Why Some Stop, Why Some Pass By?

There are stories in the Bible were we all cheer the hero of the story, go home rejoicing in what they had done, but then go back to our ordinary lives. One of those stories is the good Samaritan—the priest passes by, the Levite passes by, but the Samaritan stops, loves, heals, gives, and even goes the extra mile and says, whatever else they need, put that on my account. Jesus tells this story to show the difference between heroes and the ordinary, the difference between being religious or making a difference for God. So many churches are dwindling down in number, they are looking for the next great program or great marketing strategy to put them over the top, but it is really simple, become a hero, stop passing up the opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Parable of the Good Samaritan

³⁰ Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

³¹ “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. ³² A Temple assistant^[a] walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

³³ “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,^[b] telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

³⁶ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”  (Luke 10: 30-37)

We have all passed by in our lives, we all have walked on the other side of the street. Many times we look for those to come to the church that are going to help support the cause, not be a cause for support. Do we want to be someone who stops, do we want to be a hero for God. Let’s look at who passed by in the story, why they might have passed by, the reasons we might pass by, and what could cause us to stop.

1. Who passed by—A priest and A Levite—this really stings since they are supposed to be “Godly” people, and they both represent something that really isn’t good about religious service. Jesus used these two to drive home a point to all those who want to serve God from a religious point of view.

a. they were both busy in religious service—this is a real problem, there is a difference between religious service and Christianity.

b. Sometimes in our quest for the good, we bypass the best. The goal isn’t theology, or spiritual recognition, our goal is to be like Christ.

c. They were in the ministry—it is true that there is a real danger that ministry can become what others can do for us, over what we can do for others.

2. Why they might have passed by—

a. they may have been in a hurry to get to Synagogue—religion can cause us to become churchy, to feel like ministry must go on inside the four walls under the steeple.

b. they may have decided the person had it coming to them. Many times the lack of effort in helping those in need is the predisposition we have of making the judgment that they should have been in church. Or I knew they would never amount to anything. Or they should have listened to us a long time ago.

c. Maybe they could just care less—as long as I am righteous, as long as I’m on my way to heaven, as long a my family is doing good. Religion has the tendency of making people self centered and self absorbed.

3. Why might we pass by?

a. one of the main reasons we might not care for the lost and hurting in this world is the effort required to help people. It takes time, effort, energy and sometimes money, and it is easier just to go to the weekly church service.

b. Maybe we don’t have as much of Christ in us as we profess. Maybe we are still worldly and given over to our own appetites and needs.

c. We might just not like people—people love the church, they love the ministry, they love the conferences, the councils, the committee meeting, they just don’t like dealing with problematic people. It’s like, if it were for all these rotten people, the world would be a better place. When we get out of the people business, we pass by.

4. What Could Cause Us To Stop?

a. have compassion—the Samaritan had compassion, Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, and until we get a good dose of compassion and love for sinners, the lost, the sick, the lonely, the hurting of society, we won’t ever stop.

b. To realize the church has lost its impact on society as a whole, and if we don’t start stopping, this old world is going to fall apart. The church can be the spiritual glue that can hold things together. We have the ability to make a difference by our love.

c. a fresh revelation of the cross—if we realize that Christ didn’t just die for us, but for this whole world, it could be the attitude adjustment that could cause us to stop, to help, to care, to listen. Maybe we will get burned a few times, maybe some will take advantage of us, but at least we are on the right side of the road.

In many occasions Jesus would tell a story and then say, go and do likewise. Jesus tells us to walk on the right side of the road. Anyone who is a giver, a helper, a person of love and compassion, is a true neighbor. So many people profess a great love for God, but 1 John 4:7-11 says that the love for God, who we have never seen, is proven by those who we do see.

⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

We have all passed by before, let’s pray God gives us a chance to stop. When we stop, we aren’t doing the people near as much good as we are doing ourselves. It is when we do real ministry we feel like we are doing God’s will for us by fulfilling this commandment: “…. through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13b-14 NASB)

Good and Angry

Anger is like a river. A river controlled can generate enough electricity to power an entire city. But if allowed to overflow its banks, it can become a raging flood that destroys everything in its path. As surely as a river can be controlled, so can your temper. You can control your temper if you really want to, you just have to want too. Pastor James Merritt

Think of the last time you got angry. How did you respond to those around you? Did you say things you shouldn’t have or hurt your witness to another person? Sometimes we can really destroy our witness when we get angry. Is all anger sin? Is it possible to control my anger and express it? In the “church” (remember that the “church” is us not the building!) today we lose a lot of our credibility with those in our community, the unchurched and the unsaved because of our witness to them when we get angry.
A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. “There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper,” She said, “I blow up, and then it’s all over.” So does a shotgun,” Sunday replied, “and look at the damage it leaves behind!”

Getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order. We need to learn to control our anger.

James, the brother of Jesus, writes, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” (James 1:19-20)

Anger defined - a God given emotional response usually tied to a goal, value or expectation. It usually ignites when we feel invalidated or rejected. It can
be expressed by exploding anger and imploding. A God given emotion.

One pastor says this about anger:  “Anger is a divinely implanted emotion. Closely allied to our instinct for right, it is designed to be used for constructive spiritual purposes. The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good. If you cannot hate wrong, it is very questionable whether you really love righteousness. To not express anger is to not be human."

The answer isn’t to repress it, but to express it assertively. Even God gets angry. When Christ was in the temple turning over tables, He didn’t do it with a smile on His face. When He called the Pharisees a bunch of white washed tombs and a pit of vipers--
He wasn’t just trying to be politically correct. He was mad. It says though that God is slow to anger (“But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry”. Psalm 86:15). God’s anger lasts a moment, while his favor lasts a lifetime. King Solomon said “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.” (Proverbs 29:11)

Expressing Anger in a Godly Life

1. Admit we have a problem. “… if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9). We

can’t receive what God wants to give us until we accept the fact that our holding on to some things God wants us to give up. Our problem is that we come to a point in our Christian life where we become comfortable and we stop surrendering all things to
Christ. Surrender means that we have given God permission to change, mold or to rid our life of anything that hinders us from becoming all that He wants us to be. We need to surrender our anger to God and allow Him to change us.

We have so many baby Christians in the church today because we came to a point of comfort and stopped allowing God to work in our lives. We are not totally surrendered to Him. “Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back -- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” Frederick Buechner.

2. Ask God to set a guard over our tongues. ” And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James 3:6) In our scripture it says that we should be "slow to speak", that means that we should be careful and thoughtful about what we say, especially when we are angry. Realize that the devil wants us to explode and lose our credibility. He wants us to lose our witness with the lost and Believers around us. We should mourn over the fact that we may have already lost our credibility with some people.

3. Anticipate problem areas. Consider how we can best prepare. What situations can we avoid? What people or situations do we struggle to control our temper in.

4. Commit any situation where we are beginning to feel anger to God. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus  “don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry..”  (Ephesians 4:26) Give God control.

5. Learn from past mistakes. Treasure hunt those bad experiences. Seek to learn what good things we can learn from the negative and then let it go. God wants us to learn from past mistakes. 

6. Learn to attack problems not people. We can deal assertively with others without disregard to others feelings. Christ got angry, but did so in a way that ultimately expressed value in others. Name calling doesn’t belong in a Believer’s household. Calling another person “stupid” or treating another person with disrespect shouldn’t even be a part of our lives.

There is a Chinese proverb that says “The fastest horse cannot catch a word spoken in anger.” Just like if we shook up a can of soda and then opened it. It would spray everywhere. It would be almost impossible to put the soda back in the can after it has sprayed all over the furniture and on my face. It’s also impossible to take back those angry words once they come out of our mouths. 

7. Practice the presence of Christ. Be aware that God is present and hears every word. Christ is not only present with us when we are in church building. He is present in our household and with us at work. He hears our every idle word and knows our every thought. If we realize this, we may choose our words differently and work to let the Holy Spirit control our thoughts.


What we need to do is to surrender our temper to God. Don’t believe the lie that we can’t change. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) It’s a lie the devil would like us to believe that we can’t change and there’s no point in trying. Yes, we can change. God can change us from the inside out. We just have to give Him permission and surrender it to Him.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

GOD’S SECRET SERVICE

As a child of God, we are being watched, and we are being guarded and protected, much more than we probably realize.

Have you ever noticed how much the candidates for president are being watched? It’s not always obvious when you see them on TV, but every where they go, they are guarded and protected by heavily armed men in suits and trench coats. Who are these armed men? They are the United States Secret Service, and their goal is to protect people who hold high offices in our country. Everywhere they  go, the Secret Service is there, watching them, guarding them, and protecting them. 

Would you like to be followed around like that – no privacy? As a Christian, you already are. We are being closely watched and guarded and protected, but not by heavily armed men in suits – that’s not good enough, in God’s eyes. We are being guarded and protected by something bigger and better – angels. They follow us everywhere we go. They watch us and protect us – there are probably some of them right here in this room right now, and we are not aware of it.

Do you know about these angels? Most people really don’t get the concept of angels. Lots of people believe that when we die, we go to heaven, we grow wings, and we’re given a harp, and then we become an angel. That’s not how it works. When we die, we’re not going to become an angel. People don’t turn into angels. In heaven, we’re going to continue to exist as a human being, but in a different way. Angels are a completely separate classification of living beings, according to the Bible, and we’ll see thousands of them in heaven.

So - do you believe in the existence of angels? We should because the Bible says that there ARE angels.  Did you know that angels are mentioned either directly or indirectly nearly 300 times in the Old and New Testaments? 

Angels appeared or spoke to Abraham many times in Genesis.  As Abraham was on the mountain about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, an Angel spoke to him twice: ¹¹ At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” …..  “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God.” (Genesis 22:11-12) And then still on the mountain, “Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven.  “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you.” (Genesis 22:15-17)

 And we all should remember that an Angel appeared to Joseph and Mary – after Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph….” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” (Matthew 1:20) And in Matthew 2:13 an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said.”  And to Mary: “Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28) And Gabriel goes on to tell her about being chosen to be mother of Jesus in Luke 1:29-38)

And after Jesus prayed so hard on the Mount of Olives in the garden of Gethsemane “… an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) And on Easter Sunday “an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.”  (Matthew 28:2)

These are only a very few places Angels appear or are mentioned in the Bible.

There is a high probability that millions of angels are at God’s command and at our service. The hosts of Heaven stand at attention ready to do God’s will at any moment of any hour of any day. 

His angels are on call at all times. They don’t take vacation days. They don’t take sick days. They don’t take off for holidays. They never age and they are always ready and available to carry out God’s plans! 

These angels of God are here to help us and they are prepared for any emergency, and Satan has no firepower that can match the heavy artillery of God!

The Bible teaches us that God created angels. At one time no angels existed; there was nothing but the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1:16  that “God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see Angels are indeed among the invisible things made by God, for “all things were created by Him, and for Him.”

The Bible tells us that angels have the ability to change their appearance and to travel instantly back and forth between the glory of Heaven above and the earth below. 

Hebrews 1:14 says “angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” They do not possess physical bodies, although they may take on the form of physical bodies when God appoints them to special tasks. God has given them no ability to reproduce, and they neither marry nor are given in marriage. (see Mark 12:25)

And we don’t need to picture them as cute and harmless little creatures. Sometimes we see little angel dolls – they look like red-cheeked toddlers with wings and diapers – cupid or tinkerbell – lovable, cuddly creatures. The Bible pictures angels as quite the opposite. In our Old Testament, one of the angels named Michael is described – a chief prince among the angels, a powerful and intimidating warrior. In Revelation, the Apostle John was so overwhelmed by the angel that had been talking to him that he fell down to worship him. But notice what the angel said to John, in Revelation 22:9: “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”  Do you see how the angel describes himself? As a “servant.” Angels are powerful beings created by God, to serve God with us!

And angels serve God in different ways. Sometimes they are messengers – they conveyed the message that Jesus had risen. Sometimes they are protectors, God’s secret service for Christians. We see an example of that in Acts 12. King Herod was persecuting the Christians. He executed the Apostle James, and he was planning to execute the Apostle Peter too, but not for awhile. Peter was put into a high security prison, and notice what the Christians were doing in verse 5: “… while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” God answered those prayers by sending an angel. The night before Peter’s trial, an angel appeared in Peter’s jail cell. He woke Peter up, caused Peter’s chains to fall off his wrists, and led Peter out of the jail. The whole thing seemed like a dream to Peter, as he walked with the angel right past the guards and out the front door. Verse 11 is a key verse: “ Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me…….” Later, an angel struck down King Herod while he was giving a speech. That’s God’s secret service. Angels are sent to protect God’s people.

This teaches us how God works. When we pray for something, when we are in trouble, when we need something, God often responds by sending angels. They are powerful beings whose purpose is to whatever God asks, and often that means helping us. Our best friends are not who we socialize with. Our best friends are actually angels. We’ve never met any of them before, but they are with us everywhere we go. They especially watch over us during our childhood. They stand guard over us every night at the foot of our bed. If it weren’t for God’s secret service watching over us, the Devil and his evil demons would cause so many bad things to happen to us that would make our life unlivable!

Our problem, as sinful human beings, is that we underestimate God this way. We underestimate God when we’re in trouble, and we pray. We underestimate how closely God is watching over our lives, and how much he cares about us and wants to help us. We forget that God has millions of angels at his disposal, to send to our aid the moment we come to him in prayer. We underestimate God. We think that we’re on our own down here. “I’m by myself. It’s up to me to figure things out. It’s up to me to be strong. I’m down here on this planet, and I’m on my own.”

But God reminds us today, through his Word, that we’re not on our own down here. There are such creatures as angels, and God sends them into our life for all kinds of reasons, to do all kinds of things for us. As the angel reminded the Apostle John, they are our “fellow servants.” And if you ever wonder to yourself, “Why would God do this all for me? I am just an ordinary human being, an ordinary sinner. Why would God go through all this, and set up a special, “secret service,” just for me?”

Do you know what makes us so valuable in the eyes of God? It’s the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. The moment Jesus died for our sins and paid for our soul, we became incredibly valuable in the eyes of God. This is why God goes through so much trouble for us. That’s why God sends angels into our life who watch us very closely, who protect us, who do whatever God says in answer to our prayers. That’s why God saved the Apostle Peter. And that’s why God has set up a special secret service for us.

In closing, remember that the Bible says in Hebrews 13:2: “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”  Hmmm!

Meet the Stranger on the Road

Do you sometimes fail to recognize Jesus?  Are you discouraged? Disappointed with God and life? Do you wonder if you are a fool for believing in Jesus? Are you disappointed by “prophets” who claim special knowledge in the name of Jesus—only to be exposed as frauds? Are you secretly panicked about all the earthquakes and disasters? Fearful of the future?

Let’s go back almost 2000 years ago and look at how followers of Jesus felt after his crucifixion.  The event we are looking at today is described in Luke 24.

The two men on the road to Emmaus would understand about all the emotions described above. Their whole world was threatened. They had been followers of Jesus.

They thought Jesus was to be the king who would overthrow Roman domination and restore Israel as a sovereign country. 

They thought Jesus would rule the world. 

Instead, Jesus was executed in the most humiliating way possible: crucifixion. 

Then the two disciples encountered a stranger who redefined their understanding of the purpose of God and their very lives. Come along and Meet the Stranger on the Road.

In the Middle of the Road

¹³ That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. ¹⁶ But God kept them from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13-16) I guess one could say Jesus was in disguise.

Let’s “listen in” to what they “might” have been saying.

“I feel like a fool,” Cleopas said to his fellow follower of Jesus trudging down the road with him. 

“I believed him. I truly believed in him. I sacrificed everything. Even now, even after seeing him dead, I still have a hard time believing He was not the redeemer of Israel.”

His companion sighed and nodded. “Me, too. He was so mighty with the power of God. I can’t help but wonder why God abandoned him.”

Therein lay the root of their many unspoken questions “If Jesus was not the Messiah, if God abandoned Jesus, what hope have we? Or future? Are we as good as dead?” 

A sudden prickle of paranoia ran up their spines. Fearfully, they glanced over their shoulders. A stranger only two paces behind them! From where did he appear so suddenly? What did he want?

The stranger seemed harmless as he matched his stride to theirs. “What are you discussing so intently? And why so sad?”

“You must be the only who doesn’t know what happened in Jerusalem this weekend,” Cleopas replied.

“Then tell me,” the stranger invited.

Cleopas took a deep breath. Where to begin? The earthquakes? The torn temple curtain? So much to tell but the epicenter of it all was Jesus. 

“Have you not heard of Jesus of Nazareth?” asked Cleopas. “He was a prophet, mighty in word and deed. We were certain he was the Messiah,” the men exchanged disappointed glances, “but the chief priests and our rulers plotted against him. In the end, crucified him. That was three days ago.” 

“This very morning, some women went to his tomb. His body was missing! What’s more, the women said angels told them he was alive. Alive! We do not know what to believe.”

The stranger almost laughed. “Don’t be silly. Can you honestly say you believe the prophets when they said the Messiah will come but not believe them when they also said the Messiah will suffer exactly those things you have described before he is revealed?”

The truth of the stranger’s words burned in their hearts. This was just the sort of thing Jesus would say. They wanted to hear more.

And the stranger had a lot to say. In the growing shadows, a flicker of hope sprang up in them as the stranger recalled prophecy after prophecy, beginning with Moses and branching through later prophets, concerning the life, death, resurrection, and revelation of the Messiah. It all began to make sense. Perhaps Jesus was—is—the Messiah after all, they thought.

“Shalom,” the stranger bade them as they came to their destination.  

“Wait!” said Cleopas. “Please stay with us. It’s nearly sunset.”   The stranger agreed. 

At the supper table, the bread was passed to the stranger as the honored guest. When he held up the bread to recite the traditional blessing—“Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, Who has brought forth bread from the earth”— all of a sudden there came a lightning bolt of instant recognition. His hands! His torn, nail-ravaged hands! This could only be Jesus!  Without another word, he vanished.

Stunned, they stared at the empty seat and the broken bread. Had Jesus really been here? Or had they only imagined they saw him? Was he a ghost? Would he restore the kingdom to Israel? Was this the end of the age?

Although it was after dark, they hurried back to Jerusalem. ³³ …… There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.” (Luke 24:33-34)

³⁵ Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. ³⁶ And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.³⁷ But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! (Luke 24:35-37)

There Jesus answered some of their questions: 

• Yes, he was alive. “….he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he ate it as they watched. (Luke 24:41b-43) 
• No, he was not a ghost.. “Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost.” (Luke 24:39b) 
• Yes, he had risen from the dead. “⁴⁰ As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.” (Luke 24:40) These marks were authentication of his identity, love, and power. 

Jesus informed them (as well as us) that the answers to some of their questions are none of their business just now: “⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” (Acts 1:7)

Jesus told them if they were going to be his followers, this is what they should be doing:

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you: “…stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49b) 
• Become a witness of the truth about the death, resurrection, and purpose of Jesus’ appearing: “…you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  ⁴⁶ And he (Jesus) said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of all these things. …” (Luke 24:46-48) 

Narrow is the Path

Before their encounter on the road to Emmaus, the disciples picked and chose what they wanted to believe from the Bible but it was leading them the wrong way. They liked the idea of a Messiah who would give them and their nation power. They just didn’t like the rest of what God had in mind: for the Messiah to suffer, die, and be resurrected to bring the Gentile nations into his kingdom as well as Israel.

It’s true: We are often embarrassed by the antics and failures of people claiming to be followers of Christ. We have many questions about the future. But like the disciples, if we are going to be counted among Jesus’ followers, we cannot pick and choose which of his teachings we will follow. We must follow all his teachings!   

Jesus has given us a road map to follow as to what we are to be doing NOW: 

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower us. 
• Become witnesses of the truth about the death, resurrection, and purpose of Jesus’ appearing. 

Pursuing any other way will lead us toward the wrong destination.

There are two paths we can take in life. And we are free to make the choice. God gives us that freedom. But as we decide, there are a few things we should know about these two options. One of them works and the other one doesn’t. One of them feels right and the other one doesn’t. One of them is popular and the other one isn’t.

These two paths lead to two very different destinations. Our selection is a matter of life and death. One of these paths is most likely to succeed. We all have the choice between these two paths.

Although the choice is ours to make, Jesus gives us some wise advice:. 

¹³ “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴ But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Who Is This King of Glory?

Who Is This King of Glory?


Words from song by Third Day.

Who is this King of Glory that persues me with his love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me

Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries
My spirit¹s ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of glory, Son of God and son of man

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory

Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the graceous King of kings
the Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
Who is this King of Glory, He's everything to me

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me

(Song by Third Day) Click link to hear song.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqo-adRyM_k


“Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.” (Psalm 24:9) So the psalmist writes, and then he adds this question, calling for our reflection: “Who is this King of glory?” (Psalm 24:10a) That is our question this morning. Today we look upon this man Jesus, riding into Jerusalem, and we ask, “Who Is This King of Glory?”

Well, on Palm Sunday, he certainly looks like a king of glory. Cheering crowds, palm branches, cloaks spread on the road--a triumphal entry into the royal city, Jerusalem. What a scene of joy and triumph it is, fulfilling the ancient prophecy: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt..” (Zechariah 9:9)

But by the end of the week, that Holy Week, instead of a triumphal entry, there is a tearful exit. The daughters of Jerusalem who were rejoicing on Sunday are weeping on Friday, as the King of glory is led out of town in shame and sorrow. Who is this King of glory?

On Sunday Jesus is acclaimed as the messianic king: “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38) On Friday he is accused of claiming to be that king: “This man has been leading our people astray …. claiming he is the Messiah, a king.” (Luke 23:2)And Jesus doesn’t deny it: “So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” (Luke 23:3) Who is this King of glory? Soldiers array him in splendid clothing, only to beat him up and mock him. Who is this King of glory?

Glory? Glory, you say? Where is the glory in being nailed to a cross, and having a sign placed over your head, “This is the King of the Jews”? (Luke 23:37b) No garments strewn before him, now his own garments are stripped from him.

Strange king, indeed. On Sunday he rides in triumph on the Way of Glory. On Friday he staggers, condemned, on the Way of Sorrows, the way of the cross and darkness and degradation. Who is this King of glory?

The world today would just as soon forget about this king, this puzzling man, Jesus. They want to put him on the shelf, push him out of sight, out of mind, and get on with their lives--their busy, distracted, no-need-for-God lives. Instead of cheering crowds--or hostile crowds, either, for that matter--now there are just busy crowds, bustling crowds, too-busy-to-be-bothered and too-bored-to-care crowds. What a vacuous lot we have become! Overloaded with information, but starved for wisdom. All too busy, and yet filling our lives with nothing. Junk food for the mind. Junk food for the soul. No time or need for this man Jesus. Who is this King of glory? “Don’t bother me, I don’t want to know.”

Ah, poor Jesus! Poor, neglected, forgotten, obsolete Jesus! Shed a tear of nostalgia for those days of yesteryear, when religion was important and people cared about Jesus. Shed a tear, and then let me get back to my I-Phone. I-Phone, I-Pod, I-Pad--I, I, I. Ay, ay, ay, what fools we have become!

No, do not shed a tear for Jesus. Jesus would tell our TMZ culture: Shed a tear for yourselves! Weep and mourn, and let your laughter turn to lament! Do you think you will escape judgment, you who have no need for God’s mercy and his Messiah? How will you escape? When death intrudes, when cancer comes calling, when judgment comes crashing down, how will you stand? What will be your support to lean on, to enable you to stand in the day of God’s judgment? Will it be your inherent goodness? Your pleasing personality? Don’t kid yourself. Those supports are all too flimsy. They will collapse and crumble. You need some stronger stuff than that. What we e all need to lean on in the Day of Judgment is the cross of Christ my Savior. He is our only hope. And that’s the only hope and support we need, is this one with which God supplies us.

So maybe we should take a second look at that man Jesus and ask again the question, “Who is this King of glory?” There’s something special about him, something unique that takes hold of us. The more we look, the closer we look, the more we realize we need him.

What is special about this man? We pick up some clues from the story. When Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem, he tells two of his disciples: “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.” (Luke 19:30-31) A colt no one has ever ridden. And the Lord has need of it. Hmm. . . .

Then on Friday, after the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea takes down the body of Jesus and lays him in a tomb cut in stone, “a new tomb, never used before.” (John 19:41)Hmm. . . . A colt no one has ridden. And a tomb that has never been used. What’s going on here?

It appears there are some divine arrangements going on here. That’s what it is. God has set apart some divine preparations, some never-used vessels, a colt and a tomb, set apart and reserved for a most special purpose, a most special guest. These are vessels fit for a king, this colt and this tomb. Yes, both the colt and the tomb, set apart and planned by God. That’s the point: Both Sunday and Friday are part of God’s plan.

The plan all along was for this Jesus to ride in glory into Jerusalem, and his glory, God’s glory, would be seen and shown and brought to fulfillment precisely in Jesus going to the cross. The cross and tomb are part of the plan--indeed, the heart of God’s plan, his plan for us! Who is this King of glory? He is the King who suffers and dies for us.

Yes, us the sinner. Us the “die-ers,” the person who dies. We, who would come under God’s judgment ourselves--we need Jesus to bear our sins and die for us and suffer that judgment in our place. That’s why he rides into town. Only Jesus could do that job.

Who is this King of glory? Some more clues from our text: Pilate, the judge, says of Jesus, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” (Luke 23:4b) A second time Pilate tells the accusers, “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.” (Luke 23:14) Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.” And then a third time Pilate said to them, “What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death.” (Luke 23:22)

Even the thief on the cross can see this truth about Jesus: “this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Luke 23:41b) And the Roman centurion likewise: “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47b) Now Pilate and the thief and the centurion all spoke truer than they realized. Not only was Jesus not guilty of any crime, not only was he innocent by the world’s standards, Jesus was even innocent and righteous by God’s standards. Truly righteous, totally innocent, no sin or guilt that he should die in any way, much less die the death of a criminal.

But you and I--we cannot manufacture a verdict like that for ourselves. You and I have done wrong, we have sinned, in a hundred ways, a hundred times a thousand. Maybe not capital crimes in the world’s eyes, but sins, grievous sins nonetheless, in God’s sight. In countless ways, we have sinned against God--in thought, in word, in deed, from as far back as we can remember, all the way to the grave--we have made false gods for ourselves, worshiping the idols of our own making, our own opinions and ideas of right and wrong. And the Lord God looks down on this folly and says of all those who would trust in themselves, “Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge?” (Deuteronomy 32:37)

No, only God, the true God, can deliver us. Who is this King of glory? The psalmist tells us: “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” (Psalm 24:8) “Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:10) Yes, only God can deliver us. And that is why he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to do the job we couldn’t do. The holy Son of God, true God from eternity, born of the virgin Mary--this Jesus, God in the flesh, Jesus, the God-man Savior--he is the King of glory who saves us from sin and death.

We need to cling to him in faith, lean upon his cross as our only support, and we will be strong to stand in the day of trouble. In Christ, for us the Day of Judgment becomes the day of our salvation.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

Who is the King of glory? He is Jesus Christ, our Savior and your King! (Luke 19:38)