Do you ever see a road sign when you\u2019re driving along and think, \u201cThanks for letting me know but what am I meant to do about it?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I mean, if I see a road sign with a 30 on it, then I know what that means \u2013 I\u2019m meant to drive at no more than 30mph or I might get my picture taken.\u00a0\u00a0 Or, if I see a sign with a squiggly line on it then I know that there are sharp bends in the road, and I ought to consider driving a bit more slowly or else my wife will shout at me.\u00a0\u00a0 But what am I meant to do about that sign with the falling rocks on it.\u00a0\u00a0 I understand the information that it\u2019s communicating \u2013 there is a higher risk of landslides in this area, but I am not sure what I\u2019m meant to do about it.\u00a0\u00a0 No amount of keeping my eyes peeled for falling rocks or being extra careful in my driving is going to do a bit of good if a large rock has my name on it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I reckon that the most rational response would be to drive as quickly as possible to get past any possible danger.<\/p>\n
This morning I\u2019d like us to think about another sign.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019d like us to think about what information that sign gives us, what that information means, and what we\u2019re going to do about it.<\/p>\n
Very often, when we read a part of the Bible, the thing that the section is all about is to be found right in the middle.\u00a0\u00a0 Our gospel reading this morning is like that.\u00a0 We find the main point of the passage right in the middle, on a sign.\u00a0 It\u2019s on a sign above Jesus\u2019 head.\u00a0 It says \u201cThis is the King of the Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n
At first sight, that sign is a bit of a puzzle.\u00a0\u00a0 What it is and what it says seem to contradict each other.\u00a0\u00a0 What the sign is, is a notice telling everybody what crime this person has committed.\u00a0\u00a0 On the crosses either side of Jesus, the signs would have read \u201cthief\u201d or \u201cmurderer\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 What the sign says is that this man is a King.\u00a0 How can both be true?\u00a0 How can He be a King and a criminal worthy of death by crucifixion?<\/p>\n
The rest of the passage teases out this apparent contradiction.\u00a0 It is about what that sign really means.\u00a0\u00a0 What does it really mean for Jesus to be King?\u00a0 How can Jesus be crucified and be King?\u00a0 As we read we hear different voices.\u00a0 What are they telling us?<\/p>\n
Immediately around the sign, we find three misunderstandings of the sign.\u00a0\u00a0 We hear three voices speaking who have not got it, who have not seen the reality of Jesus\u2019 Kingship, nor understood how that Kingship is seen most clearly on the cross.<\/p>\n
The first voice we hear is that of the rulers, most likely the religious rulers.\u00a0 These people thought that if Jesus really was King, if He really was the one that God had chosen to rescue God\u2019s people, then He would be able to prove this by rescuing Himself from the cross.\u00a0 They were expecting a rescuing King, and if He could not rescue himself, then He was not a King.<\/p>\n
The second voice we hear is that of the soldiers, Roman soldiers.\u00a0 In their experience Kings and Emperors were people who had great power, and they used that power for themselves.\u00a0\u00a0 Their Kings fought many wars in order to extend their Empire.\u00a0 If this were a true King, then He would be a warrior King who would use His power to free himself.\u00a0 If He did not do this, then He was not a King.<\/p>\n
The third voice we hear is that of one of the criminals being crucified with him.\u00a0 This man wanted Jesus to use His power against the authority that had put them on crosses.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This one wanted someone to overturn the laws of the land, to take on the ruling classes, he was looking for a revolutionary King.<\/p>\n
The owners of these three voices looked at the sign and misunderstood it and so doubted the truth of what it said.\u00a0 They saw what it was, a death notice, and so could not believe the words that were written on it.\u00a0 So, they responded to it with mocking, with sneering, and with anger.<\/p>\n
Next we hear another voice, the voice of someone who had read the sign, understood what it said correctly and had responded to it in faith. Despite what the sign was, and all the evidence that seemed to say something else, the other criminal read the words and believed them.\u00a0 He believed that Jesus was a King, who would come into a Kingdom, and so asked for mercy.<\/p>\n
And Jesus promised it to him.\u00a0\u00a0 The final voice that we hear is the one that we heard at the beginning of the reading as well, and it is saying the same thing as it was saying there.\u00a0\u00a0 It is the voice of the King, of Jesus, showing mercy and forgiving those around Him.\u00a0\u00a0 It is this voice that solves for us the mismatch between what the sign was and the words written on the sign.<\/p>\n
The words of the sign tell us that this is the King of the Jews.\u00a0 The nature of the sign tells us that this man is going to die.<\/p>\n
Jesus is a rescuing King, but in order to rescue others from death, He had to submit to death before defeating it in resurrection.<\/p>\n
Jesus is a warrior King.\u00a0 But not one who fights for His own life, but for the lives of others.\u00a0 He leads us in battle against the forces of darkness, against injustice and cruelty.<\/p>\n
Jesus is a revolutionary King.\u00a0 But not one who overturns righteousness.\u00a0 His revolution is one of radical forgiveness.<\/p>\n
So, we\u2019ve found out the information that the sign gives.\u00a0 Jesus is King.\u00a0\u00a0 He is the King who rescues, wars, and brings revolution to peoples\u2019 lives.\u00a0\u00a0 What is our response to this information going to be?<\/p>\n
In Paul\u2019s letter to the church in Colossae we find out what some of that response should be.\u00a0 \u00a0Our response to this King is to bear fruit, to grow in the knowledge of God, and to be strengthened in patience and endurance.<\/p>\n
But, what does this mean, and how do we do it?<\/p>\n
It is an idea that crops up many times in the Bible, this idea of bearing fruit.\u00a0 One of the things it means is that there needs to be some evidence that what someone says isn\u2019t just words, but is reflected in their actions.\u00a0\u00a0 In my garden I can hang a label that says \u201capple tree\u201d on any old tree.\u00a0 But the sign doesn\u2019t make it an apple tree, and doesn\u2019t prove it to be an apple tree.\u00a0 The only thing that can prove it is an apple tree is if it grows apples.\u00a0 If the fruit match up to the words then we know that the words are true.\u00a0 The sign on Jesus\u2019 tree said \u201cthis is the King of the Jews\u201d.\u00a0 He showed that was true by defeating death on that cross.\u00a0\u00a0 We might hang the sign \u201cChristian\u201d on our lives, but unless we bear the fruit that a Christian should bear, then the sign is not shown to be true.\u00a0\u00a0 We have to be growing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0These are the fruit, to be shown in practical ways, which we are called to bear.<\/p>\n
Our second response is to grow in the knowledge of God.\u00a0\u00a0 This isn\u2019t about storing information in our heads; it\u2019s about knowing God more deeply in our hearts.\u00a0 Jesus, our King, calls us to get to know God better.\u00a0 How can we do this?\u00a0\u00a0 Well, in some ways it\u2019s just like getting to know anybody better.\u00a0 We spend time with them.\u00a0\u00a0 We can do this by reading our Bibles.\u00a0\u00a0 God has caused this book to be written for us.\u00a0 When we read it we find out more about what God is like.\u00a0 As we talk about it with each other, we see things from other angles that help us to discover more of who God is.\u00a0\u00a0 Whenever we read from our Bibles a really useful question to have in mind is, \u201cWhat does this show me about God.\u201d We can also spend time with God in prayer.\u00a0 Telling God about our lives and concerns, being still and asking God to speak to us.\u00a0\u00a0 We can share stories about how God is working in our lives, this is one of the reasons that meeting together in small groups during the week is so helpful.\u00a0 We can read books that tell how God has worked in other people\u2019s lives.\u00a0\u00a0 There are many, many ways of growing in the knowledge of God, if we really want to.<\/p>\n
Our third response is to be strengthened in patience and endurance.\u00a0 Jesus never said that it would be easy following him.\u00a0 He said that it would be difficult and costly.\u00a0\u00a0 He promised that the rewards would be huge, but He warned that they would require patient endurance.\u00a0\u00a0 In any part of life, if we want to develop patient and enduring strength then we need to exercise.\u00a0\u00a0 When I was training for the Potter\u2019s Arf marathon, I had to develop running endurance by running lots. There were no short cuts.\u00a0\u00a0 Similarly, \u00a0if we are to develop patient, enduring, spiritual strength then we need to exercise.\u00a0\u00a0 We need to keep on praying for people to come to faith, even when it seems like nothing\u2019s happening, and God has abandoned them.\u00a0\u00a0 We need to keep on loving people and speaking well of them, even when they are being hateful to us.\u00a0\u00a0 We need to keep on reaching out to those around us with hope and generousity, even when we can\u2019t feel any warmth coming back.\u00a0\u00a0 As we do these things, our strength will be built up, and our knowledge of God will grow, and we will see fruit growing.<\/p>\n
The sign above Jesus\u2019 head read, \u201cThis is the King of the Jews\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t the self serving King that the leaders, the soldiers, or the unrepentant thief expected.\u00a0 He was the servant King.\u00a0 A true rescuing, warrior, revolutionary King whose motto is \u201cforgive them\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 Because we have been rescued and forgiven by this King, we join Him in battle.\u00a0 We seek to bear fruit for Him, to grow in the knowledge of God, and to build our enduring strength.\u00a0\u00a0 We do this because we love our King, are grateful to Him, and because we want others to experience His Kingdom, the Kingdom in which they also can be rescued and forgiven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Do you ever see a road sign when you\u2019re driving along and think, \u201cThanks for letting me know but what am I meant to do about it?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I mean, if I see a road sign with a 30 on it, then I know what that means \u2013 I\u2019m meant to drive at no more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[258,344,36,341,96,210,22,21,342],"class_list":["post-129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shelton","tag-christ-the-king","tag-colossians-19-20","tag-discipleship","tag-endurance","tag-fruit-of-the-spirit","tag-fruitfulness","tag-jesus","tag-king","tag-luke-2333-43"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129\/revisions\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}