January 22, 2011

God's Saving Plan Unfolds

3rd Sunday after Epiphany, 1/23/11
Matthew 4:12-23


God’s Saving Plan Unfolds
I. Through Jesus’ preaching
II. Through Jesus’ followers


Other than the Bible and maybe some short children’s stories, I don’t know if I’ve ever read the same book twice. How about you? If you have read the same book more than once, no doubt your eyes were opened to details during the second reading that you missed during the first. You also noticed other details in a different light. Since you already knew how the story ends, you realized that what appeared to be an insignificant detail in the first reading was actually something major as you read it a second time. Knowing that detail shed light on why the story progressed as it did.

The same thing happens when you watch a movie for the second time. You find yourself noticing details in a new light. If you’re watching that movie with another person, you may even tell them, “Pay attention to what happens next. It makes a huge difference in the movie.”

So, how many times have you heard and read the story of the earthly life of Jesus? Probably more than you can count. Even if you haven’t yet read one of the gospels from start to finish (and by the way, if that’s the case I can’t urge you strongly enough to take a few minutes for just one week and do it), we’ve all heard various details of the life of Jesus so many times that we’ve lost count. We know how his story begins and ends.

But how long has it been since you took the time to step back and ponder the details between the beginning of his life and the end of his life here on earth? How long has it been since you pondered the other things that Jesus did with his life, the things that led up to his sufferings and death for you? In other words, what were the early steps in Jesus’ life that led to our salvation?

Matthew’s words before us this morning fill in some of those details. In doing so, he allows us to see God’s plan of salvation unfold. Let’s take that blessed opportunity. As we study this account God’s saving plan unfolds.

Part I.

It’s probably unfortunate but we usually remember great figures in history for just one thing. For instance, when I mention the name of Abraham Lincoln, you probably recall how he ended slavery in our country. If I mention Thomas Edison, you think of the light bulb. If I mention the Wright brothers, you think of flying. These people may have done many other great things in their lives, but we tend to focus on just one, or maybe just a few.

So when I mention the name of Jesus, what comes to mind? Well, you’d probably say something such as, “He’s my Savior who died for me” or, “He’s the Son of God.” That’s what I expect. Those are the great truths of our salvation.

But this morning our attention isn’t drawn to those truths specifically as we view the life of Jesus. Instead, Matthew focuses on something else. He writes, “From that time on Jesus began to preach.” Indeed, that’s the focus of our worship today, that we have a preaching Savior. And now that Matthew has reminded us of it, we likely recall that Jesus did quite a bit of preaching. We think of his Sermon on the Mount which Matthew covers in the next three chapters of his gospel. We think of how Jesus was preaching to thousands just before feeding them miraculously with five loaves of bread and two fish. And it dawns on us that Jesus spent much of his time preaching.

But why was that so important? Because it was part of God’s plan of salvation. Matthew tells us that Jesus began his preaching ministry in Galilee. That was the northern part of Israel, quite separated from Jerusalem in the south. Most Jews figured that when the Messiah appeared he would do so in Jerusalem. But that wasn’t God’s plan. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah just what that plan was. The plan was for him to begin his work in Galilee.

What made that area so unlikely in the Jewish way of thinking was that Galilee was a spiritual black hole. Isaiah pictured the people there as living in darkness. He’s referring to their spiritual situation. You see, Galilee was inhabited largely by Jews of mixed heritage. They were descendants of Gentile people who had intermarried with the Jews about 500-700 years ago. And they not only mixed their heritage, they mixed their religions as well. By and large the people in Galilee didn’t worship the Lord as they were supposed to. They had little use for obeying the laws about making sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. From a human standpoint, if you were going to choose a place for the Savior to begin his work, this wouldn’t be it. But that was God’s plan.

And really it made perfect sense. You see, if the people of Galilee were living in spiritual darkness, then the thing they needed most was spiritual light. And that’s just what Jesus brought them through his preaching. He told them, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” It’s the very sa me message that John the Baptist had preached. Jesus called for them to see how God’s law condemned them for their sins. And once convicted, then he pointed them to himself as the promised Savior from sin. In other words, he shared the gospel with them. That gospel was the means to enlighten their spiritually darkened hearts. It was the means by which the Holy Spirit brought them forgiveness and eternal life. It was the message of their salvation. And in that message, their salvation unfolded.

God’s saving plan unfolds through Jesus’ preaching.

We live in an age in which people are fascinated with the latest gadgets that produce stunning visuals in an instant. We take in a tremendous amount of information visually every day. With that being the case, listening to the truth that God unfolds his saving plan through a preaching Savior doesn’t sound all that impressive. We’d be more impressed if we could view some actual video of Jesus. Wouldn’t it be great to see him perform a miracle or two? Just seeing Jesus would be phenomenal! But God didn’t do that. Instead, he unfolds his plan of salvation to us simply through his word. We might not be impressed. But we’d be wrong. For centuries God has used his almighty word to bring hearts living in the darkness of sin and unbelief into the light of his forgiveness and salvation. He uses the message of Jesus as the Savior to create faith and strengthen faith. Every time we hear that word we come to a deeper appreciation of his grace and love for us. That’s precisely the opportunity we have this morning. God’s saving plan unfolds through Jesus’ preaching.

Part II.

Someone once said that great leaders aren’t born, they’re made. But what makes a great leader? Great leaders have a vision and can convey it. They inspire others. They know what the objective is and how to attain it. They get others involved in attaining it.

No sooner had Jesus begun his preaching ministry than he involved others in it. Matthew tells us, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” He finds some fishermen and calls them into his service. If you were Jesus, would you have done the same? Probably not. These men didn’t have much education. They may have had no prior experience with public speaking. They may have been only slightly familiar with Jewish religious laws and truths. They weren’t the most likely choice.

But they had already contemplated following Jesus. You see, this wasn’t the first time they had met Jesus. Perhaps as much as a year earlier John the Baptist had pointed these men to Jesus as the Lamb of God by the Jordan River. As we heard in last Sunday’s Gospel, they had had a chance to talk with Jesus extensively. No doubt he had told them that the time was coming when he would call them to follow him for the rest of their lives. These men likely talked it over with their family, friends and business partners. They knew that when Jesus called them, they would need to give him an answer.

That time had now come. And without hesitation, they dropped their nets and began following Jesus. At first it was Peter and Andrew. Next it was James and John. Later Jesus would call eight other men to do the same thing. These men would accompany Jesus on a daily basis as he journeyed through Galilee preaching, teaching and performing miracles. Jesus would send them out on limited mission trips to gain experience. They would follow him all the way to Jerusalem where he would suffer, die and rise again. In doing so, they would be eyewitnesses of God’s saving plan. In fact, they were part of that plan. The Lord would use them to spread his saving word to the ends of the earth.

God’s saving plan unfolds through Jesus’ followers.

Jesus didn’t call you and me to be his followers in exactly the same way as he did Peter, Andrew, James and John, but he has called us to be his followers all the same. And just as it was true that his saving plan unfolded through them, it now also unfolds through us. Jesus isn’t here on earth preaching and teaching anymore, unfolding God’s saving plan for others. Instead, he uses his Church to do that. He uses us. So now we have to ask, “Do you and I have what it takes for him to use us to unfold his saving plan?” That’s a critical question. Eternal souls are at stake. Without a doubt it’s the most important work that we can do. So again, are we up to it? And the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Would you agree with me? Maybe you hesitate. That’s understandable. So realize this: God gives each of us gifts to use in his kingdom work. By his grace he made us his followers by giving us our faith in Jesus as our Savior. We live each day knowing and believing that Jesus died and rose again for us. We know our sins are fully forgiven. That’s all the work of God’s gracious power in us. And in his grace he also equips us through his word to share that word with others. He’s made us fishers of men. So look for your fishing opportunities. And then let the Lord speak through you to others. Tell them simply what you know about Jesus. In doing so, God will unfold his saving plan through you. Amen.