Preachrblog

  “The Pentecost of Jesus Christ” When I was a young pastor and knew everything, or at least thought I did, I liked to make the point that Pentecost was an important day because we highlight the Holy Spirit, and that it’s only right and good to do since he’s sort of the forgotten person of the Holy Trinity.   As if he’s the afterthought or something.   And so it’s good that we have a whole day to ponder him and his work and his importance. And of course I wasn’t entirely wrong, but as I’ve matured in my thinking and understanding I’d have to say I missed a major point in those early days – that the Holy Spirit is all about Jesus!   That the Holy Spirit’s main work is to bring us to Christ, testify to Christ, create faith in Christ, and sustain the church in Christ.   He is the Spirit of Christ.   He is sent by Christ.   He doesn’t speak on his own authority but only what he hears from Christ.   And so we don’t want to shove a wedge between J...

John 17 is known widely as the “Great High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus.  It is part of the long “upper room” discourse, which John places on Maundy Thursday. In this chapter, which is really the longest prayer of Jesus recorded for us in Scripture, Jesus prays concerning himself, his disciples, and finally all believers.   He prays for glory, unity, and truth.   Certainly Jesus is ever our Great High Priest, as one of the main duties of a priest is to pray for the people, on behalf of the people.   Jesus does this, especially now as he is ascended.   But we get a foretaste of it on Maundy Thursday. And if a pastor could give homework assignments, I’d have you all read and study the entire chapter of John 17, to see the whole prayer of Jesus.   But for now, let’s consider each of the 7 verses of this prayer the lectionary sets before us today. 12  While I was with them, I kept them in your name,...

Acts 1:1-11 Our Lord Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven.   And this event is of no small significance for the Christian church.   It is part of our creeds.   St. Luke writes about it twice – once in his Gospel and then again in the Book of Acts.   But it is also something that is of great importance to you, as an individual Christian.   Far from being some dusty old dogma about some minor miracle Jesus once did among so many others – the Ascension is deeply connected to his resurrection, to his promised return in glory, and even to his present comfort for you today in the Lord’s Supper. Today I’d like to take a more doctrinal treatment of the Ascension than to slavishly follow any one of the texts.   We will raise and examine a number of different implications for Christ’s ascension, a survey, if you will, of how this teaching of Scripture brings us great comfort. We confess that Christ has ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father.   ...

1 John 5:6-8 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. Water, Blood and Spirit In this Easter season we’ve been enjoying a series of readings from 1 John.   The Apostle John’s letters, like his Gospel, and also the book of Revelation in which he writes his great vision, are all very sublime.   His meditative language uses small words and simple concepts to grand effect.   In John we read about the word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.   He speaks at length about light and life and truth and flesh and spirit. In John’s Gospel Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, the Good Shepherd, the resurrection and the life.   He contrasts light and darkness, the children of God and the wicked world that hates Christ.  ...

Testing the Spirits 1 John 4:1–11 Let’s consider John’s advice this morning that we should “Test the Spirits”. First, we need to understand that when he says “spirits” here, he doesn’t mean “ghosts”, but rather sources of truth.   For Christians, the Holy Spirit is the source of truth – the one who inspires the written word of God.   If you want to know what the Holy Spirit has to say, you simply look to the Scriptures.   He is the Spirit of Christ, and will never contradict Christ, but points us to Christ, extols Christ,   Likewise Jesus is one with the Father, and takes what the Father gives him and declares it to us. The problem is, there are many other “spirits” running around, with many claims – many false claims – trying to deceive us.   False prophets teaching false gospels and false ideas as truth.   There are liars of every sort and ilk, and even in the Christian church, yes, even claiming to speak for Christ! One false claim that has h...