Luke

  • “He is Greatly Exalted:” Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection this Easter in Psalm 47

    April 20, 2025

    Before we jump into the celebration this Easter Sunday, I want to rewind a moment back to when Jesus was on the cross, Luke 23:39-43 (NCV): 

    39 One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.”
    40 But the other criminal stopped him and said, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. 41 We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
    43 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

    Luke tells us that “the other criminal” on the cross… 

    • Acknowledged his wrongdoings. 
    • He accepted his justified punishment.
    • He believed in Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him.
    • He had faith that Jesus was the Messiah of God.
    • He believed there was a “kingdom” of God.
    • He believed there was a life after death!  

    Those who stood under the cross and witnessed the thief’s ramblings must have thought these men were out of their minds. But this sinner had faith. He called upon the name of the Lord and was saved.

    With this in mind, let us look at Psalm 47.1-2: 

    1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
    Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
    2 For the Lord Most High is awesome; 
    He is great a King over all the earth

    On Resurrection Sunday, which we also refer to as Easter, we gather to celebrate the resurrection power of our risen Lord. Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!  Isn’t that what it is all about?

    This is often a day we welcome the CEO Christians (Christian-Easter-Only Christians) into our church. Which leaves us asking, why this Sunday? Why today? Why did you come to church this morning?  For some people:

    • I wanted to see the pretty flowers.
    • I wanted to show off my new clothes.
    • I am here because that is what my family wanted to do today.
    • I am here because I always attend church on Christmas and Easter.
    • I am here because of Mama!
    • I am here because I want to get my religion out of the way for a while, sort of pay my yearly dues.
    • I am here out of obligation.  Where does this obligation come from, I do not know?

    To all, you are welcome here in church today. You are welcome every Sunday. To our CEO Christian friends, we hope after today you will return next week, and the week after. Because you belong here. However, all of these reasons, are WRONG reasons for coming to church on Easter Sunday. It is about God! Not you or I! Do any of these reasons apply to your life this morning?  If not, maybe you are here for all the right reasons.

    Art: Simon Dewey, “He Lives”

    There is an old joke we hear often – It was Easter Sunday in Sunday School.  Mrs. Ross was trying to teach her students about the meaning of Easter.  

    What does Easter mean? She asked.

    Little Suzie put up her hand and Mrs. Ross acknowledged, Okay, Suzie go ahead…

    It is when we get to hunt Easter Eggs! Suzie said.

    Mrs. Ross answered, Yes, that is partially true.

    Turning to little Bobby, she asked if he knew.

    Bobby said,  Is that when we get to go to Jesus’ funeral?

    Mrs. Ross said, Not quite.

    She turned to little Billy, Billy, do you know what the meaning of Easter is?

    Billy paused for a moment:  It is the day Jesus rose from the dead.

    Mrs. Ross was excited, “Yes, go on!”

    Bobby said, And Jesus comes out of the tomb…  

    Yes, go on! 

    And when he sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of Easter!

    This is one of the problems we have today is the problem of Biblical illiteracy.  We don’t know the Bible. Psalm 47:1-2, again, reads: 

    1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! 
     Shout to God with the voice of triumph! 
     2 For the Lord Most High is awesome; 
    He is a great a King over all the earth. 

    We celebrate today not only the event where Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the dead.  But because “He is the great King over all the earth!”  He is the creator and ruler of the universe!  Jesus Christ is Lord!

    In the Psalmic tradition, we are to “clap our hands” and “Shout to God.”  This might look different from church to church. Some might literally be clapping their hands and shouting, while others might have a true and meaningful way of worship through songs of praise. Yet, some Christians get caught up in clapping and shouting that they forget (or do not know) the deep spiritual sense as to why.

    • Why am I clapping my hands?
    • Why am I shouting?
    • Why am I here?
    • And what is the meaning of life? Maybe I will go and ask Plato.

    Another great and wonderful dynamic act of worship is singing praise to God.  Singing praise to God from our hearts.  In Psalm 47.6-7:

    6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
    7 For God is the King of all the earth;
    Sing praises with understanding.

    We sing praises to God and we know WHY we are praising Him. In Psalm 47.5:

    5 God has gone up with a shout,
    The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

    This verse speaks of God going up, which we also refer to as ascension. The last words in Luke’s Gospel read (Luke 24:49-55 (NKJV)):

    49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city 4of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” 
    50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple 5praising and blessing God. 

    The first six sentences of the Apostles Creed are:

    1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: 
    2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: 
    3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: 
    4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: 
    5. The third day he rose again from the dead: 
    6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: 

    The Apostles Creed represents basic Christian doctrine.  

    1. We believe in God.
    2. We believe in the Son of God—Jesus Christ.
    3. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus as conceived by the Holy Spirit.
    4. We believe that he stood condemned by Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried, and went to visit hell.
    5. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead.
    6. He ascended/went up into heaven, and He sits on the throne at the right hand of God.

    If someone were to ask you what is so great about Christians going to church on Easter Sunday. Would you tell them it is about celebrating our risen Lord? Would you tell them because Jesus is worthy of our praise and He is greatly exalted? 

    Tell them it is because “HE IS GREATLY EXALTED” (Psalm 47:9)!

    Sermon Title: Clap Your Hands All You Peoples | First Christian Church (DOC) Winfield, Kansas April 8, 2012

  • The Meaning of Peter’s Denial on Good Friday – A Closer Look at Betrayal and Forgiveness

    April 18, 2025

    For this Good Friday, let’s turn our focus to Peter—his denial of Jesus, but also key moments from his life that shaped his faith and discipleship. His story is one of deep failure, but also deep grace. And it calls us to look inward at our own journey with Christ.

    We first meet Peter in Luke 5, where he is out fishing—unsuccessfully. After a long night of catching nothing, Jesus steps into Peter’s boat and tells him where to cast his nets. Peter responds, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.”

    How often does God lead us to do something, and our first response is an excuse? If we are even remotely conscious of God’s presence, we must understand that God knows the truth of our hearts. We can’t lie to Him. So, who are we trying to fool with our excuses?

    But Peter obeyed. “Nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” And what happened next was miraculous. The net was so full of fish it began to break. In that moment, Peter realized he was not standing in the presence of an ordinary man. He fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” He might as well have added, “I’m not worthy of even being near You.” Yet Jesus did not leave. He stayed. He called Peter to follow Him.

    Gerrit van Honthorst The Denial of St Peter c.1623

    Later, in Matthew 16, we see another pivotal moment. Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They offer various answers—“Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But those were just the rumors.

    Then Jesus asks the real question: “But who do you say I am?”

    That’s the question we all must answer. Who do you say Jesus is? Was He just a moral teacher? A historical figure? A religious symbol? Or is He truly the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord of your life?

    Peter gives the right answer: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” But he didn’t arrive at that answer on his own. Jesus tells him, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.” This was spiritual revelation—truth planted in Peter’s heart by the Holy Spirit.

    Jesus then says:

    Matthew 16:18–19 (NKJV) 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

    Fast forward to Luke 22—the Last Supper. Jesus gathers with His disciples and says:

    Luke 22:14–16 (NKJV) 14 “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”

    Did Peter have any clue this would be their final meal with Jesus? Probably not. It likely felt like any other gathering—good food, strong fellowship. Then things took a turn. Jesus begins speaking about betrayal. The disciples argue about who it could be, then shift into a dispute about who among them is the greatest.

    And in the midst of this, Jesus turns to Peter and says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.”

    Peter, with passion, declares, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death!” But Jesus knows better. He replies, “Peter, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you know Me.”

    Later that night, Jesus is arrested. A mob, led by Judas, comes to seize Him. Chaos. Fear. Confusion.

    Peter follows, but from a distance. At the high priest’s courtyard, as Jesus is put on trial, Peter tries to stay unnoticed. He only wants to warm himself by the fire. But then, a servant girl recognizes him: “This man was with Him.”

    Peter says, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

    Later, someone else insists, “You’re one of them.”

    “Man, I am not!”

    About an hour passes, and another person says, “Surely this man was with Jesus—his accent gives him away.” According to Matthew’s Gospel, Peter begins cursing and swearing. “Man, I do not know what you’re talking about!”

    And then the rooster crowed.

    Peter remembered what Jesus had said. Overwhelmed with shame, he went outside and wept bitterly.

    Was Peter there at the crucifixion? The Gospels don’t clearly say. Maybe he was. Maybe he watched from a distance. But we do know this: he was heartbroken. The one he loved was dying, and he had denied even knowing Him.

    Could Peter ever forget the look Jesus gave him in that courtyard? The eyes of the one he had denied? The memory must have haunted him. But don’t forget Jesus’ words: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” When the Son of God prays for you, your story doesn’t end in failure. Not because of your strength but because of His.

    Each person present that night had a part in the story. Some watched silently. Some mocked. Some betrayed. Some scattered. Some, like John, stayed by the cross. Jesus’ mother, Mary, was there too. Perhaps Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were among the crowd. Crucifixion was a public display of shame—a message to all: this is what happens to rebels. The more people watching, the better for Rome.

    And yet, even amid that shame and suffering, God’s purpose was unfolding.

    Judas, filled with remorse, took his own life. Peter, filled with grief, would later find forgiveness. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.

    This is what Good Friday is about—remembering the cross. This is the one day we pause, and we do not rush ahead to Easter Sunday. We leave Jesus on the cross, not because He’s still there, but to remember the cost.

    Many today wear crosses as jewelry but do not understand what it truly represents. The cross is not just a symbol of suffering—it is a call to discipleship. As William Penn wrote, “No Cross, No Crown.” Without enduring the cross, there is no hope for the crown.

    Luke 9:23–26 (NKJV) 23 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory…”

    There’s so much in that passage. But focus on this: “Take up your cross daily.” That means the cross is not distant, not abstract—it is personal. We each carry one. And in doing so, we walk the path Christ walked.

    Today, we remember His cross.

    Sermon: I Don’t’ Even Know the Man | March 29, 2024 Shubert Christian Church, Shubert, Nebraska / April 6, 2012 First Christian Church (DOC) Winfield, KS