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SERMON for MAY 24, 2020
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PROTECT THEM
Text: I John 4: 12-14 and I Peter 5: 6-11; John 17: 11-17
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Jesus prays to God on our behalf.
Jesus prays aloud to God so that we can hear His prayers and learn from Him.
Jesus prays aloud in anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost which we are celebrating next Sunday.
Jesus prays aloud to God to prepare His disciples, including us, for what is possible with God: God’s gift of Christ’s presence in us, with us, and through us.
Before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus prays aloud so that we can hear and receive God’s truth and be transformed by the knowledge of God’s saving love for the world.
Jesus prays aloud that we may know God.
This prayer, in the 17th chapter of John, is known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, which means, in this prayer, Jesus prays to God as a high priest, a high priest who is called and ordained by God to preach, teach, heal, serve, and protect God’s people, making intercessions to God on behalf of the disciples – on behalf of the whole world. Jesus prays to God: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” [v. 11]
Jesus prays to God for our protection – not just for the sake of our survival in this world – a world that was and would be dangerous for the disciples of Jesus Christ under the Roman Empire, a world that has continued to be dangerous for disciples of Jesus Christ under empires that rise and fall. Jesus prays to God for our protection that we may be one with the Lord and one with one another.
As we hear the prayers of Jesus, we are comforted to know that the good Lord is forever praying for us, eternally offering prayers of intercession for us at the right hand of our heavenly Father, that we may be blessed with the gifts of faith in this life and in eternity that God has prepared for us from the beginning of time. When we do not know how to pray or what to pray, even when we forget to pray, Jesus is already offering prayers for us. The truth is that Jesus is preparing the way for us – the way to eternal life.
As we hear the prayers of Jesus, we are strengthened by the truth – that God sent His only begotten Son not to judge and condemn us, not to shame and punish us, but to save us, rescue us, and deliver us – from suffering for eternity for our sins, and, insofar as it is possible, from suffering here and now in this life from the attacks of the evil one – from the principalities and powers of evil and darkness who bring unnecessary chaos, confusion, and death into our lives. Another way to say it in popular lingo – Jesus has our backs.
Deep in our hearts, we know that God is ever seeking to protect us from others who are evil and from those dark places in the human heart that make us vulnerable to sin of all sorts – sin that separates and divides us, one from the other, despite our common humanity. Jesus knows that we are at great risk of wandering into the ways of sin, so for that reason, in the most famous of His prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told His disciples to pray in this way: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Many modern people struggle with biblical language and concepts about evil and an evil one. However we might frame it, discussions about an evil one, the devil, and demons, are often dismissed as fear-based figments of the imagination – not based in any objective reality. Many great Christian writers and thinkers, like C. S. Lewis, warn us about the dangers in believing that there is no such thing as evil in the world. There is a reason why Christians in the early Church were given warnings like what we heard today in I Peter, chapter 4:
“Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” [I Peter 4: 8-9]
You may consider talk about evil archaic and superstitious, and there is very great risk in objectifying evil as a being that is entirely outside of ourselves – rather than a potential that lies within every human heart. Jesus knows, well in advance of His crucifixion, about the power of evil in the world. He cast out demons when He encountered them.
In His resurrection, Jesus Christ delivered us forevermore from the dominion of the powers of evil and darkness over our lives. Darkness cannot snuff out the light of Jesus Christ in the world, yet let us never minimize its ability to create a lot of chaos and confusion, death and division, pain and suffering – in this broken world. As we hear the prayers of Jesus, let us give thanks that Jesus prays for our protection.
Jesus prays aloud to God that we may be one. Time and again, let me remind you as I remind myself – we are all sinners, saved by grace through faith. We are all on the same level playing field of life, no one person higher or lower than another, despite how the world assesses a person’s value to society and net worth. God does not view us through the lens of our human achievements and accomplishments, our possessions and rewards, our power and success. The world’s values are strikingly different from God’s standards. Remember that lion prowling around looking for someone to devour?
Shepherds are called to protect their flocks. Church leaders can differ on what protection looks like. Let us remember our spiritual, biblical, and theological heritage.
The ancient faith community was governed by God’s Word as revealed to them through the law and the prophets, through their sacred literature – the Bible – and through those called and ordained by God to preach and teach and heal and serve and protect in God’s name. People of faith can draw different conclusions about our call and responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us. In Jesus Christ, in His ministry of preaching and teaching, in healing the sick and suffering, in reaching out and showing compassion for the most vulnerable in their times, I believe that the Jesus reveals God’s way, truth, and life. The Good Shepherd always protects the sheep and gathers them as one flock.
To what end do we pray: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Jesus prays for our protection that we may be one – one in His Spirit – one people in this world. Jesus prays for our protection – and for our unity as believers – as brothers and sisters in Christ – to fulfill God’s purposes while we yet live on this earth.
In the high priestly prayer, in effect, Jesus creates opportunities for people to know God - intellectually and experientially - through both head and heart knowledge. We come to God – to faith - in both word and deed. We are called to pray to God, follow the Lord, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and share what we know to be true.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to create opportunities for people to know God – as one people - through our words and deeds, through ministries of preaching, teaching, healing, serving and caring, and protecting one another in Jesus’ name.
Disciples are called to create opportunities for people to experience God, even in us, through us, and with us – thus we humbly pray.
Let us be one in the Spirit, one in the Lord. May people know God and come to faith through our obedience to love one another as God loves us in Jesus Christ. Will others know we are Christians by our love? The good Lord is praying so. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Text: I John 4: 12-14 and I Peter 5: 6-11; John 17: 11-17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus prays to God on our behalf.
Jesus prays aloud to God so that we can hear His prayers and learn from Him.
Jesus prays aloud in anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost which we are celebrating next Sunday.
Jesus prays aloud to God to prepare His disciples, including us, for what is possible with God: God’s gift of Christ’s presence in us, with us, and through us.
Before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus prays aloud so that we can hear and receive God’s truth and be transformed by the knowledge of God’s saving love for the world.
Jesus prays aloud that we may know God.
This prayer, in the 17th chapter of John, is known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, which means, in this prayer, Jesus prays to God as a high priest, a high priest who is called and ordained by God to preach, teach, heal, serve, and protect God’s people, making intercessions to God on behalf of the disciples – on behalf of the whole world. Jesus prays to God: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” [v. 11]
Jesus prays to God for our protection – not just for the sake of our survival in this world – a world that was and would be dangerous for the disciples of Jesus Christ under the Roman Empire, a world that has continued to be dangerous for disciples of Jesus Christ under empires that rise and fall. Jesus prays to God for our protection that we may be one with the Lord and one with one another.
As we hear the prayers of Jesus, we are comforted to know that the good Lord is forever praying for us, eternally offering prayers of intercession for us at the right hand of our heavenly Father, that we may be blessed with the gifts of faith in this life and in eternity that God has prepared for us from the beginning of time. When we do not know how to pray or what to pray, even when we forget to pray, Jesus is already offering prayers for us. The truth is that Jesus is preparing the way for us – the way to eternal life.
As we hear the prayers of Jesus, we are strengthened by the truth – that God sent His only begotten Son not to judge and condemn us, not to shame and punish us, but to save us, rescue us, and deliver us – from suffering for eternity for our sins, and, insofar as it is possible, from suffering here and now in this life from the attacks of the evil one – from the principalities and powers of evil and darkness who bring unnecessary chaos, confusion, and death into our lives. Another way to say it in popular lingo – Jesus has our backs.
Deep in our hearts, we know that God is ever seeking to protect us from others who are evil and from those dark places in the human heart that make us vulnerable to sin of all sorts – sin that separates and divides us, one from the other, despite our common humanity. Jesus knows that we are at great risk of wandering into the ways of sin, so for that reason, in the most famous of His prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told His disciples to pray in this way: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Many modern people struggle with biblical language and concepts about evil and an evil one. However we might frame it, discussions about an evil one, the devil, and demons, are often dismissed as fear-based figments of the imagination – not based in any objective reality. Many great Christian writers and thinkers, like C. S. Lewis, warn us about the dangers in believing that there is no such thing as evil in the world. There is a reason why Christians in the early Church were given warnings like what we heard today in I Peter, chapter 4:
“Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” [I Peter 4: 8-9]
You may consider talk about evil archaic and superstitious, and there is very great risk in objectifying evil as a being that is entirely outside of ourselves – rather than a potential that lies within every human heart. Jesus knows, well in advance of His crucifixion, about the power of evil in the world. He cast out demons when He encountered them.
In His resurrection, Jesus Christ delivered us forevermore from the dominion of the powers of evil and darkness over our lives. Darkness cannot snuff out the light of Jesus Christ in the world, yet let us never minimize its ability to create a lot of chaos and confusion, death and division, pain and suffering – in this broken world. As we hear the prayers of Jesus, let us give thanks that Jesus prays for our protection.
Jesus prays aloud to God that we may be one. Time and again, let me remind you as I remind myself – we are all sinners, saved by grace through faith. We are all on the same level playing field of life, no one person higher or lower than another, despite how the world assesses a person’s value to society and net worth. God does not view us through the lens of our human achievements and accomplishments, our possessions and rewards, our power and success. The world’s values are strikingly different from God’s standards. Remember that lion prowling around looking for someone to devour?
Shepherds are called to protect their flocks. Church leaders can differ on what protection looks like. Let us remember our spiritual, biblical, and theological heritage.
The ancient faith community was governed by God’s Word as revealed to them through the law and the prophets, through their sacred literature – the Bible – and through those called and ordained by God to preach and teach and heal and serve and protect in God’s name. People of faith can draw different conclusions about our call and responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us. In Jesus Christ, in His ministry of preaching and teaching, in healing the sick and suffering, in reaching out and showing compassion for the most vulnerable in their times, I believe that the Jesus reveals God’s way, truth, and life. The Good Shepherd always protects the sheep and gathers them as one flock.
To what end do we pray: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Jesus prays for our protection that we may be one – one in His Spirit – one people in this world. Jesus prays for our protection – and for our unity as believers – as brothers and sisters in Christ – to fulfill God’s purposes while we yet live on this earth.
In the high priestly prayer, in effect, Jesus creates opportunities for people to know God - intellectually and experientially - through both head and heart knowledge. We come to God – to faith - in both word and deed. We are called to pray to God, follow the Lord, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and share what we know to be true.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to create opportunities for people to know God – as one people - through our words and deeds, through ministries of preaching, teaching, healing, serving and caring, and protecting one another in Jesus’ name.
Disciples are called to create opportunities for people to experience God, even in us, through us, and with us – thus we humbly pray.
Let us be one in the Spirit, one in the Lord. May people know God and come to faith through our obedience to love one another as God loves us in Jesus Christ. Will others know we are Christians by our love? The good Lord is praying so. Thanks be to God. Amen.