"Loving as God Loves" (1 John 4:7-21)

Introductory Question

What words would you use about God’s love?

Introductory Comments

(a)  God can do no other than love, because God IS Love (verse 16b). God loves the world because God IS Love. The very nature or character of God is disclosed in love.

(b) As God IS Love, God defines what love is. God is the model for love (verse 19). Thus our love for God would not only be a response to God’s love, but also a reflection of this very same love. We return to God his own love – we love God with the gift of love he first gave us – we share back God’s own gift of love.

(c)  In this way we can also share God’s love with others … in a real sense, it’s not just our love toward others, but God’s love for others being transmitted through us.

(d) God is also the power that enables love to occur. God is not only named as “Love” but also does (lives out) “love”. God is the initiator of love (verses 10 & 19). God’s love then evokes our love. We can only love God because God has first loved us, and opened up the path of relationship.

(e)  How we interpret what God is doing … must factor in the concept that God is Love – that love sits behind everything that God does. Loving is not just one thing God does among many things, but rather all of God’s activity is loving activity! So if we can’t quite understand some particular response that we are attributing to God, we must at least consider God’s loving intentions behind this.

(f)   Love (”agape”) is clearly the central feeling, emotion, activity or character trait in life. Paul would agree with John – faith, hope, love … “the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

(g)  If anyone is walking a little heavy this morning, I would hope that just talking a bit about God’s love would allow to you walk a little lighter, perhaps even stepping a little higher off the ground.

What God’s Love is about

1.     God’s love is active – thoroughly engaging – broadly welcoming. Heaven was torn open so that God’s love might reach humanity. There seemed to be a major division between heaven and earth, one with perfect light (heaven) … and the other (earth) with predominate darkness. But God’s love makes connections between these. Thus God’s love can break through all sorts of boundaries, e.g. the spiritual boundary of sin, the emotional boundary of broken relationships, the physical boundary of sickness, the social boundary of cultural differences.

2.     God’s love is sacrificial – we have seen the greatest act of love in human history from God, in sending his Son, part of Himself, part of the Divine Community, to earth … meaning that Jesus would ultimately die (carrying the sin burden of all humanity … just imagine that weight). This, on a torturous cross, feeling alone and rejected. This – so that we could find relationship with God, with no guilt or shame to get in the way. Jesus surrendered divine prerogatives and gave himself for us (R B Hays).

Here is the ultimate way in which the Bible talks about love … verse 9 – “God sent his ONLY Son into the world so that we might LIVE through him”; verse 10 – “… [God] sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins; verse 14 – “… the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world”. John Painter writes that, “Love is safeguarded from misunderstanding by the definitive demonstration in Jesus’ act of self-giving”!!! “God is love” may have remained somewhat abstract without this particular demonstration!

3.     God’s love is a constant – we can dwell in this mutual love relationship (verse 16b … “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them”). That’s a bit awesome! Let’s hear how another translation words that: God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house… (The Message). As we dwell in this mutual love relationship, this love then spills over into the world … naturally it would.

4.     God’s love is transformational – it changes us as we respond to it … it changes everything – we become a ‘new creation’. God’s love changes us from … self-oriented people, on our own way, despite others, to … community oriented people, on God’s ways, with others. God’s love perfects us or completes us, but this perfection or completion is more a corporate experience (verses 12b & 17b i.e. “among us”). It is a radical God-inspired love for one another that completes us as a whole. It is in the community of faith that love has its ultimate fulfilment (G W Barker). And now, God’s love is set fully free to reach the wider community!

Our Response to God’s Love

Our text (from the 1^st Letter of John) e.g. verse 7, makes it clear that those who have attached themselves to the God who IS Love, must themselves love others. Verse 11 says that the motivation behind our love of others comes from the quantity of God’s love given to us (“God loved us so much”). An inverted possibility is challenged in verse 8. If we do not love others, then this says something about our relationship with God. What?!? That is doesn’t really exist … that we are kidding ourselves!?!

Then the rubber really hits the road when we get to verse 20. This tends to personalise things a bit; this suggests that there could actually be a refusal to practically love a brother or sister when the opportunity sits right before us. Or what about this one from the previous chapter: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses [to] help?” (1 John 3:17).

Such a person, if they refuse to help, cannot really love God, and if they say they do (love God), then this scripture would call them a … “liar”! Such a person is ducking the truth that God’s love in the process of being returned (vertically) must he shared horizontally. Such behaviour betrays the character and essence of God. Love must have authenticity, the proof must be there for all to see.

If one loves God, that person cannot refuse to love the image of God on display in someone else (G W Barker)! Perhaps this could be understood … as needing to see the possibilities of what God could do in a person (in love) … if they were just in receipt of some measure of the love in us (to open that door). This could mean looking past many frustrations and disappointments, and exercising a fair degree of patience.

If we look at verse 12, we can see that if we do love others, we will know and experience that God lives in us, and that this will be noticed. Whereas no one has actually seen God, God can be seen through the way in which we love – the way in which we express God ourselves. In this way the reality of God’s love is given proof (for all to see)! And it’s not just love that will be seen, but God also.

The idea of love “perfecting” or “completing” us, mentioned earlier, also has some connection to how we might feel about judgment or experience fear. Verse 17 points out, that as we allow God’s love to abide in us and work its way through us, the spiritual journey we are on is being completed, such that we would have no concern about any judgment to follow. If we truly represent God’s love in the daily grind of this world, then we should have no fear concerning the next world. God’s love motivates our obedience (in love), which in turn completes us!

If we have any issues with fear in relation to God, then we haven’t truly experienced the depth of God’s love (refer verse 18). This may relate to one or more of the barriers that we talked about last week. God is NOT interested in punishing us; God is only interested in giving us the best experience of life imaginable. After all, didn’t Jesus die on a cross for this!! God’s love is so life-changing, that it casts out any need to fear how life or eternity may turn out.

Love who?

We might suggest that those foremost in mind here are those who are also in the Christian community or part of the same first century house church. And this makes sense with the broad diversity in the early church … Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, slave and free. Those who came to follow Jesus would have to embrace the notion of loving people across the boundaries that can often separate in the general community … race, financial position/class, occupation. This was a non-negotiable implication of receiving God’s love (i.e. passing it on).

But our general reading of scripture, and our knowledge that loving our neighbour has NO limits, means that loving others means all people (in our true and full representation of the God who IS Love). So let’s cast our minds as far as possible … those who give us a hard time … Jesus said love your enemies … those who we don’t know personally, but know very well that they have significant need … those we might ignore without too many conscience problems.

So If We Love as God loves, what will this mean?

In the same way as God’s nature or character is revealed in love, so must the reality of our relationship with this God be revealed in love. We can only know and represent God accurately through an attitude and application of his love. True to say that other people will only accurately receive our witness to who God is through genuine love.

1.     God’s love is active – thoroughly engaging – broadly welcoming.

Our love will be practical and inclusive.

We will find ways of meeting people at their point of need (whether it be emotional, physical, social or spiritual), and welcoming people across boundaries of difference. In the ancient world it was generally thought appropriate to only love those regarded as worthy of being loved (Stott). Maybe this would still be the case!? But God turns this over!! God spontaneously loves all in the hope of positive change. We will love our enemies, in the hope that they may become our friends (Matthew 6:43-48, Luke 6:27-28). We will be kind to those who have hurt us, in the hope that they will discover God’s grace.

2.     God’s love is sacrificial.

Our love will be sacrificial.

Something is sacrificial if it doesn’t take notice of what it will cost personally, or if notice is taken, it makes no difference. We will engage in humble service of others – not from any sense of superiority, but as people touched by grace. This will be generous, and often take us out of our comfort zones. This is because we ourselves were taken from our lowest point at incredible cost. No one who has been to the foot of the cross and found forgiveness there can remain selfish.

3.     God’s love is a constant.

Our love will be consistent.

Not just when it suits us or we feel like it. This is an act of our will … a decisive choice to be made – sometimes we will just have to act out of love whether we feel we want to or not, and let our feelings and attitudes come into line later. Who do you find it easier to love?? Is it your neighbour, or is it a stranger?? Different answer for different people I expect! Maybe it’s easier to love someone you see often; but then there may be many more occasions when you could fail to love! Maybe it’s easier to love and support a stranger in some financial or other capacity, because they have never said a bad word to us; but then as we never meet them or see them … could they easily be removed from our minds!?

4.     God’s love is transformational.

Our love would be forgiving, prayerful and hopeful.

Our love should provide every opportunity for people to connect with the God of transformation. Our love will bring forgiveness. Our love will take us into prayer (especially where this is our only avenue of love for certain people groups). Our love will cause us to be hopeful concerning the positive difference that God will make in people’s lives. Our love will be expressed by not just telling the story of Jesus’ sacrifice, but more so living the story of Jesus’ sacrifice. We might prefer to argue people toward faith, but the preferred method is to let love be the evidence for faith.

And this is most clearly evident, and more powerful, when God’s people pull it off together! Harrington & Absalom write: Remember that Jesus gave the world the right to judge us on one thing: the quality of the love we have for one another (John 13:35). We are to model a type of community that can’t help but fold the lost into the love of Christ.

"Being Fully Alive" (Romans 6:1-11;17)

Introduction

Okay, so we appreciate God’s love, that comes rattling our way! Heaven has been torn open for us. We accept Jesus’ ministry and his great act of sacrificial love on our behalf. We make a decision to follow Jesus … now we are his disciple! We have made some public witness to this fact in baptism or testimony – we are now members of God’s Kingdom – citizens of heaven.

We also sense that we are called to be part of a community that worships together, shares together, and uses their gifts together! We sense our job description, i.e. to share God’s love (in some way or other) with everyone we meet. We have heard about the ‘great commission’ … about “going and making disciples”. We know that Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit … to be with us always, and to make the seemingly impossible become possible!

So, what gets in the way?!?

What gets in the way of us being all of what we are called to be?

What stops us being fully alive?

·        Sin … a selfishness or self-centredness that inclines us toward certain desires; a failure to do what we know we should do (and what we have the capacity to do)

·        The old nature – especially the comfortable bits; where we can take various weaknesses a little too lightly (rather than allowing for remedial action)

·        Wallowing in guilt, instead of embracing forgiveness … because for some reason it’s preferable to change (maybe we like the sympathy)

·        Competing priorities, where seemingly powerful agendas (often career related, or finance related; sometimes family related) overwhelm us

·        Lack of focus (or understanding of what being a disciple means) – perhaps we have not had enough teaching, or not reflected enough on the teaching we have had

·        Life issues … e.g. illness, various troubles, financial woes

·        Bitterness (lack of forgiveness)

·        Shame i.e. not forgiving ourselves, or not valuing ourselves as much as God does

·        Lack of gratitude – finding ways to be grateful releases us; the opposite restricts us

·        A misunderstanding of freedom … freedom that has no reference point – that we can do whatever we like – laxity or apathy (especially addressed by Romans 6:1-2).

Responding to Grace

Sometimes, as Paul points out (Romans 6:1-2), we can take “grace” for granted. God has done so much for us, and we just keep lapping it up … but we don’t turn it into anything … we don’t actually bear that grace fully in our lives – we don’t allow change to take place. We have met Jesus, but we still get stuck where we always have been. And then we just get down on ourselves, which eventually leads (if not resolved) to getting down on everyone else.

It seems, from the way Paul expressed himself, that people of his time thought that if they sinned all the more, then there would be all the more grace to enjoy. Or to put it another way, as there was so much grace, they could still live as they liked. Or at least there was the potential for thinking this way! In other words, it didn’t matter if they sinned or not, because there would always be grace to rely on. ‘If God will forgive me later, why be good now?!’

But there are so many problems with this thinking! What are they???

·        This way of thinking is STATIC – there’s NO growth here:

We are not meant to stay static, relying on being forgiven time and time again, but we are meant to be a party to being changed into the image of Christ Jesus. To continually allow sin to happen while relying on God’s good graces for forgiveness is actually living under ‘law’ all over again and remaining enslaved (or ‘captive’) to sin. If we accept that Jesus died on our behalf, then we are committing to the death of sin in ourselves from this point on. [And that is what ‘water baptism’ demonstrates – a death to sin and old ways and a rising to something better.]

·        It’s SHORT-SIGHTED:

Salvation is a process that we embark on at one point in time, but then allow to grow and flourish (refer Romans 6:4 … so we too might walk in newness of life). Whereas, once upon a time, repentance was a decision to be debated and made, now repentance is a way of life … it is natural, it happens naturally each time we fall short of the mark, we much more spontaneously seek forgiveness; and not so that we can sin again, but rather that we can become more fully alive. We are less and less in open rebellion.

·        It’s SELFISH:

The grace we receive is not to be contained selfishly, but rather lived so that it might be shared (and it can’t be shared where it is not proven to be real nor effective). We are not just grace-recipients, but also should be grace-bearers. We should seek to live a life that is obviously invigorated with hope and purpose and peace … which has been sourced from outside of us – through a relationship with our Creator.

Paul says (v.2), in response to this notion of keeping on sinning (because grace abounds), “by no means …” (or, “no way known …”, or, “total nonsense”, “certainly not”, “it’s not on”)! It is possible to cheapen or waste God’s grace, by ignoring the call to embrace new life. The evidence of grace is not so much the forgiven sinner, but more so the transformed life.

Disruption to Worship

It is tragic to see wasted lives where there has been the opportunity for life to abound. Often, there is the need to just get past one problem area, or move on from one past hurt, and then there can be freedom. There is such joy to be found, and there is such good to be achieved, when people come to serve God and others with all their hearts and hands.

One area of life, amongst others, that might be negatively affected by an unwillingness or incapacity to become fully alive, would be … our worship. It’s difficult, maybe introspectively seen as hypocritical, to let loose in worshipping God, if we are hanging on to things that don’t belong in this worship space. So we can’t worship and we don’t worship (not really)! We stay away, or we stay reserved, or we go through the motions – because we just have not felt that release to worship; we feel the barriers, and we can’t break through!

Breaking Through

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). This is our action plan!

To “consider” something a certain way … is to come to a conclusion or make a determination on how we view something. In this case, we need to make the decision to actively have the mindset … that we have died to sin and become alive in Jesus. THIS IS WHO WE ARE NOW!! Not just sinners saved by grace, but new people living new lives! No pretending … “believers should consider themselves to be what God in fact has made them” (F F Bruce).

Dead to Sin?

What is different when we have “died to sin”? Our earthly context means there are still significant temptations that we come across; however sin is now just a temptation, rather than a controlling power. We still have the capacity to sin. But we also have more capacity (in Jesus) to say “no” to sin. Although it remains possible for us to sin, there has been a radical change in our attitude to sin.

There is also this tension in which the ‘old person’ that has been crucified must still be resisted. But, we mostly sense sin’s destructiveness to ourselves and others, and are therefore more likely to resist. We become more gradually invested in and committed to our new nature, and more easily sense when we may be acting out of the old nature (and be less tolerant about this). Once we fully grasp that our old life has ended (and the whole debt has been paid), we shall want to have nothing more to do with it (John Stott).

We have also gained vast spiritual resources from Jesus to call upon. Jesus’ presence in our lives gives us strength to defeat temptation. We take our example from Jesus, in the way he dispensed decisively with temptation and any pressure to take the wrong path (e.g. in the wilderness, with Peter, and in the garden). Sin, and the old nature, can be dispensed with through “disciplined dependence on God” (G R Osborne).

As Martin Luther apparently said, “We can’t keep the birds from flying around our head, but we needn’t let them build a nest in our hair”.

Being Fully Alive

Being a slave to sin is a downhill road – our perception is distorted, our will is overpowered, obedience to God is impossible (R B Hays). Being fully alive, on the other hand, is having a mastery over those areas of life that may otherwise have a tendency to disrupt us (and sometimes entirely so). And that mastery, or that ‘master’, is Jesus (our ‘Lord’). We become alive to God “in Christ Jesus” (v.11). Being “in Christ Jesus” suggests that we have constant and growing communion with Jesus. It is NOT more effort that will help us, but more Jesus.

To have more Jesus means allowing the Holy Spirit more room in which to work, but also means knowing Jesus better from the reports we have available on his life. Later in Romans 6 (in verse 17), we read, Paul speaking to believers in Rome, But thanks be to God, that you, having once been slaves to sin, have become obedient from the heart – to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. There are vital things we need to know and deeply internalise. We have had ‘open heart surgery’, so to speak, when we accept Jesus, so that we might become completely different – wholeheartedly living in the way of Jesus.

There are the demands of discipleship, the ethical requirements of faith, and the principles that must guide us in our interactions with each other and the world (E F Harrison). We have to know these and put them into practice. This stuff shapes our lives! The ‘believer’ has entered a new realm of existence and has begun the process of changing old habits and patterns toward now fitting the Jesus way of life they have chosen (G R Osborne). And we have to stay in this process – towards its completion!

If God loves me so much that he tore heaven open so that I could have a relationship with him and join his community, then I will respond precisely as he desires. Thus grace is NOT licence (to do whatever we please), but rather, grace is fuel (to do God’s work) – Bryan Chapell. If the first way to be “alive in Christ Jesus” is to allow space for the Holy Spirit to work, the second way to become “alive in Christ Jesus” is to be active in Jesus’ current body i.e. the church. Jesus left his community to come to earth so that we might be fitted to join his community – both functionally and eternally … thus creating a bridge – heaven to earth and earth to heaven.

Conclusion

The level of God’s love that has embraced us actually demands that we respond wholeheartedly … properly responding to free (yet costly) grace … letting go of certain sinful pursuits … actively dealing with the stuff that gets in the way … proactively embracing Jesus as our ‘master and commander’ – in so doing, finding the true freedom in which to thrive.

We will not be like the released prisoner, who, unable to find a new path, reoffends themselves back to a prison cell. It is rather to say, “I [have] made my choice, [I’m] not going back to history” (L Wesley)! I will not seek to undo what God in his great grace has done for me!! Let us always remember who we are in Christ Jesus. You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).

It is in being fully alive that we find our true and complete identity … the person we were originally created to be. True freedom then, rather than doing anything we feel like, rather than being any sort of ‘free agents’, is doing those things that count, under the Lordship of Jesus, uninterrupted and uncompromised by the old ways.

"God's Love: Heaven Torn Open" (Mark 1:1-11 & Mark 15:33-39)

Introduction

What is the motivation for obedience?

Why should we do God’s will, or be fruitful, or use our gifts?

What should be the real motivation behind our obedience to God?

NOT fear of repercussions, NOT religious obligation, NOT duty, CERTAINLY NOT guilt!

Proposition – God’s Love

God created everything with such love and care. Despite knowing that giving human beings freewill would cause him so much pain, God did so hoping that many would choose a relationship with him … rather than the emptiness of denying God a place in their lives. God desired relationships with his creations, and he has never deviated from this desire.

Over recorded history, God has often been frustrated by a lack of response to His Ways. We see this time and time again in the Old Testament. There have been a few shining lights, like Abraham, Moses and David, but so many instances of apathy and rebellion. So many calls to reform their ways and tackle injustice had fallen on deaf ears. The people of Israel found themselves defeated by foreign nations and taken into exile because they had lost their way. Sacrifices were made seeking forgiveness, but lives remained unchanged. So God gave up!?! No!!

The people were in need; and God’s love had been seen in His care for the universe. What would God do? The prophets longed for an answer. Isaiah cried out these words, “O that you [God] would tear open the heavens and come down” (64:1). Sometimes we’ll get a job done on our property while we’re not there, and when we get home we find that it just isn’t done right. We’ll get on the phone and try to describe the problem, but in the end, the boss will need to come out and see to the issue in person. “O that you God would tear open heaven and come down”, and deal with this!

This is exactly what God eventually did – the heavens were “torn open”. God would respond to this prophetic cry by bringing grace right into the hustle and bustle of the human environment. In Matthew and Luke we have the birth narratives (that we read at Christmas) where we discover that Jesus was the Son of God sent to earth. The Gospel of John opens with those great words about the “Word becoming flesh”. In Mark, at the time of Jesus’ baptism, we hear that the heavens have been “torn apart” (Mark 1:10).

The root of the Greek word used here is “schizo” – the word from which we get the medical term ‘schizophrenic’ – meaning a divided or torn mind. In the context of “heaven”, there has been a separation – a tearing away. Never let us think that this was a simple or uncomplicated thing for God to do – this was the greatest act of love since creation itself. The community of God – the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit, had always been together (to this point), and together created the world and everything in it. This was a tight community!

God’s extreme response to the need of humanity was to ‘tear apart’ this community, and send the Son to earth. And the Son would be sent as a human being – a human being vulnerable to hurt, rejection, betrayal and violence. Jesus would experience life, in a particular time and place, like we experience life; yet in a way that we couldn’t help but notice – in a sinless and messianic way. And Jesus would experience death in a way that would bring us new life – because his death was actually our death.

God would suffer a loss of community … for the sake of offering us community. Through this act of love, we could be drawn ourselves into relationship with God’s community, as well as into a new community of people of faith. Jesus would leave many aspects of his divinity behind in heaven so that he could personally experience what it is to be human. Not that God didn’t know already something about human suffering – it’s just that we would get to know how Jesus experienced the breadth of being human, and see how he handled this.

Jesus brought together the fullness of the love of heaven with the vast need of humanity. Jesus too would have a sense of loss, intensified on the cross (Mark 15:34) – “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani”? This is unprecedented love, radical love, extraordinary love! We should say again, that God was here reengaging with his original desire to forge eternal intimate relationships with his created beings, and paying a great cost to do so!

That Jesus was fully human is seen through the fact that he needed the Holy Spirit, just like we do, if he was to fulfil God’s will. It will be this Spirit that Jesus relies upon to guide him through his ministry. The Holy Spirit would be needed to effectively deal with all the needs, expectations, problems, diseases and opposition that lay ahead. In the very next verse, the Holy Spirit ‘drives’ Jesus out into the wilderness, so that he might endure and rise above all temptation, before embarking on all the challenging ministry that lay ahead. As all members of the Trinity participated in the first creation, all members participate in the new work of re-creation (RA Cole) … God in the sending, Jesus in the redeeming, and the Spirit in the guiding!

But the main point I am making, is the magnificent extent of God’s love … that he would let his Son go … that the perfection of the community of heaven could be torn apart for our sake. But God judged this to be worth it – for the human Jesus, with the Holy Spirit on side, would indeed change everything. That this would not be without cost, is indeed amplified in those heart-rendering words (of Jesus from the cross), “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34). This was an expression of isolation, of broken community, and the weight of the burden that had been placed upon Jesus.

A Second Tearing

So the heavens were torn open to allow Jesus to take up residence on earth, but then the heavens were torn open again. There was a part of the temple (called the ‘Holy of Holies’) reserved for the high priest – this was behind a curtain. There were all sorts of perceived barriers that separated people from God symbolised by this curtain. The law had to be addressed in all sorts of rigorous ways, sacrifices had to be made in a certain way. It was really only the high priest who could fully commune with God.

But had this made any real difference?!? When Jesus died his perfect death, for the remission of our sins, what happened to this curtain??? It was “torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). This symbolically demonstrated that heaven had again been thrown wide open, with Jesus ushering the way for us to engage fully with God. There was now unrestricted access to God. Now there could be real relationships forged based on mutual love; that could in turn lead to much more natural, spontaneous and heart-felt responses.

In previous days there had been knowledge about God, certain experiences of God’s power, calls for obedience to God’s commandments; but all from something of a distance. Now heaven had been torn open. Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain …”. There was now an opening for a direct and personal connection with God. There was now to be complete and unhindered access to God, for anyone who sought this.

There should be a sense of excitement here! The full capacities of heaven are now available on earth! We can have an open relationship with God now! A heavenly relationship is there for us to be lived here and now on earth. In this we are completely engulfed and fuelled by God’s love – a very personal love – a very gracious love – a very active love – an unrestrained and passionate love – a very costly love – and that is why we would want to be obedient, fruitful, and using all the gifts available to us for God’s glory!

Heaven is NOT just a place to be enjoyed later, but a place to be experienced here and now. Heaven, that has been “torn open” in the greatest demonstration of love, defines how we live now. This is why we were taught to pray these words … “Your Kingdom come; Your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). When the heavens split open (at Jesus’ baptism), it is the Holy Spirit that comes forth. As this Spirit guided Jesus, this same Holy Spirit will be our companion on the journey of accomplishing God’s will.

Heaven Torn Open

So, the heavens were “torn open”, and Jesus came as a human to identify with us. Jesus was baptised to identify with a death to life experience, and received the Holy Spirit through which to undertake a thorough ministry of redemption. In this, Jesus removed all the barriers that stood between us and God … such barriers as sin, guilt, shame, pride and selfishness. As Isaiah put it seven centuries earlier (53:12), “… he was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many”. This would allow us all to enter new life; and whilst remaining on earth, express the priorities of heaven.

Such was the depth and significance of the scene of the cross that a Roman Centurion, perhaps one who earlier might have been involved in gambling over Jesus’ clothes, came to this conclusion … “Truly this man was God’s Son” (Mark 15:39)! Here, the Roman Centurion knows what God knows, and agrees with what God has said earlier – “You are my Son the beloved” (Mark 1:11). This was the most unlikely of persons to make such a statement. If this ‘hard-nosed’ Roman soldier could say this, then anyone could say it! This statement begs the question as to whether we can say these words – “Truly this man was God’s Son”! Here, in Jesus, was God’s agent of salvation – heaven is torn open – this changes everything – eternal life starts now!

This Roman Centurion, in making the statement he did, has switched his allegiance from Caesar to Jesus (and chosen a new king); in so doing switched his life orientation from one of violence to self-sacrifice. This was an absolute change of direction that would affect everything (if it was real)! So this is where we find our motivation for obedience, fruitfulness and the use of our gifts!

Not in guilt, fear or obligation!! We aren’t obedient to gain God’s love – it doesn’t work that way! God first loves us, and out of this … our hearts, minds, hands and feet are engaged in God’s purposes. It is God’s extraordinary ground-breaking life-changing love that makes us want to love him in return, and respond to him in ways that make a difference for good. This mutual love relationship we develop enlivens us … and impels us.

"Comings & Goings" (Matthew 28:16-20)

Introduction

Let me review Easter …

·        On Palm Sunday … Jesus showed how he was to be the spiritual king of a spiritual kingdom based around real fruitfulness. This was a new fruitfulness, not based around the old ways of temple sacrifices, contrasting with the world’s injustice, not going down a dead-end street, but offering real life and hope.

·        On Good Friday … Jesus did everything that needed to be done so that we could experience forgiveness. The grace seen that day was certainly costly and not to be taken for granted, but at the same time, came to us freely and abundantly.

·        On Easter Sunday … Jesus rose from the dead to show that evil and death could not defeat God’s purposes, that God’s love will win the day. We will never have to try to make it alone, because Jesus has risen and continues to be available to us. We have been invited into a new relationship with God, where we can experience joy in becoming who we were created to be, being fully released in service of others.

Where does that leave us? Was all this only for us who already believe? No, this is all leading somewhere.

Jesus was with his disciples and others for forty days following his resurrection. In this time (according to the various gospel accounts), Jesus reassured us (humanity) about the reality of his physical resurrection – “touch me and see”, gave us a measure of his peace in expectation of receiving the Holy Spirit, and in Peter’s particular case … Jesus reinstalled him in ministry and leadership (with the words, “Feed my lambs”).

But most famously, Jesus commissioned all his followers to a particular course of action. This has been called the “great commission’ – which is fair, because this is such a concise and clear statement about what we should be on about. Yet we read this text, and may find ourselves with more questions than answers:

·        What were they doing on a mountain?

·        Why was there doubt?

·        Where do we “go”, and how do we actually “make disciples”?

·        What does it mean to be “baptised” in the name of all the Trinity?

·        How does the “teaching” happen?

·        How is doubt dealt with?

Together on the Mountain

We should note that the disciples were gathered together to receive their commission. This coming together was at Jesus’ command. What Jesus was going to ask these followers to do was a collective task. And this was a task to be fulfilled out of a faith that was based on a mutual response to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So there would need to be a ‘coming’ before there was a ‘going’! In fact there would need to be a series of ‘comings together’ to properly facilitate the ‘going out’. In fact … if Jesus’ mission was going to be fully embraced, there would need to an ongoing appreciation of ‘being together’. This was later borne out by the early church’s strong commitment to one another, and to Paul’s theology of the people of God being inter-connected like a “body”, with Jesus at the head.

We should also note that this commission comes from the One authorised to give it. Jesus has become our central focus – the meeting place between ourselves and God – the One who interprets God’s will for us.

The “go” is to “go and to keep on going”. Movement! Connecting! Sometimes the paths which we normally walk in daily life are enough … just with a new focus toward the spiritual well-being of others. We naturally “go” to our neighbours, colleagues, friends, family, and regular contacts. Then there are those people who seem to coincidentally come across our path. Other times we will sense a call outside of our comfort zones. This “going” often means lending much-needed practical support. On some occasions we might feel a special pull towards a certain person or situation. In any case, we need to be prayerful and tuned into God.

This is all about being available to form and build relationships (of safety and trust). This is not about dragging people in (as if they must agree with us), but rather going out to meet people where they are, listening to their story, and sharing with them something that they would find interesting and helpful. This is of course not just about words … it’s about sharing life.

This is about inviting … inviting people to enter a new sense of community, and allowing people to feel accepted and to belong … on their own pathway to finding faith (or discovering something new to believe in). This could mean an invitation to your home, or to a social occasion, small group or special service at church. First comes belonging, allowing believing to come in their time and God’s time. There can sometimes be quite a time lag between the ‘inviting’ and the ‘believing’. The bridge will often be the sense of ‘belonging’ that is appreciated in between. Where relationships grow and flourish, redemption and healing occur.

Making Disciples, Baptising & Teaching

This is not about converts to our way of thinking, this is about the goal of making “disciples” of Jesus. This means preparing the way, through the way we live, for other people to discover how to live with and for Jesus. To be a disciple is to be a replica, a facsimile, a re-run, a follower in all ways; being under the discipline … in this case of Jesus … in lifestyle, attitudes and ethical principles. To be “making” disciples indicates that we are making significant contributions to others’ lives through our faith and practical service. We are helping God to mould people.

“Disciples” of Jesus will come from all nations, backgrounds, ethnic groupings, cultures. How things look now, are not how they will always be; not while we can share the Gospel! This is why we should be very careful about any negative labelling of any grouping, or any generalisations. For if we allow any animosity to build about any group, then this will inevitably disrupt the exercise of our commission! Every person on God’s earth is just a person who needs to know Jesus. Call me naïve if you like, but then Jesus would be naïve too … as he hopefully and graciously engaged with those who may and did send him to a cross! Jesus said that we also should take up our cross, which in part means engaging with those who may hurt us … in an attempt to reach those who will come to love God. Therefore, for centuries, the Christian Church has seen missionaries go out to the most dangerous of places. Now the world is smaller, we all have an opportunity for this sort of mission work (right where we live).

As we have said, discipleship – is the act of following in the Jesus way. Once there, we can make a symbolic presentation of who we are now. This is ‘baptism’ – where we publicly identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus; where water represents a purification. We go under the water to show that we have died to sin (or turned away from sin), and come out of the water to show that we have risen to new life. We are now Jesus people – we have died to self and the world, and now live for God’s purposes. [If any want to be baptised, or know more about baptism, then please ask me.] We want to show the community and world around us the sincerity and validity of faith in Jesus through public witness.

Baptism is given in the name of all members of God’s Trinity. Why?? Two main reasons:

·        Baptism testifies that we are connecting with God in all aspects of life i.e. with God who created us and has always loved us, with Jesus who has saved us and led us into new life, and with the Holy Spirit who enables and empowers us on a daily basis to walk in the ways of God;

·        Baptism in the name of God’s Community shows that we are being baptised into a community i.e. God’s Church – into an interconnectedness with others who have likewise become disciples of Jesus … as God is community, we are baptised into community.

Discipleship, baptism, then learning. Some of us have received the call and gift to be teachers, essentially teachers of God’s Word … where we find all we need to know about being God’s people. Yet, as this is a mutual commission, we are all, in some way or other, teachers of one another. We all have different experiences of God, we all have different testimonies of how God has blessed us and challenged us, we all have learnt things from God’s Word that have made a positive difference in us that we can share. We need to help each other grow! Each of our unique experiences of life and God can bring so much to our understanding of how God is touching people’s lives.

What needs to spread through our teaching and learning is “everything that I [Jesus] have commanded you”. These matters are contained in the four gospels and are also promoted in the rest of the new testament. This is NOT knowledge for knowledge sake or just receiving abstract truths, but rather practical teaching for everyday living. Think of this as training for life, much like being on the training track for sport. What is very obvious, is that a lot of the values that Jesus teaches are very different to how the world around us often operates. Bitterness versus forgiveness. Power versus humility. Hate versus love. Selfishness versus selflessness. Wealth versus generosity. Conflict versus peace. Hardness versus compassion.

And this brings us back to the required balance between ‘coming’ and ‘going’. We need to be together to learn and encourage one another in being disciples, in combination with our ‘going’ … to share the love and grace of Jesus with those who we meet and are led to.

Doubt & Faith

We should note the comment that “some doubted” (v.17b). We know that some disciples, most famously Thomas, doubted the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Despite all of Jesus’ appearances and reassurances, some found it hard to fully accept what had happened. Even now as they had gathered around Jesus and worshipped him, and were there in the act of being commissioned for ministry and fruitfulness, “some [still] doubted”! Doubt brings uncertainty and hesitation. It’s hard to give yourself fully to something where doubt exists. Such doubt would mean that these disciples were not fully ready or prepared to embrace the mission set before them.

What would we do with such doubt and inertia … in ourselves, or in others??

·        In ourselves … get involved, especially in corporate worship, give things a try, be open to the faith and encouragement of others

·        In others … one word – encouragement … positive encouragement, about their value, about their giftedness, about how much God loves them.

Doubt may be based all around human incapacity and limitation. The disciples may have been actually doubting themselves. Where was all this leading, and would they be up to it!? The disciples that day may have been feeling the enormity of the task. But this is not all of what there is to the mission of God! This is super/human work empowered by a greater source than merely the human. This is Jesus’ work, and it will all being empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.

If the opportunity exists, so will the resources! So in the face of some who were doubting, Jesus said, “Remember, I am with you always” … and not just today and tomorrow, but, “to the end of the age”. Jesus will go with us, before us, beside us, behind us and within us … guiding, comforting, reassuring, empowering, encouraging, strengthening … all bases covered.

I suppose it’s human to want all the facts, and have some idea what the future might hold, but this is not the way of faith. We might find that it is only as we “go” that we experience Jesus’ company, and, conversely, if we are not experiencing Jesus’ company, it might be because we haven’t gone anywhere! The more I “go”, the more of Jesus I might get!! Faith expressed is faith embraced.

Jesus clearly believes that his disciples can succeed. And Jesus’ first disciples did succeed brilliantly … in the power of the Holy Spirit. The challenge of this ‘great commission’ is now ours. This is in the face of some levels of disinterest or even antipathy, and many other options for people’s allegiances. Yet in a town like this, where we live, we do have plenty of opportunities to build on one another’s efforts in addressing the ‘great commission’.

Conclusion

Never think we go out on mission on our own, under our own devices! This is a partnership. This is a partnership … built on a series of relationships that have been forged, in each and every case, in two places – at the foot of the cross, and at the open tomb. Have we been to both places? Have we received the forgiveness we need at the cross, followed by the entry into new life at the open tomb?? If our answer is ‘yes’ and ‘yes’, then we are promised the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which will not only deal with any doubt, but also deal with all fear.

Our friends and neighbours live and breathe in the presence of the greatest Lord. Yet, [often], they do not know it. We, the people of the Lord, who know [God’s] majesty over heaven and earth, must stand up … and, in whatever way is appropriate to our gifts, personality and circumstances, promote [God’s] glory. [from John Dickson: “The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission”, pg.37.] Amen to that!!

Resurrection Sunday Message (Luke 23:50-24:12)

Humanity had done its worst. Those who had killed Jesus had brought darkness across the land. They had tortured and crucified an innocent man. Jesus was laid in a tomb and left among the dead. All Jesus could have been accused of was upsetting the apple cart. People too set in their ways, too hard of heart, too attached to their privileged positions, or just too proud … rejected Jesus and put him on a cross. Yet ironically and majestically this was actually a case of self-giving … of self-sacrifice to the greater good. God would never have allowed this unless it was going to make a difference for good in the world.

We look at the sealed tomb where Jesus is. What happens from here? For some, hope had been dashed. Others were lost as to what they should do. The ones who hated Jesus were glad it was all over (or so they thought). Kind and good hearted Joseph of Arimathea had gone against his misguided colleagues and provided a dignified resting place for Jesus. Women were available to anoint Jesus’ body. What would we expect to happen next?

God sent his beloved Son Jesus into the world to forge a path toward salvation. Jesus willingly took on this mission of love and grace. If we are able to find it within us to humbly admit that our life is messed up and we need forgiveness, then Jesus has done all that is required for us to receive that forgiveness. Jesus took all our burden of guilt and shame to the cross with him, and dealt with it all for us. So, we find forgiveness; but the question remains – how can we maintain a life of freedom and joy (on our own) … how can we make life work for us? How will our life be ‘set apart’ or different? It would actually be too hard to try to make it on our own!

So, the answer is … forming a relationship with God. And this would be a growing relationship, so that we might come to appreciate the quality of this relationship every day. Where we once filled all the time on our hands with things that took us nowhere, we would now fill our lives with God … which takes us everywhere. A quality relationship with God means that we continue to learn, grow into our full potential, experience peace and joy, find supportive community, effectively help others – generally finding purpose. Often people can look back, and feel a sense of waste about parts of their lives so far. What God is offering through the events of Easter Sunday is a new start, where nothing in the past is held against us, and nothing in the future will be wasted.

The further question then, is whether we stay with the closed tomb of death, or, on the other hand, approach the open tomb of life. It’s a matter of how we respond to the question, “Why do you look for the living among the dead” (Luke 24:5)? We are unlikely to find a way forward in life, if we dwell in our past and present negativity. Old tombs of bitterness. Looking for answers down dead paths. If any of us is feeling defeated, then we should listen for what, first the women, and then Peter, discovered on Easter Sunday.

The text we read (from the Gospel of Luke) started with the body of Jesus (wrapped in cloths of linen) being laid in a rock-hewn tomb and a stone being set across the entrance. This text concluded with an open tomb, where the linen cloths (previously around the body of Jesus) lay by themselves. This changed everything.

The women in this narrative had prepared spices and ointments to anoint Jesus’ body, but when they came on Sunday found the body missing. These women were understandably perplexed. Questions arose. They would have been talking amongst themselves. Had his body been stolen? What was going on? The women then hear the voices of reassurance, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? [Jesus] is not here, but has risen!” Yes, that’s right! These women remembered that, yes indeed, Jesus had talked about something happening on the third day (after his crucifixion)! The women started to believe that something fantastic had happened.

So, they went and told the disciples all about what they had found out. In listening to the story in Luke, I think I can sense the women’s excitement building … they were becoming convinced … there is no other conclusion to be drawn – Jesus had risen from the dead. Now this could make total sense! Jesus was innocent after all, and he was God’s servant, and he did heal many other people over the last 3 years – he did a lot of good for many people. Jesus’ friend Lazarus rose from the dead. Could not the Creator of the universe recreate life at will! If Jesus was God’s Son then of course death would not be the end.

But these women got a bit of a wet blanket response. Don’t you hate that when you have good news to share! At first the disciples thought this news was a bit of an “idle tale” – it couldn’t really be true, could it. But one of them, Peter, was more willing to listen. He must have sensed that these women were so sure! It’s hard to deny that something is true when those who believe it are so deeply convinced!! And we know that one of the best proofs of Jesus’ resurrection is the fact that his first disciples were subsequently all willing to die defending the reality of this. Not only this – how their lives changed! Fearful and hesitant seekers transformed into courageous and competent leaders.

So, Peter, with hope beginning to bubble up within him, decided he would check it out. The Gospel of Luke says, “Peter got up and ran to the tomb” (24:12). The thoughts that would have been going through Peter’s head, as he ran!! All the lessons Jesus had taught him. How Jesus’ whole three year ministry had made such a difference. The power of God that Jesus had shown! And this strong assurance Jesus had … that going to the cross was the right thing to do; and that God would not leave things there, but rather set them right. “On the third day I will rise again”, possibly began to echo in Peter’s ears! When Peter got to the tomb, he discovered that the clothes in which Jesus was buried had been laid aside. Wow!

Peter then went home in amazement, expectantly waiting for what would happen next … there had been such a dramatic turn of events. Later Jesus would join his disciples to spend some more time with them before he moved on (returning to God). Jesus was surely alive! Death could not hold the mighty Son of God. Evil cannot beat God. The resurrection, attested to by so many witnesses, proves that Jesus was who he said he was: the Son of God. Jesus’ resurrection proves that his death was absolutely effective in securing the forgiveness of sin (for those who believe). Jesus had risen to lead Peter, the other disciples, the women, and all of us … into an experience of new life.

The apostle Paul famously wrote these magnificent words, “So if anyone is in Christ [Jesus], there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

Peter ran to the tomb to discover that his future lay in following the risen Lord Jesus. The crucifixion and resurrection are the most magnificent acts of love – God’s love. Through this we just know that God has his arms open wide to give us his love. We may lack all the evidence we want, but when we see how it has worked for so many others, and when it makes so much sense that we are not here on this earth just randomly for no reason, we should run into the open arms of our loving creator. At the same time, this will be a step of faith for each one of us, a conviction that we each come to ourselves … as we are open to a new experience of God.

It doesn’t matter how far we’ve strayed, it doesn’t matter how distant we think we are, we can discover the ‘open tomb’ right here and right now. Peter, just about three or four days before, had denied even knowing Jesus … Peter had renounced his three-year friendship with Jesus. How dreadful would Peter have been feeling! But Jesus instantly forgave him and welcomed him back into the fold. This is our way forward … embracing the risen Jesus. It is here that we find a life of freedom, peace, joy and purpose – the risen Jesus walking with us, leading us. Here is the relationship we need! But we should get our best running shoes on, and not waste any time getting to the ‘open tomb’ to experience this extraordinary resurrection ourselves.

"It is Finished - Mission Accomplished" - Good Friday Message (John 19:30)

Introduction

“It is finished”, said Jesus. What was “finished”? Certainly not his life, for he would rise again very soon! And besides, this verb (all one word in Greek = tetelestai), is in the third person [actually a third person singular perfect passive indicative verb]. Thus the “It” refers to something else. Perhaps though, we should pause to think, that in this moment, there was the lifting of all the burden of ministry and suffering that had been laid on Jesus. We could understand that. But still, there was more to it.

The translation “finished” could easily be translated “accomplished” i.e. “It is accomplished”. It was the purpose for which Jesus came that was accomplished – mission accomplished! Jesus has completed the work that God had given him to do. In John 4:34 we read Jesus saying, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work”. And then later in John 17:4 Jesus said, “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do”.

What was that work/mission?

There was a work of ministry, and there was a work of redemption.

Ministry

Jesus taught a whole new value system based around loving others.

Jesus healed people as signs of God’s compassion.

Jesus demonstrated that mercy and forgiveness, not judgment, is the way forward for God’s people.

Jesus challenged us to get beyond any prejudices or fears and embrace people that we would not necessarily engage with.

Jesus shone a light on all sorts of darkness especially any forms of injustice.

Even here, in the midst of the torture of the cross, Jesus provided an extraordinary example of care for others, as he made provision for his mother’s future (in the home of his disciple John). Mary would have been experiencing deep grief, and this serves to remind us of the need to support those who are hurting and in pain, for these are the works of God. Works of love are paramount for the disciples of Jesus.

Redemption

Ultimately Jesus gave up his life so that we could all freely embrace God and experience salvation. Here is the forgiveness of our sins, and our release from shame and guilt. Jesus was redeeming us back to God. Jesus was paying the ransom so that we might be able to return to our Father God. Truly we can be born afresh, given a new start, not restricted by the brokenness and negativity of the past.

We have all been created with the need to form relationship with our loving Creator. Each of us is incomplete without a relationship with God. While God has always fully loved us, lots of stuff has got in the way of us fully loving him. We have given other things priority, we have repeated our mistakes in pursuing certain less-than-best objectives. We have sinned, we have failed. And, we know, most of us, somewhere deep within, there is something … rather Someone … missing.

God knew each of us and loved us in our mother’s womb.

As we were born, God saw our personality and potential and loved us intently.

As we were carefree children, running amuck through our parents’ lives, driving our teachers mad, God loved us then.

In our first times of rebellion, when we started to ignore God, and maybe hurt others, God still loved us.

And now, with the possibility that we are battered and broken people, nothing has changed – God’s love remains.

No wonder God took such extreme measures to bring us back to him!

God had felt the loss of us.

God didn’t remain passive about this, but took steps to right the situation.

Enter Jesus!

We talk about God’s love. God is Love. In his self-giving, Jesus fully represented all of who God is. If we want to know what God is like, then we look at Jesus … and we see what God is like. Jesus showed himself to be our primary point of reference when it comes to knowing God – the ‘bread of life’, the ‘light of the world’, the ‘great shepherd’, the ‘lamb of God’ who takes away the sins of the world.

We see many people trying to get close to their favourite stars of music, film or sport only to be blocked by barricades, security guards and just the extent of the crowd. It appears that they never even get close! In our desires to connect with God, we seem to be blocked by the guilt and the shame that has built up over time. But in this case, the magnificent forgiveness offered from the cross breaks through all that stands in our way.

It may be that we have previously sensed some degree of forgiveness, but we have never really been released through the power of the cross. Sometimes we live in prisons of our own making. God does NOT want us to stand separate from him any longer! Down with those barricades!! Gone those prison bars! Jesus identifies with our need and takes our burdens upon himself on to the cross. Can we identify with him, and accept that he did this for me?

What Jesus has done for us is complete! Nothing further needs to be done. Part of what was “finished” was any continuation of the old idea of achieving your own salvation. No more striving, no more temple sacrifices, nothing to be earned through effort. Striving harder, doesn’t, on its own, make us feel any better about ourselves. Now it would just be a humble response to Jesus alone – a readiness to receive a free gift of grace.

Jesus fulfilled all of what earlier scriptures and prophecies had indicated about God’s provision of salvation. Jesus had become the point of decision … the way to know God – some would reject him, and some would follow him. Which are we?

Conclusion

The powers that be think they have successfully dispensed with Jesus – that the cross means victory for them; but how wrong could they be. Jesus, rather than dying a needless death, was actually releasing God’s love … so that lives might be transformed. Many will still be confused as to what sort of “king” Jesus is, but those who come to the cross with humility and faith … will know that Jesus is the King of a Spiritual Kingdom where lives are changed and human communities are influenced to the good.

So here was a cry of relief … “It is finished” … because the suffering and continual self-giving in the face of rejection was over!? And here was a shout of triumph … because sin was defeated and victory was at hand … “It is finished”!?!? Definitely, yes!

“Eternal life” … life in all its fullness … begins at the foot of the cross.

We can end our struggle at the foot of the cross – where we find love, grace, forgiveness, and hope for tomorrow.

Palm Sunday message - "New Fruitfulness" (Mark 11:1-25)

It’s Palm Sunday. Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem for the last time on a donkey. There is much acclaim. For people to spread their cloaks on the road and spread leafy branches out in front of Jesus showed a great deal of respect. This was an acknowledgement of Jesus’ importance – a king of some type. Then there were shouts of praise with the word Hosanna … meaning ‘Save now’. Clearly some had high expectations concerning Jesus.

But in just a few days the shouts would be very different (‘Crucify him, crucify him’). Why???

·        Was deliverance from the oppression of Rome seen as the big problem to be solved, well ahead of a person’s own sinfulness and brokenness?!

·        Is the idea of salvation fine until the point where it demands something of us!?

·        Higher ethical standards was a bit of a stretch!

·        Was it easier in the end to just fall in behind the leaders who were set on preserving the status quo – didn’t that just make for a quieter life!?

Isn’t that just why Jesus had to die – we human beings tend to just want to please ourselves! We cheer others on when it suits, just like the crowd did on Palm Sunday for Jesus, but when it doesn’t suit we might tend to ‘crucify’ them … well just shun them maybe.

When the salvation plans of Jesus toward the transformation of the human heart could no longer be quelled, his opponents accelerated their evil plot. Today there would no doubt be a negative social media campaign, back then … just continual conversations about how Jesus must be dispensed with. This included the manipulations of tragically weak characters like Judas, Pilate and Herod. How so many others were so influenced by this horrific campaign, shows how fickle human thinking can be.

To the annoyance of some, Jesus DID NOT approach Jerusalem as a conquering warrior on a white horse, but as a ‘prince of peace’ on a humble donkey. Here was a ‘servant king’. This indeed fulfilled a prophecy from Zechariah, yet this was largely unrecognised. Jesus came to deal with the problems that lay deep within our souls. “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech.9:9b). Then in the next verse – “he shall command peace to the nations” (9:10b).

When Jesus entered Jerusalem he went to the temple. When he looked around he sensed that all was not right. This disturbed Jesus. No doubt this was still on his mind the next morning when he came upon a fig tree. Jesus was hungry (as he may have been spiritually hungry the previous night at the temple). There were leaves on this fig tree which gave the impression of life. Yet this gave false hope as there was absolutely no sign of fruit to be found. Disappointment set in. Jesus, disturbed by this whole concept of fruitlessness, put a little curse on that fig tree.

It is curious that there is this remark that, “it was not the season for figs” (v.13b)! This might have been seen as an excuse, even a reality that explained the lack of figs. Still, was there any real evidence that fruit would ever arrive on this tree! What we have here is a symbolic act or lived out parable – an act (from Jesus) designed to point to something else much bigger. Some point of displeasure. A comparison is being invited between the fruitless fig tree and the fruitless temple. We read in verse 14, that “his disciples heard it”. They knew it was something for them to reflect on the meaning of. Jesus was making the point that fruitlessness in the present indicated continuing fruitlessness in the future!! The work of God was being depleted; and people are so set in their ways (that this is unlikely to change)!

What did Jesus see at the temple that so disturbed him (verses 15-17)?? Injustice and thoughtlessness!!

(1) There was injustice flowing through the selling of the sacrificial animals – people were being ripped off through inflated prices … their desire to present sacrifices for their sins was being taken advantage of. “Doves” were specifically mentioned … why … because “doves” were the much less expensive option for the poor – the offence reaching its height when it affected the least able to pay. Then there were the “money-changers”, who when changing foreign currencies into the local currency used to purchase the sacrifices, were also taking advantage of people.

(2) Most of this noisy market activity was occurring in the outer area of the temple complex, which also happened to be the only area in which non-Jews could pray. These were Gentiles who had been attracted to the Jewish religion, but were not (because of their perceived uncleanness) allowed greater access to the temple. No wonder Jesus brought to mind and quoted from the great (and largely ignored) prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah (in verse 17).

At what should have been the spiritual heart of the community, Jesus only experienced disappointment. Clearly his strong words and dramatic actions were aimed at those who had let this happen, and those who were profiting from it. The previous temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians, when according to Jeremiah the people had forsaken God for other pursuits. This second temple would be destroyed by the Romans in another 40 years. In any case, the time of the temple system and physical sacrifices was coming to an end. Jesus was about to change everything! As we shall reflect on continually over Easter, our spirituality and salvation would now centre solely around our relationship with Jesus.

When the disciples (with Jesus) returned past the fig tree, they saw it withered away and dead (verse 20). Peter remarked on this. What was the lesson?! In response to the coming of Jesus, in response to God’s love in sending Jesus, there needed to be a NEW FRUITFULNESS!! This fruitfulness will be based on a real faith in God, such faith that believes mountains can be moved. This fruitfulness will be sourced in prayer, such that we will have no doubt that God is working through us. Through faith and prayer … outstanding possibilities exist. There may be circumstances around us that seem as immovable as mountains, however they are NOT beyond the capacities of faith and prayer. And we should also note verse 25 – this fruitfulness will be fuelled by a heart attitude of forgiveness – forgiving those who have offended against us and against God … so that there will be no ill-feeling that stands as a barrier against our fruitfulness.

FAITH, PRAYER & FORGIVENESS lead to the sort of fruitfulness God requires of us.

This is clearly NOT what had been motivating spirituality of recent days. This is typified in what Jesus experienced at the temple. And when Jesus strongly pointed all this out, the plot against him intensified. There was a major campaign to change the community view from ‘Hosanna’ toward ‘Crucify Him’.

What is FRUITFULNESS??

The great apostle Paul described fruitfulness (or the ‘fruit of the Spirit’) in nine words: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3). This indicates a sort of discipline (or discipleship) that embraces these characteristics as basic foundations for interpersonal living. From these basic characteristics (or marks of our character) our more specific activities of fruitfulness follow.

As opposed to the displeasure Jesus felt at the temple, good fruit is any attitude, word or action that pleases God [Mark Greene, p.35]. This may be everyday seemingly small actions or more major public efforts. Cleaning up a park or river, offering a glass of water to a thirsty person, an animal properly cared for, or a normally invisible person given a thank-you. Seemingly small actions could have considerable outcomes for good (in God’s hands). Then there is patient listening, sharing some God-inspired perspectives, bringing gentle introductions to Jesus, sharing testimonies of faith, speaking prayers for the ‘shalom’ of our community, dealing gracefully with opposition, or, perhaps publicly witnessing to faith in the waters of baptism. A little more demanding is confronting injustice, challenging violence and abuse, welcoming strangers, and caring for the vulnerable.

Being fruitful means seeking ways to either affirm or change i.e. affirm what is already good, or change what could be better. God is glorified as his character, priorities, goodness and power are expressed through our everyday lives.

Fruitfulness, to be our norm, will require ongoing humility, consistent repentance, and a complete openness to the Spirit of God. Fruitfulness is promoted as we imagine Jesus beside us as we go through our daily lives. We then more and more naturally see things through Jesus’ eyes, and more and more possibilities for fruitfulness emerge. As we have our eyes are ears more attuned, what else might Jesus point out to us? Love is alert to possibilities. We also see Jesus in others, and develop a more hospitable spirit – through which can grow a new appreciation of trust and safety (that had previously and tragically been lost). God activates his plans of blessing people through us.

The goal of our fruitfulness is to bring glory to God – that others might come to know and appreciate God for all of who he really is [Mark Greene p.36-7]. This is what the temple that Jesus encountered was NOT doing. In John’s Gospel we hear Jesus saying, “My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples (John 15:8).