"Spirit Driven"

Mark 1:15-22

 

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 22, 2015

Last week 21 Coptic Christians who were kidnapped out of their native Egypt into Libya by the radical Islamic group ISIS were executed. Their captors recorded on video how they led them to a beach and killed. As we learn about the persecution and martyrdom of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, it makes us wonder why God would allow such brutality. Jesus himself said that all sorts of evil things would happen to those who followed him. Our prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones as well as those who perpetrated this evil.

The sad reality is that we still live in a world plagued by evil, sin, and death. It is why God often describes our experience here as a wilderness—dry, barren, limited resources to sustain life, dangers at every turn, wild beasts, and isolation. John is the only Gospel writer who does not talk about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Matthew and Luke provide a whole dialogue between the Devil and Jesus. Mark just has a few sentences. Mark uses a stronger word to explain why Jesus ends up in the wilderness for 40 days. He says “the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.” It could be translated as “the Spirit threw Jesus out toward the wilderness” or “was cast into the wilderness.” It’s different from Luke and Matthew who both say “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”

The picture that comes into my mind is of a shepherd who leads his sheep and they willingly follow, on the one hand; and a Shepherd who must somehow motivate his sheep to go where don’t want to go, on the other. We want the assurance and the comfort of knowing that we can follow God safely through the vales of tears and the valleys of the shadow of death. Like Jesus who in the garden before his betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion prays, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I will, but what you will.” Mark, as he often does, speeds the story of Jesus along. He rapidly moves from scene to scene. And here, he chooses to tell the story of how Jesus entered into his temptation with an emphasis on Jesus’ humanity. The Father identifies Jesus as his beloved Son and says he is well pleased with him. And the Spirit who descends as a dove drives him from the water to the wilderness. It was a coordinated plan and mission flowing out of his Baptism. Mark wants us to already feel the tension. Jesus will not eat or drink for forty days. He is in uninhabitable territory. He is among wild animals. He is tempted by the adversary and the accuser.

This is the tension of all the baptized. God washes our sin away in his Triune Name. Through Baptism, we are united with Jesus. He adopts us his children. He claims us as his own. We are now clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. We are his beloved. And we too leave the font and enter the wilderness of this world. Like Jesus, we want to follow our Good Shepherd where he leads. And like Jesus in his humanity, we don’t want to enter dangerous and difficult territory. We don’t want to feel the pressures and temptations of this world to drag us down. We don’t want to live under the threat of death. In some ways, this is encouraging. Jesus did not sin when he was driven out into the wilderness. Just because the Spirit prompts him to head toward a difficult experience does not mean that Jesus was opposed to God’s plan. It is also encouraging because he did not end up in the wilderness by accident. He was exactly where he needed to be. He was not abandoned. The Father had a plan for Jesus. The Holy Spirit ensured that fulfill that plan. Jesus was “spirit driven.”

Our text says that angels waited on him. These angels are also driven out by the Spirit to strengthen, encourage, and serve Jesus. It’s a remarkable thing: Jesus humbled himself like that. In his new humanity, Jesus benefited from the presence of angels. Was it their words? Was it their touch? Was it merely their presence? In the same way we should also be encouraged. When we start a difficult journey—when we begin a new chapter in our lives we can know that the Spirit drives us forward. It may not be where we want to go. We may also be in a place where we are compelled to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it done in heaven.” There may not be a whole lot of things around us to give us the assurance that God is with us. The landscape is waterless and barren. The wild animals threaten us. The adversary accuses and beats us down. But we have the assurance and promise that he will bring us safely through to the other side.

In the last days following the killing of the Coptic Christians in Libya, Bashir Kamel who is the brother of two of the Coptic Christians who were killed is speaking out. And his message may surprise you if you have not yet heard it. He is thankful that the recording of his brothers’ death and the other 19 included audio. You can hear their last words: “Lord Jesus Christ.” Bashir says the 21 are “a badge of honor to Christianity” and his community is proud of their witness as martyrs. He said: “Since the Roman era, Christians have been martyred and have learned to handle everything that comes our way. This only makes us stronger in our faith because the Bible told us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us.” They were driven out of their homeland, driven out to their deaths, but God never abandoned them. They have safely made their journey through the wilderness. They are safely on the other side. Their words reveal that they received the comfort of angels and the assurance of their Savior of eternal life. Therefore with angels, archangels, and the whole company of believers in heaven and throughout the world, we can confidently say in this wilderness,“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.” We will also make it safely through to the other side.

"A Glimpse of Greatness"

Mark 9:2-9

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 15, 2015

We all love to see greatness. Just turn on your television and you’ll see the best athletes. Or turn on the radio and listen to greatness—the best compositions and the best musicians spanning hundreds of years. Or climb thousands of steps up a European cathedral. You will see and feel greatness in its architecture. Or go to a museum and look at the paintings on the wall. You will see the greatness of master painters. But the television, radio, cathedral, or museum may will tell you the whole story. They reveal greatness but not necessarily the cost. They may not tell you that the musician has been practicing for 30 years, that the cathedral took 500 years to build, and that the painter had painted even through decades of poverty and war.

In the opening celebration of the Olympic in the 2006 Olympic winter games in Italy, they had a special surprise—there behind the curtain was a large man in a tuxedo—Luciano Pavarotti. Luciano Pavarotti is one the greatest singers who ever lived. The song he sang, Puccini’s Nessun Dorma is one of the greatest songs ever composed. Of course, the Italians chose to put their best on display for the whole world to see. There is a story of a man who went to a concert and spoke with Pavarotti face to face. He wanted to compliment the greatness of his voice. He said, “I would give my life to sing like you!” Pavarotti said, “I did give my life to sing like me!” What this man saw and heard was greatness. What he did not necessarily know was the cost. And that is the often untold story of the greatness around us. We may not know that the cost for greatness is often enormous.

Peter, James, and John finally have a glimpse of greatness in our Gospel text—the greatness of Jesus. Jesus leads them up a high mountain. “And,” our text says, “He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” They finally saw the curtain lifted and opened. The true glory and divine nature of our Lord was made visible. He appeared as He truly was, and is, and will be forever—God’s beloved Son, true God and now true Man. Scripture tells us that heaven will have no need for a sun; because Jesus will be our eternal light. Nighttime will never come again. He will be our eternal morning star—He will bring His light and the warmth of His love to us for all eternity. And Jesus appearance is not the only thing pointing out His greatness. Two of the greatest prophets in biblical history are there: Moses and Elijah. There they are—two spiritual giants consulting with Jesus their King. Their being there points to Jesus as the One and greater Prophet.

Peter, James and John don’t yet know that the cost for Jesus’ greatness will be enormous. And so, as Peter often does, he speaks before he thinks. He says to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  “Let’s make this deal permanent! No more valleys—only mountaintops. No more valley of the shadow of death—only the mount of transfiguration.” Sorry Peter, things are not going to be that easy. You cannot pitch your tent on this mountain. You have to go back into the valley. You are on one mountaintop. But Jesus will show you another mountaintop. Now is the time between those two peaks—now is the time to trudge through the valley—this is the time of the cross. You have seen greatness, Peter; now you will see the cost. For the greatness of eternal life can only come by the cross.

And so here we are on Transfiguration—just three days before we go down the mountain—down to the dust and ashes of Ash Wednesday. We will spend 40 days of Lent in the valley—with one week in the sufferings and passion of our Savior. And then we will reach the other mountaintop—Easter—Resurrection Sunday. He ascends and descends mountains so that we will have our own transfiguration. He lived, He died, and He rose again so that we will also be transformed. We will be raised up in greatness. But that greatness is only possible because of the greatness of Jesus—the greatness of Him who lived, died, and rose again. And then, and only then, will it be time for us to pitch our tent with Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, angels, archangels, the whole company of heaven and Jesus. We will finally get to make our home on the mountaintop. And there we will live in the light of His glory forever.

“On Eagle’s Wings”

Isaiah 40:21-31

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 8, 2015

Isaiah’s words from our first Scripture reading are words of comfort to God’s people still in exile and captivity in Babylon. Isaiah is consoling them after he hears their cries of despair and hopelessness. “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God.” “God cannot or will not see what is going on in my life! He does not care about the injustice I suffer. He remains silent. He does nothing. We are invisible.” One thing I really appreciate about the Bible is how it honestly confronts our dark and troubling thoughts. Also, don’t miss the honesty of the Israelites and their boldness and courage to let God know their true thoughts, fears, and doubts. For many of the same reasons, I appreciate the candid doubt and unbelief I hear from friends. At last, now we’re talking! What is really bothering you and me is not scientific theory, philosophy, or abstraction; no, what is really bothering us is that we often feel alone in the universe.  “God is not concerned about my daily life and private thoughts,” we might say to ourselves or out loud to others. “Where is his concern for my troubles? Where is the evidence that he is even aware of my pain, suffering, and injustice?”

Isaiah’s answer is ask his own questions. “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” In other words, nothing is hidden from God; maybe his ways are hidden from us. “His understanding is unsearchable.” “No one can fathom his understanding.” The human mind does not have the capacity to grasp the mind of God. Later in the book of Isaiah, he will share the same thought with these words: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa 55:8,9). There are limitations to what we can access through our intellect. We are not engineered with the ability to access the mind of God. This does not mean that we embrace an anti-intellectualism. It does not mean we stop learning about the Scripture and about the natural world around us. It simply is a reminder that there are some things that only God understands. He alone is eternal. Only he created the heavens and the earth. He sees the history of the universe with one glance. He stands outside space and time in a reality that we have not yet experienced. He has a plan that has not yet been revealed.

Our intellectual difficulty leads God to another strategy: to inspire our imagination. We can’t precisely know or understand God’s ways and thoughts. But through the imagination we can get close. We can explore what is “unsearchable” Albert Einstein said it this way, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” This leads us to these beautiful words: “He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Do you feel the pull gravity? Does this world weigh you down? Anxiety, wearies young and old. Despair causes even the most physically fit to fall. But not so those who patiently trust in God—not so those who abide in Christ. You will mount up with wings like eagles! You never realized they were there, but soon you will sprout wings that will provide lift and will help you defy the laws of gravity. You will soar into the heavens and transcend the problems of this world. God assures us that we have a scheduled flight. Our flight may seem delayed but it is on God’s time. The day is coming soon when we will have superhuman strength because God has given us his divine and now human Savior, Jesus Christ. Marvel Comics and Xmen have nothing on God’s imagination and the special ability he gives to us who trust in him. Whether it is Iron Man’s rocket propelled suit or the mutant angel who grew wings in puberty, the human imagination longs for a way to soar through this life. And that is what God promises to do—to transform our mortal bodies to immortality. He strengthens and preserves us through his Word. He does so by his holy Supper. This is what we have in the Gospel: “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in resurrection like his” (Rom 6:5).

We will rise up and defy this world’s gravity, our sin, and even death itself. “If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation, the old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). You will be able to run and walk by God’s strength. You will be able to gracefully glide and feel the wind of the Spirit give you lift. You will have a peace that transcends human comprehension. You will, as Jesus says, be like angels in heaven. You will make your final journey like Lazarus did when he died who mounted up on angels’ wings. God hears and receives our cries of despair, helplessness, and hopelessness. And, in exchange, he causes us to sprout wings.

"Authority"

Mark 1:21-28

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 1, 2015

 “They were astounded at his teaching, for [Jesus] taught them as one having authority.”

The word authority is mentioned several times in our Gospel reading as something that sets Jesus apart. Authority means not just a working knowledge but a mastery of the material. Jesus is a biblical scholar. Authority indicates a good communicator. Jesus is able to convey meaning clearly. He breaks things down. He simplifies things without compromising the depth of truth. He illustrates and he tells stories. Authority carries with it the idea of power. Jesus does not speak mere empty words but has a direct connection with the Creator of the universe to act on that truth. Jesus is the Word; all things were made through him. He sustains the universe by his power. Authority can mean a potential advocate or a formidable adversary. Jesus is on our team. He is working for the underdog. He is on our side. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” scripture says. He lives, teaches, dies, and rises again for our salvation.

“They were astounded at his teaching, for [Jesus] taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.” People were not used to this kind of authority. They were used to the Pharisees and Scribes’ authority. The Scribes and Pharisees often spoke with authority but with little explanation or justification. It was if their attitude was “How dare you question us? This is our tradition. It’s the way we have been doing things for generations.” The teachers of the day did not offer much deeper understanding. The Scribes and Pharisees often abused their power. They shunned people they considered notorious sinners. They organized mobs to stone a woman caught in adultery. They put the heavy burden of the law on the people of God—more weight than what they were even able to bear. They conspired to have Jesus killed. The Scribes and Pharisees were often more of an obstacle than they were a help. It seemed like they worked harder to maintain their control and influence than to equip and empower others. The contrast between Jesus and other religious leaders is striking. This Teacher’s authority sets him apart from the others. His commanding teaching astounded them. His healing and delivering a man from an unclean spirit put the crowds in awe and wonder.

Because of this great authority, Jesus is the clearest and most beautiful source to understand and experience the love of God the Father. That was Jesus’ vocation. That was his job. That was his calling: to tell the world that God loves us, forgives us, heals us, and gives us eternal life. This is a great challenge to us as God’s people.

We are also called to be share the Good News with authority. Where has God placed us? How have we been given authority? Do we effectively communicate the grace and love of God around us? Do we show God’s love by our words and our actions? Do we allow time and have the patience to give people space and room to question, investigate on their own, and grow? Do we try to win arguments or win people? Is our goal to convince those around us that we are smarter? Or is our goal to assure others of the grace and acceptance of God and equip and empower them? We will astound those around us to speak with authority and humility at the same time. We will amaze people when we challenge them to a higher calling and unconditionally love them at the same time. You will put others in a state of shock and awe because the rest of the world does not operate that way. What a welcome exception to the rule! How refreshingly different we can be in contrast of this world plagued by pride, competition, and survival of the fittest! What sets Jesus apart should also set us apart. We have been entrusted with the same mission. We are stewards of the same Gospel. Jesus came with authority to heal, confront our demons, extend God’s forgiveness, and assure us of eternal life. And we are authorized by him: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:18-20).

His authority assures us of his grace and acceptance. His authority certifies our adoption as his daughters and sons. His authority authenticates his forgiveness. His authority gives us a hope of eternal life that will not disappoint. His authority equips and empowers us to extend his kingdom throughout the whole world.