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Legendary actor and mental health advocate Glenn Close is on a quest to change how we think about mental health, starting with her decision to speak out about her own family's struggles — a brave choice considering the stigma that pervades the topic. This week, we're revisiting this sweeping conversation with TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell, where Close shares the inspiration behind the advocacy group she founded to combat the crisis, underscoring the transformative power of community and the critical need for comprehensive mental health care systems. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey ! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Preaching from the Pulpit of Ephraim Church of the Bible

10 episodes

PastorRodney’s Weblog

updated 6 days ago

Series home•Feed

Preaching from the Pulpit of Ephraim Church of the Bible

10 episodes

#Bible #Sermons #Teaching #Doctrine #Theology #Utah #Rodney Zedicher #Society #Christianity #Religion #Expositional

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PastorRodney’s Weblog

1
Psalm 10; The Arrogance of the Wicked

6 days ago

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2025 06/01 Psalm 10; The Arrogance of the Wicked ; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250601_psalm-10.mp3 YHWH Protects, Watches Over, Upholds We’ll be in Psalm 10 today. Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 146:9 The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. God cares for the hurting, the helpless, the broken in society. God cares. In his law, God established means for his people to care for the helpless, and threatened his wrath against those who used their power to mistreat the vulnerable (Ex.22:21-27). Psalm 9 and 10 are a pair; together they make up a partial acrostic poem in the Hebrew, they share some unique vocabulary, and look at the issue of God’s seeming injustice and failure to act from different angles. Psalm 9 begins with a resolve to give thanks, to worship God for his works and his person, his character, his justice, his power. Psalm 9 celebrates the poetic justice that returns on the head of the one who intends evil. It reminds us that the needy and afflicted are not forgotten, and it invites YHWH to arise and act. Psalm 10 is a lament, spending more time describing the wicked in their thoughts, words, and deeds, and cries out again for YHWH to arise and not forget the afflicted. The Psalms help us pray. They are full of faith, but also real, raw, sometimes ragged. Where Psalm 9 focuses on the God of justice and the certain judgment to come; Psalm 10 focuses on the now, where the vulnerable are oppressed, and those in power who oppress them seem to thrive with no consequence. There is tension between these two Psalms. Psalm 9 confidently asserts: 9:9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble . But Psalm 10 laments: 10:1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble ? “Times of trouble” is a unique phrase found only here in 9:9 and 10:1; causing us to feel the tension; is YHWH a stronghold in times of trouble, or does he stand far off and hide himself in times of trouble? ‘Why?’ The question ‘why’ can express exasperation; it ought not be so, it makes no sense, so make it stop. ‘Why’ can also be formed as a genuine question seeking an explanation; rooted in confidence that there is a good reason, looking to grow in understanding and maturity. We might expect Psalm 10 to come first, as it asks the question ‘why’ that is answered in Psalm 9. We might expect the sequence to move from question and doubt into faith, confidence and worship. But that is not always our experience. Sometimes we begin with simple confidence, but the complexities of life and the harsh reality of living in this broken world cause us to cry out with a ‘why?’ that is more a call for God to act than it is an expression of doubt in him. Profile of the Wicked Psalm 10 1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. 4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5 His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” 7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8 He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; 9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. 11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” Arrogant Pride This is a detailed description of the wicked. Verse 2 gets to the root of it; pride, arrogance; puffed up, thinking too much about oneself, and thinking too much of oneself. In verse 2 is a prayer, a prayer for retribution; ‘let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.’ In Thought Verses 3-6 give the heart behind it; they boast in their desires. It’s all about what they want; they are greedy for gain. And in that they blaspheme and renounce the LORD. As Jesus said, you cannot serve two masters (Mt.6:24). These are not outsiders; they are part of God’s people, but by their inordinate allegiance to their own pleasures they deny the Lord. As Jesus said in the parable of the soils, Mark 4:19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Pride chokes out dependence. An ‘I can do it’ attitude does not seek help, certainly not God’s help. His thoughts completely leave God out, ignore God, disregard his very existence. He takes no thought of God. Verse 5 is startling; ‘his ways prosper at all times’. Proud blasphemous self-sufficient God ignoring people should be brought low, but instead he prospers. Everything seems to be going his way. God’s judgments are acknowledged by the Psalmist, but from the perspective of this arrogant one, they are out of sight. God’s judgments are pictured as high, so high they are out of sight, but they are sure and certain, hanging precariously over the head of the rebellious and proud. He puffs at his enemies; he blows them off with a breath. His self talk is ‘I shall never be moved,’ but only God is immovable. He affirms himself that even his children and children’s children will not encounter adversity. There will be no consequences. In Word In verse 7 his thoughts and self-talk come out of his mouth. Jesus said ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks’ (Lk.6:45). It comes out in cursing, deceit, oppression, mischief, iniquity. In Deed This one is wicked in thought, word and deed. Verses 8-10 describe his actions; he sits in ambush, he murders, he watches, he lurks in ambush, seizes, draws into his net, he causes his prey to be crushed, to sink down, to fall. Pride and arrogance is not content with thougths and words; he must prove himself superior by cunningly hunting and entraping those he views as beneath him. He is likened to a hunting lion. His victims? The innocent, the helpless, the poor; the very ones YHWH says he protects, watches over, upholds. But this one concludes: “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” The God he told himself in verse 4 that doesn’t exist, this is the God he now claims has forgotten, has hidden his face, will never see. He has to reassure himself that the God that he claims is not, will not see what he does or hold him accountable. Arise O LORD! But the Psalmist knows better. The God the arrogant man says is not, is the God the Psalmist knows by name; YHWH, the I AM, the one who is. He calls on the God who is to arise, to act, to demonstrate that he is, and that he has not forgotten. Verse 12: 12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. 13 Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? 14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. He asks another ‘Why?’ In verse 3 he asserted the arrogant renounces YHWH; here he asks ‘Why does the wicked renounce God?’ In other Psalms (14, 53) it is the fool who says in his heart, ‘there is no God’. Why? Because he is a fool, because he lives for his pleasures, his desires, for the now, with a foolish hope that he will not be held accountable to a God he would like to believe does not exist. Why does he say in his heart ‘You will not call to account’? The truth is that YHWH, you do see, and you take note, and you will take it into your hands. The helpless one commits himself (literally abandons himself) to you YHWH. Where is my hope? Not in the rich or powerful; they are the oppressor in this Psalm. Not in becoming one, for that has its own dangers, and may be out of reach. The wise man sees things as they truly are and abandons himself to the Lord, the helper of the fatherless. The Psalmist calls for the LORD to lift up his hand and break the arm of the wicked and evildoer. A hand is relatively weak compared to an arm, which is a symbol of strength. And yet, as we saw in Psalm 8, the heavens are the work of YHWH’s fingers, so his hand is more than able to break the strength of evildoers. Call his wickedness to account till you find none. What the proud wishes will not happen, the believer calls on God to do. God is just, and will account for every sin until none is left to account for. The word translated ‘call to account’ in these verses is the word from 9:12 ‘He who avenges blood’; he who calls to account any blood shed. Gospel Connection Paul quotes verse 7 in Romans 3, alongside Psalm 14, 53, 5, 140, here in Psalm 10, Proverbs 1; Isaiah 59; Psalm 36, to give God’s verdict on his people. Romans 3:9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ‘All’ includes all of us. ‘No, not one’ means I am not the exception. In Psalms like this we tend to identify with the oppressed, the needy, the helpless, the victims. But the New Testament turns around and says we all are those who forget God, who think and talk and act as if God did not exist, who live for our own desires, often at the expense of others. It is our mouths speaking blasphemies that must be stopped, it is I who will be held accountable to God. We want desperately to point the finger at others and pretend as if we are guiltless, but that is simply not true. And God is just. He is righteous. He sees. He takes note. And he will call all to account. The fool says in his heart there is no God, but the wise will humble himself, recognize he is helpless, and abandon himself to God. That is what it means to have faith, to believe. I have no place to hide from God, so I abandon myself to God and his mercy. I throw myself on him as a proud evil doer deserving to be called to account, but in need of a refuge, a stronghold in times of trouble. This only makes sense at the cross, in Jesus, who willingly endured what I deserve, so that my record could be wiped clean, paid in full. If I abandon myself to God’s mercy and grace, he is both faithful and just to forgive, to cleanse, to welcome me in, no longer as an evildoer, but a son. He is a Father to the fatherless, adopting, welcoming us in. YHWH is King 16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. 17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. YHWH is king forever and ever. YHWH hears, he strengthens, he inclines his ear, he does justice. The wicked boasts in his evil desires; but the Lord hears the desire of the afflicted. The wicked hopes that God has forgotten, but the man of faith is amazed that God is mindful of him (Ps.8:4). The evildoer hopes that the Lord has hidden his face, but the helpless knows that ‘in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore’ (Ps.16:11). Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Psalm 9; God Enthroned in Justice

11 days ago

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2025.05/25 Psalm 9; God Enthroned in Justice; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250525_psalm-9.mp3 Psalm 9 and 10 are a pair; together they make up a partial acrostic poem in the Hebrew, they share some unique vocabulary, and look at the issue of God’s seeming injustice and failure to act from different angles. We will look at this more next week when we look at Psalm 10. The Psalms teach us how to pray. They give us examples of how to pray in different circumstances. They get us started when we struggle to pray. Recounting God’s Works, Enjoying His Person Psalm 9 To the choirmaster: according to Muth-Labben. A Psalm of David 1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Giving thanks is a great place to anchor yourself in God. The resolve to worship precedes the request. In verse 13 David appeals to YHWH for grace in the middle of his affliction. But his prayer is anchored in God. YHWH is the giver of every good, and the Psalmist is resolved to give appropriate thanks with his whole heart. He is resolved to recount the wonders of God, wonders like God’s historic and supernatural deliverance of his people time and time again. But even more than the works of God, he will find joy and reason to worship in the very person of God himself, who he is. His mighty works flow out of his identity, his character, so David resolves to sing praise to the name of the Most high. Start here. If you get nothing else, do this. Give him the thanks he is due, remember his past deeds of power, find your joy and contentment in his person, his character, his nature, his name, who he is. If you resolve to do this, it will change your attitude, your outlook, everything! Recounting God’s Justice 3 When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. 4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. 5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. Here David is doing just that. He is recounting God’s past faithfulness to him. God is a just judge, he maintains a just cause, he gives righteous judgments. He rebukes, he punishes the wicked; he gives them what they deserve. We don’t know when in David’s life he penned this, but whenever it was, there were events he could look back on that displayed that God was on his throne, maintaining a just cause and giving the enemy what they deserve. In my own personal history, God has always been faithful. Praising God’s Position of Power 7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, 8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. 9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. YHWH’s position is unmovable. He is seated, not fretting, not pacing, but enthroned. Sure, constant, reliable, unchanging. He is perfectly just, and his jurisdiction is not limited; he judges the whole world, all peoples. He is a just judge, all seeing, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere present; and that ought to be a terrifying prospect for lawbreakers. But he is also a stronghold, a refuge, a hiding place for the oppressed. Those who know his character run not away from him, but right into his merciful and compassionate arms. He will never forsake his people, those who seek his face. Invitation To Evangelistic Worship 11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! 12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. YHWH is worthy of worship, and David’s worship overflows in an invitation to others to join him in worship. YHWH is enthroned forever, and YHWH is enthroned in Zion, among his people. David invites his fellow Israelites to sing praise to YHWH because the judge of all the earth has made his dwelling place among them. They of all people ought to be able to proclaim his wonderful works among the nations. They have personally experienced his care for them, and so are uniquely equipped to declare among other people groups both his overwhelming power and his tender care, inviting the afflicted from every nation to cry out to him. Prayer For Salvation David has recognized the Lord’s works and his person as worthy of praise and thanksgiving. He has praised God’s justice, and his mercy to the oppressed. He has invited others to join in worship, evangelistically proclaiming the mighty works of God among the nations and inviting their afflicted to call out to him. Now David himself as one of the afflicted cries out to God for salvation. 13 Be gracious to me, O LORD! Be gracious, see me in my affliction. See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. He is confident that the Lord is the one who lifts him up from the gates of death, and this is an invitation to do so again. And he gives God a reason; be gracious, that I may recount all your praises, publicly in the gates, enjoying your salvation. David is inviting God to save him, and he is telling the Lord, ‘here’s what’s in it for you, Lord; if you have mercy on me, this will ultimately benefit you. You should rescue me, not only for my sake, but for the sake of your own reputation, for your own glory.’ That may sound like a bold move, but this is not the only place we see the Lord’s people praying like that. Abraham (Gen.18:25), Moses (Num.14:15-20), Daniel (9:17,19) all pray that way. God himself argues this way in Isaiah (48:11) and Ezekiel (36:21-23). God is pleased when we begin to pursue his glory as our greatest goal. Wicked Snared 15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. 16 The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. — Higgaion. Selah We saw similar language in Psalm 7, where the wicked man makes a pit and falls into it himself. Here it is the nations who have set themselves against the Lord and his anointed (Ps.2). YHWH makes himself known in his righteous judgment when he returns the evil that a man intends for others back on his own head. God’s justice and righteousness is seen by the nations, his character is made known. It is important to note that YHWH has made himself known. What can be known about God through his creation is real, but severely limited. It is enough to leave us without excuse (Rom.1:19-20):, but it is not enough really to know him. We can’t really know him unless he chooses to reveal himself to us. And this is what God is happy to do. He makes himself known because he wants us to know him. The Needy Not Forgotten 17 The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. In verses 11-12 There is an invitation to the afflicted of the nations to cry out to the Lord and receive his care and concern. Here there is a warning to the God-ignoring nations who oppress the weak and helpless. He says the wicked will return to Sheol because ‘death is their native element’ (Kidner, p.70). The nations who forget God are those who choose to act as if God did not exist. It may seem as if God is acting like he has forgotten the poor and needy, but he has not. He will demonstrate that he is just and mindful of them, and those who treat them as if God did not exist will be returned to the place of forgetfulness. Arise, O LORD! 19 Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! 20 Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! — Selah Again there is an echo here of Psalm 7 where God is called on to awake and spring into action; Arise, O YHWH. Get up and defend the honor of your name. Man is pretending to be God. Teach them what it means to be man, let them not prevail, but grant them the fear of YHWH. Jesus in Psalm 9 David is confident of God’s justice but also cries out for justice, he is confident that God sits enthroned, but calls YHWH to arise and judge the nations. He calls for God to remember the needy, the poor, the oppressed, the afflicted. What David cries out for is realized in the greater David; the enthroned Son of God. God makes himself know in his justice, but he is most fully made known in the person of Jesus. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. …18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. John 14:7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” …9 …Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. … It is in Jesus that the needy and poor are not forgotten. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” It is also in Jesus that the wicked oppressors are exposed for what they truly are; Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. It is in Jesus that God’s throne of justice will be fully established; John 5:22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. When we call for the LORD to arise and judge the nations, we are really anticipating the return of Jesus, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 …when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. Jesus is also the hope for the nations Matthew 12:18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” Today when we give thanks to YHWH with our whole heart, when we recount his wonderful deeds, we can recount the wonderful deeds of Jesus. We can be glad and exult in Jesus, because he has shown us the Father, and through his death and resurrection, he has brought us near. We can sing praise to the name above all names, the name of Jesus. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Psalm 8; What Is Man?

20 days ago

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2025 05/18 Psalm 8; What Is Man? Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250518_psalm-8.mp3 Psalm 8 begins and ends with ‘O YHWH our Master, how majestic is your name in all the earth’. Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise to God. It looks up and out at all creation, and it looks down and in at ourselves, and marvels at our place in it all. Psalm 8 To the Choirmaster according to the Gittith; A Psalm of David 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Created For Worship Psalm 8 is the answer to Psalm 7, which concludes with these words: Psalm 7:17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. David does what he said he would do in Psalm 7 and sings praise to the name of YHWH the Most High. A ‘name’ in Scripture refers to the reputation, the character, the distinctive attributes and authority of the person who bears the name. YHWH our Lord has a reputation, and we as his people have a responsibility to uphold and bring praise to his good name. God’s majesty, his grandeur, his beauty and glory is above all, and we were created to enjoy him in all his awesome fullness. This is the first Psalm that is intended to be an expression of praise sung by the gathered community. ‘O YHWH our Lord;’ the other Psalms so far deal more in ‘I’ and ‘you’ and ‘they’. They are more individual, more personal in nature, but this Psalm is intended to be sung, an expression of worship to our magnificent Creator. Human Weakness Displays God’s Strength Verse 2 introduces ‘foes, the enemy and the avenger,’ but they are not new on the scene of the Psalms. Psalm 1 begins by drawing contrast between the righteous who delight in the LORD and the wicked. Psalm 2 introduces YHWH’s Anointed, against whom the nations rage and the peoples plot in rebellion. Psalm 3 through 7 are cries to the Lord for rescue from foes, enemies, the wicked, evildoers, liars, bloodthirsty, the deceitful, slanderers. These enemies, the adversaries, the haters, use their power to oppress God’s people. But here in Psalm 8, God holds up the weakest things and sets them up as a fortress against the seemingly powerful enemies. The babblings of newborns and toddlers triumph over the plots of the powerful and strong. As we see in 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. The Lord uses the foolish, the weak, the low, the despised, the non-existent to display that he doesn’t even need raw materials to display his glory. We were created to bring him glory; the antithesis to that is boasting in his presence as if I were something, as if I were enough without him. The Lord delights in impossible odds to put on display that he alone is mighty to save. In Judges 7, Judges 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me , saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ The Lord cut down Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 10,000 and again down to 300, armed only with trumpets and empty jars with torches to go against an innumerable multitude like locust, like the sand on the shore (Jdg.7:12,16). As Jesus said to Paul: 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s response? 2 Corinthians 12:9 …Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 …For when I am weak, then I am strong. Do you feel like you can’t do it, like you’re not enough? You’re right! You can’t. But human weakness is the necessary prerequisite for God to display his strength. What Is Man? Insignificant yet Cared For Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? The heavens, the moon and the stars; mere detail work requiring no great effort as of thigh or arm to heave into place; mere finger work. Take time to look; look up at the sky on a clear day, watch the clouds roll in, thunder and lightning; or on a clear night take advantage of our dark skies and ponder the sheer magnitude of stars and galaxies, and feel your own smallness. What is man? Minuscule, insignificant, a breath. Yet God is mindful of you. He remembers you. And to remember in Biblical language is not just a mental exercise; it is a commitment to act. God cares. What is man, and yet you care for me! Man The Pinnacle of Creation Psalm 8:5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. A little lower than Elohim; there is some ambiguity as to how to translate it here. Most often it is used for God himself, sometimes for heavenly beings, angels. Man is a speck in God’s expansive creation, and yet God crowned him with glory and honor. God made him a little lower than God. In spite of our smallness, there is a weightiness to mankind. We have been crowned, given royal authority. The Image of God; Dominion Psalm 8:6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Created in the image of God, we were given authority to rule over the rest of creation, to lead, to feed, to guard and to guide. All things; domestic animals, wild animals, birds, fish, great sea creatures; many of them larger and more powerful than man, yet all of them entrusted by our Creator into our care, placed under our authority. What is man, yet you appoint us as kings, ruling over your creation under you. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” What Is Man? Treasonous Usurpers Here’s the irony; the foes and enemies as well as the weak and powerless are all part of broken fallen humanity. Because of our rebellion and abuse of God given authority, mankind is now divided into foes and friends of God, rebels and the righteous; and none is righteous, no not one (Rom.3:10). What is man? Treasonous usurpers. Glory stealers. What is man? All we see is distortions, perversions of what mankind was intended to be. What is Man? Jesus the Ideal Man What is man? The only way for us to know mankind as we were meant to be, exercising dominion rightly, is for an ideal man to come, one not tainted by our sin, one who truly reflects the character of God and rightly upholds his reputation. We need Jesus, God who became man, the image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation. But when Jesus came, those with power and authority; Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (Ps.8:2). Jesus did not come flexing his strength to his own advantage; He came in humility: Matthew 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He humbled himself: Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. What is man? After Jesus was mocked and abused by the soldiers, John 19:5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” Jesus used his weakness and humility to win the greatest victory over the most powerful foe. He defeated death and hell by dying. He took my place, paid my price, so my sin could be done away with, so I could become who I was meant to be, begin to image the glory of God and give him the praise he is due. Only Jesus shows us what mankind is truly meant to be; look to Jesus! Jesus in Psalm 8 (Hebrews 2) The author of Hebrews clearly connects this Psalm to Jesus: Hebrews 2:6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. Even today not everything is subjected to mankind. This points to a future subjection. Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews sees this Psalm as pointing to the future. Mankind has never exercised God’s delegated dominion the way it was meant to be. If you lack purpose and want inward transformation; look to Jesus! Worship, sing his praises, for he is worthy! Psalm 8 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Psalm 7; The Righteous God Who Establishes the Righteous

28 days ago

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2025 05/11 Psalm 7; The Righteous God Who Establishes the Righteous; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250511_psalm-7.mp3 Psalms: Prayer Book of the Bible Psalms is the prayer book of the Bible. Whatever circumstance we are facing, whatever our struggle, however we feel, the Psalms can help us find words to seek help from the Lord in prayer. He is our very present help in times of trouble, and he is able to establish us in his own righteousness. Slander and Lies Have you ever been slandered, falsely accused? Your own conscience is clear, maybe you were misunderstood, maybe you are simply being lied about, but you know you own heart. In Psalm 7, David finds himself falsely accused, attacked, threatened. Psalm 7 is a song of David which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjaminite. We aren’t told anything else about this Cush or what the context was. We do know that Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, and when David was anointed by Samuel to replace Saul as king, it seems among the Benjaminites there was loyalty to Saul. In 1 Samuel 22, when Saul was hunting David; Saul in frustration said: 1 Samuel 22:7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” We know later on, during Absalom’s uprising, as David was fleeing Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 16:5 …there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.” …13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. Take It To The LORD We don’t know who Cush was, or what his accusation was, but we see David taking it to the Lord in prayer. Psalm 7:1 O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, 2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. David is being attacked. He feels defenseless, as if he were pounced upon by a ravenous lion. He feels hopeless, helpless, about to be destroyed. But he knows where to turn; his continual practice is to run to YHWH for refuge. This is not his last resort, out of desperation, when nothing else is helping; no, he has made this his habitual practice. The LEB translates the tense ‘in you I have taken refuge’. In his fleeing from Saul, he hid in strongholds, in caves, in walled cities, in the wilderness; but ultimately his refuge is the Lord. He appeals again to the Lord for rescue, for deliverance. The stakes are high. Either the LORD rescues him, or he will be torn apart. I Am Innocent In verse 3, he defends his own innocence and integrity. Psalm 7:3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4 if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, 5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. — Selah Where in Psalm 6 David does not defend his own innocence but in the face of God’s wrath he appeals for undeserved grace, here in Psalm 7 he argues his own integrity. He appeals to God’s justice to defend him, because in this matter he has done nothing wrong. In 1 Samuel as Saul hunted David, on two different occasions he was given the opportunity to kill Saul, but he demonstrated undeniably his own innocence, and sought to clear his name from slanderous accusations; 1 Samuel 24:9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12 May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 1 Samuel 26:23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” David pleads his own innocence in the face of false accusations. He is willing to pay the consequences if he is proven to be in the wrong before the LORD. But he is confident that if God hears his case, he will be acquitted. -Selah; pause, reflect, worship. YHWH The Warrior King Psalm 7:6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. 7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. David is calling out to YHWH the Warrior-King to go out to battle for him. In Numbers 10, Moses was instructed to make two silver trumpets to communicate with the camp of Israel, to assemble them, or to call them to battle. Numbers 10:9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. The trumpets were a way to communicate with all the people, but also as a symbol to arouse God’s attention and invite him to act. Throughout their time in the desert, the glory cloud indicating the presence of YHWH would lead them and be their protection. When the people departed from Sinai for the first time; Numbers 10:34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp. 35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “ Arise, O LORD , and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “ Return, O LORD , to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” This battle cry for YHWH to arise and scatter his enemies is what David uses here to invoke the Lord to action. His circumstances make him feel as if the Lord is not paying attention, as if the Lord is asleep. He calls on God to arise, lift yourself up, awake! Remember me and save me! And he looks for God the Lord to return from battle victorious, enthroned in victory, seated, ruling over his people,. Let the Judge of All the Earth Bring Justice Psalm 7:8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. 9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! 10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. Here he acknowledges the justice of God who is the judge of all mankind. God is not passively ignoring injustice; he feels indignation every day, as Paul says in Romans: Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. There is a day appointed, a day of wrath; Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Retributive Justice Psalm 7:12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; 13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. 15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. 16 His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. We are often uncomfortable with the idea of God’s wrath, but that is the necessary outflow of God being just and righteous. A just God will punish sin. Evil is fertile, reproducing, filling the earth, but it is also fatal. There is poetic justice here; the one who digs a pit will fall into it; the wicked one who stirs up trouble will bring that violence down crushing his own skull. In the law it says: Deuteronomy 19:18 …if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Often our sin creates its own consequences. God is just, and a just judge must punish sin. But as we saw in Psalm 6, God not only just. He is also gracious, extending kindness in place of his wrath to those who humbly ask for his grace. The ‘If’ of Repentance David holds out an incredible ‘if’ even to his enemies, even to the wicked. If a man does not repent, there will be wrath and fury. You will get what you deserve. But the implication is that if even a wicked evildoer repents, turns from his wickedness, turns to the Lord humbly asking for mercy, there is a way for God’s wrath to be turned away. How can God be just and judge the wicked, but also extend grace to sinners like me who simply ask for it? How can he be just and the justifier of the sinner who cries out to Jesus? The Gospel Refuge of God’s Righteousness In this psalm, David invites YHWH the righteous judge to judge him. That is a bold move for a sinner. Although in this particular situation, David had a clear conscience before God, we know David was not perfect. He was guilty like the rest of us, of lust, greed, pride, falsehood, even betrayal and murder. And yet he turns to God as his judge, his salvation, his shield. He acknowledges that God is absolutely just and feels righteous indignation toward our sin every day. And yet instead of fleeing from God, he runs to the Lord as his only refuge. David recognizes that it is God who brings the evil of the wicked to an end, and establishes the righteous, and he invites the righteous judge to bring justice. I am wicked. I am a treasonous lawbreaker. But when I cry out in humility and faith ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’, God brings my evil to an end – it is finished; paid in full. God establishes me as righteous; not intrinsically righteous as if the righteousness were based on my perfect record, but based on the perfect record of Jesus credited to me. The only way for integrity to be in me is for Jesus, who is perfect righteousness, perfect integrity, to be in me. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” (Gal.2:20) Jesus in Psalm 7 In this Psalm David is unjustly accused, threatened by those who, like lions, would tear apart his soul, and he feels as if God is not paying attention to his plight. He cries out for salvation. The greater Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed, falsely accused, acknowledged innocent by the governmental authority, yet condemned to execution. He cried out to the Lord who had seemingly forsaken him, but instead of being saved, he bore in his body on that cursed tree the just wrath of Almighty God poured out against my sin. The appointed judgment that I deserve came to him. His glory was laid in the dust. There was no rescue for him so that today, for all who cry out to him, he is our refuge, our shield, he brings my evil to an end and establishes me as righteous in him. He is the one who was lifted up, not lifted up to fight against his enemies, but lifted up on a cross in place of his enemies, paying my price in full. He is now enthroned over us today, and we, the redeemed, worship him. We gladly bow the knee, as we wait expectantly for him to return from on high. Our response? Psalm 7:17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Psalm 6; My Soul is Troubled; Be Gracious to Me!

5 weeks ago

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2025/05/04 Psalm 6; My Soul is Troubled; Be Gracious to Me; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250504_psalm-6.mp3 Intro: Psalms When the disciples asked our Lord to teach them to pray, he didn’t lecture them for hours what prayer is, how it works and why. He simply said ‘pray like this’ and gave them a prayer to pray. He granted them access and invited them to start praying with a model of what it looks like to pray. In the Psalms we have a whole book (and one of the the longest books) of divinely inspired prayers from a variety of circumstances, expressing a full range of human emotions. If we’re not sure how to pray, or just can’t seem to find the words, the Psalms can help. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called Psalms ‘the Prayer Book of the Bible’; he says: “This is pure grace, that God tells us how we can speak with him and have fellowship with him.” [Bonhoeffer, p.12; Psalms: the Prayer Book of the Bible; Learning to Pray in the Name of Jesus ] Psalm 1 speaks of the blessed man, the happy man, the Righteous One, who is planted by streams of water, the one rooted in and delighting in the instruction of the Lord, who prospers in everything he does, who bears much fruit. He is contrasted with the wicked, who are like empty chaff blown away by the wind. Psalm 2 points us to YHWH and his Anointed (or Messiah; the Christ); that when wicked men plot against his anointed, they plot in vain; he who sits in heaven laughs. The Lord has set his king on Zion his holy hill. His only begotten Son will strike them with a rod of iron and shatter them like pottery. He warns all to submit to his son or suffer the consequences; all who take refuge in him are blessed. The first two Psalms together provide an introduction to the Psalms, and set up the contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. Psalm 3 is a desperate cry of the Anointed to the Lord for rescue from his enemies. It was written when David fled from his son Absalom during his attempted overthrow of David’s reign. Psalm 4 could have risen out of the same circumstance, expressing David’s inner turmoil as his character was maligned and lies and half-truths were circulating about him. Psalm 5 is a prayer expressing David’s confidence in the God of justice. Psalm 6 Today we are going to look at Psalm 6. Psalm 6 To the Choirmaster; with stringed instruments; according to “The Sheminith.” A Psalm of David 1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD— how long? 4 Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. Sometimes, as in Psalm 6, we wish we knew more precisely the background of what was happening, but where specificity might render the Psalm inapplicable, the ambiguity of language allows us to adopt the language of the Psalm and apply it to our own varied circumstances. Clearly this prayer arises out of a heart weighed down by grief, even depression or despair. It senses the Lord’s displeasure, his wrath, and yet cries out to him for help. Because verse 2 asks for healing, it could refer to some chronic illness or debilitating disease. Where the end of the Psalm turns focus to foes, the enemies could be gathering because they see the sickness as God’s punishment, or it could be that their attack and slander is the cause of the deep depression and distress, even leading to physical symptoms. Whatever the source of our distress, there are words here to help us bring it to God and find hope and help in him. This is the first of seven penitential Psalms traditionally sung or recited on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to and reflecting on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Anger and Wrath; Rebuke and Discipline The Psalm begins by acknowledging God’s anger and wrath, expressing an acute awareness of sin and its consequences before a holy and just God. God is just, and must punish sin; we are sinners and fully deserving of his anger and wrath. God’s righteous wrath is not wrong. It is not pleasant, but it is good. The Proverbs extol the blessing of rebuke and discipline; Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof , 12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. 13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, God’s discipline, God’s reproof, lead to wisdom and his blessing. David is not asking exemption from these instruments of God’s correction; only that they not be carried out to the full extent of his anger and wrath. In God’s covenant with David (2Sam.7:13-15) to build him a house and install one of his sons on the throne forever, God promised both his discipline and his steadfast love. David is not looking to escape these hard blessings of God, but rather to escape his anger and wrath. This word ‘rebuke’ is a word taken from the law-courts; it points to a legal dispute, arguing a case, establishing who is in the right. We see this kind of language throughout the book of Job. Job 9:28 I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. … 32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. 33 There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. Job 13:3 But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. Appeal to YHWH for Grace If the LORD has a legal case against me, to whom can I appeal? There is no higher court than that of YHWH himself. So we see in this Psalm the Lord’s anointed king calls on the name of YHWH. YHWH is the greatest threat (that is why the fear of him is wisdom); YHWH is also our only hope! So the first word of this Psalm calls on the covenant name YHWH; YHWH may you cease from rebuking in anger; cease disciplining in wrath. In verse 2 he asks for grace. As sinners, grace is our only hope. Extend to me a kindness I do not deserve! Not in your anger, not in your wrath (both are deserved); but in your grace; extend favor I do not deserve. Extend kindness apart from my merit. And here he gives a reason; I need your grace, YHWH, because I am weak. Frail, sick, languishing. How many of us like to admit our weakness? It takes humility to admit I am not strong enough, I am weak, I need your help. But that is our very best argument with God. It just doesn’t work to say ‘give me your grace, because I deserve it’ or ‘help me, even though I don’t really need help; I can do it without you’. 1 Peter 5:5 …Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. There is no benefit in boasting of our own strength. We access God’s strength on our behalf, his grace, when in humility we own our weakness, our neediness, our lack. ‘Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am weak, frail, feeble’; be gracious, because I need your help. Heal Me For I Tremble Violently Heal me, for my bones are shaking; my soul is violently shaking. I am trembling, in terror, to the core of my being. This is the word from Psalm 2, where the Lord ‘will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury’ (v.5). A right understanding and awareness of who God really is, what he is like in all his majesting holiness and absolute righteousness, should create in us sinners a healthy fear of him; as Jesus said: Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! This is someone who believes he is experiencing the discipline and correction of the Lord, who is trembling and terrified in the presence of YHWH. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps.111:10). And yet that fear does not drive him to try to hide from the Lord but rather to turn to the Lord, to cry out to the Lord. How Long? His fourth cry to YHWH trails off. He doesn’t finish his thought; ‘and you, LORD…’ He doesn’t know what to say, but he knows to whom to direct his cry. ‘You, YHWH…’ I don’t even know what I need, but I know I need you. All he can say is ‘How long?’ The implication is that it’s been too long, that he can’t endure much longer. But within the ‘how long’ is implicit hope, that things are not as they ought to be, but he is holding on to a promise that one day all will be made right. How long? Save For Your Steadfast Love Psalm 6:4 Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? Turn, YHWH. Turn away your anger and wrath. Save me. Why? Not for any good that I have done, but because of your own character. Because of your promises. Because of your faithfulness. Because of your covenant love. Save me, not because of who I am, but because of who you are. Save me. Why? Because in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? This is not a denial of the conscious experience of the afterlife; we see clear signs of that even in the Old Testament; in Psalm 139 ‘If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!’ Job says: Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! For the believer in Jesus, to be ‘away from the body’ is to be ‘at home with the Lord’ (2Cor.5:8). But the focus in the Old Testament is on worship in the congregation. We were created to worship; created to draw near together, to remember together and to remind one another of the goodness of God. The grave robs us of what we were created to do, and robs God of his due. It robs us of true human dignity and purpose. If he delivers us it frees us to sing to the praise of his glory. Godly Grief Leads to Repentance and Salvation Psalm 6:6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. There is no request in this section, only an expression of overwhelming grief. It is right to grieve over our sins. True sorrow over sin turns the Lord’s heart toward us. A godly repentant grief over sin brings salvation (2Cor.7:9-10). One day God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev.21:4). Depart From Me Psalm 6:8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. There is a drastic change in the tone of this final section of the Psalm. As far as we know, nothing has changed in the circumstances. But the Anointed has run to the LORD for help, brought his request to the LORD, in humility and repentance, and is confident that the LORD has heard his weeping, the LORD has heard his request for grace, and that the LORD will accept his prayer. Jesus; David’s Greater Son There are a couple Jesus sightings in this Psalm that I want to bring to your attention. This is a Psalm of David, but David’s greater Son is the one who experienced the full reality of this Psalm, where David’s experience was only a shadow. ‘My soul is greatly troubled;’ Jesus takes these words on his lips in John 12 John 12:27 “ Now is my soul troubled . And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” We see this trouble of soul, this weeping in the garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled . 38 Then he said to them, “ My soul is very sorrowful, even to death ; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was about to drink the cup of the wrath of almighty God against all my sin on the cross, and the thought of it shook him to the core of his being. What are you facing? Jesus understands. He is the ‘Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief’ (Is.53:3). You can ‘cast your cares on him, because he cares for you’ (1Pet.5:7). ‘Depart from me, all you workers of evil.’ Jesus also speaks these words, no longer as the suffering servant, but now as the sovereign returning king, purging his kingdom of all who have set themselves in rebellion against him. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness .’ These are seemingly on his side, but have refused to come to him on his terms; they seek to impress him with what they do, not coming in humility, acknowledging their need, desperate for grace, eager for relationship. This is the only way we may come to him. Any other way, and we are ‘workers of evil’ and will be the ones who are ‘ashamed and greatly troubled’. Either we receive by faith that he was ‘greatly troubled’ for us, or we will be ‘greatly troubled’ before him on that day. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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He Is Risen! (So What?)

6 weeks ago

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04/27 He Is Risen! (So What?) – (1Cor.14; Rom.6,8; Eph.1,3); Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250427_resurrection-so-what.mp3 He is risen! [He is risen indeed!] Last week was resurrection Sunday. On this the week after resurrection day, I want to ask; ‘Why does the resurrection matter? How does the resurrection of Jesus affect my life today? What is different? What’s changed? What if Jesus didn’t rise, and it was all a hoax; would it matter? Would anything actually look different in our lives? I want us to take a minute and chew on that. What is different in my life today because Jesus is alive? Still In Your Sins At the most foundational level, the resurrection is an essential component of the gospel. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. If Christ is not raised, gospel preaching is a waste, faith is a waste, church is a waste, there is no good news, no salvation, no hope beyond the grave. As Paul says later in this chapter: 1 Corinthians 15:32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” If there is no resurrection, then we might as well enjoy all we can in this life, because this is all there is. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. Because Christ has been raised, we have a real expectation of our own resurrection! The resurrection of Jesus changes everything! Jesus’ Claims Confirmed Jesus repeatedly told his disciples that he would suffer, be killed, and rise from the dead. Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (cf. Mt.17:23; 20:19; 27:62-64; 28:6) If Jesus was not raised from the dead, he’s a liar and a false prophet. But if Jesus did indeed rise from the dead, we must reckon with who he claimed to be. On Him The Father Set His Seal Not only did Jesus claim to be the way, the truth and the life, the I AM, the Father also testified to the identity his only Son; on two occasions the voice came from heaven ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Mt.3:17; 17:5). Paul says in Acts 17 Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead .” The Father raised Jesus from the dead, affirming to all that he is who he claimed to be, and his sacrifice for us was accepted. Because his disciples hid in fear, and the tomb was empty, and his enemies failed to produce the body, because he is risen, we know that Jesus is who he claimed to be. Died with Christ and Raised with Him So what difference does it make? For us who are putting our trust in Jesus, it makes all the difference in the world! Romans 6 tells us although it is true that ‘where sin increased, grace abounded all the more’ (Rom.5:20), it does not follow that we ought to ‘continue in sin that grace may abound’ (Rom.6:1). Romans 6:2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life . 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his . 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him . 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead , will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God . 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus . This is victory! Because we are united to Christ in his death and resurrection, we are dead to sin and sin’s power is broken. We are set free to walk in newness of life! Notice this is not automatic. We must (that’s an imperative) consider or reckon ourselves dead to sin. It is a theological truth that we who believe are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. As believers, we need to believe it, count it as true and remind ourselves of that truth and walk in that truth. When sin rears its beautiful head tempting us to indulge in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the sinful pride of life, we must say ‘No! I am dead to that. The old me that indulged in those things is dead, buried, gone. It’s a new me that feeds on new pleasures, better pleasures, greater pleasures; I am united with Christ, raised with Christ, I get to enjoy friendship with Jesus and with the Father. I am alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ Here’s what Ephesians says; Paul prays: Ephesians 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe , according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Paul prays for our eyes to be opened to know him, to know what we have in him, to know what is true of us because we belong to him. The immeasurable greatness of almighty resurrection power is at work in us who believe! That same power that took that horribly beaten and mortally wounded corpse of our crucified Lord, who had been dead three days, and brought him back to life, that’s the very power that is at work in us today. Don’t tell me those temptations are too strong. If you belong to Jesus, if you are in Jesus, you have access to the immeasurable greatness of his resurrection power that can take your dead corpse and give it new affections, new desires, you can put the old you to death and walk in newness of life. Raised to Live For Him Here’s what this looks like: 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. …17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. The love of Christ controls us. We live no longer for ourselves. We live for Jesus. All because of Jesus we are reconciled to God, and we have been commissioned as ambassadors to proclaim that good news, imploring others on the basis of the death and resurrection of Christ, to be reconciled to God. We have this greatest of all privileges; to live for his glory, to invite others in to enjoy this God with us! We Live For Him (but not in our own strength) How does this work? Paul prays for us again in Ephesians 3: Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being , 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith —that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God . 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. We are to live for him, but not in our own strength. He prays for the gift of strengthening with Holy Spirit power. Don’t try to do this in your own strength. You can’t. You need Holy Spirit power. You need Jesus living in you. You need to be filled with all the fullness of God. You need him doing far more abundantly than all you could ask or think according to his power, not yours. The Transforming Power of the Indwelling Spirit Here’s what Jesus said. He was telling his disciples that he was going to the Father, and sorrow filled their hearts; John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. Jesus had said in John 14: John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. Back in John 7, he said: John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Jesus must go to the cross, pay for our sins, be raised and ascend to his Father’s side. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified. It is to our advantage that Jesus is no longer physically with us, because now he has sent the promise of the Father, the Person of the Holy Spirit to be in us forever. He is the helper, the advocate, the comforter, and the source of this resurrection power at work in us. Notice that the Spirit is called ‘he’, not ‘it’. Violating the rules of grammar, the neuter word ‘spirit’ gets the masculine personal pronoun ‘he’ rather than ‘it’ to emphasize that the Spirit is not an impersonal force, but the third person of the triune God. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, God the Spirit comes to live in believers, equipping and enabling us to walk in his power. Romans 8 says: Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you . Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you , he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you . 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. It is the life-giving Spirit of God who lives in us, who gives life to these corpses so that we can live in step with the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the body. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Jesus Is Preparing a Place For Us If all this seems too much, it just keeps getting better. Here’s what Jesus said in John 14: John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. What has the risen and exalted Jesus been up to for the last 2000 years? He said: I go to prepare a place for you! This is our eternal hope! Jesus is preparing a place for us to be with him forever. Jesus is Interceding For Us Just one more. Romans 8; Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Did you catch that? Jesus is praying for us! The resurrected Jesus, seated at the right hand of his Father in glory, is praying for you. Do you think he knows what we need? Do you think he has our best interest in mind? Do you think the Father will answer his prayers? Hebrews 7 says: Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Resurrection Sunday: Sting of Death (1Cor.15)

7 weeks ago

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04/20 Resurrection Sunday: Sting of Death (1Cor.15); Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250420_resurrection-sunday-sting-of-death.mp3 Today is Resurrection Sunday; He Is Risen! [He Is Risen Indeed!] The tomb is empty. Death has been decisively defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ. Death The Unavoidable Death. Here’s the ugly fact. Death is a reality we all have to face. The death rate among humans is roughly 100%. Likely all of us know someone who has died. Maybe you or someone you know are facing death soon. It’s a reality every one of us, sooner or later, must face. And none of us has any guarantee of tomorrow. Every breath is a gift. The preacher (Ecclesiastes) says it is better to go to a funeral than a wedding; Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Everybody will face death one day, and wisdom says we ought to take it to heart. The Psalms tell us: Psalm 39:4 “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! — Selah Psalm 90:10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away . 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 144:4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Death is a reality we would all like to ignore, busy ourselves with something, anything, that will keep our minds off that grim reality. We use euphemism to attempt soften its blow, like ‘he passed away’; ‘she’s no longer with us’ or ‘gone on to a better place’, ‘gone on ahead’; sometimes we try to make light of it; ‘she’s pushing up daisies’ or ‘he’s six feet under’. Death, when we are forced to face it, seems foreign, unnatural. We seek to avoid it at all costs. Why? Death Is Unnatural First of all, we learn from the Bible that death is unnatural. It is foreign. It is our enemy. But it is what we deserve. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— It all started in the garden. Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. … 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Rules, rules, rules. So oppressive, so limiting. You just don’t want me to have any fun at all. Understand, God made a luscious garden, and he put the man and his wife, both naked and unashamed, into the garden and said ‘enjoy!’ Look, touch, taste, enjoy, everything!’ It is all made for you, for your good, for your pleasure. Only one thing is off limits. Only one rule. A test; will you obey, will you trust, will you believe that I am good and give you every good thing to enjoy (Ps.84:11)? Or will you doubt my character, will you question my goodness, will you choose your own wisdom and make your own rules? Today there are over 2,000 different types of fruit, and each type of fruit has many varieties; apples for instance come in 7,500 varieties. What it was then we can only imagine, but they easily could have enjoyed endless variety, and each other, for a hundred years without ever feeling the need for something new. They had purpose, to tend and protect the garden, and they had the privilege of walking with their Creator, getting to know him every day. And God was not unclear about the consequences. “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, … We don’t know how long they lasted, but it may not have been even a full day before they listened to the lie of the serpent, began to distrust their Creator, and stepped out into open rebellion. How much of that garden, made specifically for them, would they never have the opportunity to enjoy? It all started in the garden. Death was not part of the original creation; it began as a result of our rebellion that day. My sin doesn’t affect only me; it affects everyone around me. Their sin affected all of creation: Romans 8 tells us: Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Death Is Not The Worst Of It Here’s the reality we all endure. Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. You probably came on resurrection Sunday to hear an encouraging message filled with hope… hold on, we’ll get there! But first, it gets worse. Death is not the worst of it. If it were just ‘game over,’ ‘dust to dust,’ ‘the end,’ that wouldn’t be so bad. But here’s what Hebrews tells us: Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, And here’s what Jesus says in Matthew 13: Matthew 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus is clearly warning us. And you might be thinking, ‘yes, finally, those evil people will get what they deserve.’ But hold on a minute; raise your hand if you’ve ever had a covetous thought. That means you wanted something someone else had. That’s commandment 10 of the big ten (Ex.20:17). You’re all a bunch of lawbreakers. Do you see what Jesus says about all law-breakers? Jesus he gives us a really important piece of wisdom: Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Fear God. Don’t fear people. The worst people can do is kill you. But the just judgment of God is far worse. Here’s what 1 Corinthians 15:56 says: 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Wasps and hornets wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for their stings! You see, death stings because the death is the consequence of our sin. And the power of sin is the law. God’s law shows us the standard we are to measure ourselves by, and demonstrates how far we fall short. How are you doing at loving God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength? How are you doing at loving your neighbor in the same way as you love yourself? (Mt.22:37-39). Death stings because it is a reminder that we are lawbreakers and we deserve the just wrath of an all holy God. The Gospel So where’s the good news in all of this? Well, it starts by a proper diagnosis of our disease. 1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. …8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. …10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. But there’s good news in the middle of all that; 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess; if we agree with God that sin is sin and we are guilty sinners, he is faithful to cleanse us and to forgive us. He is faithful; he promised and he will make good on his promise. When we confess, he is faithful to forgive and cleanse, every time. And he is just …wait, how can God justly sweep our sins under the carpet and treat us as if we had never sinned? That’s the heart of the good news. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul concisely states the gospel he preached. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. This is the gospel we must be trusting in in order to be saved; The Messiah died for our sins. Jesus took the sting out of death because he stepped in as my substitute and let that stinger sink right into him. The sting of death is my sin and the power of sin is the law, and he stood in my place and took the legal consequences of my sin on himself. The judicial sentence was carried out on him. He was executed as a criminal on a Roman cross. In those three hours of darkness he experienced the wrath of God against my sin. He paid my legal debt in full. He died, and he was really dead; they buried him. The soldiers made sure he was dead by piercing his side to release a flow of blood and water. On testimony of the centurion Pilate released the corpse to Joseph. Nicodemus met him with about 75 pounds of spices. Full Circle; Death in the Garden; Life from a Garden John 19:40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. We rebelled against our Creator in a garden. The sentence of death was given in that first garden. But Jesus proved fully obedient to his Father in another garden; ‘Yet not my will but yours be done’. Jesus was buried in a garden. But he didn’t stay dead. The Father raised him up on the third day as a declaration that his wrath toward my sin was satisfied in Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was accepted by the Father on my behalf. And he proved he was truly alive by appearing to many eye-witnesses. We all will experience death one way or another, but for the believer in Jesus, the sting of death is removed. Death has a say, but it does not have the final say. The resurrected Jesus took the sting out of death for me. Death Swallowed Up Here’s how 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter, ends: 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you in Christ by faith? Have you agreed with God about your sin, and received the forgiveness that is only available at the cross, through the finished work of Jesus? Are you clinging to this good news; receiving it, standing in it, being saved by it, holding fast to it? 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

PastorRodney’s Weblog

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Good Friday; 7 Sayings/ Veil Torn

7 weeks ago

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04/18 Good Friday; 7 Sayings/ Veil Torn; (Mt.21, 27); Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250418_good-friday-veil-torn.mp3 Welcome/Intro/Prayer: Today is Good Friday, the day we commemorate the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, the day he ‘bore our sins in his body on the tree’ (1Pet.2:24). I invite you to enter in, become one of the bystanders to this most horrible, most beautiful event. Stand at the foot of his cross. Sing. Worship him for he is worthy. During the time Jesus was suspended there between heaven and earth, drawing each labored breath by lifting his own weight by the nails that pierced his hands and his feet, he spoke. Seven times he spoke, and in those seven statements from the cross, he summarized his mission. 1) Jesus came to forgive his enemies (while we were his enemies, Christ died for us; Rom.5:8,10) 2) Jesus came to make a way for us to be with him forever 3) Jesus came to care for the needy, to connect us with a body who cares for one another. 4) Jesus came to experience God-forsakenness, so we would never be forsaken 5) Jesus came to satisfy our eternal thirst 6) Jesus came to pay our debt in full 7) Jesus declared that no one took his life from him; he had the power to lay down his life, and the power to take it up again (Jn.10:18) Stand at the foot of his cross. Look. Listen. Sing. Worship him for he is worthy. Give your life to him, for he is trustworthy. [pray] *** Song: Man of Sorrows Saying 1. Father forgive them (Lk.23:33-34) Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “ Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do .” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Song: Jesus Your Mercy Saying 2. Today you will be with me (Lk 23:39-43) Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “ Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise .” Song: My Worth is Not in What I Own Saying 3. Woman, here is your son (Jn.19:26-27) John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “ Woman, behold, your son! ” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “ Behold, your mother! ” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Song: How Deep the Father’s Love For Us Song: Lord I Need You Saying 4. Why have you forsaken me? (Mt.27:46) Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? ” that is, “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ” Song: The Cup Was Not Removed Saying 5. I Thirst (Jn.19:28) John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said ( to fulfill the Scripture), “ I thirst. ” Song: There Is Power In The Blood Saying 6. It Is Finished! (Jn.19:30) John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “ It is finished, ” … *** Message: Veil Torn (Good Friday) Luke 23:44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two . Matthew and Mark also record that after those three hours of darkness on the cross, about the time that Jesus died, the curtain or veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. What is this curtain, and why is this so significant? In Exodus, we read the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, YHWH’s portable sacrifice and worship tent; later replaced by the temple in the promised land, in Jerusalem. The tabernacle grounds, or courtyard which had a fence around it was to be 75’ x 150’ (for reference, that’s about 2.5x wider and 2x longer than this room); just inside the entrance of the courtyard stood the large bronze altar for burnt offering, and behind it the large bronze wash-basin from which the priests would draw water for cleaning up the bloody animal mess. Behind this was the entrance to the encolsed tent; the first section was called the holy place which was 15’ x 30’ and housed the lampstand, the table for the bread of the presence, and just outside the veil the altar of incense. Then behind the veil, the most holy place (15’x15’) which housed the ark (or box) of the covenant, containing the Sinai covenant written on stone, topped with the mercy seat or atonement cover. It was above this mercy seat, between the cherubim, that God’s presence was manifest. This inner sanctuary or ‘holy of holies’ was separated from the holy place by the curtain. Exodus 26:31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. The stated purpose of this curtain was to separate. This curtain was decorated with cherubim. The first mention we have of cherubim is after mankind rebelled against their Creator, despised his goodness, heeded the voice of the serpent rather than obeying the word of their God, and did the one thing he commanded them not to do. Isaiah 59 tells us: Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. That’s the same word ‘separation’ we find describing the veil in Exodus 26. In response to our rebellion in Genesis, God Genesis 3:24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. The cherubim, or mighty warrior angels, were stationed at the east of the sacred garden (by the way, the Tabernacle was always to be positioned with the entrance to the east). This curtain or veil, with representations of warrior angels, blocked access to God’s manifest presence. My iniquites have made a separation between me and God. Hebrews tells us: Hebrews 9:2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, …6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year , and not without taking blood , which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing This is the veil, the curtain of the temple, separating us from the presence of God, embroidered with mighty warrior angels barring access to his presence, that was torn in two from top to bottom. It seems ironic that the four soldiers who crucified Jesus, who were dividing his garments among them, refused to tear his tunic, but rather cast lots for it, because it ‘was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom’ (Jn.19:23). But the Father, on the death of his only Son, ripped the curtain that denied access to him from top to bottom. Jesus said: John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . Romans says: Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified (declared not guilty) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Sinners declared not guilty, reconciled to the Father by faith into an undeserved status. Our sure hope through Jesus is to enter in to enjoy the glory of the Father and the Son. Ephesians says: Ephesians 3:11 … Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Hebrews says: Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus , 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain , that is, through his flesh , 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. This is what Jesus accomplished on the cross. This is what is so good about Good Friday. Because Jesus bore my sin in his body on the tree, I now have access by faith into this grace in which I stand. There is no other way, no other access, than through faith – trusting in, depending on – Jesus alone, his finished work, his payment in full, for my forgiveness, my justification. Reconciling me, a sinner washed clean in his blood, to a holy and just God. It is all grace – a gift I don’t deserve – that I must receive by faith. *** Saying 7. Father into your hands… (Lk.23:46) Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “ Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! ” And having said this he breathed his last. Song: All Hail King Jesus Song: All Sufficient Merit *** Closing: 1) Jesus came to forgive his enemies; have you confessed that by your sins you have made yourself his enemy? 2) Jesus opened up a way for us to be reconciled to him 3) Jesus came to care for the needy (and we are needy!), to connect us with a body who cares for one another. 4) Jesus came to experience God-forsakenness, so we would never be forsaken 5) Jesus came to satisfy our eternal thirst; are you spiritually thirsty today? 6) Jesus came to pay our debt in full; It Is Finished! 7) Jesus had the power to lay down his life, and the power to take it up again, and he gives eternal life to all who come to him and believe in him! [invitation/prayer] *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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Hosanna; Behold Your King; (Mt.21, 27)

8 weeks ago

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04/13 Palm Sunday; Hosanna; Behold Your King; (Mt.21, 27) ; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20250413_hosanna-behold-your-king.mp3 Today is Palm Sunday. If you remember two weeks ago we looked at John 12, where Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with very costly fragrant oil. His disciples objected to the waste, but Jesus affirmed what she did as a ‘beautiful thing’. He recognized it, not as the anointing for service as a prophet, priest, or king; but in preparation of his body for burial. John continues: John 12:9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” This is ‘Palm Sunday’. The Humble King (Zechariah 9) Matthew’s account fills in some details. Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” This is a quote from Zechariah 9, written some 500 years earlier. Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. .. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! … Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he had avoided unnecessary attention. After many of his miraculous healings, “Jesus charged them to tell no one” (Mk.7:36; Lk.5:14; 8:56). He “strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ” (Mt.16:20). John 6:15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (cf. Mt.14:22; Mk.6:45) Jesus said things like ‘My hour has not yet come’ (Jn.2:4). But on this occasion, he intentionally orchestrated his public reception into Jerusalem. He presented himself to the crowds as their coming king, righteous and having salvation. Not riding in on a mighty war horse, but humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The Son of David Matthew 21:6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” The crowds hailed him as ‘the Son of David’. In the Old Testament, this phrase is used almost exclusively in reference to Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. God said some amazing things to David about his son. Through the prophet Samuel, God said: 2 Samuel 7:11 …I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house . 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you , who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever . 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son . When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever .’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. God promised that David’s house, David’s kingdom, David’s throne would be established forever. But the heart of David’s son Solomon was led astray by his foreign wives to serve other gods; 1 Kings 11:11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. It is not until Matthew 1 do we read: Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. In response to the mighty works Jesus did; Matthew 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” Jesus himself said; Matthew 12:42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. After Palm Sunday, after Jesus is hailed as the coming King, David’s greater Son, after again cleansing the temple, on Tuesday of Passion week, Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Jesus presents himself not only as David’s greater Son, one greater than Solomon, but as David’s Lord, David’s Master. Hosanna; Save Now! Matthew 21:9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Not only did the crowds hail Jesus as David’s greater Son, but they welcomed him with the words of Psalm 118; ‘Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Here’s a little more of the context of Psalm 118 Psalm 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! In Matthew 24:42 Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22, identifying himself with the stone the builders rejected. The people recognize that this is the day that the LORD has made, a day of rejoicing, a day of salvation. So they cry out ‘Hosanna!’, the Hebrew of Psalm 118:26, which means ‘Save now!’ or ‘Save us we pray’. The people recognize Jesus as the King who is bringing salvation, who comes in the name of, with the authority of, as a representative of YHWH God himself. Luke tells us that; Luke 19:39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Romans 8 tells us that all creation is groaning to be set free. All creation must recognize their coming King and Creator. One day the mountains will break forth in singing; the trees clap their hands (Is.55:12). “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble…” (Zech.9:9). Behold Your King! We are going to jump forward in the story. After being condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin of blasphemy for claiming to be the cloud-riding Son of Man from Daniel 7, when they brought him before Pilate, among other things, they accused him of claiming to be Messiah, a king (Lk.23:2). Mark 15:2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Mark 15:12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” Mark 15:16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. John 19:14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” John 19:18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John tells us at the beginning of his gospel: John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. He Saved Others; He Cannot Save Himself Just a few days earlier the people had been crying out: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt.21:9). Hosanna; ‘Save us we pray! Save now!’ Now, Matthew 27:39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “ He saved others; he cannot save himself . He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Their cries turned from ‘Save us, we pray’ to a mocking ‘save yourself’. Even the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders could not deny that Jesus saved many. Salvation in the general sense can mean rescue from any danger; rescue from drowning, rescue from disease, rescue from demons. Jesus made the blind see, the lame walk, lepers were cleansed, even the dead were raised. The evidence was too much even for Jesus’ enemies to deny or ignore. He saved others. That was their admission. But looking at Jesus, nailed to the cross, their assertion was ‘He cannot save himself.’ Jesus was in complete sovereign control. We saw that last week, when we looked at the garden and the cup. Jesus had determined to drink the cup that his Father had given him to drink. Jesus was no helpless victim; he was a willing substitute. Jesus said: John 10:17 …I lay down my life… 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Jesus was not a victim of an unfortunate turn of circumstances. The Word who was with God and who was God, the one who created all things (Jn.1:1-3) ‘humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil.2:8). There was truth to what they said deeper than they knew. In order to save others, he could not save himself. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Mt.26:39). Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt.20:28) The omnipotent Son of God had the power to come down from the cross, but even if those who demanded it would have then believed in him, they would perish in their sins, because it was only in the sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God that sins could be taken away. It is because he willingly chose to stay on that cross and endure the wrath of God against my sin, that I can today believe and be saved. Hosanna; save us we pray! That is why he came, and that is what he accomplished there on the cross. And because he did, there is another Palm Sunday coming; Revelation 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” *** Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org…

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The Garden and Cup (Mt.26; Jn.18)

9 weeks ago