PRAYER
FOR ILLUMINATION
Jesus, who is the living Word of God, help us as we read your written message of hope, to hear with faith and be strengthened to live for your glory! Amen.
THEME VERSE FOR TODAY Romans 8:34, NCV
Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, appealing to God for us.
NEW TESTAMENT READINGS Matthew 14:22-33, NET
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 25 As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Hebrews 7:16-19, 23-25, NLT
16 Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17 And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
SERMON Christ's Intercession
On any given day, I pray for other people as I get up in the morning, as I go to bed at night, or off and on throughout the day. I also know there are people praying for me. This is what we call intercessory prayer, when we intercede or plead with God on someone else's behalf. It is a very legitimate and biblical form of prayer. Our theme verse last week reminded us that "When a believing person prays, great things happen." The previous sentence from James 5:16 is more specific in reference to intercessory prayer. "pray for each other so God can heal you." We are encouraged to pray for each other.
But here's the part we Christians often forget, at least among Protestant churches: Jesus also intercedes for us while seated with God in the heavenly realms. Jesus not only came to earth to teach and heal and redeem us; Jesus continues to minister to us, speaking to God on our behalf every day.
There are examples of Jesus praying for others when he lived in the flesh. On your scripture cards Luke 22:32 is Jesus telling Peter than he will be praying for Peter's faith to be increased so that Peter will in turn strengthen the faith of others. When Jesus was with his disciples at the Last Supper, John 17 records Jesus prayer for them, that they would be one with each other and with God through himself, even as Jesus and God are one. That prayer extends to us as well.
In Acts we have a glimpse of Jesus' place of intercession in heaven. As Stephen was stoned to death for his faith, he cried out, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” (Acts 7:56) On your scripture cards are two more promises that specifically say Jesus is interceding for us there even now.
The letter to the Hebrews talks about Jesus' priestly function of intercession. It was the duty of the priest to pray for the people, whether priests in the tabernacle or temple of the Old Testament, or priests in the confessional and at prayer today. When I pray for others' needs in the Pastoral Prayer or if I lay on hands or anoint someone, that is a priestly function of intercession. Now, imagine Jesus doing that for you from heaven. When you read that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek or that Jesus " is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him [that] He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf," that is Jesus in his priestly function. (Hebrews 7:25) So, when you are in need, you might want a mental image of Jesus laying his hand on your head and praying for you.
John's letter teaches the same thing in terms of forgiving our sin, " My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 2:1) I've seen in dramas, someone begging a person of authority for someone else to be saved, it might be pleading for a family member or a close friend. This is what Jesus does for us, pleads our case before the judge of the universe, and went even further to take our punishment for us.
Jesus still ministers to us earthly folks even today by praying for our needs to be met, our bodies to be healed, and our sins to be forgiven. Then Jesus himself finds ways to respond to those needs.
Max Lucado tells the story of nine year old Chris, who loved sports, but was homebound that summer with mononucleosis. My own memory of that disease is a total lack of energy, but when you are awake your mind needs to be occupied, because boredom is right there! Chris' dad bought a guitar and began to teach his son to play it, one new chord or technique each morning, so Chris had something to hold his attention all day. Chris learned guitar well, became a worship leader at church and a songwriter himself. I can't imagine how many people have heard his songs on the radio and sung them in church. I own a couple of his albums. This nine year old was Chris Tomlin, who has written many popular songs for Christian worship. (Lucado, Unshakable Hope, pp. 87-88) The point of sharing his story is that a situation that could have been filled with discouragement and frustration was turned around to an opportunity for growth, worship, and hope. Jesus was at work behind the scenes inspiring the dad to buy that guitar, helping Chris learn the chords and eventually to share his own faith through music, and working through Chris' music Jesus has reached millions with renewed faith and hope. This is also a way in which Jesus intercedes for us, working through the events around us as well as speaking and encouraging within us.
Consider that as we turn to our gospel lesson for today. After a long day of teaching and the miracle of feeding thousands, Jesus sent the disciples out onto the boat to head across the Sea of Galilee. It was time to move on, but before Jesus joined them, Jesus spent a long night alone up the mountain in prayer. Now when the disciples had been rowing for a few miles, a storm brewed. They weren't close to either shore, so they were in trouble. But even as they began to panic, Lucado points out that they continued to row in obedience to the assignment Jesus had given them. I never caught that before, but I think it is significant. When the storms of life come, even if you are tempted to panic, keep rowing, keep moving forward, keep doing what you are supposed to do in obedience to the assignments God has given you. (pp. 85-86)
What was Jesus doing while his disciples struggled to ride out the storm? He prayed. Now remember, Jesus was also exposed to the elements, and it seems reasonable that the storm at sea also made for difficult weather in the mountains nearby. But Jesus continued to pray. Lucado suggests, that the storm may have been a reason for that prayer, that among Jesus' concerns shared with God his Father that night may have been intercession for the disciples. I think he prayed not only for them rowing in the midst of the storm, but also that God would use what was about to unfold to increase their faith.
It was much later, in the fourth watch of the night, so between 3 and 6 am, that Jesus came to them. They had been rowing against the storm, in the dark, for hours! Their arms and shoulders must have been in pain, their legs cramped, and they did not deny their fear. Can you feel their exhaustion and pain and despair? Hasn't it been like that wherever Hurricane Florence threatened this past week? Isn't it like that in the midst of our storms, too? But even when they were tempted to give up, the disciples continued to row, and Jesus did not abandon them. As Jesus crossed the water to them, since he was on foot as no human being expected to do, they thought he was a ghost. That was the last straw for their fear, but Jesus quickly called out to calm them. "Have courage, it's me!"
How often the Bible tells us to have courage: when spying out the new land, and again before entering it, Moses encouraged his people. " So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 6) As they entered that land, the promise was repeated through Joshua, " This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Courage was also a characteristic a servant noted of the young shepherd boy, David, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem play the harp. He is brave and courageous. He is a good speaker and handsome, and the Lord is with him.” (1 Samuel 16:18) Courage and God's presence go together. That continued to be true for Jesus and his disciples in the midst of the storm. They were told to have courage, because Jesus was indeed with them.
When we face the storms in our life, whether literal storms and natural disasters, or situations that come battering against us, God wants us to find courage and hope to carry on, trusting that God's presence is with us even in the midst of the storm. Sometimes life feels as if wind and rain, sleet or hail are blowing against us, or it feels like we are caught in a tornado or hurricane, an earthquake, fire, flood or volcano. There are challenges that we describe as earth shattering, and we crumble in the face of them. But Jesus is saying to us, "Have courage, I am with you, I am coming to you, I am praying for you, I am pleading your case, I won't leave you or forget you!"
Lucado illustrates this with another story of a young woman, 20 year old Nika, whose body was shutting down with the affects of Lupus. She could barely eat or breathe. She couldn't speak to be understood. She was in an ICU bed that turned her as needed. She found it very hard to sleep. One night in that hospital room, her mother had fallen asleep nearby. Nika just longed for someone to hold her hand, so she too could sleep. But she couldn't wake her mother or call for a nurse. She was physically incapable of either. All she could do was pray, so that is what she did, begging God to send someone to her room who would hold her hand. That someone came, and held her hand all night as she slept. When she awoke and finally struggled to open her eyes, no one was to be seen, and the pressure on her hand left. She believed Jesus himself had come in answer to her prayers. (Lucado, pp. 89-90 with footnote to her memoir) This story is footnoted from Nika's own memoirs.
Every life will encounter trouble. Your faith does not exempt you from the storms of life; it supports you in their midst. Sometimes the storms are of our own making. Sometimes they come even when we have been faithful and obedient. But in the midst of the storms, literal and figurative, in our life, Jesus is praying for us in heaven and present with us here on earth to encourage us and even hold our hand. Jesus prays for us when our faith is weak, when our bodies are in trouble, when we have sinned and when we are in the midst of circumstances that feel like a storm. Jesus comes to us, so that we do not fight the storm alone. I especially like this line, "You do not fight the wind and the waves alone; It's not up to you to find a solution." (pp. 85-86) Our task is to remain obedient and seek Jesus' help. Jesus' job is to intercede for us and to help us find our way. That is the partnership of faith.
So continue to pray for others, and follow the nudge when you might be part of Jesus' answer to meet someone else's need. In your own struggles be faithful to the task Jesus sets before you, place your needs and concerns before him in prayer, and remember the promises, that Jesus is indeed already interceding on your behalf. Therefore, take courage, find hope and know that the Lord is for you and with you, whatever you face, wherever you go. Amen!
FOR ILLUMINATION
Jesus, who is the living Word of God, help us as we read your written message of hope, to hear with faith and be strengthened to live for your glory! Amen.
THEME VERSE FOR TODAY Romans 8:34, NCV
Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, appealing to God for us.
NEW TESTAMENT READINGS Matthew 14:22-33, NET
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 25 As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Hebrews 7:16-19, 23-25, NLT
16 Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17 And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
SERMON Christ's Intercession
On any given day, I pray for other people as I get up in the morning, as I go to bed at night, or off and on throughout the day. I also know there are people praying for me. This is what we call intercessory prayer, when we intercede or plead with God on someone else's behalf. It is a very legitimate and biblical form of prayer. Our theme verse last week reminded us that "When a believing person prays, great things happen." The previous sentence from James 5:16 is more specific in reference to intercessory prayer. "pray for each other so God can heal you." We are encouraged to pray for each other.
But here's the part we Christians often forget, at least among Protestant churches: Jesus also intercedes for us while seated with God in the heavenly realms. Jesus not only came to earth to teach and heal and redeem us; Jesus continues to minister to us, speaking to God on our behalf every day.
There are examples of Jesus praying for others when he lived in the flesh. On your scripture cards Luke 22:32 is Jesus telling Peter than he will be praying for Peter's faith to be increased so that Peter will in turn strengthen the faith of others. When Jesus was with his disciples at the Last Supper, John 17 records Jesus prayer for them, that they would be one with each other and with God through himself, even as Jesus and God are one. That prayer extends to us as well.
In Acts we have a glimpse of Jesus' place of intercession in heaven. As Stephen was stoned to death for his faith, he cried out, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” (Acts 7:56) On your scripture cards are two more promises that specifically say Jesus is interceding for us there even now.
The letter to the Hebrews talks about Jesus' priestly function of intercession. It was the duty of the priest to pray for the people, whether priests in the tabernacle or temple of the Old Testament, or priests in the confessional and at prayer today. When I pray for others' needs in the Pastoral Prayer or if I lay on hands or anoint someone, that is a priestly function of intercession. Now, imagine Jesus doing that for you from heaven. When you read that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek or that Jesus " is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him [that] He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf," that is Jesus in his priestly function. (Hebrews 7:25) So, when you are in need, you might want a mental image of Jesus laying his hand on your head and praying for you.
John's letter teaches the same thing in terms of forgiving our sin, " My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 2:1) I've seen in dramas, someone begging a person of authority for someone else to be saved, it might be pleading for a family member or a close friend. This is what Jesus does for us, pleads our case before the judge of the universe, and went even further to take our punishment for us.
Jesus still ministers to us earthly folks even today by praying for our needs to be met, our bodies to be healed, and our sins to be forgiven. Then Jesus himself finds ways to respond to those needs.
Max Lucado tells the story of nine year old Chris, who loved sports, but was homebound that summer with mononucleosis. My own memory of that disease is a total lack of energy, but when you are awake your mind needs to be occupied, because boredom is right there! Chris' dad bought a guitar and began to teach his son to play it, one new chord or technique each morning, so Chris had something to hold his attention all day. Chris learned guitar well, became a worship leader at church and a songwriter himself. I can't imagine how many people have heard his songs on the radio and sung them in church. I own a couple of his albums. This nine year old was Chris Tomlin, who has written many popular songs for Christian worship. (Lucado, Unshakable Hope, pp. 87-88) The point of sharing his story is that a situation that could have been filled with discouragement and frustration was turned around to an opportunity for growth, worship, and hope. Jesus was at work behind the scenes inspiring the dad to buy that guitar, helping Chris learn the chords and eventually to share his own faith through music, and working through Chris' music Jesus has reached millions with renewed faith and hope. This is also a way in which Jesus intercedes for us, working through the events around us as well as speaking and encouraging within us.
Consider that as we turn to our gospel lesson for today. After a long day of teaching and the miracle of feeding thousands, Jesus sent the disciples out onto the boat to head across the Sea of Galilee. It was time to move on, but before Jesus joined them, Jesus spent a long night alone up the mountain in prayer. Now when the disciples had been rowing for a few miles, a storm brewed. They weren't close to either shore, so they were in trouble. But even as they began to panic, Lucado points out that they continued to row in obedience to the assignment Jesus had given them. I never caught that before, but I think it is significant. When the storms of life come, even if you are tempted to panic, keep rowing, keep moving forward, keep doing what you are supposed to do in obedience to the assignments God has given you. (pp. 85-86)
What was Jesus doing while his disciples struggled to ride out the storm? He prayed. Now remember, Jesus was also exposed to the elements, and it seems reasonable that the storm at sea also made for difficult weather in the mountains nearby. But Jesus continued to pray. Lucado suggests, that the storm may have been a reason for that prayer, that among Jesus' concerns shared with God his Father that night may have been intercession for the disciples. I think he prayed not only for them rowing in the midst of the storm, but also that God would use what was about to unfold to increase their faith.
It was much later, in the fourth watch of the night, so between 3 and 6 am, that Jesus came to them. They had been rowing against the storm, in the dark, for hours! Their arms and shoulders must have been in pain, their legs cramped, and they did not deny their fear. Can you feel their exhaustion and pain and despair? Hasn't it been like that wherever Hurricane Florence threatened this past week? Isn't it like that in the midst of our storms, too? But even when they were tempted to give up, the disciples continued to row, and Jesus did not abandon them. As Jesus crossed the water to them, since he was on foot as no human being expected to do, they thought he was a ghost. That was the last straw for their fear, but Jesus quickly called out to calm them. "Have courage, it's me!"
How often the Bible tells us to have courage: when spying out the new land, and again before entering it, Moses encouraged his people. " So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 6) As they entered that land, the promise was repeated through Joshua, " This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Courage was also a characteristic a servant noted of the young shepherd boy, David, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem play the harp. He is brave and courageous. He is a good speaker and handsome, and the Lord is with him.” (1 Samuel 16:18) Courage and God's presence go together. That continued to be true for Jesus and his disciples in the midst of the storm. They were told to have courage, because Jesus was indeed with them.
When we face the storms in our life, whether literal storms and natural disasters, or situations that come battering against us, God wants us to find courage and hope to carry on, trusting that God's presence is with us even in the midst of the storm. Sometimes life feels as if wind and rain, sleet or hail are blowing against us, or it feels like we are caught in a tornado or hurricane, an earthquake, fire, flood or volcano. There are challenges that we describe as earth shattering, and we crumble in the face of them. But Jesus is saying to us, "Have courage, I am with you, I am coming to you, I am praying for you, I am pleading your case, I won't leave you or forget you!"
Lucado illustrates this with another story of a young woman, 20 year old Nika, whose body was shutting down with the affects of Lupus. She could barely eat or breathe. She couldn't speak to be understood. She was in an ICU bed that turned her as needed. She found it very hard to sleep. One night in that hospital room, her mother had fallen asleep nearby. Nika just longed for someone to hold her hand, so she too could sleep. But she couldn't wake her mother or call for a nurse. She was physically incapable of either. All she could do was pray, so that is what she did, begging God to send someone to her room who would hold her hand. That someone came, and held her hand all night as she slept. When she awoke and finally struggled to open her eyes, no one was to be seen, and the pressure on her hand left. She believed Jesus himself had come in answer to her prayers. (Lucado, pp. 89-90 with footnote to her memoir) This story is footnoted from Nika's own memoirs.
Every life will encounter trouble. Your faith does not exempt you from the storms of life; it supports you in their midst. Sometimes the storms are of our own making. Sometimes they come even when we have been faithful and obedient. But in the midst of the storms, literal and figurative, in our life, Jesus is praying for us in heaven and present with us here on earth to encourage us and even hold our hand. Jesus prays for us when our faith is weak, when our bodies are in trouble, when we have sinned and when we are in the midst of circumstances that feel like a storm. Jesus comes to us, so that we do not fight the storm alone. I especially like this line, "You do not fight the wind and the waves alone; It's not up to you to find a solution." (pp. 85-86) Our task is to remain obedient and seek Jesus' help. Jesus' job is to intercede for us and to help us find our way. That is the partnership of faith.
So continue to pray for others, and follow the nudge when you might be part of Jesus' answer to meet someone else's need. In your own struggles be faithful to the task Jesus sets before you, place your needs and concerns before him in prayer, and remember the promises, that Jesus is indeed already interceding on your behalf. Therefore, take courage, find hope and know that the Lord is for you and with you, whatever you face, wherever you go. Amen!
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