Category: Sermons

Sermon: Sunday, 1st June, 2025
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: John 4:1-26

We’re going to come today to the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John chapter 4 to think about this interaction Jesus has with a Samaritan Woman. A woman who, it is clear from the context, is a nobody in society.

She goes to the well at the height of the day to collect water because she is a societal outcast and similarly her relationship history says that either she has been passed around from pillar to post by different men or she has been involved in a number of affairs. Either way her story is a very sad one and yet who intercepts her story but Jesus Christ?

The kind of wonder and awe there is of one as mighty as Jesus stooping so low to someone like the Samaritan woman is a bit like seeing photos of Princess Diana during the aids crisis with aids patients showing not just humility but compassion. She was not so important that she did not also have time for the broken and lost. It is even more so by Jesus. The one who in very nature God comes down to dwell with the broken.

‘Jesus weary as he was from the journey sat down by the well.’   (John 4:6)

As an aside, it can be easy to think of Jesus as not fully human, yes he became flesh and bones but not truly human because, well, he is God. But this is a reminder that Jesus is fully human. The fact he gets tired and weary we perhaps don’t think much about because we are human and we get weary and tired, we get thirsty and so it’s easy to gloss over this.

But if you think about Isaiah 40:28 for example, it tells us that the Lord is the everlasting God who doesn’t grow faint and weary. The consider John 1, Jesus, called ‘the Word’ is the one who was there in the beginning, who is God, who created all things but yet we read, ‘… the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’   (John 1:14))

The infinite God became finite as the creator entered into his creation and part of entering into his creation and becoming one of us is that he took upon himself the very realities of what it means to be human. It is to grow tired and weary, it is to become thirsty or hungry, even as he asks, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ it is to be needy and dependent upon others.

And you think of what humility it is on the part of Jesus to have never been in need for all eternity as the all-sufficient God. To enter into the experience of being needy, of being hungry, of being thirsty, of being tired. We think of the humility of Jesus in passages like Philippians 2 but you think of how far down Jesus had to come to become our Saviour. He had to the God who is independent of all his creation became dependent upon his creation.

For us, with our skewed view of the world and hierarchies and pride of wanting to be something greater, to take such a demotion would never happen. But Jesus, free as he is from sin, that was not an issue for him. No, he willingly humbled himself and became nothing. And he willingly became nothing so he could enter into creation as our saviour.

Only someone fully human could enter into this role of being saviour of humanity yet no human could carry it out. It is what propelled Jesus forward in love to save his people. It is what propelled him into a moment like this with the Samaritan Woman. He isn’t there on a social venture, he’s there to offer her the most important thing possible, the unspeakable joy of knowing him in the power of the Holy Spirit, what is called ‘living water’.

1. Confusion (Verses 1-12)

In verses 5 and 6 we read that Jesus comes to Sychar near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son, Joseph. A place where Jacob’s well was. All of this forces us to go back to Genesis to the patriarchs to Genesis 33 where Jacob buys a plot of ground where he pitches his tent and then in Genesis 48 on his death bed, Jacob passes on the land to Joseph. There is no mention of the well there either when Jacob purchases the land or when he passes it on to his son, but a number of Bible commentators are sure that the land that Jacob purchased is where Jesus is just now with this Samaritan woman.

‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)’   (John 4:8)

Bruce Milne : ‘The reasons were historical, dating back to the division of the kingdom after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12:1-24) and the annexation of the northern territory by the Assyrians in 722-721 bc. The Assyrians resettled the area with foreigners which meant a loss of both racial and religious purity from a jewish perspective. The religious divide deepened when the Smaritans built their own temple in Mount Gerazim around 400 BC.’

Here is something we probably overlook in 21st century Scotland. Here is a Jew engaging with a Samaritan and John helpfully includes, ‘… Jews do not associate with Samaritans.’

They were sworn enemies, theyhated each others guts. If you were a Jew, there was no world in which you would be seen dead with a Samaritan and vice versa.
• It is the staunchest Rangers fan with the staunchest Celtic fan.
• It is the biggest Scottish nationalist and the biggest defender of the Union.
• It is, in this climate, a Ukranian and a Russian or an Israelite and a Palestinian.

This is one of the things which makes the story of the Good Samaritan so shocking. Who is it that helps out the injured man on the road to Jericho? It is a Samaritan, hence the name of the parable. A Samaritan, helping out a Jew.

There would be no world in which they would want to be in each other’s company. But it’s more than that, it’s not just that a Jew is in the company of a Samaritan, think of what is going on. Jesus is asking her for a drink of water. Here a Jew is in the humiliating position of asking his enemy for something, being in need and depending upon his enemy. Imagine how shocking this is at the time.

And though John particularly makes mention of the Jew-Gentile dynamic there is also the male-female dynamic. Rabbinic tradition; ‘It is forbidden to talk to women on the street because of the potential for town gossip. When the disciples come back they don’t ask, ‘Why are you talking to a samaritan? but rather, ‘Wwhy are you talking with a woman?’ (See verse 27)

So this woman appears at Jacob’s well in the middle of the day to get her water and Jesus asks her for water because of his thirst and she pushes back for reasons we’ve already touched on briefly, he is a Jew and she is a Samaritan. And he responds, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’   (John 4:10)

The Samaritan Woman then totally misses the point of what Jesus is saying, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep.’   (John 4:11)

She misunderstands what Jesus is saying much like Nicodemus in John chapter 3, but her confusion at least makes sense. Nicodemus is a teacher of the law, here we have a woman which, by default in her day, means she is uneducated, she also is not an Israelite, she would hold to the first five books of the Old Testament only.

As he said, ‘If you’d known who was speaking to you, I’d have given you living water.’ she is just thinking in terms of the water from the well, how are you going to get living water if you don’t have a bucket? The well is deep, how are you going to get water?

And then she asks, ‘Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself as well as his sons and livestock?’

I’m not normally one to harp on about the original Greek in sermons but there’s a way of asking questions in Greek that assumes a certain answer depending on what word the question begins with. This one begins with the Greek word ‘μή’ and that is the word you use if you’re assuming the answer is going to be ‘no’. It’s more like she’s asking, ‘You’re not suggesting you’re better than our father Jacob, are you?’

Jacob is a hero of the Old Testament, he is one of the Patriarchs, it is he who is renamed Israel and who fathers the twelve men who would carry the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. So you can imagine this Samaritan woman is scratching her head as she tries to grapple with this – apparently – ordinary Jewish man in front of her who is saying, ‘If you knew who I was you wouldn’t be coming to this well for a drink, you’d come to me and I’d give you living water.’ What it seems to be is arrogance if Jesus is an ordinary man. Who is this man?

This isn’t the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus compares himself to one of the patriarchs and claims he is greater than. ‘Before Abraham was, I AM.’   (John 8:58)

‘I AM’ is one of the ways that God reveals himself in the Old Testament. Basically before Abraham existed 2,000 years before Jesus’ birth. But Jesus is not claiming to be over 2,000 years old and predate Abraham, by calling himself ‘I AM’ he is saying he predates the world and is none other than God.

Another way God reveals himself in the Old Testament is as the fountain of living water. Jesus claiming himself to be the fountain of living water that never runs dry is saying he is none other than God in the flesh. (See Jeremiah 2:13)

In response to her question, ‘Are you greater than our father Jacob?’ You better believe it! One greater than Jacob is here, one greater than Abraham is here! And that is the whole basis upon which Jesus can go ahead and make this statement that he can offer her something greater than Jacob did. He is the eternal God of all the universe and he comes to this Samaritan Woman and offers her living water.

2. Clarity (verses 13-24)

Notice now, Jesus does not answer her question; rather he keeps going, speaking of this living water, describing it to her. Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ (  (John 4:13-14)

What is this living water? It is this joyful rebirth by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this reality of having the Holy Spirit living within you giving you a change of heart, a change of mind concerning God whereby instead of being indifferent or hostile to God you know him and love him and want to serve him.

Jesus is offering this woman a new reality, a new experience of walking with Jesus, of knowing Jesus, of loving Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is a liveliness to it, unsurprising as the end is eternal life. ‘The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’

‘The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you —they are full of the Spirit and life.’   (John 6:63)

So this living water is a new birth, a new life in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is a quality too to this living water which is unique and distinct. ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.’   (John 4:13–14)

The water of this well, good though it is, nourishing though it is, iconic culturally though it is, has its limitations. Jesus says if you drink this water you’ll just become thirsty again. Every day you need to come to the well to draw water because yes the water satisfies your thirst but it is only temporary because you just become thirsty again.

This is contrasted by the living water that Jesus offers which, when drunk, leads you to never thirst again. Jesus is the one who satisfies our souls, who gives us unending joy and lasting peace. New life in Jesus is a life that satisfies! Yes the Christian life can be challenging, yes there can be bumps in the road, but it is a life of unspeakable joy no matter what the circumstances are.

Immediately there will be people who think about occasions where we feel dissatisfied as Christians, the Evil One will have a field day saying, ‘This guy is talking drivel.’ How can he say we are satisfied in Jesus when my constant cloud of depression will not lift? How can he be speaking about joy in Jesus when I have a tricky home life, what on earth is he talking about?

The Apostle Paul says this: ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…’   (2 Corinthians 6:10)

It’s possible, it is even likely, that we can have sorrows and tears in this world we can have joy at the same time. That sounds daft and naive, it sounds careless and trite as if we’re saying, ‘Cheer up!’ But it’s not.

The reason we can be satisfied in Jesus while at the same time being dissatisfied with our lives is this: Our joy does not depend upon our circumstances, our joy is settled because it is based upon Jesus’ giving his life for us that we can be forgiven, known and loved by God. The life that Jesus offers is not a life free from suffering, free from pain, free from grief and loss but is a life of joy and peace in the Holy Spirit even in the midst of pain.

Even in those moments when we find our Christian lives a challenge and are tempted to throw in the towel we ultimately come back to Simon Peter’s words, ‘Where else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life!’   (John 6:68)

The nature of the dissatisfied life is one which cannot sit still, which is restless, always looking for something or someone else to fill this void. By contrast, the satisfied life is one which may be tempted to look around sure, but which ultimately returns to the same place; ‘Where else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life!’

Nobody else loves you like he does.
Nobody else can grant you forgiveness of sins.
Nobody else can bring you peace with God.
Nobody else is as committed to your good and flourishing as he is.

There is no one like our God! There is nobody else to go to, there is nowhere else we can go. Are you downcast and in the depths of suffering? Go to him and be anchored, be rooted in a peace which transcends all understanding.

Are you tempted to leave Jesus behind? Where else are you going to go?
Who else satisfies? Who else gladdens your heart?
Who else brings you joy even as you are brought low?
Who else supplies a peace that goes beyond our circumstances?

Truly there are none like him, none that can satisfy, none that gladden our hearts, none that bring us eternal life. You go anywhere else or to anyone else and you will be like the woman going back to the well day after day. It does not satisfy!

Friends, Jesus is enough!

Jesus is enough to satisfy your souls,
Jesus is enough to gladden your hearts,
Jesus is enough to carry you through the ups and downs of life,
Jesus is enough as you battle on in ill health,
Jesus is enough as you face relational strife,
Jesus is enough when you feel at the end of your rope,
Jesus is enough.

He’s unfailingly good,
he’s unendingly gracious,
he’s unfathomably merciful,
he’s unbelievably loving!

Delight yourself in the Lord, follow him through doubts and tears and you will not ever once be disappointed. To whom else can we go? He alone has the words of eternal life!

Sermon: Sunday, 25th May, 2025
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Revelation 7

If we are honest, it is all too easy to skip over passages like Revelation chapter 7, particularly the first half of the chapter. But that would be a big mistake. You’ll miss out on so much encouragement. Encouragement? At first, it might be hard to see what the ‘sealing’ of 144,000 people has to do with us today. However, that’s why it’s so important to be a regular in church and go through all of God’s Word. A preacher’s job is to help people to understand God’s Word and apply it to our lives and situations today. Jehovah Witness often speak of how only 144,000 people will make it to Heaven, interpreting this number literally. Are we meant to? No! Most numbers presented to us in this apocalyptic book are symbolic. So, what is going on here?

Let’s briefly recap. In chapter 4, we were given the magnificent image of the occupied throne. We were reminded that the great ruler at the control centre of the universe is not one of the rulers of the superpowers like the US, China or Russia, and it is not chance or chaos ruling us, but it is the Lord God Almighty. However, John’s vision does not end with a throne. Next, in chapter 5, we saw a scroll with writing on both sides in the hand of God the Father. This scroll symbolises God’s plans for human history. At first, no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll, and bring God’s plans to fulfilment. However, there is a lion-like Saviour who is going to put things right! This lion is also a Lamb who has been slain.

In chapter 6, we were introduced to the four riders of the apocalypse. Through these coloured horses, and the opening of the first four seals, God is telling us what must take place between the first coming and the 2nd coming of Jesus, which includes right now. God wants us to be prepared for the great suffering on the earth from the time of Jesus’ ascension in the 1st century, until the day Jesus returns, at the end of the world. God says to expect a world of military conquest (the white horse), war (the red horse), famine (the black horse) and death (the pale horse). And this is our experience of life. God’s warning is exactly right. The 5th seal transported us from the earth up into Heaven, where the martyrs ask God how long the suffering of Christians on earth must last for; God tells them it will be until he has finished gathering in all the saints. Then, most soberingly, we saw that the opening of the 6th seal marks the Day of Judgement. Those who have rejected God in this life will have nowhere to hide from God’s justice on that day. They will have missed their opportunity to receive God’s mercy. They must now face the consequences of their own failures.

Why have I spent time recapping the events of the first 6 seals? Because in verses 1-8 of Revelation chapter 7, we have a flashback to an event that takes place before the opening of the first 4 seals, before the judgment of the horsemen begins. Then, in verses 9-17, there is a flash-forward to a scene in Heaven after the 6th seals are opened and the Day of Judgement has taken place. We are used to watching films with flashbacks and flash-forwards – so I am confident we cope with this! It really is a joy to appreciate what is going on here.

1. A flashback, giving us wonderful security

In verse 1, John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. These angels are not allowed to harm any of the people on earth until 144,000 of God’s people are specially sealed on their foreheads. In other words, judgment cannot begin until God’s people receive special protection. Who are these 4 angels? The best answer is that these 4 angels are the 4 horsemen we have already studied together. Why do I say that? Because in Zechariah, where the 4 horsemen are first mentioned, these horsemen are also identified as the: ‘…the four spirits (or winds) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.’   (Zechariah 6:5)

Who are the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel? This number should not be taken literally. The 144,000 stands for the church across the ages. 12×12 = 144, and this refers to the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles, in others words, the whole of the church from both the Old and New Testaments. The number 1000 is a number of completeness, telling us that God has the entire church in mind here, and not a specific number. This is the completed church symbolised in special numbers. This stands for all of God’s people in every age. This is where is gets personal. If that is true, then we (if we are Christians) are included in the 144,000.

What is God saying to us here? He is saying that yes, as Christians we must live in a world full of trouble, tribulation, persecution, suffering and death. But will we make it through all of this? Will we be able to keep going and make it to Heaven? Or to use the question found in chapter 6 verse 17, on the Day of Judgement, who will be able to stand before God? Yes, we will be able to stand because God will keep us secure amidst it all.

So, if we are willing to dig into these theological numbers and images a wee bit, we arrive at a marvellous truth- right now, all Christians are being kept by the power of God, and although we will stumble and fall, we will make it to Heaven, not because of our own power but because of his power at work in us. We know this to be true because he has sealed us.

What, then, is this seal? Seals are made on something to mark ownership, authenticity, and to protect them. For example, I sealed the 4 bins at the back of the church with the numbers 191, even painting those numbers on them. This proves they belong to the church. We will look after them. Genuine Levi jeans have a special label and red tag on them to seal them as genuine items and not fake goods. So what is the seal God places on our foreheads to mark us as his (verse 3)? Well, in chapter 14 we read: ‘Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.’   (Revelation 14:1)

We are sealed with the names of God the Father and God the Son. But we are also sealed by God’s Spirit: ‘When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.’   (Ephesians 1:13-14) This mark on us is God’s protection on us. It says that we belong to him, and that means although we will suffer and might even be martyred for our faith in Jesus, we are protected spiritually by God by his own special seal.

This is the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. True Christians cannot fall away and be lost. ‘…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 1:6) God never abandons his work! ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.’   (John 10:28-29 6:5) Sometimes we double wrap our shopping if we are carrying heavy bottles of Irn Bru, and we don’t want the bag to burst. Double wrapping something makes it doubly secure. We are double wrapped – held by both the Father and the Son. ‘The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.’   (Psalm 121:7-8) As well as being double-wrapped, we also have a triple seal, involving Father, Son and Spirit.

What a tremendous comfort this must have been to the early church, persecuted as it was by the Romans. And what a tremendous comfort to those we read about in our Steadfast Global notes last week- those 45 Christians from 10 families expelled from their village in India just for being Christians. And think of the 10 Christian children detained with their 5 Sunday School teachers in China. Yes, they must suffer now, but God will keep them safe spiritually and will keep their inheritances safe in Heaven for them. : ‘This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.’   (1 Peter 1:4-5)

Here’s a crucial question. Who has this seal? Is it those with perfect faith or really strong faith? No! The seal is upon all believers. That includes those struggling with sin and those with doubts and fears. As long as you have faith in Jesus, and receive him as your King, you can be confident about your eternal future, because you have been sealed with the Spirit of God. This makes you an authentic believer. This means you belong to God, and if you belong to God, he will not let any ultimate harm come upon you.

Not many people have job security these days. But it remains a desirable thing to have. How much more desirable is eternal security- to know that we’ve a secured tenancy in Heaven. Can you be a Christian one day, and then lose your Christian faith the next? No. The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere to the end have been truly born again.

2. A flash-forward – our celebration in Heaven

As we move on to look at this great multitude in Heaven in verses 9 – 17, we are looking into the future, and if we are born-again Christians, then we are looking at our own futures! Now the suffering church has become the celebrating church. We could happily spend weeks in these verses, but let’s take a bird’s eye view of they key things. What does the apostle John see?

He sees that the church in Heaven is uncountable and international. It is (verse 9) a great multitude that no one can number. Sarah’s gran was present in London on the 8th of May 1945 for VE Day. More than 100,000 gathered to celebrate with the royal family. This was the biggest crowd she had ever experienced. The crowd in Heaven is far bigger than that. We think back to God’s covenant promise to Abraham in Genesis: ‘He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’   (Genesis 15:5) God will keep this covenant promise. Revelation 7 is a prophecy of what will certainly come to pass. And we will be there.

It is an international family, with Christians united forever from all tribes and nations, dressed in white. That’s why we celebrate having believers in KFC from Scotland, Nigeria, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, the US, India and even Northern Ireland. This is a wee foretaste of Heaven on earth. Because it is Jesus who binds us all together. In fact, we shall be standing together in the presence of the Lamb. We will know that we don’t deserve it. We will have that sense of wonder, that although we were sinners on earth, lost and blind and dead, God in his loving-kindness dealt with our greatest need, that of forgiveness. We will cry out in unison: ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’   (Revelation 16:10)

At football matches when our team wins, we sins songs of self-congratulation. We have done it! Not so in Heaven. There the songs reverberate with praise to God. He alone saves. He has done it all. He chose us and called us and kept us and has now glorified us! We shall be wearing white robes, speaking of the removal of our guilt and shame and also of the fact that we are now a kingdom of priests forever, through our union with Christ. We’ll wave palm branches, even as the disciples did back in John chapter 12, to mark the coming of God’s King into the world. We too will joyfully acknowledge that Jesus is our King. We will forever give our allegiance to him.

Again, let us ask: who are these Christians in Heaven? This is a crucial question to answer as surely we all want to join this crowd. We do not want to miss out. We are told: ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come? I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’   (Revelation 16:13-14)

Those in Heaven are those who have come through the great tribulation. In other words, the pathway to Heaven is one of suffering. For Jesus, his entry to Heaven followed his suffering. That is the order. Suffering now on earth and then glory forever in Heaven.

Robert Murray McCheyne: ‘No pain, no palm. No cross, no crown; no thorn, no throne; no gall, no glory.’

What a tremendous encouragement to us all as we suffer in the Christian life – without the cross there is no crown. In the hard times, we must focus on our future bliss in Heaven. ‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’   (Colossians 3:2) A swimmer was swimming the channel in the fog and started to struggle. She gave up with just a mile to go. However, the next time she attempted the crossing she could see the shore and she kept on swimming. We can see the shore of Heaven and this propels us forward, to keep on keeping on amidst the trials of the Christian life.

Those in Heaven are those whose filthy, sinful, stained robes have been washed white in Jesus’ blood. Friends, think of the simplicity of salvation. Were we to die tonight and God were to ask us why he should let us into his Heaven the answer is this: we don’t deserve Heaven, not one of us, but we trust not in ourselves and what we have done, but in Jesus and what he has done on the cross, and it is his blood and his blood alone which can wash away our guilt and sin.

What will we be doing in Heaven? We will at last enjoy unbroken fellowship with God. The words are all so beautiful and tantalising; (verse 15) we shall be before God’s throne, serving him with great joy, sheltering in and basking in his presence. It sounds too good to be true. But it is true.

The troubles of this fallen world (verse 16) shall all be gone. Hunger and thirst – gone. Sickness and death – gone. And perhaps most wonderful is this, that he who died for us will care for us forever and ever. The Lamb will be our Shepherd, knowing exactly what we need and able to provide it. We will drink from springs of living water and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. How we ought to yearn for that day. It is coming. No more doubts and no more fears. Just face-to-face fellowship with Jesus, the Lamb who loved me and gave himself for me.

Sermon: Sunday, 20th April, 2025
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Revelation 5

Easter Sunday

If there is no God and no life after death, it’s impossible for people to find true meaning and purpose in their lives. Life just seems like a cruel game of chance; we are born and then live for a relatively short time, experiencing all kinds of suffering and difficulties and then we die. As humans, we instinctively know there must be more to life than just eating and drinking and trying and often failing to enjoy ourselves. If all there is is the material, life feels so empty and pointless.

History is not going anywhere. We can get away with most of our evil actions as we are not accountable to anyone. There is nothing and no one to live for. Clearly, some people are dissatisfied with this lack of meaning and purpose and are looking for answers. I was pleasantly surprised to read the report from the Bible Society which said that in England and Wales there has been a sharp rise in young people attending church.

‘This dramatic growth is owed largely to younger generations. In 2018, 4% of the 18 to 24-year-olds reported that they attended church monthly, compared with 16% in 2024. For men, this increased from 4% to 21%, and, for women, from 3% to 12%.’

That’s so encouraging. Some are looking for meaning. Some are thinking of life’s big questions: why are we here and what happens when we die?

Last Sunday morning we considered John’s vision of the throne in Heaven in Revelation chapter 4. The image of an occupied throne is one desperately needed today. So many are taught that the here and now is all there is and there’s nothing beyond what we can see. However, God provides the apostle John with an open door, through which he can see that chance, chaos and meaninglessness are not what lies at the centre of the universe. In fact, this world has been made by an almighty and good Creator, who rules from his throne in Heaven. The Lord is in ultimate control, not human dictators or politicians, and history is unfolding according to the purposes of God. Not only is this God transcendent and all-powerful; he is also merciful and forgiving and we can enter into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ.

However, John’s vision does not end with a throne. The vision continues into chapter 5. God has a lot more to tell us. Yes, God created the world and keeps the world going giving us life and breath, but a lot has happened since the creation. During the time of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world through their disobedience to God’s simple command. And through sin, our relationship with the thrice holy God has been broken, as has our relationships with one another. Human beings, made in God’s image are capable of great acts of love and altruism and yet we also commit evil acts on a daily basis. The world is in crisis. There is war and greed and mental and physical health problems and lying and stealing and all kinds of brokenness.

GK Chesterton once entered an essay competition where you had to answer the question: What is the problem with the world? Let me read the whole essay: ‘Dears Sirs, I am. I am what is wrong with the world.’ This is the truth of the matter. Like Chesterton, I am a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness. If you can admit that, you are well on your way to enjoying the true meaning of Easter.

If we are to find meaning and peace in our lives we need more than the image of God on his throne. We need a way for our dirty sins and guilt to be dealt with. We have rebelled against our Creator and have gone our own way like wandering sheep and we need someone who can put this right. We need peace with God. Does God have a plan to deal with the wrongs in my life and yours? Does he have a plan to overcome evil and death and the power of the Devil? The answer is yes! And God unfolds his plans for human history through these pictures in Revelation chapter 5. If we can understand the gist of these pictures we will find thrilling truths about what God has done and will do with this broken world. In the plan of God, after creation and the Fall comes redemption and re-creation.

1. A sealed scroll which no one can open

‘Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.’   (Revelation 5:1)

What does this mean? What is this scroll sealed with 7 seals? God the Father is on his throne and in his right hand, the hand symbolising authority and power, he holds his plan for human history. It’s unusual for writing to be on both sides of a scroll but this tells us of the detailed nature of God’s plans for all of his creation. I believe this image of the scroll is much-needed today because it reveals to us that life is not meaningless or based on chance, but is actually under the sovereign control of the one living and true God who has a wonderful purpose for his Creation. The 7 wax seals are like God’s own signature. What he has decreed is sure to come to pass.

But there’s a problem. No one can be found who is able to open the scroll. This might seem unimportant to us, but John understands how serious this is (verse 4) as he weeps and weeps. He knows an unopened scroll would mean that God’s plans to bless his people cannot be carried out. There’s no one able to deal with sin and death and Satan. There’s no one who can deal with our problem of guilt. If there’s to be any positive future for the human race, someone must be found who can be the channel through which God’s purposes can be achieved.

Poythress: ‘The destiny of the church and of the universe hangs in the balance over the question of whether someone can open the scroll.’

This is a moment of high drama. John holds his breath. There’s a sense in which the entire universe holds its breath. Even from amongst the great 24 elders, there is no one who can deal with human sin and bring restoration between God and humanity. Will God’s plan of salvation be thwarted? Will they come to nothing, like many of our own human plans which begin with good intentions but then fade away? None from the myriads of angels is able to answer the challenge. It reminds me of Valley of Elah, when Goliath comes to challenge the Israelite soldiers, but all remain silent and the situation seems desperate and hopeless. No one is able to take on and defeat Goliath. Here, no one, it seems, can deal with human sin and its devastation. No one can conquer the giant of sin.

2. The one worthy to open the scroll

John’s weeping soon turns to joy and wonder.

‘Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’   (Revelation 5:5)

There is hope after all. There is one who can open the scroll. Out of all those in the universe, Jesus and Jesus alone is able to put things right. That’s what we celebrate every Easter and every Lord’s Day. But this ‘worthy one’ is not referred to as Jesus here. He is given three other names. Let’s work through them so we can understand this triumphant worthy figure.

  • Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (verse 5)
This goes all the way back to God’s promise to Jacob in Genesis.

‘You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness – who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.’   (Genesis 49:9-10)

This is a magnificent prophecy and promise in the very first book of the Bible. From the line of Judah, a king will come to whom all the nations of the world will give their allegiance. He will be a lion, speaking of his strength and power and majesty. This is the Messiah, God’s promised king who will rescue fallen humanity. Jesus is that strong and regal lion. Jesus will destroy our enemies.

  • Jesus is called the Root of David.
This name also stems from the Old Testament; in Isaiah chapter 11, someone is identified to whom the nations will rally and who will be full of the Holy Spirit. As well as being a descendant of David, mysteriously this One must also precede David, because the root of David must come before David himself. This speaks of the fact that Jesus is eternal. He has always existed. He is God. He comes from David’s line in his humanity, but precedes him as God.

This is thrilling. There is a lion-like Saviour who is going to put things right! There is hope for humanity. But then there is a twist. The elder calls John to ‘see’ this lion of Judah. However, when John turns, it is not a lion he sees but a totally different image.

  • Jesus is called the Lamb who was slain.

‘Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.’   (Revelation 5:6)

John is looking for a majestic king but what he sees is a Lamb which has clearly been slaughtered, and yet this Lamb is alive, standing at the centre of the throne, the place of rule.

This is the Easter story. God could not save the human race from its sinfulness and rebellion through weapons and soldiers. Instead, someone worthy would have to become human, and die in their place, paying for the sin which separates humanity from God. Jesus died on Good Friday for our sins. But he did not stay dead. He rose on the third day, ascended into Heaven and right now Jesus remains there on his throne, yes as the conquering Lion but also as the Lamb.

Poythress: ‘This visions sets forth in dramatic form the central paradox and mystery of the Christian faith. God achieved his triumph and delivered his people, not through the fireworks of military might, but through the weakness of crucifixion.’

What is God saying to us through these animal pictures in the Bible? They are not to be taken literally, of course. God is saying that Jesus is both a lion and a lamb. He is indeed a lion who with great power destroys the power of Satan, sin and death. But he is also the Lamb, and this picture speaks of the way in which he destroys Satan and sin and death – he does so by his sacrificial death on the cross. No one forces Jesus to die the awful death of crucifixion. He voluntarily lays down his life for others. This is true strength and true love. Jesus is the lion and the Lamb. He is the King and he is the Saviour. Can you say Jesus is your Saviour and Lord?

3. The Lamb who was slain – a closer look

When the people of Israel were waiting for their Messiah king to come and rescue them, most of them got it wrong. They were hoping for a political rescue from the imposed rule of Rome. But the Messiah would be spiritual Saviour who would rescue us from something far more serious than foreign occupation: our own sin. But if the people had known and understood their Bibles better, then they would have seen how much they needed someone else able to die in their place.

In Isaiah we read a prophecy of what would happen to the Rescuer.

‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.’   (Isaiah 53:7)

And even before this prophecy, we need to remember what happened during the Passover. In Exodus chapter 12, the angel of death is killing the firstborn sons of Egypt, but for the sons of Israel, there is one way to be protected. A passover lamb can die instead of them, and if it is sacrificed and its blood was painted over the lintels of their front doors, they would be protected from the angel of death. The angel would ‘pass over’ their homes. In other words, for the sins of Israel to be dealt with, a lamb dies instead of them. This act was a signpost to the future when Jesus, the true Passover Lamb would die for our sins.

‘Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.’   (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Let me be clear – no one else can deal with your sins and bring you into a right relationship with God. You cannot deal with them on your own. You cannot make up for them. You need God to deal with them. You need to repent by turning away from your sinful life and trust instead in Jesus’ death on the cross. Only by his death can we be saved from our sins. Victory comes through sacrifice. The victorious Lion conquers through sacrificing himself as a Lamb for us.

4. The Lamb who is worshipped

We don’t have time this morning to unpack the marvellous songs given to Jesus in this chapter. But let us see the main thing here – the proper response to Jesus is worship. He is supreme as both Creator and Saviour. True worship always honours Jesus and to worship God you must worship Jesus.

I got a hand-written envelope through the front door yesterday marked ‘Good news’ and got excited for a moment. What could it be? Actually, it was a letter from a Jehovah Witness inviting me to a Bible study. The thing is, Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus is just a creature to be honoured but not God to be worshipped. But God’s Word reveals the worship he receives in Heaven, not just from the 24 elders, the cherubim (verses 8-10), but from a wider circle of beings, millions of angels (verses 11-12), and finally from the widest circle of creatures possible.

‘Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!

Friends, when Jesus comes again, everyone will worship him as the King of Kings – all of creation. But for some it will be too late. What do you worship? Is it money? Is it pleasure? Is it your family? What is the one thing you cannot do without? That is your god. That is what is most important to you. For the Christian, Jesus is most important to us. We worship him because in his love.

‘…with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’   (Revelation 5:9)

Why does it say ‘purchased’? Because all humans were slaves to their sins and wrong desires. A price was needed to free these slaves, and redeem them. Jesus paid this price with his own blood. How could be not worship him for that? He is the Lamb who was slain, but rose again on the third day. Now he reigns supreme from the control centre of the universe which is in Heaven. he is described in this way:

‘The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.’   (Revelation 5:6)

Horns are an image speaking of power and majesty. Seven is the number of completeness. Jesus has total majesty. The seven eyes are God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is all-seeing and all-knowing. He is God, and so we worship him. Worship the servant-king, the Lion and the Lamb. Worship Jesus, the only true God, full of might and mercy, fierceness and forgiveness.

Sermon: Sunday, 13th April, 2025
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Revelation 4

Have you ever felt like giving up watching the news or reading the newspapers? It seems like bad news follows bad news. From the wars in Ukraine and Palestine to the trade wars and the economic uncertainty they are bringing. As I was preparing this sermon there were Scottish news items about a gang attacking an off duty police officer. Judge Lord Arthurson said the group acted like a ‘feral mob’, likening the account of the attack to a ‘dystopian genre horror film’. In the Steadfast Global prayer notes I read that in Uganda: A new Christian and mother of six children was murdered by her husband on 23 March after making her first visit to church in Busembatya town. Closer to home, there are situations in our own lives that bring us distress and great pain. In short, quite often we feel the world is just in a mess and it seems things are out of control.

Surely, many think, a God who is both all-powerful and good would not allow the world to continue like this. Is God too weak to sort the mess out or does he just not care? It was exactly the same back in John’s day. Christians were often brutally persecuted under the reign of various Roman emperors. They were marginalised or banished and sometimes even killed. Becoming a Christian usually made your life far more difficult in terms of getting on in everyday society. Where was God in all of this? It is understandable that many of us just want Jesus to come back and put an end to all the evil and suffering. But what are we to do in the meantime? How are Christians able to carry on day after day, without living in fear and without losing faith that God is really in control. If we are truthful, sometimes it really does feel like Trump or Putin or Jinping or Apple or Amazon rules the world. Or maybe it seems like no one is in control, and everything is just chaotic and pointless. What is the answer? What can we say to those who feel like giving up on God? How does God meet us when we are tempted to stop trusting in him?

God provides the antidote to fear and doubt here in Revelation chapter 4. He wants to reassure us that he is the one who is in control, and does this through a marvellous vision, given to John. The word ‘revelation’ or apocalypse means God revealing to us that which is normally hidden. Just because it is normally hidden does not mean that it is not true. There is order and control and authority and meaning in the universe, it’s just that we cannot usually see it with the human eye.

So what does God do for John and for us today? ‘After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.’   (Revelation 4:1) If we are to know more about who God is and what his purposes are, he must reveal those to us. We cannot work it out just by guessing or even by looking at the world he has made. We can only truly know God if he makes himself known. And that’s what he does here in Revelation 4. God opens a door so that we this morning are able to gaze into the very centre of the created order. Jesus is the voice (verse 1) beckoning John and saying: ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’

1. An occupied throne

‘…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.’   (Revelation 4:2) John is able to enter the ‘real world’ and see what is really at the centre of the universe. And the truth is, the world is not in chaos. It does not say that ‘chance’ is on the throne, and that really there’s no meaning to life whatsoever. Nor does it say that mother nature is on the throne. Caesar is certainly not on the throne, even though Rome is the superpower of the day. In fact, there is a person on the throne – the Lord God Almighty. Sure, today Putin and Trump and Jinping have their thrones, and Starmer an even smaller one! But these are but temporary and limited thrones. Revelation even mentions the throne of the evil. Writing to the church in Pergamumm we read; ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.’   (Revelation 2:13) But there is only one throne which really counts. There is only one throne which is eternal and all-powerful and that is the throne of God.

The word throne is mentioned 62 times in the New Testament and 47 of them come in Revelation. God wants the picture of him occupying the throne to fill our minds. The word throne is mentioned about 10 times just in this chapter. I love Leon Morris’ comment here:

‘John’s readers were evidently familiar with earthly thrones and they were troubled by all that Caesar’s throne meant. John will not let them forget that there is a throne about every throne.

As the Getty hymn puts it: ‘There is a higher throne than all this world has known, where faithful ones from ev’ry tongue will one day come.’ We might not understand all the imagery in this chapter, but one thing is clear: God is in control and this ought to give us great reassurance. Not only is God in control, but he is all-powerful and wise and merciful and forgiving and holy and majestic. That’s the good news. The one who reigns is a good and glorious and merciful God. And we see all these qualities through the images given to us here.

I love the description in verse 3: ‘…and round the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.’ Why is there a rainbow around God’s throne? The rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant – his commitment to his people. And that commitment is eternal. The rainbow reminds us of God’s mercy and forgiveness of sin. When the entire world deserved to be destroyed, the Lord saved humanity through Noah and the ark, acting in mercy and forgiveness. Wow. The one on the throne is a God of power and might, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, but he is also full of mercy and forgiveness.

Words cannot adequately describe the glory and majesty of God and so God is depicted in terms of dazzling and beautiful light: ‘And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.’   (Revelation 4:3) This speaks of the transcendent beauty of God.

When you are at an airport, so many things are happening at once, with flights and baggage and delays and cancelled flights and storms. There are times when it might seem like chaos at an airport. But were we taken up into the airport control tower, we would realise that the controller’s commands are being sent out to all of the airport staff and that things are actually in good order.

Vern Poythress: ‘Through this vision we are transported into the control tower of the entire universe. From this vantage point, as we understand the Controller and his plans, things fall into place. And even if they sometimes escape our comprehension, we know the One who does comprehend it all. His plans cannot and will not fail.’

Friends, the next time things happen to us which are really hard we might well be tempted to doubt God’s goodness or His power or love. What is the solution? We must come back to Revelation chapter 4. We must walk through the open door described here and remind ourselves who is really occupying the throne and what He is like.

‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.’   (1 John 1:5) God is good and God is holy and God is glorious. Don’t get anxious about those who sit on the small temporary thrones. We don’t give an account of our lives to them, only to God. This passage, if we rub it into our lives, should totally change our perspective on the news. We will continue to hear more and more bad news. But God will work it for good. Don’t be frightened, even if we are persecuted for being Christians. God is not in the least bit fazed by earthly or demonic rulers.

‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.’   (Psalm 2:2-4)

2. A worshipping crowd

What is the right and only response to this all-powerful, majestic, holy God? In a word: worship. Verse 4 introduces us to 24 smaller thrones surrounding the Lord’s throne. These are thrones of the 24 elders. At first, I thought these must be the thrones of Christians who have died and gone to be with the Lord, and some take this view. However, I think it is more likely that they are angelic beings. Why is that? If you go to Revelation chapter 5, these 24 elders are singing about the church and they say: You have made ‘them’ to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’   (Revelation 5:10) If the 24 were human, I think they would sing you have made ‘us’ to be a kingdom of priests. I found Poythress helpful here:

The elders are angelic beings and hence not identical with the church. But they and the church are still images of one another.’

Perhaps there are 24 angels standing for the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. Whoever exactly these 24 beings are, the crucial thing about them is that they fall down before God and worship him, laying their crowns before Him. What does it mean to lay your crown before God? You are acknowledging that He is the rightful Ruler of all things. They are giving God the first place. All other sovereignty must yield to His.

What gives God the right to deserve worship from the angelic hosts of heaven and from all human beings in the earth, including us? Thee answer is given: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’   (Revelation 4:11)

As the Creator of all things, God owns and controls all He has made. It would be foolish for creatures like us to try and push ourselves onto God’s rightful throne, would it not? And yet, that is exactly what many of us are doing. Many people want to be in charge of their own lives and live any way they want. They don’t want to let God be God. They don’t want to worship and obey Him. Instead, they want to go their own way, rebelling against God. Friends, this is a very foolish and treasonous thing to do. It is foolish to reject the true King.

Let me urge you to copy the angels in Heaven. They give God his rightful place. They respond in worship and submission. Christians are those who can say: ‘Lord Jesus, I am not in charge of my life any more. You are.’ We cast our little crowns before the throne. Queen Victoria heard a sermon on Revelation chapter 4 and with tears said to the preacher: ‘…because of what you said about the coming of the world’s rightful King, I wish still to be here when he returns, that I might lay my crown at his blessed feet.’

From verse 6, we are introduced to the 4 living creatures. We’re not used to such unusual creatures. As we have seen often in Revelation, the key to unlock these weird visions is the Old Testament. Very similar creatures are found in Ezekiel chapter 1, and there they are identified as the cherubim. Notice that these 4 creatures are closest to the Lord’s throne and so are likely to be mighty and important angelic beings. They are covered with eyes. It is as if God’s heavenly assistants reflect his own attributes. And so the eyes on these beings speak of the fact that God is able to see everything that happens in the whole of His created order. Nothing is hidden from his sight. No one can conceal anything from God. And the references of the lion and ox and eagle and man speak of God’s power and majesty, swiftness and intelligence. We are told what the 4 creatures say again and again: Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’   (Revelation 4:8)

God is holy, which means he is totally separate from his universe. He is the only uncreated one, who was and is and is to come. He is the only one who has always existed. And he is perfect in every respect. This is a God of absolute power and holiness and majesty and if the angelic beings know how to respond aright in worship, surely we ought to follow their lead. How wonderful that we could begin our service today joining the angels in heaven singing ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty’. This is a God worth worshipping, worth serving and worth devoting our lives too.

Let me just end by saying that in some ways this is one of the most practical passages in the whole Bible. It won’t make you richer financially or top up your sun tan or guarantee your children or grandchildren will be happy. But if you are feeling overwhelmed by the pain and suffering of this world and are struggling to make sense of it all and are doubting God is in control, then come through the door with John and be reminded that He is ruling and reigning on His eternal throne. This is the great reality of the universe. And if you are proud, living for yourself, and ignoring the true King, even though he made you and even though the earth belongs to him, then you also need to come through the door and see that God is at the centre of the universe, not you. Along with all people, the only right response is to worship him through Jesus Christ.

Sermon: Sunday, 29th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Philippians 3:10-16

We’ve reached the last Lord’s Day of 2024, a natural time for us to both look back at the year gone by and to look ahead to 2025. Some of us like doing that kind of thing naturally. We make New Year’s resolutions, and we might even journal our progress through the year. However, the truth is many of us might not want to look back or look ahead. It might seem too painful or hopeless or uncomfortable to do so. It is easier just to take a day at a time and not think about things too much. We avoid the serious thing. We avoid assessing how things have been going and what we want in the coming year.

1. Stagnation versus growth

Imagine close friends meeting for a coffee and discussing their respective jobs. One tells how she feels she’s been stagnating in her job all year. Her skills remain untapped, and she’s not being given enough responsibility. Her boss takes little interest in her work. The other friends encourage her to look for a new job, even if that’s hard in the short-term. No one likes stagnation. It’s a negative word. Stagnant water, by definition, has no fresh water entering it, making it unhealthy and a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites. This friend longs for a job in which she can grow and develop and be nurtured and expand her skills. When it comes to work, we’d all choose an environment of growth over one of stagnation. What is true of the working world is also true of our spiritual lives. Each of us has a responsibility to look back and to look ahead and to ask ourselves, have I been growing as a Christian or have I been stagnating?

We’ve been weighing our week-old puppies daily to make sure they are gaining weight and are healthy. We have to do that. We must take responsibility for them. But the sad thing is that often we fail to spiritually ‘weigh’ ourselves and take time to check if there is spiritual health and growth. Do we have to? Really?

Paul instructs Timothy: ‘Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.’   (1 Timothy 4:13-15)

Fiends, the Christian life is a pilgrimage in which we aim to see progress and not stagnation. Would others in your family or church family be able to see that you have made progress spiritually this year? Or is this stuff just for preachers like Timothy? No, it’s for all of us to work hard, in God’s power, to make progress.

Our passage today is full of teaching which helps to jolt us out of coasting along in the Christian life, if that is what we are doing. Paul wants us to follow his example as he follows Christ. He wants us to emulate him, and he is a man who has kept his desire to grow stronger and develop in the Christian life, seeking to know Christ and become like Christ. Paul says so plainly: ‘I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…’   (Philippians 3:10) Paul has known Christ for decades now, so what does he mean that he wants to ‘know Christ?’ It simply means he wants to know Jesus more and more, just as a loving friend continues to want to know more about his friend after years of friendship. It’s a relationship. And when it comes to Christ, because he is God this means that we will never come to the end of knowing him. That’s thrilling! There is always more about Christ’s wisdom and love and grace for us to discover. We can never claim to have ‘arrived’ spiritually.

Paul wants us to know more of Christ’s power. Amazingly, this is the same power which raised Christ from the tomb. Who wouldn’t want to know more of this life-giving power from the Holy Spirit? It is so appealing. Don Carson reminds us that it is this power which enables us to grasp the dimensions of God’s love for us, and that gives us endurance, faith and gives rise to lives marked by thankfulness. Only God’s power can bring such changes to us. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He also wants us to participate in the sufferings of Christ. At first, that might sound much less appealing. What does it mean? That just as Christ’s life involved suffering in this life followed by glory, our lives must share this pattern.

In other words, Christ-likeness must lead us to Calvary. We too must take up our crosses and follow Jesus, and as we do that, he will be with us, he will fellowship with us. God often uses persecution and the sufferings of this life to bring us closer to himself and to bring growth in our lives. Consider the familiar image of pruning a bush in our garden; the pruning can be painful and seem severe, but it leads to growth and fruitfulness. We cannot look ahead to 2025 and say to God, ‘I want your power but not the suffering.’ We must have both. In fact, the amazing thing is that it is in those times of testing and suffering that’s God’s grace works in us all the more, and our lives bring more glory to God.

Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his flesh to be taken away, but God said: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’   (2 Corinthians 12:9) I have to be honest and say that I still struggle with the fact that so much Christian growth comes through our suffering. However, I also attest that it most certainly does. Here’s the heart of the matter: Paul is not stagnating in his faith but is growing in his knowledge of Christ and love of Christ, and he wants us to grow too.

D Carson: ‘It is a shocking thing for Christians to have to admit that they have grown little in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.’

May 2025 be a year of spiritual growth for us and not spiritual stagnation.

However, there’s a danger that we all leave church just feeling guilty today. We might wring our hands and think, ‘There’s no way I can make progress.’ We might leave discouraged. Instead, let’s take a closer look at these verses to learn from Paul what we need to do to see growth, and what God will do in us.

2. Press on in the race

In verses 9-11, Paul has been speaking about the past, present and future of the Christian life. He has been justified through faith in the past; in the present, he is far from perfect, but is being sanctified, becoming more like Jesus; and in the future he will be glorified, and only then will his struggle with sin be over. In Paul’s day, there were some false teachers who claimed to have reached perfection in this life, a state of holiness in which they no longer sinned. I’d want to get a hold of the wives of these false teachers and ask them if they agreed. I suspect not. Paul wants to be clear that he has not reached this point: ‘Not that I have already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal…’   Paul, like all of us, had to fight against sin every day and strive towards holiness, knowing that perfection would only come in Heaven.

Here’s a question; why is it so dangerous to stagnate in our Christian pilgrimage? Because although we are justified by faith, we are still sinners.

John Owen: ‘Indwelling sin lives in us in some measure and degree while we are in this world, so that sin is always acting, always conceiving, always seducing, always tempting.’

That is so true. So, if we start to coast or switch off in our Christian lives, this indwelling sin will run riot. We cannot ever stop fighting against sin and we cannot stop asking God for help to become more like Jesus. We must do all we can in this fight against sin. When we are driving, we can never really switch off. We always need to be aware what’s behind us and in front of us and this changes all the time. There are obstacles and dangers which can come upon us quickly out on the road. Likewise, in the Christian life, we must be concentrating all the time, looking for dangers and watching and praying. Whether we are young Christians, or much older Christians, John Owen’s advice remains equally true: ‘be killing sin or sin will be killing you’.

What is Paul’s advice to us as we anticipate 2025 together? We must ‘press on’ in the life of faith. This is an image from the world of athletics. We are all in a marathon and need to keep on running. The language Paul uses involves us working really hard, running and sweating and stretching every muscle as we concentrate on the prize of eternal life with Christ. There’s nothing here of Paul being passive, just turning up in church when he feels like it, allowing his Bible to gather dust and not bothering serving in the local church, but leaving that to others. This is a race. Sins are put to death.

We pursue Christian growth through the usual channels: reading the Bible, spending quality time in prayer to God in stillness with our phones, Xboxes, televisions and radios switched off. We make time for Christian fellowship to keep ourselves accountable and to encourage others. We make church a priority. We confess our sins at the end of the day in prayer and think and think again about how we can root out the sins which keep tripping us up. This is pressing on.

I love that, in a positive sense, Paul is a monomaniac here. There’s one thing he wants to do. He’s focused on one thing like a laser beam. ‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize…’   (Philippians 3:13-14) What does Paul mean by ‘forgetting what is behind’? Well, all runners know that you can’t run effectively if you are looking back over your shoulder on the time. You must look ahead.

We can look back at past mistakes we’ve made and get stuck in the things we have done. However, if we have confessed those sins to God, and repented, then don’t keep looking back. Look ahead to Jesus. We could look back at things which have happened in our past and blame others or blame God. But we can’t make progress if we’re harbouring bitterness about past wrongs. Forget what is behind. That’s not always easy. I find it easy to be like a pig wallowing in the mud of my sins from the past. But God wants me to press on. Perhaps you’re not like a pig but a sloth. You look back at all you have achieved in your Christian life, years of service in Sunday School, creche, café, or the like. And you rest on your laurels. You look back and wrongly think you’ve done enough. To the sloths as well as the pigs, the Lord would say ‘press on’. Perhaps this is a danger to middle aged and older Christians. You want to ‘retire’ from Christian service, but God wants you to ‘press on’.

3. Press on, but with God’s help!

What do you hope to do in 2025? Perhaps you have some DIY projects or countries you’d like to visit. Of course, work and family will take up much of our time in the ordinariness of life, but all this we must do for the glory of God. What God is asking from you this morning is to focus on the main thing: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…’ (Philippians 3:13) When I think of straining, I think of how much our dog used to strain on the leash when out for a walk. It would drive us crazy. But this is a positive straining. We are straining towards becoming more like Jesus. We will arrange our lives, and organise our diaries, and make plans with this one thing in mind. We won’t get too distracted by things that don’t really matter, like endless entertainment and money and pleasure. Sure, we’ll enjoy God’s good creation and be joyful Christians, savouring music and friendship and the positive things in our culture. But in a secondary way. ‘Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.’   (Psalm 119:18-19) We are pilgrims on the earth. We’re just passing through. So, we’ll hold loosely to the stuff of this world. And we will strain towards the lasting heavenly prize.

Let’s end the year with some massive encouragements. Yes, we must ‘press on’. But there’s something else taking place which inspires us to keep on going, and that’s the knowledge that Christ has got a grip of us and will not let us go: ‘… but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’   (Philippians 3:12) Because Jesus’ grip of us is unbreakable, we can run the race with joy, because we know that we cannot lose this race. Jesus himself enables us to keep on running.

We work, as God works. It’s not all about us. The hymn puts it well:
‘When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast.
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold through life’s fearful path,
for my love is often cold. He must hold me fast.’

We also hear this same wonderful note sounding in verse 14: ‘I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 3:14) God has ‘called’ us heavenward. Because God himself has called us in this direction, this means he is determined that we shall reach our destination. If God calls us to this race, and he does, you can be sure that he will provide all the grace we need to run, and we will finish.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 2:21-40

Christmas is only three days away. At this time of year, we often think about the shepherds and the wise men, but there’s a part of the story we often miss out – Jesus’ presentation in the temple. Let’s not miss this part out! It’s an amazing event with much to teach us. As baby Jesus is in the temple, an old godly man gathers him up in his arms and prophesied about him. What he says is so wonderful that we read Mary and Joseph marvel about it (verse 33). Simeon looks at this tiny, fragile, dependent baby and says that he is salvation and that he is the light for a dark world.

Jesus is circumcised at eight days old and then when he is 5-6 weeks old, his parents take him to the temple, to present him to God, because Jesus was the first-born son. Normally, five shekels was paid to ‘redeem’ the first-born. ‘The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver…’   (Numbers 18:15-16)

Another ceremony is going on here too – the purification of the mother (Mary) – where a lamb or, if people were poor, a pair of doves or pigeons would be sacrificed. It’s fascinating to note that Mary and Joseph are too poor to sacrifice a lamb. Jesus is brought up by parents who did not have much to spare. More importantly, we see that Jesus is brought up by parents who seek to honour God in their lives. Clearly, Mary and Joseph are obeying the Old Testament requirements, and were a pious, God-centred young couple. They bring their family to synagogue each Sabbath and bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. This is the kind of home we want to have. We want a home where our children are taught to pray and understand God’s Word. We don’t need a materialistic Christmas. Of course, we can enjoy giving and receiving gifts, but the focus is on something deeper – the birth of the Saviour.

Mary and Joseph are examples to us that we are to worship God in God’s way, in the way in which he has prescribed in the Bible, and not making it up as we go along. Many people are confused about this. They think they don’t need to go to church to worship God and don’t need Jesus to worship God. But it’s not our place to decide how we want to worship God. It’s God’s place as God to tell us how we are to worship him. That’s why we aim to worship according to the Bible, God’s revelation. It’s mentioned five times here that Mary and Jospeh act in accordance with the ‘law of the Lord’.

1. The humility of the first Christmas

There is so much in the Christmas story which underlines Jesus’ humility. He leaves the worship and splendour of Heaven and comes down to a broken world to rescue us. What kind of situation does he enter? He is born in a stable and placed in a manger. He is hunted by wicked king Herod and forced to flee to Egypt, becoming a refugee. He is born into a despised race, Israel, which has been conquered by nation after nation for around 1000 years and currently subjugated the might of Rome. He is born to poor parents and grows us in an obscure town called Nazareth. And in this passage, Jesus is himself is subjected to all the regulations of the Mosaic law, needing to be redeemed for five shekels as the firstborn son. ‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’   (Galatians 4:4-5)

I find it ironic that Jesus, who is the Redeemer, is himself redeemed for five shekels of silver. Redemption means to set someone free through the payment of a price. Jesus is the perfect Son of God who never sinned and so in that sense does not need to be redeemed. But in keeping with the law, and in his humility, he is treated as if he is an ordinary sinful human being, needing to be redeemed. This is a bit like when as an adult, Jesus is baptised, in spite of not needing to be washed from any personal sin. Again and again, Jesus identifies with the sinners he has come to save. Then on the cross, Jesus redeems us. He sets us free from the horrors of sin by paying a great price. The price is his own life. The baby redeemed here goes on to become the Redeemer, who pays with his own precious blood.

2. The first Christmas was worth waiting for

We only have three more sleeps until it’s Christmas! I’m sure we can all wait a little longer. In verse 25 we’re introduced to a man called Simeon who is waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel’. Consolation means comfort, and this phrase is another way to say ‘the Messiah’. Simeon is a highly privileged individual. Not only is the Spirit of God upon him, but he had received a unique and amazing promise from God – he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. That’s some promise! We are not told when Simeon was given this promise and so we don’t know how long he has been anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Every day, he must have longed more than the one before that this would be the day. The spiritual darkness in Israel was enormous, therefore the coming of the light of the world to dispel the darkness was something to long for indeed.

The Holy Spirit prompts Simeon to enter the temple courts, just when Jesus is being presented there. God is orchestrating everything together in order to fulfil his promise to Simeon. Simeon takes baby Jesus in his arms and praises God.

What can we learn today from his words? ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.’   (Luke 2:29) In other words, Simeon is now ready to die.

How would you fill the blank? Before I die I want to …
Walk my children down the aisle?
Travel the world?
Enjoy many happy and healthy years of retirement?
See my grandchildren?

Often, what someone truly longs for tells us what they truly value. For Simeon, the one thing he wants is to see the Christ child. This totally blows everything else out of the water. Nothing else comes remotely close to the thrill of this privilege. Why? Because in Jesus, Simeon has all he could possibly need or want. He has forgiveness, and eternal life. He has salvation from sin. He has seen God’s glory in the person of Jesus. And because Simeon trusts in Jesus, and even entrusts his death to Jesus, he knows that he need not fear death, and that everything is going to be ok. In fact, everything is as good as it can be, because Jesus’ love for Simeon will never come to an end. Simeon trusts in the one who will right all wrongs and usher in a new world one day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Darrell Bock: ‘Simeon knows that he can be content with his life, since he has had the honour of witnessing God’s salvation. This attitude is important because it put the other events and traumas of life into perspective.’

Simeon really challenges me to think – what am I waiting for? What’s the one thing I really want? Is it to be in a successful church, whatever that means? Is it to have stronger relationships with my family? Is it to be happy and healthy? It also challenges me to think, am I ready to die? Is having Jesus enough for me?

If, like Simeon, we truly see who Jesus is and trust in him, then we too can share that same peace. We need not fear death. We need not fear anything. We have eternal life and compared to that, nothing really matters. We can be contented, even if work is tough and relationships are far from smooth. When God is for us, who can stand against us? At the prayer meeting on Wednesday, we were reminded of this verse; ‘For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.’   (Psalm 149:4) Your boss might not delight in you. Your family members might not delight in you. You might even struggle with feelings of anxiety or worthlessness. But God delights in you and loves you and for Simeon, that is more than enough. Jesus deals with our root problem – our sin. And the truth is that because we have been made by God and designed to have a relationship with God, we are never going to know the contentment Simeon knows until we too cherish knowing Jesus.

We can also be like Simeon by being fellow waiters. We wait for Christ’s second advent. ‘Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.’   (2 Timothy 4:8) Friends, the second coming of Jesus is what we should be anticipating and longing for. It will be worth the wait.

3. The reach of the first Christmas

Who is Christmas for? Last week, we saw that the coming of the Magi from the east was a sign from God that Jesus was born not just as the Saviour of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles – the whole world. The reach, then, is all-encompassing. God so loved ‘the world’ that he gave his one and only Son. God has seen the mess the world is in but has not left us to ourselves; in love and grace he puts his arms around the world, offering salvation to all. This world-wide reach is explicitly stated by Simeon: ‘For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’   (Luke 2:30-32) That’s why we can sing the carol: ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her King…’

However, if Jesus is God’s gift to the whole world, then each one of us must respond to him. This means that Jesus’ gift of forgiveness is offered to you. Will you take this gift and unwrap it? Sadly, many people reject the best gift ever given, and Simeon prophesied about this too, saying to Mary: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’   (Luke 2:34-35)

4. The division the first Christmas brings

There are certain things which divide people which do not really matter. You might love or loathe marmite, but it doesn’t really matter. You might be a turkey fan for Christmas dinner or you might be a steak pie person. It’s not too big a deal. People are divided over these trivial things. As a nation we have been politically divided for many years over the question of independence. This is a more serious matter, which splits people in two. However, the most serious issue which splits people is actually Jesus himself. Simeon tells us that Jesus will divide the nation in two; that’s what the imagery (rooted in Isaiah chapters 8 and 28) of ‘rising and falling’ means.

Darrell Bock: ‘Jesus’ ministry reveals where the thoughts of one’s heart are. As the salvation of God and the expression of God’s will, the reaction to him reveals our reaction to God’.

No one is more loved in the world than Jesus Christ. And no one is more hated. He divides people. Why? Because some people in darkness refuse to come into the light because they do not want the reality of their lives to be exposed. No group of people in history has been more hated or persecuted than Christians. Mary’s own heart will be pierced when her son is misunderstood and hated, and most of all when he is crucified at Calvary. ‘Whoever is not with me is against me…’   (Matthew 12:30) What on earth does Jesus mean? He means we cannot be neutral about him. We either receive him as our rightful King or we reject him, in order to be our own king.

Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth and the life. This is an exclusive claim. But it forces us to ask ourselves today, are we for Jesus or against him? Do we love him, or deep down, do we resent his claim over our lives? The Christmas story divides us. On which side do you land? It’s a matter of eternal life or death.

‘Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.’   (John 3:18)

Sermon: Sunday, 15th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

For many people in Scotland, the Christmas story brings back memories of the school nativity play. Perhaps you were in one yourself or have watched one of your own children be an angel, a wise man or a shepherd, or even Mary or Joseph is they were lucky enough to have a starring role. It’s good that at least many of the children in our land still know the gist of the Christmas story, though that number seems to go down each year, as Christmas Carol services are replaced by winter celebrations. There are several dangers we face when returning to the Christmas story. There’s the danger of familiarity. We think we know the story and have nothing left to learn and so we just switch off and wait for the mince pies. There’s a danger that we see the account as a made-up story, like an ancient myth, something which probably didn’t happen. And there’s a danger that we sentimentalise the story, thinking ‘That’s lovely that Mary found somewhere for her baby eventually.’ but failing to think deeply about what God is trying to tell us in this crucial part of history. Let’s try and briefly deal with some of these dangers.

Firstly, this is not a myth but a historical event. Almost all serious historians agree that Jesus was a historical figure, who was born in Bethlehem and died by crucifixion. The King Herod mentioned in the account is Herod the Great, whose reign is also well attested in history. He was known as a paranoid ruler, who got rid of his own wife and some of his sons when he felt they threatened his reign. The killing of the boys aged 2 and under is a horrific act which accords with similar actions throughout his reign, recorded in secular sources. However, the Christmas story is a also a supernatural story. That’s no big deal if you believe in God. If you say that you don’t believe in God, then you must conclude that the world, including our own existence, happened by chance and has no ultimate meaning or purpose or hope beyond the grave. It’s hard to see how the world could be so full design and order, with the amazing laws of chemistry, physics and biology, if it all came about by time plus chance. In the praise earlier we sang: ‘Chanting bird and flowing fountain, praising you eternally’. In other words, we can see God’s fingerprints all over creation. But if God has always existed, and he has, then we should not be surprised that the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the supernatural, such as angels, special stars and dreams.

Last week, we thought about the names God tells Joseph to give to his son. Immanuel means ‘God is with us’ and Jesus means ‘the LORD saves’. This captures the whole of the Christmas story. Jesus, who is the Maker of all things, and is eternal God, leaves heaven and comes down to earth to become a human being. Why? In order to rescue human beings like us from their sins. This is the heart of the Christmas story. Of course, it is supernatural – God becoming a true human being is marvellously supernatural. But that does not mean it isn’t true. We know it is true because it is historical and we know it is true because of the prophecies given. The prophet Micah predicts, 700 years before Jesus’ birth, that he will be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was an obscure town 5 miles away from Jerusalem and often missed off the maps of Israel being so small. The prophecy comes true. In Matthew chapter 2 verse 15, we read that Jesus’ fleeing into Egypt as a refugee was also prophesied, as was the killing of those in Bethlehem, his growing up in Nazareth, and the appearing of those from the east with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These are prophecies which were historically documented in the Hebrew language long before Jesus’ birth. In fact, there are dozens of prophesies about Jesus’ life recorded in the Old Testament. Every single one comes true. This is totally supernatural. God is telling us here that the Bible is true. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry. You cannot explain that.

Secondly, we won’t sentimentalise this account this morning. Instead, let’s ask ourselves what God is saying to us through these events. That might even unsettle or offend us. Let’s consider the wide range of reactions to Jesus’ birth and think about which reaction we can relate to the most. In other words, let’s remember that God speaks to us today, loudly and clearly, through the pages of the Bible. That’s why it has been the best-selling book every single year for hundreds of years. It’s because God speaks to us through His Word.

We don’t know much about the Magi from the east. One Christmas carol says ‘We Three kings From Orient Are’ but the truth is, we don’t know how many there were, which country they were from and it is unlikely that they were kings. At least the carol gets the ‘orient’ part right. Our best guess would be that they are from modern day Iran or Iraq, coming from Persia or Babylon. They are likely to be well-educated, experts in the stars, in interpreting dreams, and in religion. Perhaps they had some Old Testament prophecies, such as in the book of Daniel, since Daniel was prime minister in Babylon. We cannot be sure. We are not told.

What we do know is that the star-gazers see an unusual star in the sky and understand what it means – a very special king of the Jews has been born. They travel for hundreds of miles, armed with expensive gifts fit for a king, so that they can pay homage to this special person. In spite of their limited understanding, these Magi, Gentile foreigners from the east, come looking for the Jewish Messiah. They find him and worship him.

What’s the significance of the wise men in the Christmas story? What is God telling us through it. God is telling us that Jesus is God’s special gift, not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, in other words, to the whole world. Let’s make this more personal, seeing ourselves in this story where we belong – in a sense, this baby is for you. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…’    (John 3:16) If you believe in him, you can have eternal life.

The worship of the wise men signals to us that the Kingdom of God is international in its scope. Yes, Jesus is the King of the Jews. But he is also the true King of the whole world. As God-in-the-flesh, he is my rightful King and your rightful King. The question is, will you receive him as such? Will you give your allegiance to him?

The prophet Isaiah, eight centuries before Jesus was born, makes this prophecy about the birth: ‘Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ‘Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.’ Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.’   (Isaiah 60:3-6)

So, in a very real sense, the wise men are the first fruits of millions upon millions of Gentiles who like them, will come to Jesus in faith and worship. First fruits are special as they signal that the rest of the harvest will follow. The wise men are the first fruits signalling the massive worldwide growth of Christ’s church. That is one of many reasons we celebrate having so many different nationalities in Kirkcaldy Free Church. Jesus is for all the nations. He is for the rich and educated like the wise men and he is for the poor less-educated like the shepherds. He is for the Jews and the Gentiles. He is for men and women. He is for the young an the old. He is an international Saviour-King.

If someone hands you a gift then you need to make some kind of a response. Myself and Geoff handed out some more welcome packs to people in new houses in Kirkcaldy. Thankfully, we weren’t met with much hostility, though that can happen. Most people responded with apathy and indifference. A few responded positively. That was just a welcome pack. But imagine it is Christmas morning, and you hand a close family member a present you have made yourself, having poured time and money and thought and love into it. The person opens it and says,‘I don’t want this.’ Or perhaps they open it and you can tell they don’t really want it. Though special and useful, it’s not valued by them and remains unused, gathering dust amongst the several unwanted Christmas presents in the house. What if God himself offers you a gift which is just what you need. Your response to that gift is highly significant and will actually shape your future. That’s why you are part of the story.

Let’s look at some negative responses to Jesus’ birth first. Herod hears the news about the birth of a new king of Israel and he (verse 3) is disturbed. He must have thought ‘I’m the king of Israel’ and felt threatened. His mind would have been working overtime, thinking about getting rid of any potential rival. Herod wasn’t actually truly Jewish and he wasn’t in the line of Israel’s kings as Jesus was. He was half Jewish and half Idumean. He was appointed by Roman authority and not from the Jewish people. For Herod, the answer to the question ‘Who is in charge?’ is ‘I am’. He is a ruthless and selfish man and will do anything in order to cling to the power he shouldn’t even have. He only cares about himself and not even for his own immediate family. When the wise men enquire (verse 2) about where the king of the Jews will be born, Herod does not care a jot about this claim, even though it is a right one. Jesus is the true king and not Herod. Whilst Herod rules with selfishness and greed, Jesus will reign (verse 6) as a shepherd who truly cares for the flock. In fact, he will lay down his life for his sheep. Of course, we might find it hard to relate to Herod’s response.

However, it’s all too easy to be like Herod spiritually. What do I mean? Jesus, as God, is the one who has the right to be in charge of all people. We ought to follow him. He is the true King and not us. The universe revolves around him and not us. But we can feel threatened by his claim over our lives. We want to cling onto being the ones in charge and want to do what we want when we want, and relegate God out of our lives altogether. We don’t want God, a rival king, telling us what to do, nor do we want him in the Bible to tell us how we ought to live. It’s all about what we think and what we want. That’s all. If that’s where we are at, then we are like Herod spiritually. In verse 3, we read that all Jerusalem is disturbed. I’m not sure why. Perhaps they fear Herod’s mood swings and are scared about more political unrest. Whatever the reason, the nation which had been waiting for the Messiah-king for centuries reacts negatively when he actually arrives.

Then there’s the apathy of the religious leaders. They should have known better. They should have been excited and filled with enthusiasm, as the religious leaders of the day. They ought to have jumped on their donkeys and travelled the 5 miles to Bethlehem to see Jesus for themselves. They don’t bother. Yes, they have the head-knowledge (verse 5) knowing that the Bible had revealed the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. It’s all just a job for them. They have no sense of longing and wonder about the birth of the Rescuer. It seems to make no difference to them. They are comfortable with their own positions of religious power, but their hearts are far from God. This is a sobering response.

Perhaps a parallel today is those who come to church out of routine, or guilt, or because they think they are good people. But they don’t really love Jesus and are not thankful to him for dying on the cross. Inwardly, they shrug their shoulders at the true Christmas message, and it fails to impact their everyday lives. Which of these responses can you relate to?

Finally, we have the positive response of the wise men. It is wonderful that although they have far less knowledge than scribes and pharisees, they are the ones who have faith and love and worship in their hearts. ‘On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’   (Matthew 2:11) The Magi put Herod and the religious leaders to shame. The faith of the Magi stands in stark contrast to the unbelief of the religious elite.

J C Ryle captures the strength of the Magi’s faith: ‘They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knees, and worshipped Him as a King… They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them… and yet when they saw that infant they believed they saw the divine Saviour of the world! They fell down and worshipped Him.’

What about us here today? We have the whole Bible and can read the records of Jesus’ miracles and incomparable teaching. We can read of his act of love dying for others on the cross. We can read of the greatest proof of his identity – his resurrection from the dead. We have more light than the wise men. The question is, are we willing to honour and worship the King? Will we gladly honour him with our gifts of love and time and service.

The carol ‘In the bleak midwinter’ asks the question:
‘What can I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
et what I can, I give Him, give my heart.’

If you refuse God’s greatest gift what are you refusing? You are refuging his forgiveness, grace, peace, love and eternal life. Instead, be like the wise men. Worship the true King.

Sermon: Sunday, 8th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Our names are very important. I remember a book of baby names which we had when choosing the names of our children. These days, I guess most people will just use a website. Some people will choose names because they simply like the sound of them. There’s a tribe in Papua New Guinea who love the sound of English words even though they don’t know what they mean. This resulted in one boy being named ‘tinned fish’ by his parents and one girl being called ‘2nd gear’. If you think that’s crazy, then we need just consider Ellon Musk, whose most recent child is called Techno Mechanicus. It seems he is better with rockets than with choosing names. Some people choose names because it’s in the family. The golfer Davis Love III has the same name as his Dad! Some people choose a name because of what it means. The cadet’s flight lieutenant’s first name, Stephen, means ‘crown’ (after all he is the boss). The name David means ‘beloved’. Michael means ‘who is like God?’ Cameron means ‘crooked nose’. Fiona means ‘fair or pale’. Sophia means ‘wise’. And Amelia means ‘hardworking’.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, and if we want to understand why Christians celebrate it, we need to think about the names of Christ. It is not Mary and Joseph who name their child, but God does that and reveals his choice through the prophet Isaiah and through an angel. The child is called Jesus, which means ‘the Lord saves’ and also Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. This gets to the heart of who Jesus is, none other than God the creator, and also why he left Heaven and came down to earth to become a real human baby, in order to rescue us.

1.The problem of Christmas

In Matthew chapter 1 Joseph, the central character in the story, has an enormous problem. He is betrothed to Mary – betrothal is bond stronger than our engagement today. He must have been looking forward to getting married and setting up a home with Mary. ‘Not long to go now’. But then he hears the stomach-turning news: two words- ‘Mary’ and ‘pregnant’. Joseph must have thought: ‘She wouldn’t do that!’ ‘She must have.’ ‘She has cheated on me.’ What a hammer-blow. God’s people then and now don’t have intimate relations before marriage.

We see in Joseph a man of dignity and a man of compassion. He knows he cannot marry Mary now. She has been unfaithful (or so it seems). However, he still loves her, and doesn’t want to drag her name through the mud, and so decides to divorce her quietly. Joseph’s example is so helpful in that it’s not just being right which matters, but how we go about things. Will he behave in a gentle or abrasive way? Joseph is a refreshing combination of truth and love. Ephesians 4:15 tells Christians that when we speak to others we must ‘speak the truth in love’. Too many people might say something true, but say it in an unkind way. Others might lie, saying what you want to hear.

What must it have been like being in Joseph’s sandals? The bottom falls out of his world. I’m guessing he had tears flowing down his cheeks as he thought about divorce. But then God speaks to Joseph to explain that what is happening isn’t a nightmare after all. In fact, this pregnancy is the best news ever. Mary has not been unfaithful. This is a supernatural pregnancy, unlike any other before or since. ‘What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’   (Matthew 1:20)

Who is this child? ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).’  (Matthew 1:23) This baby is none other than God, leaving Heaven, and coming down to earth to become a human. Why? Why is God (who created the world) coming down to enter it in this remarkable way? The angel explains this to Joseph as well: ‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’   (Matthew 1:21) In other words, God has come to earth on a rescue mission – to save people from their sins! To save people from all the wrong things they do, say and think.

What is the problem of Christmas? It’s not just a problem Joseph has, but one we all have. Because if we pause to think, God is saying to each of us today that we need to be rescued from our pride, greed, selfishness, ignoring God, lack of love for God, lack of thankfulness to him. This is, of course, a highly offensive message. But isn’t it true? Personally, I don’t even live up to my own standards of how I know I should live, far less God’s. I’ve upset many people in my time. There are many good things I should have done, and didn’t. Some of the things I’ve thought about have been nasty or ugly or just plain wrong. Are you any different from me?

We can see so much war going on just now, both in the Middle East and also in the Ukraine. And then there are things happening which don’t get much coverage on the news, like the 8,000 Christians killed in Nigeria last year alone. The reason we need an army and air force is because we live in a world where there is always war. We need to be ready and able to defend ourselves. But we also need to ask, ‘Why’? Why are human beings so bent on killing one another and exploiting one another?

I’ve been watching a medical drama on Netflix recently and in each episode the doctors must find out the root cause of the symptoms. That’s the crucial thing. If you know the root cause then you can find the solution. The angel identifies the root cause of our problem: ‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’   (Matthew 1:21)

Hark! the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!’

If ordinary people want to be friends with God, then we need to be rescued from our sin problem.

One of my favourite quotes from our late Queen was: ‘History teaches us we… need saving from ourselves, from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person, neither a philosopher or a general, important as they are, but a saviour with the power to forgive.’ The Queen was right. By rebelling against God, each of us has angered God, and we face his fair judgment. In love, knowing that we are unable to save ourselves, he left Heaven and entered our world by becoming a real human being in history. This is a loving rescue mission.

2. The Promise of Christmas

The Christmas story is so wonderful because God (in Jesus) has sent us exactly what we need. I’m not sure what you think your biggest problem is in life. I think in Jesus’ day, many in Israel saw their biggest problem as the Roman occupation. They wanted God to send a military Saviour to set Israel free from the might of Rome. What is your biggest problem? Is it loneliness or health or lack of job security, or finding accommodation or growing old and infirm? As we have said, God actually diagnoses your biggest problem. He says your sin spoils your relationship with God! The good news is Jesus is totally qualified to deal with that sin for you. In doing so, he sets us free to be the people he always intended us to be. True freedom means having a loving relationship with our Maker.

What makes Jesus so qualified to save us, aside from his name, which means ‘the LORD saves’? He is qualified as he is ‘Immanuel’. ‘All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Imanuel’(which means ‘God with us’).   (Matthew 1:22-23)

On Tuesday evening at the cadets, we were thinking briefly about where Jesus was before he was born in Bethlehem. I explained that the Bible teaches us that the Christmas story is not the start of Jesus. Jesus, as God, has always been there. He created the world. The Christmas story is not the beginning of Jesus, for he is eternal. However, it is the beginning of him becoming a real human being, born of the virgin Mary, through the power of God the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to Jesus, there was never a time when he was not. Now, he has become one of us, and is 100% God and 100% human. This is something completely supernatural. And it is also something wonderful. Just because it is beyond our understanding does not mean it isn’t true.

St Augustine: ‘He lies in the manger but at the same time he holds the whole universe in his hands. He was created by a mother, but a mother whom he created. He was carried, but by hands that he himself formed.’

When one of you recently had a flat battery, I got a call asking for help. The question then became, was I willing to help and was I able to help? As it turned out, I was willing, as I’m such a nice guy, and was able as I was in Kirkcaldy and had jump leads. But sometimes we ask people for help and they are either unwilling to help us, or they are unable. We need people to be both. The best news at Christmas is that when we talk to Jesus in prayer, he is willing and able to help us. He is willing because he loves us. He understands our problems because he entered into our world at Christmas time. He knows what it is like to lose a loved one, to be tempted, to become sick and he knows what it is like to be a refugee and to be rejected and to be misunderstood and to be disappointed. He is willing to help us.

But Jesus is also able to help us. His sacrifice on the cross was a perfect sacrifice because Jesus never sinned. And his sacrifice was an infinite sacrifice because he is God. That means he is able to forgive anyone who is willing to ask for his help. The proud will not come and ask Jesus for help. But those who know they have messed up, can come and in prayer, ask for his forgiveness and help. I regret many things in my life, but one thing I will never regret is having asked Jesus for forgiveness and help.

What happens when we pray to Jesus asking him to forgive us and help us and take charge of our lives? He forgives us and that means we become friends with God. The sin which blocked us from having a proper relationship with God has been atoned for, dealt with by Jesus on the cross. And at this point he comes into our lives and never leaves us. He is Immanuel – God with us. He is with us both in this life and in the life to come.

I love this verse; ‘… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 1:6) The motto of the RAF, Per Ardua ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars). Let me tweak this a little to help us understand the meaning of Christmas: ‘Through the adversity of Jesus to Heaven.’

Sermon: Sunday, 25th August, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: John 19:16-37

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we read that, ‘At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan.’ (Mark 1:9) This was actually something shocking, as the river Jordan was the place sinners stood to have their sins symbolically washed away. Jews went there to repent of their wrongdoing. Jesus is standing where sinners ought to stand, even though he is perfect and without sin. Those polluted waters wash over his perfect body. What is Jesus telling us by standing in this river? That he will allow himself to be treated as a sinner, and receive what sinners deserve, in order to bring cleansing and eternal life to his people.

Now fast-forward three years to the end of Jesus’ ministry. Again, we find Jesus in the place of sinners (v18): ‘There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.’ John 19:18) To anyone watching on, it looks like Jesus is being punished for his own wickedness. There’s a row of three crucified men, with Jesus in the middle, the most prominent place, as if he is the worst of the lot. We remember the prophecy in Isaiah, ‘… and was numbered with the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) The words of Isaiah are coming true. Jesus is identified with rebels, with sinners. But these two men are not the same. One of the criminals begins to understand the difference between them. He says: ‘We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ (Luke 23:41) So, the criminals on either side of Jesus are getting what they deserve. Why then is Jesus, the perfect Son of God dying in such shame beside them? Isaiah gives us the reason: ‘… because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) Jesus is getting the punishment we deserve, in order to pay for our sin.

To our shame, we can get too used to the words ‘there they crucified him’. We’ve heard them a million times. But this is the most shocking event in all of human history. We know that crucifixion was so awful that Roman citizens could only be crucified with the explicit permission of the emperor. It was rare. It was a death designed to humiliate and designed to maximise the suffering of the victim. And as well as the unspeakable physical suffering, Jesus endures matchless spiritual suffering, as he becomes sin for us, and is forsaken by his Father. Jesus endures the wrath we ought to receive.

JC Ryle: ‘He that can read a passage like this without a deep sense of our debt to Christ, must have a very cold or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love of the Lord Jesus to sinners, when he could voluntarily endure such sufferings for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness of sin, when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed in order to provide redemption.’

1. The soldiers’ response to the cross

The soldiers in charge of the crucifixion are oblivious as to the identity of the one dying in the centre. They are also oblivious to the spiritual significance of what is happening. For them, it just seems like an ordinary day’s work. They had probably grown used to crucifying people. For them, Jesus seems like an irrelevant figure; just another trouble-maker getting what he deserves. They had already whipped him, dressed him up as a king to mock him, forced him to carry the crossbeam, nailed him to the cross and hoisted that cross above the ground. They have had their fun at Jesus’ expense and now they want to profit from his death by getting a material benefit – Jesus’ clothes. Each of the four soldiers would receive one item of clothing, but they decide to gamble for Jesus’ undergarment because it would have had little value ripped into four.

This is a tragic scene. These men are missing out on the most precious thing of all, the forgiveness of sin and receiving eternal life. And why? Because they are so distracted by amusing themselves and by living for the here and now. One of them would have received Jesus’ sandals, but missed out eternal life. Another might have received Jesus’ belt, but missed on his love. Still another might have drawn the largest lot, won the seamless garment, and gone home a happy man that day. But what lasting value would a garment give him? They are so near to Christ and yet so far. Today, many hear about Jesus being crucified but are oblivious to its importance. They are distracted by the here and now, by material possessions and by entertainment and social media.

The soldiers are a warning for us. When it comes to Jesus, do not be distracted. Jesus himself warns of this. ‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 5:27-29)

Here’s a challenge for you: are you so caught up in your work, or your own happiness, or your own family life, or your own plans that you are missing out on the true source of lasting joy, peace and life? If so, you are just like the soldiers here and that is a tragedy. Let’s not be like the soldiers, chasing material possessions. But rather, be like one of the dying criminals, who said, ‘Jesus, remember me, when you come into your Kingdom. Don’t live in God’s world, ignoring God.

John is keen for us to know that the soldiers might seem to be in charge of these events, but actually God is in charge. In the Psalms, Psalm 22, the division of Christ’s clothes had been prophesised about 1000 years before it happened: ‘They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.’ (Pslam 22:18) What does this tell us? It tells us that the cross is not an accident of history, but rather the eternal plan of God, in order to rescue lost souls and bring us into his family.

The division of Jesus’ clothes is also a reminder of just how humiliating crucifixion was. The victim would be stripped naked in order to heap shame upon them.

John Calvin: ‘Christ was stripped of His garments that he might clothe us with His righteousness. His naked body was exposed to the insults of men that we might appear with glory before the judgment seat of God.’

Again, here we have the wonderful swap which takes place at the cross – Jesus takes our shame and guilt in order to cover ours and make us whole. ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) We can think of the words of the well-known hymn; And can it be:
‘No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in him is mine;
alive in Him my living head;
and clothed in righteousness divine.

2. Jesus’ matchless compassion and care

In contrast to the four soldiers, we have the four women. The men have run away; however, the women remain faithful to the end. This is often the case in the church. They are tenacious in their devotion to Christ. John focuses on the words Jesus speaks both to Mary and to John himself: ‘When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.’ (John 19:26-27)

Jesus’ compassion really is remarkable. Even amidst the awful pain and suffering Jesus was enduring, he thinks of others. He has time to speak with one of the criminals on the cross and saves him. He prays for those who crucified him. And here, he ensures that his mother will be provided for through the help of John.

D Macleod: ‘Jesus shows sensitivity to others, even at the height of his own pain.’

It’s so easy to take our pain out on others. It’s easy for pain to blinker us, so that we are consumed by our own needs and blind to the needs of other. Not so with Jesus. This incident is a window into his heart and it is a heart of tenderness and love.

What has this got to do with us today? Well, Jesus’ love for us is the same today.

JC Ryle: ‘The heart that even on the cross felt for Mary, is a heart that never changes. Jesus never forgets any that love Him, and even in their worst estate remembers their need. No wonder that Peter says: ‘cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you.’

Mary was going through enormous pain watching her son being crucified. It’s hard to appreciate the extent of her grief. When Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon says to Mary: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ (Luke 2:34-35) Now that sword is now piercing Mary’s soul. But Jesus cares and will provide.

Whatever you’re going through just now, try and remember that Jesus loves you. He cares and provides for us. He cares for his spiritual family deeply. ‘Then he looked at those seated in a circle round him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’ (Mark 3:34-5)

Sometimes, family and friends are too preoccupied with their own lives and lack compassion and love. Jesus is never too preoccupied. He’s never too busy. He’s never too caught up in important matters to care. His ears are always listening to our prayers, and he always answers them according to what is best for us! Is this your view of God? A God of matchless compassion. He is one who is deeply concerned for each and every one of his sheep. What an encouragement to pray!

3. Jesus’ victory cry: ‘It is finished.’

Just before Jesus gives up his spirit and dies, he declares, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30) This is one word in Greek – tetelesti. The obvious question to ask, is: what was finished?

This word was often used when something difficult has been completed, and accomplished, and it has come to an end leaving us with a real sense of satisfaction. The most obvious example in the ancient world was when the last payment of a mortgage is given, and the house is now yours, with nothing left to pay, and ‘tetelesti’ is stamped on the paperwork. I once had that feeling having climbed Ben Nevis, making it back to the car, and being able to pull off my walking boots, and thinking – it is finished! Job done. Jesus has finished something much more significant than a tough hill-walk. It’s also more significant than a mortgage, but like a mortgage it does involve a debt – a moral one.

Jesus’ cry from the cross is his declaration that he has finished all the work required to save us. He has lived the perfect life that we have failed to live, and that Adam failed to live. And he has paid for our sin in his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. ‘It is finished.’ = I have completed my mission to die for the sins of my people. Jesus does not say, ‘I am finished.’ and then die – as if he is totally spent. He says, ‘It is finished.’ We see from Matthew and Mark that Jesus cries out his last words in a loud voice. It is a victory cry.

God is a merciful God who longs for everyone to be saved – but the problem is that he is also holy. Our wrong actions, thoughts and attitudes get us into debt with God because it is his laws we break. And so, through our lives we get more and more into debt. It is a debt we cannot pay. But Jesus, by living the perfect life which we could never live, and by dying on the cross as a sacrifice for sinners, has done everything necessary to pay off our moral debt. There is nothing which can be added to what he has done. There is nothing else required, other than for us to receive this gift!

Gary Burge: ‘Jesus’ victory is the basis of our security. My confidence in God and the assurance of my salvation cannot be anchored in my religious performance. ‘It is finished.’ What was needed to satisfy God ought to satisfy us as well. This is the good news of the gospel.’

As Christians, this sacrifice is what we rely on. Christianity is first and foremost about what God has done for us to pardon our debt, and not what we can do for God for pardon- we can do nothing. All God requires of us is to turn from sin to God, and receive Jesus’ free gift of pardon. Jesus said, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 6:29)

This means that my sin has been dealt with once and for all. Not one drop of wrath will fall on us.
‘My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!’

We are now at peace with God. Jesus has saved us: and there is nothing we can add to this. He did it all. He paid it all. How does God feel about you today? Is he angry? Disappointed? Disapproving. See failure? No! If you rest on what Jesus did on the cross – paying off our moral debt of sin – he sees his forgiven and clean children.

‘As dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Sermon: Sunday, 18th July, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: John 19:1-22

Who is your king? Perhaps some of you will answer, well, since Saturday the 6th of May 2023, Charles III is my king. But did the coronation really change much for us? Not spiritually speaking. What you think about Charles III isn’t going to have any bearing on what happens to you when you die and where you will spend eternity; however, your attitude to Jesus, the King of Kings, will determine that. With that in mind, let’s repeat the question, who is your king? In other words, who do you live for and who do you obey and who do you trust and who do you serve?

Bob Dylan’s 1979 album ‘Slow Train Coming’ has a song entitled ‘You’ve gotta serve somebody’. His point is that everyone in world has a choice of two; either we serve the Lord Jesus, or ultimately we are on the side of evil and serve the devil. Here’s what he says:

‘You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re going to have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re going to have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re going to have to serve somebody.’

Is Bob Dylan right? Why should we listen to him? Well, because this is straight from the Bible. In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that we are either slaves to Jesus or slaves to sin: ‘But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 6:22-23)

Out of all the four gospels, John seems to stress the most that Jesus is the true king. : Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’ (John 1:49) We read that on Palm Sunday, They (the crowd) took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’ (John 12:13)

Before we dive into this passage, we need to understand that Jesus is the true king in two different ways. First of all, Jesus is descended from King David, and is the rightful heir to the throne of Israel. Secondly, Jesus is not only a perfect human being but he is also God, the Creator and Ruler of all things, and so that means he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is the true and only King of Kings.

The letter to the Philippians tells us something vital for us to grasp: ‘… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Philippians 2:10-11) What does this mean? It means that every single human being will bow before Jesus one day. Either we do so willingly, receiving him as our king with joy, or we will do so when it is too late, and we’ll bow before him as our Judge, and be cast away. Who is your king?

1. Mocking the true king

In verse 1 we read that Jesus is flogged. This was a severe beating, with a whip laced with bone and metal, and in itself was enough to kill the victim. Pilate has Jesus flogged, even though he has repeatedly stated that Jesus has done nothing wrong. Perhaps he thinks this will satisfy the Jews, and they will stop demanding Jesus’ death. It does not work.

Next, Jesus is subjected to severe bullying at the hands of the Roman soldiers. In order to totally humiliate Jesus, they dress him up as a king. They want to make him look like a fool, rather than a king. The crown of thorns would have had huge spikes digging into Jesus’ head. It was a cruel and painful crown to wear. Perhaps a soldier’s coat was thrown over him to represent a royal robe. We read in other gospels that Jesus is also given a reed to act as a sceptre. Roman soldiers were used to saying to Caesar ‘Ave Caesar’ or ‘Hail Caesar’. Now they sarcastically direct this ‘respectful’ greeting to Jesus. They slap him in the face again and again. They are bullies. Jesus allows this to happen for us. This is part of the suffering Jesus had to experience in order to pay the price for our sins. As Christians read this, we think, he goes through this for me.

This passage is full of dramatic irony. What does that mean? It is when things are the opposite to the way they seem, but the characters in the story do not realise this. So here, in John 19, the soldiers mock the very idea that Jesus might be a king. And he looks nothing like a king with his swollen and bloodied body, cut open from the flogging. However, when they say ‘Hail king Jesus’ they speak better than they know. Ironically, in their sarcasm, they are telling the truth. It is a truth they are blind to see. They do not recognise that Jesus’ is their rightful king. He is the rightful king of all of us.

2. Rejecting the true king

In verses 4-15 we read of the religious leaders and the crowd baying for Jesus’ blood. They cry out ‘Crucify him’. Their behaviour is evil and shocking. We see their true colours particularly in verse 15: ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered. (John 19:15) For Jews, they ought to have known that the LORD is King and there is no other. ‘The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King for ever.’ (Pslam 29:10) Jesus is the LORD, the Maker of all, but they are blind to his identity. They reject the Maker of the world. They reject the only one who can save them. And what do they choose instead? They choose the rule of a godless pagan king.

Please notice that when people reject Jesus, the true king, they replace him with all kinds of distorted things to rule over them. It might be money, or pleasure or serving yourself as if you are the king and the centre of the world. Whatever you live for, whatever is most important to you; that is your king.

The religious leaders, more than anyone, should have cared about the truth of Jesus’ identity. But did they really care about who Jesus truly was or why he had come? Sadly, they do not. What do they care about? ‘If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.’ (John 11:48) They only care about themselves and clinging on to their power. They are driven by self-interest, not the truth and not what was best for the people. They will do anything to hold onto their power. So, it ought not to be a surprise when we find them blackmailing Pilate (verse 12) saying that if he releases Jesus then he is no friend to Caesar. This would have sent shivers down Pilate’s spine, knowing how fickle Caesar could be. Pilate, like the religious leaders, only cares about clinging on to his power. He cares more about his own skin that justice, or pleasing God. The religious leaders lie, falsely accusing Jesus of both blasphemy and sedition. They are filled with envy and hatred, and it is this which leads them to cry out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him.’

Like the soldiers, who spoke better than they knew, Pilate also speaks better than he knows. This passage is full of irony. In verse 5, Pilate says to the crowd ‘Here is the man.’ It might seem that the Jews were in control of the situation, and Pilate claims to be in control, saying that he has the power to kill or release Jesus. But who is really in control? By saying ‘Behold the man’ Pilate is actually fulfilling Scripture. In Zechariah, a Messianic prophecy, we read: ‘And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on his throne.’ (Zechariah 6:12-13)

Also, Pilate is right in another sense. Jesus is ‘the’ man – the only perfect human to have ever lived. RC Sproul says he is a ‘portrait of perfect humanity. This is what man was created to be. This was the second Adam standing in front of this crowd.’ No wonder Pilate repeatedly says that he cannot find any fault with him. There is nothing to find. He is the God-man. He is perfect. And again, in verse 14 Pilate says to the Jews, ‘Here is your king.’ Pilate speaks better than he knows! Jesus is the long-promised messianic king the Jews were supposed to be waiting for, if they only had eyes to see it.

The soldiers and the crowd and the religious leaders are all grim warnings to us about how not to respond to King Jesus. Today, most people reject Jesus as their king, preferring to be the ones in charge, and acting as if they can live any way they choose, with no accountability to God. Many today mock Jesus. Many are blind to his identity and mission. The question for us is, who is my king? Do I recognise the rightful authority of Jesus to reign in my heart and life?

Here’s how we ought to respond. Queen Victoria was listening to a chaplain preaching on the second Coming of Jesus, and during the sermon was tearing up. After the service, the chaplain spoke with her, asking her what had affected her so much. She said: ‘Because of what you said about the coming of the world’s rightful King. I wish still to be here when he returns that I might lay my crown at his blessed feet.’ I hope that this is the attitude we will all have to King Jesus.

3. The calmness of the true King

When Pilate hears that Jesus might have claimed to be the Son of God he reacts with fear. As a superstitious Roman, for Pilate, this was a real possibility. So, he asks Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ I think Pilate is asking if Jesus has supernatural origins. But Jesus will not answer, which really riles Pilate: ‘Don’t you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’

Notice how calm Jesus is before this Roman leader. He knows he is about to be crucified, and yet there is no panic in his mind. Jesus is the one in control here, not Pilate. Jesus is voluntarily laying down his life for his people. His calm response to Pilate is awesome. Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’ (John 19:11) Pilate, like all with political power, only has that power because God delegates it to him. God is ultimately in control. He raises up kings and leaders and brings them down again.

The amazing truth is this, even though Pilate is acting wickedly, ultimately God is using these evil actions to accomplish his purposes. That’s how powerful God is. That’s the sovereignty of God. And in the light of this, Jesus remains calm, trusting his heavenly Father.

4. The sign above the true King

Pilate has an inscription written and fastened upon the cross: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.’ I believe he does this out of spite, to get back at the Jews for blackmailing him and forcing his hand to have Jesus crucified. The chief priests and the rest of the Jews are raging about this. Such signs normally stated the crime which the one crucified had committed. But not on this occasion. They want the sign altered to say he ‘claimed’ to be the king of the Jews.

To continue our theme of irony, once again we can say that Pilate writes better than he knows. Jesus is indeed the rightful Jewish king, and indeed the king of the world. The Jews want the truth of this sign changed, but it cannot be changed. It is as if God is saying that Jesus exercises true kingship, and nothing can change that reality.

John Calvin: ‘The providence of God guided the pen of Pilate.’

The sign on the cross placards Jesus as king in the three main languages of the day, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. This trilingual sign reminds us that Jesus is not just the rightful king of the Jewish people but of all people in the world, including you. Nothing can alter this fact.

But the question remains, who is your king? Who do you serve? Don’t be like the soldiers who mock the true king. Do not be like the religious leaders, who care more about self-interest than about the allegiance the true king deserves. Remember the warning and promise in Psalm 2: ‘Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’ (Psalm 2:12)