The Messiah’s Secret –   The Way, the Truth, the Life 

Last week we heard Martin told us through the parable of the sheepfold that Jesus was the Shepherd and were his sheep, our way into the kingdom was through the gate of the sheepfold.  

The way was through belief in Jesus and Jesus knew his (sheep) children and called us personally by our name.

This theme continues this week but with the emphasis on Jesus’ identity. 

Children’s visual Aid

We expect what’s on the label to be inside the tin. What’s on the label? Answer Carrots 

(Child opens the tin with the pull ring.)

Inside the open tin we find carrots.(tip contents out)

Now if we take off this label, the label underneath tell us what’s in the tin. ‘The Trinity’ Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Turn the tin around, this outer tin represents God the Father,

 inside we have two tins:

Jesus (pull ring) and inside that one is another tin with the Holy Spirit on label

.

What it says on the tin we find is true that God is made up of three person’s Father Son and Holy Spirit.

God created the Universe all things by his word. God said, “Let there be light”. Genesis 1: 3

 Jesus the word of God clothed in flesh and blood. He was the word of God that said,"Let there be light." Jesus is also called the Son of God and also the Christ and we know Jesus as Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit directing the word gave life to creation. He also directed his disciples where to go and who they should go with.   Acts 13: 2. 16: 6

When we believe in Jesus, we receive into our heart all three person’s of the Trinity:

Our sketch focused on finding the way to heaven. The way, the Truth and the Life.

John 14: 1-14      Acts 7: 55-end    

Every day for three years  the disciples were walking alongside Jesus they must surely have become very religious men and very close to him.                                                           

At the end of the previous chapter when Peter heard that Jesus was going away, he wanted to go with him and Peter said that he was prepared to die for him, Jesus told him that he would shortly deny him three times and where he was going they could not follow him, they were all troubled.

Probably one of the reasons they were troubled was because from the teaching that they had received from the chief priests, lawyers and scribes they claimed that when the Messiah came he would remain for ever. “The crowd answered him,” We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain for ever.” John 12: 34 This is another aspect of the Messiah’s secret, they did not expect Jesus who they believed was the Christ would go away and leave them, unfinished business.

The human heart when troubled can quickly become disquieted; Jesus thought that they knew where he was going to, but Thomas indicated he did not know. “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, show us the way.”                                                                                                 

He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house,  

Jesus indicated that by following him, he would show them the way to get to heaven.

For us today Jay’s sketch shows us that the Bible is our map and compass it leads us to Jesus.

Jesus has reserved  our place in heaven having bought it with a price of his life laid down,  that cannot be sold or handed over to anyone else, a mother would dearly love to share her Salvation with her child, but we can’t do that, we each have to find the way to heaven through the cross for ourselves. Proverbs 23: 23

Right up to eight days after Jesus resurrection Thomas was still not convinced of knowing the way to heaven, he would not believe that Jesus had been resurrected until he saw where the nails  had pierced his flesh and the sword his side. Thomas found out the truth when he saw his risen Lord. Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” He recognised Jesus as his Lord (master) and God.

Jesus said to Thomas,” Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

My mother was brought up in the Unitarian Church, she was taught as a Christian Universalism. Universalists believe that Jesus was not God revealed in the flesh. They also  teach that there is one God over all world religions 

How ever, we believe that Jesus is God made visible in the flesh and only way to find God is through Jesus. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except by me.”

How my mother rejoiced in the truth when she too could say “My Lord and my God.” When she came to know Jesus for herself. Her life in Christ brought her physical healing. The emergency doctor was called out to my mum. He diagnosed that she had Parkinson's disease. I took her to the hospital at the appointed time and they confirmed the diagnosis. Her shaking was quite bad. I suggested to her that I would take her to the house prayer and Bible Study meeting that I attended at Mr Oldham's home, the Pastor at Winton Baptist Church, Eccles. My mother was healed that night of Parkinson's disease, she stopped shaking and a few months later her doctor confirmed that she no longer had Parkinsin's disease.

What it says on the tin Jesus heals today

You get what it says on the tin Jesus wants to bless us in having an abundance of life.

         

 Philip joined in the conversation and said “Show us the Father and we shall be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.”

The Incarnation means Jesus being both man and God. Jesus’ Father was God,  giving him his divinity and Mary gave him his humanity.

Jesus said to those present: believe in God and  believe in me” and  that he and the Father were one of the same.

The Church of the fourth Century met together at Nicocea in 325 AD they took Jesus’ words in John 14 and  put together to form  the Nicene Creed. Making it clear to the world what Christians believe : Belief in God and Jesus being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.               

We also say in the creed: “He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.”

Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives.

 His ascension also fulfilled Daniel prophecy of 70 weeks of years from the completion of Zerubbabel’s temple 515 BC on the 69^th week the Christ would be cut off from his people, which was fulfilled when Jesus  ascended into heaven, leaving what seemed unfinished business. Daniel 9: 24 end.( verse 25 7 weeks + 62 weeks)

Stephen witnessed that he saw Jesus in heaven. Acts 7: 55

Daniel prophesied this would be followed by followed by wars, famine, earthquakes and floods 'a troubled time.'.  In  AD 70 the Jerusalem temple and city were destroyed.

What has yet to be fulfilled: verse 27 the last 7 years of the 70 weeks, this period will begin when the antichrist  appears and make an agreement with Israel followed by three and a half years of peace followed by what is called the great tribulation where the antichrist turns against Israel and her allies” 

So when will Jesus return? 

Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians 1: 10 he writes that Jesus will call out his church to the marriage supper of the Jesus and his bride, the church before the start of the tribulation. Revelation 19: 7-9.

 In John’s  Vision in the book of Revelation 19:11-21 Jesus returns with all the saints and his heavenly armies and defeats the antichrist and his allies. Jesus takes up with his people again and rules the nations with a rod of iron.

And Christians reign with Christ in our place prepared by Jesus in his kingdom.

Celebrating  

20th Year of the Ordination of Women
in the Anglican Church.

"But to all who received him and believed in his name, Jesus gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God." John 1: 12, 13.

The oak woodcarving above was carved in 1994 by Dorothy Newton (3rd July 2016 Woodcarving given to Manchester Diocese)
 "It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him." Romans 8: 16, 17.

"Buy truth and do not sell it." Proverbs 23: 23

Paul writes that we are bought with a price. " 1 Corinthians 6 20. 7: 23 

Jesus paid the price of our Salvation by bearing our sin upon the cross, forgiving and healing our relationship with God our Father. Coming to faith in Christ is so liberating and in Christ walking in that freedom has been expressed in women's Ordination into the priesthood of believers. We are all priests in Christ's kingdom. Revelation 1: 5,6

A mother would dearly love to share her Salvation with her child, but we can't do that, every person is called to find their way to Christ for themselves.  

The Messiah's Secret - The Temple of Jesus' Body

An American was being shown the sights of London by a taxi driver. “What’s that building over there?” asked the American. “That’s the tower of London, sir,” replied the taxi driver.

“Say, we can put up buildings like that in two weeks, “drawled the Texan. 
A little while later he said “And what’s that building we are passing now?” “That’s Buckingham Palace, sir, where the Queen lives.” “Is that so?” said the Texan. “Do you know back in Texas we could put up that place in a week?” 
A few minutes later they were passing Westminster Abbey. The American asked again, “Hey cabbie what’s that building over there?” “I ‘m afraid I don’t know, sir,” replied the taxi driver. “It wasn’t there this morning.” 
J. John & Mark Stibbe ‘A Barrel of Fun.’

Readings: Haggai 1: 13 - 2: 9.   John 2: 13 - 22.

In our Gospel reading the Jews said that it had taken a king Herod 46 years to build his temple.

Josephus the Jewish Historian Antiquities Book 15 Chapter 11 wrote about the life of King Herod. Herod had accumulated much wealth and so he decided to build a Temple as a memorial to himself by replacing Zerubbabel's Temple with a much larger one. He knew that he would have to persuade the people to do this, so he gathered both men and materials before pulling down Zerubbabel's Temple. He started the work in 20 BC and it was finished 46 years later in 26AD.

Conflicting views

However the translator of Josephus’ book in his notes wrote questioning was this third Temple and not as Jews and Christians say it was the second Temple.

Both Jews and Christians look to the prophet Haggai's word in Chapter 2: 9 "The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”

This verse is therefore taken as referring to the second Temple.

Jesus respected Herod's Temple.

Jesus referred to it as his Father's house and in our reading John wrote that he fulfilled the Psalmist's words, "Zeal for thy house will consume me."

Jesus fulfilled the prophesies concerning this Temple.

The Temple was a focus point especially at Passover time. Jewish people came from all over the known world to this feast at Jerusalem, so there would have been thousands of people wanting to change their currency in order to buy sacrificial offerings.

The city must have been in uproar after Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and drove out the sellers of sheep, oxen and birds.  

As a result Jesus caused conflict between himself and the people involved. Some Jews came to him and asked him to give them a sign to account for his actions.                   

Last Tuesday a friend gave me a book to read, Joyce Hugget’s Book 'Conflict' Joyce gives an in depth study on the causes of conflict and ways of dealing with conflict in relationships. I discerned that the Lord wanted me to study this subject for Sunday yesterday’s evening service at St Mary’s.   In the morning service the intercessions (prayers) confirmed the word. Anne's prayers were based on the Hymn "For I'm Building a People of Power" I had chosen the same Hymn for the evening service.

Joyce quotes from Richard Walters' Book 'Anger' "Inner conflicts are often expressed in rage, resentment and indignation: rage seeks to do wrong, resentment seeks to hide wrong and indignation seeks to correct wrong."

In our reading Jesus expressed indignation. Indignation in his fervent love for the integrity of his Father's Temple.  

Joyce Hugget writes; “Conflict is part of our humanity and God allows 'conflict' but it's how we respond to it, we can disarm the conflict from people by discerning the motivation that has caused it and then find ways of processing or channelling our response, so it can be constructive rather than destructive.”

The Jews response was constructive, they had asked for a sign and he gave them the sign of his resurrection, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." 

John witnessed when he wrote that Jesus spoke of the temple of his body. God resurrected Jesus' body from the dead, rebuilding it in three days. His body a temple made without human hands.

In our Old Testament reading Haggai had stirred the people up to continue to build Zerubabbel and Joshua's Temple.  

Jesus continually stirs up his people to build his church in every generation.                                   

In the process of building us up, some structures may need to be pulled down in our lives, especially were we have conflicts going on within us: like a bad habit or a belief structure that we have adopted or have been brought up with, or a past hurt through a broken relationship. 

My mother was brought up in the Unitarian Church. It was when she came to know Jesus in a personal way that convinced her that Jesus was God made visible in the flesh. Words alone could not convince her.

Our amazing God helps us grow out of those conflicts, like a child grows out of its clothes so we will grow out of those things, as we hand them over to Jesus. 
On some occasions a  ministry of healing prayer to a person is required, Jesus will drive out the cause of conflict from within, as every Christian's body is Christ's temple.

So we are built up by the Lord's healing grace and grow as we learn how to stop and think before responding to what would make us angry, and take response- ability so that we will be constructive: if its indignation to speak out or to pursue peace and unity to create harmony rather than contribute to strife, rage or resentment.

I understand better now the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.

“Loving God, make me an instrument of your peace. 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 
Where their is injury, pardon; 
Where there’s doubt, faith; 
Where their is despair, hope; 
Where there is darkness, light; 
And where there is sadness, joy. 
O, Divine Teacher, 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;
 It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

 Extract from 'Praying with Francis of Assisi' by Joseph M Stoutzenberger and John  D Bohrer