“Righteousness, Peace and Joy” (Romans 14:17) - Romans for Everyone XXVI -

Kingdom of God

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking 

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” 

(Rom 14:17, ESV) 

Jesus always used a story to describe the kingdom of God. One time he said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46)

Today I would like to use the story of Pilgrim’s Progress to describe the kingdom of God and to explore today’s scripture, Romans 14:17. In the book we meet one merchant looking for fine pearls, whose name is Christian. In his hand he holds a book, and he bears a great burden on his back. He opens the book and as he reads, he weeps and trembles and cries out, “What shall I do?” He returns home and shares what he has learned from the book with his wife and children. But they don’t believe a single word of what he says and looks at him as if he has lost his mind. They say, “Take some rest. A good night’s sleep will settle your anxious thoughts. You will be fine.” But Christian can’t sleep and says, “It’s worse and worse.” Finally, he starts the journey alone.

On the way he meets a fine gentleman, whose name is Worldly Wiseman. And the gentleman says “Christianity is basically a synonym for morality. You can get rid of your burden and enter the kingdom of God by living a good, moral life.” Unfortunately, Christian is persuaded by his advice. But as he approaches the hill that Worldly Wiseman showed him, it gets steeper and steeper. His burden seems heavier and heavier. Then, he realizes that it is impossible to proceed further. For this reason, the Apostle Paul says, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.” In Paul’s time there was some trouble in the church of Rome. They argued about food and special days: “You should not eat this, you should not eat that. You should observe this day. You should observe that day…” But Paul says, “That is not the kingdom of God. It’s not about forms or ceremonies or rituals. It’s not about what you do and do not do. It’s not about doing good. It’s not about being nice, respectable, moral. The kingdom of God is much greater, wider, deeper. It is inside-out, not outside-in. It is righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit.”

Righteousness 
Righteousness – it’s the first element of entrance to the kingdom. When Christian arrives at the house of Interpreter, the house owner leads him into a big parlor full of dust, as if it has never been swept. The Interpreter calls to a man and tells him to sweep. And the dust almost chokes Christian. The Interpreter then speaks to a woman to bring some water and sprinkle the room. As the woman does, the entire room is easily swept and cleaned. Christian asked, “What does this mean?” The Interpreter answers, “This parlor is the heart of a natural man. The dust is his sin and inward corruption. The one who began to sweep at first is the law, but she who brought water and sprinkled it is the gospel.” The harder we try to live a good, moral, conscientious life with our own efforts, the more it chokes us. But when we humbly believe the gospel, our hearts are easily made clean, just as the dust settled by sprinkling the floor with water.

In Luke 18 Jesus tells this story to some who are confident of their own righteousness – the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee prays, “I thank God I am not like other men; I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get – how good I am, not like this miserable tax collector!” But the tax collector stands at a distance and dares not even look up to heaven. Instead, he beats his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner.” Then, Jesus says, “I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God.” The Bible says, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa 64:6). The Bible also says, “Can an Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard his spots?” (Jer 13:23). The answer is NO. In other words, we cannot change our sinful nature. We cannot produce a clean and pure and righteous heart that we need to stand before God and spend eternity with him. We just cannot change ourselves, but our God is able! How? The answer is in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus became our sin; we became his righteousness. This is Christianity. This is the kingdom of God. We don’t enter the kingdom by what I am doing and what I am not doing. We don’t enter the kingdom by how much better I am than someone else. No! Instead, we do enter the kingdom as we repent just as the tax collector did; as we believe that Christ’s righteousness is given to us and we are made right with God.

Peace 
The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace. As Christian follows the narrow path, he reaches the foot of the hill. At the top of the hill there was a cross and a little below at the bottom was a stone tomb. As Christian comes up to the cross, his burden looses from his shoulders and falls off his back. Christian is so glad and overjoy and says, “He has given me peace by his sorrow and life by his death” (Isa 53:4-5). He looks and looks again until tears run down his cheeks. As he stands looking and weeping, three shining ones appear and greet him, “Peace be with you!” The first of the shining ones say, “Your sins are forgiven.” The second one strips Christian of his filthy rags and clothes him with new splendid garment (Zech 3:4). And the third places a mark on Christian’s forehead (Eph 1:13), and gives him a scroll with a seal on it. And he says, “Look on this as you run, and deliver it when you arrive at the gate of the Celestial City.” With thanksgiving and joy, Christian goes on his way singing:

Thus far did I come burdened with my sin, 

No one could ease the grief that I was in, 

Until I came here. What a place this is! 

Blessed cross! Blessed sepulcher! 

Blessed rather be the Man who there was put to shame for me! 

The moment we dump our own righteousness, consider it garbage, and believe in Christ as God’s way of righteousness, then everything is changed right away. Supernatural peace floods my soul. And we have peace with God, peace within and peace with other people. Have you found this peace? As sweet peace floods our souls, we cannot but sing:

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace, 

Resting sweetly in Jesus' control; 

For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day, 

And His glory is flooding my soul. 

Peace! Peace! wonderful peace, 

Coming down from the Father above! 

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, 

In fathomless billows of love. 

- W.D. Cornell 

Joy 

The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy. As Christian and his companion, Faithful, approach the town, named Vanity, in that town is promoted a year-round fair called Vanity Fair. At this fair people sell such merchandise as houses, land, honors, promotions, titles, lusts, silver, gold, pearls and much more. The way to the Celestial City lies through this town of Vanity, and those who think they are going to avoid this city will still have to go out of the world. Since Christian and Faithful pay no attention to the merchandise, they are falsely accused and brought to the trials. In front of the people Faithful boldly speaks the truth in love. Finally, Faithful is condemned to be put to death by the cruelest method they can think of. First they scourge him, then they beat him, then they lance his flesh with knives. After that, they stone him with stones, then prick him with their swords, and last of all they burn him to ashes at the stake. Then Christian sees that at the moment of death Faithful is taken up into the chariot and carried directly to the Celestial Gate.

Worldly joy comes and goes. It totally depends on external circumstances. But the joy of the Holy Spirit is entirely independent of everybody and everything. It’s like streams of living water that flows from within us. So we can still rejoice in the midst of trials, because our joy does not depend on what is happening to us. God’s joy is always there. That is why Stephen, the Apostles, God’s martyrs and saints have been able to sing even to the end. The joy of the Holy Spirit is like undying fire. This joy cannot be quenched; it cannot be removed; it cannot be destroyed. We may be falsely accused, but God’s joy is there! We may lose our job, our health, our loved ones, and even our own life, but God’s joy is still there!

Blaise Pascal met God and was profoundly converted to Jesus Christ when he was 31. In his journal he said:

Year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November, feast of St. Clement . . . from about half past ten at night to about half an hour after midnight, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. Certitude, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. God of Jesus Christ. "My God and your God." . . . Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of joy. . . Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. May I never be separated from him!

Since that day, he had carried this note all the time until he died 8 years later. In fact, it was found that he sewed this note into his coat. “Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy.” Have you found this joy? Then now you live in the kingdom of God. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

“Who You Are in the Spirit” (Romans 14:1-9) - Romans for Everyone XXV / Pentecost Sunday -

The Cycle of Misery 
Bishop Potter of New York used to tell on himself. On one occasion he was sailing for Europe and found that he was to share a cabin with another passenger whom he did not know. After he had met his cabin mate, he went to the ship’s purser and asked if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that normally he would not do that, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was in the other berth. He said that judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be trustworthy. The purser took his valuables to store in the safe and said, “I’ll be glad to take care of them for you, bishop. The other man has already been up here and left his valuables for the same reason.”[1]

That story shows that how often we judge others and things from their appearance based on our own opinions and have reached the wrong conclusions. Throughout the entire book of Judges we find the repeated cycle of misery: Israel falls into sin and idolatry – Israel is enslaved – Israel cries out to God – Israel is delivered – Israel falls into sin again. This pattern did last for about 350 years. At the very end of the book the author diagnoses the root cause of this cycle of misery in this way: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (21:25, ESV)

This problem goes back to its very foundation, the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were made for God, to depend on him and to be sustained by him and trust and obey him. But Adam and Eve didn’t like that. When they were asked, “Who is Lord – God or self?” They didn’t choose God; instead, they chose to be independent, self-sustaining people who would do what is right in their own eyes. The result was miserable. Adam and Eve lost a sense of peace and rightness and direction and wholeness and authenticity. They got adrift and restless like wandering sheep. They got confused like the people of Babel. They became like dry bone. Adam and Eve and their descendants became hypocrites like Pharisees. We became hypocrites who pretend to have the harmony between our inner self and our outer lives, but we do not really have. We try to appear confident when we're scared, peaceful when we're anxious, healthy when we are sick, intelligent when we are ignorant, concerned when we are apathetic, devout when we are indifferent. We try to appear differently to others than what we really are inside. Of course, we don’t like it. We have a desire to be authentic, not hypocritical, but we don’t know how. We just don’t have power to break the vicious cycle of misery. And the root cause of the vicious cycle is sin, which is deliberate independence from God – doing what is right in our own eyes!

The Lordship of Jesus Christ 
And Jesus did come to deliver us from the power of the vicious cycle, the power of sin. That is why Jesus came. In verse 9 Paul says “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” When we trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are saved. Salvation doesn’t just mean to get to heaven after we die. It means we become inwardly and outwardly what God aims for us to be here and now. That is abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). When we live under the lordship of Christ, we enjoy true freedom of authenticity – the harmony between our inner person and outer lives. We become authentic. We experience a sense of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, with life, with ourselves. We experience a sense of being at home in our homeland. We experience a sense of purpose, direction, and goal. We experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. We experience a sense of being a whole person created to live for God’s glory. And we no longer get swayed, adrift, confused, restless, anxious by what other people think. Through Jesus Christ we become authentic.[2]

The Weak and The Strong 
And it happens not only at the personal level, but also at the interpersonal level. In the church of Rome there was a major stumbling block in enjoying authenticity. There was a sharp division between the weak and the strong. Here “the weak” has nothing to do with character, but with faith. The weak refer to Jewish Christians who continued to follow certain Jewish regulations such as food and days. As for food, they kept the Old Testament food laws, eating only clean items. Often they abstained from meat altogether. As for special days, they observed both the Sabbath and the Jewish festivals. They were conservative-minded Christians who were sensitive to certain disputable matters. On the other hand, “the strong” refer to Gentile Christians who had no Jewish religious background. For them, every food is clean. There’s nothing wrong with eating meat left over pagan temple services, because idols aren’t real. And also for them, all days are the same. They were liberal-minded Christians.

The problem was the natural attitudes of the weak and the strong toward each other. The weak condemned the strong who did eat everything. On the other side, the strong despised the weak who didn’t eat meat. The weak and the strong didn’t get along well. And this still happens today. There are many issues where the Bible either silent or not clear about what to do. So on some non-essential issues, called “disputable matters” (v. 1, NIV), godly Christians differ. In Paul’s day, certain diets and special days were big issues. And for today, examples are like this [3]:

• Contemporary music accompanied by guitars and drums is from the devil! We should only sing hymns accompanied on the piano and organ. 
• It is sin for Christians to drink any alcoholic beverages or use tobacco! 
• Christians should have nothing to do with Christmas and Easter, which are pagan holidays. 

The list goes on. Then, what was Paul’s advice to Roman church? What do you think Paul would exhort today’s church? He doesn’t say the one is better than the other. Basically what he says is, “Submit yourself to Christ as Lord and you will be authentic – whether you are a weak or strong Christian, whether you are a conservative or liberal Christian.” “The one who observes a special day, observes it to honor the Lord. The one who eats, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God. And the one who does not eat, refrains from eating to honor the Lord; yet he, too, gives thanks to God… If we live, we live to honor the Lord; and if we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (vv. 6-8, ISV) Honoring Christ, pleasing Christ, exalting Christ should be our mindset. There is a true freedom of authenticity that comes with living under the lordship of Christ. In other words, you and I will feel adrift and never enjoy true authenticity until we yield to the lordship of Christ.

Living under the Lordship of Christ… How? 
The question is, “How do we live under the lordship of Christ?” How is it possible? It is possible by the work and power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.’” (1 Cor 12:3b) Jesus himself also says, “When the Spirit of truth comes… he will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (16:13). So the role of the Holy Spirit is to extol, magnify, glorify Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us desire and power to live under the lordship of Christ.

So, in Ephesians 5:18 Paul exhorts us, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit.” To be filled with the Holy Spirit means that we allow him to occupy and control every area of our lives. How much of you does the Holy Spirit have? Here are two glasses of water and two packets of Alka-Seltzer to class. Now I am dropping a packet of Alka-Seltzer, with the wrapper on, into one glass… And now I am plopping an unsealed packet into the second glass. You can watch it fill with fizz. You see, both glasses have the Alka-Seltzer, just as all Christians have the Holy Spirit. But notice how you can have the Holy Spirit and not his filling.[4] Our goal is to be filled, empowered, controlled with the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Then, how are we filled with the Holy Spirit? The key is obedience. We are filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit as we obey his promptings. It was the Holy Spirit who was with God when God created the heaven and earth. It was the Holy Spirit who did come and breathe on those slain, dry bones, and make them live and stand up on their feet – a vast army. It was the Holy Spirit who filled Jesus’ disciples with power and joy and peace. The very same Spirit of God is with us and within us. And he still speaks today. If we are willing, we are able to hear his voice. He helps, guides, convicts, warns, corrects, comforts, encourages us. For example, you may be convicted to drop a conversation or leave a place that is questionable. Perhaps there is someone who comes to your mind during the day. Call or visit that person. The Spirit will give you the right words to encourage that person. Perhaps the Holy Spirit may guide you in a certain direction. Whatever it is, do so right away, happy way, all the way. And as you do, the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes stronger in your life.

The old choice, the old question that Adam and Eve had is still before us today, “Who is Lord – God or self, Christ or Caesar?” Let us say it with conviction:

Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way;

Hold o’er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

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[1] H.A. Ironside, Illustrations of Bible Truth (Moody Press), 115, quoted in Steven Cole, “Getting Along in Spite of Our Differences” (Romans 14:1-4), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-92-getting-along-spite-our-differences-romans-141-4

[2] I must give credit to John Piper how he expounds the meaning of “authenticity” that we enjoy in and through Christ Jesus. For more details, please refer to his sermon, “Jesus Is Precious Because Through Him We Become Authentic,” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/jesus-is-precious-because-through-him-we-become-authentic

[3] Steven J. Cole, “Lesson 92: Getting Along in Spite of Our Differences” (Romans 14:1-4), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-92-getting-along-spite-our-differences-romans-141-4

[4] Adapted from James Emery White, Long Night's Journey into Day (WaterBrook, 2002)

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:11-14) - Romans for Everyone XXIV / Mother's Day -

Augustine’s Conversion 

It’ Mother’s Day. Some of you may wonder why I chose this particular Bible passage. You may wonder what this has to do with Mother’s Day. I’ll explain in a minute. In fact, today’s passage did bring about Augustine’s conversion. By his own testimony, Augustine lived a wild life in his teens and twenties. He practiced a heretical religion called the Manichaeism, which is kind of a gnostic, new age-type thing. And also, he had had a mistress. He had a son with this mistress, but he did not want to get married. When he was 31, Augustine was still living this lifestyle and struggling with his flesh. One day he was in a garden and he was praying, saying, “Lord, how long, oh God, wherever you are, how long will I live in despair and despondency?” The more educated he got, the less happy he was. The more he traveled, it was like he was running away. He could not find any joy. He was so restless. So, he prayed, “Lord, how long will I have to continue in this unclean life? Will I just live this way forever?” Then, he heard the voice of a child in the garden singing, “Take up and read. Take up and read.” He immediately went into the house, picked up a Bible, opened it up and it fell open to Romans 13:13-14, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (ESV) He said he read no further until all of the doubt vanished away. He felt as if his heart were flooded with light. That was his conversion. Augustine became a Christian in that instant. But, to be precise, he didn’t just become a believer in a day. It was a fruit of his mother’s persistent, persevering prayer. In his book Confessions Augustine spoke of his grief and weeping for the mother, saying, “Now she is gone from my sight, who for years had wept over me, that I might live in God’s sight." This great man came to Christ because of the prayers of his mother.

“I’m with You” 

When I think about my mother, there are many things to be grateful for. But out of all of them, what I am most grateful for is that she didn’t just raise me in the church, but she raised me in Christ. She showed me Christ through her everyday life. When I was a highschooler, one day I was so stressed out because of the exam. And my mother gently said, “Why don’t we go out together to get some fresh air?” And we did. We had a good nature walk. We didn’t say much while taking a walk. But I was able to hear her clear inaudible voice, “Son, I’m with you!” When I was a senior year in high school, I became very skeptical about Christianity. I felt that I was a hypocrite. I couldn’t pray. When I did, I felt like I talked to the wall. I couldn’t read the Bible. It just didn’t make sense to me. One day I shared my struggles with my mother. She patiently listened to all my doubts and problems. She didn’t try to convince me. Instead, she just told me her story how she came to Christ. There was no pretense. Instead, I could feel her authentic relationship with Jesus. After listening to her story, I said to myself, “Ok then, I will keep searching, because I trust my mother.” And I did keep on going until I did meet my Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but for me actually, I’ve had quite a few mothers who did give new life, welcome, nurture, and love me. In particular, I have had three spiritual mothers, in addition to my own mother. Interestingly, all three were my Sunday school teachers at different times in my life. Mrs. Kim was my 3rd grade Sunday school teacher. She genuinely loved me and all her students. I just knew it. She remembered our birthdays, and she knew our family situations pretty well. She was really fond of each of us. And I knew God is love because Mrs. Kim was such a loving Christian. When I was in 7th grade, I met another spiritual mother, Mrs. Won. At that time, I had reached puberty. I was disobedient, even rebellious. But she was so patient, always kind and caring. Every time she prayed during our gathering, I knew that she did pray for each of us, not just that moment, but throughout the whole week. I called Mrs. Won Jesus freak. She was the real deal. When I became a senior in high school, I was losing my faith and at my lowest point. And to make things worse, I failed the college entrance exam and had to retake next year. Around that time, Mrs. Han, who was my Sunday school teacher, was with me. She did visit me, and invited me to dinner. She shared tears when I was down. She was with me. These three spiritual mothers were different in many ways, but they had one thing in common: They did show me more of God, more of Christ. They all did point me to Jesus. They helped me to know Jesus more and to fall in love with him all the more.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ 

As a spiritual mother, in today’s passage the Apostle Paul commends us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (14). But what does it mean? How can we put on the person? When ancient Greek writers spoke of putting on Plato or Socrates, they meant receiving them as teachers and following them. So, if I say I put on Jesus, that means I am wearing him as it were, receiving him, radiating him, imitating him, following him. In this respect, J. N. Darby says, “We put on in our ways and heart the walk and character of Him…the Lord Jesus Christ…we purify ourselves as He is pure, we walk as He walked.” F. B. Hole also says, “We must always remember that the ‘putting on’ is not the assuming of something wholly external to ourselves, but rather putting on something from within, rather as a bird puts on its feathers.”[1]

Put on Jesus Christ means live with him 24/7. It means clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ all the time (NLT). It means let Jesus be as near to us as the clothes we wear (CEV). It means wear him as our protection, our supplier, our glory, our treasure, our identity, our character. In today’s passage Paul chooses a word that implies that the Christian life is a battle – put on the armor of light (12). As the children of light, we ought to dress like it, live like it, fight like it. In others words, we ought to put on the Lord Jesus Christ day by day. I like the way John Piper puts it:

Put on Jesus Christ means put him on as the parachute for your skydiving behind enemy lines. It means put him on as the high-impact protective anti-explosive suit when you disarm the bombs of the devil. It means put him on as the asbestos fire-proof suit when you rescue sinners from the flames of hell. It means put him on as a bullet proof vest when you confront the pistols of sin and unbelief.[2]

Hear the Word, Do the Word 

So we put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, how do we put on Christ? How do we do that? The answer is we put on Jesus by hearing the word and doing the word. First, we put on Jesus by attentively listening to him at his feet every morning. “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” (Ps 143:8, NLT) But hearing the word itself is not enough. We also must put on Jesus by doing the word. We are called to be “doers” of the word. We are called to be “love doers.” The Bible says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1Jn 4:8, ESV) When we drink or do drugs, we do harm to our minds and bodies. That’s not what love does. Love keeps the mind clear by putting on Christ and rules the body. When we participate in sexual immorality, we do harm to other individuals as well as ourselves. That’s not what love does. Love keeps the marriage covenant clear by putting on Christ and rules the body. When we gossip, argue, and cause divisions, we do harm to our community. That’s not what love does. Love keeps the community of Christ clear and subdues dissensions and quarreling by putting on Christ. That’s what love does.

Best Mother’s Day Gift 

I still remember the day when I said “Yes” to God’s calling to ministry. My mother offered me to the Lord even before I was born just as Hannah did. She always wanted me to be a pastor. She never forced me, but I always knew that was her desire. I began to sense God’s calling when I was in 7th grade. But I was resistant, because I knew how difficult path it was. I saw my grandfather and my father how they lived as pastors at firsthand. But when I was a senior in college, God’s calling was so clear and strong. So finally, I said “Yes.” And I can’t forget the day when I shared that news with my parents. I had never seen them so happy – their facial expressions, their body gestures, etc. Later, they said that that day they heard the news that I would follow in their steps was the best moment in their lives.

In the same way, when we follow in Jesus’ steps, when we put on Christ, when we become more like him, God will rejoice over us with joyful songs. So brothers and sisters in Christ, let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us dress like his children, live like his children, love like his children, and people around us will see Jesus and give glory to our heavenly Father. That is our best Mother’s Day gift to God.

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[1] Michael J. Penfold, “How to Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” http://www.webtruth.org/walking-with-god/put-lord-jesus-christ/
[2] John Piper, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Part 2,” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/put-on-the-lord-jesus-christ-part-2

“Christian Love” (Romans 13:8-10) - Romans for Everyone XXIII -

Only Love 

Karl Barth is considered as one of the top 5 Christian theologians in our church history. Once a young student asked Barth if he could sum up what was most important about his life’s work and theology in just a few words. All the seminary students were sitting on the edge their seats to hear some great, profound, deep, complicated answer. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, “Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'”

If we have to define Christianity in one word, it would be “love.” Christianity is love, for God is love. Christianity is not a set of do’s and don’ts, but it is to know Christ and be more like him. It is to love God and love others. When Jesus was asked which commandment is the most important of all, he said, “The first is… ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:29-31) “Love God, Love others.”

In verse 9 of today’s passage Paul says, “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” Some of you may wonder why they are just summed up in the second commandment. Why not the first commandment, or both of them? It is because loving others is our fruit, the surest sign, the natural outcome of our authentic relationship with Christ. I like the way the Apostle John puts it: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16 NLT). And he also says, in 1 John 4:11, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” In other words, our love to others is flowing out from what Christ gave us, not something from our own. The love of God for us is a foundation of our love to others.

Love of God 

I don’t know about you, but for me personally, I had struggled a long time with a sense of not loving people enough. When I was a youth group teacher, I didn’t feel that I had enough love for my students. When I was a student pastor, most of the time I felt that I didn’t love my young adult group enough. As a result, I thought perhaps I was not a right person to do that ministry. I struggled with a sense of failure. But then, one day I was listening to the sermon on the Book of Romans on internet. The word of God, particularly Romans 5:5, did penetrate. It says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Here Bible doesn’t say, “Sometime in the future, God’s love will be poured into our hearts.” But it does say, “When we did receive Jesus and believe in his name, God’s love has been poured into our hearts regardless our feeling!” That is the truth. I said, “Amen” by faith. I did take God at his word. Since then, the sense of failure has gone. Since then, I have focused on Jesus. I asked more of Christ. I asked more of the Holy Spirit, instead of asking to have the feeling. Are any of you in this room struggling with loving others? Focus on Jesus. Ask more of Christ. Ask more of the Holy Spirit, and you will be able to love them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If we are truly honest about ourselves, we know we are incapable of loving God with all our hearts and loving others as ourselves, because of our fallen, self-centered nature. We have desire, but we don’t have power to do it (cf. Romans 7). That is why we need Jesus. And that is what he came to do. Romans 8:3 says, “God has done for us what the law, weakened by our sinful nature, could not do. God did by sending his own Son and gave him as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we might no longer follow our sinful nature, but instead of follow the Spirit.” God did it for us. This is the gospel. When we humbly believe this good news, God gives us a new life, a new spirit, a new nature in Christ. The Apostle Paul said, “I am a debtor. I owe the debt of love to all people” (Rom 1:14). Paul said this, because God’s love for him was too good, too lavish, too compelling to have it just inside of him. He had to pass it on. He had to share it with others. So in 2 2 Corinthians 5:14 he said, “Christ’s love compels us!” My prayer is that all of us in this room may experience this lavish, compelling love of Christ, so that we will love others as Jesus has loved us.

Love to Others 

Love is much more than just an outward action. Love is a mindset, an attitude, an inner disposition that produces behaviors that do no harm and do good for people. In fact, love is the mindset of Christ Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul describes love in this way:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (ESV)

Love is the mindset of Christ Jesus. The more Christ is our focus, the more we love others as described in 1 Cor 13. The more we have Christ, the more we do everything with love. In Corinthians 16:14, as he closes, Paul sums up his letter in this word: “Let all that you do be done with love!” (NKJV) When we keep the law, love should be our mindset. When we pay taxes, love should be our mindset. When we keep the speed limit, love should be our mindset. When we vote, love should be our mindset.[1]

Invitation to the Life of Love 

God sent His Son, not just to forgive our sins, but also for us to live an abundant life – the life of love. We have been invited to live a life of love just as Christ loved us (Eph 5:2 NCV). Bob Goff, Christian author and lawyer, rightly said, “There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I'm tempted to turn it down all the time. I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does. It doesn't come in an envelope. It's ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. It's the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day.”[2]

Everyday God sends us an invitation to live a life of love. But as Bob Goff said, plenty of people turn down this wonderful, life-changing invitation. They turn it down by refusing to forgive or not being grateful. They turn it down by believing they haven’t really been invited, or asking some kind of audible voice or miraculous signs. But the truth is that all of us have been invited – every day, all over again! We have been invited to live a life of love as Christ loved us.

Then, what does it look like to live a life of love? It can be picking up the phone, sending an e-mail, writing a letter, or just showing up. Begin with one person around you. Pick up that person. It may be your spouse. It may be your children. It may be someone at the church or at work or in your neighborhood. Practice on them, and you will see things start happening. Let us say “yes” to God’s invitation every morning. Let our heart and mind overflow with the love of Christ. And let all that we do be done with love. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another! Amen.

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[1] John Piper, “Love is a Fulfilling of the Law, Part 1” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/love-is-a-fulfilling-of-the-law-part-1
[2] Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (Thomas Nelson, 2012), 80.

“The Lord Is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1-6)

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” 

Probably the 23rd psalm is the most-beloved, most-sung, most-prayed, and most-studied poem in the Book of Psalms. And the image of this psalm is very personal: The Lord is my shepherd. Recently, this psalm of David personally did speak to me. Last two weeks were a dream for my family and me. It was a time of family reunion in 10 years. After Joyce and I had sent them off, we felt left behind. We felt so empty. It was so hard to even get back to normal life. But it was God’s word that sustained us. In particular, this psalm preserved our lives. It gave us strength, comfort, and even joy. So this morning I wanted to share that message with you.

“The Lord” 

The psalm begins with the word: “The Lord.” Who is the Lord? Here David is not talking about an abstract God who is distant. But he is talking about the personal God who sees us, hears us, and cares for us (cf. Ex 3:7-8). He is talking about the God we can know, we can talk to, we can feel, we can touch. Ultimately, the Lord refers to Jesus Christ. The Lord God is fully revealed in Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (ESV). Jesus Christ is the Lord!

“My Shepherd” 

David says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” In John 10 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” Unlike a hired hand, the good shepherd protects, guides, cares for, and even lays down his life for the sheep. In fact, Christ the good shepherd became a lamb, a sheep just like us. He didn’t have to, but he chose to be that way. He entered into our experience of life – suffering, loss, sorrow, temptation, and brokenness – and has seen life from the perspective of a sheep. He was vulnerable just like us. He was hungry and weary just like us. He was tempted in every respect just like us. Why did he do that? He did this, so that we may become his sheep. We all like sheep have gone astray and were headed for the slaughter house and we didn’t know it. But, Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and the Lamb, saved us. He saved us from the slaughter house. He stepped into the line we were in, threw His body in front of ours, and he was slaughtered instead of us. He loves us this much.[1] John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) As a sacrificial lamb, he took up our weaknesses and pains. He carried our griefs and sorrows. He died in our place. But not only that, he also was raised from the dead and sat at the right hand of God. The Lamb slain is now in the center of the throne. And people from all nations praise, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:13) This Lamb of God in power, Jesus Christ, is now our shepherd. The Lord Jesus is my shepherd! 

I Will Follow (2-3) 
When Jesus is our shepherd, we would then naturally say this: I shall not want. Here we find the life of trust, the life of contentment no matter what. But what does it look like to live such a life exactly? The author David unpacks this in the following verses in three ways. First of all, he says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will follow him.” 

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. 
he leadeth me beside the still waters. 
He restoreth my soul
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” 

Wherever he leads me, I will follow him. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). In Palestine today, we see that Bedouin shepherds bring their flocks home from the various pastures they have grazed during the day. Often those flocks will end up at the same watering hole around dusk, so that they get all mixed up together—eight or nine small flocks turning into a convention of thirsty sheep. Their shepherds do not worry about the mix-up, however. When it is time to go home, each one issues his or her own distinctive call—a special trill or whistle, or a particular tune on a particular reed pipe, and that shepherd's sheep withdraw from the crowd to follow their shepherd home. They know their shepherd's voice, and it is the only one they will follow.[2]

When we follow our shepherd, we find a life of contentment, peace, and rest. How can a husband and a wife become one? It’s impossible. How can parents and children become one? It’s impossible. But there is a way! When each of us hears the shepherd’s voice and follows him, we become one. Recently, I had that amazing experience. To be honest, before Joyce’s

family came, I was concerned. I didn’t feel comfortable to live with them for two weeks because I didn’t know them. I was concerned about what to eat, where to take them, how to plan a budget. At first it was not easy. To please each other didn’t work. But then, we all resolved to just hear the shepherd’s voice and follow him. And we experienced the miracle of unity. We became one family at the end. As we departed from each other, we all felt a great sense of loss. But our Great Shepherd said that even though we were physically going to different directions (USA and Korea), we were actually heading to the same direction as long as we follow him. Because Jesus is my shepherd, I will follow him.

I Will Not Fear (4-5) 

Secondly, David says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will not fear.”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” 

The Lord is present in the green pastures. But the Lord is also present in the darkest valley. It is suggested that David wrote Psalm 3 and 4 when he fled from Absalom his own son. What a heartbreaking tragedy! But David says, “I will not afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (3:6). And he continues, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in

safety” (4:8). As we go through the darkest valley, all kinds of dark bitter experiences in life, our shepherd Jesus is with us. He abides with us to comfort us, sustain us, encourage us in the valley of depression, serious illness, rejection, separation, death of loved one, even the experience of death itself. One pastor lost his oldest daughter to a sudden death when she was 34. He said, “You never get over it. And you don’t want to. And through it all, one promise was most important: God is with us.” I will not fear, I will not worry, I will not be anxious, for you are with me. 

I Will Abide (6)
Thirdly, David says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will abide in him.”

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” 

The point of the 23rd psalm is that the destination of the paths of righteousness, the destination of the valley of the shadow of death, the destination of the end of the days of my life is none other than God’s very self. God is the psalmist’s destination.[3] David did abide in the Lord, wherever he was. Whether he was a shepherd boy, whether he was standing before Goliath, whether he was hiding in the wildness from Saul and Absalom, whether he was a king, he always did abide in the Lord.

Jesus said, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4, NRSV) Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. Abiding means believing,

trusting, resting, receiving, connecting to Jesus. Wherever we are, we are never lost, when we abide in Jesus, for his pursuing goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will make it home safely. We only need to remember these words and hold fast them: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

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[1] Wanye Monbleau, “Our Shepherd Became A Lamb for Us,” https://www.lovinggrace.org/single-post/2015/07/23/Our-Shepherd-Became-A-Lamb-For-Us
[2] Barbara Brown Taylor in The Preaching Life (Cowley, 1993), p. 147; https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2013/june/5061713.html
[3] deClaisse-Walford, The Book of Psalms (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2014), Kindle Edition 5368 of 32717.

“Meeting the Risen Christ in Unexpected Places” (Gen 28:10-22)

GODISNOWHERE

An atheist and a Christian were engaged in an intense public debate. The atheist did his presentation first. On the blackboard behind the podium he printed in large capital letters, “GOD IS NOWHERE.” Then, the Christian rose to offer his rebuttal. He quietly went up to the podium, and he rubbed out the W at the beginning of where and added that letter to the preceding word no. Then the statement read, “GOD IS NOW HERE.”[1]

Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this morning we sang “He Lives.” We sang, “He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.” Do you experience that? How do you meet the risen Christ in everyday life? How do you experience the resurrection life today? In order to answer this question, we should first define “the resurrection.” Here we're not talking about Jesus' survival in our minds, as a result of which we can say, “Well, he's alive," or, "He is living in me." We can say that about anybody who has died. For instance, in Latin America, there are many students who have such confidence in Che Guevara as one of their leaders that they often sing and chant, "Che lives." He hadn't risen from the dead, but his influence was still living.[2] I still remember one of my colleagues said, “It doesn’t matter whether Christ has been raised from the dead or not. What matters most is to learn his teaching, his life, and his mind.” But the Bible does not say that. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” We are talking not about his survival, but about his resurrection. God did conquer the death and rescue Jesus out of the realm of death; and transformed his body into a new resurrection body, so that he had a new power and was now immortal, never to die again. Jesus himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven in order to experience this resurrection power and life. This promise is available to us today. That’s why Paul said, in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”

God Is Now Here!

The resurrection power and life are available to us today. The question is how. How do you meet the risen Christ in everyday life? How do you experience the resurrection life and power today? We can find the answer from the story of one man just like us – the story of “runaway Jacob.” In today’s passage we find a fascinating story how Jacob meets the living God in the most unexpected place – somewhere in the middle of nowhere! Think about what Jacob is going through. He has lied to his blind, old father. He cheated his brother. So the brother was so mad that he’s threatening to kill him. And now he has to run away in order to save his life. Socially, he is separated from his family and fleeing for his life. Materially, he has nothing but the shirt on his back. Spiritually, he is distant from God and alone and without hope.[3] In a word, Jacob is pressed on every side by troubles. He is wrestling with the past, facing an anxious present, and a very uncertain future.

It’s the very moment when Jacob is the most in need of God. It’s the very place where God breaks through into Jacob’s life. And he begins to experience God’s resurrection power and life. On the way to Haran, in the wilderness he dreams; he sees a stairway and God’s angels are ascending and descending on it. And he hears God say, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you!” Then Jacob confesses, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I wasn’t even aware of it!” Before, Jacob worked hard to take God’s blessings, but he felt like “God is nowhere.” But now, in the middle of nowhere he is empty, hungry, lonely, and he sees his great need. And he meets the living God who begins working with him and opens his eyes to see, “God is now here.” How about you? Are you somewhere in the middle of nowhere? It’s a good place to meet the living God, the risen Christ. Talk to him and admit, “Lord, I have a need I can’t handle by myself. I need you!” And he will begin to work with you.

Meeting the Risen Christ

Recently, I met the risen Christ in an unexpected place, in the middle of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where I was attending the conference. The conference theme was “evangelism” mostly in an urban context. All of the sessions were excellent, but there was a question in my mind: “How about the rural church?” Around that time, I felt “stuck” and didn’t know exactly why and where to turn. I was empty, hungry, desperate. And I waited, waited, waited on God. And God revealed to me the root cause of the problems. That had to do with my “effectiveness-driven” mentality – “Make an impact on many and change the world” mentality. When I was appointed to our church in 2014, my initial goal was to shake things up and change the church, the culture, the community for Jesus’ sake. But apparently, it didn’t work. As a result, after three years, I felt “stuck,” and my sense of significance and self-worth diminished. And I asked myself: “Am I effective? Is my ministry here effective? Am I a right person here? When am I going to make an impact on more people in a larger ministry setting?

While I was in St. Simons Island, God did speak to me through worship, fellowship, prayer and devotional times. The word given to me was “abide.” I thought I did abide, but in fact, it was revealed that what I did was tolerating and enduring, but not abiding. I did not make my home among the people and the community. Then, God showed me what Jesus did: He made his home among us (cf. John 1:14). He chose to abide with us. He brought God’s kingdom to earth. Then, God gave me assurance that I am called to abide, not to change and that my first commitment should be present to people where they are and love them as they are. That revelation changed everything. That changed me. With tears of joy, I shouted, “Surely the Lord is here in this place and I didn’t know it!” Now my pastoral vision is to “abide” where I am planted. The direction of my ministry goal has changed from the ministry of transformation to the ministry of presence. It is to stay put, to be present, and to love people and the community with all my heart. (So now you are stuck with me!) And now I see my Bethel is Houlton and Hodgdon, and I begin to see God’s kingdom here and now. Praise God!

Where Is Your Bethel? 

The area where Jesus was born, lived, did his ministry is called the Holy Land. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land would be a meaningful journey. I would like to go someday. It’s one of my bucket list. But in some sense, today we are traveling and standing on the holy land. The risen Christ is here with us. And if we walk with him and talk with him, our home is the Holy Land; our church is the Holy Land; Houlton and Hodgdon is the Holy Land!

Jesus was born at a particular time. He ministered to particular people in a particular place. But it does affect the entire world. He walked three miles in an hour. He met one person at a time, touched one person at a time. He didn’t heal all the sick. He didn’t solve all the problems. That was not his ultimate calling. But as he did teach, preach, and heal some of them, he always did reveal God’s kingdom and bring the kingdom to earth. That was his calling. So on the cross, he was able to say, “It is finished!”

In the same way, we live in a particular place and time. It’s April 8, 2018, we live in Houlton/ Hodgdon, ME. We don’t have to wait, or we don’t have to go somewhere to meet the risen Christ. He is now here! And this is our Bethel, the house of God. This is our mission field. On one occasion a woman wanted to join Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. But Mother Teresa said, “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”

Where is your Calcutta? Where is your Bethel? As Mother Teresa said, let us start with the person nearest us. Let us pick up one person. Let us love one person at a time in our family, in our church, in our community. And we will see the risen Christ in them and say, “Surely the Lord is here and I didn’t know it!”

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[1] Keith Krell, “Runaway Bride” (Gen 28:10-22), https://bible.org/seriespage/35-runaway-bribe-genesis-2810-22
[2] John Stott, “The Up-to-the-Minute Relevance of the Resurrection” (John 20:24-29), http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2010/july/theuptotheminuterelevanceoftheresurrection.html
[3] Bob Hallman, “Nowhere To Look But Up” (Genesis 28:1-22) http://calvarychapel.com/kauai/teachings/genesis_pdf/gen_28_notes.pdf, 9.

“Still the Best News Ever” (Luke 24:13-35) - Easter Sunday 2018 -

The Best News 

What is the best news you have ever heard? For me personally, it was when Joyce said “Yes!” And she married me about 10 years ago this May. For Jewish people, the following news might be the best news they had received. During World War II, Gen. George Patton’s army had just liberated Buchenwald, Germany, and they entered the concentration camp to set people there free. There they found hundreds of starving men piled in bunks from floor to ceiling. Even though they had been freed, they remained in the barracks. They suspected that new uniforms just meant new oppression and new abuse, and they would not leave the barracks. But then, Rabbi Herschel Shacter came in with the troops and spoke to them in their own language: "Shalom Aleichem, Yidden, Ihr zint frei!"—"Peace be upon you, Jews, you are free!" Hearing the news, one man got up, then a stream of men out of that one barracks, then the stream became a flood as they went from barrack to barrack, to barrack with this news: “You are free, you are free, you are free!” What is then the best news in human history? Without slightest hesitation I would say the world’s best news is this: “Christ is risen!”

George Gallop did a poll that said 84% of people who never go to church believe Jesus rose from the dead. But many people, and perhaps some of you in this room, may wonder, “It happened 2,000 years ago. Does it really matter? Is it relevant to my life?” The answer is “YES.” Let me suggest to you at least three reasons why it is so important and relevant to your lives.

Freedom from the Past 

First, the resurrection gives us freedom from the past. One pastor received this letter: "I'm 31 years old and divorced, though I fought the divorce bitterly. I feel bad. I have no hope for my future. Often I go home and cry, but there's no one holding me when I cry. Nobody cares. Nothing changes, and I continue to fail. I'm stressed out emotionally, and I feel I'm on the verge of a collapse. Something is very wrong. But I feel so hurt and embittered that I can scarcely react or relate to others anymore. I feel as if I'm going to have to sit out the rest of my life in the penalty box."[1] 

In today’s passage we meet two disciples of Jesus who are heading home after a traumatic weekend. Verse 17 says, “And they stood still, looking sad.” Why were they sad? Part of the reason might be because of the loss of their loved one. But there was another more fundamental reason under the surface, that was guilt. Peter disowned Jesus three times; Mark fled naked, when the mob tried to grab him; none of the disciples were able to follow Jesus. And these two disciples were also suffering from guilt and shame. And now Jesus died. Everything seemed over. And they are deeply and sadly ashamed, saying, “I guess I’ll just have to live with this the rest of my life.” The thing is, many people live like that. I don’t know about you, but for me, I have been there. I have guilt. I have the past. If my past is shown like panorama on the screen, I’m sure that no one in this room will want me to be your pastor. I doubt my children would still call me “dad.” But the resurrection brings the good news that there is forgiveness with God. The risen Christ proclaims to us, “You are free! You are free from your guilt! You are free from your past!” The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” (2Co 5:17). That is what happens in baptism. When we go under the water, we (old self) die with the crucified Christ. When we come up out of the water, we (new self) enter into a new life with the risen Christ. That’s the first message of the resurrection of Jesus: our past can be forgiven today.

Power in the Present 

That’s good news. We can make a fresh start. I don’t know about you, but for me I need more than just forgiveness for the past. I need power in the present. We often hear people say, “My life is out of control… I feel powerless to break a bad habit. I feel powerless to get out of debt. I feel powerless to save a relationship, and so on.” What we need is a power greater than ourselves. So our question is, “Is God really able to change human nature?” “Is it possible for the addict to break the vicious cycle?” “Is it possible for cruel people to be made kind, and sour people to be sweetened?” The answer is, “YES, it is possible!” We see numerous evidence in the Bible. Jesus’ disciples were all timid cowards when Jesus died, but after they met the risen Christ, they became fearless martyrs. 

Paul is another good example. At first, Paul hated Christians, because in his eyes what they believed, the Messiah, was nonsense. The Messiah by definition is anointed one, which means, "the chosen one, beloved one." But here is this Jesus Christ, supposed to be the Messiah, and he is dying on a cross. Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “Cursed is he who is hung on a tree.” This guy Jesus is cursed by God, abandoned by God. No wonder Paul didn’t believe this Jesus. But then, he saw Jesus raised from the dead. He says, “Wait a minute! If God did raise him from the dead and vindicate him, then when he was cursed, he must have been cursed for someone else’s sins, not his own.” God opens the eyes of his heart, and all of sudden it’s all beginning to make sense. In the same way, the two disciples in today’s scripture heard the news that Jesus had been raised from the dead. But for them these words seemed an idle tale (11). They didn’t believe, but when the risen Christ interpreted the scriptures, their hearts began to burn within them. The Scriptures became from “idle tale” to “living word of God.” And after that, they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem (33). In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul says, “How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe him, the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (TLB).” The same resurrection power is available to us today. And the same God of supernatural power, who raised Jesus from the dead, can raise us from spiritual death and make us alive. He can change us, because he changed Christ.

Hope for the Future

The resurrection gives us freedom from our past; the resurrection gives us power in the present. The third message is, the resurrection gives us true hope for the future. Bertland Russell said, “When I die, I believe that I shall rot, and that that is the end.” But the resurrection of Jesus tells us that there is life after death. Billy Graham once said, “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” 

What is your source of hope? In Hebrews 11 we meet heroes of faith. They are all from different times, but all of them have one thing in common. They have the hope of resurrection. For instance, when Abraham offered Isaac, “he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead!” (19) How about Joseph? Before he died, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left (22). Some were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection (35). That’s the resurrection hope! The Bible says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… the Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1Th 4:14-17). That’s the resurrection hope: God will raise the dead, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and he will make everything new.

Still the Best New Ever 

So why does the resurrection matter to you? It matters because your sin can be forgiven. It matters because your present can be transformed. It matters because your future can be secure.

On the day of Pentecost Peter preached his first sermon. Basically, he preached Jesus and the resurrection. It was the first Easter message. People responded with this question: “Brothers, what should we do?” And Peter answered, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38a MSG). That day about three thousand received his word and were baptized. After 2,000 years later today, the Easter message is still the same. “Jesus Christ is risen today.” And it’s still the best news ever. How would you respond to this good news?

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[1] Rick Warren, “What Difference Does Easter make?” (Colossians 2:13-14) http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2005/august/223.html