God is Love | A Christmas in July Sermon on Luke 2:1-7, 22:39-24:12 & Psalm 136:1

Introduction
VBS starts tomorrow!  I’m so excited!  We’ve been working our way through the themes for each day of VBS to get ready.  Today, let’s explore the theme for Day 4, which is God is Love.  Our memory verse for Day 4 is Psalm 136:1

Psalm 136:1
¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.

Christmas in the middle of July is a crazy idea, but it can actually help us move beyond the commercial hoopla that is so prevalent in December that clutters the true meaning of Christmas.

In December, everyone is so busy running around trying to buy the perfect Christmas gifts we forget why we give gifts in the first place.  Why do we give gifts at Christmas?  Well, the Wisemen gave gifts. But it’s deeper than that.   It’s because God gave the first Christmas gift – John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life." 

Christmas is God giving the very best Christmas gift of all–His Son, the Messiah.  Israel was expecting the Messiah to be a mighty warrior, but God had a better plan–a plan full of grace and love, an offer of peace and reconciliation.  So instead of a mighty warrior charging in on a horse to conquer with a sword, God sent a precious baby born to loving parents.

Luke 2:1-7
¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Jesus is the Greatest Christmas Gift of All
Jesus came as a baby–God’s great gift to the world.  But this gift wasn’t complete yet. 

Jesus had to grow up in our broken world, experience it,  and remain faithful.  And He did. 
Jesus is the only person who ever lived who never sinned.  He lived a perfect life of love.

We hear mixed messages about love.  Songs say it’s about feelings.  Back in the 90s, Bon Jovi sang a song, "I'd die for you!  I'd lie for you..."  I used to love that song.  I guess when you're a teenager overwhelmed with hormones and your "in love" you might actually do something crazy like die for your romantic interest because they make you feel so in love.

But Jesus reveals a different kind of love--one that’s selfless, sacrificial, and unshakeable.  Jesus didn’t just love based on who deserved it, He loved because that’s who He is. God is love.

And that’s why God’s perfect Christmas gift wasn’t complete without the cross.  Though Jesus never sinned and only spoke the Truth and helped people, His very existence threatened religious leaders and Roman authorities who wanted to stay in power.  So they arrested Jesus, lied about Him, convicted Him in a kangaroo court, and sentenced him to death by crucifixion.

Jesus could have saved Himself and avoided the humiliation, the suffering, and death.  He could have run away and hid before He was arrested–He knew it was coming.  He could have recanted during the trial.  But He didn’t; He confirmed He was God’s Son, the Messiah.  And ultimately, as God’s Son, Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels to rescue Him and destroy His enemies.  But He refused, because He knew His death on the cross would pay the penalty for the whole world’s sin.  Because He died, you and I can be forgiven. 

And so, because God is Love, Jesus went to the cross and died for you and me.  Isn’t that incredible?  Think of what that means for us.  This was a great Christmas gift, but it still gets better!

Jesus Defeated Death
Because God’s love is even stronger than death!  Jesus died on the cross for our sins.   

His brutalized body was taken down and placed in a borrowed tomb.  There it lay, until on the third day, the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out alive!

The cross shows us the depths of God’s love–He suffered, bled, and died.  The resurrection shows the power of God’s love–it can overcome anything, even death!  Now think about that.  Have you ever known anyone who can defeat death?  No one. Some have been revived from death–brought back to life–but even this is temporary.  Only Jesus has the power to defeat death–completely.

And those who put their faith in Him, will overcome death too.  We will be raised to new life–eternal life forever in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But it’s not just about heaven.

You see, because if Jesus can defeat death in you, He can defeat anything in you.  Well, what does that mean?  Well, I don’t know what you’re struggling with, but whatever it is, Jesus can help you overcome it!  

So, we're not just looking forward to what happens after we die.  No, we're also expecting how Jesus can heal and perfect us in this life.  Because if He can defeat death in you, imagine how He can perfect life in you.

Closing
The baby born in a manger tells us that God is love.
The Cross shows us the gave everything for you.
The empty tomb tells us that God’s love wins. 
Sin doesn't win.  Hatred doesn't win.  Fear doesn't win.  Death doesn't win.  The love of God wins.

And because God's love wins, you don't have to let your failures define you.  
You don't have to let your guilt keep you away from God.
You don't have to let fear control your future.
You don't have to believe your brokenness is beyond repair.

Because the same Jesus who walked out of the tomb is still alive today.
He still forgives sinners.  He still heals broken hearts.  He still gives hope to the hopeless.
He still changes lives.  He still loves people like you and me.

The greatest Christmas gift God ever gave wasn't wrapped in colorful paper or tied with a bow.
It was wrapped in swaddling cloths.  And that gift was unwrapped on a cross.
Then, on the third day, it burst forth from an empty tomb so that everyone who believes in Jesus might have eternal life.

The manger points to the cross.  The cross points to the empty tomb. 
And together they proclaim one glorious truth:  God is love.

Today, if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, receive God's gift. You don't earn it. You don't deserve it. You simply receive it by faith.

Jesus has already done everything necessary for your salvation.
All that's left is for you to say yes.

In just a moment, we're going to stand and sing one of the best-known Christmas hymns ever written: "Joy to the World."

Most people sing it at Christmas—a song about Jesus' birth. 
But it's really a song about Jesus’ reign.
It celebrates the King who came at Christmas, gave His life at the cross,
rose from the grave on Easter morning, and reigns forever.

As we sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King,"
don't just sing about a baby born in Bethlehem.
Receive your King.  Receive His love.  Receive His forgiveness.  Receive His gift of eternal life.

Guest Speaker: Sherry Dickson - Judgement

My prayer this morning is that what I say is pleasing to God and that it will encourage your mind and your heart, and stir you to grow—to love Jesus more deeply and more intimately today.

I did make an outline—a hard copy outline—if you want to hold it and take notes. If you would like one, there are copies available. You can raise your hand and I'm sure Tom would give you one. There are also some in the narthex; Scott can get those for you.

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The Word of God and the Five Judgments

In 1982, my parents gifted me with this Bible. It is the New American Standard Study Bible, and it has been my go-to Bible since that time. It contains the Word of God, and there are also Christian study outlines in it. I wanted to share one of those outlines with you today.

Most people, when they think about God's judgment, might stiffen a little. But I hope that some of what I say today will round that out for you, so that you can see how wonderful God's judgments are.

I think most people—even on the street—understand that one day, they are going to have to give an account to God for their lives. This outline describes five different judgments. I used to think, "Yes, Jesus is coming, and my life is going to be judged, and I’ll give an accounting." But this outline shows that there are actually five different judgments, and they differ in time, place, and purpose. What they have in common is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge. God the Father has given all authority of judgment to Jesus the Son.

Don’t worry—I’m not going to talk about all five today. I’ll talk about three.

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Judgment #1: The Judgment of the Believer's Sin (Justification)

To begin with: God is holy. He is perfect in justice. He is great in mercy. He is all-loving, and His judgments are just as wonderful as He is.

Anything less than holiness is sin. It must be paid for and atoned for by death to be made right. This is God’s standard. He wants us to live by a high standard.

The first judgment is the judgment of the believer’s sin. The verse here is John 5:24. Jesus says:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life."

Notice—it says those who believe have passed out of death into life. That’s spiritual death.

This judgment happened 2,000 years ago on the cross. It also happens afresh every time a person repents and is born again.

You might ask, “How can something that happened 2,000 years ago affect me today?” Well, God is supra-time—He is outside and above time. He encompasses time. He’s not limited by it.

Scripture tells us, “To God, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

So God, who is holy, requires righteousness. Unrighteousness has a cost—death. God cannot be pure and wink at sin, no matter how small we think it is. Grace is costly. Anything less than good must be redeemed.

Purpose: The purpose of this judgment was to redeem all of humanity from the curse of the Fall—for all time.

Adam and Eve had the perfect place, perfect relationship with God, and perfect spouse. But they were tested and failed. Spiritual death came immediately; physical death followed later. Everyone born from Adam has a spirit dead to God—disconnected from Him.

But Jesus is the second Adam. He passed the test. He resisted Satan. He humbled Himself and surrendered His perfect life on the cross. He took our sins, died the death we deserved. The perfect Lamb of God, pierced and crushed for our iniquities.

The cross is the greatest act of love ever known.
The debt of sin is paid—not in part, but the whole: past, present, and future.

Jesus triumphed over evil. The cross is where the greatest love met sin and death—and love won.

Think about the events of the cross:

• The veil was torn

• The sky darkened

• The earth shook

• The tombs opened

All sin was laid on Jesus, and He paid the price. The victory is won.

“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of light…” (Colossians)

Jesus has redeemed paradise lost. He’s opened the doors of heaven. He’s given believers the everlasting gift of God’s grace.

"There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

This first judgment is summed up in one word: Justification.

It’s "just as if I never sinned." God made Jesus—who knew no sin—to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. That’s who we are.

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Resurrection Power and New Identity

Jesus’s resurrection is our resurrection. His sacrifice didn’t just clean up our mess—it took care of the root of the mess: our unregenerated, stony heart.

Now, resurrection power lives in us. Our old self was crucified, and now we have the Spirit of the living God inside us to become more like Jesus.

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are."

We are adopted into God’s family. That’s why we can claim righteousness.

We are saints. We are a new creation. A royal priesthood. Born anew. No longer in Adam’s family—we’re in the family of God, the Kingdom of Light.

And God longs for every person to receive this eternal life.

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Judgment #2: The Judgment of the Believer's Self (Sanctification)

1 Corinthians 11:31–32 says:

"But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."

Place: Our heart
Time: Ongoing
Purpose: Sanctification—fullness of maturity in Christ

If our sins are forgiven, what’s our relationship to sin now?

We know sin still happens. Christians fail. We disobey. But our relationship with sin is now different.

Sin is still sin. It’s evil, deceptive, and destructive. But now we are not condemned.

We are convicted, not condemned. Conviction is being convinced by the Holy Spirit of our sin. Before Christ, sin flowed from a sinful heart. Now, our heart is new. Sin brings dissonance.

Now, our job is to put off the old self, be made new, and be transformed into the image of Christ.

"Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are not our own; we were bought with a price."

Sin is more than disobedience—it hurts the heart of God.

1 John 1:9 is for believers:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

That restores fellowship with God. This is part of the growth process.

Illustration: Parent and Child
A child born or adopted into a family belongs there. They bear the name and receive all benefits—guidance, protection, discipline, provision, and love.

When they disobey, fellowship—not relationship—is broken. That disobedience creates a barrier. But when the child repents, fellowship is restored. Same with God and us.

Sin doesn’t break our relationship with Christ—but it breaks our fellowship. Restoration comes through confession and agreement with the Holy Spirit.

We must examine ourselves, be shaped more into the likeness of Jesus.

Jonathan Edwards said he resolved every night to review where he had failed.
Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley—all emphasized that justification without sanctification is not salvation. They are inseparable.

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Judgment #3: The Judgment of the Believer’s Works (Evaluation and Reward)

This is the judgment of the believer’s deeds. Not sin—but deeds. It’s about reward or loss.

2 Corinthians 5:10:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

This is not about eternal destiny. It’s about evaluating how we lived as redeemed people.

We’ll give an account of:

• Our time

• Our opportunities

• Our resources

• Our gifts

• Our use of grace

There will be differing rewards.

God won’t compare me to Billy Graham or Jimmy Carter. He’ll evaluate me based on what He gave me.

Metaphor: The Builder

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 says:

"No one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, their work will be shown for what it is… If it survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss—but will be saved, even though only as one escaping through flames."

So are we building with eternal materials or temporary ones?

Good deeds done with compassion, love, wisdom, and integrity—those last.
Deeds done for selfish reasons—those burn away.

Good deeds are the natural outflow of a redeemed heart. They are the proof of true faith.

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Judgments 4 & 5 (Brief Mention)

• Judgment of the Nations – Christ separates sheep and goats.

• Judgment of the Wicked – Great White Throne Judgment; the wicked dead judged.

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Summary

• The debt is paid.

• Your sins are forgiven.

• You have a new life and a firm foundation—Jesus Christ.

• You are called to examine yourself.

• You will receive rewards.

Let us love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Amen.

Following the Stars | A Sermon from Matthew 1:18-2:2

Introduction
I almost lost my phone this morning.  It was still dark when I left the house.  But I needed to hook up my trailers so I could bring a manger I built for the Christmas display to the church for the Advent season.  I set my phone on the edge of my truck and used the flashlight pointing down on my trailer hitch so I could see to hook everything up.  Then I got in the car and drove away without retrieving my phone!  I was at least two miles down the road before I realized my phone was missing!  So, I turned around and headed back toward home, praying I would find my phone.  Luckily, the flashlight was still turned on and I was able to clearly see my phone lying in the road with the flashlight facing the night sky like a beacon.

God gave that illustration this morning as an example for the Advent season.  Advent and Christmas are full of signs and symbols that point us to Christ like a beacon in the night.  The question is, are we ready to see the symbols and hear God’s voice leading us to Christ in the season?  I hope this message will prepare us to be more in tune to God’s Holy Spirit this Christmas season.

Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-2
¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. 
¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

From a Star to a Manger
Following God’s guidance can feel like connecting the dots in a constellation of stars.  I've never been that good at identifying constellation--you know one is supposed to look like a crab and another like a bear.  The only one I really know is the Big Dipper; and that's good because it helps you find the North Star so you always know which way is north.  

For Joseph, the angel’s dream message was as clear as a bright star shining in the night sky.  It told him what God wanted him to do.  But for us, the signs are often harder to see. It takes prayer to help us listen to God’s voice, reading the Bible to understand His plan, and worship to bring the pieces together.  God’s guidance becomes clearer when we spend time with Him and trust that He is leading us closer to His purpose.

The Wise Men are a big part of the Christmas story. They are known for following a star to find Jesus. But how did they know the star was pointing to the Christ King? And what kind of King would they find? Maybe they are called “Wise” because they understood how to follow signs—signs that are not always as obvious as Joseph’s dream.

The Wise Men saw a star rise and knew it meant the birth of a great King.  But the star didn’t lead to a palace—it led to a manger.  Who would expect a King to be born in a feeding trough for animals?  It was not what anyone imagined. What about you?  What are you expecting when you look for help or direction from God?  Are you open to seeing His signs, even if they lead somewhere unexpected?

From a Manger to a Cross
Following God’s plan doesn’t mean life will suddenly become easy or free of challenges.  In fact, following Jesus can sometimes lead us to face new difficulties we didn’t expect—just as the path from the manger ultimately led to the cross.  Jesus came into the world as a humble baby, but His journey was marked by rejection, suffering, and sacrifice. Yet, it was all part of God’s perfect plan to bring salvation to the world.  When we choose to follow God’s plan for our lives, it may bring its own share of struggles, even pain. But we can trust that His plan is always for our good in the long run, even when it’s hard to see in the moment.  The cross was not the end of the story, and neither are the challenges we face.  When we trust and follow Christ, we walk in the assurance that, ultimately, His plan leads us to a far better future.  And sometimes the suffering we must endure, is a refining fire that purifies us and makes us all God wants us to be.

From a Cross to and Empty Tomb
The cross was not the end of Jesus’ story.  The Word tells us that three days after He was crucified, He rose from the grave, leaving the tomb empty.  This is the cornerstone of our faith, the bold claim that changes everything.  While it can be hard to believe, we have the testimony of witnesses—those who saw the risen Christ and whose lives were transformed by the truth.  We may also personally know people who testify that faith in Jesus had changes their life.

Even so, it takes faith to accept.  The resurrection is a mystery and a miracle, but it is also the foundation of our hope.  And the empty tomb is a bright shining star that symbolized the hope we have in Christ.

For those who believe, Jesus promises eternal life. This hope sustains us as we follow His way, even when the path is hard or leads to suffering. The cross reminds us of the cost of discipleship, but the empty tomb assures us of the victory.  Just as Jesus rose to new life, so too will we, if we trust in Him.
This is the hope that gives us strength to endure, courage to persevere, and joy in knowing that the story God is writing for us doesn’t end in death—it ends in life.

Advent Challenge
As we enter this Advent season, I want to invite you to make a commitment—a commitment to spend intentional time seeking God.  Just as the Wise Men followed the star to Jesus, we need to follow the signs God gives us to draw closer to Him. It can be hard to see those signs in the busyness and distractions of life, but prayer helps us tune our hearts to His voice.

That’s why I’m challenging every one of you to stop by the church at least once a week during Advent—between now and Christmas—and spend some time in prayer in our newly renovated Prayer Room.  It’s open to you any day and at any time. (Call the church and we can give you a code that gives you access to the church through the kitchen door.)
Whether it’s early in the morning, during your lunch break, or late at night, I encourage you to come.  Use this time to pray, reflect, and listen for God’s direction in your life—even if just for a few minutes.

Following God’s plan isn’t always easy.  Sometimes, the path feels unclear, and we need to connect the dots. But when we spend time with Him—when we pray, study His Word, and worship—we begin to see His purpose more clearly.  So, come to the Prayer Room.  Bring your questions, your hopes, and even your struggles.  Let this Advent season be a time when you seek Him intentionally,
knowing that God is leading you toward His good and perfect plan.

Put Away Your Sword

Introduction
I had not planned to speak on this subject today.  I planned to begin a sermon series called “The Way of Christ”.  But because of the events of this week, I felt compelled to change today’s message.  Those reading this include Republicans, Democrats, independents, progressives, and conservatives and everyone in between.  I’m not taking sides.  I love you all and what I have to say is for everyone. 

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of Jesus' arrest.  Jesus had just shared the Last Supper with his disciples and walked to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the authorities and the led a crowd of his enemies to the garden to arrest him.  

Matthew 26:52-56

⁵¹ But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

⁵² “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? ⁵⁴ But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

⁵⁵ Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. ⁵⁶ But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Peter Cutting Off an Ear

This story about one of Jesus' disciples cutting off a man’s ear is so important that all four Gospel include it—Matthew Mark, Luke and John.  The Gospel of John says the mob was a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke simply said it was a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs.  The Gospel of John says it was Peter who cut off the man’s ear.  The other Gospel’s don’t tell us who did it.  The Gospel of Luke says Jesus healed the man’s ear.

The incident was very chaotic and happened so fast.  There wasn’t anyone standing by with a smart phone recording it all.  I’m sure it was hard for all the disciples to remember all the details perfectly.  It's no wonder their accounts vary a bit.  However, there is one thing they all reported.  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all remember that Jesus told them not to fight.  In John 22:51, Jesus said, “No more of this!” And in Matthew 26:51, he said, “Put away your sword!  Those who use the sword will die by the sword.”

Dying by the Sword

Jesus is the most influential figure who ever lived.  He changed the world so drastically, we divide history by whether it happened before or after Jesus lived.  There have been many people who sought to change the world with the sword (or guns or missiles or bombs), but none has even come close to the influence Jesus had on the world.  And he did it all without a sword.  In fact, Jesus was able to have so much influence because he didn’t use a sword.

 

And I believe Jesus message to us today is the same he said to his disciples on that that dark night of his arrest.  “Put away your sword!”

 

We’ve had our swords out for a long time in this country.  And it’s gotten exponentially worse over the last decade.  I realize none of you are literally walking around with a sword.  But figuratively, we carry a sword.  The sword of which I speak is not a weapon with a long metal blade.  The sword we carry is an attitude that we have to fight each other to make life the way we want it to be.

 

Jesus said, “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”  What we have been seeing more and more in our country and communities—what we saw vividly splashed across our television sets on January 6^th as rioters stormed the Capital building in Washington DC—is what it looks like to die by the sword.  It's not necessarily a physical death--though 5 people died.  It's a spiritual death.  It's a moral death. It can even be the death of ideas or the right to influence public opinion.

 

What led us to this place—a place where thousands of people would gather at the capital and violently and foolishly rush past barricades and overwhelm law enforcement and illegally occupy the Capital for several hours?  What makes people act like this? 

 

We are so divided.  It’s not just that we don’t agree on everything.  (America is too big and too diverse for us to agree on everything; that’s never gonna happen.  We've never in our history agreed on everything.)  The problem is we are so angry we want to swing a sword at people with whom we disagree.  And maybe, we’ve been cutting off each other’s ears so long now that we don’t have any ears left to listen.  We don't use swords, but we cut off ears with words and insults and accusations and mistrust and disrespect.

 

There are times when it is necessary to draw a sword (or a knife or a gun) to defend yourself, but using a sword is not the way to make the world a better place.  It’s not the way to make America great.  And right now, we need to hear Christ’s words when he says, “Put away your sword!”  This is not the way.  Violence is not the way.  Fighting is not the way to make America great or the world the way God wants it to be.

 

The Way of Christ
Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  The people of Israel thought the Messiah would come to save them from their enemies—that he would fight for them with a sword and liberate them from the Romans.  Jesus knew that would never work. 

 

Jesus could have easily beaten the Roman army.  He said in Matthew 26:53, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” Certainly, God’s angels could defeat the Romans.  However, Jesus knew a violent uprising would never work because it’s not how you change people hearts.  Only love can change people’s hearts.  

Love is how Jesus changed the world.  And love is how Jesus wants his followers to make the world a better place.  Love is how Jesus wants you to make America a better place.

 

And this is a message for everyone—Republicans, Democrats, independents, progressives, and conservatives and everyone in between.  It’s time to stop pointing fingers at everyone else and saying how evil they are.  It’s time to stop calling people names because of what party or philosophy they follow.  It’s time to start treating everyone with respect.  It’s time to start listening and learning from each other.  (You don’t have to agree with someone to respect them, to listen to them, and learn from them.)

 

It’s time to start living by love or else we will die by the sword.

What does that mean for you? The details may vary from person to person. Some suggestions might be to stop calling people names becasue of their political party or ideology.  Maybe you need to change your attitude and understand that people with whom you agree probably believe what they do for good reasons. They are not the enemy.  Quite often they share the same values as you, but just prioritize them differently.  

Most importantly, if you are a Christian who has committed your life to follow Jesus as your Lord, recognize your role and work as hard as you can to do things the way Jesus would do it.  Perhaps the way of Christ is best summarized in the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.

The Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness joy.

O Divine master grant that I may

Not so much seek to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand

To be loved as to love

For it is in giving that we receive

And it is in pardoning that we are pardoned

And it is in dying that we are born

To eternal life.

Amen.

 

Will you live this prayer?  Peter boasted he would die for Jesus.  I'm sure the other Disciples thought the same.  But we see in our scripture, they all fled.  They were probably willing to die for Jesus on a battlefield, but not on a cross.  It’s easy to pledge you will die for Jesus.  But will you live for him—even if it means dying on a cross instead of dying in glory on the battlefield?  Jesus' way is the way of the cross.