Sermons |
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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaerther Something about Jesus had always confounded me. We encourage each other to share the good news of Jesus with others. Telling the good news of Jesus Christ is a central part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. So here is what had confounded me. When Jesus performs a miracle he tells the person not to tell anyone, but to go and show the priests. For instance when a man with leprosy came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I will. Be clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself to the priest.” (Matthew 8:1-4). Why is it that Jesus tells the man to say nothing? When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They responded that with names of past prophets and essentially people believe you are a prophet. Jesus then asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied for all of the disciples, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” After this Matthew writes, “Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:13-20) The key after Peter’s confession is that Matthew then goes on to say, “From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” This is when Peter took Jesus aside and said it must not happen. Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan!” After this, Jesus takes three of the disciples up a high mountain and his glory is revealed as he is transfigured before them, and his face shined like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. The voice from heaven broke through the confusion of the disciples saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Once again on the way down from the mountain Jesus said, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” On the way down Jesus also says, “So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” These three admonitions to not tell anyone speak to why Jesus journeys to the cross and Jerusalem. Jesus words to the man with leprosy who is cleansed is a reminder to us that it is the works of Jesus that ultimately reveal him to be the one that has come to deliver grace and mercy. The man that was cleansed was to go to the priests and reveal himself cleansed. When Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer is correct. Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God. But Jesus commands the disciples silence concerning it. The reason for this is that although the disciples know who Jesus is, they do not understand his central purpose. To make this clear Jesus tells them that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die and be raised. Peter rebukes Jesus, rejecting out of hand that such a fate would happen to Jesus. Peter’s conflict is a highlight upon the struggle all of us have in understanding suffering and God’s relationship to it. Jesus charge to them to not tell anyone that he is the Christ, is understood only when you realize that to speak of Jesus as the messiah, the Christ, the holy one of God, without being able to tell someone of the cross is to give people empty words. Jesus commands the disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Christ, the son of the living God, because they would do so without proclaiming the central purpose of his ministry, going to Jerusalem, to suffer, to die, and be raised. When Jesus comes down from the mountain of the Transfiguration he commands them not to tell anyone until the Son of Man has been raised. The purpose of this charge to be silent is a word from Matthew to all of us reading this gospel that not until the resurrection will the disciples understand that death is the essence of the ministry of Jesus. It is a word to all of us that Jesus ministry and glory only makes sense when seen through the filter of the cross and his victory over death. The journey of Jesus to Jerusalem is something we would like to avoid. Wouldn’t it be easier to start again and not come into conflict with Pontius Pilate, the religious leaders, and instead tell the people clearly and distinctly he is the Messiah, the son of the living God? This what if, what if the people understood who Jesus is, what if the religious leaders led the people to glorify Jesus instead of persecute him, what if the disciples had protected Jesus from the betrayal of Judas, what if??? All of these what ifs forget that Jesus and his suffering, dying and resurrection were not mistakes, or a journey that took a wrong turn. It is precisely for death that Jesus came. Why did Jesus demand silence from his disciples concerning proclaiming him the Messiah? Because without the cross such a declaration would be empty. It is only after the cross and Jesus victory, that it makes any sense to proclaim him the messiah. When you share your faith with others it is critical that you tell them that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again. Why? Because Jesus is a comfort, a joy, a peaceful presence in our lives, but none of these emotions are truly impactful in somebody’s life without Jesus ‘death and resurrection. It is in the suffering, dying, and rising again that Jesus is revealed to be the one that is our victory, our life, our salvation, or rescue. If you want to rescue your family, friends, neighbor’s with Jesus, then proclaim Jesus and him crucified. Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |