Thank you for joining me for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I look forward each week to being able to write up and post these messages. I hope that they are of benefit to you who read them.
I had a job interview this week, and it seemed to go fairly well. I am considering a job change, so please pray with me about this. I really want to go into full-time ministry work, so pray that I can find the resources to do this. I have wanted to sell my house in order to get the money I need, but every time I try to sell it, something happens. The roof had some damage again in the winds. The contractors all want too much to fix it, so I am going to try and go up on the roof tomorrow and see if I can repair it. I am very afraid to go up on the roof. I'm not sure that I can do it, so please pray for me that I won't fall off the roof, and if I can't get the courage to get up there, pray that I can find someone to fix it at a reasonable rate.
This week, please pray for the people of Fiji who experienced a terrible storm. There is a lot of damage there. Pray for aid and help to reach those people.
Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world. Syria, Iraq, Libya, and South Sudan are just a few of the nations in this world that need our prayers.
As we pray for the nations of the world to hear the message of Jesus' love this week, let us pray for Suriname, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
For the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the Apostles' Creed. We have been examining the Creed section by section to see what it has to teach us about the important doctrines of the Christian faith. Last week, we examined the importance of the doctrine of the Virgin birth of Jesus. There are a few things that I want to discuss about the relevance of this doctrine before I move on to the next section of the Creed.
It is important for us to recognize the fact that Jesus actually came in the flesh. He was not a spirit who appeared as if He possessed a physical body. The false doctrine that Jesus did not come in the flesh began early on in the church. The Apostle John writing in I John 1:1 touches on the the fact that this doctrine was starting even in his day. John makes the point that he saw Jesus, and he touched Jesus' physical body.
The idea that the physical body is evil and impure and is somehow imprisoning the spirit developed in the Gnostic beliefs and in other religions. This teaching is contrary to all of Scripture. Everything that God created is good. God created our physical bodies, and although they are touched by the effects of sin, they will one day be redeemed along with all of creation.
One day, the Bible teaches, we will receive a glorified body just like Jesus' glorified body. The Bible teaches a bodily resurrection. Paul speaks about this in I Thessalonians and in I Corinthians 15. Jesus spoke about the fact that those who were in the grave would rise bodily when He made His glorious return.
Some Christians hold to the mistaken notion that when we die we will just be a spirit that is in Heaven. This is not what the Bible teaches. We will receive a new body, and we will rule and reign with Jesus Christ upon this earth when He establishes His kingdom that will have no end.
Jesus taking upon Himself human flesh demonstrates the importance of the physical creation. It demonstrates that God has and will redeem us in body, soul and spirit.
Now, let us turn our attention to the the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate." I don't want to focus on the crucifixion of Jesus per se as we examine this section of the Creed. What I do want to point out is that this phrase points to the fact that Jesus was a real figure of history. The Creed fixes Jesus at a specific place and time in human affairs.
Pilate was an historical figure, and we have historical proof that he actually existed and ruled as the governor of the area of Judea. Jesus lived and ministered during this time. He suffered and died during a set historical period.
Jesus was not the figment of some people's imagination. He was the living and breathing God man. There is a great deal of historical evidence that Jesus lived. I think that the greatest proof of Jesus' actual historical existence is evidenced in the actions of His Apostles. They were willing to suffer terribly, and all of the Apostles but one were killed for their faith in Jesus. I seriously doubt that they all would have been willing to do this for something that they just fabricated.
The entire Bible is concerned with history, and historical evidence helps to bring validity to the Bible's accounts. For instance, there is much evidence for the events of the reign of King Hezekiah. Other kings are also verified by history. It makes for a very interesting study to examine all of the accounts of the Bible that are confirmed by history and archaeology.
There is another important aspect of the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate" that I would like to discuss. Jesus suffered. I believe that Jesus' entire life involved suffering. Think about it. As the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus enjoyed all of the splendors of Heaven. In order to redeem us and put the cosmic order back to right, Jesus came to this earth in the form of a servant as Paul puts it in Philippians. Leaving all that to become a man had to be suffering in and of itself. As a man, Jesus would have suffered what is common to all people all this earth.
However, Jesus suffered as no man has ever suffered. Jesus as the Lamb of God took our sins upon Himself as He was on the cross. He suffered separation from His Heavenly Father at this time causing Jesus to cry out, "My God, My God. Why have you forsaken Me." How Jesus must have suffered at this time. I can't even imagine it.
Jesus went through all of this for you and me. He suffered and died so that we might be redeemed and have forgiveness of sins and a new life in Him. He calls us now to place our faith and trust in His work on the cross. He invites us to make Him the Savior and Lord of our lives.
I have discussed many different topics this week. Next week, we will continue with our study of the Apostles' Creed. I will post the memory verses on Monday. I hope to have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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