Reformed & Expository Preaching

Slow of Heart (Luke 24:25-27)

Introduction Christians often take the resurrection of Christ for granted. We do not do this because we necessarily doubt Christ, but because we have heard the story so many times that we fall into a trap where we think we already know this stuff. So, we are tempted to tune out. The problem is we can have such a superficial understanding that we miss the scope and necessity of Christ’s resurrection. Why Suffer These Things? The resurrection serves as God's vindication of Christ's innocence. The reality is if Christ stays in the grave then he really did fail. It would mean that he really did transgress the Lord’s holiness. Luke furnishes for us proof that Christ is innocent. There are three witnesses: Pilate, Herod, and the Centurion. Despite these multiple witnesses declaring Christ innocent earthly courts condemned him to death. The resurrection represents the heavenly courts overturning this verdict. This is what the prophets have predicted. Christ himself stated that he will suffer these things. The problem is not with God’s revelation, but his disciples’ ability to comphrehend. Why Enter into Glory? When Christ appeared to his disciples on the road to Emmaus, they were "slow of heart" to believe what the prophets had spoken. They couldn't reconcile their expectations of a triumphant Messiah with the reality of a suffering Savior who died. Christ wasn't attacking their intelligence but their spiritual obtuseness. Christ is not calling them stupid, but saying they lack dicernment. Their expectaiton is that the messiah comes, and brings glory. They forgot the whole part about suffering. Christ is making clear that in order for Easter to be Easter there has to be Good Friday: The Messiah’s death on the cross. Why the Disbelief? Despite their doubt and misunderstanding, Christ didn't abandon these disciples. One would expect that Christ would just be fed up. No, he listened to their ignorant claims about Christ’s mission. Christ does not cast them away, but instead, he dined with them. Remember the banquet themes in Luke’s gospel? Table fellowship communicates a social partnership. This meal symbolized Christ's continued communion with those who struggle to understand redemption. Christ’s dining is showing that even when we fail to grasp the full significance of his work, he still welcomes us into fellowship. Conclusion The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of Christianity. We can think that Easter is a nice story of victory. We can think that Easter is a great day that guarantees our resurrection. These things are true. What we need to realize is without Easter, our faith is futile and we remain dead in our sins. The beauty of the resurrection is it grounds in history a precedent. The Lord does not just assert, but he brings to pass what he sword to do. The resurrection validates the Lord’s word. Rather than casting us aside when we fail to understand, he invites us into fellowship, patiently instructing us, and assuring us that we really are united to him. Our hope is found not in our perfect understanding, but in the resurrected Christ who walks through hell in our place and emerges triumphant, guaranteeing our own resurrection and eternal life.

Good Friday: The Outside Witness (Luke 23:47)

Introduction The term "Good Friday" is a strange name for this day. There's nothing on the surface that looks good about it. Our Savior is mocked, beaten, and handed over to die by the very people he came to save. His closest friends are gone. The crowds have turned. And the ones putting him to death are convinced they're doing Rome a favor. In the midst of the miscarriage of justice, a Roman centurion watches Jesus die and glorifies God at the end of it. Not a grieving disciple. Not a repentant Pharisee. A career soldier. A man who has seen everything and trusts nothing he hasn't verified himself. That's the man who gets it. So, why would this man affirm Christ? Who is this man? We can think of a centurion as someone who is just a mindless killing machine. These men could read people. They can shift strategies on the fly. They could govern. They could lead men into war and through war. These were men who loved Rome and were willing to die for Rome. We need to see that this isn't just a soldier doing a job. These men are serious about carrying out their mission with their loyalty to Rome. He has turned down bribes, seen through lies, and keeps his cool while being called every name in the book. He reads people for a living. When he's handed this assignment to bring this man to death, he would likely have considered every contingency 3 steps ahead of any guerrilla army. An insurrectionist would know his place. A revolutionary, like Christ, who was accused, would be an example to all who had the bright idea to rebel against Rome. What has happened? But then something strange happens. The "insurrectionist" doesn't act like one. His followers don't fight. A dying criminal owns his own guilt and asks for mercy. The criminal rebukes another heckling criminal on the other side of Christ. Jesus himself prays for the people crucifying him. And Pilate has borne testimony three times that Christ is innocent. Herod has affirmed that Christ is innocent by sending Christ over to Pilate. This means that there is a threefold testimony from Pilate. Herod corroborates his innocence by sending him back. That means there is the testimony of two or three witnesses. Christ is never trying to save his life, badger the soldiers who lead him to death, or even encourage the people to rebel. This is not the normal scene of an execution. The centurion must already be noticing that something is different. Why the innocence? When Jesus dies, the centurion doesn't go home relieved that the job is done. This is not another day in the office. In fact, his reaction contrasts with those who follow Christ… from a distance. The ones who follow Christ from a distance go home beating their breasts. They are saddened. The reason is that their messiah is not to suffer and die. Their messiah brings in the glorious kingdom. He glorifies God. He calls Jesus innocent. He affirms that Christ is righteous. This is the third witness and the fourth explicit pronouncement that Jesus is righteous. The centurion understands the fourth servant song. This is the righteous sufferer. This man, who has no reason to say it, who gains nothing by saying it, says it anyway because it is true. He sees what the religious leaders fail to see. He sees what even Christ’s followers failed to see from a distance. The centurion comprehends that this is the lamb of God who was a servant absorbing the weight of the sinful fall. This man shows himself to be one of Christ’s true disciples by the Lord’s grace. Conclusion What does this man see? He sees the very thing that makes this Friday good. He sees the pain. He sees the injustice. However, he sees the bigger picture. The righteous servant had to suffer as the lamb of God. He might not comprehend the full message at this point, but he sees that this death was not accidental. He understands the cosmic proportions of Christ’s accomplishment. Let us never minimize the depth of our sin. Let us never minimize the significance of Christ’s suffering. May we never minimize the victory gained in Christ’s resurrection.

The Ultimate Goal: Complete Transformation into Christ's Likeness | Series Finale (Chapter 10)

In the final chapter of Devoted to God, we are called to consider the ultimate goal of the Christian life: full conformity to Jesus Christ. Sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, transforming believers to reflect Christ’s image. We do this both inwardly in heart (thinking in Christ like wisdom) and outwardly in life. This transformation is a lifelong process. While we grow in holiness now, its fullness will only be realized in glory. Through the Spirit, believers are progressively shaped. We are called to turn away from the world and turn to Christ become more like Christ in character, our priorities, and values. Ferguson highlights two key aspects of this transformation: imitation and participation. Imitation means following Christ’s example of humility, service, and faithfulness, especially in the life of the church. Participation means sharing in Christ’s life. We share both in His sufferings and in His resurrection power. The Christian life includes trials and weakness, yet these are the very means God uses to display Christ’s strength. Ultimately, he uses these seasons to produce lasting fruit. At the heart of sanctification is union with Christ. Believers are united to Him in His death and resurrection, experiencing both the struggle against sin and the assurance of ultimate victory. This leads to a life of continual repentance, renewed priorities, and growing dependence on Christ. The goal, then, is not merely to fight against sin, but to pursue Christ Himself. We are living in His strength, resting in His finished work, and trusting Him to bring us safely to glory. Because Christ has overcome, we can persevere with confidence, knowing He will sustain us to the end.

Possessing Christ (LD 7; Romans 10:14-17)

Introduction There's a phrase that can land in very different ways depending on who's saying it and what they mean: we belong to the Lord. For some, that sounds like a threat. They hear a domineering God waiting to shame or diminish his people. Unfortunately, they are not hearing anything positive when we say, ‘We belong to the Lord!” For others, it sounds like drudgery. It sounds like this is a life of straining to keep up with an impossible family name. This is the mindset that there is a mean God who is just waiting to shame you and destroy you. But the catechism wants us to hear something radically different. We don't merely belong to Christ the way a servant belongs to a difficult master. We are called to take hold of Christ, to possess him by faith. We know that in doing so, we are possessed by him. He keeps us not out of contempt or to harm us. No, we belong to our savior, so we can enjoy our God. We are brought to a place of wholeness and restoration rather than tyranny because Christ paid the impossible debt. The question that presses on every believer, then, is deeply personal: how do I know that this Christ, the one who redeems and mediates on my behalf, is my Christ? Why Only Faith? We might wonder why faith is so significant. Paul reminds us about the significance of believing in Christ. Paul's logic in Romans 10 is simple and urgent: no one will call on Christ if they do not believe; no one will believe if they have not heard; and no one will hear without someone sent to proclaim. Hearing the gospel is not a passive experience. In the Hebrew sense Paul has in mind, to hear is to respond. The hearing echoes the Shema of Israel (Dt. 6:4). When the gospel goes out, it is the voice of the Good Shepherd calling his sheep. And the sheep hear him. His sheep turn to him. His sheep rest in him and conform to him. This is why the preaching of the Gospel is not incidental to Christian life but central to it. Faith is not conjured up by the sheer force of our sincerity. It comes through the word of Christ, proclaimed and received. We are not the originators of our own faith, but we are the grateful recipients of God’s gift of faith. It is by faith that we receive Christ. It is in faith that we take hold of Christ and all his distinct blessings. We walk in faith, by the Spirit’s power, and we begin to conform to our Lord. What is Faith? The catechism's definition of faith in Question and Answer 21 teaches us that when we have faith, we have assurance of salvation. True faith, it says, is not mere intellectual knowledge. It is a sure knowledge. It is a deep, experiential knowing, in the Hebrew sense, not just a cognitive filing away of correct doctrine. Faith is also a hearty trust that the promises of the gospel are our promises. If we believe the Gospel, then we say Amen to the Lord’s promises. As we say AMEN, we will order our lives in light of Christ’s promises. Think of Abraham in Genesis 15. When God promises him protection, legacy, and redemption, Abraham says, "Amen.” That amen is not just an agreement that the proposition is logically sound, but it is bowing the knee. It is a life reoriented to our Lord. It is saying, You are my God, and I will walk in the confidence that you are. And here the catechism offers something that should quiet our anxious hearts: assurance is of the essence of faith. This does not mean we will never doubt. It means that faith takes hold of Christ. To take hold of Christ by faith is to take hold of all his benefits: forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life. The Holy Spirit is not working a tentative, hedged hope in us. The Spirit is working in us the conviction that the Savior proclaimed in the Gospel is my Savior. The Spirit is giving us the strength and the power to persevere. As we have faith, we have the person of Christ. What is Faith’s Content? One of the more startling phrases in Romans 10 is Paul's reference to those who have not obeyed the gospel. We don't naturally speak of obeying the gospel or good news. But this language recovers something essential. The gospel is not merely information to be catalogued. It is a claim that demands a response. It is the same kind of response Abraham gave when he left Ur, when he climbed Moriah, when Hebrews 11 says he expected God to raise the dead. This is not a back door into works-righteousness. Obedience here is not the ground of our standing before God or the power of our faith. It is the shape of a life that has genuinely said amen to the promises of Christ. The person who says, "I believe the gospel, but it doesn't need to change anything about how I live," should ask whether they have truly possessed Christ at all. When we believe we are saying Amen to God’s promises. We are trusting ourselves to his protection, his resurrection power, and ultimately the passage into heaven. This is a life-changing truth that is worked in us by the Holy Spirit. True faith puts on the yoke of Christ. And Christ's yoke, he tells us, is easy. He is not a master who demeans. He is not a lord who requires the impossible. He is the one who bore the burden so we might carry it with him, and in him find rest. Abraham struggled, but the trajectory is keeping his eyes on his savior as he walked by Faith. Conclusion If you find yourself asking, Is this Christ really my Christ? Think about what you are asking. That question itself is a grace. An unbeliever does not lie awake wondering whether Christ is their Christ. The very ache of that question points toward faith already at work in you. Dark season? Struggling? Cling to your Lord, believe the resurrection life is in you, and walk forward in the confidence of Christ. So the catechism's pastoral word is simply this: proceed. Realign. Come back to the promises. You are not merely one of God's employees, quietly tolerated. You are not a servant kept in an inferior place. You are a redeemed saint, purchased not to be shamed but to be made whole. See that you are the person you were created to be to dwell in the glorious fellowship of God. Do not turn away from Christ, but turn to him as you hear his voice through the Gospel call.

Conclusion: The Rest of the Story (Esther 9:20-10:3)

Introduction Esther is a book that is best understood by reading it through the eyes of Joshua to understand the holy war. However, the characters have more of Samson’s integrity. Yes, the Lord’s will is accomplished, but not with Joshua’s conviction. This is a book that takes place in the context of exile. Esther is the contrast to Daniel's more "dialed-in" exile faithfulness, where he is willing to endure what he has to endure for the sake of Christ. Esther and Mordecai are compromised heroes. They are pragmatic in their survival skills. Esther is a book that doesn't sanitize the human condition but honestly depicts the tragedy of the fall and the difficulty of living out the gospel in a broken age. The driving question the introduction lands on: What do we do with this book? What does it really say to us today? Mordecai the Historian (vv. 20–22) Mordecai is identified as a chronicler. The end of chapters nine to ten is the history of Purim, and the reminder that this world is not in the full state of glory. Mordecai is recounting this history for us. The preacher highlights the "decree fatigue" throughout Esther. One decree, the runners run. Another decree, and the runners run again. This continues in the book. The decrees cannot be annulled, but they can contradict one another. The king will just be a spectator watching potential ethnic cleansing and then civil war. There is a contrast in the decrees. The Lord’s decree brings rest (nuach literally Noah). This is a rest where one enjoys the peace of being in the Lord’s presence, much like Noah (soothing) after the flood. The feast of Purim answers the question of who the real hero is: not Mordecai, not Esther, but God. The transition from the king's intimidating opening feast to this closing feast of gladness signals the reversal that the whole book has been building toward. A New Beginning for God's People (vv. 23–28) Purim is established as a new redemptive anchor point, parallel to Passover. When Mordecai recounts the feast, he echoes the eye-for-an-eye language. Haman desired to destroy the Lord’s people, but his wickedness fell on his own head. The book turns from its comedic character and gives a serious publication warning of the Lord’s coming judgment. The decree of Exodus 17 against the Amalekites stands. The Lord's decrees, unlike Persia's irrevocable ones, are the ones that truly cannot be overturned. Purim joins Passover as an identity-forming feast: exile is not the end of the story. God’s people will be protected. Hell’s gates will not prevail over Christ’s church. This book publishes a two-fold warning. First, the Lord’s judgment decree stands, and he will bring judgment. Second, the Lord’s redemption will be fully realized. Esther is a book like the flood, making clear that the world has not always existed as it is, and will not always remain as it is. The flood publishes that the Lord will uncreate this world and recreate it. In the midst of that action, the Lord will bring in the new creation. The Old Story Continues (ch. 10) Chapter 10 pumps the brakes on any over-realized optimism. The king re-imposes taxes. The epilogue reminds us that this world is not the final victory because good and evil will continue to exist. This world is not the heavenly shalom where we enjoy full physical peace with our Lord. Mordecai is elevated (echoing Joseph and Daniel), which is typologically significant: rejection followed by vindication, pointing forward to the Messiah. The preacher uses Mordecai's terrified ride on the king's horse as a pastoral illustration of how easily God's people forget that the Lord is their shield even when He's demonstrably working on their behalf. The "old story" is that empires keep rising and falling, God keeps preserving his people, and we keep doubting. We need to remember that when the Lord says he is a shield and defender, he really means it. His people will prevail despite the empires. Conclusion The preacher draws three takeaways: (1) Don't trust earthly kingdoms. (2) Don't despair over exploitation and complexity. We need to start with prayer (Esther called a fast), wisdom, and a long view of history. (3) Remember the resurrection precedent. Esther assures us that when things look finished, God isn't done. The feast of Purim points forward to the feast of the Lamb. Christians are a resurrection people. This means that hell could not hold the Savior. We are not grounded and united to a dead Christ, but a living and ascended Christ. This is where each day should begin. Let us remember: the gospel call is going out to the nations (bow the knee now). The Gospel message is going forth, calling people to Christ. We, as the covenant community, are pressing forward as sojourners, living for God's honor until we arrive at the feast. Let us live between the two anchor points in history. Christ has been raised, securing our victory and bestowing on us all the Spiritual blessings. Let us long for the future glory where we receive all the physical blessings.