“The Son of the Most High” [Matt's Messages]

“The Son of the Most High”

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

December 21, 2025 :: Luke 1:26-55

There is a theological word that we all need to know and understand to properly respond to this passage of holy Scripture.

You ready?

Here’s the word. It’s three letters: W-O-W. 

Wow!

Are you familiar with that word? Wow! Go ahead and practice it. We’re going to be using it a lot this morning. Wow! Wow! Wow!

Because this story is sort of familiar, we can lost sight of how WOW it really is.

This story is the announcement by an angel (wow!) to that humble young Jewish woman named Mary that the first Christmas was coming, that the Christ was coming, not just someday but now, and not just to her house, but to her very womb. Wow!

In this story, Mary is going to find out that she is going to be pregnant with a very special child. In fact, she’s going to be told that her son is going to be called “The Son of the Most High.” Wow!

Let’s see it for ourselves in the Bible. Luke chapter 1.

Luke has already told the story of another angelic visit to a man named Zechariah to announce the coming birth of his special son, John the Baptist. Zechariah was doing temple duty at the altar of incense when the angel appeared and told him that his very old wife Elizabeth was going to bear him a son. Zech didn't really believe the angel and was made unable to speak until John was born. But Elizabeth then did become pregnant as predicted and lived in seclusion for five months. And then our story for today begins. V.26

“In the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy], God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.” 

God is up to something special. And He announces it to this precious young woman. Probably 12 or 13 years old?  Her name is Mary. She’s pledged to be married. That’s more than an engagement and less than a marriage. She and Joseph are betrothed–exclusively promised to one another–but have not yet come together physically as husband and wife. She is a virgin. 

And she lives in a little backwoods dot on the map called Nazareth. It’s Nowheresville. 

And it’s to that young virgin in that tiny place that God sends an angel named Gabriel.

Now we’ve already met Gabriel in our studies this year. Where did we meet Gabriel earlier this year? Anybody remember? Only two angels are named in the Bible. Michael and Gabriel. And where did meet Gabriel?

Back in the book of Daniel! Chapter 8 and chapter 9 and perhaps chapter 10.

In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel had a vision that he was not in Babylon but in Susa where Esther and Mordecai were to live, and he had this vision of a ram and a goat. Remember that? And then God sent Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel. And when Daniel (who saw so many amazing things in his life) saw the angel Gabriel, he was terrified and fell flat on his face! Wow! He hit the dirt. Gabriel had to pick him up. 

Imagine if one of the two angels named in the Bible showed up at your house, what would you think? What would you do? Verse 28.

“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’”

Wow! This angelic being shows up and says, “Hi there!” And He says, “You are highly favored.” The Greek word there is “charitoo” which comes from the word for grace, which is a gift.

Gabriel is basically saying, “God has such a gift for you, Mary!”

In fact, the word translated “Greetings” is also derived from that same word for grace, and it’s often translated “rejoice” because you’ve been so graced, so gifted by God.

“Grace to you, O graced one!”

Here’s how gifted you are, “The Lord is with you.”

And Gabriel means that in a special way for Mary that has never been true for another person and never will be again. “The Lord is with you.” Wow!

Can you imagine what Mary must have felt?

I think she was wigged out. Look at verse 29.

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [What is going on here?!] But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God [God has a gift for you. Here’s what it is...]. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end’” (30-33).

Say it with me, now! Wow! Just wow. If you don’t think that is WOW then there’s something wrong with you.

An angel has shown up and told this young woman that she’s going to have a baby. And she’s supposed to name him, “Jesus,” which means “Yahweh saves,” “The LORD saves.” And He’s going to be great. In fact, He’s going to be a king! He’s going to inherit the throne of his ancestor King David.

In chapter 3, the gospelwriter Luke is going to lay out Jesus’ genealogical claim to the throne.

This is the throne that was promised a thousand years before this moment by God to King David in 2 Samuel 7. The throne of Jacob, also known as Israel.

He’s going to be king over Israel even though his mother is from Nazareth?

And not just any king, but a forever king! Gabriel says (v.33), “his kingdom will never end.”

And that’s not hyperbole. That’s not an exaggeration! Gabriel expects this son of Mary’s to rule forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. Wow!

This Son is going to be the fulfillment Daniel 7:14. Our memory verse from earlier this year. Joe just led us in reciting it once more.

Remember Daniel had this frightening vision of all of these terrible beasts attacking the people of God. But then He saw the Ancient of Days seated on His throne, untroubled by any beast. Sovereignly ruling over everything.

And then Daniel saw somebody else enter his vision. He said, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).

Gabriel says, “That Son of Man is going to be in your womb, Mary.”

And “His kingdom will never end.”

In fact, He’s not just the Son of Man. He’s the (v.32) “Son of the Most High.” In other words, He’s the Son of God!

That name, “The Most High,” is one that Luke uses several times to refer to God. And it shows up several places in the Old Testament, as well, including one of those names for God...in the Book of Daniel, especially Daniel chapter 7.

It’s a great name for God because it places God where He belong, where He truly is. He is the Most High! He is above all other beings in the universe.

Think about Who God is! What do we mean when we say, “God?” We mean the ultimate Being who is above and beyond all things! “Holy, infinitely perfect...limitless knowledge and sovereign power” (see the EFCA SOF Article #1).

That is Most High! Worthy of all of our worship forever and ever.

And He has a Son? And His Son is going to come and be born from the body of this young woman, Mary. Mary sees a possible problem with this. A potential snag. Look at verse 34.

“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ [I know how this works. This is not how this normally works. Gabriel says, “I know. No problem. It’s going to be a miracle.” Verse 35.] The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God’” (vv.34-37).

That’s mysterious. Gabriel doesn’t really explain how it’s going to happen except that God’s power is going to do it.

“The power of the Most High.”

A virgin will conceive! That’s just WOW. Right?!  Wow!

And God can do that, right?! He’s all powerful. He’s the Most High. He made the world. He made the rules for how babies are made. He can break those rules if He wants to.

Want proof? If He can open the womb of ancient Elizabeth who is 6 months pregnant even though she’s a member of the AARP, He can also put a baby inside of you Mary through His mysterious power from on high. 

A baby that is like any other because He’s fully human. He comes from Mary. He will be everything that it means to be a human. But at the same time He is holy. He is unlike every other human being because He is also (v.35) the Son of God. “The Son of the Most High.”

We call that the mystery of the incarnation. God in flesh. And theologians call it the hypostatic union. Two natures in One Person. Wow!

This year we’ve been celebrating the 1700 anniversary of the Nicene Creed. First written in 325 AD and improved in 381, it’s been 1700 years since the church produced it. We’ve been saying it together every Sunday this month because it so beautifully captures the biblical truth that Jesus is fully human and fully divine at the same time.

Let’s say it together now. I’ll ask whom we believe in, and we’ll all answer with all three of the Persons of the Trinity, but the Nicene Creed says the most about the Son of the Most High.

LEADER:

Christians, in Whom do we believe?

CHURCH:

WE BELIEVE in one God– 

the Father Who rules over all,

the Maker of heaven and earth, 

of all things seen and unseen.

AND WE BELIEVE in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only begotten Son of God,

eternally begotten from the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one essence with the Father.

Through Him all things were made.

[And this next part is what our story is all about...]

For us humans and for our salvation

He came down from heaven and became incarnate 

by the Holy Spirit and through the Virgin Mary

and became human.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

He suffered death and was buried,

and on the third day He rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory 

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

AND WE BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit, 

the Lord and giver of Life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

AND WE BELIEVE in one holy, whole, and apostolic Church.

We recognize one baptism symbolizing the forgiveness of sins.

We look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the age to come.

Amen.        

We believe in the Son of the Most High!

“Wow” just doesn’t do it, does it?

Mary has just been told the most fabulous news that anyone has ever heard. And look at how she responds. Look at verse 38.

“‘I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’”

What do you say to that? Except, “Wow.”

What a response of humble faith! What an example for all of us today!

Some Christians have made too much of Mary over the years. They have  treated Mary almost like a fourth member of the Trinity. That’s a mistake. She was just a human like you and me.

But we can make the opposite mistake of missing how great her faith was and what we can learn from Mary’s example. “May it be to me as you have said.”

“I’m not sure how this can be. But it sounds wonderful. All of that grace. All of that promise. All of that power. Count me in. I will be the mother of the Son of the Most High.”

And then she went go see her relative Elizabeth. Verse 39.

“Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored [graced], that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’” (vv.38b-45).

Wow! What a moment that must have been. These two women. And baby John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. And Elizabeth can see just how blessed Mary. Not just because she’s carrying the special baby but because she believes. 

The blessing is tied to the believing.

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

The blessing is tied to the believing.

And Mary is showing us how. Mary is teaching a masterclass for all who want to be blessed by believing and receiving what God has said.

Do you believe all of this? Do you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of Mary and the Son of the Most High? Do you believe that an angel named Gabriel came to Mary and told her that all of this was going to happen?

I do. I believe that this is one of the greatest miracles of all of time, and it’s all true.

I’ve staked my happiness on it.

I’ve staked my life on it. 

I’ve staked my eternal life on it.

I have my moments. I have my doubts. I have my questions.

But I believe. And I want to be like Mary, believing and receiving and trusting and hoping and being blessed.

How did Mary do it? How did she get to where she could receive this incredible announcement like this? 

I think that her song tells us a lot. Verses 46 through 55 are Mary’s song. It has often been called “The Magnificat” from the Latin for “Magnify,” because some translations say, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” 

I just call it, “Mary’s Song.”

And it’s a wonderful song full of rich theology. 

Mary was one of the greatest theologians of the ancient world. She had read her Bible again and again and meditated on it day and night. So that she knew God. She was steeped in Holy Scripture and Who God was and what God was all about. Mary knew the Most High! 

So that when the Most High sent His messenger to tell her something almost impossible to believe, she believed it anyway. And she wrote this song. 

I don’t think this like a musical theater sort of thing where she just broke out in song right there. Maybe? What I think is that she meditated on everything she had heard and learned and was told and then crafted this song to capture how she felt and what she believed for those who came after.

I think she probably sang it as a lullaby to the baby Jesus. Contrary to “Away in a Manger,” I think the baby Jesus cried a lot. It’s not sinful to cry. It’s just human, especially for baby humans. And I can see her singing this song to Jesus as she rocked him back to sleep. Verse 46.

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name. 

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers’” (vv.46-55).

Wow! What a beautiful expression of worship and theology that is!

This time of year there is often a debate online about the song “Mary Did You Know?” about whether it’s a good one or not. Do you know which song I mean? Some of you are rolling your eyes and some are like, “Yeah!” Some people like it. It’s pretty and poetical. And focused on the Person of Jesus. Other people don’t like it so much because they think the songwriter assumes Mary’s ignorance. Or it’s just not their kind of music.

I don’t have a problem with the song because I know it’s poetry. But I think it is obvious from Mary’s own song that she knew an awful lot about what Her Son was going to be. And she definitely knew the Most High.

Here are three things she knew about the Most High:

#1. THE MOST HIGH IS MIGHTY OVER ALL.

Look at verse 46.

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name.”

She sings from her heart. And Her heart is full of joy and gratitude. She glorifies, magnifies, the Lord. Not making Him bigger than He is but elevating Him in her heart and song to His right place above all! He is Most High! And He does great things. She calls Him, “The Mighty One.”

This God does miracles! "Nothing is impossible with this God!" He is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. He is all-mighty. 

WE BELIEVE in one God– 

the Father [Almighty] Who rules over all,

the Maker of heaven and earth, 

of all things seen and unseen.

Mary would say, “Yes, yes, yes,” to the first line of the Nicene Creed.

And He has blessed me. In fact, He has saved me. Notice that she calls him, “God my Savior.” She needed saving. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that Mary was sinless. There has only been one sinless human, and He was her son. But He was also her Savior. And He has done great things for Mary. Great things! He has gifted her with a child even though she is a virgin.

And what a child?! This God is WOW! And Mary knows it. And she knows that God has been gracious to her not because she is great but because He is great. Mary knows that she is not great. She is humble. But God is great and He loves to grace those people who know that they are not great but needy. That’s point number two. Mary knows...

#2. THE MOST HIGH IS MERCIFUL TO THE HUMBLE.

You hear it in verse 50.

“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (vv.50-53).

God has reversed the order of the world. The world normally gives great things to great people. If you have wealth, power, or prestige then you get more wealth, more power, and more prestige. If you are great you get great things. Our celebrity culture is built on that principle. But this says that God has turned it all upside down. God gives great things to not-so-great people who recognize their bankruptcy and fear Him alone.

James puts it this way, “God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

You know what story Mary might have been thinking about? I know that her song is a lot like Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel chapter 2. But as I was reading Mary’s song this week, I kept thinking about the Tale of Queen Esther that we’ve been reading the last two months.

Put Esther’s story in there. Wicked old Haman with all of his pride and power, and wealth? And what did it get him? Reversal! 

The Most High has “brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” The Lord has turned everything right-side-up.

Mary’s Son would soon say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

The Most High is merciful to the humble.

Are you humble? Or is everything all about you? We must humble ourselves to receive the grace of God. Mary knew that! And she exulted in it.

You know, that’s how we are saved. We are not saved by being good or doing good or being strong! 

We need rescued from trying to be strong. We need rescued from our sins. We need the Most High to be strong and to rescue us from ourselves.

We need Mary’s Son to take our place on the Cross and to come back to life by the Power of the High to give us live forevermore.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

He suffered death and was buried,

and on the third day He rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory 

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

Just as He promised. That’s the last thing that Mary knew about God. He always keeps His promises. 

#3. THE MOST HIGH IS MINDFUL OF HIS PROMISES.

Look at verse 54 of Mary’s song:

“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers’” (vv.54-55).

God has made some big promises. He made them to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also called Israel), the patriarchs, the fathers. And He has not forgotten any of these promises. And He has not failed at keeping any of them either.

We still have to wait for some of them. Like the promise of His Son’s return.

But Mary knew, and we know, that God is faithful always keeps His promises.

So we can trust in Him and sing. Like Mary did! We can glorify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior. We can say, “Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!”

And we can humbly say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

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“What the Women Found” [Matt's Messages]

“What the Women Found”

Resurrection Sunday: April 9, 2023

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

Luke 24:1-12

I’m telling you. These women were taken by surprise! They ran up against something they certainly never ever expected to experience.

Luke chapter 24 gives us the story of the first people on the scene after Jesus’ resurrection. The first witnesses to say what had happened.

And their names were Mary, Mary, and Joanna (v.10). And there may have been more. Mark mentions a woman named Salome. Verse 10 says that there were others in the group like Salome. But they were all women. 

And they were the first on the scene. And they were the first to share this crazy story!

I would have never come up with this story in a million years. And I would never have told it this way. As I was reading it and re-reading it this week for this message, I kept thinking that, “I would never tell this story like this.” 

And, to me, that means that it has the ring of truth! I mean, for one thing, the miracle of the resurrection that we’ve been singing so loudly about this morning is never described. There are no witnesses to the actual moment of Jesus coming back from the dead.

We’re going to see the effects of it.

We’re going to hear that it has happened.

There will be plenty of evidence for this miracle.

But if this was a movie, we’d the see the body sit up. We’d see His legs twitch. It’d be a jump scare. Or we’d see the color return to His flesh. His chest go up and down again. We’d see Him swing around and stand up. We’d see the action of Him coming back from the dead, walking out of the tomb.

But God doesn’t tell His story that way. That all happened in the secrecy of the tomb. No witnesses but the Father, the Spirit, and the Son Himself. 

And then these first people on the scene are women. And I love that! I would have never come up with it. But I love it. I love it because women were, in that day, not trusted as reliable witnesses for public matters. Women often had second-class status in ancient near eastern cultures.

We’ll see in a few moments that they were not initially believed even by their brother disciples!

But in how God tells His story, these women were the first on the scene and the first with the good news. And that does at least two things at the same time:

First, it elevates the status of women. Which Jesus does at every turn. The Gospel of Luke is chock-ful of Jesus’ interactions with women, and they are overwhelming positive. Everywhere Jesus goes He lifts up and improves the lives of women. He treats women with dignity and respect. He often points out where His female disciples have been more faithful and more faith-filled than their male counterparts. Jesus cherishes women and lifts them up at every turn.

Ladies, if you have been taught that Christianity denigrates you, you have been taught wrong. Certainly, Christians have often done that, but Christ has not.

If you want to read more about that, I would recommend this book by Rebecca McLaughlin, Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us to Know and Love the Lord. It’s a really good introduction to Jesus from the perspective of the women in His life. And, again, their status improves here as women are the first on the scene and the first with the good news.

But at the very same time, that lends credibility to the whole story, because, at the time, nobody would have come up with this!

In her book, McLaughlin says, “The fact that all four Gospels make the women central to their resurrection claim appeals to us as 21st-century readers. But it would have had the opposite effect on literate men in the Greco-Roman world...[quoting Richard Bauckham] ‘[W]omen were thought by educated men to be gullible in religious matters and especially prone to superstitious fantasy and excessive religious practices’...from [their] perspective, Mary Magdalene and the other weeping women who witnesses Jesus’ so-called resurrection were a joke. If the Gospel authors had been making up their stories, they could have made Joseph of Arimathea [the owner of the tomb] and Nicodemus the first resurrection witnesses: two well-respected men involved in Jesus’ burial. The only possible reason for the emphasis on the testimony of women–and weeping women at that–is if they really were the witnesses” (pg. 166-167).

I think that’s exactly right! This way of the telling this crazy story gives it the unmistakable ring of truth.

But we’ve gotten ahead of the story itself. Let’s look and see what Luke actually says actually happened. What these women actually found. Look with me at Luke chapter 24, verse 1.

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (vv.1-3).

I have four things I want to point out that these women surprisingly found on that fateful Sunday morning. And here’s number one:

#1. AN OPEN AND EMPTY TOMB.

According to Luke chapter 23, Jesus died on a Friday, and these women who had been following Him for a long time were there at His crucifixion (23:49). They stood at a distance and watched the awful thing happen to Him.

And then Jesus was buried in a tomb, and those same women saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it (23:55). And they had gone home and prepared spices to anoint His body after the Sabbath. They loved Him and wanted Jesus to be honored in His death. And, as obedient Jewish believers, they rested quietly on the Sabbath and waited for Sunday morning to come.

Luke says that it was very early the morning. The sun had just begun to send out beams over the horizon, and they set off for the tomb. They knew where it was. They didn’t know how they were going to get in. They thought they would have to come up with come of plan.

But they were surprised. They were greeted by an open tomb. That was the first clue that something big had happened. And the second clue was the biggest. There was no body there! V.2 again.

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (vv.2-3).

What’s even more amazing than what they found was what they did NOT find. They didn’t find any corpse! The tomb was not only open but empty.

That never happens, by the way. On Memorial day, you never go down to the cemetery to put flowers on your loved one’s grave, and there’s this great big gaping hole where they had been laid to rest. “Oh, they’re gone. I wonder where they went this weekend.”  The local funeral service has never had one get away from them!

The next verse says that “they were wondering about this,” and no wonder. This just doesn’t happen.

Unless there are grave robbers. That’s what Mary Magdalene thought at first. The Gospel of John says that she told the other disciples that theory that Jesus’ body had been stolen. We looked at that last year on Resurrection Sunday in John chapter 20. But it wasn’t grave robbers. Jesus’ body was not stolen.

And God sent two amazing messengers to make that clear. Verse 4.

“While they were wondering about this [while they were “perplexed”], suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.”

It’s angels! Can you imagine? Their clothes gleamed like lightning. Just think. That’s all the electricity these folks knew. They didn’t have electric lights. They didn’t have stadium lights. They didn’t have LED’s. All they knew was lightning, and these two men’s clothes gleamed like lightning!

How bright?! Ever looked at lightning and then closed your eyes and still see the silhouette, the outline of the lightning on your eyeballs? They were standing next to these two “men” with clothes like lightning! And that’s not the most amazing thing they’re going to see in their lifetimes!

These women hit the dirt. Verse 5.

“In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'’ Then they remembered his words.” (Vv.5-8).

 

Here’s the second big thing they found:

#2. A POWERFUL PROMISE KEPT.

The angels tell the women that they shouldn’t be so surprised that Jesus is not there. Because He told them in advance that He was going to do this. He said that again and again. They just didn’t understand what He was saying. They just didn’t get it. But that’s why the angel rebukes them. He’s gentle, but the message is clear, “Why do you look for the living [Jesus] among the dead [the tomb]? Don’t you remember what He promised?

He told you that He was going to be betrayed. He knew about Judas. He told you that He was going to be crucified. On Thursday night, He had taken bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you.” He had taken the cup and said, “This is my blood which is poured out for you.” He told you that He was going to be executed by sinful men.

But He also said that He would eat that meal again. He said that He was going to be raised from the dead on the third day. 

And if He can keep that promise? There is no promise that He cannot keep!

There is unbelievable power at work here. The power to raise the dead! And the power to keep every one of His precious promises. 

This is such good news!  It’s good news because it means our salvation. Jesus’ crucifixion paid for the sins of His people, and His resurrection cements the deal. The Apostle Paul said, Jesus “was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom. 4:25-5:1 NIVO). He came back to life to give us life. Like the choir sang, “Just as He promised. Just as He said.”

And it’s good news because it means that God’s plan is not derailed. Do you feel sometimes like God’s plan is off track?  You might have come to church this morning after a really rough week. May this week your life was like a country-western song. You lost your girl, you lost your job, you lost your truck, you lost your dog.

And I’m being funny, but maybe you didn’t have anything to laugh about this week. And you’re feeling like God’s plan must be off track. Have you seen the state of the world? Have you read the headlines?

Well, when these precious ladies got up that Sunday morning, they believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was a cadaver. And He had told them that He was going to die but not stay dead. And when these angels reminded them (v.8), “They remembered his words.”

“Oh yeah! Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. Maybe all is not lost. Maybe God’s plan is still on track. Maybe Jesus is alive.”

And we say: Christ is Risen! 

Indeed He is. But not everyone believes. Look at verse 9.

“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (vv.9-11).

Here’s the third thing the women found:

#3. A HEFTY DOSE OF SKEPTICISM.

The apostles “did not believe the women.” It doesn’t say that they didn’t believe them because they were women, but, sadly, that probably didn’t help. 

But it was because “their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Like “idle tales.” Like foolishness.

“What are you saying? What do you mean the tomb is empty? What do you mean there were men shining like lightning? What do you mean that Jesus is alive? That’s crazy! Ladies, what are you talking about?"

Some of you may think that all of this stuff we’re talking about today is crazy. Some of you may be skeptics yourself and have been drug to church by someone you love.  I’m glad you’re here today. Thank you for coming.

I hope this is a chance for you to re-think the evidence and consider the case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s not a slam-dunk because these women said these things, but I sure think it has the ring of truth. 

We have a class right now called “Cold-Case Christianity” that is being taught by Keith Hurley here on Sunday mornings at 8:30. The guy who wrote the curriculum was a homicide detective that uses his knowledge of sifting through evidence to examine the claims of Christianity. Next week, they are talking about the standard of proof and debunking conspiracy theories.

Christianity is not something where you check your brain at the door and believe illogical things with no evidence. No, instead, Christianity is something where you engage your brain in weighing the evidence and then believing in amazing things because of it.

Yes, this is an amazing claim. We believe that Jesus Christ came back from the dead. And one of the reasons is because of these women who many people knew. Some of them are named here, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the some others who are not named but were there–gave evidence. They gave testimony.

They went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away and they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (vv.2-3).

What do YOU think? If you are not sure, I challenge you to check it out yourself. I believe these women, and it makes all of the difference in everything.

The fourth thing that these women found:

#4. THE CHAIN REACTION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

At first the apostles didn’t believe, but then Peter said, “I’ve got to see for myself.” v.12 

“Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.” He wasn’t sure yet either. He walks away scratching his head. Peter could see that the strips of linen were there. If someone stole the body, why would they leave His graveclothes? That just makes it seem like there was a resurrection.

Maybe there is a resurrection!

The Gospel of John tells us that the Apostle John ran with Peter to the tomb, and when John saw the empty tomb and the strips of linen that had been covering Jesus just lying there, John “got it” and believed!

First the women disciples.

Then the men disciples.

More and more people check it out.

And then Jesus starts appearing to them, too.

There are several accounts as this chapter closes. And then Paul documents even more. More than 500 people see Jesus alive over the next forty days! More than 500 people, at different times, will swear upon cross examination that Jesus Christ was alive again. Many of those people were not only willing to swear that Jesus was alive, they were willing to stake their entire life on it. They were willing to die for what they saw.

Peter was one of them. Historical tradition says that he was crucified upside down for saying that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. First the women, then the men, then the church in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the outer most parts of the Earth.

Even to Central Pennsylvania! The good news has reached our ears. Jesus is alive, and it makes all of the difference in the world.

It means hope.

It means peace.

It means joy.

It means salvation.

It means eternal life.

I would have never come up with this crazy story, and I would have never told it this way.

But I wouldn’t change a thing.

Because what the women found truly changes everything.

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“For You” [Matt's Messages]

“For You”

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

Palm Sunday :: April 2, 2023 :: Luke 22:14-20

Jesus wants us to take His death personally.

In fact, He tells us to eat it. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples to eat and drink symbols of His death. 

Up in the upper room, our Lord Jesus told His followers to eat and drink, to ingest, deeply symbolic emblems of His sacrificial death which was going to occur in just a few short hours.

These words are very familiar, aren’t they? Perhaps too familiar? We get used to hearing them, and we stop thinking about them. Today, we want to stop and think about them more deeply. What was Jesus trying to do when He gave us His Supper? What was He trying to teach? What was He trying to leave with His disciples, and therefore you and me, when He gave them this bread and this cup?

Well, really a lot of things. There is a lot packed in here, and the rest of the Bible unpacks it. 

There’s Passover.

And there’s the Kingdom of God.

And there’s the New Covenant. That means more to us now that we’ve studied Jeremiah together, doesn’t it?

And there is substitution. Jesus explains that both the bread and the cup are symbols of substitution.

He uses two little words that say so much, the last two words of verse 20, and the title of this message.

“For You.”

[VIDEO WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE.]

Jesus wants His disciples to take His death personally because He personally died for us. 

He told them that just a few hours before He did it. Jesus had gathered His disciples together for a Passover meal in a large guest room. Probably a holiday rental room for those pilgrims that had swarmed into Jerusalem for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

Earlier in this chapter, we learn that the leaders of the Jews have conspired and struck a deal with His disciple Judas to betray Jesus to them. They are going to get Him arrested and executed before the week is out.

But Jesus has plans of His own. He has arranged for a clandestine meeting place with His disciples to eat the Passover feast together without being interrupted by the authorities. And the time has now come. Look at verse 14 again.

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.”

It’s not Leonardo’s famous painting where they are all on one side of the table and sitting upright. They are much more comfortable than that. They are laying on low benches like spokes of a wheel coming out from the hub where the food is laid out in the middle.

And Jesus is so happy to be with them that night. He’s sad for Himself but overjoyed to be with these people He loves so so much. Verse 15.

“And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

He’s been wanting this for a very long time. He loves these men and wants to be with them. Wants to share this meal. Wants to share this time. It’s especially precious because He knows what is going to happen next. Did you see that? “Before I suffer.”

He knows! And, in fact, He’s choosing it. Judas, and the Jews, and Herod, and Pilate, and the Romans are all at fault with their terrible plans. But Jesus is in control! He is choosing this. And He’s choosing to eat this Passover meal with them. One last special dinner together before He suffers. Before He dies.

But notice this! He does not expect this to be His last supper with them. We call it the “Last Supper,” but He actually expects to eat it again. Look at verse 16.

“...I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

Isn’t that interesting?! Jesus expects to suffer. And, boy, will He ever! He expects to die. But He doesn’t expect that to be the end for Him. He expects to eat and drink a Passover meal or the “fulfillment” of the Passover meal in the kingdom of God!

Isn’t it interesting how Jesus is invoking both the past and the future at this Table?

The Lord’s Supper looks back on the Passover. What is the Passover? It’s the amazing rescue of the people of God in the Old Testament. We’ve been studying the Book of Exodus on Wednesday nights at Prayer Meeting, and we’ve read about the LORD’s dramatic rescue of His people from slavery in Egypt through the 10 plagues. And the last plague of the 10 plagues was the Death of the Firstborn. All of the firstborn sons of Egypt died, but the firstborn sons of Israel did not die if their parents had placed the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their homes.  On those homes with the blood on the doorposts, the Angel of Death passed over those homes and saved the firstborn sons. And so Israel escaped from Egypt!

Because of the Passover, they were saved. The Passover meal celebrated the Passover rescue. And that Passover Rescue pointed towards a greater Rescue. A greater Passover. That’s what Jesus was doing on the Cross, and what He was symbolizing with His new twist on this meal.  

But it doesn’t stop with this meal. See what He says in verse 16? “...when it [the Passover] finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

Has the kingdom come? That’s a trick question, right? 

Here’s the full answer: The kingdom of God has already come because the King has come, but the kingdom of God has not yet come fully, and the kingdom of God will come fully one day when the King returns.

Jesus says that He won’t eat this meal again until that day. In that day, there will be an even greater feast! One that commemorates not just the rescue from Egypt and not just the rescue from the penalty and power of sin but our complete and total rescue from even the presence of sin!

The Messianic Banquet in the age to come.

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

This meal points to that meal!

And Jesus could hardly wait!

He so wanted to eat this meal with them as a foretaste of the glory to come.

So He passes around the cup. V.17

“After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes’ (vv.17-19).

 

This was one special cup! This was the last drink of wine that Jesus would enjoy until kingdom come.

Traditionally, there were four cups of wine at a Passover meal. This is probably the first of those of those four. Jesus drinks from it, and He has His disciples pass it around and drink from it, too. 

He gave thanks for it. The Greek word there is “eucharistaysas.” It’s where we get the word “Eucharist” from.  Jesus was so thankful to get to drink this with His beloved followers that night. 

Looking back on the Passover and looking forward to the Kingdom and looking squarely at the Cross.

He knows what’s going to happen. He knows the forces that are amassing against Him as He eats. He knows who has been sitting at His table ready to betray Him. He knows that crucifixion is at hand. And so He passes around this bread and this cup. He tells His disciples what is going to happen and what it’s going to mean when it does.

Look at verse 19. “And he took bread, gave thanks [eucharistaysas] and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’”

“For you.” Jesus wants us to take His death personally because He died personally for His disciples.

The idea there is substitution. He took our place. His death was for us. Instead of us. Done for us. Just like the lamb who was slain to save the firstborn sons Jesus would be slain to save you and me. 

His body would be broken. That’s why He broke the bread. He knew what He was symbolizing.  In just a few short hours from this moment, Jesus’s body will be broken.

He will be mocked and beaten to a pulp.

He will be whipped. He will wear a crown of thorns.

In His weakened state, He will be forced to carry His own cross to His execution.

He will be crucified–and we can’t understand what that means. If we did, we would throw up. It’s the ugliest thing in the world.

And Jesus said that like this broken bread, his body will be broken “for you.”

In Luke, the verb is “given” for you. It’s a gift. Jesus offers it up at no charge. His followers do not earn it, do not deserve it, and never will. “This my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus tells them to eat it. To ingest this symbol of His death. Jesus wants them to take His death personally unto and into themselves.

This is something new, by the way. This is different from the Passover. This is Jesus’ own special new thing. It’s built off of the Passover and what the Passover was foreshadowing, but this is bigger and deeper. Jesus says that He is like this piece of bread. It’s a metaphor, by the way. He doesn’t mean that the bread literally becomes His body. His literal body is right there holding the bread! This is symbolism. But it is incredibly powerful symbolism. Because His followers are supposed to take that symbol of His broken body, that symbol of His death and put it inside of them. Making it a part of them. Taking that death into themselves.

And the cup, too. V.20

“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (v.20).

“For you.”

That is substitution. Like we just said from our EFCA Statement of Faith, “We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins” (Article 5).

Jesus was telling His disciples what all the blood they were soon going to see meant. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

And now, all of a sudden, we’re not talking about Passover or the Kingdom of God, we’re talking about the New Covenant. And we know what that is, right? Because we’ve recently studied Jeremiah 31 which says:

“‘The time is coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ‘ declares the LORD. [Sound familiar?] ‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the LORD. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more’” (Jer. 31:31-34 NIVO).

New days.

New hearts.

New closeness.

New slates.

New Jerusalem.

Do you remember what we learned in Jeremiah 31? It is so amazing what God has promised His people in the New Covenant! And Jesus says that the New Covenant is now here. It is now ratified. It is now enacted in His blood. And He wants His disciples to drink it down. He wants them make it a part of themselves. Jesus wants them to take His death personally.

He says it’s because it was “for you.”

“Poured out for you.” That language comes from the Prophet Isaiah. Chapter 53. Where the LORD promises to give the blessings of victory to the Suffering Servant. He says, “...I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors [sinners, like you and me]. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12 NIVO).

Later in this very chapter, Jesus is going to come right out and say that that verse is directly talking about Him (v.37)! And it’s directly talking about us.

“...he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors...”

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Take it personally.

How should we apply this to our lives today?

Let me suggest three ways as we begin to head toward the Table.

#1. REST IN HIS SUBSTITUTION.

Put your trust in what Jesus did on the Cross for you. Take His death personally and put your personal faith in it. That’s one of the reasons why Jesus wants us to eat and drink the elements at this Table–because it symbolizes our own personal faith in His death. His death is efficacious for those who take it to themselves and put their personal faith in Him. We are not saved by eating and drinking from this table, but we are are saved by receiving in our hearts what this table symbolizes. Personal faith in a personal Savior who died for persons like you and me. 

Not because we deserved it! It is a gift. But like all gifts, it must be received to be enjoyed. Receive the gift and rest in His substitution. You don’t have to save yourself. You don’t have to make this happen. Jesus has done it FOR YOU. The Apostle Peter said it this way, “...Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Pet. 3:18 NIVO). So come to God!!

And when you do, then you will experience the New Birth because of the New Covenant. You will have a new heart, a new slate, a new future. “...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIVO). And He did all the work! We just put our trust in Him. We rest in His substitution. We trust in His broken body and poured out blood.

Friends, take Jesus’ death personally because it was for you.

#2. REMEMBER HIS SACRIFICE.

That’s actually the only command here in this passage. In verse 19, Jesus tells the disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

That’s why we worship at the Lord’s Table. That’s why we “take communion.” Because Jesus left this memorial meal for us to regularly partake of to remember what He did FOR US.

We’re supposed to come back to it again and again and again. Yes, familiarity can breed contempt. But repetition can also be the mother of education. Repetition is the mother of learning. As we come back to the Table month after month. Many churches do it Sunday after Sunday. As we come back to the Table again and again and again we are reminded what Jesus did for us. How He died for us. What He went through for us. This was not just like any other death. We all die. This death was special. And it was substitutionary. Jesus was doing it FOR US. Remember that!

And not just on Communion Sundays. Or on Sundays. But every single day. What love this is!  “Love so amazing, so divine.” Take it personally. 

Think, today, about your sin. Think about your sin on the whole. And think about the last time you sinned. Whatever it might have been. And thank Jesus personally for how His body was broken for you and how His blood was poured out for you. And remember His sacrifice.

I think that kind of remembering helps when the next temptation hits, doesn’t it? When we are living in gratefulness, we are much less prone to wander and sin, aren’t we? And we are more prone to give our soul, our life, our all.

Jesus loved us to death. Not because we were so lovable. He didn’t say, “Oh, they are so cute! I just love them to death.” No, He said, “They are transgressors who deserve death, and in spite of that, I love them and will take that death for them.” And we need to remind ourselves of that every single day.

Take Jesus’ death personally. Because it was “for you.” Remember His sacrifice.

#3. REJOICE IN HIS KINGDOM.

Because this was not His “last supper.” Remember, Jesus expects to eat this meal once again! The Lord’s Supper looks back on the Passover, looks squarely at the Cross, and also looks forward to the Kingdom of God! This meal points to that meal. When all will be made right. 

Jesus knows what we are going to celebrate next Sunday. His broken body will stand up again. His heart will beat and His blood will flow once more.

Jesus is coming back to life on Sunday and coming back one day soon to bring His kingdom. He’s going to eat the meal when it finds fulfillment in the kingdom God. He’s going to drink the fruit of the vine when the kingdom of God comes in all of its fullness.

That’s why the Apostle Paul says, “...whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26 NIVO).

In verse 29, Jesus tells His disciples something wonderful that comes out of His sacrificial death, “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Lk. 22:29-30 NIVO). And just as they will eat and drink at His kingdom table, so one day, will we!

That’s something to look forward to!

Not because we deserve it. Far from it. But because He did this for you and for me.

Let us take Jesus’ death personally.

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"What the Angel Said" by Joel Michaels [LEFC Sermon Notes]

"What the Angel Said"

Joel Michaels

Luke 2:8-20

A simple message with big meaning!

Read with me Luke 2:8-20.

We just read, what I hope, is a very familiar story.  It was a portion of Luke's gospel telling us about the birth of Christ.  The Christmas story.  I want to focus on just a small portion dealing with the shepherds and the angel, what that discussion was and what it means.  We have two participants, the shepherds and an angel of the Lord.  We know what a shepherd is, but what about an angel.  The word angel simply means “messenger” in this case it's just not a messenger but a messenger from the Lord. An angelic being with something to say.

I want to focus on verses 8-11 especially verses 10 and 11 and the massive implications of what the angel is saying.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town  of David a Savior has been born to you:  he is Christ the Lord.”  (NIV)

Lets start with verse 10.

The shepherds are scared but the angel has some good news.  Not just good news but good news of great joy.  It's 2020 sometimes good news is hard to come by.  You know what, I bet these shepherds needed some good news too.  They are people and people have problems and stress and anxiety.  They needed this good news of great joy.  But, what I want us to notice is who exactly it was for.  Who was it for? “all people”.  Who are all people?  Shepherds in a field outside Bethlehem? Jerusalem maybe? Yes, but for all people.  Israel, Chad, New Guinea, Mexico, United States, State College, Lanse.  People in every corner of the earth.  Also, for all time.  It is for shepherds 2,000 years ago and  for you and your great, great grand kids and their kids.  The good news of great joy is eternal for all people, it doesn't diminish or fade.  Past, present, or future.

I guess we better find out what this great news is and what this angel of the Lord had to say.

Let's read verse 11 again.

“Today in the town of David” a baby has been born. A town called Bethlehem “the house of bread” is what that means if you want the origin,  also known as Ephrathah, the town where David was born.  This part should sound familiar.  Pastor Matt taught about this a couple of weeks ago in Psalm 132.  If you missed it go check it out on the church website.  It will help you start putting this Christmas story and this good news together.

Anyway, the angel says a baby has been born.  Not just a baby, but what? A Savior.

Let me stop.  This is what I want us to get, these next three things mentioned in verse 11.  This is what the angel was saying, the point of this great and wonderful message sent to the shepherds and to us.

So first thing a Savior. “ A Savior has been born”.

What is a savior? If you want to define the word you could say a deliverer, a healer, and a rescuer.  Somebody who saves you.

If you are in Luke 2 look over in Luke 1: 68-75.  This is Zechariah's song.  John the Baptist's dad had something to say about this Savior.  You see words like redeemed, salvation, mercy and rescue.  Those are things a savior does.  Zechariah is talking about this same person the angel is.  Jesus.  A  rescuer from enemies.  A deliverer, not only does he rescue us from our enemies, he delivers us from ourselves our own sins.  We see the redemption and mercy.  And we see the promise to Abraham to do these things.  Look at verse 74 this savior will enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness.

Who is this Savior for?  All people.  That's what the angel said. The opportunity of being rescued, redeemed and delivered is for all people.    How does this baby in Bethlehem do this?  Look at the end of this Gospel of Luke you find the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  Look at the end of your Bible.  What do you find? Revelation.  The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  Don't miss the point of Revelation, it is about Jesus.  It is part of this same proclamation, Jesus' saving work continues for his people.  

A Savior is something these shepherds needed and so do we.  Our family needs it, our friends need it,  the total stranger needs this Savior.

The second thing we want to look at is, the angel reports is he is the Christ (Christos) in the Greek or Messiah in the Hebrew.

What does Christ mean?  In a general sense it means an anointed one, or a consecrated one,  somebody who has been declared sacred.  Along with that it gives you a sense of a job, a purpose.  The person anointed  has something to do.  This Child announced to the shepherds has an anointing and a  purpose.

Let's back up a little for some context and precedent.  

There were 3 main groups anointed or consecrated with oil in the Old Testament. Prophets, kings and priests.  If you want a few examples try 1 Kings 19:16 and Exodus 40:12-14.  Each had a God given job and a purpose.  

Now we have the angel proclaiming this child is Christ.  Capital C.  The Christ.  It is a simple word, Christ, but it has meaning.  This is what the the Old Testament was trying to tell us.  This is the promise made to those Old Testament guys, remember David.  Psalm 2 from last week with Pastor Matt.

Lets think about this a minute.

Jesus is the anointed prophet.  Prophets proclaim the Word of God.  Prophets and their words have to be true if they are not true then you are not a prophet.  Jesus' words are true and he backs it up with his life.  Jesus himself proclaims “ I am the way, the truth, and the life.” in John 14:6.  I said a prophet proclaims the Word of God.  Jesus takes this a step further.  Look at John 1:14.  This is John's Christmas story.  Maybe you didn't know the Gospel of John had a Christmas story but here it is.  “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”  There it is, John's Christmas story.  What does it say?  Jesus is not only proclaiming the Word of God, he is the Word of God and he has come. Jesus is a prophet on a level the world has never seen.

Jesus is the anointed priest.  If you want to find out about Jesus as the great high priest, Hebrews is the place to go.  Hebrews 4:14 says Jesus is the great high priest.  Hebrews 4:16 says “ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  In the Old Testament the priests were the only ones who did sacrifices and entered the holy places.  Now through Christ (Jesus) we have access to God.  We can have confidence, to receive mercy and grace because of the Anointed One. It's almost unbelievable that we can approach God but we can and he wants us too.

 Jesus is the anointed king.  Just like the Old Testament kings, Jesus is anointed king.  The one on the throne who rules.  Sorry to disappoint but there are no election cycles, voting or politics when Jesus rules.  He has the say and final decision.  He is a king.  Look at Rev. 19:11-16 “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  No questioning those words, that is a statement that has power that is unimaginable.  Jesus is everything earthly kings aren't because of their falleness and sin.  He is righteous, true, good, kind, loving.  Don't miss the righteous part.  Like a good king he does not tolerate evil.

What was the angel telling the shepherds to go see?  Christ.  The Prophet, The Priest, The King not anointed by man with oil, but by the Holy Spirit (check out Acts10:34-38).   It was Jesus the baby in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.  If you are reading or watching this today it is the same Christ, the same Jesus.

One more for you.

The angel says he is the Lord.  He is the one who is supreme, who is overall, total authority, the creator.  This little baby the shepherds are to go see, the good news of great joy the angel is proclaiming is the Lord.  These shepherds will see the Creator who created them.  They get to look at the one who knitted them together.  The Alpha and Omega.  Pastor Matt has been leading us through the Psalms, and I want to give you a portion of my favorite Psalm.  Psalm 139:13-16. Jesus was there when we were put together.  This child is God, John 1:1 “The Word was God.”  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  “ In the beginning GOD” That was the message the angel was bringing.

That is a lot in the few words the angel spoke.  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  Remember those words were for all people.

2020 by most accounts was not a great year and we have no idea about 2021 or 22 or beyond

but...

We have a Savior.

We have the Christ.

We have the Lord.

That sounds like hope to me and a bright future.  Listen to what the angel said.

We have Jesus.

Merry Christmas and a hope filled New Year!

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[Matt's Messages] "Lost and Found"

“Lost and Found”
Gospel Roots (1892-2017)
March 12, 2017 :: Luke 15:1-10

This is our third message in our ongoing “Gospel Roots” sermon series where we revisit and recommit to some of our foundational values that have shaped and defined us as a church family through the years.

The first message was the gospel itself: Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. The Person and Work of Christ is what saves us, draws us together, and provides our very purpose for existence as a church.

The second message was about something we’ve done every week together for the last 125 years–we’ve sung together. We sing the gospel. We don’t just say it, we sing it, to God in thanksgiving and to each other to remind ourselves of Jesus of Christ and His Crucified.

In today’s message, I want to talk about sharing that gospel.

Not just savoring it or singing about it, but actually sharing the gospel with other people, lost people.

Our church has a long and rich history of evangelism.

I like to point out that it’s our middle name!

Because...“It’s Our Middle Name!”

Lanse EVANGELICAL Free Church.

Can you spell evangelical?

That word “evangelical” is such a tongue-twister for people isn’t it?

Someone asks, “What church do you go to?”

And you say, “Lanse Free Church.”  What do you leave off?  The “Evangelical” part.  Sometimes, I just say “the one with the playground!”

I love it when people call on the phone, and they don’t know that E-word.

“Uh, hello. Is this the Lanse Evangelistic, Evangelellel, uhm Free Church?”

Yes, it is.

Evangelical originally means “Gospel-oriented.” “Gospel-centered.”

It means that we believe in and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It comes from the word “Evangel” which is the Greek word for “Good News” in the New Testament.

So “gospel” is our “Middle Name.”

Or, at least, it should be.

And historically, it has been.

It’s in our purpose statement, right? “Lanse Evangelical Free Church exists to glorify God by bringing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ through worship (SING!), instruction, fellowship, EVANGELISM, and service.”

We care about lost people and we strive to share the gospel with them.

Let me show you how this has played out in the past.

Anybody remember these?

In the 1970's this little fleet of blue buses went up and down these hills and hollers picking up folks, especially children to bring them here to hear the gospel.

That was before my time, but I love that we had them.

This was one during my time. Anybody remember this guy?

This was the mascot for Wild West Day. July 28, 2001

These were the hats we bought.

Here’s a little craft they made in our Kids’ Ministry. It has a refrigerator magnet, and it says, “I will pray for Wild West Day. I will ask God to do things I could never do. I will ask God to do miracles.”

And the Lord gave us over 1,200 people to visit our campus that day.

And hear the gospel.

Nobody came on our campus that day and left without hearing the good news about Jesus Christ.

And it’s not just about getting people onto our campus.

Anybody remember this one?

In 2002, we participated heavily in the JESUS video project. We were part of a coalition of churches that mailed a VHS copy of the Jesus video to every single home in our county. Over 30,000 videos went into the mail.

This is artifact. I’m going to ask Lita if she would put this in the display case out there. With the old song books and the old communion ware. The VHS tape! Whatever that is.

Nowadays, you can stream that sort of thing over your phone.

But back then, it was a major undertaking to get this into everybody’s hands.

And we threw ourselves into that.

Why?

Because we loved lost people and wanted them to have what we have, the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

When we built the Ark Park out here, we called it, “An Evangelistic Playground.” Because we didn’t build it just for us. We built it for our community. Because we love them and because we wanted a place where folks would come, and we could talk to them about Jesus.

That’s supposed to be a gospel playground out there.

Do you get the picture?

I love how this church has historically thrown itself into evangelism.

We are not just focused inward on ourselves. On our worship, on our fellowship, on our own stuff.

This church has always had a heart for lost people and a commitment to do whatever it takes to reach them.

And in that, this church has reflected the very heart of God.

Luke chapter 15 is about the heart of God.

What God cares about. And how strongly God cares about the lost.

Luke 15 is one of the most famous and familiar chapters in the whole Bible because it contains 3 of Jesus’ most famous parables. I wish I had time to give you all three, but we’re only going to look at the first two today. The third one is the one that you know the best, so you can read this afternoon.

All three stories are very similar, and they are all trying to make the same point.

There’s a pattern:

Something becomes lost.
Someone conducts a desperate search for the lost item.
And when it’s found, there is a party. There is a celebration.

“Lost and found.”

Something becomes lost.
Someone searches.
Then there is a celebration.

And all of this is to show us how the Lord cares about the lost.

The lost sheep, the lost coin, and (if you read on) the lost son.

Awesome parables from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, the biggest mistake that people make when they are interpreting these parables is to miss verses 1 and 2.

Verses and 1 and 2 tell us who was present when Jesus told these stories.

And it’s easy to overlook them. I have just skimmed past them many times on my way to good stuff–the stories.

But verses 1 and 2 tell us not just who was present when Jesus told these stories, gave this teaching, but they tell us WHY Jesus told these parables.

Verses and 1 and 2 are very important. They set the stage for the whole chapter.

Let’s look at them again.

“Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

Now, who was present at this moment? There were two groups of people.

In the eyes of the culture of that day, there were the bad people and the good people.  The bad people and good people.  The black hats and the white hats.

Do you see that? Who were the black hats?

The tax collectors and the sinners. These were bad guys.

The tax collectors were basically the legalized thieves of the Roman world. They were turncoat Jews who were empowered by the Romans to not only take the legal taxes for the government, but to take as much more as they could get away with from every taxpayer.

This was not the IRS. This was like the mob being deputized by the IRS to collect your taxes and look the other way while they took your money.

Nobody liked tax collectors. They were despised.

And the rest of the black hats were just called the “sinners.”  How would you like that name to describe you in public? “There go the sinners!”

These folks were notorious for not following the Law. Either Jewish law or Roman law. They were unclean, they were rebellious, they were outsiders. They were considered scum.

But catch this–they were the ones attracted to Jesus.

They were all (v.1) “gathering around the hear him.” And more than that, Jesus was attracted to them.

He ate with them. He had table fellowship with them.

Jesus seems to like them!

And that bothers the other group that’s here. Who are they?

They are the guys with white hats.

The Pharisees–who separated themselves from everything that was unholy.

And the teachers of the Law. That is the Bible professors.

These are supposed to be the good guys. These are straight-laced guys who keep their noses clean. They are on the right side of the law.

Law abiding citizens. The white hats.

And they are scandalized by how Jesus is acting. V.2

“But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

They can’t even say, “sinners” without spitting, and Jesus is eating with them?  Yuck!  Eww! With the scum of the Earth!

Now, remember that. Remember who is listening as Jesus tells His three stories.

Got it?

The first story is the story of the lost sheep.  V.3

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'” Stop there for a second.

Notice the pattern?

Something becomes lost.  What is it?  It’s a sheep.

Is that valuable? To this shepherd it is. Valuable enough to go searching.

Someone conducts a search. Who is that? The shepherd. He leaves the 99 where they should be safe in the open country and then goes to find the lost one.

What a great picture. Can you see him hunting that lost sheep in your mind’s eye?

Going all of the places where that sheep could possibly be.

Risky, sacrificing, searching to rescue that sheep.

And, then, he finds it. And he (v.5), “joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.”

That’s quite an image, too, isn’t it? A happy shepherd with a found sheep over his shoulders.

What’s next? Partay! Right? V.6

“Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'”

Let’s have a party! Let’s celebrate.

“Rejoice with me!  I’ve found my lost sheep.”

And then, Jesus gives us the point. V.7

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Remember to whom Jesus is talking.

Who is the shepherd like? He’s like the Lord.

“There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents” (one lost sheep) “than over ninety-nine (unlost sheep, so-called) “righteous persons” who do not need to “repent.”

Who is He talking about?

Who are these sinner-sheep? They are the bad guys who are attracted to Jesus.

There will be a party in heaven if a bad guys repents. If a black hat guy turns himself in. Celebration!

More rejoicing than if a so-called white hat guy doesn’t ever go anywhere.

Jesus doesn’t mean that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law didn’t really need repentance or were really righteous. That’s just how they saw themselves.

And there is no rejoicing in heaven over self-righteousness. Even when its cleaned up pretty good!

Jesus says, “So, you want to know why I eat with sinners and welcome them?”

It’s because that’s the priority of heaven.

That’s the passion of God’s heart.

The Lord loves the lost.

But, just in case they didn’t get it, Jesus tells another story. A very similar one.

The story of the lost coin. V.8

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.”

Here’s the pattern again:

Something is lost. What is it? A coin.

In Greek, it’s a drachma, about a day’s wages.

How many did this woman own? She only owns 10. She loses 10% of her wealth.

So someone conducts a desperate search!

She turns the house upside down.

Have you ever lost anything like that?

A couple of weeks ago, Heather lost something at home, and we turned the house upside down looking for it.

What if it were 10% of all of your possessions?

I remember once, one of my little nephews lost a tiny little toy he had just bought with his own money at a playground.

It was a playground like ours out there except that it was full of little rocks, you know, like a beach of rocks, and he had buried his toy under the rocks for safe keeping! And then forgotten where he’d put it.

Could we have found that toy if we tried hard enough?

Yeah, we could have. We would have had to turn over a lot of rocks, though.  It was lost.

But if we had been desperate enough, like this woman, if we had really cared about it, we could have searched until it was found. She goes to great lengths to find it.

And what happens when the item is found? Party time!  V.9

“She calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’”

And then Jesus makes sure we get the point. V.10

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

I love that phrase, “in the presence of the angels of God.”

Does that mean that the angels are rejoicing over the repentant sinner?

The lost coin found?

I’m sure they are. But I don’t think that’s what Jesus is saying.

Who is in the presence of the angels of God?

God Himself.

I think this is a way around way of saying that God rejoices over one sinner who repents.

There is a party in heaven over one sinner who repents.

If the kingdom of God is a party (and that’s one of the things Jesus says it is!), then the theme of that party is joy in repentant sinners.

That’s why Jesus welcomes them.

Because that’s the heart of God!

Now you can see that pattern repeated again in the parable of the lost son (or lost sons) read it this afternoon and track how it’s like these other two parables and how it has a few more twists that really bring it home.

But we’re going stop with just these 2 stories today and apply them to our church and our lives today.

Here’s how we’re going to do it.

We’re going to put ourselves into these stories.

Where are you and I in these stories?

Three points of application.

#1.  REPENT.

Where are you in this story?

Well, we all start out as something that is lost.

We are the black-hats in this story.

We are the lost sheep. We are the lost coin.

Because the Bible says that we are all sinners.

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

And God, in His mercy, has been searching for us.

He sent His own Son to seek and to save that which was lost.

That’s us.

And if we want to be found, we need to do what v.7 and v.10 says.

We need to repent.

To repent means to turn.

To turn in our hearts and with our lives away from sin and to the Savior.

To turn to Jesus and put our trust in Him.

Notice that sinners and the tax-collectors still needed to repent.

It’s not enough that they were attracted to Jesus and listening to Him.

They had to respond.

In our home, when each of our children made their first profession of faith in Jesus, we began to call them, “Found Sheep.” And each one of them was given a little stuffed lamb to mark that response of their hearts to the gospel.

Jesus died for lost sheep. And lost sheep are found when they repent.

Are you still a lost sheep?

Turn from your sin and put your trust in the Savior. Repent.

It might be hard for you to identify yourself with the scum in this story.

You might see yourself as a pretty good guy or a pretty good gal.

But every one of us is a sinner and needs the Savior.

There will only be rejoicing in heaven for you if you repent.

I invite you to do it right now.

In your heart, pray to the Lord. Tell Him that you need Him and that you are turning from your sin, asking for His forgiveness, and trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for you.

The Lord promises for all who come to Him, all who call upon the name of the Lord, they will be saved.

Maybe that happened for you because of a bus ministry or a Wild West Day or a Jesus Video Project or some other ministry of this church:

A Good News Cruise
A Family Bible Week
A Kids for Christ
A Wild Game Dinner

Or maybe it was far away from here and unrelated.

But if it hasn’t happened yet, it’s past time.

Repent.

That’s where it starts.

#2.  RECOVER.

And by this, I mean, join the search party for lost people.

Put yourself in the shoes of the white-hats for a second.

Did they care about those who were lost?

No, they only cared about themselves and their good works and their clean reputations.

Jesus told this story to both convict them and to change them.

He wants us to join the search party for lost people.

Do you and I care about lost people?

And I mean do we care about lost people?!

Not do we say we care about lost people, but do we do it?

Do we do anything about it?

This shepherd left the 99 and went after the lost sheep.

This woman lit the lamp and swept the house clean to find the lost coin.

God is recovering lost people.

Are we a part of that search or are we just standing on the sidelines?

Who are you helping to recover?
What lost people are you praying for?
What lost people are you talking to about Jesus?

Let me give you three steps here.

Care, Prayer, and Share.

First we have to care. We have to cultivate a love for those people whom God loves.

This church has been really good at that for 125 years.

And I am so proud of our church family when I see it.

I love to tell the story about my first Summer here as your pastor. I was writing the sermons on Saturday nights (which I still often do!), and there were gangs of young people out here on the parking lot on Saturday nights.

Before we had a nice paved parking lot.

This was the meeting spot. They’d be out here doing donuts in the field. Smoking, talking, hanging out.

And I told the elder board about that. It was Wally and George and Blair and Bruce and Charlie and those guys. And I told them about what was going on in our parking lot, and asked if we needed to have the police drop.

And they said to me, “We’re glad they are here on our land, I wonder what we can do to reach out to them and tell them that Jesus loves them.”

I knew then that this church was a keeper.

Who have you cared enough about to invite to the Wild Game Dinner?

I promise you that Zeke Pipher will make the gospel clear to them.

But people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

Does somebody know that you care about them and are going to bring them to hear Zeke on Saturday?

Our Louisiana Team is down South this week serving in the name of Jesus Christ, showing those folks down there that we care.

Thank you for sending them.

I’m proud of you for sending them.
I’m proud of them for going.

It shows that we care.

We’ve got to keep the gospel as our middle name.

The second step is prayer.

We have to continue to pray for the lost to be found.

Remember this artifact from our history?

Back in 2007, we filled up this fishbowl with the names of people for whom we are praying to come to know Jesus. And we fasted and prayed over those names.

And some of those names are names of people who are today trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior, in part because we prayed!

Who are you praying for right now to get found?

Who are you praying for to come to the Wild Game Dinner?
Or to come to church next Sunday and hear Zeke preach here?
Or come on Resurrection Sunday and hear the gospel?

That’s what our Harvest Prayer Time is all about.

Who is on your prayer list?

And the third step is to share.

It’s not enough to just want them to know Jesus, we have to introduce them to Jesus.

It takes words. It takes the gospel.

If we truly care, we will dare to share.

The Holy Spirit will give us the power.

Our friend Matt Modzel just recently shared with a group of teenagers at the FCA Badminton Tournament last Friday night.

He didn’t know I was taking his picture.

And he doesn’t know that I’m going to put it here today.

But I’m proud of him. Because he overcame his nervousness and got up on his hind legs and shared his testimony and the good news about how God so loved the world.

When Matt’s nervous his face goes all red. It was as red as those mats against the wall there. But that didn’t stop him for sharing.

We need to join the search and rescue recovery team.

And that requires faith and boldness.

Are we talking to the lost people about Jesus?

Or are we just content to mutter, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Do we eat with sinners?

I don’t want to be like the so-called “white hat” people in this story.

If I have to choose sides, then put me with the black hats.

Because that’s where Jesus is.

Let me say something about our culture right now and what Christians need to be doing in it.

I hear a lot of talk about the two M’s–Muslims and Mexicans.

Those two kinds of people are in the news a lot.

And I hear a lot of people being very negative about both of them.

Very against Muslims and Mexicans.

It’s like they are the black hats or something.

And I understand that there are legitimate questions for our leaders to sort out in terms of immigration and national security. We need good people to come up with good policies and practices on those.

But I what I am concerned about is how much muttering I hear, even among Christians. I hear hate and fear and anger.

And I don’t hear enough about this question:

How can we reach Muslims with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Those that are coming here, and how can we go to them?

How can we reach immigrants (with or without the proper documents!) with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ?

Because they are lost without Him.

And he cares. He desperately cares. He’s turning the house upside down to find them.

Jesus says what God cares about the most is not our national security or our economy or jobs for Americans or even the rule of law.

What God cares about most is finding lost people. He’s after the black hats.

Are we a part of God’s desperate search party?

Or are we just standing around muttering?

Let’s get personal for a second.

Who do you and I need to talk to this week?

Who do we need to pray for the next 7 days and then to bring up Jesus in conversation?

Who is the one sheep out of the 100 in our life that is lost that we need to care about?

Who is the one drachma that is lost in the house that we need to sweep for with the Lord?

Let’s go searching, friends.  Let’s go searching.

That’s what this church is all about.

#3.  REJOICE!

You knew that would be point #3, didn’t you?

Let’s pretend that we’re the friends in these two stories.

We’re the neighbors.

What does the shepherd say, “Rejoice with me!”

What does the woman say, “Rejoice with me!”

What does God say? “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents!”

Rejoice!

Every time a sinner comes in, we should rejoice.

Every time a sinner gets baptized, we should rejoice.

Every time a decision is made for Christ, we should rejoice.

And we should rejoice for ourselves that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life!

There is a party in heaven.

There should be one here, too.

My prayer is that we, as a church, will see a greater harvest and have a greater party in the next few months and years than we ever have before.

But the gospel has to stay our middle name.

We can’t lose sight of this driving value of our church to reach out to the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ.


***

Previous Messages in This Series:

01. Jesus Christ and Him Crucified
02. Sing!

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