03/31/2013
Thought you might find interesting our Easter Sunday message entitled: Finger Pointing. Unusual title for Easter Sunday, but read on for the full message.
A phone call this week confirmed the direction that the Holy Spirit desired to take us for our Resurrection morning message. The call was from a man that worked with me as an installation assistant a couple of times. He was a graduate from a local recovery program, but soon after his completion he moved out on his own and though he stayed clean had not availed himself to become involved in a local church for the past two years. Instead he continued to pursue his love of working out at the gym and maintaining a regiment of health supplements and fastidious health eating. But he recently had been given a diagnosis that a sensitive spot on his spine was cancerous, and the cancer was rapidly spreading throughout his major organs and he was given but a few months to live. The shocking news plunged the man back into his old lifestyle of numbing personal pain with alcohol. It seemed that he was calling men of God he knew in the area and I was among them. Given the circumstances of his life over the past couple of years it would have been so easy to remind him of his lack of Christian commitment and neglecting the things of God: to point the finger at every personal shortcoming as an answer for his present dilemma.
So often we hear a story or watch an event unfold and immediately we become filled with indignation and judge the situation as we see it from the grandstands. Today we have an opportunity to view a biblical drama of major proportion and to study the response of the Lord Jesus in moments of personal conflict. We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus Christ was all divinity and all humanity, possessing the virtues that only can be ascribed to Almighty God, and living out those qualities while confined to a human body with human limitations. Certainly we understand Jesus’s response towards those religious leaders of his day in regards to issues concerning the law and their treatment of the people, but what would be His reaction to matters of the human heart interacting with those who were the closest to him?
We have all known people that have taken up to be our friend and perhaps even made a point of personally expressing to us their intention to be a friend in all seasons. Though elated at the possible fortune of discovering such a friend with honorable intentions we also wonder if they will make good on their promises. Such a man was Simon Peter, very bold with declarations of personal commitment as we recall just a few:
When Jesus asked the disciples, “Whom do you say I am?” it was Simon Peter who declared:
“Thou art the Christ, Son of the Living God.”
When Jesus made the statement, "Where I go, you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow me afterwards," it was Simon Peter who spoke up: "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake" (John 13:37). Jesus continues the dialogue: “Will you lay down your life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto you, The c**k shall not crow, till you have denied me three times" (John 13:38).
Matthew records Peter's response.
"No!" Peter insisted. "Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same. (Matthew 26:35 NLT)
Well it seemed on that fateful night that Simon Peter was about to make good on his promises. In the garden of betrayal when Jesus was confronted by a band of men from the chief priests and Pharisees it was Simon Peter who drew his sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest. Through a bold act of physical intolerance Peter let it be known he was taking Jesus’ side in this conflict. But Jesus does not encourage Peter for this swarthy act but actually gives him a strong rebuke. As Jesus is led away captive Peter follows, but at a distance: “But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.” Mathew 26:58
As Peter places distance between himself and Jesus this posture begins to represent also a departure from the personal verbal commitments Peter had made with such assurance. But the crowning moments of Peter’s allegiance are shallowly displayed when three times he strongly denies knowing or being a follower of Jesus, even to the point of cursing and swearing. So there it is…the ultimate betrayal, even worse than Judas, because of his past statements. Will Jesus join us as we find our arms rising in the air and our index fingers starting to protrude? We wait with expectation: The c**k crows as Jesus predicts…the hours of mock trial become hours of physical torture by beatings for the Master that ultimately ends in painful crucifixion and death. The body of Jesus is laid in a tomb but strangely disappears three days later:
Peter peers into the tomb on the first day of the week, beholding the linen clothes laid by themselves and then departs, “wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”
But a number of days later Peter must come to terms with failed promises. Like many of us when facing disappointment and unrealized expectations, Peter returns to his former life and becomes quite transparent in the process: he is fishing naked!
And after toiling all night and catching nothing, Peter and his friends hear the voice of a stranger calling from the shore: “Have you caught any fish? When they grimly replied, “no,” the man with authority spoke for them to cast their net on the right side of the ship, and when they did that they were not able to draw in the multitude of fish that had filled their nets.
Let’s take a step back from the drama for personal analysis:
At some point or a number of times we will fall or fail really bad and unfortunately we may for a season return to some past crutch for support. It becomes so obvious to others around us how vulnerable and pathetic we appear, as we operate in the state of denial and compromise. When once again all our best efforts become futile, Jesus appears so timely and simply speaks to the issues at hand with perfect clarity and discernment. He solves our problem, provides the answer, and with perfect timing addresses our failures by pointing, not pointing at us, but beyond us to a place called Calvary, where our attention is now drawn. Pointing to Calvary reminds us that we are weak, but He is strong; pointing to Calvary reminds us that there He cried out:
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And pointing to Calvary once again reminds us that it was there He took our place so we too can point the finger past someone’s blunder and reveal the cross for them also.
Jesus is now seated on the shore of the sea of Tiberias with his disciples and gives an invitation: “Come and dine.” Together they eat the fish that He, not the disciples had prepared and when they have finished eating Jesus turns to Simon Peter, points to himself and says: “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?” To this Peter replies: “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” The Lord’s question and Peter’s answer is repeated two more times, for the Lord is providing Peter an opportunity to erase the memory of denying him those three times in betrayal. The finger of God has not been thrust in Peter’s face!
We live in a world of pointing fingers.
*Two opposite political parties point accusing fingers for failure to fix a struggling economy.
*Co-workers point accusing fingers for customer dissatisfaction and closing register errors.
*Two NFL coaches stand arguing and pointing at the referee regarding a penalty just called on the field.
*A husband and wife point fingers at each other when in a moment of disagreement.
Pointing fingers says you’re wrong, I’m right.
Pointing to the cross says: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 3:23 & 6:23
Pointing to the empty tomb says: “Why are you seeking the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen…The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” Luke 24:6,7
Lord, help us to always point our fingers in the right direction!
Pastor Jeff Kleinman
Easter Sunday, 2013
