The Messiah’s Secret -  God Appointed Positions

C S Lewis wrote, “The work of Beethoven, and the work of a charwoman (a woman who cleans houses)  become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly “as to the Lord”. This does not of course, mean that it is for anyone a mere toss-up whether he should sweep rooms or compose symphonies. A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow.”

In our reading this morning: Mark 10: 35 – 45 James and John were looking to be appointed to sit either side of Jesus in his kingdom. James and John were certainly close to Jesus, he had singled them out on three occasions to support him, but Peter was always with them:

When Jairus' daughter died Jesus asked Peter, James and John to go into the room while he prayed for the little girl, his prayer was answered, God raised her up. At the transfiguration all three watched as Jesus was transfigured before them and in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus called on all three to watch and pray with him. His suffering made him shed tears as he cried out in prayer to his Father who was able to save him from death. He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it is possible, the hour might pass from him. Jesus said, “Abba, Father all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” His Father always heard him and realised his son’s suffering in his Godly fear. Mark 5: 21-43. 9:2. 14: 32-36.

Looking at the other reading in Hebrews 5: 1-10 we realise why Jesus gently let James and John down, as he knew that those appointments to sit on his right and left hand in his kingdom were chosen by God.

I think it’s true to say that the disciples only saw Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah they did not know at that time that he was the High priest of God.  

In the TV series of 'Dad’s Army' in one of the episodes sergeant Wilson kept it to himself that he would inherit his father’s title. When Captain Mainwaring   found out he was most upset; because it lifted Sergeant Wilson above his rank. The disciples were upset with James and John when they heard that James and John were seeking these prominent positions.

Jesus the Son of God was appointed high priest, by God his Father to be the mediator between God and humanity, after the order of Melchizedek.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of Melchizedek, “He is without father or mother or genealogy and has neither beginning nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7: 3 Melchizedek part of the eternal priesthood. Jesus is the high priest of the eternal priesthood

We know that Jesus laid down his life which was the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus as high priest brought his sacrificial offering of his life down to God, God accepted his offering. From the depths of the grave, God raised Jesus up.

As high priest of God he intercedes on behalf of a person’s faith for both sins forgiven and as intercessor for every Christian, he presents our prayers to God the Father.

Prayer

Husband and wife were in car discussing prayer. The husband said, “I do my best praying while I’m driving.” His wife replied, “I too, do my best praying, while you’re driving.”

As far back as the Book of Genesis we find the prayer of a man like James and John, his name was Jabez in his prayer he wanted God to bless him.

This was the word that the Lord gave last week,  “If we humble ourselves and pray, the Lord will enlarge our boundaries”. I couldn’t remember where it fell in the Bible and as I was leading the service I hadn’t time to look it up.

It’s in 1 Chronicles 4: 10 in the middle of Judah’s genealogy list ^“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my border!  And that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” And God granted his request.”  RSV Bible.

Like James and John Jabez asked God to bless him and enlarge his border.

Jabez had a relationship with God in humility, His prayer, “O that you would bless me.” He sought God’s face and favour. He was dependent on his blessing, he didn’t look to bless himself, he couldn’t, and his heart was turned towards the heart of God. Jesus says to us, “Look to me, I love you, my heart yearns for you to pray, so I can bless you.”

Jabez asked God to enlarge his border – to be lifted up from a lower place to a higher place.  

Jesus gave the example in a parable of going to a wedding, don’t go and sit at the top table where the special guests of the bride and groom are appointed to sit. Go and sit elsewhere, so that you might be asked to go and sit at the top table and therefore be honoured before all the guests. (humility in action)  

“For everyone who exalts himself will be  humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14: 7-11.                                                                                                                                                                      

To extend our boundaries  

To  pray, not looking to what we can do, in our own strength, but what the Lord wants to do in our lives, in our church.  

Jesus entered a world through a door marked no entry and left through a door marked ‘No exit.” We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4: 13                                                                                                                                                                       

Jabez said, “That your hand might be with me,” he didn’t assume it was his right because he was a descendant of Judah; he sought God’s love for him to help him and lead him, and to support him.

We look for the Holy Spirit’s leading; he separated Saul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary tour. 
For us to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance  to reach out in our community to make Christ known.

A Disciples' CV. Supporting all that we do in prayer it’s the role of the servant; we are all servants of the Lord. In verses 42-44 James and John found out what the appointment of a disciple required: it was to be a servant: To serve having a gentle, tolerant, and humble disposition, not ambitious, to be prepared to suffer and die for Jesus.

And Jesus said to be the leader among the disciples: it was to be like a slave: a slave in Christ is completely owned by the Lord. In practise to be poor in Spirit: empty of self, obedient in serving God and others as Jesus has done and to be prepared to suffer and die for him. As many are doing in the world today.                                                                                                             

Jabez ended his prayer, “Keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” trouble and sickness and grief, he was aware of his own frailty.

Jabez was totally dependent on God and we read that God answered his prayer.  He prospered with God; he put his hand in his and kept close to him.

God blessed him, in that the people named a city after him ‘Jabez.’ 1 Chronicles 2:55.                                                                                                                             

And so to end with a prayer. 
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we assume our divine right for our prayers to be answered, and help us to stay close to you when our life in the world demands our attention. May we be blessed as we seek your hand to guide us in order to bring people to faith in Jesus and keep us by grace in your loving care. 
In Jesus' name, Amen                                                                                             

(This week we have interviews for Priest-in-Charge of St Mary's and St Paul's) 

The Messiah’s Secret -  Time and Seasons

 Evening  Lectionary: Joshua 3: 7-17. Matthew 10: 1-22

What  excitement there must of been among the people knowing that they were about to enter the Promised Land.

Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who witnessed the fulfilment of God’s promise when they crossed over the Jordan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.                              

In order to enter the Promised Land. 
Joshua was guided by God to keep the laws that he had given to Moses and not to move to the left or to the right away from them.                                                                       

We read that Moses did not enter because of his disobedience.

 ^“ But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Numbers 20: 12

The people were in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Luke 3: 15

There must have been great excitement when the people heard the proclaimation that the ‘kingdom of Heaven’ was near. Jesus was fulfilling the law and embracing those lost to the law. God loved his people, they were precious to him.

Jesus fulfilled three types of laws in himself:

The ceremonial law Jesus fulfilled all the elements of the temple including the temple itself: He was the perpetual light, the vine, the living bread, the living water, the first fruits of the harvest, he was the high priest after the order of Melchizedek and he was the final offering for sin it was accepted by God.

The moral law: Jesus said to the people “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5. 20 Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. The proof: His body was not corrupted by death.

The judicial law: Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book ‘Studies in the Sermon on the Mount’ Page 195. “ Israel is no longer the theocratic nation.” (a theocratic nation, under the divine sole sovereignty of God, and the laws of the realm as divine commands rather than human ordinances.)

Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues, “Jesus in his conversation with the Pharisees at the end of his ministry said “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to another nation to produce the fruit of it.” This is one of the most crucial and important statements in the whole of scripture with regard to prophecy. And the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter making it abundantly clear that the new nation is the church. There is no longer a theocratic nation, so the judicial law has likewise been fulfilled.” Matthew 21: 43. 1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

This is what Peter wrote, ^“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. ¹⁰ Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people.”  1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

The other nation the Gentiles, the church has for a long time been thought of as a Gentile church. 

Embraced through faith.
All people across the world, are able to enter the kingdom of God to bear the fruit of it, A Christ-like life, eternal life to all who believe in Jesus.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, a disciples asked Jesus would he be restoring the kingdom to Israel? Jesus replied that it was not up to him, the times and the seasons of his return.

This indicates that the disciple had remembered what Jesus had said regarding another nation bearing the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
(Messiahs-secret-revealed. Part 7 Chapter 3)

The Messiah's Secret Revealed
The Apostles expected Jesus to return very soon after Pentecost after they publicly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time. The Messiah's ministry was a national calling. Jesus had earlier said to the crowd, that there were some standing listening to him that would see his return with power and the holy angels. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1. Acts 3: 17-21. They expected him to bring in the 'Day of the Lord' the fire not yet kindled until he had accomplished his death and resurrection. Luke 12: 49, 50. God in his foreknowledge had prepared his disciples for their leaders rejection at and after Pentecost. 
When Jesus returns he will take up with the remnant of Israel.

The nation of Israel, the old season, followed by a new season, the church, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and Jesus returns. Luke 21: 24

Are we looking for a new season in our lives for the lord to do something new?

Joshua and Caleb were not young men, and they were looking forward to this incredible journey of discovery going into the promised land.

In verses 16-22 Jesus prophesied that as a result of being his disciple persecution would arise.

Jesus went on to prophecy that after the coming of the Holy Spirit verse 20 his followers would suffer persecution for his names sake ‘Sheep in the midst of wolves.’

Two kinds of persecution: religious persecution and persecution for righteousness sake. Both are for bearing his name.

Religious Persecution. In recent years Christians across the world have been persecuted: churches burnt and ‘political correctness’  for example a Christian wearing a tiny cross on a fine chain at work.

Persecution for righteousness sake 1 Peter 2: 21-24. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Peter based his teaching on his personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus,  “Do not return evil for evil, reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless,” not to speak evil of anyone.                                                                                                          

 “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,”

 “But rejoice in so far that you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  1 Peter 2: 1. 3: 9, 16, 17. 4. 1, 13. 14                                                                         

Would Peter see this as part of bearing the fruit of the kingdom?

Chinese Christian Brother Yun, sent Christians into Sena Province, time and time again they were beaten and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that after a year the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.

By the grace of God, we are lifted up, so that we can rejoice in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in, as we have entered into the kingdom of God.


My Journey Times and Seasons: Autumn leaves below: woodcarving in the 1980's & 90's followed by pottery with Bible texts 1990's & 2000.  The Messiah's Secret 1996 to present day, church ministry.