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THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
Luke 22:39-44 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas May 26, 2019 39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. — Luke 22:39-44, ESV Juan de Yepes was born in the pivotal sixteenth century to a family plagued with poverty and baptized into a church filled with corruption. Had Spain not shielded her people from the Great Reformation, Juan was the kind of courageous Christian who would have cast his lot with Luther and Calvin and other Protestants. Instead, he became a priest and joined the Counter-Reformation within the Roman Catholic church. For his efforts to bring the church back to the Bible, Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross), as he came to be known, was persecuted and imprisoned. In prison he became a poet and penned one of the greatest works ever written, as attested to by both religious and literary scholars. Though he gave it no title, it gained a wide distribution under the name “Dark Night of the Soul.” Now when Christians go through severe trails, tribulations, or temptations, the title of John of the Cross’ work is brought to bear on the experience. The “Dark Night of the Soul” is a valley of sorrow, searching, and serious commitment. In keeping with John’s theme, it eventually brings the believer to a good and gracious place, where in the words of twentieth century hymn writer Helen Lemmel, “The things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Or, if you prefer the theological gleanings of The Steve Miller Band, “You know you got to go through hell before you get to Heaven.” If, or when, you experience the dark night of the soul, you would do well to read the classic poem or the full-length commentary written by John of the Cross. Better still, you can go to the Gospels and walk with Jesus to the cross. Take time to linger for a while in this text, where with uncharacteristic brevity and unique detail, Luke tells us the true and theological story of Jesus’ “Dark Night of the Soul.” The Dark Night of God’s Cup “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.” A cup is commonly found in Scripture but it is not always common. Sometimes it is a metaphor for a most uncommon event or experience. Some cups are wonderful, others are terrible. The Psalmist sings of the “cup of salvation” of the Lord, while the Prophet and the Revelator warn of God’s “cup of wrath.” Christ’s cup, His impending crucifixion, clearly contained both. It was a mixed drink of wrath and salvation. To drink it would be to taste God’s wrath, to finish it would be to save God’s people. We think of Jesus as the ultimate hero. He would be the first soldier to fall on the grenade, the first student to rush the shooter, the first in line to give up His life for a someone else. Why the reluctance? Christ’s cup required a long look. The longer we look at danger the less our desire to enter in. In the mystery of the Trinity in a place before time, the Father had put he cup before the Son. With every Old Covenant sacrifice the cup was pushed closer to Christ’s hand. At the last Passover as the lamb was sacrificed for the meal, Jesus knew He would be the next Lamb up. Dread, procrastination, a plea for pardon, these would be the normal human responses, and the Messiah was as much a man as He is the true and living God. Christ’s cup required a strange sacrifice. Generals are not placed on the front lines. A godly mother is not allowed to serve the prison sentence of her convicted son. People rank in society, and no person who has ever walked the earth could be ranked as high as the divine, sinless, Son of God, Jesus Christ. We think it absurd that the New York Times plastered on its pages in 1966 the headline, “God is Dead.” Surely such thoughts of absurdity must have crossed God’s mind in the Garden of Gethsemane. Imagine spending years on death row for a crime you did not commit. Imagine having the wherewithal to prove your innocence and put the true culprit in your place. Imagine maintaining your silence as they slip the noose around your neck, or strap you down on the gurney to put the needle in your arm. This was the cup hanging over Jesus’ head in the garden, and it made for a long, dark night. The Dark Night of God’s Will “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” So why would God do it? Why would Jesus stay in the garden and wait to be arrested, tried, and crucified? Why not escape back to the Sea of Galilee and go live His best life now? “Will” is a very important word in the Bible and the subject of many a rigorous debate. This one word can mean two different things . Both meanings can be interpreted during the dark night detailed in the text. God the Son is praying with God the Father and each seems to have a different will. How can God’s will be different from God’s will? Jesus, God the Son, has already expressed His will. Remove the cup. Take away the cross. “I want to live,” to use the title of the 1958 movie based on the true story of an innocent prisoner on death row pleading to escape the death chamber. “Will” in this sense speaks of one’s desire, best wish, what one wants. For Christ to want to live and not suffer and die was by no means sinful or selfish, only normal, non-masochistic. The fact that He was innocent of the soon to be trumped up charges only heightened His perfect sensibility of shying away from death. Jesus had free will, did He not? Why, He invented free will, didn’t He? So, since He did not deserve to die and He did not want to die, He could have freely walked away, right? That’s not how free will works, for the will is only free when loosed from bondage and enabled to do God’s will. “Will,” the kind held by the Father in this prayer meeting, can also mean decree instead of desire. If I write you into my will, then you shall have what I leave you after I’m gone. I have willed it. I have decreed it. It will be done. God the Father has decreed from eternity past to spend eternity future with the people and angels He has chosen for Himself. The people, however, are sinners and sinners cannot live in the presence of God. Therefore, God decreed a perfect sacrifice for sin to be made, pictured in many Old Covenant rituals, offered at the inauguration of the New Covenant, whereby the Suffering Servant, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, would die on the cross so that the one who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. So which is greater, the desire of the perfect Man or the decree of sovereign God? Jesus asked and answered that question at the end of this long, dark night. The Dark Night of God’s Soul “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” God and man were in the garden that night, and I’m not talking about Peter, James, and John. God and man were in the garden that night, in one man, the man Christ Jesus. The Trinity contains three persons, Father and Son and Spirit, but the one and only God has one body, one heart, and one soul. Once the decision had been made to deny desire and obey decree, only Luke gives this glimpse of the sheer agony required to do so. Jesus freed His will to do God’s will, but it would be at an ultimate cost. The burden was monumental. Angels got involved. Blood vessels burst. Peter wrote in his first epistle that angels are keenly interested in the salvation of human souls. On this dark night, when Jesus made the decision to save those souls, the angels of Heaven must have circled above Jesus in the garden. They marveled at the love, sacrifice, and perfect plan of God. They knew what Jesus was about to do, and they sent down a representative to let the Lord know that the angels would be with Him. What a marvelous sight of God’s ministers ministering to God. But even angels did not make Jesus’ job any easier. He realized He was about to enter into a world of hurt that no mere mortal has ever known. Salvation is not some easy decision a man makes when he glibly walks down some aisle and repeats some rote prayer in order to receive a get out of hell free card. Salvation is a slow, deliberate, agonizing decision made by God to go to the cross and be tortured, forsaken, and killed. Salvation is a slow, weighty, sincere decision to totally trust and obey the One who endured this dark night for you. You can see what He decided for you. What have you decided for Him? The Dark Night of Your Soul “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.” Five frogs were sitting on a log. Five decided to jump off. How many were left? The answer is five. These were Baptist frogs. They made a decision, but they never followed through, they never actually jumped. If you have decided to follow Jesus, how do you know your decision is real? How do you know you have followed through? How do you know you are truly saved? You may not, until you encounter your own dark night of the soul. It may be peer pressure and the fear of being an outcast, unpopular, alone. It may be an unhappy marriage and the fear of forgoing the kind of sex and adventure that cheaters seem to enjoy. It may be a loss of income, the cost of doing business honestly rather than expediently, or the career that pays less because it honors God more. It may be the suffering, even death, of someone you know and love that does not seem to fit with your preconceived ideas of a good and gentle God. But dark nights, when faithfully endured, bring light. The light of God comes into your dark night of the soul when you discover that God’s will is more important than your own. The light of God comes into your dark night of the soul is when you decide you would rather suffer for doing what is right thank profit from doing what is wrong. The light of God comes into your dark night of the soul when you realize that whatever pain and suffering you are going through, it does not compare with the physical and spiritual suffering and death of Christ, which God has done for you, and now you must do what is right for God. Do not just decide. Repent. Believe. Follow, even in the dark night of the soul. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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SERVE THE LORD
Luke 22:24-38 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas May 19, 2019 24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. 28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” 35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” — Luke 22:24-38, ESV Most masters degree programs can be completed in two years or less, depending upon the school and the field of study. The Master of Divinity degree, the standard union card for practicing pastors, requires three years. That puts such credentialed ministers in the same boat with the first fishers of men who followed Jesus, who took three years of resident study with the Messiah before embarking on their solo careers. There is another common thread between those first disciples and many young seminary trained pastors. They think they know it all, can do it all, and are God’s greatest gift to unsuspecting churches everywhere. I should know because I was one. Sinful pride is not an ailment limited to Master of Divinity graduates, however, as an air of importance bordering on infallibility can infect any Christian. At some point we all breathe in the helium-like air of superiority, so all of us need the humbling words of Jesus to bring us back down to earth. As I have often warned, there is a Pharisee lurking inside us all. That inner Pharisee came out of Simon Peter and the other Apostles somewhere in the sacred space between the Upper Room and the Garden of Gethsemane. Though those first followers were as close in proximity to Jesus as you could possibly be, that old sin of pride had pushed their hearts far away from the Lord. The first disciples needed direction from the Lord to cure their deficient discipleship. Jesus gave it to them in three short lessons placed here by Luke. Each one assigns us to the task of servanthood, the true calling of every Christian. Don’t strive to be great, just serve the Lord. A recurring dispute among the Apostles comes to light again at a darkly ironic time. As Jesus is taking His final steps toward the cross, His right hand men were measuring each other’s heads for a crown. Instead of listening closely to Christ’s passionate final words, they were brazenly campaigning against one another to see who would win the election, take home the Oscar, or be recognized as the MVP of the first Christian season. It is good when the church goes out into the world. It is bad when the world comes into the church. Just as entertainers do much damage when they are put on a stage in church life, so do competitors in the ranks of Christ’s church. It is not that entertainers and competitors are bad, per se, for who does not love a good concert or a good game? But the desire to be better than others is a sinful thing when it infects the body of Christ. Who was the greatest in that first church? Simon son of John, John son of Zebedee, or that son of a gun named Judas Iscariot? Who is the greatest in our church? The Pastor, the Worship Leader, the sweet senior member sitting on the second row? Jesus would answer, “None of the above.” None of us are as great as we think we are. Jesus would give another answer, also, “I Am.” It ain’t bragging if you back it up. Jesus is the Head and the greatest in His church because of who He is and what He has done, because of His eternal deity and His historic humanity. Jesus is the greatest because He was, is, and always will be God. Jesus is the greatest because in His earthly life and ministry He was he perfectly consecrated and committed, constant, Servant. You and I cannot be the greatest person in the church, for that spot it taken forever. But you and I can do the greatest thing in the church, for the church, and for the world, and that is be a servant of Christ by serving one another and serving others in the world. Serve by preaching, teaching, sharing the gospel. Serve by babysitting, cleaning, cooking, giving, listening, transporting, visiting, or any other of a thousand ways to spend your life in order to make someone else’s richer. Do not seek to be the greatest Christian on earth but work at being the greatest servant with the time you have on this earth. The reward you will receive will be greater than you could ever imagine. Jesus promised His still learning disciples “a kingdom,” places to “eat and drink at my table,” and seats on “thrones,” not as a king but like a king, in the greatest kingdom in Heaven and earth. Life in the kingdom of God is the greatest prize, and it belongs to those who prove their love of Christ with obedience to God’s word, to those who prove their faith by being a servant in the name of Christ. Are you a servant of the Lord? I hope you can say, “Yes.” If you can, well then you are probably feeling pretty good about yourself, like old Simon Peter. But beware of the pitfall of spiritual pride. It can make even a true servant of God fall down. Get back up when you fall down, and serve the Lord. This next lesson takes us from the task of servanthood to the temptation of Satan. It is a bad place believers do not want to go. But the biblical facts suggest there is a personal devil and he knows all of us by name, personally. Peter must have won the previous competition, because both Jesus and Satan call out his name. True to the lessons of Job, Satan cannot touch one of God’s children without God’s express permission which, for reasons known only to His perfect sovereignty and providential plan, God allows from time to time. Taking the first lesson to heart, I do not think any of us are great enough to warrant a conversation between Satan and God. Abraham was, Moses too, and it was probably such a dialogue that put Bathsheba within eyeshot of King David’s roof. Simon Peter was admittedly the first among equals, so it is no wonder Satan set his sights on him, particularly given Peter’s propensity to need a podiatrist to get his foot out of his mouth. When Jesus warned Peter of Satan’s temptation, Peter responded not with a prayer for help but with peculiar pride. The result, as all four Gospels attest, was not foot in mouth disorder, but hand over mouth disease. Peter remained silent rather than witnessing about his relationship with Jesus. When he finally opened his mouth, it was to deny he knew the Lord. First came pride, then the fall. But look carefully at Jesus’ preemptive measure. Jesus observantly knew Peter’s pride and weakness. Jesus omnisciently knew Peter was about to fall. And Jesus unconditionally loved Simon Peter, prayed for Simon Peter, and graciously encouraged Simon Peter to get back up after falling down. You and I are not as important to Satan as Simon Peter. But, you and I are just as important to Jesus as Simon Peter. Jesus loves you and knows your name. Jesus is interceding for you at this very moment. Jesus knows you are going to blow it sometimes. So when pride causes you to fall, do not be too proud to get back up, face the Lord, your Christian friends, the world, by confessing your sin and receiving the absolute forgiveness of Christ. The focus of these first two lessons from the Lord is the same. Serve the Lord. Keep on serving the Lord even after you have made a mistake. And finally, serve the Lord with everything you’ve got. Take everything you have, and serve the Lord. At this point the disciples had spent three years being served by the Lord. They never needed anything. Jesus led them, fed them, calmed the storms for them, and otherwise equipped and provided for them. They never had to bring anything to the party. But now Jesus was about to leave them. He would provide His greatest service of all at the cross, layover in a borrowed tomb, arise the third day, hang around for forty days to give some infallible proofs and invaluable lessons, then ascend into Heaven from whence He will one day return. What were those first Christians supposed to do with the rest of their Christian lives? Serve the Lord! “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (ref. Joshua 24:15), was Joshua’s advice to the people of God after Moses left. “Serve the Lord with gladness” (ref. Psalm 100:2) was King David’s constant command to the people of God. The call is the same for us today, to serve the Lord with gladness, and with everything else we’ve got. As the Suffering Servant was pushing His little servants out of the nest, Jesus curiously told them to get a moneybag, a knapsack, and a sword (of which they’d been hiding two). What did the Lord mean by calling attention to these things? Forgive me for trying to be Origen-al here, but I think these three things are symbolic for the major means we use to be servants of Christ. How do we fill a moneybag? With good, hard, honest work. We are to use our jobs to serve the Lord. Your place of employment, whether it be a corner office or a factory floor or a fellowship of homemakers is your primary mission field. It is okay to be ambitious, to try to climb a few rungs on that corporate ladder, as long as being a servant of the Lord is your known priority. You will blow it some days, and people will witness your bad witness, so handle it with humility and repentance. Use every work day and every work relationship to serve the Lord. Who needs sandals and a knapsack? Those who are just passing through. Christians are all pilgrims, sojourners, people just passing through on this planet until we arrive at our true home in the celestial city. All we have now is temporary, our homes and cars and other possessions. They are for our care and comfort, gifts from God. But they are also tools with which we are to serve the Lord. Let us serve by using our homes for hospitality. Let us serve using our cars for ministry. Let us serve by asking a question of our every possession as to how it can be used to serve the Lord. And make sure one of your possessions is a sword. What is a sword for? A sword is a weapon, used both offensively and defensively. What should every believer have two or more of in order to spread the gospel and defend the faith? A bible, of course, the word of God. We are to serve the Lord by living, sharing, and defending the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The first disciples had experienced three years of the finest training with the sword of the Spirit. They would spend the rest of their lives serving Jesus with it, preaching and teaching the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are called to be just like those first followers of Jesus, servants of the Lord. We should never be cocky, but let us not lack confidence, either. We are not that great, but we are the greatest people on earth, because we are the people of God. We are not perfect, but we are forgiven, and the message of God’s forgiveness should spring from our lives and our lips. Christ is not with us now, physically, but He has given us His Spirit and His word, our family and friends, our homes and our jobs, and every other possession we have. Let us devote them all to the service of our Lord. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A RITUAL TO REMEMBER
Luke 22:7-23 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas May 12, 2019 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. — Luke 22:7-23, ESV “Give the people what they want and they will come.” — P.T. Barnum In the sugary world of the modern worship, people want songs that sound like their favorite rock band. People want messages that are inspiring and uplifting that neither condemn sin nor call for commitment. People want spectacular multi-media presentations to match their ever shortening attention spans. People do not want slow, serious, substantive songs, also known as hymns. People do not want doctrinal sermons weighed heavily with the Bible, also known as expository preaching. People do not want any boring rituals at all, such as readings from Scripture, regular communion, or the reciting of creeds and prayers. But what does God want? We must remember that worship is an offering to God, not entertainment for people. God seems to be a fan of slow, deliberate, doctrinal singing, since there are 150 such compositions laying there right in the middle of our Bibles. God delights in the careful exposition of the Scriptures; after all, it is His word. Furthermore, God is a big fan of ritual. The last time He was on earth to lead worship, He observed a slow, sacred ritual, then for good measure inaugurated a new one. Jesus made the last Passover a ritual to remember. It is well known to all Gospel readers that Jesus was crucified and resurrected during the Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. John’s Gospel meticulously chronicles three such observances, which is why we believe Jesus’ public ministry lasted about three years. During the last Passover, Jesus had a lot on His mind and a lot of things to do. But being a devout worshiper of God the Father, God the Son took time out of His busy schedule to remember the slow and deliberate ritual of Passover. Passover was perpetuated by the tenth plague perpetrated upon the Egyptian people in order to persuade them to let God’s people go free (ref. Exodus 12). The plague killed all the firstborn in all of Egypt, except upon all the Jewish households where the blood of a sacrificial lamb adorned the doorposts. When the plague struck, it passed over the Israelites, who left quickly with their bread unleavened and their baskets full of Egyptian goodies, including more lamb, skins of wine, and the bitter herbs of Goshen. This historic event became an important annual ritual. The Israelites neglected it to their peril in times of rebellion and oppression. They remembered and observed it in times of revival and renewal. By the time of Jesus and the Roman occupation, however, Passover like other Jewish religious observances, had become a shell without the egg. Even so, Jesus did not fail to crack open this important ritual and fill it with meaning, old and new. He planned for it, flashing His attributes of deity to Peter and John by pointing them to a preordained peculiar sight. A man carrying a water jar (men usually carried sacks, women carried jars) led them to the prepared place for the Passover. It was a semi-secretive place, for Jesus also knew of Judas’ treachery, and did not want to get arrested before completing the important ritual. Jesus somehow made sure that all of the important elements were there, lamb and unleavened bread and bitter herbs and plenty of genuine wine, as Welch’s grape juice was not available in Jesus’ day. The meal, Luke’s seventh of nine meal scenes, was not upbeat nor exciting by modern standards. It was a serious, sacred ritual packed with important elements for God’s people. Twelve men sat with Jesus for the meal but only eleven true believers would finish it. The event included the prescribed elements interspersed with doctrinal teaching, psalm singing, and thankful prayers. There was no swooning or hand clapping, no special lighting or fog machines, no musicians with spiked hair or skinny jeans. Jesus infused this particular Old Covenant ritual with New Covenant meaning. The Lord taught them, in accordance with John the Baptist’s prophecy, that He is the Lamb of God with a body without sin as surely as the bread contained no leaven. The Lord taught them that as wine is a gift from God, His blood would provide the ultimate gift of God, salvation and the forgiveness of sins. The Lord taught them that He was about to earn our salvation with suffering more bitter than the herbs they had bitten during the meal. Jesus remembered the Passover by sharing one with His disciples that they would never forget. Jesus fulfilled the Passover by walking from the upper room table all the way to the cross at Calvary. Jesus transformed the annual Passover by picking out two of the important elements, unleavened bread (without sin) and genuine wine (grapes crushed and renewed with spirit), and inaugurating the Lord’s Supper as a weekly, not weakly, observance for the Christian church. Jesus makes the Lord’s Supper a ritual to remember. The Lord’s Supper is a commandment to keep. “Do this” is in the present active imperative, meaning it is a commandment to constantly keep. It is not a ritual to be ignored or infrequently observed because it slows down the otherwise uptempo beat of contemporary worship. All devout Christians would agree that it is sin to neglect the assembly of the church on the Lord’s Day (ref. Hebrews 10:25, etc.). We should also agree that it is shameful to gather on the Lord’s Day and leave out any of the essential elements prescribed in Scripture and exemplified by the early church: prayers, singing, preaching, offering, and the breaking of bread, which was the Christian patriarchs way of referring to communion or the Lord’s Supper. “Shame on the Christian church that she put it off to once a month and mar the first day of the week by depriving it of its glory in the meeting together for fellowship and breaking of bread and showing forth the death of Christ till he comes. They who once know the sweetness of each Lord’s day celebrating his supper, will not be content, I am sure, to put it off to less frequent seasons.” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon The Lord’s Supper is a ritual to remember. “In remembrance of Me” is Christ’s way of infusing Christ-centeredness into the Christ-centered church. Christianity, Christian worship, and the Christian observance of the Lord’s Supper within worship, is not about you. It is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who He is, what He has done. The only thing you have to do is remember it is “for you.” The Lord’s Supper reminds us supremely of Christ, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and our proper response to Christ, which includes repentance, faith, humility, obedience, and love. The Lord’s Supper is worship in its purest, simplest form, and should govern the other elements of Christian worship. The other segments of worship do not have to be as somber as the Lord’s Supper, but they must be equally serious. They should bring us to the table in reverence and awe, and send us on our way, full of the gospel, for life and ministry. When the Lord’s Supper is central in our worship, it helps us to keep the Lord at the center of our lives. Life is hard and downright confusing at times. Even the original eleven disciples “began to question one another” when the original ritual was observed. We encounter traitors, like Judas. We are surrounded by enemies, like the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have commandments that are difficult to keep, like living holy and sharing the gospel. We sin. We forget. We need to be regularly reminded of God’s love, grace, and mercy. This is why we need rituals to remember, especially the Lord’s Supper. Worship which flows into the Lord’s Supper and a life that flows out of it delivers us from bondage, sets our souls free, and lights our path to walk as fully devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. So remember the ritual and heed the word of the Lord, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. THE BENEDICT ARNOLD OF THE BIBLE
Luke 22:1-6 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas May 5, 2019 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. — Luke 22:1-6, ESV When I say the word “traitor,” whose name pops into your mind? If you need a clue, look in the history books. Better still, look in the Bible. Then, take a long look in the mirror. Benedict Arnold If you look up the word “traitor” in an American dictionary, you will likely see a picture of Benedict Arnold, who was born in 1741 in the colony of Connecticut and died in 1801 in London, England. Benedict Arnold burst on the fledgling American scene at a most historic moment. It was the American Revolution, a rebellion of the colonies against the tyranny of Great Britain, a war for independence that birthed the United States of America. Arnold fought for our country valiantly and brilliantly, under General George Washington and alongside famous countrymen like Ethan Allen. H was severely wounded in battle while leading his men, and eventually achieved the revered rank of Brigadier General. Had he died on the field before 1779, he would be hailed today as among the greatest of our early American heroes. But temptation surrounded Benedict Arnold. His second wife, Peggy, came from a family of British loyalists. His best friend, John André, was a British spy. Arnold did not come from old money, had struggled to make a fortune of his own in the new world, and feared poverty worse than death. When André proposed a £20,000 bribe for inside information (which would be worth about $750,000 today), Arnold took the money and ran to the Red Coats with plans to give them the key fort at West Point, the place where the United States Military Academy stands today. Benedict Arnold abused his high office. Benedict Arnold betrayed his countrymen and fellow soldiers. Benedict Arnold failed miserably, twice, once in life and again in death. The plot for which he accepted a bribe failed. John André was caught by the Americans and hanged for espionage. Arnold escaped to the British, who gave him only £6,000 for the failed coup. André got a statue in Westminster Abbey, while Benedict Arnold eventually died in debt and disgrace. The London press reported his obituary with these words: “Poor General Arnold has departed this world without notice, a sorry reflection this for him and other turncoats.” But Benedict Arnold is not the worst traitor in history. The Benedict Arnold of the Bible If you look up the word “traitor” in a Bible dictionary, you will likely see a picture of Judas Iscariot. He was born at about the same time as Jesus and died on about the same day. Judas was raised a devout Jew (consider his Jewish name, Judah), probably belonged to the Zealots (an extremely nationalistic and messianic party), and burst on the scene when he was personally recruited by the Lord Jesus Christ to be one of the twelve original Apostles. This was the most historic moment in the history of history, the days that divide history into BC and AD. Though the Gospels reveal his actual character, written with reflection decades after the fact, the eleven who stood shoulder to shoulder with Judas during Christ’s public ministry would have hailed him a hero, that is until the end. Judas walked with them, talked with them, preached with them, performed miracles with them, and was entrusted by them to keep the offerings given to them for ministry and charity. Even when Jesus tried to point Judas out as the traitor in the Upper Room, the other Apostles were paralyzed by perplexity and did not perceive it. Temptation got the better of Judas Iscariot, along with the fact that Jesus just refused to do things Judas’ way. The personal Satan took a personal interest in Judas because of his personal status as a right hand man of Jesus. The priests kicked in thirty pieces of silver, a kickback akin to the £20,000 promised to Benedict Arnold. Some speculate Judas was merely trying to force Jesus’ hand and make the Lord come out as a militaristic Messiah. But a careful study of Judas’ character, especially in John’s Gospel, tells a different tale. Temptation turned him into the real Judas, the man on the inside came out, because money and security were more important to him that honesty and fidelity, more important than the Lord Jesus Christ, more important than the true kingdom of God. Judas Iscariot abused his high office. Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord and his brothers in Christ. Judas Iscariot failed miserably, twice, in his life and at his death. Judas’ betrayal ruined him, and he knew it in real time. He tried to return the bribe, but the corrupt priests who counted the money into his pocket refused to receive it back. Perhaps Judas caught a glimpse of Jesus walking along the Via Delarosa with the horizontal beam of the cross bearing upon His shoulders. Judas must have known he was of no account to his fellow conspirators. He must have feared he would never be forgiven by the Christ and the Christians he betrayed. Judas’ life was more than miserable, so he ended it in the most miserable way possible, suicide, and Matthew’s Gospel tells us it was by hanging from a tree, a most miserable irony. Judas Iscariot has no memorial, other than a burial ground for vagabonds called the “Field of Blood.” His name is avoided at best and mocked at worst. In the movie O Brother Where Art Thou, a cousin who betrays his cousin is called “Judas Iscariot Hogwallop,” whose only defense was, “I got to do for me and mine.” That’s what Benedict Arnold thought, too, and it describes Judas Iscariot to a T. Putting yourself first at the expense of God and others is a betrayal of God and others, and such betrayal lurks in every single sinful human heart. The Benedict Arnold in Us Isn’t it funny how the lives of two famous traitors run on parallel tracks. They both lived during a key moment in history. They both had high offices and great opportunity. They both succumbed to temptation for personal gratification. They both betrayed good men and a good cause. And they both became miserable for it, in life, in death, and in eternity. It seems the only proper way to process this brief mention in Scripture of the Benedict Arnold of the Bible is to use Judas Iscariot as a cautionary tale for confessing Christians. He was a sinner. So are we. He professed to be a follower of Christ, and for a time offered what seemed to be incontrovertible evidence. So do so many today. He was tempted and tested, as we have been and will be. In the end, he chose his own pleasure and pocketbook over fidelity and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have today our own moment in history. We do not live in the days of the American Revolution, nor the days Jesus walked upon the earth, but our days count for us and all with whom we have contact, family and friends and fellow church members, neighbors and colleagues and fellow citizens. We who are Christians have been granted the greatest office and the greatest opportunity in history. We are called Christians. We are called to follow Christ. We are called to spread the gospel. We are called to purity and integrity. We are called to love, and love is expressed by obedience to the truth and charity towards all. We are surrounded by temptation, by the lure of the autonomous self, by the sirens’ call to “do for me and mine” at the expense of Christ, church, family, and our fellow man. The tempter delights in infidelity and offers sex, money, and sometimes fame to corrupt our hearts and cause a ripple of pain. But the so-called prize is a trap that ruins lives, destroys families, splits churches, and silences the gospel. We cannot claim victory over selfishness, sin, Satan, and certain betrayal until we cross the finish line. Jesus did not say the one who makes it almost to the end will be saved. Our Lord said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (ref. Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13). As my old New Testament professor Ken Easley said, “A faith that fizzles before the finish was faulty from the first.” If Benedict Arnold had stayed an American for just a few more years. If Judas Iscariot had stayed an Apostle for a few more days. If those who drop out of Christian and church had only stayed. If seems to be the boundary between two entirely different characters and two entirely different eternities. Betrayal is the opposite of perseverance, and Judas Iscariot is the ultimate warning to all of us who name the name of Christ. It was a British statesman quoting another British statesman who said, “Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.” Benedict Arnold was British, too. So let us learn from he Benedict Arnold of the Bible, Judas Iscariot, and let us be better men and women for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
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