The Beginning of the Good News

Mark 1:1-15
Introduction

            Christmas is a season of good news and many of the carols we sing proclaim the message of good news. A number of them even have phrases expressing that this is good news. For example, In the song, "While Shepherds watched their flocks by night" we sing, "Glad tidings of great joy I bring…" In the song, "Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn" we sing, "Behold, I bring good tidings of a Savior's birth…" "Good Christian Friends, Rejoice" has the phrase, "News! News! Jesus Christ is born today." And in "O Little Town of Bethlehem" we sing, "The great glad tidings tell…" That is one of the things that makes Christmas such a great celebration because all of us would much rather hear good news than bad news.

            A few months ago, Cynthia Frazer reminded us that as Christians we have a message of good news. She mentioned that she has had opportunities to present the gospel to women in the prison system and she indicated that those she works with know that they are sinners. She mentioned that they don't need to be told that, but they do need to be told that there is good news.

            This morning, I would like to begin a series of messages on the Gospel of Mark. As we begin this series, we notice that one of the first words in the book is “good news.” Although not all of the message of Mark is good news, yet the overall message of the book is not a bad news story, but a good news story. In fact, “good news” is a word that appears often in Mark and so forms a significant theme of the book. The text we will look at today is Mark 1:1-15 and it is the word “good news” which begins and ends this section. The second word in the first verse is “good news” and the last word in verse 15 is “good news.” We like good news stories and this is certainly one of the greatest, so today we will look at the good news which Mark speaks about. We will think about how this good news began and also about how this good news is about Jesus. On this final Sunday in Advent, just two days before Christmas, it is a good thing to look at Jesus and to think about the meaning of His coming.

I.                The Story of Jesus’ Coming

What is the beginning of the good news? How did it all start? Each gospel tells a slightly different story and emphasizes different aspects of the story. How does Mark answer this question as he mentions that he is about to tell us about the beginning of the good news?

A.              It Is Rooted in Prophecy

The good news about Jesus is rooted in prophecy. Why does Mark start his gospel with the prophecy about the messenger who will prepare the way for Jesus’ coming? In doing so, he roots the beginning of the good news in all that God has spoken before about His coming one. Over the last few weeks, we have looked at some of those passages and there are many more. This tells us that the message about Jesus is not a message which was concocted on a whim at the last moment. Do you remember when we first heard that IKEA was coming to Winnipeg? First there was a rumor, then there was the announcement, then the planning, then the streets had to be prepared, then we saw the building begin. Before all of that, there was planning in the corporate offices and in city hall that we didn’t even know about. When it finally opened, apparently it was a big deal. God's planning for the coming of Jesus goes way back. He planned for His coming and announced it. The coming of Jesus is a part of a great plan which God has had from the beginning of time. It is a big deal. Mark lets us know that the good news he is talking about is a big deal when he roots it in prophecy.

B.              John the Baptist Prepared the Way

The prophecy is about John the Baptist, who was the cousin of Jesus, but more importantly was the one God had chosen to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.

John stands in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets. It says in the text that John “wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist.” In Zechariah13:4  it refers to prophets and indicates that one indicator of a prophet is that they are people who wear "a hairy mantle." In 2 Kings 1:8 it is even more specific as Elijah is described as “A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist.” By saying these things, Mark is intending for us to see this strong connection not only to the Old Testament prophetic tradition, but specifically to Elijah. John was the one whom Malachi 4:5, 6, prophesied about when it says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

The good news about Jesus begins with a time of preparation in which John the Baptist called people to repent of their sins. Upon repentance, he also baptized them. Many have speculated on the meaning of this baptism. There were religious groups in Israel at the time, particularly in the area of Qumran, who practiced baptism as a rite of initiation. On the other hand, if you wanted to go into the temple area, it was required to first of all go into a mikveh, or ritual bath, in order to wash and be free of defilement before going into God’s presence. John’s baptism may have been related to these two types of baptism, but was more likely something unique to John as a symbol of the cleansing of the heart which repentance implied.

People came from all over Judea and Jerusalem so we see that what John did was no small event in some remote corner of the nation. When we realize that the distance between Jerusalem and the Jordan River is about 30 or 40 km, through difficult terrain, and at a time when all travel was by foot, we realize that this was an important event and people made a significant effort to go to him. Through John's preaching, God prepared the people to have hearts and ears that were open to the message of the one who was coming.

C.              Jesus’ Baptism Introduced Him

As John was thus engaged, Jesus also came to be baptized. John had been preaching repentance, but he had also been pointing beyond himself to the one who would come. Now Jesus came, but in Mark it is not John who points to Jesus and says, “Here he is!” In the gospel of Mark, Jesus came to be baptized and there are no comments by John as there are in Matthew 3:15. He simply baptized Him as he had done for the many others who came. We wonder about this because we know that Jesus had no sins to repent of, yet Mark doesn't even enter into that debate.

What Mark does emphasize is the introduction of Jesus. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus happened when God Himself introduced Jesus. God says, in Mark 1:11, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” From this point on the story is about Jesus. The story has always been about Jesus, and even the prophecies and the preparatory work of John, all focus on Jesus. With God’s words, we are introduced to Jesus and the story about Jesus actually begins.

D.             Jesus’ Temptation Prepared Him

Following this powerful experience of introduction and affirmation, Jesus was sent out into the wilderness. There are some important things to think about as we read about Jesus in the wilderness.

Why did Jesus go into the wilderness? It is helpful to notice that many of those who served God had spent time in the wilderness. Moses fled to the wilderness and spent time there before he went to Egypt to be the deliverer of Israel. For Moses it was a time of preparation. The Israelites came out of the wilderness to inherit the Promised Land. They also had to be prepared in the wilderness. As I Kings 19:8 & 15 tell us, Elijah also spent time in the wilderness which prepared him for service. In a similar way, Jesus had to go to the wilderness and begin there in the place of nothingness and emptiness in order to go out in the strength of God.

In the wilderness, Jesus experienced the tempting work of Satan. It is in this experience of temptation in the wilderness that Jesus experienced the depths of what it means to be human. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that he was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” It was in the beginning that Jesus had to thus fully experience humanity and also thus prove Himself.

The mention of wild beasts is interesting. Cole says, “The desert was to the Hebrew, a gloomy place of terror, the abode of devils and unclean beasts.” Lane says, “Jesus confronts the horror, the loneliness and the danger with which the wilderness is fraught when he meets the wild beasts.” So the wild beasts represent the danger of the wilderness, but while experiencing both the temptation and the danger, God’s presence was also there through the angels who attended Him.

A place of wilderness, temptation and danger is where Jesus was prepared for the work to which God had called him. He experienced the power of temptation, the power of loss, the power of unknown danger and He experienced the strength of God’s presence with Him and care for Him.

E.              Jesus Ministry Began

The final scene in the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the actual beginning of His ministry. The ministry of Jesus did not begin until John the Baptist was out of the way. This note by Mark is quite deliberate. It was a matter of proper timing. John did his work. As soon as it was done and Jesus was ready, John was moved out of the way and Jesus began His work.

Jesus returned to Galilee and it was there, in his home area where his work actually began. The ministry of Jesus included proclaiming the good news. This good news included the message that “the time had come.” It announced that God’s kingdom was near. As we continue in our study of Mark over the next number of months, we will learn more about this kingdom of God and what it means.

The message which Jesus preached was a message of repentance, which continues the message of John the Baptist, but the new message that was added was that the time of God’s coming kingdom is near and so there is also a call for faith in the good news when it says that he invited them “to believe the good news.”

As I mentioned earlier, “good news” is the bracket in which this first section is held. The message of Mark begins by mentioning the good news about Jesus Christ. Then the good news is introduced and as the introduction concludes we are told that this good news is being proclaimed.

II.             The Meaning of Jesus’ Coming

Although not a birth narrative, Mark does introduce the beginning of Jesus' coming into this world. But this is not merely a narrative of events that mark the beginning of his work. It is also a narrative that explains much about the meaning of His coming. How appropriate in this Christmas season to think about that meaning!

A.              The Greatest Of All Has Come

The first explicit statement, about who Jesus is, comes in verse 7 where John the Baptist makes the statement “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” A few moments ago I suggested that John stood solidly in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets. This puts him in pretty significant company – right up there with Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel – who were highly respected people in Israel’s history. He spoke with the authority of God and with a word from God and was honored by the people in that many came to hear the message. Yet this highly honored messenger of God acknowledged that there was someone who was even greater than he, and by implication greater than any of the prophets.

Lane suggests that removing sandals was the most menial of tasks “from which even the Hebrew slave was released.” Only foreign slaves were considered low enough to do this task. So when John, who stands in the company of all the great prophets, indicates that he was not even low enough to untie Jesus' sandals, it is wonderful picture language which helps us understand just how great Jesus is. John alerts us to this truth about the greatness of Jesus. This message is a great part of the Christmas story, that Jesus is God who came down to earth. The meaning of Jesus' coming is that God Himself, the greatest one of all, the one who has no equal, who alone reigns for all eternity has come into this world. That is the good news of Jesus Christ – the greatest of all, God Himself has come.

B.              He Has Come With A Greater Message

John’s further statement is that the meaning of this good news of Jesus has to do with a radical change in the way humans relate to God and how they live. Although John had a significant role as the one who prepared the way for Jesus, all John could do was call people to repent and symbolize that repentance with baptism. John indicated that the coming one, Jesus, would do something completely different. He would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

All that John’s baptism could do was to symbolize an outward cleansing based on confession. What the Spirit baptism would do was to bring about a complete change of heart. The presence of the Holy Spirit would symbolize the coming of God to not only forgive sins and cleanse past sins, but to establish a new people who were empowered to walk with God by His constant presence in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Previously God’s presence was in the temple. When the tent of meeting was established during the wilderness wanderings, God came into the tent and was present with the people. They could go to the tent to meet with God, but he was not with them individually. When the temple which Solomon built was dedicated, God came into the temple and indwelt it. The people could meet with God in the temple, but not anywhere else. They all had to travel to Jerusalem in order to have a meeting with God. At Jesus' baptism he was not only filled with the Holy Spirit, but Mark indicates that He would fill others with the Holy Spirit. Now God became available and could be met, not only in the temple, but each person would be able to meet with God in their own hearts. The good news of Jesus is that God not only came, but also that He continues to come and live with us by His Spirit.

C.              God Has Come

As Jesus was baptized, we read that “he saw the heavens torn apart.” What does that mean?

            In Isaiah 64:1 the prophet expresses a wish, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down…” In the midst of the devastation of Israel’s exile, Isaiah looked to God and wished for God to make an appearance in history. We share that wish. God sometimes seems so distant that we wonder where He is. It is out of such a deep longing for God to appear and to do something that this cry of Isaiah arose. He asked that God would tear open the veil and allow us to see Him and have communication with him.

            Well, the good news of Jesus is that God did tear open the heavens. The word of God to Jesus and the wording Mark uses here is intended to help us understand that the good news of Jesus Christ is the message that God has opened heaven and Jesus has come down and, as John 1 says, “we have seen His glory.” It is often stated that Mark does not tell the story of Jesus' birth, but in this statement we see that Mark does have a very explicit Christmas story. God opened heaven and came down in the person of Jesus.

D.             God’s Beloved Son Has Come

God’s affirmation of Jesus, when he says, "You are my Son, the beloved…" tells us a lot about who Jesus is. There are some important Old Testament images that we are reminded of as we hear this word spoken.

Psalm 2:7 says, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father…” Geddert calls the statement in Mark 1:11, which is reminiscent of Psalm 2, God’s “ringing personal affirmation.” How powerful, how wonderful to have God’s total support for the difficult task on which Jesus was about to embark.

We are also reminded of what God told Abraham when he said to him, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…” When we hear this very human story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son whom he loved, it tears at our hearts. What was going through Abraham’s mind as he walked the many miles to Mount Moriah? How could a father even contemplate such a thing? When God said to Jesus “my Son, whom I love” this story must be in our minds because, although Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son, God did sacrifice His Son for us. What powerful language which allows us to see into the heart of the Father. The good news of Jesus is that God has given us His one and only Son in order that He should die to give us life.

E.              He Proclaims the Good News

The last thing we learn about the meaning of the good news about Jesus is that it is a message which must be received and proclaimed.

When Jesus proclaimed the good news, He invited people to repent and believe. John had called for repentance, but Jesus didn’t stop there. He continued to call for repentance, but also called for faith. Today, the way into the kingdom is still the same. We must repent of our sin. We need to agree with God about that which we know is true in us, that we have sinned and rebelled against God. We also need to have faith and trust that in Jesus, God has provided forgiveness and life.

The ministry of Jesus was a ministry of proclamation. We read that He proclaimed the good news and we will also see that He taught his disciples to proclaim the good news. After he left, the task of proclamation was given to them and they continued both to teach the good news and to teach others to proclaim the good news. Unfortunately, sometimes we as Christians have latched on to the bad news and are known as people who tell others that they are sinners. Even if we don't say it in words, sometimes our "holier than thou" attitudes convey to others what we think of them. It is not really necessary, or even our business to convey that message. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin. Since Jesus came to proclaim good news, we must also gladly and boldly declare God's Good News.

Conclusion                                                        

Christmas is exciting for so many reasons, but do we really believe it when we say that "Jesus is the reason for the season?" Is it really a time when we grow even more in our knowledge of Him? Is it really a time when we declare our love for Him and live more purposefully in that love?

I received a Christmas card from someone once and one of the lines in it was, “And may it be that by the time this New Year ends - you will know Jesus better than you ever have before!” We will celebrate Christmas this week and as we do may we think about Jesus and come to know Him better?  Over the next few months we will examine the gospel of Mark and we will have a chance to think about Jesus. May it be an opportunity to build on our knowledge of and relationship to Jesus. May we be able to say a year from now, "I do know Him better than I did a year ago."

God Has Done It!

Psalm 22

Introduction

            Waiting for Christmas is hard for some people, in fact, some hardly wait at all. The Christmas tree is put up in November because they want that Christmas feeling as soon and as long as possible. But then they still have to wait for the actual day and the gifts and the family celebrations.

            The four weeks before Christmas are identified as advent. The word "advent" means coming and coming implies waiting for something which is yet to come. We celebrate this season because we remember the time of waiting before Jesus came. For many years, Israel waited for Messiah. God gave promises of his coming and they longed for the time He would come and restore all things. I don't think we do the Advent season very well because with our decorations and music we tend to move quickly to Christmas. One thing that makes it hard for us to emphasize waiting is that we know that Messiah has already come. So we wonder, why focus on waiting at all?

            Yet waiting is a part of our life. Elvis had a song called, "Blue Christmas" which expresses that not everything is as we wish it would be. There are many things in life which we hope will get better and often we need to wait. A person who struggles with a chronic illness is aware that not everything is good. A person with a mental illness knows that not everything is as they would like it. All of us know that death comes to every one of us and although we anticipate eternal life, we are still waiting for the day when Jesus will return and we will not have to die any more. So waiting is something we are very familiar with. Waiting in all of these ways is difficult.

            Psalm 22, expresses the longing associated with the knowledge that not everything is good and the difficulty of waiting for God to act.

I.     God Hears the Afflicted

            Although Psalm 22 is identified as a Psalm of David, there is no clear indication about which event in David's life it might refer to. One possibility is I Samuel 23:24b-28. In that story, David was being chased by Saul and it says, "David was hurrying to get away from Saul." It was a time of affliction for him. Then suddenly Saul was called away because of an attack by the Philistines and David was spared. The intensity of the affliction and the sudden release from that affliction may be what is expressed in the two parts of the Psalm.

A.   Hope or No Hope?

            It was a very difficult time for David as expressed right in verse 1 when he says, "Why have you forsaken me?" Have you ever wondered or even asked, "God where are you?" at a time when you were experiencing difficulty? This was the experience David had. He sought God, but seemed to get no answer from God. Day and night he was looking for hope and help, but no help came and he was sure that God had forgotten him. What a terrible thing to feel as if God is absent. There is no place to get help if God seems to be ignoring you. It is a place of hopelessness.

            But the Psalmist does not give up on God, even though he feels as if God has abandoned him. He prays and declares his understanding that God is holy and worthy of praise. He not only remembers who God is, but also recalls the times in the past when God has helped. He remembers that at other times his ancestors prayed and trusted God and God delivered them.

            One of the things which we are often advised to do when we are discouraged and wondering where God is, is to recall the times in the past when He has helped. If we read the Bible and see what God has done in those stories and if we think about how we have experienced God's goodness in the past it is an encouragement which gives us hope for the present. That is what the Psalmist does in Psalm 22:3-5.

            Yet it doesn't seem to help him much. Somehow in verses 6 he expresses the feeling that if he is beyond help because he is not worthy of God's help. He sees himself as less than human, as a worm and therefore not worthy of anything.

            This feeling of worthlessness is compounded by the taunting of others who mock him and declare that he is unworthy of help. The logic of verses 7, 8 may go something like this. The Psalmist wants to trust in God, but the help of God is not coming. Those observing are like Job's friends who believe that there is something wrong with the Psalmist. They mock his empty faith in God because God was obviously not showing up. The difficulty was that the Psalmist's understanding of God did not fit together with his experience of the absence of God.

            In spite of feeling less than human and in spite of bearing the mockery of those who believe that God will not help, the Psalmist is not easily put off. He reminds himself that God has always been his help. In verses 9-11, he expresses the foundational faith that has been his from when he was just a newborn child. Even though he feels abandoned by God and sees no answer and no help for his situation, he is not willing to throw faith in God away. Trust in God has been his help since he was young and now in this difficult time, he is not willing to give up on God. In fact, he turns now to prayer and acknowledges that he is in a difficult place. Yet he also expresses that he cannot see anywhere else to turn. He may feel forsaken of God, but he sees no better options available to him, so he continues in prayer to God.

B.   Prayer In Times of Trouble

            The prayer extends from verses 12 to 21 and begins with a description of the trouble he is experiencing.

            In describing the trouble he begins by describing what seem to be violent enemies all around him. He uses the imagery of bulls, lions and dogs. Bashan is the area east of the Sea of Galilee. There is an escarpment there which causes the land beyond the escarpment to be a place of higher average rainfall and therefore a fruitful place. The cattle of Bashan were known to be larger than in other areas. If you have ever walked into an area with a large and threatening bull, you may have some idea of the danger expressed by the phrase, "bulls of Bashan surround me." A "ravening and roaring lion" also expresses the violence and fear produced by an enemy. In verse 16 a similar imagery speaks of dogs, which were not nice household pets, but scavengers who would gather wherever blood was shed. These pictures suggest that David's problem was violent enemies who were after him. It may well be that King Saul was that enemy.

            But the trouble which David was experiencing was not entirely from enemies without. The troubles he was experiencing were also emotional with physical side effects. Verses 14, 15, are a particularly good description of the trauma caused by trouble. He experiences physical weakness. His heart is not strong, and it feels like it is melting like wax within him. Have you ever heard the expression, "sucking spit." I understand it because when I am worried about something, that is something that happens until my mouth feels dry. The final line in this section suggests that the Psalmist feels that he is near to death.

            Verses 17, 18 suggest that those around him also look at him as one whose life is over and for whom there is no hope. In fact, they have already begun to divide up his estate and are gambling over his possessions to see who will get them when he dies.

            He expresses the depth of his troubles, but as we have already seen, his determination is to turn to God and so in verses 19-21, he returns to prayer. He reaches out and cries, "O my help, come quickly to my aid!" His prayer is urgent. In these verses, he once again mentions the dog, the lion and the ox, in reverse order, and expresses a desire to be redeemed from the violence of their danger.

            He prays and then he waits for God to answer. All we have read up until this point reflects the struggle and difficulty of waiting for God to act and the depth of the trials which are part of the human experience.

C.   Praise God Who Helps

            Suddenly the language changes. Instead of despair and anguish motivating desperate prayer, the language changes to praise. Suddenly the Psalmist declares, "I will praise you." Why the sudden change? Verse 24 tells us, "For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him."

            God has answered his prayer! God has not abandoned him! God has had compassion for the person who was suffering. The Psalmist suddenly experiences relief, an answer and God's presence in his life again!

            If the background is one like I suggested earlier from I Samuel where the enemy suddenly stopped pursuing him, we can understand such a sudden change because God has acted and there is thanksgiving which follows upon answered prayer.

            The rest of the Psalm is a declaration of praise to God. There are a lot of great thoughts here related to praise after God has answered prayer.

            We see a note of praise in the congregation. The Psalmist doesn't keep his praise to himself, but expresses it before others in the community of faith. What an important thing to do when we have experienced God's grace!

            He invites others to join him in praising God because God is worthy of praise. When he mentions, "…stand in awe of him…" he is reflecting on the greatness of God revealed to him through his own experience.

            He declares that many other people, people from "all the families of the nations" and also "a people yet unborn" will praise because God is the sovereign Lord over all and He has done this great thing because He does great things.

            The final phrase is "He has done it" and is not to be missed. God has accomplished salvation for the Psalmist. God accomplishes what God wants. God does the work He sets out to do. Therefore, God is very great and worthy of praise! Although at times we may have to wait, God always comes through. God did it!

II.  God Heard The Afflicted One

            What a great Psalm of encouragement, but as we read the words of this Psalm, do they not sound familiar from another context? Psalm 22 is one of the Psalms that is quoted a number of times in the New Testament and is sometimes called the Psalm of the cross. Psalm 22 may be prophetic, but even if not, it certainly reflects exactly on Jesus' experience. As He hung on the cross we know that He quoted Psalm 22:1 but I believe that He may have actually quoted the whole Psalm or at least had it on his mind. The Psalm accurately reflects the experience of Jesus on the cross, and also what happened after the cross and indeed what has happened since.

A.   Jesus Was Abandoned

            As Jesus hung on the cross, both Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 record that He quoted the words of Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" As Jesus faced death, we know that He died for our sins and in our place. As He took upon Himself all the sins of the world, the face of God was turned away from Him. The abandonment he felt was expressed in this Psalm, and expressed with much more depth than in what happened to David. The experience of Jesus, as He was forsaken by God was much deeper. It was not just a feeling of being abandoned by God, in that moment, he was actually abandoned by God.

B.   Jesus Was Afflicted

            Yet there are other points of contact between this Psalm and the experience of Jesus. Some of the experiences of Jesus are quite accurately expressed in the Psalm and in some cases even quoted.

            In Psalm 22:7 we read, "All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads…" Matthew 27:39 describes the experience of Jesus in a similar way when it says, "Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads…"

            In Psalm 22:8 we read of the mockery of the people when it says, “Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” As Jesus hung on the cross the Jewish religious leaders said, in Matthew 27:43, "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”

            Psalm 22:15 says, "my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death…" This is reflected in Jesus' declaration in John 19:28 where he says, "After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), 'I am thirsty.'” The Scripture that is being fulfilled is Psalm 22.

            The other part of the Psalm which is familiar is Psalm 22:18, "they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." This is what happened to Jesus, as we read in Matthew 27:35, "And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots…"

            Isn't it amazing how accurately Psalm 22 describes the affliction of Jesus? He was abandoned by God and experienced many of the afflictions mentioned in the Psalm.

            The Psalm is a description of a human experience. Since Jesus experienced the same kind of affliction while he was human, it is a blessing to know that Jesus understands our suffering. Yet, we also know that his experience of suffering was much greater than any human being because he did not deserve it, but chose it. If we sometimes feel as if God has abandoned us, the abandonment experienced by Jesus was even greater than ours. This also encourages us that He understands. As we reflect on this Psalm, we can also be encouraged to have faith because He, like David, also continued to put His trust in God.

C.   God Helped Jesus

            It is not difficult to see the correspondence between the suffering of Jesus and that expressed in Psalm 22, but is there also a correspondence between the experience of Jesus and the answer of God and the praise to God expressed in the community and among all the nations?

            We noted that in verses 22 - 24, there was a sudden change in tone because all at once God came into the picture. The same sudden answer for Jesus also came when God raised Him from the dead. Was this part of the Psalm and the coming resurrection in Jesus' mind as he was hanging on the cross? I believe it was. The first word of the Psalm was one of the last words of Jesus, quoted in Matthew 27:46 when He expressed, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me." The final word of the Psalm is another of the last words of Jesus, quoted in John 19:30. When the Psalm concludes with the phrase, "he has done it" it has the same intention as the words of Jesus when He said, “It is finished.” By those words He was saying, "God has accomplished what He set out to do. God has won!" God did not abandon Jesus, but raised Him from the dead and in His resurrection, declared Him to be Lord of all!

D.   God is Praised and Jesus is Proclaimed

            The result of that powerful victory are the praise of God and the proclamation of Jesus in all the world.

            Psalm 22 speaks of the proclamation of what God has done. We read in verse 27 that "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord." It declares in verses 30, 31, "future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn." This is exactly what has happened since then. Jesus' suffering resulted in salvation for the world and His name is being proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

            As a result, the name of God will be praised in all the earth. The words of praise in Psalm 22:23 are reflected in Revelation 19:5 where we read, "And from the throne came a voice saying, 'Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great.'” The thoughts of Psalm 22:28 are recognized in Revelation 19:6 where we read, "Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns."

            Just as the Psalm ends with praise and proclamation because God has done it, so the life of Jesus results in praise and proclamation because of what God has done through Him.

Conclusion

            Waiting…

            David waited for God to deliver him. As he waited, he wondered if God was still there. He felt abandoned by God. He experienced deep affliction and no help. Yet God delivered him and he praised God for what He had done.

            Israel waited for God to bring His Messiah into the world. For years they suffered and many must have wondered if God had abandoned them. Where was God in the 400 silent years following His last prophetic word to Malachi? Yet Messiah came and the angels proclaimed the good news of Immanuel and God redeemed His people.

            Jesus waited for relief from His suffering as He was arrested, unjustly tried, beaten and crucified. He suffered more deeply than any before Him and actually experienced the abandonment of God. But even that abandonment was not permanent because God raised Him from the dead. As a result His name is being proclaimed in all the world today and God is being praised.

            We wait. Perhaps we wait for relief from our suffering. Perhaps we wait for an end to God's seeming silence. Perhaps we wait for Jesus to come again. As we wait, we can do so with hope. In the case of David, Israel and Jesus, God did it! He answered prayer! He brought about His plan and He will do the same for us.

            As we wait for Christmas in this Advent season, may we think about what it means to wait for God who sometimes allows us to experience affliction. May we think about how we can wait with hope because God does not abandon the afflicted. May we praise God because of all He has accomplished. May we proclaim Jesus for in Him is all our hope.

God's Word to a World At War

Psalm 2

Introduction

            We have attended the school concerts of our grandchildren. In a few weeks we will go again and attend their "winter festival." This event always makes me wonder because there are no songs or stories which mention Jesus. Now I am OK with being sensitive to multiculturalism, but somehow I wonder if something else isn't going on. I wonder if this isn't an example of the rejection of God which we read about in Psalm 2?  

           We see rejection of God in our world in many ways and it has a powerful impact. When God is out of the picture, not only is there no foundation for morality, the value of human life is also diminished. In an article in December 2008, Pierre Gilbert wrote that under secular humanism, human beings no longer have intrinsic value. He asks, "What distinguishes human beings from all other animals or plants?" He suggests that it is not the fact that we have a unique DNA, because every living creature has a unique DNA. He says further that it also cannot be identifiable markers "such as intelligence, ability to love, creativity, empathy and speech" because then some people who are severely physically and mentally handicapped would not be identified as human. The foundation for the uniqueness of humanity is that they and they alone are created in the image of God. If God is taken out of the picture, then that foundation is gone and many other things also fall away.

            At the beginning of the service, we played several songs from The Messiah. Each of those songs come from Psalm 2. "Why do the Nations" comes from Psalm 2:1,2; "Let us break their bonds asunder;" is from Psalm 2:3; "He that dwelleth in heaven" is from Psalm 2:4 and "Thou shalt break them" is from Psalm 2:9. In Psalm 2, the writer reflects on the very thing I have just been talking about. It speaks about the rejection of God by the rulers of the world. But it also speaks about the perspective from heaven and the promise God has made to send his King into the world. It is appropriate that during this advent season we think about the promises of God. As we do, we have an opportunity to think about how we respond to the rejection of God in the world and how the coming of Jesus has made a difference.

I.     A World At War vs. 1-3

A.   The Nations Conspire

            The reality presented in Psalm 2:1-3 is a reality which we assume is normal. We do not assume that nations and the rulers of nations will take into account what God wants as they lead their nations.

            In these verses we read such statements as, "the nations conspire," "the peoples plot," "kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord." They say, "Let us burst their bonds asunder."

            Some of the opposition to God is opposition that has to do simply with the fact that they do not take account of God or a worldview in which God is recognized as sovereign Lord. So when our country failed to provide for the protection of children in the womb, it happened simply because they did not ask God about the value of an unborn child.

            At other times, the opposition is directed against God and against the people who represent God. On October 28, we talked about what is happening to believers in other countries who are experiencing persecution. In many cases persecution is happening as a direct attack against God and His people.

            Some people simply reject God because they do not believe He exists and so their worldview is formed without reference to God. Some people reject God because they do believe He exists, but are opposed to Him and are vehement in their rejection of God.

            Psalm 2 is quoted in the New Testament a number of times and one of the reasons it is quoted is to reflect on the rejection of God. One of the places in which this happens is in Acts 4:25-28 where the Christian church gathered to pray after Peter and John were released after they had been arrested. Their prayer included the words, "it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." The early church saw everything that happened to Jesus and the persecution they had experienced as a fulfillment of this Psalm.

            Although kings are mentioned, the very same battle also takes place in every human heart. Psalm 14:1, says, "Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God.'” Romans 1:21, also reflects on this when it says, "for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him..."

            This is what is happening in our world and it is explained in Psalm 2:1-3.

B.   Why?

            Yet Psalm 2 does not only observe the reality, but also asks, "Why?" The writer is astonished that such rejection of God takes place. It is particularly difficult to understand why those who know God would want to reject Him.

            Yet the question is not a question which emphasizes the puzzle. The question directs our attention to the uselessness of such rejection. Verse 1 says, "the peoples plot in vain." Rejection of God has no point. Waltner writes, "The tone of these opening verses is incredulity. How can anyone, even the most powerful earthly rulers, hope to break free from the sovereign Lord and his anointed?"

            Spurgeon includes an interesting illustration. Diocletian conquered much land and when he got to Spain he set up a pillar, to honor himself, with these words on it: "Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti, for having extended the Roman Empire in the east and west, and for having extinguished the name of Christians, who brought the Republic to ruin." Well the vanity of that boast is clear because many people have not even heard of Diocletian, but Christianity continues until today.

II.  God Speaks vs. 4-6

A.   God Laughs vs. 4

            The uselessness of the rebellion of the kings is focused when God's perspective is raised in verse 4 where we read that God laughs.

            When the whole army of Israel was held back because of the boasts of Goliath, the king of Israel and the soldiers of Israel were not laughing. But God was laughing, because he knew that shortly Goliath would be defeated by a mere shepherd boy. We so often share the fear of the army of Israel when we have every reason to recognize the laughter of God who is not in the least intimidated by the enmity of the kings of the earth.

            We see the laughter of God in the story of Israel in Egypt. Pharaoh was deliberately seeking to destroy the people of God by legislating that all the male babies should be killed. While this was going on, one of those very Israelite males, the one who would eventually deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt was being raised by Pharaoh's own daughter.

B.   God is Angry vs. 5

            Yet the laughter of God is no joke even to God. It is mentioned simply to highlight the ridiculousness of the opposition against God. It is no joke because God is angry at their rebellion. Those who rebel against God do not do so with impunity. Although God is patient and does not immediately smite all who rebel against Him, the day of His wrath is coming. God promises that those who hate Him will have a day of reckoning. All rebellion is a rejection of what is good and whole. Therefore He is angry that those who reject Him do so towards their own destruction and the destruction of many others. Therefore in this passage God promises that a day is coming when that opposition will be dealt with. Revelation 11:18 speaks of the fulfillment of that promise when it says, "The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

C.   God Has An Answer vs. 6

            How does God respond to the rebellion of the nations? Interestingly it is not by smashing all opposition. The promise which fits so well as we consider the theme of advent is the promise of one who will come and who will be king and who will rule for Him.

            This Psalm was likely originally written as a coronation Psalm. It has strong ties to the time when God established His king over His people. It has ties particularly to the promises made to David in II Samuel 7:8-16. Whenever the enemies of Israel came against the people of God, God's answer was, "I have set a king over my people." But those kings were not always faithful to God and they were not always able to overcome their enemies. The promise made in this Psalm extends beyond the kings who were ruling in those days. In II Samuel 7:16, God promised David, "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever." The promise points forward to the coming of a king who would reign eternally. It is a promise of a coming Messiah who would be faithful to God and who would establish the reign of God eternally.

III.          God's Son Speaks vs. 7-9

            The voice changes in verses 7-9 and now it is this king who speaks. In these verses it is Messiah Himself who declares His understanding of the promise God has made. As we listen to these words, we hear words appropriate for this advent season. They speak of who this anointed King is and what God has promised to do through Him in response to the rebellion of the kings of the earth.

A.   Identity of the King

            There are two words in verse 7 which identify the king whom God has set in place.

            In verse 7 it says, "you are my Son." Jesus understood that He was Son of God. Repeatedly Psalm 2 is quoted in the New Testament to demonstrate that Jesus fulfills this promise. On the occasions in which God spoke directly to the disciples about Jesus, like at his baptism and at the transfiguration, this is the language that is used. For example in  Luke 9:35 we read, "Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”" Hebrews 5:5 is a theological reflection on this idea and there we read, "So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;" Jesus was a descendent of David and was therefore qualified to take the role prophesied in II Samuel. Jesus is the Son of God and is God's answer to the rebellion of the nations.

            The other phrase of identity is the phrase, "today I have begotten you." When was Jesus established as the Son who would answer the rebellion of the nations? Acts 13:33, speaking of God's promises, says, "he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’" Romans 1:4 further affirms this when it says, "and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord," So we see that it was through the resurrection that God put in place His answer to the kings of the earth. The risen Christ, who died in our place is God's reply to the kings. Jesus understood His role as the Son who had come. Jesus was the son of David and so was qualified to fulfill God's promise. He was raised from the dead and so was also qualified to reign for all eternity.

B.   Rule of the King

            The other issue addressed is, "How will this king fulfill God's wrath on the nations of the earth?" This was a confusing issue when Jesus came. Several times they asked Jesus when he would "restore the kingdom to Israel." In the Psalm, the promise made to the King whom God set in place was, "Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession." This was the promise which the people of Israel at Jesus' time were waiting for. They hoped that Jesus would come and smash the opposition of the Roman occupation. Yet Jesus did not do that and some were disappointed and some are still disappointed and question where God is fulfilling this promise through Jesus? Yet the evidence is quite clear. The kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom. It is God's kingdom on earth that is being established in every country in the world. The kings of the earth cannot stop it by opposition, persecution or rebellion. Once again God mocks the efforts of the kings of the earth because although they do not honor God and in many cases rebel against God, in every country of the world, people are becoming members of God's kingdom. Wherever that is happening, the promise of this Psalm is being fulfilled. Our belief is that in the end, the kingdom of Jesus will reach to the ends of the earth and will be the greatest kingdom. The victory will not come by military victory, it will come because the Son of God was willing to sacrifice His life and is establishing His kingdom as hearts are turned towards Him.

            The imagery of a rod of iron dashing in pieces a potters vessel is also repeated in the New Testament. Waltner mentions the custom in Egypt in which a Pharaoh would smash clay pots with an iron rod. The pots had on them the names of enemy nations and so by smashing them he symbolized his power over them. The imagery of Psalm 2:9 refers to the destruction of every nation on earth. Today that is happening as people turn to Jesus. It is not yet seen universally, yet Revelation contains promises that in the end this promise will be fulfilled. Revelation 19:15 is one of the final words on this issue. There we read, "From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty."  In the end, it will also not be a military victory, but a victory brought about by the word of God. By His Word, He will smash all other nations and the kingdom of Jesus will reign over all. In that way, God will fulfill the promise made in this Psalm. Luther "…identified the 'rod of iron' as the 'holy Gospel which is Christ's royal scepter in his church."

IV.         A Word of Wisdom vs. 10-12

            The final verses contain a word of wisdom written to kings and to all who rebel against God.

            First of all there is a warning written to those who continue in their rebellion. If God laughs and promises to act on his anger against the rebellion and if God has placed His own Son as the one who will inherit all nations, it only makes sense that all who rule and all who may be tempted to rebel against God, should be warned.

            In the musical “The King and I” the king sings a song about the difficulty of ruling and what is wise and what kind of alliances will serve the country best. He asks himself, “Shall I join with other nations in alliance. If allies are weak am I the best of all. If allies are strong with power to protect me, might they not protect me out of my own home.” Because God is King, a wise choice for any ruler is to serve God, to make a firm alliance with Him. For anyone, it is wise to enter into a relationship with God.

            Several specific statements invite response if we heed the warning.

            The first response is to "serve the Lord with fear." To fear the Lord is to recognize His greatness and power. To serve Him is to offer our life in obedience to Him.

            The second response is to rejoice with trembling. The trembling again points to honoring God in His majesty, but there is joy in it as well, a joy of recognizing that in His presence there is life.

            Next we are called to "Kiss His feet." To do so is a sign of homage, giving honor and obedience to Jesus is the best we can do in relationship to Him. Once again it is attached to the warning that God's wrath comes against those who rebel against Him.

            Yet although fear and warning are found throughout this passage, the final phrase reminds us that there is true joy and blessedness in taking refuge in Him. The call to fear and to heed the warning is not because God is a selfish dictator who demands full obedience. God calls for homage and service because in it there is blessing and all good. As we take refuge in Him, we will find that life.

Conclusion

            Advent season points to the coming of Messiah. Psalm 2 is one of the passages that points to the one whose coming we celebrate this season. It begins by acknowledging a disturbing reality that was true then and is true today. In the world, there is rebellion against God.

            But it also points to God's answer. He is not intimidated, as we often are, by the rebellion of those who reject Him. He laughs because He knows that the rebellion has no ultimate power. He is angry and will judge all those who continue in rebellion. God has promised His anointed Son as the answer to the rebellion of the kings. We understand that Jesus fulfills the promise made in this prophecy.

            The challenge of this Psalm is that it speaks so clearly to our context. We are citizens of the heavenly kingdom and know that perspective, yet we are also citizens of the earthly kingdom and experience the plotting of kings. So knowing both of these perspectives, how do we respond?

            It would be possible to fear the nations and doubt the promises of this text. Often we are tempted to do that. Yet if we let that way into our hearts we will be constantly fearful of what God's enemies will imagine or do next.

            It would be possible to respond with arrogance. We could hold it over all rebellious rulers and say, in effect, "I know that you are not going to win in the end." But is that what the example of Jesus calls us to do?

            It would be possible to respond with power and seek to restore our nation to God by political will. Some like the religious right in the USA try to do that. Is that how Jesus brought in the kingdom of God?

            As we contemplate the way of Jesus, the one whom God has put in place, we need to adopt His method. I believe that understanding this Psalm encourages us about how things are going to turn out. Yet it also challenges us to use the methods of the Son who showed us how to live in this world. With gentleness, sacrificial love, boldness, honesty and compassion He showed the reign of God in His heart and calls us to do the same. He calls us to have courage when we are rejected and to gently invite others into the way.

            May this season of advent be a time when we rejoice that God's King has come and may we more boldly proclaim the word of Jesus in our world.

            We began the service by listening to four successive songs from The Messiah which are all from Psalm 2. They speak of rebellion in the world and declare that God has an answer to that rebellion. The very next song is the Hallelujah chorus and declares with rejoicing that God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. After the benediction we will play it and as you leave the service, may the affirmation of that song give you courage to live for Jesus who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.