embodied lives. We can rest in the knowledge that God truly is with us, not just in a once off moment in history, but in every moment and every situation.”

Even how Jesus comes, being born just like we are, is important because Jesus depends on his parents for the basics of life, he learns from Mary and Joseph the stories of God and Israel and how to follow God, he grows up in a family with brothers and sisters and learns how to get along with pesky younger siblings, he grows up in a small village with people who share the struggles and joys of life together, who help each other out when times are tough, and who love and fight. Jesus learns what it means to be human. I’ve often wondered if the image of church as a family comes from Jesus’ growing up in a family and seeing its cracks and beauty, its strengths and weaknesses, but especially how it’s a safe and nurturing place to learn about God and the importance of relationships.

We see this come out in Jesus’ teaching and life as he teaches what it means to follow God in the day-to-day events of life; focusing on growing a Godly character and living well with God and each other. We see his compassion in his interactions with others, leading with grace and forgiveness while at the same time challenging the people to make sure God is first in their life. This Christmas, take time to give thanks for God as our Father, Jesus as our older brother, the Holy Spirit as our encourager, the church as our faith family, and our personal families as gifts given to us from our loving Father.

 

 

 

 

The Word Became Flesh - John 1:1-14

                                 

John takes us on a journey at the beginning of his story of who Jesus is and why he came to earth as a human being. He reminds us that Jesus was there in the beginning of creation, even though he doesn’t use Jesus’ name until later in the chapter. Jesus wasn’t only there at the beginning of creation; everything was made through Jesus. It’s no wonder Jesus cares so much for us, we’re his most special creation, made in his image, made to carry on the work he began. I love how John emphasizes light and life and how they’re intertwined with who Jesus is and how he created everything. What a great way to start telling the story of who Jesus is and why he came.

John is sent to get the people ready for the coming of Jesus. God’s goal was for his people to recognize who Jesus is when he finally appears in public to begin his work of bringing the people to God, to be their Messiah. Jesus comes to give us a deeper and richer relationship with God through himself, and as we learn a little later, to be the lamb who will take away the sin of the world. John uses the image of light shining in the darkness, a light to guide us to the Father, a light to give hope, a light to chase the darkness away. John goes on to tell us that Jesus is the true light who gives light to everyone. Jesus comes for everyone, but also for all creation, since the creation the was made through him; Jesus comes to bring new life, to bring renewal for all creation as sin has impacted everyone and everything. The psalmist describes it as creation groaning and waiting.

Jesus comes, this is what we’re celebrating this evening and tomorrow in our worship. The strangest thing is that even though Israel has been waiting for thousands of years for their Messiah to come, so many of them don’t recognize Jesus when he comes, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” Yet there are those who do recognize Jesus; the shepherds the night Jesus is born come to worship him, and the Magi from the east also come to worship him, and John offers us this hope, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Gentiles and lowly shepherds are some of the first people given the right to become children of God, definitely not what Israel expected!

In verse 14, John comes to the heart of what happened the first Christmas, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John uses the image of the tabernacle here, saying, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The tabernacle symbolized the presence of God among his people during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness after being freed from Egypt. The tabernacle was a temporary place for a temporary time as they were looking ahead to the Promised Land. Jesus’ time here was also for only a temporary time as he was establishing the foundation for the kingdom of heaven’s appearance; this is why advent also looks ahead to Jesus’ return when the kingdom of heaven will be full established and the Word who created all things will restore and renew all things and defeat Satan once and for all, bringing peace and flourishing to all creation!

Can you imagine what that’s going to be like when Jesus comes in all his glory, bringing light and hope. This is why we light candles this evening to symbolize the light of the world coming again, full of grace and truth! May the Lord bless you all this Christmas!

King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Matthew 2:1-12; Colossians 1:15-23

Matthew tells us the story of Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s perspective. It happens during the reign of King Herod, a Jewish king not from the line of David. Herod worked hard at gaining legitimacy for his reign by rebuilding the temple, with some even saying it was more spectacular than Solomon’s temple! Yet his cruelty and love of power made the people distrust and fear him. Herod knew that many of the Jews didn’t recognize him as legitimate, this helps explain his extreme reaction to learning about the birth of a child called “king of the Jews” from these eastern Magi, astrologers in their own country who have travelled for months to come see this child whose birth is being proclaimed in the night sky. This king has to be really important because the heavens themselves are celebrating his birth.

It's likely that the news of a promised Messiah for Israel entered Eastern thought and legend in the time of Daniel during the exile in Babylon. The Jews in exile kept their faith, their hope, their rituals, and beliefs during this time, sharing them with their children and grandchildren. When the Babylonians conquered Israel, they took the nobles and scholars of Israel with them to serve in Babylon and they had the ears of the eastern scholars who then recorded Israel’s stories and the promises of Israel’s God to his people to send them a Messiah. Those like Daniel who found themselves in positions of influence would have shared their wisdom with the wisemen and leaders of Babylon. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown mention in their commentary that “the Roman historians, Suetonius and Tacitus, bear witness to an expectation, prevalent in the East, that out of Judah should arise a sovereign of the world.” It’s ironic that eastern scholars and Roman historians were more in tune with Israel’s history than the Jews themselves.

Imagine the surprise of the Magi when they arrive in Jerusalem and nobody has a clue about what they’re talking about.  There’s no parades or celebrations going on for this new king, there’s no buzz of excitement in the air or people talking about the baby. Everybody’s just going about their regular lives under the Roman occupation. Instead of excitement, the Magi discover that they’re the ones letting Judah know that they have a new-born king. It must have been awkward when the Magi to go to Herod asking about the new-born king and finding out that Herod has no clue about what’s happening. Herod’s deeply disturbed.

Herod’s wise enough to turn to his own wisemen, “When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” These foreign astrologers’ reading of the night skies agrees with Israel’s prophets’ predictions! God’s amazing; he blasts the announcement out so everyone can share in the hope of the Messiah, the sovereign of the world. Today he might have used Facebook or Instagram instead.

The Magi followed a star to Judah and Jerusalem and we hear echoes in the Old Testament to the coming of a king and a star in the oracles of Balaam, who was hired by Balak, king of Moab to curse Israel while they wandered through the wilderness. The oracle found in Numbers 23 points to God being Israel’s king before they had kings, “No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them,” while in Numbers 24 we read of a star connected to this ruler who’s coming and will destroy Israel’s enemies, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.” This echoes back to Genesis 3 and the promise given by God to Adam and Eve through the curse to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This king that the Magi are seeking is a king who will protect his people and crush his people’s enemies, a king sent from God; a king for all peoples!

Herod summons the Magi to come to him secretly and sends them to Bethlehem with orders to report back to him with directions to this new-born king so he can worship him too. What a liar! What the Magi probably didn’t know was Herod’s reputation for cruelty, even murdering his own sons when they became a threat to his power. The Magi couldn’t know that Herod’s plan was to eliminate this threat to his throne. The Magi head off, following the star and it leads them right to the house Joseph and Mary have moved into and are raising Jesus. Matthew describes the scene, “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” These wisemen, nobles in their own right, bow down and worship Jesus, offer him tribute, pointing to how highly they regard Jesus as a king, a king whose birth even the heavens announce! I love how this story of the Magi shows how Jesus comes for the poor like the shepherds and for the rich like Magi and kings; Jesus comes as king for everyone. The Magi are warned in a dream to not go back to Herod so they leave by a different route, giving Joseph and Mary the time to raise Jesus to have the qualities needed to be king.

What kind of king is Jesus? Paul’s letter to the Colossians gives us a good starting place to understand who King Jesus is and how his kingship impacts the world and his church. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” We hear an echo here to John 1 and the creation of the world through and by Jesus, taking us all the way back to Genesis 1 where we see how in the beginning of time, there was chaos and out of chaos Jesus brings order, beauty, and unity to creation, culminating with humanity who is created in the very image of God! As the creator and originator of all things, this right away puts Jesus in the category of being over and way beyond who we are and what we can understand about who he is and what he’s able to do. This is king work, king identity language that Paul uses here in his letter to the church. The city of Colossae was a city where people came together from many nations and cultures and many became followers of Jesus, so they recognized Paul’s claims of Jesus’ kingship, even though Paul doesn’t specifically use the term king.

As king over all creation, Jesus sustains and keeps everything going in creation through the work of the Holy Spirit; providing for creation, protecting his people from his enemies. Jesus reconciles us to God through his sacrifice on the cross. On the cross, Pilate calls Jesus, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” The Heidelberg Catechism confesses Jesus is “our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.” Isaiah also points us to Jesus as the child king, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah is pointing past the throne of Judah to the throne at the right hand of God, the throne over all peoples, nations, and even creation itself.

Jesus is also head of the church, his body. Paul uses the Greek word kephale, which is a military term of authority. Jesus is not just part of the body, he’s the head, the authority over, the controller of the body, determining its focus, values, morals, and reason for being. There’s a beautiful call here to unity, the same unity that Jesus prays for in the Garden of Gethsemane, a unity that seems impossible today, and yet in Jesus, all things are going to come together, all things will be reconciled to himself. Peace and unity come through his blood, an amazing image of commitment to his creation, to his body!

Jesus, as our head, has commanded us to carry on the work he has begun, telling us that we’ll do even more than he’s done, taking his work to the next level. This is why we’re given the Holy Spirit, reminding us of Jesus’ last words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This Christmas, I invite you to invite others to come this evening and tomorrow to meet Jesus: king of everyone and head of the church.

Finding Comfort - Lamentations 3:1-3; 19-26; Matthew 5:3-12 (Blue Christmas message)

This evening we’re coming close to the longest night of the year when darkness comes early and lasts longer. It seems a little ironic to hold one of our largest celebrations of the year at this time, yet it does symbolize part of why Jesus came into the world; to drive the darkness away. We’re here this evening because of Jesus’ birth, yet it can be really hard to celebrate when our heart and souls are heavy and feel dark. Our reasons for finding it difficult to celebrate and feel joy can be so diverse: from the loss of a loved one recently or even a long time ago, loss of a job or relationship, the stress of the times, and the brokenness and hurt around us. Darkness of the soul has a way of finding its way in.

We can relate to the writer of Lamentations, “I am a person who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.” The writer feels as if the darkness comes from the Lord and it can feel overwhelming at times. There’s fear in these words, a lack of hope, even a feeling of despair. As followers of Jesus, it becomes even harder when we feel as if the darkness inside comes from what we’ve done wrong, that maybe we’re responsible for our darkness and the Lord is punishing us. Guilt can add to the weight of the darkness. Our cries go out into the darkness, “Why?”

But the writer of Lamentations doesn’t leave us in darkness or despair. The writer looks back to his time of darkness and sees hope, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope; because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Even in our darkness, there’s hope as we look back and remember who the Lord is. We can see that he’s full of compassion. This is part of the reason that Jesus came to earth; he came to live and experience life as we live it; filled with both joy and sorrow, plenty and loss. Jesus went to weddings and made wine, he encountered a mother on the way to bury her son, he lost his earthly father to death, as well as a dear friend. Jesus walked both the easy paths in life and the hard difficult paths of life. This is why we’re able to come to Jesus in our own times of darkness and sorrow because he understands what the weight of darkness on our souls feels like, how hard it can be. We can trust that Jesus understands, we can trust his compassion, his presence in the middle of everything we’re experiencing and going through.

Jesus taught us that his kingdom is an upside-down kingdom, a kingdom that teaches us trust and offers us hope. He describes his kingdom in Matthew 5, a kingdom where those who mourn will be comforted, those who are poor in spirit will find themselves in the kingdom of heaven, a place in Revelation that his described as a place where there will be no more tears, suffering, or death. The merciful will receive mercy while the meek will inherit the earth and the pure in heart will see God, while those who are persecuted will be called God’s children and those who are seeking righteousness will find it. This is a kingdom of hope where the sick find healing, where the broken are made whole again, where grace is the way of the kingdom. This is a kingdom where we are promised the presence of God and his mercy and goodness. Until Jesus returns to fully establish this kingdom here, Jesus sends us his Spirit to comfort us, to give us strength to make it through the darkness, leading us to the light of Jesus. Jesus gives us the church, a place where we can mourn and walk alongside those who mourn, while looking forward with hope to when Jesus is coming back to establish his kingdom.

My prayer is that you will experience Jesus’ presence and peace as we remember Jesus’ birth, when he became just like us to experience the joys and sorrows of life in order to bring us comfort and hope in our times of sorrow. May the Lord be with you.

Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27; John 16:33

Good morning children and youth, thanks for telling us the story of Jesus’ birth! It was really special, but just like you kept saying, there’s myrrh! In the Bible, Jesus is called by many different names and they each give us a picture of who Jesus is. There’s a prophet hundreds of years before Jesus was born who talked about him coming as a baby. Isaiah told us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Remember in the play that the story teller told us that Israel was waiting for a flashy Messiah, a king with a mean streak who would kick out the Romans? Isaiah tells us that the baby is royalty, but instead of a mean king, he’s the Prince of Peace.

The angels praised God when Jesus was born, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” The angels remind us that Jesus is all about peace, about peace with God and peace on earth. What does peace mean? Another pastor, Scott Hoezee says that, “Peace means “peace and quiet.”  Peace means a lack of conflict.” Peace means that there’s no more fighting, and that’s something we all hope for. Jesus comes to fight for peace, that sounds kind of funny right, that Jesus fights for peace? Peace is more than just not fighting, it’s about people living together and helping each other out all the time, it’s about being people who encourage each other, who don’t tell unkind or mean stories about others. Peace means always being kind to others so that they know that we care about them, but even more importantly, so that they can know how much Jesus loves them.

Nowadays, we see that lots of people like talking about other people. We call that gossip. Some people like saying mean things about other people and how they aren’t very good at something. This makes them sad or even angry inside when they hear this. We say that they don’t have peace in their hearts then. Peace in our hearts comes from joy and hope, and that joy and hope comes from Jesus and his love for us, a love that we’re called to show to others. In Jesus’ world of peace, people will talk about each other, but instead of gossiping, they talk about how good other people are, they talk about all the things that other people are really good at and where they did really well in helping others feel peace inside. That’s an exciting place to live, knowing that we never have to be afraid of people saying horrible things about us behind our backs, instead knowing that they’re happy for us when things go well and encourage each other when things don’t go the way he hoped!

But wait! There’s myrrh! Jesus also comes to bring peace between us and God by washing away our sins so that we can be children of God, part of God’s family with Jesus. Jesus is so dedicated to creating peace between God and us that he even died so that we can have peace with God our Father. This is why Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah tells us that, “The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” That’s the good news of Christmas: love really did come down and Jesus is so excited about bringing us peace!

Jesus’ zeal for us, which means that he is super excited about us and making us his brothers and sisters in God’s family showing just how much you are loved by the God of the galaxies through Prince Jesus. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus has all the power he needs to create a world of peace and harmony where we’re all able to flourish together. Hallelujah!

I Am the Good Shepherd - John 10:11-21

                                

Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. For the Jews, the image of a shepherd brought back memories of two of their greatest leaders; Moses and David. As a shepherd, Moses met God in the wilderness in a burning bush and received his call to lead the people of Israel out of slavery. It took courage to return to the palace of Pharoah and demand him to let Israel go, it took strength and perseverance to lead Israel for 40 years on their journey to the Promised Land. David grew up working as a shepherd and it shaped his character. 1 Samuel 17 tells the story of David meeting King Saul while the giant Philistine Goliath was mocking the men of Israel. David told Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” This picture of a shepherd is not of a meek and mild boy, but of a fierce young man filled with bravery and confidence who trusted God above all! The story ends with David killing the giant with a stone from the creek.

Lucy Lind Hogan reflects on what Jesus is getting at when he calls himself the Good Shepherd, “He is not only describing what a good shepherd does and will do. He is making the claim that he is the good shepherd. Therefore, it must have seemed quite strange and startling for Jesus’ friends and followers to hear Jesus tell them that he was the good shepherd. After all, they knew who the good shepherd was — God. The scriptures were filled with images of God as the shepherd of the chosen people… Psalm 23 talks about God, saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The Psalm paints the picture of a loving, caring God/shepherd providing food, comfort, and shelter. They knew that they were “your people and the sheep of your [God’s] pasture,” in Psalm 79. The prophet Ezekiel had told them that God was angry with shepherds who took advantage of and abandoned their sheep. God declared, “I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. . ..  I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.” How could Jesus say that he was the good shepherd? Are we to conclude that he was, in fact, God?”

Jesus isn't just any shepherd; he calls himself the "good shepherd," using a word that speaks to being morally beautiful, noble, competent, useful and beautiful in character. When you look at his teaching and life and compare them to the people and leaders we look up to today, we quickly see the moral nobility, the practical wisdom that Jesus taught and lived. When sharing who Jesus is, I will often ask the person who they admire and want to be like. Then I will share with them who Jesus is and what he taught, Jesus always comes out ahead because Jesus deeply loves you and wants you to flourish. While in Montreal I had the opportunity to talk to a number of Muslims about who Jesus is on a regular basis. An older man from Pakistan often invited me to come to talk to his Muslim neighbours about Jesus. We would talk about the differences between what Jesus taught and how he lived and what Mohammad taught and how Mohammad lived and they always had to admit that Jesus always came out ahead in nobility and morality. A number of them began to call themselves Muslim Jesus followers! One of the things that attracted them to Jesus was the image of Jesus as a shepherd; someone focused on providing for, protecting, and caring for his sheep, including caring for them when they were injured or sick, and even dying in order to protect his sheep. This is a completely different image than Mohammad or Allah. This is a level of dedication to us that they had never heard of before.

Jesus talks about "laying down his life for the sheep." He’s heading towards Jerusalem, to the cross and his death. He’s beginning to seriously prepare his followers and disciples for his coming death, pointing to why this needs to happen. Jesus needs to die for his sheep so they can have life, and he's willing to face the danger, fear, and even death, unlike a hired man because it’s his sheep he’s doing this for. Men hired to look after other people's sheep are willing to live for the sheep, help them find food and water, but when danger comes and their own lives are at risk, they will leave the sheep to the terrors of the wolves, lions, or other predators; he's not willing to die for them at the cost to his own family and loved ones.

Jesus is not a hired hand; the sheep are his and he has a relationship with them based on compassionate love. This is why Peter tells the people, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Erik Herrmann helps us understand what knowing Jesus’ voice is like by sharing a scene from his own family, “When Christ says that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd and know him by his voice, one could find analogies in the world of shepherds and sheep, but that is not its immediate or lasting import. Rather our affections are drawn to the kind of intimacy found between the likes of mother and child. My one-year-old might be happily sitting on my knee, when suddenly he hears the voice of his mother and, naturally, all is lost! He is nothing but squirm and scramble, in order to follow the voice that continues to shower him with incomparable love.”

Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori asks, “Who calls us by name? Loved ones, friends, co-workers, and probably the receptionist at the doctor's office. Most of us guard our names from strangers, in the same way that we guard our passports or ID cards. There's an intimacy that comes with being known by name that even the raging extroverts among us don't grant to everyone. Notice how many online comments are made under pseudonyms - those who make attacks or less than kind observations prefer to do it anonymously.” Jesus knows each of our names; calling us by name with unconditional love to be part of his sheepfold, to trust in him, and follow him. Calling each other by name, especially a personal name shows you care about the person. The Montreal youth called me PJ, for Pastor Jake. It was special because they felt free to call me by a personal nickname instead of my title. Jesus is our personal shepherd in much the same way.

Jesus is our good shepherd and he’s also the lamb of God; the sacrificial lamb sacrificed on the cross for his sheep. He becomes a sheep like us, taking our place. Jesus experiences the temptation of sin at the beginning of his ministry when Satan tempts him to take the easy way out instead of walking the often-difficult path of deep obedience and trust in God the Father. Satan goes after Jesus because he knows that if you go after the shepherd, the sheep scatter and become vulnerable and defenseless. We see this so often still today when a church and pastor separate under hard circumstances. It can impact the members of the church hard, even leading some to question their own faith and trust in God. After Jesus' death, the followers of Jesus were shattered and afraid, hiding. It's only after Jesus comes and reveals himself to them in the upper room after his resurrection that the disciples rediscover their courage.

Neal Plantinga talks about how most children are able to go to bed at night without worrying about the bills sitting on the kitchen counter, or the coming snow storm, or about having a job to go to the next day. They sleep and dream without fear. As adults we carry those worries and more with us for them. We know what it feels like to lose a parent or parents, how a lump in a breast can create panic and tears, how hard it can be when there is more month than paycheque. We sometimes dream of returning to those simpler days when we had someone else taking care of us, providing for us. Plantinga writes, “We still live in a dangerous world.  Wolves abound.  We will never come to a day when we will not need someone who will care for us no matter what.  We need someone who can see every wolf that runs our way and who will get killed himself rather than abandon any one of us sheep as statistically insignificant.  We need someone with the vision and the wisdom to lead us safely through the landmine-pocked landscapes of life in a world which is as bewildering as this one often proves to be.” We need a good shepherd, we need Jesus.

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to remind us that he’s our Good Shepherd. When you decide to follow Jesus, you know you can trust Jesus because Jesus does everything out of his deep love for you. Jesus knows you and when you open your heart's ear to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit guides you in discovering who Jesus is; finding that his words, his life, who he is fills you with trust, hope, and peace; leading to a deeper faith and commitment to Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us to hear our Good Shepherd call us by name and gives us the trust and faith to follow him.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will carry you when you’re tired, will come after you when you’re lost. He knows you by name and will provide for you, protect you, and guide you on safe paths through life, leading you to quiet pastures where you can rest and flourish when you trust in him as your good shepherd. The good shepherd became a sheep, a lamb to be sacrificed for us, we as sheep are now called to become shepherds ourselves to invite others to listen for the good shepherd’s voice calling their name to become part of his flock.

 

 

I Am the Light of the World - John 8:12-30

                     

Have you ever experienced times when life seemed dark and the future felt hopeless and your spirits sank at the thought of simply having to get out of bed that morning? Many of us haven’t felt life being quite that dark, though most of us can think of times when we wished life wasn’t such a struggle, when we wished for a bit of hope to shine through and give us strength.  When we step back and look at the root of all our hurt, our struggles, our times of dark, it always comes down to the effects of sin within our world, either our own or other people’s sin which impacts us. Darkness overwhelms: it can come from a critical spirit, harshness can overwhelm those it’s directed at; often without the critical person even realizing how they impact the soul of the other person. We live in an often-harsh world and the church is not immune to it. This is why we need the light of Jesus to shine into the despair, the fear and worry, the loneliness and brokenness of our world through us, his body here on earth.

Leading into our story this morning, a woman caught in adultery is paraded through the town humiliated and tormented and forced to stand in front of Jesus. Her sin is publicly announced for all to hear and a sentence is demanded from Jesus. So many questions here; why is only the woman brought before Jesus, why the need to publicly humiliate her like this, is there no one willing to stand up and protect her, why has she found herself sleeping with a man not her husband, and the man sleeping with someone not his wife, and finally, how dark is her heart right now, is there any hope left in her now? Her sin, and the sin of the man with her, have brought her to this place, but there are also the sins of the crowd, their hatred, anger, lack of mercy, and scheming. Their goal wasn’t justice, but to make Jesus look as if he didn’t care about God’s will. Our dark times are normally a combination of things, not just about one or two sins or decisions, but often an interweaving of circumstances that come together in hurtful destructive ways.  

The effects of sin colour everything in life, making suffering and hurt a regular part of our lives, not something abnormal, but normal. If this is true, what hope is there? Isaiah writes, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

The setting of our passage this morning is the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering Israel’s time in the wilderness where God guided them with a pillar of light during the darkness of the night and a pillar of cloud during the day. The pillar of light gave the people hope, a feeling of God’s presence and protection. The feast includes the imagery of light and water. Where Jesus is standing in the temple courts, there are 2 large lampstands as a reminder of the hope that comes from God’s presence and guidance. The time in the wilderness was a dark time for the people, just as the time they’re living in often felt dark since they’re not completely free, under Roman control.

If you’re here this morning looking for hope, for a light to shine through the darkness of your hurt or struggles, look to the light of the world, the one God sent to offer hope; look to Jesus, whose birth we’re celebrating this advent season. John shows us one of the ways Jesus offers hope. Jesus offers grace and mercy to the woman caught in adultery, he tells the Pharisees, “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I do not stand alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.” It’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t offer the woman forgiveness, but calls her to leave her life of sin, a life that has caused her pain, rejection and almost death. Jesus calls us to leave our lives of sin, and he calls us to follow him. He says, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus offers grace and safety to those who follow him, shining his light into their darkness and hopelessness in order to give them hope.

In the great darkness that covered the land just before Jesus’ death, God’s light shines through as our sins are paid for once and for all. Jesus’ death is the light that takes away fear and replaces it with strength as we trust that he is who he says he is: the Son of God. Jesus has the power to wash away our sin and lead us into a new life filled with light instead of darkness. Jesus tells the Pharisees who he is, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

If you’re looking for a miraculous change in your circumstances, what Jesus offers is an opportunity for hope and change, but it comes through leaving your old life and following him. He accepts you as you are, offering you grace and mercy, but Jesus also challenges you to embrace what he teaches, challenges you to trust him to walk his way, repenting from your old way of life and choose his way. Jesus commits himself to taking on the sin that drags us into darkness, struggle, and hurt; he takes it to the cross and through his blood washes our sin away so we can experience the light of forgiveness and grace. Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us as we deal with the after-effects of our sin and follow him.

Jesus calls himself the “light of the world,” but he also calls those who follow him the “light of the world” too. In his teaching to the people while on the mountain side, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” If we’ve truly accepted Jesus’ call to follow him, his Spirit works in us and his light shines through us.

How does this work? It works through living in the way Jesus taught; loving God with everything you are and really loving your neighbour as yourself. Faith is believing in Jesus and it’s about our character being shaped by Jesus. This is about transformation, about us changing every day more into the people God wants us to be, who God has created us to be. The transforming is never done, at least not in this life time. If you’re not changing anymore in who you are, then you’re not working very hard at your relationship with God. It doesn’t take long in God’s word to see that we all have a lot of changing to do.

In a harsh and difficult world, we are light through how we treat each other, how we talk about each other; how we model Jesus’ grace and gentleness with those who don’t measure up to our standards because in the end, none of us measure up to Jesus’ standard and we depend on his grace as much as others depend on our grace to experience light in the darkness of a harsh world. People judge our faith and walk with Jesus through how we treat and talk about each other, this is why Jesus told us that others will know that we are his followers through how we love each and treat each other.

Did you hear how Jesus describes our light as “good deeds that lead others to praise God” for them, for us? Our light brings life to those who are walking in darkness as they encounter the love of Jesus through us through how we build each other up and encourage others with a generous spirit of love and grace. It’s amazing how a kind word can pierce through a heart filled with the darkness of despair with the light of genuine grace.

But the story is not finished simply with us living as children of light. We’re on a journey, and our ultimate destination is not a world that is marked by darkness, but a "new heaven and earth" where light that comes from God's glory shines through the whole creation. John is given a vision of the glorious city of light in Revelation 21 and 22 where the effects of sin to darken our lives and create hurt and suffering are all gone. John writes, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is its temple. The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it.... then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.” Peace, flourishing, grace, presence of God, life, all point to light, Jesus’ light, our light.

 

Gather, Grow, Go - Ephesians 1:15-23

Paul’s writing to the church in Ephesus, a key port city in the area of Asia Minor, where Türkiye is today. Ephesus sits on major trade routes connecting Rome with the east and south, something like Vancouver today, a busy cosmopolitan city that drew people from all over. It’s here that a church is planted by Paul and it grows, not only in numbers, but also in reputation, so Paul writes them a letter. It’s one of his more joyful letters; a letter to help the people know God better and more deeply. It’s a letter to inspire faith and hope, a circular letter written to the community, not to individuals; a letter that likely would have been passed on to other churches in the region as well; especially a letter like this one filled with teaching about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

It's Paul’s prayer that they’ll know and live out the hope we have in Jesus; that their relationship with Jesus will continue to shape them and inspire them to continue their walk in the way of Jesus. These letters were read out to the people as they gathered together each week to worship God, to study the scriptures and teaching of Jesus as they ate together to grow in their knowledge of God, and to grow more deeply together into the body of Jesus as they shared in fellowship. Gathering together to learn and study together helps us to grow together in knowing God and Jesus through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and coming together over food and friendship builds strength into our relationship with God and each other.

I love how Paul affirms and builds them up with encouragement and blessing; “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Paul has heard how their faith inspires compassion and generosity to others; he’s thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in them, leading to a living active faith.

Paul prays that God will give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The goal is to know God better, especially those who had not grown up Jewish, with the stories of a God who saves us out of slavery and oppression, a God who guides and leads his people, a God who provides, sometimes even in miraculous ways, a God who loves his people so much that he even punishes them at times so that they come back to him, a God who is gracious and forgiving, a God who provides justice for those who are taken advantage of, or for whom life is difficult and hard. Paul’s hope is that they’ll go deeper in their faith and trust in Jesus, by showing them who Jesus is, calling them into even deeper love of God and neighbour, deeper in the love, forgiveness, and grace of Jesus, filling them with even greater hope.

Paul reminds them that they’re God’s holy people; that God’s power is for them, and for us today because we’re his children. This is not like the power that’s so often practiced by the culture of that time, or like the way power is so often used and abused today, this is a power that raises Jesus from the grave so that God’s people are saved from their sin and given new life and hope; this power is used to bless and renew. God’s power for us calls us to live our lives in his power and for the kingdom of heaven. Professor Sammy Alfaro writes, “The letter to the Ephesians, as well as in other epistles of the Pauline corpus, the Christian life is represented in pneumatological terms as living in the Spirit. In the interim period as we await our redemption, the Spirit guides us to produce fruits of justice and righteousness, which are the marks of a true Christian. It is the Spirit’s work in the believer, which marks them as “God’s own people, to the praise of his glory,” as Paul writes in verse 14.”

This power leads us into a new life shaped by the Spirit from lives where we were chained in sin and hopelessness, even if in the moment it felt freeing and empowering as it was all about me and my wants. Paul’s prayer is that the eyes of their hearts might be enlightened so that they can see who Jesus really is, the Son of God who is sitting at the right hand of God, a position of power, where freedom looks like being God’s holy people, dedicated to him.

The world Paul and the church lived in at that time isn’t much different than the world we live in today. The Jews were often persecuted and subject to injustice and violence, it’s no different today. It was a time of political chaos with Caesars like Nero and Caligula; when you look around the world today there’s much political chaos in so many countries and our own country is not immune to it. Violence was common, and it’s more and more common today, even in our own communities. There were natural disasters such as wildfires, tsunamis, floods, drought, earthquakes same as today.

Doug Bratt writes, “If we assume that greed dominates our world, might we be more likely to lose hope?  Might assuming that only sheer luck governs our world make us unlikely to trust that God rules over it? Paul writes… to the Ephesian Christians who also see much chaos all around them.  After all, they live in both the world and in God’s kingdom.  What’s more, Ephesus is the capital of the pagan cult of Artemis. Perhaps that partly explains the apostle’s gratitude that begins Ephesians 1.  In it Paul gives thanks, after all, not only for the Ephesians’ faith, but also for their “love for all the saints” that grows out of it. It stands in sharp contrast to the chaos that surrounds them. While the “eyes of our hearts” is a somewhat mysterious concept, it seems at least to refer to Christians’ minds that God needs to open for us to fully recognize God’s truth. What truth does Paul want his readers to recognize?  He prays that we’ll recognize the “hope to which God has called us.”  The apostle prays that we’ll see more than what we assume is going on around us.”

When we see all the brokenness and hurt around us in the world, we can be tempted to believe that there’s no hope left for the world. This thinking can even seep into the church, and you see a growing number of churches today focus more on the end times because they can only see the evil and wrong in the world. Their only hope is that Jesus is coming back, but they forget about the power of Jesus here now in the Holy Spirit. They forget that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and is “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” They overlook what Paul reminds us of, that “God placed all things under Jesus’ feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” This is happening right now; Jesus is in charge and working his power over all things right now.

Doug Bratt goes on in his reflection on these verses, “So those whose heart’s eyes God has opened don’t live for the moment, ourselves or even just the people we like.  God’s adopted sons and daughters also live to know, love and serve Jesus Christ and our neighbors, including even our enemies. Paul also prays, however, that Christ’s followers will more fully see what verse 18 calls “the riches of” God’s “glorious inheritance in the saints.” God, after all, promises God’s sons and daughters an unimaginably glorious future. God’s Spirit equips God’s adopted children to do something similar spiritually. We learn to live by watching very carefully for God’s work in our world. Christians learn to look for signs of God’s power, faithfulness and love that aren’t always obvious to the untrained eye.” This doesn’t come naturally, this is why Paul is points them to the Holy Spirit who enlightens our hearts so we can see Jesus at work in our world, even in the brokenness; often using us as his body to be his presence and hope. We grow in faith as we gather together to learn so our eyes are opened, both by the Holy Spirit’s presence in the world and through the Bible’s testimony of who Jesus is. This past week I was able to talk with Val who just came back from Mexico and Fuentes de Vida and she shared how she was impacted by the pastor’s work there; living out the presence of Jesus in the hardness of life there. It’s important we learn to see how God working in our own community here.

We’re connected to God through Jesus. Sarah Heinrich writes that, “in these verses we come to the mystery of our connection to God in Christ. Jesus Christ has been made the “head” or kephale of all things “for” the church…. kephale makes more sense as the head in headwaters. It is the source from which flows all that he is, his “body,” the “fullness of him” which fills all in all. Jesus raised to God’s presence is like the headwaters of the Mississippi that now expands to fill, shape, even become his people… Jesus has broken the levees, the dykes, and he has overflowed all things for the life of his church which may live “in praise of his glory.”

The Spirit of Jesus flows into us, calling us to go into our daily lives with a spirit of hope, shaped by Jesus’ message, life, death, and resurrection to bring the message of hope of Jesus to lead others into the kingdom of heaven. We follow Jesus’ call to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Now, go bring the good news of Jesus wherever you are this week!

 

Broken Signposts – Power - John 19:1-16

                           

This morning we’re taking a look at our last broken signpost. This series has been all about how our faith guides us. Miroslav Volk writes, “Faith does its most proper work when it sets us on a journey, guides us along the way, and gives meaning to each step we take. When we embrace faith—when God embraces us—we become new creatures constituted and called to be part of the people of God… faith guides us by offering itself as a way of life that indicates paths to be taken and dark alleys or dead-end streets to be avoided, and tells us what our specific tasks are in the great story of which we are part.”

Jesus is on trial before Pilate after being condemned by the Jewish court. Jesus tells Pilate that he is a king, but that his kingdom is not of this world. To Pilate and all those listening in, Jesus’ claim sounds weak and foolish. Jesus is in a position of weakness without any visible power. He’s at the mercy others. The Jewish leaders have power over Pilate and over Jesus, the soldiers have power over Jesus, Pilate has power over Jesus, and in their own ways, they force Jesus to bend to their will and Jesus accepts it. Pilate even has the power of life and death over Jesus, ultimately handing Jesus over to death on a cross, even though he declares Jesus innocent three times.

Power is a funny thing; funny strange, not funny ha ha. It raises a lot of questions: what is power, how should it be used, and if you have power, do you have to use it? How does God’s power and the power he gives us fit together—how much initiative and responsibility do we take to make things happen and how much do we leave in God’s hands? Power’s addictive. Many people seek power so they can impose their will on others. It's difficult to hold power and be humble at the same time; it can be done, but it’s hard to do. Power is easily abused, we see examples of it regularly in places like the Middle East, North Korea, Russia, but even in our own country and province. A friend in Quebec City was abused in the church as a child and has a hard time with the power church leaders have and how they use it. It was only after we studied Jesus and his power and how Jesus uses his power to serve, how power to Jesus looks like sacrifice, that he was able to accept Jesus again as his Saviour and Lord, to trust Jesus.

Jesus is mocked with the symbols of power. Soldiers twist thorns into a crown and place it on Jesus’ head. They put a purple robe on him and verbally mock him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then they turn around and slap him in the face. Jesus lives out his own teaching and turns the other cheek rather than striking back. They have no idea who they’re mocking and the power Jesus actually holds. Not all power is visible, power doesn’t always have to be used right in the moment; self-discipline and wisdom are important.

This is a story of power. Pilate is threatened by the Jewish leaders who tell him what Jesus has claimed and how this goes against their laws, but when Pilate tries to set Jesus free, they push back hard, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” They use Pilate’s past failures to keep peace in Israel against him by threatening him with Caesar, using the power of Caesar against Pilate. Pilate’s afraid and so he goes back to Jesus. He asks Jesus, “Where do you come from?” but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Jesus challenges Pilate’s power and where it comes from, pointing Pilate to God, his Father.

N.T Wright reflects on how we were given power by God back at creation, “Human beings are given power in the very first page of the Bible. In Genesis 1, various features of the newly made world – vegetation, birds, and animals – are given instructions to multiply, to flourish, and to get on with being themselves and with propagating their own species. When humans are made, however, there is an extra dimension. Humans too are commanded to be fruitful and multiple, but they are given an extra awesome and responsible vocation: to have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Power, in other words, comes from God and is given to human beings.” This power is to be used to help creation flourish, helping us to know who God is through the book of creation, as the Belgic Confession describes it. God delegates his power to us, but we’re called to use it to imitate God who is a generous God who pours out his love to his people, even showing love through the giving of gifts to those who don’t believe in him, something we call common grace. God shares his power with his people; he chooses to work through broken, fallen, weak humans and even becomes human and uses his power to die so that we can have eternal life.

We’re God’s ambassadors to creation; stewards over his creation, called to serve God’s desire and plans for his creation, whether it’s over the creatures of the sea, land, or air, and even over the land and the things of the land. It’s a huge responsibility, and a sign of God’s trust in us to use the power he’s given us to bring glory to him and not ourselves. It’s humbling and uplifting, both at the same time.

So how are we to use this power God has given us? When we look closely at Jesus’ life, one of the things that jumps out to me is how Jesus connects the use of power with humility, grace, servanthood, compassion, and justice in powerful ways. Jesus makes his position on the use of power clear in Matthew 20:28, ^“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Paul gets it in his second letter to the church in Corinth, “But he, Jesus, 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.”

This is why followers of Jesus, and the church as a whole, need to be aware of the dangers of how power can be used in hurtful ways and how power quickly corrupts people. History, including Bible and church history, give us countless examples of power wrongly used; how power was too often used for personal advantage. This is why we celebrated Remembrance Day yesterday, as men and women recognized abusive power and fought against it, sacrificing their lives for us. David and Solomon are two examples of how even godly men, blessed by God used power in dangerous and self-serving ways that led to deep hurt and brokenness.

What does it look like to use the power you have in a way that is healthy and blesses rather than hurts? King David gives us a good picture of what a healthy use of power looks like in Psalm 72. David asks for power to bring justice, especially for those who are afflicted or in distress, “Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice… he will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.” He goes on to recognize that his role as king is to be there to as a deliverer, someone who places the needs of the people ahead of his own, who looks to God’s example of what it looks like to be the protector of the people, “For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” The king serves his people, as Jesus does.

Leadership and power are for serving and sacrifice. Just before Jesus’ death, just after his disciples argue about having places of power in his kingdom, Jesus gives them a living parable of how they’re to use the power he’s going to give them as his disciples, “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Matthew Bridges writes, “Because Jesus humbled himself, because he endured the humiliation of the cross, including the crown of thorns, therefore God exalted him to the highest place. For Jesus, the path to glory as King of kings included the path of disgrace. Because he wore the crown of thorns, Jesus would receive the crown of universal worship.” Jesus uses his power as God and creator of the universe to save us from our slavery to sin and the oppression our sin puts us under. Jesus frees us by coming to serve instead of rule, and because of his humility and obedience to God, God has now made him King of kings. In Jesus, we see a kingdom shaped by humility, mercy, grace, forgiveness and sacrificial love; a completely upside-down kind of power designed to change people’s hearts and relationships with God and each other.