Sunday Shorts: Lay Down

John 10:15 Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (NIV)

            I’ve sometimes heard and read some post-modern preachers say that Jesus didn’t sacrifice His life on our behalf. They question Christ paying the price of our sins because God’s justice demanded it. They also express the thought that His death was accidental and was never intended to happen. I wonder where they get their notions from and feel as though they’re just parroting something that a seminary teacher, lecturer, or professor once stated. They are fully convinced that they are right and people like me are totally wrong.

            I question their ideas because scripture, like today’s highlighted verse, plainly states that Jesus Himself declared He was willing to lay down His life for the sheep; in other words, Christ clearly expressed His readiness to die for His flock, which is not some 19^th century theological notion created by revivalist preachers, but is a First century teaching that the Apostle John must have heard directly from the lips of Jesus.

            I have known several shepherds in my lifetime and have seen how devoted they are to the wellbeing of their livestock. At this time of year, they are constantly watching over the ewes who are producing lambs and spend many hours tending to their needs at a very vulnerable time for both the ewes and their young. Without that commitment and watchfulness, the sheep would perish, so it’s no wonder then that Jesus talked about being the Good Shepherd to His followers, but He also took His pastoral care a stage further by stating that He would lay down His life for them – that’s not just good shepherding; it’s great shepherding.

            There can be no reason for Jesus saying He would lay down His life for His sheep other than sacrificing Himself on their behalf, even on our behalf. It may be theologically fashionable for some folks to reject this notion, but it does not eradicate the fact that Jesus did what He said He would do. He laid down His life on the Cross at Calvary in order to save His sheep and satisfy what God required. Why? Because the sheep, including us, could do nothing to save themselves from the wrath of God.

Point to ponder: Do I believe Jesus laid down His life for my sins? If not, what can I do to save myself? If so, am I willing to accept Christ as my Savior today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, without Your sacrifice, we could never do enough to placate God or be restored to God’s favor, love, and kingdom. Help us to understand and accept that You laid down Your life for every one of us by enabling us to receive You as our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Keeping Connected - Hebrews 6:10

Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (NIV)

            One of the problems that the Early Church had to face was how to keep people connected to the local congregation. When the Gospel was first preached, its novelty attracted and excited many people, but as the years passed by, their enthusiasm diminished and the burden of maintaining their faith, especially in the face of persecution, was too much to carry, sustain, and endure. It was far easier to return to their old ways and give up on the church; it was also much more convenient because having faith complicated their lives and affected their decisions.

            The author of Hebrews dealt with this dilemma by cautioning church folks to safeguard their faith and to preserve their salvation by remaining active members. Falling away ran the risk of losing everything which the letter writer called ‘crucifying Christ again,’ as if it were an act of betrayal. Some folks worried about this and felt as though they were losing their connection to God, so the author reassured them that by maintaining their good works and loving God’s people – the church – they would not be forgotten by God. In other words, they kept both their faith and salvation alive by continually serving, worshiping, and glorifying God with their lives.

            Today, there’s a lot being discussed and written about the ‘nones’ and the ‘dones,’ – people who will have nothing to do with the church, as well as folks who say they are done with church. As always people make their own choices, but the consequences to their eternal souls can be devastating. We may want God to uphold our beliefs and give us a pass when it comes to being inconsistent as Christians, but there’s nothing in the New Testament that would indicate this is how God operates, or how salvation is sustained. If we’re not reading the Bible, how can we know the Truth? If we’re not worshiping Christ, how can we call ourselves ‘Christian?’

Point to ponder

How much attention do I give to maintaining my faith? What does God expect me to do in order to follow Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are gracious and merciful, loving and forgiving, but You are not indulgent or indifferent about our lives. You died for us to offer salvation for our souls. Help us to value this gift as the most amazing blessing of our earthly lives and teach us to embrace it respectfully, gratefully, and faithfully. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM – we will be delighted to see you 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Celtic Cross drawings called ‘Neo-Celtic Cross.’ If you would like to view a larger version, click on this link: Cross.

Crucial Event - John 12:32

John 12:32 (Jesus said) “And I, when I am lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself.” NIV

            The Cross is what makes us Christians because we humbly accept that Jesus died for our sins. Whether or not we are repulsed or deeply saddened by the brutality of His crucifixion is not important; what is absolutely crucial - a word that has its roots in the Latin term for cross – is that we understand our salvation can only be offered to us because of Christ’s death on the Cross at Calvary.

            It would be a lot easier for us if God would just accept who we are without getting His Son involved. We could all make a strong case for ourselves and give plenty of reasons why God should allow us eternal life, but the truth of the matter is this: we can do nothing by ourselves to earn salvation; it only comes to us through Jesus, our crucified Lord.

            This is why Christ told His disciples and people that when He would be lifted up – hoisted on a cross – He would draw all kinds of people to Himself. Today, we know this is true because all over the world churches exist and within almost all of them, we will find a cross.

            Wherever we are today and whatever we do, let’s take time to reflect on Christ’s Cross and be truly thankful for how it has given us the wonderful opportunity of being restored to God for all of Eternity.

Point to ponder

When I look at a cross, what does it mean to me? How crucial is Christ’s Cross in my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we can never repay the everlasting debt that we owe to You for dying for our sins. Instead of being eternally separated from God, You have graciously allowed us to be restored to His Kingdom and favor. Thank You for this outstanding and undeserved gift. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You may also send John an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Powerless.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Powerless.

Christian devotion - Life's Greatest Gift - Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

            If ever there was a Christian who did a lot of great works and fulfilled many mighty tasks for God, it was the Apostle Paul. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, planting new churches, and writing inspirational letters which have largely shaped our faith for over 1900 years. He was an exceptional servant of Christ and an amazing church leader, the likes of which we shall probably never see or experience again. If Heaven was only granted to us through what we do, then Paul could stand at the very beginning of the line of billions of people waiting to get in.

            And yet, even with all of the great and important things he fulfilled, Paul understood that his salvation did not depend upon what he did, but it absolutely hinged on everything that Jesus accomplished.

            The gift of Heaven comes to us through Christ’s grace. We are saved because He allows us to be forgiven and restored to God. Without Christ, we would end up being eternally separated from God; with Christ, we are uniquely given the promised opportunity of entering God’s everlasting and loving presence. Salvation is not awarded to us because of who we are or what we have done; salvation is given to us because of who Christ is and what He has fulfilled. His crucifixion has given us forgiveness; His painful death has granted us everlasting life.

            Today, we should all feel blessed to be Christians and cheerfully share that blessing with others – our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues – for in the end, isn’t this the gift that everyone is looking for at the end of their lives?

Questions for personal reflection

What do the words ‘salvation’ and ‘grace’ mean to me? How have I experienced them in my life?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of grace and the opportunity of salvation. Remind us each day that these promised gifts are real blessings in our lives. Give us the courage to share these blessings with our loved ones and others. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today’s image is one of his latest Pentecost drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Pentecost.

Short devotion: Real Acceptance - John 13:20

John 13:20    “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts Me; and whoever accepts Me accepts the One who sent Me.”

            Acceptance plays a major part in who we are as 21^st century people. We all want to be accepted on our own terms as individuals. We all need to feel part of a society that accepts us totally. We all want to belong to a world where every single person’s life matters and every single choice is respected. This is a very high ideal and one that is impossible to fulfill. People on this planet have different ideas, philosophies, and versions about life. We live in different places; we have different histories; we belong to different cultures; we eat different food, wear different clothing, and speak in different languages. The chances of us completely accepting one another are very remote and, sadly, highly unlikely. We therefore look to a Higher Power and Wiser Being to show us what is acceptable and what is not.

            Today’s verse from the Gospel of John belongs to a passage where Christ is actually commissioning His faithful disciples for the work that is yet to come. Unknown to them, they are about to experience and endure the three most intense and grueling days of Christ’s three year ministry. Their cozy world is about to be turned upside down and inside out. Their lives will never be the same, and their mission will be enormous: they will be charged with broadcasting to the entire world Christ’s message of resurrection and salvation.

In this instance from the Gospel, the acceptance that is crucially important to Christ is the acceptance of His messengers of the new Faith. To accept His apostles is to accept Him; to accept Him is to accept God. This is foundational for the life-changing work of preaching and teaching the Gospel, which will continue to the end of the world. Rather than us being accepted by Him, which is what most of us want Jesus to do, we must accept His terms, His conditions, and even His messengers.

In the end, the work of the Gospel, the spreading of faith, and the expansion of Christianity will be the most important mission undertaken in all of the history of humanity. We may reach dizzying heights of technological wonders; we may discover amazing new facts and sciences in the future; we may even travel to other planets and journey across the stars in centuries to come – these are all glorious and magnificent goals for humanity to reach – but in the end, God knows all of these things that we may discover, for His wisdom is infinite, so the most important thing to God is our individual discovery of accepting His Holy and Only Son as our Lord, Savior, and King. The importance of acceptance, then, is not the acceptance by God of who we are on our terms, but our personal acceptance of Christ on God’s terms.

Question for personal reflection

Have I accepted Christ as my Savior, Lord, and King?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You came down to Earth to offer us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of accepting You as God’s Chosen One. Keep us from continually making excuses or avoiding this crucial choice. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.