When Heaven Went Silent!

                                                   WHEN HEAVEN WENT SILENT!

Matthew 27:45-61

Bruce Springsteen's Father cast a long and mostly dark shadow over his life, said Michael Hainey in Esquire. Springsteen admits that his entire career has largely been a reaction to his attempt to free himself from Doug Springsteen, a hard-drinking, blue-collar New Jerseyite who bounced from job to job.

"My mother was kind and compassionate and very considerate of others' feelings," Springsteen says. "My Father looked at all those things as weaknesses. He was very dismissive of who I was." His Father dominated the family home, radiating menace as he sat in the kitchen's darkness, drinking and brooding. Later in life, he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

After Springsteen became famous and wealthy, his Father said to him, "You've been very good to us. And I wasn't very good to you." When his Father died at age 73, Springsteen stayed behind after the graveside funeral, taking a shovel to finish the burial with his own hands. "I wanted that connection," he says. "It meant a lot to me."[1]

No matter who you are, like Bruce Springsteen, we all have a deep yearning for a father's connection. Fathers have tremendous influence in shaping their children's inner person; some positively through love and others negatively through anger, abuse, or abandonment. Some grow up losing their fathers either very early or later in life; whenever it may be, not having a father who loves and supports leaves a deep hole in our hearts. Who can fill that hole?

Are you experiencing the pain of abandonment? Tonight, we will look at Jesus, who knew all about the pain of abandonment. When he needed the support of his Heavenly Father, he found himself in a moment where Heaven Went Silent! Matthew 27:45-61.

All four gospel writers recorded the Crucifixion. This was what John the beloved said, John 19:35-36, "The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe." These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled." Jesus fulfilled, conservatively speaking, over 300 prophecies in his lifetime, including the Crucifixion. We will explore these spectacular events.

I. The Final Moments of the Crucifixion of Christ:

            Before Jesus was put on the Cross, he endured severe torture, which included flogging, placement of a crown of thorns, beating on the head, pulling of his beard, spitting on his face, and ridicule by soldiers. At the time of nailing to the Cross, he was disfigured. We read in Isaiah 53:2-3, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected, like one from whom people hide their faces."

            You can only imagine the physical and emotional pain of rejection by the crowds and the abandonment by his close disciples, except for a few, Christ endured up to this point. As if the Sun couldn't see the agony of the Son of God, it turned its face away by making the whole land dark from 9:00 A.M until 3:00 P.M. About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sbachthani? (which means "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?") Here, Jesus was expressing His feelings of abandonment. As Jesus endured that weight of sin, He cried out in agony. Unlike before, there was no response from God, as though Heaven went silent. What would that feel like when Heaven apparently goes silent?

II. When Heaven Went Silent

Though several scriptures indicate that the place we call Heaven is above the earth, there are no specific scriptures detailing its exact location. So, simply speaking, Heaven is where God is. When we say that Heaven went silent, in a way, we are saying that God went Silent. Several people in the OT experienced God's silence, which can last for a short period or for hundreds of years. Either way, God's silence can be unbearable, and humanity goes through anguish. Several Psalms indicate people's angst at what appears to be God's silence.

Psalm 13:1 "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" Psalm 28:1: "To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit." Ps 44:23: "Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!" ESV

Psalm 83:1: "O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God."

            Here is a Psalm that directly ties to Jesus' pain of abandonment by the Father on the Cross. Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" Have you ever felt as though God is silent, millions of miles away, and uninvolved in your situation? God may be silent at times, but that doesn't mean He is far from you; Infact, He is closer to the brokenhearted.

Jesus understands your pain of abandonment. He knew how it feels when God turns His face from us, so he cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Strangely, God the Father, after hearing Jesus' cry, didn't step in and rescue Him. It was for our good that he didn't step in otherwise; we wouldn't have received salvation. So, with another Loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. What happened afterward were miracles and the fulfillment of scriptures.

III. The Way Into God's Presence Is Open To all

 Certain events that occurred immediately after Jesus' death were pure miracles, and one of them fulfilled an ancient prophecy. Let's explore: 1. Earthquake and Rock Splitting: These signs in the OT often indicated the awesome power of God's presence. 2. The temple Curtain was torn from top to bottom. According to Hebrews 9:1-9, a curtain separates the rest of the temple and the people from the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt. Only the high priest was allowed once a year to enter the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for the people's sins.

According to tradition, "the Curtain was about 60 feet high and four inches thick."[2] The tearing of the Curtain indicates that Jesus' death on the Cross was a sufficient atonement for our sins. God removed the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles. (Eph 2:14). Through Christ's blood, the way into God's presence is open to all people. The fact that it tore from top to bottom showed that it was not done by any human being but by a powerful act of God.

3. The bodies of the saints were raised. Nothing more is said about these people except that, after Jesus' resurrection, they appeared to many; this shows that they were given glorified bodies and, after appearing to people, may have ascended to glory. This miracle was a foretaste of the resurrection of the dead saints when Christ returns. I Thess 4:16.

4. A convincing proclamation of the Centurion. Throughout Jesus' ministry, his divinity was challenged by the devil himself and doubted by the Pharisees, the High Priest, and those who came to witness the Crucifixion. In Mark 15:39, we read, "The Centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God! This proclamation puts an end to the speculations regarding whether Christ really died on the Cross or someone else in His place, as some of our Muslim friends think.

5. In death, Jesus shared a rich man's tomb. Humanly speaking, though Jesus was poor, he had some rich and prominent friends. One of them was Joseph of Arimathea. He was a member of the Sanhedrin who himself became a disciple of Christ. But a secret disciple because he feared the Jewish leaders. This tells us that even today, there might be secret believers of Christ among Jews, Muslims, and Hindus, as they might be afraid of their religious leaders.

Joseph and Nicodemus, another prominent Jewish leader who met Jesus secretly (Jn 19:39), came to Pilate, took the body of Jesus, and buried him in Joseph's new tomb. (Matt 27:60), thus fulfilling  exactly the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9, "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." Joseph rolled a large stone in front of the tomb's entrance and left. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

What a spectacular and tragic Friday that was when Christ died on the Cross? Heaven went silent for a moment, and the prophecies were fulfilled, and Jesus was buried in a tomb. The story of Good Friday doesn’t end in a closed tomb but in an Open Grave!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1]https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/preaching/sermon-illustrations/springsteens-deepest-yearning/

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/temple-veil-torn.html

True Identity In Christ

                                       TRUE IDENTITY IN CHRIST

            Here is a true story about a man who lives in an apartment in Rockville's suburbs, Maryland, USA. His name is Jay Speights. He has a modest career as a pastor. He doesn't own a car. Jay grew up in a family of African Americans in New Jersey. There wasn't much documentation about his family history, and he had spent much of his life wondering about his ancestry. Jay decided to take a DNA test through the genealogy organization Ancestry.

Within minutes of entering his information into the database, the website returned a result: "royal DNA." That changed everything for Rev. Dr. Jay Speights. Can you imagine how stunned you would be if that news were given to you? All your life, you thought you were just an ordinary person…then you discovered you had royal heritage."[1]

"In January 2019, Speights boarded a plane in Virginia and landed in Benin 36 hours later, to experience a grand Royal Welcome with great pomp and celebration. "Welcome to the kingdom of Allada, land of your ancestors," the posters said in French. He spent the next week in what he calls "prince school," learning local customs and visiting various sites and dignitaries.

He was enthroned by the King, given white lace robes to signal he is a holy man, and several crowns." "This was the most beautiful thing I have ever done," he said. "I am the descendant of slaves. I am the descendant of a family that was involved in the slave trade. And I'm just starting to make sense of that." Before he left Benin, Speights said, the King gave him a new name: Videkon Deka. It means the child who came back."[2]

Along with pastoral responsibilities, Jay Speights now accepted the princely responsibilities as well. This true, real-life story has several spiritual implications. Like Jay, we all struggle to make sense of who we really are. We take on an identity, which is either given to us by the kind of family we were born into, by education, or by vocation. But the internal dissatisfaction with our identity and a quest to find out who we really were born to be, and our true purpose, intensifies and will only end when we come to Christ; then everything changes. To your shocking surprise, you will find out you are more than what you thought you were. Today, we will learn about our True Identity in Christ and its implications. I Peter 2:9-10

I. Our Old Sinful Identity.

In our former church, an Alcoholics Anonymous group used to meet. As a pastor, I wanted to attend to get to know them and possibly minister to them. Their typical meeting would begin this way: "Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen." This is the regular meeting of the group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is Ken, and I am an alcoholic and your Secretary.

The group would cheer Ken, thinking that what a humble man Ken is, not hiding away his true self as an alcoholic. But was he admitting his sinful identity? How about if he introduced himself this way, "Hi, my name is Ken, and I am a Sinner and your Secretary? Well, that was not only Ken's but all of our old, sinful identity. The scriptures say, in Romans 3:22-23, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

As sinners, if we remain in sin and die in sin, we are destined to be separated from God and live in hell forever. But thank God, out of His abundant love for us, He sent a redeeming savior who died on the cross to take away, and never to remember our sins and declare us not guilty of our sin and grant us eternal life with Him in Heaven. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

What was our old, sinful identity like? This is how Eugene Peterson, in The Message, describes our old self:  ^"It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it.

He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this." Titus 3:3-8. Because of what Christ has done on the cross for us, and when we come to Him in repentance, our Old Sinful Self will be transformed into a New Self.

II. Our True Identity In Christ

Our True Identity in Christ begins with having faith in Him. John 1:11-12, "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." This privilege of becoming is open for all people, but only those who believe in the name of Jesus and receive him as their Savior will have the right to become God's sons and daughters.

 Apostle Peter rightly describes our True Identity in Christ. I Peter 2:9-10, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." Can you imagine what this means to us today?

In our former state of life, we experienced rejection of various kinds and lived in darkness, satisfying our sinful desires. Though we may have had an earthly family, we lived like spiritual orphans, not knowing who we truly belonged to and what our true purpose is. But in Christ all that was changed: We are chosen by God, belong to a Royal family of priests, and share the blessings of the nation of Israel. We received God's Mercy. Our true identity and purpose have always been like those who have obeyed God in the past, namely, to glorify God.

Exodus 19:5-6, "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

By having our faith in God, we too become the heirs of Abraham and share the same privileges and responsibilities with the nation of Israel. Our True Identity in Christ is that we are part of God's royal family, the children of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. As the pastor in the introduction said, how are we living out our newly discovered Princely Heritage now?

III. Living like A Child of the King Of the Universe

            By faith, we can boldly declare that we are the Children of the King of the Universe. Consider these scriptures: "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker, let the people of Zion be glad in their King." Psalm 149:2, Paul recognized his past life before Christ and his future princely standing in Christ. I Timothy 1:15-17, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever." How can we honor our eternal King and live like a Prince in this world?

To do that, we may have to unlearn certain sinful behaviors and learn princely behaviors. Like the pastor in the story, we may have to go through a "prince school," in this case, the school of the Holy Spirit, who will teach us what God's Kingdom is like and how the children of the King ought to behave, etc. This is what it looks like to live like a prince of the Most High King.

We will abstain from sinful desires that wage war against our souls. I Peter 2:11 We will learn what God's Kingdom is like and its principles by reading His Word regularly. We will not return to our former sinful ways; instead, we will adopt a lifestyle that aligns with God's Kingdom. The pastor in the story "was enthroned by the King, given white lace robes to signal he is a holy man, and several crowns." Similarly, God declares us holy and clothes us with garments of salvation and wraps us with a robe of righteousness." Isaiah 61:10.

As God's chosen people, we clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col 3:12-14. We will work hard and live honestly. (Eph 4:28). We will speak the truth, forgive one another, and above all, put on love which binds all things together.

 

 

 

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[1] https://glenelg.lutheran.org.au/sermons/sunday-25th-of-august-2024/

[2] https://ibw21.org/editors-choice/im-a-prince-after-years-of-searching-for-family-history-a-pastor-discovers-royal-ties-to-africa/

 

Complete Reliance On Him

COMPLETE RELIANCE ON HIM!

Futurologist Alvin Toffler has written an insightful book titled The Third Wave. Toffler suggests there are three eras, three periods of history, three waves in American culture. Then he reflects on the implications of these three waves for the individual, the family, the Church, and society at large. First came the agricultural wave: Little House on the Prairie, Squatters' rights, the simple pioneer lifestyle; men planting crops, building homes, and families living together.

The second wave was the industrial wave, when families moved from the country into the city. They moved from developing farms and croplands by hand to becoming part of a larger corporation, working with machinery and developing technology. The extended family was not always nearby. The family became smaller; a husband and wife with two or three children was a family in the second wave.

The third wave could be called the information wave (and technology)–the wave of computers, fax machines, cell phones, and mass media (we can add AI to the list). In this wave, we see growing affluence on the one hand, growing poverty on the other, and a shrinking middle class. The third wave makes a quantum leap from what we have known of the familiar waters of yesterday to the uncharted course of tomorrow."[1]

This third wave is like a Tsunami plunging the world into confusion. We are facing complex challenges, including the recent COVID pandemic and the current Wars in the Middle East. How do we, as followers of Christ, navigate the ever-changing world? Matthew 14:22-33

I. What Strengthens Us Amid Challenging Circumstances?

            From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus faced opposition from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the teachers of the Law. Towards the end, those challenges were only intensified. People were becoming more skeptical (Matt 13:58). His authority was questioned in His own hometown. Though the disciples witnessed great miracles performed by Jesus and by themselves, they struggled with unbelief and fear, and their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:52). As if those weren't enough, Jesus had a personal tragedy; his cousin John was beheaded.

If you were to face similar challenging circumstances both in ministry (workplace) and in your personal life, how would you respond? What would give you the strength and courage to endure difficulties in life? How did Jesus handle ministry and personal challenges?

When Jesus faced challenges, he often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. He fasted and prayed 40 Days and Nights before launching His public ministry. He spent all night in prayer before picking up the twelve apostles. He often prayed before performing critical miracles and healings. Prayers were the fuel for his ministry, giving him strength and sustaining power.

Let's see how Jesus was strengthened before taking on the most difficult task of his ministry: the Crucifixion (Luke 22:39-43). "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down, and prayed.

42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him." Praying to God was an integral part of Jesus' life and ministry. If Jesus was that prayerful, and trusted God completely in all his challenges. How much more are his followers to be prayerful and reliant on God?

II. Walking In Uncharted Waters: (Matthew 14:22-29)

            The disciples were with Jesus when he performed many miracles of deliverance and healing the sick. This time, they had witnessed a spectacular miracle: feeding over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover food.

Immediately after that, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side of the lake. After dispersing the crowds, He went up to a mountainside to pray. Later in the night, he was there all alone, and the boat was at a considerable distance from the land. An identical narrative we will find in Mark 6:45-52, with some more details.

Mark 6: 48, "He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." Where was Jesus when the disciples were almost drowned? Jesus was on the mountainside praying. For Peter and the other disciples, being in the boat alone without Jesus must have been very frightening. The boat was already far from the land, in uncharted waters.

The wind and the waves were beating on the boat, threatening to drown them. At around 4:00 A.M., Jesus came to them walking on the Water. They couldn't even recognize Jesus; they were terrified and said it was a ghost. Have you ever had a midnight or early-morning scare?

I had recently! It was like walking in uncharted waters! "Phrases such as uncharted territory or uncharted waters figuratively describe a situation that is unfamiliar or has never been encountered before."[2] One Sunday morning, before preaching in the Church, I experienced acute abdominal pain like never before. Eventually, in the middle of the night on three occasions, I was driven in an ambulance and a car to the emergency room for treatment.

During such unearthly hours, I was frightened for my life! I cried out to God for mercy. He answered my prayers! I felt Jesus' calming presence with me. Coming back to our story, the disciples found themselves in uncharted waters. Everything looked frightening and unfamiliar. Amid such threatening circumstances, how did they navigate through uncharted waters? What gave them the courage to continue their journey across the lake safely to the other side?

III. Complete Reliance On Him.

Matthew 14:27-33, 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Here are a few takeaways from this very familiar story.

First, when facing unfamiliar and frightening circumstances, it is okay to cry out to God out of fear. When King David faced uncharted waters, he cried out to God. Psalm 34: 6-7"This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;  he saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Ps 34:17, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." When the disciples cried out, Jesus assured them, saying, "Take courage, do not be afraid."

            Second, we may all be encouraged by God's assuring words, but only a few would step out boldly into uncharted waters. Verse 28, "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus." What kept Peter steady on course is what keeps us steady as well.

Peter did not look at the high waves or the wind at first. He simply recognized his Lord, stepped out of the boat in faith, and walked on water. As long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus, he could walk on the water towards him.

 

But the moment he saw the wind, he was afraid, began to sink, and cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt? They both climbed into the boat; the wind died, and those in the boat worshipped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." They got to the other side safely.

The followers of Christ are walking in uncharted waters. We are facing unfamiliar circumstances, such as wars in the Middle East, economic instability, and a lack of security. We can only navigate successfully through these uncharted waters by completely relying on Him. God is in the midst of this troubled world and inviting us to come to Him. We step out by faith into these uncharted waters. As long as we look to Jesus, we walk steadily, but when we look at our circumstances and get overwhelmed, we will go underwater. Even then, when we cry out to God, He saves us from fully drowning, walks with us, and takes us safely to the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/preaching/sermon-illustrations/third-wave-family-structure/

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/uncharted-vs-unchartered-waters-usage