I want to welcome you here today for a one-of-a-kind experience.  Today, we will experience something that has not happened before and will never happen again.  You might be saying, “Oh, what is about to happen?”  I say this moment is a unique experience that has never happened before and will never happen again because this group of people has never met in this place at this time to sing these hymns, offer these prayers, hear this passage of scripture, and hear this sermon.  This is a unique moment in history, and it will never be repeated.  Each one of us came here with whatever had happened in the past week, with whatever worries we had on our minds, whatever joys we were thinking about, whatever hopes we had, and that mixture of thought will not be repeated – ever.  Please take that truth in for a moment.  I want you to have that small sense of history that will not be repeated, because we are about to see a larger sense of history that will not be repeated.

            Now, you might be thinking, what you say, Pastor, is true, but we have been here many times before doing something similar.  That is true. But I want to invite us to think for a moment about unrepeated and unreplicated history.  Because our scripture today is all about an unprecedented moment in history, it involved 13 men, divided into groups of eight and three, and two men who stood alone and separate from one another.  The men knew each other very well.  They had just eaten a meal together and sung a hymn of praise to God.  It was for all but one man a time for contemplation and prayer.

            Mark, the gospel writer, wrote, “32 They [Jesus and eleven of his disciples] went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here and pray” (Mark 14:32).  Jesus’ disciples here referred to the Twelve men He had called to be his apostles, his ambassadors.  The disciples Jesus spoke to in the moment were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, and Simon. One man, Judas Iscariot, was missing from the group.  He had left after the meal and before the hymn.  Judas would thus stand alone and separate from all others.

For the disciples, Jesus had one request.  It was that they would pray.  What was said in prayer, we do not know.  Who led the prayers, we do not know.

            Mark said that Jesus then, “33 Took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33). We see here that Jesus had separated the disciples.  He left eight disciples to remain seated and pray.  He selected three of his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John, to come with him.  Jesus left Andrew, the fourth of the inner disciples, to stay with the others and pray. Mark then said that Jesus began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

            Something had changed in Jesus’ demeanor.  Jesus had looked forward to the Passover meal with his disciples.  He had celebrated with them and shared his desire that they remember him through the bread and wine.  He had prayed for them and assured them that he loved them beyond measure. They had sung hymns and were engaged in prayer.  Jesus was wholly involved in a night of worship.  But now with three disciples from his inner circle, something had changed in Jesus’ demeanor.  Jesus appeared upset, fearful even.  Fear is never about the present; it is always about the future.  Did you know that?  We are only afraid of something that has not yet happened.  We do not fear history.  Something about what was coming made Jesus appear fearful: moreover, whatever was coming that made Jesus appear fearful also made his spirit, perhaps his voice and body posture, appear heavy-laden, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.  Jesus said to his three companions, ”34 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’” (Mark 14:34).

            Jesus offered no further clues as to what was overwhelming him, and it does not appear that the disciples asked.  Soul here means Jesus’ innermost being, his heart, if you will, was troubled even unto death.  Sorrow, grief, was upon Jesus’ soul, like the experience of a loved one's death, such that dying yourself would be preferred to living without them.  Jesus had never shown such emotions as this before. Jesus asked his inner circle to stay alert and watch over Him.  For what to be alert to, Jesus did not say.

            Mark wrote, “35 Going a little farther, he [Jesus] fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:35-36).  The scene here is troublesome for us to visualize.  Jesus, who always seems so confident and assured as the Son of God, now appeared physically weakened, falling to the ground, was overwhelmed with sorrow, and prayed as a child might to seek relief from their father.  In doing so, Jesus made a simple five-word prayer, “Take this cup from me.”

What do we make of this situation?  Many commentaries and many pastors have offered sermons that this scene shows Jesus’ human side as Jesus contemplated the physical assault that was coming upon him with the crucifixion.  They conclude that Jesus wanted the Father to find another way that did not require him to suffer the cross.  They conclude that since Jesus was crucified, the Father’s answer to the prayer “Take this cup from me” was “No.”  We will have to consider those thoughts in a moment.

            As the scene in the garden continued to unfold, Mark wrote, “37 Then he [Jesus] returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,” he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38).  We learn here two things.  First, Jesus’ simple prayer, “Take this cup from me,” was a prayer of one hour.  Did Jesus repeat those words again and again?  I do not think so.  Jesus had already cautioned his disciples not to pray, repeating the same thing until they were babbling.  I think Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” and used his time in prayer to remain quietly within the Father’s will.  It would be time with the Father that would quell Jesus’ distress, not by repeating the same words.  Second, we learn that the inner group of three disciples had fallen asleep.  They did not stay alert and keep watch.  Jesus changed his instructions to them, telling them this time, “Watch and pray,” so that they would not be tempted by sleep.  

Having set his disciples on a new path, Mark said, “     39 Once more, he [Jesus] went away and prayed the same thing [“Take this cup from me”]. 40 When he [Jesus] came back, he again found them [the three disciples] sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.  For a second time, Jesus entered a period of prayer with the Father, “Take this cup from me.”  For a second time, Jesus lay in the quiet of the garden to receive the Father's comfort and reassurance.  For a second time, Jesus’ disciples succumbed to sleep.

Although unstated, Jesus returned to the quiet of the garden and prayed again, “Take this cup from me.”  For the third time, Jesus lay in the quiet of the Father’s comforting presence. Having spent time with the Father, Mark wrote, “41 Returning the third time, he [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’”  (Mark 14:41-42).  For a third time, the disciples were found asleep.

But one of the things we find is that Jesus no longer appeared sorrowful unto death.  Jesus no longer appeared overwhelmed with grief.  In fact, Jesus sounded extremely confident, saying, “Rise!  Let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!”  Jesus did not mean, “Let’s run away!”  Instead, with confidence, Jesus was saying, “Let’s go and greet my betrayer.”  A transformation had happened with that garden prayer, “Take this cup from me,” in which Jesus moved from sorrow unto death to confidence, moving toward his betrayer.  We must then choose which answer, “Yes” or “No”, is the more likely one to Jesus ' prayer, “Take this cup from me.”  What answer to Jesus’ prayer would account for this transformation: “No, I will not take the cup” or “Yes, I will take the cup”?  Would we be more encouraged by God if he says “No” or would we be more encouraged by God if he said, “Yes?”  And if Jesus were more encouraged by a “Yes” answer than a “No” answer, and he was still crucified and knew that was going to happen, then we would have to conclude the “cup” Jesus wanted removed from him was not the physical crucifixion.  If that was so, then what did Jesus mean when he prayed, “Take this cup from me”?

When we want to consider what Jesus said and why he said it, our go-to place must be the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament.  Why is that?  Because Jesus said, “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).  Jesus came to live out the Hebrew Scriptures in a perfect manner.  What, then, is the cup of the Hebrew scriptures that Jesus may have asked to pass from him?  We look to the prophet Isaiah, who wrote, “
17 Awake, awake!  Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger” (Isaiah 51:17).  In this context, the cup was not the physical crucifixion; the cup was the wrath of God upon the sinner.  The crucifixion that Christ was about to face, as awful as it would be, was so much less than the wrath of God upon the sinner, especially the one who would take upon himself the sins of the world.  Physical pain would end with Jesus’ death, but God’s wrath could be eternal.  So, Jesus prayed, “ 36 ‘Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). “Everything is possible for God. Take this cup [of wrath] from me [quickly], as I go forth confidently in your will.”  Take the cup from me.  Take the cup from me.

What was God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer?  Rather than “No” as many assume, believing Jesus was asking to avoid the cross, scripture better supports that God said, “Yes,” to having the cup of wrath pass from Jesus.  Where is the support for that beyond Jesus’ confidence after prayer?  Let’s consider the Hebrew scriptures again.

• Isaiah 51 says, “21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine.  22 This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends his people:  “See, I have taken out of your hand, the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.  23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, ‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’ And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked on.” (Isaiah 51:21-23).  God promised in the Old Testament to remove the cup of wrath from his faithful servant.
• Isaiah 53 says, “10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied? (Isaiah 53:10-11a).  The will of the Lord was that he would suffer and then the suffering would be removed, and he would be restored to life.
• Psalm 22 says, “24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help” (Psalm 22:24).  God did not forsake Jesus’ prayer; God honored it.

What then do we make of Jesus’ scene in the garden, a scene that occurred only one time in history and will never happen again?  What we see is Jesus crying out in prayer that the cup of the wrath of God upon him, taking the sins of the world, would pass from him quickly.  That Jesus’ standing with God would be restored fully and completely, even though He was taking upon Himself the sins of the world.  God said, “Yes, I will take away the cup of my wrath, and I will give it to your tormentors.”  Even at that, Jesus, supremely the Savior, prayed to his Father for his tormentors, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

            What then do we take away from this scene?  I think there are two things.  First, when it comes to prayer, we are probably more like Jesus disciples than Jesus. When asked to pray, we do, but only for a little while; then we tire and sleep.  Our spirit may be willing, but our flesh is weak.  What is the remedy?  Jesus told his disciples, " Pray for strength against temptation. Temptation is our downfall. Temptation to sleep when we could be with God consumes many.  Temptation to miss being in worship for other activities of life abounds.  The temptation to sin outright is always with us. Jesus remedy for a life spent knowing God’s will begins “38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Honestly, now, how many of us pray for such strength?

            Secondly, Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” and following the prophecies of the Old Testament, the cup of God’s wrath was removed.  But here is the thing.  Jesus held the cup of God’s wrath.  Not only that, but Jesus drank from the cup all the way to the dregs, the sediment in the bottom of the cup.  Because Jesus did so, you and I do not need to drink from the cup of God’s wrath. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is because we have said to Jesus, “Take this cup from me.”  In that short, five-word prayer, Jesus repeats back the answer He received from His Father in response to that prayer, “Yes, I will take the cup from you.”  Have you prayed Jesus’ prayer?  You do not need to wait for another time in history to do that.  Make history today and pray, “Take this cup from me.”  Amen and Amen.

            In 1973, singer and actress Barbara Streisand released the song “The Way We Were.”  The song begins with the words, “Mem'ries, light the corners of my mind.  Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were.  Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind.  Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were.”  The song provides a poetic expression of how our memory works.  Memories are as if a light has been turned on in the corners of our minds, bringing to our consciousness a time from the past.  Misty, water-colored memories suggest that we paint a picture of the past less about what happened and more about how we want to relive it in the present. Scattered pictures from our memories are what we have of loved ones lost, difficult moments, celebrations, and joys.  The song speaks to how we think about memory in contemporary culture.  When we approach remembrance in the Bible, we must shift our thinking primarily to an ancient Hebrew mindset.  And much of Jesus’ last week of life in the flesh was focused on Hebrew remembrance, but none more so than when Jesus said these six words: “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

            Time for Jesus in the flesh was rapidly ending.  He had desired to celebrate the Passover meal with his disciples.  Jesus arranged for the group to congregate in Jerusalem, we are told, in the upper room of a home.  Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate were required to eat the meal within Jerusalem and its precincts.  At the Passover celebration, a lamb was sacrificed.  It was the only sacrificial offering of the ancient Jews in which the sacrifice was not performed by the Temple priests but was done by those celebrating the Passover meal.  What made the Passover sacrifice and celebration different?  It was this: God ordained that the Passover would be a permanent memorial.  It is in God’s command that we begin to understand remembrance from the Hebrew perspective.

            What was the Passover all about?  God sent Moses and his brother, Aaron, to Pharaoh of Egypt to demand that the Hebrew people be freed so they could worship the Lord God.  Pharaoh refused, and so God sent plagues upon Egypt to demonstrate his power over Pharaoh.  The ten plagues in order were:

1. Blood: The Nile River and all water in Egypt turned to blood, killing fish and making the water undrinkable.
2. Frogs: Frogs swarmed over the entire land, entering homes and beds.
3. Lice/Gnats: Lice or gnats plagued both people and animals. 
4. Flies: Swarms of flies covered Egypt, although the land of Goshen (where the Israelites lived) was spared.
5. Livestock Pestilence: A plague killed the Egyptians' domestic animals.
6. Boils: Festering boils broke out on the skin of the Egyptians and their animals.
7. Hail: A devastating storm of fire and ice (hail) destroyed crops, trees, and killed people/animals in the fields.
8. Locusts: Swarms of locusts consumed all remaining vegetation left by the hail.
9. Darkness: A thick, palpable darkness covered Egypt for three days, while the Israelites had light.
10. Death of the Firstborn: The final plague killed all firstborn sons and livestock in Egypt, leading to the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt.

It was the tenth plague that brought about the Passover.  God told Moses to have all the Hebrew families sacrifice an unblemished lamb and put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes.  When God would go through the land of Egypt on this final plague, God would pass over the homes of those marked by the blood.  The family roasted and ate the sacrificed lamb with bitter herbs.  Then God said, “14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance…26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians’”  (Exodus 12:14; 26-27). While this historical account provides the background of the Passover meal, it also reveals the Hebrew concept of remembrance.

            Remembrance is not a passive activity where you sit around the campfire and say, "Do you remember those plagues upon Egypt?"  Instead, Hebrew remembrance is an activity performed in the present to relive a past event; as generations pass, it becomes a time for new generations to experience that event for the first time.  The Hebrew concept of remembrance, found in scripture, is to recreate the event: its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and words.  The intent is to bring into one’s mind the significance of the original moment and to appropriate the meaning behind it. 

What was the meaning behind the original Passover that God wanted the Hebrew people to remember?  It was to remember that God was both Judge and Savior.  He judged the Egyptians and saved the Hebrews as His chosen nation. It was to remember the freedom God gave the Hebrews to worship Him and the blessings He bestowed upon them.  It was to remember God’s faithfulness, love, and mercy.  It was to remember all these things, not just as something that happened one evening in the faraway land of Egypt.  It was to remember that God was still Savior, redeemer, with longstanding faithfulness, love, and mercy in the present moment.  It was a time to remember to “5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength... 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:5, 7). The Hebrew concept of remembrance involved renewal of a faith relationship with God.

With this backdrop, we enter the scene of Jesus sharing the Passover meal with His disciples.  There are five New Testament accounts of that evening, as well as the Didache, the Teaching of the Twelve, written at the time of the Gospels.  None of the accounts records Jesus’ words in the same way, but the existence of multiple accounts makes it clear that this was a meal to be remembered and celebrated.  Today, I want to explore the account from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke wrote, “13b So they prepared the Passover.  14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it [the Passover] again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’  17 After taking the cup, he [Jesus] gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes’” (Luke 22:13b-18).  Let’s take this in for a moment.

The Passover meal developed several traditions, not all of which are traceable to a Biblical command.  The traditional Jewish Passover meal now involves a celebration of four cups of wine.  The primary and most widely accepted significance of the four cups comes from the four expressions of redemption that God promises to the Israelites in Exodus 6:6-7: the Cups of Sanctification, Deliverance, Redemption, and Acceptance. This tradition appears only in Jewish writing, well after Jesus' time, so we do not know whether it was a tradition of Jesus’ time.  So, we should not necessarily try to force Jesus's words into modern traditions. Instead, we should see that Jesus took the cup and gave thanks to God for it.  Jesus, in celebrating the Passover meal, was bringing his disciples into a state of remembrance in the Hebrew tradition.  Jesus wanted his disciples to remember that the kingdom of God was near and that they would need to trust in God now more than ever. 

Jesus called the disciples to take the cup and divide it among themselves.  Dividing a single cup would require each person to drink enough, but not so much that there would be none left for others.  Drinking from the same cup also meant that no one was greater than the other. As said earlier, Jesus said of this cup, “‘Take this and divide it among you” (Luke 22:17).  Many scholars believe that Luke did not record the significance of this cup until a few verses later when Luke wrote that Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20b).  Placing these words together, Jesus said, “Take this [cup] and divide it among you. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

At this meal, in which the disciples were remembering the Passover, God set forth that he offered the Hebrew people a covenant of sanctification, deliverance, redemption, and acceptance.  Passover was a celebration for the faithful who trusted in God and accepted the mercy offered through the blood of the lamb.  The blood of the lamb saved the Hebrew people from certain death. Now, during the event's reenactment, Jesus instituted the new covenant not with a nation, but with one disciple at a time.  This covenant was more powerful than that of the first Passover because through Jesus’ blood, each believer moved into eternal life. 

In the Old Testament, animal blood was often central to God’s covenants.  Blood was recognized as the sign of life.  Blood was used to atone for sin and purify those entering the covenant. Within this context, Jesus’ blood would seal the covenant He was making with his followers.  It would be Jesus’ blood that gave life, atoned for sin, and would purify the disciples.  But the blood only became available through a sacrificial death.  Jesus invoking a covenant in his own blood would have been seared into the disciples' memory.  Perhaps confusedly, each disciple sipped from the cup and passed it along to the next.

Luke then wrote, “19a And he [Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them [his disciples], saying, 'This is my body given for you” (Luke 22:19a).  The bread used in the Passover had no leavening agent, no yeast, in the dough. This was meant to remind the Hebrew people that they had to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice.  They did not have time for the dough to rise and proof before baking.  Leavening agents in the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, were associated with corruption, impurity, and processes that lead to moral or spiritual defilement. The Jewish people were called to use unleavened bread at the Passover to reinforce themes of separation from Egypt's corruption and of starting fresh in freedom and obedience to God.  More modern commentators go so far as to see the bread of the Passover meal as matzah, which is striped, pierced with holes, and broken for serving, symbolic of how Christ’s body was treated during his crucifixion.  I am not certain we can go that far.

Regardless of the modern symbolism, at the original meal, Jesus made clear that he was making an unbreakable bond with his disciples that would require his body and blood to secure.  And for that, Jesus said to them, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19b). 

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”  When you gather and share the bread and the cup, remember me not with nostalgia or as one remembers a time past.  Remember me in the present by actively doing those things I asked of you.

1. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
2. Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).
3. Repent of your sins and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).
4. Be compassionate and merciful, just as God is (Luke 6:36).
5. Help the less fortunate (Luke 14:13-14, Matthew 25:31-46).
6. Forgive those who wrong you, even your enemies (Matthew 6:14-15).
7. Do not worry about material things, but seek God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:25-34).
8. Serve others humbly and sacrificially (John 13:14-15).
9. Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them (Matthew 28:19-20).
10. Take up your cross daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).

In a moment, we will have the opportunity to remember Jesus through the bread and the cup.  We do so to recall the meal he shared with his disciples, and to affirm that as we take the bread and the cup we are seeking to take up our cross, make disciples, serve others, not worry, forgive others, be compassionate and merciful, to love our neighbors, and above all to love God.  Let’s hear Jesus’ words once again, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Amen and Amen.

            Marketing people have helped companies make a lot of money from a simple Latin expression, Carpe Diem, meaning “Seize the Day.”  There is a wide variety of merchandise adorned with the words "Carpe Diem". The words come from a longer phrase, "Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero," which translates to, "While we speak, envious time is fleeing: seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the next one.”  The line comes from the Roman poet, Horace, in his book, Odes, written around 23 BC.

Last week, I started a sermon series centered on the fleeting time of Jesus' last week.  We began studying that final week of his life and Jesus’ use of time, fleeing time to bring forward some crucial teachings for his disciples.  Jesus was seizing each day, but unlike the poet, Horace, Jesus was not foregoing trust in the future.  Jesus knew the future.  He would soon die and leave his disciples.  His disciples would naturally become discouraged and uncertain about the future.  Jesus wanted them to know what to expect and to trust Jesus’ words.  A central theme for the future until Jesus returned was these seven words: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

What does it mean to be deceived?  The dictionary says to deceive someone is to “deliberately cause someone to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain.”  In Jesus’ presence for the last three years, the disciples could not be deceived because Jesus knew and was the truth. That was going to change quickly. In just a few days, one of their own, Judas Iscariot, would deceive the other disciples into believing he was still a loyal follower of Jesus.  Jesus knew Judas’ heart and that Judas had betrayed him.  But Jesus decided not to tell his other disciples about Judas’ plans and his treachery.

With the days fleeing, Mark shared with us from his gospel, “1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’  2 ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’” (Mark 13:1-2).  Jesus had confidently spoken about the future and the destruction of the Temple, the visible heart of Judaism.  Jesus’ words are so casual that they downplay the shock of their meaning.  With the destruction of the Temple would come the end of atoning animal sacrifices, the end of Temple taxes, the end of the High Priests and priestly orders, the end of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and the end of the Herodian dynasty of Herod the Great and his sons.  Every Jewish person and group that stood opposed to Jesus and his message would be gone with the Temple.  It would be to the Jewish people as if the world had come to an end.  Jesus’ disciples did not respond to Jesus’ words.

A little later, Jesus and his disciples were outside Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, looking back toward the city, towards those buildings with their magnificent blocks.  As they sat there, the four disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, Peter and his brother Andrew, with James and his brother John, approached Jesus in private.  “4 Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” they asked Jesus (Mark 13:4).  Jesus’ predicted Temple destruction was very unsettling.  Jesus’ response did little to calm his much-disturbed disciples. Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  While the destruction of the Temple was of most concern to Jesus’ disciples, it was not foremost on Jesus's mind as his days were becoming fewer.  Jesus was concerned about the deceit, not the destruction that was coming.

“Watch out that no one deceives you.”  Jesus’ words were very personal and directed toward the men seated with him.  It was not the toppling of stones that was on Jesus’ mind; it was the collapse of faith. “5 Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many’” (Mark 13:5-6).  Jesus laid bare his concern. Many will come in Jesus’ name, either claiming to be Him or claiming to be from Him, seeking to cause someone to believe something that is not true.  Jesus warned that many will be deceived.

Jesus’ disciples may have wished they had not had this conversation with Jesus.  At first, they thought their biggest concern was the destruction of the Temple.  Now, the biggest concern was people successfully deceiving others about who Jesus is and what his message was.

Jesus’ identity was a central question for Jesus’ disciples. One time, Jesus and his disciples were walking to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.  “27b On the way, Jesus asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’  28 They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’  29 ‘But what about you?’ he asked. “Who do you say I am?’  Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’  30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him (Mark 27b-30). Knowing Jesus’ identity was a core part of Jesus’ mission and purpose.  Here, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter said, “You are the Messiah.”  So central was Peter’s answer that Mark, a close companion of Peter, began his entire gospel this way, “1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).  Mark wanted no doubt about the identity of Jesus because Mark knew from Jesus’ disciples that Jesus revealed that others would come as deceivers claiming “I am he,” the Messiah, the Son of God.

The early church did not need to wait long for Jesus’ prophesies to come true.  In 66 AD, the Jews revolted against the Romans.  Four years later, Roman legions overwhelmed Jerusalem and the Temple.  Shortly thereafter, the Romans knocked down the Temple completely.  The only remnant of the Temple is the western wall of the Temple complex, known today as the Wailing Wall.  False messiahs appeared in Israel and have continued to appear across the globe since that time, including into the 20th century, with Reverend Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, claiming to be the Messiah.  Others held messianic beliefs in the United States, ranging from Ann Lee, leader of the Shakers in Colonie, to David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas.  The false messiahs and those with messianic behaviors deceived many.

How, then, might we apply Jesus's words of warning from his final days?  Let’s think about it this way.  The American comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, had a comic routine that went, “You might be a redneck if…”  And then Foxworthy would fill in the blank with something humorous, poking fun at people usually from the southern states.  Following Foxworthy’s model, we could say, “You might be a deceived person if…”

• You follow anyone other than Jesus. Salvation is tied to one person and one person alone, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.  One time, the Apostle Paul and his fellow evangelist were in the city of Lystra.  The residents of Lystra mistakenly believed Paul and Barnabas to be the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus after Paul miraculously healed a man who had been lame from birth. Believing the gods had visited in human form, the crowd attempted to offer sacrifices to worship Paul and Barnabas, but the apostles tore their clothes in horror, proclaiming themselves to be mere mortals and directing the people to the living God.  Watch out that no one deceives you.  We are to find our salvation in Jesus alone.
• “You might be a deceived person if you have faith in Jesus and works.”  The Apostle John tells us, “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  The Apostle Paul said, “28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).  The Apostle Paul in a letter to the Christians at Colossae quoted one of the earliest Christian hymns which concluded with these words, “19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Do not be deceived, it is by belief in Jesus Christ, not your own good works, that grants forgiveness and eternal life; good deeds, works, are the result of true faith, not a requirement for it.
• “You might be a deceived person if you believe all souls will eventually be reconciled to God.”  Multiple times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28), Jesus made clear that judgment would be upon those who rejected God.  Such people would be excluded from God’s presence and experience a state of extreme sorrow, regret, and torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Jesus also made clear that an impassable chasm exists between the realm of the saved (Abraham's bosom/Heaven) and the place of torment (Hades/Hell) after death.  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Do not believe the claims that everyone gets to heaven.
• “You might be a deceived person if you believe in the Ten Commandments, the Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity.” What are those Ten Commandments:
  1. Jesus is a model for living more than an object for worship.  Translation: Jesus is one of the best people to follow among many, but not God to be worshipped.
  2. Affirming people’s potential is more important than reminding them of their brokenness.  Translation: God is only interested in what you can do, not in having you repent from sin.
  3. The work of reconciliation should be valued over making judgments.  Translation: Focus on your relationships with other people, and do not be concerned with your relationship with God.
  4. Gracious behavior is more critical than right beliefs. Translation: It does not matter what you believe if you are a good person, as you would define good.
  5. Inviting questions is more valuable than supplying answers.  Translation: The Bible is to be used to foster a questioning attitude; it does not give you any reliable answers.
  6. Encouraging the personal search is more important than group uniformity.  Translation: You are at the center of all things as you seek “Your truth,” but there are no absolute truths, as the Bible claims.
  7. Meeting actual needs is more important than maintaining institutions. Translation:  Serving people’s physical needs and wants matters; helping them toward a relationship with God is unnecessary.
  8. Peacemaking is more important than power. Translation: Tolerate all human expressions, even if they defy God.
  9. We should care more about love and less about sex. Translation: All sexually intimate relationships, whether before, during, after, or outside of marriage, are inherently loving, even if they are not.
  10. Life in this world is more important than life in the hereafter. Translation: Live well now because hell does not exist and heaven is only a possibility.

You do not need to wonder if so-called Progressive Christian churches exist locally, because they do.  There are many.  Some are independent, but most are embedded in traditional denominations.  They match Jesus’ words that they come in Jesus’ name, but they are deceivers.  Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

            How then do we avoid being deceived?  The Apostle Paul gave some simple advice.  Paul said, “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22).  There are eight things we can do to avoid being deceived.

1. Rejoice always. Rejoice that you have Christ.
2. Pray continually. Make your relationship with God through Christ your most important relationship.
3. Give thanks to God in all things.  Keep your focus on God.
4. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.  Read God’s word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
5. Do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Accept God’s word and the discipleship efforts as a gift even when those teachings conflict with your worldview.
6. Test everything you hear.  How do I test?  Test what is said against what God has said.
7. After testing – hold on to what is good.  God wants you to have good gifts from Him.
8. Reject everything that Scripture does not support, because it is evil.

Jesus was soon to give his life for the truth and for our salvation.  He did not want his life to be wasted.  Therefore, He said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  If we keep our focus upon God, pray continually, test everything, hold on to what is good, and reject what is evil, we shall not be deceived.  God’s word tells us that God himself, the God of peace, will sanctify us completely, keeping us blameless at the coming of Jesus.  God is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Amen and Amen.

            I want to start today a little bit on the heavy side of thinking.  Suppose you knew you had only one week to live.  Now that is a serious thought.  How would you spend your time?  What would you want people to know before you died?  I suspect that none of us would want to waste a moment of that time. We would wish to every minute to count. This was the situation that Jesus found himself in.  Jesus knew his time living in the flesh was ending, and he wanted every moment to count. Jesus’ final week in the flesh would transpire between what we call Palm Sunday and Good Friday.  Some churches call those days Holy Week, Passion Week, or the Great Week. 

Jesus had been in public ministry for three years and now had just one week left.  The Gospel writers recorded those three years, and of all the things they wrote about Jesus, nearly 40% was dedicated to describing that last week of Jesus’ life. In my extra-large print Bible, the gospels take up 193 pages.  That means 116 pages describe 3 years of Jesus’ life, and 77 pages describe one week of his life.  Jesus’ final week was crucial to the gospel message.  In many ways, we should see those 77 pages on Jesus’ last week as the focal point of Jesus’ overall purpose, with the other 116 pages serving to prepare us to receive it.  Given that, I want us to spend some time over the next eight weeks looking at Jesus’ words from that week.  We need the time for serious conversations about what Jesus had to say.  To guide us, I have selected the following eight statements from Jesus to focus our thinking.  Here are those statements.

“My house shall be a house of prayer.”

“Watch out that no one deceives you.”

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”

“Take this cup from me.”

“The hour has come.”

“I am he.”

“I thirst.”

“Mary.”

With that introduction, let’s begin with Jesus’ statement, “My house shall be a house of prayer.”  What was the context of that statement?  Who heard it? What was their reaction?  How was God revealed through that statement? What difference does that statement make to you and me?

We find that this statement was made in the context of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday.  All four gospels record Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem. Today, I will use Matthew’s account as our primary source.

Jesus and his disciples came to the village of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, just to the east of Jerusalem.  It was a few days before Passover, and Jewish people from across the known world were approaching Jerusalem to celebrate.  Jesus intended for the group to enter Jerusalem.  It would not be the first time Jesus had been to Jerusalem, but this time would be different.  Instead of walking into the city, Jesus intended to ride in on a colt of a donkey.  Jesus sent two of his disciples into the village to retrieve a donkey and its colt, which were tied there, and bring them to him.  Matthew, quoting from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9), wrote, “5 Say to Daughter Zion (Jerusalem), ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5).  What should we gather from this opening?  We should see that Jesus intended for people to see him enter Jerusalem, and to see him as a king, fulfilling the Hebrew Scriptures.  But Jesus was not just any king.  Jesus was a king in the line of David.  And it was not just Jerusalem that was the object of Jesus’ entry into the city; it was the Temple within the city walls that was His objective.  It was David’s son, King Solomon, who built and dedicated the first Temple in Jerusalem.  It would be David’s 13th-generation descendant, King Hezekiah, who would purify the Temple after it had become corrupted with idols.  It would be Josiah, a 16th-generation descendant of David, who would cleanse the Temple again.  It would now be Jesus, coming as a king, a 28th-generation descendant of David, who would enter Jerusalem and make his way to the Temple.  We will see why in a moment.

Jesus’ disciples brought the colt and donkey, placing their cloaks upon the colt, and Jesus sat on the animal.  “8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’  ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’  ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:8-9). The word “Hosanna” is a plea from the people, meaning, “Lord, save us.”  These words come from the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, Psalm 118, “25 Lord, save us!  Lord, grant us success!  26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord, we bless you.  27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:25-27). The words of the people confirm the destination.  Their words come from the house of the Lord, and their procession will go to the very altar of God.

Jesus’ entry could not be missed.  As pilgrims from around the world made their way by walking into the city, Jesus rode upon a colt with crowds before him and behind him, shouting words of scripture, laying down cloaks on the ground as though to create a red carpet, and waving boughs, branches, and palms to draw attention and give praise. “10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’  11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee’” (Matthew 21:10-11).  Who is this, indeed!  It is Jesus from Nazareth, a prophet, who now enters Jerusalem as king.  That news certainly stirred up the people, but it was not Jesus’ intent to enter the city to do just that.  Jesus had a week left in his life.  He had something greater to do than enter the city and be noticed by the inhabitants and visitors.

At that moment, “12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 ‘It is written,’ he [Jesus] said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13).  Suddenly, without warning, Jesus, leading the procession of cheering, palm-waving crowds, erupted with righteous outrage, as other prophets had before him.  Jesus’ anger was directed at everyone in the temple courts, those buying and those selling.  His outrage extended to those exchanging foreign currency for temple coins to pay their temple taxes.  For them, Jesus overturned the tables of coins from all over the world, mixing them with the temple's coins.   He overturned the benches of those selling doves and pigeons to the poor worshippers, making themselves more affluent and the worshippers poorer.

Jesus shouted the words of the prophet Isaiah, sharing God’s Word, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). God had revealed through the prophet Isaiah that His house was to be for all people who would come to Him, regardless of nation or defect.  God would hear the prayers of those who would keep his commands.  Jesus’ actions to drive out those selling, buying, and exchanging money were the act of a king purifying the temple of corruption.  Hebrew kings purified the Temple in the past, and it was happening yet again.

What was that corruption?  Jesus said to the temple officials and to those he chased away, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13).  Instead of a house of prayer for the faithful, the Temple had become a hiding place for people who were nothing more than thieves.  A den of robbers is the place, that secret place, that thieves retreat to, believing in that spot they are safe from prying eyes or those in authority.   A den of robbers is for robbers only, not for everyone; it is an exclusive place with rules and fees to enter.  Jesus, coming as king, as prophet from Nazareth, and as savior, with the people praising with shouts of “Hosanna,” purified the Temple, highlighting the harm to God’s plan: “My house will be called a house of prayer.”

No sooner had Jesus purified the Temple than did something remarkable happen: “14 The blind and the lame came to him [Jesus] at the temple, and he [Jesus] healed them” (Matthew 21:14).  At first, we might think, what is so unusual about Jesus’ healing people?  There was nothing unusual about Jesus performing a miraculous healing, except for this.  Up to this point, the blind and the lame were excluded from the Temple as being defective, perhaps struck by God for their sinful behaviors.  Now, the blind and the lame entered the purified  Temple to see Jesus, and he healed them.  These healings are the only ones recorded for us as occurring in the Temple.

Something had changed.  Jesus, the king, prophet, savior, and healer, was now within the Temple to hear the pleas of all the people and to receive their praise.  “15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he [Jesus] did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.  16 ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him [Jesus].  ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants, You, Lord, have called forth your praise?’” 17 And he [Jesus] left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night” (Matthew 21:15-17).  The Temple's leadership was indignant.  Under what authority did Jesus presume to purify the Temple, allow the blind and lame to enter to be healed, and allow children to sing praises to him?  How dare he do such things and allow such things by others!”  Jesus responded that God Himself was involved here, as the psalmist had written, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings I [God] have ordained praise” (Psalm 8:3, Septuagint). Praise of God, even from those who can barely speak, shall happen in His presence.  The Temple leadership was stunned.  Jesus had told them in so many ways that He was God.  At that, Jesus left them and went to Bethany.

Jesus had spent the first of his final days fulfilling prophecy, exciting people that their king and savior had come, purifying his temple of corruption, healing those who had been excluded, receiving shouts of praise from adults and children alike, and confronting the corrupt leadership over their unwillingness to see who he was.  It was a powerful day for those who were listening.

When we step back for a moment and consider that it makes sense that with Jesus knowing His time was ending, He must enter Jerusalem and into the heart of Judaism, its Temple.  We cannot overstate the importance of the Temple to every aspect of Jewish life. The Temple was critical, and those who ran it were exceptionally self-important and wealthy.  But the practices and rules had corrupted the true worship of God.  In Luke’s account of Jesus coming to Jerusalem, we would read, “41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:41-42).  The love of the Temple had blinded the people, especially the Temple leadership, from seeing who Jesus was.  And although Jesus would show them on this day, he also knew their hearts were hardened to the truth.  So hardened were the hearts of the Temple leadership against Jesus that they would cite Jesus’ conduct in the Temple as reason enough to execute him.

What then do we make of all that transpired on that first day of Jesus’ last week?  What do we make of Jesus’ statement that, “My house shall be a house of prayer?”  Let’s consider three things.

First, on the first day, Jesus took the opportunity to make clear who He was.  Jesus is a king.  Jesus is a prophet.  Jesus is a savior. He is God.  Do you see Jesus this way? 

Is Jesus king or lord over your life?  Are his commands things you desire to do?

Let’s look at just a few of Jesus commands from the Gospel of Matthew.

• Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matthew 4:17)
• Come, follow me. (Matthew 4:19)
• Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)
• Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
• Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18)

Jesus came to be lord or King over your life because He has the words of life.  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus' life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating Christ's kingship over us.

Is Jesus the final prophet of God to guide you?  Jesus’ prophesies about himself were that he would reconcile all things to himself.  Just from Matthew, Jesus said he would sit on the throne and gather all nations before him (Matthew 25:31-33) and that he would come again (Matthew 24:42).  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus' life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating reliving Jesus’ first time coming as king in anticipation of the second time he comes as king.  We should be excited that one day, Christ will come and all things will be reconciled.

Is Jesus your savior?  Jesus said, “21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).  What is the will of the Father?  That we would believe in Christ for eternal life (John 6:39-40).  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus’ life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating again that Jesus is our Savior, Hosanna, Save us.

Secondly, Jesus said to those who would listen at the time, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”  Jesus was pointing his listeners back to Isaiah, Chapter 56. Isaiah had recorded for us these words of the Lord, “1 This is what the Lord says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.  2a Blessed is the one who does this…6b Who hold fast to my covenant – 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer… for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:1, 2a, 6b-7).  Jesus described God’s house as a wedding banquet.  Jesus said, “2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.  8 “Then he [the king] said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”  (Matthew 22:1-3, 8-10).  God’s house, the dwelling place of God, is a place of joy and answered prayer.  It is for those who have heard God’s invitation and accepted, regardless of their past sins.  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus’ life, Palm Sunday, we are invited to enter God’s house through the purity of Jesus Christ. We are celebrating answered prayer for the invitation to receive mercy and life.  In that understanding, whether we are infants or seasoned in the faith, we know that we can sing praises to God, as they did along the road to Jerusalem and within the Temple.

Where did you find yourself in today’s account?  Were you with the crowd singing Hosanna?  That would be a good place to be.  Were you one of the children singing praises to Jesus in the Temple?  That would be a good place to be.  Were you perhaps one of those healed today by Jesus because you learned you are not excluded from the house of prayer?  That would be a good place to be, too.  Or were you perhaps one of the disturbed inhabitants of Jerusalem asking, “Who is this?” Please wonder no more.  This is Jesus.  Your king, prophet, savior, and your God.  And He has something to tell you.  “Come, follow me and live.  For my house shall be called a house of prayer.”  Amen and Amen.

          I suspect that most of us do not often have dinner conversations about philosophy, particularly the works and thinking of ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.  Yet, these ancient philosophers laid the foundation for much of our modern-day thoughts, science, and culture.

We probably do not speak often of Alexander the Great and his conquests of the known world.  Yet those conquests laid the foundation for the spread of Greek philosophy and a unifying language across a vast empire.  The Greeks’ insatiable thirst for knowledge led them to desire what the Hebrews had in the form of the Scriptures.  Knowledge that the Hebrew people said came from one source, the one true God.  There was a stark difference between the Greeks and the Hebrews.  The Greeks saw life and said, “Let’s consider what could be.” The Hebrews saw life and said, “Let’s remember what has been, is now, and, therefore, will be forever.” 

In the third and second centuries BC, the Greeks commissioned 72 Hebrew scholars to translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek.  Their translation was later known by the Latin name The Septuagint, meaning the 72.  Because Israel was under Greek domination for centuries, knowledge and use of the Hebrew language faded, and many Jewish people used the Greek Septuagint rather than the original Hebrew Scriptures. 

Whether in Hebrew or Greek, the Scriptures, our Old Testament, had a power that even the ancient Greek philosophers could not match.  The scriptures were not a set of philosophical debates or propositions.  The Scriptures presented themselves as the truth and were taken to be actual history, not fables or mythology.  If we look carefully at all of Scripture, we will find examples of the tension between Hebrew thought and Greek philosophies.  We certainly see that tension even today in the modern church, where many people want to reinterpret Scripture to make it say things that it does not say to promote some innovation of contemporary culture, a new philosophy.

How then should we think about the influence of Greek philosophy and Hebrew thought and the impact of Scripture in our lives?  I have always found that when we want to understand something, it is best to start at the beginning.  And so I would like us to look at the opening words of the Bible with Genesis 1 and 2.

The Scriptures begin with these words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The idea is that the heavens and the earth had a beginning, and that beginning started with a creative act by God.  But this does not mean there was nothing before the beginning.  It may hurt our minds a bit, but before the beginning, there was something; God existed.  Before the beginning, God’s Holy Spirit existed.  Jesus told his disciples before the beginning that He lived.

• Jesus prayed, “5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5).
• Jesus prayed, “24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24).

There are numerous references elsewhere in the New Testament to the pre-existence of Christ.

• “15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (1 Corinthians 1:15-16a).
• “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).

Something existed before creation that was personal, involved communication of plans and desires, and, most importantly, love.  Before the beginning, there was God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  The Hebrew people did not see this pre-existence of God as a proposition to be considered, as might Greek philosophers.  The Hebrews saw the pre-existence of God as a historical fact. Accepting the existence of God as a foundational fact enabled the Hebrew people to acquire knowledge of creation that could not be known any other way than through revelation from God.

          We must see this thought in contrast to modern thinking influenced by the Greeks.  Today, people deny the history of the opening words of Genesis and prefer the notion that an impersonal something, a force if you will, created the heavens and the earth.  This notion is found in Eastern religions as well.  Believing in an impersonal life force is necessary if you want to define for yourself such matters as life, morality, the existence or non-existence of eternity.  Believing in the impersonal life force instead of a pre-existent personal loving God is essential if you want to define man, woman, and the likelihood that humans are nothing more than a superior primate, or, before birth, just a clump of cells.

          But if one accepts the Bible as truth, that before creation, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed, and that the heavens and the earth came from the creative power of a personal, loving God, then one sees life as quite different.

          Let’s look at one of the most remarkable ways our lives are so different as we see the Bible through the lens of the original guardians, the Hebrew people.  Let’s look a little further into Genesis, Chapter 1.

          Genesis said that God spoke into existence light, sky, waters, dry land, seas, plants, sun, moon, and stars.  Then God created beings that possessed life and could sense life, including birds, sea animals, and land animals.  “26 Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’  27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).  Man, meaning mankind composed of men and women, was created by God with manlike features.  Man was not just another animal, nor was Man made exactly like God.  Man was made male and female in the image, the likeness, of God.

          The Hebrew people accepted these words as a revelation of history from the pre-existent personal and loving God.  The Hebrews saw this again later in Genesis, where God revealed, “1This is the written account of Adam’s family line.  When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created” (Genesis 5:1-2).  The power of God’s revealing word is that you and I now know we are created beings made in God's image for His purposes.  He is the God that existed before creation and the God that exists after creation. These are not propositions for us to consider and debate.  These are statements of historical fact.  These facts were given by God, not as an exhaustive history, as some would like, but as the actual knowledge Man needed.

          If we live our lives treating God as a proposition, then our prayers, if we pray at all, mean nothing because we would be praying to someone we doubt exists.  This is why many people meditate to empty themselves of all thought.  That comes from a place of believing there is nothing higher than oneself.  If we live our lives treating our existence as a chance occurrence or the consequence of an evolution of the strongest and most adaptable among the animal kingdom, then our lives have no greater value than any other animal.  We are just animals from a different herd.

          But if we treat the Bible, beginning with Genesis, as the authoritative word of God given to men and women, then we have a history that provides an eyewitness, truthful account of God and human existence.  If we treat the Bible as God's history, then our prayers matter greatly.  We are lifting our voices, our innermost and sometimes most private of thoughts, to someone who has always existed and thus is infinitely wise.    This is why many Christians pray and do not meditate, and those who do meditate, meditation on God’s word, that they would be filled with God’s wisdom, not emptied of all thought.  Christian mediation comes from the place and posture that there is someone higher than self, that is, God. 

          And, if we dare to believe the Bible as God’s history, then we come to know that we are not an accident of nature.  We are created beings, separate and distinct from all others, because we and we alone are made in the image of God.  And because of this knowledge given to us by God’s Word, we do not need to be confused or overtaken by philosophies.  We can know that no matter who we look at, no matter where we live, they have great value to God because of their origin as creations of God.

          It was this wisdom and sense of history that impressed the Greeks so much that they translated the Hebrew scriptures, what we call the Old Testament, into Greek.  The Greeks wanted to access that wisdom and history.  And what can we say of that history, that segment of God’s word? We can say this.  The Old Testament was a gift from God to His people to guide their living and prepare them for the coming of the Messiah, God in the flesh.  And that Messiah was Jesus.

          What then did Jesus have to say about these histories, the Scriptures that existed when He walked upon the earth?  Jesus said this, “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18). When it came to the specific text we looked at today from Genesis, Jesus said, “4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5).  In his teachings, Jesus referred to the histories of Adam and Eve, Abel, Noah and the flood, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, Lot and his wife, Moses and the burning bush, David, Solomon, Elijah, Naaman, Daniel, and Jonah.  Jesus, God in the flesh, was confirming the reliability of the Old Testament and, by extension, the power of God’s Word.  Jesus affirmed that Scripture was the word of God and powerfully communicated God’s love for his creation.

          But what about our value before God?  Jesus had much to say about that as well.  Jesus said that even the number of hairs on our head is numbered and that we should not fear that we are most valuable to God.  And how much louder could Jesus have spoken about the value of your life than when he said, “This is my body, given for you... This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20).  You are so valuable to God that God would die for you.  Your value and my value to God are not determined by what we have done or accomplished in our lives.  Our origin determines our value; we were created in the image of God.

          The Old and New Testaments together are God’s gift to men and women, providing what is needed until Christ returns.  The Apostle Paul said that if we take in all that has been noted as the authoritative word of God, “14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

          God loves you.  He has given you and me access to his desires, thoughts, love, and history through the Bible.  From the first page, we learn that we are loved and valued by God because we “are God’s handiwork” (Ephesians 2:10). Let’s live as God's handiwork. Not proudly and arrogantly but humbly and with graciousness toward one another.  This is who God the Father created us to be.  This is who God the Son died to redeem us to be.  This is who God the Holy Spirit seeks to develop us to be. This is who we want to be when God the Son returns or calls us home to himself.  Amen and Amen. 

            About 30 years ago, Becky used to provide daycare for a young child named Emma. Becky cared for Emma from the time Emma was a newborn until Emma went to school.  As Emma got a little older and began talking, she would often ask Becky the same question.  “Why, Becky, why?”  Becky would tell Emma something to do or not do, and the words would come quickly back, “Why, Becky, why?”  Why indeed?

            There are many 'why' questions in life.  Anyone who has ever grieved the loss of a loved one asks, “Why?”  Why did my loved one die now?  Why did they die in this way?  We most often ask “why” when things are not going our way.  We do not ask “Why” nearly as often when things are turning out well for us.  Why am I so blessed to have such great neighbors?  Why am I blessed to have good children?  Why am I so blessed that God would offer me salvation?  A few of the “why” questions I would like us to start with today are, “Why did Jesus teach his disciples how to pray?  Why does it matter to me today?”

            Last week, we spoke about the Lord’s Prayer and the essence of the attitude of prayer, and then the content of our prayers.  We explored the Lord’s Prayer recorded for us in the Gospel of Matthew, given as part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  We spoke about the prayer as being offered in humility, encompassing four elements: Adoration of the Father, Confession of sin, Thanksgiving for God’s provision, and Supplication for strength against evil.

            This week, I would like us to look at the formulation of that prayer recorded for us in the Gospel of Luke.  Luke wrote, “1 One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples’” (Luke 11:1).  What did we learn here?  First, Jesus was praying.  Of the four Gospels, none speaks more about Jesus praying than does Luke.  Jesus prayed often, in all sorts of places and at all times of day and night. 

• But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
• One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. (Luke 6:12)
• Once when Jesus was praying in private, and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” (Luke 9:18)
• About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28)

I think we get the picture.  Prayer was a key part of Jesus’ life, and his disciples recognized it. Therefore, Luke kept the location of Jesus' prayer vague because the focus was not on where He prayed, but on the fact that He was once again in prayer. 

Second, we learn that Jesus’ disciples wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray as John the Baptist had done for his disciples.  Now, the key here is not that Jesus’ disciples did not know about prayer.  Jews at that time commonly prayed three times a day, linked to the patriarchal traditions: Abraham in the morning (around 9:00 AM), Isaac in the afternoon (around 3:00 PM), and Jacob in the evening (after sunset).  The prayers were prescribed and repetitive.  There was something different in the way Jesus prayed and in the content of his prayers that caught the disciples' attention, and they wanted Jesus to teach them to pray as he did.  And so, at one level, we have an answer to the question, “Why did Jesus teach his disciples how to pray?”  Jesus taught them because they asked him to.  Jesus' disciples wanted their prayers to matter.  What then did Jesus teach them? 

“2 Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.  3 Give us each day our daily bread.  4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:2-4). 

We see Jesus taught three things about prayer.  First, we are encouraged to approach God, an infinite being, in a childlike manner, calling him “Father.”  Jesus modeled prayer to his father in a poignant manner in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Some scholars view Jesus prayer in the garden as another version of the Lord’s Prayer. Luke wrote, “39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.  45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation’” (Luke 22:39-46).  The elements of the Lord’s Prayer are enmeshed in the fabric of Jesus’ prayer in the garden.  The example of Jesus calling God his Father, acknowledging God's ultimate praise, is to accept his will over our own, and the counsel to pray for strength against temptation.  But it all starts from the posture that God is your father. 

Jesus referred to God as "Father" (Greek: patēr, often translating Aramaic abba) extensively in the Gospels, far more than in the Old Testament (where God is called Father only about 15 times, usually metaphorically for Israel).  Reliable scholarly sources indicate Jesus used "Father" for God over 165 times across the four Gospels, with the vast majority in John.  Breakdown by Gospel (approximate, based on common counts):

• Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke combined): About 65 times.
• Gospel of John: Over 100 times (some sources specify around 120–130 references, often as "my Father").

This frequent use was revolutionary, emphasizing an intimate, personal relationship with God—unique in its consistency and depth compared to Jewish literature of the time.  So we ask, “Why Father?”  There were two primary reasons.  First, Jesus wanted his disciples to approach God in a childlike manner, as a means of understanding how they should trust God, as a child trusts their father. Second, Jesus wanted his disciples to realize that they were dependent on God, as a child is dependent upon their father.  Shifting people’s view of God from a distant, indifferent deity to a father deeply concerned for his family's welfare was a significant shift in the thinking of Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus emphasized this shift in thinking with a couple of humorous examples.  Jesus said, “11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13).  Jesus was expressing humor here, not through his words but through his ideas.  Which father would give a snake for a fish or a scorpion for an egg?  None would do so.  Fine then, if you who are evil know what is good, then think of the gifting your Father in heaven, who is good, will give you.  The humor of Christ, even in teaching on prayer, was for the purpose of clarifying and increasing understanding.  Jesus wanted his disciples to trust God, who is good, even more than a child trusts their father, who is a sinner.

Secondly, it should not surprise us that Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that sin and forgiveness are essential to prayer.  “4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Luke 11:4).  What was Jesus talking about here?  Jesus was talking about removing two barriers that his disciples had built between themselves and God.

The first barrier Jesus’ disciples built, we all make, through the act called sin.  Sin is failing to do as God, our father, has asked.  Sin is disobedience, and if we are attentive to God, sin causes us inner distress.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and, in distress, hid from God.  Cain disobeyed God in worship and, in distress, Cain became downcast and angry.  Sin distresses us because it creates a barrier between God and us, and the only way to remove that barrier is to confess the sin to God and be forgiven by Him. Jesus encouraged his followers to confess their sins to God immediately.  While Christ grants his followers salvation and is the source of cleansing of sin, we do not become immune to sinning again just because we follow Christ.  We will still sin.  Sin introduces unrighteousness and inhibits, makes a barrier to, our relationship with God.  Sin blocks our ability to hear God clearly.  Confessing the sin and being cleansed of all unrighteousness restores us and opens us up again to fully receive what God has for us.  In the absence of confession to God and His forgiveness, we will live a distressed life because something separates us from Him.

Now, the same is true if we are unforgiving toward others for their sins against us.  Unforgiveness on our part creates the same hindrance, a barrier, to all that God offers us, as our own sin blocks our ability to hear God.  Our sin or our unforgiving nature opposes our relationship with God.  Forgiveness of others' sins, like confession of our own, restores us and opens us up again to fully receiving what God has for us.  Forgiveness may not be easy, but it is essential to our lives. 

Now, just a word of caution about forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not condoning what someone has done. Forgiveness is not letting someone off the hook of accountability.  They may still face consequences for their sinful behavior.  Forgiveness does not mean they will not still pursue harm toward us. Remember, Jesus said to his father while being crucified, “34 ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34).  Jesus asked that his crucifiers be forgiven, which we believe they were, but Jesus’ prayer did not change the hearts of those ignorant crucifiers; they still crucified him. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation.  We can forgive someone but still not fellowship with them because they remain unrepentant.  Forgiving someone else is not so much about giving a gift to someone who hurt us as it is giving ourselves a restored relationship with God. 

This is an essential second point Jesus taught his disciples about prayer.  Use the prayer to remove the barriers between you and God.  Ask God to remove the barrier of sin you created as He gives you strength to remove the barrier of unforgiveness you created.

We said there were three things that Jesus taught about prayer in what we call the Lord’s Prayer.  First, Jesus encouraged us to approach God, an infinite being, in a childlike manner, calling him “Father.”  Second, Jesus said, " Get the barriers of sin and unforgiveness removed from your life.  This brings us to our third thing.  Praying for protection from Satan, “And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:3). 

      Temptation comes in many forms. Temptations come in the form of physical desires such as food, sex, and substances.  Temptations come to us in the form of material desires, such as wealth and possessions.  Temptations come in the form of shortcuts such as procrastination, dishonesty, laziness, and envy.  There seems to be no end to the ways Satan can tempt us to accuse us and separate us from God.  And so, Jesus told his disciples to pray that they would hold fast to God.

Now, here is the thing about all temptations.  First, we are only tempted to do something we are not doing in that moment.  We are only tempted into future behavior.  Second, all temptations come to an end.  No matter how powerful the temptation is to do something or not do something, it is only temporary and will end.  Of course, we know temptation ends when we succumb to it and move from being tempted to sinning.  If we are doing what we were tempted to do, we are no longer tempted to do something because we are doing it.  If, however, we submit ourselves to the Lord’s Prayer, “lead me not into temptation,” or said in a more contemporary language, “lead me away from temptation,” and we follow God’s lead, then the temptation ends because we prayed holiness into the matter.  The Apostle Paul once wrote these encouraging words, “13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God will lead us out of temptation if we ask him to do so and we follow his way out.

We started today with the question, “Why?”  Why did Jesus teach his disciples how to pray?  Why does it matter to me today?  Jesus taught his disciples to pray because they asked him to do so and because Jesus needed to teach them to pray.  Prayer is the healing balm for our spiritual life.  Prayer helps us return to a fully healed relationship with God.  If our relationship with God is right, then we can make our relationships with others right.  If our relationship with God is right, we can know and fulfill our life's purpose.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then this prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, is for you.  It is for you to use directly and as a model for how you should pray.  See God as your father and go to him with childlike trust.  Ask God to restore your relationship with Him through the forgiveness of your sins and with the strength to forgive others.  This should be a daily event.  Pray for protection against Satan.  Once you have the proper standing before God, you will know better what other situations in your life need to be given to God in prayer.  Praying to God in this way is one of the clearest ways to show you love God. Amen and Amen.

            In the 1950’s and 1960’s, CBS aired a television show called “I’ve Got a Secret.” Each show began with the entrance of one or more contestants. The host then introduced the contestant or asked for their name and hometown. He then asked them to "whisper your secret to me, and we'll show it to the folks at home."  Secrets were always intended to be unusual, exceptional, embarrassing, or humorous. They commonly included something that happened to the contestant, something owned by the contestant, or a notable occupation, hobby, achievement, or skill.

            Now, it might surprise you that in the early church, Christians had a secret.  There was a secret that Christians were not to disclose to non-Christians.  This secret was kept because Christians of the early church believed what they possessed was so powerful that it should not become known to non-Christians.  What was that secret?  The secret was the Lord’s Prayer.

            The Lord’s Prayer that we speak every Sunday as part of our worship service was judged so powerful that early Christians did not share it with anyone until they were baptized into the faith.  For centuries, early Christian writers did not write commentaries on the Lord’s Prayer, out of fear that the prayer could be or would be misused.  As the early Christian Church began to organize itself, three versions of the Lord’s Prayer emerged.  One version was in the Gospel of Matthew, a second version in the Gospel of Luke, and a third one in a document called the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve, said to have been written by the apostles to guide the early church.  The versions in the Gospel of Matthew and the Didache are very similar.  The Roman Catholic Church uses the version most closely following the Gospel of Matthew, and most Protestant churches, including ours, use the one most closely following the Didache.  We will talk a bit more about the differences next week. 

What then is the Lord’s Prayer, and what should we do in response to it?  In the Gospel of Matthew, we find that the prayer was presented by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is found in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew’s Gospel.  It is an extensive teaching, and I highly recommend reading the sermon in a single sitting to understand the flow of Jesus’ thoughts.

One of the principal themes of the Sermon on the Mount is righteousness.  Jesus called for a personal deepening of righteousness, being right with God, by moving away from an external rule-keeping life to one that embodied humility, mercy, love, and an unrestrained devotion to God.  Jesus was inviting his disciples into a life-transforming experience by moving the commands of God from the head to the heart.  Jesus equated anger with murder, lust with adultery, calling for the extension of love even to one’s enemies.  He was calling people from a life of hypocrisy to one full of grace, wisdom, and holiness.

To accentuate his teaching, Jesus gave practical examples of proper righteousness.  Jesus said, “1 Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4). Jesus was concerned that, in being righteous, his followers would not abandon their humility.  Serving others was not to be for personal glory but was for God’s glory.

Immediately after speaking about righteous service, Jesus talked about righteous prayer.  First, Jesus spoke about the attitude of prayer, then about the content of those prayers.  As to the attitude of prayer, Jesus said, “5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:5-8). 

Jesus taught two important things about the attitude of prayer.  First, prayer, like service to others, was to be done in private with an attitude of humility, and not done in the middle of a crowded synagogue for the praise of others. Prayer is to be a personal conversation between the believer and God.  Prayer is not to be performance art for religious people.  Secondly, prayer should not be done with a pagan attitude, with repetitive prayers that approach babbling.  I remember praying as a child in a babbling manner.  As children in the Roman Catholic Church, we would be brought from our catechism classes to the church building itself.  The church had two sanctuaries.  The upper sanctuary was cathedral-like.  The second sanctuary was beneath the first.  The ceiling of the second sanctuary was low.  The lighting was dark.  The confessionals were in the back.  As children, perhaps all of 9 years old, we would one at a time enter the confessional and confess our sins to the priest who was seated behind a veil. I think, in most cases, we told the priest what we thought he wanted to hear from a 9-year-old.  The priest would then tell us how many “Our Fathers” and “Hail Mary’s” to pray to have our sins forgiven.  It was usually about four prayers of each.  We would then enter one of the pews in the sanctuary.  Use the kneelers, bow our heads, and then pray those prayers silently as fast as humanly possible.  Usually, we could get through four Our Fathers and four Hail Mary’s in 60 seconds or less.  We were doing exactly what Jesus said not to do.  We were offering repetitive prayer at such a speed as to be babbling.  Others compelled those prayers and, I suspect, we grieved God rather than pleasing Him.   Our attitude about prayer was utterly wrong.  Jesus said our attitude toward prayer must first be right so that we can be appropriately focused on content.

The content of our prayer was the second focus in the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus said, as to the content of prayer, “9 This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:9-13).  These words have formed what, over many centuries, has been called the Our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer.

Unlike the early Christian Church, which spoke little about the Lord’s Prayer until someone was baptized, the contemporary Christian Church trumpets the Lord’s Prayer.  There are countless devotional books and commentaries.  There is merchandise from neckties, t-shirts, coffee cups, wall hangings, coins, crosses, wristbands, and writing pens.  I fear such merchandise is another form of prayer babbling that Jesus warned us against. 

But what of the content of prayer?  I think one of the better explanations is that Jesus taught us four things through this prayer that people have cleverly reduced to an acronym called ACTS.

First, there is Adoration of God the Father. Adoration is an expression of deep love, respect, and worship, which, for adoration to be genuine, must come from an attitude of humility.  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” – This opening acknowledges God’s holiness and exalts His name, expressing reverence and adoration for His divine nature.  When we express adoration, we are making clear that God is at the very center of our lives.  We do not need to repeat ourselves to be heard, but when we say it, we must mean it.  Jesus was inviting people into a personal conversation with God, the almighty creator, beginning with an expression of our standing before God.  Adoration – “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

Second, there is Confession.  Humility reminds us that we are imperfect beings speaking to a perfect being. Humility reminds us to confess our failings openly to God.  “Forgive us our debts.”  God forgive us our failings and stumbling from holiness.  And to also acknowledge and remember that we seek forgiveness in the same measure of forgiveness we extend to others.  If we desire complete forgiveness from God, we must be willing to forgive those who have hurt us.  This is a tough part of this prayer, but essential to who God seeks to make us.  Forgiveness means we are done with the matter, as God is done with our own sins.  Forgiveness means we are done complaining about the other person’s conduct toward us. Our prayer for forgiveness and for granting others forgiveness is transformative, opening us to receive Christ in a way that cannot be accessed any other way.  Confession – “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Third, there is Thanksgiving.  Humility, the core of a proper attitude of prayer, causes us to reflect on our gratitude for the things of life God has provided.  Gratitude brings with it a sense of trust and dependence upon God for the sustenance of life itself.  We thank God for food and for the provision in our lives.  “Give us today our daily bread.”  We are not asking for provision beyond what is usable for the day.  The more self-sufficient we become, the less thankful to God we become.  The more self-sufficient we become, the less needful we believe we are for God. Thanksgiving – “Give us today (like you did for our yesterdays) our daily bread.”

Finally, there is Supplication.  Supplication is a humble plea for help offered with deep sincerity and dependence for strength against an enemy that the petitioner knows they cannot overcome. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  The prayer seeks God’s strength amid our own weakness so that we would not succumb to temptation.  We do not want our sins forgiven only to sin yet again.

Do not pray like the hypocrites to be heard by others.  Do not pray like the pagans with meaningless repetition that becomes babble.  Pray with humility in the form of ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.  Pray for righteousness from a posture of humility.

The early Christian Church, as recorded in the Didache, paired the Lord’s Prayer with baptism first.  The Lord’s Prayer was reserved for instruction to those who had been baptized. Once a person was baptized and instructed on the Lord’s Prayer, the early church then connected the Lord’s Prayer with the Lord’s Supper.

It is fitting then that we speak of the Lord’s Prayer today because Jesus turned it into an experience we can share at the communion feast, or the Lord’s Supper.  While among his disciples, just before his arrest, Jesus took the daily bread and he offered thanks to God, “Our praise to You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”  Hallowed be thy name.  Jesus then took the blessing of the whole bread and broke it so that each piece carried the blessing of wholeness.  He gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body which is given for you. Take and eat.”  Jesus, the bread of heaven, now on earth, proclaimed that the kingdom of God was among them on earth as it was in heaven.  After supper, Jesus took the cup and again offered thanks to God: “Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.”  Jesus then took the cup and blessed it, telling his disciples to drink from the common cup so that each would receive the blessing of peace.  Jesus said, “This cup is a new covenant in my blood poured out for the forgiveness of sin.”  Forgive us our sin, O Lord.  Jesus said later, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  Lead us on the right path and away from evil.

The Lord’s Prayer gives us a model for listening and speaking with God. The Lord’s Supper provides us with a model of God’s answer to prayer.  In prayer, Jesus led us to find the peace that surpasses all understanding by being united to God and one another.  At the table, Jesus led us to experience the peace of salvation, unity with God, and the peace of fellowship, unity with one another.  The Lord’s Prayer and the Lord’s Supper are signs of peace that God wants each of us to have.  Come, let us receive shalom from God as we pray together and prepare to share the Lord’s Supper.  Amen and Amen.