Salvation Has A Name!
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series III, Cycle B
Object:
There's a story going around about a college student who stayed up all night preparing for his zoology test. He entered the classroom and saw ten stands each with a bird on it, each bird covered with a sack with only the legs showing. The professor instructed the students to use the legs to identify each bird by name, habitat, genus, and species. The perplexed student, sitting in the first row, was consumed by despair. All legs looked alike. Enraged, he approached the desk of the professor and exclaimed, "What a stupid test! How could anyone identify birds by looking at their legs?" He threw the unmarked test on the teacher's desk and headed for the door. The professor was taken by surprise. He didn't know the names of all of his students so he called after the young man, "Mister, what's your name?" The enraged student pulled up his pant legs and said, "You guess, buddy! You guess!"
Birds are named. So are students. Salvation, also, has a name. The name is Jesus.
It is a name that involves risk. Acts 4 continues the story of Peter and John who healed a lame man one afternoon at the temple in Jerusalem. The healing of the man, handicapped since birth, caused quite a stir. In fact, in a short time, according to Luke's account, about 5,000 people were positively impressed by the incident. That's when the Sanhedrin, the ruling legislature of the Jews, decided to take action. They thought that they had taken care of the Jesus question. They coerced Pilate into executing the man responsible for arousing the passions of the people and jeopardizing the status quo. The followers of Jesus were going around healing people in the name of the man, a man branded as a criminal, whom they thought they had removed from the scene. The Sanhedrin had the authority to arrest Peter and John but they had no authority to put anyone to death. It appears that the court wanted to intimidate Peter and John; usually a stay overnight in jail is sufficient.
Peter and John were not only guilty of healing a lame man. (It could always be claimed that it was a trick.) They were pushing the envelope further by claiming that Jesus wasn't really dead. In fact, he was raised from the dead, and his post-death new life had the power to turn nature's laws upside down. The Sadducees were upset because they didn't believe in the resurrection and the rest of the lot were upset because Peter and John were taking the idea too far! Jesus was alleged not only to have been raised from the dead; he was in the position to confront people, to force people to make a decision for or against him, and lead people into a new kingdom!
Peter and John's "gospel" was threatening. Only the high and mighty leaders of the nation had the right to make religious proclamations! Peter and John were lowly fishermen, ignorant people "of the land." How dare they turn the heads of 5,000 people!
Peter and John were in trouble. They were standing before the most powerful men in the nation of Jews. They had assumed more than a little risk in such a bold proclamation supported by the miraculous healing of a lame man. Jesus had warned them: "... they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name" (Luke 21:12).
Forewarned and forearmed, they found themselves in front of the supreme court.
Unflinchingly, Peter confronts his accusers. "Not only is my Lord alive and well, he is in a position of great power even though you plotted to do away with him" he told them. "... the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, [has] become the cornerstone" (Acts 4:11).
The determination of Peter to witness confrontationally ended with the execution of Peter later in Rome. It is not clear whether John died peaceably in Ephesus or was, according to one tradition, killed by the Jews. But, the fact is, proclaiming the name of Jesus can be a risky business. Stephen was stoned at the gate; Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, pledged his oath of allegiance to his Savior while the fire licked at the stake; Paul was tormented by his defectors many times before meeting his end in Rome. In our own day, we have witnessed the persecution of Christians in communist states, in the deserts of Africa, and in the humid climes of South America. Not too many years ago, a Protestant bishop in El Salvador sent his family to the United States because of the threats of death squads. A Catholic bishop was shot dead at the altar.
Generally speaking, Christians in the US who invoke the name of Jesus may occasionally have to remove nativity exhibits from courthouse grounds, or, if they are Amish Christians, pay a fine if they refuse to post "slow-moving-vehicle" stickers on their buggies. Once in a while, Christian conscientious objectors on active duty in the military might face a dishonorable discharge if they push the pacifist agenda too aggressively.
The name of Jesus is also a name that can be reaffirmed. Peter and John confront the highly regarded members of the Sanhedrin with their rejection of Jesus, the "cornerstone rejected by the builders." Jesus should have been one embraced by the religious leaders of the Jews, but they dispatched him instead. The implication is clear. Peter and John were giving their accusers an opportunity to open their eyes in the presence of the lame man standing before them. Five thousand in the city might have been moved by the apostolic testimony but the members of the Jewish council stubbornly refused to allow the gospel to soften their hardened hearts. They had their own gospels, their own agendas, and their own status and authority to protect.
We cannot be sure, however. Perhaps some of them began to see the light. In the times of spiritual awakening in our American history, we hear of those who dramatically professed him whom they had rejected. The revival tents, barns, and fields of America were places where many were shaken by the passionate witness of the preachers. A well-known local gambler approached the altar in tears to affirm his faith in Jesus. The preacher instructed him after the meeting to bring his gambling equipment to the next meeting to burn it in the presence of the faithful. The new convert objected. He couldn't do it. "Why not?" asked the preacher. "Well," replied the gambler, "I've truly been converted but suppose I throw all my stuff away and then I backslide. I'd be in a terrible predicament!"
Reject Jesus. Accept Jesus. Reject Jesus again. We Americans have it down to a science. We are in the church. We fall away from the church. We feel remorse so we go church-shopping and start again from scratch. Who knows better than Americans the grace and mercy of the God of second chances?
A pastor visited a family who visited at worship. Nothing happened. The pastor called on the family again a year later. Promises were made but nothing happened. The pastor refused to give up; he reminded the family that people need to address the spiritual needs of their existence. The family finally confessed that they had been kicked out of another congregation because of inactivity. Four years after their visit in church, the pastor made another phone call; he talked about the young sons who would soon be starting confirmation classes; he talked about the opportunities to serve in the community of believers. The wife and mother promised again to return to church. She and her family finally accepted the cornerstone that they had been rejecting in a final way. The two sons faithfully attended confirmation classes for two years. The mother was elected president of the women's club and then she became secretary in the office. Her husband faithfully sat in the balcony at worship and critiqued the pastor's sermons (someone had to do it). The name of Jesus may be placed on the back burner but it can always be reaffirmed.
There is no other name! Peter and John were part of a culture who understood the construct "name" perhaps a little differently than we do today. To mention the name of a god was not something done lightly. The name of the god presented the power and presence of the god and its invocation brought the god too close for comfort. Hence rival factions invoked the names of their gods at the time of battle to bring to bare the fierce power of the gods. We keep the tradition alive when we pray to God or ask that "God bless America!"
There were lots of divine names in the world of the first century. People belonged to mystery cults and placed statues of their favorite gods in their homes. One might say to one's neighbor, "My god is better than your god!"
On one level, however, Peter and John were preaching to the choir. Surely the noble members of the Sanhedrin, regardless of their various parties, confessed the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. But Peter and John understood the God of the Jews in a new and significant way. The teachings of Jesus cast the law in a new light; in fact, he in his person was the fulfillment of the law. God's love and mercy were revealed in a new way. God was, in fact, in Jesus.
An American pastor served a German congregation for half a year. He celebrated holy communion one Sunday for the first time. He was carefully instructed by the other pastors and by the choir director in the nuances of the liturgy. Everything went well until he tried to dismiss the first table of communicants gathered standing in a half circle around the altar. They had received the bread and the wine; he wanted them to return to their seats; he motioned with his hands; they just stood there and stared at him with a blank look. A member of the congregation rushed to his side and whispered, "They won't return to their pews until you recite a Bible verse; there's one up there!" The American looked to his right and saw an eighteenth-century oil portrait depicting Jesus, under whom were the words (in German), "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me!" (John 14:6). The pastor recited the Bible verse; the communicants smiled and returned to their seats. They had been dislodged by the power of the name of Jesus!
Ignatius, an early church father once said, "Apart from Jesus we have not true life." Jesus has made it possible for us to reclaim our life with God. He is the only way. "But," the enlightened believer may ask, "what about the Hindus, the Muslims, and Buddhists? They seem like good people. Are they going to hell if they don't embrace Jesus?" There are those Christians who might seem a tad liberal if they note that Jesus announced salvation to all people. In ways that we may only understand when we see "face-to-face," Jesus is still the only name, the only way to salvation. It remains the business of the believer to proclaim Christ as redeemer to anyone who will listen. It is God's business and the business of the Spirit to take it from there.
It would be strange indeed if a person profoundly loved by someone else had no interest in learning the name of the relative or friend who did the loving. A visitor visited a sheep farm. After lunch, the little girl asked the visitor to go to the pen to see her own little lamb. The guest looked into the pen and saw more than 200 sheep and lambs. The little girl looked into the maze of wool and shouted out, "There he is. There's my lamb!" "How can you tell which one is yours among so many?" asked the city dweller. "Because," answered the little girl, "he's mine. He's my very own and I know him!"
Isaiah once delivered the word of the Lord to the people: "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1).
At the baptismal font, God has called us by name. Jesus is the good shepherd who knows his sheep; he knows us by name. He who named us is the one whose name we know. Salvation has a name: It is Jesus. Amen.
Birds are named. So are students. Salvation, also, has a name. The name is Jesus.
It is a name that involves risk. Acts 4 continues the story of Peter and John who healed a lame man one afternoon at the temple in Jerusalem. The healing of the man, handicapped since birth, caused quite a stir. In fact, in a short time, according to Luke's account, about 5,000 people were positively impressed by the incident. That's when the Sanhedrin, the ruling legislature of the Jews, decided to take action. They thought that they had taken care of the Jesus question. They coerced Pilate into executing the man responsible for arousing the passions of the people and jeopardizing the status quo. The followers of Jesus were going around healing people in the name of the man, a man branded as a criminal, whom they thought they had removed from the scene. The Sanhedrin had the authority to arrest Peter and John but they had no authority to put anyone to death. It appears that the court wanted to intimidate Peter and John; usually a stay overnight in jail is sufficient.
Peter and John were not only guilty of healing a lame man. (It could always be claimed that it was a trick.) They were pushing the envelope further by claiming that Jesus wasn't really dead. In fact, he was raised from the dead, and his post-death new life had the power to turn nature's laws upside down. The Sadducees were upset because they didn't believe in the resurrection and the rest of the lot were upset because Peter and John were taking the idea too far! Jesus was alleged not only to have been raised from the dead; he was in the position to confront people, to force people to make a decision for or against him, and lead people into a new kingdom!
Peter and John's "gospel" was threatening. Only the high and mighty leaders of the nation had the right to make religious proclamations! Peter and John were lowly fishermen, ignorant people "of the land." How dare they turn the heads of 5,000 people!
Peter and John were in trouble. They were standing before the most powerful men in the nation of Jews. They had assumed more than a little risk in such a bold proclamation supported by the miraculous healing of a lame man. Jesus had warned them: "... they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name" (Luke 21:12).
Forewarned and forearmed, they found themselves in front of the supreme court.
Unflinchingly, Peter confronts his accusers. "Not only is my Lord alive and well, he is in a position of great power even though you plotted to do away with him" he told them. "... the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, [has] become the cornerstone" (Acts 4:11).
The determination of Peter to witness confrontationally ended with the execution of Peter later in Rome. It is not clear whether John died peaceably in Ephesus or was, according to one tradition, killed by the Jews. But, the fact is, proclaiming the name of Jesus can be a risky business. Stephen was stoned at the gate; Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, pledged his oath of allegiance to his Savior while the fire licked at the stake; Paul was tormented by his defectors many times before meeting his end in Rome. In our own day, we have witnessed the persecution of Christians in communist states, in the deserts of Africa, and in the humid climes of South America. Not too many years ago, a Protestant bishop in El Salvador sent his family to the United States because of the threats of death squads. A Catholic bishop was shot dead at the altar.
Generally speaking, Christians in the US who invoke the name of Jesus may occasionally have to remove nativity exhibits from courthouse grounds, or, if they are Amish Christians, pay a fine if they refuse to post "slow-moving-vehicle" stickers on their buggies. Once in a while, Christian conscientious objectors on active duty in the military might face a dishonorable discharge if they push the pacifist agenda too aggressively.
The name of Jesus is also a name that can be reaffirmed. Peter and John confront the highly regarded members of the Sanhedrin with their rejection of Jesus, the "cornerstone rejected by the builders." Jesus should have been one embraced by the religious leaders of the Jews, but they dispatched him instead. The implication is clear. Peter and John were giving their accusers an opportunity to open their eyes in the presence of the lame man standing before them. Five thousand in the city might have been moved by the apostolic testimony but the members of the Jewish council stubbornly refused to allow the gospel to soften their hardened hearts. They had their own gospels, their own agendas, and their own status and authority to protect.
We cannot be sure, however. Perhaps some of them began to see the light. In the times of spiritual awakening in our American history, we hear of those who dramatically professed him whom they had rejected. The revival tents, barns, and fields of America were places where many were shaken by the passionate witness of the preachers. A well-known local gambler approached the altar in tears to affirm his faith in Jesus. The preacher instructed him after the meeting to bring his gambling equipment to the next meeting to burn it in the presence of the faithful. The new convert objected. He couldn't do it. "Why not?" asked the preacher. "Well," replied the gambler, "I've truly been converted but suppose I throw all my stuff away and then I backslide. I'd be in a terrible predicament!"
Reject Jesus. Accept Jesus. Reject Jesus again. We Americans have it down to a science. We are in the church. We fall away from the church. We feel remorse so we go church-shopping and start again from scratch. Who knows better than Americans the grace and mercy of the God of second chances?
A pastor visited a family who visited at worship. Nothing happened. The pastor called on the family again a year later. Promises were made but nothing happened. The pastor refused to give up; he reminded the family that people need to address the spiritual needs of their existence. The family finally confessed that they had been kicked out of another congregation because of inactivity. Four years after their visit in church, the pastor made another phone call; he talked about the young sons who would soon be starting confirmation classes; he talked about the opportunities to serve in the community of believers. The wife and mother promised again to return to church. She and her family finally accepted the cornerstone that they had been rejecting in a final way. The two sons faithfully attended confirmation classes for two years. The mother was elected president of the women's club and then she became secretary in the office. Her husband faithfully sat in the balcony at worship and critiqued the pastor's sermons (someone had to do it). The name of Jesus may be placed on the back burner but it can always be reaffirmed.
There is no other name! Peter and John were part of a culture who understood the construct "name" perhaps a little differently than we do today. To mention the name of a god was not something done lightly. The name of the god presented the power and presence of the god and its invocation brought the god too close for comfort. Hence rival factions invoked the names of their gods at the time of battle to bring to bare the fierce power of the gods. We keep the tradition alive when we pray to God or ask that "God bless America!"
There were lots of divine names in the world of the first century. People belonged to mystery cults and placed statues of their favorite gods in their homes. One might say to one's neighbor, "My god is better than your god!"
On one level, however, Peter and John were preaching to the choir. Surely the noble members of the Sanhedrin, regardless of their various parties, confessed the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. But Peter and John understood the God of the Jews in a new and significant way. The teachings of Jesus cast the law in a new light; in fact, he in his person was the fulfillment of the law. God's love and mercy were revealed in a new way. God was, in fact, in Jesus.
An American pastor served a German congregation for half a year. He celebrated holy communion one Sunday for the first time. He was carefully instructed by the other pastors and by the choir director in the nuances of the liturgy. Everything went well until he tried to dismiss the first table of communicants gathered standing in a half circle around the altar. They had received the bread and the wine; he wanted them to return to their seats; he motioned with his hands; they just stood there and stared at him with a blank look. A member of the congregation rushed to his side and whispered, "They won't return to their pews until you recite a Bible verse; there's one up there!" The American looked to his right and saw an eighteenth-century oil portrait depicting Jesus, under whom were the words (in German), "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me!" (John 14:6). The pastor recited the Bible verse; the communicants smiled and returned to their seats. They had been dislodged by the power of the name of Jesus!
Ignatius, an early church father once said, "Apart from Jesus we have not true life." Jesus has made it possible for us to reclaim our life with God. He is the only way. "But," the enlightened believer may ask, "what about the Hindus, the Muslims, and Buddhists? They seem like good people. Are they going to hell if they don't embrace Jesus?" There are those Christians who might seem a tad liberal if they note that Jesus announced salvation to all people. In ways that we may only understand when we see "face-to-face," Jesus is still the only name, the only way to salvation. It remains the business of the believer to proclaim Christ as redeemer to anyone who will listen. It is God's business and the business of the Spirit to take it from there.
It would be strange indeed if a person profoundly loved by someone else had no interest in learning the name of the relative or friend who did the loving. A visitor visited a sheep farm. After lunch, the little girl asked the visitor to go to the pen to see her own little lamb. The guest looked into the pen and saw more than 200 sheep and lambs. The little girl looked into the maze of wool and shouted out, "There he is. There's my lamb!" "How can you tell which one is yours among so many?" asked the city dweller. "Because," answered the little girl, "he's mine. He's my very own and I know him!"
Isaiah once delivered the word of the Lord to the people: "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1).
At the baptismal font, God has called us by name. Jesus is the good shepherd who knows his sheep; he knows us by name. He who named us is the one whose name we know. Salvation has a name: It is Jesus. Amen.
