The Relationship of Naomi and Ruth: God’s Providence Working through Their Love, Loyalty, and Wise Counsel.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, May 12, 2024

Tony Evans writes:

All of us have either been in or been to a wedding. A wedding is a combination of discontinuity and continuity. Discontinuity speaks of a cut with the past. Continuity speaks with something that is ongoing from the past. When a couple gets married, they break a family tie that was the dominant family tie prior to their wedding. It’s particularly true for the female, but normatively true for both parties as they disconnect with their mother and father as their primary point of family reference. And then they go out and begin a new household.

Yet although they disconnect with yesterday’s family ties, they continue a magnificent institution called family. It’s not the same as the one they are disconnecting from but it continues the same principle of family. God calls this connection a covenant. The word covenant can be seen all the way through the Bible as God’s word to explain or describe a new relationship.^596,[1]

When you marry someone, you also marry their family.

Today, I want to give us a portrait of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. We will gain insights into the relationship between Naomi and Ruth. Naomi is her mother-in-law, and Ruth is her daughter-in-law.

1. Who was Ruth?
   1. We do not know much about Ruth beyond the short Old Testament book named after her.
   2. We can summarize Ruth as follows.
   3. [She was] a Moabite who married Mahlon of the Judahite family of Elimelech. Widowed and childless, she abandoned her family, country, and faith to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. Her radical actions continued as she secured food for herself and Naomi and summoned the relative Boaz to be their redeemer. Boaz married her. She bore a son who became the grandfather of David. The women of Bethlehem exalted Ruth as the loving daughter-in-law who meant more to Naomi than seven sons, the ideal number (Ruth 4:15). Her name appears later in the Matthean genealogy of Jesus (1:5).^[2]
   4. Notice that Ruth would become the “great-grandmother” of David.
   5. That gives some background and sets up what is going on here.
   6. In Ruth 1:1-7, we find some background. A man from Bethlehem named Elimelech, who was Hebrew, married a woman in Moab. Her name was Naomi.
   7. The Moabites were one of the traditional enemies of Israel (Numbers 22:1-25:9).
   8. Naomi and Elimelech have two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.
   9. They stay in Moab.
   10. Naomi’s husband dies.
   11. Her sons take wives. One was Orpah, and the other was Ruth.
   12. After about 10 years, their husbands died as well. So now we have three widows: Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah.
   13. Verse 7 says that Naomi would return to her land, the land of Judah.
   14. In verse 8, Naomi encourages her daughters-in-law to return home to their mother’s house. They weep together.
   15. In the next few verses, there is some back and forth. Both daughters-in-law intend to stay with Naomi. Naomi urges them to go. Naomi questions if she has other sons in her womb for them. Naomi’s question assumes that the widows should marry their dead husbands’ brothers (i.e., levirate marriage, Deut. 25:5–10); but they would have to wait for such brothers to be born, and she is considered too old to conceive.^[3]
   16. Orpah leaves Naomi.
   17. Ruth stays.
2. Portrait one of Ruth and Naomi.
   1. Now, look at Ruth 1:15-18: ¹⁵ And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” ¹⁸ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
   2. So, we see Naomi’s care for her daughters-in-law and Ruth’s care for her mother-in-law.
   3. In verse 16, Ruth will go where Naomi goes.
   4. Ruth will stay where Naomi stays.
   5. Naomi’s people will be Ruth’s people.
   6. Notice at the end she says, Ruth says, your God will be my God.
   7. See, Ruth was not an Israelite. A few verses before, Naomi told them to go back to their “gods.” Verse 15 says that Orpah went back to her “gods.” Back then, different people had different gods.
   8. But Israel worshipped the One, true God (Ex. 20).
   9. This is God providentially setting up Ruth to be the great-grandmother of David.
   10. So, we see Ruth is loyal to Naomi.
   11. In God’s providence, He is bringing Ruth to Israel.
3. Portrait 2 of Ruth and Naomi.
   1. In Ruth 2, she meets Boaz.
   2. The testimony about Ruth spreads:
   3. Ruth 2:10–12 (ESV)
   4. ¹⁰ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” ¹¹ But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. ¹² The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”
   5. Boaz was a relative of Naomi and will become what they called a “kinsman-redeemer.”
   6. The role of kinsman-redeemer is found in Leviticus 25, in the case of an Israelite man’s death in which he fails to leave behind a son, the brother of the deceased man is commanded to take his widow as wife and both redeem the land and provide a son to carry on the deceased father’s name.[4]
4. Portrait 3 of Ruth and Naomi.
   1. Now, look at Ruth 3:1–5 (ESV)
   2. Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? ² Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ³ Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” ⁵ And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
   3. We cannot cover everything in these verses, but let’s notice some things.
   4. Naomi is giving advice.
   5. Ruth is following advice. In verse 5, Ruth says, “All that you say, I will do.”
   6. The advice in this passage is about how to win over Boaz.
   7. Look at the verses.
   8. Ruth 3:1: Naomi calls her “daughter.”
   9. She lovingly talks with her.
   10. Naomi says, “Shall I not seek rest for you?” This means she wants security and stability and the best for her daughter-in-law.
   11. In verses 2-4, she gives instructions on how to get his attention at the threshing floor. The winnowing took place during the breezes that begin after sundown.^[5]
   12. These were big festivities.
   13. Now, we must know that Boaz has already been looking out for Ruth. We could see that in chapter 2.
   14. At night, someone would guard the grain against being stolen or eaten by animals. Apparently, this was Boaz’s night to be on duty. Dressing as Naomi instructed would not only enhance Ruth’s attractiveness to Boaz but would symbolize an end to her period of mourning for her husband (2Sm 12:20), signaling her willingness to remarry.^[6]
   15. So, in verse 3, Naomi is saying to wait until Boaz is done eating and drinking. Then, lay down at his feet.
   16. This would begin the conversation about him being her kinsmen redeemer.
   17. Ruth and Boaz soon married and had a son named Obed. 
5. What is the significance of Ruth’s life for Christians today?
   1. Here are the facts:
   2. She was a loyal daughter-in-law; she was not a Jew or part of the covenant people of Israel; yet she is included as one of two women who were ancestors of Jesus the Christ, our Savior.
   3. She is a model of redemption and God’s gracious activity in History.
   4. Her “kinsman-redeemer,” Boaz, a Jew, married her and joined her to the covenant people, a metaphor of what our “kinsman redeemer” Jesus, has done for us.
   5. The story of Ruth points to Christ who would be the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer.
   6. Ruth trusted the Lord, and He rewarded her faithfulness by giving her not only a husband but a son (Obed), a grandson (Jesse), and a great-grandson named David, the king of Israel (Ruth 4:17). Besides these gifts (Psalm 127:3), God gave Ruth the blessing of being listed in the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
   7. Ruth is an example of how God can change a life and take it in a direction He has foreordained. We see Him working out His perfect plan in Ruth’s life, just as He does with all His children (Romans 8:28). Although Ruth came from a pagan background in Moab, once she met the God of Israel, she became a living testimonial to Him by faith. Even though she lived in humble circumstances before marrying Boaz, she believed that God was faithful to care for His people. Also, Ruth is an example to us of hard work and faithfulness. We know that God rewards faithfulness (Hebrews 11:6).[8]
   8. Like Boaz did to rescue Ruth so Christ will do for us.
   9. Ruth arrives at Boaz empty-handed and humbled to the core; Boaz treats Ruth with respect and kindness. Jesus does that for us when we are empty and in need.
   10. It appears that Ruth has little to offer when she comes to her relative Boaz. We also have little to offer Jesus and yet He saves us.
   11. Ruth came in faith to Israel and accepted the God of Israel.

Mothers, In Ruth, we see an example of a loyal mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. We see wise advice given by Naomi and loyalty, love, and support from Ruth. We see God at work through these difficult times.

Let’s do the same. Mothers prayerfully give wise advice to your adult children and daughters-in-law. Daughters, sons, and in-laws, respect and honor your parents and in-laws.

Prayer.

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 201.

^[2] Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 886.

^[3] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 479.

[4] https://www.ligonier.org/blog/ultimate-kinsman-redeemer/

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 481.

^[6] Iain M. Duguid, “Ruth,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 404.

[7] https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Ruth.html

[8] https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Ruth.html

Peter and John Witness Before the Jewish Council (Acts 4:1–22)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, April 28, 2024

R.C. Sproul writes:

Anytime someone is introduced as famous, it seems to be unnecessary; if he is famous, he should not have to be introduced. Yet we never know how far our influence extends; sometimes we are surprised. One of the most shocking and surprising experiences of my life came on the day when Lech Walesa, the leader of the Polish Solidarity Movement, was placed under house arrest by Soviet officials in Poland. The picture of his arrest was on the front page of every newspaper in America. When he was arrested, he was shaking his fists in defiance of the arresting authorities, and in his hand he was holding one of my books. I recall thinking how incredible that was. I later found out he had placed that same book in the casket of his father.

I never would have dreamed that anything I had written would find its way into the hands of Lech Walesa. It made me think about his position in modern history. “Why was the government at that time interested in arresting him? Why didn’t they just execute him?” That is usually the way it works; tyrannical governments always have a secret police. They find a way to get rid of those in opposition to them, usually by some form of execution. I realized that the reason Lech Walesa was put under house arrest rather than executed was that he had already become too well known; to kill him would have made him a martyr, and the thing that every tyrannical regime fears more than anything else is a public uprising.

Back in the eighteenth century the philosopher Montesquieu, when he wrote his book The Spirit of the Laws, said that the maintenance of all forms of tyranny depends upon the ability of the government to keep the people afraid. That is why there are purges and secret police and mass executions in nations with that sort of regime. Montesquieu said that it only takes one person, one Lech Walesa with enough courage to withstand the tyrant, to bring down a powerful regime. Throughout history individuals have swum against the current and withstood powerful obstacles. Mahatma Gandhi was one. In our own country, Martin Luther King stood against the authorities of his day. He defied those authorities and raised questions about the legitimacy of civil disobedience.^[1]

Today, we come to Acts 4. In Acts 3 Peter and John had healed a man lame from birth. Now, Peter and John are arrested and give testimony. I want to walk through this passage.

My theme is:

Peter and John witness boldly before the Jewish Council.

1. First, we see Peter and John are arrested (Acts 4:1-3).
   1. Acts 4:1–3 (ESV) And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
   2. Acts 4:1 says that he is still speaking. What is about to happen, happens as he is speaking.
   3. Certain ruling authorities are now getting involved.
   4. The ESV Study Bible shares: The captain of the temple was second in rank to the high priest. The Sadducees may have accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture; they also denied the resurrection and represented the privileged aristocracy who worked closely with the Romans to protect their own political and economic interests.^[2]
   5. Verse 2 says that they are teaching and proclaiming the resurrection. This matters because the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.
   6. Other Jews, including the Pharisees, did believe in the resurrection.
   7. The ESV Study Bible shares: The Sadducees were upset with Peter’s preaching that in Jesus the general resurrection had begun, a message with definite messianic implications that was liable to be viewed by the Romans as revolutionary.^[3]
   8. Verse 3 says they are arrested and put in custody until the next day.
   9. They will be taken before the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin.
   10. The CSB shares: The apostles were held in custody overnight because Sanhedrin trials were not conducted at night. Rome had granted the Sanhedrin legal authority over the temple area since disputes arising there were religious in nature rather than civic.^[4]
2. Notice many people are saved, about 5000 (Acts 4:4).
   1. Acts 4:4 (ESV): ⁴ But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
   2. So, we see many coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
   3. They heard the Word, and they believed.
   4. The 5000 likely does not include women and children.
3. Now, we see the disciples are questioned and respond (Acts 4:5-12).
   1. Acts 4:5–7 (ESV)
   2. ⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
   3. It is now the next day.
   4. The elders and scribes gather together.
   5. Notice that they gather with the High Priest, Annas and Caiaphas, and John and Alexander, who were of the high priestly family.
   6. ESV Study Bible helps us understand this group: The Jewish high court consisted of 71 members—70 elders according to the pattern of Num. 11:16 plus the high priest as presiding officer. It was dominated by the priestly Sadducees with a Pharisaic minority, represented mainly by the scribes (lawyers) of the court. Annas is designated as high priest. (Much like U.S. presidents, high priests seem to have retained their title for life.) He had served in that role earlier (d. 6–15) and was the controlling figure in the high-priestly circle, which may also explain why he is given the title here. His son-in-law Caiaphas was the official high priest at this time (serving a.d. 18–36), and Annas’s son John would serve in the role later (36–37).^[5]
   7. They ask by what power, or in Whose Name, are you doing this (Acts 4:7)?
   8. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, responds (Acts 4:8-12).
   9. Acts 4:8–12 (ESV)
   10. ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
   11. Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit.
   12. Jesus had said in Matthew 10 that the Holy Spirit would guide them (Matthew 10:17-20).
   13. I find it funny that Peter asks, “Are we really being examined for a good deed?” Later in 1 Peter 2:12 and 1 Peter 3:16-17 Peter will talk about good deeds and suffering for doing good.
   14. In verse 10, Peter clarifies that this was by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
   15. Notice he says, Jesus, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
   16. Jesus is not dead, but He lives.
   17. This Jesus is the stone the builders rejected as David predicted (Acts 4:11 quoting Psalm 118:22). Yet, God made Him the cornerstone.
   18. There is no salvation apart from Jesus (see also John 14:6).
4. The religious leaders talk about what to do with these men (Acts 4:13-17)
   1. Acts 4:13–17 (ESV)
   2. ¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”
   3. They saw boldness. They saw that Peter and John had boldness. They were confident.
   4. They saw they were uneducated, common men… What does that mean?
   5. Swindoll writes:
   6. “Unlike the professionals, Peter and John were uneducated and untrained. I love those words! The first comes from the Greek term agrammatos, and refers to one without a formal education.⁵ We might call this person “unlettered.” The second word, untrained, translates the Greek term idiotes. I’m tempted just to leave that one as it is! In that day the term meant, simply, a “nonprofessional.”[6]
   7. In fact, they had the best education.
   8. IVP BBC NT: “Unschooled” means not trained in Greek rhetoric (public speaking), as the priestly aristocracy would be. (It could also mean that they were not trained under a recognized rabbi, if the aristocrats were too arrogant to count Jesus as a recognized rabbi.) Popular Greek philosophers used to boast that they were not educated in rhetoric and lived simple lives, so what strikes the Sanhedrin as a weakness of Peter and John would strike many of Luke’s readers as a strength. But the reason for their “uneducated” boldness is obvious: they had been educated by Jesus, who was himself bold and “uneducated.” (It was widely understood that disciples regularly reflected the lifestyle and character they had learned from their teachers.)^[7]
   9. They had been with Jesus.
   10. They had 3 years or so of seminary education with Jesus.
   11. The rulers are astonished by Peter and John’s confidence.
   12. In verse 14, it says they see the man who was healed. What a testimony!
   13. How could they argue with this?
   14. They send Peter and John out of the room (Acts 4:15).
   15. They have a dilemma (Acts 4:16). They wonder what to do with these men.
   16. So, they threatened them (Acts 4:17). They called Peter and John back in and threatened them.
   17. Notice they threaten them and tell them not to speak anymore in the Name of Jesus. Why? They are afraid that this will spread. They are concerned about holding on to power.
5. The order (Acts 4:18-22).

1. 1. Acts 4:18–22 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
   3. They warn Peter and John never to speak about Jesus (Acts 4:18).
   4. Peter and John respond (Acts 4:19-20). They must speak about what they have seen and heard.
   5. We must always obey the higher authority. The highest authority is God.
   6. If the disciples obeyed this order, we would not be Christians today.
   7. They threatened them further and then let them go (Acts 4:21-22).
   8. They found no basis to punish them.
   9. The people were all glorifying and praising God for what happened as the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle had been performed.
   10. Moody: Miracle (v. 22) is better translated “sign.” The healing is a “sign” pointing to the awesome power of Jesus to heal physically and ultimately to save spiritually.^[8]

Now, what do we do with this?

I just walked you through the first part of Acts 4, but why? Who cares? Why does this matter?

1. Christians are being persecuted all over the world. We need to pray for them. Peter and John are called before the Jewish high court and this is an example for us to follow. We must be like Peter and John.
2. We must be like Peter and depend upon the Holy Spirit when asked about our faith (Acts 4:8). We must remember that Jesus said not to worry about what we will say, the Holy Spirit will give us the words (Matthew 10:17-20).
3. We must pray now for the persecuted church.
4. We must pray now that God will give us boldness when asked about our faith (Acts 4:13).
5. We must spend time with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Pray

^[1] R. C. Sproul, Acts, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 97–98.

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2087.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] Stanley E. Porter, “Acts,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1723.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2087.

[6] Charles R. Swindoll, The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2010).

^[7] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 4:13.

^[8] William H. Marty, “Acts,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1682.

Peter Preaches in the Temple Square (Acts 3:11–26)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, April 21, 2024

How many of you put together puzzles?

Can anyone here put together puzzles with 500 pieces? How about 1000 pieces? How about more than 1000 pieces?

Is it frustrating when you get everything together and then you are missing one piece?

So, my question for you is this: Do you have Jesus? Do you have the right piece in place? Where are you in your relationship with Christ? Today, we are going to look at Peter’s second sermon in the book of Acts. In this sermon, we find out that the Jewish people of the day were missing the main piece of their historic Jewish faith. Jesus is the One the prophesies were about. Jesus was the one that Moses prophesied about. Jesus is the one they killed. Peter challenges the Jewish people to believe and accept Jesus as Lord.

As we look at this passage, we should notice how Peter takes an event and makes a beeline for Jesus. In college, I was taught someone once said we, as preachers, should take a text and make a beeline to Jesus. That is what Peter is doing now. He is proclaiming Jesus as the prophesied Messiah.

Allow me to give some context to this passage: We have already been through Pentecost. At Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the church in mighty power. They saw tongues, like fire, resting on each one of them. They heard a violent wind. Peter preached, and 3000 people were saved. Then, we saw an amazing example of the early church’s fellowship. We saw this in Acts 2:42-47. We saw that the early church had self-sacrificial fellowship as they were involved in evangelism, discipleship, worship, and ministry. Then, last week, we talked about Peter and James healing a lame beggar. This man had been lame his entire life, and now he is over forty years old (Acts 4:22). This brings us to where we are at now. Peter will now respond to all the people looking at them because of this miracle. Let’s read the passage.

Acts 3:11–26 (ESV)

¹¹ While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. ¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰ that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. ²³ And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ ²⁴ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. ²⁵ You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ ²⁶ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

1. In verses 11-16, Peter explains the miracle.
   1. In verse 12, the formerly lame beggar is still holding on to Peter and John. They had gone into the Temple, and now they are back outside of what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.
   2. In verse 12, Peter affirms they did not have the power or godliness to bring this healing.
   3. Peter could have participated in the worship, and he could have allowed them to worship him, but he didn’t. He gave glory to Christ.
   4. In verse 13 notice how Peter appeals to the God of the Jewish lineage. He says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He says the God of our Fathers. This is a Jewish audience, and he talks to them that way.
   5. I notice in verse 13 he says that God, the Father, glorified Jesus.
   6. Then Peter starts pointing the finger, and rightfully so. Peter starts telling them that they had Jesus crucified.
   7. In verses 13-14, Peter tells them that they disowned Jesus. They gave Him over to Pilate and allowed a murderer to be released. I think that most of you know this story, so I don’t think I need to walk through it right now. But know that Israel crucified her own Messiah!
   8. But do notice that Peter calls Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One. This was a common Jewish phrase for the Messiah. Holy One and Righteous One are messianic terms (cf. Isa. 53:11; Mark 1:24).^[1]
   9. In verse 15, Peter appeals to the resurrection. Peter says that they (you) killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead.
   10. Notice that Peter calls Jesus the author of Life. We must ask if we are trusting Jesus as the author of life. The Scriptures affirm that Jesus created us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139).
       1. Trusting in Jesus as the author of life must shape how we view life.
       2. We will view all life as valuable.
       3. We will view war as a greater tragedy since Jesus is the author of life.
       4. We will view abortion as a great tragedy as well.
       5. We will trust and obey what Christ teaches since He is the author of life, He must know what is best.
   11. In verses 17-26, Peter exhorts them to repent and trust in Christ Jesus.
   12. Peter affirms this was done out of ignorance (verse 17). Sometimes, we take it as an insult if someone calls us ignorant, but I do not think we should in this case. In this case, Peter is softening things. Peter started out this sermon strongly stating they were the ones who crucified Jesus, using “us” and “them” language. Now, Peter affirms this was not entirely their fault.
   13. In my studies, I read that sins of ignorance could be forgiven with sacrifices on the “Day of Atonement” in the Old Testament. So, Peter is once again appealing to their Jewish heritage.
   14. Peter exhorts they should believe and trust in Jesus now as it is for their redemption and cleansing from sin (verse 19).
   15. Notice the word “repent,” which Peter uses. To “repent” means to change our minds. It also implies changing our behavior. We must change our minds and behavior, which reflects patterns or trends. As we repent to follow Christ, the patterns or trends of our lives are reflected in a life after Jesus.
   16. Notice also that Peter says their sins will be “wiped out.”
   17. Think of the image of a chalkboard with all your sins listed on it, and when you repent and give your life to Jesus, they are wiped away. Psalm 103:12 says our sins are as far as the east is from the west.
   18. As a believer in Christ, you can do nothing to bring those sins back. Allow yourself to be forgiven and be comforted that God has forgiven you!
   19. Peter affirms this was all God’s Divine plan, as the prophets have said (verses 18-26).
       1. Verse 18 and the crucifixion.
       2. Verse 26 and the resurrection.
       3. Verse 21 and the present ministry of Jesus in Heaven.
       4. Verse 20 and Jesus’s second coming.
2. This passage helps hurting people:
   1. This passage can help hurting people when we see that God is not limited.
   2. This was the follow-up to an amazing miracle. A man born lame and over forty years old walks and is right in front of them. Throughout this sermon, they can see proof of what God did.
   3. Where is our hurt?
   4. Where do we need God to help us? Don’t limit Him. Trust that He can help us as well. He is the author of life.

Close:

Going back to the puzzle illustration, do you have the right piece? I read the following:

The Sunflower is probably the most amazing flower God created. They literally follow the sun. I don’t know about you, but one of the most amazing things I have seen is a field of sunflowers. Watching one follow the sun through is cute. Watching hundreds in absolute unison follow the sun is quite incredible. I recently discovered that Sunflowers continue tracking the sun’s direction long after the sun sets. Through 360 degrees, they ensure that they are always oriented in the direction of the sun. Their unity is totally dependent on one thing –their relationship to the sun.

How is our relationship with the Son? How is our relationship with Jesus?

Do you know Jesus?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2086.

Peter Heals a Lame Man (3:1–10)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, April 14, 2024

In my second year of college, I was at a community college in downtown Dayton called Sinclair Community College. One morning I was walking in between two buildings outside, and a man came up to me and told me a story that he said was true. He said he was trying to register for classes, but the school would not take a check. He asked me to deposit his check and then give him cash. Well, I was young, and I trusted people. So, I did that. I walked to the bank, and this man didn’t go inside with me for some reason. I soon found out exactly why he would not go inside. I went inside, and the bank told me I shouldn’t withdraw money from a deposit until a week afterward. But I had most of the money and trusted people, so I did this. I gave him the cash. I called my bank every day to make sure the check was cleared, and after one week, my bank reported a negative balance. It turns out that the man had stolen a checkbook from a student at the University of Dayton. I was out 425 dollars, and for my age, that was a lot of money. That is a lot of money now. I talked to my dad that night and knew he would go crazy that I did such a dumb thing (he used to be a police officer). Ultimately, my dad gave me 300 dollars to help redeem the difference.

I wonder, do you have any similar stories? Have you ever been taken advantage of when trying to be a nice person?

I used to work with another manager at Mcdonald’s, and his name was Scott. One day, Scott came to work and told me something like this: “Steve, I am not going to help someone again.” I said something like, “What happened?” He responded, “I gave someone money yesterday in Columbus and saw them get in a nice car a while later.” We all hear stories of people cheating on another person, don’t we? We all hear stories that make us not want to trust another person. The bad ruin it for those who need help. There used to be a show about policewomen in Cincinnati. It just so happens that one ex-military policewoman caught a man claiming to be a veteran to receive money, and he was not a veteran at all! How shameful is that? There is also something called “A culture of poverty.” People get used to the same old thing.

In today’s sermon, we will talk about how Peter and John healed a man who had been lame for more than 40 years, but God healed him. Remember the theme of one of my past sermons? The theme was that we serve a “mighty” God. We will see that true today. Let’s read Acts 3:1-10:

Acts 3:1–10 (ESV)

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

1. Notice first the context of this section.
   1. Verse 1 simply starts by stating, “Now…” It is as if this is one illustration of something happening in the early church, and I think that is correct. This is one illustration. Do we remember Acts 1:8? Jesus says they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Well, they now have the Holy Spirit, and powerful, amazing, awesome things have happened. Acts 1:8 is pretty much a theme for the whole scroll of Acts.
   2. Back in February, we talked about the model church in Acts 2:42-47. Verse 43 says that “everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and many signs and wonders began taking place through the apostles.” (NASB)
   3. This section follows up on those two verses. It is an example of the Holy Spirit-empowered church.
   4. Things happen in Acts for a reason, and this is no different. We will soon see how this event leads to an amazing sermon by Peter in verses 11- 26. Then, in chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested and beaten. After that, they are released and have an amazing prayer meeting with the other disciples. All of this begins with the healing of a lame beggar.
2. Now, the event.
   1. It is now three in the afternoon, and Peter and John are going to the temple. It was a normal time of prayer. The text says that it was the ninth hour. This would mean that we start counting hours from 6 A.M., and at 3:00 in the afternoon, it is the ninth hour. This was a time of prayer. They had times of prayer that were specified in the morning and evening offerings, so this would be going into the evening offerings.
   2. What is about to happen is when they are on their way to a corporate spiritual discipline. Have we ever had something happen when going to a corporate spiritual discipline? I think Peter and John had their eyes opened, ready for God to have them do something, and because of that, they were ready for this event.
   3. Do we have our eyes opened? What about after church when we go to lunch? Are we ready? God may give us an awesome opportunity to pray for a waitress; don’t miss it. Pray that God will open our eyes.
   4. I heard something interesting on the Christian Radio program Chris Fabry Live. Chris interviewed Paul Baloche. Paul wrote the song Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. Paul explained the background to that great Christian prayer song. He said that when he wrote the song, he was working hard, trying to raise a family. They were living in poverty in a trailer and, of course, going to church. Many times, the pastor would invite people to stay for prayer after the service. Based on Ephesians 1 the pastor would talk about God opening their eyes and so he started playing with those words on his guitar and then we end up with that song: Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you, I want to see you. To see you high and lifted up [Isaiah 6], shining in the light of your glory, pour out your power and love, as we sing holy, holy, holy. That song has now been sung in many different languages. I heard Paul sing it in French.
   5. Are our eyes open to see the major things the Lord will do?
   6. Peter and John enter the temple for prayer. Now, you must know that they are not in the temple building yet. The noun used to describe the temple means the outer courts and the whole area.
   7. Verse 2 tells us that a man who had been lame from birth was being carried. These people would carry him and lay him down before a gate to beg for alms. The word translated as “alms” means “acts of mercy.” He was begging for money or food.
   8. By the way, Acts 4:22 says that he had been lame since birth, and he was over 40 years old. This man has never walked, never stood up, nothing, and he is over 40 years old.
   9. The rabbis taught that there were three pillars of the Jewish faith—the Torah, worship, and the showing of kindness or charity.^[1]
   10. Now, verse 4 tells us Peter and John looked straight at him. They notice him.
   11. When we see people, do we notice them?
   12. I must think that this man probably was amazed when Peter and John looked at him. I bet that a lot of people would simply pass by. I bet many people would look away or fake like they were doing something. Maybe people would text message on their scrolls, or I don’t know, but they would try to do anything but notice the poor beggar. I certainly know that is something that I struggle with. I don’t want to give people money and enable some bad habits. I don’t want to give them gift cards that they can sell for their habit. It is hard to know how to help someone. Peter and John help differently. But right now, he is leaping inside with excitement because he has been noticed. I wonder if he knew who they were. I mean, Pentecost has happened; there was a large stir in the area. Chapter 2 says that the disciples shared with one another.
   13. Verse 5 tells us that he gave them his attention as he expected to receive something. Oh, he will receive something for sure.
   14. Verse 6: Peter makes no excuse. Peter does not pretend to have money. Peter says that he does not have money. But Peter commands him to walk. Now, notice that Peter does this in Jesus’ authority. He says, “In the name of Jesus Christ.”
   15. Verse 7: Peter takes his hand and stands him up. The man’s feet and ankles were strengthened.
   16. The man didn’t need any rehabilitation. He did not have to strengthen or wait for those muscles to be strengthened. He was immediately healed.
   17. Verse 8 tells us, “he jumped to his feet.” Wow! This is amazing. We serve a strong and mighty God!!!
   18. Now, he enters the temple. He praises God for his healing.
   19. According to Leviticus 21, he would not be allowed to enter the temple because he was lame, but now he could. Look at an Old Testament passage with me: then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert…(Isa. 35:6)
   20. Verses 9-10 show that everyone saw this, and everyone was amazed and wondered about this because they knew that he had always sat there and begged for mercy.

• Some applications:
  1. Peter and John were going to the temple to pray. We must also be active in the corporate spiritual disciplines.
  2. This event happened on their way to a corporate prayer meeting.
  3. This made a ready atmosphere for them to be used by the Lord. We must also be ready to be used by the Lord.
  4. To do this, we must keep our eyes open for events like this. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s lead.
  5. Peter and John didn’t ignore the beggar. I am sure they had seen many before, and maybe they had seen this beggar before, considering Acts 4:22 says that he was more than 40 years old. We must notice people.
  6. Granted that they might have looked at him because they knew the Lord would work through them, but they still did notice, and we must also notice people.
  7. Verse 6: Even if we cannot help people with money, we still can help through prayer and other means (spiritual counsel).
  8. We must remember that we serve a Lord who is at work in mighty ways. This was a miracle and a mighty one at that.
  9. Verse 10: We must also be filled with wonder and amazement at what God does. God has regenerated us!

Close:

Are we ready for God to work through us? I want to come back to the lyrics of that song:

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You

{Chorus}

To see you high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing holy, holy, holy

Pray

^[1] Polhill, J. B. (1995). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 126). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Jesus has risen!

For Christians, the resurrection is our hope. We truly do have a home in Heaven. The Christian life is about a fuller life now and life eternal. The Christian life is about living with Jesus now and eternal life in resurrected bodies. We live life with Jesus because He lives (John 15). In John 14:1-6 Jesus says that He goes to prepare a place for us. In Revelation 21, we see the New Heaven and New Earth. In 2 Cor. 5:8, the Apostle Paul says if absent from the body, we are to be present with the Lord. This is more important because the Apostle Paul had seen Heaven, and he knew it was awesome (see 2 Cor. 12). In Christ, we win no matter what!

In a Wall Street Journal article, George Weigel gives a combination history lesson and apologetic for the Resurrection:

There is no accounting for the rise of Christianity without weighing the revolutionary effect on those nobodies of what they called “the Resurrection.” They encountered one whom they embraced as the Risen Lord, whom they first knew as the itinerant Jewish rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, and who died an agonizing and shameful death on a Roman cross outside Jerusalem.

As N.T. Wright … makes clear, that first generation answered the question of why they were Christians with a straightforward answer: because Jesus was raised from the dead …. As they worked that out, their thinking about a lot of things changed profoundly.

The article mentions some of the positive secular outcomes brought to the ancient world through Christianity:

• A new dignity given to woman in contrast to the classical culture.
• A self-denying healthcare provided to plague sufferers.
• A focus on family health and growth.
• A remarkable change in worship from the Sabbath to Sunday
• A willingness to embrace death as martyrs—because they knew that death did not have the final word in the human story.
• Living as if they knew the outcome of history itself.

Weigel suggests that it’s only through, what he calls the Easter Effect, that these changes make sense. The social changes that followed Good Friday occur only if they actually believed in the resurrection of Jesus.[1]

Let’s read the passage that gives us the resurrection account, read with me

Matthew 28:1–10 (ESV)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” ⁸ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

1. Notice first that women went to the tomb.
   1. Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to the tomb.
   2. All four Gospels record this, and this is proof of the gospels. Jesus uses the women later in verse 10 to tell the rest of the resurrection.
   3. Now, these women are very upset. They are mourning. Jesus, whom they were following, had been crucified, and now they are going to put spices on His body. The Jewish people did not do anything to prevent the decay of a body. Within three days, the body would be decaying. Yet, not in this case.
2. Verse 2 records a great earthquake, and an angel descended and rolled away the stone.
   1. Interesting that Matthew records this earthquake and an earthquake previously in chapter 27:51.
   2. I believe this earthquake was caused by the angels.
   3. Why did the angel roll away the stone?
   4. Jesus did not need the stone rolled away. The stone was rolled away to let the world in, not to let Jesus out!
   5. Verse 3 describes the angel, and notice in verse 2 the angel is sitting. Sitting means that his work is complete.
   6. In verse 4, the guards, these Roman-trained guards, were shaking. The word used to describe them is the same root as “earthquake,” seisma.
   7. In verses 5-7, the angel tells the women what to do.
   8. The angel acknowledges that they are looking for Jesus.
   9. The angel tells them that He has risen.
   10. The angel tells them to look in the tomb.
   11. In the villages of Northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. As he closed, a Muslim gentleman came up and said, “You must admit we have one thing you have not, and it is better than anything you have.”
   12. The missionary smiled and said, “I should be pleased to hear what it is.”
   13. The Muslim said, “You know when we go to Mecca we at least find a coffin. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, which is your Mecca, you find nothing but an empty grave.”
   14. But the missionary just smiled and said, “That is just the difference. Mohammed is dead; Mohammed is in the coffin. And false systems of religion and philosophy are in their coffins, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindreds and tribes, is not here; He is risen. And all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Him. That is our hope.”
   15. The angel tells them to go and tell the others.
   16. Notice again the commonality of the Gospel. Jesus uses women to tell of His resurrection.
3. Now, they see Jesus in verses 8-10.
   1. Notice that they see Jesus, and they fall at His feet.
   2. This means humility, but they also realize He is not an apparition. They realize He is real. They then worship Jesus.
   3. We must worship Jesus. This is why we worship on Sunday because Jesus rose on Sunday.
4. Why does the resurrection matter? What is the importance of the resurrection?
   1. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the Scriptures write about Jesus appearing to the disciples and later over 500 people at the same time. Again, Jesus showed many that He had been resurrected.
   2. Later on, in 1 Cor. 15:13-15 the Scriptures tell us that if Christ was not raised from the dead our faith is in vain! This means that our faith is useless. Later, in that same chapter the Scriptures write about our hope in the resurrection. You see, because Christ rose from the dead, we have hope. We have hope that when we die, it will not be the end. We have hope that when our family members and friends who are Christians die, they are not gone but with Christ in eternal paradise. We can see them again because they will have resurrected bodies as Jesus did. Paul wrote, “Where O death is your sting” (1 Cor. 15:55). There is no sting because we have eternal life in perfect bodies.
   3. Also, Christ’s resurrection shows that this is not simply His normal body returning to life. No, this is a renewed body. Jesus’ resurrected body will not die, and neither will yours. If you are a believer in Christ, you will have an eternal, perfect body.

Tim Keller writes the following:

[On Easter] I always say to my skeptical, secular friends that, even if they can’t believe in the resurrection, they should want it to be true. Most of them care deeply about justice for the poor, alleviating hunger and disease, and caring for the environment. Yet many of them believe that the material world was caused by accident and that the world and everything in it will eventually simply burn up in the death of the sun. They find it discouraging that so few people care about justice without realizing that their own worldview undermines any motivation to make the world a better place. Why sacrifice for the needs of others if in the end nothing we do will make any difference? If the resurrection of Jesus happened, however, that means there’s infinite hope and reason to pour ourselves out for the needs of the world.

N.T. Wright has written:

The message of the resurrection is that this world matters! That the injustices and pains of this present world must now be addressed with the news that healing, justice, and love have won. If Easter means Jesus Christ is only raised in a spiritual sense—[then] it is only about me, and finding a new dimension in my personal spiritual life. But if Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, Christianity becomes good news for the whole world—news which warms our hearts precisely because it isn’t just about warming hearts. Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence and degradation are endemic, God is not prepared to tolerate such things—and that we will work and plan, with all the energy of God, to implement victory of Jesus over them all.[2]

When we have joy, we share it. Joy is the gift that keeps on giving if we allow it to.

Share Jesus. He has risen!

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him (Genesis 1-2).

Our sin separated us from God (Genesis 3).

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4).

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again (Matthew – Luke).

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (John-Jude).

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever (Revelation 22:5).

[1] George Weigel, “The Easter Effect and How it Changed the World,” The Wall Street Journal (3-30-18)

[2] Tim Keller, The Reason for God (Penguin Books, 2009), pp. 210

Palm Sunday: Hosanna in the Streets: Triumphal Entry Luke 19:28-44

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 24, 2024

C.S. Lewis, in one of his essays, says something like, “Monarchy is easily debunked. The actual record of kings is abysmal, full of tyranny. Yet where we are forbidden to honor a king, we will honor millionaires, athletes, or film stars instead, even famous gangsters. For spiritual nature, like physical nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison.”[Tim Keller shares] What is he talking about? He [Lewis] says, “We’ve gotten rid of the kings, we’ve gotten rid of queens, we’ve gotten rid of royalty, by and large, yet where we are forbidden to honor a king, we still do it.”^[1]

Isn’t that interesting? We still want kings. Why? I think it is because we were made for One King. We were made to surrender and worship One King—Jesus.

Luke 19:28–35 (ESV)

²⁸ And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

1. In verses 28-35, we see the Preparation.
   1. This account is a fulfillment of prophesy from Zech. 9:9. Sproul points out:
   2. “What is unique about the event recounted in this passage is that Jesus went out of His way to orchestrate the fulfillment of a particular prophecy.
   3. Scholars have examined the manifold prophecies that are found throughout the Scriptures that have their fulfillment in the historical Jesus. Some scholars have counted somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 prophecies with respect to the coming Messiah that were clearly and definitively fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. In fact, that very truth of the fulfillment of specific prophecies should be enough to stop the mouths of the most obstreperous skeptics. That should be proof enough for the claims of Christ to being the Son of God and the coming Messiah.”[2]
   4. Notice that the Bible says, after He said these things, or after He said this. Jesus had just given the parable of the money usage. Recall that Jesus had been in Samaria for a long time. While there Jesus told many parables and we have talked about some of these.
   5. Another source tells me this: “The elevation at this point is about 2,600 feet, and from it you have a breathtaking view of the Holy City. The Lord was about to do something He had never done before, something He had repeatedly cautioned others not to do for Him: He was going to permit His followers to give a public demonstration in His honor.”^[3] You know what it is like to travel and then you come to this gorgeous view. That’s where they are at, they are about to enter into Jerusalem.
   6. Now, Jesus sends two of His disciples on a mission. They are to go into this other village and find a colt and just take it. When asked they are to say that their Lord or Master has need of it.
   7. They do this, it happens just like Jesus says. They go to the village, and someone does ask, and they take the colt like it’s no big deal.
2. In verses 36-38, we have the adoration.
   1. As Jesus went along people were spreading their cloaks on the ground. Look at verses 36-38: And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.³⁷ As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
   2. They were waiting for a King…
   3. Notice that Jesus receives worship.
   4. Sproul
   5. “The people in the crowd knew the Scriptures, and when Jesus appeared riding the donkey, they gathered in a huge multitude rejoicing and praising God for the mighty works they had seen. “The Messiah has come, and He’s coming now to take His place as the King of the Jews, as the King of Israel. Hosanna; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” They put their garments in the path in front of Him as He rode on the donkey.”
   6. Further: “Jesus didn’t think for a moment that there would be a revolution and that He was going to seize power and be crowned King of the Jews. The people didn’t understand, but He did, and He had just told them a parable that the kingdom was not going to come immediately. But they didn’t understand that either. Though there were smiles abounding on the faces of the crowd and they were cheering in ecstasy, Jesus rode with a heavy heart, knowing what His destiny was in the hours that lay before Him.”[4]
   7. I once had a Jewish Rabbi ask if Jesus ever said He was God. Well, Jesus did say that He was the Messiah (see John 4 :26), but Jesus also received worship. Angels told the people not to worship them (Rev. 22:9). Jesus received worship.
   8. Notice the commonality of the Gospel. The people worshipping Jesus were the common people. This was a grassroots event. After all, Jesus had been going to the common people, and He had healed many of them. Jesus is now worshipped.
   9. Jerusalem’s population would swell for Passover, and it is now during this time that these people are all worshipping Jesus.
   10. Jesus is now worshipped. This was the adoration of Jesus.
3. In verses 39-44 we have the condemnation by Jesus.
   1. Luke 19:39–44 (ESV)
   2. ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
   3. ⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
   4. The Pharisees missed Jesus once again. They asked Jesus to make the disciples stay quiet, and Jesus said if they were quiet, the rocks would cry out.
   5. Swindoll says this is the first reference to a rock concert!
   6. Keller: only Luke records where Jesus says something to the Pharisees. Notice how the Pharisees are freaked out over the fact he’s not just being declared by the crowd to be a king but the King, the messianic King, the Davidic King.
   7. They say in verse 39, “Teacher, Rabbi, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus says, “I tell you, if they keep quiet the stones will cry out.” You say, “That’s poetic, right? Exaggeration.” But the Old Testament … The prophecy goes like this. This is Isaiah 55. “Then the mountains and the hills will burst into song before the Lord, and all of the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12. Here’s Psalm 96: “Then the trees of the wood will sing for joy before the Lord. For he comes to rule the earth. Jesus says, “My lordship …” The Bible says (you see it in Isaiah 55) when the King comes back, when his ruling power comes upon something he made, it blossoms. It reaches its potential. It becomes everything it can be, everything it was made to be. That means the trees and the stones under the ruling power of Jesus Christ will dance and sing.[5]
   8. Now, Jesus approaches Jerusalem and weeps over the city. Then He pronounces judgment.
   9. This was Jesus’ condemnation.
   10. Sproul: Josephus tells us in his account of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 that 1.1 million Jews were slaughtered. The Romans overran the rebellious nation of Israel and destroyed village after village and city after city until the inhabitants of the land fled for safety to that walled fortress, which they believed was indestructible. The Roman forces were led by Titus, who had instructions from his father the emperor to destroy every single inhabitant of the place—men, women, and children.”[6]
   11. Following this, Jesus will go and cleanse the temple.
   12. Then Holy Week will continue until as our King He dies in our place and then He rises again. He was our sacrifice and that is why we meet today. He is Our Mighty Savior, worshipped by common, ordinary men and dying for us.

Close:

I began this message with something from C.S. Lewis:

Keller shares:

Lewis asks another question. Why is it that in our so-called egalitarian democracies, when we don’t have any royalty we create it? We must have princes and princesses. We create it out of celebrity, we create it out of something, but we must have it…

What is there about the human psyche that needs, in the very center of it, something to serve? What Lewis is saying is, “Why this hunger for kings? Why this indelible need to crown someone or something psychologically, sociologically, culturally?” The answer is it’s a memory trace. It’s a memory trace in the collective unconscious of the human race.

It’s a memory trace of a perfect king, of an ultimate king, of a king of glorious splendor undimmed before the breaking of the world, whose wisdom and nobility and love and compassion and greatness and beauty was like the sun shining in its full strength. We remember a king like that.

What is the gospel? The gospel is “He will come. He’s coming back. He will come again. Blessed is the King who comes.” What the gospel says is the reason you need to crown someone or something, the reason you need kings even though you won’t admit it … The average modern person doesn’t admit what they’re doing, but you are doing it.[7]

There is one other connection that Tim Keller shares which connects all of this to the beginning of the Gospel of Luke and the cross:

If you read the whole book straight through, you’ll know the last time Jesus Christ was at the temple (according to the book of Luke) … He brings Jesus to the temple at the beginning of the book and at the end. The last time Jesus was at the temple he was 12, at least according to the book of Luke. The last time, in the story that Luke gives us, Jesus was 12. Why did he go to the temple when he was 12? 

Here’s why. That was his coming-of-age time. It’s like your bar mitzvah, of course, only this was probably before there were bar mitzvahs. It was his coming of age. The year you turned 12, the father would take his son and initiate him into his adult life. One of the things the father would do that year would be to apprentice him. Joseph, therefore, was apprenticing Jesus as a carpenter.

The other thing Joseph would have done is he took him on the Passover to the temple to show him how their religion worked. He would have taken Jesus around and said, “Here’s the temple. This is where we meet God. Here’s the priest. See that priest? The priest is the holy one who mediates the presence of God. Do you see the sacrifices? Do you see the altar? That’s where our sins are being atoned for.”

After Joseph had spent all this time showing Jesus around the temple and explaining all of these things, Joseph and Mary got in the caravan to go home after the Passover Feast was over. They get halfway home, and they realize Jesus isn’t there. They come running on back looking all over Jerusalem for him, and where do they find him? The temple. What’s he doing in the temple? He says, “My Father’s business.”

Joseph probably would have said, “What do you mean your father’s business? I’m your father.” But here’s what must have happened. Jesus’ real Father began speaking to him. Probably Jesus would have heard his heavenly Father say, “Yes, you’re coming of age, and this is the year your father tells you what you’re here on earth for. But I’m your heavenly Father, and I’m here to tell you your true identity.

Do you see that temple, that building? Do you think that can unite humanity with me? Do you see that priest? He’s just like everybody else. Do you think he’s holy enough to mediate the presence of God? Do you see that sacrifice? Do you see that animal being cut up and thrown on the altar? Do you think that dead animal can atone for the sins of human beings? No.

You will be the sacrifice that all of the sacrifices point to, my son. You will be the priest who will mediate the presence of God. You will be the temple. All of these other things are pointing to you. You will come and be the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate priest, the ultimate temple. You will pay the debt for their sins. You will do it.” [8]

Pray

^[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[2] Excerpt From; Luke; R.C. Sproul

https://books.apple.com/us/book/luke/id1534659946

^[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Mk 11:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

[4] Excerpt From; Luke; R.C. Sproul

https://books.apple.com/us/book/luke/id1534659946

[5] Ibid.

[6] ibid.

[7] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[8] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Luke 16:19-31: Rich Man and Lazarus

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 17, 2024

There was a popular book a few years ago titled Love Wins… by Rob Bell. The book made certain claims that, in the end, everyone goes to Heaven. Yet, we cannot get that from the Scriptures or from the Parable we will look at today.

Who can tell me my theme for Lent? Someone, anyone, shout it out—

The Gospel is for everyone… So, I do not have to have much money, do I? No, not at all. I do not have to be highly educated, do I? No, not at all. The Gospel is for everyone. My other theme is that we serve a Mighty Savior.

There is a professor at the seminary that I attended who gave an illustration of the wrath of God. Dr. Mulholland said that what makes me fall if I walk out of a window? The consequence of jumping out of a window is gravity makes you fall. Gravity does it. God’s wrath on sin is like gravity. God’s wrath on sin is a natural repercussion of sin. When I break God’s law, His wrath is a natural response to that violation.  The subject today is, on the one hand, a tough one. We are looking at the eternal destiny of those without Christ.

On the other hand, we have an encouraging subject as we look at the eternal destiny of those with Christ. We also will see how Jesus sympathizes with the poor man. Jesus, once again, looks after the poor and the marginalized.

From this passage, I could preach on hell. I will just do a little bit. But this passage is also saying that the Jewish lineage does not take care of your eternity. Jesus also says that your wealth does not take care of your eternity. Further, Jesus says that if people do not believe the Scriptures, they will not believe a resurrection.

I am going to teach this passage, and I wish to show you:

1. The Gospel is for everyone.
2. The reality of eternity.
3. The supremacy of Scripture.

Read with me:

Luke 16:19–31 (ESV)

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

1. In verses 19-22, The rich man and Lazarus are introduced:
   1. This is a parable; it is a story with a purpose. I wonder what it would look like on the big screen. Think with me. There is a certain rich man. He has lots of wealth. In fact, the literal wording says that he was eating sumptuously every day. He had it his way every day. He was wearing purple linen. It was rare to be able to afford this type of clothing, yet he could.
   2. Now, at his gate… stop right there. He had a gate. This was rare as well. He had enough wealth to have a gate around his home. I remember being in the Dominican Republic, and I saw people with gates around their homes. I saw businesses with gates. We built a gate around a church. But that gate we built to protect the place. We saw others with gates, and they were elaborate; it was displaying their great wealth. In this case, the indication is that this man had wealth, and he was displaying it.
   3. Now, at the gate, sat Lazarus, who was poor. This is the only parable where Jesus gives a character a name. Jesus may not have made up this parable. It could have been a common Jewish story at the time.
   4. Also, this is not Lazarus he would raise from the dead later. Lazarus was a common name.
   5. The Bible says that this poor beggar was lying at his gate, but the language really says that he was thrown at the gate. That is some strong verbiage.
   6. Now, imagine with me: Every day, the rich man walks right by the poor man. Every day, maybe he tries not to look because if he looks, he may feel guilty. Maybe, just maybe, he looks on purpose. He does not care. He wants to flaunt his great, great wealth. He walks right on by the poor man and does not care. He will look at him and think, “Oh well, you should work harder.” Or “Serves you right, you were born to the wrong family.”
   7. Maybe the poor man, Lazarus, made the rich man sick because of his sores. The Bible says that he had sores on him. The Bible says the dogs licked the sores. These sores would not be leprosy. They would be sores from malnutrition or something else. The dogs would not be Ol’ Shep or some “Man’s Best Friend” dog. These dogs were wild pests. I remember being in the Dominican Republic and Belize, Central America, and seeing wild dogs. The people did not like them around. They were scavengers. Jesus, including these dogs in the parable, shows how bad Lazarus’ condition was. When the dogs lick his wounds, it would make them hurt worse. Yet, you know what? Imagine the rich man; he still walks right by this poor man, Lazarus.
   8. Jesus came for this poor man in addition to the rich man. Certain people always think they have a free ticket everywhere because of something they have accomplished, their family, or their great wealth. In this parable, Jesus shows that the Gospel is for everyone. That He cares about the poor and the destitute.
   9. Once, I heard a speaker on a video. She talked about being a pastor’s wife in Austin, Texas. Her family and a few others moved onto a nice street with a nice house. Everything was good except for that house next door. That house was overgrown and unkempt. They would not cut the grass or take care of the upkeep. She said something like: “Bye, bye resale value.” But then she realized something, whether through getting to know the person or God’s conviction or both. This house belonged to an elderly widow (I believe), and her children were draining her of her finances. She could not keep up the house, and her children were not treating her right. Then she had a pastor next door, and all they thought about was how bad the house made the street look.
   10. I do not know what the pastor and her family did to help their neighbor, but that was a good example of what we, as Christians, should be doing and should not think. Instead of thinking, “How can I serve my neighbor,” we often think, “Why don’t they clean up their house?”
   11. Back to the parable.
   12. They both die. It has been said that death always evens the score. We all die. No matter how good you are or bad you are, you will die. I will die. In this case, death switches their roles. The rich man did not care about poor Lazarus in life, but God cares about Lazarus’s eternity.
   13. Avoiding Hell: Not everyone is as fortunate as Alfred Nobel who in 1888 read his own obituary in a French newspaper. One of his brothers had died, but a careless reporter had used a statement prepared for the wrong man. Alfred, principal inventor of dynamite, was disappointed with the published account. He was described as a “merchant of death” who had made a fortune from explosives and human exploitation. This haunting image caused him to reevaluate his life and revamp his will. Consequently, his money has made possible the famous Nobel Peace Prizes.^[1]
   14. The poor man dies and is carried to Abraham’s side. They would have all known that this was paradise. This was Heaven. Sometimes, we think Abraham’s Bosom is a location. It just means he went to be with Abraham. Abraham represents the Old Testament saints.
   15. The rich man dies and was buried. Notice that Lazarus was not even buried. This means that he was very low in his station in life. Everyone was to be buried.
2. In verses 23- 24 we see in Hades their roles are reversed.
   1. The rich man is in torment. He is in Hades. Hades is not hell. Hades would be called Sheol in the Old Testament. It was known as a realm of the dead. But Jesus, in this parable, indicates that there was suffering. The text says, multiple times, that he was in suffering (verses 23, 24, 25, 28).
   2. Again, I think I could pull out things about Hades and hell from this passage, but my purpose is to show that the Gospel is for everyone. This poor man was not in hades. He was in paradise. The rich man who ignored the beggar was missing something in life. He calls Abraham “Father Abraham,” meaning that he was Jewish but did not care for the poor.
   3. The Reality of Hell
   4. The rich man of Luke 16 became painfully aware of hell and its stark reality, as will every person who rejects the love of the Savior. As one old preacher expressed it, “After you’ve been in hell five seconds, you’ll believe in it!”^[2]
   5. Now, the roles are reversed. Lazarus is being comforted. The Bible says that God is comforting Him. The rich man is in torture.
   6. Notice and this goes along with my next point, the rich man wants help, but it is too late. He sees Lazarus and just wants to dip the tip of his finger in water. But it is too late. Again, the roles are reversed. Before, Lazarus needed the rich man’s help, but now, the rich man needs Lazarus’s help.
3. In verses 27-31, we see that the Scriptures are sufficient as a witness.
   1. The rich man wants someone to warn his five brothers, but no. Abraham says that the Scriptures are sufficient.
   2. Notice that the text says in verse twenty-seven that he wanted Lazarus to warn his brothers. The literal word is to “testify.” He wants someone to witness to them. Throughout Acts, that same word is used of the Apostles being a witness.
   3. The rich man thinks that they will believe if someone rises from the dead. Abraham says, no if they do not listen to the Scriptures, they will not listen, even if someone rises from the dead.

Close:

This passage says that the Law of Moses is a witness.

I have Naked juice right here. This is perfectly healthy stuff. But, you know, it may not taste very good if it is healthy. So, why don’t I add some whipped cream? Everyone likes whipped cream. You know that probably is not enough to make it taste good, so let me add something else. How about I add some chocolate chips? Hmmm, everyone likes chocolate chips. Okay, now it may taste good enough. But what else could I add? If you have any other ideas, please share them.

What did I do? I just ruined the value of this drink. Okay, God has given us His Word to be a witness. His Word is sufficient to be a witness, yet sometimes we do not trust His Word as a witness, so we want to add to it or take from it. Sometimes, we wish for a special sign, but Jesus tells the Pharisees His Word is enough.

This passage says His Word is enough, and the Gospel is for everyone. It is not about money. It is not about possessions. It is not about having a nice gate around your place. It is not about having plenty of nice food. No, it is about our faith in the Savior and our works matching that faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Do you have this faith??? Jesus came for everyone.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says that when we take care of those in need, we take care of Him. In James 2:14-26 the Bible teaches that our works must match our faith.

So, I hope you noticed.

1. The Gospel is for everyone.
2. The reality of eternity.
3. The supremacy of Scripture over the desire for miracles.  

Apply this to your life this week. Look to take care of those in need. Trust in the Scriptures and remember there is a real eternity. Be a witness.

Pray. 

^[1] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 153). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[2] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 155). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Wash Their Feet John 13:1-11

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 10, 2024

Tony Evans shares:

In football, they tell the offensive line, no matter how big you are, stay low. So that you can have leverage, stay low. No matter how big you get in life, stay low. No matter what title you have in front of your name, how much money you have in the bank, or how many people know who you are, stay low. The moment you use your knowledge, prestige, power, or resources to attempt to be like God, it will be made very clear, very soon, there is only one God. Humble yourself beneath His mighty hand.^473,[1]

In today’s text Jesus lays aside His social status in order to serve the disciples. Once again, I notice the commonality of the Gospel. Once again, I notice that the Gospel is for everyone. I also notice that we serve a great and mighty Savior. The disciples are common, ordinary, everyday men. They are not high on the social ladder. They are not even a little bit high on the social ladder, yet Jesus serves them. Jesus is beyond high on the social ladder. Jesus is off the charts. Jesus invented the ladder, yet Jesus lowers Himself and lowers Himself even more to serve in this dirty way.  Jesus knew all and Jesus knew that He came from God and He knew He would be betrayed, yet, He serves. Our mighty Savior serves in the lowest way possible.

Please read the passage with me and let’s talk about it. Notice the commonality of the Gospel and notice our mighty Savior.

John 13:1-11:

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

As we look at this, we can notice Jesus’ love stated, secondly His love rejected, then His love shown.

1. In verse 1, we see Jesus’ love stated, this shows that Jesus came for everyone.
   1. This shows the commonality of the Gospel.
   2. Now, let’s put this narrative in context. It is just before the Passover festival. It is now Thursday of Holy Week. That is the time of the week and the time in the ministry and life of Jesus.
   3. Later, on this very night, Jesus will be betrayed, and so will begin the crucifixion process.
   4. John spends a lot of time on this evening, more than the other Gospels. John spends chapters 13-16 on this supper.
   5. I must read Luke 22:24-26 to put this in context. John does not record it, but Luke records a conversation that took place right before the last supper. Luke 22:24–27 (ESV) ²⁴A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
   6. Here we have the disciples competing to be the greatest, and now Jesus sets things straight in this way. Now, Jesus will show who the greatest is.
   7. But in this passage, it says that Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave the world. The text is saying that Jesus knew that He came from the Father, and it was time to go back.
   8. Jesus loved the people He was with, and it says that He loved them until the end. He loved them until the crucifixion.
   9. There is a Greek verb for love used, and it is agape. This is a type of intentional love. This is not brotherly love. This is intentional love.
2. In verse 2 we see that Jesus’ love is rejected.
   1. We see that His love is spurned.
   2. Judas is going to betray Jesus. The verse says that the devil prompted Judas. Actually, the Greek says that the devil threw himself into Judas. In verse 27, it says that Judas was possessed by the devil.
   3. Now, Judas is already making plans to betray Jesus.
3. Jesus shares His love.
   • This is verses 3-11.
   • Notice our mighty Savior.
   • In verse 3 it says that Jesus knew that He had all things under His power.
   • Who was the greatest the disciples were asking. Jesus is the greatest. All things are under His power. Jesus knew that He came from the Father and He will go back to the Father.
   • Yet, for common, ordinary, everyday men, Jesus stooped as low as He could go.
   • Only slaves and women and children would wash feet. This was never accepted, yet Jesus did it.
   • I wonder if the disciples were all thinking, “No, this is not for Him to do.” Yet, Peter spoke up and told Jesus not to.
   • One source tells me that he knows of no other ancient source that has the leader doing something so humble: He writes: A familiar rabbinic story is told in Pe’a 1.15c.14 of Rabbi Ishmael, whose mother sought to honor him by washing his feet when he arrived home from the synagogue. After he refused her because he viewed her effort as dishonoring to her and ultimately to him, she sought a censure against him from the rabbinic court for his refusal to allow her to honor him. This story provides some insight into the perspectives of shame and honor in Judaism.^[2]
   • So, Jesus showed His love. Jesus loved them till the end, and He shows that we are all called to serve.
   • When I was an intern at a church I was going to preach, yet prior to my sermon the pastor had me take off my shoes and washed my feet. Many times, churches will have foot washing ceremonies during Lent on Maundy Thursday.
   • I recently listened to a book called “Breakout Churches” by Thom Rainer and he referenced churches that grow usually have pastors that do not credit themselves but those around them.
   • But in the first century humility was not a strong point. It was not a trait one wanted to have. Yet, Jesus taught the disciples to be humble. Jesus showed these common, ordinary, everyday men, that the Gospel is for everyone. He taught them that, though He is the mighty Savior, and the Greatest, He would serve them. He washes their feet.

I have watched the show, Undercover Boss. The show is about different corporate C.E.O.’s who actually go and work a few days in the company. They work as common employees in training. I always wonder what that is like. But you know, Jesus is the creator, and He became part of His creation. This is a much lower step to take than an undercover boss. Now, Jesus serves His creation. Next, Jesus will die a death of humiliation for His creation. He did this for everyone. The Gospel is for everyone. Now, He also calls us to serve everyone and to take the Gospel to everyone.

Let’s pray

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 158.

^[2] Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Struggling to stay awake while driving… When I was in college, I drove an hour each way to college. When I was in seminary, I drove two hours each way to the seminary. I did this twice a week and sometimes every day for mini-terms. I enjoyed the driving time. I even memorized Hebrew during this time. I listened to sermons and books on C.D. I prayed during this time as well. When I was in college, I drove close to half an hour each way to work. The problem with driving, especially at night, is when we cannot stay awake. The worst feeling I have is falling asleep while driving. I used to take coffee and snacks with me to help with this.  It is a terrible feeling when I cannot stay awake while driving.

You may know the feeling of trying to stay awake when your body wants to sleep:

I have had trouble staying awake while fishing.

I have had trouble staying awake in class. During my senior year at Cedarville University, I worked overnight at McDonald’s and then went to school without sleep. I wanted to stay awake in class, but the first class was tough.

I don’t have trouble anymore, but maybe you have trouble staying awake during our worship service… Not at this church, ha, ha!

I have had trouble staying awake during prayer. Praying on my knees helps.

That seems to be the disciple’s problem in this passage.

These common, ordinary, everyday men were invited up to see Jesus in His glory, and they could not stay awake, but they would be awakened. As I teach this, realize that the Gospel is for everyone! Jesus showed His glory to these common men, and He will for you as well. Realize the following:

1. The commonality of the Gospel.
2. The power of prayer.
3. The Mighty Savior.
4. Listen to Jesus.

Let’s read the passage:

Luke 9:28–36 (ESV)

²⁸ Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³ And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. ³⁴ As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

1. First, let’s talk about the commonality of the Gospel (verse 28).
   1. Notice that Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on this mountain with Him. There are a few things that I want you to take away from the series that I am preaching for Lent. I want you to remember that Jesus showed that the Gospel is for everyone. Jesus did not come for any group specifically. Jesus did not come for the Jews only. Jesus did not come for the Pharisees specifically. Jesus did not only come for men, or only come for women. There is no racism with Jesus. There is no preferential treatment with Jesus.
   2. Now, I do wish to be very careful of what is called eisegesis. This means that I would be interpreting or teaching a text based on my own presuppositions. That would make a text say what I wish it to say and not what God wants it to say. I want to study and teach from exegesis, and this means that I teach a passage by exegeting the text, which means to bring out of the text what God wants it to say. Why do I say that? I am glad you asked. As I looked at my themes and my sermons for Lent, I noticed that Jesus came for everyone. Now, I do not want to have a sermon and then find a text. I do not want to have a theme and make the Bible support that. I really do believe that this passage says this.
   3. Peter, James, and John were common everyday men. Some say they were too common. In Acts, there was that criticism. Acts 4:13 has the people observing the confidence of Peter and John in that they were not educated.
   4. Jesus brought them on the mountain, and here they see Jesus in glory. Here, they see Elijah; here, they see Moses. Think about this: The Pharisees were the religious scholars of the day. Sometimes, the Pharisees were the scribes as well. The Sadducees were the religious scholars of the day. One would think Jesus should have invited them up to see Moses and Elijah, but HE DID NOT. Peter, James, and John went with Jesus. In fact, most all the disciples were common men. Sure, Matthew was probably the most educated, but none of them were like the Apostle Paul. Now, Paul, he was educated. He was a Roman citizen, not these guys. Not at all. Yet, Jesus invited them up on the mountain with Him. Wow!
   5. As I think about it, no wonder Jesus was murdered. I know that is a very strong statement, but humanly speaking, worldly speaking, I could understand jealousy. The Pharisees and the Sadducees invest their life in the study and the memorizing of the Old Testament and Jesus does not invite them on the mountain! What a shock. They memorized the Mosaic Law, but they were not invited! Jesus came for everyone.
   6. Peter, James, and John, saw these great Old Testament heroes. There is a scene in Star Trek III the Search for Spock when Uhura is talking to a young guy. The young guy is complaining that nothing happens exciting where he is stationed. Then, suddenly Admiral Kirk comes in. The young man is excited. He exclaims: “That’s Admiral Kirk!” In this case these disciples are getting lots of excitement. They are traveling with Jesus. But now these common, ordinary men are about to see some important people. They see Moses and Elijah; they see Jesus in His glorified state. Notice the commonality of the Gospel.
2. Notice the power of prayer (verse 29).
   1. Jesus was praying when this happened. What do you think about that? Verse 29 says, “As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” Wow! You know, in the parallel accounts, it actually says that He was metamorphosized. He was transformed into His heavenly presence. That is exactly what it means when it says “Transfigured.” Luke avoided that term, likely because his audience was more Greco-Roman; they were more pagan, and they would think of the gods and those myths. Jesus was not a “god” He was and is God.
   2. The way this is set up and it is like this was an answer to Jesus’ prayer. While praying, this happens. In the Old Testament, revelations occur during prayer. Daniel chapter 9 is an instance.
   3. We must pray and expect God to answer. Expect to see mighty things.

• The Mighty Savior.
  1. He is transfigured (verse 29).
  2. Verse 32: Peter and the companions were sleepy, but then they woke up.
     1. For me, sometimes when I am tired, whether driving or reading, or working, there is something that shocks me to being awake. I bet this shocked them to wake up.
     2. Think about this: Have you ever been in a car accident because of falling asleep? It was early May 2005, right after my college semester ended. I was driving to work at about 4:00 A.M. As I already stated, I had about a 30-minute drive ahead of me. I was on a dark state route, and I was sleepy. I remember really struggling to stay awake. But I managed, for a while. Then I entered the suburb of Englewood, this was right outside Dayton, and this was where I actually worked. The state route I was driving on was now 4 lanes with a turn lane, much like 224. I was now passing businesses and restaurants. I now drive past Jack’s Aquarium and Pets where I used to work. I now drove past National Road, which could take me up to the Junior High and High School I attended. I drove past the location I would get a speeding ticket in a few weeks. I was only a couple miles from work. But I was still sleepy. Suddenly there was a thud. There was a car accident. I ran into the passenger side curb. I pulled into the Midas store. I looked, and I had two flat tires. It was much worse. There was axle damage. There was wheel damage. But it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. I didn’t hit a telephone pool, just the curb. I was probably driving 30 miles per hour, not 55 miles per hour as earlier. I didn’t cross left of center and hit a car. If it happened 15 miles earlier, it would have been worse. This woke me up! I drove a block to Grismer’s tire and parked the car. I walked to work and called Meagan to see if she could take care of it when she woke up. But I was awakened. That shock! That scare woke me up. You know what, the disciples also were awakened to a type of fear. There was a reverent fear as they saw the man Jesus transformed in Glory. There was fear in verse 34 as God spoke.

• Our Great and Mighty Savior revealed His awesome glory to common every day, normal people as Peter, James, and John. Our Great and Mighty Savior reveals Himself to you and me. I hope that awakens you. It woke them up! I hope this excitement awakens you as a fearful experience would awaken you, as a car accident awakened me.

1. Elijah and Moses are not equal to Him. We see in verse 33 Peter wanted to make tents for Elijah and Moses and Jesus. These were for worship like the Feast of Booths in the Old Testament. There is a parenthetical statement that Peter did not know what he was saying. The problem was that Peter wanted tents for all of them. Peter did not understand that Jesus was and Is the one God. Peter equated Moses and Elijah with Jesus.
2. This is not the best example because this was something of God. When Mercedes was a toddler, I took a quick turn and heard a noise in the back seat. Mercedes starts saying, “No, Daddy…” Or something similar in fear. I look back, and her car seat tipped over. Somehow, the seat belt buckling the car seat in came undone. I buckled her seat back in and fixed things. As I start to drive, Mercedes says, “I don’t want to fall again!” Well, neither did I want her to fall; it was scary as well. There is a great fear of the unknown. In this passage, a cloud enveloped Elijah, Moses, and Jesus, and a voice spoke. This made fear in Peter, James, and John. This was a reverent fear (verse 34).

• Last application: listen to Jesus (verse 35).
  1. Here God speaks. God says, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”
  2. God is authenticating Jesus once again. This was said at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21ff).
  3. Jesus is to be listened to more than Moses and Elijah. Jesus fulfilled the law.
  4. So, are we listening to Him?
  5. You don’t have to be a pastor, an elder, or a church leader; you don’t have to be educated; Jesus came for all. Jesus came for the common man. The Gospel is for everyone.

Close:

Last week we talked about Jesus healing the woman with the blood issue (Luke 9:40-48). Remember, she was unclean, she was a woman, she was not allowed in the temple, but Jesus came for her. Today, we see that Jesus takes His common, ordinary men up on the mountain and they see Moses and Elijah. We see that the Gospel is for everyone. The Gospel is for us. If you know Jesus, share that message with others. Share the Gospel is for everyone.  If you do not know Jesus, commit to Him today.

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

Come, Touch the Robe: Luke 8:43-48

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, February 18, 2024

I think that most of us know of Mother Theresa. We know how she ministered to the people left out. I probably simply must mention her name in order to make us think of the ministries she would lead and take part in in India. I saw a video once showing her decades ago asking United Nations to let her in to a war-torn area in order that she could serve the people there. United Nations would not let her in unless there was a cease fire. She prayed and there was a cease fire. But she didn’t only lead others in the ministry of service, she was a part of the service to others. She was a model example. Praise God for examples such as her.

Today, we begin a special series for Lent. We are stepping away from the book of Acts for the next several weeks. My Lenten theme is going to be that the Gospel is for everyone, amen??? Congregation respond by saying amen if you agree. My theme for this season is that Jesus went to the marginalized, the left out, the people who were unclean. I hope that is encouraging, but I also hope that compels all of us to take the Gospel to everyone as well. I also hope that through this Lenten series, we are all reminded that we serve a “mighty Savior.”

So, some of us need encouragement today. We need to remember that the Gospel is for us as well. We may feel that we are marginalized, unclean, or left out. I hope this series and today’s message encourage us.

Whether we realize it or not, we do marginalize people. We have presuppositional thoughts about other people, and we must realize today that the Gospel is for everyone. Jesus does not marginalize.

Read with me:

Luke 8:43–48 (ESV)

⁴³ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

1. In the Gospel, we find that the Gospel is for everyone, and we see Jesus’ mighty power.
   1. If you look at Luke 8:1-2, we find out that Jesus was traveling from city to city proclaiming and preaching the Kingdom of God, and women were with Him. Even though there were certain cultural ideas regarding women, Jesus allowed them with Him. They were even part of His circle, so to speak. One of the proofs of the Gospel’s truth is that the Gospels would not include women if they were not true. Women would hurt the credibility of the Gospels. Jesus was open and accessible to all.
   2. Now, this is a narrative: Jesus is on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, and He is interrupted. Do we notice that interruptions can be of God?
   3. Verse 42 tells us that Jesus was traveling and the crowds were pressing against Him. If it was today Jesus could travel in a limousine. He could have traveled in a private plane. He could have guards to keep people away.  Jesus does not do that. Even in His day Jesus could have set Himself apart from the people, but He didn’t. Sure, there are times, such as Mark 1:35, when Jesus goes into seclusion to recharge, but here we see Jesus with the people. Jesus was no respecter of persons. Jesus did not show prejudice. Jesus came to serve. The Gospel is for everyone.
   4. So, in verse 43, this woman has a hemorrhage for 12 years. Imagine what it was like for her. We do not know how she was bleeding, but it was likely a type of female ailment. This probably caused her to be physically weak. We do know based off Leviticus 15 that she would have been considered unclean. She was an outcast. She was marginalized. She was physically weak and maybe in pain. She was emotionally scarred by being looked upon as an outcast. She was spiritually excluded from the Temple and synagogue. For 12 years, she suffered from this. In my translation, it says that she could not be healed. In other translations, it says that she exhausted all her money trying to get better. Unfortunately, some of you know how she feels. Let me tell you that Jesus heals her physically, but most importantly, emotionally and spiritually. He will do the same for all of us.
   5. Verse 44 tells us that she came up behind Him and touched the hem or fringe of His garment. The wording here makes it sound like she simply brushed by or tapped His garment. But in the original language, she grabbed and held onto it. After 12 years, she wanted to be made well. After 12 years of physical problems, emotionally being an outcast, and spiritually being an outcast, she wanted to be made well. She is “immediately” made well. No delay. We serve a mighty Savior who came for everyone.
   6. You know what? By touching her, Jesus could be unclean. Even if an unclean person simply brushed by a clean person that would make the clean person unclean (Lev. 15).
   7. Anyone in the crowd could be unclean. Jesus was willing to risk that to make this woman well. Jesus never rebuked that, either.
2. Jesus responds…
   1. Verses 45-46 have Jesus asking who touched Him. But Peter speaks up, stating that there is such a crowd they couldn’t know.
   2. Jesus says that He felt power go out. We must understand this correctly. Jesus did not have a loss of power. Jesus is all-powerful; He could just know that something happened.
   3. Verses 47-48 are key: The woman comes trembling and falls down before Him.
   4. Imagine how she felt. She has been an outcast socially. She has been an outcast from Jewish practices. She has been in pain and physical turmoil. This has gone on for 12 years. 12 years! Now, she was instantly made well.
   5. I wonder what it was like, the instant relief she felt???
   6. But the instant relief was likely matched by her instant fear going before Jesus, what would He say? What would He do? Would He make her sick again? Would He strike her down? What went through her mind? Was there a combination of tears of joy and tears of fear?
   7. Verse 48, Jesus calls her “daughter.”
   8. Get that! This is the only time in the New Testament Jesus addresses a woman as “daughter.” Wow! She was an outcast all those years, but to Jesus, He considers her as family.
   9. How did she feel now? We all know that words have meaning. I wonder if she instantly felt some type of joy.

So, we think of Mother Theresa; she served the people left out; who do we need to go to? What mindset do we need to change?  Jesus came for everyone.

So, as we look towards Easter, as we look towards the cross, it is important that we all realize that Jesus came for us, and Jesus came for all. We must be reminded that the Gospel is for everyone. Jesus came for the marginalized, the sick, the hurting. Jesus came for the unclean. We must be available and even go to the marginalized, the sick, and the hurting as well.

I like what one preacher says:

He wasn’t done with her. She needed to be restored physically. She needed to be restored socially. She needed to be restored spiritually. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace, not psychological peace, go in peace with God, objective peace. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. You have made peace with God. Matthew 9:22 said, “He said, ‘Be of good comfort.'” Eusebius, the church historian says, there’s a statue of this lady in his day, in her town as a living testimony that she became a believer in Jesus Christ. Listen, Jesus knows you. He knows your hurts, your needs. He is accessible to you. He is available to you. He is interruptible by you. And He is inexhaustible in meeting your need. And it’s personal with Him. He feels the flow of power into your life. This is our God manifest in Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.

Pray