“A Father’s Heart is Healed” (Mark 9:14-29)

S-1514 16SAP/3B 9/13/2015 Hymns: (O) #725; (S) #728; LS #629; #632; #633; (C) #729

Texts: Isaiah 50:4-10; James 3:1-12; Mark 9:14-29

Theme: “A Father’s Heart is Healed” (Mark 9:14-29)

Question: “Does your heart ache when you see injustice?” (5^th sermon at Trinity)

(This sermon will be preached in Narrative style. I am dressed as a first century Jew from the Galilee area)

As I stand before you on this glorious day, I declare to you the joy and happiness that fills my heart to overflowing. But it wasn’t always that way. There was a time when my heart was heavy without help or hope. Tears flowed easily every night as I went to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in prayers on behalf of my son…But that was then.

Please forgive my rudeness and interruption in your service today. I should have introduced myself to you. My name is Moshe ben Yohanan, (Moses son of John) and my son whom you heard his story in your Bible reading today is Yaacov ben Moshe, ben Yohanan (Jacob, son of Moses, son of John). My wife Ruth and I were looking forward to having a family. Shortly after our wedding, my wife informed me I am going to be a father and I was happy. We announced it in the Synagogue and our village. All of the elders and neighbors congratulated us on the news and wished us the blessings of the God of Israel upon the new arrival.

But soon that happiness turned to sorrow. Our young toddler was different. Pain filled my heart and life as I watched my Yaacov throw himself into the fire and water. Oh, I tried to help him, but couldn’t. The evil spirit that possessed him almost destroyed his life. I felt helpless against the demons. I took him to every doctor in our village but to no avail. I spent a fortune, but didn’t get any results.

Then one day I heard of a Rabbai from Nazareth by the name of Yeshuah Ha Massiah, (Jesus the anointed One) so I brought my Yaacov to His disciples but they couldn’t help him. Then I brought Him to the Rabbi and that’s when help and hope was offered to me. PAUSE.

I came to this Rabbi pleading to Him to remove the demon from my Yaacov. At the sight of the Rabbi the evil spirit immediately convulsed my son. He fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.  Then, the Rabbi Yeshuah asked me, “How long has this been happening to him?” I responded, “From childhood. I told Him that often the demon threw him into fire and into water, to destroy him.”

Then, I pleaded, “Rabbi, if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to me, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately I cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” To believe in God’s Word is a difficult thing. How challenging it is to trust Him always. How taxing it is to put all of our hopes in Him. We rely so much on our own power to do everything to get ourselves from difficult situations. Add to that, the many obstacles the devil throws at us to doubt God’s Words of love, hope and forgiveness for us sinners. These are struggles I faced, and am sure you face them too. (move to a different location)

But then…then my ears were riveted to His Word and eyes were glued to His touch. In mercy He spoke a loving word and touched my son and restored him to my wife and I. Oh that feeling of joy that flows in my heart. That day I knew that miracles do happen. “That day the Lord delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; and knew that I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:8-9). That day my heart was healed!

Today, because of the Rabbi from Nazareth, I believe what our Torah taught. I believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the ONLY true God and with Him there is nothing impossible. He can heal, open the eyes of the blind, deliver those who are demon possessed and raise people from the dead. My son Yaacov was one person among many whom this Rabbi touched, healed and restored. PAUSE.

But sadly, not all of our Jewish leaders liked Him. I even heard that when He traveled to Jerusalem, He was captured by the Pharisees’ guards. He was dragged in chains to the High Priest and interrogated illegally, spat upon, beaten mercilessly and condemned to death. I couldn’t believe the news I was hearing. Why? What crime has He committed?…

I never heard anything out of His mouth but kindness. I heard others from our neighboring villages telling of the many kind deeds and miracles He performed. He touched many lives. He even turned water into wine and fed multitudes of people around the Sea of Galilee with five loaves and two fish.

(Look up in disgust and disbelief) At hearing the heart-breaking news that He was sent to Pilate—the Roman governor, who gave the order to crucify Him; my heart ached and almost stopped beating. I still can’t believe the news…It can’t be! He is so kind and caring, loving and merciful, compassionate and gracious. Yet, some hated and wanted Him dead, {raise voice} DEAD, because they were afraid to lose their power over the people.

My heart was heavy again. Tears run down my cheeks and I began to wonder how did His Father feel? (move around and face people) Can you imagine His Father watching His Son being beaten by the Roman soldiers? Can you hear the whip running across His back? Do you hear the pounding of the nails into His hands and feet? Can you see the blood running down and gathering on the dirt beneath His crucified body?

I was sick to my stomach. I felt His Father’s pain. But I heard a report from others who were in Jerusalem saying that even while the Rabbi from Nazareth was on the cross, He showed compassion to His enemies crying out to His Father: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they do!” (Luke 23:34). After that He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” and He died. (Luke 23:46). They lowered His body and some of His secret disciples wrapped Him and laid Him in a tomb. PAUSE.

(Change location and rub my mustache and face).

I still can’t believe the news. It can’t be. But it is true…You know what is even truer. Word had gone out that on the third day, He rose from the grave. Oh, yes, the Jewish leaders were trying to deny it. But I tell you many saw Him and for over 40 days He showed Himself to many.

I then, remembered His Words to my Yaccov when I brought my son to Him so long ago: “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” I then said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” The Holy Spirit helped me believe, grow in walk of faith, and trust Him more than ever. Faith had taken hold of me and my heart was made sure that this Rabbi is truly God’s own Son who came into the world to take away our sins.

Our prophet Isaiah put it this way, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (Is. 53:4-7).

Today, I stand before you and tell you the true story of a father’s heart that was healed by the touch of the Rabbi Jesus—that father was me. I want you to know that He is STILL alive today. He can touch your hearts and heal them from every pain and anguish as He did mine and my son. In fact He has already. He did it in His suffering, death and resurrection from the grave. All of Scripture testify about Him as the God who came to earth to save us—sinners. Please don’t let your troubles or trials keep you away from Him. Don’t let the demons within you keep you away. Don’t let issues in your lives or church keep you away. Instead come to Him in faith and cry out to Him, as I did, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And know for certain, He hears the cries of His people and comes to their aid.

I am glad you gave me the opportunity to let you know what happened to my family so long ago. And I pray that you would tell this story to others that they too, may worship and believe in the Rabbi from Nazareth, Yshuah ha Massiah.

Moshe leaves the stage without any words.

“Numbers of Hope-40” (Mark 1:12-13)

S-1477 AW/3B 2/18/2015 Hymns: (O) #135; (S) #483; (C) #134

Texts: Mark 1:12-13

Theme: “Numbers of Hope-40” (Mark 1:12-13)

1^st sermon in sermon series on “Numbers of Hope”

The Opening Hymn: “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary” # 145

The First Narrative: Numbers of Hope! Numbers from Genesis to Revelation are written into the text of the Holy Scriptures by the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. Hope is our number one need in life. It has been said that a person can live 60 days without food, 8 days without water, a few minutes without air, but not a second without hope.

The Hope that this world offers is at best iffy. Presidential candidates offer people all kinds of hope when they are running for office. However, should they get elected, by the time they finish their terms, they stumble and stagger out of their office with a long string of broken promises behind them—leaving people deeply disappointed—destroyed dreams and dashed hope.

Young people today counselors tell us are extremely disillusioned because they have been lied to so often that they don’t know who to believe. As a result they navigate through life without hope. This is why this house of worship exists...a house of hope...to give help to the helpless, hope to hopeless, and heaven to the heaven-less...that neither death nor moth, nor thieves can take away or destroy.

There is in history but One book that is available to all—a book of hope one can bank on—the Bible. The Bible is the story from front to finish how God through Jesus Christ keeps His powerful living promises. This is what hope is. Hope is faith toward the future based on what God in Christ has done perfectly in the past—for you! Because of the lively hope we have through a living Savior, who went to the cross for us and overcame death for us, we view the future with an optimism that is rooted in the perfect merits of Christ.

On top of that, we are convinced that Jesus is working EVERYTHING together for the good of His Bride—the Church. It may not look that way at times when we see history unraveling but God’s perfect record rooted in Christ’s dying love tells us otherwise. Tonight we note our first number of hope. It is the number FORTY. It is a number of testing and trial and triumph.

The number of forty is a fitting number for our first Lenten season service. Forty days we set aside to study carefully how Jesus went through the most difficult tests and trials in history to triumph over all things necessary for our eternal salvation. These Forty days begin our slow measured journey to the cross where we see Jesus bloodied, scourged, and slaughtered...

These forty days initiate at the time the Church studies how Jesus endured forty days in the wilderness constantly tempted by the devil. While the first Adam tumbled terribly in the Garden of Eden while living in plush perfect conditions, Jesus, the Second Adam overcame the devil while enduring the harsh conditions of the wilderness—with its hot burning sand in the day and chilling coolness at night.

For us, for forty days Jesus felt acute agonizing hunger—eating nothing. For us, for forty days Jesus felt the extremes of climate change draining His body to the point of complete exhaustion. Angels ministered to Jesus after these forty days just as they administered to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when the weight of the world’s sin pressed down upon His sinless shoulders. For us, Jesus felt for forty days the haunting solitude and loneliness and the howling of wild animals so that as the master Carpenter He could begin to rebuild our broken planet, broken lives, and broken families. His perfect work and perfect keeping of the promises of God on our behalf is our perfect foundation for salvation, for life, and eternity. And so we sing:

The Hymn My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less # 370

The Second Narrative: As Jesus travailed in the wilderness for forty days and nights, undoubtedly He thought about this number forty and how it was connected with the promises of God throughout history. It was Jesus who gave Noah the blueprints for the building of the ark and three forty year periods of time to build the ark—120 years all total. You recall how it rained forty days and forty nights as God covered all the earth with floodwaters. After the flood God promised never to destroy the earth again with a worldwide flood. And God promised to restore the whole broken planet with a new heaven and new earth.

In salvation history the number forty continued to show up in the Bible. Moses would spend his first forty years at Pharaoh's court, forty years tending sheep in the wilderness, and forty years leading God's people through the wilderness. It was a time of continuous testing, trial, and in the end—triumphant as Moses went to heaven—the real Promise Land.

For forty days Goliath taunted the children of Israel. Behind the scenes the devil was using Goliath as a ten foot tall giant hit man to destroy Israel and render the promise of a coming Savior null and void. Jesus, however, raised up a shepherd boy by the name of David to take five smooth stones and turn Goliath into dead bones. After forty days God essentially said, “Times up, Goliath! Time for judgment so that My promise of salvation to the world can go on. And on it went!” King David would reign forty years—33 in Jerusalem...both numbers pointing to the Hope of history, Jesus. Solomon’s temple would be forty cubits long—pointing to the ultimate temple, Jesus, the Hope of history. (1 Kings 6:17) When the devil again sought to destroy the promise of a coming Savior by destroying Judah, King David defeated the Arameans killing forty thousand infantry. (1 Chronicles 19:18).

Forty, forty, forty...pointing ultimately to Jesus, pointing to how God keeps His promises of a coming Savior, pointing to how God wants us to see how the whole Bible hangs together. These numbers are little threads connected with the big redemptive thread of Jesus Christ is the One sure bet in history. The hope that Jesus’ brings is not only spectacular, but sure, solid, unbreakable, and unending. And so we sing:

The Hymn Savior, When In Dust to Thee # 166

The Third Narrative: Hope was a time of testing for the people of Nineveh. Jonah, whose name means “dove” told them “Forty more days and Nineveh will be toast!” (Jonah 4:4) The people of Nineveh listened and trusted in Jesus as the object of their faith and hope. (Jonah 4:5) That hope came to them through One far greater than Jonah, the Lord Jesus, who would dwell in the belly of the earth just as Jonah dwelt in the belly of the great fish. Jesus would also dwell in the belly of a womb—the Virgin Mary.

After Jesus was born, as a child He was taken to the temple in Jerusalem forty days later. He was taken there not only to fulfill the law for us but to bring forgiveness of sins for His mother. The two doves offered by Mary for her purification ironically came through the Child she brought to the temple—the One true sacrifice for all sin. (Leviticus 12:1-4; Luke 2:22-24).

It just wasn’t forty days after His birth but the cruel forty lashes minus one just before His death that marked the life of our Lord. The flesh of His body was cut not only on the eighth day but ripped off His back on His last day before death. Forty lashes minus one for the One who knew no sin. This forty is one more reminder of how deeply Jesus loves us to endure this awful punishment for our sin.

After Jesus rose from the dead He would spend forty days with the disciples showing Himself alive and well. Eleven recorded appearances saving the twelfth recorded one for the end of history. Forty days after He rose bodily from the dead He would ascend into the heavens in a cloud to signal the way He would reappear one day. On the fortieth day after He rose Jesus ascended as St. Paul writes “to fill all things,” that is, to exercise His authority as Lord. Now He is far less than forty inches from all of us as He dwells in our heart. Tonight this risen Savior even gives us His body and blood for added grace upon grace.

May this number 40, sanctified and enlisted by the Giver of all numbers, the Lord Jesus, increase your faith, hope, and love! The revelation of this number is one more Messianic manner in which the Holy Spirit reveals to us how intimately God is at work in history through the Church—the House of Hope. Forty lashes minus one for you...forty days in the wilderness for you...Forty days this Lenten season for you...to learn more about His love. Amen.

The Hymn On My Heart Imprint Your Image 179

Now the peace of God…

SOLI DEO GLORIA