“It’s our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities.”- Dumbledore (From Harry Potter)
This quote taken from the Harry Potter books/movies is a powerful little proverb that is a challenge to us to consider what our choices say about us. But is it really true? Are we nothing more than the sum total of choices and decisions? Certainly, the final hours of Jesus’s life leave many men with massive choices they must make. Most choose poorly and must deal with the consequences of those decisions. However, it’s not always this way because when Jesus enters the picture- things often get turned upside down. It’s because of Jesus that our choices- not matter how poor- don’t have to be our defining moment.
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Who killed Jesus? It’s a question that historians, theologians, and skeptics have debated for centuries. Was it the Jews, the Romans, Judas in his betrayal? The Biblical record seems to lay the blame in several places, but the ultimate reason goes well beyond the circumstances of Good Friday. The answer the Bible gives is a bit more complicated, but it’s also the very foundation of our hope.
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In Jesus’s final hours on earth, he desperately wanted the support of his friends- his disciples. As he goes to pray, they can’t even manage to stay awake for an hour with him. How does Jesus’s experience teach us a better way as a church? What does it look like to walk with someone in their darkest moments?
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From the debates of the reformation to the fiction novels of today, The Last Supper has been the subject of extensive debate and intrigue throughout history. What exactly was going on the night that Jesus redefined that Passover meal? Why has one meal become one of the central practices in all Christianity?
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Judas is the villain in our story. For that matter, he may be the most notorious villain in all of history. How does a man following Jesus and living as a disciple turn against him? How does the name Judas become synonymous with betrayal? It’s not as difficult as you might think. All it takes is an agenda you can’t quite give up.
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The Kingdom of Heaven is full of things that challenge our conventional wisdom. God doesn’t calculate things quite the way we do. In fact, Jesus often drives home the point that it’s exactly the opposite of what we assume. Over and over the point is driven home- the first shall be last and the king did not come to be served, but to serve. The implications for our lives are drastic and clear.
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Money is a powerful thing. It makes a lot of promises and often times, it can back up those promises- at least for a time. Jesus knows our hearts and the power money can have over them and he illustrates this with the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Like many, he thinks he’s got it all together and even a pretty good guy. Jesus knows his heart and makes it clear- he fails at the very first step in worshiping God.
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Covenant or contract? What’s the difference? Marriage is the union of two people- forever inseperable. So what happens when divorce starts to feel like the best option? That’s what the Pharisees wanted to know when they came to Jesus. What’s allowed? But if that’s the question they start with, then they don’t really understand what they’re asking.
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Our stories aren’t ours to hide and protect, but God writes our story so that we can share it. On Super Bowl Sunday, former NFL defensive linemen Anthony Toribio shares his story of God’s grace in his life. His story will challenge and encourage you, and right in middle of it is a God that works in ways we don’t even recognize when they happen.
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What story is your life telling? What are your core truths that drive that story? For those that follow Christ, our story must be about more than just ourselves. The Christian life is lived out as others help us and as we sacrificially give ourselves to others. When your story is finally written, what will it say?
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When all is said and done, what will your story be? Everyday we have pressures, inside and out, that are trying to shape our story. Those pressures are pushing us to conform, to hesitate, to hedge our bets, to protect ourselves, and to find hope in others. How you respond to those pressures will ultimately come down to what you believe to be true. What you believe to be true will be what shapes your story. You can see this play out in the lives of the disciples and in our own lives each and every day. (Find the video used in this sermon here.)
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Nicodemus was a man of considerable power and knowledge. “The Teacher of Israel,” is what Jesus called him, yet he knew Jesus was something more than just a teacher. He came with questions and Jesus’s answer left him with more. In Jesus’s answer, we learn of God’s sovereignty and our desperate need. Just what does Jesus want us to know when he talks about the new birth? The implications are sweeping and eternal.
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January 1st- A day loaded with so much potential and so much hope. As we start 2017, what are the things that we set before us as goals? How can 2017 be better than 2016? Two stories at the beginning of Jesus’s life can help us to orient our hearts and our minds around the one thing that really matters.
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The Christmas Story is one that has inspired and comforted people for thousands of years. We often think of the shepherds, the wise men, and the manger scene. Those are the ones that are a part of the story, but what about those that missed out? What about those that missed Christmas that night? Those that were too busy, too powerful, or too blind to see it. We never see ourselves as the ones that missed Christmas. We imagine we’d be right there with Mary on that night- but we probably have a lot more in common with the ones that missed it.
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Mary was a young girl that is told she’s found “favor with God.” Certainly we can look back on the Christmas story and understand what that meant, but she probably didn’t think being pregnant and alone felt like “favor.” What do you do when you find yourself in difficult circumstances that seem to be stacking against you? The same thing Mary did- you have faith in a God much bigger than you, and you worship.
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