Mark 14:53- 15:15 Rejected!

Mark 14:53- 15:15

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It’s night-time in an olive grove in early spring. The scent of budding flowers is in the air. There’s a full moon, its face shining brightly on the earth, creating strong contrasts of silver beams of lights and dark shadows under the branches of the trees.
And in the shadows we see twelve men huddling in fear. They are fugitives, on the run from the authorities – and they have just been betrayed.
They trusted Judas – he was their treasurer for goodness sake! And now he betrayed them.
They looked at their leader, Jesus, his face drawn with anxiety. They had never seen him like this. He brooded in silence.

Suddenly there was a shout – the soldiers had found them!

“RUN!” shouted Jesus. “Run for your lives”. The twelve men set off in different directions, fear etched on their faces. Jesus threw himself in a ditch, and began to crawl towards the safety of a nearby river.

But it was too late. There were too many soldiers. All too soon the men were rounded up, and their leader, Jesus, his face covered in dirt and leaves and debris, was hauled before the Captain of the Guard. He laughed as Jesus cowered before him, disbelief and fear etched on his face. A shameful end, for a failed prophet.

Or perhaps you’d prefer a the more Hollywood version!

As Jesus crawled away he heard the screams and cries of his friends, his followers, as they were tracked down by the soldiers, bound together, and taken away to judgement and punishment. A few tears escaped before his face grew hard with resolve. Next time, he would teach his men to fight. Next time, he would strike down the authorities. Next time, he will not be skulking away, but be victorious.

As the camera zooms on to Jesus face in close up, his dark eyes glittering with steely resolve. “I’ll be back!” he says, as “to be continued” flashes up on the screen.

If we had to guess or even write about what was going to happen, knowing 200 soldiers were coming to arrest 12 men, wouldn’t that be how we would picture it? If we were Jesus, isn’t that how we would react? Isn’t that what people think about Jesus – just another failed prophet, who accidentally got himself arrested and killed? Or some Che Guvara type leader, sticking up for the poor, rebelling against the authorities?

As we saw over the last two weeks, surprisingly, what actually happened is very, very different. This was no failed prophet, running from death. This is not the weak end to what could have been a lifetime of famous ministry. This is not a tragedy, but a victory!

This is the pinnacle of Jesus’ ministry. This is his crown jewel, the moment he has been working towards his whole life. This is when he will be revealed as the King above all Kings – as he destroys death and Satan, rescues humanity, and glorifies himself!

This is the high point of human history: the reason Jesus came was in order to die.
He came to be the Passover Lamb: sacrificed so that his blood would shield those who trust in Him from the Judgement to come.
He is the King, the one who is strong, the one who prays in deep anguish to avoid the cup of judgement - but faces it anyway. He drinks the cup, the cup which makes men stagger, down to the last poisonous drop.
We are weak, like the disciples, unable to pray, but instead to sleep, unable to stand with Jesus, but instead to be scattered: we are weak, and could not face the judgement to come. So Jesus, in his great love, faces it for us. That is propitiation. He absorbs the judgement, the wrath of God, and shields us from it, by his blood, by his broken body.

That is love.

Last week we saw that Jesus knows that we are weak. And still loves us. Our weakness, our failure is not something we have to try to hide from him. Christianity is not about pretending you’re better than you are!

Jesus is strong where we are weak.

If there’s one thing that stands out about Jesus in these moments leading up to the cross it is his strength. He stands firm while all about him fall. His resolve does not waver, his course is true. He is abandoned, rejected by all – but he stands strong. He does not abandon his Father. He does not reject God. And that gives hope to all of us who have rejected him, failed him, like Peter, like the religious leaders, and like the people.
No-one stood by Jesus. He stood utterly alone. He is rejected by the Jews (represented by the leading priests and high council), rejected by his own dearest friends (represented by Peter), and rejected by the Gentiles (non-Jews, that’s us, represented by Pilate).

1. Rejected by the Jews v55-65

They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered...55 the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.

The trial is a sham (fake). It is highly irregular: they are meeting in the middle of the night instead of the day, and not in the Temple court but in the high priests house. It was a secret trial with hand-picked witnesses, and no-one around to dispute the lies the witnesses would tell.

But even then no evidence could be found! Even though they’d already decided the verdict - back in chapter 11:18 they had decided that Jesus must die and were plotting to kill him. This was no fair hearing, but a loaded gun pointed at Jesus’ head. But even then his innocence shone through

56 Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other. 57 Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’ ” 59 But even then they didn’t get their stories straight!

If this wasn’t so serious it would be like a comedy sketch! The bungling baddies, oafishly getting their stories wrong. The paid witnesses saying the opposite of each other! You can almost see little fight breaking out between them: “why’d you say that, you idiot, you were supposed to say….” You can almost imagine them getting cream pies out and hitting each other in the face with them. It is so utterly foolish.

So, even the high priest can now see that they’re getting nowhere. Even as a sham trial this is pretty thin. He’s probably beating his head against the wall in frustration – while Jesus stands there calm, resolute, quiet. Eventually in frustration he turns to Jesus v60 “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 61 But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

This is the real question, isn’t it. Are you really the one you claim to be? You can imagine everything going still. Everyone holding their breath. What would he answer? Would he finally give in? I mean, who would risk their life for a lie?

And then Jesus says 62 “I AM.” This was explosive. This was the name of God that he told Moses: I AM the I AM. And Jesus uses God’s name. You can imagine the high priests eyes widening first in horror, then in glee as they thought “we’ve got him”. And because the time is right, because it is now time for Jesus to make plain who he is, he continues: And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Blasphemy! BLASPHEMY!! You dishonour God! How dare you claim to be God! BLASPHEMY! Death!

But not once did they stop to consider maybe this is true. They did not listen to his words: I AM, the personal name of the God of Israel (Yahweh or Jehovah means I AM.
Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? Yahweh, says Jesus. I am.
And just to make sure they understand, he then claims to be the human figure in Daniel 7 who is given all authority in heaven and earth by the Father (the “Ancient of Days” in the prophecy).

Da 7:9–14 I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, 10 and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. … 13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honour, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Jesus says “I am that person. I am the King of the eternal Kingdom”. He is the Messiah. He is God Almighty. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But they miss it. Their sin blinds them to the truth, and drives them to murder their own king, their God.

We, too, are blinded by our sin. Without his grace we too would be shouting Crucify him! Blasphemer! Playing our religious games while murdering the Son of God.
Religion does not lead you to God, but away from God. Unless you know Jesus, religion is dangerous. Paul the Apostle was a very religious man, and loved God (or so he thought) – but that love expressed itself in murdering Christians until the day that Jesus met him and turned his life around.
Unless you know Jesus, religion is dangerous, poisonous, futile, and hellish.

65 Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

Why did Jesus suddenly openly proclaim his divinity (that he is God, the Son of God), the Son of Man in power, and that he is the Messiah? Up to now he has always refused to proclaim this publically, always told demons to be quiet, and those whom he has healed not to tell anyone. Why now?

Because now, chained, arrested, beaten, abandoned, there is no misunderstanding what type of Messiah he is. He is the suffering servant of Isaiah. He is the conquering King as well, but it is a spiritual conquest, not a political. Jesus can openly claim to be the Messiah because now no-one will want to force him to be the political king. He is arrested, weak, with no followers. Who’d want this fellow to be king?
Now there is no risk to his mission being compromised – he came to die, and he will achieve it. Now it is unstoppable, and so he can reveal himself because no-one will believe it. In fact, revealing who he is will achieve his goals!

64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

So the Jews, the very people of God, with the religion of God, the word of God, the rituals of God, the Law of God – reject God.

And even Jesus’ closest friends reject him.

2. Rejected by his own

66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway.

Earlier on that same evening Peter had boldly claimed that he was ready to “die for Jesus”. And maybe he had convinced himself that he could still do it. Although he ran away when Jesus was arrested, he then went back and v55 says that he followed Jesus right in to the courtyard. “I’ll do it this time”

Really, Peter? You’ll stand for Jesus this time – despite the fact that, unlike Jesus, he had not prayed for strength, but fallen asleep. And despite the fact that Jesus had already told him that he would fall.

He did not believe Jesus. He thought he was fine by himself. How often is that us? Or our friends, or family members, or work colleagues?

We don’t want to hear the uncomfortable truths. We don’t want to hear that we are sinners who sin. That there is a God, and we are not him! That God is angry with us and will judge us and condemn us to hell if continue to rebel against him. That shame covers us. We have dishonoured our King. Lalalala we say with our hands over our ears, trying to block it out. The problem is, is that it is true. And reliable, true, truth. There is no escape.

Jesus said a few hours before: v30 “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

A servant girl questions him v67 “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” One.

V69 She began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again. Two.

“You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.” 71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” Three.

And he broke down and wept.

There is no escape. We are weak. We reject Jesus in our own strength and condemn ourselves to hell.

This morning I showed this piece of junk - sorry, I mean “modern art”. This is a mess, a bunch of meaningless scribbles, worthless trash. Yet someone paid $52 000 000 for it! Kr440 000 000. And that is what it is now worth.

You see, although it has no intrinsic value – it’s crap – it has been given value by the purchaser. Someone has said that mess of scribbles is valuable to me.

And that is what Jesus does with us. Maybe our life looks like that. That’s probably how Peter was feeling when that rooster crowed. Like he’d just scribbled over his life. Wrecked it. But later we find Peter boldly preaching “Believe in Jesus, he is the Messiah, the Lord”. What happened? Jesus met him, after he rose from the dead. He found Peter and gave him a new value. No longer worthless, but of infinite value.

And you and I are the same. If we are in Christ, our value is his body and his blood. You may look like scribbles on a page, but in Christ you are a world-class work of art!

We are weak. We deny our King. Jesus was rejected by his own.
But He is strong.
Praise Him that he knows our weakness, and is able to cover over our failure with his blood. Peter, after meeting with Jesus after his resurrection, became the head of the church, its first evangelist and missionary. Jesus knows our weakness, yet still loves us.

Rejected by the Jews, rejected by his own disciples, and

3. Rejected by the Gentiles

Because the Jews were under Roman occupation, they had no authority to put someone to death. So they needed Pilate to find Jesus guilty in order to sentence him to death. Unfortunately “blasphemy” was not punishable under Roman law – so they accuse Jesus of being the King, and therefore rebelling against the true ruler: the Emperor of Rome! Ironic, isn’t it. 2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Jesus then makes no further defence, says no further words – to Pilate’s amazement. He just says “yes, I am the King” 3 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 4 and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” 5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

The Jewish leaders should have understood. This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah said. Again Jesus fulfils Scripture: Isaiah 53:7 says “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth”.

Even though he makes no defence, even Pilate is not fooled. Just as in the first trial, Jesus’ innocence shines through: 10 (For he [Pilate] realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

But Pilate is a crowd-pleaser, amoral, with no fear of God. He was not a good man, forced into a bad situation. He was a bad judge who condemned a man he knew was innocent to a brutal and disgusting death. He rejected the King, he rejected God, he even rejected his own conscience. 15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Jesus was rejected by the chief priests and the Jewish nation, rejected by his closest friends, rejected by the whole world. He stood alone, bearing the weight of our cruelty, our injustice, our sin upon his shoulders. And that’s why he came. This is the cup he came to drink. This is why he died for us. To take our cruelty and injustice and sin – and to conquer it, so that he can say to us, like Peter, come with me, you are restored.

What about you? What will you do with Jesus?

Isaiah 56:9-58:14 Jesus brings peace to chaotic lives

Isaiah 56:9-58:14

9 Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people!

Not really the words we want to hear from God, are they? Hey, wild animals, come and attack and eat my people! This is not a verse people make beautiful pictures of is it. You know a sunset in the background and “Come and devour my people”. Ha!

What on earth is going on here?

1. Our leaders lead us astray: our country and our church is full of ignorant and blind leaders

Well v10 gives us the answer: it’s a leadership problem. 10 For the leaders of my people— the LORD’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes.
The leaders of Israel give no thought to God. They serve themselves and their own desires, and give no warning of the danger the country is in. Judgement is just a hairs breadth away. And they are drunk!

And two thousand seven hundred years later – we’ve got the same problem! Warlords, dictators, corrupt politicians, unwise politicians. Just look at the mud-slinging, the lying, the selfishness that goes on even in our own country as everyone tries to puff themselves up and bring others down. Who’s acting in the people’s best interest? Who’s obeying God? As Churchill said: “Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…”

We here in Norway have been blessed with great wealth – a gift from God. But we have failed the test. We have used that wealth to declare ourselves independent from God. We have applauded ourselves and our genius in stumbling over oil. We are full of self-righteousness instead of thankfulness. And the church? Well the church is falling into ruin. It is driven by popularity contests instead of God’s word. It has fallen into a coma in its rush to be relevant and “lav terskel” – in trying to make it easy for people to accept the gospel, we’ve thrown out sin – and in throwing out sin, we’ve thrown out the gospel! Doh!

10 For the leaders of my people— the LORD’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes.
Our job is to warn! Warn of the danger of rebelling against God, ignoring God. Instead there’s smiles and a sentimental “Jesus loves you”. Not if you stand against him at the end. Then you will experience his anger, his judgement. Watch dogs that don’t bark when there’s danger are useless.

Our leaders lead us astray: our country and our church is full of ignorant and blind leaders

But it’s not just them is it? It’s us.

2. We follow our leaders into sin: Our lives are chaotic, unstable, full of worry and fighting because we worship idols, and they will kill us

3 “But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 4 Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! 5 You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.

Where is our country headed? Where are we headed? We all know that God created the world with physical laws, like gravity. If we jump off the roof, we will hurt ourselves. But we often forget that God has also made the world with moral laws. There is a way life is made to work: God’s way of love. Love, self-sacrifice, truth, honesty, justice – that’s the way we’re designed to live. And when we live our own way, thinking of ourselves, giving up on our marriages because it’s “too hard”, walking away from our children because they’re too much bother, when we seek riches instead of God’s kingdom – whatever it is, doing it in the end hurts us badly – and hurts those around us. Just like jumping off the roof. Ow my leg. Ow my heart. I’ve made a mess of my life.

In September 2008 the successful award-winning novelist and philosopher David Foster Wallace hanged himself. He was not a Christian – but he understood life. This is what he wrote a few years before he died: “in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship [whatever that is] … is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.
If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough….
Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you….
Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay.
Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out.”

What are the idols that you worship or that you’re tempted to worship? Think about it. Then take out a piece of paper now, and write it down. Money? Sex? Time? Comfort? A new house? A new car? A new job? A new woman? Even family can be an idol. “Oh I can’t sacrifice this for God because of my children”. What is it that if God said “give this up” you would say no? What is it that keeps you from serving him fully? Maybe it’s reputation - what others think of me? I’ll give us a minute to think and then to write it down.

What do we sacrifice in order to serve that idol? Whether it’s getting rich or living the good life or doing what we want when we want with whoever we want? Who do we ignore, trample underfoot, push aside in order to get what we want?

Are we not like Israel? 10 You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary.

We are so desperate to sin that we drive ourselves to exhaustion in our hunt to disobey God. We want to sin. And if you’re sitting there thinking well, that’s not me – examine your own heart again, and ask the Lord to show you what’s really there. And look at your life – not at all the good things you do – but all the good things you SHOULD be doing, but aren’t. And the standard is not those around you – the standard is the Lord Jesus. What are you not doing that He would be doing? And then weep.

Why do we sin? 11 “Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me?

Maybe it is sometimes fear. Perhaps more often than not. We fear missing out on something good. We don’t really trust that God’s way is the best way. And so we sin. And hurt ourselves.
Or we fear being made fun of - looking like fools. We fear the shame of being a Christian. And that can be real! But should we fear to walk the same path Jesus walked? The same path the apostles walked? The same path any great Christian of the past walked? Bear the shame for Christ because we are not alone. He is with us. Instead be afraid of turning aside, choosing the easy path. Because then we are alone.
Or perhaps we fear change? That we’ll lose “ourselves”. I’ll have to become some Christian weirdo! Well, my experience has been the opposite – the more I’ve been willing to lose myself, the more I’ve discovered the real me – the person I was born to be.

Yes, it is frightening to follow God. Yes, it does cost. But as David Foster Wallace pointed out – everybody worships. And if you’re not worshipping God – it will bite you. And eventually it will destroy you. Just as it destroyed the Israelites. Just as it destroyed David Foster Wallace.

Living against God in His world is like fighting a hurricane.
When we were in Wales a year or so ago the winds were so strong that I watched a seagull battling to fly into the wind- it struggled and struggled, flapping like mad, until suddenly it was whisked away – backwards.
That’s us, trusting in our idols.

Take out your piece of paper and look at what you wrote. Now listen to v13 Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over!

Let us get it into our heads that the way of life that seems wise to us – will kill us. Chasing happiness going from one woman to the next – she’s not making me happy, she’s the problem, I can’t be bothered with her nonsense – that will lead to a broken mess of relationships, children growing up with no father, a cold heart, and loneliness. Chasing money, houses, cars, boats, cabins, things – will lead to dissatisfaction, never having enough, always needing more.
Our desires, our wants, our “needs”, our lusts, “har du lyst, har du lov” is a terrible slave driver. And it will destroy us from the inside out.

Even good deeds – doing good works – won’t help. For some of us, particularly those who’ve grown up in a Christianised country, “being good” is our idol. The earnest do-gooder. You think that will be enough. What does God say in v12? 12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you.

Being good is not enough. Why? Because you have ignored God, the very source of goodness. Your goodness is just selfishness. The motive is to make me look good. And it will bite you. You will grow weary. You will grow angry. You will grow bitter because people aren’t responding the way they should – they’re not thanking you or praising you or even giving anything back. They just take and take and take – and then leave. And without Christ’s unending love driving you, it will crush you.

And religion? Well, God closes that door in chapter 58, doesn’t he. 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.

Is that us? Yes, sometimes it is. And v1 tells us what to do Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!

PEOPLE OF ROCK INTERNATIONAL CHURCH, WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD. Sinned in what we have done. Sinned in what we have not done. Forgive us O Lord! For we are not like Jesus. Instead we have turned to idol worship and then pretend to be pious in church. Lord, save us from making our Christianity empty rubbish.

No, true religion is seen in what we do. For those of studying James, this should ring a bell. Do you love God? Show me. Show me.

And that’s what God says to his people. ? 6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Haha – does God know human nature or what! If we are loved by God, if his love has been poured into our hearts, then we will love others. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

James has been amazing. For those of you not in Bible study, well you’re missing out. Seriously, repent. It’s an hour. Make it happen. You want to grow as a Christian? You want to know God better? Get to know each other better? Wednesday night, 8-9pm. It’s part of growing up as a Christian, making a decision to set aside time to be with God, and be with your spiritual family. Just saying “I belong to Rock Church” but never going or going once in a while – it’s like taking out membership in a gym, but never going. You’re not getting stronger or fitter, are you?
Listen to these words from James, after telling us that God demands obedience from those who have his Spirit (literally he is jealous for our obedience)
Jas 4:7–10 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour.

Oh, and for those of us who’ve ever asked the question “why did God take so-and-so, they were such a wonderful person” – 57:1 answers that. 57:1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.
To live is Christ – to die is even better. To live is Christ – we live for him, every moment to serve him. But to die is even better – for we are with him and will see him face to face.

The alternative is in v21 There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.

Idols will damage us and eventually kill us. Our lives will be unstable, chaotic, out of control, full of worry and fighting because we worship idols, and they will kill us. Unless we bend ourselves to God’s will, we will never find peace. Only in Him, only his paths lead to peace.

Our hope, our only hope, is in Christ. Let Jesus be our leader. Listen to him.

3. Jesus brings peace, not chaos, to our lives

Now. You are probably feeling battered and bruised by this sermon so far. I know I am. I have been battered by this text, convicted of my sin, ashamed of who I am before the Lord. But there is also great comfort here. And that’s what I want us to see now. Let’s look up and see our hope of salvation. When we’ve made a mess of things, again. When we’ve sinned, again. Listen to this.

15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. 16 For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. 17 I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. 18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the LORD, who heals them.

The Lord has seen what we do, but he will heal us anyway. Why? Because by his stripes we are healed. By his death we are restored. The arms of Jesus outstretched on the Cross bring us back to God. His death covers my sins. His blood pays for me. That is what it cost. That is the cost of you and me knowing God. How can we treat it so lightly? How can we go back to our idols so quickly? How can we sin so easily? Oh God, convict us! Show us the glory of your Son on the Cross! Let us see the blood flow for us. Let us hear the cry of agony. Let us know the love that kept him there on the cross. We are bought at a great price brothers and sisters. So when we are tempted to sin, when we are tempted to do the wrong thing: Let us remember that we are not our own. Let us praise God with our lips and with our lives. Let our lives be a song of praise to him. No more idols. No more sin. No more chaos. Brothers and sisters, decide today to follow Him.

As a symbol, I’d like you all now to pass your pieces of paper with your idols forward. Now we’ll stand and say the confession together.
This is what repentance means. Let’s burn our idols. No more. No more.

Let’s pray. Father, thank you for your Son paying the price for our sin. Thank you that though we did not deserve it, you decided to rescue us. Let us obey you. And as we obey you, we will be like an ever-flowing spring. We will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. Our lives will say “Jesus lives here”. Oh Lord, be our delight, our great desire. Amen.

Isaiah 41-42:17 Who’s on trial?

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Isaiah 41:1-42:17

Is 41 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.

I’ve never been to court, but I’ve certainly seen enough court cases on TV. The prosecution makes their argument. Then the defence. Then the judge delivers a verdict: guilty or not guilty.

That’s what we’ve got going on here. The weird thing is, is it’s not God doing the judging. No, he’s asking US to be the judge, to answer the question: who is God? Is it the Lord, the God of heaven’s armies? Or is it the idols?

The court is ready, let us hear the arguments, and let us judge.
First, the case for the Lord; second the case for the idols; and third what is God going to do: call his servant.

1. The case for the Lord: sovereign, real, in control

2 “Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. 3 He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. 4 Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”

The first evidence God gives is that he is calling forth a “king from the east”, calling him to God’s service. A powerful king, a brutal warrior is coming.

Now remember the background for chapters 40 to 66. Even though God had warned his people to repent through Isaiah, even though he’d miraculously rescued them from the Assyrians, Israel did not repent, Jerusalem continued to sin. And so what God had warned would happen, happened. Judgement fell. The Babylonians came and destroyed Jerusalem and took everyone away to Babylon.
Now, Isaiah speaks to those in Babylon, grieving over the loss of their land, and the defeat of their God. Isaiah speaks to them to remind them that God is not dead – no, he was the one who caused this to happen. And he is still in control, he is still with them. And he warns them not to forget God, and run after idols! I mean, what happened to Jerusalem should be a warning!

And now he warns those in Babylon – I am raising up a great king from the east. A mighty warrior is coming. Does this sound familiar? It’s similar words used to describe Assyria. And they swept through the lands like a mighty flood. Unstoppable. Why? 4 Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”

When they hear these words, how do the people respond? 5 The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. In fear they run to their false gods! 6 The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, “Be strong!” 7 The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the moulder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.

We don’t even need to read further, do we? God does not fall over! He calls forth, he makes things happen. The case for the Lord is strong. Trusting in idols is stupid.

2. The case for idols: nothing

21 “Present the case for your idols,” says the LORD. “Let them show what they can do,” says the King of Israel. 22 “Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. 23 Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods.

Many people nowadays have a Buddha statue in their house. Or they have a Lucky Frog in the corner. Or crystals. Many worship false gods: Krishna, the Hindu pantheon, ancestors – some even worship saints, praying to them as if they were Jesus himself. And if you do this – stop it. You do not need someone between you and Jesus, whether it is an ancestor or a priest or a holy man or a saint, or even an angel. As we saw last week, Jesus Christ has opened the highway to heaven. We have access to the very throne room of God. In Christ we are sons of God. No more idols.

For idols, whatever form they take, cannot even tell you what’s already happened, never mind what’s coming in the future. New idols such as the state, NAV, or business – they don’t know what’s going ot happen tomorrow. Oil prices drop, wars happen, refugees arrive on our doorstep – all this has taken us by surprise. Why put your faith in the state, in politicians, in money, in business, when they don’t even know what will happen tomorrow!

In fact, v23 carries on, In fact, do anything—good or bad! Do something that will amaze and frighten us. 24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves.

Idols are dead and bring death. God’s way brings life because he alone knows the future. He alone brings it about. No-one else even knows the future, let alone controls it! 26 “Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word! 27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news. 28 Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. 29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.

It is said that those who do not know or do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. One of the most repeated commands in the Bible is “remember”. Remember what has happened. Remember what God has done in the past. Remember what he has promised to do.

So remember how these idols had no idea what God was about to do. No-one in Babylon knew that a king from the east would come from the north and capture them. If they did, they would have been ready! But the idols of Babylon, the false gods, were as empty as the wind. We know what happened because history tells us. Just as Isaiah predicted, about 80 years before it happened, in 538 King Cyrus of the Medes and Persians, from the land east of Babylon, swept down out of the north and Babylon crumpled like a piece of paper.

Did any of their idols warn them? No, only God knew, only God said in advance what would happen.

What idols do I worship? What is it that we put our trust in instead of God? Where do I find my deepest identity: in him? Or something else? What could I not live without? Him? Or something or someone else?

Even good things can be idols. Wife, family. They can be idols if they come before God. No the church, but God. For even the church, religion, religious performance, can be an idol. Exercise, going to the gym can be an idol – if we get our significance, our security, from how big and strong we are! All good things – but never let the good be the enemy of the best. God is the best – He is above all things. We I must bring everything else I do under Christ’s rule, under his lordship. He is the Lord. I am his servant, his son, his creation. And in him I am secure. His way brings life.

Idolatry brings death, destruction. Many of us know this. We live with the pain of past sin. Jesus’ work on the cross can forgive our sins, but we often still have the consequences to work through. And that’s tough. But now He is with us as we deal with the consequences, the results of our sin. And he helps us to rebuild.

Idols are worthless because they know nothing. God is in control of the future, and he is going to do a great thing.

3. What will the Lord do? He will send his servant

Is 42 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 4 He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

Ok. The first question is who is this servant that God will send? In 41:2 he calls the king from the east (Cyrus) his servant (“called to God’s service”). But it doesn’t seem to be him. Cyrus is called to be the rampaging warrior, trampling kings underfoot, crushing them like pottery. But this servant will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.

Well, maybe it’s Israel? 41:8 “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

Well, that is certainly their calling, isn’t it? This is what they were supposed to be: a light to the nations, bringing justice, showing people God in all his glory. But we know their track record, what they’ve done in the past, and it’s not good. I mean they’re in Babylon for a reason. And next week’s passage starts like this 19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD?

It seems to be someone who will call Israel back to the Lord. A faithful servant. Perhaps, as Isaiah spoke these words, he thought it could be him. But no, his message was going to fall on deaf ears – God had told him this in chapter 6 – but this servant will not lose heart until the whole world has heard!

So who is this servant? Well, we get a hint in v1: This servant will be anointed with God’s Spirit (v1). This only happened to kings, prophets, and priests. Now hang on, in the first part of Isaiah we met a King. A great, eternal King who would rescue God’s people. A child would be born to a virgin. A child who would be called wonderful counsellor, everlasting God. God himself would visit his people and would save them! Could this “servant” be God himself? But why is he called servant.

This is why for the Jews from Isaiah’s time to Jesus’ time, they thought of them as two different people. The Victorious King. The suffering servant. Because we read on, we find out more about this gentle servant who will bring justice to the nations. He will do it through great suffering, even, in chapter 53, giving his own life. Now that doesn’t sound like a victorious king, does it?

Only when Jesus came did we see ah, the King IS the Servant. He is the all powerful King – but he will use his power to save, not to condemn. He will lead people not by v2 shouting or raising his voice in public, or crushing the weak – no big political rallies, no manipulation, no use of force to make people obey. Nothing like normal politics. This Servant is a different type of leader, one who will bring justice – that sentence literally means proclaim or declare justice – God’s right judgement – to the world. And look how the verses continue: 6 “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

Just as last week we saw the Lord in all his power and glory come like a shepherd carrying his sheep to safety, today we see Jesus, the promised King, God almighty himself, come as the Servant. And as we see Jesus on the cross, the King of the Jews said the sign above him, we see a proclamation of God’s right judgement on sin – as Jesus took it all – all our sin – in his body. Sin will be punished. And we see a proclamation of forgiveness – we are the battered reed, the flickering candle – and he does not put us out, but strengthens weak arms, and weak knees and gives us new strength. WE are made new, made to be like him to follow him, and we shall soar on wings like eagles. We are those with blind eyes who will now see. We who are prisoners of sin are now free, because of what Jesus has done. If we are in Christ – if we belong to him, put our trust in him,. Obey him - we are a new creation. A new man. And all the power of heaven is within us by the Spirit.

8 “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. 9 Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” 10 Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. 11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! 12 Let the whole world glorify the LORD; let it sing his praise.

This is the great future which God promised his people. Cyrus was a great rescuer, yes, but there was a greater rescuer, a greater King to come. Isaiah was a great prophet, yes, but a greater prophet, the Word himself, would come. Israel was a great nation, and blessed the world in many ways – but Jesus, he was the perfect son of God, the righteous servant who did not sin. When Israel stumbled he did not. No idol worship in Jesus. He is the righteous one.

So what is our response?

1. We praise God! In the way we live we praise God. Have you thanked God for his great salvation? Do you sing his praise on the way to work? Do I fill my mind with his glory and wonder and say to him “wow, you are great!”?

2. Understand that we live in Babylon (or sinful Jerusalem). We live in a country that worships idols. Greed drives our society. We run after pleasure, the idol of the “good life”. A big house, a cabin in the mountains, a boat, maybe a motorbike. It is deep within us. The idol of pleasure affects our relationships. You don’t make me happy - I’ll drop you. No thought of service, of sacrificial love. We’ve got a few families in the pregnancy and young baby stage of life. That’s a hard stage. And certainly reveals how sinful we are. Lean on the Lord, pray, ask him to help you not be selfish angry, snapping at your wife (or husband). The Holy Spirit does not leave us when we are pregnant (or married to a pregnant lady).

3. We need to repent of our idols. How stupid we are to trust on our idols. Things that will fall over. All our wealth can be lost in a moment. Cabins need to be repaired, and boats eat up our time. A waste, sacrificing our lives to THINGS. Idol worship is dumb. Yet we do it. Sacrifice our family on the altar of career. Ignore our kids because we’re too busy packing fruit in a shop because society says to us that’s the woman’s role. Wife? Mother? No, not important. What your kids really need is to be looked after a stranger and YOU are needed to pack fruit in a shop. It’s rather stupid isn’t it? The idol is wobbling.

4. If we claim to follow God, our lives should look different. Like Israel, we are God’s servants. We are chosen by God. How should we then live?

Well it’s not by wearing different clothes or having a big cross around our necks or wearing funny hats. None of those things mean anything. But it is a heart change. How we treat other people. How we see strangers, foreigners. How we use our money, our time.
And it’s seen not in grand gestures or public displays of being good or religious. It is how we are at home, in private, when only God sees us. For example, how we treat our wife (or samboer, if you haven’t repented yet and married her!). Do we love her like Jesus? Are we committed to her? Are we concerned about her relationship with the Lord? With her godliness? Are we willing to say “no” to things that would get in the way of being godly? And “yes” to things that will help her be godly? Will we lead our family in reading the Bible, in family prayer? In getting everyone off to church. In making sure we go to Bible study, even if our wife says “oh, honeeyy, do you have to go out and bats her eyelashes at us....”

Do we run after idols like “I deserve to happy, it’s because I’m worth it”. Or do we follow the Lord “I will love, no matter what the cost, because He has loved me”.

Is that hard? Yes! But we are not alone. 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Many of us know the pain of running after idols. Of living the world’s way instead of God’s way. But those idols always come crashing down at the worst possible time.

Brothers, let us follow Christ, no matter the cost. Even though we, like Israel, may feel like a lowly worm, unworthy before God v14 Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’

He is our saviour, and his salvation is secure. He knows our future and it is good because we are with Him.