A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part I

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part I

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Opening Prayer

 

Humbly, I beseech the gracious bestowal of the anointing of the Holy Spirit who breaks every yoke that binds the people of God. With all due humility, I ask that I would decrease so that You may increase within me. Open the eyes and ears of our hearts and reveal unto us Your “good, pleasing and perfect will” for our lives. O most gracious and benevolent Master, give us knowledge of Your will for us and the mental willingness and spiritual power to carry it out. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our strength and redeemer. Amen.

 

Introduction

 

The smallest details are usually the surest clues that a job has been finished. If you want to determine whether a table has been set for dinner, you look to see whether the napkins have been folded and put in their proper places. The clearest sign that the dishes have been done is a folded and wrung dishtowel left over the sink. What is the major indicator that the laundry has been finished? You open your chest of drawers and find clean, fresh and neatly folded undergarments. The fold in a bedspread means that the bed has been made. I recall visiting relatives in Miami. These folks are meticulously neat and clean. They can spot a bread crumb in the middle of dark carpeting. Each room and its furniture have cleanliness equal to a museum. The smallest detail tells whether someone cleaned the room on any given day. Seeking to be a good guest, I resolved to adhere to their unparalleled standards of cleanliness. Each morning, after my morning routine of shaving, bathing and dressing, I made the bed. On the third morning, I learned that I was not making the bed according to household standards. My failure to leave a well-defined crease in the bed spread just beneath the pillows which yields marked fold on the sides meant that I had not made the bed properly. The lack of that side fold clearly exposed my inadequacy in making the bed. That minute and simple yet significant detail of folding certifies that a job had been completely and meticulously finished.

 

I.              Carpenters in the Ancient Near East

 

In his research for his latest novel, The Weeping Chamber, the Christian fiction writer, Sigmund Brouwer, discovers a minute but tremendously important detail which demonstrates that the work of salvation was accomplished thoroughly and irreversibly. Brouwer became intrigued and obsessed with a seemingly minor detail in John’s resurrection account. He focuses upon the evangelist’s specific care in mentioning the folded burial cloth. John carefully specifies that the cloth is folded neatly and set to the side. It is as if the Risen Lord or an attending angel seriously desired that anyone entering the Empty Tomb could not miss this detail. Brouwer asks, “Why? What is so important about the folded burial cloth? What does it mean? What did it mean to John’s original audience? What significance did this detail have for them? What did they think about the cloth? What did it mean to them? What lessons did they learn or gain when they considered this detail? What message did they think that John communicates with this detail?” Brouwer’s questions fueled his research. He began to rummage any documents, evidence and sources from biblical times that would contextualize the meaning of the folded cloth.

 

Brouwer discovered that carpenters of the first century had a distinct method of letting their employers know that the carpenters had completed a job. The average carpenter in the Ancient Near East was illiterate. He could not leave a note or an invoice. As a result, carpenters devised a system of communication to relay the message of a finished job and to request payment. The carpenter would leave a folded cloth in one of the corners of the job.   Following the building and sanding of a table, carpenters would leave a folded cloth perhaps sandpaper in the right corner. This cloth indicates finality and completion.

 

II.           John 20:1-7 – The Folded Burial Cloth

 

Most interestingly, the Johannine evangelist shares this detail of the folded cloth in his resurrection account. In John 20:6-7, he writes, “Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.”

 

On the first Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples find an empty tomb with the clearest sign that the work of salvation had been finished. Like the good, industrious and faithful carpenter that He was, Jesus took His burial cloth and folded it neatly and left it in a corner. Thereby, He indicates that He has totally defeated death and built an eternal home for all disciples and anyone who would believe. The folded burial cloth demonstrates that “It is finished!”

 

This detail is more than a literary and rhetorical device. It is also more than an obscure detail that would be a detective’s delight. It is more meaningful than anthropologist or archeologist’s missing piece of a cultural or societal puzzle. In recounting the ironic story of the resurrection in which the evangelist assures his audience of Christ’s destruction of death, John eloquently embeds this invaluable detail to depict the Lord’s mission and purpose. Detailing the presence, shape and position of the burial cloth reflects Christ’s complete salvific work in establishing the kingdom of God on Earth and laying the foundation of the Church through His three and half years of preaching, teaching and healing particularly to the apostles and the seventy followers.

 

In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, the evangelist records the resurrection of Lazarus, a common man in historical era. Jesus miraculously recalls Lazarus to life within a graveyard, the setting of death’s irreversible finality.  This scene of the empty tomb at the end of the Gospel in which Peter and John discover Jesus’ resurrection extends the blessing of this miracle to anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Mentioning the burial cloth laying aside equates with the removal of Lazarus’ grave clothes. Existentially, the Lord removes any adherent’s grave clothes or possible death. The symbolism of the burial cloth makes this divine promise accessible to an average person in biblical times and even today.

 

Singularly and uniquely, the Johannine evangelist includes this detail of the folded cloth in his resurrection account. Most readers of the Fourth Gospel often overlook this small yet significant detail. It is a potent and penetrating literary device that reflects the evangelist’s theological perspective. John notes, “Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.” It is a significant fact that each of the four gospel writers emphasize that the disciples discover an empty tomb. Their bewilderment creates questions about the whereabouts of Jesus’ body. Where was it? Its absence did not make sense as it was not naturally possible. Did these early witnesses to the empty tomb immediately recall Jesus’ prior teachings about the resurrection? “Destroy this temple and I will build it back in three days.” “The Son of Man will go with you to Jerusalem where He will be crucified but I will rise again on the third day.” John unlike his synoptic counterparts combines these two important details to remind his readers of Christ’s salvific purpose as evidenced in the incarnation, atonement, crucifixion and resurrection.

 

“He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying on the side.” On the first Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples find an empty tomb and the clearest sign that Jesus had accomplished the Father’s grand plan of salvation for humankind. The work of salvation had been finished. Customarily, in the Ancient Near East, carpenters left neatly folded cloths in the corner of table as a sign that they had completed the task for which they had been hired. Unlike today, carpenters did not return to a truck, write out an invoice and give it to the customer. Quite possibly, illiteracy contributed to the practice of folded cloths as the average person would not have had facility in language arts and an alphabet.

 

Parenthetically, “illiteracy” in that sense and historical period would differ significantly from any contemporary use of the word. During biblical times, people had substantial memories. They transmitted knowledge orally. Major classical books such as Beowulf, Odyssey and Iliad and even the Bible itself was transferred generationally and orally. Hence, the phrase, “knowing by heart,” became prevalent. Old Testament authors exhort their readers to recite scriptures throughout the day. Nonetheless, people who lived in the ancient world were “illiterate” but not necessarily uneducated.  

 

 

 

 

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part II

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part II

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Essentially, the folded cloth which legend holds of the sacred, “Shroud of Turin,” that covered Jesus’ face is found lying aside separate from the other burial clothes. Presumably in the wee hours of the morning during the fourth watch of the night when we believe the actual resurrection occurred; Jesus rose from the dead. Like  the good, industrious and faithful carpenter that He was, Jesus took His burial, cloth and folded it neatly and left it in a corner. Thereby, He indicates that he totally defeated death and built an eternal home for all believers.

 

Rather than building a glorious and grand edifice, Jesus builds the church, ecclesia, the confessional community of disciples who devote their lives to studying and implementing Christ’s teachings. These persons proactively dedicate their lives to Christ and elect to live according to His teachings and principles regardless of the social mores and cultural norms of the dominant culture in which they live. The Fourth Evangelist uses the detail of the folded cloth to dramatically depict the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. He builds the church upon the foundation of His sinless life as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He spends three and a half years in a seminar with the disciples wherein He teaches them the principles of the kingdom of God. Succinctly, Jesus teaches the “new Law of God’s love” as an expansion of the Torah. The “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew and the “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke crystalize this teaching. Although he was a carpenter by trade, Jesus possesses an incredible insight into the laws and character of God. His three and half years of public ministry with an especial concentration upon the twelve disciples with an inner circle of Peter, James and John prioritized building a foundation for the church and expanding kingdom of God.

 

That folded burial cloth demonstrated the saying on the cross, “It is finished!” It signified the completion of Christ’s earthly mission and purpose. He conquers death which biblical authors describe as the final enemy. More importantly, Jesus liberates humankind to live freely, happily and joyously to the glory of Almighty God. The fear of death imprisons countless persons. Fundamentalist religion becomes a glorified penitentiary for many disciples as they misguidedly assume they must earn God’s approval and grace through strict adherence to rituals, rites and creeds. The elder brother in the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” remains the enduring archetype of the self-righteous religious person who lives as a slave to dogma, orthodoxy and religiosity rather than a son. Jesus personifies the necessity of seeking a vibrant relationship with God rather than utilizing religion to justify yourself before God.

 

You recall in the temple scene when Jesus overturns the money changers and accuses them of defiling the house of prayer and transforming it into a den of thieves. That provocative act demonstrates the fallacy of religion. Therein, Jesus condemns the longstanding practice of the hereditary priesthood of manipulating religious practices such as sacrifices to exploit the masses. Jesus in contrast encourages listeners to investigate the Law and Prophets and find God. He summarizes the Law in His reply to the rich young ruler by stating “The Great Commandment.” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Jesus further states that the entire Law and teachings of the Prophets rest upon the foundation of the “New Law of Love.” The folded burial cloth represents the final act of completion and construction of the church.

 

Notwithstanding the seminars with Jesus over an extended period of years, His followers misinterpreted Jesus’ purpose and mission. They assumed that Jesus would use His divine and miraculous powers to overthrow Rome militarily and politically. They anticipated the restoration of Israel to the glory days of Kings David and Solomon. Members of the inner circle, Peter, James and John, asked for coveted positions in the kingdom of Christ. They asked to sit on His left and right hands. In today’s terms, they joined the presidential campaign expecting victory and prized Presidential Cabinet positions. It was as if one brother sought a guarantee of becoming the US Secretary of State and the other desired assurance of being the Secretary of Defense or Treasury. I suggest we extend some forgiveness and graciousness to those disciples instead of judging them for being selfish. For centuries, these people expected the return of a Davidic Messiah who would erase the longstanding degradation of Israel emerging from the Assyrian sacking in 722 BCE and the Babylonian captivity in 587 BCE. Those colossal destructive events permanently injured Israel’s collective psyche. The presence of Roman soldiers in their neighborhoods and the priesthood’s subjugation to the government were the latest iteration of Israel’s loss of standing. Tax collectors were reviled by the average Israelite as they disdained any brother who would assist the Romans in exacting tribute on behalf of the Roman oppressors.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ followers resolve that He would employ His divine abilities to achieve a seminal political victory that eluded them for centuries. Yet, they failed to understand that Jesus’ kingdom would not rely upon political, military and economic power. Instead, it would usher in an age in which God’s love would surpass human might. It would reorient society’s values and priorities. Humankind would begin to share God’s love with each and extend to each other the same consideration that they want. Ideally, they would codify these new spiritual principles into law and daily living. This renaissance of religion would fulfill the grandiloquent vision of the Old Testament prophets. Yet, Jesus’ followers fail to comprehend the vision of God’s kingdom. Though they did not see the kingdom which Jesus details, He takes the time to fold his burial cloth to verify His accomplishment of eternal salvation for all disciples by irrevocably destroying death.

 

The evangelist cautions against excessive spiritualizing of his Gospel. He desires that his readers personalize the message by applying it within their daily living and internalizing its principles. Henceforth, their choices in professional and personal relationships would redefine social structures, allocation of resources, coalitions in governance and redirect religious devotion toward a relationship with Almighty God. Biblical scholars and commentators divide the Gospel of John into main parts: “The Book of Signs – Chapters One to Eleven” which culminates in the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead and “The Book of Glory – Chapters Twelve to Twenty-two” which records Jesus’ ascendancy as the “Son of the Living God” who redeems humankind through His glorification through crucifixion, death and resurrection. Jesus’ final miraculous sign occurs in a quaint cemetery on the outskirts of Bethany. Surrounded by a small crowd of mourners, He fantastically raises Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, from the dead after four days of decomposition and entombment.  

 

That final sign offers enduringly earthly hope to disciples and anyone who has faith that he or she can experience resurrection from existential death. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus assures the disciples that they possess the power to triumph over any adversity. Defeat and failure emerge in myriad ways from unprofitable and insolvent businesses to loss championship games to unjust termination of a job to bitter and inexplicable divorce. Wrongful conviction and unjust incarceration additionally contribute to death and destruction of the nearly 250,000 persons whom advocates for criminal justice reform posit are languishing in the nation’s prisons. This dastardly fact reflects the paralysis that a considerable number of people experience considering the possibility that they may not have committed the crimes for which they have been imprisoned. Alcoholism and other types of addictions are kinds of existential death as victims cease to live meaningfully while ensnared to mental, spiritual and physical obsessions to drinking, narcotics, eating, sex, gambling, debt and other compulsions. Such people disregard all other people and purposes in their lives. Loveless relationships and marriages can morph into types of relational and experiential death. The past hurt and pain that result create resentment, anger, bitterness and strife. Those toxic emotions kill creativity, happiness and joy. If people on that side of unrequited love do not progress toward forgiveness of the persons who rejected their affection, they die daily. Dickens’ indelible character, Miss Havisham, in Great Expectations remains the archetype of a scorned, unrepentant, exceedingly bitter and lifeless victim of unrequited love. Throughout life, disciples and others swing along the pendulum of these regrettable experiences. The resurrection of Lazarus, a common name in the Ancient Near East, in a nondescript graveyard on the outskirts of town promises resurrection to anyone who believes. The promise of Christianity and the assurance of resurrection is a gift for disciples.

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part III

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part III

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Existential death can be extremely costly. Humankind lost the last poem that Paul Laurence Dunbar composed. The venerable African American poet whose brief life spanned the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the opening years of the twentieth century, 1872-1906. Legendarily, the first major African American poet born less than twenty years after the end of slavery, Dunbar succumbed to tuberculosis at an early age. Yet, he left an incalculable and enduring body of work and legacy with works consistently included in anthologies of American poetry. Following his untimely death, Dunbar’s mother turned his room into a shrine to memorialize her son’s poetic and literary contributions. She insisted that the furnishings and other items remain intact just as they were on the day of Dunbar’s death. She would not allow anything to be moved or altered in any way. Incidentally, Dunbar’s framed last poem was placed on his desk at an angle that eventually resulted in the sun bleaching it. Therein, his final composition was lost to posterity and us. Mrs. Dunbar’s grief over the loss of her beloved son led to an existential death which indirectly created an even greater loss to humankind.

 

Many people live in the graveyards of past sins, failures, defeats and mistakes. We essentially are existentially dead. The odor and stench of death surround us. We suffer from “stinking thinking” as doubt, cynicism, toxicity, negativity, gloom and doom permeate our minds and penetrate our hearts. We ask the pivotal question of faith in difficult and inexplicable times. “Where is God?”

 

 

I.              Fulfillment of the Earthly and Eternal Destiny of the Lord Jesus Christ

 

In John 19:30. as he dies on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ says, “It is finished.” The evangelist further records, “Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” With His atoning death which is the sacrifice of His life as the propitiatory “Lamb of God without blemish or defect,” Jesus finishes the work of salvation. He fills the chasm between Creator and creatures. He reverses the curses, condemnations and separation of Eden. He restores the relationship between God and humankind to its status before sin, infidelity and rebellion of the Fall of humankind.

 

In so doing, Jesus becomes the “Second Adam” who begins a new life for any who believes in His salvific work (1 Corinthians 15:21-23). He inaugurates a totally new creation. Thereby, Jesus offers a fresh start to everyone who believes in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Essentially, Jesus cries, “It is finished!” to assure us that every detail of both His earthly and eternal destiny is now complete.

 

 

II.           Rejoice Over the Folded Burial Cloth

 

Today, we rejoice over the folded burial cloth. It assures us that death does not possess any lasting power over us. We share the hope of the resurrection from the dead. Hallelujah! The Lord Jesus is “the first fruits” of those raised from the dead. As the “Second Adam” of a new creation, Jesus finishes building an eternal home for all believers (John 14:2-3). We have a reserved place in the heavenly realms. Death cannot prevent us from arriving there safely. There is enough space for everyone. In a sense, Jesus builds and completes a new ark on which all of God’s children can board enroute to the New Jerusalem.

 

Practically speaking, this revelation of the folded burial cloth liberates us to pursue any dream or goal that accords with God’s “good, pleasing and perfect” will. In the end, failure, disappointment, defeat and even death itself cannot conquer us. The folded burial cloth reminds us that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us eternally (Romans 8:28-29). We need not live in fear or loss. We will win no matter what happens! The folded burial cloth is the surest sign that victory is always embedded in effort. Therefore, we freely pursue our visions and ambitions with the blessed assurance of God’s gracious bestowal of triumph in all things.

 

I hope that the revelation of this embedded detail in the resurrection account gives you a new appreciation for Easter.  I hope that we cease and desist with the perennial fashion parade in the Church.  Also, I trust that we will forsake the tradition of ritual, repetition and religion this Sunday.  Instead, I pray that we will realize that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us.  Accordingly, the folded cloth enables us to live to the fullest.  It empowers us to realize the potential of our talents, abilities, natural endowments and personal application.  Easter is more than a religious celebration that follows a weekend of sales and pagan customs.  It is the annual reminder to the believer that God in Christ conquers death.  Thereby, He eliminates the fear that so easily entangles and the sin that so easily burdens us.  This Easter let us worship in this blessed assurance.

 

 

Grace for Us

 

Personalize the resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ calls all of us forth from the dead as He  called Lazarus from the grave. He calls us to a process of growth. Christian discipleship is journey that begins with personal transformation. A person sheds self-seeking and self-centered living and progresses toward a life of Christian integrity wherein the Lord’s teachings and principles cohere with your daily actions and practical choices. Resurrection unfolds in everyday life as disciples commit to personal development and spiritual growth.

 

The resurrection is the supreme act of divine redemption and renewal. Almighty God raises Jesus from the dead and redeems His life. In the crucifixion, the Roman government discarded Jesus of Nazareth as a common insurrectionist whose life held no intrinsic value. They deemed him to be a gadfly of political irritation without whom the world would be a better place. They exchange him for a known insurrectionist, Barabbas. Nonetheless, God, the Father Almighty, resurrects Jesus from the dead. This foundational theme of Christianity translates into cumulative and complex challenges that disciples face daily. Regardless of how formidable any personal adversity may be, Almighty God can redeem any situation. In the idiom of the Black Church in which I was reared and taught the Christian faith, “God will make a way.” The resurrection reminds us that God can redeem and renew any human situation.

 

Fortuitously, the resurrection is the answer to human fear which plagues and paralyzes disciples. Grounded in irrationality and ignorance, fear corrodes any possibility of enjoying a happy, joyous and free life that God offers. Penetrating and paralyzing fear robs countless people of enjoying the unique gift of life that God gives to everyone. Each person receives the incalculable gift of a unique and unparalleled life from the Creator. The dawn of each day begins another twenty-four cycle of an unfolding miracle wherein each person participates in experiences, mysteries and joys of being alive. However, fear especially the fear of death prevents people from discerning their destiny and attaining self-realization in which they unconditionally accept themselves as God does and willingly strive to live authentically. The foundational belief in the resurrection of Christ liberates disciples from the fear of physical death and fear of existential death. Resurrection means redemption, reframing, reimaging and renewal are always possible. These are effective responses to chaos, disorganization and lack of equilibrium in daily challenges.

 

Resurrection empowers disciples to surmount any baggage of the past. Retention of unconfessed sins, accompanying guilt and regret, failure to repent and an inability to persevere despite past experiences whether misguided decisions or unfortunate circumstances culminate in a herculean weight impedes personal and spiritual growth. Toxic emotions and cumulative formative trauma combine to entomb anyone who harbors or nurtures these emotions and relive these experiences. Fortunately, resurrection empowers disciples and recalls them to new life. As the Lord instructs the observers of Lazarus’ resurrection, “take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:44) Jesus issues that directive after telling them to take away the stone that held Lazarus in the tomb. Applying the Christian concept of resurrection equips disciples to distill these emotions and experiences thereby utilizing them as a means of character development and spiritual maturity. This empowering concept necessitates acceptance of any past or present circumstances. Coupled with humility, gratitude and genuine reliance upon God’s faithfulness, acceptance allows disciples to receive wisdom, discernment and revelation from the Holy Spirit and mentoring from elder disciples as practical means of redeeming challenging experiences. This affirmation and support greatly assist disciples as they commit to further growth and new life.

 

 

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part IV

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part IV

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Conclusion

 

As we celebrate Easter this year, I hope we will truly celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior from the dead. Let’s dispense with an annual withdrawal from work and normal routines to participate in a brief period of piety and reflection. Let’s rejoice over the bedrock doctrine of our faith. Let’s realize that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us.

 

Discovery of the folded burial cloth liberates us to live to the fullest. It empowers us to realize the potential of our God given talents and fully actualize our natural abilities through disciplined personal application. It is a perennial reminder to each disciple that God in Christ conquers death. Accordingly, Almighty God’s love ands power eradicates fear that paralyzes us and cancels sin that burdens us. The folded burial cloth remains the surest sign of Christ’s finished work of salvation.

 

Historians record the legendary battle at Waterloo in which the famed British general, Wellington, and his inexperienced soldiers fought fiercely against Napoleon’s formidable troops. On a particular day of combat, the fight lingered well into the night. The hovering darkness and raging conflict made it difficult to determine whether one held an advantage. The will to fight and win sustained both sides; neither would relent despite their adversary’s resolve and nature’s harsh conditions. It became apparent that sunlight would remove the veil and reveal the victor. Still, a dense and penetrating fog accompanied the dawn of a mid-June Sunday in 1815. As it yielded to the ever-present sun, anxious observers of the conflict who had stayed up during the night looked across the water for indication of who won the struggle. Some held telescopes which they positioned adequately to read a banner that provided an official communique. To their horror and dismay, they squinted and read the lamentable words, “Wellington defeated.”

 

Imagine the grief and agony of the British people and other allies. They failed to rebuff Napoleon and his campaign to commandeer their history, religion and literature. Assuredly, he would subjugate them thereby imposing French culture, customs and traditions upon them. Conceivably, they stood amazed that the fierce fighting of their forces proved inadequate to protect and preserve their way of life. They would not only lose a military conflict, but they would surrender their distinct and unparalleled English way of life. Wellington’s defeat would equal a decimation of their history and civilization.

 

Let’s also imagine the grief and horror of the disciples and women who attended to Jesus of Nazareth on Good Friday as they watched His cruel and unjust crucifixion. With a savage indifference to the Person on the cross, Pontius Pilate acquiesced the death sentence for a man who healed countless people, taught them the ways of God and preached the emergence of the kingdom of God on Earth. Despite Jesus’ innumerable good deeds and the lack of any evidence that He was an insurrectionist, He was still put to death utilizing the most debasing and harsh method. The people who participated in His three-and-a-half-year public ministry and witnessed His divine love and grace toward countless marginalized people were forced to watch this indignity. Powerless to stop it, they stood paralyzed and flabbergasted that the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth would end in such a horrific way. Essentially, Christ has been defeated by the Roman government and death.

 

As the sun appeared on center stage and drove the remaining fog away on that fateful June Sunday in 1815, the despondent viewers of the war looked again. They understandably hoped against all odds that their previous observation was incorrect. To their delight, when the fog lifted and they again peered through their telescopes, they saw the full banner which read, “Wellington defeated the enemy!” They won rather than yielded to Napoleon’s tyranny. It was as if the lifting of the fog resurrected their dreams and hopes for the future of their way of life.

 

In the Ancient Near East on the first Easter morning just after sunrise, the disciples and followers of Jesus learned when the fog of grief and despair yielded to the dawn of the resurrection that Christ defeated death. Accordingly, disciples can personalize the resurrection. Know that you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus who unconditionally love you. Say to the existential death in which you may linger, “Christ defeated death and therefore I win.” The Lord recalls you to life. He recalls you to new life as He redeems any adversity or challenge you may encounter.

 

On this Easter Sunday morning, rejoice in the finished work He accomplishes! Rejoice in the folded burial cloth which signifies the defeat of death.

 

 

 

 

This sermon originated in the pulpit of First Baptist Church Capitol Hill in Nashville, Tennessee where I served as Pastor from October 2000 to May 2008. I first preached this message on Easter Sunday 2004.

 

 

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part One

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part One

 

Overjoyed to learn of the burgeoning Christian community in Ephesus, Paul writes and prays for this gathering of new disciples. He is also elated that the light of Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to spread throughout the Roman Empire. It is amazing that Christ’s message of love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and redemption reaches Ephesus, a major city. The Temple of Artemis stood in the city as an imposing religious structure. It ran three hundred columns on the side; possibly the length of three football fields. The cult of Diana remained unchallenged in the city of Ephesus until Christian disciples arrived. Following his apostolic mission to the city, Paul swells with enthusiasm when he learns of a burgeoning church community in a major Roman metropolis. He rejoices that the Gospel of Christ is reaching further into the Roman Empire. Beyond competing with emperor worship and myriad religions in the empire, the message of Christ is now available to average people, specifically the Gentiles. They have an eternal and earthly alternative to daily debauchery and licentiousness. Moreover, they can rightly relate themselves to the Risen Lord of  the universe who imparts unfailing love, redemption and personal transformation to them. He writes to the Ephesian disciples to encourage and empower them as well as express his unbridled excitement.

 

In this powerful first chapter of the book of Ephesians, Paul prays for the church. He starts a prayer that extends to the end of the third chapter. Typical of this learned man who wishes to impart the breadth and width of his knowledge and passion for Christ and His teachings, the apostle interrupts himself. He makes a few pastoral and theological detours within this prayer designed to empower his readers and hearers with a toolbox of spiritual disciplines. Each distraction affords the Ephesian disciples with practical tools for personal growth and spiritual development.

 

Central to this passionate pastoral prayer is the eighteenth verse. Paul intercedes on behalf of the Ephesians and asks the Heavenly Father to open the eyes of their hearts. He also asks Him to enlighten them as it relates to the hope in which they have been called and the glorious inheritance of God’s people. It is important to dissect that verse and its compound phrases. What are the eyes of the heart? How do you open them? Who opens them? Does God exclusively open them? How do disciples know when they are open? Paul’s statement evidently references a dimension of sight that exceeds natural eyes. Conceivably, it is possible to embrace daily life while simultaneously being blind to certain realities. Amid a very bleak experience, disciples can stumble in darkness because they fail to see any hope. Paul insists that Almighty God imparts eternal hope to disciples. In the Ancient Near East and specifically in the dynamism of the Roman Empire with its licentiousness,  myriad temptations and threat to the lives of Christian people, Paul encourages Ephesian believers to remain hopeful. Despite their sufferings and persecution because the civic religion of emperor worship fiercely opposed their wholehearted and unequivocal devotion to Christ, Paul recommends that they steadfastly put their hope and trust in Christ.

 

Paul then addresses the glorious inheritance of holy people. Anyone or anything that is holy has been set apart exclusively and distinctly for God’s purposes. Anyone or anything claiming to be holy cannot be contaminated by the vicissitudes of the world. They are clean vessels internally and externally. All residues of worldliness have been removed. For the people who have chosen proactively to devote themselves to the expansion of Christ’s teachings, reign and kingdom, they receive a glorious inheritance. As the generation of Israelites, who were born in the wilderness wandering years, unquestionably believed the promises of God inherited the Promised Land (Joshua 17); contemporary disciples who believe and trust God will inherit His covenantal promises. There are rewards to faithfulness in obeying God’s commands and promises.

 

Paul prays that the Ephesian believer will receive this revelation. He encourages them to resist the temptation to lapse into the quicksand of self-reliance. Oftentimes, we seek access to God’s power to realize our self-centered desires. We pay lip service to the concepts of discerning and obeying God’s will. Realistically, we do not want to know it. We really want His power to realize our will. In contrast, Paul prays that the church at Ephesus will abandon this ingrained self-centered fear. Paul rather hopes that they will allow Almighty God to show them the extravagance of knowing and living in His will. Hence, the apostle prays that God opens the eyes of their hearts to enlighten them.

 

You recall the childhood story of Pandora’s Box. Yielding to temptation though he had been warned straightforwardly and duly, someone opens the box. All types of critters, creatures and circumstances come out of the box. Unimaginable disastrous consequences appear. If only the person had listened to the dire warnings. Fearing destruction, the disobedient person finds solace and deliverance in the final thing that emerges from the box, the enduring attribute of hope. With the mercy of God and resilience, the errant person can seize hope and transform his life.

 

Similarly, Paul assures the Ephesians that they acquire hope as they genuinely rely upon God. He can redeem any situation no matter how adverse, misguided or erroneous. In opening the eyes of our hearts, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s presence. The fog of fear, depression, guilt, bitterness, cynicism, strife and other toxic emotions eclipse God’s presence. These penetrating emotions obscure hope. We cannot see anything positive. Paul says persevere within hardship believing in God’s unfailing love and unquestioned faithfulness. A personal Promised Land awaits if you seize hope.

 

Recently, the chief executive officer and director of human resources decided to terminate the employment of a staff member. In the three years and two months that I worked at this nonprofit organization, this team member had been given multiple opportunities to improve his performance, attendance and work relationships. They allowed two leaves for drug treatment. They mediated four or more verbally harsh confrontations with fellow employees whom he threatened. They allowed numerous occasions in which he disappeared for days and returned later without any explanation or doctor’s notes. He missed mandatory special days of work. His personnel file became thicker with disciplinary memoranda. A final outburst in the hallway of headquarters in which he berated his supervisor with profane and threatening words was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Upon reading the lengthy and detailed description of the incident, these senior officers resolved that this situation was untenable and warranted termination.

 

This fellow is still active in drug addiction and alcoholism. His personal hygiene suffers considerably because he devotes his money to servicing his habit. He lives in an apartment that the organization owns. A payroll deduction is the method by which he pays his monthly rent. He takes clothes from the donation bin that the organization uses to serve the community. Primarily, he utilizes food donation places in the surrounding neighborhoods to eat. Essentially, he has imprisoned himself to his addiction by establishing guard rails of food, clothing and shelter. He does not see his incarceration. He falsely believes that he is free. He fallaciously thinks that he is in control of his life because he guards against homelessness, hunger and nakedness. He did not realize that he was not free to lose his job or consider working somewhere else. He did not accept that he did not have financial resources for entertainment, travel, clothing, transportation or other activities. His enslavement to his addiction does not allow him to experience anything other than work and perpetual pursuit of a mood-altering substance. The termination equates with an earthquake in his life. The foundation has been shattered into countless pieces. What will he do?

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part Two

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part Two

 

Having written the final disciplinary memorandum that yielded the decision to terminate his employment, I felt absolutely no regret or guilt. He should have been fired some time ago. The delay which created considerable legal liability for the organization baffled me. On the night following the decision, I spent time interceding on behalf of this man. I prayed Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. I asked God to open the eyes of his heart to see that he had been given a chance to liberate himself from the bondage of addiction and imprisonment to reliance on an organization to manage his life. I hope he will see that he has become a ward of the organization. Someone else determined his care for his basic needs. He lacked self-reliance. At nearly forty-five years of age, he depended on them to provide for him as if he were their underage son. Still, he has an opportunity to regain his life and progress toward self-realization. I prayed well into the evening and early morning that he would turn to Almighty God instead of running toward yet another drug binge. Finally, he arrived at an existential state in which he could be free if he would put his hope and trust in Almighty God.

 

At the end of the book of Ephesians, Paul admonishes the church. “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.” I prayed that my former colleague would ask God for the strength and courage to resist the obvious and immediate impulse to use drugs. Would he look to God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth? Would he humble himself and say the words of the Serenity Prayer or a very simple an personal petition. “God, I don’t know what to do. I need your help. I do not want to buy and use drugs. Help me to see You in this process.” That genuine prayer would suffice to glean divine wisdom and assistance. Throughout the night and well into the next morning, I prayed fervently that this man would appeal to God for strength, willingness and mindset to see an open door to a new life. Finally, he could relinquish his imprisonment and belittling dependency upon other people. I hoped that he could imagine a life of genuine reliance upon God. That he could begin to envision a life of self-determination. He could embrace a way of life in which he is free to grasp the unique life that God created him to enjoy. I prayed that God would open the eyes of his heart to enable him to see abundant life which allows disciples to create and contribute to the betterment of humankind to the glory of God. Until I fell asleep, I asked God to dispatch angelic presence to this man to accompany him through the fourth watch of the night with the hope that he would rebuff the temptation to pursue drugs and alcohol. I sincerely hoped that he would ask God to help him.

 

Within a day of that man’s termination, another gentleman was fired. This second man had twenty years of experience at the organization. Mild mannered and gentlemanly in every sense of the word, he had near perfect attendance and no complaints. Periodically, this man expressed his displeasure with the lack of a promotion or any definitive expressions of gratitude. Unsurprisingly, he did not say anything being the gentleman that he is. It is regrettable that the people to whom he reported failed to value this man and his longstanding contributions to the organization. His termination is the surest indication of their contempt and indifference. Unjustly, they terminated his lengthy employment with a frivolous justification. He was on vacation. The director of human resources called him to advise him to read his email which contained official correspondence detailing his immediate termination. The incivility of their actions is simply astounding. Undeservedly, he accepted their decision. He came to the office to collect his belongings and wish the people with whom he worked well.

 

For him, I prayed that God would open the eyes of his heart and reveal the new beginnings embedded within this cruel injustice. Perhaps his previous words about ingratitude were an indication that he should move forward professionally and personally. Though he was not ensnared in the throes of addiction, he was imprisoned equally to a job that held no advancement financially or vocationally for him. He could have remained in that position for the balance of his working years without ever receiving just compensation or recognition for his contributions. Ironically, termination is the best outcome for some people. Its finality compels people to examine themselves and their lives. Otherwise, they remain comfortably on the merry go round of daily routines. Losing a job forces you to evaluate your skills, abilities, interests and allocation of time and energy. Introspection causes you to ask whether you are doing what you want to be doing? Are you living your best life? Are you earning enough money to enjoy life? Are you living the life you imagined? For this former colleague, I suspect that he was not. I never sensed any happiness or joy within him. He can appeal to God for guidance and assistance in rewriting the script of his life.

 

Steadfastly and genuinely, I hope both men progress to relying unconditionally and wholeheartedly upon God’s love, grace and faithfulness. The Bible describes the Lord’s will as “good, pleasing and perfect.” Living within His will results in a joyous and unimaginable life. We can release the bondage of addiction or imprisonment to paralyzing fear. Notwithstanding the stark contrast between these men and their lifestyle choices, both are existentially incarcerated. However, their terminations within a day of each other open the doors of their respective lives to new and exciting possibilities. Will they be able to see them? If they withdraw and humbly and sincerely ask for God’s help, He will open the eyes of their hearts.

 

Learning of the burgeoning faith in the Christian community in Ephesus, Paul writes to express his exuberance. Possibly, he sees this growing group of disciples in one of the most secular cities in the Ancient Near East as a major advancement in the cause of Christ. Even in ruins today, Ephesus reveals the vibrancy, brilliance, commerce, cosmopolitanism and diverse social and religious offerings of her heyday. Were you to travel to Turkey and stand on main street, as you view Ephesus’ impressive ruins, you can feel the energy, drama and vitality of the city. Archeologists have unearthed multistory apartments of the wealthy who had the equivalent of penthouses to take advantage of Ephesus’ commerce and culture. As you walk, you pass bath houses which were places of questionable activities. There are a few temples dedicated to Hadrian, a Roman emperor. The remaining façade preserves ornate and ostentatious Corinthians columns. At the end of main street, the remains of the Library of Celsus stand. The repository of tens of thousands of scrolls, this ancient library was one of the most impressive buildings in the Roman Empire. It gave Ephesus the distinction of being a major learning center. Interestingly, there were underground tunnels in the library that led to brothels. Men deceitfully told their wives that they were going to the library to read and study. A short distance from main street, the Temple of Artemis, one of the most imposing and impressive religious buildings in the Ancient Near East, extended the length of three football fields. More than three hundred Corinthian, Ionic, Doric and Composite columns adorned and upheld this formidable structure. Paul rejoices that the cause of Christ has gained an expanding foothold in this urban center of learning, commerce, culture, religion and governmental activity. He commends Ephesian disciples for their faith and love of God’s people. Primarily, he expresses his gratitude for them by consistently remembering them in his prayers.

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part Three

 

Reflections Upon Paul’s Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer – Part Three

 

Presumably, Paul prays for strength and perseverance for these new Christians in Ephesus. Beyond his excitement about their conversion to Christ, he realizes that they will face continual challenges to their development as disciples. Ephesus offers myriad temptations and possibilities to abandon their newfound faith and allegiance to Christ. Would they be able to endure and remain faithful to the Lord’s teachings and principles? Would they misguidedly try to blend Roman secularism and paganism with Christianity? Would they fallaciously compartmentalize their devotion to Christ while tolerating and participating in the licentiousness, hedonism and unbridled liberty of Ephesian society? Would Roman culture always win when it clashes with Christ’s Gospel? Paul prays for these recent converts as they develop spiritually during the embryonic years of the Christian faith. His example reminds mature Christians to pray for new believers. The twenty-first century global village and marketplace offer as many distractions, impediments and chances to backslide as the young believers in Ephesus faced. The internet can facilitate the worst impulses, especially selfish tendencies to indulge physical instincts. Vociferous claims that further secular humanism, moral relativism and religious pluralism drown out appeals to traditional Judeo-Christian values and approaches to family composition and social structures.

 

Social media is a double-edged sword. It instantaneously exposes governmental, legal, political and social scandals wherein leaders harm marginalized and vulnerable people, waste public resources and violate oaths of office. It is a means for average people to advocate for themselves and counterbalance the excesses of leaders. However, the internet regrettably gives voice to countless uninformed people who wax eloquent and authoritatively about public policy issues about which they know very little. Some independent journalists and influencers reinforce some of the worst impulses of society. They encourage worship of celebrity, self-aggrandizement and myriad hedonistic proclivities. Idolatry unfolds in many forms. Acquisition of millions and hundreds of millions of views, clicks and subscribers uncritically yields approval and endorsements. Hardly anyone will argue with commercial success. This incredible and incalculable resource and equally formidable and substantial obstacle could easily undermine any recent convert’s personal growth and spiritual development. Nonetheless, prayer remains one of the most reliable means of encouraging and empowering new disciples.

 

Paul asks God to empower his new brothers and sisters in Ephesus with the power of the Holy Spirit. He asks that they receive God’s power to sustain them as they obtain deep roots in the Christian faith. Amazingly, a magnificent oak tree that gives shade in summertime, offers leaves as fertilizer and maintains ecological balance between humankind and nature begins as an acorn. Just as remarkable are the invaluable contributions of countless Christians in the lives of people whom they encounter that begin with a sincere confession in the redemptive and sacrificial work of Christ. Each of these natural and social, relational and human interactions occur because of the growth of deep, wide, long and tremendous roots. Interestingly, it takes eight years to fully dig up an oak tree. The roots are so immeasurable that the search for them requires nearly a decade to extricate them. It is the hope of elders in the Christian faith that new disciples will grow roots in their love, commitment and faithfulness to the Lord that parallel the growth of an oak tree. Prayer for their perseverance in the Christian faith is necessary. In the testimony services of my childhood, many congregants would end their sharing by asking the gathering to “pray my strength in the Lord.” Embedded in this request is the desire to remain faithful to the Lord in heart, mind, soul and strength. There is also a desire to attain and maintain Christian integrity wherein a disciple’s cardinal principles and daily practices cohere. There is the practical and personal plea that the disciple will not yield to temptation and “fall away” from the Christian faith. Concern for the maturity of new believers (second and third generation Christians)  was a colossal concern for Paul and other first-generation disciples. The early Christian and New Testament church utilized four main spiritual disciplines: (1) learning the apostles’ teachings, (2) reliance upon the Holy Spirit, (3) fellowship and (4) prayer. Paul emphasizes the nonnegotiable practice of prayer in any disciple’s life. He prays for safety, growth and endurance of Ephesian disciples.

 

Parenthetically, the Lord in the “High Priestly Prayer” which the Fourth Evangelist records in the seventeenth chapter of his gospel prays for “those who will believe in me through this message.” Fascinatingly, during His earthly ministry and on the eve of His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ prays for all future believers. His prayer extends to twenty-first century disciples. More than twenty centuries ago, the Lord anticipates the spiritual assistance that neophyte believers would need to remain committed to Him and His Gospel. Moreover, He knows all disciples within their sociopolitical, economic and cultural context would need the Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage them. Additionally, the evangelist, in the second chapter of his First Letter (1 John 2:19), speaks regrettably of some disciples who departed from the fold because they were not truly committed to Christ. Perhaps, they never truly submitted their hearts and minds to the Lord. Maybe, they never developed genuine and dedicated roots in the Gospel. Conceivably, no one prayed for their growth in the faith. You will also recall in Luke’s account of “The Last Supper,” (Luke 22:7-38), the Lord tells Peter that the devil seeks to sift him and the other apostles like wheat but that He, the Lord, prayed for them. Christ knew that they would face overwhelming obstacles and opposition as they sought to expand the church. Contemporary disciples contend with relative adversities as they strive to maintain intellectual respectability and existential integrity of the Christian gospel in the global village and marketplace.

 

Paul says he continually asks, “the Glorious Father,” “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” to impart wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit to enable the Ephesian disciples to know Him better. Were they to grow persistently in a meaningful and deepening relationship with the Lord, their love, devotion and faithfulness commensurately grow. In this intercessory prayer, Paul specifically asks that God cultivates the spiritual gift of discernment in these new believers. He hopes they acquire spiritual tools and practical skills to differentiate between the fleeting delights of the world and the eternal and enduring promises of the new covenant that the Lord establishes. Wisdom in the biblical sense is the growing ability to reasonably apply spiritual, moral and ethical insight in appropriate ways to daily choices. Christian discipleship requires these spiritual gifts to mature and remain faithful. Plausibly, Paul recalls this stage of his Christian development and remembers the necessity of these spiritual gifts and abilities to perseverance in discipleship and ministry. More significantly, these components of discipleship empower disciples to more comprehensively know the Lord. That knowledge of Him practically yields greater acquisition of the heart, mind and character of Christ. Beyond intellectual assent, religious commitment, congregational fellowship and adherence to theological creeds and moral principles, Christian discipleship culminates in allegiance to the Lord and dedication to expanding His kingdom on Earth. Practically, it results in applying Exodus 20, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 61:1-10, Matthew, 6-7, Matthew 25, Luke 4:18, John 1-21, James 1:26-27 and 2:14-26 among countless other scriptures to all dimensions of professional and personal life. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church applies to contemporary disciples whose quest to develop parallels the challenges of these early Christians.