Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 16.21–28

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Matthew 16.21–28


Jesus, here, explains to His friends, the Twelve, what is going to happen, what must happen. And Peter responds. I think that it’s helpful to understand that Peter responds as a friend. He has deep affection for Jesus and, as a result, makes it clear that he doesn’t want anything like what Jesus has described to happen to Him. Now listen to what Jesus says in response.

Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Wow! Jesus is pretty blunt here. You might even say that He is being harsh. ‘Get behind me, Satan’?!?

Why would Jesus speak in this way to someone who is trying to be a friend? Here is one reason. Peter is acting as Satan’s mouthpiece here, to tempt Jesus away from the Cross. Jesus doesn’t need that. Being faithful to His calling to die will be hard enough without any friends adding to that difficulty.

To be sure, Peter doesn’t want to serve Satan. But that’s what he is doing. Why? Jesus identifies the problem. Peter’s thinking is off. He’s thinking in the same way that the rest of humanity would think.

For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Jesus calls for more than that from him.

Now, let’s go a little further to see why Peter thinks in the way that he does. Listen to something Jesus says after His resurrection.

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25–27

Peter’s thinking about what was to happen to Jesus was off because he did not believe Moses and the prophets. They were quite clear about the necessity of Jesus’ suffering the Cross and the resurrection that followed. And just as Jesus expected those two on the road to Emmaus to know this, He expected Peter to know it, too.

Peter thought like everyone else because he didn’t know (and believe) his Bible. It was out of this failure that Peter spoke to Jesus as a tool of Satan. And Jesus chewed out him for his error.

Here’s one take away for you to consider. How are you doing at getting to know your Bible better? Do you really think that you know it well enough? Are you able to think accurately as a disciple or do you want Jesus to chew you out too because you think about life in the same way that everyone else does? How you think determines how you live. There’s something here to pray about.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 15.10-28

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:10–28

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Once again, I’m going limit myself to looking at one sentence from the reading, something Jesus said to His disciples.

Are you also still without understanding? 

Let’s spend a little time poking at this. I think that it will prove most helpful.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 14.22–33

Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” Matthew 14.22–33

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This week I’d like to comment on a sentence that you might have read too quickly and not noticed.

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray...

So, Jesus went off by Himself to pray. I wonder what He prayed about. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know. Well, the text doesn’t tell us what He prayed about in this situation, but the Bible is pretty clear about what Jesus prayed about at other times. Let’s consider some of them.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 11.16–19, 25– 30

But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, ’We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. … At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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Life is filled (and sometimes overfilled) with problems, issues, questions, and crises. It’s part of what it means to live in a world corrupted by sin. So, it is no surprise that one thing that we all desire is a little rest, getting away from all of that. Different people define what ‘a little rest’ looks like in different ways. For some, it’s vacation time. For others, it’s ‘just a little time for myself’. And then, for others, it’s taking something that makes it all just fade away. Sometimes life just gets to be a bit much.

Jesus knows what this life is like. Remember, He was here. So, He knows all about how we ‘labor and are heavy laden’. He understands our weariness with the burdens of life.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 10.40–42 Rewards

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Matthew 10:40-42

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Today, I am going to comment on just one word that Jesus said in this short passage. It’s the word ‘reward’. I thought it would be good to do this because it seems to me that this notion of reward is not well understood by so many Christians.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading: Matthew 10:24–39

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:24–39                                                

This lectionary reading continues Jesus’ words to the Twelve as He sends them off on a short-term ministry trip. Here, Jesus wants to prepare these men for what they will face as they travel among the people of God preaching, healing and casting out demons. I suspect this is a little practice run, a little training, in anticipation of when they will be going far beyond Israel’s borders after Jesus ascends to heaven.

Comment on a Lectionary Reading Matthew 9.35-10.8

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Matthew 9:35–10:8

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In this reading we see Jesus sending out His apostles to ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’. It is important to see clearly the motivation for this mission: ‘When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ The plight of sheep without a shepherd has been a rather significant theme for me. And that is because it has something very important to say to churches today.

Mourning

I think that most of us have grown up being told, in one way or other, that we are to pursue the good life. We have also been told what that is supposed to look like. Well, as with everything else, we need to examine such things using the Gospel. It helps to note that Jesus gives some pointers on what the good life actually looks like. One place He does that is in that list that we have come to call the Beatitudes. This is, in part, Jesus’ idea of the good life, the blessed life.

This morning we’re going to spend a little time exploring Jesus’ idea of the good life. We’re not going to look at all of those listed blessings - just one. And this is the one that I have in mind.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5.4

We’re going to take a look at mourning. That may seem to be an odd topic to take a look at, particularly if we’re talking about enjoying the good life. But it’s Jesus who includes it in His list of blessings.

Building the Church

Today, we are going to ordain and install a new elder and a new deacon. As I thought about this and prayed about it, it seemed good to take some time to talk to you about what that means. What are we going to be doing, and why are we doing it? Those are important questions that need to be asked in many areas of life. And they certainly apply to the Church. It’s when people do things just because that’s the way it’s always been done that there will be problems. So, when we ordain and install Dave and Aaron, we need to understand what’s going on.

For us to do a good job answering those questions, we need to understand the big picture. Many errors can be avoided if you do that. So, in terms of the big picture, what will be happening with Dave and Aaron? Here’s something that Jesus teaches that answers that question.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16.18

The Coming of the King

Today, we’re going to do what we often do. We’re going to look into some history. We’re going to look into the past. And why would we want to do that? We do that so that we can live in the present with an eye on the future. And the history that we are going to do this reflecting on is the history of the people of God. And the particulars for today are quite familiar.

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matthew 21.1-11

There are different themes that run through this account of what happened that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem. But this is the first thing that I want you to notice: the excitement of the people. Listen again to what they were shouting.

Moving Mountains

This morning we’re going to take a look at another of those challenging parts of the Bible. This one has to do with prayer. It’s important that we grow in our understanding of prayer because so much depends on a wise prayer life. A key question here has to do with what we can expect of our prayers. That’s what we are going to consider this morning.

Listen as I read to you some challenging words of Jesus.

And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17.14-20

The Lord’s Prayer: First Steps

Today, we start a series of sermons on prayer. I’m guessing that my saying that made some of you think, ‘Oh no! Not that!’ And you think that because you’re expecting that what I have to say is going to make you feel guilty. After all, you’re no prayer warrior. Just working at a little consistency is enough of a challenge. To expect more is to expect too much.

Let’s take a moment to deal with that.

Mourning

Today, we’re going to take a look at something that we don’t talk about much. We’re going to talk about mourning. This can be a dark topic, which is why people don’t like talking about it. But we need to deal with it. And one reason for that is that we need to face life honestly so that we can live well. And if we face life honestly, we will mourn.

Jesus talked with His disciples about mourning during His Sermon on the Mount. It’s one of what we call His Beatitudes. Listen.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5.4

Let’s take a look at this to see what Jesus expects of us.

Immanuel

What we’re going to do this morning is meditate on a bit of Scripture. As I’ve told you before, the Bible never commands that you read your Bible every day, though that’s a fine thing to do. But it does command you to meditate on it. Now, I say all that to make clear how important meditating on the Scriptures is. But don’t think that meditating on Scripture has to be anything complicated. It’s simply asking questions of the text and then doing what you can to answer those questions. Sometimes you’ll be able to come up with some really good answers and sometimes all you end up with are more questions, questions that will have to wait for some answers. In any event, it’s good to develop this discipline. Remember the example of the man in Psalm 1.

but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1.2

This morning we’re going to meditate on a text of Scripture that I know you are familiar with. I know that because I’ve preached on this same text every Advent for the last several years. And more than likely, I’ll preach on it again in future Advent seasons also. There’s plenty here to meditate on.

The Light of the World

Our world is changing. It is changing rapidly, and it's not changing for the better. A good question to ask is simply this. What in the world is going on? That's an important question for us to consider. Let me remind you of the definition of wisdom that I've given you. Wisdom is understanding God, other people, yourself, and your situation. It's as we understand our situation accurately that we will be able to respond wisely to it. And we really do need to respond wisely.

So, what in the world is going on? But let make the question - and thus the answer - clearer. I'm going to re-phrase it. What in the world is Jesus doing? He is, after all, Lord. And He is guiding history to its proper goal. So, stating the question this way is better. And I think that we can come up with a good answer to that question. Jesus is letting us know that we are failing. He has given us a task to pursue, but we have not been pursuing it. He gave us a target to shoot at and hit, but we have been missing it. And the result? The world around us is falling apart.

So, what is this task that Jesus has given us that we are failing to accomplish? Here's one expression of it.

Make Disciples

We're going to take a break today from our series in John's Gospel. With Jon and Lisa joining our church it seemed a good idea to look at some of what it means to be a church and to be members of a church. So, please listen as I read our text, Matthew 28.16-20.

Daily Manna

Our text comes from the Lord’s Prayer. It’s just one sentence. ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. I’m sure that it’s already quite familiar to most of you. However, even though that’s true, there is more here for you to enjoy. And, God willing, that’s what’s going to happen. The key to the sermon is a question that I’m going to raise. First, I’ll explain the basic ideas of the text, then I’ll raise the question and then move on from there.

Prayer

The prophet Elisha approached the king of Israel. A battle against one of the enemies of the nation was brewing and the prophet wanted to encourage the king. So, the prophet tells the king to take some arrows and strike the ground with them. He shot three times and stopped. And this is what it says next. ‘Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”’ Now, I have lots of questions about what happened back then, but this much is clear. If the king had shot five or six times the history of Israel, from that point on, would have been very different. The king had the power to alter the course of history.

Now, why do I tell you that? My point is simple. You can alter the course of history, not by shooting arrows but by your prayers. Your prayers are powerful. They can change history. They can change your life. James makes the same basic point when he writes, ‘You do not have because you do not ask.’ He’s telling some Christians that life could have been different if they had prayed. What do you think? Is he overstating things? Obviously not. It’s in the Bible. But just to drive the point home, let me remind you of what Jesus said. ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ The history of the Church as a whole and of so many of the saints would have been different, better, if more of those saints had believed Jesus’ words and took them more to heart. Your prayers can change your life.

It’s pretty obvious by now that I’m going to talk about prayer this morning. My goal in this is to encourage you. I want to encourage you in your prayers so that you might enjoy, to the fullest possible extent, all that Jesus offers in the Gospel. I want to do this not just for your benefit, though that is something I desire. I want to encourage you in this because I am convinced that your full enjoyment of Jesus will result in the spread of the Gospel.

Our text is Matthew 6.7-13. Please, listen as I read it.

He Came to Save

We’re going to look at another church word this morning. If you looked at the bulletin you already know what it is. We’ve looked at this word before. I’ve told you that ‘to save’ means ‘to rescue’. We won’t go over that this morning. Today, we’re going consider some grammar. We’re going to look at this verb in terms of its tenses. As you read through your Bible, you’ll notice that the verb ‘save’ shows up in three tenses. The first points us to the past to make the point that Jesus saved us from our sins. A second points us to the present: Jesus is saving us from our sins. And the last points us to the future, Jesus will save us from our sins. We’re going to look at each of these this morning. In this way you will have a better understanding of what the angel was telling not only Joseph but all of us.

Listen as I read Matthew 1.18-21.

Dealing with the Darkness

Matthew 27.32-50

If any portion of Scripture is especially holy ground, the accounts of Jesus' death certainly quality. Jesus' crucifixion is the turning point of all history. If there were no Cross then the course of human events is without any purpose. Life would make no sense. It would have no goal. And the crucifixion is also a moment in time that is filled with mystery. God, the Son, is alienated from God, the Father. What does that even mean? Is the Trinity somehow ripped apart? There is so much going on here. Last time we looked at the Cross we took a look at the torn curtain. Today, I want to focus on something else, something symbolized by the three hours of darkness. Jesus was utterly forsaken by the Father. As mystifying as that might be, it is also something that can give hope. Understanding something of Jesus' experience can be so very helpful for us when we encounter those times when life gets dark. Some of you wrestle with that more than others, but we are all confronted with it to some degree from time to time. The Spirit offers us help through Jesus' experience of the darkness. Listen to what He has to say.

Let's start with this. We all understand rejection. A young man asks a young lady to marry him, and she turns him down. He understands rejection. A father gives up on his family and simply walks out, never to return. His wife and children understand rejection. Like these, Jesus was rejected when He was dying on that Cross – except that it was worse. The Father seeing Jesus as the sinner that He became, rejected Him. He abandoned Jesus. And whatever it might mean for Him to endure the wrath of God against sin, Jesus experienced that wrath alone, utterly alone. Take a moment to consider what that must have felt like. For as far back as He could remember, Jesus enjoyed a closeness, an intimacy, with the Father that no other human has ever experienced. For as far back as He could remember. And then it was gone. And not just gone but suddenly destroyed. Instead of intimacy – violent rejection. Jesus found Himself in the outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth, suffering alone. It was in the midst of that experience and in great anguish of soul that He shouted, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' That's the darkness of the Cross, being hurled far from the presence of God, being forsaken.

All of that becomes worth meditating on when you remember that you have tasted of the darkness. There is a spectrum here from having to deal with feeling a little down for a morning to suffering an overwhelming sense of dejection for day after day after day. I think that we all have had to deal with times that were more difficult than just a blue morning. But bring whatever experience of the darkness that you've suffered to Jesus' Cross, and see how you can be helped.

I think that I can say that when we are afflicted in this way, we are at least tempted to tell ourselves, 'No one understands what I am dealing with.' And that, of course, makes it feel worse. But it's not true. Jesus understands exactly what you're dealing with. However much darkness you have faced, He has faced more. And this is why Scripture can called Him a sympathetic High Priest. And that can be so encouraging. Though it feels as if no one understands, Jesus does. You are not alone as you deal with the darkness. And knowing that will encourage you to do something that He did. He cried out. 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?' His cry to the Father was a cry of faith. Jesus is not uttering some empty words as so many do when they say, 'Oh my god.' He was actually crying out to His God, to the God who had pledged Himself to Him. Jesus was depending on the promise of the covenant, 'I will be your God', a promise made to Him and to all within God's covenant. And so, He cries out, 'My God, My God.' This is what you must do as you wrestle with the darkness. Call out in faith to your God. Cry out to Jesus who understands what you feel. Cry out to the one who can sympathize with you because of His own experiences. Once again we're back to the importance of honest prayer. As you wrestle with the darkness of this fallen place, there is something that you can do. You can confidently cry out to Jesus because of His promises to you and because you know He will understand. And as you appeal to Him for help, you know that His response to you will be right on target.

Let's look at this from a different angle. How did Jesus end up on that Cross? How is it that He found Himself confronted by the darkness? Back to the Garden; not the Garden of Eden but the Garden of Gethsemane. What did Jesus say there? 'Not My will but Yours be done.' It was the Father's will that Jesus be engulfed by suffering. Jesus wrestled with that, but ultimately He submitted Himself to it. Your experience of suffering isn't by chance or by accident. Whatever its immediate cause, the Father is the ultimate cause. Being confronted by the darkness is part of the Father's plan for you. For so many out in the world that is a repulsive thought. To them God doesn't bring about evil. He's supposed to make life happy. Now, that is actually true. It is His plan for you to be happy. But the route He has chosen so that you might achieve that goal is a route with much that is hard. If you would be happy you will need to taste evil. Jesus submitted to the Father's will and the evil that was a part of that will. And you must do the same. And just as Jesus did, you must submit to that will in faith and in hope. There is a kind of submission that is actually no more than just resignation. 'Okay, God, have it your way. I can see that you have it in for me. I give up. I won't fight you any more.' While the resistance has stopped, there is no faith here. But a submission that comes out of faith shows as trust. 'This is hard, but I want to follow Your path, Father. I will follow it – however hard it might get – because I trust You. Help me to do that.' That's submitting in faith.

Tied to this is a sense of hope. First, there is hope about the future. 'When I get to the end of all of this, when I get to the place where there is no darkness, it will be so good.' The hope of heaven helps us deal with life today. But that's not all. There is also a hope about the present. 'Jesus is doing something now. Even though I don't feel it, I know it's true. Jesus is doing something in this darkness, and it is something good.' There is a purpose now for your suffering. All of this is important because hope – for the present and for the future – tells you that it's worth taking that next step. And this hope is not just wishful thinking. That's what the hope of the world boils down to. But the Christian has something more. We hope because of Jesus. We are confident because of what He has promised. So, we have a good reason to hope. Jesus will keep those promises. Trust leads to hope. And hope is so important because hope is what keeps you going. The lack of hope is the beginning of death.

Let's move on to another aspect of all of this. As you face the darkness and wrestle with it you'll need to be on your guard. Your struggles present an opportunity for the devil. He took advantage of the situation when Jesus was hanging on that Cross. Listen to some who were passing by: 'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross.' Doesn't that sound a bit familiar? Let's compare it with something from the beginning of Jesus' ministry: 'And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”' Do you see what Satan is saying in both situations? 'Come on Jesus, You can get yourself out of this fix, whether it's needing something to eat or being rescued from death. All You need to do is work a little miracle.' Then there's this from the chief priests. 'He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the Cross, and we will believe in him.' Do you hear the taunt? 'You're nothing, Jesus. If you want to prove Yourself, get off the Cross. Then we'll believe in you.' And then there's this. 'He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, "I am the Son of God."' That is so much like the serpent in the first Garden with the same goal. Get Jesus to doubt God's good intentions. 'So, Jesus, where is your God now? Why hasn't He delivered You? Are You sure He cares?' All he needs is just a little doubt.

Satan attacked Jesus when He was confronted by the darkness. He will do the same to you. You need to be prepared for this so that you can defend yourself. But note that defense is something that you work on before the big battle, not during. So, feed your trust in God so that it might be strong and ready for the day of battle. That means, once again, lots of Bible and lots of prayer. Look for God's trustworthiness when life is good, and thank Him for it so that when you aren't able to see it quite so clearly you'll still have reason to believe that He is worthy of your trust. The key is to prepare for the battle before it begins. This is how Jesus did it. How often do we see Him respond to His adversaries by saying, 'It is written...' or by some reference to an Old Testament incident. And the Gospels are faithful to record Jesus' many times alone for prayer. Lots of Bible and lots of prayer. And that's why when He was consumed by the darkness on that Cross it was Scripture that came out of His mouth. His cry from the Cross is from Psalm 22.Three of His seven last words are Scripture. He prepared for the battle before the battle. And that is why He was able to win. If you would win in battle in your day of darkness prepare for it now. Lots of Bible. Lots of prayer.

One last thought. The time may well come when you will feel forsaken, abandoned, all alone. When you feel like that, the evil one will try to convince you that your feelings are accurate. But they aren't. A favorite promise of mine comes from Hebrews 13. 'I will never leave you nor will I forsake you.' In English it isn't proper to use a double negative, as in, 'I am not never going to do that.' But in New Testament Greek using a double negative is a way to emphasize that negative. There are two sets of double negatives in this verse. So, you could translate it, 'It is impossible that I would ever leave you. It is impossible that I would ever forsake you.' That is Jesus' promise to you. It may well feel as if you are forsaken. And Satan will be busy whispering in your ear, 'It's true. You are all alone. Deserted. No one cares. No one understands.' But Jesus cares, and He understands. You are not alone. Remember His promise. 'It is impossible that I would ever leave you. It is impossible that I would ever forsake you.'

But Satan does not give up easily. Do you know what he'll say next? 'But you are such a sinner. You don't deserve such a promise. How dare you claim to it?' It's at this point that you are to remind yourself how it is that you can justly cling to this promise and call it your own. You, though you sin greatly, will never be forsaken by Jesus because He was forsaken. When Jesus became a sinner with your sins, He didn't just feel forsaken. He was forsaken. For you. And in that moment of unimaginable darkness, your sin was dealt with. All of it. Forever. So, when Satan whispers in your ear that you still sin, don't deny it. Admit that he's right about that. But then tell him, 'But Jesus was forsaken, rejected by the Father, because of my sin. And because of what He did for me this promise is most certainly mine, though I still sin. Be gone, Satan. I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus. You've got nothing on me.' Prepare for the battle.

The Apostle Paul told some young disciples, 'It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.' And that includes bouts with the darkness. But we know how it turns out. Because of Jesus we shall enter God's eternal kingdom. And in that hope we can persevere.