You’d think Abram would be in a pretty secure place come the start of chapter 16, but, as we heard it really doesn’t go well. In fact whilst in the past we’ve seen Abram buckle into sin, here he really messes up. But as he and Sarai do, in the midst of the total mess they create, we see a moment of grace, as, for the first time in the Bible, someone names God, and it is the last person you’d expect.
We’re once again in a wonderfully rich part of Romans, if you’re familiar with the Bible and with Romans there will be quite a few bits you’ll perhaps recognise in this section. And once again there’s far too much to talk about in one sermon here, but we’re going to focus on the pinnacle of this reading, the pinnacle of not just the chapter but all of this letter ‘If God is for us, who can stand against us’.
What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it about an extra set of practices we need to keep: reading the Bible, praying, doing good? Is it about a few extra things in our diary like worship on Sundays and other things throughout the week? Is it about a new set of beliefs we sign up to and say ‘yes, that’s what I believe’ as we do each week in the Creeds? All of those things are true, but they don’t get to the heart of it, they’re the working out of a bigger and more fundamental truth: to be a Christian is to be adopted into the family of the God of the Universe.
In our Gospel reading today Jesus gives us three challenges: who do you fear? Whose approval do you care about? And who are you ultimately loyal to? But in the midst of these challenges he also gives us the most wonderful assurance and comfort.
In our Gospel reading today we hear some of what Jesus prayed for his disciples, and for us, the night he was betrayed, and in this prayer we get an insight into how he is praying for us right now, now that he has Ascended into heaven to take his throne at the right hand of the Father. And in this passage we see his heart, his love and concern for us, and we also get an insight into what his whole mission on earth was for.
Jesus is risen, he is alive and lives forevermore. Now what.
In that first letter of Peter which we just heard Peter is writing to a group of Gentile believers who have come to faith in Jesus. His aim is to answer that question; now what? How are they to live as followers of Jesus in the midst of a culture that is hostile to their newfound faith? But he doesn’t start there, he starts with hope.
No matter the darkness you find yourself in, Jesus is already there.
As we stand at the foot of the cross we stand in darkness. Literal darkness; we read that darkness covered the land from noon until Jesus’ death three hours later. And metaphorical darkness as Jesus goes down into the very depths with us. And as we stand here in the darkness, we find that Jesus is here with us. And that no matter the darkness we face in our lives, Jesus is already there. The darkness of life’s hardships, the darkness of sin, and the darkness of death.
…And it starts with the news that Lazarus is ill, it’s noted that his sisters are Mary and Martha, who we’ve met in the other Gospels, and they send word to Jesus that ‘the one you love is ill’. From what we can tell from the Gospels Jesus becomes good friends with this little family of 3, and so naturally they send word to him, he’s a miracleworker and his friend is ill, why wouldn’t you contact him.
But by the time he gets there Lazarus is dead. Indeed Jesus knows he is dead before he gets there. And we have repeated on the lips of both sisters a declaration of faith and of despair ‘if you had been here my brother would not have died’.
…And that in many ways is what I want to focus on this morning but looking at the events that fit immediately after Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is, and the events of the transfiguration 6 days later. Because as soon as Peter has recognised Jesus, Jesus starts speaking plainly about his mission. Speaking about how he will be betrayed, killed, and on the third day rise again. And how, if we would follow him, we too are to take up our cross and follow in his steps. There’s this stark warning of the suffering that awaits Jesus, and therefore the struggle and suffering that awaits all believers. And this is then followed with the transfiguration, the revealing of Jesus’ glory. Suffering, then glory.
What does it mean for us and our lives to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom? How should we live as members of a kingdom that is both now, it has come with the Lord Jesus, and not yet, awaiting its fulfilment at his return. These are themes that are key to this Kingdom Season which we now begin, and they are also themes which are core to Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians which we are going to be reading through in this season.
And the first question posed and answered by this letter is this: what does being part of this kingdom mean for suffering? And how does this relate to God’s perfect justice?