Sermon Video: The Burial of Jesus - Mark 15:40-47

In the aftermath of Jesus giving up his spirit and the Centurion's utterance of the truth of who Jesus is, Mark focuses upon two groups previously existing primarily in the background.  The first is the women who gathered at the Cross.  They too were disciples of Jesus, less known than the Disciples, but crucial to his ministry's logistics (food, clothing, shelter).  Here they bear witness to Jesus death, with plans to visit his tomb on Sunday morning.  The other is Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who decides to risk his political/cultural connections by caring for the body of Jesus, offering to Jesus the dignity of a proper burial in opposition to the humiliation inflicted upon him by his foes.  In both cases we are reminded of the many roots of the Kingdom, the many people serving God faithfully behind the scenes, and on occasion taking risks to serve self-sacrificially.

Sermon Video: Speaking Truth to Power - The Martyrdom of John the Baptist, Mark 6:14-29

 When confronted with a morally repugnant situation, John the Baptist spoke with clarity, unafraid of the power wielded by Herod Antipas. As a result, he was imprisoned, and eventually martyred. Why did he speak? Because he represented God, and God's Word on the matter was clear. When called to speak, we need the three things that John had: (1) A righteous reputation that doesn't allow our words to be dismissed, (2) Knowledge of the Truth, and (3) the courage to speak, especially to those with power. While you or I may never speak before a king or president, our own families, workplaces, and communities also have those with power, when they abuse it, when they utilize it for immoral purposes, we too must speak up.

Sermon Video: Jesus and his friends - Luke 22:14-16

Less than twenty-four hours before his brutal death upon a Roman cross, Jesus celebrates the Passover with his chosen disciples; his friends.  He tells them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."  For Jesus there was immense value in this time with his companions before he walked the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) alone.  Jesus' friends bolstered his courage and his hope, helping him find the endurance to complete the Father's plan and drink the cup placed before him.  We too require Christian fellowship to fulfill the tasks assigned to us by the Father.

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Sermon Video: Be Strong and Courageous - Joshua 1

** Note, we are utilizing new sound equipment for recording the sermons; hopefully you will notice considerable improvement.**

As Joshua prepares to take over the leadership role of Israel following the death of Moses, the LORD encourages Joshua with specific and powerful promises that he will be with Joshua as he was with Moses and that "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  In light of his word, the LORD tells Joshua to "Be strong and courageous" as he leads the people across the Jordan into the land that God has promised to give to the people of Israel.  The encouragement to be strong and courageous is repeated three times in the chapter, and the emphasis that God will give the land to Israel is repeated five times. 

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Sermon Video: Jochebed: A Mother's Courage and Sacrifice - Exodus 2:1-10

In honor of Mother's Day, consider one of the Bible's courageous mothers: Jochebed.  Her name may not be overly familiar to most, but the accomplishments of her son are known far and wide, a son whose very survival depended upon Jochebed's courage and willingness to sacrifice.  The son of Jochebed was Moses, and he would lead his people to freedom, but only because his mother did everything she could to keep him alive as a baby.
Jochebed's desperate plan, putting her 3 month old boy in a basket in the Nile, is well known, but less well understood is that Jochebed fully intended that an Egyptian woman would find the child, leaving Miriam behind with instructions to encourage whoever found the baby to keep and care for him.  In the end, Pharaoh's daughter, Jewish tradition calls her Bithia, did find the baby, and she did have compassion on him, which combined with Miriam's not-very-subtle suggestion that she knew a woman that would nurse him, resulted in the saving of the life of the boy whom Bithia would call Moses.  One last note: In order to save his life, Jochebed had to allow her son to be raised by, and call another woman, "mom"; a gut wrenching sacrifice indeed.
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Sermon Video: The Priests' Revolution - 2 Chronicles 23

The courageous hiding of the child Joash by his aunt Jehosheba from the murderous intentions of Queen Athaliah was but the beginning of the efforts to resist her tyrannical and idolatrous rule.  For the next seven years, Joash was hidden in the temple by the priest Jehoida, Jehosheba’s husband, until Jehoida had been able to secretly build up enough support among the military, priests and Levites, and elders of Judah to attempt to overthrow the queen.

                The efforts of Jehoida, fraught with danger as they were should they be discovered prematurely, ultimately came off without a hitch as the conspiracy unfolded according to plan and the city of Jerusalem was quickly under the control of those who had proclaimed Joash, now seven years old, as the rightful king as the only surviving direct descendant of David.  The rebels had risked much in going against a queen willing to murder her own family to maintain power, but they had chosen to make that risk on the side of that which if right in fulfillment of God’s promise to protect the throne of David.

                The people of Jerusalem, upon hearing the proclamation that Joash is the new king, rather than hiding indoors and waiting to see who prevails between the queen and the rebels, instead throng into the streets to celebrate their liberation.  Athaliah, rejected by her subjects and bereft of supporters, makes a dramatic entrance into the temple courts shouting, “Treason!”, but to no avail.  Jehoida orders her taken back to the palace where she is put to death, fittingly in the building she was willing to kill in order to control.

                It was an unlikely revolution, centered around a dispossessed child-king, led by a priest, and yet it succeeded with very little bloodshed.  Those involved in the conspiracy had been ready to spend their lives for the sake of that which is right, because of the promise of the word of God and the support of the people of Jerusalem, they didn’t have to.

                What does this mean for us?  We are unlikely to find ourselves in the midst of a revolution against a tyrant, but we will still have opportunities for acts of courage in defense of the weak, acts of purity in defiance of corruption.  Jehoida and those who followed him risked death to do the right thing, we can certainly risk far less to do likewise.

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Sermon Video: Fighting Against God - Acts 5:33-42

As the apostles are once again brought before the Sanhedrin, it appears as if the jealousy and anger directed at Peter and the apostles may lead to bloodshed.  At this crucial moment, Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, stands and speaks on behalf of the apostles.  He reasons with the Sanhedrin that they should do nothing to the apostles because if their enterprise is a human one it will fail on its own.  If, however, it is from God, it will succeed no matter what they do.  In the end, the apostles are flogged and then freed; after which they rejoice at having been counted worthy of suffering for the Name.  How would you or I respond to persecution?  Would we be worthy?  The only way to know is to begin to live for Jesus now, to take up our cross daily and follow him.

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