The Messiah’s Secret – New Start

Young  People’s  short  talk.

In our reading Jesus tells us not to get angry. On the screen I put a young man whose expression was of anger. We get angry when someone does something against us like being deliberately tripped up (picture on screen) or a class mate telling tales over us. 









We can call on Jesus to help us to subdue our anger and take it from us. it is as easy as pressing a button to call on Jesus. Just as a button gives access to our computers and phones we can access God by calling on him in prayer.

I have put a button on a card (milk bottle top and chocolate buttons)with a reminder on them when we feel angry to call on the Lord and rest in his promises.

Readings: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9. Matthew 5: 21 -37  

A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led them to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position. As they passed a farmyard of pigs and mules, the husband sarcastically asked, “Relives of yours?” “Yep, said his wife, in laws.                                                    

The commandments are spiritual,(Romans 7: 12, 14.) In our reading Jesus elaborated on the sixth and seventh commandments: “You shall not kill” and “You shall not commit adultery. “    He makes us aware of the things that tempt us that may if unchecked cause us to sin like: anger, insults and seduction.

Temptations.
The Bible covers all aspects of humanity and gives us examples: ‘Anger’ had lead Cain to take Abel’s life and King David in his seducing of Bathsheba took Uriah’s life.

Adam and Eve’s sons Cain and Abel brought a gift offering before the Lord. Cain a tiller of the ground brought the produce from the land and Abel a keeper of sheep brought a lamb from his flock. Abel’s offering was pleasing to God, the  blood of animal's were later used to cover the original sin, whereas Cain’s displeased God, the ground had been cursed by God. Cain was upset and angry; he was warned by God that if he continued to be angry he would fall into sin. Cain could not subdue his anger and with his hands murdered his brother Abel. Genesis Chapter 3 & 4: 11. This is the first murder recorded in the Bible. It came so soon after Adam and Eve were driven from Eden. 

In Jesus' day, just as today people quarreling would end up insulting each other and in some cases one will take the other to court.                                         

Under law after a Jewish person had been insulted or had insulted someone covering justified anger and unjustified anger they would take a gift to the temple to be placed before the altar to make amends(Peace Offering) before God. Jesus said, before making a gesture to God, speak to your accuser while going with him to court and settle the matter. Alfred Edersheim 'The Temple'

In Matthew 5: 17 Jesus said, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come to fulfill them.”

We have the example of Jesus fulfilling the law, he was the Gift on the altar. 
Pilate had quarreled with Herod, however, during Jesus' trial Pilate realized that Jesus was a Galilean so he sent him to Herod to be examined by him. Herod questioned Jesus, but he answered nothing. Herod sent him back to Pilate. As a result of this we read,

 “Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, before this they had been at enmity with each other.” Luke 23: 6-12.

Jesus' life laid down fulfilling every ritual and law,  he brings healing and forgiveness to all who come to him. 

Jesus endorsed God’s commandments

“For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5: 18

Until all is accomplished - meaning the commandments written in the heart for ever, certainly untill he returns to bring in his kingdom.

He also spoke of the future consequences of ignoring them. In verse 22 “Anyone says ‘you fool!’ or ‘reprobate’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” What Jesus was saying the people listening would understand. On the out skirts of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom is where the inhabitants of Jerusalem burnt their rubbish, a continual fire burned. Jesus alluded to it as a place described by local people as ‘hell’ a burning lake of fire. Dake’s  Annotated Reference Bible
The Greek word 'moros' is translated 'reprobate' and also 'a rebel' It depends on the context in which the word is written. 'Foolish for Christ's sake' is in the context of being a rebel.   Youngs' Analytical Concordance. 8th Edition.

The seventh commandment

King David saw Bathsheba from the roof of the King’s house and he admired her beauty and desired her, however, she was married to Uriah the Hittite. David committed adultery with her. He later schemed against Uriah sending him to the front line of the battle against the Ammonites where he was killed. Afterwards King David married Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11

King David could not resist the temptation his eye had wandered.

Humanity hasn’t changed, hasn’t evolved, and hasn’t improved over the millenniums. I can relate to a situation in my life, were my Auntie Fay was told by her husband he was leaving her for another woman, the shock and hurt within seconds she collapsed and died, my grandmother who lived opposite to my aunt and uncle heard that there was trouble across the road, and when she got there and saw and heard, she had a heart attack and died.  The shock and horror of it all, I remember going to the double funeral. 

Jesus makes us aware that we need to resist the temptations the thoughts, eye or the hand that leads us astray.

When we do fall to temptation God knows our circumstances, and he knows that a person with or without Jesus, may not have the spiritual strength or inclination to resist temptation especially were a person is unhappy in a relationship.

Universal love
God is love and in him there is no sin, due to the fall when sin came into the world the love that we are all capable of sharing is sadly now tainted with sin. The love that Jesus fills us with is holy love, pure as he is pure, without sin. 

1 John 1: 8 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus God’s gift to us in bringing reconciliation between us and God.  Allowing us to make a fresh start through faith in him.  We can call on the Lord our God at any time through our faith being worked out.

The Holy Spirit begins the work of gradually peeling away our unspiritual (carnal) thoughts, so that we develop the mind of Christ.

At Corinth in their infancy the Christians had fallen into sin. It seems they were following the person who had baptised them either: Cephas, Paul or Apollos, they were being pulled in three directions, this resulted in jealousy and strife. Paul had heard from Chleo that things were not as they should be. In response Paul’s letter stepping in before matters grew worse.                      

Paul described them as followers of the flesh they were putting these leaders in the place of Jesus in their hearts.

For every Christian then and now our faith is in Christ alone.

The Commandments are fulfilled in Jesus, so as Jesus lives within our hearts they are written in our heart and so we feel how the Lord our God feels about sin.

Reminded by the button
When temptation gets the better of me, I will remember that I can activate the button ‘New Start’ and through prayerful repentance I know that the Lord always hears me and if you use a computer you will know, that the restore button reverses the error that you have just made and takes you back to where you were before. Thank you, Lord, Amen.

Jesus the First-born       
Evening Service Luke 2: 22-40.  Hebrews 2: 14-18.

Waiting  for the promise of Jesus’ return to be fulfilled.

In our present day most Christians are looking to the fulfillment of the prophesies concerning Jesus’ return: the increase of knowledge, the communications through computers and satellites that take the gospel to every part of the world. The changing climate due to damage to the ozone layer. Daniel 12: 4. Matthew 24 All point to his return.

Simeon and Anna were waiting for God to fulfil his promises to them, like the prophesies from Isaiah, “For to us a child is born. to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to establish it, and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9: 6, 7. These words were familiar to Simeon and Anna and they were looking for their fulfillment.

First Simeon followed by Anna they discerned that this was the Christ –child the one who would redeem Israel.

When Mary and Joseph came into the temple with their offering for Mary’s purification.

In the reading they offered either a pair of turtle doves or two pigeons signifying that they were too poor to offer a lamb. Leviticus 12: 6-8

 They were also presenting Jesus their first-born to the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.” Luke 2: 23, 24.

 “God declared “For the first-born are mine.” Numbers 3: 15

Jesus the Fist-born of all creation.

 “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.” Colossians 1: 15

Mirror image of God Tom Wright ‘Paul for Everyone’

 “If there is somebody sitting in the next room, I can’t see them because there is a wall in the way. But if there is a mirror out in the hallway, I may be able to look out of my door and see, in the mirror, the mirror image of the God who is there but who we normally can’t see.”

Jesus is the Son of God revealed in the flesh, born of a virgin woman Mary, her first-born son.

Under Jewish law the first-born belonged to God.

 The first-born were consecrated to the Lord .  This was in memory of the preservation of the first-born Israelite and the death of the first-born Egyptians.

On the eve of the Passover the blood of the lamb was brushed onto the door-posts and lintels of their houses saving them from the angel of death slaying the first-born man and beast.

The first- born in every Jewish family were consecrated to God for service in the temple.

Two years after leaving Egypt after the construction of the ‘Tent of the Meeting’ God instructed Moses that the Levites first-born should now serve in it instead of the first-born from the families of every tribe. The first-born of the other families were consecrated to God, but paid a redemption price for exemption from serving in the temple, 5 shekels.

 “And the Lord said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number by names. And you shall take the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the people of Israel. . . . And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy three of the first-born of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, you shall take five shekels apiece; reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs, you shall take them, and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons.”  Numbers 3: 40-48.

It was no co-incidence that Joseph and Mary could not afford to purchase a lamb for her purification; God had made that provision in Jesus the Lamb of God, in his sacrifice paying in full the requirement of the law for purification rites and the redeeming price for the first-born.

Jesus was born as one of us to accomplish total redemption for the sins of the whole of humanity

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself like wise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”

Hebrews 2: 14, 15.

Jesus grew up strong and filled with wisdom and the favour of God was upon him. Luke 2: 40.

In his ministry he showed compassion, honesty, dedication to his calling as he had the heart of God and the signs that he manifested showed the power and sovereignty of God in his life.

God had prepared a body

Jesus in his humanity defeated the devil, in his death and resurrection. The sinless life of  Christ brought in the new covenant, the old covenant  had been brought in by angels. Hebrews 10: 5. Deuteronomy 33: 2. Acts 7: 53

Jesus was from the line of Judah not of Aaron or Levi.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reveals to us that Jesus was a high priest after the order of Melchizedek , who had no beginning or end.

 “This becomes more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek who has become a priest, not according to legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God.”  Hebrews 7: 15-17 Psalm 110: 4.

Jesus holds his high priesthood permanently, he has an indestructible life.

As High Priest Jesus made the sacrificial offering of himself.

Jesus was prepared to take all sin, against God, upon himself on the cross, thereby taking the penalty of sin which leads to eternal death and In his resurrection the forgiveness of sin and newness of life.  Death had no more dominion over those who in faith confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

 “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead.” Colossians 1:18

Jesus the first-born of the church, his risen body  .Every believer bears that title of being ‘first-born ‘children of God because we are in Christ, his living presence within each believer.

Just as the Israelite first-born  served in the Temple, we serve Jesus in the temple of his body, the church. We are a heavenly people.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians 1: 3  “We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.”

“The eyes of our hearts have been enlightened, that we may know the hope to which he has called us.”

We may have to wait to see its fulfilment of what he has called us to do.  

The promises that we receive on our Christian journey we may find ourselves waiting for them to be fulfilled.

My sister Irene a number of years ago she believed that the Lord was calling her to live and work in Ainsdale.    After she qualified as a chiropodist she went to Ainsdale looking at properties there, but at that time she found nothing suitable. Irene still has it upon her heart, it has yet to be fulfilled.

“Also we may know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”  Ephesians 1: 3, 18.

Under Law the first-born received double inheritance. Deuteronomy 21: 15-17

The prophet Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” Elijah consented.

After Elijah was translated into heaven, Elisha using Elijah’s mantle struck the water and the water parted proving that he had received a double share of Elijah’s spirit.” 2 Kings 2: 9,10, 14.

Our inheritance under grace

 We receive a double share receiving both the Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We inherit all that belongs to Jesus, we receive his nature: love in all its diversity, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, counselling, healing, prophecy, administration, anointed skills and bearing responsibility of doing the Lord’s will.

Under law the first-born as head of the household 2 Chronicles 21:3

The first-born according to patriarchal custom was expected to provide for his mother and sisters if they were unmarried.  Unger’s Bible Dictionary page 368.

Jesus fulfilled this duty of the first-born when on the cross said to John, “Behold, your mother,” and he said to his mother, “Behold, your son!” John took Mary the mother of Jesus to live with him.  John 19: 26, 27.

Under grace the Lord looks after us and in one of the many ways is shown to us in our reading.

 “Through Jesus’ suffering and being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted”.

We may be tempted to give up on waiting for God to fulfil his promise to us.

Don’t give up on God, he will not give up on you