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.