Working for a "Well Done"

How to Bury God

In Matthew 27:5-66, we have a dead Jesus. The bad guys won, the hero has lost, and Matthew fills in on what happens after Jesus is taken down from the cross. First, we see women willing to be near the danger to care for Jesus and we see a wealthy man using his resources to honor his slain Lord by providing a burial place. Then we see scheming religious leaders worried that Jesus' movement will continue. They know he said he would rise from the dead, which the don't believe would actually happen, but they don't want his followers pulling any fast ones and deceiving people further. So they lock him down. Have you ever tried to lock God down and keep him out of your life? Today, we look at what people do to keep God in the ground. Spoiler alert, it doesn't work.

The Noose of Regret

In Matthew 27:1-10, Judas's plan works flawlessly, so Jesus is arrested and condemned. And then the regret sinks in. As in many of our choices, we build up the reasons that suit our desires, but downplay the consequences. And sometimes, when the consequences hit, we realize we've made the wrong choice. How do we handle mistakes that lead to regret? For Judas, it was overwhelming despair that led him to take his own life. Though he attemted to "repent", what he really wanted was to undo his deed, which is impossible and faceing the reality of who he was and what he'd done led to suicide. In this message, we talk about how regret can lead us to grace or doom and we discuss a strategy for pausing before making a mistake.

Running Away From Surrender

In Matthew 26: 31-75, we have several scenes related to the arrest of Jesus. First, Jesus warns his disciples that they will all abandon him, then Judas arrives, then the trial and lastly, Peter's denial. One of the themes that runs through this portion of narrative is what it means to be a man, or better, how to be strong and keep your integrity under pressure. When we look at Peter, we see an immature man trying to be stronger than he really is. When we look at Jesus, we see a real man of God, surrendered to God's will, even to the point of suffering. Jesus had to go to the cross alone, and everyone will experience what it means to abandon Jesus, but God's grace is there to help us learn from our mistakes.

An Old Meal, A New Covenant

In Matthew 26:17-30, we see Jesus celebrating the Passover with his disciples. For us modern Gentiles, it can be hard to recognize the full meaning of Jesus' words and actions in the "Last Supper" because we weren't raised observing the Passover like Jesus and the disciples. We can easily think of it as a "Christian" tradition of a little bread and a little juice (or wine) to remind us of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. While it is this for sure, it is much more. This message dives into some of the Old Testament passages that help us understand how Jesus was both fulfilling God's covenant with his people and launching a new one.

A Beautiful Thing for God

In Matthew 26:1-16, a beautiful thing happens in the midst of an ugly situation. We begin hearing about the decision by the religious leaders to assasinate Jesus and the passage ends with Judas being paid to hand him over. Jesus is not naive, so he must be under a lot of stress, knowing that the cross is imminent. Then, in the middle of those two ugly happennings, is something good. While Jesus is reclining at the table, an unnamed woman enters the house and annoints him with a very expensive alabaster jar of perfume. The disciples criticize her, saying the jar should have been sold and the money given the poor, but Jesus defends her, saying she has done a beautiful thing for him. This sermon digs into that statement, asking what is beauty in the eyes of God, and how can we also do beautiful things for Jesus?