Worship In The Pavilion
THE GOSPEL
… based on John 3:16
How many of you are familiar with Rollen Stewart? …
You might not know him by name, but I’m sure you all have seen him.
Rollen was a full-time spectator at sporting events.
He traveled over 60,000 miles every year. You could see him at baseball’s All-Star game & World Series.
He was at the NBA finals & the summer Olympics. He attended the Masters golf tournament at Augusta, GA; the Kentucky Derby in Louisville; & the Indianapolis 500.
He was at the Super Bowl,& in fact, all the significant football games.
Does that help identify him? …
Well, if you watch sports with any regularity, you’ve seen him.
Rollen was the 1st, of now a legend of many, that have become a stable fixture at athletic events, who hold up a sign with “John 3:16” on it. And as a result, I suspect that it has become the most well-known reference in the Bible. And it’s what we’re going to talk about this morning.
Good News, as recorded by John, to us who have gathered at the pavilion in downtown Nashville. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
It’s a common thing to say that God loves us. “God loves you, & so do I.”
But most people who think that fail to recognize that it’s only because of Jesus Christ that we can totally understand that concept.
I mean, it’s not because of nature that we know that God loves us.
Now certainly, when we have terrific weather, we’re thankful to God for that. But at times we have gloomy, overcast skies. And there are floods, & droughts, & tornadoes, & hurricanes, & earthquakes to contend with.
And then, there’s the beauty of creation.
Many of us have visited some incredible places in our country & throughout the world that have just taken our breath away. If I close my eyes & think about places that have done that for me, 4 immediately come to mind:
Berchtesgaden in Germany
Killarney National Park in Ireland
Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada
& Theodore Roosevelt National Park in ND
And I’m certain that you have your own list.
But even as I say that, there are also some barren, wretched places on this planet. The desert in eastern CA is called Death Valley for a reason.
The same is true about the Dead Sea. Think about Siberia.
No one goes there for a vacation.
And then we’ve all witnessed magnificent sunrises & sunsets.
I’ll be honest with you; I’ve lived a lot of places. I’ve lived in Key West,
which is known for its’ sunsets, but we have some truly beautiful ones here in Brown County. We stare at them & wish that they’d last for hours instead of just a few brief moments.
How about a clear night sky that’s filled with stars?
The Psalmist proclaimed …
“How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!” (The Psalms 19:1)
Each of those things, & dozens more, help us to really appreciate
God’s creative genius.
So, nature & our world tells us something about God’s creation …
but not necessarily reveal God’s love.
We know that God loves us because He’s given us His Son to be crucified for us, to take our punishment for our sins, & that act brings us back into fellowship with Him.
“This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us & sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.” (1 John 4:10)
That amazing love is God’s greatest gift.
It’s through Jesus that we know God’s love … & love God.
And please understand what that means … God has initiated what’s necessary for us to have a personal relationship with Him.
I find this absolutely mind blowing. Almighty God, who is holy, (Isaiah 6:3) wants so much to have a relationship with me/us, who are sinful, (The Psalms 51:5) that He has given His Son to save us!
I’m handing out something that I saw a # of years ago. It’s called
“Christ – The Greatest Gift.” It’s the words of John 3:16 horizontally:
God … the greatest lover
loved so much … the greatest degree
the world … the greatest company
that he gave … the greatest act
his only Son … the greatest gift
so that everyone … the greatest opportunity
who believes … the greatest simplicity
in him … the greatest attraction
may not die … the greatest promise
but … the greatest difference
have … the greatest certainty
eternal life … the greatest possession
Have you ever, stopped to truly appreciate God’s greatest gift to you … the gift of Jesus Christ? … This morning we’re going to look at some of the reasons why He is the greatest gift & why we should believe in Him, & why we must be thankful for Him.
The 1st reason is … Jesus is the best that God had to give.
God loved the world so much that He gave the very best.
That’s obvious from the word “only” (μονογενῆ) that’s used to describe Jesus in our Scripture lesson … “God’s only Son.” The word means “unique.”
Jesus is the unique Son of God. There’s no one else like Him!
There’s no one who is His equal. He’s one of a kind.
The very nature of love is to give the best & not hold back … & the greater the object of love … the costlier the gift. “Any old thing” isn’t good enough.
So, when God gave Jesus, He gave the very best “gift” in the universe. (Romans 6:23)
God also gave the best gift in another sense. For Jesus isn’t just a creature made in the image of God as you & I are. (Genesis 1:26) …
He is God in the flesh.
“Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
“The Word became a human being &, full of grace & truth, lived among us.” (1 John 1:14)
Consequently, when God gave Jesus … He gave Himself. (John 10:30)
One of my professors at G.C.T.S. was also a professional counselor.
One day in class he shared about a couple who were having marital difficulties. There was much bitterness & hardness, & a lack of understanding between them.
At one point the husband spoke up in obvious exasperation …
“I’ve given you everything. I’ve given you a new home. I’ve given you jewelry. I’ve given you a new car. I’ve given you ….” And the list went on & on & on.
And finally, when he ended his tirade, his wife quietly responded …
“that’s all true, John. You’ve given me everything … but yourself.”
We listen to that & we understand what’s being said. The greatest gift that anyone can give is themselves. And we know, from experience, that’s true.
The 2nd reason why Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift is because this wasn’t a snap decision. It was planned “before the beginning of time.”
(Titus 1:2) God has always intended to give Jesus.
“He gave us this grace by means of Christ Jesus
before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:9)
This is why so many passages in Scripture
deal with God having put Jesus to death.
The prophet Isaiah records words of God about the crucifixion 8 centuries before it took place! He wrote … “The LORD says, ‘It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness.” (Isaiah 53:10)
Peter also recognized this truth. On the day of Pentecost, he proclaimed …
“In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you; & you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him.”
(The Acts 2:23)
Don’t ever think that when sin came into the world through Adam & Eve (Romans 5:12) that it caught God by surprise. Or that it caused God to go back to the drawing board to figure out what He could do to correct it.
Jesus was not “Plan B”.
God knew what would happen “even before the world was made.” (Ephesians 1:4)
Consequently, before He set the universe in motion, before He created human beings, God had determined to send Jesus to die for our salvation. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
Maybe the best way to understand all of this is found in the story of Abraham, when God calls him to offer up his son, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah. I believe Jesus was referring to that event when He told the Jews of His day
… “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it & was glad.”(John 8:56)
It was through that test that Abraham learned that God was going to give Jesus to be our Savior.
But for us to understand the story properly, we must begin by remembering that Abraham was an old man when God came to him & told him to offer Isaac. He was 86 years old when his 1st son, Ishmael, was born to Hagar, his wife, Sarai’s, personal slave, (Genesis 16:15-16)
& he was 100 years old when Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
Now the story takes place when Isaac is a young man …
& Abraham loves him very much. The 2 of them have had a # of years to build a relationship. There was a bond of trust between them.
Abraham loved him, not only because he was the son of his old age, the result of a miracle, but also because he was the son of God’s promise. “Your own son will be your heir. … Look at the sky & try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.”
(Genesis 15:4-5)
So, here’s Abrahm enjoying his son Isaac …
believing that God is going to bless him with an abundance of grandchildren. And then God calls out …
“‘Abraham!’ And Abraham answered, ‘Yes, here I am!’”
(I’m guessing that he’s expecting something good, another of God’s blessings, is coming.)
“Take your son … your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, & go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.” (Genesis 22:1-2)
Okay, let’s be honest, this is not something that you or I would give even the slightest consideration to.
In fact, it seems absolutely barbaric to us, doesn’t it?
… But once again, we need to put ourselves into the mindset of that society.
Human sacrifice was commonplace for all other religions. It was simply something that was accepted & done … no questions asked.
Even so, I can’t even begin to imagine how this must have tested Abraham’s faith … or the struggle he had to have gone through that night.
But, however deep it was, by morning the Abraham that emerged from his tent was a man committed to obedience. Scripture records …
“Early the next morning Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey, & took Isaac & 2 servants with him. They started out for the place that God had told him about.” (Genesis 22:3)
On one level, Abraham’s test concerned his commitment. Was God really everything to him? (Luke 14:26)
Or was something else … even God’s gift … Isaac?
Abraham’s victory was that he didn’t put the gift before the Giver. “Isaac” represents all the many things that have become quite precious to us. And the reality is … (& this is what you need to get today, this is your takeaway) … we can do without “Isaac”, but we can’t do without God.
Let me repeat that. We can do without “Isaac” (whatever that is for you) … but we can’t do without God.
But this was also a spiritual test. God had told him that the blessing wouldn’t come through Ishmael, the son of a slave woman, but rather, through a miracle,
his son Isaac. And now, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham had to have struggled with this.
Isaac is God’s promise, for heaven’s sake.
And God has shown him time after time that He won’t send the blessing through anyone else. Now, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, to put him to death!
How can this be? … If he obeys the command, how can God fulfill His promise? How can God do it? …
The puzzle was real, the mental & emotional anguish deep. But then the answer came. The God who caused Isaac’s birth through a miracle was capable of doing another miracle … bringing him back from the dead! That’s the solution that Abraham discovered during that long desert night. …
(I love this! This is good stuff!)
So, the next morning, as Abraham heads for the mountain, he’s thinking … “we’re going to see a miracle!
There’s going to be a resurrection!”
Now I’m not just guessing about this … it’s what happened. The Scriptural story proves it. As Abraham arrives at his destination, he tells his servants …
“Stay here with the donkey. The boy & I will go over there & worship, & then we will come back to you.”
(Genesis 22:5) Did you hear what he said? …
“Isaac & I are going over there to worship, to offer the sacrifice … & then we, me & Isaac, will come back to you.”
Now in the book of Hebrews, we find the N.T. commentary to this story, & the writer echoes this understanding. This is the “faith chapter” where we read of those who demonstrated great trust in God.
“It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.’ Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death – &, so to speak,
Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
This means that Abraham was expecting a resurrection. He went up the mountain, as God had commanded, & there tied Isaac to the altar.
“Then he picked up the knife to kill him.’’ (Genesis 22:10)
And he would have … but God intervened.
God provided a substitute; a ram caught in the bushes.
“The LORD called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’” (& remember what I’ve told you … when a name is repeated in Scripture it’s a sign of deep affection.) “Abraham, Abraham! … Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him. … Now I know that you honor & obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.’” (Genesis 22:11-12)
Now Abrahm was only called upon to offer his son.
But when the time came for God to offer His Son,
the hand that was poised above Jesus fell. (Luke 23:46) God put His Son to death. God’s greatest gift was given.
The 3rd reason why Jesus is the greatest gift is that He meets our needs. We need to have knowledge of God … Jesus answers that need. Do you want to know what God is like? … Look at Jesus. (John 14:9)
By the way, this is one of the reasons why Jesus is referred to as “the Word” in John’s writings. If we really want to know what God is like … we’re going to find the answer in the pages of this Book.
2ndly, we need a Savior. We need more than simply knowledge about God. We’re sinners. Consequently, we not only need a sure word from God … we need a Savior.
“Help! I’m drowning. I need someone to save me.”
Jesus died to save us. (Romans 5:8)
Finally, we have needs that are part of life.
Psychiatrists tell us that we face 3 unsolvable dilemmas. The 1st is life vs. death. We want to live … but we all die. Jesus solves that by giving eternal life to all who believe in Him.
“I am the resurrection & the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25)
And then there’s the dilemma of our individuality
& fitting into a group. Jesus has broken down all the walls making us totally new persons.
“But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews & Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separates them.” (Ephesians 2:13-14) We now belong to one another.
And 3rd is the dilemma coming from aspirations
& achievements. We all fall short of what we hoped to be. We have regrets. Jesus is the answer to this problem also, for He promises to make us all that God created us to be in the 1st place.
He sets us “apart to become like his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
Simply put, Jesus is the answer to all of our needs: physical, mental, emotional, relational, & spiritual.
“He is our shelter & strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (The Psalms 46:1)
And I suspect most of you can give testimony to that.
Some years ago, in Pittsburgh, PA there lived a wealthy executive & his wife. Douglas Ferguson was a senior V.P. for Bethlehem Steel. He & his wife, Ann, had a good life & seemed to have everything, but … they didn’t have any children.
They were a Godly couple, & prayed & prayed for a child. And one day, after many years,
Ann found herself expecting. The couple was ecstatic!
But tragedy struck during the delivery. Ann died giving birth to their son. Well, from that moment on,
Doug devoted his life to his son; they were inseparable.
But again, tragedy struck. When the boy was 12,
he developed a rare bone disease & within a matter of weeks, died. Doug was devastated, & sadly,
passed himself a short time later, his family believed … of a broken heart.
Since he was a wealthy man, the extended family gathered to divide the estate, but because the will couldn’t be located, it was turned over to the courts.
There was a nurse/nanny, however,
who had cared for the boy throughout his life.
The family received permission to offer her something as a remembrance in appreciation for her commitment to the boy. At 1st she declined, but then said she’d like to have the painting of the boy that was hanging in the living room.
Her request was granted. And when the painting was taken down, they found an envelope taped on the back. When the envelope was opened, they found Douglas’ notarized will, which was only 2 sentences …
“This is my one & only dear son.
Whoever takes him receives all my wealth.”
My friends, that’s the message of the Gospel.
God, our Heavenly Father, has given His greatest gift, His dear Son, His unique Son, His only Son …
& the promise is that whoever believes in Jesus, whoever comes to faith in Him, whoever takes Him … will receive God’s “wealth”.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
For God loved _______ so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that if _______ believes in Jesus, _______ will have eternal life.
MARANA THA
Well, if you watch sports with any regularity, you’ve seen him.
Rollen was the 1st, of now a legend of many, that have become a stable fixture at athletic events, who hold up a sign with “John 3:16” on it. And as a result, I suspect that it has become the most well-known reference in the Bible. And it’s what we’re going to talk about this morning.
Good News, as recorded by John, to us who have gathered at the pavilion in downtown Nashville. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
“The grass withers & flowers fade,
but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
It’s a common thing to say that God loves us. “God loves you, & so do I.”
But most people who think that fail to recognize that it’s only because of Jesus Christ that we can totally understand that concept.
I mean, it’s not because of nature that we know that God loves us.
Now certainly, when we have terrific weather, we’re thankful to God for that. But at times we have gloomy, overcast skies. And there are floods, & droughts, & tornadoes, & hurricanes, & earthquakes to contend with.
And then, there’s the beauty of creation.
Many of us have visited some incredible places in our country & throughout the world that have just taken our breath away. If I close my eyes & think about places that have done that for me, 4 immediately come to mind:
Berchtesgaden in Germany
Killarney National Park in Ireland
Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada
& Theodore Roosevelt National Park in ND
And I’m certain that you have your own list.
But even as I say that, there are also some barren, wretched places on this planet. The desert in eastern CA is called Death Valley for a reason.
The same is true about the Dead Sea. Think about Siberia.
No one goes there for a vacation.
And then we’ve all witnessed magnificent sunrises & sunsets.
I’ll be honest with you; I’ve lived a lot of places. I’ve lived in Key West,
which is known for its’ sunsets, but we have some truly beautiful ones here in Brown County. We stare at them & wish that they’d last for hours instead of just a few brief moments.
How about a clear night sky that’s filled with stars?
The Psalmist proclaimed …
“How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!” (The Psalms 19:1)
Each of those things, & dozens more, help us to really appreciate
God’s creative genius.
So, nature & our world tells us something about God’s creation …
but not necessarily reveal God’s love.
We know that God loves us because He’s given us His Son to be crucified for us, to take our punishment for our sins, & that act brings us back into fellowship with Him.
“This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us & sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.” (1 John 4:10)
That amazing love is God’s greatest gift.
It’s through Jesus that we know God’s love … & love God.
And please understand what that means … God has initiated what’s necessary for us to have a personal relationship with Him.
I find this absolutely mind blowing. Almighty God, who is holy, (Isaiah 6:3) wants so much to have a relationship with me/us, who are sinful, (The Psalms 51:5) that He has given His Son to save us!
I’m handing out something that I saw a # of years ago. It’s called
“Christ – The Greatest Gift.” It’s the words of John 3:16 horizontally:
God … the greatest lover
loved so much … the greatest degree
the world … the greatest company
that he gave … the greatest act
his only Son … the greatest gift
so that everyone … the greatest opportunity
who believes … the greatest simplicity
in him … the greatest attraction
may not die … the greatest promise
but … the greatest difference
have … the greatest certainty
eternal life … the greatest possession
Have you ever, stopped to truly appreciate God’s greatest gift to you … the gift of Jesus Christ? … This morning we’re going to look at some of the reasons why He is the greatest gift & why we should believe in Him, & why we must be thankful for Him.
The 1st reason is … Jesus is the best that God had to give.
God loved the world so much that He gave the very best.
That’s obvious from the word “only” (μονογενῆ) that’s used to describe Jesus in our Scripture lesson … “God’s only Son.” The word means “unique.”
Jesus is the unique Son of God. There’s no one else like Him!
There’s no one who is His equal. He’s one of a kind.
The very nature of love is to give the best & not hold back … & the greater the object of love … the costlier the gift. “Any old thing” isn’t good enough.
So, when God gave Jesus, He gave the very best “gift” in the universe. (Romans 6:23)
God also gave the best gift in another sense. For Jesus isn’t just a creature made in the image of God as you & I are. (Genesis 1:26) …
He is God in the flesh.
“Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
“The Word became a human being &, full of grace & truth, lived among us.” (1 John 1:14)
Consequently, when God gave Jesus … He gave Himself. (John 10:30)
One of my professors at G.C.T.S. was also a professional counselor.
One day in class he shared about a couple who were having marital difficulties. There was much bitterness & hardness, & a lack of understanding between them.
At one point the husband spoke up in obvious exasperation …
“I’ve given you everything. I’ve given you a new home. I’ve given you jewelry. I’ve given you a new car. I’ve given you ….” And the list went on & on & on.
And finally, when he ended his tirade, his wife quietly responded …
“that’s all true, John. You’ve given me everything … but yourself.”
We listen to that & we understand what’s being said. The greatest gift that anyone can give is themselves. And we know, from experience, that’s true.
The 2nd reason why Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift is because this wasn’t a snap decision. It was planned “before the beginning of time.”
(Titus 1:2) God has always intended to give Jesus.
“He gave us this grace by means of Christ Jesus
before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:9)
This is why so many passages in Scripture
deal with God having put Jesus to death.
The prophet Isaiah records words of God about the crucifixion 8 centuries before it took place! He wrote … “The LORD says, ‘It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness.” (Isaiah 53:10)
Peter also recognized this truth. On the day of Pentecost, he proclaimed …
“In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you; & you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him.”
(The Acts 2:23)
Don’t ever think that when sin came into the world through Adam & Eve (Romans 5:12) that it caught God by surprise. Or that it caused God to go back to the drawing board to figure out what He could do to correct it.
Jesus was not “Plan B”.
God knew what would happen “even before the world was made.” (Ephesians 1:4)
Consequently, before He set the universe in motion, before He created human beings, God had determined to send Jesus to die for our salvation. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
Maybe the best way to understand all of this is found in the story of Abraham, when God calls him to offer up his son, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah. I believe Jesus was referring to that event when He told the Jews of His day
… “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it & was glad.”(John 8:56)
It was through that test that Abraham learned that God was going to give Jesus to be our Savior.
But for us to understand the story properly, we must begin by remembering that Abraham was an old man when God came to him & told him to offer Isaac. He was 86 years old when his 1st son, Ishmael, was born to Hagar, his wife, Sarai’s, personal slave, (Genesis 16:15-16)
& he was 100 years old when Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
Now the story takes place when Isaac is a young man …
& Abraham loves him very much. The 2 of them have had a # of years to build a relationship. There was a bond of trust between them.
Abraham loved him, not only because he was the son of his old age, the result of a miracle, but also because he was the son of God’s promise. “Your own son will be your heir. … Look at the sky & try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.”
(Genesis 15:4-5)
So, here’s Abrahm enjoying his son Isaac …
believing that God is going to bless him with an abundance of grandchildren. And then God calls out …
“‘Abraham!’ And Abraham answered, ‘Yes, here I am!’”
(I’m guessing that he’s expecting something good, another of God’s blessings, is coming.)
“Take your son … your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, & go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.” (Genesis 22:1-2)
Okay, let’s be honest, this is not something that you or I would give even the slightest consideration to.
In fact, it seems absolutely barbaric to us, doesn’t it?
… But once again, we need to put ourselves into the mindset of that society.
Human sacrifice was commonplace for all other religions. It was simply something that was accepted & done … no questions asked.
Even so, I can’t even begin to imagine how this must have tested Abraham’s faith … or the struggle he had to have gone through that night.
But, however deep it was, by morning the Abraham that emerged from his tent was a man committed to obedience. Scripture records …
“Early the next morning Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey, & took Isaac & 2 servants with him. They started out for the place that God had told him about.” (Genesis 22:3)
On one level, Abraham’s test concerned his commitment. Was God really everything to him? (Luke 14:26)
Or was something else … even God’s gift … Isaac?
Abraham’s victory was that he didn’t put the gift before the Giver. “Isaac” represents all the many things that have become quite precious to us. And the reality is … (& this is what you need to get today, this is your takeaway) … we can do without “Isaac”, but we can’t do without God.
Let me repeat that. We can do without “Isaac” (whatever that is for you) … but we can’t do without God.
But this was also a spiritual test. God had told him that the blessing wouldn’t come through Ishmael, the son of a slave woman, but rather, through a miracle,
his son Isaac. And now, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham had to have struggled with this.
Isaac is God’s promise, for heaven’s sake.
And God has shown him time after time that He won’t send the blessing through anyone else. Now, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, to put him to death!
How can this be? … If he obeys the command, how can God fulfill His promise? How can God do it? …
The puzzle was real, the mental & emotional anguish deep. But then the answer came. The God who caused Isaac’s birth through a miracle was capable of doing another miracle … bringing him back from the dead! That’s the solution that Abraham discovered during that long desert night. …
(I love this! This is good stuff!)
So, the next morning, as Abraham heads for the mountain, he’s thinking … “we’re going to see a miracle!
There’s going to be a resurrection!”
Now I’m not just guessing about this … it’s what happened. The Scriptural story proves it. As Abraham arrives at his destination, he tells his servants …
“Stay here with the donkey. The boy & I will go over there & worship, & then we will come back to you.”
(Genesis 22:5) Did you hear what he said? …
“Isaac & I are going over there to worship, to offer the sacrifice … & then we, me & Isaac, will come back to you.”
Now in the book of Hebrews, we find the N.T. commentary to this story, & the writer echoes this understanding. This is the “faith chapter” where we read of those who demonstrated great trust in God.
“It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.’ Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death – &, so to speak,
Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
This means that Abraham was expecting a resurrection. He went up the mountain, as God had commanded, & there tied Isaac to the altar.
“Then he picked up the knife to kill him.’’ (Genesis 22:10)
And he would have … but God intervened.
God provided a substitute; a ram caught in the bushes.
“The LORD called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’” (& remember what I’ve told you … when a name is repeated in Scripture it’s a sign of deep affection.) “Abraham, Abraham! … Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him. … Now I know that you honor & obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.’” (Genesis 22:11-12)
Now Abrahm was only called upon to offer his son.
But when the time came for God to offer His Son,
the hand that was poised above Jesus fell. (Luke 23:46) God put His Son to death. God’s greatest gift was given.
The 3rd reason why Jesus is the greatest gift is that He meets our needs. We need to have knowledge of God … Jesus answers that need. Do you want to know what God is like? … Look at Jesus. (John 14:9)
By the way, this is one of the reasons why Jesus is referred to as “the Word” in John’s writings. If we really want to know what God is like … we’re going to find the answer in the pages of this Book.
2ndly, we need a Savior. We need more than simply knowledge about God. We’re sinners. Consequently, we not only need a sure word from God … we need a Savior.
“Help! I’m drowning. I need someone to save me.”
Jesus died to save us. (Romans 5:8)
Finally, we have needs that are part of life.
Psychiatrists tell us that we face 3 unsolvable dilemmas. The 1st is life vs. death. We want to live … but we all die. Jesus solves that by giving eternal life to all who believe in Him.
“I am the resurrection & the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25)
And then there’s the dilemma of our individuality
& fitting into a group. Jesus has broken down all the walls making us totally new persons.
“But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews & Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separates them.” (Ephesians 2:13-14) We now belong to one another.
And 3rd is the dilemma coming from aspirations
& achievements. We all fall short of what we hoped to be. We have regrets. Jesus is the answer to this problem also, for He promises to make us all that God created us to be in the 1st place.
He sets us “apart to become like his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
Simply put, Jesus is the answer to all of our needs: physical, mental, emotional, relational, & spiritual.
“He is our shelter & strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (The Psalms 46:1)
And I suspect most of you can give testimony to that.
Some years ago, in Pittsburgh, PA there lived a wealthy executive & his wife. Douglas Ferguson was a senior V.P. for Bethlehem Steel. He & his wife, Ann, had a good life & seemed to have everything, but … they didn’t have any children.
They were a Godly couple, & prayed & prayed for a child. And one day, after many years,
Ann found herself expecting. The couple was ecstatic!
But tragedy struck during the delivery. Ann died giving birth to their son. Well, from that moment on,
Doug devoted his life to his son; they were inseparable.
But again, tragedy struck. When the boy was 12,
he developed a rare bone disease & within a matter of weeks, died. Doug was devastated, & sadly,
passed himself a short time later, his family believed … of a broken heart.
Since he was a wealthy man, the extended family gathered to divide the estate, but because the will couldn’t be located, it was turned over to the courts.
There was a nurse/nanny, however,
who had cared for the boy throughout his life.
The family received permission to offer her something as a remembrance in appreciation for her commitment to the boy. At 1st she declined, but then said she’d like to have the painting of the boy that was hanging in the living room.
Her request was granted. And when the painting was taken down, they found an envelope taped on the back. When the envelope was opened, they found Douglas’ notarized will, which was only 2 sentences …
“This is my one & only dear son.
Whoever takes him receives all my wealth.”
My friends, that’s the message of the Gospel.
God, our Heavenly Father, has given His greatest gift, His dear Son, His unique Son, His only Son …
& the promise is that whoever believes in Jesus, whoever comes to faith in Him, whoever takes Him … will receive God’s “wealth”.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
For God loved _______ so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that if _______ believes in Jesus, _______ will have eternal life.
MARANA THA
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