July 26, 2009Exodus 3:7-15; John 8:48-59He entered the world wrapped in “swaddling clothes” (strips of cloth) and took his fist nap on a bed of straw. He grew up in Roman-occupied Palestine, his hands becoming strong and calloused in Joseph’s woodworking and masonry shop.
Faithfully responding to God’s call, he walked through countryside, village and city touching individuals, preaching to crowds, and training 12 disciples among others to carry on his message of grace and salvation. But at every step he was hounded by detractors, adversaries who tried to rid their religious world of his influence. They were finally successful when they falsely accused him, had him tried and condemned to a disgraceful execution. And he died, pierced by nails, hung on a Roman cross. But then, on that first Easter morn, a Sunday, the first day of the week, the best news we human beings could ever hear began to spread. Jesus was raised from death to life. The great reversal had begun. Jesus, fully human yet fully God, gave his life completely to offer forgiveness and new life to all who would trust in him. His resurrection brought such validity to his claims and people started calling him Lord and Savior. Lord over all life and death; Savior rescuing us from the realities of sin and death. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus said, “I am the Gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved.” Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live.” Several years ago, Deputy Sheriff Lloyd Prescott was teaching a class for police officers in the Salt Lake City Library. As he stepped into the hallway he noticed a gunman herding 18 hostages into the next room. He was dressed in street clothes, so he joined the group as the 19th hostage, followed them into the room, and shut the door. When the gunman announced the order in which the hostages would be executed, Prescott identified himself as a cop and in defense shot the armed man. The hostages were released unharmed. The message of the Bible declares that God himself dressed in street clothes entered our world, joined those held hostage to sin and death, and on the Cross Jesus defeated our enemy and set us free from the power of sin and death. In his perfect forgives and in the power of the resurrection, Jesus offers eternal life to all who trust in him to save him. Fortunately, Prescott did not have to lose his life to save those others. In God’s eternal plan, Jesus, the Lamb of God, would give his life for the life of God’s people. I. Jesus Identifies Himself Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the various religious feasts and festivals to identify something important, even radical about himself. In John chapter five Jesus takes on the misconceptions of the Sabbath. “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working… even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” Such Sabbath breaking got Jesus into a lot of trouble. In chapter 6, he takes on the Passover. “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus said to them. “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day… I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which people may eat and not die. I am the living bread.” Jesus presses his identity as one with the Father, God’s Son. More trouble. Here in chapter 7 Jesus attends the Fall Feast of Tabernacles, the Ingathering of the autumn harvest of tree and vine. Each day of the feast included a water ceremony. A procession of priests carried golden pitchers of water to symbolize the value of water in times of drought and in the long history of God’s provision for his people. On the final day and height of the celebration, Jesus steps into public view and calls out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” offering himself as the source of the water of life. “Streams of living water will flow from within them.” Then as the days grew shorter and light was needed, large torch-like lanterns burned to provide for the evening activities. In chapter 8 Jesus steps forward again and says for all to hear, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Needless to say these pronouncements caused many among the religious leaders and the common people to ask questions, create arguments for and against Jesus, making the normally joyful holy days confused and conflicted. They said, “Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God…Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he (of all people) say, ‘I came down from heaven?’ How did this man get such learning without having studied (he has no proper credentials)? In these chapters, John 5-8 you can see the tension mounting. II. I Am On Friday night we hosted the closing program for the 2009 Ulster Project here at First Pres. Twelve teens from Northern Ireland (6 Roman Catholic, 6 Protestant, 6 guys and 6 girls) spent the month of July paired with their Utah counterparts in host homes. The 24 teens plus leaders played together, studied together, shared life experiences all for the sake of breaking down barriers that have been there for generations. These Northern Irish teens would never have had occasion to meet each other let alone become friends. In my message to them I tried to express how Jesus is the most important, central figure for life and faith. I don’t believe that it matters to God if you are a member of a Catholic or Lutheran church; whether you say the Mass, sing hymns or listen to a sermon; whether you celebrate communion with a thin wafer or with a piece of Wonderbread dipped in grape juice; whether you were Christened as a baby or dunked as an adult. As with all the religious ceremonies and rituals, Jesus would always step out into plain sight and declare these kind of things. “Come to me and I will give you life. Know me and you will know God’s will and ways. Follow me and your life will find its true meaning.” The most important thing is knowing Jesus Christ and who he is. In our Gospel reading this morning Jesus brings his “I am” sayings to the ultimate. In this extended argument with the people at the Feast of tabernacles, he confronts their pride in being children of Abraham. “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed. (You’re crazy). Abraham died and so did the prophets. Are you greater than our father Abraham? Who do you think you are?” Finally, Jesus seals the argument. The climax of the entire chapter arrives at John 8:58. “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am.” It is not religious heritage that brings true freedom. True Jewishness us inward, not outward. The “I ams” of Jesus remind us of the start of John’s Gospel. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” That’s Jesus Christ. Jesus’ audience became furious because they believe they’ve heard blasphemy, for which stoning is the legal response. Jesus slips away (escapes) knowing that, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up” (that’s in John 10). Conclusion He entered the world wrapped in “swaddling clothes” and took his fist nap on a bed of straw. Faithfully responding to God’s call, he walked through countryside, village and city touching individuals, preaching to crowds, and training 12 disciples. At every step he was hounded by detractors, adversaries who tried to rid their religious world of his influence. They were finally successful when they falsely accused him, had him tried and condemned to that disgraceful execution. And he died, hung on a Roman cross. Yet it was all in God’s plan. Then, the best news we human beings could ever hear began to spread. Jesus was raised from death to life. The great reversal had begun. Jesus, fully human yet fully God, gave his life completely to offer forgiveness and new life to all who would trust in him. His resurrection brought such validity to his claims and people started calling him Lord and Savior. Lord over all life and death; Savior rescuing us from the realities of sin and death. The battleground then and even today is truth and identity with God. Is Jesus who he said he is? Or are his accusers right? Was Jesus a crazy person? A liar, a trickster, a manipulative egotist? Or was and is Jesus Lord? Son of God? Savior for the world? Redeemer of our sinful lives? Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” He asks us the same. Let us prayer together. |
