Christ Church Jerusalem Christ Church Jerusalem

Ezekiel is doubtless one of the harshest books of scripture, and this week's Haftara pairs with one of the harshest rituals in Torah: the double-sacrifice of a live goat and a scapegoat. This sacrifice on the Day of Atonement cleanses the people of both ritual and moral impurities. In it, we see the ancient connection between obedience and life; we also see the connection between disobedience and death, which Ezekiel so harshly comments on.

From the Fifth Sunday of Easter, this sermon draws parallels between Deuteronomy 4:32-40, John 15:1-8, and 1 John 4:7-21, emphasizing the profound significance of history and love in the context of faith in action–or faithfulness. Through Moses's words, listeners are urged to reflect on the unparalleled actions of God throughout history, contrasting His active involvement with the inactivity of false gods. The passage in John calls believers to abide in God's love, producing fruit that glorifies Him. Furthermore, 1 John stresses that love is the defining characteristic of a true disciple, intertwining with obedience to God's commandments. We should examine ourselves whether we truly abide in Him. Without love, we prove we aren’t truly among God’s disciples. But through God’s love acting in the world through us, we can show God to those around us.

Readings: Deuteronomy 4:32-40; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8

At the very heart of the gospel is the story of Passover: that final night in Egypt when God completed His judgments against the rebellious Pharaoh and called His own people out into freedom. We often think of Christ's death through the lens of atonement for sins, but its coinciding with Passover tells us something else about the gospel–namely, that we are shielded from wrath and invited into peace with God if we participate in obedience to His command. Redemption, repentance, and the gospel itself are participatory and inclusive. So when we share the gospel with our neighbors, we invite them to participate in our same redemption, living out the story of Passover every day.

Readings: Exodus 12:1-13; Acts 3:12-19; Luke 24:36-48

The image of shepherds and shepherding in the biblical text stands in sharp contrast to the romantic pictures of fat sheep on luxuriant, green hillsides that we see in popular Christian culture. The biblical image, best reflected in Psalm 23, is set in the dangerous Judean wilderness with wild animals, “the valley of the shadow of death”; sporadic grass and rain which (even today) can suddenly turn to perilous flash floods, "green pastures … still waters." When the Bible describes God as Shepherd, His sheep can say, “I shall not want” in this precarious world, and in the world to come, “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus also describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who provides in this world (John 7-9) and for eternity. “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.” (10)

Readings: Ezekiel 34:1-16; Psalm 23; John 10:11

Our current age, like all others that came before, is one full of trauma and death. And though both are such common realities, neither of them feel "normal" to us. They can render us illogical and reveal significant gaps in our faith. We see this well in the story of Thomas.

The same Thomas who had claimed readiness to die with Jesus (John 11:16) would later reject that Jesus had been raised from the dead (20:24). And yet, Jesus honors Thomas' need for assurance, and empowers him to more fully believe. This belief would eventually be carried to the shores of India, where Thomas died in faith.

We, "who have not seen and yet believed," (20:29) count our faith a blessing, and yet should learn from Thomas that the Lord will meet us in the gaps of our faith, to strengthen it. Our challenge as disciples is to develop faith that strengthens us in the face of trauma and a resolute hope in the transitory nature of death for those who trust in Jesus.

If you so choose, prayerfully fill out this self-assessment of your faith and see where you need the Lord to meet you.

https://forms.gle/JAc3dnFP9CWhqm5F6

Readings: 1 John 1:1-2:3; Psalm 133; John 20:19-31

Of the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' Resurrection, Mark's is the most shocking. His "shorter ending" (Mark 16:1-8) does not end in an appearance of the risen Jesus, but only a proclamation of His Resurrection to the faithful women who went to his tomb. Still, their initial act is to withhold this message out of fear and confusion. Throughout Mark's gospel the reader is being called into the same challenges that faced those women at the tomb: will we choose faith over fear and allow the reality of the resurrection to conquer the things we most fear and turn our paralysis to faithfulness.

Acts 10:34-43; Isaiah 25:6-9; Mark 16:1-8.

---
Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/