Crossway Christian Church

There are a number of ways that an event can be seen as major in the Bible. Sometimes much that comes after depends on them; sometimes it is the amount of text given over to the event. But there are some events that are shown to be important because they are repeated multiple times. The feeding of the 5,000 is a wondrous miracle, but doesn’t take a lot of text, and nothing explicitly flows from it. But all the Gospels tell us of it, and do so differently, helping us to see that much good can come from studying the nature of Jesus’ provision for his people here.

Nuance can create confusion for people. A distinction is typically, and rightly, drawn between faith and faithfulness; the first being a constant trust and reliance on Jesus, the second walking rightly before him. Matthew, however, wants to make sure that we don’t drive too large a gap between them. To have true faith is to be faithful to the call that Jesus makes on your life. This is why he writes to us about the life of Jesus, that we might walk as he walked. Today, however, he gives us the anti-picture of Jesus: Herod, the unfaithful king. How should we walk faithfully before Jesus?

We have all heard the saying that “familiarity breeds contempt.” The more we get to know people, the more of their issues and problems you are privy to. The people of Nazareth have the same issue with Jesus. His teaching is immaculate, but they are too knowledgeable of his people, indeed they think, of him to trust him. Let us learn from their mistake today!

Treasures are lost and found every day. Many of us have stories of such losses; fewer have stories of such finds. And while we might not find great artwork under our mattresses, or buried in our backyards, we have placed before us the greatest treasure we could ever hope for in the Kingdom of Heaven. But what does it take to make it ours?

Parables are a rich way to teach the truths of the Kingdom to all. Memorable and illustrative, they nevertheless provide a good deal of material for us to think through. Today, Jesus gives us three parables to consider, focusing on how the Kingdom of God relates to the world. Let those who have ears to hear, hear!

Appetizers are designed to simply whet the appetite for the real entrée. Often, though, we make full meals out of them. Last week we looked at the nature of the parables as something of an appetizer for them. While it was a full meal, it is hoped that meal simply made us hungrier for the rest! Today, we start by looking at the parable of parables, the parable of the sower.

The Gospels, as pictures of the life of Christ, run in a general chronological pattern. From his birth to the beginning of his ministry, to the triumphal entry and the eventual and fateful crucifixion and resurrection, the main timeline is kept intact. But the individual events are often compiled for the author’s own reason, as Matthew has done in his 13th chapter. But why teach in parables, when Jesus was so capable of teaching in other methods which were clearer and more straight-forward? The disciples ask the same question of him, and we look at his answer today.

Paul has finished the main body of the letter, the vast majority of his exhortations, and did it with quite a flourish. The resurrection is important to us, theologically as well as personally. We who await a better place than this, who know of bitterness and sadness here, are justifiably excited about a new and better home. Yet, it does us little good to just look up at the sky. Paul reminds the Corinthians that there is yet work to do here on earth, and much of it imperfect and filled with hardship.

Of all the days that Christians celebrate, today is the grandest of them all. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave, overwhelming death and justifying all who believe in him. Praise be to God! And, better still, this is a prelude of our own fate, of our own resurrection. So, let us consider the triumph of our resurrection and what it means for us!

Good Friday is a blessed day if, for no other reason, that it shows off the oddity and irony of the cross of Christ. It is a wondrous exchange: Christ knowingly gives us his life and righteousness and takes our death and sin. We talk often about this, central as it is; yet that very comfortability can, if we are not careful, lead to a flattening of the gospel. Today, with the help of one short verse, let us think about its depth and beauty.

Paul has argued for the basic necessity of the resurrection in the gospel, and its purpose in sealing our redemption and securing his reign. But we still have questions. What, precisely will our resurrection bodies be like? Will we be 20? Have perfect figures and muscles? The Corinthians ask these questions out of spite, but Paul has answers anyway.

We can understand why the Corinthians might have downplayed the resurrection. They were quite immature, and their culture looked down on the physical aspects of the world. They didn’t see the good in it, and they hadn’t thought through the theological implications of it. Paul will remedy that for them, and us, today. Why should we care about Jesus’ and even our, resurrection? What hangs on it? In a word, everything.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the proclamation that saves sinners from hell, delivers them from the power of Satan, and gives them an inheritance free from corruption. Such proclamation, if done in the nature of the world, would likely come with many footnotes and small print, needless complications, and debate. But, in truth, the gospel is straightforward to confess, understandable, and relatable. Today, let us consider the nature of the gospel that we confess!

From the very first words of the Bible, we are introduced to a God of order and carefulness. God is not a God of chaos, but of peace. When we gather to worship God, our worship ought to tell of that God; not just in the words we speak and sing, but in the very form and order of that worship. Here, Paul instructs the Corinthians to better picture the nature of God in their worship.

Today, we come to a chapter in 1 Corinthians that can easily be misunderstood if we do not observe the context. It is a very beautiful passage, very famous passage about love. It contains wonderfully crafted prose that resonates with us, and we will see that when it is applied to the local church, it is even more meaningful. The main point of the text is this: the Christian life is marked by love.

Many people today take personality tests, helping them to understand themselves, and even the people around them, better. These same types of tests have been used, certainly erroneously, to assess what gifts God may have given to people. What special advantage has God given to you in the Spirit? How are you to use this for the church? Paul is trying to clarify for us the nature of gifts of the Spirit in Corinth, certainly something that we can gain from! Let us consider Paul’s thoughts this morning.

Everyone likes to be complimented, to know that the job they are doing is being appreciated and seen. Last week, Paul started his comments by commending the Corinthians for their willingness to stick to the traditions. This gives the issues raised there a minor feel, as though they were a blip. This week however, no such commendation was given; Paul explicitly denies that he is doing anything of the such. The Corinthians’ disunity, demonstrated in the Lord’s Supper, is a problem near to their understanding of the gospel and shows just how deep their factions went.

Tetris is one of the best-selling games of all time, and was ubiquitous for the people of my generation worldwide. The point was to arrange blocks as they fell into complete rows, making them disappear. This is not unlike biblical theology, where we take texts and problems and try to arrange them rightly. Sometimes, however, the blocks fall so fast and their arrangement so complicated, that we can feel quite overwhelmed. This is especially true for the most difficult passage in 1 Corinthians, where Paul deals with head coverings. Let us see if we can make some sense of this somewhat strange and enigmatic passage.

Some things in this world are complicated because they need to be. MRI machines, the internal combustion engine, and the space shuttle are all tremendously complicated because they must be to do their job. There are, however, some things that are more difficult than they should be. Windshield wipers, IKEA furniture, and online recipes all seem needlessly complicated. So it is with Paul’s argument about meat in these last three chapters of 1 Corinthians. Why not just say “yes” or “no”? Primarily because Paul knew a good opportunity to teach when it presented itself. How should we handle ourselves in these situations?

Our nation has sprung up from a declaration of rights. We are a people who love to claim their rights, to fight for their rights, even to say that we would gladly die for our rights. What if, for the good of others, God might be calling you to lay down your rights? Would you? Paul pleads with the Corinthians to see the good in setting aside their rights that others might flourish in the Lord.