Peace

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. - Isaiah 40:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

Hope for exiles

Do you feel like the outsider in different areas of your life? Are you a racial minority where you live? Are you the odd one out because of your faith, at your job or school? This is the situation of the southern kingdom of Judah.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to this kingdom that has gone into exile. Israel has been carried off into foreign lands. They have seen friends and family murdered. God gives them hope.

Divine intervention is on the way

The exiles are to take comfort in knowing that God is coming to intervene. The reason for exile isn't just bad luck, but rather because of their sin. The sins are four categories: forgotten God, ritual making of worship, corruption of their society, and looking to other nations for salvation. God was going to intervene and save them. The passage calls for people to prepare for the coming King. They need to make the path level, remove boulders for the road... So the king can come straight in. This calls to us as well. We are to prepare our lives for the coming King. But instead of the first coming, we should prepare for Jesus' second coming.

We, people, are mist

Our lives are short. The word of God lasts forever. We are but mist. Jesus is the word of God made flesh. The word will never pass away. We need to remember that the Bible means God, the Lord of the universe, wants to meet with us there. Reading or not reading does not save. But reading the Bible with faith is good. Read when you can. Maybe not large chunks, maybe small pieces to meditate upon. In the morning or the evening as it suits you. In quiet or lively places. We have the Holy Spirit to help guide and comprehend the word. 

Hopeful Perseverance

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. - Isaiah 35:1‭-‬10 ESV

Justin Kim

Hope for the weary

The promise is given from God that He shall redeem the land. In the previous chapters, the prophet Isaiah warns Israel against trusting in other nations rather than God. This chapter is juxtaposed against that and speaks of how life can be found in trusting in God. In God, there is life, healing, and salvation. We are called to place our how in God and He will heal, revive, and save. This isn't just for the first day we place our faith in God, but for everyday Christian living. This is the foundation of what it means to be a Christian. He will come and save, not just the first time, but day after day. Jesus isn't just our savior, but we must also acknowledge Him as Lord over our lives. It's isn't just about celebrating Jesus as savior, but also living day to day with Jesus as Lord. Jesus isn't just a ticket to heaven, he is also about saving us from ourselves, from our self reliance.

Hope fulfilled

God speaks about redemption and hope in Zion. The kingdom of God is here, but also not yet. The salvation of God is already here in Christ. We are saved and secure because of Jesus. Yet we are not in heaven, Jesus at his first coming is an inauguration of the kingdom of heaven. We should celebrate it, but we should also pray and wait eagerly for the full coming of heaven on earth. Thanksgiving has just passed. The best moment for me is isn't just the fully stacked plate of dinner, but rather that first "test" bite when the fresh turkey comes out and is getting cut into probs. The first bite reassures us that the coming full dinner will be great. So it is for the Christian, the taste we have of heaven will point to coming fullness of the kingdom. Do we remember this? Do we hunger for the coming fullness of heaven? Let us return to the promise of God and the fullness to come. Let us submit to the Lord everything and every area of our lives.

False hope and the real thing

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. - Colossians 2:8‭-‬15 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

This is a letter written by Paul. It is written to a church in Collosi. This church is located in what is now modern day Turkey. It is to correct the church and bring them back to the real thing and away from the counterfeit/fake. In our world there are plenty of counterfeits. Many counterfeits to address our ills. How do we avoid spiritual fakes? How do we recognize them?

The Warning

Paul is trying to bring our awareness to something. It isn't a quiet word, but more like "Hey!" This is something that is coming and we need to be prepared. What is it? It is that we should beware of empty hopes and philosophies. These are lifestyles and philosophies that promise life, prosperity, and fulfillment. But they will not deliver on those promises. Paul is telling believers to watch out for these scams. The counterfeit hopes are coming to us. It isn't just a warning to the foolish or inattentive or unbeliever, but for us. We can stare at a spiritual forgery and invest into a scam that comes to nothing in the end.

The Counterfeit

Paul references aceticism and mysticism. The former is denying ourselves of pleasure and joys to make progress. Or the latter is looking for special hidden knowledge... Like looking for a prophecy from God for our lives. How does this happen? There are elements of the original of the truth. The counterfeit must speak to the fact that we are broken and we need something else. We need to do something more, work harder, and know more in order to be right. We desire fulfillment and there's nothing wrong with that, but we think we can fix it. We can fix ourselves.

The Remedy

Jesus is fulfillment. He is joy. He is the unfading, undying, glorious fullness. He is the healing we need. We need to stop trying. Instead of waiting for fulfillment, we need to consider that in Jesus, we have it; we have it all. Whatever dreams our hopes we have are still small, Jesus promises a fuller hope, a fuller dream. He wants more than just our small hopes for us. Jesus is circumcising our hearts. It isn't us doing this, it is Him. And it doesn't need our additional work, He's finished it.

Application

1. Come back to the Gospel (lean into the finished work of Jesus)

2. Find how we seek our false hopes (and lay them down)

Ain't nothing like the real thing - Marvin Gayle

https://youtu.be/Jz_D-greh8Q

Why should we prioritize reaching the unreached?

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." And again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. - Romans 15:8‭-‬24 ESV

Rev. S.Ewing

Why? God has a mission to reach all the people for his glory. So the church must prioritize the mission of God.

God has a mission to reach all people's for his glory and the church is called to the same mission

Paul was calling both Jews and gentiles to unity in the church. He tells them that they are both needed. First he speaks of how the word first came to the Jews. Then he calls for the fulfillment of the word in bringing the gentiles into God's family/kingdom. Paul speaks of the gentiles six times in six verses. He references the Old Testament which both gentiles and Jews use. Missions isn't a personal hobby. It comes from God. The bible is a missional book. So the church must be on mission as well. The verses speak of God subduing the nations and then calling them into worship. How? This is only possible by the sacrifice of Jesus. From rebels, to saved, to worshippers... This is the theme, this is our story. Not only just the gentiles, but also the Jews. It is the story of every Christian. God wants to win our hearts and receive our praise & worship. Missions isn't primarily about salvation, it is about God's glory. Salvation of people is important, but God's glory is ultimate.

We cannot go on missions on our own power. Going overseas is difficult. How then? We are first objects of God's mission before we are the means of God's mission. Worship and missions are married. They are not in conflict. Paul's worship is bringing more worshippers to God.

We must prioritize the unreached

The church must prioritize the unreached because God is on a mission for those who don't know him. Paul says that there are places where people don't know God and places with no foundation. What does that mean? It means places with no Christian witness. A foundation is coded language to mean a church. So places where there is no church. This is what we understand as unreached people. There is no one actively working for the resurrection of those people.

We must use God's resources

Paul wants to go to Spain. Not Spain like today, there are no Christians there. Paul asks for help on his journey. What does that mean? In that day and age, it means to pave the way to send someone with them. It means to provide resources, maybe even send people to go with them, to be refreshed & encouraged for their journey. So let's summarize, it means material, financial, & spiritual support. We don't just send them and say bye. It means sending short term teams. It means sending long term missions team members. It means praying for them as the missionaries go thru hardship.

Pursued and Pursuing

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Philippians 3:12-4:1 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

A correction

Paul expounds on what he is teaching. That the gospel is that Jesus has done the good work and we cannot add to it. There are a group called the judaizers. They taught that people needed to not only follow Jesus but also follow the Jewish ceremonial law. That to be perfect one needed to be circumcized among other things. This was a different gospel. It was one of perfectionism. This was not the gospel of Jesus. Paul says that he was not complete in growing. Following the Jewish laws will not make one perfect. Paul is saying that he is humbled by knowing that he has so much more to go from what he has learned of Jesus and what he has learned about himself. He had grown downwards. Seeing how far down we are from the perfection that is Jesus makes us humble, patient, and gentle. This is the nature of true spiritual growth. 

A call

Justification is the idea that Jesus has paid the price for us and permanently altered the legal status of his followers. We are forgiven by God because of Jesus. But this should not lead to spiritual complacency. It should make us focus on moving forward and forgetting what is behind us. What does that mean? We are not to look at past failures. They have been confessed to God and He has forgiven us. Looking at these things can demotivate and drain us with an inordinate amount of guilty feelings. But past success can also have a similar effect. Looking at past growth can make us feel like we have arrived. Why run so hard? 

A word of comfort

A call to run harder from Paul during a time of COVID. What? We're tired. There's so many things. More things to do? Seriously pastor?! But maybe we aren't being called to add more... to do more... Maybe it is more of a perspective change. Maybe we should pursue Jesus in what we are already doing. How so? As an example, when getting out of bed is a gargantuan effort, let's pray, Lord won't you give me the strength to get up? So that in going thru this difficult season, we can give glory to God for getting us thru it. Whatever you are struggling with, take it to Jesus. There is a way to go thru difficult times being tired, being stressed, but there is also a way of going thru the same difficulties with resurrection power. 

Resiliency joy and hope

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Philippians 2:19‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

How to deal when God doesn't give us what we want..

The excellence of Timothy

Paul tells of how he hopes to send Timothy because he has no one like Timothy. Paul gives the highest compliment to Timothy. Timothy is like a son in the gospel. Timothy pursued the good of others. He's the goat. But Timothy isn't being sent to them. Such disappointment. 

The faithful ordinariness of Epaphroditus

So Paul follows up and says he will send back Epaphroditus. This was one of their own. Paul was sending him back. Huh. The church knew him, they had sent him to help Paul. Paul elevates Epaphroditus as a minister. A worker in the gospel who they thought they knew. Paul commends the man they sent to him.

The necessity of sending Epaphroditus (not Timothy)

Epaphroditus is sent to them, not Timothy. The church doesn't need Timothy. They didn't need the greatness of Timothy. The church may have wanted the extraordinary, impressive Timothy. But really what they needed was the very ordinary, very familiar Epaphroditus. God often gives us not what we want, but what we need. We do not see what God sees. God doesn't give us the five star thing we want. He gives us the ordinary, mundane to minister to us.

Paul commends those very mundane things. We should look at those very ordinary servants in the gospel. He does not commend sin and failings, but he does say that earnest, familiar coworkers in the gospel deserve honor. The ordinary community group leader. The struggling worker in the gospel. Paul was a murderer, a gang leader, a persecutor of the church, he was a train wreck from the perspective of the church. So far from God. But Paul's life had been turned around. He was reformed by the Holy Spirit. 

What Epaphroditus reveals

God doesn't just use the extraordinary things. He uses the mundane. Yes, mundane people like you and I. What is special then? The Holy Spirit in the believer. It is not the skills, the personality, the looks, the talent. What makes us special is not gifted people but people who have been gifted by God with the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus did not come as Timothy. He came clothed as an Epaphroditus, so very ordinary. Jesus came as an ordinary looking guy. He did not have good looks. Jesus came here as a rural kid from nowhere that nobody knew about rather than a prince in a palace. Jesus came as a carpenter when the Jews were looking for a warrior or technocrat. He came with no powerful connections in the nation. 

Closing encouragements

Embrace the ordinary around us - if God does this with Jesus, then wouldn't it make sense that God does the same with other people in our lives. Don't get hung up waiting for the next great thing.

Humility

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Meaning of humility 

Humility is not selfish ambition. There were opponents to Paul who were preaching for selfish gain. We are called to look to the interest of others. This is not telling us to self care is unnecessary, but it is not just solely about self. 

Model of humility 

Motivation of humility 

Manner of Life Worthy of the Gospel

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Philippians 1:27‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

Citizens of heaven

We are to act as citizens of heaven. People should be able to look at our lives and see that we belong to God. Just like when people from other countries come here clearly stand out, so our lifestyle should reflect where we belong.

Expectation of opposition

We should live expecting opposition for our faith in God and lifting up the Bible as truth. Christians should not expect a life of utmost comfort but rather harsh criticism and even physical persecution. But this is an honor, it is an honor to share in Christ' sufferings. Because Jesus suffered not just harsh criticism, but even persecuted to death. Jesus has walked this path first. He has started the redemption of all things and calls us to follow him in the restoration of all things.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, - Philippians 1:3‭-‬18 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

Paul is imprisoned in jail on a false charge of inciting rioting. He has appealed to the very top, the emperor of Rome, to decide on this matter. This is a pivotal point for Christians of that day and age. Paul is a central figure of the faith and he was about to see what Rome thought of the religion of following Jesus. And in this context, the followers of Jesus dared to share the gospel. How is this so?

Paul is focused on the sharing of the gospel. That no matter what's going on, he rejoices that the gospel is preached. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the proof of our future hope. That we will rise again renewed, restored, and whole again. 

How the gospel moves thru adversity

Gospel moves not because we can do it. It isn't by our willpower. We need God's empowerment. We cannot rely on our own strength or our works. God started the good work in us and he will complete it. We don't have to figure it out. We just need to move with God. 

covet and contentment

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Exodus 20:1‭-‬2‭, ‬17 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11‭-‬13 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

God doesn't care just about outward obedience, He also cares about our inward heart. He doesn't just care about what we do but why we do it. 

The problem and pervasiveness of coveting

The desire for a house, a spouse, good things is a desire given by God. There is nothing wrong with these desires. But we are not to desire what is our neighbors. Not just their possessions, but literally anything. Their opportunities, talents, good looks, etc. We are to desire our neighbor's good above their goods. We are to celebrate their success and blessings. But it is not just a horizontal relationship problem, it has a vertical dimension. Covetousness hides a belief that we are not getting what we deserve. If we had this thing or things, everything would be complete in our lives. Scripture says that covetousness is idolatry. It is elevating these things to make them ultimate. It is an accusation that God is not dealing fairly or properly with you. It is such a small hearted thing. How ugly and shameful that we cannot celebrate when our neighbor is successful. We all struggle with this. Our culture only fans the flames. It tells us to be discontent.

The power to turn from coveting to contentment

Buddhism sees the problem of coveting and tells the followers to mute the desires entirely. But Christianity says something different, we do not seek to eliminate our desires but rather to desire rightly. To put our desires in the proper order, and placing our ultimate hope in Jesus. We are to submit our lives entirely to God. This is how to find contentment in our lives. Paul writes from prison about his contentment. He is often in need, in danger, and at risk. Shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment. But he is content because he is grounded in Christ. How? First, being grounded in Christ takes away any sense of entitlement. Anything on the other side from hell is grace because that is what we deserve. Second, the cross points out how far God will go for us. It is our proof that God is working for our good regardless of how our circumstances appear on the surface. God provides for all that we need. God withholds things for our good. Things that we desire... For our good. 

radical truthfulness

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:1‭-‬2‭, ‬16 ESV

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. - Matthew 5:33‭-‬37 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

What it means

This command is specific to court/judicial setting. When you are brought up as a witness or you are accusing someone, you are to tell the truth. In this day and age, we have security cameras, cell phone footage, even DNA analysis. But Israel had none of these things. They only had spoken testimony. Speaking the truth can have life changing implications. It has corporate effects as well. Speaking lies tears at the fabric of community. It makes us skeptical and even cynical. 

How it applies

This command is more then just not lying. It means to keep to the truth in all areas of life. Jesus speaks to this in the use of oaths. There was a set of religious laws called the mishna. It outlined two types of oaths. One set that were not legally binding and the other would incur the judgement of God. These religious laws made for more complex lying rather than more trustworthy people. Those who follow God were to be truthful, so truthful that they do not need to be under oath. They do not need to swear an oath in order to speak truth. That is the radical truth and trustworthiness God calls us to.

It is unlikely that we have committed perjury. But we break this commandment in many ways everyday. We exaggerate to plead our case, to make ourselves look better. We revile those we dislike. We magnify their faults and minimize/omit their strengths. We gossip under the guise of sharing. There is no heart to reach out and engage them to help them to kill that sin. All this lying is largely driven by fear. Fear of missing out, fear of looking bad, fear of not having enough social standing or career opportunities.

How to truly live it

Liars and slanders have no place on God's holy hill. We, those who tear at the fabric of community, deserve God's judgement & wrath. But Jesus came full of grace and truth. He came and paid the price of capital punishment on our behalf. He frees us from fear. We are accepted into God's kingdom because of what Jesus has done. We have the riches of God and a place in His presence. We can live a life of giving rather than fear.

To honor in family relationships

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:2‭, ‬12 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

What does it mean to honor our parents in adulthood? Family relationships are complicated. Sin and brokenness is often found in these relationships, but God calls us from slavery into God's goodness.

Honoring, ancient Israel-style

Honor was hierarchical in Mediterranean culture. There was an order and structure to how honor was given. The ruler was the top of a pyramid demanding the first. Eli was accused of honoring his sons above God. God was claiming that sacrifices were his, but Eli was honoring his sons above God. God is above all. Parents, leaders, and managers... There is someone higher in the food chain than you. God's honor is always to be greater than our own. We can't claim the greatest place in our children's lives. We should not act like the only authority in our house. This command doesn't just speak to those under authority; it speaks to those with authority. We all sit under the authority of God. 

Honor was mutually beneficial. The patron-client relationship describes this. Protection was limited, so a patron provided it to clients. But the clients also honored patrons and both parties benefited. This doesn't call for parents to treat their children as clients! But it points out the mutual benefit of both parties. Honor meant that when we gathered things, it would benefit not just ourselves but also others. Good provision to children raised the honor of the parents. And good provision was, of course, good for the children. So honor is not just for you and I, but for others and for God.

Honoring our parents in light of Jesus' life

Jesus heads with his family to Jerusalem and he stays behind. Now traveling in such large family group, it takes some time for his parents to find that he isn't with them. He stays behind in the temple and that is where his parents find him. Jesus is speaking with the religious teachers and showing his good desire to be in his father's house. But Jesus at that young age, goes back with his parents. He submits to his parents authority. Jesus lets his parents exercise authority as a child. 

But as he grows older, he no longer asks Mary for advice or permission. Jesus doesn't ask Mary for directions. Jesus' parents no longer control him. So for us, submission as a child was for the child to learn and be guided. Jesus' ministry takes off, he calls himself the son of God. Jesus' family come to get him. They think Jesus is acting crazy and they go to bring him home and set him straight. But Jesus doesn't go along with them. Jesus publicly disagrees with his family. Jesus doesn't write them off. Jesus continues to honor them even as he disagrees them. Jesus calls John, the disciple, to care for his mother at the cross.

Honoring our parents in our lives

As children, we should submit to our parents. Even as children who disagree with our parents, we need to submit, even when the desires are not bad. As adults, we must continue to honor and care for our parents, even when we disagree. Why? Because Jesus did. Even as Jesus was being publicly executed, he honored his mother, Mary. So honor isn't just for when it is convenient. Jesus was the commandments in flesh. So to honor, to care, and to love our parents at all times is the command. But on our best days, we cannot muster this. Jesus doesn't simply provide the example, the blueprint. He provides the power. Through the power of the holy spirit, God can change us inside to desire these things. Honoring in Jesus' life led to death, but also resurrection. Consider that in the old testament dishonoring ones parents was punishable by death. So it is with us. We fail to honor God and our parents... And to do so is deserving of death. But for the Christian, we die with Jesus and find life & resurrection. We find desire to do what God desires. And we find honor, even as we honor others, especially.

Understanding Rest

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. - Exodus 20:1‭-‬2‭, ‬8‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

The commandments outline how to flourish with God. It is moving from enslavement to freedom in Christ. Many of us in the church struggle to understand and rest/Sabbath. God doesn't just offer it to us; He commands it.

Why we struggle to Sabbath

Why do we constantly struggle with putting down our striving? We see it as a restriction or constraint. Often it is because we think that God will reject us because we aren't doing it tightly. For others, when God command rest, we see it as an imposition of who's the boss. We struggle with keeping God as Lord of our lives. Still others may think that by keeping the Sabbath, they are missing out, falling behind, or getting less. Fears of falling behind in our lives in some way. But God has already seen this and prepared for these things. God first delivers Israel from Egypt and in that, we see that God provides. He knows that we will struggle to trust Him. That's why He rescues first. So we could know that we can trust him. We are constantly looking for ways to control the world around us. Maybe our spouse, or our career, or our parents... God gives us freedom in Christ so that we don't serve other things in our lives.

How to reorient

This command invites us to be like God. The passage points us back to the story of creation. The reason we are commanded to rest isn't just because we need rest, but God, infinite and powerful, enjoys rest. In being commanded to rest, we are invited to be like God. This is not a restriction, this is God wanting is to have more. God has this and wants to share it with us. After centuries of hardship and slavery, God invites them to enjoy things of the King. From centuries of degradation, an invitation to being elevated back to heirs of the King. This isn't an invitation to those who have it together, Israel was always sinful and slavery didn't make it better. It is for sinners like you and I. This invitation is for those who were broken inside and out. We don't need just a physical rescue, a release from our circumstances. We need a rescue from our internal brokenness, a slavery that we carry around with us everywhere we go. So this command is to put down our attempts to do what Christ has done for us. That is what the Sabbath calls us to. It calls to rest in what Jesus has already done for us. For those who believe, we are free in Jesus. That is ultimately what our Sabbath should be about.

How to live into it?

First, we are to examine. We need to look at our Sundays and see how it is different from other days. Does it look different from Saturday? This isn't a call to guilt, we will not see a perfect Sabbath in our lives until we see Jesus. But it is a call to change it, to make it holy in our lives. We need to examine our hearts and perhaps to start thinking on Saturday how we can start resting on Sunday. 

Let's do some dangerous resting. I want us to step out in faith and stop working on something that feels so important in your life. Leave that project, that striving, that thing that we are afraid to put down. Push it off to Monday. Trust in God instead. Place our hope in Jesus instead.

God's name

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The essence of the command

God considers his name as vitally important. Important enough to be one of the ten commandments. How so? In our current day and culture, we pick names because they are cool or unique. But in the times of the old testament, names were very important. Jacob was named for grasping his brothers ankle. It also meant schemer which was proven true later in his life in his planning to obtain his father's blessing. God was asked by Moses what His name was. God called himself, Yahweh, I am. The supreme being of all creation shared his name with Israel. In doing so, he was sharing some of himself. To disrespect God's name is to disrespect God himself. This is how God sees it.

To call on Jesus name, not in a perfunctory way is to call on God. The power is not in the name, but it does represent Him. Jews were so careful that they often used alternatives rather than writing his name.

The expansiveness of the command

Vain means worthless, emptiness, and even evil. To use Jesus' name as an exclamation were be considered empty. Or saying something like oh my god. This is a reducing of God's name. This seems old fashioned but this isn't my opinion, this is God's point of view. And using God's name in an oath, so help me God, with no intention to uphold that oath is evil. To use God's name for our personal gain, like false prophets. They prophecy for their own purposes. Some say that God is leading them to certain actions, but this is simply using God to justify our personal desires. It even covers perfunctory prayers and songs. It is evil to sing praise or pray to God when our hearts are not in it.

In calling ourselves Christians, we are literally bearing God's name. Our actions, behavior, and character are seen as reflections of our parents. When kids are well behaved or ill mannered, the assumption is that their parent's values are reflected there. When Christians act in ways that are contrary to God's agenda and desires, God's name is dishonored. 

The effect of the command

We see this command and we see how we fail to live this out consistently. We fall short in our lives in so many ways to keep not just this command, but all ten commandments. To bring shame on God's name brings guilt. But Jesus lived perfectly and fulfilled these commands consistently in his life. He did this as the way to pay for our guilt. 

second commandment: the image of God

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. - Exodus 20:4‭-‬6 ESV

What is prohibited?

There is only one true God and only He is deserving of our worship. We are always drawn to good, created things. These are meant to be enjoyed but they are not to be our ultimate desire. Sex, money, family, respect of men, etc. We are not to create images and sculptures of God.

Why is it prohibited?

The idea is that we are trying to contain or depict God. Any image or sculpture will fall to depict the fullness of God. This made sense when Israel was in the desert. God was the cloud, the pillar of fire. Israel could not create an image of the invisible God. But then Jesus came. He was the fullness of God. The object holds no power. It cannot connect us to God. It does not allow us to control God. Often idols are our attempts to conform God to our own perceptions and our ideas about God. The idol is a misrepresentation of God and an offense to Him. We are offended when we are misunderstood or misrepresented, so then what is God's reaction?

God's image redeemed

Jesus was an authorized depiction of God, but there is another. Us, humans. We are created in God's image. We reflect some of his qualities. We are broken mirrors because of sin. But Jesus was broken for us so that we would not die, but be restored. So we should strive to glorify and illuminate Jesus in every area of our lives.

The wilderness

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?" And Moses said, "When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.'" And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'" In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning." But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'" So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none." On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. - Exodus 16:1‭-‬31‭, ‬35 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

Why does grumbling happen?

The nation of Israel exited Egypt. It is around 30 days after nation altering events. The closest we can imagine is the aftermath of 911 in this country. They were in the wilderness and nothing was wrong. They were not starving. They wanted meat and bread. This is not a daily thing, but rather a luxury. They were giving God a bad Yelp review. They were saying that they wanted to be delivered in a certain way. This was not the deliverance they wanted. They wanted things a certain way. God had brought them out of Egypt, but Egypt was still in them. 

How does God respond to our grumbling?

God does not respond the way we expect to grumbling. Why does God appear to be giving in to the people's grumbling? He gives them honey wafers and meat! But that is not the case, God is giving them food and rest. He is giving them daily bread. This requires daily dependence on God. This is not Egypt; this is God providing. God's antidote is to give us back what we need which is relationship with Him. He gives them provisions daily so they could find what they needed, Him. God could've brought them near in Egypt, but He did not do that. He needed them to see their need for God and that would only happen in the wilderness. God will not lose us, even if it costs us our comfort.

Not only does he answer their grumbling with provision, but he also gives them rest. He gives them the Sabbath. He wasn't going to make them gather bread everyday. He was going to arrange things so people could take a day off. Slaves did not have days off. Entire generations lived and died without any rest. So God was teaching them that they were people, not property. Their worth was not in their productivity or their hustle. God promises to provide enough and the people did not trust Him. While we are grumbling, God is providing and rehabilitating us. 

Jesus found no rest upon the cross. He was afflicted with hunger and thirst. He left the riches of heaven to walk upon this sinful world. He suffered indignity to give us dignity. He answered our grumblings with new life and grace.

Consider what our grumbling says about what we think we need instead of God.

Return to God daily to find sustenance and rest.

Crossing the sea

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. - Exodus 14:5‭-‬31 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

Missing the bigger picture

The Pharaoh was utterly humiliated and done with the people of Israel. He sends them away. But God leads then through the wilderness. This is not a quick route, it is slow and would've taken weeks and months. Meanwhile Pharaoh's heart hardens again and he takes hundreds of chariots from his personal guard and hundreds, if not thousands from the nation's military, then goes to pursue the slaves, the nation of Israel.

Israel is between a rock and a hard place. The military might of Egypt is coming after them. They start to grumble and complain. They forget about who had started their release from slavery. They forgot about God and all the power represented in those plagues. Often it is the same with us when times gets tough, when we are not #blessed or living Instagram perfect lives. We forget God and His mighty works.

God's agenda

God is here to show his power. He is protecting Israel with the pillars of cloud and fire. He then opens a path across the sea. There is a wall of water on both left and right as Israel crosses. God then defeats the entire army without the Israelites lifting a single weapon. He brings the entire sea down upon the Egyptians and not one survives. The people of Israel look upon the army one minute and then nothing... utter anhilation.

From deliverance to doxology

After Moses sees this, he praises God. After him, Miriam lifts the tambourine and sings a song to God. These glimpses of joy are so fleeting here. But in heaven, the songs are the norm. We shall sing of the salvation of God. We will continue to sing about Jesus coming and saving. Praise and worship are the right response to salvation & deliverance. So what about today? We can only identify as one of two camps, either the oppressor, hard hearted Pharaoh or the enslaved Israelites. If the first, we should be afraid and turn to God. If the second, we should remember how God has saved us, we should respond in praise and thankfulness rather than grumbling and complaining.

Exodus: the struggle

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'" But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord , that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord , and moreover, I will not let Israel go." Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens." And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!" The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.' Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words." So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I will not give you straw. Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.'" So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw." And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?" Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people." But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord .' Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks." The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, "You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day." They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, "The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all."

But the Lord said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land." God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the Lord . I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord .'" Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. So the Lord said to Moses, "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land." But Moses said to the Lord , "Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. - Exodus 5-6:‬13 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Struggling Against

Moses asked for Pharaoh to let the people of Israel to go. The pharaoh refused. Moses asked again in the name of the Lord. Then Pharaoh makes Israel pay for the request by no longer providing straw. He did this to drive a wedge between Moses and the people of Israel. But there's a greater struggle. Pharaoh considered himself a god and Israel was to serve him. The Lord considered Israel His as well. So there is another battle between God and the rulers of this world. God wants the people of Israel for the salvation and blessing of the world. Pharaoh wanted the Israelites to slave for him instead. 

So it is for us, God wants to rule over our lives, but sin is also there. We will read later about God hardening Pharaoh's heart and also Pharaoh hardening his own heart. This is a picture knowing that the true enemy is Satan, not each other. We are called to love our enemies, not hate those who holds differing opinions or worldviews.

Struggling In

Moses finds that the foremen of Israel rebuke him for putting that request to Pharaoh. They are saying that Moses had just made their lives harder. Moses was living in the gap between promise and reality. We are given freedom by Christ, but we only experience struggle. This is the gap that Moses sits in and often where we will find ourselves during times of intense trial. We can find it hard to trust in God's promises. This is not the struggle of a non-believer, but of the believer. We need to go to God.

Finding strength for the struggle

When the foremen of Israel were oppressed, what did they do? They went to Pharaoh their oppressor. So often we find ourselves going to our oppressor for salvation and help. We go to false gods. And just like the foremen, we find no help. And sometimes we may find more trouble rather than help. Often God allows our circumstances to go from bad to worse to show us who our true enemy is and what kind of oppressed life we walked. God brought Israel out of Egypt but then made Israel wander the desert. God wanted to bring Egypt out of the Israelites. So God wants to do with us. He brings us through the gap to show us our false gods and His faithfulness to us.

Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The Lord did not appear to you.'" The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— "that they may believe that the Lord , the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." Again, the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." But Moses said to the Lord , "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord ? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs." - Exodus 4:1‭-‬17 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

God calls Moses and then immediately sends Moses. This is mirrored in Jesus' ministry. He calls the disciples and then says he will make them fishers of men. So it is with us. But instead of joy and excitement, God's people often react with reluctance. Here's three themes in this passage. Be

The fear of man

Moses is called to go to the nation of Israel. God says that the nation will listen to him, but Moses is still doubtful. Before the 40 years of herding animals in the desert, Moses had tried to lead this people and they had rejected him. They didn't respect him. The miracle of the snake staff was a symbol of Egypt. Egypt had a Cobra as it's symbol, but God is trying to say that He is more powerful than man. God controls not only Pharaoh, but even the nation of Egypt. God is bigger and stronger than any man.

Fear of our own shortcomings

Cockiness and brashness has no place in the service of God. We must know of own weakness in our own power. But we should not end there, we must remember the power of God. We can't focus so much on our weakness to forget of the power of God. The disciples were poor, uneducated fisherman. Moses had a stutter. Paul/Saul was a murderer of believers. Talk about the wrong skillset or irredeemable problems. But God uses these very ordinary people to further his kingdom. The staff of Moses was nothing special, but God uses it to do the miracle of the snake. God doesn't just use weak ordinary people, he seems to seek them out for his service.

Just unwilling

Moses finally comes down to the last bit of reluctance. He asks God to send someone else. Moses doesn't want to go. So it is with us. We don't want to go where God calls us. We don't want to minister to those people. We don't want to fully surrender. But God doesn't stop, God sends a helper with Moses... His brother, Aaron. God won't leave Moses to where he was. 

Jesus, the Sanhedrin, the crowd, & Pilate

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" And they cried out again, "Crucify him." And Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him." So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. - Mark 15:1‭-‬20 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The silence of Jesus

The religious leaders put Jesus on trial without due procedure and very unjust way. The Sanhedrin charged him with claiming to be God. The religious leaders wanted to put him to death, but they could not. The nation of Israel was under the rule of the Romans so death sentences could not be carried out without the Romans. Pontius Pilate was not Jewish; he could care less about religious squabbles. If anything at all, Pontius wanted nothing to do with executing Jesus. As the accusations were spun as high treason against Caesar, Jesus only commented upon the accusations. Jesus did not defend himself. 

Do not take Jesus' silence as accepting injustice. In this instance, Jesus was in the role of the silent sacrificial lamb of God. For us, silence in the face of evil is evil. We are called to point out injustice. The religious leaders were hardened in their stance and desire to have Jesus killed.  Jesus has done miracles and taught in the temples. Even if Jesus gave a water tight argument to them at this time, they would not have listened at all. So it would have been fruitless to argue.

The cry of the crowd

Pilate knew that there was no guilt in Jesus. There was a tradition for the Romans to release a single prisoner during this time of year. Pilate knew that the Sanhedrin was trying to kill Jesus out of jealousy. So Pilate brought out Barabbas, a known revolutionary and maybe even a murderer. The chief priests stirred up the crowd to their desire. Barabbas' name meant son of the father. Ironically, they choose the counterfeit son and rejected the real son of God. 

Perhaps the priests had stirred up the crowd, but in some way, the crowd also rejected Jesus. Loving your enemies is so much harder than fighting them and trying to kill them. The status quo of restoring the nation of Israel was so much more comfortable than accepting Jesus and this kingdom of heaven. 

So it is also with us. We may not cry aloud our rejection of Jesus, but do we not still reject Jesus? Our theology is so at odds with our day to day. We claim to follow Jesus but we chase after money, power, and comfort. Our actions speak of our rejection. Are we so different from the crowd?

Jesus delivered

Jesus was delivered to death so that we could be delivered from it. We, the ones guilty of cosmic insurrection, would find life while Jesus paid for our guilt. He was scourged by the Romans for us. This is the love of God for us. When we see this clearly, we will cry "away with my sin!" This hated of sin and all that distract us from Jesus will become a stench to us. We will run to Jesus and turn from the ugliness in us and in our desires.

Jesus is betrayed

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled." And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. - Mark 14:43‭-‬52 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Deception

Judas came while the disciples were still groggy. It is apparent to the reader by now who Judas is. But the text reminds us, Judas was one of the Twelve. Jesus was not married, so in terms of relationships, this is as close as they could get. Judas saw the ministry of Jesus, the same miracles, lived life together with the rest of the disciples. When Judas came with the armed crowd, it must've been a shock to the disciples. We associate Judas with betrayal, but that is not who he seemed to be. Judas was the keeper of the money bag. He was considered trustworthy, not apt to rash decisions. He was in the inner circle. Judas was ministered to by Jesus. Yet somehow, Judas was an unbeliever. 

So today, we should find this sobering. In our church, renewal presbyterian, there are unbelievers. Not just those who serve alongside us, but even church leaders. C.S. Lewis said there would be three surprises in heaven: 1) that we find ourselves there 2) who we find there with us 3) who we don't find there... Don't depend on that moment of initial conviction to carry us to salvation. Don't trust past service, spiritual office, or past good works. Live a lifestyle of faith and trust in Jesus. Today, live in faith where you are now. Judas looked like he was following Jesus, but he was known for stealing from the money bag. Judas was not driven by kingdom focus but by money. Judas was driven by worldly motivations. He looked outwardly like a believer, but was not. Judas did not take his guilt to God, he never repented.

Assimilation

Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss. This is appropriate in that day and age. That is how rabbis were greeted by their disciples. But consider another disciples, Peter, the rash one. He also betrayed Jesus, but in a different manner. Peter denied Jesus three times. When they came to grab Jesus, Peter grabbed his sword and injured the servant of the high priest. Peter was a believer, but he saw Jesus being seized and jumped to using the world's methods. Judas brought armed men because the religious leaders saw Jesus as the leader of a rebellion. Peter reacted with worldly methods, grabbing the sword. So it is today, many Christians grab the sword to defend the kingdom. But Jesus calls Peter to put away his sword. Kingdom methods are entirely different. 

Jesus heals the servant. Jesus rather than taking up a sword, goes under the sword. This is kingdom minded with kingdom methods. 

Naturalization

Jesus laid down his life to bring us into the kingdom of god. We are constantly bombarded with the world's values and methods. Kingdom values come to believers slowly but surely. We become slow to anger and quick to listen. We stand in the gap for others. As we become more and more citizens of heaven, we will become more alienated from the world. This is hard. There are two reactions that will come to us. First is to hit back at those who strike at us. Second is to hide from the world, to only hang out with Christians. But that is not what we should do. We should go to be alone with Jesus. He will remind us how he handled his enemies. How he brought us in while we were still his enemies. We will find His power to react with kingdom methods.

The garden

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch." And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." - Mark 14:32‭-‬42 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Real Sorrow

The garden of gethsemane was an olive garden. Jesus and the disciples often visited this garden. There was likely an olive press on this garden, a very apt image. Tonight was a different night however. Judas was going to find Jesus here and betray Him. 

Jesus felt this night a sorrow and deep troubles. A darkness so deep that he felt like he was going to die. He was going to be physically tortured and killed. Jesus is not composed or stoic. But Jesus was not distraught over the physical pain and suffering, he prayed about God removing the cup. This cup was the wrath and fury of God. 

Jesus, the innocent one, who only knew the pleasure and love of God, was going to face the anger and punishment of God. Jesus was going to take on the sins of every person, the eternal punishment for the sins across many generations. This was why Jesus fell to ground in prayer. 

In seeing this, we can see how to relate to God honestly. Jesus, facing this horrible path, prayed to ask if God could provide another path. But not stopping there, Jesus prayed that not his will, but God's be done. So we can be honest when God brings us to difficult circumstances. We can pray in submission because Jesus went before us. Jesus gazed into the jaws of hell and said yes. Jesus saw the agony of hell and separation from God and picked that rather than an eternal separation from us. 

Real Weakness

This scene shows the weakness of the disciples. They fell asleep not once, not twice, but three times. They said they would not desert Jesus. They failed. Peter said he would not deny Jesus. He also failed. Very similarly, we say yes to ourselves and no to God. We say yes to fleeing pleasures and no to the joy of salvation. We say yes to our personal ambitions and dreams and no to the dreams and kingdom of God.

Real Power

Jesus had brought the disciples as his friends, but Jesus didn't do this for himself. He instructs the disciples to pray to be empowered. Jesus prayed so that he could be empowered, the very son of God. How much more do we, sinners, need God's help and empowerment? How much weaker are we than Jesus? 

There is a burning bush and in the Bible, it is not consumed. How is this so? So it should it be for Christians in this life. We can stand in suffering and in trouble and not be destroyed by the power of God in us. This is the power of God.

Not around the pain, but through it

Rev. Travis Drake

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same. - Mark 14:12‭-‬31 ESV 

Jesus sends the disciples out to find a man carrying a jug of water. This is a strange and very difficult task. They are in a city that is swelled with pilgrims and they are to find one man. He would be strange to be carrying water, but still a super hard task. It would have been supernatural to complete this task. Not only that, but Jesus said that they would find a larger upper room prepared and ready to go. And they found it as described.

This sets the expectations of a Passover unlike any other. There is a difference from other Passover meals they had attended, this is the first Communion. But then Jesus says that someone in this room would betray Him. The awkwardness of this meal would've been palpable. The disciples would've wondered who would do this, surely not I each would've thought.

The passover meal would consist of the following: Unleavened bread, a roasted lamb, a bowl of salt water, bitter herbs, and four cups of wine. The salt represented the tears and the bitter herbs represented the bitterness of slavery. The cups of wine represented the promises of God to the nation of Israel.

This is a set of scenes. Each one shows joy and pain in alternate fashion. The joy of passover, the darkness of betrayal. The introduction of a new passover observation, communion, followed by the pain of abandonment of Jesus by his disciples.

How would our lives look different, if we lived knowing that God will come to us in our pain, difficulties, and suffering?

Jesus shared this special meal with the disciples. He knew of their future failures. The upcoming betrayal and abandonment. He shared with those who were going to hurt him. He shared knowing this all. So it is with us, ready to sell Him out for a bit of entertainment, a bit of distraction, a little pleasure. We are ready to follow Him until he asks for something we can't or won't give up. Jesus comes with love seeing our wayward hearts and lives. He sees our brokenness and still draws near. He knows we don't deserve it, but still he hands us the bread, broken for you. He hands us the cup, poured out for you. He comes for us, even when it requires suffering for Him, because He wants to draw us near and love us still.

The woman with the alabaster jar

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people." And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."  Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. - Mark 14:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

The people at the temple who held the authority were seeking to kill Jesus not knowing that the temple was to be destroyed.

Men don't get it

Ryan wears glasses 90% of the time. But things sometimes get blurry. And it takes a bit to figure out that his glasses were so dirty. Back when he was younger, he didn't realize his vision was getting bad and he needed glasses. It wasn't until he got glasses and suddenly everything was in HD that he realized how much he was missing. So it is with the temple authorities. They needed spiritual glasses. The scribes, the chief priests, and the Pharisees all wanted Jesus dead, but they didn't want to disturb the Passover. We don't have a modern day equivalent. The city of Jerusalem swelled five or six times. This was a tense time and the men did not want to grab Jesus out in the open. They were afraid of a riot or uproar from the people. These men saw Jesus but they didn't see him for who he was. They sought to grab him by stealth and eliminate him quietly. Judas gave them that opportunity.

A woman does

In this passage, there is a woman who was clear eyed and went down to business immediately. She comes to a dinner party uninvited. Jesus is having dinner with Simon the leper. He didn't have leprosy at the time, but rather was formerly a leper. Women were not deemed very important. They suffered from poverty and were often excluded from many areas of public life. Many rabbinic teachings sought to exclude woman and cover them up... Even imprison them. But this woman comes to Jesus and breaks open this perfume over his feet. This isn't just any perfume. This was an expensive perfume worth 300 denarii or a years wages. This was a treasure, simply the best she had to offer.

The woman was rebuked by the men at the table. They spoke of how this perfume should've been sold and money given to the poor. They sneered at her. So this attitude is still found today among the religious today. They seek to silence a voice that they disagree with. She saw clearly, even more clear than the men at the table.

Jesus response

Jesus defends her. But not simply as an act of chivalry, defending a poor woman. He affirms that she was acting rightly. She was preparing him for his death and burial. He speaks prophetically that this woman would be remembered whenever the gospel was shared. 

Jesus is not dismissing the poor. The woman's action is right for this particular time and place. Jesus is no longer around to be anointed with costly perfume, but Christians should continue to care for the poor and to preach the gospel. 

Don't. Don't be like the temple authorities looking for power. Don't be like Judas selling friends out for money. Don't be like the dinner guests sneering at the woman. Don't abuse your power and spiritual authority for selfish gain and sinful desires.

Be like the woman in loving on Jesus with your best. 

Be on guard and stay awake

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. - Mark 13:1‭-‬13‭, ‬24‭-‬31 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

This passage is often called the olivet discourse. Jesus is sitting at the mount of olives across from the temple of Jerusalem. One of the disciples comments on the beautiful temple. Jesus prophesies that everything around them would be destroyed. The temple was so central to their lives that they could not imagine a life without the temple. To lose the temple would be like losing the sun, it would be the end of the world. But this was not true. 75 years after Jesus, the Romans would come and level the entire city. This was an act of God's judgement on Israel. This passage is considered a very difficult one to interpret because it describes both the end of the temple as well as the end of the world as we know it. Jesus speaks of both and makes it hard to know which one he is talking about.

Brave yourselves for trouble

In response to the disciples question of the destruction of the temple and end of days, Jesus responds that we should beware of false teachers. He also speaks of warring nations and he calls these "the beginning of the birth pains." Why does Jesus tell us this? Jesus wants us to brace for trouble. He is trying to correct us. We see many troubling things this past year. Pandemic, natural disasters, rumors of war, and rioting may make us think that Jesus is coming back. Jesus calls this labor pains. Contractions come in waves. The baby doesn't come in the first contraction. It can be hours before the baby is delivered. This is how labor works. But Jesus is setting expectations for us, we should expect trouble. Not just the general suffering of this world, but trouble because we bear witness and proclaim the name of Jesus. The book of Acts speaks of this, but this trouble is not limited to just that time period. We were chosen out of the world and the world will hate us. God saves by grace through faith. This gospel message is foolishness and offensive to the world, both the religious and irreligious. Some may embrace being offensive, but we are not called to that. The message is offensive, but we need not add anything more offensive to it. Some, perhaps our congregation leans this way, tries to not offend at all. They point to other Christians as crazy. They are afraid to share the gospel in whole for fear of offending rather than concern for the souls of our neighbors. 

Be on guard & stay awake

There will be false messiahs, false prophets, and even miracles that point away from Jesus. There's even an antichrist. We think that we won't be led astray, but Jesus brings it up because it is a serious issue for believers. False teachers sound right, use the right words/phases, but are in error in serious ways. It won't be readily apparent, but a serious error will steer us wrong a little at a time away from Jesus and the way of life. We are called to understand the word and be wise & discerning.

We are also called to stay awake. Jesus is returning and we don't know when. If someone claims to know when Jesus will return, they are a false prophet. What does it mean to fall asleep? It means to live like this life is all there is. It's like getting an Airbnb then shopping for that rental and looking for landscaping for that rental. It's absurd, but that's what it means to fall asleep. We are to be about the kingdom of God. Either making new disciples or building up believers... That sums up the life purpose of a believer. Everything we do should fall under these things. This is not just the job of overseas missionaries. The church is to be fishers of men, rather than keepers of the aquarium. Reaching people for Christ and raising up believers is what we are called to. 

This may be overwhelming. On top of everything else that is going on right now. Why, Dwight, why are you piling on more? Because it is good for us. We may reach the end of our wisdom, willpower, skills, etc. We may find how much we need God for this work. It is by enduring that we will receive from God.