The Desired of Nations (Haggai 2.6-9)

Introduction

Who would have predicted this time last year, that an impulsive businessman would be President-Elect of the United States, or that the United Kingdom would be on its way out of the EU, or that Britain would have its second woman Prime Minister? It’s been a year of political surprises.

Or who would have predicted that perenñial also-rans Leicester City would become Premier League champions, that Team GB would finish second, above China, in the Rio Olympics Medal Table and that Portugal would win the Euro Football Tournament? It’s been a year of sporting surprises too, the only constant being the England team’s pitiful early exit and customary managerial sacking.

Pollsters and pundits alike have all but invited ever more generous servings of egg on their faces. Tomorrow seems harder to foresee than ever.

Prophecy

But the Encyclopaedia of Biblical Prophecy, lists 127 separate predictions about the Messiah referencing over 3,000 verses from the Bible. The prophecies say exactly which ancestral line he will spring from, where he will be born, what he will be like, how he will die, why will die, where he will be buried, and even that he will rise from death.

It is little wonder that the earliest church in the first century commanded a huge following amongst Jews. They knew exactly what to look for in a Messiah and Jesus unerringly met all their expectations.

Of course, most Jews today still await their Messiah. They look for a military leader who will come not twice but only once.

Some years ago, the evangelist Billy Graham discussed this very matter on television with a Jewish New Testament scholar. The rabbi explained the modern mainstream Jewish view. He said, “Christians believe the Messiah has two comings: one at Christmas and one at His second coming. We Jews believe He will only come once, at a time of peace on earth just as the prophet Zechariah declared in Zechariah 12-14. Since we still experience wars, the Messiah has not yet come.”

In reply, Graham took that very passage of Scripture and answered, “It says in Zechariah 12.10 ‘They will look on me.’ Who is the one speaking here?” The rabbi replied: “The Almighty himself is speaking.”

Graham said “Thank you rabbi. It says, ‘They will look on me, the one they have pierced.’ How was the Almighty pierced?” The rabbi admitted that he didn’t know. So Graham said, “I believe he was pierced at the cross for the sins of the world.” The rabbi made no further argument.

Desired by the Nations

There were many titles given in the Old Testament to the coming Messiah. Some of them you will have heard of; the Rod of Jesse, Immanuel, wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace and Sun of Righteousness have all found their way into our Christmas carols.

But few of us, I suspect, are quite as familiar with the title ‘Desired of Nations’, which comes in our reading from the prophet Haggai, about 520 years before Christ.

It comes in a prophecy about the temple in Jerusalem that was being rebuilt at that time and which was a bit of a disappointment. Work had begun, but then stopped - for a whole decade. People looked back nostalgically at Solomon’s original temple which had been destroyed. But God says, no. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, and in this place I will grant peace.”

And here’s the important part about the Desired of Nations; “This is what the Lord Almighty says: In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.”

It’s a three-for-the-price-of-one prophecy; one prediction with three meanings.

Firstly, it means that riches would come from afar, and be offered in worship. That actually did happen in a small way and the temple was finished four years later.

But secondly there was a deeper fulfilment 520 years later when the Magi came from the east with treasures and presented them to the infant Christ – the new temple, the perfect bridge between heaven and earth.

The third meaning is that the Messiah, Jesus who would one day walk about in that very temple, satisfies the deepest longings of every nation on earth.

He is desired by the simple, gentle Ethiopian young adults I met at the beginning of this month, who were born into the poorest of poor neighbourhoods, championed by a Christian child sponsorship programme, given education, healthcare, nutrition and a caring friend from overseas who wrote to them and prayed for them, and are now university graduates with a passion to change their nation for Christ.

He is desired by a large crowd of Coptic believers in Cairo who in November defiantly and joyously roared in unison the Apostles’ Creed just hours after dozens of their number were slain by a suicide bomber as they gathered for Sunday worship.

He is desired by the world’s fastest growing church; in Iran – where there are over a million new believers in Jesus since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

He is desired by the Fijian Rugby Sevens team who won their country’s first ever gold medal this year at the Rio Olympic Games. On the final whistle, having thrashed Great Britain, they gathered in a circle, dropped to their knees, pointed to the skies and sang to the glory of Christ with tears running down their cheeks.

He is desired by a woman called Ruth who was brought up in Manchester. Her parents split up when she was very young, she was physically abused by her alcoholic mother.

When she reached her early teens she became addicted to ecstasy and alcohol. Years later her addiction led to the breakdown of her own family. She lost her husband and three children. She ended up in prison for a violent offence. She was in a dark place – angry, confused and lost.

One morning the prison chaplain gave her a New Testament. She opened it Matthew 11.28 where she read the words of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Ruth thought, “That’s me.”

That very night she asked God to forgive her if he loved her, then she fell asleep. The next morning, she felt calm. She felt new.

She says, “I stopped swearing and smoking. My whole attitude changed. There was still a lot of hurt and fear but I learnt that I could give it all to God. I realised how much he loves me and it completely changed me. I’d been broken and now God was rebuilding me. She now has a steady job, and her family life has been completely rebuilt and restored.

Ending

Jesus is the Desired of Nations. He is the answer to every spiritual longing on every continent and in every land.

If the greatest need among the nations of the world was pleasure God would have sent us an entertainer. If it was education, he would have sent us a professor. If it was money he would have sent us an economist. If it was security, he would have sent us a military general. But our greatest need is actually forgiveness so he sent us a Saviour.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 24 December 2016

Faith Journey (Matthew 2.1-12)

Introduction

The best present I ever got as a child was when I was about 8 years old. It was a plastic astronaut complete with space capsule. I almost wet myself and blacked out with excitement as I took it out of its wrapping. I was so fond of this toy that it went everywhere with me; in bed, on the loo, in the bath, at the table, I was inseparable from it – for all of 48 hours.

But my mum and dad took me to the amusements in Southend-on-Sea the day after Boxing Day and I left my beloved toy in a dodgem car never to see it (or anything like it) ever again. My happiness was, alas, wretchedly short-lived. (If anyone is offering counselling after the service I might take you up on it).

Christmas presents aren’t always spine-tinglingly wonderful though are they? I heard about one little girl who wrote a thank you letter to her grandparents which said, “Dear grandma and grandpa. Thank you for the gloves. They were something I wanted - but not very much!”

The tradition of Christmas presents probably goes back to the three wise men in the Nativity story who presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh to the new-born king, and I’ll come back to that in a moment.

The Spiritual Quest

But first of all, I want to explore a bit with you why they went to Bethlehem at all. We know they travelled from the east – but that is a bit vague really; I mean everywhere is east of somewhere isn’t it? In fact, it probably means Babylonia, or Persia, perhaps even India – several hundred miles east of Bethlehem.

What I love about this story is the way it echoes so many other journeys I know, including my own; journeys of faith.

It seems they were just going about their everyday lives when, literally out of the blue, something caught their eye and grabbed their attention and they understood that by following the star it would lead them to a unique new king. It was something that they became aware of and which started a quest in their lives.

Everybody I know who is a Christian has a different story of how their interest in Jesus first came about – and it’s fascinating to learn about that spark, that catalyst, whatever it was, that led to the beginning of another faith journey.

Here are a few examples from people who have been on our Alpha course this last term; several guests on the course noticed something change in a close relative who had been on the course the previous year and that change sparked an interest.

Another was doing the Great North Run and he noticed the t-shirt of a runner in front of him with a message saying something like “Do the Alpha Course.” And he thought, “Yes, I’ve heard of that, I think I’ll sign up.”

Another was just browsing on the Internet for information about local churches, stumbled upon our website, and followed the link to our page about Alpha. These were their “new star moments” if you like that jolted them into beginning a journey of discovery about Jesus.

Someone I know attended a funeral at our sister church in Long Newton a few years ago, and she was suddenly struck by the thought of the inevitability of her own mortality. She thought, “I’ve got to find out if there’s a God and if there’s an eternity.” It was a “new star moment” that started something in her.

David Suchet, who plays Agatha Christies’ Poirot in the TV series of the same name, was in a hotel one night, and got a bit bored of hopping through the channels, so he picked up the Gideon’s Bible in his drawer and started reading it in the bath. It was a “new star moment” that started a journey for him and that ended in him becoming a follower of Jesus.

Most Christians can point back to a “new star moment” that first launched their quest of faith. Some of you here this evening may not have started yours yet. What if tonight God taps you on the shoulder in some way that initiates the beginning of your own personal quest?

But the story of the wise men also shows what so often happens when you start out on a journey of faith. Their quest was going quite well, they were making decent progress – when all of a sudden they come across a paranoid, controlling, pathological psycho called King Herod.

He goes absolutely ballistic when he hears from them about a potential rival and it all gets very awkward. It gets messy, so the magi have to navigate through all of that and find a way to get back on track with their quest.

That’s what happens. I have known so many people on a spiritual journey and who suddenly find it all gets disrupted. A girlfriend feels she needs to call a time out on the relationship unless he shelves his new God thing that's annoying the life out of her. A colleague at work, who was previously friendly, starts avoiding you. Family members think you’ve joined the funny farm. I even heard of two parents who wrote their son out of their will when he told them he was going to become a Christian.

The quest for faith is not often straightforward. It can get complicated. There are almost always obstacles and obstructions to overcome. The wise men, what did they do? They pushed on. They persevered. They found a road blocked with no Diversion signs but they were determined to get to where they were going, and they found a way. And in the end their star led them to the little town Bethlehem where their journey ended.

Can I encourage you, if you’re on a faith journey now to not let anything that gets in your way throw you off course? Don’t let doubts stop you. Don’t let a friend deter you. Don’t let the busyness of life distract you. Don’t let a family member inhibit you. Don’t let your pride and self-sufficiency hinder you. This is the most important journey you’ll ever make in life.

As C. S. Lewis so memorably said, “Look for Christ and you will find him. And with him everything else.” The stakes are high, eternally high. It’s so worth pressing on and finishing this journey.  And I can tell you from experience that one good look at Jesus is enough to make you dissatisfied with anything else.

Well, the wise men finally got to Bethlehem when the star seemed to stop over the place where Jesus was. And there, they bowed down and worshipped, and presented gifts.

The Gifts

Why gold? We know all about gold. It’s what we value highly. When someone makes a fortune we say “he’s struck gold.” When a child is a delight to be with we say “she’s good as gold”. When someone is kind we say “She's worth her weight in gold.” When an athlete excels in his sport we award him a medal of gold.

They gave gold because Jesus is the very best God could have given us.

Why frankincense? It's a perfumed resin from the bark of a rare tree. It was lit in the temple to symbolise prayer rising to God. The wise men gave frankincense because they understood that this child was a bridge between heaven and earth; he is the key that enables us to connect with God.

Frankincense is also used medicinally in the Middle-East to treat conditions as diverse as asthma, fever, rheumatism, gastrointestinal problems, depression and sundry inflammatory conditions. Perhaps the magi knew prophetically that this child was going to bring healing to the sick, mend broken lives, and bind up broken hearts.

Why myrrh? Myrrh is another aromatic gum from a small thorny bush that was used for embalming before burial. It is the strangest gift you could offer a new born baby. Never mind a rattle or a soft toy, here's something for the funeral...

Myrrh was used at Jesus's death and burial. The gospels say they offered him a mixture of wine and myrrh before the crucifixion deaden the pain – and he refused it. Then Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea brought about 35 kilos of it to embalm Jesus' body after it was removed lifeless from the cross.

Myrrh has an aromatic, scented fragrance. Giving such a gift to Jesus was as if to say that there was going to be something sweet and fragrant about his death.

And there was. Jesus went through hell when he suffered and died so that you and I never have to. He gave his earthly life so that we can have eternal life.

Jesus chose to die – not many people do that; some do, but not many. But Jesus is utterly unique because he is the only person - ever- to have chosen to be born.

Follow the star, wherever it leads, however complicated it gets, until you find your way to the king who for all eternity has been awaiting your visit.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 18 December 2016

Call Him John (Luke 1.5-25)

Introduction

I’m going to start with a little quiz. Are you ready? Right. What do the following people have in common? Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander the Great, Napoleon the Great and Herod the Great. Answers on a postcard please… actually, the answer is that none of them were great, as we'll see.

The last of these five so-called “Greats” – Herod was king of the Roman province of Judea at the time Jesus was born and therefore he is in the background to the story. He as half Jew, half Edomite, mixed race – which was never going to work in a place like Israel - and he worked for the Romans which made it worse. He was a client king, a puppet with Caesar Augustus pulling all the strings. Why was he called “the Great”? Because he was a visionary architect. He built amazing palaces and monuments, and harbours, and amphitheatres and breathtaking places of worship including the temple in Jerusalem.

If you go Jerusalem today, nearly all of Herod’s temple is gone. Only the Wailing Wall remains. Jesus said it would be destroyed. Jesus was right. Jesus is always right. But we don’t need the temple anymore as a meeting place between God and man. We have Jesus and we can encounter God through faith in him. 

But Herod, besides being a great visionary, was paranoid and obsessive and controlling. He murdered his own wife and two of his own sons when he suspected they had secret ambitions for his throne.

He killed lots of people. Anyone who stepped out of line was suppressed, anyone who threatened his position was ruthlessly eliminated. He tried to kill Jesus when he was a baby, as we know. He was a megalomaniac.

So when Luke says in v5 that this happened in the time of Herod, king of Judea, he’s talking about desperate days ruled by terror.

But the story is not about Herod. The world calls him “Great” because the world is impressed by power and status and wealth and achievement. But the Bible never calls him “Great” because according to God he wasn’t.

Instead, in v15 it says John the Baptist “will be great” – this hermit who came from a nothing family, ate locusts, lived rough, wore unfashionable clothes, was abrasive in public, and died young. But he was great because his whole life pointed to Jesus. That’s true greatness in God’s eyes.

Does your life point to Jesus? That’s how you achieve greatness for God, and the clearer you point, the greater you are. Herod never pointed to Jesus; he pointed to himself and in God’s eyes he is utterly insignificant.

Zechariah

This story is not about Herod though. It’s about an old priest called Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth.

What do we know about Zechariah? First, he’s a nobody, married to Mrs. nobody, from nowhere important. His provincial village might have a population of about 100, maybe less. He’s nothing special.

But one day (v8-9) his number comes up. He gets a sacred, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Out of the blue, his name is drawn by lot, out of 20,000 priests, and if your name is chosen, you get to go in to the inner sanctuary of Herod’s temple, empty a brazier of ash from yesterday’s incense offering and light the censer for a new one.

And then, after that, that’s it. Your name is removed forever from the list of available priests. So it’s probably the highlight of his career. It’s a great privilege. It’s like getting a chance to meet the Queen or appear on TV. This is a big day. But Zechariah is a nobody who gets lucky one day.

Secondly, v7 says that he and his wife Elizabeth are childless. All they ever wanted was to be able to be parents. But years go by. All the friendly talk about the patter of tiny feet dries up. Years, and then decades, pass. The clock ticks ever faster and eventually it becomes obvious. They can’t have any children. Elizabeth slowly advances beyond childbearing age. They’re devastated. They’re heartbroken.

But look, it also says in v6 that they are righteous in the sight of God. How do you deal with pain and disappointment and sorrow when you’re right in the sight of God?

However painful this is for them, notice that it does not drive them apart. They don’t end their marriage over it even though the Law of Moses gave Zechariah legal grounds to divorce Elizabeth and remarry. Does he ditch her and try his luck with a younger woman? No, they stay faithful to their marriage covenant and love one another and console one another in their shared pain.

And notice that they don’t become resentful towards God either. I’ve known people drift from their faith when tragedy strikes. “Oh, you won’t give me what I want, well I’m not going to worship you anymore then. I’m going to go my own way. I’m leaving church.” But Zechariah and Elizabeth don’t say any of that. They just quietly and humbly accept God’s will for their life.

The Lord gives, the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. We are going to stay faithful. We’re going to close our tearful eyes, and bow our aching heads, and lift our weary hands and worship him – whatever befalls us.

Thirdly, Zechariah is poor. He’s not a high-ranking or prominent priest with a cushy job in the temple. He’s not a megachurch pastor with a TV show, he’s a vicar with a tiny country parish. This is a simple rural guy, probably in his 60’s, from nowhere important, quietly serving an unknown half-full synagogue, possibly with a day job to make up a salary he can live on.  

But, look, after years of being anonymous, he gets to be king for a day in the temple! He gets dressed in his best robes. He turns up early, anxious to do it right. And the big cheeses tell him what to do. Honestly, it’s not all that hard.

All he has to do is go in, sweep up some ash, light a censer, say a quick prayer, and come out again. It’s not rocket science. Thousands of priests have done it before, all without incident. It’s a once-a-day ritual that should take maybe half a minute.

Imagine you’re one of the worshippers waiting outside in the outer court of the temple. 30 seconds pass. Then a minute. You’re kneeling on a hard marble floor and it’s getting uncomfortable. Then two minutes, then five… Where is he? The worship leader goes through all the optional choruses. The service leader tries to fill time by asking if anyone’s got a testimony. Someone rolls his eyes and says “Why do we get these country cousins in to do these important jobs?”

We know why he’s late. He’s swept his ash, he’s burned his incense, he’s closed his eyes and said a short, heartfelt prayer. “Lord save our nation, send the Saviour that the prophet Malachi said would come. Deliver us from this evil tyrant Herod. And… *sigh* no, it’s too late. My wife is too old.”

He opens his eyes – and is startled to find he’s not alone. You know how it is when you think you’re alone in a room and look round and someone makes you jump because you didn’t know they were there? That’s what happens here, but the intensity of the experience is magnified.

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard (v13). Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call him John” (it means God is gracious). He will be great.” Greater than Herod, who is not great at all in the sight of God.

In fact, Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest man who ever lived. “I tell you, among those born of women” he said, “there is no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Why’s that? I think it’s because John never saw the cross. John could only see the need to repent. You and I can marvel at what repentance leads to; the wonders of the cross, the beauty of forgiveness, the triumphs of grace. Not only does God cleanse you from past sin, he crowns you with blessing and adorns you in his flawless righteousness.

“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” Did you hear that? That’s why Christians are pro-life, there it is right there in v15.

The Bible is clear that God knows us through and through, even while our bodies were being formed in your mother’s womb. Every one of us is made in his unique image and likeness. God chooses and appoints before the foundation of the world. You can be called by God and filled with the Holy Spirit even as a foetus.

Mother Teresa: once said, “If we accept that a mother can even kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? … Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”

She offered a solution for any pregnant women who didn’t want their children: “Give that child to me. I want it. I will care for it. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child.” She placed over 3,000 children in adoptive homes in Calcutta.

But your own mother’s womb is the most perilous place to be alive in Britain today. 200,000 precious souls, handcrafted by God, are exterminated every year in the UK. People say “It’s a choice.” Fair enough, it’s a choice, but it’s a sinful choice according to God’s word. But if you’ve ever had an abortion or urged someone to have one, it’s not the unforgiveable sin. You can leave this place today forgiven and new.

So anyway, this angelic figure appears from nowhere, he knows your name, he knows your wife’s name, he knows what you’ve been praying about, and he tells you how God is going to answer your private longing in every detail.

The fourth thing we get to know Zechariah is that he’s a simple soul because after this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience, with an angelic visitation and a personalised prophetic word Zechariah basically says “Yeah, but are you sure? How do I know you’re telling the truth? I’m no spring chicken, you know. And have you seen my wife?”

I love what Gabriel says. It looks like he takes it personally. I’m not just your bog standard angel you know. “I am Gabriel.” Seriously! “I stand in the presence of God.” And if you’re too stubborn to believe that God can do the impossible, you are going to be silent for nine months and think about it.

Finally, Zechariah emerges - very late - from the Holy of Holies and he has to explain to everyone present without the benefit of speech why he has taken so long.

I wonder if he was good at charades! It says in v22 “they realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.” It must have been quite comical. How do you think he mimed what happened to him? 

Elizabeth

It’s great news for Elizabeth. Although, the timing seems strange, let’s be honest. It might have been easier for her to have the child when she was younger and healthier. As it is, they are already old so they probably died before John reached adulthood.

Sometimes the Lord’s timing seems way off to us. It’s only when we pan back and see the bigger picture, often with a lot of hindsight, that we understand more clearly. God works to his timing, not ours.

But all her life, she’s been waiting for this moment and now she has two for the price of one. She has a baby on the way and, for nine full months, she has a mute husband. How good is that! For the best part of a year she doesn’t have to listen to him moaning about the football and as a bonus she wins every argument.

Waiting

Advent is a season of waiting. The congregation in the temple had been watching and waiting for minutes for Zechariah to emerge from the Holy of Holies and were becoming impatient.

And Zechariah and Elizabeth had been watching and waiting for years for a child and had now all but given up hope.

But Israel had been watching and waiting for centuries for their Messiah. Many were wondering if he would ever come.

·         He never came when the Babylonians marched them off into exile.

·         He never came when the Greeks overran them

·         He never came when the Romans occupied Jerusalem and desecrated the temple.

In fact, since God had said through the prophet Malachi “I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me” no prophet had spoken for 400 years in Israel. People were saying, “God has forgotten us.”

Do you ever say that? God has forgotten me. God has let disaster befall me. God has forsaken me.

No, God will never leave you. In Isaiah, it says he carves your name on the palm of his hand as a reminder; even if a mother forgets her baby he will not forget you. When Jesus came they gave him the title Immanuel, which means God is with us. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit saying he is with you and will be in you. God is for you, and nothing, the Bible says, can separate you from his love.

God made a promise to send an Elijah figure to Israel to prepare the way for the Saviour, and he did that in the form of John the Baptist, the child born to Zechariah and Elizabeth.

God promised to send a Messiah to earth to save the world from sin, and he did that with the birth of Jesus. In both cases, God announced what he was going to do and then he delivered on his promise. God’s track record on promise fulfilment is perfect, 100%.

So this morning, we continue to watch and wait for Jesus Christ

·         that he will come again as he said he will,

·         that he will judge evil as he said he will,

·         that he will bring the reward of a crown of glory to all who remain faithful as he said he will,

·         and that he will save completely all who come to him and trust in him according to his word that is trustworthy and true.

Ending

And as I end, let me finish with a word for those, like Elizabeth and Zechariah, are weary and burdened today.

There was a psychologist who was teaching stress management to students. She raised a glass of water, and asked: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She said, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a few seconds, it’s fine. If I hold it for a few minutes it starts to be a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

The stresses and worries and unanswered prayers in your life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a little while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to weigh you down. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything." Lay your burdens on Christ today.

Let’s pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 1 December 2016