Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
"I Am The Light Of The World"
John 8:12, Mark 11:1-11 March 16, 2008
It’s Palm Sunday. What does this day mean to you? Just one more week until chocolate heaven?
Does this mean that today is the day we get the leaf at church and the kids parade through the
sanctuary with them?
Actually, it’s the day they threw down the symbolic red carpet for Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. Can you imagine what it must have been like on that day almost 2000 years ago?
One Commentary says this of the event:
Christ’s coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably shows that he was not afraid of the power and
malice of his enemies. This would encourage his disciples who were full of fear. Also, that he was
not disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings. But all marked his humiliation; and
these matters teach us not to mind high things, but to condescend to those of low estate. How ill it
becomes Christians to take state, when Christ was so far from claiming it! They welcomed his
person; Blessed is he that cometh, the "He that should come," so often promised, so long expected;
he comes in the name of the Lord. Let him have our best affections; he is a blessed Savior, and
brings blessings to us, and blessed be He that sent him. Praises be to our God, who is in the
highest heavens, over all, God blessed for ever.
In fact Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, on this day may have seemed to be the high point of his
ministry. All of these people have come together to see and hear him preach. They are shouting
Hosanna! Hosanna! Lord Save Us. He looked to be the hero, if not superstar of the day. However,
within a week, these same people who were parading through the street, waving palm branches
and shouting Hosanna to our Savior, would stand before him and Pilate and yell…Crucify him,
Crucify him! Why?? You may have asked yourself numerous times, how could this have
happened? What changed the hearts of these people that they literally went from one extreme to the
other in regards to the life of Jesus? The people were living in a dream at that point, not in reality.
You see, the reality of the situation was Jesus was not the kind of hero they hoped he would be.
Jesus was not the kind of king to lead an earthly army. Jesus would not deliver the Jews from the
Romans.
During the week that followed this great triumphant ride into the city, Jesus spoke of the realities
of who he was. Over the last several weeks we looked at Jesus as the door, the good shepherd,
the way, and the vine. Today we look at him as the light of the world.
Our text tells us that Jesus tells the people that he was the light of the world and that he had come
so that they wouldn’t have to walk in darkness anymore.
Have you ever thought about what that means? If you have ever tried to walk in the darkness you
know how hard it is. You bump into things. You stumble and fall.
Last year when I went to Germany with Rachel we got stuck waiting outside the auditorium for a
couple of hours before we got our room assignments. We walked back and forth across this open
courtyard passing the time. There were concrete benches to sit on but we were antsy. Finally they
called us to go inside to pick up our room keys. I sent Rachel back to the bus with the other kids
and went in. While inside it had gone from afternoon sun to dusk. Wouldn’t you know it, I was the
last one called. The other parents and I spent the time in line joking about the experience. When I
finally got my key I came out and began doing a no no. I starting running for the bus. In the dark I
didn’t see one of those concrete benches and I went head over heels over it. I not only banged up
my knee pretty badly, but I also sprained both wrists. I was a mess.
I know a lot of people who do the same thing in broad daylight. We make bad choices and we
think we know what we are doing. We are motivated by thoughts of power, wealth, and self
importance. And we get hurt.
The world tells us that we need to be something different than what we are. But Jesus came to tell
us that God loves us. He came to tell us that life can be a blessing. He came to tell us how to be
filled with God’s grace and how to pass it on.
On that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem, he came in riding humbly on a colt. People wanted
him to storm the city, but he came in riding in love to the adulation and praise of the people. You
see Jesus was going to win the world with his love, not his power.
I think about Martin Luther King Jr. The other night I watched the movie Glory Road for the third
time and I had tears in my eyes as I watched how the black kids were treated and even beat up in
the movie. I think I would have been enraged if it was my friends, my family, my people who
were treated that way. Yet Martin Luther King Jr. stood tall in the face of persecution and like
Jesus, he tried to show the world a better way. In the darkness of his world, he was a light.
Well Jesus was the light of the world. As such he planned to send all of us out as light to carry the
message of God’s love, in the hope that the world might be transformed.
On that day we know as Palm Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem with a purpose. He was here to
refocus the worshippers and the priests at the Temple.
If we read on in Mark 11, we see the purpose that Jesus had for coming to town. Jesus entered
the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the
tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. Some people might have said
this was definitely a publicity disaster. How could or why would Jesus do this among all those
people at the temple? This is definitely not the image of Jesus that one would claim as being
enlightening. Yet that is exactly what he was about.
Jesus had come to shed light on who he really was, not an earthly king, but a heavenly king. He
was not a warrior who would come to destroy the Romans. But Jesus was a warrior who would
come to destroy death. Jesus was painting a picture of a suffering Messiah. A Messiah who would
suffer for the sins of the all people.
This morning we witnessed Andrew stepping into the waters of baptism. You see Andrew has
seen the light. The other night a few of us heard his story at the Deacons meeting. It is a story that
he shared with our kids in the basketball program. It is a story of walking around in the dark until
Jesus came his way. Then his life changed and he got to start over and is now walking in the light
of the Lord.
Dietrich Bonheoffer, a pastor in Nazi Germany during World War II, understood that Jesus came
into the world as the light to show us Gods hope for us. He wrote extensively about discipleship,
faith and our obligations under grace. He would ultimately pay the price for his faithfulness. He
was arrested, imprisoned and finally killed by the Nazis. But he wasn’t afraid for understood why
Jesus came into Jerusalem that day. He came to bring his light to a world lost in darkness.
In one of the darkest moments in history, Bonhoeffer asks,
"Do we understand that instead we get a messiah who gives us power all right, but it’s a whole
new kind of power, it’s THE POWER OF SUFFERING LOVE!
It’s a power that looks me in the eye, forgives my sin, my fear, my anger, my resentment, my
prejudice!
It’s a power that didn’t assert itself over and against me, but died for me!
It’s a power that sets me free from all of that which is within me that dehumanizes me and others!
It’s a power that loosens my grip on all of my expectations and even allows me to see Christ’s
face in the least and most lowly on this planet!
It’s a power that relates in grace, and invites me to join with him in being one of his special grace
givers.
It’s a power that assures me I don’t need to be afraid of suffering, self-giving love, because it’s
the only way I will ever fulfill my humanity, and find my purpose, and experience true joy and
peace."1
"God allows himself to be edged out of the world and on to the cross....and that is the way, the
only way, in which he can be with us and help us....Only a suffering God can help."
In 33 AD on Friday of that week, Jesus gave his life for our sins. Now every day he comes into
our lives on that donkey, and the Holy Spirit shines his light on our ills and cleanses us, making us
again pure. As the light of the world, He gives us the hope and strength to carry on. So that we
may march triumphantly through the gates of the New Jerusalem when he returns in glory.
Amen.
John 8:12, Mark 11:1-11 March 16, 2008
It’s Palm Sunday. What does this day mean to you? Just one more week until chocolate heaven?
Does this mean that today is the day we get the leaf at church and the kids parade through the
sanctuary with them?
Actually, it’s the day they threw down the symbolic red carpet for Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. Can you imagine what it must have been like on that day almost 2000 years ago?
One Commentary says this of the event:
Christ’s coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably shows that he was not afraid of the power and
malice of his enemies. This would encourage his disciples who were full of fear. Also, that he was
not disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings. But all marked his humiliation; and
these matters teach us not to mind high things, but to condescend to those of low estate. How ill it
becomes Christians to take state, when Christ was so far from claiming it! They welcomed his
person; Blessed is he that cometh, the "He that should come," so often promised, so long expected;
he comes in the name of the Lord. Let him have our best affections; he is a blessed Savior, and
brings blessings to us, and blessed be He that sent him. Praises be to our God, who is in the
highest heavens, over all, God blessed for ever.
In fact Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, on this day may have seemed to be the high point of his
ministry. All of these people have come together to see and hear him preach. They are shouting
Hosanna! Hosanna! Lord Save Us. He looked to be the hero, if not superstar of the day. However,
within a week, these same people who were parading through the street, waving palm branches
and shouting Hosanna to our Savior, would stand before him and Pilate and yell…Crucify him,
Crucify him! Why?? You may have asked yourself numerous times, how could this have
happened? What changed the hearts of these people that they literally went from one extreme to the
other in regards to the life of Jesus? The people were living in a dream at that point, not in reality.
You see, the reality of the situation was Jesus was not the kind of hero they hoped he would be.
Jesus was not the kind of king to lead an earthly army. Jesus would not deliver the Jews from the
Romans.
During the week that followed this great triumphant ride into the city, Jesus spoke of the realities
of who he was. Over the last several weeks we looked at Jesus as the door, the good shepherd,
the way, and the vine. Today we look at him as the light of the world.
Our text tells us that Jesus tells the people that he was the light of the world and that he had come
so that they wouldn’t have to walk in darkness anymore.
Have you ever thought about what that means? If you have ever tried to walk in the darkness you
know how hard it is. You bump into things. You stumble and fall.
Last year when I went to Germany with Rachel we got stuck waiting outside the auditorium for a
couple of hours before we got our room assignments. We walked back and forth across this open
courtyard passing the time. There were concrete benches to sit on but we were antsy. Finally they
called us to go inside to pick up our room keys. I sent Rachel back to the bus with the other kids
and went in. While inside it had gone from afternoon sun to dusk. Wouldn’t you know it, I was the
last one called. The other parents and I spent the time in line joking about the experience. When I
finally got my key I came out and began doing a no no. I starting running for the bus. In the dark I
didn’t see one of those concrete benches and I went head over heels over it. I not only banged up
my knee pretty badly, but I also sprained both wrists. I was a mess.
I know a lot of people who do the same thing in broad daylight. We make bad choices and we
think we know what we are doing. We are motivated by thoughts of power, wealth, and self
importance. And we get hurt.
The world tells us that we need to be something different than what we are. But Jesus came to tell
us that God loves us. He came to tell us that life can be a blessing. He came to tell us how to be
filled with God’s grace and how to pass it on.
On that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem, he came in riding humbly on a colt. People wanted
him to storm the city, but he came in riding in love to the adulation and praise of the people. You
see Jesus was going to win the world with his love, not his power.
I think about Martin Luther King Jr. The other night I watched the movie Glory Road for the third
time and I had tears in my eyes as I watched how the black kids were treated and even beat up in
the movie. I think I would have been enraged if it was my friends, my family, my people who
were treated that way. Yet Martin Luther King Jr. stood tall in the face of persecution and like
Jesus, he tried to show the world a better way. In the darkness of his world, he was a light.
Well Jesus was the light of the world. As such he planned to send all of us out as light to carry the
message of God’s love, in the hope that the world might be transformed.
On that day we know as Palm Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem with a purpose. He was here to
refocus the worshippers and the priests at the Temple.
If we read on in Mark 11, we see the purpose that Jesus had for coming to town. Jesus entered
the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the
tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. Some people might have said
this was definitely a publicity disaster. How could or why would Jesus do this among all those
people at the temple? This is definitely not the image of Jesus that one would claim as being
enlightening. Yet that is exactly what he was about.
Jesus had come to shed light on who he really was, not an earthly king, but a heavenly king. He
was not a warrior who would come to destroy the Romans. But Jesus was a warrior who would
come to destroy death. Jesus was painting a picture of a suffering Messiah. A Messiah who would
suffer for the sins of the all people.
This morning we witnessed Andrew stepping into the waters of baptism. You see Andrew has
seen the light. The other night a few of us heard his story at the Deacons meeting. It is a story that
he shared with our kids in the basketball program. It is a story of walking around in the dark until
Jesus came his way. Then his life changed and he got to start over and is now walking in the light
of the Lord.
Dietrich Bonheoffer, a pastor in Nazi Germany during World War II, understood that Jesus came
into the world as the light to show us Gods hope for us. He wrote extensively about discipleship,
faith and our obligations under grace. He would ultimately pay the price for his faithfulness. He
was arrested, imprisoned and finally killed by the Nazis. But he wasn’t afraid for understood why
Jesus came into Jerusalem that day. He came to bring his light to a world lost in darkness.
In one of the darkest moments in history, Bonhoeffer asks,
"Do we understand that instead we get a messiah who gives us power all right, but it’s a whole
new kind of power, it’s THE POWER OF SUFFERING LOVE!
It’s a power that looks me in the eye, forgives my sin, my fear, my anger, my resentment, my
prejudice!
It’s a power that didn’t assert itself over and against me, but died for me!
It’s a power that sets me free from all of that which is within me that dehumanizes me and others!
It’s a power that loosens my grip on all of my expectations and even allows me to see Christ’s
face in the least and most lowly on this planet!
It’s a power that relates in grace, and invites me to join with him in being one of his special grace
givers.
It’s a power that assures me I don’t need to be afraid of suffering, self-giving love, because it’s
the only way I will ever fulfill my humanity, and find my purpose, and experience true joy and
peace."1
"God allows himself to be edged out of the world and on to the cross....and that is the way, the
only way, in which he can be with us and help us....Only a suffering God can help."
In 33 AD on Friday of that week, Jesus gave his life for our sins. Now every day he comes into
our lives on that donkey, and the Holy Spirit shines his light on our ills and cleanses us, making us
again pure. As the light of the world, He gives us the hope and strength to carry on. So that we
may march triumphantly through the gates of the New Jerusalem when he returns in glory.
Amen.
| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
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