Jesus the Bridegroom: John the Baptist clearly understood his role in God’s plan- he was there to prepare the way for Jesus. While he could have used his popularity to struggle for power, he pointed his followers to Jesus and reduced his own place in the ministry. Understanding God’s plan in and around your life should completely change your perspective on life. Recorded on Aug 13, 2023, on John 3:22-36 by Ted Selker.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Jesus and the Temple: A temple is a place of forgiveness and fellowship — forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God. Jesus is the true temple, the place where heaven and earth are united and forgiveness and fellowship are offered to all. However, in Christ, you are a temple, too. This shocking reality has huge implications for human beings and human bodies. Recorded on Jul 30, 2023, on John 2:13-25 by Pastor David Parks.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And, we’ve said that normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 2:13. Let’s jump right in.
John 2:13-17 (NIV), “13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”” Ok! Did Jesus lose it? Did he have an anger problem? What is going on here? Well, the setting, according to John, was that it was almost time for the Jewish Passover. This was the national festival that commemorated the time at the start of the exodus out of Egypt when God had the Jewish people sacrifice a lamb and put the blood on the door frame of their houses. Everyone who was covered by the blood of the sacrifice was protected from the judgment of God; they would be passed over. If they weren’t covered by this blood sacrifice, they would be under the same judgment as the Egyptians. When this took place, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the people of Israel, who were slaves in Egypt, go. After this, the Lord commanded his people to continue to celebrate the Passover as one of their national feasts. They were to return to Jerusalem for a week and remember together what God had done to free them from captivity. This was to be a serious time, a holy time. When Jesus went up to Jerusalem (up in elevation), he found the temple and the people in the temple, not in a spirit of repentance, not with broken and contrite hearts; instead, he found a noisy and bustling marketplace. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a marketplace or buying and selling lawful things, but this was not God’s intention for the temple. So Jesus made a whip and drove the animals out and overturned tables and drove the people out, saying, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” Now, the fact that Jesus referred to the temple as “my Father’s house” is significant because no one talked like this. This will be a thread that runs all the way through John’s gospel, but here, we see Jesus clearly saying that God is his Father. In the OT, God is sometimes called the Father of Israel as a nation, but not in this individual, personalized way. Only Jesus calls God his Father. Later, he will get major pushback on this point because people rightly saw that claiming that God is his Father makes Jesus equal to God (which was actually true, but the people didn’t know/believe this yet). Later, the disciples remembered Psalm 69 where it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” and realized that this was what was happening when Jesus cleared the temple. How did people respond? What did they think of all this?
John 2:18-22 (NIV), “18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” So the Jews (maybe the people who were selling or maybe the authorities of the temple) questioned him and asked for some sort of sign that Jesus had the authority to do this. He was acting and speaking as if the temple was his. So, just who did this Jesus think he was? What gave him the right to do all this? This question of authority comes up again and again. And Jesus responds, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Now, before the resurrection of Jesus, no one was thinking about anything very significant happening after three days. But later, John says that after the resurrection, the disciples realized Jesus was talking about his body when he refers to “this temple.” After his death on the cross, Jesus was buried, and on the third day, he rose again. If you destroy that temple, he would raise it again in three days. However, at this time, no one really understood what Jesus was talking about. The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” Clearly, they just didn’t get it. But what does this mean? What is the significance of Jesus saying that he was the temple? To understand this, we have to understand the history of the temple. About 1,500 years earlier, God had made a covenant with ancient Israel at Mount Sinai. This was after the Passover, and the people had been freed from captivity in Egypt. And part of the Law that God had given the people at that time included instructions to build a tabernacle, which was also called the Tent of Meeting. The Tabernacle was the main place of worship. It was where the priests made their offerings and the unique power/presence of God dwelled. For about 500 years, as the people of Israel traveled through the wilderness and then settled in the Promised Land of Canaan, they brought the Tabernacle with them. But then, during the time of King David, David had it in his heart to build God a temple. David made provisions for it, but it was actually built during the reign of his son, Solomon. The temple was built in the city of Jerusalem and became the central place of worship for Israel for another 500 years until the time of the exile. Because of their disobedience, God allowed Israel to be conquered and carried away into captivity once again. The temple was destroyed and ceased to function for many years. However, during the reign of Herod the Great, the Roman governor during the time when Jesus was born, Herod decided to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It took 46 years to build, as the people mentioned here, and was a symbol of the national pride and faith of the Jewish people. Ultimately, the temple would be destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans in response to a Jewish rebellion. And again, it ceased to function as a place of worship and has ever since. Let’s finish this passage with v. 23.
John 2:23-25 (NIV), “23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”” As we said last week, Jesus performed many, many miracles or signs during his public ministry. It’s just Jesus being Jesus. But John records seven signs in his gospel to teach us about who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is King. We’ll get more of these signs in the weeks ahead. But for now, the people asked Jesus for a sign, and he gave them a cryptic answer that pointed ahead to his own resurrection. And then, he proceeds to do many signs during the Passover Festival, which causes some people to believe as others already had started to believe. However, even as John says that people started to put their faith in him, he didn’t put his faith in them. He certainly knew about their struggle with sin — that is why he came after all. But he also knew how fickle a crowd might be. One day, a crowd might think you’re the greatest person ever, while another day, they might turn against you. Jesus will have a few moments like that that we’ll see in the weeks ahead. So he loved them, he ministered to them, he performed signs for them, but he didn’t entrust himself to them, he didn’t live for their approval or applause, for he knew what was in each person.
Now, before we get to how we might apply this teaching today, I think we need to do a little more work on what it means for Jesus to be a temple. I already gave you a little history of the Tabernacle and then the temple, but we haven’t talked much about the function of the temple or what it was for. The temple was supposed to be a place of forgiveness and fellowship. Forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God. Let’s unpack both of those elements. First, the forgiveness of sins came through the sacrificial system that was foreshadowed by the Passover itself. For the wages of sin is death. But there is life and safety and forgiveness and peace when you are covered by the blood of a sacrifice. So, for 1,500 years under the old covenant, the people of Israel, led by the priests and the Levites, made sacrificial offerings to make atonement or payment for their sins. This practice culminated every year on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. Since all the sacrifices and offerings were made in the temple, it was supposed to be a place of forgiveness. Second, the temple was supposed to be a place of fellowship with God. Sin separates. But once the problem of sin was dealt with, then the people could be with and enjoy and worship God in freedom and thanksgiving and joy. God’s presence and power were there. And people gave offerings and sang songs of praise and prayed together and listened to God’s word being read and taught. The temple was a picture of God’s desire to be with his people and dwell with them. It was a place where heaven and earth came together. Theologian N.T. Wright refers to this as the overlapping and interlocking of heaven and earth, of God’s space and our space. But how does all this connect to Jesus? As we work through John’s gospel we will see that everything that the people had done with the temple for 1,500 years, the work of the priests, the whole sacrificial system, the Day of Atonement, everything was pointing forward to the coming of Jesus. Because ultimately, Jesus would fulfill the temple.
John has already been hinting at this. In the Prologue, he said that Jesus was the word of God made flesh who made his dwelling among us. I said then that he literally wrote that Jesus tabernacled among us. Again, before the temple, the tabernacle (tent of meeting) was the place where heaven and earth came together. In Jesus, everything that the tabernacle and temple signified was perfectly fulfilled. What does this mean? Probably many things, but there are two main ways that Jesus perfectly fulfills the temple. Let’s use the dual purpose of forgiveness and fellowship to see this. First, (fellowship) the temple represents the union of God and man, the coming together of heaven and earth. In the person of Jesus, we find one person with two natures: Jesus is fully God and fully man. The theological term for the dual nature of the God-man is the hypostatic union. In Jesus, the Son of God is also the Son of Man. The divine Son from eternity past was also born of the virgin Mary and was laid in a stable in Bethlehem. In his divine nature, when you see Jesus, you’re seeing God. When you listen to Jesus, you’re hearing God. And Jesus says/does things that only God could say and do all the time. But at the same time, in his human nature, Jesus had to grow up and learn to walk and talk; he got tired and hungry and needed to eat and sleep; he faced temptation in this broken world and had to resist the temptation to sin; and so on. He was God, and he was a man. So Jesus fulfills the temple because in Jesus, heaven and earth are perfectly united. Although God is omnipresent, he is everywhere all at once; in the past, God chose to provide a unique manifestation of his glorious power and holy presence in the tabernacle/temple. In a unique way (and maybe a way that we can’t fully understand), God was there. In the same way, Jesus can calm a storm with a word. He can heal the sick or the disabled from afar with just his will. He can command a legion of demons or all the host of heaven, and they obey him. He is the Lord, Master, King, Christ, and God. He had glory in the presence of his Father from before the creation of the world. And he promises his presence to us even to the very end of the age. So, in Jesus, God’s power and presence is found without measure. He is the temple. Heaven and earth overlap and interlock in Jesus. However, there’s a problem, or really a problem for us. Again, sin separates. We can’t be with God or have God dwell with us because of our sin. So, we need the second function of the temple in Jesus of forgiveness. This includes the work of sacrifice, atonement, and the cleansing of sin… [transcript ends here]
Water into Wine – A Sign of Celebration: At a wedding in Cana, Jesus performed his famous miracle of turning water into wine. This served as the first sign to the disciples of who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is King. And what does this miracle teach us? Turning hundreds of gallons of water into the best wine at a wedding feast is a wonderful sign of celebration. Recorded on Jul 23, 2023, on John 2:1-12 by Pastor David Parks.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. So far, we’ve made it through chapter 1, which really has served as an introduction for the whole series. This morning, with the start of chapter 2, the author, the Apostle John, kicks off the public ministry of Jesus with the famous miracle of turning water into wine. Now, I know it’s the summertime, so if you missed any of the sermons so far, you can always go back and watch online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, with turning water into wine, we’ll see the first of seven signs in John’s gospel, which reveal who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is king. And this first sign at the very start of the ministry of Jesus sets the stage for what his unique and world-changing ministry would be all about. And the message here is so surprisingly good. The way of Jesus, becoming a disciple of Jesus, the life that is found in Jesus’ name — none of this is easy, but it is so very good. The first of the seven signs is a sign of celebration which ought to be received with joyful praise and surprised thanks. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 2:1. Let’s jump right in.
John 2:1–5 (NIV), “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” Let’s pause here. Ok! Just like the Godfather movie, the public ministry of Jesus starts with a wedding. Chapter one ends with a few men starting to follow Jesus as his disciples. We saw last week that Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, and John the author all started following Jesus initially because of the testimony of John the Baptist. But after they spent some time with him, they started bringing others to him, convinced that he was the Messiah or the chosen one sent by God. If we look at a map, we can see that this happened in the southern region of Judea to the east of Jerusalem in the wilderness beyond the Jordan River. That’s where John the Baptist’s ministry took place. Here in chapter two, the author says they attended a wedding in the small town of Cana in the northern region of Galilee. And Cana was only a few miles north of the town of Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Now, we don’t know whose wedding they were attending, but we can guess it was someone who was a family friend of Jesus, since his mother Mary had been invited, too. Because Joseph isn’t mentioned in the gospels after Jesus was twelve years old, many assume that Joseph had passed away at some point. We don’t know for sure, but I believe it’s likely. But Jesus and his disciples were there, and a problem arose. Mary makes a statement to Jesus, “They have no more wine.” And this is a big deal. Commentator Don Carson writes, “A wedding celebration [at this time] could last as long as a week, and the financial responsibility lay with the groom. To run out of supplies would be a dreadful embarrassment in a ‘shame’ culture” (Carson, PNTC, p.169). Mary recognizes this embarrassment and points it out to Jesus. From the context, it appears that she is expecting him to do something about it, but Jesus gives a curious response, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.” The NIV gives a footnote trying to help Jesus out by saying that the Greek here for woman isn’t disrespectful. However, it doesn’t seem overly affectionate. In fact, it seems as if Jesus is bothered by something, but what is he bothered about? Something about his hour? Let’s come back to that in a moment. For now, Mary tells the servants at the wedding, “Do whatever he tells you.” which, I must say, is wonderful advice. Whatever Jesus tells you to do, you should do it. Do whatever he tells you. Ok, well, despite his cryptic response, Mary seems to understand that Jesus might still do something to save the groom from embarrassment. But what could he do? v. 6.
John 2:6-10 (NIV), “6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”” So, the Jewish people at this time had two sources guiding them morally. They had the Law, also known as the Law of Moses, which was the collection of 600+ laws given to them by God at Mount Sinai. But they also had the traditions of their elders. And the ceremonial washing using these six large stone jars wasn’t based on a law of God, but a tradition of man. In Mark’s gospel, he writes, “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.” (Mk 7:3-4) Now, this wasn’t the same thing as doing the dishes or washing your hands with soap. This ceremonial washing represented the cleanliness of a pure heart and hands. It represented holiness and the forgiveness of sins. The way Mark describes it, there was probably a bit of showmanship or attention for the Pharisees, too. It wasn’t just that they wanted to be holy (which is good!); it was that they wanted others to see them as holy, too. So it’s interesting that Jesus told the servants to fill these particular jars with water for two reasons, at least. First, these were big jars, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. This means that Jesus turned about 150 gallons of water into the best wine (750 bottles). This is such an extravagant gift! The master of the wedding banquet, not realizing where all this wine had come from, was surprised at the quality. He said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” Meaning, normally people start with the expensive stuff but put out the cheap stuff toward the end of the night when people are, let’s say, a little less picky. But the master of the banquet recognized this was not the cheap stuff. This was the best wine. The groom wouldn’t be embarrassed. And there was more than enough for everyone. Let’s finish this passage. v. 11.
John 2:11–12 (NIV), “11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.” So, as we’ve said, this wedding in Cana starts a long section in John’s gospel which highlights Jesus’ public ministry. Chapters 2-12 in John’s gospel is sometimes called the “book of signs” because they contain seven signs (miracles, really), changing water into wine being the first. However, we know that Jesus did many more than seven miracles in the three years of his public ministry. The impression is that miracles were almost a daily occurrence for Jesus. At the end of his gospel, John writes, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (Jn 20:30-31). So, these seven signs are presented very intentionally by John as a sample of the miraculous ministry of Jesus. But why signs, and why seven? Later, Jesus makes the statement, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (Jn 4:48). Miraculous signs serve to authenticate the message and the messenger. Seeing evidence of God’s power is helpful to our faith. But why seven? In the Bible, seven is a number representing completeness or wholeness. So, I envision the seven signs recorded by John are like a wing in the art gallery that he curated for us about Jesus. This wing is called “Signs of Glory” and contains this collection of miracles performed by Jesus which revealed his glory to his disciples and which they responded to by believing in him. The whole gallery reveals the beautiful truth about who Jesus is, but this wing teaches us seven truths about the miraculous power of Jesus. Each sign tells a little different story as to who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is king. So what does this first sign teach us, turning water into wine? This sign is a sign of celebration. Think about the context. We’re at a wedding. This is a party. Everybody was invited. The DJ is playing music, people are dancing, there’s a feast. Do you want to know what the kingdom of God is like? Do you want to know what the person and work of Jesus is like? It’s like bringing the best wine to a feast, with more than enough for everyone to share. I just can’t think of a better picture to describe the way of Jesus. It’s certainly not an easy way. But the truth is that in a broken world, there is no easy way! And sometimes, following the way, doing whatever Jesus tells you to do, will get you in serious trouble. But his way is so very good. It’s a good life, it’s an abundant life, it’s an eternal life with God and full of God’s blessing and provision and goodness. But all of this life and faith rest on Jesus’ cryptic statement about his hour. “My hour has not yet come.” What does that have to do with this sign of celebration? Everything. We can’t have the ultimate feast, the ultimate celebration, and party until Jesus faces the hour. It is here that John introduces a thread that runs through his whole gospel. There are seven references in John to the hour of Jesus, and every time it refers to his suffering and death on the cross. Everything is in sevens for John, but another wing in the gallery could be called “The Hour.” Was Jesus bothered at the wedding because he was thinking of what he would have to endure on the cross? Given his reference to the hour, we can assume this is true. This wedding in Cana reminded him of what he still had to face in order to enjoy his own wedding banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb, with his bride, the church, in the age to come. Is this a stretch? I don’t believe so. Remember how this story started? With a reference to time. On the third day, John says, was when this wedding took place. If you read back through chapter one, there are four different days that are referenced, starting with the introduction to John the Baptist’s ministry. That means that this wedding is happening on the seventh day so far in John’s gospel. Just as John started by using language to represent a new genesis/beginning (In the beginning…) so here, he uses language to represent a new week of creation. In Genesis 1, Moses uses a seven-day framework to tell the story of creation. After the prologue, John has the ministry of John the Baptist as happening on days 1-2. Then, the calling of the disciples on days 3-4. Now here, three days later, the wedding in Cana would be taking place on the seventh day. And I do not believe for a second this is an accident. Otherwise, why would John reference the days? And seven is too significant of a number for John. So, if this is a reference to the first week of creation, what happened in Genesis on the seventh day? Genesis 2:2–3 (NIV), “2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” God “sabbathed” or ceased from his work. Later, in the Law of Moses, this Sabbath is commanded for God’s people. Here, in this first sign of Jesus, we have a sign that a new Sabbath, a new celebration, a new and better offer of rest is coming into existence. As the author of Hebrews writes, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” (Heb 4:9-10). So this sign of celebration is pointing not only to the new creation of Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead but to his second coming and the wedding feast that will happen on that day. So, if that is what Jesus has in mind, why does he seem bothered? Because of the hour. He knew that before that day was one great and terrible day that would come first. Which leads me to my big idea for the day:
Celebration comes after the cross. This was true for Jesus, and so it is often true for us who follow Jesus. Joy comes after mourning. The dawn comes after the night. Wine comes after water. And the celebration of the resurrection comes after the horror of the cross. The person and work of Jesus needs both the cross and the empty tomb. It needs both joy and sorrow. Sorrow for our sin, sorrow for the brokenness of this world, sorrow for the loss of how things should have been. But also joy. Joy because we have a savior. Joy because there is a way that leads to life and joy and peace. Joy because there is a gospel and it is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago. What is Jesus like? And what the kingdom is like where he is king? It’s like bringing the best wine to a feast, with more than enough for everyone to share. And it will one day be a greater celebration than any of us can imagine. But for now, celebration comes after the cross. Let us pray.
Jesus and the Disciples: The ministry of Jesus included calling men and women to become his disciples. In fact, everything that follows in John’s gospel must be seen through the lens of discipleship — of learning to follow Jesus and helping others do the same. But as we see in this passage, the journey of faith often starts when someone says, “Come and see.” Recorded on Jul 16, 2023, on John 1:35-51 by Pastor David Parks.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. We started this series/theme by meeting two different men named John. First, we met John the Apostle, the author of this gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus. John was an ambitious and hot-tempered young man with the nickname Son of Thunder. But John found a new life with Jesus and was changed so much that by the end of his long life, he was known as the Apostle of love. Second, last week, we met John the Baptist, who was a wild man. John lived in the desert wilderness and dressed and ate like it, too. But John was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. And he did that very effectively. Today, we’ll move from the ministry of John the Baptist, preparing us for the coming of Jesus, to the very start of the ministry of Jesus. And the author introduces the ministry of Jesus in his gospel by showing how Jesus would call people to follow him. Last year, we spent the whole year focusing on learning to follow the unique way of Jesus. If you missed either of those sermons, you can always go back and watch online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, we’ll see the start of the journey for several of the first followers of Jesus. And what we learn from this passage will not only help us see how to follow Jesus but also how we might help our friends or loved ones follow him, too. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:35. Let’s jump in.
John 1:35-39 (NIV), “35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” Ok, let’s pause here. So John the author/apostle says the day after John the baptist (the John mentioned here) testified that it was Jesus was the Messiah, and the one he was sent by God to prepare the way for — the next day, John was there again, meaning in the wilderness to the east of the Jordan River, with two of his disciples. At this time in Judea, the model of a rabbi and their disciples was common, but it wasn’t common everywhere in the Roman Empire. This is why the author tells us that Rabbi means “Teacher.” As we saw in our last series, the Apostle Paul received an education under one of the most well-respected Rabbis of his time, a member of the Jewish ruling council named Gamaliel. The Greek word for disciple means follower or learner. So, a disciple would follow the way of a rabbi and learn from them. A good modern equivalent might be the relationship between a master tradesman and their apprentice. The apprentice’s job is to assist the master and learn a set of skills from them. A good master should have both the wisdom of experience and some ability to teach or pass on what they know. Back in the first century AD, John the Baptist had disciples who were hoping to learn from him, not a trade necessarily, but a spiritual way of life. And perhaps, to meet the Messiah John said was coming. So when two of John’s disciples heard his testimony about Jesus, they started following Jesus. In this context, the author means this both literally and metaphorically. They literally started following Jesus around as he was walking around. But from the later perspective of when John was writing much later in life, this was the point in time when these men started following Jesus as their Rabbi/Teacher/Master/Lord. Their physical following foreshadowed their future better than they could have known at the time. But then there’s this funny little interaction between the disciples of John and Jesus. Jesus turns around and sees these (probably) younger men following him, and he says, “What do you want?” Now, this is the first example of how Jesus asks questions. Jesus never asks questions to gain information. It’ll be clear in a moment that in his divine nature, Jesus has divine knowledge. But instead, Jesus asks questions to reveal what’s going on in the heart of someone interacting with him. And the question, “What do you want?” is a profound question; it’s a discipleship question. Because if Jesus is the Messiah and God’s Chosen One, what do these men think he will do for them? What do they want out of a relationship with Jesus? Have you ever thought about that question for your relationship with God? What do you want? Do you want God to fix a problem in your life? Do you want to know what is true about the nature of reality? Do you want God’s blessing on your life? Do you want salvation? redemption? justice? glory? Do you want a more secure identity? Life after death? What do you want? Do you see how powerful this question is? Well, how do these first followers respond to Jesus? It doesn’t seem like they know what to say! “Um, I don’t really know what I want Jesus, but, um…where are you staying?” They might as well have asked him about the weather. Now, maybe they were nervous or a little self-conscious, or maybe they just weren’t used to the depth of Jesus’ questions, but Jesus responded to them very graciously and with an invitation. And here, I want you to see the heart of God. Come,” Jesus replied, “and you will see.” He basically says, “You want to see where I’m staying? No problem. Come and see. Come and be with me.” John says, “they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him.” Nothing more is said. No big sermons. No great miracles to report. Just spending time together, getting to know and trust one another, hanging out. This is the heart of God for you that you would dwell with him and be with him because he loves you and isn’t annoyed or embarrassed by you, even when you aren’t sure how to speak or act around him. But the final detail of this passage, that it was about four in the afternoon, seems to be a detail shared by someone who was there. So, most likely, John the author was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus that day. Let’s continue with v. 40. What happened next?
John 1:40–42 (NIV), “40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).“ Let’s pause here. So here, we meet the other disciple who spent the afternoon with Jesus, a man named Andrew. And I love this. The first thing Andrew did after meeting Jesus was to go get his brother, Simon. This is significant for two reasons. First, it shows what Andrew thought about Jesus, even after spending just one day with him. Andrew was convinced; he was a believer, saying in effect, “Simon! Come and see! We found the Messiah!” Again, John provides a Greek translation for his Roman audience that the title of Messiah means the Christ, the Anointed One or Chosen One of God. The second reason this is significant is because Simon Peter would go on to become the leader of the Apostles of Jesus and one of the pillars of the early church. But Jesus looked at Simon, and he really saw him, so he gave Simon a new name. “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).“ Jesus spoke Aramaic, but the language most of John’s audience would’ve spoken was Greek. So Cephas is the Aramaic word for rock, while Peter is the Greek word. But before there’s a word between them, Jesus gives Simon a new name, which seems to represent a new identity; he would be the rock. I wonder what Peter would’ve been thinking. Did he feel very rock-like? Was he curious about this Jesus, or was he nervous? I’d guess he’d have lots of questions. Who is this man? What will he do? What does he mean that I’ll be the Rock? Is it time for us to fight the Romans and win our freedom? What will come of my fishing business? What will my wife think?? And maybe a million other questions. Of course, we’ll have much more time with Peter over the course of this year. But for now, this was the start of his relationship with Jesus. Let’s continue with v. 43. What happened next?
John 1:43–51 (NIV), “43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” Ok! So, we’ve added a few more disciples to the group. Jesus was heading back from the southern region of Judea to the north to Galilee, where he grew up in the small town of Nazareth. In a few days, he would attend a wedding in Cana. But first, he wanted to find Philip and called him to follow. Is Jesus intentional about his relationships? Yes. Before he left, Jesus made sure to find Philip. He didn’t want to leave without him. Now, Philip, John says, was from Bethsaida just like Andrew and Peter. After Jesus called Philip, Philip went and found his friend, Nathanael, just as Andrew did with Peter. And Philip says something similar to Andrew. “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” In other words, we have found the one that God promised would come in the Hebrew bible. Now, initially, Nathanael is skeptical. “Nazareth?” Nathanael says, “Can anything good come from there?” Maybe Bethsaida and Nazareth had rival high school football teams or something, but Nathanael is unconvinced by Philip’s testimony. But then, Nathanael meets Jesus, and Jesus gives him a little demonstration of his divine insight. Once Nathanael sees that Jesus saw him and knew him even before they had met, he believes and makes this sweeping confession: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Our passage ends by Jesus basically saying, just you wait. Do you think that was impressive? You will see greater things than that. And then Jesus refers to Genesis 28 where Jacob, who also received a name change to Israel, had a vision where he saw heaven open and he saw God. But Jesus says that Nathanael will have a similar vision, except that someone called the Son of Man will take the place of Jacob/Israel. And I can’t imagine a more provocative and compelling promise of Jesus to his new disciples. If you follow me, you’ll be part of a new work of God, including a new covenant, a new people, and a new Israel. You’ll see heaven open, and you’ll see God in a new way here and now. And what an invitation! What an opportunity! Because if Jesus is who John the Baptist says he is, and if Jesus is who Andrew and Philip believe him to be, and if Jesus is who Nathanael confesses him to be, then God only knows what will happen next in their journey of following Jesus.
But what does this mean for us today? How do we apply this to our lives? I’d like to close with two thoughts for you. Next week, in the start of chapter 2 we’ll see the first seven signs that Jesus is the Messiah in the miracle of turning water into wine. But here, in chapter 1, in this extended introduction to the life and ministry of Jesus, the Apostle John wants us to know first: Everything that follows must be seen through the lens of discipleship. Ultimately, this is an invitation for us not just to meet Jesus or start to believe true things about him (although those are certainly good things), but to become his disciples, that he would be our Rabbi/Teacher and we would be his students. This is an opportunity/called for all people to learn from Jesus a new spiritual way of life in relationship with him. Even if we have questions or doubts, like Nathanael, we must bring those questions and doubts to Jesus. If he truly is who he claimed to be, he’ll hold up under the weight of our questions. But how do we do this? Or, if we’re already a Christian, how does a friend or loved one of ours become a disciple of Jesus? Well, the second thing that John describes in this passage is still the way that men and women become disciples of Jesus, what we might call the start of the journey. The journey of faith often starts when someone says, “Come and see.” I’ve met someone named Jesus. I’ve met someone I think might be the Savior and the Lord of all. I’ve heard one who seems to know things and do things that only God could know and do. Come and see. If you have questions, just come and see. If you have doubts, just come and see. Come and spend time with him and see what you think. This is the invitation. It might be a parent bringing their child to church. It might be inviting a friend to read the bible with you. It might be taking a risk and inviting a neighbor or coworker to come and see what this Jesus is all about. But this is the most common start to becoming a follower of Jesus. This might seem risky, but it’s worth the risk. Because when people see Jesus for who he truly is, they’ll realize that Jesus sees them as he saw Peter. And Jesus knows them as he knew Nathanael. And if they heed the call of Jesus and start to follow him, they’ll see that he gives them a new way/character/destiny. They’ll see heaven open and will see God do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And they’ll see that Jesus brings such a disruptive change in the best way that they might as well have a new name, too. This is what finding life in Jesus’ name is all about. So today, are you ready to come and see? Will you accept the invitation to follow? Will you keep learning and following as a disciple of Jesus? Let us pray.
Jesus, the Lamb of God: Before we get to Jesus, we must be prepared to see him. This was what the ministry of John the Baptist was all about: to prepare the way for the Lord. John did this through a baptism of repentance and his testimony about Jesus, the Lamb of God. But John’s ministry is still needed. Why? It’s only when we behold Jesus and see him for who he truly is that we can find the life-to-the-full that God created for us to live. Recorded on Jul 9, 2023, on John 1:19-34 by Pastor David Parks.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So, last week, we started the new annual theme of Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. As I said last week, normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under our annual theme from the whole Bible. But this year, we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’ll go slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. And last week, we kicked off this series/theme by working through the prologue of John’s gospel. We met the Apostle John, an ambitious and hot-tempered young man, one of the Sons of Thunder. But John found a new life with Jesus, and eventually, he was changed so much that by the end of his long life, he was known as the Apostle of love. We said that reading through John is like walking through an art gallery. John has curated many different artistic images and portraits under one theme. And the theme is all about who Jesus is, what God has done and is doing through him, and the reality of the new life, eternal life, a life to the full that is possible when we believe. If you missed the introduction, you can always go back and watch it online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, we’ll meet another man named John, not the Apostle, but the baptizer. And this John, John the Baptist, had the special God-given task to prepare the way for the coming of the Christ (Messiah). And John the Baptist’s ministry is fitting for us even to this day. Because before we get to Jesus, we must be prepared to see him. We must first understand that God had promised that Jesus would come. Second, we must have a realistic view of our own sin and struggle that we need help; we need a savior. Third, and finally, as John encourages us to do, we must behold Jesus. We must really look at him and listen to him. We must carefully consider his words and deeds and meditate on what all that says about who he truly is. But if we do this, if we prepare ourselves and if we walk through this gallery that John has prepared for us, we just might find the life-to-the-full that God created for us to live. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:19. Let’s jump in.
John 1:19-23 (NIV), “19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”” Ok, let’s pause here. So again, the John in this passage isn’t the author, but the baptizer who had a very popular ministry early in the first century AD, but John was a wild man. He lived and ministered in the wilderness to the east of the Jordan River. According to Mark, “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” (Mk 1:6). John was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” And the result was “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” (Mk 1:4-5). [map slide] If we take a look at a map, we can see where the city of Jerusalem in the region of Judea and the Jordan River and the wilderness beyond the Jordan are located. But so many people were going out to hear John and be baptized by him that the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent out a delegation to investigate this influential man. They asked him if he was the Anointed One sent by God (in the Hebrew, this would be the Messiah, in the Greek, this would be the Christ). But John “did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’” The Jews at the time had several other figures from their Scriptures they were expecting God to send including a prophet in the spirit of Elijah (from Malachi 4) and a prophet in the spirit of Moses (from Dt 18). And these aren’t bad questions. The priests and Levites were of the family lines that God had chosen to lead ancient Israel in worship. They were responsible for preaching and teaching God’s word at the Temple in Jerusalem, and they had found in the Scriptures promises of God that he would send these prophets to them. And in John’s ministry, they clearly saw the hand of God at work. So they were trying to figure out who he was and what his coming represented in what God was doing in their day. But John denied these questions. Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” Can you detect a little frustration here? I think that’s warranted. They seem a little more concerned about their task than about what God was actually doing. But John answers them, quoting Isaiah 40. And I’d like to read to you the longer quote. Listen to this. Isaiah 40:3–5 (NIV), “3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” John is saying that he is the voice in the wilderness, and it was his mission to prepare people for the coming of the Lord, which means that the glory of the Lord was about to be revealed! God was truly about to do something big. What God had promised through Isaiah 700 some years earlier was going to be fulfilled in their day. Can you imagine what people must’ve thought when they saw this wild man and heard what he had to say? Let’s continue with v. 24.
John 1:24–28 (NIV), “24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.” Let’s pause here once more. So, the Apostle John introduces one of the themes of opposition that runs throughout his gospel, that of authority. Now, the Pharisees were conservative religious leaders in their day. The Apostle Paul was trained as a pharisee (and was likely an apprentice under Rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem during this time). It isn’t clear if the Pharisees were a separate group from the priests and Levites or if they all came together. But either way, the Pharisees questioned John the Baptist as well. They say if John isn’t one of these promised figures (Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet), then who or what gives him the authority to be preaching and baptizing in this way? The implication is that he didn’t get the authorization from them. John’s answer probably made them nervous. John basically says, “You’re worried about me? I’m nobody. I only baptize with water. But among you stands one you do not know (not a priest or Levite or even a Pharisee). I’m not even worthy to be his servant to untie his sandals.” If you were there that day, you must have been thinking, who in the world was coming? It must be someone from God, or could it be God himself?!? John saw himself as preparing the way for the Lord and that the glory of the Lord would soon be revealed. And John claims that the one who was coming had authority over all the religious leadership of the people of Israel. John didn’t need the permission of anyone, even the religious elite, to do what he was doing. Who was this one whom John was talking about? Look at v. 29.
John 1:29–34 (NIV), “29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”” Matthew reports that, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” And God the Father spoke from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:16-17). And when John saw and heard all this, he knew that this was the moment he’d been preparing for. This Jesus of Nazareth was the one that God had promised to send and was the fulfillment of his own purpose/mission. Jesus was God’s Chosen One, his one and only Son. Jesus was the Messiah and a prophet in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. He was the one who would reveal the glory of the Lord to his people and be Emmanuel, God-with-us. But after John was questioned by the religious leaders from Jerusalem, the next day when he saw Jesus, he said emphatically, “Look! Behold!” You see, a true encounter with Jesus isn’t a casual experience. If Jesus is who he claimed to be, if Jesus really was the fulfillment of hundreds of years of promises of God and the Chosen One of God, then we must listen to him. He is either everything or he is nothing. So, we must consider his claims and think about what he does. We can’t just glance at him; we must behold him. But John goes on to describe Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This speaks of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. In John’s gospel, this is called the hour of Jesus. And from chapter one of John’s gospel, the hour of Jesus is in view. Just as John knew his mission, so Jesus knew his and ultimately oriented his life toward the cross. Jesus wouldn’t merely die; he would intentionally lay down his life as the perfect sacrifice, made once and for all, for the sins of the world. The whole system of animal sacrifices of the OT only pointed to and were fulfilled by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God. So it was by John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and by his testimony about Jesus, the Lamb of God who would fully atone for the sins of the world, that John prepared the way for the coming of the Lord and the glory of the Lord God Almighty that would be revealed in the person and work of Jesus. Next week, we’ll see one of the results of John’s ministry is that some of his disciples start to follow Jesus. We’ll see the start of Jesus’ ministry of preaching, signs and wonders, and calling men and women to follow him as his disciples. At the start of Jesus’ ministry, John recognizes that his ministry was coming to an end, but John is ok with that. John says, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (Jn 3:30). At the height of his popularity, John gave everything over to Jesus. He saw his life and ministry not as a tool to give himself a greater platform or increase his brand but only to point to Jesus. What a man of humble faith! May that be said of our lives, as well.
But for today, all four gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all start with John because John the Baptist’s ministry marks the historic start of Jesus’ ministry. But a question we ask every week is this: so what? What does this mean for us today? How might we apply this teaching to our lives? Well, I’d like to apply John’s ministry of preparation to us today. Are we ready to see Jesus over this coming year? Are we ready to find and experience the real/eternal life that Jesus offers to us today? You see, before we get to Jesus, we must be prepared to see him. So first, we must understand: God promised that Jesus would come. In many ways and throughout many generations, God promised through the prophets, including Moses and Elijah and Isaiah, that he would send one who would finally deal with the problems of sin and death. The religious leaders knew they were supposed to be waiting for somebody. They thought John might be the one, but John was only the one sent to prepare the way. But did you know this? Did you know that the whole Hebrew Bible, the whole OT, points to the coming of Jesus? This wasn’t an accident; this was the plan of God from before the creation of the world. God promised that Jesus would come. If you aren’t very familiar with the OT scriptures (as many people aren’t today), then you’ll need some help catching up because the coming of Christ is really the middle of the story. To properly behold Jesus, we must see that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything God has been doing in history up to this point. The gospel is his story, not ours. Second, we must have a realistic view of our own sin and struggle, that we need help. We need to understand: We need a Savior. We need Jesus. We cannot do this life on our own. If you don’t believe that, just try life on your own for a while and see how it goes. We weren’t made to be independent. We were made to be totally dependent on God. We were made to have a relationship with God as our Father as his child. There’s a reason John’s baptism was one of repentance. Repentance means a change in your heart/mind which results in a change in your life. Repentance means to turn, and not just to turn from your way but to turn back to God’s way. And we need repentance because we need a Savior. Third, and finally, as John encourages us to do: We must behold Jesus. We must really look at him and listen to him. We must carefully and thoughtfully consider his words and deeds and meditate on what all that says about who he truly is. And the reason is that if Jesus is who he claimed to be and accomplished all that he claimed he would do, then it changes everything. But if we do this, if we prepare ourselves, if we understand that God promised that Jesus would come and that we do need a Savior, and if we walk through this gallery that John has prepared for us, we just might find the life-to-the-full that God has created and is creating for us to live. Jesus just might change everything once again, today. He just might change us. So today, are you prepared? Are you ready to behold Jesus, the Lamb of God? The one who saves and takes away the sin of the world? The one who rescues and redeems and offers his own life to us? Let us pray.
Jesus, the Word of God: Many people sense there must be something more to life, but what could it be? There once was an ambitious, hot-tempered young man named John whose life was dramatically changed by his friend, Jesus. John came to believe the new life he found — a real life, an eternal life, a life to the full — is available for all who believe. And this is what John’s gospel is all about. Real life is found by faith in Jesus’ name. Recorded on Jul 2, 2023, on John 1:1-18 by Pastor David Parks.
Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So today, we have the privilege of starting a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Now normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this one annual theme from the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, but this year, we’re going to do something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going to slowly (chapter by chapter and verse by verse) work through the gospel according to John. This morning, I have the task of introducing this whole series, but we’ll also jump into the beginning, or the prologue as it’s usually called, which John uses as an introduction to his gospel. So, as we kick off this new theme, you might be wondering what John is all about and why we should care about what he has to say today. And those are good questions, but I’d like to start with a few questions for you. How do you feel about your life? Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, that something was still missing? I know I’ve had those questions over the years. Not that good things haven’t happened; certainly, many good things have happened in my life. But still, many people sense there must be something more to life, but what could it be? Well, a long time ago now, there was a man named John who was one of the closest friends of Jesus. John was an ambitious and hot-tempered young man when he started following Jesus. So much so that Jesus called John and his brother James the “Sons of Thunder.” At one point, John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a city that wasn’t very receptive to their message. He was ready to fight for the kingdom of God. But by the end of his long life, John became known as the Apostle of love. It really seems as if everything about his life had changed. He saw himself no longer with the hungry ambition to sit at Jesus’ right or left hand in glory but simply as the disciple that Jesus loved. And he came to believe that God was not only loving as part of his character but that God himself is love. And he came to believe and teach that the main marker of a Christian, the most important thing that distinguishes the life of a disciple of Jesus, is their love for one another. If you grew up with John and met him later in life, you’d wonder, “How did this happen?” Well, how did John experience this kind of radical change in his life? It was Jesus. Jesus turned John’s life upside-down. Jesus set him on a different path and walked with him until John understood and believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have a new life, an eternal life, and have it to the full. Of course, this is what Jesus does. So why should we care about what he has to say today? Because John claims that the new life that he found — a life marked by God’s power/presence/purpose — is available for all who believe, even for us today. And this is what John’s gospel is all about: it’s about who Jesus is, what God has done and is doing through him, and the reality of the new/eternal/full life that is possible when we believe. Whether you’ve been a Christian your whole life or you’re just starting to think about becoming a Christian, this series will help you better see the kind of life that is found in Jesus’ name. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:1. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well, but we’ll read through the prologue first, unpacking it as we go, and then I’ll close with just one takeaway for you. Let’s jump in.
John 1:1-3 (NIV), “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” Let’s pause here. So John very intentionally starts his gospel with the words “In the beginning…” For the Jewish members of his audience, and for us today who are familiar with the OT, this should immediately bring to mind how Moses starts the book of Genesis: “In the beginning…God created the heavens and the earth.” So, by using the same phrase to start his gospel account, John is basically saying with the coming of Jesus, we have a new Genesis, a new beginning, God is doing something new. So, echoing Genesis, John says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, but then he says the Word was God. And it’s not just that God spoke in Genesis when God said, “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” But that the word that God spoke was somehow with God while simultaneously being God himself. This is unusual, right? What does John mean by this? The next clue is that John says this Word was a he. “He was with God in the beginning.” And it was through him that all things were made. So, who is this Word? Who is he? We’ll find more clues as we continue in the prologue. Look back at v. 4.
John 1:4-9 (NIV), “4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” Ok! Let’s pause again. So John is writing as an old man in the latter half of the first century. And he’s most likely writing from the city of Ephesus in modern Turkey. According to church history, John was the bishop of Ephesus at the end of his life. But we can see here one of the unique aspects of how John writes. He started out with this theme of the Word of God and then seemed to mix his metaphors by introducing the theme of light and darkness. But just wait! As we’ll see as we work through his gospel, John stacks up one picture on top of another. Why does he do this? We just finished a series on the life of the Apostle Paul, and Paul writes in a very different style compared to John. Especially in his letter to the Romans, Paul writes almost like a lawyer building a case, laying out clear arguments which build on each other, almost in a bullet-point style. Paul uses hardly any illustrations when he writes; he gets right to the point. John, on the other hand, has a very different style. The same Holy Spirit inspired both men, but the Spirit always uses the personalities of the human authors. And John seems much more artistic to me than Paul. I think of John’s gospel as an art museum. I went to a lot of museums when I was a kid, and usually, an art museum assembles collections/exhibits under one unifying theme. It could be a collection of works from a particular artist or maybe a variety of artists from a particular culture or artistic movement. But as you walk through the collection, you see that there are many different pictures, some large, taking up your whole field of view, while others are small, requiring you to come close and carefully examine them, or you’ll miss something important. Some works might have bright colors and bold lines, while others might be softer and are more impressionistic. Yet all these different works give you a little different perspective on the theme of the whole collection. And this is how John writes. For John, the whole gallery is about Jesus. But John gives us many different portraits/images to help us see this one Jesus from different angles and different perspectives. So Jesus is the word of God; he’s the light of the world. Jesus is so many things. Throughout his gospel, John gives us many different metaphors, he gives us seven signs of his glory, he gives us seven “I AM” statements, he gives us several long sections of Jesus’ teaching, and more — all to help us understand who this man is and what kind of life he offers. One minor note before we continue is that the man named John who he refers to here is not the author, the Apostle John, but John the Baptist, a prophet who was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. We’ll hear more from him next week as we consider what it means for Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Let’s continue with v. 10.
John 1:10-13 (NIV), “10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” So here, John introduces one of the major implications of the person and work of Jesus for us. Just as there is a new Genesis/beginning in Jesus, the Word of God, there is also a new covenant, a new relationship with God that is now possible through Jesus. He came to his own, John says, meaning the Jewish people, the biological family of Abraham, and yet, he was crucified because, by and large, his own people did not receive him. Significant portions of John are spent discussing this fact as people wrestled with who Jesus really was and what he was claiming to do. However, for all who did receive him, and this is significant — for all who believed in his name (this is faith) — Jesus gave them the right to become children of God, men and women who become sons and daughters of God. As we saw in Paul’s ministry, this went beyond the people of Israel to include the Gentiles or non-Jewish peoples all around the world. We see this in Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 and elsewhere. God the Father is forming a family, not by biology or a certain ancestry, but by faith in Jesus. A major part of finding life in Jesus’ name is realizing what life is like when God is your Father in heaven and you are his child. We’ll see this throughout John’s gospel, but Jesus will make this point in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 and later in his high priestly prayer in John 17. But let’s finish the prologue starting with v. 14.
John 1:14-18 (NIV), “14 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. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” So verse 14 is one of the most important Christological statements (or statements about Christ) in the Bible. Remember, John started his gospel saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Now here, he says, “The Word [this Word who was God] became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In other words, the God who is the creator, the maker of the heavens and the earth, became a man, a living, breathing human being, who John knew; he was an eyewitness to all of this. Now, it’s hard to catch in the English, but in the Greek, John literally says that the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us. This is the verb form of the same word for the tabernacle or tent of meeting that God established as part of his covenant with Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. The Tabernacle was the place where God’s power and presence dwelled among his people. This was the place where Moses would meet and speak with God, where offerings were made in worship of God and to atone for the sin of the people. Throughout the Bible, God shares his heart that he wants to be with us; he wants to be our God and for us to be his people. But because of sin, we are separated from God. Even with the tabernacle in the OT, the presence of God among a sinful people seemed to be more of a threat than a comfort at many points in their history. But one of the great themes of John’s gospel is that Jesus is the true Tabernacle/temple. He is the place where God dwells with his people. He is the place where God’s truth is not only spoken but is fully embodied. This means if you look at Jesus, you see God, and if you listen to Jesus, you hear God. And only in Jesus can we ultimately know God the Father. Even though no sinful human being has ever seen the fullness of God, for they could not see God and live, John says that Jesus, the one and only Son (who, John wants to be clear, is also God), has made the Father known to us. Again, we’ll see this throughout John’s gospel, but especially in John 14 when Jesus says that, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, with all this here in the prologue, John introduces many of the themes of his gospel. And I didn’t want to spend too much time today on any one theme because we will spend much more time in the weeks and months ahead on these things. Today, it’s like we’re standing in the foyer of the gallery and looking at the map of the exhibit that John has curated for us. My takeaway for you today is this: Real life is found by faith in Jesus’ name. Now, understand I haven’t proven that to you. It will take the whole series to show how this is true. But according to John, real life, that is, the life of God the Father, the life of a child of God, the life of heaven, real/eternal/full life, is found by faith in Jesus’ name. That is, this life is found by believing and trusting in the person and work of Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God, the Messiah, the King, the I AM, and so much more. John found this life, and it changed everything about him. It changed a son of thunder into the Apostle of love. It changed his past, present, and future because Jesus changes everything. But for many of us today, and for many of our friends and family members and other people in this broken world, life seems so unsatisfying, so difficult. It feels like something’s missing. I think I notice it most when things seem to be going relatively well, but there’s still this sense that there must be something more. What we need is we need the Word of God to speak; we need him to come into our lives in flesh and blood and to make his dwelling among us. We need the light of the world. In short, we need Jesus. And whether it is our need to come to faith in Jesus for the first time, or it’s our need to grow in our understanding of who Jesus is, what God has done and is doing through him, or to grow in our understanding of what faith in his name means, this is what this gospel is all about. Real life is found by faith in Jesus’ name. So would you join me as we walk through this gallery, and take in all the different images/portraits that John has collected, and ask this question: Do you believe? Let us pray.
Paul’s Final Word: As we bring our biographical series on the life of the Apostle Paul to a close, it’s important to see how Paul “finished the race” of his life and ministry. Though he suffered many hardships, Paul’s confidence in Christ and his heavenly reward remained unwavering. Paul not only “kept the faith,” but entrusted the ministry of the gospel to the next generation. What a life! Will we be able to say the same thing at the end of our race? Recorded on Jun 25, 2023, on 2 Timothy 4:1-8 by Ted Selker.
The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.
Paul’s Power in Weakness: One of the most startling realizations for many Christians is that even with faith in Jesus, life can still be very, very hard. Tragedy can still strike. Godly people still suffer. The Apostle Paul knew this better than most. He endured great hardship during his ministry. What kept him going? What drove him forward? He learned the vital lesson that when you’re weak, grace is enough. Recorded on Jun 18, 2023, on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 by Pastor David Parks.
The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.
Sermon Transcript
All year, we’ve focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re almost done with this theme. After today we only have one more week in our series on the life of Paul before we start our new annual theme, which is Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. For most of this next year, starting in July, we’ll be working through the whole gospel of John, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. And I can’t wait for that series! I’ve been working on this for months, and I can’t wait to share what the Lord has been showing me in John’s gospel. But as we finish our series on the life of the Apostle Paul, I do hope this series has been helpful for you. We’ve seen throughout this series that everybody needs Jesus, even enemies of Jesus like Paul. However, if you hear the gospel, put your faith in Jesus, and start to follow his way by the power of the Spirit, it doesn’t just make your life a little better — Jesus changes everything. We’ve seen this transformation in Paul’s life, going from a violent persecutor of Christians to the most effective Christian missionary in the history of the world. And we’ve seen this dynamic of change/transformation in the lives of many people and even whole cities as a result of Paul’s ministry. I suspect many of us could give testimony to the changes that Jesus brought into our lives, too. However, despite all this evidence of the power of God and the truth of the gospel, one of the most startling realizations for many Christians is that even when you trust in Jesus as Lord, even when you’ve been baptized and are obedient to follow his way, life can still be very, very hard. Tragedy can still strike. Godly people still suffer. And I’ve experienced this. I’ve been wounded, I’ve had broken relationships, I’ve struggled and suffered, and I’ve tasted the bitter wine of anxiety and depression and all manner of weakness, despite trying to be faithful to God. But my life has been relatively easy compared to Paul’s life. Paul suffered a great deal after becoming a Christian, as we’ll see today. My question is this: why did Paul keep going? From a biographical standpoint, why did Paul keep traveling, keep preaching, keep making disciples, and so on, when he so often faced such terrible and even violent opposition? What drove him forward, despite such hardship? The answer is that Paul was taught a lesson by Jesus himself that sustained him through it all. Not only did Jesus help Paul learn how to survive suffering, but he gave him a source of power, even in the midst of great weakness. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to 2Co 12:1. As you turn there, let’s do a quick recap of Paul’s life. Paul was born and raised in Tarsus and received the best Jewish education in Jerusalem. He became a Christian in Damascus and eventually helped lead the church in Antioch. From there, he went on three missionary journeys which led him as far as Corinth to the west, in which he helped plant dozens of churches. Paul wrote letters back to many of those churches, some of which have been included in the canon of Scripture. Paul would eventually spend the last few years of his life in prison in Rome before being put to death for his faith in the mid-sixties AD under the emperor, Nero. But here, Paul isn’t dead yet. He’s still alive and is writing back to his friends in Corinth in response to a distressing report that they are being confused and led astray. We’ll unpack this passage in three parts: 1. the highest of highs, 2. the lowest of lows, 3. Paul’s power in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:1–4 (NIV), “I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.” Ok! Let’s pause here. So, we’re coming into the middle of a longer passage where Paul has to defend his ministry to his friends in Corinth. He had stayed and ministered in Corinth for about a year and a half. But after he left, others came to Corinth claiming to be “super apostles.” Now, we don’t know much about who they were or exactly what they were claiming, but clearly, they were saying things that required a response from Paul. So here, when he says that he must go on boasting, even though there’s nothing to be gained by it, he’s doing something that he really doesn’t like to do. That is, he has to defend the validity of his ministry. He’s having to boast, as perhaps these so-called super-apostles had boasted, of his own authority/credibility because it was being questioned. But what Paul says in defense of his ministry is amazing. You see, whether it was because of their culture or religious background or some other reason, the people of Corinth were especially interested in more dramatic spiritual (charismatic) experiences in their church. The letter of 1 Corinthians addressed some of the chaos and foolishness that this was causing in their church. But then, along comes this group of “super apostles” who seemed to be more than willing to feed into that desire for the more extreme, perhaps claiming to have spiritual experiences or visions of their own. So Paul’s hand is forced, and he basically says, “Oh, so you want visions and revelations?? Well, no one has me beat on that front.” So he reluctantly says that fourteen years earlier, he was caught up to the third heaven, to the paradise of God. Now, in Jewish thought, it was understood that heaven was separated into different levels. The third heaven, the highest place, would be the throne room of God, a paradise of perfection and glory. And Paul says that he was caught up to the highest heaven and saw things and heard things that no one is permitted to speak of. Fourteen years earlier would place this as happening during the decade when Paul was back in Tarsus after becoming a Christian. In other words, this divine revelation happened during the time when Paul basically disappeared from the record of the book of Acts. I would guess Luke would’ve wanted to include it, but I imagine Paul resisting. The only reason he brings it up here is because he is being forced to defend the gospel that he preached to his friends in Corinth. Now, experiences such as this are fairly rare in the Bible, but they do happen from time to time. Two men were physically caught up to heaven in the OT, including Enoch (who “could not be found, because God had taken him away”) and Elijah (who went up to heaven in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire). Additionally, there were prophets who received dreams or visions from the Holy Spirit, which revealed some aspect of the heavenly realm as a message for God’s people. I think of Isaiah, who found himself in the throne room of God and saw the Lord high and lifted up. In the NT, Philip was physically transported by the power of the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with an Ethiopian man. But this sort of experience is rare. None of us will probably have this experience on this side of eternity. But even though Paul uses the third person to talk about this experience, saying that he knows a man in Christ who saw the highest heaven, it’s clear from the context that he’s talking about himself. And the reason he does this is not because he’s sharing this to make himself look cool or impressive. If these super-apostles wouldn’t have shown up, I don’t believe he would’ve even mentioned it for fear he would get the attention/glory instead of Jesus. Paul repeats that he doesn’t even fully understand how this experience happened, whether he was physically caught up or it was some sort of vision. He repeats this to emphasize the fact that he didn’t have this spiritual experience as a result of his wisdom, knowledge, faith, or power. This experience was 100% God. But even so, Paul experienced the highest of highs. Like Moses or Abraham in the past, Paul saw God. He received a foretaste of paradise. He heard inexpressible things. What a gift! What an incredible assurance of faith! Surely a man with an experience like that would be considered to be especially blessed by God, right? Surely a man like that had the favor of God on his life. Who wouldn’t want that? But in his very next breath, we’re reminded that this man who experienced the highest of highs also went through the lowest of lows.
2 Corinthians 12:5–8 (NIV), “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” Let’s pause here. We go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. From the heights of the throne room of God, from paradise, to a thorn in the flesh and a life marked in many ways by weakness — this is Paul’s story. He experienced surpassingly great revelations. But, in order to teach him humility, in order to keep him from becoming prideful or conceited, Paul says he was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, which was a source of torment. This is strong language representing real pain. And Paul says that he prayed and prayed and prayed, three times he pleaded with the Lord, but the Lord didn’t take it away. Now, we know that Paul suffered in many places and in many different ways. Let’s look at a passage in the previous chapter where Paul talks about this.
2 Corinthians 11:24–28 (NIV), “24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” Here’s the point: Paul suffered. There are no two ways around it. He lived an incredibly fruitful life but an incredibly difficult life. So in all this, what was the thorn in the flesh that he mentions in chapter 12? The OT speaks of enemies being a thorn in the side of the people of Israel. And we’ve seen that Paul certainly had enemies. But it isn’t clear if the thorn he’s referring to here is a person or people who are opposed to him or something equally difficult to deal with, such as an illness or affliction. One could imagine Paul suffering from a stubborn infection or a broken bone that didn’t heal properly from being beaten, stoned, or shipwrecked. The truth is, we don’t know, but it really doesn’t change the point. In fact, it broadens the point to include any condition we might face that could be considered a thorn in the flesh, a painful, unwanted hardship, or a time of suffering. But what was it that kept him going? What was the power that propelled him forward, first, from the highest of highs and, second, to the lowest of lows? Third, Paul’s power in weakness:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV), “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” So three times, the mighty Apostle Paul pleaded with Jesus to remove this thorn in the flesh, whatever it was, this source of weakness, pain, and shame. And three times, Jesus said, “Not yet.” But that wasn’t all. I mean, that could have been enough. If God says “no” or “not yet” to our prayers, it’s the best thing for us, and we should accept that. But Paul says that Jesus told him something more. And friends, this will change your life if you understand this. Jesus told Paul that his grace is sufficient; his grace is enough; his grace is all we truly need. Why? For (because), Jesus says my power is made perfect in weakness. The power of God, the power of the King of heaven, is made perfect, it’s brought to completion, it reaches its intended goal…when? In our weakness! Now, to understand the power available to us in our weakness, we must understand what grace is. No other religion or philosophy today or in history has anything like the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. Grace is one of the aspects of Christianity that is totally unique. Every other way (Buddhism, Islam, or even secular humanism) says that “It’s what you do that saves you.” But this is the opposite of the gospel. The gospel says, “It’s not what you do, but what Jesus has done that saves you.” Christian salvation is not earned but is received as a gift. And that’s grace: grace is a gift. Grace is the free and unmerited favor, blessing, and love of God given in Jesus. Spiritually dead people can’t make themselves alive. So God sent his one and only son into the world not to condemn the world, but to save the world, to give his life so that we might live, and to rise again so that we might rise. A grace-less religion results in people who are either exhausted from continually trying and failing to be good enough to appease God, or it results in people who are self-righteous and judgmental. Without grace, you’ll either be spiritually crushed, or you’ll be full of pride. Without grace, your identity is fundamentally unstable because it’s based on your moral or religious performance, which is inconsistent at best. Instead, because of the person and work of Jesus, we are given the forgiveness, blessing, acceptance, and love of God as a gift. We didn’t earn it, so we can’t lose it! And this identity is rock solid; it’s unshakable. But the truth is, if we were truly strong, we wouldn’t need the grace of God, we wouldn’t need the cross, we wouldn’t need a savior. But we are not strong. So it’s our weakness, our pain, our wounds, and our suffering that are the only contexts for grace. But you know what? Grace is enough. Because in our weakness, grace becomes a dynamic source of power. Paul says that this is why, for Christ’s sake, he delights in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. Not because these things are good or fun. Paul went through some terrible things. But because it was in those moments when he was weak, then he was strong. Because only then did he fully rely on the grace of God. Why did Paul keep going in the face of hardship? What drove him on? What kept him going? It was the power of grace. It was the truth that when Paul was weak in himself, then and only then was he strong in Christ. So today, whether you’ve been experiencing the highest of highs or the lowest of lows or something in between, never forget this principle: When you’re weak, grace is enough. It was the secret to Paul’s life and ministry. And it will change your life if you let it. Let us pray.
Paul in Ephesus: Have you ever felt stuck? With something needing to change hanging over your head? We say it all the time: Jesus changes everything. But what can we do when change is slow in coming? The whole region was changed after the Apostle Paul spent a few years in Ephesus. We learn three essential elements from his time there for real and lasting change. Recorded on Jun 11, 2023, on Acts 19:1-20 by Pastor David Parks.
The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.
Sermon Transcript
So all year, we’ve been focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul as a case study for learning the way of Jesus. Now one of the things about the way of Jesus, and we’ve tried to make this clear throughout the last year, is that his way is a totally different way compared to the ways of the world or even the way of our lives if we chose our own way. And when you follow this different way of Jesus, all kinds of stuff changes in your life. But honestly, have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever felt like there was this thing hanging over your head that just never seemed like it would go away? I have. As a Christian, even as a pastor, I’ve had issues/struggles/doubts that took years to work through before I saw real change. Sometimes I felt embarrassed along the way, sometimes defeated. But then, in God’s timing and by his grace, I was able to see change and experience more of the fruit of the Spirit, more freedom in Christ, and more joy as a child of God. But what’s up with that? On the one hand, following the way of Jesus seems to change some things right away. But on the other hand, other things seem to take forever. I’ve talked with many people over the years who share this same perplexing experience. Do you know what I’m talking about? Have you ever felt stuck in an area of your life? We say it all the time: Jesus changes everything. But today, we’ll see how. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 19:1. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well. But as we join the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus, we’ll unpack this in three parts, revealing three essentials for experiencing real life change: 1. The Gospel 2. Discipleship 3. Spiritual Power. So first, the need for the truth of the gospel…
Acts 19:1-7 (NIV), “19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.” Let’s pause here. So as we’ve said, the Apostle Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young Jewish man who was a violent persecutor of Christians, that is, until he met Jesus and became a Christian, which changed everything. By his early 40s, he was a leader of the influential church in Antioch. But then God called him out. So the church sent him out as a missionary to bring the gospel to other people/places around the Roman Empire. For the past few weeks, we’ve seen a few examples of his ministry (Philippi/Athens). If you missed either of those, you can watch online or listen to the audio podcast. Today, we’re considering one last city of his missionary journeys, arguably the most successful/fruitful place of his career, that is, the great city of Ephesus. Ephesus is located in modern Turkey and was a huge city in Paul’s day. It was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, with around 250,000 people. Ephesus was wealthy and influential and had a theater that could hold up to 25,000 people. Just as the goddess, Athena, was closely linked with the city of Athens in Greece, in the same way, the goddess, Artemis, was closely linked with Ephesus. In fact, the Great Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, “the largest building in the Greek world” [Ephesus, New Bible Dictionary, p. 328], was so impressive it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. So in that day, Ephesus represented the power and influence of Greek culture and the Roman Empire — Artemis was their goddess, and Caesar was their lord. Luke writes that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. So we skipped over quite a bit of Paul’s life between Athens last week and Ephesus today. But Paul had spent about a year and a half in the city of Corinth, where he met a Jewish couple named Priscilla and Aquila, who were tentmakers, just like Paul. They became Christians and eventually sailed with Paul to Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila stayed there while Paul went on to Jerusalem and then back north through Antioch and west through Galatia before traveling through the interior of Turkey to the western city of Ephesus. In the meantime, there was a man named Apollos, who was a powerful speaker and a bold man of faith, but who didn’t know the full story of the gospel. He only had a partial understanding of the truth from John the Baptist’s ministry. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and instructed him in the fullness of the person and work of Jesus. Apollos received their teaching but then decided to travel to Corinth. So after Apollos left for Corinth, Paul made it back to Ephesus. Luke writes that Paul encounters twelve disciples who also had only a partial understanding of the gospel, including the news of Pentecost, that the Spirit of God had been given and a new age had started at the resurrection of Jesus. The fact that there were twelve disciples is intended to remind us of Jesus’ own ministry of calling people to follow him and then teaching them and modeling for them this new way of life. Luke says, in Ephesus, Paul was simply doing what Jesus did: teaching people who needed more information about who God is, what he had done (through his Son and Spirit), and how they might respond to him in obedient faith. The result was an echo of the Day of Pentecost, a physical manifestation of God’s presence and power in the Spirit. So in the story of Apollos, or the account of the twelve, and of course, in Paul’s own story, we see that in order to fully experience the life of God, in order to fully participate in the mission of God, people need the gospel. They need the full story of the person and work of Jesus. It’s a good start to want to repent/turn from your sins, which is what the baptism of John was all about. But John was only preparing the way for Jesus. People need to know what God has done in Christ, to forgive the sins of the world, and live by the Spirit. It’s good to have a sense of spiritual need, but in Christ, God fulfills that need. Only by faithful teaching/instruction will people hear the fullness of the good news of God. And this teaching might be in public, similar to what Paul was doing in the marketplace in Athens (or what I’m doing right now), or in a private setting like what Pricilla and Aquila did with Apollos. A modern example might be explaining in greater detail who Jesus is over coffee with a friend or in a community group at church. Either way, the first essential element that people need to experience real and lasting life change is the gospel. The second is discipleship. Let’s continue with v. 8.
Acts 19:8-12 (NIV), “8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Let’s pause here. So I’ve been thinking a lot about why Paul’s ministry in Ephesus seems like it was so much more successful/fruitful than in other places. It wasn’t like he was a different guy or really had a different message. As we saw last week, the content of the gospel doesn’t change, even though the context does. And, of course, God can do whatever he wants to do anywhere and at any time, but we have a few clues in the text as to why Paul had such an impact in Ephesus. First, there’s the time Paul spent there. He stayed in Ephesus for 2-3 years, which is more time (and, in many cases, a lot more time) than anywhere else during his missionary journeys. He started out, as we’ve seen everywhere, with the Jewish synagogue before taking his message to the Gentiles. However, Paul is able to use, or perhaps rent, a lecture hall in order to meet with his disciples every day. They met and had discussions and no doubt Paul showed them how Jesus had to die and rise again according to the Scriptures. Paul showed them the new way of Jesus that would shape their lives, identity, idols, relationships, sexuality, money, and everything. He had plenty of time to both teach them and model for them what this new way of life looked like. With all that time focusing on discipleship, Paul could have a lot more influence. And his disciples started doing the work of discipleship as well. Luke writes, “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” And this is incredible. The message of the gospel and the way of Jesus started radiating out from Ephesus to impact the whole region! One example is a man named Epaphras, who Paul discipled who was sent out from Ephesus and who planted the church in Colossae. Later, Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, even though he hadn’t been there himself. No doubt, many other stories like this happened during this time, and we just don’t know about them. After Paul left Ephesus, Timothy, one of Paul’s closest friends and disciples, stayed there. Later, according to church tradition, the Apostle John ministered in Ephesus at the end of his life. But for two years, as Luke says, everybody heard about Jesus, and the power of the Spirit was evident. And this was another echo of the ministry of Jesus with Paul. Miracles were happening. And just as in the ministry of Jesus, these miracles were signs which validated the message of the gospel. People need the truth of the gospel. And people needed men and women to disciple them, people to look to and learn from how to follow the way of Jesus. But real life change isn’t only about what you know or who you follow (although those two things are essential). Third, and finally, real change requires spiritual power.
Acts 19:13–20 (NIV), “13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Now, I just love the story of the Seven Sons of Sceva. The name of Jesus must never be used like a magic spell or incantation. If you try it, you try it at your own risk. But as a result, the name of Jesus was only held in higher glory or honor. And the result of that is that people saw that the magic texts and spells that they had used in pagan worship had no power compared to the spiritual power of Jesus and the works done in his name. So many of the new Christians in Ephesus confessed their sinful practices of sorcery and burned their scrolls. And this was no small gesture; these scrolls were worth millions of dollars. Eventually, so many people in the region turned from pagan worship to worshipping Jesus that it had an economic impact to the point that it caused a riot. But none of this would have been possible if Christianity was simply a philosophy of man or simply a way of life. Throughout this passage, we see evidence that God is at work, that the Spirit of God is saving/healing/freeing people from all kinds of things. The gospel is only good news because God is alive and is active in the world that he has made. We need the truth. And we need people to help us learn the way. But at the end of the day, we would be lost without the saving grace of God and his powerful presence in our lives. So he gets the glory, he gets the honor, he gets the praise, for it is his spiritual power that brings real and lasting change in our lives. And all this leads us to our big idea today, which is this:
Jesus changes everything. We say it all the time, but it really is true. The result of Paul’s time in Ephesus is the dramatic change of a whole region of people. After 2-3 years of gospel preaching, discipleship, and spiritual power, their city has been changed, their worship has been changed, their way of life has been changed, and even their economy has been changed. They experienced a total disruption in the best way imaginable. But how did they experience this change? This transformation? How did they get unstuck or overcome the issues and struggles in their lives? Through the truth of God’s word centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ, by engaging in regular discipleship and receiving the spiritual power of God according to his wisdom and his timing. This is how it has always worked. This is how we can see change and experience more of the fruit of the Spirit, more freedom in Christ, and more joy as children of God. Discipleship is the process of learning the way of Jesus and helping others do the same. And this process might seem slow (remember, Paul spent day after day over years of time with the disciples), but as the people of God grow in their knowledge of the truth, their faith in Jesus, and their obedience to his way, it eventually results in real spiritual power — power to heal, power to set people free from bondage, and power over every other power, including dark/demonic forces. And what are the results? Darkness is overcome by the light. Goodness wins over evil. And all this is to the glory of God, as people grow in the fear of the Lord and faith in the name of Jesus. Now today, I would guess that every one of us has changes we would like to see God produce in our lives. But also, we are surrounded by people who need this same transformative work of God in their lives. And that is why our vision as a church is that the gospel of Jesus Christ will transform the people of the city in every way. How do we do this? Well, just like Jesus, just like Paul, just like Priscilla and Aquila, and so many others over the generations since this time, we make our appeal to people by our love for them, our conduct around them, and our words to them (especially about Jesus). And the Lord uses this appeal to draw others to himself, and to change them over time by the working of his Spirit in their lives. But he also does this work simultaneously in our lives, drawing us to himself as we point others to him. God draws us to himself/grace/truth/holiness/unity/wisdom, and toward the men and the women that he intends us to be. This is a slow work, and not one of us has fully arrived yet, but don’t give up and don’t lose hope, because God has promised to finish what he has started within you. You will not remain the same if you follow the way of Jesus. Everything changes because Jesus changes everything. Let us pray.
Paul in Athens: Have you ever been nervous about sharing your faith? In the first century AD, Athens was the center of Greek philosophy, religion, and cultural influence. The Apostle Paul had the possibly nerve-racking opportunity to share about Jesus with the Athenian elite. In his famous speech at the Areapagus, Paul demonstrates that the content of the gospel never changes, but the context does. Recorded on Jun 4, 2023, on Acts 17:16-34 by Pastor David Parks.
The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.
Sermon Transcript
All year, we’ve been focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul as a case study for learning the way of Jesus. The Apostle Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then, in his mid-twenties, Paul met Jesus, and he became a Christian, which changed everything. By his early 40s, he had served as a leader of the influential church in Antioch before being sent out as a missionary to bring the gospel to other people/places around the Roman Empire. Today, we’ll see that Paul takes a unique approach in the famous city of Athens. His normal pattern of ministry, and even how he talks about Jesus, is very different from other places. But how could this be? Does the gospel somehow change? That can’t be right, can it? But, remember, the Apostle Paul was the most effective missionary in the history of the world. So if Paul used a unique approach in Athens, we need to understand why. And the secret we uncover here can make anyone more effective in sharing their faith. Have you ever tried to share your faith, and it just didn’t go well? Or have you ever been scared to talk about being a Christian because you weren’t sure what to say? Then this message is for you. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 17:16. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well.
Acts 17:16-18 (NIV), “16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” Ok, let’s pause here. For the last few weeks, we saw how Paul started to bring the news of who Jesus is and what he accomplished to other people/places, along with a demonstration of spiritual power. He started with Barnabas in Cyprus and moved north into modern Turkey. And then, on his second journey, he went with Silas, Timothy, and Luke from Turkey to Philippi in Greece. This resulted in all kinds of people responding to his message, including men and women, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, and so on, because everybody needs Jesus. However, in addition to the spiritual fruit that he saw, Paul also faced spiritual opposition, which sometimes resulted in social upheaval and even violence. Let’s look at a map. From Philippi, in northern Greece, where Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, they were chased over to Thessalonica, then to Berea, and then south to Athens, which is where we are today. After Athens, Paul would travel on to Corinth before heading back east to Ephesus, which we’ll look at next week. But today, we have the mighty Apostle Paul in the great city of Athens, Greece, and we find that Paul is really in his element. Remember, Paul was raised in Tarsus, a Greek city with its own history of philosophy. And even though Paul had received the best education in the Jewish Scriptures, as we’ll see, he was also familiar with Greek philosophers and poets. It’s no wonder to me why Jesus picked him to be the apostle to the Gentiles.
But our passage starts with the statement from Luke that “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens [meaning the rest of his coworkers who were still in Berea], he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” Lit. Paul’s spirit was provoked within him by the idolatry he saw around the city. Now, it wasn’t that unusual for ancient pagan cities (or modern cities, for that matter) to have temples with idols where the worship of various gods/goddesses took place. But Athens was especially full of idols. They had multiple temples, which were some of the most beautiful and architecturally impressive buildings on the planet in their day. Athens had temples built to Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, and more. But none were more impressive than the Parthenon, or the temple built to Athena at the Acropolis, which had already stood for 400 years before the time of Paul. Temple worship, including various sacrifices, offerings, and festivals, defined this city. In fact, historians aren’t sure if Athena got her name from Athens or if Athens got its name from Athena. But either way, idol worship was so pervasive that it weighed on Paul. And not because he didn’t understand the appeal of the pantheon of gods to the Greek people or because he was prejudiced for some reason — but because if Jesus had risen from the dead, then it proved that he was who he claimed to be. And it proved that there was only one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Maker of the heavens and the earth. And therefore, the whole pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses was false. They weren’t real, and they didn’t have the power to help or save anyone. Matthew writes that when Jesus saw crowds of people, “he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mt 9:36). I think Paul felt the same way. When he looked at Athens, this powerful and influential city famous for its wisdom and culture, Paul saw people who needed help, who needed the truth, and who were bound up in a system that held them in spiritual bondage. So he was moved to action. He couldn’t stay silent. He was compelled by the love of Christ toward these people. As he did everywhere, he started with the Jewish synagogue. Luke writes that, “he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks.” But also, and this seems to be unique to Athens, Paul reasoned “in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” Now, the marketplace in Athens wasn’t just for shopping. It was a public meeting place, a public forum, where new ideas were exchanged and debated. And it was here that “a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him.” These were two of the most popular streams of philosophy of their day, which no doubt had a great impact on the thinking and way of life of many people in Athens and elsewhere. In many ways, the philosophy of the Epicureans and Stoics influences people in our culture to this day, even though most people aren’t aware of it. At any rate, we don’t know how long Paul continued this marketplace ministry before he started getting serious questions. Luke writes, “Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others remarked, ‘He seems to be advocating foreign gods.’ They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” This was actually a very serious accusation. Over 400 years earlier, the famous philosopher, Socrates, was put to death in Athens, having been put on trial and convicted of advocating foreign gods. So, in an interesting parallel to Socrates, the Apostle Paul was to face his own trial in Athens.
Acts 17:19-31 (NIV), “19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Let’s pause here. Ok! So the Areopagus was the governing council of Athens which met on a rocky hill above the Parthenon, dedicated to Ares, the Greek god of war (known as Mars by the Romans). And it is at the hill of Ares (or Mars Hill) that Paul is asked to explain this new message he’s been teaching and defending day by day in their city. So Paul stands up, knowing there is a chance he could be facing his own Socratic death, and delivers a speech that is totally unique. His message on that day was very different from his recorded sermons elsewhere. Now, the logic of Paul’s argument, and its three implications, is rooted in a very Jewish understanding of who God is. Paul easily engages with Greek philosophy, but his reasoning is firmly rooted in the Hebrew bible. He stands up in the Areopagus and winsomely starts by referencing how religiously devout they are. But he challenges them, too. He says that even with all their wisdom and value of new ideas and philosophies, they still lack knowledge about the one true God. He uses their altar to an unknown God as an analogy of their ignorance but also as a way to show that he is not advocating foreign gods but is there to proclaim and reveal to them the God they already admit they don’t know. Paul says it is this God (not the gods, not Zeus, not Poseidon, not Ares, not even Athena), but the God of Israel, who is the Lord of the skies and the earth. He is the one who made the cosmos, including every human being — Jew and Gentile. Therefore, there are three implications of this truth. First, if God is the creator of all, then God doesn’t live in temples built by human hands (how could he?). Of course, this would’ve been a shock to the Athenians, who were literally surrounded by some of the most impressive temples anywhere. Second, if God is the creator of all, then he doesn’t need anything from us, including our offerings of worship. He is not dependent upon us; we are dependent upon him! Third, if God is the creator of all, then he cannot be represented by any created thing we can make, no matter how intricate or impressive, even if it’s carved from the most beautiful marble or made from a precious metal like silver or gold. As a result, Paul argues that the whole system of Greek worship, with its temples and its offerings and its images and idols, is all wrong. The whole system is based on a false understanding of who God is and is powerless to save.
Now, when the one true and living God had called Abraham to leave his family and his homeland in Ur, Abraham left behind a man-made Sumerian religion of many gods/goddesses. Through his relationship with Abraham and his family, God promised to bless all the nations/peoples/families of the earth. Ever since the fall to sin, human beings have unsuccessfully tried to figure out who God is (or who the gods are) and how we can earn their favor/blessings in life. However, the one true and living God, the Creator of the cosmos, the Lord of heaven and earth, cannot be fully known through his creation. We can know aspects of God’s character by what he has made, just as we can learn some things about an artist by a work of their art. But you can’t know someone personally simply by looking at what they have made. You need to talk to them; you need to meet them. And from Abraham on down, God has been revealing himself to people in order for us to know him and be known by him. In order for us to receive his favor/blessings freely as a gift of his grace. And in order for us to worship him truly and rightly according to his character and will. Here in Athens, the people of Athens are receiving the call once again, the calling of Abraham (and all people), to leave behind their false ways of worship, to repent, and to experience/enjoy the true favor/blessings of God which are freely given to all in Christ. So the creator God, who is transcendent over all and separate from his creation, is also near and can be personally known in Jesus. We see the result of Paul’s message at the end of this passage in v. 32.
Acts 17:32-34 (NIV), “32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” So the result of this sermon (of which what is recorded here is probably only a summary), and despite being very different from other examples in Acts of Paul’s gospel proclamation, the result is actually very similar. Some people believed, and some didn’t. Some became Christians, including a few prominent people of Athens, and formed a new Christian church, while others rejected Jesus. I think because of Paul’s tact in his approach; he wasn’t thrown in prison or killed. Perhaps earlier in his life, things might have been different. But he was wise in his approach, and so he could find an open and receptive audience, even in what could be considered the capital of pagan worship and philosophy, and live to tell the tale. But how does this apply to our lives today? I’d like to leave you with one thought as we close:
The content of the gospel never changes, but the context does. Paul’s message to the Areapogus is something like this: You’re right to believe that God is real and is deserving of our worship. But God is the creator, and we are his creatures, not the other way around. He has made us; we have not made him. So not only does it not make sense to worship idols we have made, but it dishonors the true creator. To atone for this false worship, we must repent and trust the one God has appointed to judge the world, that is, Jesus Christ. The proof of this claim is the resurrection. If God raised him from the dead, then we can trust him and follow him, for he knows the path that leads to life. Paul’s message is about judgment against false worship, repentance, and faith in Jesus. Paul finds common ground in their desire to honor the gods (worship/idols), their desire to engage in new ideas (resurrection), and their culture (poets, justice). In other words, he starts where they are but then goes on to show how Jesus is the true fulfillment of all that they long for and need. The content of the gospel doesn’t change (especially the part about Jesus and his death and resurrection), but the context/audience/preconceived notions and expectations do change. To be effective in the joyfully exciting and eternally rewarding work of helping people come to faith in Jesus, we must pay attention both to the content and the context of the gospel. We must seek to understand where people are coming from, what they believe and why (without any disdain), and then gently but boldly point them to Jesus. Everybody needs Jesus. But the way we share Jesus must be motivated by the love of Christ, include finding common ground, and be handled with all wisdom by the Holy Spirit. If, by the grace of God, we share the gospel in this way, there’s no reason why we couldn’t see the same fruit as the Apostle Paul. This is the kind of church we want to be. And this is what we are called to do even today. Let us pray.