Have you ever watched a commercial for a product and thought “that’s too good to be true”? What do we say about those situations? If it seems to good to be true, then it probably is. Have you ever gotten a big surprise and thought to yourself “pinch me I must be dreaming”? I imagine that is how the disciples felt at times, especially after the resurrection of Jesus. A lot of times we can be hard on the disciples, because it just doesn’t seem like they are getting it. I’m guilty of it at times myself. When that happens, I have to stop and remind myself that I have the benefit of hindsight. I am reading what happened. However, the disciples were living it. Therefore, I think we need to give them grace, because I can only imagine how hard it would have been to mentally process everything that they saw over the course of three and a half years. Then top it off with Jesus rising from the dead. That would be a lot to try and take in. As a side note, I think this is why we need to learn to be patient with new believers. If you have been a Christian for a while, you probably have had time to process a lot of these things. A new believer is still trying to process all that Christ has done for them, let alone everything they are reading in the Bible. So, be gracious to one another. Back to the text at hand. In Matthew 28, which we looked at earlier this week; there is a phrase in Matthew 28 that I have always found fascinating. As I read it this morning, I felt as though God wanted me to dive into that phrase and understand it. The phrase is found in Matthew 28:17, “When they say Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.” The phrase is “some doubted.” I looked in five different major English translations, and every one of them translated that verse the exact same way. Therefore, it was time to dive a little deeper and pull out the Greek New Testament on my shelf. I was curious, what was meant by some doubted? Does it mean that some of the disciples still didn’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection or the fact that He is the Messiah? All I can say is that I am so happy that God took me down this road.

The Greek word used for doubted here is not the typical word used for unbelief. Rather, the word used gives the idea that some hesitated. In other words, while all 11 knew that Jesus had risen from the dead, some were struggling to give themselves fully to Him. Again, we need to remember to give them grace, because they were living this out in real time while you and I have the benefit of looking back on the event. We know that the disciples weren’t struggling to believe Jesus had risen from the dead. We know this because this isn’t the first or even second time that Jesus has revealed resurrected self to the disciples. This is the third time in fact. Therefore, they knew Jesus had risen from the dead. So, what is their hesitation? I believe it is in part at least that they weren’t sure how to act in the presence of God. They had heard, and I believe they believed that Jesus was the Son of God. But knowing something as a fact and living it out are two different things. For many people, God is some distant person. He is someone to be pleased, not someone who comes near to us. Yet, Jesus isn’t distant. He does come near to us. In fact, His Spirit lives inside of every true believer. But I also believe there is something else to this, maybe something that you have to wrestle with as well. For the disciples, the resurrection changed everything. Now there is verifiable proof that Jesus is both God and man. Now we can know that there is life after death. Now we know that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is not just someone to believe in, but someone that we must surrender and submit to, and someone that we are accountable to. The same is true for you and I, and indeed the entire world. Notice the next verse in Matthew 28. Matthew 28:18 says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and in earth.” Because Jesus is the resurrected Lord, He is the Lord of the living and the dead. He and He alone is worthy to be worshipped. Jesus is no longer just a prophet or a teacher. They now fully understand that He has been and will forever be the Lord. Nothing less than complete submission and surrender to Him is acceptable. What does this mean for you and I?

It first and most importantly means that if we want to be pleasing and acceptable to the King, we must surrender to Him. You cannot reject the grace of God and think that you are pleasing to Him. But it also means that I must surrender every aspect of my life to Him. I can hold nothing back from Him. It means that my life should be lived as an act of worship to my King. I have to fully give myself to Him in absolute, unconditional surrender. My marriage, my children, my career, my finances, my possessions, and even my life are all His. I can hold nothing back from Him. So, let me ask you a question, are you withholding anything from God right now? No matter how small of a thing you may think it is, it matters. As Augustus Toplady wrote in the timeless hymn, Rock of Ages, “nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.” Have you laid all of yourself down at His feet, and are you living your life as an act of worship to the King? Or are you being like some of the disciples and hesitating? Hesitate no longer! Instead, join with the disciples of all time, fall at His feet, and live your life as a living sacrifice to the risen Savior.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

When you were a kid, did you ever get in trouble with one of your friends? Did you ever get singled out, but felt like the other person got off easier? When that happens, what is the first thing we tend to say? “That’s not fair, what about them?” We always want to know what happened to the other person. This isn’t new, it is part of our fallen nature to desire fairness instead of righteousness. In our text today, we will see Peter fall into the same problem. The text today took place after Jesus’ resurrection. Some of the disciples had gone back to fishing. After fishing all night and not catching anything, they see someone on the shore asking if they caught anything. Finally, John recognizes the voice and the miracle performed was Jesus, and so he tells Peter who it is. Peter, in typical fashion, plunges into the sea and starts to swim ashore. After a nice breakfast, came a difficult conversation between Jesus and Peter. What was agonizing for Peter, was actually an act of mercy and grace on the part of Jesus. Jesus was restoring Peter, and in fact commissioning him to serve the church that would be birthed in just a few short weeks. After that conversation, Jesus tells Peter to follow Him. While they are walking, John decides he wants to be close to the conversation as well, so he starts following behind Jesus and Peter. Jesus then tells Peter how he will die. Peter will also be crucified, and the Bible says that is how Peter was going to glorify God in his death. Upon hearing this news, Peter turns and sees John, then turns back and asks Jesus, what about him? Jesus reply in John 21:22 is, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

Peter was more concerned about John than he was Jesus. Immediately, Jesus redirects Peter’s thoughts with the words, “you follow Me.” This is the second time in the chapter, and the third time overall that Jesus had told Peter to “Follow Me.” I have to be honest, I identify with Peter in a lot of ways. I often need to be redirected by God. My mind can try and go ten different directions, and it is easy to become distracted and drift off course. In those times, Jesus helps redirect me, just like He did Peter. It is easy to get caught up in comparisons. People do it all the time. In fact, many people choose what church to attend based on their preferences. I’m not saying that preferences don’t matter, but they should be secondary, especially when it comes to where will you worship. It is about where can I glorify God the most, and where can I serve Him the way He has gifted and called me to? Those are the questions that we should be asking. We shouldn’t be asking, which church has the best worship team, best pastor, best children’s ministry, or youth ministry. And as a pastor, I want to say to my fellow pastors, let’s drop the competition between us and our churches. We are doing more harm to the cause of Christ than we will ever help it by doing these things. People come to us because they are hurting, scared, or even sometimes angry. Let’s not try to capitalize on these emotions to gain a family that has been attending another church. Instead, let’s shepherd their hearts, and point them to Jesus so that He can heal them. This is our calling. As a shepherd, let’s remember that we are also one of Jesus’ sheep. This means as much as we are trying to lead the people, we must make sure that we are allowing Jesus to lead us. So, let us all take our eyes off of what others are doing, and fix them on Jesus, so that we may hear His voice, and follow Him in all that we do.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

There are a lot of people who have read the Bible, but they say “I don’t know what the Bible is about.” There are some in Christianity who want to remove the Old Testament from their reading or beliefs, because they say it doesn’t matter anymore. However, Jesus clearly had a different take on it while He was on earthy. We can see this from His teaching, in Matthew 5:17, but also in Luke 24:27. The reference in Luke is Jesus talking to two of His disciples after His resurrection. As they were walking together, Jesus kept them from knowing it was Him. We can speculate as to why Jesus did this, but it doesn’t really matter. It was what Jesus said that important. Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

Did you notice that phrase “beginning at Moses”? It is a reference to the first five books of the Law, known as the Torah. It is where the Law is given in the Old Testament. Jesus is saying that from the very beginning, the Bible pointed to Him. The first promise of a Savior was given in Genesis 3. The promise that the ultimate Prophet would come was given in Deuteronomy 18:15, and there were many other promises about a coming Savior in the Law. Even in the books of the Prophets, we can see Jesus clearly. Most of the books of the prophets had a similar theme. They would begin by showing Israel’s sin, but end with the promise of restoration. The way they would be restored would be by God. This is pointing us to mankind’s problem, but also God’s solution. We are all sinners, and it took the grace of God to make a way for us to be restored to a right relationship with God. Maybe you are wondering why does this matter? It matters because I should always be looking for Jesus in my Bible reading. I shouldn’t see myself as the hero of a story, because I’m not. The hero is Jesus. It also matters because the theme of Jesus is what ties the Bible together into a single, cohesive meaning. This means that I should not neglect any part of the Bible. While we don’t live under the Law, but under grace, that doesn’t mean the Old Testament isn’t important. Paul says that the Law acts as a teacher to bring us to Jesus. It shows us our sin while also revealing the holiness of God. This allows us to see our sin, but also to point us to the Savior. Therefore, if you haven’t taken time to read through the Old Testament in a while; start tomorrow. When you are reading through it, ask yourself the question, how is this pointing me to Jesus? What do I learn about God in this text? You just might be surprised by how much you enjoy reading the Old Testament, when you read it as it was meant to be read. It will help the New Testament come alive in ways you never saw before. What a blessing!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

A lot of people talk about wanting to know the purpose of their life. I would argue that you will not know your purpose until you know your Creator. It is the One who created us that gives us our purpose. Fortunately, we can know both our Creator as well as our purpose by reading the Bible. For a Christian, our purpose is very simple. It is to glorify God in all that we do. The primary way that we can do this is by making disciples. Jesus outlined this process in some of His last words to His disciples. A form of the Great Commission appears in the New Testament in some form five times (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, and Acts 1). How can I live out by purpose? Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

If you have been in church for any amount of time, chances are you have heard these verses referenced. They are the commission that Jesus gave to His disciples then, and it is certainly true for us now. While we may have heard it preached on, I am convinced that very few Christians actually understand what Jesus was talking about. It is the process of making disciples. The phrase “make disciples” is the only command in the verse. Therefore, what comes before it and what comes after that phrase is the process of making disciples. So, how do we do it? We begin with going. In the Greek, the phrase literally is translated as “as you are going.” This implies a lifestyle that a Christian lives, not a trip we go on. Every where we go is our mission field. Therefore, as we are going to work, the grocery store, the ball field, or wherever, we are to see our mission field and pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with those around us. Again, it is a lifestyle that we live, not a trip we take. To “go” is to share the Gospel. The other part of the disciple-making process is to “teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” This is the part of the process commonly referred to as discipleship. One thing that I believe we need to learn is that discipleship is not a class we attend or teach; discipleship is a lifestyle that we live. As we live in community with other believers, we are to hold one another accountable for our lives, as well as teach by our actions what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus didn’t set up seminaries for His disciples. Instead, He invited them to follow Him and learn from Him. Each Christian should be in a discipleship relationship with a few other believers. What we see in these verses is a beautiful cycle that is to continuously loop in the life of believers. It begins by sharing the Gospel. When God saves someone, they demonstrate this by being baptized. From there, those who are more mature in their faith should be teaching the new converts in a discipleship relationship what it means and looks like to follow Jesus. As they do this, they will go out and share the Gospel, and the process continues.

However, we don’t want to miss the end of verse 20 where Jesus gives us a promise. He promises to be with us to the end of the age. This means more than just having the presence of God in our lives, though we do. It means that it is Jesus who will help us in every step of this process as we rely on Him. He will help us share the Gospel. We are pointing to Him as we baptize. He will help us live in community to teach and hold one another accountable. Therefore, it doesn’t rely on you, it depends on Him. Our responsibility is to be faithful to our calling. Is it easy? Absolutely not! However, we need to remember that we are not doing it alone, it is God who is working in us and through us as we obey Him. Ask for His help, depend on Him, and see what He will do in you and through you for His glory.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Have you ever heard the statement, “there are too many cooks in the kitchen”? You probably have. What does it mean? It means that there are too many people trying to determine what’s for dinner, or too many people trying to be in control. A love or desire for power is one of the most deadly things in humans. If people use their influence in a positive way, it can be a blessing to those around. However, let someone get in an influential position, and have personal ambitions, and it can be a powder keg waiting to explode. I would simply point you to politicians in this country. What they fail to see, and what we often fail to remember is where the power comes from. This desire to be the “master of your own destiny” is as old as time. We see it back in the Garden of Eden. Satan played on Adam and Eve’s desire to determine for themselves what is right and what is wrong. In today’s text, we are going to see a godless Roman ruler act as those he has the power to do what he wants.

The religious leaders have delivered Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate has examined Jesus once, and hasn’t found any fault in Him. However, in a move to try and pacify the crowd, Pilate has Jesus scourged. Some soldiers mock Jesus, and they put a robe and a crown of thorns on Him. All of this is an attempt to humiliate Jesus, so that when Pilate brings Jesus back out, the crowd will calm down. Pilate humiliating Jesus is meant as an act that demonstrates that Pilate is superior to Jesus. When this doesn’t work, Pilate tells the Jews to go and crucify Jesus themselves. However, they know they have already violated the Law they claim to love and follow in several different ways in how they have dealt with Jesus. They at first say that Jesus should die because He says He is the Son of God. This terrifies Pilate, because the Romans were scared to anger any god for fear of retribution against them. Therefore, Pilate goes back inside to talk with Jesus, and He asks Him where He is from. But Jesus stands there and says nothing. Then we read this exchange, “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Are You not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify You, and power to release You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been give you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin'” (John 19:10-11). There are a few lessons we can learn from this exchange.

The first lesson is having peace in the midst of chaos because of your trust in God. The religious leaders have been lying about Jesus, and making His life miserable for some time. They have done everything in their power to see Jesus killed. Yet, Jesus doesn’t retaliate. He knew why He had come. He knew how things were going to play out. While you and I may not know every detail about how things will play out, we do know as a child of God, in the end we win. Therefore, we don’t have to fear or make a fuss when life is chaotic, because we know that God is still on the throne and in control of it all. The second lesson is that power comes from God. Yes, Pilate was in charge. However, Pilate was in charge because God had placed in him charge. There is a lot of political turmoil in America right now. There are competing visions on what is best for our nation. There are a lot of attempts to remove people from their positions, simply because people don’t like them. However, as Christians we must understand that God is the One who instituted government, and it is for our good (Rom. 13:1-4). And, it is God who puts politicians in place, and it is God who removes them. At the end of the day, we must remember that God is the One in control of all things, at all times. The final lesson is to understand our role. Jesus said that those who delivered Him to Pilate had the greater sin. This doesn’t mean that Jesus was saying that Pilate was guiltless. Pilate was a sinner like everyone else. He knew the right thing to do, and yes he tried to release Jesus a couple of different times. However, in the end, Pilate went along with the crowd. Therefore, he bore guilt in the crucifixion of Jesus as well. Let this serve as a reminder of what James wrote in James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin.”

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Most parents have a story of having a conversation that they thought their kids weren’t listening to, only to find out later that they were listening. Very few things are more embarrassing than having your own words used against you, or trotted out in an inappropriate time. However, there are also stories of children listening to their parents, and it being a very good thing because of what the parents were saying. I would imagine that we would all be surprised if we learned who all listened to the words that we say. There is a story in the Gospels that shows people are listening, even those we would deem as enemies. Jesus has been crucified and buried. The following day, the chief priests and the Pharisees decided they needed to go see Pilate about a pressing matter. Matthew 27:62-63 says, “On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, after three days I will rise.'”

The most interesting part about those verses is this, the only people who remember Jesus’ words about rising from the dead were His enemies, at least initially. The disciples remembered later, after they saw Jesus. But those that we would think would never listen to what Jesus said, are the very ones who were listening. Of course, they were listening because they wanted to trap Him, and have a reason to condemn Him. Regardless of the reason, they were listening.

You and I would be wise to remember this, because people are always listening to what we say. That can be a good thing or a not so good thing. It all depends on how we use our words. Look at the example that Jesus set for us while on the cross. His first words, as He was being nailed to the cross were, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Of course, they knew what they were doing, they just didn’t know that what they were doing is exactly what had to be done on their behalf, and on behalf of the world. Instead of being angry for what was happening to Him, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness. Later, as He is hanging in between the two criminals, at least one of the criminals was insulting Him. Yet, when the one turned in faith to Jesus, Jesus’ reply was, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Notice, Jesus’ words were not stern; instead, they were loving and gracious. We can even learn from what Jesus didn’t say. As everyone was mocking Him and mistreating Him, He didn’t engage them. As Peter wrote, “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23). When you and I open our mouth, we can either speak life into someone or we can tear them down. James spends a decent portion of his letter talking about the dangers of the tongue. The apostle Paul says that our words should be gracious in Colossians 4:6. I know that sometimes people’s words hurt. Sometimes, people use their words to spread lies about you. However, when we return fire, we do nothing but show that we are just like them. As the saying goes, “If you roll around in the mud with a pig, you both get dirty.” As hard as it can be at times, the best thing to do is to commit yourself to the Lord, trust that He knows the truth, and knowHe will defend you when needed. You never know when what you might say, or in some cases not say, could be what God uses to draw someone to Himself. So, choose your words carefully, because they are listening.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

There is a person in the Gospels that we only meet at the time of Jesus being unfairly tried by the Roman government. However, this person perfectly describes us. His name is Barabbas. In Matthew 27, we learn that Barabbas was a notorious prisoner. He had tried to lead the overthrowing of the Roman government, and even killed someone. He was a person who deserved to die for his crimes, and he had been sentenced to die for them. However, Barabbas was about to get an unexpected second chance. The religious leaders had condemned Jesus, and brought Him to the Pilate. They brought Jesus to Pilate, because the Jews couldn’t put anyone to death. The Romans would have to do that. After speaking with Jesus, Pilate realized that Jesus hadn’t done anything deserving of death. Therefore, Pilate came up with what he thought was a good plan. Every year, he would release to the Jews one of their prisoners as a show of good faith. Pilate picked a man who could be considered the worst of the worst. Surely, they would choose to let Jesus go instead of this man. However, the people would have none of it. They shouted at the encouragement of the religious leaders to release Barabbas. In a very strange sort of way, Barabbas represents you and I.

Barabbas was a sinner, as are you and I. Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Barabbas deserved to die for His crimes, as do you and I. Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin are death.” Yet, Jesus became the substitute for Barabbas, just as He did for you and I. While we may not see ourselves as Barabbas, the Bible clearly shows that we are. There is no division or distinction in sins. They are all sinful acts of rebellion against a holy God. They all deserve the same punishment, death, both physical and spiritual. Yet, in His love and because of His grace, Jesus took our guilt, shame, and punishment. He bore our sins on the cross. Because of this, we can go free from our deserved punishment, just like Barabbas did. Praise God for His salvation!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

In the Gospels, as Jesus was being questioned by Pilate, Pilate asks a question in response to something Jesus said. Pilate’s question was, what is truth? I think that is something that our society today is struggling with as well. There are those who want to claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Rather, they argue that the truth is different for each person. If I may be so bold, what a miserable way to live. How could you possibly know if your “truth” was the right truth? Why is it that we will accept other absolute truths such as 1+1=2, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or that George Washington was the first President of the United States; yet, when it comes to accepting religious truth, suddenly everyone gets to choose their own truth? Jesus makes it clear that “truth” isn’t just an absolute set of facts, it is also a person. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.”

John 17 is what we should truly refer to as the “Lord’s Prayer”, instead of what we read in Matthew 6, “Our Father who art in heaven….” In Matthew 6, Jesus is teaching the disciples to pray, whereas, here in John 17 this is Jesus actually praying. Jesus here is praying in the Garden. It is shortly before He is going to be betrayed by Judas, setting the events in motion that will lead to His crucifixion. John 17 can be broken down into three sections: Jesus prays for Himself (vv. 1-5), Jesus prays for His Disciples (vv. 6-19), and Jesus prays for His future disciples (those who are saved) (vv. 20-26). To “sanctify” means to set apart. What would set the disciples of Jesus apart from the world? According to the verse, it would be their acceptance God’s Word as truth. Evidence that they accepted it as truth would be seen in their obedience to it. We can certainly see this in our society right now. Sadly, the percentage of people who believe the Bible is going down. In fact, I read an article in Newsweek last night that shows that 52% of people don’t believe Jesus is God. They instead have relegated Him to a “good moral teacher.” The article went on to talk about other truths that are outlined and taught in the Bible that people don’t believe. Since the Bible is where Jesus is revealed to us in who He is, and what He has done; if we don’t believe what the Bible says, then we are rejecting the truths of Jesus. As C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “If Jesus isn’t who He says He is, and said the things He said, He would not be a good moral Teacher.” One such example is that Jesus said He was God and was from God many times in the Gospels. If that was a lie, how can you say He was a good moral teacher? The point is, it’s not a lie. I will admit that wrapping my mind around Jesus possessing two natures, one divine and one human, is hard to fully comprehend. Yet, the point becomes, do I believe the Bible? If I do, then I must accept everything it teaches from Genesis to Revelation.

A question I have heard some pastors ask before is, what do you believe is the truth? I believe they had good intentions in asking the question. However, God has not left the answer of, what is truth, up to us. He has told us what the truth is. His Word is truth. Because it is truth, it points us to how to have eternal life. Therefore, with the debate of, what is truth, settled; all that is left is for me to submit myself to it, and rely on God’s strength to live it out in my every day life. That is what will set Christians apart from the world.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin