day one of the cradle-to-cross journey, the angel's announcement to the shepherds and their response
8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”
13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.
17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.
18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
day two, Jesus reads from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and declares the scripture fulfilled today
14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,
19 and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’”
24 He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
25 But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.
26 Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27 There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”
28 They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.
29 They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.
30 But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.
the passage Jesus read and quoted in the Nazareth synagogue, read in both its Luke and Isaiah forms
1 The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
day three, the paralyzed man lowered through the roof, Jesus forgives sins and heals him
17 On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them.
18 Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
19 Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus.
20 Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
23 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (he said to the paralyzed man), “I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.
26 Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
day four, Zacchaeus climbs the tree, Jesus comes to his house and declares salvation has come today
1 He entered and was passing through Jericho.
2 There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short.
4 He ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6 He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
7 When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”
8 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
day five, the crucifixion and Jesus promising paradise to the repentant criminal today
32 There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
35 The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The pastor opened the third Sunday of Advent by walking through five scenes in the Gospel of Luke, one for each of the five times Luke uses the word "today" with special emphasis. From the manger to the cross, each scene carries the same weight: something decisive is happening right now, not eventually.
What was said
Luke uses the word "today" only five times in his Gospel, and the pastor built the entire message around those five moments. The structure was simple: the cradle, the synagogue in Nazareth, the healing of a paralyzed man, Zacchaeus in Jericho, and the cross. Each one is a day, and each day the word "today" is doing real work.
Day one is the birth announcement. The angel's words to the shepherds are specific and urgent: "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord." The shepherds did not deliberate. They said, let's go, and they went with haste. That immediacy is part of the point.
Day two is Jesus in his hometown synagogue reading from Isaiah 61, stopping mid-prophecy and then saying the whole thing has just been fulfilled in their hearing. He stopped before the line about the vengeance of God, and when he explained why, pointing to Elijah sent to a foreign widow and Elisha healing a Syrian rather than an Israelite, the crowd went from wondering at his gracious words to trying to throw him off a cliff. The good news was always meant for all peoples, and the religious insiders were the ones who could not stand that.
Day three brings a paralyzed man lowered through a roof by friends who would not take no for an answer. Jesus saw their faith and told the man his sins were forgiven. When the scribes and Pharisees objected that only God can forgive sin, Jesus answered by telling the man to pick up his bed and walk home, which he did immediately, glorifying God. The crowd's response was that they had seen extraordinary things today.
Day four is Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree just to get a look and ended up with Jesus at his table. The crowd grumbled that Jesus was going to the house of a notorious sinner. Jesus said salvation had come to that house today, and that Zacchaeus had shown himself a true son of Abraham, because Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.
Day five is the cross. One of the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus had been mocking him, but something shifted. He rebuked the other man, acknowledged his own guilt, recognized Jesus' innocence, and asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom. The answer was direct: "Today, you will be with me in paradise." The pastor noted that both criminals had been reviling Jesus before they were raised up, which means something in the way Jesus conducted himself during the crucifixion changed at least one man's heart.
The thread running through all five days is that Jesus is still at work in the same way, right now, in what Paul calls the acceptable year of the Lord, the age of grace. The vengeance of God that the Nazareth crowd wanted to hear about is not the present moment. The present moment is the open invitation, the same one extended to shepherds, a paralyzed man, a corrupt tax collector, and a dying criminal.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Pastor Nathan walked through five uses of the word 'today' in Luke, from the manger to the cross. Which of those five moments stood out to you most, and why?
In Nazareth, Jesus stopped reading Isaiah 61 before the line about 'the day of the vengeance of our God.' Pastor Nathan said the crowd's favorite part was exactly what Jesus left out. Where do you find yourself wanting God to skip straight to judgment, and what does that reveal about your own heart?
Good morning, everybody. How are doing? Hey. I'd love to worship together in song.
Would you stand with me? And let's sing together on this third Sunday of Advent. Can you believe it? Third Sunday in Advent already. An encouraging word from Luke one to lead us in the worship.
Mary sings, my soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my savior, for he's been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. Would you join us in singing, my soul magnifies the Lord.
Wonderful counselor
And I'm glad y'all are here. I'm glad I'm here, I'm but glad y'all are here too. The announcements, if they'll start clicking through, it's gonna be about Awana. I'm betting the first one's about Awana. So Awana is on a.
How about that? Awana is on a on Monday, 05:45.
Yeah. We're on tomorrow, and it's Awana store night tomorrow, which is really fun. That's something we look forward to. And it's the last one before break too. So Awana tomorrow, 05:45.
Alright. Buzzer Breath Chili Cook Off is tomorrow also along with caroling. We will start at 04:30. What's that? It's today.
Did I say tomorrow? Yeah. Goodness gracious. Shouldn't have prepared yesterday for this, I guess. Brother Breath Chili Cook Off is tonight.
It's tonight. And the chili is after the caroling. We tried it once the other way around. It just didn't go well. Sorry.
04:30, we'll be doing the caroling and then six, we'll do the chili. Angel tree this year, you'll see some tags out there on the tree. There's still some left and it's kinda late in the season for some of them to be left. If you would like to talk to Tanya, that's her number. That's my wife.
(956) 357-3676 and she'd be glad to answer any questions you have about families in need in the valley that we think we might be able to help. So thank you for turning out and showing up and bringing gifts in. The twentieth is kind of the due date for those to come in. So that's happening still. If you want a caller, you can call her.
Good Samaritan Mission is in need of specific winter clothing. They sent out a newsletter and they kinda have what they're looking for. And if you'll talk to either Nick or go on our website, probably go on our website would be better. You can see that list at first b jackson dot org. Discovery class this month is gonna be the fourth Sunday instead of the third Sunday.
This is the third Sunday. We're And doing something else between services. We have a little matter of businesses we have to take care of, getting a couple of elders confirmed today. So that is today, special congregational meeting. Tim Aristorza and Philip Jordan, be voting them.
We will be voting on them. We hopefully will be getting them moved in here between services. So December 15, that's today, special congregational meeting. Next week is also a potluck. So please bring a dish to share for the connect hour down the hall.
Addie here does a great job of coordinating other people to do that, but this time we're gonna get together and share for that. And Christmas Eve services, if you have not yet heard or have not yet made a plan, we do them at 04:30 and six in the evening. 04:30 and then six in the evening. Usually, the the heavier attendance is the 04:30. So if you're trying to go for a lighter attendance or trying to make space for people, you might want to come to the sixth.
And one more thing. For those of you who are just your first b folks, you're here every Sunday. You sit in here and you're just excited about it. You're inviting people in. If you would, go and set up in the overflow area for the 04:30.
It's gonna be a different experience in there, but we'd rather you who are dyed in the wool. Right? You're here all the time. If you would go down there start off and make space for other folks to be in in here in the midst of the action. So that's just a request.
No services on Christmas day. It's not a Sunday. So that's it. 04:30 and six. And I think that that's it.
Advent reading. You know who you are. Here come the Daltons. Tim and Melanie Dalton. Good morning.
Good morning. Can you hear me? There's the there's the mic right there hiding in the wreath. There you go.
Alright. We're lighting another Advent candle this morning, and this is the third Sunday of Advent. And on the third Sunday in Advent, the candle of joy is lit. Jesus came to give us fullness of joy and abundant life. Joy is ours because of Jesus.
His presence brings the promise of joy. Luke two eight through 11 says, and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.
Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.
Speaking good news, great joy. Would you stand? We'll sing of that joy. Joy to the world. And as we sing that song, I can't help but think, there you are, a little baby, just a just an infant, and yet the wise men came to seek you.
The shepherds came to see you, to visit you. I'm thinking of the saying, wise men still seek him. And, Lord, that's what we want to do this morning, earnestly, sincerely seek for you seek you. And and and you say when we seek you, we will find you. And, Lord, you're not hidden from us.
And so would you fill us with the joy that we've sung of and with your peace and with your presence with us right here, right now, today. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment.
This is the worship through giving part of the service. I'll invite our ushers to come on forward, and we have a song to sing, come that long expected Jesus. But before we do, Ray, may I ask you to pray?
Lord God Almighty, it is so good to be here gathered in your name, singing your praises, thinking about your incarnation, Thinking about the fact that you know exactly what it is like, that there's not anything that we're going through, that you didn't have a sense of it because you've been here and you've done this. In Jesus name, we gather. In Jesus name, we pray. Lord, I pray that we'd be living our lives in Jesus name. Would you do your will and your way among us Lord?
Would you spread out from here the good gospel that that gathers us? May we be scattered after the service to just be planting seed. May we be overflowing with the goodness of God. The way that we live our lives, the way that we use our words, Lord, I pray that you would be in every bit of that, that you would be glorified as you deserve. In Jesus name, we pray and ask your blessing on this offering, Lord.
Do with it as you will. Amen.
Amen.
Thank you to the orchestra or or our growing band. And it is time for children's church downstairs and there they go. So, last week, last week, we're in Acts five twelve through 42 and I said, we're going to take a turn this week. We're going to go towards Christmas and I I actually as I was preparing, I thought we are going towards Christmas and I want to go towards the cradle. We have already had a reading from Luke one and a song from Luke one and a reading from Luke two and songs from Luke two.
I would like to do selected passages from the Gospel of Luke. Same guy that wrote Acts. This is volume Luke is volume one, Acts is volume two. So here we go. Gospel of Luke but would you stand with me?
I just sat you down. Would you stand with me? I might tell you a story about this one day too but the Lord's prayer, would you? Go with me here. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen.
Y'all can have a seat. The clicker's not clicking. Sorry. Here we go. Here we go.
So this is gonna be from the cradle, the manger, right, to the cross in five days. We're going go through five different days in the book of Luke and I'm going to skip it. It's going be Luke two, Luke four, Luke five, Luke 19, Luke 23. Okay? From the cradle to the cross.
Luke uses the word today very emphatically only five he only uses it five times and these are the five times. So here we go. Day one, the cradle. Here it is. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and low, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord showed round about them and they were sore afraid or as Tim says, terrified.
And the angel said to them, fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you. You shall find this babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This is a specific message for these people.
Right? These shepherds, specifically for them. This is how you're going know who this guy is. This is how you're going to find him. And suddenly, was with the angel multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, there's today by the way, that this day in this case is today.
For unto you is born today, it's very emphatic. And this is what the angels sang out. Glory to God in the highest and on earth. Peace, goodwill toward men. Or as we sang in that first song, peace, goodwill towards those upon whom God's favor rests.
That rests on a squiggly at the end of one word. Whether it's goodwill towards men or goodwill towards those upon whom God's favor rests is a squiggly, a little sigma at the end of one word. We'll talk about that next week, maybe. I like goodwill towards men because it's a very effective call. And then, you receive the call and God's favor rests upon you.
But, we'll keep on going. And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them up into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, let's get about this thing. Let's go. Let's now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. I love the immediacy of the shepherd's actions.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all that they heard and wondered it, those things which were told them by the shepherds, but Mary kept all of these things and pondered them in her heart. It looks like Luke interviewed Mary. She pondered all these things in her heart, she didn't want to forget a single detail and Luke is accurately reflecting the story. And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen just as it was told unto them.
So we have the wrong sermon in here. Hold on just a second. In the in the box, there should be one that's listed. We'll just talk amongst ourselves. Alright?
When you save things on the computer, you ever save multiple copies of what you don't want to keep and you accidentally throw the ones away that you do want to keep? You see anything in there, Blake? Lord have mercy on us all. Okay. Can you all take two minutes for me to run my office and make sure that this thing happened?
I will Hey, everybody. Can you hear me? That file should be under the folder marked ridiculous. Alright. So I'll tell you the story about the Lord's prayer.
Typically, we're not a liturgical church. We don't say the Lord's prayer every Sunday. Right? It's it is something that's near and dear to my heart. I do say it myself, but we just don't say it every Sunday.
So one time on December 23, I got in the car to go help somebody get unstuck. And by the time we got to this unstuck, it was way out in the middle of nowhere, and I ended up getting stuck. And then I ended up walking back, and somebody from First Beast stopped to pick me and the other person up and brought us back to Jackson. It was 50 something miles from here. So I called one of the church members here who had a skid steer and lived near there, and I said, hey, why don't you come?
Can you help us, you know, the next day? So it's like December 24. And after he got my wife's jeep, which I got stuck, hooked to a chain and Carl and I were both there with shovels trying to dig out and everything. He said, why don't we say the Lord's prayer in church every Sunday? Now that I've got both of you stuck here.
And I said, we'll say it twice this Sunday, and we did. It's been a while since that happened, and I left my clicker in my office. Gracious. Here we go. Somebody else can bring that to me.
Here we go. Onward, onward, onward. We're not gonna say it twice this Sunday. So Gospel of Luke. When it wasn't wide format with quotations, I don't have it.
Just do this. Okay. Keep going then. There we go. Keep on going.
Keep on going. Here we are. So did you all get what happened on day two? No. Day one.
Day two is this. Day two is There we go. Day one, what happened? The savior is born. Just in case while you're talking amongst yourselves, you forgot about it.
A savior is born. Today, it was today. It was very emphatic. Today is born in the city of David. A savior which is Christ the Lord.
Amen. Luke four is day two. Jesus returned the power of the spirit into Galilee and there he went out of fame of him through all the region round about and he taught in their synagogues being glorified of all. So Jesus is growing in popularity and fame and he came to Nazareth, his hometown where he had been brought up and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up for to read. And there was delivered him the book of the prophet Isaiah and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written.
He looked for it and found it. The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Imagine Jesus saying this. They heard this on a cycle for many, many, many years. In fact, it was written seven hundred years before.
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Jesus said, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. He opened up the favorable time of God, the age of grace. That's what he was doing. Here it is in Isaiah.
The spirit of the Lord of God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And Jesus closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and he sat down. And what he really did was this. Alright.
That is staggering what he just did. Now, for many reasons, one of those is it was the guy who the prophecy was about reading the prophecy. And all of the eyes of them that were in that synagogue were fastened on him, wrapped attention, and he began to say unto them, today. That's emphatic. Today, right now, is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing or in your ears.
You have heard this fulfilled right now. I'm proclaiming freedom. And all bear him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth and they were indeed gracious words. He didn't read the whole prophecy. He stopped before it was over.
And they said, isn't this Joseph's son? Call him back to the cradle. Isn't this Joseph's son? The carpenter, builder, mason, whatever. And they said, isn't this Joseph's son?
This is not who's he think he is? Well, it's starting to build. So day two, what happened so far on day two? Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61. Among others, 53, 49, a few other messianic prophecies.
But he claimed it right there with them. This has been fulfilled in your hearing. That's what he said out loud. Now, where he left off was significant. He read just part of the prophecy and he stopped.
And where he stopped was, and the day of the vengeance of our God. He didn't say that part. That was their favorite part. If you're going to read all that other stuff, don't stop there because we want to kick these Romans out of here. We want to have our own autonomy.
We want to be a people who's not subjugated or oppressed. We've been oppressed by the Babylonians and the Assyrians and everybody. Now, it's the Romans. The day of the vengeance of our God was their favorite part of this song and Jesus didn't say that. And then he said to them, well, you will undoubtedly quote me this proverb, physician heal yourself.
Meaning, do miracles here in your hometown like you did those in Capernaum. But I'll tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. That's just not the way it works. Familiarity breeds contempt. Certainly, there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah's time when the heavens were closed for three and a half years and a severe famine devastated the land.
Yet Elijah was not sent to any of those needy widows. He was sent instead to a foreigner, an outsider, a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon, not a good Jewish gal. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian. A guy who was outside of the covenant chosen people of God, but the prophet of God knows the word of God and he knows that they were supposed to be a light to those nations and he through his prophets was saying, the gospel, the good news is that God loves all the peoples. And back to today is born this day, a city in the city of David, a savior who is Christ Lord.
And it's good news of great joy for all the peoples. It's That's that's the way it goes. It's everybody. And so when Jesus says this, he didn't just skip the part about the vengeance of our God. He calls it out and says, it's not just for you people.
And when they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. That says they were wondering about the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth, but then when they heard him delineate what he was talking about, they were furious. And jumping up, they mobbed him, they forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built and they intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Now, Nazareth Ridge is 1,300 feet. It's just a little bit taller than Snow King, and it is a pretty hefty cliff.
So what happened on day two? He claimed to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 61. He read part of a prophecy and the religionists went into a murderous rage and tried to kill him. Day three, here we go. Keep on going.
Don't get hung up there. He got away. On one of those days, that doesn't say today, that's just on one of these days, as he was teaching in Luke five, very next chapter, pharisees and teachers of the law, that's probably pharisees and sadducees sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed. Now, we've been in acts and we've been seeing people bringing the their sick and their hurt and their blind and their lame to bring to the apostles.
And this is Jesus doing this. This is where they learned it. Miracles are authenticating his message. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who's paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd. They went up on the roof and they let him down with his bed, threw the tiles into the midst before Jesus, and when he saw their faith, when he saw their faith, that's amazing.
If you all are praying for somebody to come to Jesus, keep on praying. Keep on praying. Keep on pleading. Keep on as much as you can. When he saw their faith, he said, man, your sins have forgiven you.
And the scribes and the pharisees began to question saying, who is this who speaks blasphemies? Now, if it were not true, it would be blasphemy. And the scribes and the pharisees began to question saying, who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? This is a stone worthy blasphemy category three, arrogation of the divine prerogative, unless you are the divine and Jesus was.
When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, why do you question in your hearts? Why is it that you're reasoning within yourself? Which is easier for me to say? Your sins are forgiven you or to say rise and walk? Now, had not yet said rise and walk.
He said, which is easier? Well, if you say rise and walk and he doesn't rise and walk, you look like a a real fool. And you're guilty of blasphemy. You say your sins are forgiven you, and you run the risk of somebody calling you out for blasphemy, Your sins are forgiven you. Which is easier?
I think your sins are forgiven you is easier, but which is easier? Your sins are forgiven you or say rise and walk. But so that you may know the son of man, his favorite name for himself, but so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he turned and said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, pick up your bed and go home. Now this guy had been on this bed for a long time. He had been lowered through the roof by his friends.
It doesn't say anything about his faith up until this point. Jesus says to him, rise, pick up your bed and go home. And immediately, he rose up. So he put his faith in Jesus. He did what he said immediately.
There's a there's a theme here today. There's some immediacy to hearing what it is about Jesus and then responding to it. Immediately, he rose up before them. He picked up what he had been lying on and he went home. How?
Glorifying God. Amen. In amazement, sees them all and they glorified God and they were filled with all sin. We have seen extraordinary things today. That's it brings it home.
It it really happened in real time. Third day, what happened? Desperate man's friends found a way to get him to Jesus. They carried him. Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sin and then he proved it with a compassionate miracle.
Think about that. Almighty God present in human flesh, Jesus. Day four. Jesus entered Jericho, made his way through the town. There was a man there whose name is Zacchaeus.
This is later in Jesus' ministry, 19. It's pretty good ways down the road from chapter five. Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town and there was a man there named Zacchaeus and he was the chief tax collector in the region and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead, he climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the road for Jesus was going to pass by that way.
You all know the song, don't you? I don't have to sing it. Okay. I had a Scottish pastor one time and I always wanted to say, oh, Zacchaeus was a wee little man. A wee little man was he.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. Zacchaeus, he said, quick, come down. I must be a guest in your home today. There's a today. Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
He just wanted to get a glimpse of him and now he's coming to the house, But the people were displeased. He is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner. Do you see a theme emerging there too? It's not just for the religious folks. In fact, the religious folks are the ones who are scowling and opposing him at every turn.
But the people were displeased. He is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner. They grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord. And if I've cheated people on the taxes, I'll give them back four times as much as I took.
And Jesus responded, salvation has come to this home today. For this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. As much as you think he's a scoundrel and an outsider and that he's a traitor and that he is a rebel against his own people. Salvation has come to his house today and he is a true son of Abraham because Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. And this is what Zacchaeus was showing.
For the son of man came to seek and to save those who are lost. Amen. Day four, what happened? Zacchaeus, the wee little man undertook effort to get to see Jesus. Jesus recognized him and that effort and he invited himself in and then he saved him.
Salvation has come to this house today. In the story of the paralytic, it is your sins are forgiven you. That's salvation. Right? Salvation in the in the synagogue in Nazareth.
It's about claiming freedom to the captives. It's all the same message. Every single day is today. Right? Day five.
What's heck what's gonna happen? Two others. Who were criminals. I said from the cradles to the cross in five days. Here we are at the cross.
Two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place, it's called the Skull Golgotha. There they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. What a compassionate thing to say.
And they cast lots to divide his garments. In Mark, I believe it is, one of the other gospels, either Mark or Matthew says that those two criminals were reviling him. Both of them, they were reviling him. It says they were both doing that as he's being nailed to the cross and saying, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And the cast lots divide his garments.
That's another prophecy fulfilled. The people stood by watching the rulers, but the rulers scoffed at him. The people were watching. Probably some of the people in the crowd knew about Jesus. Some one of the disciples was present.
We know his mom was there present. We know. There were people there that were watching this innocent one die. But the rulers scoffed at him saying, he saved others. Let him save himself.
Salvation, salvation, salvation. Let him save himself. If he is the anointed one of God, his chosen one, the soldiers also mocked him coming up and offer him sour wine and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. Salvation, salvation, salvation. There was an inscription over him, this is the king of the Jews.
Doesn't say it in Luke, mentions in other gospels that they were aggravated that Pilate had written that and he finally stands up and has some backbone says, what I have written, I've written. It states, this is the king of the Jews. Never truer words have been written. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him. Now, was both of them.
When they're on the ground, before they're hoisted up, it says both of them were reviling him. But the simple act of Jesus' merciful presentation apparently had a a change of heart in one of those guys. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself. Salvation.
Here it is again. Save yourself and us. But the other one rebuked him saying, do you not fear God? You're under the same sentence of condemnation. We're all here dying together.
Do you not fear God? And we indeed justly deserve this. We're receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. He recognized his own guilt and he recognized Jesus' innocence, and he turns and says to Jesus, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, truly I say to you, today today, it's emphatic.
Today, you'll be with me in paradise. So what happened on day five? Jesus promised paradise to the criminal who trusted him. He saved him. Now, I've seen a lot of memes lately about the, you know, the guy on the cross arrives in heaven and it's like, what just happened?
Oh, were you a pre millennial, pre tribulation, whatever? What do you believe about so and so? And he goes, I don't know. He says, well, how'd you get here? He goes, the man on the middle cross said I could be here.
He saved him. It was that simple. So here we are today. Paul tells us today is the day of salvation. Today is the day.
So what's happening right here? Jesus is work at work right here today. He was at work in the soundcheck. He's at work. Hopefully, he'll be running down the hall and figuring out what's message to put up here.
He's at work. He's constantly at work. Jesus is at work right here today. So have you heard good news of great joy since you got here this morning? We've been singing about it.
Yes. We heard good news of great joy. This is what the shepherds did in Luke two. They glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen in Luke four. And all of those people who bore him witness at that sermon wondered at the gracious words, grace is unmerited favor.
They wondered at the gracious words which were proceeding out of his mouth. Even though they got mad and wanted to throw him off the ridge, they recognized grace when they saw it. Luke five, immediately that man with that pallet picked it up and was glorifying God. Amazement seized everyone else and they all glorified God. That is good news.
Luke 19, Zacchaeus, for the son of man came to seek and to save those who are lost. He's still in this business today. Remember me when you come into your kingdom as a simple enough prayer for Jesus to extend paradise to this criminal. So today, what is happening? Jesus is still at work right here today.
I believe that he is, and he's still saving people today. And will you let him just do his job? And if you don't know what his job is, go back to Isaiah 61. Stop at the part about the vengeance of our God. I know that makes you mad.
It's coming. The vengeance of our God is coming. It's a possibility. There's a second coming that's coming. But we're still in the time of the acceptable year of the Lord.
The age of grace is the age we're living in. Let us be gracious as he is gracious. Let us be merciful as he's merciful. Let us be extending the word of God in the way that we live our lives, in the way that we use our words. I think that's my last slide.
And I think that the song we have is pretty appropriate. So the altar is always open, always open. If you want to come forward, this is a hymn of invitation and response. It's a traditional way of looking at this. But I'm here.
And the elders are here and we are ready to receive. If you'd like to come forward just to pray, you're welcome to do that. If you'd like to come forward and talk to one of us, I'll I'll turn off my microphone and put the base down. Would you receive this kind of a blessing? God, help us.
Help us, Lord. Help us to see that you are active. Help us to see that you are active in and through your obedient servants. Would you show us how you want us to walk it out? Would you bring people into the kingdom, Lord?
Would you do what it is that only you can do? Would you allow us to see glimpses of it? Help us to understand, Lord. Amen.
Would you stand with us? Let's sing that chorus.
Amen. And may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace, and may you reflect God's face on others as you extend to them peace, grace, love, mercy, and even his salvation. In Jesus name, amen.
