Matt. 13:45,46 • The Pearl of Great Price

A. Background & Comments:

• on this final Sunday of August, we bring to a conclusion a series of sermons that have been focusing on the parables of Jesus Christ, as they are presented in Matthew Ch. 13:1-52. In these times together we have seen:

• The Parable of the Sower (vs. 3-9; 18-23)

- we receive the Word of God in different ways!

• The Parable of the Weeds (vs. 24-30; 36-43)

- a day of judgment awaits imposters of the faith.

• The Parable of the Mustard Seed (vs. 31,32)

- we have potential to possess greater faith & hope.

• The Parable of the Yeast (vs. 33)

- the Kingdom invades every part of life

• The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (vs. 44)

- the Kingdom of God is of inestimable value

• as we have said before, these teachings are especially valuable because Jesus Christ is teaching “Kingdom” principles. Each parable starts with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”, indicating that there is an entity & behavior – for the individual Christian – to strive toward of greater value than ourselves.

• in a practical sense, these parables are “light” to many of the issues in our lives. Quite often our struggles in life are tied to:

• how we do or do not respond to the Word of God;
• not accepting the eventual judgment of God on behavior;
• underestimating the potential/value of Christ’s kingdom;

B. Main Thought:

• The passage we consider today speaks to the value of Christ’s kingdom versus the value of the earthly experience of the “tangible”.

We begin to think like Christ when we understand that…

I. (vs. 45) The Pearl of Great Price: Obtained Through Searching

“ Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ”

A. I imagine Jesus pausing after this sentence for effect! When Jesus Christ depicts this story he is declaring truth, particularly the truth of the value of his kingdom in the lives of his followers relative to anything else in life. The relationship, character & implications of this sentence are two-fold:

• “the merchant” – a man busy with life; familiar with searching for the best deal for his business; one who is aware of value;
• “fine pearls” – this is a relative statement: there are variable & relative values to the things we seek;

B. One of the constant themes through both these parables, as well as the gospels as a whole is the role of the individual being a seeker or pursuer of truth. This passage is a picture of humanity: people busy with life, seeking greater values & truth.

• if we will truly be who we need to be – no matter the time & season of life we are in – seeking God through prayer, scripture reading, service to others without expectation, etc. isthe bottom line of being a “seeker”.

II. (vs. 46) The Pearl of Great Price: Sets Direction for Life

“ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

A. The merchant mentioned in verse 45, once he had found & recognized a pearl of immense value, went away to rid himself of every inferior resource in life, in order to buy the greatest resource. He saw & experienced the real thing, the greatest valued pearl he could ever lay his eyes on.

• what a poignant moment for us! Jesus Christ’s kingdom is worth more than everything else we can lay our hands on, combined together! It is a picture of the relative value that fulfilling Kingdom life is compared to seeking life’s “pearls”. Why? Upon salvation we gain what we cannot lose!

• C.T. Studd: “If Jesus Christ be God and died from me, no

• sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him”.

• Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain

• what he cannot lose”.

B. The core truth of the matter is this: we tend, whether by choice or by neglect, to not value the things of the Kingdom as highly as we value, jobs, houses, cars, vacations, etc. This reality often shows itself in how we relate to our children, especially around times of transitions. Is what they do in life as important as their salvation or obedience to Christ?

• I ask these questions gently: Who or what is setting the direction for your life? Does your life revolve around Kingdom values & priorities or is it the other way around?

Implications

Consider the story, words & life of David Livingstone…

David Livingstone of Africa graduated as a medical doctor from Edinburgh University, but he was determined to do something for God. He wanted to work in some place in the world where there was great need, so he went to Africa. We know from his story that he opened up new roads into what was called ‘the dark continent’. He said these words, I’m quoting: ‘I am willing to go anywhere provided it be forward’ – so he did, he went forward to Africa. Livingstone said early in his missionary career: ‘I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in its relation to the kingdom of God. Anything I have will be given according as giving or keeping it shall most promote the Kingdom of my Saviour’. He began his work that ultimately extended 32 years in total, entirely dedicated to the continent of Africa. The first 12 years or so were in missionary travels, and the remainder of those 32 years, were unveiling the unknown interior of Africa where his geographical discoveries placed him at the pinnacle of exploration and achievement. On his last trip to Scotland, the University of Edinburgh conferred an honorary degree upon him. In Scottish universities, whenever there was a recipient of an honorary degree there was a custom that the recipient was basically fair sport, fair game, for the rest of the student body as he received his award. The recipient would have to run the gauntlet of all the raucous remarks. They would taunt them and shout, ridiculing them, sometimes with very lurid remarks and criticisms – simply because the person receiving the honorary doctorate had not worked to earn the degree.

So, in the day that David Livingstone was about to receive this honorary award, many wondered what the reaction of the student body would be. Do you know what the students did that day? They stood silent in an ovation of respect to this man. There, I want you to picture it in your mind’s eye, Livingstone stood, one arm hanging at his side – his shoulder had been torn by a lion in the forests of Africa. There he stood, his skin like leather because the sun had completely destroyed it. With the students standing in silence, Livingstone was heard to say these words: ‘Shall I tell you what supported me through all these years of exile among a people whose language I could not understand, and whose attitude toward me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this: ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’. ‘People talk of sacrifice that I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice, which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice, which brings its own best reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word ‘sacrifice’ in such a view and with such a thought! It was emphatically no sacrifice say rather ‘It was a privilege’. Anxiety, sickness, suffering or danger now and then, with the foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause and cause the spirit to savor and the soul to sink – but let this only be for a moment! All these are nothing when compared with the glory, which shall hereafter be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice! Of this we ought not to talk when we remember the great sacrifice, which He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us’.

Silence hung that day in the air in the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh University. To this day Livingstone’s name is still revered among a great many inhabitants across the vast reaches of the African interior. Succeeding generations acknowledge him as a legendary figure who dedicated his life to Africa and her people – that’s why, when he died, his heart was buried in Africa, though his body is buried in Westminster Abbey.

A. Background & Comments:

• we begin a series of sermons for these summer months that are focused on the parables of Jesus Christ from Matthew Ch. 13. This series is valuable because it is in the summer that we often have a little more time to sit & think about ourrelationship to God.

• Jesus spoke in parables (symbolic stories) as a way of instructing his followers, knowing that they – as well as we – are very often unable or unwilling to hear the instruction of God’s Word. He understood the power that “story” has in helping us to hear truths in a more indirect way.

• today, we move specifically to the impact the Bible, the Word of God, has upon our lives. If you look at verses 10-18, Jesus is looking back at the characteristics of the religious in the OT, harshly criticizing their inability to hear the truth of God’s Word due to their hearts being hardened by life.

B. Main Thought:

• The passage we consider today is a parable that focuses the hearer upon the dynamics of hearing the Word of God. Everyone responds to the Word in one form or another…

C. Key Question:

• How can we become people who hear the Word of God proclaimed or read and respond in a way that is pleasing to the God?

If we will understand & receive the Word of God, it is important that we acknowledge the fact of God sowing seeds of truth in our lives. First of all, lets see…

I. (vs. 3-9) “The Sower”: The Story Presented & Taught to the Hearer

Jesus first presents the symbolic story, focusing on a farmer who “sows” (plants) seed into various types of ground & growing conditions. The seed fell on to:

A. Some Seed Fell Upon a Beaten Path (vs. 3,4)

“ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”

• Result: the birds descend upon the seed that has been sown, consuming as much as is possible. The beaten path is unable to receive the seed because it is fallow.
• Fallow: “not in use; inactive”

B. Some Seed Fell Upon Shallow Soil (vs. 5,6)

“ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

• Result: the seed was sown on to ground without much soil. Although there was a quick growth, the inability of the plant to root, when the hot sun came out, made long term growth impossible.

C. Some Seed Fell Amongst Thorns (vs. 7)

“ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ”

• Result: the seed also fell where the soil was OK but the thorns choked out any subsequent growth. The conditions around the site overwhelmed the potential of the seed & the ground.

D. Some Seed Fell Upon Good Soil (vs. 8)

“ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”

• Result: finally… good news! The seed scattered by the sower fell on good ground, without any other circumstances that kept it from growing. Good soil & good conditions are the keys to growth.

II. (vs. 18-23) The Sower: The Story Explained & Applied to the Hearer

Some biblical commentators believe that the symbols in this story are pointed toward four different types of people. I would like to suggest that this might also include four different ways in which we receive the Word of God:

A. Receive the Word: Expect Evil’s Impact (vs. 18,19)

“ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.”

• when you read or hear God’s Word expect that you will also be sure to see evidence of evil in your life. You can be quite sure that the evil one will leave you alone if you ignore your relationship to Jesus Christ… and the opposite if you, “Seek first the Kingdom of God…”

B. Receive the Word: Expect Trying Conditions (vs. 20,21)

“ The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”

• when you read or hear God’s Word expect that you may run into real & significant conditions that “try” your soul. Not only are they a part of life at all times, it is safe to say that you will undergo trials that bring discouragement & fear. Part of testing & trials is to confirm whether or not we will fall away from Christ when hard times inevitably come.

C. Receive the Word: Expect Competition! (vs. 22)

“ The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

• when you read or hear God’s Word expect that you will undergo increased competition for your attention & energy. Have you ever noticed that when you take steps to move toward Christ that the intensity of life’s main tasks – jobs, family, money, other concerns – seem to increase as well?

D. Receiving the Word: Expect God’s Growth (vs. 23)

“ But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

• there is nothing better in the Christian experience than to sense that you are growing in Christ! It is a satisfying & exciting thing to see the truths of God’s Word taking root in your life & impacting people around you. When our lives –character & behavior – begin to change apart from our own efforts we know that God is at work. See Phil. 1:4-6

Implications

A. It is important, in order to grow as a Christian, that we be aware of & identify when the “ground” and “conditions” of our lives are not in a place for seeding. When we find ourselves in those places (impacted by evil, trying conditions, wrong priorities) it is critical that we take steps back to ensure our lives are better places. If the conditions are bad for God’s seed then be sure that it’s also a bad place for you!

B. Be prepared, secondly, to be a seeker! God honours those who seek him – an active, sober, consistent & sincere journey of those wanting his reality in their lives. Does that describe your walk with Christ?

A. Background & Comments:

• On this Mother’s Day 2010 we find ourselves especially grateful for the mother figures in our lives. Whether or not your biological mother was positively influential in your life, most people can claim some mother-like individual who has made their lives a much better thing.

• It is not lost on me that this day, more than any other day of the year, creates feelings of loss & pain for many, including many gathered here today. One of the best ways to deal with the pain & loss you might feel today is to do what we have already done here – remember, honour & be grateful.

• Today, I would like to ask you to consider the relationship of a grandmother & mother to their progeny – Timothy – andconsider the impact they had upon the long term of his life. Truly, we see a picture of a relationship that was aimed at the most important characteristics that could be created in the life of someone we are responsible for!

B. Main Thought:

• This passage teaches us that God uses every one of us – especially mothers – to have an impact on other people, helping mold us into the people we are.

C. Key Question:

• What life characteristics are the most important to mold into the lives of children & grandchildren?

If we really want to influence those we are responsible for toward a good & meaningful life – a life focused on Christ – then we need to understand that we are in …

I. The Molding Shop: Fabricating & Influencing Sincere Faith (vs. 5)

“ I have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, lives in you also. ”

• The first priority of an influencer (parent/friend/caregiver) who desires to give the best of God’s love to the life of a child is the encouragement of a sincere faith. In the verse we see that Timothy’s faith is the result of the example & investment of his grandmother & mother. Their collective faith created the environment for Timothy to learn & eventually adopt the faith of the generations before.
• See Mark 8:36,37 – “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
  • The singularly greatest priority of both mothers & fathers is the initiation & maintenance of their child’s relationship with Christ. Jesus Christ is eminently clear: nothing in life is as vital, nor valuable, than your “soul”.
  • I am sometimes surprised that Christian parents put as much or more emphasis upon their children’s…

II. The Molding Shop: Fabricating & Influencing the Gifts of God (vs. 6)

“ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…”

• The second priority of the parent/friend/caregiver who desires to give the best of God’s love to the life of a child is the encouragement of the “gifts” the child has received. By “gifts” I mean the natural talents each one possesses as well as the super-natural gifts of God.
  • Every time you encourage a child – mother – to use the gifts that they have received, that child experiences a joy that can only come from God. Why? He/she begins to fulfill the reason for his or her life… creating meaning & purpose.
• Notice that Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God”. By this he meant that it would take an act of the will to bring this into the reality of life. While we have been given gifts that we have had no hand in attaining, it still takes the choice of the will to develop & use them. Is there something you are holding back from God, your family or your church community?

Implications for Life

A. If somehow you feel like you have failed to mold these characteristics into lives around you, let me remind you that it isnot too late. As long as you have “breath to breathe”, you are in the service of the One, of whom Mary said, “With God, all things are possible.” Luke 1:38

B. On this Mother’s Day I want to encourage you to give thanks to God for your mother or that woman in your life who has impacted how you live your life. It is these impacting women, like Lois & Eunice of old, who have helped make us who we are. You can spend your time picking these people apart or just choose to be grateful for the good… your choice.

Seniors Appreciation Day

A. Background & Comments:

• we have already spent time this morning bringing glory & honour to Jesus Christ, as well as recognizing people who have brought encouragement & hope to our lives.

• In the NT the pre-dominant use of the word honour is, quite naturally, with reference to Jesus Christ. Our primary allegiance & giving of honour is always toward the Christ, our Savior and Lord. This reality also makes some uncomfortable to display honour toward “fellow travelers” on the Christian path. Some confuse “giving honour” with “playing favorites”. (See James 5 for a picture of this negative behavior.)

• This uncomfortable feeling need not be: the NT includes a number of injunctions & encouragements to honour people in life, especially those who live & example Jesus Christ to us. The Apostle Paul said, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)

• Today, we look into the life of one of the least well known characters in the NT for a picture of what in the Christian life isworthy of honour. Epaphroditus, a relatively young man similar to Timothy, is the example we look to for insight.

B. Main Thought & Key Verses: Phil. 2:29, 30:

• This passage of Scripture helps us understand what makes any person truly worthy of honour in this life.
• “Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.”

C. Key Question:

• What are the characteristics that the Apostle Paul notes as noble & good, worthy of recognition & honour?

The Bible indicates that giving honour to one another is a normal New Testament manner of living the Christian life. This specific passage notes that…

I. Honour: Based on a Life of Meeting Legitimate Needs (vs. 25)

“But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.”

A. This largely unknown character Epaphroditus is recognized by the Apostle Paul as a person who met his personal needs after being sent to him by the Philippians. (We know that Paul was at least partially blind and older.) In reading this passage we have no sense that Epaphroditus is self-seeking but that he is interested in the service of Paul’s real needs.

B. The lives that are worthy of recognizing & counting as important are those that at least attempt to meet the real needsof others. Please note: this type of lifestyle is about as counter-cultural as it gets. We live in a culture that pre-dominantly says, “Get all you can & meet your own whims & desires before being concerned about others… if at all.”

II. Honour: Based on a Life of Passion for People (vs. 26)

“For he (Epaphroditus) longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.”

A. Secondly, this largely unknown character Epaphroditus is recognized by the Apostle Paul as a person who had apassion for the people of God, a deep longing for the church at Philipi. This statement is an excellent picture of God’s passion & love for us, as well as a picture of how we are to view & appreciate each other in this body called “the church”.

B. While it is not fashionable, nor trendy, we should not forget to be passionate about each other, honouring each other, recognizing that we share the greatest of privilege in Christ. In the Christian experience we measure passion for Christ’s church by being people who…

• encourage each other;
• pick each other up when down & hopeless;
• defend each other when torn down by detractors;
• gently correct each other with respect;
• return each other the truth of the Bible;
• weep with each other when we part…

III. Honour: Based on a Life Lived for Christ’s Priorities & Work (vs. 27-30)

“Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.”

A. Thirdly, this largely unknown character Epaphroditus is recognized by the Apostle Paul as a person who lived life with Christ, his priorities & his work at the centre of his being. In fact this was so much the case that his life was almost expended in service to Christ & his people!

B. We risk becoming ungrateful & unfocused in our Christian life when we do not stop to thank those whose lives have been focused on Christ’s priorities & work. The work of the Christian church is the reason Christ lived, the reason Christdied, the reason Christ was resurrected, the reason he returned to heaven & the reason he will come again. Now, do you have anything more important to honour than that?

Implications for Life

A. To those seniors here today, I say on behalf of the rest of us who are not there with you yet: Thank You! If it were not for you we would not be here today, enjoying the good things that God has for his people called “Bethel”. We gladly honour you today because you have – collectively – lived lives worthy of honour & recognition and we are grateful for you!

B. We will all give our lives to honouring causes, movements & people who we believe have contributed to our lives. I ask you to take a good look at whom you are honouring with your life. Furthermore, understand that you are surrounded – today – by the saints with whom you will share eternity! I will choose…

Response to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

A. Background & Comments:

• Last Sunday Pastor Mike led us in consideration of what it means, in part, to be baptized. He helped us see that identifying with Jesus Christ is a very important part of this act. Today, we hope to add to what Mike has presented – so well – to us!

• First, however, to bring clarity, there are a few pre-suppositions we bring to this topic:

• Baptism is normative for people confessing faith;
• Baptismal mode is a secondary issue;
• Baptism is an age-of-consent matter.
• Baptism is the most appropriate response to the resurrection of Jesus Christ: identifying with, obeying & representingJesus Christ your Savior.

B. Main Thought:

• • This passage teaches us that faith in Jesus Christ is recognizable because we accept the call to declare publicly that we are followers of Jesus Christ.

If you are considering baptism as a step in your life, then you need to understand that…

I. Baptismal Commitment Flows From Experience of Faith & Forgiveness (vs. 8)

“The word… is in your mouth and in your heart…”

• • The Apostle Paul refers back to an OT verse (Deut. 30:12) to describe the conditions for the salvation of an individual. Even in the OT, the need for a personal faith experience of God’s forgiveness was foundational!
  • The Bible uses various terms to describe this experience of inner belief & forgiveness: the most common in the NT are “born again”, “saved” & “justified”.
  • Lets be honest about this: there are many people who – while professing faith / undergoing baptism / being church members – have never truly known what it is to be forgiven! It is the essential difference between shallow religion & real relationship.

II. Baptismal Commitment Accompanies

Words of Faith (vs. 9a)

“… if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’… then you will be saved.”

• • It seems rather simplistic to suggest that words of confession are part of coming into meaningful faith, but consider the cost for the Roman Christians to “come out of the closet”. To actually confess faith in Christ & be baptized meant a sure & certain trip to the gallows.
  • Around the world today – in many places – this dynamic has not changed: these words of confession, in other geographical contexts, show that you mean it & that Jesus Christ is the very center of your life!

III. Baptismal Commitment Centers Upon Resurrection Faith (vs. 9b-10)

“… believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead…”

• • In order to become a Christian – having confessed your sinful condition & Jesus Christ as the Son of God – you need to accept & adopt his resurrection from the dead: you must believe in the “right” Christ.
  • Jesus Christ the nice guy, the good teacher, the prophet, the doer of good are all poor substitutes for the real Jesus: alive, risen from the dead. See I Cor. 15:55-57.
  • If you do not believe the resurrection as a real, bodily, statement of fact then you should never submit yourself to the act of baptism. If you do, it will only prove that your life & values are based upon what you think is a myth.

Implications for Life

• • Wait a minute! This passage does not once mention the word “baptism”… what’s up with that? Good question: throughout the New Testament the concept/behavior of baptism is the next, natural, hand-in-hand response to public confession of faith. See the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:25-33) & the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) as examples.

A. Background & Comments:

• through this month of March we have considered several, but not all, of the last sayings & words of Jesus Christ on the cross. This process has helped us understand the mindset of Jesus Christ before his sacrificial death. We have learned that he was:

• “Woman, behold your son”

• concerned that his mother & best friend were understanding of the necessity for him to experience this as part of God’s plan for the benefit of mankind;

• “I am thirsty”

• desiring that his followers see his very real suffering, not as meaningless but meaningful, the very real fulfillment of prophecy laid out hundreds of years before;

• “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

• feeling the very real effects of essentially being left alone to not only pay the price for our sin, but to become sin itself. He could not have been more distanced from the Father!

• Now, before we go any further, you might be amongst those who are thinking to yourselves, “Shouldn’t he be moving on to the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter day? Do we still have to stop at the cross?”

• Well, truly, I understand if you think that, but fear not, we will end at the resurrection! However, to understand the full significance of the resurrection you must first comprehend what Jesus was getting at when he uttered these words.

B. Main Thought:

• This one verse passage teaches us that the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ were inextricably linked, the one bringing meaning to the other!

C. Key Question:

• When Jesus expressed the words, “It is finished!” what was the Christ actually saying? Was there more than the obvious to this anguished statement?

We believe that at least two truths were being expressed – other than the obvious physical pain being completed – that makes the resurrection more significant:

I. “It is Finished!”: The Act of Loving Reconciliation was Complete (II Cor. 5:18,19)

Paul wrote: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”

A. The overwhelming message of the Bible is that we are people who, before accepting Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, are unable to experience any sense of intimacy with God. This situation was unacceptable to God so he commenced a process of “buying back” (redemption) his creation through Christ. When Jesus Christ utters these words, knowing his last breath imminent, the process was virtually complete.

• Old Testament law required the shedding of blood, normally lambs or goats, for sin to be forgiven. Jesus becomes the ultimate “lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world, meeting the requirements of the law.

B. Although I do not wholly understand why God chose to reconcile to himself the world in this way, I do accept that the cross was his chosen manner of action. When I hear Jesus Christ utter these words I understand that the process of humanity being made able to be right with God is complete. I have hope where none existed before… intimacy with God is possible!

II. “It is Finished!”: The Act of Final Justice Was About to Commence (Acts 2:22-24; 31-33)

Peter, in his first sermon to the people of Jerusalem, said:

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death…”

“… he (King David) spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit…”

A. On the face of the matter, the cross event of Jesus Christ is the epitome of injustice: a man sentenced to death for the wrongdoing of another man. Could there be a greater injustice? When Jesus utters these final, painful words he clearly recognizes that his own day of justice is not far off.

• Jesus understands – remember he told the disciples to expect it – that his rising on the third day would be the ultimate proof he was right & justified in all of his actions.

B. After 3 days of suffering in hell – the penalty & payment for our sin – Jesus Christ rises from the grave & overcomes the injustice of his captors & crucifiers. He, like Joseph of OT fame, could say without hesitation, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Gen. 50:20) Now, how’s that for a little justice in the face of evil?

Implications for Life

A. On this Easter day we rejoice that the resurrection means we can right with God & our offences have been completely forgiven! The result of the cross & resurrection is that we live in a hope & future that cannot be taken away from us.

• “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

B. On this Easter day we further rejoice that when people – the negative, the destructive, the nay-sayers” – around us imply that there is no hope for the good things in life… ignore them. As Christians we have an example of the greatest underdog in history! On this Easter day understand your hope, your meaning, your life.

“AND NOW YOU KNOW… THE REST OF THE STORY.”