Sermon manuscript:
I’d like to begin today by talking about something that Paul
mentions in our Epistle reading. Paul mentions that Jesus made the good
confession before Pontius Pilate. So what was Jesus’s good confession?
When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Pilate asked him, “Are
you the king of the Jews?” Jesus’s answer, his good confession, was, “Yes.
It is as you say.” Jesus’s good confession was that he is the king of the
Jews.
John’s Gospel tells us more of Jesus’s good confession.
Jesus also said to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom
were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over
to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”
Pilate responded, “You are a king then?”
Jesus answered, “I am, as you say a king. For this reason
I was born and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth.”
You can tell that Pilate is not impressed, which is not
surprising. Jesus was already bruised and bloodied by this point from his
treatment at the hands of the chief priests and scribes. Pilate knew that Jesus
did not move in high society, because he himself was from high society. Jesus
had no entourage with him, no supporters. The crowd that was there seemed only
able to cry out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate took pity on what he
imagined to be a delusional man. Many times over Pilate went out to the Jews
and said, “I find him not guilty. He doesn’t deserve death. We’ll give him a
slap on the wrist and call it good.”
It’s easy for us, also, to think like Pilate. Just look at
him in your mind’s eye. Jesus couldn’t have been serious. He’s helpless and
powerless. He can’t be the king of the Jews. Caesar is king of the Jews. Caesar
is the one who conquered them, and he would come and conquer them again. Jesus
doesn’t even have an army.
So it goes. We have our own ideas of what works and what
doesn’t work. What works is money, power, politics, guns, and so on. Jesus had
no money. He seemingly had no power. He was horrible at politics and coalition
building. He didn’t even own a gun. Looks like this won’t work. But Jesus’s
claim that he is the king of the Jews is the very thing that Paul identifies as
his good confession. Jesus, despite appearances, is the king of the Jews.
Jesus being king of the Jews means that Jesus is the king of
the people of God. Jesus is the true Son of David. He is the one who fulfills
the Old Testament prophecies for a Savior. He is the suffering servant who was
crushed for our iniquities, wounded for our transgressions. By his stripes we
are healed. The placard above Jesus’s cross is true. Pilate had a sign made for
Jesus’s cross written in all the major languages of that region so that
everyone could read it. It said, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” There,
on the cross, the king was reigning and ruling. Admittedly, it is a strange way
to reign and rule. He’s not bossing anybody else around. He gasps, gurgles, and
cries out. But this is how he is the good King, laying down his life for the
sheep. By his death all sinners are redeemed.
The truthfulness of Jesus’s good confession continues on. He
remains king. Paul says in our reading that he will come again when the time is
right. Paul calls Jesus “the blessed and only ruler, the King of kings and
Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who lives in unapproachable light,
whom no one has seen or is able to see. To him be honor and power forever! Amen.”
Jesus reigns and rules at the right hand of God the Father in majesty
unapproachable, in power unequaled. We sing about this almost every Sunday, a
hymn to Jesus: “Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O
Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.” Jesus is the greatest! This is the good confession.
The reason why I wanted to start today with the good
confession that Jesus is the king of the Jews is because it helps us get a
correct frame of mind for the other things that Paul says. We have our own
ideas of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to being king. So also,
what Paul says concerning our happiness contradicts what we think. More money
has to be right there at the top of the list for what would make us happier.
But Paul says: “Godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly cannot take anything
out. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be satisfied. Those
who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and
harmful desires, which plunge them into complete destruction and utter ruin.
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils. By striving for money,
some have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many
pains.”
Then, at the end of the reading he says, “Instruct those
who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to put their hope in the
uncertainty of riches, but rather in God, who richly supplies us with all
things for our enjoyment. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works,
to be generous and willing to share. In this way they are storing up for
themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may
take hold of that which is truly life.”
According to a very practical, common-sense mindset Paul’s
words about riches can look improbable, to say the least. He says we’ll be satisfied
if we have food and clothing. He says the desire to be rich is a trap. He says
it produces many harms that pierce us straight through. He says that riches are
uncertain! That’s quite the whopper. If we take anything as being certain it’s
riches. Instead he says that we should put our hope in God, who richly supplies
us with all things for our enjoyment.
All of these sayings of Paul can look poor and weak. They
can look as shabby as Jesus looked before Pontius Pilate. Pilate asked him, “You
are king of the Jews?” So also these instructions concerning money can
appear to be the opposite of happiness, goodness, and so on.
But the good confession is that Jesus is the king of the Jews despite appearances or expectations. So
also your happiness will be fulfilled contrary to expectations. It will be not
by desiring to be rich. That is a foolish and harmful desire. That will plunge
you into complete destruction and utter ruin. Do you not believe that? I
wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t.
How many people believed that Jesus was the king of the
Jews? How many people now believe that he reigns and rules from the right hand
of God the Father, and at the proper time will come to judge the living and the
dead? Then what good will all your riches do you? Riches, which seem so stable
and dependable now, provide no benefit then.
Therefore, Paul says, “flee from these thoughts and
desires.” Run away from them like you would some dreadful beast or monster
who wants to pierce you through with many pains. Notice how energetic activity
is directed away from things that we otherwise like to put a lot of our energy
into. When we believe that our happiness is tied up with riches, we will go the
extra mile to get a little extra for ourselves. Run away from your love of
money because it’s dangerous.
Instead, Paul says, chase other things: “Pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and kindness. Fight the good
fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life, to which you were called, and about
which you made your good confession.” Note how chasing after being
righteous, godly, believing, loving, patient, and kind is wise. It’s foolish to
chase riches, because we didn’t bring anything into this world when we were
born, and we won’t take anything with us when we die. But by chasing after
these other things we are taking hold of eternal life.
Maybe you could say that chasing money, power, politics, and
guns is taking hold of this present life. If you want to be king or queen of
the world, you can’t afford to ignore such things. But if you are striving to
enter into that unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see,
if you want to take hold of eternal life, then you must pursue those thing of
which eternal life consists.
Be righteous. Righteousness is God’s gift to you in Jesus.
You are righteous for Jesus’s sake. You also, therefore, love what is right and
just.
Be godly. Be reverent towards God rather than being reverent
toward your own life, your own ambitions, your own achievements.
Be believing. Trust in God in any and every circumstance
instead of in money or any other gods.
Be loving. Love, because God first loved you.
Be patient. Persevere. Don’t give up. You will reap what you
sow if you do not give up.
Be kind. God has been kind to you, you be kind to others.
The place where all these things come to completion and
fulfillment is heaven. By pursuing these things you are taking hold of eternal
life. You are entering into what Jesus has purchased for you when he reigned
and ruled as the king of the Jews, whose kingdom is not of this world.
So do not be afraid to put into practice the instructions
that Paul gives us. If Jesus is not king, if he is not resurrected from the
dead, then Paul’s instructions are horrible. I don’t know if worse advice could
be possible! But if Jesus is king, if he is risen from the dead, if he is coming
again, then there is no more sensible and wise thing to do than to take hold of
the eternal life that has been given to you. Happiness and fulfillment does not
come from chasing riches. It comes from following the ways of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment