The Wonderful Interruption

Scripture Text: Matthew 28:1-10

Introduction

We are gathered here today to celebrate something we celebrate ever single Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Notice that I used the word, ‘dead.’ Our tendency is to imagine lots and lots of scenarios where Jesus wasn’t really quite totally dead. In fact, however, the Resurrection only has meaning for us if Jesus was totally, completely dead. He was as dead as you and I will be one day. As dead as those loved ones we pay visits to in the cemetery on Memorial Day. The Apostle’s Creed, which will we declare together during the baptism that follows this sermon, contains this phrase:

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.

We cannot rush to the resurrection without seeing this first, because it is in the stark reality of death that our greatest hopes are realized – that God is, in fact, the sovereign Lord of all Creation, of all life and death, including all of our forthcoming deaths and burials.

Exposition

One of the things that I love about the resurrection accounts in the scriptures is that you get a sense, in reading them, of just how confounding, confusing, the resurrection was. Nobody had seen anything like this. In this reading from Matthew, Mary Magdalene and the other, mysteriously unspecified Mary, make their way in the twilight hours to the tomb where the corpse of Jesus has been placed. They were going there to care for the body on a Sunday morning. They couldn’t perform this work on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, because God commanded rest on that day. So they left for the tomb in the morning. I imagine they are like most people leaving for work on the first workday of the week. If we were around then, we’d probably conclude that the two Marys had a bad case of the Sundays, made devastatingly worse because of this grave duty they were to perform.

Normalcy comes to an end, however, in verse two. There is an earthquake caused by the arrival of an angel, resulting in the stone that sealed the tomb off to roll away. Verse 3 reads, “His [the angel’s] appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.” Something huge has already happened, something altogether unexpected. Tombs and graves tend to creep us out, don’t they? So how would you react when, while visiting a much-beloved family member’s grave at the riverside cemetery, something like this happened? What would your response be? My guess is that it would be not much different from that of the guards, who were likely battle-hardened and unafraid of just about anything. But in the presence of the angel they collapsed like dead men in fear. Which is pretty ironic when you think about it. Jesus is supposed to be inside the tomb, dead, but, as we will soon see, is not in the tomb and is alive, while the guards, in confronted by the appearance of the angel, end up like dead men.

And in the middle of this shock and confusion, here’s this angel, this beautiful, glorious angel, shining with the blinding light of a bolt of lightening. And the angel is sitting on the recently removed stone. I can imagine the angel sitting there, dangling his legs over the edge of the stone, perhaps even smiling, because he already knows the best news in the entire universe. I like to think he could barely hold it in.

He sees that the women, like the guards, are filled with fear. And so the angel tells the women this, “[5] Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. [6] He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. [7] Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” There is so much here to unpack.

First, the women are told not to be afraid. Fear blinds us to the truth. And the message the women will carry needs to be heard in all its fullness. And so the first thing the angel does is allay their fear, so that they will be able to hear and see the truth. We need to hear this message every week, and yet many, many people are fearful, fearful of life and fearful of the future. If you’re like that, this news from the angel is exactly what you need to hear, because the resurrection puts death, and therefore fear, to death.

Second, the angel already knows why the women are there, to do work with a corpse. Having told them not to be afraid, the angel then shares with them the greatest news in the universe. “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” The corpse you’re here tend isn’t there. The reason is this: That corpse no longer a corpse. It is the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The past-tense verb translated “he has risen” means that Jesus is already on the move. If you want to be with Jesus, you need to go where he is.

Third, the God appointed the women to know the truth using their physical senses, so the angel directs them to go and see, use their eyes, to see that Jesus is no longer entombed. We are granted the grace to see Jesus through the eyes of faith, illuminated by Word and Sacrament. If the Holy Spirit comes upon you right now, you will see Jesus by faith.

Fourth, the women are then charged with sharing the best news in the universe with the disciples. No dilly dallying for them! And notice what the angel says about Jesus, “…he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” This is the Christ of the past, present, and future. Again, the angel instructs them to look. “Behold,” “you will see him,” “See, I have told you.” The Jesus we praise has been seen in glory, and sends those who call Him Lord into the world to share the news of God’s kingdom to every nation on the planet.

The women are instructed to leave quickly, and so they do leave quickly. Can you imagine what they might be feeling at this point? Matthew says in verse 8 that they were filled with “fear and joy” at the same time. That seems to be a very odd combination, doesn’t it? Most of us would conclude that fear and joy cancel each other out. In my preparations for this Resurrection Sunday, I was reading a commentary by Dale Bruner about this very verse. In it he relates the story about being at a pastor’s conference where this very question was raised. “How can fear and joy exist at the same time?” During the discussion period, one pastor rose up and declared: “Fear and joy can co-exist; I know, I just got married.”¹ In fact, encountering a mighty work of God will cause both fear and joy.

Their journey will be interrupted, however, in a wonderful way. As they are scurrying to the disciples, “Behold, Jesus met them.” Behold! Look! See! Jesus is not some kind of unreal, ghost-like figure. He can be seen an observed with the senses. He says to them “Greetings!”. But Bruner notes, very helpfully, that the Greek word here is actually a friendly greeting. It’s not the formal greeting we read in most English translations. There is familiarity in the greeting. Jesus is saying, in essence, “Hi! It’s so good to see you again.” I like being able to say that at Easter time. Jesus is again happy to see you here in worship.

What is the response of the women? They “came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.” They took hold of him. They took hold of his body, loved ones. The resurrection body has substance to it, just like your arm has substance if you touch it with your hand. And as they grabbed his feet, they worshipped him. What is huge in this passage is that Jesus doesn’t attempt to dissuade them from worship at all. Jews only worshipped the one true God. The law prohibited worship of anything or any creature apart from God. So what Matthew is saying here is very, very important – Matthew is testifying that Jesus himself the fullness of God incarnate, a God who can be reached out and touched. The God of glory can be touched and seen and experience in Jesus Christ. Your God can be known, loved ones, because Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus gets the last word inn our reading, as he does everywhere in His kingdom. Notice that he gives the women almost the same instructions as the angel, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Jesus puts them back on the move. He does that when he calls someone to follow him. You don’t come to Jesus and then sit around. He calls you to go. “Salvation is for service” says Bruner, and I think that’s right. You cannot be a Christian if you do not believe that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. And you are likely not a Christian if your life shows no evidence in action that you believe in him by faith by living for him every day.

There is one more thing to notice in Jesus’ instruction. Do you remember what the angel told the Marys to do? He instructed the women to “go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead” (v. 7). But Jesus says to them, “go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee.” The disciples of the Master are now more than that to Jesus, they are his brothers. Mary and Mary are to tell them to go meet with Jesus in Galilee. Which means that the disciples will have to hear and believe the women and then to go Galilee by faith in order to see Jesus. It is the same way today. If you want to see Jesus, you must follow Him in faith. If you follow Him by faith, you become his brothers. Romans 8:14-17

[14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [15] For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” [16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Doctrine

So that concludes the account of the discovery of the resurrection and the best news ever given or received in the universe. Why is this the best news? Here are the biggest reasons:

By payment of Jesus’ precious blood, your sin-debt was totally paid. Colossians 2:13-14, Paul writes, “[13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” So the first answer to the question, “Why is the resurrection the best news?” is this: It is proof positive that Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for your sin and my sin was totally sufficient. It show that Jesus was telling the absolutely truth when he said on Good Friday, “It is finished.” In the resurrection, God displays his glory most fully by saving his people for the purposes of glorying Himself eternally.

Second, the resurrection is the best news in the universe because it is a declaration that death itself has been conquered. Death entered the world through humanity’s sin. Right now, the resurrection means that death’s stinger has been removed, and that death itself will be obliterated when Jesus comes again. Everyone sitting in this room will be resurrected on the last day. Acts 24:15, Paul states “there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” (See also Revelation 20:11-15). This means that there will be those who will be resurrected unto judgment. But for those who are in Christ, the resurrection brings with it the sure and certain hope of eternal life with the Father, because by faith in Christ all of your sins are forgiven, and you will be spared from the judgment to come in order to become join heirs with Christ and even judges the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Beloved, it is so good to see you here today. I want to encourage you to live as the resurrection-people you are. Because of Jesus’ finished work, you have inherited everything that Jesus has inherited. You lack for nothing, even though you may think otherwise. Our afflicted lives are no longer pitiable. You have no need to be afraid of anything, because you are destined for eternal life and glory with the Father. If he has called you by name, do what your instructed to do and go into the world proclaiming his fame everywhere, in word and deed. If he is calling you now to faith in Himself, do not delay. Run to him! Run to him and live forever for him and for his glory of his resurrection power! I cannot promise you that there will not be pain or suffering if you follow Him. Jesus told us we would suffer. But I can promise you that you will know His joy, the only real joy there is, the kind that knows it will live forever. Amen.

¹Bruner, Frederick. Matthew : A Commentary – The Christbook: Matthew 13-28. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 2007.

Given at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Minnesota
April 24, 2011
Resurrection of the Lord
Copyright © 2011 by Christopher Donald Drew

QOTD: Growing in Grace

A sign you're growing in grace: You remain humble & grateful when God uses someone more powerfully than you in your city.

-- Scotty Ward Smith

Neuhaus' Law and the Forthcoming Intolerance

I just read this Presbyterian Outlook article by Barbara G. Wheeler and John Wilkinson, pleading with orthodox Presbyterians to stick with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the face of the likely removal of biblical fidelity and chastity standards from the denomination's ordination standards.

The article immediately brought to mind something Richard John Neuhaus wrote several years ago. At that time, Neuhaus addressed what happens to orthodoxy when it's made optional. Lo and behold, Neuhaus' words were reprinted in the latest issue of First Things magazine. What a happy coincidence.

I've found "Neuhaus' Law" to be very helpful in interpreting the times of my own denomination (PCUSA) and other mainline denominations:

Where orthodoxy is optional, orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed ... Orthodoxy suggests that there is a right and a wrong, a true and a false, about things. When orthodoxy is optional, it is admitted under a rule of liberal tolerance that cannot help but be intolerant of talk about right and wrong, true and false. It is therefore a conditional admission, depending upon orthodoxy’s good behavior. The orthodox may be permitted to believe this or that and to do this or that as a matter of sufferance, allowing them to indulge their inclination, preference, or personal taste. But it is an intolerable violation of the etiquette by which one is tolerated if one has the effrontery to propose that this or that is normative for others. [Emphasis added.]

Despite all the protestations to the contrary, proscription of orthodoxy is precisely what will happen if the revisionists succeed, as they almost certainly will, in altering with the denomination's deminished ordination standards. All will be well, until that first person ordained under the diminished standards gets called to a predominantly orthodox presbytery.

Colossians 06: Hosanna in the Highest

Scripture text: Colossians 2:6-15

Paul has told the Colossians that he is writing to them so “that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” False teaching is beginning to manifest itself in this Christian community from within by people who sound reasonable. How does the church combat false teaching? Everything should be tested against the person and work of Jesus. How do we test everything by the person and work of Jesus? Paul tackles this question in the verse two verses of today’s reading. Specifically, we are to walk “in him” and “with him” [Jesus].

If you have your bibles open, you may want to look again for those specific words, or words like them, in the rest of these verses. Staying in/with Jesus is what one commentator has said is “the scarlet thread through the whole passage.”¹ And so it is. It is so easy to read a passage like this in English and miss this repetition. Look how Paul exhorts the Colossians:

Verse 6: “Walk in him”
Verse 7: “rooted and built up in him”
Verse 9: “for in him the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily”
Verse 10: “you have been filled in him”
Verse 11: “in him you also were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands.”
Verse 12: “having been buried with him in baptism” and “raised with him through faith”
Verse 13: “and you … God made alive with him”
Verse 15: “He [God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Everything we are as Christians, everything we do as Christians, is to be located first and foremost in and with a person named Jesus.

“On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” All other things that we imagine will fulfill us, pride, money, fame, fortune, sex, substances of all kinds, all of that is sinking sand. The foundation of the Christian and the fullness of the Christian is Jesus Christ and nothing else. Paul is telling the Colossians, and to us, that we should not be looking anywhere else for truth, fullness, or meaning except at Christ. The key teaching of this sermon is that Christians are to stick close to their Savior, especially when encountering enticements and deceptive teaching within the Church. The surest way to remain steadfast in the faith is to stay close to Jesus. The way to stay close to Jesus is by remembering what He did on the cross.

“As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Col. 2:6-7). Those who are Christians are those who have received Jesus Christ as the Lord of all. If you are a Christian, this means everything has been turned over to Christ, including your life, breath, money, feelings, emotions, tears, marriage, everything. Notice the Paul says the Colossians have received Christ Jesus as the Lord. They have already shown Paul that they are believers in the word of truth, the gospel. Now in the face of deceptive teaching, Paul exhorts them to remain steadfast in the faith. How do you remain steadfast in the faith? By walking “in him.” That’s a curious phrase, isn’t it? We walk, “in him.” Don’t you normally walk with someone? There’s an intimacy here that bears some exploration. Those who have been graciously transferred into the kingdom of God will only flourish when they walk in Christ. I take that to mean that our lives as Christians must be totally wrapped up in the person of Jesus. I have used the illustration that when you’ve been transferred by God’s gracious action into His Kingdom, you are transferred into a place that is holy, as God is radically holy. The way we survive in such a place given our ongoing battles with sin is by being clothed with Christ. And until the day we are totally sanctified by God, we have to remain in Him. Whenever we walk anywhere, we are careful that we remain in Christ, following wherever He leads.

Walking “in him” brings spiritual growth and flourishing, not unlike that found in a healthy tree. By walking “in him,” the Christian’s faith will remain “rooted and built up in him.” Christ is the foundation of Christian life, but also the source of growth as the Christian matures in the faith to the glory of God. And those so rooted and built up by Christ are to abound in thanksgiving for the mighty act God has completed on their behalf. Do you regularly give thanks to God for saving you? I’m challenged by that every day. It is so easy to take the gift of salvation for granted, isn’t it? So many Christians live as if being sprinkled with water and saying the right words is sufficient for a lifelong commitment to Christ. But this passage makes it clear that the rites of Christian initiation mark only the very beginning of Christian discipleship. One of the responsibilities of Christian life is to give abounding thanksgiving. Our lives ought to be characterized by the constant, overflowing, thanksgiving to God in our prayers, at work, in our homes, with our families, and especially with our brother and sisters in Church. Our worship is one of the ways we give thanks to God for his abundant provision for our salvation from sin and death and hell by the glorious work of his son. Paul reminds the Colossians and us that Christians are a people who stay with Christ and constantly give thanks to God for His abundant grace. We are a hosanna people.

Jesus’ claim on our lives total. He is Lord. But we are also still sinners, and so we are prey for those who would attempt to deceive us and draw us away from Christ. We are susceptible to the temptations of worldly authorities and idols that try to persuade us not to rely on Christ alone for our fullness, for our completeness. This is what was happened to the Colossians. “Teachers” had infiltrated their ranks, and, using plausible, persuasive arguments, were trying to convince them that their personal “fullness” was, as one commentator puts it, “beyond their grasp unless they took sufficient account of the spiritual powers and followed a strict discipline of ritual and ascetic observance.”²

After exhorting the Colossians to be “rooted and built up in him” and “abounding in faith”, Paul will show them how they are being tempted by false teaching, into thinking that faith alone in Christ isn’t sufficient. The temptation is that they will be taken “captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” I mentioned one way that this kind of thing happens in the church when I mentioned the influence of the best-selling book, “the Secret.” Another example can be found in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus entered as the king, and is acknowledged by such with the shouts of the crowd in Matthew 21:9, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” They are praising Jesus as the King, which is the right thing to do, but they are doing it from a worldly perspective, based on human traditions and understandings of who a king should be and what a king ought to do. From the worldly view, the king is supposed to raise up armies to defeat oppressive, occupying regime’s like that of the Roman Empire. They don’t go around turning over the tables in the temple, proclaiming woes on the highly esteemed Pharisees and Sadducees, all the while making claims. The crowds expected a king according to the worldly philosophies, human traditions, and elemental spirits of the world. They were really only interested in what Jesus might do for them. They were no so interested in just him. That’s our temptation today, too. We are sorely tempted to honor and love Jesus based on the good things he gives us, rather than honor and love Jesus for who he is the glorious Son of God who is God. We have the benefit of seeing, in God’s Word, who Jesus really is. What a wonderful gift. When He is seen for who he is, we can’t help but shout out, “Lord, ‘save I pray!’” Hosanna!

So how should Christians live in Christ? First, we are to always be on our guard.

[8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

It is likely that in Colossae there were some peddling false teachings called “philosophies”. The famous Jewish historian Josephus called the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees “philosophies.” These teaching are false, “empty deceits” because they are wholly from the world, the “elemental spirits of the world”, and are not the truth that is found only in Christ.

We cannot know definitively what these “philosophies” consisted of, but we get a sense of their impact by what Paul says here. He seems to make references to terms being used by the false teachers, terms like “fullness.” It is likely that the false teachers in Colossae were attempting to persuade the Colossians that real spiritual “fullness” could only be achieved by adopting certain “philosophies” being taught by the false teachers. This sets off alarm bells for Paul, who knows that the Colossians have already received all the fullness of God’s grace, mercy, and love having received Christ as Lord.

And so Paul reminds them that it this fullness is found only in Christ:

[9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10] and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

If you are a Christian, you have been filled up in Christ with all of the hope and joy of the riches of God Almighty. Christians do not lack any spiritual necessity of life and they share in the rule and authority of the one who has saved them.

Paul continues by reminding the Colossians, and us today, what was received when we were brought to faith in Christ:

[11] In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Notice the language here. The Colossians have been “circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands.” What kind of circumcision is this? Physical circumcision was a mark of being a part of the covenant nation of Israel. The Colossians were primarily Gentiles. So Paul is telling the Colossians that they, too, have been brought into God’s covenant family with a circumcision that He performed for them. It was a circumcision of the heart like that promised in Deuteronomy 30:6, when Moses said, “[6] And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” In that act, God buried their old, dead lives and were raised with Jesus by the powerful work of God signified in their baptisms. From then on, a Christian is a resurrection being. Have you been convicted by that truth, that the resurrection from the dead is so sure and certain that if you are in Christ, it is as if such your resurrection from the dead has already happened? Doesn’t this assurance open the door to joyful obedience, free from fear and anxiety because you’ve already received the fullness of God’s promise in Jesus Christ your Lord? Shouldn’t this truth give Christians great strength and courage? Doesn’t this mean that Christians have free reign to give their money away, because they have all the riches they need in Christ? Doesn’t this mean that Christians should be able to proclaim their faith in Jesus without fear, because all the approval they need in their life is made full and complete by God’s acceptance and approval in Christ?

Just how full and complete is this acceptance? Check this out:

[13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. [15] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

The Colossians were dead in their trespasses, and were not a part of God’s covenant family because they lacked the physical sign of their inclusion, circumcision. But now having been circumcised by God spiritually, they have been made alive with Christ, and all of those sins are forgiven. Verse 14 speaks of a “record of debt” that stood against “us” (notice that Paul, who was circumcised, includes himself even though he was circumcised). God took that legal document, that list of sin-debts that he was totally within His rights to demand from us, and in nailed it to the cross. Those sins died with Christ, and were forgotten, and all the rulers and authorities plotting against God’s people were utterly defeated.

I recently saw a terrific video on the Internet that used great imagery to describe what Jesus did by his death. We start out life with an unpayable debt of sin to our Creator. But he, in his grace, made payment of that debt on our behalf by writing out a check with the precious blood of Jesus shed on the Cross. And it was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, which we celebrate every Sunday and especially next Sunday, that showed the universe that the check cleared, and that we were clear of the debt.

Why wouldn’t we want to live in and with the One who did such a gracious thing on our behalf? Why wouldn't we shout, with the crowds, "Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Amen.

¹O’Brien, Peter. Colossians, Philemon. Mexico: Thomas Nelson, 2000. 104.
²Ibid., 114.

Given at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Minnesota
April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday
Copyright © 2011 by Christopher Donald Drew

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The Idolatry of Pride

This morning I experienced a social networking convergence on the subject of pride, the über-sin.  First, there was this tweet from Desiring God:

Then, along came this awesome post by Russell Moore entitled The Normalization of Pride. Here's the opening graph [emphasis added by me]:

Pride is, by definition, idolatrous and insurrectionist because it is rooted in ingratitude. It glorifies the creature over against the Creator and claims the inheritance rights of image-bearers without acknowledging that we have these things because we reflect an image, not because we are ultimate (Rom. 1:22–23).

And now I can't get Good Friday out of my head. Pride-filled humanity crucified the Son of God.

Quote of the Day: Active vs. Passive Worship

We've just started a new Sunday morning bible study which will go through the entire book of Leviticus. I just ran across this quote on the purpose of the burnt offering in Leviticus 1:

Using a little imagination every reader of the OT soon realizes that these ancient sacrifices were very moving occasions. They make modern church services seem tame and dull by comparison. The ancient worshipper did not just listen to the minister and sing a few hymns. He was actively involved in the worship. He had to choose an unblemished animal from his own flock, bring it to the sanctuary, kill it and dismember it with his own hands, then watch it go up in smoke before his very eyes. He was convinced that something very significant was achieved through these acts and knew that his relationship with God was profoundly affected by this sacrifice.

-- From Gordon J. Wenham's commentary The Book of Leviticus, page 55.

Colossians 05: Steadfast in the Faith

Scripture Text: Colossians 2:1-5

Paul, writing to a group of believers he as not met, has told the Colossians how he rejoices even as he suffers for their faith, and that his ministry is to be a good steward of the deposit of truth given to him, that in Jesus Christ salvation has come to the nations. He also explained to them how his ministry was one of proclamation, and of warning and teaching everyone so that they may appear before Christ as mature believers, sanctified in holiness at the day of the Lord’s coming. We said that the church today is engaged in the same mission – proclaiming salvation in Christ, and warning and teaching disciples so that they may be prepared for the coming of the Lord.

Having described his ministry in more general terms, Paul will now tell the Colossians how he as struggled on their behalf and for the other Christian churches that were planted in the region. Also in this reading, Paul will make his first mention of the false teaching that is making some inroads in the Colossian church.

The question before us today is this: How does the Church maintain the faith when it is infiltrated by false teaching? Answer: By remaining steadfast in Christ who is the Truth.

Any teaching that purports to be “Christian” but does not reflect the beauty and wonder of Jesus’ saving person, work, and teaching is not true!

How Does False Teaching Make It’s Way Into the Church?

What we see in the New Testament, in the gospel and in the epistles, is a constant contention for the truth. Jesus spoke the truth about God and Himself and could quickly see through pretense and falsehood. Paul writes multiple times to contend for the truth of Christ against false teachers. We see this very clearly in our study of Galatians, here in Colossians, and also in 1 Timothy and elsewhere. Jesus himself warned his followers about the deceptions false prophets in Matthew 7:15:

[15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Later, in Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus warns his followers, “See that no one leads you astray. [5] For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. In the same chapter, Jesus twice instructs his followers to beware of those falsely claiming to have prophetic knowledge of God.

Jude, the brother of James and of Our Lord, writing to the church at roughly the same time as Paul, says,

[3] Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. [4] For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Notice that the false teaching is here being promoted by people who have “crept” into the church “unnoticed.” That is, the false teaching is coming from within, not from outside, by those claiming the title of brother or sister in Christ. The effect of false teaching on the church was the perversion of “the grace of our God into sensuality” and the denial “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” The denial of God’s grace and the denial of Jesus as Lord and Master are nothing less than a denial of the gospel!

Peter was also called upon to combat false teaching in the church in 2 Peter:

[2:1] But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. [3] And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Again, the false teachers come from “among you,” from among the body of those claiming to be believers, not from the outside. It’s this insider status that gives the false teaching cache. Notice again how the false teachers deny the Master, Jesus. As a result, their teaching is classified as “destructive,” because those who would persuade people to believe a false gospel are leading people to destruction.

The impetus for Paul’s letter to the Colossians to call them to remain steadfast in the faith in the face of false, deceptive teaching. In Colossians 2:4, Paul writes these words, which also show us this false teaching finds its way into the church:

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

We can infer from this that there were false teachers in the church of Colossae who were teaching false doctrines. They were persuasive because, as was the case with Jude and Peter, (1) they were “insiders”, and (2) they employed “plausible arguments.” Naturally, those who would deceive the church will employ arguments that at first glance appear “plausible.” Implausible, outrageous arguments from outside generally get no traction, do they? No, it’s the smooth, polite talk from those inside, claiming authority from God, that gets attention and attracts people.

Just as this was the case in the early church, there are those today who would attempt to delude the contemporary church in the same way, making arguments which on the surface seem plausible, but which are in fact a denial of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Multiple New York Times bestsellers have been authored by people making plausible arguments that are deceive the faithful. As I was preparing this week, I read Eugene Peterson’s translation of this same verse (Colossians 2:4) his paraphrase of the bible called “The Message”:

I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret."

Peterson first published his paraphrase of the New Testament back in 1993, and it turns out he was prophetic in this translation, because thirteen years later a new-age, power of positive thinking book called “The Secret” would be published to great success. Here’s the publisher’s blurb for “The Secret”:

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.

In this book, you'll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life -- money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You'll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that's within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers -- men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

Millions of copies of the book have been sold in multiple languages to millions of buyers, including many Christians.

Where Are True Wisdom and Knowledge to Be Found? In Christ Alone.

So where can true wisdom and knowledge be found? That’s what Paul shows us in verse 1-3.

[2:1] For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, [2] that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul first gives an account of his personal concern for the church in Colossae and the other churches in the region on Laodicea. The “for” in verse one connects this personal concern for them with Paul’s larger apostolic ministry.

Given what Paul will say in verse 4 about being deluded by persuasive arguments, Paul states the reasons for his struggles on their behalf. It is so that their “hearts may be encouraged.” Earlier, in chapter one, Paul reported his prayer of thanksgiving to God for the Colossians, because Paul had hear about their faith in Jesus and how that faith had translated into love for the saints because of the hope laid up for them in heaven. This is a group of faithful, loving, Christian believers in Colossae who Paul is addressing. He wants them to stay firm in the faith. He wants those loving hearts to be encouraged and tightly knit together, so that they might “reach all the riches of understanding and knowledge of God’s mystery” (2:3).

My heart longs for you to have these same things, hearts of love for one other, tightly knit together so that sin and falsehood might not seep in a corrupt a people who are holy in the Lord Jesus Christ. My heart longs for you to have a kind of built-in radar that is quick to flag falsehoods parading around as truth. My desire is that you also remain steadfast in your faith, obeying God’s commandments and council as those who have been transferred into a kingdom of holiness and righteousness, listening to the divine Teacher whispering in your ear, as it says in Isaiah 30:21

[21] And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

My longing is that our congregation will be a place of grace and truth.

There is still the matter of answering the question, “Where Are True Wisdom and Knowledge to Be Found?” Where are all “the riches of full assurance of understanding and knowledge God’s mystery” to be found? The answer comes at the end of verse 2 and continues in verse 3, where these things are “Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

It is in Christ that we find all the riches of faith, of understanding and knowledge of God plan of salvation. If you want understanding and knowledge of God’s plan, isn’t that another way of saying you want the truth? John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is truth.

For those who believe, every bit of life should be tested and tried by the person and work of Jesus. Every decision of life, of what to buy, wear, read, listen to, eat, all of it ought to be informed, not just by “What Would Jesus Do?” but by what Jesus has done and who he is. The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ crucified puts to shame all worldly wisdom, all attempts to discover “The Secret” to personal prosperity, sin-excusing liberality and all other kinds self-salvation projects. What does this mean? It means, for example, when I’m considering whether or not to, say, marry this particular person, will that marriage be founded upon the sacrificial love Christ for His Church, or will it be founded on some worldly notion of self-obsessed romance? When my neighbor defrauds me, will I seek revenge, or will I seek to forgive, as God in Jesus Christ has already forgiven me? When I discover that I have committed a sin, will I rest in peaceful assurance knowing that Jesus paid it all for me and rejoice in repentance, or will I succumb to the anxious need to perform some work of penance to demonstrate my worthiness, a worthiness I’ve already received by the blood of Christ? When I see someone who is hungry, will I feed them, as Christ feeds me with his Word and His sacrament, or will that pressing appointment get in the way? The standard of all Godly wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ alone, and nowhere else, no-self help manuals will do, especially those like the one saw earlier in the consignment store entitled “Project Me.” Truth is found when we rest entirely in God’s grace in Christ. Everything else is a mirage, false promises based on false assumptions leading to failure, unquenched guilt and death. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, examine your consciences. How do you evaluate the truth? By looking to the Cross, or by looking somewhere else?

A last word about verse 5, which reads: “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.:

Although he is struggling for the Colossians, Paul rejoices, because the are showing “good order,” which is another way of saying “unity,” and are firm in their faith. People who love each other will tend stick together. But what makes the bond of Christian fellowship unbreakable is nothing we do, but a unity of faith in what Christ has accomplished for his people by his death and resurrection. Such faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, the pursuit of understanding and knowledge, the truth, is the pursuit of Jesus Christ. Perhaps this day you are hearing a whisper from the Holy Spirit to join this pursuit. If you hear it, don’t delay. Confess, repent, and receive him as Lord, as the Truth that reigns in love over all things, including your life. Receive him, and be at peace. Amen.

Given at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Minnesota
April 10, 2011
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Copyright © 2011 by Christopher Donald Drew