Brought to Jesus - John 1.42

 

"Brought to Jesus" John 1.42

 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Introduction

     During the Christmas season we remember the way God came into the world. The Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary. During the Epiphany season we remember the way Jesus was revealed and made manifest to be the Son of God to the world. Since we are all by nature sinners, we do not seek God. Instead God seeks us. God said through the prophet Isaiah, "I was found by those who did not seek Me" (65.1). Throughout the Bible we see this again and again. When Adam and Eve first sinned, they hid from God, but He found them and brought them back. God found Abraham when, as the Bible says, he was "a wandering Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26.5). One by one, every believer was found by God and brought to God. All the apostles were found by Jesus and He drew them to Himself (John 12.32). That is how we become Christians, we are brought to Christ. As we shall see that is both a great comfort to us, and it is the key to living the Christian life and bringing others to Christ. 

Jesus Is the Messiah

     After Jesus was baptized, God revealed to the world that He was His own Son. Immediately people were being drawn to Him. In our Gospel lesson today from John chapter one we see how the first disciples were brought to Jesus. Our featured disciple this morning is Andrew, he is one that we don't hear much about in the New Testament. But what he did is something we should all remember: He brought his brother Peter to Jesus. 

     Andrew was blessed to be brought to John the Baptist. He heard John proclaim that Jesus was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Why did John call Jesus a "lamb." That's not a mighty animal at all. Are there any football teams called "The Lambs"? If there was, people would laugh at a name like that. But John knew what he was talking about. Jesus was "The Lamb of God" because Jesus was the lamb of sacrifice for all of us sinners. God, who knows all things, knew that the only salvation from the horrible problem of sin was love, sacrificial love. Sin is full of anger, hate, and violence. On Judgement Day God will deal with sin in that way. Romans 1.18 tells us that God's wrath is "revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness." But to deliver us from that wrath, God first came to the horrible problem of sin in love, through Christ, the Messiah, His Annointed One. 

     Last Sunday I mentioned the four ways we know Jesus is the Messiah. The first is through the prophecies of the Old Testament. All of them tell us that the Messiah will take away sin and bring righteousness, not by more rules, but by grace, by forgiveness. This forgiveness will be earned by His suffering and dying. The second is through Jesus' teaching. The Gospels give us a one sentence summary of His teaching: Jesus preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand" (Matthew 3.2; Mark 1.15). The third way is through His miracles which were all given to save lives from the effects of sin. The fourth way is through His resurrection from the dead. In His resurrection Jesus proved that sin, death, and the devil were defeated. 

Four Wrong Ways

     This so important for us to know and believe. But we don't know it and believe by nature. Our nature is the opposite. Let's think about the three ways that human beings deal with sin. 

     The first and most ancient and common way is to Compensate. All other religions are based on the idea that we can oversome sin by trying to be good. The answer to sin is rules. Pray, give offerings, and force yourself to be a better person. Paul lived this way for many years as a Pharisee. But he finally had to admit that he was still a "wretched man" (Romans 7.24). No amount of good works can compensate for or removed the guilt of sin. That is just being honest. 

     The second way is to Compare. "Well, I'll admit I'm a sinner, but there are a lot of people worse than me." This person thinks that because others sin worse, God will somehow overlook their sins. But if God overlooks sin, He becomes a sinner Himself for He has commanded in James 2.10 "Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it." Pointing to the sins of others is just a deflection. You can't just break a window a little. If you break it, you break the whole thing. 

     The third has become very strong in the last decade. This is the temptation to politicize sin. Karl Marx taught that there are oppressors and the oppressed. Although baptized in the Lutheran Church, Marx rejected God and interpreted everything in terms of the material world. In this view, even if a person does something wrong he blames it on his economic circumstances. Only the oppressors are bad, and all the evils of the world are blamed on them. But the Bible warns against this very thing. "Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God" (Proverbs 30.8-9). The rich and poor can both be sinners, and neither should excuse themselves because of their political and economic circumstances. 

     The fourth way may not be that popular, but it is growing. Some people think they can overcome the problem of sin by saying there is no such thing as sin. Driven by their worship of science and denying any place for God, the spiritual world, and the soul, they say all things are determined by our molecules. ALL THINGS. NO OTHER ASPECT OF LIFE. Since it's all just biochemistry, no one is guilty of anything because we are either born that way or conditioned to be that way. This is the moral insanity that fuels all mass murderers. The Bible is clear about this: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no god'" (Psalm 14.1).

Saved

     Joel Chandler Harris was from Georgia. In the 1800s he went around and talked to former slaves to hear their stories. He put them together in a book titled "Uncle Remus Stories." If you want some good hearty laughs, please read this book. One story is about Brer Fox who was frustrated that Brer Rabbit kept tricking him. So he made a doll out of tar and set it up by the road. Brer Rabbit comes along and greets the Tar-Baby. When the Tar-Baby doesn't respond, he gets angry and starts punching and kicking it. Sure enough he gets completeley stuck to it. I'm not going to give away the end of the story, but I'll stop here to show how sin is like that Tar-Baby. We can't fight it ourselves. The more we do, the more we get stuck to it. We have to be pulled from it. We have to be cleansed of it. 

     I would like you to think about how you have been pulled and saved from the tar-pit of sin. Paul said, "By grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2.8). I was saved by my parents who brought me to Christ in baptism, prayers, Bible stories, and the catechism. Even after that God brought other people in my life who pulled me back from sin and temptation. If someone asks me how I became and Christian, I have to honestly say that God called me to faith by the Gospel that was given to me by many different people. My becoming a Christian was not my natural choice. It was God's choice as Jesus said, "You did not choose Me. I chose you" (John 15.16). Every day I thank God that, like Peter, I was brought to Jesus. 

For What?

     It doesn't end there. I said earlier that being brought to Jesus is a great comfort (it doesn't depend on us), and it is the key to living the Christian life and bringing others to Jesus. When you realize that you are a poor miserable sinner and cannot escape from sin, but that God rescued you from it anyway - what a great joy that is. Now, doing what God wants us to do is not a burden or chore. It's a blessing. I don't keep the commandments because I'm trying to save myself. I'm doing them because I'm already saved. I'm doing them out of thanksgiving to God. 

     I mentioned that Andrew is not the most well-known disciple. There's very little we know about him. But this little thing that he did is mentioned here in the Gospel for a good reason. God is telling us that everything we do as a Christian saved from the guilt of sin is important to Him. Let me emphasize that: EVERY LITTLE THING. 

     This is one of my favorite examples of that. One day an unhappy man was walking along a railroad track in India. As he walked he saw a cigarette butt that had some writing on it. Being bored as well as sad, he picked it up and unrolled it. Apparently someone had taken a Christian tract and used it for a rolling paper to make a cigarette. It was mostly burned up, but the few words that were left were these: "Whoever calls upon the Lord will be saved" from Romans 10.13. Well, this sounded okay to him. Maybe he should look into it. When he got to the next village, he began asking people about these words. Someone told him it was from the Bible and that he should go talk to the pastor in that village. He did, and when he heard the full Gospel, he believed and he was brought to Christ. This is also a good example of a small act of Christian love that brought someone to Christ. It might have seemed like a waste. Someone gave some money to a Christian tract society. They printed the tract and sent it to India. Someone brought in the train and hopefully read it. But someone else didn't care about it turned it into a cigarette. But God wasn't done with the small act of Christian love. The sad man picked up the butt and was brought to Christ. 

Conclusion

     Everything we do by faith in God has that same potential. Your coming to worship this morning makes a difference. People notice. When someone speak evil of you and love them anyway, people notice. When you do wrong and apologize instead blaming and playing the victim, people notice. When you live as a person who has been brought to Christ, that brings other people to Christ as well. God bless you this week as you remember this little passage about Andrew: "And he brought Him to Jesus." May it be a comfort that you were brought to Jesus, and may that comfort bring others to Jesus. Amen. 

Question 3 What Has This One God Done?

 Question 3 What Has This One God Done?

He made the world, saved the world, and saves me by faith in Jesus.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3.16

Meditation

The Bible teaches us at least these three things: The the works of God, the character of God, and the promises of God. God usually begins with His works which show us His character, and His works and character provide the foundation for His promises. In the creation we see the all-powerful character of God. In His forgiveness of Adam and Eve we see His mercy. Based on all of this God delivers His promise of salvation from sin and death through the future Messiah who will crush the serpent’s head. 

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God, “Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139.14). Thank You for teaching me all the things You have done, and thank You especially for saving me from all my bad works through the person and work of Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen. 

Hymn

Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation.

Oh my soul praise Him for He is Your health and salvation.

Let all who hear, now to His temple draw near,

Joining in glad adoration. 

This series of devotions is based on the questions found in the Explanation to Martin Luther's Small Catechism, 2017 edition. I highly recommend purchasing this book in print, Kindle, or app form. 

Trinity = Salvation

 Trinity = Salvation

John 8.48-59

 

The Jews answered him, Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? 49 Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. 52 The Jews said to him, Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? 54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, He is our God. 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. 57 So the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Introduction

 

    Christian friends and all who are listening - Today we are remembering and rejoicing that God is the Triune God - The God of our salvation. This morning I will show you how this truth comes from the Old and New Testaments. But most importantly I want to show you WHY the Trinity is important. Only this God, the Triune God is the God of salvation and the God who gives us forgiveness and eternal life. When you hear the word "trinity," you shouldn't just think "mystery." It is a mystery. It is something that cannot be understood, and it must be believed. But more than that, when you hear the word "trinity," you should think, "salvation." Because that is what the Triune God is all about. 

 

The Old Testament Points to the Trinity

 

     Let's begin with the Old Testament. We can say without a doubt that the Old Testament points to the Trinity and the New Testament reveals the Trinity. How does the Old Testment point to the Trinity?  It does so in several ways.

 

     First, the Old Testament emphasizes that God is not just another one of the many false God's that men have imagined. The Old Testament teaches that there is only one true God who created the world, who established the laws of nature and the laws of the soul, and who alone saves. Ancient people believed in multiple gods often associated with certain powers such as power over the weather, power for war, power for life, etc. Some modern religions still teach that their are mulitple gods for multiple purposes such as the Hindu religion. All of these gods were thought to coexist and often compete with each other. Leviticus 19.4 tells us that anything that claims to be God, other than the true God is an "idol." The Hebrew word it uses for "idol" is also the word for what is "worthless" or literally, a "nonentity." ln Deuteronomy 6.4 Moses gave one of the most important passages about God when he said, "The LORD our God, the LORD is ONE." 

 

     But the word for "one" that is used here can also include more than one person. So in Genesis 2.24 we read that when Adam and Eve were married, the "two" became "one ( אֶחָד echad) flesh." This is the same word. But when the Bible wants to emphasize only one person, it uses a different word as in the case of Isaac, the "one and only" (Genesis 22.2 יָחִידyachid) son of Abraham and Sarah. This broadens our understanding of God. So in the creation we read about God who created the world and the Spirit of God who hovered over the waters. Last Sunday we heard God say regarding the Tower of Babel, "Let Us go down there and confuse their language" (Genesis 9.7). Some say this has nothing to do with God being more than one person. It is, they say, a figure of speech, a "plural of majesty." But if that is so, then why do we continue to hear of mysterious persons, beings in the Old Testament who are neither men or angels. I'm referring to the "Angel of the LORD," and to the person called "Melchizedek." These are neither men nor angels. They are the persons of God. Finally, the prophecies of the Messiah point not to a heroic man or an angel, but to God as in Psalm 110.1 "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand.'" Or Isaiah which tells us "My righterous Servant shall make many righteous, for He will bear their iniquities" (53.11). In all these ways the Old Testament prepares us for and points us to the Triune God which is revealed fully to us in the New Testament.

 

The Trinity Revealed in the New Testament

 

     Right now many people are planting and tending to vegetable and flower gardens. First the seeds are planted, and the vegetables begin to sprout and leaf out. Next they flower and create buds that will eventually turn into fruit - tomatos, peppers,  cucumbers, etc. The verses of the Old Testament that tell us about the Trinity are like those buds. The New Testament takes what the Old Testament taught us about God and fills it out. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce the conception of Jesus, He told her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1.35). See how beautifully the bud of Old Testament verses comes to full fruit. We have the Holy Spirit, the Highest One, and the Son of God all in one verse. At Jesus' baptism He is affirmed by the Father as the Beloved Son with the Holy Spirit hovering over in the form of a dove (Mark 1.10). On almost every page of the New Testament we have either the Son and the Father or the Spirit or all three. Jesus said that He and the Father are one (John 10.30), and that He sends forth the the Holy Spirit (John 15.26). Finally, Jesus commissioned the apostles to make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.19).

 

     The New Testament beautifully reveals to us the reality and the truth of the Trinity. But there is one thing it doesn't do. The New Testament does not explain it. How is it possible for three to be one or one to be three? People have tried conceptualize it or illustrate it with a three leaf clover that has three leaves but one stem or as an apple with three parts: The seeds, the fruit, and the peel. But none of these things really explain the how God is three persons yet one God. The Apostle Paul tells us that all of this is a great mystery that can only be believed: "Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh (Father & Son), justified in the Spirit (Holy Spirit), seen by angels (not an angel), preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world (for salvation), received up in glory" (1 Timothy 3.16). The Trinity is like many other divine truths such as God being eternal, all-knowing, and all-powerful. We can't understand these things, but we are able to believe them. And, most of all, we are able to be blessed by these divine realities. 

 

The Trinity = Salvation

 

     In our Gospel lesson today, we heard of a heated argument between Jesus and the Jews who did not believe in Him. The argument began after Jesus had fed the five thousand people with loaves and fishes. He then claimed to be "the bread which came down from heaven" (6.41); "the light of the world" (8.12); and that those who did not believe in Him would die in their sins (8.24). It came to a climax when Jesus said, "Before Abraham, I AM." The Jews who didn't believe in Jesus knew that Jesus was referring to the Old Testament name of God, Yahweh, which means "I Am." But the argument wasn't just a question of who exactly is the Messiah. The main part of the argument had to do with what people believed the Messiah would do. Jesus said that the Messiah came to save us from our sins. This is why the Trinity is so important. God gave the world the forgiveness of sins because His Son gave His life as a sacrifice on the cross. It is the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, that "cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 2.7). When we hear the word "trinity," we shouldn't think so much about the mystery of it. Rather, we should think about, believe, and rejoice in the miracle of it. It is because of the Trinity that we have forgiveness and salvation. This is why I like to say "Trinity = Salvation." The Jews who were arguing with Jesus didn't believe they needed His forgiveness. They believed, as many people today believe, both Jews and non-Jews, that they can earn their salvation - that kind of salvation is a reward not a redemption. 

 

     This is the heart of my message today. Please do not fall into this temptation of thinking that you are good enough for God without His forgiveness, or that on the last day heaven will be a reward to you from God for being a decent person. This deception will keep more people out of heaven than anything else. Satan does not have to turn us into murderers. All he has to do is convince us that we don't really need to be sorry for our sins and seek God's forgiveness. This leads to a life of complancecy or pride - but not to a life of faith, hope, and love - a life of joy in Jesus and in God's salvation. We should leave worship today rejoicing in the truth that God is a triune God who saves us from our sins in Jesus, a God who send us His Holy Spirit to live new lives of faith and obedience not because we expect to be rewarded, but because we know we are redeemed. 

 

Conclusion

 

     Today we will confess the long Athanasian Creed. This creed was written to impress upon us - despite all the different attacks against the true God down through the ages - that God is Three Persons and One God - the God of our Salvation! The creed emphasizes that each person of the Trinity has divine names, divine attributes, divine works and is to be worshipped. As we come to the end of the creed you will notice that the creed sounds more like the Apostles' or Nicene creeds with an emphasis our salvation in Jesus. But it also emphasizes good works without which we cannot be saved. These works are not the efforts of men trying to earn a reward from God. The whole point of the long creed is to show that the Trinity is our salvation. Therefore our works are important because they are the evidence of our faith and our joy in God's salvation. They are the fruit of the Trinity loving faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as Isaiah so beautifully records for us in these words: "And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 'Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God (the Triune God), and there is no other."  Amen.