We are now in the third week of Eastertide, and we continue our study of the person and work of Jesus. It’s possible that you mentally tripped over “the” in the title of today’s sermon, “Jesus is the Christ.” Christ is not originally a name, and certainly not a last name for Jesus, but a title. Like “the CEO” or “the janitor” or “the principal.” It implies a job description and tells us much about his actions, goals, and the work he was sent to accomplish. Perhaps you’ve not given it much thought, but today we dig into what it means for Jesus to be “the Christ.” Let’s go!

The phrase, “Jesus is Lord,” is most likely the oldest Christian creed ever used. Long before the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed, people would say, “Jesus is Lord,” as a short-hand faith statement. It was often used at the moment of baptism as one is dying to the world and being raised with Christ. It is a declaration of service to Jesus. You are willingly becoming a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. And while all of this might, from the outside, look overly serious or inhibiting to one’s freedom, for those of us who confess Jesus as Lord, we know it is actually filled with joy unspeakable, and it is the most freeing thing a person can do.

It is Easter and new life is around every corner! Quite literally. The trees with their blossoms and buds tells us that life will not be stopped. The daffodils have broken through the soil and are singing the first song of spring. But just the first. There are more songs yet to be sung. Each flower, in its turn, joins the symphony of life that has been unleashed upon the world in this season. And as the chorus grows, the power of God’s life-giving Spirit grows increasingly loud. Can you hear it? … But we do not gather today because of a season of the year. We gather because we remember a day that forever changed history. A day in which Christ was risen, death was defeated, life won out, and you and I were invited into the banquet of eternal life.

As Jesus turns the corner on his journey to Jerusalem, he meets a blind man begging for help on the outskirts of Jericho. But is he begging, or is he seeking, and is there a difference? Is he blind, or is he one of the few that can see Jesus clearly? There is, no doubt, a deep irony at play in this encounter. How the blind beggar knows he can trust Jesus, we do not know. Why he trusts Jesus, we do not know. But that he has faith is plain to see in his insistence, and his shouting, and his passionate pursuit of Jesus. Jesus tells him that it is his faith that saves him. He is not, however, the only one changed by this encounter. The whole town ends up praising God, their faith in the Almighty renewed.

In these weeks leading up to Palm Sunday, I want to turn our attention to the Gospel of Luke as it leads us into Holy Week, specifically Luke 18. What is Jesus teaching during this time? Where is his heart set before entering the city of Jerusalem one last time? Today his heart is set on the children that are all around him. He welcomes them. He embraces them. And he even says that if we do not receive the Kingdom of God as a child does, we will not enter it. There is a lot to unpack in this short scene. Let’s get going!

Today we conclude our series on Philippians 4:8 which finishes with two words: Excellent and Praiseworthy. Today we dive headlong into what it means to do things with excellence. This is what Paul is calling us to - not to mediocrity or even to what is good but to that which is great, that which is excellent and praiseworthy. And though we may be praised for the excellence produced through us, our hearts must always return that praise to God, the giver of all good gifts, the one deserving all praise and glory and honor.

As we continue to think about our thought life, based upon Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 4:8, we tackle two today: whatever is lovely and whatever is commendable. If you were to stop someone on the street and ask them about the Bible, he or she might argue that what it promotes is either prudish or primitive and that it stifles fun or is just plain boring. But today’s advice, from Paul, is quite the opposite. Paul encourages us to think upon the beautiful things of life, that which is lovely, friendly, enjoyable, and just maybe even “fun.” This is something we could all use a little more of in our lives today. Let’s jump in!

The Bible has quite a lot to say about purity. If you were to do a word search on “pure”, you would find that it is often connected to the quality of something; for example, the pure gold of the Temple, or the pure nard used to anoint Jesus. But more often than not, Scripture is most concerned with the quality of one’s heart. In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us that it is the “pure in heart” who see God. As with this whole series, it is not just our character, however, that we are concerned with. It is also our conduct. May our pure hearts bring about pure actions dedicated to furthering the Kingdom of God.

As we continue to examine our thought life in a series called, Dwell on These Things, we move now to “Whatever Is Just.” Paul admonishes us to think about “just” things. As we explore this theme, we are reminded of the importance of rooting our sense of what is just and right in the character of God. Whatever is just is so because God is just. But as the prophet Micah reminds us, it is not enough to merely think about justice, we must DO justice. "What does the Lord require of you," he asks, “but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."

As we continue with our series, Dwell on These Things, today we dwell on “Whatever is Honorable.” Honor makes its way into our culture in a few distinct ways, but all in all, it’s not something we talk much about anymore. We still call court judges, “Your Honor.” The military uses language of honor to speak of those who serve our nation—for example, one might win the Medal of Honor or be "honorably discharged." A student might make the “honor roll” or receive “honorable mention” in a competition. But on the whole, the use of the word “honorable” has been on the decline since the early 1900’s. Perhaps it is time to dust off this word, to clarify what it means to act honorably, and to dwell on and practice these things.

As we continue with our series, Dwell on These Things, today we dwell on “Whatever is Honorable.” Honor makes its way into our culture in a few distinct ways, but all in all, it’s not something we talk much about anymore. We still call court judges, “Your Honor.” The military uses language of honor to speak of those who serve our nation—for example, one might win the Medal of Honor or be "honorably discharged." A student might make the “honor roll” or receive “honorable mention” in a competition. But on the whole, the use of the word “honorable” has been on the decline since the early 1900’s. Perhaps it is time to dust off this word, to clarify what it means to act honorably, and to dwell on and practice these things.

Happy New Year! As we enter this new year, we begin a new sermon series based upon Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:8. In a world that is vying for our attention and is literally getting paid to find ways to keep us distracted, Paul’s list of things to dwell upon are more appropriate now than ever before. He says this: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” For the next two months we will walk step-by-step through Paul’s list of things we should be setting our minds to. Our goal is to be shaped, as Paul was shaped, by the ideals he points us toward, ideals lived out by Christ and empowered in us by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Today, we meditate on the following wisdom: Whatever is true, think upon these things. Let’s dive in.

The cast of Christmas characters is typically filled with the people you hear about every year. Mary and Joseph. Zechariah and Elizabeth. The shepherds. The wise men. Angels. King Herod. And, of course, the shining star of the show, the baby Jesus. But hovering in the background is another character. One who rarely, if ever, gets mentioned—mostly because he was long dead by the time of Jesus’ birth. But our New Testament passage mentions him explicitly. He plays an oversized role throughout the Old Testament and on into the New. It’s King David. And today, I want to consider David in light of the Christmas Story. Let’s dig in.

No story is a good story without a twist in the plot. In a good murder mystery, you shouldn’t know the killer’s identity until the big reveal at the end. In a sci-fi thriller you should, at some point, say, “I didn’t see that coming!” Likewise, in the narrative of Scripture, there are specific points at which the plot twists, and God does the unexpected. For those of us who have been reading Scripture for many years, there is a trap that we must take care to avoid, the trap of losing the “shock value” of the story. We forget just how unexpected God’s ways can be.

As we continue to tell the Christmas story, we turn this week to the topic of “plot”. If you had to tell someone the plot of the Christmas story, what would you say? Today’s Scripture reading is not from the birth narrative of Jesus but is the opening to Mark’s gospel where John the Baptist is “preparing the way.” It turns out that John’s message has much to say about the plot of Christmas.