Episodit
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Introduction
The Heidelberg Catechism spends some time reminding us that Christ really did suffer. His suffering is not some sort of unnecessary drama. It testifies to our sin, and it atones for our sin. His suffering makes satisfaction for our sin. But suffering and death alone aren't the whole story. If Christ were merely dead and "bounced back" the way a sacrificial animal might return to the herd, the sacrifice would prove insufficient.
On the other side of this discussion is that Christ cannot remain in the grave. If Christ is dead, then we might as well go home and conclude life is absurd. Romans 4:25 reminds us that Christ “… was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. So the question presses in: why must Christ be raised from the dead?
Christ Was Delivered for Our Sins
We have to understand the deeper meaning of death. Death is not merely the cessation of breath or heartbeat. Death is separation from communion and fellowship with God. A person can be fully alive by every biological measure and still be dead in a very real way. So when Christ is "delivered up for our sins" and overcomes death, he is overcoming that broken fellowship that was lost in the fall. His resurrection guarantees that our union with him by the Spirit and faith establishes us in communion with our Lord.
Christ's Resurrection Vindicates Him
Romans 4 gives us rich assurance of our standing before God and Christ’s resurrection. Paul builds his argument on Abraham: justified by faith apart from works (vv. 1–8), a promise extending to Jew and Gentile alike (vv. 9–17), and the "absurdity" of Abraham's faith. Abraham is trusting God to bring life out of two bodies as good as dead (vv. 18–22). Then Paul pulls the camera back: this was written not for Abraham's sake alone, but for ours (vv. 23–25). Christ's resurrection is heaven's declaration that his work is complete. Abraham cannot add anything; Isaac, child of the promise, cannot add anything, and we cannot add anything to Christ’s work. It's the fulfillment of the same pattern of "life from death" that Abraham himself experienced in type.
Paul says this in other places. 1 Corinthians 15 insists that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then we are still in our sins and ought to be pitied. Paul says in Romans 1:3–4 that the resurrection declares him Son of God. Paul states in Romans 6:4 and 1 Timothy 3:16 that resurrection to vindication by the Spirit. Christ’s resurrection is not only the basis of us legally being restored to God, but the resurrection is also the power that conforms us to God.
The bodily, physical nature of that resurrection matters too. Christ's ascension into heaven means that glorified human flesh is there. It means that not only are we declared righteous, but we are conforming in the Spirit’s power as we walk by faith, and we will be glorified. Christ’s resurrection guarantees our glorification, and it proves it. Christ’s glorified human flesh is in heaven right now, guaranteeing our glorified flesh will be there too.
Christ's Resurrection Vindicates Us
This is the legal, courtroom weight of "raised for our justification." Justification is a one-time declaration of righteousness before the heavenly court. This is a higher court than even our Supreme Court in the USA.
This blessing is distinct from sanctification. Justification is a one-time declaration of righteousness in the heavenly courtroom, while sanctification is our progressive conforming to the Lord’s holiness.
We also say that sanctification and justification are inseparable. These blessings are both given to us by the Spirit, our union with Christ, and our consciousness of this relationship when we have faith in Christ. It is by the Spirit through Faith that we take hold of Christ and all his distinct blessings.
We are united to the risen and victorious Christ. It is because Christ was raised that our sins are objectively taken away, our standing before the Father is secure, and Christ's ongoing intercession in the heavenly temple guarantees that our relationship with our God is not impersonal. Our justification is a one-time transaction. However, as we are united to our savior, this is where we have the privilege and joy of growing in conformity to our heavenly call as we walk in the Spirit by faith out of gratitude.
Conclusion
The reality is: Christ's resurrection is true whether or not I believe it. It's not my faith, or the church's faith, that makes it so. It is not even the Apostle Paul who makes it so. Christ’s resurrection is an objective, historical event that God accomplished. I could deny it, and it would still be true. That's actually the comfort. My assurance doesn't rest on the strength or the quality of my faith. My redemption, our redemption, rests on what God has already done in raising Christ from the dead. His resurrection testifies that my sins are taken away, my standing before God is secure, and I will be raised bodily to dwell in his presence in full glory.
Let us not root our hope in ourselves. Let us hope in the God who accomplishes his promise. He does not overstate, and he does not overpromise. He fulfills His word. May we live in the certainty of Christ’s resurrection as we take hold of our redeemer by Faith. Let us be a people who walk in the Spirit, tasting the goodness of our redemption as we live as living sacrifices unto him out of gratitude.
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When Peter and John were commanded to stop preaching Christ, the early
church did not pray for safety or comfort. No, they prayed for boldness.
Acts 4 reminds us that God's sovereign purposes cannot be frustrated by
human opposition and that the church's calling remains unchanged: to
proclaim the Gospel faithfully. In a culture filled with distraction,
division, and pressure to dilute biblical truth, believers are called to
stand firm, trusting the One who rules over all things and empowers His
people to live and speak for His glory. -
Puuttuva jakso?
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Why do Christians suffer, and where is God in our pain? Hebrews 2:9-18 teaches that Jesus Christ entered our suffering as our merciful High Priest. Through His death and resurrection, He defeated death, satisfied God's justice, and secured redemption for His people. Discover how Christ's suffering brings comfort, hope, and assurance in every trial.
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Introduction: The Great Reversal
The book of Acts shows us that God has a sense of humor. There are parts when you laugh, and then you weep at the same time. Here we find Peter and John. These are blue-collar fishermen with no formal rabbinic training. They are not trained in rhetoric or any fancy talk. They are called to stand before the rulers, or Israel’s ruling council. These are men who know how to mend nets, not argue fine points of Torah. And yet the God who chose a stuttering shepherd to confront Pharaoh now places these ordinary men before the extraordinary powers of Jerusalem.
The religious elite thought they had solved their Jesus problem by crucifying him. "Sacrifice the one, save the nation," Caiaphas had calculated. But now that "one" has risen, and his followers are standing in Solomon's Portico proclaiming Christ and healing people, they have to see that their plan failed. Luke reports that five thousand converts were saved that day. The Sanhedrin had a plan, but their plan did not rule the universe.
The Arrest (When the Gospel Offends Everyone)
The gospel is an equal opportunity offender. The Sadducees we could label as the religious liberals who denied the supernatural. They are offended because Peter proclaims resurrection.
The Pharisees, whom we could classify as the religious conservatives obsessed with purity, are offended because this crucified criminal is being declared the Messiah.
The gospel cuts across our categories. It challenges the conservative tendency to control God's work ("He must operate within our parameters") and the liberal tendency to domesticate God's work ("Surely he doesn't actually intervene in history").
But notice the apostles' posture. Their goal is not to offend both sides. They're simply asking: "How do we glorify Christ?" When your gaze is fixed on Jesus, you become simultaneously more courageous and more humble. You speak clearly without being condescending, boldly without being arrogant. The preaching of the Gospel is a key that truly opens and closes the kingdom of God by God’s power.
The Defense (The Spirit's Apologetic)
Peter opens his mouth, and something unexpected happens. This is the same Peter who choked in a servant girl's presence, and who denied Christ three times. In fact, Peter opened his mouth once, and Christ said, “Get behind me, Satan.” Peter is the last man you want holding the microphone when you are under pressure.
But now, "filled with the Holy Spirit," he delivers a masterful defense that shocks the Jewish council.
He doesn't hide behind theological nuances. He names "Jesus of Nazareth” as the messiah. Yes, the town of Nazareth is a humble town. The leaders do not see this as symbolizing Christ’s humility, but as a way to discredit Christ’s messianic credentials. After all, nothing good comes from Nazareth. (John 1:46)
Peter identifies Jesus of Nazareth, but also accuses the leaders when he exclaims, "You crucified him." But he doesn't stop there. He proclaims the great reversal: God raised him. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The new Christian temple is built around and in Christ.
This is the heart of Christian apologetics. It's about Spirit-empowered testimony to the person of Christ, "Apart from him, there is no salvation.” Jesus alone has defeated death. He alone can make the broken whole. He alone is the great healer.
The Dilemma (When Evidence Isn't Enough)
The Sanhedrin's response is almost tragically comical. They can't deny the miracle that has transpired. The crippled man is standing right there, "holding fast to Peter and John." Five thousand new believers aren't exactly subtle. So what do they do? They try to suppress the message. "Stop speaking in this name."
Notice the logic: they assume the gospel's power depends on its messengers. Silence the apostles, and the movement dies. They fail to see that the message itself has power. Christ works through his message. They fail to see that what they sought to destroy God raised. We might think that Christ has abandoned his people. However, this is the living Christ, reigning from heaven, building his church through his Spirit. Clearly, Christ’s promise in Luke 21:15 is confirmed, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom.”
Peter's response is both respectful and unmovable: "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." The apostles will not and cannot deny who sent them. The gospel spreads not through political maneuvering but through ordinary people who have encountered the extraordinary grace of Jesus. The leaders should take on the yoke of Christ.
Conclusion: Who Do You Say That He Is?
The narrative leaves us with the same question Jesus once asked his disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" The crippled beggar wasn't merely healed, but he was "saved.” He was made whole, completed in Christ. This is the offer: not just a better life, but a new life.
The religious leaders saw Jesus as a problem to be managed. The apostles saw him as the Savior to be proclaimed and embraced. We are called to clearly see Christ and take his yoke upon us. Do you see him as your Lord? The same power that made the lame man walk is the same power to give us true life and communion with God. Take hold of Christ. Find your wholeness in him.
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Introduction
We refer to the prayer Christ taught us to pray as the Lord’s prayer. We should call it the Disciples' Prayer. Our catechism reminds us that prayer is the "chief part of our gratefulness" to God. Yet prayer remains one of the most difficult and probably misunderstood aspects of the Christian life. Dennis John says, “prayer is neither a guilt-laden duty to a distant deity nor a casual chat with a ‘buddy’ Jesus. Rather, true prayer flows from recognizing the presence of Jesus as Lord—marked by joy, confidence, reverent fear, and a preoccupation with God's kingdom rather than our own comforts.” We conder then three points to teach us about prayer.
Why Is Prayer So Difficult?
Prayer is difficult not because of how we were created (we were made for communion with God), but because of the Fall and our sinfulness. There are several practical reasons Christians struggle:
* We feel inadequate—comparing our prayers to others' eloquence
* We've been disappointed—God answers "yes," "no," or "wait," and we chafe at waiting
* We feel foolish—praying to an invisible God seems odd compared to tangible human relationships
* We doubt it matters—questioning why we should pray to a sovereign God (answered: God uses means, and He uses our prayers)
* We're too busy—prayer feels unproductive in a culture that prizes accomplishment
* We have faith in progress—trusting money, medicine, or other means more than God
* God hides behind "masks"—providing through ordinary means (farmers, doctors, grocers) rather than miraculous drops from heaven
To Whom Do We Pray?
The "who" of prayer shapes the "how" and "why." Christian prayer is not a performance or a technique but a relationship—a conversation where our lives meet God. The text (Matthew 6) warns against two errors: praying like hypocrites (performers seeking human approval) or like Gentiles (heaping up empty words to manipulate God).
The answer: We pray to our Father—the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is staggering: the eternal Son invites us to call His Father "our Father." This is not by nature or birth but by grace through faith in Christ. By nature, we are children of wrath; by grace, we are adopted, heirs. We pray to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is no longer our Judge but our loving Father, who sent His Son to pay for our sins. This new covenant reality—calling God "Abba, Father" through the Spirit—is the foundation of all Christian prayer.
Why Pray?
The "why" flows from the "who":
* Because we can—it is a privilege and gift, purchased by Christ, who now intercedes for us at the Father's right hand
* Because God uses means, our prayers actually matter and accomplish His purposes
* Because of our necessity, prayer is a declaration of dependency; we have nothing we did not receive from God
* Because God delights in hearing from His children—unlike earthly parents, He never grows weary of us
* To commune with the Giver, not just get His gifts—we pray out of love for who He is, not lust for what He gives
* Because prayer changes us—it offers "a less busy heart," reorienting us to trust God's sovereignty even when circumstances don't change
* Because God commands it—yet it is no mere duty, but a gracious invitation
* Because we are grateful children, prayer is the chief expression of thankfulness for all we have received
Conclusion
We consider what Dennis Johnson says regarding prayer, calling the church to a "vivid consciousness of the presence of Jesus." True prayer is joyful and confident, reverent and kingdom-focused. It is not performed out of guilt or self-pity, but out of love for the Giver. As Johnson says, "We pray not because we must, but because we may, not out of lust for his gifts, but out of love for the giver, and not to bend his will to ours, but to bend our will to his."
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We welcome Rev. Chuck Tedrick to our pulpit this morning. He is the Dean of Students and Director of Alumni Relations at Westminster Seminary in California.
Introduction
Christ tells a parable about one of the world's worst prayers, immediately followed by one of the world's most beautiful prayers. The warning is that some trusted in themselves, believing they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.
Two men from the same covenant community go to the same temple service. Both stand to pray. Both address God. Yet everything else about their prayers reveals two completely different kinds of people. There is one group that looks to God's grace in Christ alone for salvation. Another group who looks to themself. One represents the humble; the other, the prideful. Christ presents two characters to represent these positions. We would expect the Pharisee to be praised by Christ. We would expect the tax collector to be condemned. However, we see that Christ does the opposite. Why does Christ condemn the hero while exalting the expected villain?
The Prideful Prayer
The Pharisee enters the temple with impressive religious credentials. In his day, Pharisees were the most pious, conservative, and scrupulous religious leaders. They took God's law seriously. Tragically, they valued the law, but not the law’s giver. His heart is far from God and the Lord’s grace.
Standing by himself, he prays: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." This is impressive and intimidating.
Notice what is missing. He thanks God for nothing. He is not thankful for the Lord’s grace that has moved him past previous sins. He does not see God as the giver of his daily provision. He does not see that he needs the Lord’s grace and mercy to stand strong. He compares himself to others and finds himself superior. He lists sins he has avoided (theft, adultery, injustice) and works he has exceeded (fasting beyond requirement, giving above the tithe).
Notice that he never mentions his own sins: coveting, gossip, envy, impatience, or the self-righteousness and contempt pouring from his heart. He has not loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, nor has he loved his neighbor as himself.
The tragedy is not that he hasn't traveled far enough down the road of good works, but that he is on the wrong road entirely. He travels the "law road" when he needs the "faith road." He tries to justify himself through works when Scripture declares that "by works of the law no one will be justified." He trusts in himself rather than in God's promise.
The Humble Prayer
The tax collector represents the opposite extreme of Jewish society. Tax collectors were despised as traitors and thieves. They compromised their Jewish purity by collaborating with Rome. In fact, they extorted money from their own people.
His posture is different from that of the previous man. He stands "far off," unable to lift his eyes to heaven, beating his breast in grief. His prayer is devastatingly simple: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." He knows he needs the Lord’s mercy and grace. He knows that he cannot stand on his own.
He compares himself to God and finds himself wanting. He recognizes he has nothing to offer. He does not have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees. All he asks for is mercy. He does not have a resume that proves his worthiness. No, he is confronted by the reality that he is a desperate sinner on thin ice.
The word he uses for "mercy" is propitiation. This is a traditional word that refers to the turning away of God's wrath through sacrifice. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would confess sins over a scapegoat sent into the wilderness and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. This tax collector understands what the Pharisee misses: the wages of sin are death, and we need a substitute.
Jesus is that substitute. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. On the cross, He became the propitiation for our sins, enduring the wrath we deserved, and dying in our place. Christ gives the assurance that the tax collector goes home justified. He sees that his redemption and righteousness are outside himself, and he looks to the mercy of God found in Christ.
Christ’s Verdict
Jesus delivers a shocking verdict: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other."
Jesus does not prescribe penance for this man to complete. No "try harder and check back later." The tax collector goes home forgiven, declared righteous, at peace with God. The Pharisee goes home still an enemy of the Lord.
Jesus concludes with a kingdom principle that reverses worldly wisdom: "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." This is so contrary to the world’s order. In the world's economy, self-promotion leads to success. In God's economy, humility leads to exaltation. Justification is a matter of God's mercy, not human merit.
Luke immediately gives us proof in the very next chapter. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, climbs a tree to see Jesus because he has heard that this Teacher declares even tax collectors forgiven. When Jesus announces, "Today salvation has come to this house," the crowd grumbles: "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." But Jesus responds: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Conclusion
This parable serves as both comfort and warning. For those who come to God saying, "Be merciful to me, a sinner," there is immediate justification, peace with God, and the gift of righteousness through faith in Christ alone. For those trusting in their own goodness, religious activity, or moral superiority, there remains judgment.
Paul tells us to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. This is a call to examine your own heart. Do you compare yourself to others so that you are thankful you are not "like that person"? Or are you comparing yourself to God's holy standard and finding yourself desperate for grace?
Repent and believe. Come to the cross empty-handed, clinging only to Christ. For everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. The tax collector went home justified. Find your identity and life in Christ rather than yourself.
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Introduction
The Christian gospel confronts us with a truth that requires profound humility. We have to come to grips with the reality that we are heinous sinners. We need to own that we are so estranged from God that only Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection will bring us near. This is not some dramatic event for the sake of drama. I hope that as we consider what Christ suffered, why He suffered, and what His suffering accomplished, we are led to a deeper appreciation of God’s grace. So, why the cross? Was it really necessary?
What Did Christ Suffer?
Christ's suffering began when he took on the flesh. Our catechism wants us to understand that the very act of taking on human flesh was an act of humiliation for the eternal Son. As Isaiah's fourth Servant Song declares, He had "no form or majesty that we should look at him.” Isaiah predicts that He appeared ordinary. Yet this humiliation was necessary because humanity had broken communion with God in the Garden. Adam, placed in Eden to guard and keep it, failed in his duty when Satan tempted Eve, and the instantaneous consequence was shame, exposure, and estrangement from the Lord who had walked with them in the cool of the day.
Christ's suffering culminated in His role as the true Scapegoat, bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows. Isaiah 53 echoes both aspects of that ritual. We remember the scapegoat that carried the people's sins into the wilderness. The other aspect was the slain animal whose blood was brought into the Holy of Holies.
Christ not only removes our sins from us by shedding his blood, but he also shoulders the weight of them Himself. Yes, he did this as one who has never sinned or compromised God’s holiness. Christ lives up to His Father’s declaration when he is equipped with the Holy Spirit to do his mission. His Father declared, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” and Christ lived up to this expectation.
Why Did Christ Suffer?
Christ suffered to deliver us from eternal condemnation. We cannot escape this sentence without Christ. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they discovered the true death sentence. They could no longer be in the Lord’s presence without feeling shame. They made clothing to cover their shame, but the shame never went away. Death is more than ceasing to breathe, but it is losing communion with God.
The flaming sword guarding the tree of life represents the impassable barrier. In order for one to secure life, they must pass through the flaming sword of hell’s judgment. No mere human could survive such a sword.
Isaiah assures us that Christ was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. This was not accidental suffering or a Plan B gone wrong. Eden tells us the cost. Isaiah predicts the cost. So we know that Christ’s suffering was intended by God. The chastisement that brought us peace fell upon Christ. He suffered so that we might be delivered from the wrath to come and brought back into fellowship with the Triune God.
What Did His Suffering Accomplish?
The cross accomplishes what no mere moral example could achieve: it actually removes our sin and credits Christ's righteousness to our account. Pilate's threefold declaration of Christ's innocence, followed by his ironic inscription "King of the Jews," establishes the holiness of the sacrifice even as the earthly judge condemns Him. It also tells us that Pilate was not a victim or a passive bystander. He did send Christ to the cross as a human judge even as he declared Christ innocent.
Christ hung upon the cross, hung upon a cursed tree, like a covenant breaker. Christ never transgressed, but this cross declared that Christ died the death of a sinner. He Himself never broke the covenant with God. This is the double imputation at the heart of the gospel: our sins credited to Christ, His righteousness credited to us.
The result is shalom. Shalom, peace, is not a cold peace treaty where God merely tolerates us. Shalom is the full restoration of communion and fellowship with God. We are healed by His wounds, made whole by His brokenness, brought near by His being cast out. Isaiah knew that Christ would not remain dead. Isaiah assures us that Christ lives to make intercession for His people. Our Holy Priest is continually praying for sinners who still struggle and fail. The Servant's work continues in heaven as He represents His people before the Father, ensuring that those He has redeemed will persevere to the end.
Conclusion
The cross is not divine theater. The cross is not ultimately about demonstrating how much God hates sin, though it certainly does that. It is necessary for Christ to take away our sins. He was declared innocent. He is sentenced to death by an earthly judge. He is hung upon a tree as a covenant breaker. He is raised to life, being vindicated by the heavenly courts. He lives to make intercession for his people. Believe in Christ to find life and the safe passage into the most holy place in heaven itself.
Our God is not distant from us. Our God has not abandoned us. Praise be to God that He interrupts our course toward destruction and transforms our foolish desires to be in line with His. He does not merely do this and send us on our way, but He unites us to the resurrected Christ and adopts us as His children. Let us believe that Christ has done it. Let us therefore be a people who conform joyfully to His will. Let us live as redeemed children. He is the redeemer, and we are those who have been redeemed. Let us live out of gratitude, walking in His Spirit.
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Introduction
Throughout church history, God's people have struggled with a persistent temptation: looking to the visible means of grace rather than the invisible power behind those means. We can think that the effectiveness of the gospel depends upon the piety of the minister. Certainly, a minister needs to have a piety that rests in the Lord. The minister needs to believe the gospel message. However, we also need to see that the human vessels are the means that God uses to build his church. We are called to be faithful to our God, but it is our God who nourishes and builds his church through his ordinary means.
The Human Tendency to Look to Men
When the lame man was healed at the Beautiful Gate, the man and the crowds did not immediately recognize the source of his healing. Instead, the man clung to Peter and John, looking to these apostles as the source of life and power. This response reveals a fundamental human pattern: we naturally gravitate toward the visible and tangible. We think that human piety makes God powerful. Rather, it is God’s power that cultivates human piety.
Peter immediately corrects this misunderstanding, asking why they stare at him and John as if the healing came through their own godliness or power. Peter knows that it is not in his power, but in the Lord Jesus Christ. The crowds had witnessed a miracle and immediately assumed that the men performing it must possess extraordinary holiness. The signs do not testify to the man’s piety, but to the man’s credibility. The apostles make explicit that they did not heal the man. Their ability to heal is only because Christ has been raised from the dead, and they are sent as his witnesses. We see this same thing with Moses at the exodus. The sign testifies to his authority rather than his personal piety. This tendency to trust in the man persists in our own day whenever we find ourselves drawn to charismatic personalities or assuming that a minister's effectiveness correlates with his personal piety.
Peter's rebuke reminds us that true faith looks past the clay vessel to the treasure within, recognizing that the power belongs to God alone. The minister is merely a conduit, not the source. The minister merely preaches the gospel and is not the author of life himself.
The Promised Messiah Revealed
Peter redirects the crowd's attention from the apostles to the "Author of Life.” He reminds the crowd that it is Jesus Christ, whom they had denied and sent to death. This title, servant, is drawn from Isaiah's Suffering Servant songs. Peter identifies Christ as the one who not only creates life but restores it. Christ is the suffering servant who overcomes the consequences of the fall and brings humanity from death to life. Peter boldly declares that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, whom Israel rejected because He did not fit their theological system. Peter’s point is that Jesus Christ is the very one foretold by the prophets. His mission is to suffer before entering His glory.
The tragedy of Israel's rejection becomes clear when we understand what they rejected: not merely a teacher or miracle-worker, but the Author of Life Himself. They chose Barabbas, a revolutionary and murderer. They chose the very man who did what they accused Christ of doing. They preferred a Messiah who fit their expectations, one who is a political liberator, and denied the Suffering Servant who would bear his people’s sins. Peter’s point is that the Messiah's suffering was not an unfortunate detour but the very fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. The resurrection confirms that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the prophet greater than Moses whom God promised to raise up.
The Gospel Invitation
We would expect Peter to dismiss the crowd and tell them to go home. They are not worthy of the Messiah’s work. Peter exposed the crowd's sin and ignorance. Despite their failure, Peter extends a remarkable invitation: repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This call to repentance is not a demand for perfected righteousness but a call to submit to the Messiah for life. We see the Messiah as the sole sacrifice for sins. The Messiah is the life-giving power that transforms our mindset and orientation to turn to God rather than away from him, as we are naturally inclined to do without the Holy Spirit.
Peter knows the grace of restoration personally. Remember that this is the same Peter who denied Christ three times, who was questioned by the risen Lord on the shores of Galilee, and who was restored despite his failure. Yes, and it was an awkward conversation. However, Christ is reassuring Peter that His grace is sufficient. Peter knows firsthand that the gospel invitation is extended not to the worthy but to the weary. Peter knows that he failed, but he proceeds in the confidence that the Lord upholds him until the end. Peter knows his need for a redeemer.
The beauty of this invitation lies in its promise: sins wiped out, times of refreshment from the Lord, and the sending of the Christ who has been appointed for Israel. Peter emphasizes that this promise extends to all whom God calls, far beyond the immediate audience. The prophet, like Moses, continues to speak, and those who heed him find life.
Peter gives a warning: those who refuse this prophet will be cut off from the people. Peter also gives the assurance that those who turn to Christ in faith and repentance find their sins forgiven and their hearts renewed. The gospel is not a call to admire the apostles or aspire to their spiritual achievements, but a call to find life in Christ alone.
Conclusion
The apostles do not seek the people’s worship. No, the apostles point us to the One who is worthy of worship. Christ, the Author of Life. Yes, the second person of the Trinity has done the Father’s work. The Father and the Son send out the Spirit to equip and empower God’s people to stand firm in the storms of this age. The one God who has been faithful to his people confirms the prophetic promise in Christ. Our best spiritual achievements only manifest themselves in the power of our Lord’s redemptive mercy.
We are called to find our identity not in our own significance but in our Redeemer. We live under His authority rather than measuring ourselves against human standards. When we are tempted to trust in what our eyes see, we are called to walk by the eyes of faith. We are tempted to trust in the eloquence of the preacher, our Christian growth, our performance, but the call is to bow the knee in service to the One and only Triune God who calls us into his presence. The power that healed the lame man, that raised Christ from the dead, and that continues to work in His people today is the same power that calls us to bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Let us find our contentment in Him alone.
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Introduction
How do we know that God will keep his promises? It's a question we don't often ask out loud, but we might ask silently to ourselves. We may experience a setback in life, and we wonder if God is really looking out for us. Psalm 132 permits us to bring that question directly to God. Psalm 132 gives us God’s answer.
The Promise God Made
Long before Christ’s entrance into history, God narrowed his redemptive promise to a single line. He started with the potential of all humanity. In Genesis 3:15, the Lord said, “The seed of the woman.” We do not know the genealogy or the promised heir, other than that the promised champion would arrive from humanity. This would give the Lord a lot of options and a lot of opportunities to bring about the heir.
The Lord makes his promise very specific and very narrow. He narrows the promise from all humanity to the tribe of Judah and David’s house. The Lord swears in 2 Sam 7 that he will build David’s line through the eternal heir, the messiah, who is fully human and fully divine. Two natures in one person. This will establish David’s line eternally. The second person of the Trinity will take on flesh to do what the first Adam could not and establish his eternal kingdom.
This is wonderful, but then we see the stump of Jesse in Isaiah 11. It seems as if the line of David is cut off. This is the problem in Psalm 132. Where is David’s heir? Sure, the line continues, but Israel is back in the land. They dwell there without a visible king. Will God fulfill his promise? Will there be an heir on David’s throne for eternity? Sure, Isaiah shows us a shoot, but how strong is that shoot? The shoot seems like a small growth. Yes, we have assurance that the Lord has not forsaken his promise. However, can this small shoot carry the Lord’s majestic promise?
The Prayer God Welcomes
Psalm 132 is in the context of the exile. The psalmist wants to know if God has forsaken his promise. The psalmist does something striking: he reminds God of his own covenant. There's no Davidic king on the throne. The land is restored, but the promise seems stalled. Rather than walking away in despair or stirring up doubt in the congregation, the psalmist brings the tension straight to God. He says, “For the sake of your servant David, do not turn your face away." This is simply, “Lord, you made the promise, and now fulfill your promise.”
Scripture gives us that reminder and permission to bring our frustrations to God and remind him of his promises. We can come before God, name his promises, and honestly say: Lord, help me see what I'm missing. In fact, Psalm 132 is encouraging us to do this. We are not going to the community and stirring up unrest, but bringing our frustration to God. Lord, this is what you say, this is what I see, and I need reassurance of your provision.
The Answer God Gives
The important thing is that we discern the Lord’s answer. This might be through Scripture, it might even be by his providence, where we see the answer to our request.
However, Psalm 132 gives us God’s answer. God's response in verses 11–18 is not a scolding rebuke against the Psalmist. No, the Lord gives reassurance that his intention has not changed. We are impatient, but the Lord’s timing is perfect. The Lord will clothe his priests with salvation. A horn (powerful king) will sprout from David’s line. The Messiah will be anointed and equipped to perfectly fulfill his mission. His enemies will wear shame while his king wears a shining crown, and his priests are clothed with glory. In Christ, every one of these images finds its fulfillment. The Messiah came. The Lord fulfilled his promise in his perfect timing.
Conclusion
Has God forsaken His promise? The temptation is to think that God is looking for a new family to adopt. Psalm 132 assures us that God is not looking for a more deserving family to adopt. Apart from Christ, none of us is considered more deserving. But in Christ, we possess everything as heirs with Christ. Our Lord, who is our King, holds the promise. He wears the crown. He fulfills His word even when we think it is void. When we pray to God, and we rehearse the Lord’s promises to us, we know that the Lord fulfills his promise. He has never once failed to keep his word. Rest in that assurance. Proceed in the confidence that you are the Lord’s child as you take hold of Christ by faith. Live in the confidence and joy of that promise.
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At the Beautiful Gate, a man crippled from birth asks Peter and John for
alms, believing money is his greatest need. Yet the apostles offer
something far greater: the healing power of Jesus Christ and the
life-giving message of the gospel. Through this miracle, God demonstrates
that humanity’s deepest problem is not physical weakness or financial
hardship, but the spiritual brokenness caused by sin. The healed man leaps
with joy and praises God, illustrating the gospel’s purpose—to restore
broken people and make them whole through Christ. As the church proclaims
the good news, it brings not merely temporary relief, but the eternal hope,
joy, and restoration found in Jesus alone. -
Introduction
People bring criticism against the Reformed people’s love for doctrine. People claim that if you go to a Reformed church, you will see that we are people concerned with the head, not the heart. That our catechisms and confessions are cold documents. These are documents fueling intellectual exercises that keep doctrine tidy but leave the soul unmoved. That we know about God without actually knowing him.
The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 13, communicates to us that God is very personal. In fact, we are brought into the Lord’s family. We are adopted as sons for the sake of our faithful Savior. We were the estranged children who had been brought near to God through the faithful son. So, is it fair to say that we are people who love doctrine and not the Lord? Is it fair to say that the Reformed faith makes one distant in relation to God?
Children by Adoption
The catechism is careful to distinguish between Christ's sonship and ours. Christ is the Son from eternity who is not created, not adopted, but of the same essence as the Father. When we confess the only begotten Son, we are saying that Christ is of the same nature as the Father. He has not sinned or done anything wrong. He is eternal, having the same attributes and nature as the Father.
We are sons by adoption. And we need to be very encouraged by this. In the ancient world, adoption was not a consolation prize. In Roman law and in the Old Testament background, an adopted son received full inheritance rights. Abram understood this in Genesis 15, when he offered Eliezer of Damascus as an option to be an heir. Eliezer was not merely a faithful servant, but Abraham requested him to be the heir. Abraham is offering God an easy option, and not the challenge to bring a son through two elderly people without children.
And Paul presses this further in verse 14. He declares that all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. This language is important because all in the Spirit are sons possessing full inheritance. Note that firstborn sons are the ones who receive the greatest portion. Whatever your gender, whatever your genealogy, if you have the Spirit, you share in the inheritance of the eternal firstborn Son of God. You have done nothing to earn it. You have done everything to forfeit it. However, Christ, as a faithful son, secured His people to be coheirs with him as firstborn children. This love that the Father has for his children goes clear to the core of our heart.
Why Submit to God? The Freedom of the Redeemed
Our culture does not love submission. Even the word sounds like loss. But Paul reframes the question entirely in verse 15: you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.
Paul has already named the alternative. Living by the flesh is death. We see that in the fall. No, they did not fall dead, but they immediately broke fellowship with God. They were naked and ashamed. They thought they would find freedom in their rebellion, but they discovered that being estranged from God is a problem.
Christ, washing the disciples' feet in John 13, says something remarkable to Peter: “ You are already clean.” Christ makes this declaration even before Christ is raised from the dead. Christ’s work is so certain that he assures his disciples of its benefit before it is officially confirmed. The disciples consciously know who Christ is, but they need to rest in his cleansing. John Murray captured it well: in Christ, we have moved from the courtroom to the family room. The legal question is settled. Yes, affirming with the head, but resting in the heart.
Honoring God without Terror
If submission sounds like an obligation, honoring God can sound like performance. We can think that we better make sure we earn our Lord’s favor. We have to make sure that we are doing the right things to prevent the Lord smiting us or harming us in some way.
Paul does not want people to have this mindset of the Lord’s grace and mercy. He tells us in verse 15 that we have received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father. This is the same word Christ uses in Gethsemane. This is the time of his greatest anguish, of going to the cross. Christ is vulnerable; this is his darkest moment as he is about to face hell, and in this time of need, he cries out, “Abba.” We call on our heavenly Father as Christ calls on His Father. This is more like Dad rather than “master” or “Father.” It is communicating to us that we are brought near in the family in such a way that we have God’s attention.
The reason we want to honor God is not out of dread. Rather, when we consider the inheritance, we see that we are: heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ. Not servants who have earned their way up. Not subordinate sons who receive a smaller portion. Fellow heirs. Co-heirs with the one who never sinned, never failed, and never rebelled. Christ does not gloat over his success, but rather freely shares everything he has merited with those who deserved none of it.
Yes, we do consciously profess this with our minds, but the Spirit works in our hearts to see the joy of the new life. So, we cannot divorce the head from the heart.
Conclusion
The Heidelberg Catechism seeks to bring out the implications of being brought near to God. The Heidelberg Catechism is not a cold document. It is a document written for people who need to know who they are. People who feel the weight of sin and ask whether God is really on their side. People who wonder whether submission to Christ is freedom or just a nicer version of slavery.
The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes Romans 8 with the assurance that you are not a servant who performed well enough to be elevated. You are not an orphan who has been adopted by an abusive or lonely father. You are an adopted child of the living God, a co-heir with his faithful Son, indwelt by the Spirit who prods you toward life and away from death.
We honor God, then, not because we have conceded that a terrible master is preferable to a really abusive one. We honor him because he is ours, and we are his, and the inheritance is already secured in the one who went to the cross knowing exactly what the wrath of God costs. He knows the cost and went anyway. He did so in order to make sure we all share in his inheritance.
Our life lived before the face of God is not an obligation, but a joy.
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Introduction
There is a question that lurks underneath in the book of Acts. What happens when Christ is gone? Does he still work on His people, or are we abandoned in this world by a frustrated redeemer?
Luke’s Gospel lays out the ministry of Christ on this earth. Acts lays out the ministry of Christ after his ascension into heaven. The Spirit has been given to the church, but how do we know that the Spirit really ties us to Christ and works out our redemption in Christ?
I. Their Reaction
The crowd's anguish is not performance. These are people who, not long ago, stood in Pilate's courtroom and chanted to crucify Christ. Peter does not let them appeal to peer pressure. They cannot defend themselves by saying they were victims of mob mentality.
He addresses them as a group and individually: you all did this. Peter understands this kind of guilt personally. He is the man who looked at Christ when he denied Christ the third time. Peter also knows the awkward breakfast where Christ asks Peter three times if Peter loves him. Peter is not rebuked, but commissioned to care for Christ’s people.
And that is precisely why Peter is the right man to preach this sermon.
The crowd is cut to the heart. This is a stabbing pain. This leads them to ask the question: What shall we do? This is a vulnerable question. On one side, it reflects genuine contrition where they want to make this right. On the other hand, it carries a dangerous temptation: the hope that maybe they can balance the ledger themselves. The reality is, there is no way for them to undo their sin in their own strength.
II. Peter's Solution
Peter does not cite Deuteronomy 19 to condemn them. This is a real option. Moses prescribed that false witnesses receive the very punishment they sought for another. These people falsely accused Christ and handed him over to death. They bore false testimony against Christ. Peter could have called for a mass crucifixion. This would be the legal way to make it right. They wanted Christ to die on a cross, and so they could die on the cross.
Instead: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Repentance here is not simply a change of opinion. It is a reorientation of the whole self. It is adjusting convictions to align with the Lord’s purpose.
And notice the scope of the promise Peter gives them: "The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off." Peter is making a deliberate echo of Genesis 17:7, of the covenant God made with Abraham and his household.
The community is set apart by the Spirit, and we would expect the Spirit to be present in the covenant community. The church is a covenant people, structured like a family, with children included in its promises. This is how it has always been since the Lord gave his first promise in Genesis 3:15. Baptism does not save, but it is the designation of a community set apart in Christ. Baptism is the sign of the people who have passed through the sea or the flood. It is the sign that the Spirit dwells in the midst of God’s covenant community.
III. The Church Continuing:
Luke tells us that three thousand are added to the fellowship of believers. This is amazing that this one sermon leads to such a commitment. We learn how this community functions: they devote themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
The word devoted implies a continual commitment to the Apostles’ teaching. They are going to learn more and more about the implications of the Gospel. They hear the Gospel, but they do not definitively know the Gospel. The Gospel is not a one-and-done message. We might be able to say it, but living it out is the Christian struggle.
They also devote themselves to the fellowship of believers. The church family is not just casual fellowship. The community is members like two people in a business venture (Luke 5:10). This means bearing one another's burdens, contributing when others have a need, and a true commitment to one another. One is not on the outside looking in.
The breaking of bread is communion of the saints. This would include the sacrament of communion, but also the sharing in the fellowship with one another. They share the common commitment to the devotion to the apostles’ teaching.
The fellowship also continues to pray for one another. This is how the community bears with each other. The community is committed to seeing their fellow sojourner arrive complete in the goal of heaven.
Conclusion
Peter preaches a sermon that cuts these people to the heart. Peter is a hypocrite who denied Christ three times. However, the Lord still uses him. It is not because Peter is so eloquent, but because the Spirit works through the gospel. The Spirit comes to dwell within his people. We know that Christ has not left us, and he continues to work on us. We raise our families in the Lord. We sit under apostolic preaching that we will never exhaust. We bear one another's burdens. We pray. And we know that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church because the Lord who adds to his church is the Lord who has already overcome.
Let us be a people devoted to the apostolic teaching.
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Introduction
Was the cross a plan B?
We might dismiss this question, but it is an important question. On the surface, the ministry of Jesus looks like a series of setbacks. The reality is that Christ is rejected by the religious establishment that He has come to establish. Christ is not only rejected, but handed over to Rome in a Kangaroo court. He is then sentenced to death by the demands of his own people.
And yet it is this same Peter, the author of this letter, who tells us that we should see Christ’s mission as a success despite this major setback. This is shocking because this same Peter once told Christ that he did not have to go to the cross. In fact, Christ rebukes him and associates Peter’s words with Satanic temptation (Matthew 16:23). So, why would Peter see the cross as a mission success rather than a failure?
God's Intention: The Rejected Stone
Peter introduces Christ in verse 4 with a striking image as a living stone. Calling Christ a living stone is a strange assertion. We know that stones are many things. They're useful, durable, and some are even valuable. You can build with them, polish them, and set them in a wall. But we don't look at a stone and expect life from it. We would never see stone as a living thing.
Peter identifies Christ as the living stone. A living stone is a stone that not only possesses life, but also gives life. Peter is telling us that Christ is the stone that keeps the new temple square. Christ is also the stone that gives the temple life.
Peter appeals to Isaiah 28 to establish his claim. In the context of Isaiah 28, Isaiah reminds us that Israel has made a covenant with Egypt, trusting a foreign superpower to protect them from Assyria. Isaiah rebukes it as a covenant with death. He says it is a covenant with Sheol. The people have looked at the geopolitical realities around them and decided to trust what they can see rather than the Lord’s protection. The Lord gives the assurance, “I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone.” The cornerstone is the stone that establishes the angle of an entire building. The Lord is not only going to build a new temple, but he will keep the building square. The Lord is not only a shield and defender for his people, but he also continually nourishes his people as a new temple (Isaiah 28:16).
Peter adds to this with Psalm 118 and Isaiah 8. Peter applies Psalm 118 to Christ as the stone that the builders rejected, and Isaiah 8:14 tells us that this same stone is the rock of offense, a stumbling stone. Isaiah 8 is telling us that those who will not trust in the Lord’s stone will see the stone as a stumbling stone rather than a life-giving stone.
Peter shows from these three texts one argument: the rejection of Christ by men was not an accident, but the means that the Lord intended to use to build his building. As we are in Christ by the Spirit and faith, we are part of this building.
Christ's Submission: The Anointed One
Our catechism in Lord’s Day 12 presses us on what it means to call Jesus Christ, the anointed one. Christ is from Christos in Greek, Messiah in Hebrew. It means he was set apart and empowered by the Holy Spirit for a specific mission. But the catechism is also clear that this anointing was not simply ceremonial. At his baptism, the Spirit descended on him literally, actually equipping him to fulfill his mission. Christ will live up to the words at Baptism and the Transfiguration that the Father is well pleased with His Son.
And what does an anointing require? Submission. Every anointing in Scripture is simultaneously an empowering and a binding to submit to the Father’s will. Christ is submitting to the Father’s will. We know that as a prophet is anointed by God, the prophet does not deliver his own words. He delivers the word of God. A priest anoints the temple ministers according to what God has prescribed. A king anointed to rule rules for God's glory and the people's good.
Christ, as our prophet, fulfills this: he reveals what was hidden. What the prophets spoke in shadow, what was veiled in Isaiah and the Psalms, is now made plain in Christ. Christ shows the clear intention of the Lord’s prophetic word. The mystery has been revealed because the prophet has spoken, and the incarnate Word, Christ, has confirmed the prophet’s word. He submitted to the Father’s will.
Our Anointing: Living Stones in a Living Temple
Calvin puts it plainly: as long as Christ remains outside of us, he is of no benefit to us. This is why Christ has to be the cornerstone and the living stone. He holds the building together, and he gives the building life by uniting the stones to him. Verse 5 assures us that we are that building. Christ’s people are part of the new and living temple united to the cornerstone. The cornerstone that was rejected, suffered, and raised to life. Now, that cornerstone gives life to the whole temple, making us the Lord’s spiritual house. This is what Peter is teaching in verses 4-8.
Peter says that we are living sacrifices. Does this mean that we are living sacrifices called to finish Christ’s work? Well, Peter is not calling our attention to sacrifices that take away sin. The sacrifice that Peter alludes to would be thanksgiving offerings. These are sacrifices that people would give if, say, for instance, a child recovered from severe illness, whose harvest exceeded all expectations, whose life turned out better than expected, and the examples continue. The sacrifice of someone who looks at what they have and says simply: I don't know how this happened, but thank you, Lord. Peter is calling us to see that our lives are that offering. We are not finishing Christ’s work, but we are the garnish to the work. Our sacrifice is not the substance of the offering, but a display of thankfulness and joy that we are set free in Christ.
Then, in verses 9 and 10, Peter reaches back to Exodus 19. At Sinai, the Lord told Israel in Exodus 19:5-6: if you obey, you will be a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. It was conditional and future.
There is a radical change in Christ. Peter picks up that same language and transforms it: “You are a chosen race. You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation.” What Moses announced as a future possibility has become a present reality for those built on the cornerstone. Now, we have become what God’s people were promised to be.
And notice the final word: once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Peter is assuring us that the people who were distant from the Lord’s promise are now recipients of the promise. We have received mercy. This is not by our merit, but the Lord’s mercy. This is why we live as thanksgiving offerings or out of gratitude as we walk in the Spirit by faith.
Conclusion
Peter begins this entire section asking whether the cross was a failure, and he ends it with those who were no people at all becoming the building blocks of God's new temple. This is all done by the Lord’s mercy.
So the Christian life is not a heavy list of obligations designed to earn what Christ has not yet finished. It is the life of someone who has been placed in the building, aligned to the cornerstone, and is now living out of the sheer gratitude of that reality. It is a story that does not end in death, but in life. Christ is the living stone, giving life to the stones in the living temple. As we take hold of Christ by faith and walk in the Spirit, we are the temple people.
Let us live out who we are: living stones, built on the living stone, in the temple that God is raising to his own glory.
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Introduction
Wouldn't it be something if Christ kept an earthly office. It would be great if we could knock on the door, make an appointment, and bring him our questions face to face. We instinctively want something tangible. And yet the Christian faith calls us to do something that seems unwise: put all our eggs in one basket and trust in a savior that we cannot see. We are called to trust in Christ alone. No backup plan, no supplemental mediator, but only Christ. So how do we know that this basket is safe and wise?
Christ Has the Power to Save
His name tells us everything. He is called Jesus. His name literally means “Yahweh saves” His name tells us that that we need to be rescued, and that God himself provides it.
Hebrews 7 builds on this by contrasting Christ's priesthood with the old covenant priests. Those priests died. Their ministries expired. Their successors were not always faithful. Christ, however, holds his priesthood permanently. Christ is in the order of Melchizedek. He has no recorded beginning or end of days. We read about him once in Genesis. There is no genealogy to communicate his beginning. There is no record of his death. The implication is that he lives forever. Levi, in Abraham’s loins, paid the oath to Melchizedek when Abraham paid the tithe. This means Melchizedek is superior to the other priests in every way because the priests in Levi’s line honored the superior priest by paying the tithe on the spoils.
The point of this is that Christ's priestly ministry is in the line of Melchizedek. This means that Christ saves us because he lives up to his name, Yahweh Saves. He has the power to save because he is in a priestly line that has no beginning and no end. He is truly an eternal priest.
Christ Saves Us Completely
Hebrews uses the language of "To the uttermost." This means that nothing can hinder Christ from finishing what he has begun. Satan, who once stood before God to challenge Job, could not undo God's purposes then, and cannot undo Christ's saving work now.
We take comfort in that Christ represents us in the most holy place. He resides there by his own merits, he has offered himself without first cleansing himself, and he represents us in the most holy place. Christ is not fragile like the priests of old. We must remember that Christ is our perfect priest without any human frailty. Yes, he is God and man joined together in person. He took on the flesh to offer himself. He completed his work. The result is that Christ saves to the uttermost. His work never expires, and he never needs a successor. He alone is sufficient to represent us.
Christ Intercedes for Us Personally
Not only does Christ save completely, but he prays for us continuously. He does not simply give us a boost of grace and step back. He does not merely secure us and then retreat into heaven. But He lives to intercede for his people by name, in the Most Holy Place. Christ’s mission is to see to it personally that each one arrives at the fullness of glory.
Christ is the priest who cleanses. We do not get our lives together before we draw near to him. The invitation of Hebrews is to come as we are with our failures and imperfections. We lay our sins, burdens, and struggles before our priest. He has cleansed us, and represents us in the most holy place. This is not a model, like the temple, but the full glory of heaven. As he reigns in glory, He continues to prod us and purify us sanctifying us to be the people He desires. We know that He sympathizes with our weakness, intercedes on our behalf, and upholds us to the end.
Conclusion
Christ alone is not a gamble. He is the only basket that truly holds. He offered himself once, without needing a cleansing ritual or an animal substitute. He was raised, he ascended, and he now resides in the glory of heaven. He is not passive not passively, but actively interceding, saving, and sustaining.
When we gather for worship, we are not merely going through a human routine. We are being called into the presence of the living God, joining with the heavenly assembly, drawing near to the priest who never quits and never fails. Rest in him. Bring him your burdens. He is able to save you. He saves you completely, personally, and to the uttermost.
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Introduction
Christ promised his disciples power from on high. This power? The Holy Spirit would come upon them and empower them to carry the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. But how do we know this promise is real? How do we know that Christ is truly with us until the end of the age? How do we know that Christ is my Christ? The answer begins at Pentecost, where heaven broke open upon a small, crowded city, and history was radically changed.
What are these tongues?
The city is packed. People from all over the world fill the streets. Then, all of a sudden, wind and fire descend on the gathered disciples. One might think this is just a storm. However, one quickly realizes that this is God's visible presence. This is what we call a theophany: a visible manifestation of God himself.
The rushing wind echoes Ezekiel's breath of God giving life. The fire recalls every terrifying moment in Scripture when people either encounter God or are consumed by him. We think of Mount Sinai and the burning bush. We think of fire falling on Sodom and Gomorrah, or the judgment that came upon those who offered false worship. This kind of fire has a way of reducing things, and people, to ash.
Which makes the next detail stunning: the disciples were not consumed. The fullness of God's glory fell upon them, and they were not reduced to a pile of ashes. The tongues of fire did not destroy them, but equipped them to bring the gospel to the nations. This is the great declaration of Pentecost: the people of Christ have passed through the first phase of the day of the Lord. The fire of judgment fell, and they are still standing. Those who bow the knee to Christ pass through fiery judgment, and emerge as heralds.
Why the International People?
Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks, one of the great pilgrim feasts of Israel. Jerusalem would have been packed with Jewish pilgrims from across the known world making this an international gathering. When the Spirit fell, these Galilean fishermen began proclaiming the gospel in the native languages of their listeners, Galilean accent and all. The crowd was dumbstruck. This was no language course. This was God reversing Babel.
Remember the scene at Babel? The earthlings tried to capture God, to harness his power for their own glory. God responded by scattering humanity and confusing their language. Now, at Pentecost, he calls the nations back together. God does this by his own gracious condescension. The gospel is not the property of one nation or one nationality. It goes to all nations, in every tongue, because the God of Israel is the God of the whole earth.
Why the double reaction?
The crowd split. Some were amazed and perplexed. They could not explain what they saw, but they knew it was the Lord's doing. Others were dismissive, accusing those speaking in tongues of having had too much to drink. We are invited to ask ourselves: what is your reaction? Is this the Lord's divine blessing at work? Or does it seem like a strange, drunken spectacle?
There are two reactions to one event. This pattern runs through the whole book of Acts and through all of Christian history. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent will always be at war until the final day of the Lord. But even now, we already taste the spiritual blessings of Pentecost, as Paul says the first fruits of the final victory harvest, and we wait for the full physical blessings when Christ returns to fulfill Zechariah 14.
Conclusion
Pentecost is the bridge between heaven and earth. It is the moment God accomplished in Christ what humanity attempted at Babel and failed. Man will not capture God, but God captures man. The glory of God does not stay locked away in the highest heaven. By the Spirit, God's glory dwells within his people. Our God is sanctifying us, uniting us to our Savior, and sending his people out with a gospel that reaches to the ends of the earth. Let us see the beauty of that. Let us draw near to the Christ who has drawn near to us.
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Introduction
We like to think we have life figured out. Follow the right steps, make the right moves, and God will bless you. I am doing well, so I am dialed. I have life figured out. Struggle and suffer, and you must have done something wrong.
The problem is that the book of Job refuses to let us off that easily. Job is blameless, upright, and God-fearing. Clearly, he is dialed, but everything is taken from him. His story forces us to ask: What does it actually mean to trust in the providence of God when life gets complicated?
God Definitively Rules
The catechism reminds us that God upholds heaven and earth. This means that God upholds the tallest tree to the smallest blade of grass. God is in charge during times of rain and seasons of drought. There is not one thing that falls outside his hand.
This means that even Satan operates within God’s confines. God does not set out to destroy Job. Satan requests to sift Job, and God sets the boundaries. Job thinks that God does not see his good deeds as the book unfolds. But in reality, God is not distant or indifferent because he sees that Job is blameless and upright. God governs every detail of his creation. God allows Satan to sift Job because the Lord knows his servant.
God Rules Over Poverty and Prosperity
Satan is doing more than just trying to destroy Job. Satan claims that God blessed Job, so Job serves God. This battle is not just about providence, but a cosmic war. Satan does not believe that God can uphold his saints. Job loses everything: his children, his livestock, and even his health, from Satan’s challenge. Satan's gamble is that Job's faith was only ever a convenient transaction. Satan believes Job will curse God, exposing God as a fraud.
Job is pushed by his wife to curse God. His response destroys Satan’s accusation. Job says to his wife, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10) Job shows that the new Adam will not heed the voice of Eve. Job knows that in all things God is sovereign. We are called to the same posture of dependence.
God Calls us to Wait on Him
Job began the story blameless and upright. Job shows that he will wait upon the Lord. Satan claimed that Job only loved God because God made his life easy. Satan knows he cannot defeat God. However, Satan is confident he can rip a saint from God’s hand. Satan’s wager never pays off. Job never curses God, even as Job ends with his own wrestling match with God.
Here is the remarkable thing the book of Job shows us: God did not merely restrain Satan's attack, but he used it to sanctify Job. Job submits to the Lord’s will when he says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you" (Job 42:5). The very trial Satan intended to use to destroy Job's faith became the means by which Job came to know God more deeply. Job does not concede answers, but he truly met God. We learn that the Lord does not seek to destroy us, but to nurture us. He can do this through trials and blessings.
Conclusion
Providence is not a problem to be solved. It is a reality to be trusted because we have a faithful Father who rules over all things. Life is genuinely complex. We see that the righteous suffer. We see that the wicked sometimes prosper. We have to come to grips with the fact that our neat formulas break down. God is not the problem.
But the God who rules over leaf and blade, over rain and drought, over poverty and prosperity, is the same God who knows you better than you know yourself. He is not holding you at arm's length while the storms come. He is sanctifying and upholding you in the midst of them. So let us wait upon the Lord. This is not because we understand all his ways, but because we know He is our Faithful Father.
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Introduction
It would be so nice to open a door to a throne room and say there is Christ, our king, sitting on a throne. We might think that Christ’s ascension appears as a disappointing event. It seems that Christ has left his church. Why does Christ leave us in this world?
We need to see that the Ascension is not a withdrawal of Christ's presence but rather a transformative moment that establishes the spiritual kingdom.
Christ’s Ascension
The Ascension of Christ is the inauguration of a new phase in God's redemptive plan. The prophets made a promise. The promise needs to come to fruition. We might want all of what the prophet’s word comes to pass, but that is not the Lord’s intention.
The scene of angels appearing to the disciples on the Mount of Olives illustrates how the heavenly realm engages with earthly realities. The angels give the assurance that Christ’s return, as predicted in Zechariah 14:4, is guaranteed. However, now is not the time for the full physical blessings of the kingdom. Christ is not retreating, but publishing the Gospel call through his heralds that holy war is certainly coming. He will bring his final judgment when he returns.
Judas’ Recollection
The Apostles begin to process Christ’s ascension and his ruling from heaven as Peter realizes that Judas needs to be replaced. We begin to see how Christ rules the church from heaven by His Spirit.
The disciples argued in the presence of Christ about their own significance, but now they see the bigger picture. Peter applies Psalms 69 and 109 to their current situation. Peter shows that Judas's betrayal was expected, but they missed it. Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 recount how David was betrayed, and he prayed that the betrayer would lose his station. The betrayer would also be replaced. Peter is showing that the apostles will take the scriptures and understand them in light of Christ.
Matthias Chosen
Peter makes the case that Judas needs to be replaced. The disciples nominate two men. They cast lots to see which of these two men the Lord desires to replace Judas. The lot falls on Matthias. He is the 12th Apostle to take Judas’ place.
Should we continue to cast lots? We now discern the Lord’s will in the Spirit rather than casting lots. We do see Israel casting lots in the Old Testament, and practiced in this transitional period before Pentecost, as we see with Matthias’s ordination.
However, we notice that after Pentecost the church moves toward deliberative, Scripture-based decision-making guided by the Spirit. We see this in Acts 15 with the Jerusalem Council. The church deliberates. It uses the Scriptures, and it judges/discerns in the Spirit. This is Christ ruling his church from heaven by His Word and Spirit. He is not ruling His church through the casting of lots.
Conclusion
The Ascension of Christ is not a disappointing departure. Rather, Christ’s ascension is a pivotal event that establishes the church's identity and mission in the world.
We need to be assured that Christ’s departure is not a disappointment, but the assurance that Christ spiritually reigns. He did not abandon the promise of judgment, but delays it. It is now the call for the gospel to go out from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Now is the time to bow the knee to Christ when we hear the Gospel. It is not wise to delay. His second coming will bring the full physical shalom kingdom, but he will also put down all the rebellion. Let us be a people who bow the knee to Christ. Let us do so today as we walk in His Spirit being renewed after the image of our God.
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Introduction
There is a danger of throwing around "the providence of God" carelessly. Job reminds us that the providence of God and suffering can be complicated. Job captures what many of us feel in seasons of suffering. We feel confusion, frustration, and even the impulse to argue with God.
Our problem is that we forget that when we suffer, God is giving us what we want. We have to remember that God does want his people to be blessed and living in Shalom. The book of Job resists an easy answer to the question of whether God’s providence is a problem. Job is not laying out a health and wealth Gospel. Job is not laying out a poverty gospel either. So, what is Job teaching about God’s providence?
God Upholds and Rules (Creator and Sovereign)
The Heidelberg Catechism grounds us: God is creator and sustainer of heaven and earth. Crucially, he is not just sovereign. God is not just a king, but He is our Father. A good father doesn't shield children from every hardship; he pushes them toward growth and tenacity.
In hard seasons, we learn to wrestle with the deeper questions of who God is. Job has to learn this lesson. When you read his speeches up to this point, Job has a very black and white view of the world. You do what is right, and you necessarily receive a blessing. You do what is wrong, and you suffer. The Lord is showing that His ways and providence are more complex than a simple health and wealth gospel.
God Provides (His Care Extends Further Than We Imagine)
The Lord's speech from the whirlwind (Job 38–39) catalogs his care for creation. The cares for the details that many of us probably don’t think about a whole lot throughout our day. The Lord cares for the mountain goats, wild donkeys, the ostrich, the war horse, hawk, and eagle. The Ostrich is always the one that stands out to me. The animals are not smart enough for a basic survival instinct. They should be extinct, but the Lord continues to preserve them. God takes care of all the tiny details.
The Lord is not trying to overwhelm Job. Rather God is demonstrating that Job needs to have a bigger picture of God, redemption, and the complexity of living in a fallen world. The Lord knows Job, but Job does not really know or see God. If he tends the ostrich, who should not be alive, then how much more does he care for his redeemed people?
Job responds with a half-hearted repentance. His desire for the court is not adjourned. He needs to get ready for round 2.
God Is Consistent With His Own Nature (Good, Holy, Righteous)
Job is simultaneously right and wrong. Job is correct that he hasn't sinned to directly deserve this suffering. Job is wrong in accusing God of injustice. The Lord wants Job to see the bigger picture, and how the Lord continues to care for this creation.
The Behemoth and Leviathan aren't just shows of power. No, these are majestic creatures that will destroy man. However, to the Lord they are merely little puppies who are eager to play. The Lord is in control, there is no creature that will overpower him, and the Lord is able to protect His people.
Job's response shifts from passive-aggressive silence (ch. 40) to genuine repentance (ch. 42): "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." He moves from knowing about God to truly knowing God. That's the turn. Job will concede the Lord’s will even as Job does not understand the deeper struggle.
The deeper struggle is Satan’s, accuser/adversary, challenge that God cannot raise up a people. In other words it is possible that God might be stronger than Satan. However, God is not stronger than his people. His people will never love God just because God is God. Job’s concession is more than just an acknowledgement that living in a fallen world is complicated. Job’s concession and repentance mean that Job truly seeks God.
Conclusion
Providence is not a witty bumper sticker. Not every season is joyful, not every trial comes with an explanation, and God doesn't owe us one. But the God who cares for the ostrich cares infinitely more for those he has redeemed. We might not understand, but Job teaches us that there is a bigger reason. In fact, there is a cosmic battle that wages behind the scenes.
We bring our frustrations to him. God commands us to do this in our prayers. We bring these prayers respectfully, not accusatorially. We trust that in the complexity of a fallen world, this Father is working out something good, even when we cannot see it. Let that be our hope. Let us proceed in the confidence that our Lord will shepherd us to the other side of the trial. We know that He can because not only does he care for this creation, but he has redeemed His people. Let us walk in His power, and let us be confident of His shepherding hand leading us through the valley of the shadow of death to green pastures.
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The book of Acts is not the story of a church left behind. We should see it
as the story of a church sent. The ascended Christ remains present with His
people, advancing His mission through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have
the power from on high. -
Introduction
Redemption has a purpose beyond just our personal salvation. Yes, that is part of it, but there is more. The Heidelberg Catechism makes clear that we are redeemed by a specific God who personally reveals himself. He is one God and three persons. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of these persons shows their connection to creation and our redemption. His goal is not just to save, but to commune with his people.
The driving question is: what does it mean to be set apart as disciples of the Trinitarian God, and why does that designation matter?
The Father of All Creation
The Father is the source of all life. This means that generally He gives life to all creation. He is the one who brought this world into existence through the word: Christ (Col. 1:15-20). This whole creation knows God. He sustains even those who reject him, which speaks to his patience and character.
The Father specifically gives life to his people. More specifically, the Father is the one who elects and calls his people before the foundation of the world. The Father sent Christ on Christ’s successful mission.
Thus, he is the father of his creation and the father of his redeemed people.
The Son of Our Deliverance
Christ is both the means of creation and the agent of redemption. We mentioned in the previous point that this whole world has its existence in Christ. Christ is the word.
Christ is also the one who secures our life. His resurrection is the precedent for eternal life. He moves from asserting God's promises to fulfilling them with authority. "All authority has been given to me" is not a tyrant's boast; it is the declaration of a risen Redeemer who has accomplished the work he set out to do. The beauty of Christ’s farewell speech in Matthew is that Christ secured the authority for the church to exist, and Christ is with his church until the end of the age.
The Holy Spirit of Our Sanctification
He gives life to this creation. This means that all creatures, all creation, and humanity receive their life from him. (Psalm 104:29-30)
The Spirit also gives life to God’s people. The Spirit indwells Christ’s people. You cannot have Christ without the Spirit. Christ is with His people, and Christ is with his church until the end of the age. So, when we have the Spirit, we have Christ dwelling with us individually and as the body of Christ.
Conclusion
Our redemption is carried out by the Trinitarian God. God does care for this creation, but how much more for his church. The Great Commission belongs to the church, not just to individuals, and it is carried out under Christ's authority while he remains present with his church. The call to make disciples begins with prayer and humility, trusting that it is the Father who calls normally through Gospel preaching, the Son who redeems, and the Spirit who gives life. Our identity is secure in Christ, and nothing will annul what he has decreed. Let us be empowered by our God, and let us walk in him.
- Näytä enemmän
