Hello, and welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon. It is very good to be able to post the sermon again this week. I pray that all of you are doing well.
I have had a busy week at work and working around the house. I'm trying to get the last draft of my book done, but I have been delayed. I am feeling a little bit better. Tomorrow is my friend's memorial service. I would ask that you please pray for his family during this time of sorrow and hardship. Also, please pray that my roof doesn't have any more problems.
As we go to prayer this week, please pray for the problems that are facing this world. Pray that people would care about the environment and seek to protect the planet. Pray for an answer to the migrant crisis in Europe. Pray for those suffering as a result of disease and natural disaster.
Let us continue to pray that the message of the love of Jesus might continue to reach people all around the world. Please pray for the nations of Benin, Sierra Leone, Vietnam and Nepal.
For the past several weeks, we have been studying a series of messages concerning what the Apostles' Creed has to teach us. In last week's message, we began examining the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate." We focused on the fact of the historical reality of the ministry of Jesus Christ. We also touched on the fact that Jesus suffered for us.
I would like to pick up on the theme of the sufferings of Jesus in the message for today. Jesus certainly did suffer under Pontius Pilate. Jesus was beaten and mocked in a cruel and inhuman manner by Pilate and his Roman soldiers. Jesus suffered the terrible pain and humiliation of crucifixion. I can't even imagine the pain that Jesus suffered for us as He went through His ordeal before Pilate and on the cross. To think that Jesus suffered so that I might be redeemed makes me love the Lord Jesus and want to do what is pleasing to Him.
As I've thought about the sufferings of Jesus for the past several days, I have thought about the ways in which Jesus suffered and the ways I think that He suffers even now. I think that we can see quite clearly from the Bible that Jesus experienced suffering on various levels while He was here on earth.
First of all, as I mentioned briefly last week, Jesus suffered due to the fact that He took upon Himself the form of a servant and left the glories of Heaven to be born among us. That in my mind would have been a great form of suffering.
Jesus also suffered many of the things that we go through in life. For instance, Jesus experienced the sorrow of losing those who were close to Him. I think it is quite evident that Joseph died before Jesus began His ministry. I am without doubt that Jesus would have felt deep sorrow at the loss of the man who was His earthly father. Jesus also suffered the loss of a friend. Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died.
Jesus also suffered as a result of being misunderstood throughout His life. People ridiculed the circumstances of His birth, and the people of His hometown of Nazareth didn't want to listen to what He had to say. At one point, Jesus' cousin John the Baptist even expressed some doubt as to who Jesus was.
Jesus also suffered rejection on different levels. He was rejected by those He had come to save. The Bible says that He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. The Bible also said that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem knowing that they would not heed the message that He was bringing to them. In fact, when offered the choice by Pilate of Jesus or Barabbas the criminal, the people chose Barabbas. They said that they would not have Jesus to reign over them. They shouted for Jesus to be crucified. At one point, Jesus even experienced the rejection of His family. The Gospels record that Jesus' brothers mocked Him in John 7 and once they thought Jesus was insane and tried to take Him away.
I think that one of the things that caused Jesus great suffering in the world was when He was betrayed by someone who pretended to be His friend. When someone who is close to you turns their back on you, it hurts very deeply. There is no emotional hurt like it.
One other way that Jesus suffered while on this earth was that it broke His heart to see people in the state that they were in. It hurt Jesus that people were in spiritual distress like sheep without a shepherd. It hurt Him to see so many people that were sick and hurting mentally and physically.
These are just some of the ways that I believe Jesus suffered while He was on earth. However, there are things that I believe bring suffering to Jesus even now.
I think that it hurts Jesus' heart when He looks at what people have done in His name that is wrong and hurtful. When people are violent in the name of Jesus and harm others, this causes pain to the Lord.
When those who claim to be His followers do not act in the manner that He taught them to act, this causes Jesus suffering. So many say Lord, Lord, yet they do not do what He says. We see a world that is hurting and in need, yet we pass by on the other side and do not stop to aid those who need to experience the love of Jesus through us.
Jesus feels the suffering of rejection even today. Only 30 percent of the people of this world are Christians in any form. Roughly 70 percent of the world's population has rejected Jesus and turned to other gods or no god at all. Even though Jesus has given His life for this world, this world still turns its back on Him.
I believe that Jesus suffers when He sees the current state of the church. There is so much fighting and disunity in the body of Christ that it must cause Jesus great sorrow.
Because Jesus knows what it is to suffer, it allows Him to comfort us in the midst of our sufferings in this life. Hebrews 4:15 says it this way, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points temped like as we are, yet without sin." Jesus has been were we are, so He know what we are going through.
When I have experienced times of hardship in my life, it has been comforting to realize that Jesus is with me and helping me. He can be with me in a special way, because He knows what I am going through. He understands. He has been there.
When I lost those who were closest to me, I knew that Jesus lost so many He loved, and He speaks peace to my heart and comforts me with the knowledge of one who has experienced the same thing.
Jesus experienced the sufferings and hardships of this life. He can help you through the most difficult circumstances you face. He simply wants us to ask Him to help us. He is always with us whether we realize it or not, because Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us. He is full of compassion, and we can cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us.
If you have not turned your life over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you don't know what you are missing. Jesus is the best friend that you could ever have. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. If you turn to Him, He will forgive you, and He will be by your side throughout this life, and you will be with Him in His presence in the world that is to come.
Next week, we will continue our Apostles' Creed series by examining the phrase, "He was crucified, dead and buried." In this message, I want to examine the various ideas of the atonement that have been prominent in Christian history. On Monday, I will post more memory verses. I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment