A Sports Break - Opening Day and the Masters

I think it is fair to say that everyone has their hobbies and passions outside of work. I am no different. Anybody that knows me knows I am a big sports fan. That being said, this past week could not have come at a better time. A post-Easter week involving Opening Day of baseball season and The Masters provides a quick an easy way to relax a little after the busyness of the church leading up to and on Easter Sunday.

Growing up when I did, it is no surprise that the Braves are my favorite sports team by far. I grew up in the streak of 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005 (no winner in 1994 - players strike). Basically, the Braves won the division every year from the time I turned 9 years old until I was 23. Even with recent struggles over the last few seasons, I have not abandoned my team and Opening Day brings the promise of a new season and new hope (strangely enough right after Easter which does that exact same for us as Christians). It is the time of year for peanuts, popcorn and crackerjacks. A time for a hot dog and Coke. A time for strikeouts and home runs. Head out to a ballpark near you and enjoy the National Pastime. Smell the grass and hear the crack of the bat. I know I am going to and sooner the better.

The other big event for me this week is the Masters. Now, I am a golfer, but that is not the only reason the Masters is important. As a Georgia boy, this is one of our signature events. I know people in Georgia that don't even like golf but love the Masters. It is a part of our culture here. I have had the opportunity to attend the event twice. The first was in 1997 on Saturday when Tiger Woods ran away from the field en route to setting the tournament scoring record. The second was a Monday practice round prior to the tournament where the course was just being touched for the first time in weeks and was in perfect condition. The Masters is a special time at the dawning of spring. The simple beauty of the Augusta National Golf Club (home of the Masters) nestled back amongst the tall Georgia pines is the setting. The roars of the gallery and picturesque red, pink and white blooms of the new opened azaleas marks a moment of peace and enjoyment for all who are a part of it.

As you can see, there is a great importance and role in my played by the events taking place this week. I know we all have these times for ourselves. Feel free to share them or just enjoy mine with me. Speaking of which, I think it is about time to go grab a Coke (nothing else for a Georgia boy) because the Masters is on and the Braves are close to starting. See you with the fans.

John

Sermon Tidbits 4/4

He Is Risen! - Luke 24:1-12
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  8 Then they remembered his words.  9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.  11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

As far as I am concerned, Easter Sunday is the best day of the year in the church. The implications for us are so great. Today, our Lord has brought to completion our freedom from sin and death through His resurrection from the dead. Today is a celebration day. To quote the words of the famous hymn, "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia." Let us rejoice, today, tomorrow and every day.

Lets turn our minds to the passage today that proclaims to us that Christ is risen this day. I think there is an interesting scene here that can say much to us this resurrection day. The women have come to the tomb only to see the stone rolled back and not Jesus inside. The angels appear to them and find them very confused and afraid. This brings us to the part I think so many of us can relate to. The women have forgotten the words of Jesus to them and the disciples. It is almost like a case of spiritual amnesia, a not so uncommon trait of the sons and daughters of God throughout history. Think of the Israelites in the desert. They constantly forgot the promises of God to them and had to be continuously reminded of them. The disciples had the parables explained to them and other mysteries revealed to them in private but they still had little understanding and were forgetful. Think of us today, we easily grab hold of God's promises and release them without even thinking before needing to be reminded of them again.

We celebrate today because we need to remember Easter. We need a cure for our spiritual amnesia. We need to remember what this day means for us and the world. We do not serve a dead teacher like other religions of the world. We serve a very alive and very active Lord. Christianity is not some religion of happy ideals and good teachings for life. It is a life-changing faith in a Savior sent by God who bore our sins on a cross and died only to be raised from the dead by the power of God overcoming death that we may not die but live eternally in paradise with the one in whom we believe, Jesus. Not only that, we serve a living God who is pursuing us. Jesus is calling out to us. This risen Lord wants a relationship with us. Jesus does not want to sit back and watch from the sidelines. Jesus wants to be in the game with us that we might personally know the forgiveness he offers through the cross to all who believe in Him. That we might personally know the salvation from death into eternal life that he offers through the resurrection for all who believe in Him.

Easter is about so many things, but above all else, it is about our LIVING Lord, Jesus Christ. A Lord who died but by the power of His Father, God, was raised from the dead and is now actively at work in this world and this people. Believe it, Jesus is alive and at work today. We need to stop living like Jesus is dead and powerless and grasp the Easter promise that Jesus is alive and well and actively at work in this world through the power of Holy Spirit in all who believe offering forgiveness and salvation to all who will call on the name of Jesus. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! today. Will you join me in believing today and joining in the work of our RISEN and ALIVE Lord, Jesus Christ? Amen.

John

Holy Week in Icons - Easter Sunday

"Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let earth her song begin:

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ the Lord is risen

Our joy that hath no end."

- John of Damascus

Holy Week in Icons - Good Friday

While they cried "Crucify," he prayed "Forgive." -Augustine

Holy Week in Icons - Maundy Thursday

Sermon Tidbits 3/28

A Royal Entry - Luke 19:28-40
8 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,  30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"  32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.  33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"  34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."  35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.  37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:  38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"  40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." 

We all love a good celebration. Whether it be a parade or a reception at a wedding, we love to celebrate. And a celebration is exactly what we find here in our passage today. This is not any ordinary celebration as we know it. It is a royal celebration. Finally in this passage we have Jesus acknowledged as who he really is, the King. How can we say that for sure though? Well, this passage is littered with markers that tell us just that. Lets take a look:

• "The Lord needs it" (v.34) - 1 Samuel 8:10-18 - The people are crying out for a king and God decides to give them one but shows them how the king's needs are greater than that of the people.
• Colt (v. 30-35) - Zechariah 9:9 - "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
• Riding into the city - 1 Kings 1:32-34 - A donkey is saddled for Solomon to ride to the temple to be anointed King. A tradition for kings to do this.
• Tossing of the garments - 2 Kings 9:12-13 - Jehu is anointed King and they throw their garments on the bare steps for him to walk on as a sign of him being the anointed of God
• "Blessed is the king" - Pslam 118:26 (echoes of Zech. 9:9 & 2 Kings 9:13) - Psalm 118 was traditionally a psalm of royal entry; "Who comes in the name of Lord" are Jesus' very words about himself from Luke 13:35

These are some of the things that give us clear insight into what is happening and being proclaimed here. Other things show up in the other gospels such as the palm branches and the shouting of "Hosanna" that also have roots in Jewish tradition and the Old Testament scriptures. 

We have to ask the question now though having established who we see Jesus as here. What does it mean for Jesus to be king for us? We don't fully understand that until Easter, but this much we do know. Jesus is the Messiah sent from God to save us. He is the perfect and preparing earth for Him to rule over. Jesus does not rule like the kings of the world though. Jesus is not an ordinary king but a heavenly king. He is the king that Isaiah 61 describes (I won't put the text here, but go read it). This is who our king is. A king who gives of himself for his people and who is people love and worship as their savior because of it. Jesus is a king who goes to the cross for us to free us from sin and death. Jesus is a king that rises from the dead for us to free us from death through him. This is our Jesus. This is the one we proclaim as king today and the one who is calling us to Him each and every day to find eternal forgiveness, eternal meaning, and eternal life. 

We celebrate our king's royal entry today. Can we humble ourselves before Jesus and call Jesus, king? Can we ask for that forgiveness that is freely offered by Jesus to us and enter into that eternal life that flows from Jesus to all who believe in Him? Jesus is the king and Jesus has the authority to give that out. Will we accept it from Jesus today?

John