The Resurrected Son

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
June 9, 2013 – Pentecost III

1 Kings 17:17-24, Psalm 30, Galatians 1:11-24, Luke 7:11-17

From the Old Testament:
And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”

From St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians:
But when he was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.

And from the Gospel of St. Luke:
As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up, and began to speak.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

The 7th chapter of Luke is about Jesus’ compassion towards the people. Last week we heard about how Jesus marveled at the centurion’s faith and healed the Roman soldier’s servant from a distance. This time, there was no request for healing. Jesus simply had compassion on a grieving widow whose son had just died and it was an opportunity to bring glory to God.

Jesus journeyed to Nain, a small village about twenty-five miles from Capernaum, a good day’s journey away, yet Jesus went there even though He was not requested to come. Since the Jews buried their dead the same day, it is likely that Jesus and His disciples arrived at the city gate late in the afternoon of the day the boy died.

We can only marvel at the providence of God when we see Jesus meet that funeral procession just as it was heading for the burial ground. He lived on a divine timetable as He obeyed the will of His Father (John 11:9). The sympathetic Saviour always gives help when we need it most.
What a contrast between the crowd that was following Jesus and the crowd following the widow and her dead son. Jesus and His disciples were rejoicing in the blessing of the Lord, but the widow and her friends were lamenting the death of her only son. Jesus was heading for the city while the mourners were heading to the cemetery.

Spiritually speaking, each of us is in one of these two crowds. If you trusted Christ, you are going to the city (Heb. 11:10, 13-16); If you are “dead in sin,” you are already in the cemetery and under the condemnation of God (John 3:36). You need to trust Jesus Christ and be raised from the dead (John 5:24); a new life in Christ.

We have a contrast of two sons. One was alive but destined to die, the other dead but destined to live. The term only begotten as applied to Jesus means “unique, the only one of its kind.” Jesus is not a “son” in the same sense that I am, having been brought into existence by conception and birth. Since Jesus is eternal God, He has always existed. The title Son of God declares Christ’s divine nature and His relationship to the Father, to whom the Son has willingly subjected Himself from all eternity. All the Persons of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are equal, but the “economy” of the Trinity, each has a specific place to fill and task to fulfill.

We also have the contrast of two sufferings. Jesus, “the Man of Sorrows,” could easily identify with the widow’s heartache. Not only was the widow in sorrow, but she was now left alone in a society that did not have resources to care for widows. What would happen to her? Jesus felt the pain that sin and death have brought into this world, and He did something about it.

Jesus faced death, “the last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26). When you consider the pain and grief that it causes in this world, death is indeed an enemy, and only Jesus Christ can give us victory. Jesus was tortured, scorned and hung on a cross and died. He conquered death by His resurrection and ascension. Through Him we can claim that same victory and have everlasting life. Through His power, Jesus had only to speak the word and the boy was raised to life and health.

The boy gave two evidences of life: he sat up and he spoke. He was lying on an open stretcher, not in a closed coffin; so it was easy for him to sit up. We are not told what he said, but it must have been interesting! He might have said, “What’s happening?” or “How did I get here?” or “Boy, do I have a story to tell you!” What an act of tenderness it was for Jesus to take the boy and give him to his rejoicing mother. The whole scene reminds us of what will happen when the Lord returns, and we are reunited with our loved ones who have gone to glory (1Thes. 4:13-18).

The response of the people was to glorify God and identify Jesus with the Prophet the Jews had been waiting for (John 1:21; Acts 3:22-23). It did not take long for the report of this miracle to spread. People were even more enthusiastic to see Jesus, and great crowds followed Him (Luke 8:4, 19, 42).

I wonder how many of us realize that this was not the first time in Scripture that someone was brought back from the dead. God, through the Prophet Elijah did just that. Elijah means “The Lord (Jehovah) is my God,” an apt name for a man who called the people back to the worship of Jehovah. Elijah wasn’t a polished preacher like Isaiah and Jeremiah, but was more of a rough-hewn reformer who challenged the people to abandon their idols and return to the Lord.

The scene takes place at Zarephath of Sidon, a coastal town located between Tyre and Sidon in the territory ruled by Jezebel’s father Ethbaal. Elijah is commanded to go and reside in the heart of the very land from which the Baal worship now being promoted in Israel had come. God commanded a widow in town to supply him with food and lodging. Elijah, as the bearer of God’s Word, was now to be sustained by human hands, but they were the hands of a poor widow facing starvation. She was, moreover, from outside the circle of God’s own people, a Gentile, in fact, she was from the pagan nation that at that time represented the forces arrayed against God’s kingdom.

The evidence seems clear that the widow’s son actually died and didn’t just faint or go into a temporary sleep. He stopped breathing and his spirit left the body. According to James (James 2:26), when the spirit leaves the body, the person is dead.

The mother’s response to her son’s resurrection was to feel guilty because of her past sins. She believed that her son’s death was God’s way of punishing her for her misdeeds. It isn’t unusual for people to feel guilty in connection with bereavement, but why would she point the finger at her guest? She recognized Elijah as a man of God, and perhaps she thought his presence in the home would protect her and her son from trouble. Or maybe she felt that God had informed her guest about her past life, something she should have confessed to him.

Elijah’s response and compassion was to carry the lad to his upstairs room, perhaps on the roof, and to cry out to the Lord for the life of the child. He couldn’t believe that the Lord would miraculously provide food for the three of them and then allow the son to die. It just didn’t make sense. Elijah placed the boy down and then stretched himself out on the boy. He didn’t do this in the hope that he could transfer his life to the lad, for he knew that only God can impart life to the dead. Certainly his posture indicated total identification with the boy and his need, and this is an important factor when we intercede for others. It was after Elijah stretched himself on the child for the third time that the Lord raised him from the dead, a reminder that our own Savior arose from the dead on the third day. Because He lives, we can share His life by putting our faith and trust in Him.

The result of this miracle was the woman’s public confession of her faith in the God of Israel. She now knew for sure that Elijah was a true servant of God and not just another religious teacher looking for some support. She also knew that the Word he had taught her was indeed the Word of the true and living God. During the time he lived with the widow and her son, Elijah had shown them that God sustains life (because the food didn’t run out) and that God imparts life (by raising the boy from the dead).

Jesus used this same story in the sermon He preached in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30). During the first part of the sermon, the listeners approved of what Jesus said and complimented Him on His “gracious words.” But then He reminded them of the sovereign grace of God that reached other nations besides the covenant people of Israel. The great Jewish prophet Elijah actually ministered to a Gentile widow and her son and had even lived with them, and yet he could have ministered to any of the many widows in the nation of Israel. This is because God’s saving grace is available to everyone: Jews and Gentiles.

Our Lord’s emphasis was on the grace of God. He wanted the proud Jewish congregation in the synagogue to realize that the God of Israel was also the God of the Gentiles and that both Jews and Gentiles were saved by putting their faith in Him. Elijah’s ministry to the widow and her son was proof that God is no respecter of persons and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Whether a person is a religious Jew or a pagan Gentile, the only way of salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.

St. Paul was called by God to bring the Word of God to the Jews and the Gentiles. In a way, Paul had a “resurrection” experience. Saul was a Jewish rabbi who was persecuting the Christians. He “consented” to the murder by stoning of Stephen, and then proceeded to “make havoc of the church” by breaking up families and putting believers in prison.

Paul actually thought that Jesus was an imposter and His message of salvation a lie. Everybody knew that this brilliant student was well on his way to becoming an influential leader of the Jewish faith. His personal religious life, his scholarship, and his zeal in opposing alien religious faiths, all combined to make him the most respected young rabbi of his day. Then something happened: Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of the church “died,” and Paul the Apostle, the preacher of the Gospel was “raised.”

This change was not gradual; it happened suddenly and without warning (Acts 9:1-9). Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians; a few days later he was in Damascus preaching to the Jews that the Christians are right. What caused this change? It had to come from God!

No matter how you look at it, the conversion of Paul was a spiritual miracle. It was humanly impossible for Rabbi Saul to become the Apostle Paul apart from the miracle of God’s grace. And the same God who saved Paul also called him to be an apostle, and gave him the message of the Gospel.

Paul’s experience reminds us of young Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4-10) and also John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-17). Salvation is by God’s grace, not man’s efforts or character. Grace and called go together, for whomever God chooses in His grace He calls through His Word (1Thes. 1:4-5). The mysteries of God’s sovereign will and man’s responsibility to obey are not fully revealed to us. We do know that God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), and that those who do trust Christ discover they have been “chosen…in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).
When a sinner trusts Christ and is born again (John 3:1-8), he is “born free.” He has been redeemed – purchased by Christ and set free. He is no longer in bondage to sin or Satan, nor should he be in bondage to human religious systems (Gal. 4:1-11). “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). May we all be resurrected in Christ and claim His power and victory over death and the sure promise of everlasting life.

Let us pray:
O God, from whom all good, proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
AMEN †

An Outsider’s Faith

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
June 2, 2013 – Pentecost II
Sacrament of Holy Communion

1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43; Psalm 96:1-9, Galatians 1:1-12, Luke 7:1-10

From the Old Testament:
“Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for thy name’s sake, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee; in order that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.”

From St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians:
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

And from the Gospel of St. Luke:
The centurion said, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.”

When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

I am sure that we all have known someone or a loved one who has had to face a life-threatening illness. Each one deals with it in different ways. Some people will pray to God for healing, while others will cry out to the doctors: “you have to do something!” How many of you saw on TV this week the story of a ten year old girl that has multiple sclerosis and needed a lung transplant or else she would die. Unfortunately, child organs are rare and she needed to be twelve years old in order to qualify for an adult organ. For a brief moment we got to meet the little girl; we got to meet the little girl’s mom that was understandably concerned and was trying everything she could think of to get her daughter the life-saving organ. The mother contacted news outlets, contacted her Congressman and Senators to try to get the law changed. She also set up a web site for people to sign a petition. I don’t know if she prayed to God for healing.

Compassion has been defined as “your pain in my heart.” What pain our Lord must have felt as He ministered from place to place! In the 7th chapter of Luke, Jesus is confronted with the miseries of a dying servant, a grieving widow, a perplexed prophet, and a repentant sinner; and He helped them all. If a “hardship committee” had been asked to decide which of these persons was “deserving,” we wonder who would have been chosen. This probably goes on all the time in our hospitals, when they have one organ and there are several people that need it. Who is the most deserving?

Jesus, however, helped them all, because compassion does not measure: it ministers. Bernard of Clairvaux said, “Justice seeks out only the merits of the case, but pity only regards the need.” It was compassion, not justice, that motivated the Great Physician who came “not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

In the four Gospels and the book of Acts, Roman centurions are presented as quality men of character, and this one mentioned in our Gospel reading this morning, is a sterling example. The Jewish elders had little love for the Romans in general and Roman soldiers in particular, and yet the elders commended this officer to Jesus. He loved the Jewish people in Capernaum and even built them a synagogue. He loved his servant and did not want him to die. This centurion was not a Stoic who insulated himself from the pain of others. He had a heart of concern, even for his lowly servant boy who was dying from a paralyzing disease (Matt. 8:6).

The centurion’s friends represented him to Jesus and then represented Jesus to him. When a newscaster reports that the President or the Prime Minister said something to Congress or Parliament, this does not necessarily mean that the message was delivered by them in person. It was probably delivered by one of their official representatives, but the message would be received as from the President or Prime Minister personally.

We are impressed not only with this man’s great love, but also his great humility. Imagine a Roman officer telling a poor Jewish rabbi that he was unworthy to have Him enter his house! The Romans were not known for displaying humility, especially before their Jewish subjects.

But the characteristic that most impressed Jesus was the man’s faith. Twice in the Gospel record we are told that Jesus marveled. Here in Capernaum, He marveled at the faith of a Gentile; and in Nazareth, He marveled at the unbelief of the Jews (Mark 6;6). The only other person Jesus commended for having “great faith” was a Gentile woman whose daughter He delivered from a demon (Matt. 15:28). It is worth noting that in both of these instances, Jesus healed at a distance.

The centurion’s faith certainly was remarkable. After all, he was a Gentile whose background was pagan. He was a Roman soldier, trained to be self-sufficient, and we have no evidence that he had ever heard Jesus preach. Perhaps he heard about Jesus’ healing power from the nobleman whose son Jesus had healed, also at a distance (John 4:46-54). His soldiers may also have brought him reports of the miracles Jesus had performed, for the Romans kept close touch with the events in Jewish life.

In our Old Testament reading today, King Solomon prays for the “foreigners” who would come to Israel because they heard of the greatness of the Lord and His temple. It was the responsibility of Israel to be a “light” to the pagan Gentile nations and to demonstrate to them the glory of the true and living God. Solomon had this in mind when he asked the Lord to hear and answer the prayers of people outside the covenant, so that “all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you” (1 Kings 8:43). Jesus Christ is that “light” and now the responsibility of witness has been passed to the true believers in Christ.

From the very beginning of the nation, when God called Abraham and Sarah to leave Ur and go to Canaan , God declared that He wanted Israel to be a blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1-3). God’s judgments against Pharaoh and Egypt were a witness to the nations, as was His opening of the Red Sea at the Exodus. His blessing on Israel in the land of Canaan was a witness to the pagan nations, and so was David’s victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17:46). The Jews prayed, “God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Ps. 67:1-2). The church today needs to pray that prayer and keep that purpose in mind.

The Roman officer saw a parallel between the way he commanded his soldiers and the way Jesus commanded diseases. Both the centurion and Jesus were under authority, and because they were under authority, they had the right to exercise authority. All they had to do was say the word and things happened. What tremendous faith this man exhibited! No wonder Jesus marveled.

True authority comes from God. In the early days of the church, God called special men to do special tasks. Among them were the apostles. The word means “one who is sent with a commission.” While He was ministering on earth, Jesus had many disciples, and from these He selected 12 Apostles. Later, one of the requirements for an apostle was that he have witnessed the Resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). Of course, Paul himself was neither a disciple nor apostle during Christ’s earthly ministry, but he had seen the risen Lord and been commissioned by Him (Acts 9:1-18).
Paul pointed out that he had been made an apostle by Jesus Christ just as much as had the original Twelve. His apostleship was not from human selection and approval, but by divine appointment.

“The grace of God” is a basic theme in this letter to the Galatians. Grace is simply God’s favor to undeserving sinners. The words “grace” and “gift” go together, because salvation is the gift of God through His grace (Eph. 2:8-10).

We must never forget that the Christian life is a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A man does not become a Christian merely by agreeing to a set of doctrines; he becomes a Christian by submitting to Christ and trusting Him (Rom. 11:6). You cannot mix grace and works, because the one excludes the other. Salvation is the gift of God’s grace, purchased for us by Jesus Christ on the cross.

Keep in mind that God’s grace involves something more than man’s salvation. We not only are saved by grace, but we are to live by grace (1 Cor. 15:10). We stand in grace; it is the foundation for the Christian life (Rom. 5:1-2). Grace gives us the strength we need to be victorious soldiers (2 Tim. 2:1-4). Grace enables us to suffer without complaining, and even to use that suffering for God’s glory (2 Cor. 12:1-10).

If this Roman soldier, with very little spiritual instruction, had that kind of faith in God’s Word, how much greater our faith ought to be! We have an entire Bible to read and study, as well as nearly 2,000 years of church history to encourage us, and yet some are guilty of “no faith” or “little faith.”

I can’t tell you why someone is healed and someone else isn’t. If we were to have faith like this centurion, would we or a loved one, be automatically healed? I don’t think so. This is where faith and trust comes in: that God knows best, however the outcome.

It is through our Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension, that we are partakers of His most blessed body and blood; that as we come to His most sacred table, this bread and wine are signs of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that through Him we shall have eternal life; that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us, until His coming again.

Let us pray:
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
AMEN †

The Spirit as Teacher

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
May 26, 2013 – Pentecost I
Trinity Sunday – Memorial Day Sunday

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15

From the book of Proverbs:
Does not wisdom call; does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men.”

From St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans:
And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

What is truth?

Truth is most often used to mean in accord with fact, reality, sincerity or honesty. The concept of truth is discussed and debated in several contexts, including philosophy and religion. Many human activities depend upon the concept, which is assumed rather than a subject of discussion, including science, law, and everyday life.

There are differing claims on such questions as what constitutes truth: what things are truth-bearers capable of being true or false; how to define and identify truth; the roles that revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective or objective, relative or absolute.

We have heard in the news lately, several scandals involving our Federal Government.

The first one involves the terrorist attack on our diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya back on September 11, 2012, where four Americans were killed and many wounded. The concern has been that the American people and the world were told that the attack was a “spontaneous” protest brought on by an anti-Muslim video and not a terrorist attack by Muslim extremists. After several weeks, this narrative was found to be not true. The other accusation was that there may have been military forces available that could have come to their rescue, but were told to “stand down.” It has now been eight months. What is the truth?

The second scandal involves the Justice Department seizing emails and phone records of news organizations, such as the Associated Press and Fox News and their reporters, thus violating the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is Freedom of the Press. Supposedly, it was done to find out, who had leaked information, but instead of looking on the government side, they looked at the press, with a far reaching scope. Were they looking for the truth or was it intimidation? What is the truth?

The third scandal involves the IRS, where the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups such as the Tea Party. The IRS delayed or didn’t process their application for non-profit status. They also obtained donor lists of these organizations and then conducted audits on the donors, to intimidate donors not to give. Some of Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney’s donors were also targeted for audits. Congress has just started to hold hearings on this matter. What is the truth?

There are other scandals that people have probably forgotten about: voter intimidation by the Black Panthers in the 2008 Presidential election, where the case was dropped; and Operation Fast and Furious, which was gun-running operation where a border patrol agent, Brian Terry was killed and numerous Mexicans as well.

What is very disturbing is that when our government officials are asked to tell the truth, they refuse; they withhold information or mislead the people. All the American people want is to be told the truth. If mistakes were made, fine. Correct them so that they don’t happen again. If people broke the law, then they should be prosecuted. Just don’t lie to us; tell us the truth.

What is this teaching our children about our government; about right and wrong; about telling the truth; and are there consequences for not telling the truth?

Let us remember our brave American men and women on this Memorial Day weekend; many whom have given the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may live in peace and freedom; away from the tyranny of government.

When Jesus was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and arrested, he eventually was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate asked Jesus a number of questions to determine His guilt or innocence. One of the questions that Pilate asked Jesus was: “What is truth?”

Jesus not only told Pilate of His origin, that His kingdom was not of this world; He also explained His ministry: to bear witness unto the truth. His was a spiritual kingdom of truth; and He won people to His cause, not through force, but through conviction and persuasion. He spoke the truth of God’s Word, and all who were His people would respond to His call. Rome’s weapon was the sword; but our Lord’s weapon was the truth of God, the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17).

Our Lord was always careful to give His disciples the right amount of truth at the best time. This is always the mark of a great teacher. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher today, and He follows that same principle: He teaches us the truths we need to know when we need them, and when we are ready to receive them.

The Holy Spirit would remind the disciples of what Jesus had taught them; this gives us the four Gospels. The Spirit would also “guide” them into all truths; and this would result in the epistles, St. Paul’s letters. “He will show you things to come” refers to the prophetic Scriptures, especially the Book of Revelation.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he talks about “justification by faith.” What does this mean? Justification means that God declares us righteous, which is a declaration of peace, made possible by Christ’s death on the cross. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 85:10). But when you are justified by faith, you are declared righteous and saved, and the Law cannot condemn you.

Through Jesus Christ, we now have access to God. Before Christ’s death, the Jew was kept from God’s presence by the veil in the temple; and the Gentile was kept out by a wall in the temple with a warning on it that any Gentile who went beyond would be killed. But when Jesus died, He tore the veil and broke down the wall. In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles have access to God (Eph. 2:18); and they can draw on the inexhaustible riches of the grace of God (Eph. 1:7). We stand “in grace” and not “in Law.” Justification has to do with our standing; sanctification has to do with our state.

“Peace with God” takes care of the past: He will no longer hold our sins against us. “Access to God” takes care of the present: we can come to Him at any time for the help we need. “Hope of the glory of God” takes care of the future: one day we shall share in His glory!

Justification is no escape from the trials of life. “In this world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). But for the believer, trials work for him and not against him. No amount of suffering can separate us from the Lord (Rom. 8:35-39); instead, trials bring us closer to the Lord and make us more like the Lord. Suffering builds Christian character. As we go through trials and tribulations, and depend on God’s grace, the trials only purify us and help to get rid of the sin.

Jesus has promised us that one day we will share in His glory, but as we wait for this hope to be fulfilled, the love of God is “poured out into our hearts.” Before we were saved, God proved His love by sending Christ to die for us. Now that we are His children, surely He will love us more. It is the inner experience of this love through the Spirit that sustains us as we go through life’s tribulations.

Faith, hope, and love all combine to give the believer patience in the trials of life. And patience makes it possible for the believer to grow in character and become a mature child of God (James 1:1-4).
The book of Proverbs is a guide to attaining wisdom and truth, but here and there King Solomon points out several important characteristics of the wise man. Of course, the first step toward wisdom is saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Wise people listen to wise instruction, especially the Word of God. Wise people pay attention to spoken instruction as well as to the written Word of God as His Holy Spirit teaches us His will. Jesus warns us to take heed what we hear (Mark 4:24) and how we hear (Luke 8:18).

This means that we must diligently spend time reading and studying the Word of God, appropriating its truths into our hearts, and obeying what God commands (Prov. 2:1-9). It isn’t enough to own a study Bible and read books about the Bible, helpful as they are. It’s one thing to know about the Bible and quite something else to hear God speak through His word and teach us His wisdom so that we become more like Jesus Christ.

People today have numerous translations of the Bible to read and to study. They have a church fellowship, and can look back at centuries of faith as recorded in church history and the Bible. Yet many refuse to believe or they are just not interested.

It is essential that we see that the work of the Spirit of God is never divorced from Jesus Christ or the Word of God. “He will bear witness to me” (John 15:26); “He shall glorify me” (John 16:14). Jesus is the truth (John 17:17), and the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of Truth.” Where the Holy Spirit is at work, there must be truth.

The teaching of the Spirit through the Apostles was not different from the teaching of the Spirit through Jesus Christ. The same Holy Spirit communicated the truths found in the four Gospels, the epistles, and the Book of Revelation; and He also wrote the history and doctrine found in Acts.

It is the ministry of the Spirit to enrich us with the treasures of God’s truth. He enlightened us with God’s truth and enriches us with God’s treasures. The Word of God is a rich mine of gold, silver, and precious jewels (Prov. 3:13-15). What a joy it is to have the Spirit illumine His Word.

We do not study the Word of God in order to “argue religion” with people, or to show off our grasp of spiritual things. We study the Word to see Jesus Christ, to know God better, to glorify Him in our lives.
As we witness in this hostile world, the Spirit uses the Word He has taught us; and we share Jesus Christ with the lost. It is our job to witness; it is the Spirit’s job to convict.

As we study God’s Word, we need to allow God’s Holy Spirit to work through us and teach us the will of the Father and to become more like His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou would keep us steadfast in this faith and worship and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son, and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever.
AMEN †

We Share His Glory

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
May 12, 2013 – Easter VII
Ascension Sunday – Mother’s Day

Acts 16:16-34, Psalm 97, Revelations 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26

From the book of Acts:
And the jailer said: “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

From the Revelation to St. John:
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

It’s been about a month now, since the terrorist attack at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. This horrible event continues to be in the news. The FBI and other law enforcement officials continue to gather evidence; government officials are working backwards to see if they missed some intelligence that might have prevented this attack from happening. Perhaps this information might help to prevent another attack from happening. The last couple of weeks we had the drama of where to bury the body of one of the terrorist. “Not in my backyard” was the common response from one town after another. We now know that under the cover of darkness, his body was buried in a Muslim cemetery in Virginia.

If we can see some good to come out of this, it was the uniting of the people in love, compassion, grief, pain and sorrow. Those directly affected, will have to carry these feelings with them for the rest of their lives.

As Jesus neared the end of His ministry here on earth, He begins to pray for His disciples and for us who live today; for the whole church throughout all ages. His prayer is for unity. He is concerned that His people experience a spiritual unity that is like the oneness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christians may belong to different fellowships, but they all belong to the Lord and to each other.

We would like to think of Jesus’ disciples as devote and holy men, but that was not always to case. Like us, the disciples had often exhibited a spirit of selfishness, competition, and disunity; and this must have troubled the Savior’s heart. I wonder how he feels when He sees the condition of the church today! The Puritan preacher Thomas Brooks wrote: “Discord and division become no Christian. For wolves to worry the lambs is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another, this is unnatural and monstrous.”

What is the basis of true Christian unity? It is the person and work of Jesus Christ and His glory (John 17:2-5). He has already given His glory to us, and He promises that we will further experience that glory when we get to heaven! All true believers have God’s glory within, no matter what they may look like on the outside. Christian harmony is not based on the externals of the flesh but the internals and the eternals of the Spirit in the inner person. We must look beyond our physical characteristics, such as race, color, abilities, etc. – and build our fellowship on the essentials of our new birth in Jesus Christ.

Over the last few decades, the mainline Protestant denominations celebrated diversity. Unfortunately they got it backwards. They welcomed people’s different beliefs and then incorporated them into the church’s beliefs and values. It didn’t matter too much what you believed; all roads lead to heaven. Our Christian beliefs were watered down thinking that somehow that would unite us. They forgot that the only uniting force is the belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

There was also the feminist movement, where the way to equality was the removal of any and all reference to men. Liturgy and hymnals were rewritten for this purpose. There were even some women clergy, even Bishops who refused to worship God the Father, God the Son, because of the male reference. Around the 1990’s some women clergy and even women Bishops chose to worship the goddess Sophia and nothing was done about it. This heresy is still going on today.

Grace Chapel in Lexington had a very successful men’s ministry. There were several men from our church that went to it. They often had over 700 men from around New England that attended the once-a-month meeting. They would start with fellowship and a lasagna dinner, followed by a speaker. Then the church hired a feminist, a male, and the ministry was shut down because it excluded women, yet all the women ministries (that exclude men) were allowed to continue.

Did these changes in the church unite the people or divide it? Did our churches experience growth or decline? Unfortunately our church leaders concentrated on the physical external elements of the person and forgot about the internal and eternal spiritual elements to unite us. United we stand, divided we fall.
We already possess His glory within, and one day we shall behold His glory in heaven (John 17:24). As we grow in the Lord, the glory within begins to grow and to reveal itself in what we say and do and the way we say and do it. People do not see and glorify us; they see the Lord and glorify Him (Matt. 5:16).

After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days and ministered to His disciples. He had already opened their minds to understand the Old Testament message about Himself (Luke 24:44-48), but there were other lessons they needed to learn before they could launch out in their new ministry. Jesus appeared and disappeared during those forty days, and the believers never knew when He might show up. This is how it is today. We never know when our Lord will return. God has not revealed His timetable to us and it is futile for us to speculate. We need to be ready at all times.

Our Lord’ ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for if He had not returned to the Father, he could not have sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16:5-15). Also, in heaven today, the Saviour is our interceding High Priest, giving us the grace that we need for life and service (Heb. 4:14-16). He is also our Advocate before the Father, forgiving us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9-2:2). The exalted and glorified head of the church is now working with His people on earth and helping them accomplish His purposes (Mark 16:19-20).

As the believers watched, as Jesus was being taken up to glory, two angels appeared and gently rebuked them. The two messengers gave the believers assurance that Jesus Christ would come again, just as He had been taken from them.

One of the things about the Christian faith that most impresses the world is the way Christians love each other and live together in harmony. What better example is there than the love that a mother has for her child. It is this witness that our Lord wants in the world “that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (John 17:21). This is a very big responsibility. Because the world will hold us to this very high standard; but have a very low standard for themselves. The lost world cannot see God, but they see Christians; and what they see in us is what they will believe about God. If they see love and unity, they will believe that God is love. If they see hatred and division, they will reject the message of the Gospel.

There is every reason why believers should love one another and live in unity. We trust the same Saviour and share the same glory. We will one day enjoy the same heaven! We belong to the same Father and seek to do the same work, witnessing to a lost world that Jesus Christ alone saves from sin. We believe the same truth, even though we may have different views of minor doctrinal matters; and we follow the same example that Jesus set for His people, to live a holy life. Yes, believers do have their differences; but we have much more in common, and this should encourage us to love one another and promote true spiritual unity.

Jesus declared that many in the world do not know the Father and that is true today. But we believers know Him because the Son has revealed the Father to us. The world certainly has many opportunities to get to know the Father, but it prefers to go on in blindness, darkness and hardness of heart. Our task as Christians is to bear witness to the lost world and share God’s saving message.

He also declares the importance of truth and love in the church. Believers know God’s name (nature) and even share in that divine nature. Jesus makes it clear that truth and love must go together. It has well been said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth is hypocrisy. The mind grows by taking in truth, but the heart grows by giving out in love. Knowledge alone can lead to pride (1 Cor. 8:1), and love alone can lead to wrong decisions.

“What must I do to be saved?” was the cry of the Roman prison guard who had the responsibility of St. Paul and Silas. Paul had saved a demonized girl who had made her masters wealthy by telling fortunes. The owners had no concern for the girl; they were interested only in the income she provided, and now that income was gone. So, the owners complained and had Paul and Silas arrested. Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten and put in prison.

Instead of complaining or calling on God to judge their enemies, the two men prayed and praised God. God responded by shaking the foundations of the prison, opening all the doors, and loosening the prisoners’ bonds. They could have fled to freedom, but instead they remained right where they were.

Paul’s attention was fixed on the jailer, the man he really wanted to win to Christ. It was Roman law that if a guard lost a prisoner, he was given the same punishment the prisoner would have received. As it turns out, it was the jailer who was actually the “prisoner” (to sin); not Paul; and Paul not only saved the man’s life, but pointed him to eternal life in Christ.

“What must I do to be saved?” is the cry of the lost people worldwide, and we had better be able to give them the right answer. The answer is faith in Jesus Christ! And Paul spoke the word of the Lord to the jailer and to all in his household. The jailer in turn washed Paul and Silas’ wounds and he and his household were baptized at once.

It is touching to see the change in the attitude of the jailer as he washed the wounds of these two prisoners who were now his brothers in Christ. One of the evidences of true repentance is a loving desire to make restitution and reparation wherever we have hurt others. We should not only wash one another’s feet, but we should also cleanse the wounds we have given to others.

In the Revelation to St. John, John assures us that Jesus Christ will return. God is mindful of our sufferings and our service, and nothing will ever be done in vain if it is done for Him. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates” (Rev. 22:14).
Those who accept His Word may enter; those who reject His Word are excluded. Obedience to God’s Word is a mark of true salvation.

The “morning star” announces dawn’s soon arrival. Jesus Christ will come for His church as “the Morning Star.” But when He returns to judge, it will be as “the Sun of righteousness” in burning fury (Mal. 4:1-3). Because God’s people look for their Lord’s return, they keep their lives clean and dedicated to Him (1 John 2:28-3:3).

Christ’s return has been “delayed” for some 2000 years! Yes, He has; and Peter tells us why: God wants to give this sinful world the opportunity to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:1ff). In the meantime, the Spirit of God, through the church (the bride), calls for Jesus to come; for the bride to meet her bridegroom and enter into her home. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

It is up to believers to invite lost sinners to trust Christ and drink the water of life. Indeed, when the church lives in expectancy of Christ’s return, such an attitude provokes ministry and evangelism as well as purity of heart. We want to tell others of the grace of God. A true understanding of Bible prophecy should both motivate us to obey God’s Word and to share God’s invitation with a lost world.

After God’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection, He appeared to His disciples; and in their sight ascended into heaven, to prepare a place for us; that where He is, there might we also be, to reign with Him in glory.

Shall we join John in the Bible’s last prayer? “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
Are we ready?

Let us pray:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
AMEN †

Heaven Awaits

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
May 5, 2013 – Easter VI
Sacrament of Holy Communion

Acts 16:9-15, Psalm 67, Revelations 21:10, 22-22:5, John 14:23-29

From the book of Acts:
And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

From the Revelation to St. John:
And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

Since accepting your call to be your Pastor, I have already officiated at 3 funerals. I realize that part of my job at a funeral is to give a brief summary of the deceased’s life during the eulogy, but more importantly it is to give hope and reassurance to those left behind; that there is eternal life for those who believe in Jesus Christ.

One of the scripture passages that I read is from the Revelation to St. John: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Behold, I shall make all things new.
The eternal city is not only the home of the bride; it is the bride! A city is not buildings; it is people. The city John saw was holy and heavenly; in fact, it descended to earth from heaven, where it was prepared. John’s description staggers the imagination, even accepting the fact that a great deal of symbolism is involved. Heaven is a real place of glory and beauty, the perfect home for the Lamb’s bride. In this city, saints of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant will be united.

We are told that the heavenly city will be like a beautiful garden, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. There were four rivers in Eden (Gen. 2:10-14), but there is only one river in the heavenly city. Ezekiel saw a purifying river flowing from the temple, but this river will flow directly from God’s throne, the very source of all purity. Man was prohibited from eating of the tree of good and evil, and prevented from eating of the tree of life (Gen. 2:15-17). But in the eternal home, man will have access to the tree of life. The river and the tree symbolize abundant life in the glorious city.

What will we do in heaven for all eternity? Certainly, we shall praise the Lord, but we shall also serve Him. As we seek to serve the Lord here on earth, we are constantly handicapped by sin and weakness; but all hindrances will be gone when we get to glory.

What will this service be? We are not told, nor do we need to know now. It is sufficient that we know what God wants us to do today. Our faithfulness in life prepares us for higher service in heaven.

Another scripture passage that I read at a funeral is from the Gospel of St. John: Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

If we treasure His Word and obey it, then the Father and the Son will share their love with us and make their home in us. When the sinner trusts Christ, he is born again and the Spirit immediately enters his body and bears witness that he is a child of God. The Spirit is resident and will not depart. But as the believer yields to the Father, loves the Word, prays, and obeys, there is a deeper relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit. Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means that heaven comes to us!

This truth is illustrated in the experiences of Abraham and Lot, recorded in Genesis chapters 18 and 19. When Jesus and the two angels visited Abraham’s tent, they felt right at home. They even enjoyed a meal, and Jesus had a private talk with Abraham. But our Lord did not go to Sodom to visit Lot, because He did not feel at home there. Instead, He sent the two angels.

God led Paul west into Europe, to the city of Philippi, a Roman colony. The emperor organized “colonies” by ordering Roman citizens, especially retired military people, to live in selected places so there would be strong pro-Roman cities in these strategic areas. Though living on foreign soil, the citizens were expected to be loyal to Rome, to obey the laws of Rome, and to give honor to the Roman emperor. In return, they were given certain political privileges, not the least of which was exemption from taxes.

The Jewish population in Philippi must have been very small since there was no synagogue there, only a place of prayer by the river outside the city. It required 10 men for the founding of a synagogue. Paul met a woman named Lydia who was a successful business woman from Thyatira, a city renowned for its purple dye. God brought her all the way from Greece so that she might hear the Gospel and be converted. She was “a worshiper of God,” a Gentile who was not a full Jewish proselyte but who openly worshiped with the Jews. She was seeking truth.

Paul shared the Word with her and God opened her heart to the truth, and she believed and was saved. She boldly identified herself with Christ by being baptized and invited Paul and his team to stay at her house. This gave Paul the opportunity to teach them the Word and all in her household were converted.

Our experience with God ought to go deeper and deeper, and it will as we yield to the Spirit of Truth and permit Him to teach us and guide us. If we love God and obey Him, He will manifest His love to us in a deeper way each day.

Jesus revealed Himself to His church and left the church in the world to be a witness of God’s love. Who is the church? We are. He is patiently waiting, still giving lost sinners an opportunity to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:1-10). One day He will return and the world will behold Him.

One of the best ways to ease a troubled heart is to bathe it in the love of God. When you feel alone, let the Spirit of God reveal God’s love to you in a deeper way. Charles Spurgeon said, “Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul.” Your heart can become a “heaven on earth” as you commune with the Lord and worship Him.

We have all heard the greeting: “Shalom” which means peace. Shalom is a precious word to the Jewish people. It means much more than just the absence of war or distress. Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security, even prosperity in the best sense. When you are enjoying God’s peace, there is joy and contentment. But God’s peace is not like the “peace” that the world offers.

The world bases its peace on its resources, while God’s peace depends on relationships. To be right with God means to enjoy the peace of God. The world depends on personal ability, but the Christian depends on spiritual adequacy in Christ.

In the world, peace is something you hope for or work for; but to the Christian, peace is God’s wonderful gift, received by faith. Unsaved people enjoy peace when there is an absence of trouble; Christians enjoy peace in spite of trials because of the presence of power, the Holy Spirit.

People in the world walk by sight and depend on the externals, but Christians walk by faith and depend on the eternals. The Spirit of God teaches us the Word and guides us into the truth. He also reminds us of what He has taught us so that we can depend on God’s Word in the difficult times of life. The Spirit uses the Word to give us His peace, His love, and His joy.

Again, Jesus assured His disciples that they would see Him again. Why should they rejoice because Jesus returned to the Father? Because His return made possible His wonderful intercessory ministry on our behalf, our great High Priest in heaven. We have the Spirit within us, the Saviour above us, and the Word before us!

Certainly, many interesting questions could be asked about our future home in heaven, but most must go unanswered until we reach our glorious home. In fact, John closed his book by reminding us that we have responsibilities today because we are going to heaven. Until then, may we rest assured that He dwells with us now, in our hearts.

And now as we come to your most sacred table Lord; we remember because of our Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension, that we are partakers of His most blessed Body and Blood; that this Bread and Wine are signs of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us, until His coming again.

Let us pray:
O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee in all things and above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
AMEN †

Night and Day

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
April 28, 2013 – Easter V

Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 148, Revelations 21:1-6, John 13:31-35

From the book of Acts:
When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life.”

From the Revelation to St. John:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
Little children, yet a little while I am with you; you will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going you cannot come.”

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

Have you heard the expression: Night and Day? “Night and Day” was a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter’s most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists. Porter was known to claim, that the Islamic call to worship on a trip to Morocco inspired the song. In this case the expression meant a length of time: He thinks of her night and day; meaning all the time.

It could also mean two opposites. You could have two brothers; one is into sports and the other isn’t. So, you could say that their knowledge of baseball is night and day. It could also represent darkness and light; Satan and Jesus Christ. The expression could also mean the difference between right and wrong.

Paul Ryan, the House Budget Chairman and Republican Vice Presidential candidate said, “Only by taking responsibility for oneself, to the greatest extent possible, can one, ever be free, and only a free person can make responsible choices – between right and wrong, saving and spending, giving and taking.”
At the Last Supper, Jesus was eating with His disciples. Jesus became troubled and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” They all looked at each other and wondered, who it could be. Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Jesus said to Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

A dark shadow now fell across the scene as Jesus dealt with Judas, the traitor. It is important to note that Judas was not a true believer. At that hour, Jesus had two concerns: to fulfill the Word of God (John 13:18-30) and to magnify the glory of God (John 13:31-35).

The remarkable thing is that the others at the table with Jesus did not know that Judas was an unbeliever and a traitor. Up to the very hour of his treachery, Judas was protected by the Saviour whom he betrayed. Had Jesus openly revealed what He knew about Judas, it is likely that the men would have turned on him. Remember what Peter did to Malchus when the soldiers came to take Jesus; he cut his ear off.

From the very beginning, Jesus knew what Judas would do (John 6:64), but He did not compel him to do it. Judas was exposed to the same spiritual privileges as the other disciples, yet they did him no good. He chose darkness over light.

Keep in mind that Judas knew what he was doing and that he did it deliberately. He had already met with the Jewish religious leaders and agreed to lead them to Jesus. They wanted it to be in such a way that there would not be any public disturbances (Luke 21:37-22:6). Judas had heard Jesus say, “Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born!” (Matt. 26:24). Yet, he persisted in his unbelief and treachery.

The instant Judas was gone, the atmosphere was cleared, and Jesus began to instruct His disciples and prepare them for His crucifixion and His ultimate return to heaven. It was after Judas’ departure that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, something that Judas as an unbeliever certainly could not share. Judas was out in the night, controlled by the prince of darkness, Satan; but Jesus was in the light, sharing love and truth with His beloved disciples. Night and day; what a contrast!

From the human perspective, the death of Christ was a dastardly deed involving unspeakable suffering and humiliation; but from a divine perspective it was the revelation of the glory of God. “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified” (John 12:23).

What did it mean for Jesus to glorify the Father? He tells us in His prayer: “I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gave me to do” (John 17:4). This is the way all of us glorify God, by faithfully doing what He calls us to do. In our Lord’s case, the Father’s will was that the Son die for lost sinners, be raised from the dead, and then ascend to heaven. The Son glorified the Father and the Father glorified the Son (John 17:1, 5).
There would come a time when the Son would be glorified in these disciples (John 17:10), but they could not follow Him at that time. Peter boasted that he would follow the Lord even to death, but unfortunately ended up denying Him three times. One day the believing disciples would go to be with Him, and they would also see Him after His resurrection. But during this time of His suffering and death, it was important that they not try to follow Him.

It is still fresh in our minds of the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. Four people were murdered and countless others were hurt and maimed. Memorial and prayer services were held this past week for the victims; and the important question is “why?”

From the very beginning, man was given the ability to choose right or wrong and man unfortunately chose sin. Judas chose to betray his Lord and Master and set in motion the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Why did these two men and others come to the point of believing that by murdering innocent civilians, would somehow bring glory to their god? And it isn’t just the few who actually carry out the dastardly deeds who sin, it’s also a large number of people around the world who feel that it is justified. This is truly night and day; and Jesus Christ is the light who came into the world to shed light on the darkness. Obviously, darkness still exists; and it will exist until Jesus Christ returns.

Human history begins in a Garden and ends in a City that is like a garden paradise. In the Apostle John’s day, Rome was the admired city; yet God compared it to a harlot. “That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). The eternal city of God is compared to a beautiful bride (Rev. 21:9), because it is the eternal home for God’s beloved people.

The first heaven and earth were prepared for the first man and woman and their descendants. God had readied everything for them when He placed them in the Garden. Unfortunately, our first parents sinned, ushering death and decay into God’s beautiful world. Too often man chooses darkness, instead of light. Creation is in bondage and travail (Rom. 8:18-23), and even the heavens “are not clean in His sight” (Job 15:15).

God has promised His people a new heaven and earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22). The old creation must make way for the new creation if God is to be glorified. Jesus called this event “the regeneration” of the earth (Matt. 19:28), and Peter explained it as a cleansing and renewing by fire (2 Peter 3:10-13).

It is difficult to imagine what the eternal city will be like. John characterizes it as a holy city, a prepared city and a beautiful city, as beautiful as a bride on her wedding day.

But the most important thing about the city is that God dwells there with His people. The Bible gives an interesting record of the dwelling places of God. First, God walked with man in the Garden of Eden. Then He dwelt with Israel in the tabernacle and later the temple. When Israel sinned, God had to depart from those dwellings. Later, Jesus Christ came to earth and “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14).
Today, God does not live in man-made temples (Acts 7:48-50), but in the bodies of His people (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and in the church (Eph. 2:21-22).

In both the tabernacle and the temple, the veil stood between men and God. That veil was torn in two when Jesus died, thus opening a “new and living way” for God’s people (Heb. 10:19ff). Even though God dwells in believers today by His Spirit, we still have not begun to understand God or fellowship with Him as we would like; but one day, we shall dwell in God’s presence and enjoy Him forever.

This “new and living way” is open to everyone: Jews and Gentiles. Peter had the task of uniting the converted Jews and Gentiles in the Christian faith. Having fellowship with the Gentiles was a new experience for these Jewish Christians, who all their lives had looked on the Gentiles as pagans and outsiders. Tradition said that a Gentile had to “become a Jew” in order to be accepted; but now Jews and Gentiles were united in the church through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-28). It was not only a matter of religion, but also of culture; and cultural habits are very hard to break.

Peter had nothing to fear. After all, he had only followed orders from the Lord; and the Spirit had clearly confirmed the salvation of the Gentiles. Peter presented three pieces of evidence: the vision from God (Acts 11:5-11), the witness of the Spirit (Acts 11:12-15), and the witness of the Word (Acts 11:16). Of course, none of these men had seen the vision, but they trusted Peter’s report, for they knew that he had been as orthodox as they in his personal life.

Peter reviewed the entire experience from beginning to end; and, when he was finished, the Jews dropped their charges and glorified God for the salvation of the Gentiles (Acts 11:18). The conversion of the Gentiles was God’s gracious work. He gave them the gift of repentance and the gift of salvation when they believed. In later years, God would use the letters of St. Paul to explain the “one body,” how believing Jews and believing Gentiles are united in Christ (Eph. 2:11-3:12).

Christians are to receive one another and not dispute over cultural differences or minor matters of personal conviction (Rom. 14-15). Some of the Jewish Christians in the early church wanted the Gentiles to become Jews, and some of the Gentile believers wanted the Jews to stop being Jews and become Gentiles. This caused problems in the early church, but through love it was overcome.

Jesus left His disciples with two important commandments: first to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. The second is like unto it: to love your neighbor as Jesus had loved them. Love would take on a new meaning and power because of the death of Christ on the cross (John 15:13). With the coming of the Holy Spirit, love would have a new power in their lives.

Jesus said to the people and says to us today: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He also said: “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36).
Let His light so shine through you, so that others will know Him through you.

Let us pray:
O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
AMEN †

Do You Know Me?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
April 21, 2013 – Easter IV

Acts 9:36-43, Psalm 23, Revelations 7:9-17, John 10:22-30

From the book of Acts:
But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

From the Revelation to St. John:
“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

And from the Gospel of St. John:
“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.”

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

I am sure that all of us know about the horrific act of terrorism that was committed last Monday at the finish line of the Boston marathon. Two bombs exploded seconds apart; three people were killed, including an 8 year old boy, and over 170 people were injured. Several people lost limbs and amputations were necessary. The survivors will have to live with the scars for the rest of their lives. A few days later an MIT cop was murdered.

On Thursday, the FBI decided to release photos of the two suspects suspected in connection with the bombings. Within hours of the release, things started to happen. There was a shootout and the older brother, Tamerlan, 26 years old, was killed. The younger brother, Dzhokhar, 19 years old, escaped. On Friday, the governor imposed a kind of “lock-down” where people in the Boston area were asked to stay in their homes and businesses were asked not to open. After a house to house search in Watertown, with no results, the governor removed the “lock-down” late in the day. As luck would have it, a few hours later, the younger suspect was found and captured alive.
The question on peoples’ minds is why? Why would two brothers who came to America with their families a decade ago turn on their adopted home with a brutal attack on a cherished tradition, the Boston Marathon?

The Tsarnaev family arrived in the United States, seeking refuge from strife in their homeland. They were ethnic Chechens and Muslins, who were persecuted in Kyrgyzstan. The two brothers and two sisters grew up and went to our schools. The older brother was an amateur boxer and thought of one day being on the U.S. Olympic team. The younger brother was on the wrestling team and attended the prestigious Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The other question is how well do we know our neighbors, our friends, and our family? Most of the people that knew these two young men are in a state of shock and denial. Especially the younger brother; his friends thought of him as well-adjusted, well-liked, smart, funny, a really sweat person, very kind hearted, and a kind soul. His father, who now lives in Russia, thought is younger son was a “second year medical student” though that wasn’t true. Their mother thought they were set up.

There is an expression: “You can’t tell a book by its cover.” You need to delve into the book and read its pages in order to know what the book is all about. What we find in the book can be positive or negative.

In 2011, the FBI was alerted by Russia to the possibility that the older brother, Tamerlan, might be a problem. The FBI talked to him, saw nothing wrong and let him go. They chose to look only at the surface, the cover of the book; and not do any follow up by delving into the pages of his life. They chose not to know him. In the days and weeks ahead, as the FBI and other law enforcement officials delve into the lives of these two men, the truth may come out as to who they really were and why they perpetrated such an evil act.

If I were to ask all of you who is Jesus Christ? I am sure all of you would be able to answer the question. Of course the bigger question is: Do you know Him or just know of Him? How well do you know Him? How often do you delve into “The Book” to find out about Him?

That was the problem in Jesus’ time: Who was He? Was He the Messiah? A few people figured it out, but even His disciples struggled with the truth until after His resurrection. In our Gospel reading today, the Jews were celebrating the “Feast of the Dedication” which takes place in December, near the time of the Christian Christmas celebration. The feast commemorates the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C., after it had been desecrated by the Romans. This historical fact may bear a relationship to the words of Jesus for He had been set apart or dedicated by the Father and sent into the world.

Jesus went into the temple and the religious leaders surrounded Him so that He had to stop and talk to them. They had decided that it was time for a “showdown” and they did not want Him to evade the issue any longer. “How long are you going to hold us in suspense?” they kept saying to Him. “Tell us plainly – Are You the Messiah?”

Jesus reminded them of what He had already taught them. He emphasized the witness of His words and His works. But our Lord went much deeper in His explanation this time, for He revealed to the Jewish leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance of His works: they were not His sheep. From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing; but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. There is a mystery here that we cannot understand or explain, but we can accept it and rejoice (Rom. 11:33-36). God has His sheep and He knows who they are. They will hear His voice when He calls and respond.

The lost sinner who hears God’s Word knows nothing about divine election. He hears only that Christ died for the sins of the world, and that he may receive the gift of eternal life by trusting the Saviour. When he trusts the Saviour, he becomes a member of God’s family and a sheep in the flock. Then he learns that he was “chosen…in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). He also learns that each saved sinner is the Father’s “love gift” to His Son.

In the Bible, divine election and human responsibility are perfectly balanced; and what God has joined together, we must not put asunder.

Jesus went on to explain that His sheep are secure in His hand and in the Father’s hand. “They shall never perish” is His promise. The false shepherds bring about terrorism, death and destruction, but the Good Shepherd sees to it that His sheep shall never perish.

The security of God’s sheep is assured here in several ways. First, by definition – we have “eternal life,” and that cannot be conditional and still be eternal. Second, this life is a gift, not something that we earn or merit. If we were not saved by our own good works, but by His grace, then we cannot be lost by our “bad works” (Rom. 11:6). But most important, Jesus gave us His promise that His sheep do not perish, and that His promise cannot be broken.

It is important to keep in mind that Jesus was talking about sheep – true believers – and not counterfeits. The dog and the pig will go back into sin; but the sheep, being a clean animal, will follow the Shepherd into the green pastures.

As you delve into the pages of “The Book,” and read about our Lord’s teaching about His ministry as the Good Shepherd, you will note the threefold relationship to His sheep. He has a loving relationship because He died for the sheep, as well as a living relationship because He cares for the sheep. It is also a lasting relationship, for He keeps His sheep and not a one is lost.

So when the Jewish leaders asked Jesus for a plain answer: Who is He? Our Lord made a statement that He knew would startle His enemies and give them more reason to oppose Him (John 10:30). It was the “plain answer” that the religious leaders had asked for. “I and My Father are One” is as clear a statement of His deity as you will find anywhere in Scripture. This was even stronger than His statement that He had come down from heaven (John 6) or that He existed before Abraham ever lived (John 8:58).

The word “One” does not suggest that the Father and Son are identical persons. Rather, it means that they are one in essence: the Father is God and the Son is God, but the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father. He is speaking about unity, not identity.

The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying! He was saying: “I am God!” to speak this way, of course, was blasphemy; and according to Jewish belief, blasphemy has to be punished by being put to death.

Could they have believed? Jesus invited them, urged them, to believe, if only on the basis of His miracles (John 10:37-38). If they would believe the miracles, then they would know the Father, and that would open the way for them to know the Son and believe on Him. It was simply a matter of examining the evidence honestly, delving into the pages, and being willing to accept the truth. But they chose not to know Him as the Messiah.

Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, was commissioned by Jesus to care for His sheep and Peter was faithful to fulfill that commission. He evangelized, taught and encouraged the church in the faith. Peter journeyed to Joppa, a seacoast community. This is the place where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. This miracle attracted great attention and resulted in many people trusting Jesus Christ. During the “many days” that he tarried in Joppa, Peter took the opportunity to ground these new believers in the truth of the Word, for faith built on miracles alone is not substantial, it’s just the beginning.

In the end times, we are reminded that the Lamb died to redeem people “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9). The great multitudes, refers to all believers: Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles; all people who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord!

In the heavenly city, all distinctions will cease and we shall all simply be the people of God in glory. But while God is working out His program in human history, distinctions still exist between the Jews, the Gentiles, the church, and the Tribulation saints. We are assured that through the Blood of Jesus Christ, we are saved. No matter what the age or dispensation, God’s way of salvation has always been the same: faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Do you know Him? Have you delved into the pages of His Word? If so, then share the Good News of salvation with others! May your book of life, be a witness to His love, His mercy and His grace. As people delve through your book, may they come to know Him through you.

Let us pray:
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. AMEN †

Resurrection Power

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
April 7, 2013 – Easter II
The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Acts 5:27-32, Psalm 150, Revelations 1:4-8, John 20:19-31

From the book of Acts:
“We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

From the Revelation to St. John:
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

I have talked to Pastor Howard a few times since his retirement and his move to Florida. He always ends the conversion by saying, “say hello to everyone for me.” He is amazed at how friendly people are down in Florida. It’s a whole different culture down there. He is also amazed at how open the people are about their faith in Jesus Christ; that within a few minutes of the conversation, they will invite him to their church. How do you think that would work up here in New England? How many of us would have the courage to talk to a complete stranger; witness our Christian faith and then invite them to our church?

The news that Jesus was alive began to spread among His followers, at first with hesitation, but then with enthusiasm. Even His disciples did not believe the first reports, and Thomas demanded proof.
But wherever people were confronted with the reality of His resurrection, their lives were transformed. In fact, that same transforming experience can be yours today!

How did our Lord transform His disciples’ fear into courage? For one thing, He came to them. We do not know where these ten frightened men met behind locked doors, but Jesus came to them and reassured them. In His resurrection body, He was able to enter the room without opening the doors! It was a solid body, for He asked them to touch Him – and He even ate some fish (Luke 24:41-43). But it was a different kind of body, one that was not limited by what we call “the laws of nature.”

It is remarkable that these men were actually afraid. The women had reported to them that Jesus was alive, and the two Emmaus disciples had added their personal witness as well (Luke 24:33-35). It is likely that Jesus had appeared personally to Peter sometime that afternoon (Mark 16:7), though Peter’s public restoration would not take place until later (John 21). No wonder Jesus reproached them at that time “with their unbelief and hardness of heart” (Mark 16:14).

His first word to them was the traditional greeting, “Shalom – peace!” He could have rebuked them for their unfaithfulness and cowardice the previous weekend, but He did not. The work of the cross is peace, and the message they would carry would be the Gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). Man had declared war on God (Acts 4:23-30), but God would declare “Peace!” to those who would believe.

Not only did Jesus come to them, but He reassured them. He gave them proof of His resurrection. He showed them His wounded hands and side and gave them opportunity to discover that it was indeed their Master, and that He was not a ghost.

But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.” The basis for all our peace is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He died for us, He arose from the dead in victory, and now He lives for us. In our fears, we cannot lock Him out! He comes to us in grace and reassures us through His Word.

When Jesus saw that the disciples’ fear had now turned to joy, He commissioned them: “As My Father hath sent me, even so I send you” (John 20:21). Keep in mind that the original disciples were not the only ones present; others, including the Emmaus disciples, were also in the room. This commission was not the “formal ordination” of a church order; rather, it was the dedication of His followers to the task of world evangelism.

What a tremendous privilege and what a great responsibility! It is humbling to realize that Jesus loves us as the Father loves Him (John 15:9; 17:26), and that we are in the Father just as He is (John 17:21-22). It is equally as humbling to realize that He has sent us into the world just as the Father sent Him.

It must have given the men great joy to realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrusting them with His Word and His work. They had forsaken Him and fled, but now He was sending them out to represent Him. Peter had denied Him three times; and yet in a few days, Peter would preach the Word and thousands would be saved.

Jesus came to them and reassured them; but He also enabled them through the Holy Spirit. God breathed life into Adam, the first man. The breath of God in the first creation meant physical life, but the breath of Jesus Christ in the new creation meant spiritual life. Without the filling of the Spirit, they could not go forth to witness effectively. The Spirit had dwelt with them in the person of Jesus Christ, but now the Spirit would be in them (John 14:17).

As the early believers went forth into the world, they announced the good news of salvation. If sinners would repent and believe on Jesus Christ, their sins would be forgiven! “Who can forgive sins but God only?” The Jewish religious leaders had that correct. What they didn’t understand was that Jesus was the Son of God and that He did have the power to forgive sins.

We as Christians do not have the power to forgive sins. Jesus did not give His disciples the power to forgive sins either. Only God can forgive sins! Jesus Christ died on the cross for the remission of sins; our sins are forgiven; the debt has been paid! Jesus then gives us the authority, as He did His disciples, to be witnesses to this truth! God performs the miracle of forgiveness; we only bear witness to it. If sinners will believe on Jesus Christ, we can authoritatively declare to them that their sins have been forgiven; Alleluia!

By now, the disciples’ fears had vanished. Jesus had appeared before them; removed any doubt; and Jesus had breathed the Holy Spirit on them. They were sure that the Lord was alive and that He would be with them. They had both “peace with God” and the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:6-7). They had a high and holy commission and the power provided to accomplish it. And they had been given the great privilege of bearing the good news of forgiveness to the whole world.

We must not look at Jesus’ disciples and envy them, as though the power of Christ’s resurrection could never be experienced in our lives today. This is why John wrote his Gospel – so that people in every age could know that Jesus is God and that faith in Him brings everlasting life.

It is not necessary to “see” Jesus Christ in order to believe. Yes, it was a blessing for the early Christians to see their Lord and know that He was alive; but that is not what saved them. They were saved, not by seeing, but by believing. The emphasis throughout the Gospel of John is on believing.

You and I today cannot see Christ, nor can we see Him perform the miracles that John and others wrote about. But the record is there, and this is all that we need. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
All of the evidence points to the conclusion that He is indeed God come in the flesh, the Saviour of the world.

Sinners are not saved by believing in miracles; they are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. Many of the Jews in Jerusalem believed on Jesus because of His miracles, but He did not believe in them! Great crowds followed Him because of His miracles; but in the end, most of them left Him for good. Even the religious leaders who plotted His death believed that He did miracles, but this “faith” did not save them.

Faith in His miracles should lead to faith in His Word, and to personal faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Jesus Himself pointed out that faith in His works was but the first step toward faith in the Word of God. The sinner must “hear” the Word if he is to be saved.

Eternal life is not “endless time,” for even lost people are going to live forever in hell. “Eternal life” means the very life of God experienced today. It is a quality of life, not a quantity of time. It is the spiritual experience of “heaven on earth” today. The Christian does not have to die to have this eternal life; he already possesses it in Christ today.

The new covenant was not sealed by the blood of animal sacrifices but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. May we have the resurrection power to be a witness to His love and saving grace. As we come to your most sacred table Lord; we remember Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ; that we are partakers of His most blessed Body and Blood; that this Bread and Wine are signs of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us, until His coming again.

Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Easter mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation; Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

AMEN †

Jesus Lives!

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
March 31, 2013 – The Day of Resurrection – Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; I Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18

From the book of Acts:
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

From St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

And from the Gospel of St. John:
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I not yet ascended to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

Easter Sunday: where we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The resurrection is an essential part of the Gospel message and a key doctrine of our Christian faith. It proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that His atoning work on the cross has been completed and is effective. The empty cross and the empty tomb are God’s “receipts” telling us that the debt has been paid. Jesus Christ is not only the Saviour, but He is also the Sanctifier (Rom. 6:4-10) and the Intercessor (Rom. 8:34). One day He shall return to judge both the living and the dead.

From the beginning, the enemies of the Lord tried to deny the historic fact of the Resurrection. The Jewish leaders claimed that the Lord’s body had been stolen from the tomb. This belief was absurd, because how would they have done it? The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers and the stone sealed by an official Roman seal.

When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb the next day and found the stone rolled away and the body gone, she also thought someone had stolen the body. Even Jesus’ closest followers, including His disciples, did not understand that Jesus was to be raised from the dead, even though He had told them.

As Jesus began appearing to people, first to Mary, then to the Disciples and then to others; it gradually dawned on these grieving people that their Master was not dead, but alive! And what a difference it made when the full realization of His resurrection took hold of them! For Mary Magdalene it meant moving from tears to joy (John 20:1-18); for the ten disciples it meant going from fear to courage (John 20:19-23); and for Thomas it meant moving from doubt to assurance (John 20:24-31). With Mary, the emphasis is on love; with the ten, the emphasis is on hope; and with Thomas, the emphasis is on faith.

When Jesus first appeared to Mary in the garden, she thought He was the gardener. She asked him: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Then Jesus called out her name, “Mary.” Then she immediately recognized Him, and the realization of the resurrection was revealed and she believed. She turned and said, “Rabboni” My Master, my teacher. She then ran to tell the others as Jesus had instructed her to do.

Did they believe her? No. They had to go see for themselves. They wanted proof. Peter and John ran to the tomb. John arrived first and looked into the burial chamber. What did John see? He saw the grave clothes lying on the stone shelf without any evidence of violence or crime. They lay there like an empty cocoon, still retaining the shape of Jesus’ body.

Peter arrived and went into the chamber. The only way that those linen clothes could be left in that condition would be if Jesus passed through them as He arose from the dead. Then John entered the chamber and looked at the evidence. They both saw and believed!

It seems incredible that the followers of Jesus did not expect Him to come out of the tomb alive. After all, He had told them many times that He would be raised from the dead. Did He not raise Lazarus from the dead?

What kind of faith did Peter and John have at that stage in their spiritual experience? They had faith based on evidence. They could see the grave clothes; they knew that the body of Jesus was not there. However, as good as evidence is to convince the mind, it can never change the life. I sometimes think that the disciple Thomas was given a bad rap. He was the last disciple to see Jesus risen, and thus the last disciple to believe. The fact is, they all didn’t believe until they had physical proof and yet it was Thomas who was given the name of “doubting Thomas.”

Those of us who live centuries later cannot examine the evidence, for the material evidence (the empty tomb, the grave clothes) is no longer there for us to inspect. We probably can’t go down to the local cemetery and see our Risen Lord like Mary did; I am somewhat sure that Jesus is not going to appear before us this morning. But we have the record in the Word of God (John 20:9) and that record is true. In fact, it is faith in the Word that the Lord really wanted to cultivate in His disciples. Peter made it clear that the Word of God, not personal experiences, should be the basis for our faith (1 Peter 1:12-21).

After His resurrection, our Lord did not reveal Himself to everyone, but only to selected witnesses who would share the good news with others (Acts 10:39-43). This witness is now found in Scripture, the New Testament; and both the Old Testament and the New Testament agree in their witness. The Law, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Apostles together bear witness that Jesus Christ is alive!

Mary not only shared the fact of His resurrection and that she had seen Him personally, but she also reported the words that Jesus had spoken to her. Again, we see the importance of the Word of God. Mary could not transfer her experience over to them, but she could share the Word; and it is the Word that generates faith (Rom. 10:17).

It is good to have faith that is based on solid evidence, but the evidence should lead us to the Word, and the Word should lead us to the Saviour. It is one thing to accept a doctrine and defend it; it is something else to have a personal relationship to the living Lord. Peter and John believed that Jesus was alive, but it was not until that evening that they met the risen Christ in person along with the other disciples.

What is the greatest miracle that God can do for us? Some would call the healing of the body God’s greatest miracle, while others would vote for the raising of the dead. However, the greatest miracle of all is the salvation of a lost sinner. Why? Because salvation costs the greatest price, it produces the greatest results, and it brings the greatest glory to God.

Many of you know that I grew up in the Methodist Church on Moody Street in Waltham. John Wesley was the founder of this Protestant denomination. John was a religious man, a church member, a minister, and the son of a minister. He belonged to a “religious club” at Oxford, England, the purpose of which was the perfecting of the Christian life. Wesley served as a foreign missionary, but even as he preached to others, he had no assurance of his own personal salvation.

On May 24, 1738, Wesley reluctantly attended a small meeting in London where someone was reading aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. “About a quarter before nine.” Wesley wrote in his journal, “while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” The result was the great Wesleyan revival that not only swept many into the kingdom, but also helped transform British society through the Christian faith.

Jesus left His disciples, and with us, the great commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

It was a three stage process for the disciples: first bring the news of Jesus’ resurrection and salvation to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, then to the Gentiles. Jesus died for everyone; He took on the sins of the whole world by His sacrifice on the cross. The third day He rose again for our salvation. Salvation is offered to everyone. But then God, allows us to choose: to believe in Him or reject Him; to choose salvation or death.

I found an article in a Leadership magazine that I would like to share with you:

Little Philip, born with Down’s syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences. But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and accept him as part of the group, though not fully. The Sunday after Easter the teacher brought in some Leggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like large eggs. Each receiving one, the children were told to go outside on that lovely spring day, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the egg-like container. Back in the classroom, they would share their new-life symbols, opening the containers one by one in surprise fashion.

After running about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed the containers on the table. Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. After each one, whether flower, butterfly, or leaf: the class would ooh and ah. Then one was opened, revealing nothing inside. The children exclaimed, “That’s stupid. That’s not fair. Somebody didn’t do their assignment.” Philip spoke up, “That’s mine.” “Philip, you don’t ever do anything right!” one student retorted. “There’s nothing there!” “I did so do it.” Philip insisted. “I did do it. It’s empty, the tomb was empty!” Silence followed. From then on Philip became a full member of the class.

Philip died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar not with flowers, but with their teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose egg. The tomb is empty!
Jesus Christ Lives! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Let us pray:
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
AMEN †

Crucified, Dead & Buried

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Howard Cepelak

Rev. Deacon Allen J. Batchelder
†
Trinity Church
Waltham, Massachusetts
March 29, 2013 – Good Friday

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer, our Strength and our Salvation.
Amen!

The private ministry of our Lord with His disciples has now ended, and the public drama of redemption is about to begin. Man will do his worst, and God will with His very best. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).

Human history began in a Garden (Gen. 2:8ff), and the first sin of man was committed in
that Garden. The first Adam disobeyed God and was cast out of the Garden, but the Last
Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) was obedient as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane. In a
Garden, the first Adam brought sin and death to mankind; but Jesus, by His obedience,
brought righteousness and life to all who will trust Him. He was “obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).

The Apostle’s Creed states it without embellishment: “He was crucified, dead, and buried.” These three momentous events we should understand not only from the historical point of view but also from the doctrinal. What happened is important; why it happened is also important, if you hope to go to heaven.

Pilate delivered Jesus to the chief priests; and they, with the help of the Roman soldiers, took Jesus to be crucified. It was the most cruel and shameful of all punishments.

Crucifixion probably had its origin among the Persians, but it was the Romans who made special use of it. This mode of capital punishment was reserved for the lowest kind of criminals, particularly those who promoted insurrection. Today, we think of the cross as a symbol of glory and victory; but in Pilate’s day, the cross stood for the lowest kind of rejection, shame, and suffering. It was Jesus who made the difference.

Jesus knew what was going to happen; He was fully in control as He obeyed the Father’s will. He knew He was going to die! He was enduring real physical suffering, for He had a real human body. He had just emerged from three hours of darkness when He felt the wrath of God and separation from God (Matt. 27:45-49). When you combine darkness, thirst, and isolation, you have – hell!
Jesus was not murdered in the strictest sense; He willingly gave His life for us. His death was an atonement, not just an example. He actually accomplished the work of redemption on the cross.

His death was voluntary: He willingly dismissed His spirit (John 19:30); He “gave Himself” (Gal. 2:20). He offered Himself as a ransom (Mark 10:45), as a sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:2), and as a propitiation for sin (1 John 2:2).

Two groups of people were involved in our Lord’s burial: the Roman soldiers and the Jewish believers. It was not unusual for victims to remain on the cross in a lingering death, so the Jewish religious leaders did all they could to hasten the death of Jesus and the two thieves. However, our Lord was in control; Jesus spoke His last words: “It is finished!” Then He dismissed His spirit at “the ninth hour,” which was 3 pm.

It is remarkable that the Roman soldiers did not do what they were commanded to do – break the victim’s legs – but they did do what they were not supposed to do – pierce the Savior’s side. In both cases, they fulfilled the Holy Scriptures! The bones of the Passover lamb were not to be broken (Ex. 12:46). His side was to be pierced (Zech. 12:10).

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” this meant the whole debt was paid. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice, in contrast to the imperfect sacrifices that were offered under the Old Covenant. Our Lord’s superior priesthood belongs to a better order – Melchizedek’s and not Aaron’s. It functions on the basis of a better covenant – the New Covenant – and in a better sanctuary, in heaven.

Sin, of course, is man’s greatest problem. No matter what kind of religion a man has, if it cannot deal with sin, it is of no value. By nature, man is a sinner; and by choice, he proves that his nature is sinful.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we have a gracious invitation: “Let us draw near….Let us hold fast…Let us consider one another.” This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. And this boldness rests on the finished work of the Saviour. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest could not enter the holy of holies unless he had the blood of the sacrifice (Heb. 9:7). But our entrance into God’s presence is not because of an animal’s blood, but because of Christ’s shed blood.

This open way into God’s presence is “new” and not a part of the Old Covenant. It is “living” because Christ “ever liveth to make intercession” for us (Heb. 7:25). Christ is the new and living way! We come to God through Him, our High Priest over the house of God. When His flesh was torn on the cross, and His life sacrificed, God tore the veil in the temple. This symbolized the new and living way now opened for all who believe.

With this in mind let us pray:
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. AMEN †

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