WHERE WAS JESUS ON SATURDAY?

There are no general passages that tell us plainly where Jesus was on Saturday.  Rather, we have to be detectives and consider snippets of scripture from here and there to produce an answer.  But, as you will see, the scripture does give us an answer.

Peter, the lead apostle writes about this with clarity in his first letter.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,

to bring you to God.

He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison

who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently

in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. [3:18-20 NIV]

Then, in the following chapter, Peter picks up this theme again.

For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead,

that though they are judged in the flesh as men,

they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. [4:6 NASB]

Peter speaks with no doubt about Christ’s after-death activity.  His points are clear:

1.     When Christ died in His body, He became alive in His Spirit!

2.     He went to preach to the spirits in prison who had rejected faith.

3.     Clearly these people were given a one-time-only opportunity to respond to the Good News, and their evangelist was Jesus Himself!

But let’s continue our investigation by looking at Ephesians 4:7-10  [NIV].

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 

 This is why it says:

‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’

[this is a quote from Psalm 68:18]

(What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions? 

 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens,

in order to fill the whole universe.)

We’ve all read or recited the Apostle’s Creed which comes to us from the fourth century and is the criteria for all that is truly Christian.  Have you ever been perplexed by the awkward phrase, “He descended into Hell”?  Some churches have been so bold as to remove that line from a creed that comes to us from a time much closer to when Christ was alive! 

But isn’t this further evidence of what Peter has already told us?  Now we have both Peter and Paul’s testimony that after dying on the cross, Jesus went – in His Spirit – to the place of the unsaved dead and preached the Gospel!  Why would we struggle to believe this?

But let’s consider even more evidence.

In Colossians, the Apostle Paul speaks of Christ’s victory in overcoming evil powers and authority.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,

God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

having canceled the written code, with its regulations,

that was against us and that stood opposed to us;

he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities,

he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

[2:11-15 NIV]

If you’ve stayed with me this far, then you may see that:

1)    Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all who have ever (or will ever) lived.

2)    He then immediately went to the place of the dead and preached the Gospel to them.

3)    Those who believed His message were led into the heavenly realm in triumph!

4)    In doing so, Jesus disarmed the evil forces and triumphed over them!

Doesn’t this deserve a massive PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

But let’s look at one more piece of biblical evidence that is consistently overlooked and under considered.

This time, we turn to Matthew’s account of the death of our Lord.  [27:50-53 TM]

But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.

At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom.

There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces.

What’s more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised.

(After Jesus’ resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)

What?  Did we read this right?  Apparently, upon Jesus’ death, He immediately released those who had believed since the beginning of time to ascend to heaven.  Although it’s supernatural for us to believe, some of these dead were able to visit loved ones on their trek to their eternal home! 

One last piece of evidence:

In John’s gospel, we are all familiar with Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the resurrected Jesus in the garden of His tomb.  When He reveals Himself to her, she is overwhelmed with love and joy and apparently moves toward Him.  He cautions her by saying, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father…”  [20:17 NASB]

Three days and three nights after His crucifixion and death and HE STILL HASN’T ASCENDED TO HIS FATHER?  He’s been busy doing what He always does – seeking and saving those who are lost!  Even going to the depths of Hell to proclaim His Good News!  GLORY TO GOD! 

A MAN NAMED JESUS!

There was always great joy in Judea when a son was born!  This was a blessing for any poor farm family for it meant another worker would be available to help with the cultivating, planting, and harvesting. 

When this beautiful baby boy was born, he brought great joy and expectation to his parents:  Eitan [meaning ‘one who is steady and very bold’] and Noam [meaning ‘loveliness or satisfaction’].  They deliberated about their new son’s name and wanted to give him one that would set him apart from all other Jewish boys.  They considered Moses – the great law-giver.  They also thought of David – the great king!  But the proud father won out and convinced his dear wife to name the baby Jesus.  It was the contemporary name for Joshua, the one who was mentored by Moses and then led the people of Israel into the Promised Land!  His name meant ‘savior’. 

Yes, this family had great expectations for their son!  They would name him ‘Jesus’ – savior!  They wrapped him tightly in cloths and held him close – only after checking him from head to foot and seeing that he was perfect in every way!  He would be a fine son!  Father and mother loved their son and cared for him attentively during the troubled times of Roman occupation.  They wanted their son to revere God, be kind and treat all people fairly.

But all plans, dreams and expectations are not fulfilled.

When Jesus was a young boy, tensions associated with Roman rule erupted into many violent conflicts across Israel.  A tax census placed upon the people by Quirinius triggered an uprising by Judas the Galilean and many died as the Romans responded with fierce and relentless force to quell the disturbance. 

Jesus’ father, Eitan, was caught in the conflict while on a trip to town for supplies and was killed.  He lay in the street as his blood mingled with the sandy soil of his homeland.  When news was brought to Noam, she was crushed that her love had been so abruptly taken from her.  Jesus, being only six, couldn’t understand why his father wouldn’t be coming home.  The house was filled with his mother’s anguish and tears. 

Life was hard for the mother and son!  Jesus was too young, too weak and unskilled to be able to fill the shoes of his father.  They were forced to be dependent on his mother’s larger family system to be able to survive.  This precious little boy, who had been the treasure of his father’s eye, was left alone with a mother who struggled for their very survival.  As he began to realize that his father would never be coming home, Jesus turned to anger and bitterness instead of despair. 

The father who had thrown him into the air and caught him with delight,
the father who tickled him until he was weary from laughing,
the father who held him and told him stories of his own childhood,
HE WAS GONE FOREVER!

And Jesus grew up hating the Roman soldiers for what they had done to his father!

His mother tried to steer him toward acceptance and forgiveness, but Jesus’ determination was set.  He would rebel against Roman oppression!  He would get even with those who had so brutally taken his father away.  When the time was right, he would even the score.

Noam lamented the dark moods of her son.  She tried her best to redirect his thinking and help him find a purposeful life, but the roots of Jesus’ hatred ran deep!  His hurt was inconsolable!  He was bent on revenge!

As time passed, they managed to survive with the help of family and friends.  Noam developed skills at making pottery and sold it at their village market.  Through the gracious help of her sister, Shira [meaning ‘song’], and Shira’s husband, they were able to get by.  Jesus was able to attend the village school and grow up among cousins and friends.  But, his anger was noticeable and his best friends were few – and also rebellious.

As he progressed in age, Jesus eventually left home and made his way to Jerusalem.  He wanted to find a way to hurt the Romans and they were more numerous in this center-city of the nation.  His companions shared his hatred and they schemed to create chaos in the city through subversion and disrespect.  One day, their efforts were rewarded as they set a trap for a small band of Roman soldiers.  Chaos erupted and a man was killed in the confusion.  Jesus was quickly captured and imprisoned.  After having been beaten, he lay for days tending his wounds as best he could. 

Then, to his surprise, he was suddenly led from his prison to the Praetorium, where he was placed on a platform along with – to his immense surprise – Pilate, the Roman governor!  What was going on?  Why had he been brought here?  What was going to happen to him?

It was then that he noticed another man, also standing between two Roman soldiers.  He quickly discovered that this man was also named Jesus.  He’d heard of this man!  He was a good man, a rabbi, who had healed many and fed multitudes.  He had often thought about searching him out to hear what he had to say, but it had never happened – until today. 

He could see that Jesus of Nazareth had been severely beaten.  His face was distorted and his eyes nearly swollen closed.  The soldiers had draped a purple cloth around his shoulders and had crushed a crown of thorns on his head.  Jesus thought of his own father and the blood that his mother had cleaned from his body before they buried him.  He felt sorry for Jesus of Nazareth and wanted to reach out to him and help him.  But he, too, was a prisoner;  a prisoner who was trying his best to figure out why he had been brought to this place.

Suddenly, Pilate stepped forward and called to the large crowd that had gathered:  “You know it is our custom to release a prisoner today in honor of your feast.  Which would you have me release today:  Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus, the King of the Jews?" 

Jesus Barrabas [bar = son, abba = father - therefore, “son of the father”] was shocked to hear his name being called out in unison by the mob.  Pilate seemed angry with the response of the people.  He called for a basin, washed his hands publicly, then said, “I’m washing my hands of responsibility for this man’s death. From now on, it’s in your hands. You’re judge and jury.”

After those words fell from Pilate’s lips, the soldiers released Barabbas and took Jesus of Nazareth away to be crucified. 

The precious “son of his father” was released, while the “Son of God the Father” was paraded away to become the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world! 

This Jesus of Nazareth, this Son of Man and Son of God, died in our place just the same as He died in Barabbas’ place! 

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE AS A RESULT OF BEING SET FREE?

SUCH LOVE!

As I’ve mentioned before, you have to read all four gospel accounts to get the whole story.  Below, I’ve recorded my favorite part of the Holy Week narrative for your enjoyment.  It’s a merging of the accounts [from The Message] of Matthew [27:57-61], Mark [15:42-47], Luke [23:50-56] and John [19:38-42]. 

There was a man by the name of Joseph, a wealthy man of good heart and good character. He was a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, who had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. (He was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews.) His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God.

 

Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph worked up his courage, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.

 

Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took the body of Jesus down, wrapped him in the shroud, and placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock for his own use.  Then, he rolled a large stone across the opening.  Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds and joined Joseph in this loving, caring task.

 

There were women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee, watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome.  These women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.  They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes.

 

It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin. The women rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded

I’d like to unpack this scene for you with a little clarity.

We know that Joseph and Nicodemus were dissenting members of the Jewish Council!  This fact alone makes this episode remarkable!  We see the risk that Joseph took in stepping forward to privately ask Pilot for the body of Jesus.  He may have been a secret follower before, but he was certainly declaring himself publicly now.  What would the other Council members think of these two?  Would they be ostracized? 

Did they have help with this process?  Taking the body of a man from a cross was a gruesome task.  It usually involved a lengthy drape that was placed under the arms of the body.  Once the nails were removed, the weight of the body fell onto the drape as it was gently lowered to the ground.  This is why we see crosses draped with purple cloths during the season of Lent! 

Did Joseph and Nicodemus wear their Pharisaic robes as they performed this loving act?  If so, whatever they wore surely became covered with the blood of our battered and torn Lord!  This blood and the fact that they had touched a dead body would make both of these spiritual leaders unclean for the duration of the Passover observation!  Two highly revered men carrying the body of Jesus from Golgotha to the Garden of Gethsemane.  We know the women watched this all very carefully;  did others also watch? 

Upon arriving, they cleaned the body of Jesus and wrapped it in the shroud brought by Joseph.  Nicodemus brought SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS of myrrh and aloes to use in this burial process!  Seventy-five pounds!  It must have been easy for Mary Magdalene to find the tomb in the misty, early dawn hours of the first day of the week – she simply followed her nose to the place where they had laid Him! 

Such courage!  Such devotion!  Such love!  No disciples present!  Just two Pharisees!  Remarkable!

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken,

I'm accepted, you were condemned

I'm alive and well, your spirit is within me

Because you died and rose again.

Amazing love how can it be

That you my King should die for me

Amazing love, I know its true

And its my joy to honor you, in all I do to honor you

[Words by Chris Tomlin]

FEAR INVOKING HEAVENLY BEINGS

I suppose we all have things that we're intolerant of.  Maybe it's a certain type of music, or an actor/actress that you just can't stand.  Or perhaps a specific time of year that you simply endure. Maybe you have a friend or family member that drives you nuts.  It could be a holiday that you simply don't connect with.  Or on and on and on...

My 'thing' is angels!  I can't stand the cupid, overly beautiful, all-wings, long-haired, weaponless creations of artists and illusionists.  Most images of angels provoke humor or some sentimental feeling.  They fail miserably at raising up in us fear and reverence for God Almighty!  

And where did this idea come from that we become angels when we get to Heaven?  No biblical references teach this!!!  

This article is not meant to be a resource on angelology!  We can do that at another time and in another place.  Simply stated, angels were created by God before He created our world!  They are beings that differ significantly from us.  There are several terms used in scripture to describe them:  angels, seraphim, and cherubim.  Some of these are described as having wings.

But let's get to the gist of this peeve.  Repeatedly in the scriptures, the presence of angels invokes immediate fear!  Even terror!  Why else do they so often begin their conversation with us using the words, "Fear not!"  

One of the recurring names for God in the Bible is "Jehovah Sabaoth" [Hebrew].  The King James Version rendered this as "Lord of Hosts".  The New International Version translates it as "LORD Almighty".  Eugene Peterson may be most on target;  he uses "God of the Angel Armies".  

To see an angel is to be struck with fear!  Their appearance must be EXTREMELY intimidating!  They are AWESOME creatures created for spiritual warfare!  

Consider Matthew's version of Resurrection morning:  [28:1-4 TM]

After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.

These were Roman soldiers!  They were the Navy Seals of their day!  These were big, strong, confident, arrogant, braggadocios fighters who didn't run from anyone or anything!  Yet, this morning, they were paralyzed with fear!  That's the affect that God's holy angels have!  

But don't get a stereotype in your mind!  Debbie and I had the privilege of meeting many Navy Seals who were work associates and friends of Travis' in Honolulu.  He was, at that time, assigned as Lieutenant Commander with the team of Seals that he had moved from San Diego to Honolulu.  He helped plan their missions.  He watched their deployments in a small theater in their base - a few steps from Travis' office.  [We were given opportunity to visit his office right after his passing.]

As these seals met us, greeted us and made various comments about Travis, the first thing we noticed was that they were all different.  Most were not bulky, huge, musclebound men.  Some were tall, others short.  Some were heavy, others were thin.  All of those we met were kind with their words, highly intelligent, humble and fiercely dedicated to their work!  We were impressed!  

Similarly, I doubt that our creative God would make all His angelic beings look alike,  I don't think God used a form.  Some clearly have wings and therefore, must be able to fly.  All of them - except the third that were thrown out during Lucifer's rebellion - love and serve God loyally and obediently!  They are His messengers and His warriors!  

If you need convincing about the warrior aspect of God's holy angels, do yourself a favor and read Daniel 10.  Everything mentioned here is drawn out specifically in that passage.  

Hebrews 2:16 gives us further insight into our understanding of angels.

For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham.

There is common agreement that this verse refers to redemption!  Angels were created by God to serve His purposes.  Unlike us, they have not been 'saved' or 'redeemed'.  Johnson Oatman, Jr. captured this many years ago in a hymn titled, "Holy, Holy, Is What the Angels Sing".  [1894]

The chorus reads:

Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,

And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring;

But when I sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings,

For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

Incredible, isn't it?  That these awesome creatures who love and serve God so faithfully will never experience or fully understand the joy that is ours as a result of our redemption!   PRAISE THE LORD!

HOW'S THE ATMOSPHERE?

 Many are familiar with the episode from Jesus' life when He visits His hometown of Nazareth.  

Matthew 13:54-58     Mark 6:1-6      Luke 4:16-31

The thing about these passages that I would like to address is the fact that He was unable to do many miracles there because of their unbelief [Mt. 13:58;  Mk 6:5-6].

Matthew's wording is blunt and provocative:

And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.  [NASB]

Mark's wording is even more revealing:

And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them.  [NASB]

The implication is clear!  Jesus needed an appropriate environment to be able to do miracles.

I know!  This sounds slanderous!  Hal is a heretic!  :-)

But consider other passages like Mark 8.

After feeding five thousand people, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and headed for Dalmanutha.  The Pharisees immediately came to Him and pressed Him for a sign.  

And sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign?  [v.12 NASB]

Then Jesus got right back in the boat and headed for Bethsaida.  

What happened here?  Why did He land and leave so quickly?  The implication is that He immediately saw that He wouldn't be able to accomplish much because of the opposition of the Pharisees.  Environment matters!

While sailing to Bethsaida they have some confusing misunderstandings about bread and yeast as Jesus tries to warn them about the contamination of the Pharisees and followers of Herod.  Interesting timing for this dialogue.  

When they arrive in Bethsaida, a blind man was brought to him for healing.  The very first thing that Jesus did was to lead the blind man outside of the village!  You may remember this two-step healing.  Jesus spit on his eyes and then asked him if he could see.  The man could see, but his vision was blurry.  Next, Jesus touched his eyes and his vision became perfect!  

Now, don't leave this story yet!  Before leaving the man and moving on, Jesus gave the man clear post-surgery instructions:  Do not even enter the village.  [v.26  NASB]

What's going on in this village?  Why didn't/couldn't Jesus heal the man while in this village?  Why did he warn this man not to even go into this particular village?  

ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

I've tried hard to give you a fair picture of several passages that clearly indicate Jesus' need for an appropriate environment for healing/miracles to take place!  

That being true, what about our environments today?

As a nation we have indisputably moved away from our Judeo-Christian foundation!  We are on the front end of blatant persecution of Christians.  It's not harsh - yet!  We're not being hauled away and placed in prisons.  But COVID did close many of our doors for an extended period of time.  So much for freedom of religion!  We have little reason to believe that this persecution will subside.  It's likely to grow!

The church is shrinking!  We've been closing churches vigorously since the turn of the century.  COVID threw gasoline on that trend, with many churches closing due to financial distress as a result of low attendances.  Evangelism is a rare occurrence in a world where we are told to mind our own business and respect the rights of others.  

For decades we were a missionary-sending bastion of strength, wealth and evangelistic zeal.  Not so, today.  The church prospers in Asia and Africa while it shrinks in Europe, Britain and the United States.  We need pastors from Thailand and India to come and mentor our American pastors!  

As a family, how are we doing?  You'll each have to answer this on your own.  Are you from a Christian family?  Are their passions, practices and priorities consistent with biblical teaching?  The word compromise has weakened many Christian people.  We've been hearing for decades now that Christians are no different from lost people.  We seem to have lost our distinctives.  No wonder that the church is dying.  If you're a Christ follower, answer the following tax-season question:  If you multiplied 2021's tithes by ten, could you live on it?  That's just one area;  there are so many more!

As a church, are we a healing and miracle environment?  The following prayer is taken from my newest novel, OVERWHELMED:

Blessed Jesus,

You have created this place for friendship!

If we aren’t friendly with every person that walks through these doors – then we have failed!

You’re the door-keeper here – You bring them to us so that we can lead them to You!

There are NO exceptions!

Help us never to be so busy that we’re distracted from this vital mission!

It’s all about You, Jesus!

Amen.

If some lost-but-seeking person walked into your church service this Sunday, 

• would they be warmly welcomed?
• would someone invite them to sit with them?
• would they connect to any liturgy being used?
• would the music inspire them?
• would the message be understandable to them?
• would they leave feeling hopeful?  

Churches are intimidating places!  Even if people are distressed and searching for meaning, it's unlikely that they would turn to the church.  If they did, however, do we provide them with a healing environment?  If Jesus wanted to touch and heal them, would He have to take them out of the building to do so?

As a follower of Christ, are you salting your community with the flavor of Christ?  Do you live Christian values consistently?  Does your light shine?  Or is it under a bushel?  Do your co-workers know that you're a Christian?  

An environment reflects the nature of those in the group!  If we're not passionate about our service to Christ, it's unlikely that our church will be!  And if our church isn't energetic about serving Christ, it's unlikely that our community will be changed or influenced!  And if our communities aren't faith-filled, then what hope is there for our nation?    

It has to start with me [and YOU]!  

BREAKING BREAD

I just read Mark 8:1-9, where Jesus feeds a crowd of four thousand people with seven small loaves of bread and a few fish.  The Message Bible reads:

Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. 

One of my favorite times in church while I was growing up was when we would have a Love Feast!  It was usually done on Sunday nights and it didn't happen real often.  

Some of the women would cut up table bread into one-inch-long strips and cover them with a cloth.  After the pastor's message, he would invite people to come forward and get a piece of bread.  Then we were to go to one another and "break bread".  I would take a small piece of your bread and you would take a small piece of mine.  Then, we would exchange some form of brief Christian greeting.  If you ran out of bread, you would simply go up front for more.  We would be given about fifteen minutes to mingle and try to get to as many people as possible.  

Children and youth were involved right along with adults.  It had its awkward moments since we didn't always know what to say, but we loved being allowed to eat in church!  When the love feast ended, we always made sure we had several pieces of that bread to get us through the rest of the service.  ;-)

It was intended, of course, to help us to mend any broken relationships we might have with those in our worshiping community.  Occasionally, there would be a very obvious healing of relationship between two people who had been arguing or avoiding one another.  These interventions were sometimes dramatic and brought a great sense of joy to the congregation!  

Eventually, concerns about passing germs increased and the practice fell into history.  However, I continued it in the churches I served by copying a shape of a loaf of bread on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper and having people sign one another's sheet instead of actually breaking bread.  

I saw the value of connection that was increased by this practice!  Too often people enter and leave worship with little or no interaction with others.  How is this the "body of Christ?"  I also used it frequently in youth meetings and camps.  But, I haven't done so in many years now.  

I'm not suggesting we re-introduce this practice;  COVID has created a whole new package of fears that now regulate our activity.  Even back in the day, I noticed that some people didn't eat the bread that they broke from a person's piece of bread.  Instead, they were very subtle about tucking it in the palm of their hand.  That's okay.  I can understand that kind of caution.  At least they participated and didn't scoot out the back door!  

All of us have noticed that as a result of COVID, some still don't want to shake hands.  Many will stick out a fist to bump instead.  Live and adapt, right?  

But we must find 21st century ways to maintain and celebrate the community of faith!  

I loved Holy Communion Sundays and always tried to make them special for the congregations that I served.  We always had people come forward to receive the bread and the cup.  They were given an opportunity to kneel at the alter - if they so desired.  [Later, we introduced a third point of service at the back of the sanctuary for those who desired to be more discreet.]  People were encouraged to greet one another as they stood in line to receive Communion!  I used couples or pairs of singles to hold the bread and the cup to heighten the involvement of our parishoners.  We tried to always have a few people designated to pray with anyone who had a special need.  It was kind of an organized free-for-all, but packed with meaning!  

Again, if a church was not too large and if it had an appropriate space, we had fairly frequent 'cover-dish' or 'carry-in' meals!  Everyone contributed a food gift proportionate to the size of their family and we would all simply eat together.  These were wonderful!  Such good food!  I always loved them!  While in New Middletown, we had a man who made delicious chicken.  He would come before daylight to start the fires and then roast enough chicken for the whole church family.  We brought all the other stuff.  We ate in the picnic shelter.  Sometimes we had our whole service outdoors smelling the chicken as we worshipped!  Thanks, David Fitch, for your wonderful gift to us!  But, again, issues were raised about appropriate preparation, cleanliness and the passing of germs - so this practice too fell by the wayside.  

Please understand!  These ruminations are not a plea to resurrect these practices;  but we do need to find events and forms that bring us together and increase our contact with one another.  There's a chorus we often sang to express this:

We are the body of the Lord;

We are the body of the Lord.

United in Christ and working together,

We are the body of the Lord.

We are the temple of the Lord;

We are the temple of the Lord.

United in love and growing together,

We are the temple of the Lord.

EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP

I’ve been known to ask the congregation to turn to the book of Hezekiah.  It’s fun to watch them try to find a book that doesn’t exist.  I know – dirty trick.

However, there was a king of Israel by that name.  The story of his reign can be told in several short vignettes.

BIG TROUBLE

Sennacherub, king of Assyria, brought a mighty army and set siege against Jerusalem.  This struck fear into the hearts of all the people;  they knew they were going to be crushed.  In a meeting between the leaders (that took place near the city wall), the Assyrians spoke loudly enough (in Hebrew) for the people to hear them.  They were extremely intimidating.  They assured the people that there was no way possible for them to survive.  They tried to convince them to surrender, promising that they would be set free to roam in the wilderness. 

The Assyrian messenger gives a VERY INTIMIDATING warning for them to just surrender:

· You’re weak – “You’re no match for my weapons.”
· Don’t lean on Egypt – they’re weak!
· Don’t pull the ‘We’re leaning on GOD’ card.
        >  Hezekiah just closed all of the places of worship.
        >  Besides, “It was your GOD who told me, Make war on this land. Destroy it.”

As a final threat he told them that if they resisted, they would soon be eating their own excrement and drinking their own urine! 

When the summit ended and the report was brought to Hezekiah, he put on sack cloth and ashes and went to prayer.  Then he encouraged all the people to do the same. 

As a result, Isaiah the prophet came to the king with the following message:

“God’s Message:  Don’t be upset by what you’ve heard, all those words the servants of the Assyrian king have used to mock me.  I personally will take care of him.  I’ll arrange it so that he’ll get a rumor of bad news back home and rush there to take care of it.  And he’ll die there.  Killed – a violent death.”

That’s exactly what happened – and Jerusalem was delivered!

UH OH!

Sometime later, Hezekiah got sick.  God sent Isaiah to him and told him to get his house in order because he was going to die.  Hezekiah prayed:

“God, please, I beg you: Remember how I’ve lived my life. I’ve lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You’ve seen how I’ve lived, the good that I have done.” And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears.

God sent Isaiah back to tell Hezekiah that He heard his prayer and saw his tears and that he would live for another fifteen years.

FOOLISH DECISIONS!

A little later, the King of Babylon sent an envoy to visit Hezekiah and present him with gifts, having heard that he’d been sick.  Hezekiah proudly gave them the royal tour, showing them all his treasures, silver, gold, spices, expensive oils and all his weapons. 

After hearing of this, the prophet Isaiah pronounced: 

…the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. God says that there will be nothing left. Nothing. And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “Good. If God says so, it’s good.” Within himself he was thinking, “But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I’ll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live.”

                    _____________________________________________________

How could a man be so wise in one situation and so foolish in another? 

God had given Hezekiah a great gift of grace by causing the Assyrian army to suddenly leave and abandon their attempt to overthrow Jerusalem.

Then, God gave Hezekiah another great grace gift by promising to extend his life for another fifteen years! 

On the heels of this, Hezekiah reveals the wealth and pride of Jerusalem to the visitors from Babylon!

If that wasn’t enough, he shows complete nonchalance by comforting himself that at least during his lifetime he would rule in peace.  No concern at all is expressed for his sons and the future of his kingdom! 

There are special lessons here for leaders, but there are also lessons for all of us.

      1.      God responds to our prayers (and fasting).

2.      When He does, it is appropriate to express heartfelt gratitude!

3.      All of us should seek and depend on wisdom from God;  however, it’s all the more important for leaders to do so!

4.      Finishing well is vital!  Hezekiah started good, but finished poorly.  He allowed himself to become self-focused.  He quit caring about his family and his nation.  His life does not have a happy ending.