The Servant of the Lord

“A smouldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:30

Isaiah 42:1-4

Introduction

When we want to get a picture of Jesus we look first to the Gospels. These are the historical records of the man Jesus of Nazareth. But it’s not only the New Testament that speaks of him. The whole bible does. The New Testament speaks of the historical figure, and the Old Testament looks forward to the coming Messiah.

For example: in Isaiah chapter 42 we read of the “Servant of the Lord” – one who will come to establish justice on earth. One who will bring God’s light not just to the Jews, but to all nations.

Now Bible scholars and theologians may argue about this mysterious figure. They will ask the question, “To whom is Isaiah referring to in this passage?” But the Christian believer who knows his or her Bible will have no doubt as to whom it refers.

It definitely speaks of Christ. Indeed, Matthew quotes these very words in his Gospel when he reflects on the public ministry of Jesus ( Matthew 12:17-20).

Let’s look at these four verses then ( Isaiah 42:1-4) and see what we can learn about Christ, the Servant of the Lord – his work, his methods and his character.

‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

In his teaching the islands will put their hope.’

(Isaiah 42:1-4)

The mission of God’s Servant

‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)

Jesus is revealed as God’s perfect servant. We are told that the Lord delights in him and anoints him with his Spirit. This immediately makes us think of the baptism of Jesus. On that occasion the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove and the voice of the Father was heard saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22).

His task was to bring justice tot he nations, to establish justice on earth. Now the Hebrew word “Mishpat” can have a variety of meanings. One of them is “the sentence of a judge”, another is “a legal right”, and a third is “God’s universal rule or order”. I think the third meaning is the one used here in the word translated “justice” in our Bible. It is the same as the New Testament idea of the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. That is: the rule of God in our hearts.

So Jesus didn’t come into the world to sort out the problems of human injustice – to make sure both the Jews and Gentile got their legal rights, or to rescue his people from Roman rule. No, it was all about putting people into a right relationship with God, and thus bringing the Kingdom of God. This was the purpose of his first coming – to die on the cross and to bring forgiveness for our sins. To bring us into a relationship of peace with God. (The other problem of human injustice he will deal with later at his Second Coming. He will judge the nations, punish evildoers and put an end to all injustice.)

The Methods and the Character of God’s Servant

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. (Isaiah 42:2)

he will not be a blustering and bullying figure. He will not be like a political orator on his soap-box, nor like a Bible-thumping preacher. He will be quiet in his approach.

Of course there were times when Jesus cried out loud in public. And there were other times when he disputed with the religious leaders. But mostly his ministry was quiet. He let his actions speak louder than his words.

And today it is still true that his methods are those of gentleness. He doesn’t force anyone to believe in him or to follow him. He gently knocks on the door of our hearts and waits to be let in. (Revelation 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock”.)

In the old days, before there was very much mechanization the quarrymen when they wanted to split a rock went about it in this way:

They would drill holes and then drive in metal wedges with sledgehammers this would usually split the rock. But if the rock was to hard for this method then they would resort to a more gentle approach. They would drill holes as before, but instead of a metal wedge they would put in a soft wooden wedge. And then they would soak the wood in water so that the wedges swelled. When that happened, the rock would split.

Sometimes it’s not the sledgehammer that is required but the wood and the water.Sometimes the quiet and gentle method can be more effective than the blustering one.

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

Do you remember the old Greek fable by Aesop about the North Wind and the Sun having a wager. They wanted to see which one of them was able to get a traveller to remove his warm woolen cloak.The north wind started off. He blew as hard as he could, but that only made the traveller pull his cloak closer around him. Then the sun tried and after only a few minutes of warm sunshine the traveller threw off his cloak, of his own accord.

A warm and sunny approach can often be better than a harsh tempestuous one and the best decisions are often ones which people make for themselves.The approach of Jesus Christ is not that of a dictator.

Compassionate

A bruised reed he will not break,  and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;  (Isaiah 42:3 NIV)

And in the King James Version this is:

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench:

he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

We have here firstly the image of a damaged reed, which is no longer any use at all. It is only fit to be snapped off. Secondly, the untrimmed wick of an oil lamp which produces more smoke than light. These are images of people who are life’s casualties – all those who are faint-hearted, all who are tempted to despair, the people the world regards as “lame ducks”.

But the Servant of the Lord does not snap off the damaged reed and he doesn’t snuff out the smoking wick.Instead he binds up the reed to strengthen it and he trims the wick and relights it. Rather than destroying, he comforts and strengthens. He brings grace and help to the outcasts, the rejects of society. This is what Jesus did in his ministry. He built up those who were cast down.

Firm and resolute

But we see its not all “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild”. There is great firmness and strength.

He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.

In his teaching the islands will put their hope.’  (Isaiah 42:4)

He is faithful, he can be trusted. He will not falter, he will see it though. He will not give up, he is resolute and firm.

So we read that Jesus “set his face steadfastly towards Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He went there knowing that he was going to die for us! At Gethsemane he drained the cup to the bitter dregs.

No, Jesus will not give up on us. He will perfect us eventually. He will not let us wallow in our faults and sins for ever. “Lame ducks” shall be healed, “broken reeds” shall be bound up, “smouldering wicks” will burst into flame again.

Conclusion

This is the character of our Lord: quiet, compassionate and resolute. His mission is to reach out to all the world. “The distant isles shall wait for his Law” we are told. That means us doesn’t it? We here in Britain are “distant isles” to the prophet Isaiah.

· Let us accept the love of Jesus and joyfully follow him.

· Let us accept his discipline, which is meant to lead us on to perfection.

· Let us imitate him in his compassion to the needy, and his gentleness and quietness.

· And let us share in his firmness and resolution to do God’s work.

Prayer

Lord we respond to the love of Christ. Make us, like him, true servants of the Lord; that we may serve you more faithfully, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will. O Lord our God. Amen.

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In God’s good time

Painting from the tomb of Nefeteri, wife of Ramesses II, ca. 1250 BC, Thebes. ABR File Photo.

Genesis 41

Introduction

When we last left Joseph he was still in prison. He had successfully interpreted the dreams of the Cupbearer and the Baker of Pharaoh. The cupbearer had been restored to his position but he had forgotten all about Joseph. And so Joseph languished in prison for a further two years. He was now 30 years old and it was 13 years since he had been a young lad in Canaan wearing a fancy coat. At that time he had had amazing dreams which foretold great things of him. But since then things in life had not gone exactly according to his dreams. His brothers had not bowed down to him. Rather they had cast him into a pit and sold him off as a slave. Instead of ruling over others he was now in prison on trumped up charges. When, if ever, would God’s promises to him be fulfilled? Joseph didn’t know, he just waited with patient trust in God.

Pharaoh’s dreams

Then one day things began to happen – someone had a dream. And this time it was no less a personage than Pharaoh the King of Egypt. And what a strange and distressing dream it was!

Pharaoh was standing by the Nile when seven sleek, fat and healthy cows came up out of the water. They started grazing on the reed grass growing at the water-margin.Then seven more cows came up and these were ugly and starved-looking beasts – not an ounce of fat on them, just skin and bones. And then the seven thin cows gobbled up the seven fat ones. But after that they looked just as thin as they had before!

This was a seriously weird dream and when he awoke Pharaoh could make no sense of it. It seemed to have some deep significance, but he could not discern what it was.

Then the King sank back into a deep slumber and dreamed again. This time he saw seven ears of corn, plump, fat and healthy, all growing from the same stalk. This was strange enough, but then seven other thin and scorched ears sprouted up and swallowed the plump ones! Then Pharaoh woke up again.

This time he was deeply troubled, so he called all his wise men and magicians. These were men who were reputed to have skill in dream interpretation, but they could make no sense of the King’s dreams.

Then, at last, the Cupbearer remembered Joseph!

He said to Pharaoh, ‘Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.’ (Genesis 41:9-13)

So they sent for Joseph quickly. They brought him from the dungeon quickly. They quickly gave him a wash and a shave and dressed him in decent clothes. Then hurriedly they presented him to Pharaoh.

For two years Joseph had waited to be remembered by the Cupbearer. And for eleven years before that he had been waiting for the fulfilment of his dreams. It had been so long coming. There had been setbacks along the way. He had experienced slavery and imprisonment, disappointed hopes and broken dreams. But now God’s time had come and things were beginning to move.

That’s the way it is when God’s time has come. Things which have been moving sluggishly suddenly start to perk up. Things which are almost dead come alive. This is what happens in the human soul when a person realizes their need for Jesus as Saviour and undergoes a spiritual awakening. This is what happens when a church which is almost moribund experiences revival. People come alive when God’s Spirit is at work. Things can start to happen fast – when God’s time has come.

The interpretation

Pharaoh said, “I hear that you can interpret dreams.”

“No, my Lord, it is not in me, I can’t do it, but God can. He can provide the answer for you.”

Once again Joseph is wanting to give glory to God. He’s not taking the credit himself, for he knows that he himself depends on God to enable him to understand Pharaoh’s dreams.

When Pharaoh told his dream to Joseph, Joseph was given an understanding by God. In his heart and mind Joseph suddenly became aware of the meaning of both dreams:

There is going to be a dreadful famine which will come over the whole of Egypt. It will be the sort of famine that can destroy a country. But the seven years of famine will be preceded by seven years of plenty. The seven fat and thin cows represent the seven plentiful and famine years respectively. And the famine will be so severe that the good years will be forgotten during the bad years. (Hence the thin cows swallowing up the fat ones.) And the second dream was given to reinforce the message of the first one. It was exactly the same warning. This is really going to happen.

As soon as Pharaoh heard the interpretation he knew in his spirit that it was true. He was impressed. But what Joseph said next impressed him even more!

 ‘And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.’

( Genesis 41 :33-36 )

Pharaoh said to his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man, one in whom is The Spirit of God?”

This is the very first time in the Old Testament where anyone is describe as being indwelt by the Spirit of God.

 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.     (Genesis 41:39)

Joseph’s triumph

And so Joseph went out in triumph, dressed in finest robes with an Egyptian gold collar around his neck, riding in a royal chariot, and all the people bowed low to him. He was put in charge of the whole operation of collecting and storing the grain during the good years. Joseph became the Pharaoh’s second in command and he married a wife from one of the important priestly families.

So it looks like Joseph has become Egyptian now. There is not much about him now to remind us of the young Hebrew lad of 13 years previously. But Joseph had not totally forgotten his origins. Nor had he forgotten the God of his fathers. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob was also with him.

He may well have married an Egyptian wife but he gave his two sons Hebrew names. The first he called Manasseh ( Hebrew for “forget”) because, “ God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household”. (Genesis 41:51) God had lifted from him the burden of resentment he might otherwise have felt against his brothers for what they had done to him.

And the second son was called Ephraim ( “fruitful” in Hebrew), “Because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering”. (Genesis 41: 52)

Joseph remembered his family but he chose not to remember, or at least not to dwell upon, what they had done to him. Later we will see that he had indeed forgiven his brothers, but even now he has learned to forget. To let go of it.

We talk about “forgive and forget” and both are important. We have to let go of the bitterness of he past or it will poison our present and our future. If someone has done harm to us we need not only to forgive them but also to put the hurt out of our mind. Joseph put behind him what his brothers had done to him and also what Potiphar’s wife had done with her false accusation. Thus he was able to be fruitful in the land of his afflictions and he acknowledged that God was the cause of all this: “God has made me forget”, “God has made me fruitful”.

• Like Joseph let us learn to put the past behind us. Let us learn to be fruitful for God, even in affliction.
•  Like Joseph let us acknowledge God and give him the glory for what he has done.
•  And if, like Joseph, we are in some kind of prison – if circumstances of life are restricting us in some way – let us, like Joseph, trust in God and look to him. The mills of God move exceedingly slowly but when the right time comes they can move very fast indeed, as Joseph found.
•  Maybe we can apply this to the Church itself in our land, with its current situation of malaise and decline. In hope we can look to the day when God will revive his Church.

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Joseph in Prison

 Schadow, Wilhelm von (1788 – 1862)

 Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison

Genesis 40:1-22

Introduction

How do you cope with disappointed hopes and unfulfilled promises? And what happens when things go wrong in life, when disaster or tragedy strike? Do you cry out “Why me Lord?” or do you turn to God all the more in trust and hope? What about when we are falsely accused and blamed for things which are not our fault? How do we cope with that? Well, how did Joseph in the Old Testament cope? He had plenty of problems.

You will remember, before Easter, how we started looking at the story of Joseph. In the first sermon we saw how he suffered the terrible shock of being sold by his brothers as a slave. And in the second sermon we saw him falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail. Poor Joseph! His life was a series of ups and downs. From being his father’s favourite to becoming a slave in Egypt. From being in charge of Potiphar’s house to languishing in Potiphar’s jail.

But one thing we note throughout this story – one fact which makes all the difference: “The Lord was with Joseph”. And every time Joseph was brought down to the ground he was enabled, with God’s help, to rise again. Even as a slave in Potiphar’s house he had risen to become steward of the whole household.

And so, when he was in prison,

The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warder. So the warder put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warder paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

(Genesis 39:21-23)

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Interpreter of dreams

Now Joseph was a dreamer, as we know. But he was also (by God’s help) an interpreter of dreams. He was able to see the meaning behind the dream symbolism and also to discern God’s purpose in it all.

One day Joseph was busy doing his duties in the prison. One of the important things he had to do was to attend to the needs of the V.I.P. prisoners. You will remember that Joseph was in no ordinary prison. It was the place where the King’s prisoners were confined. These were political prisoners, not common criminals, and some of them were very important people indeed.

Pharaoh had two high officials who served him. One was the King’s Chief Butler or Cupbearer. It was his job to taste the wine to see it was alright and to present it to the king. He would also prepare refreshing soft drinks for the Pharaoh by crushing grapes and other fruit.

The other official was the Chief Baker. He was responsible for providing the finest of breads and pastries for the royal family. It was an incredibly responsible job. There was always a danger that someone would try to poison the Pharaoh and overthrow the regime. So both the Cupbearer and the Baker were in highly trusted positions.

Now these two high officials displeased their master and he had them thrown in to jail while he decided what he would do with them. We don’t know what crimes they were accused of but it is quite likely there had been a plot to poison the Pharaoh. Maybe the Baker was implicated in this plot, while the Cupbearer was innocent – a man wrongly accused, just like Joseph himself.

On this particular day Joseph came to their cell to bring them their breakfast and he saw they were looking very downcast, both of them.

“Why the long face?”, he said, “What’s the matter?”

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:8)

In this exchange we see two things, we note two important facts about Joseph. Firstly, he was not an embittered man. He had been wrongly accused and was in prison but here he was, cheerfully going about his duties. Secondly, he was concerned about the needs of others. He saw something was deeply upsetting these men and he was concerned. He wasn’t wallowing in his own problems or filled with self-pity about his plight. Instead, he was concerned for his fellow-prisoners.

He also told them that God could help them.  God would provide the key to understanding their troubling dreams. Joseph, you see, gave glory to God when he could well have taken the glory to himself. Remember how, when tempted by Potiphar’s wife he had said he could not sin against God in this way. After his initial humbling experience of being sold as a slaveJoseph always wanted to give the glory to God.

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The dreams

First the Cupbearer told his dream. It was connected with his work. He had dreamed of a miraculous vine with three branches that budded, and blossomed and ripened before his eyes. As soon as the grapes were ripe he reached out his hand and took them. Then he crushed them and made a drink for Pharaoh which he placed in Pharaohs hand.

“This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” (Genesis 40:12-14)

So that’s good news – the Cupbearer is going to be restored to Pharaohs good graces.

When the Chief Baker heard the dream interpretation he was eager to have his dream explained too. Surely his dream would also bode well. The Baker’s dream was also about his work. He was carrying three wicker baskets of bread on his head. The top basket contained all kinds of pastries and delicacies for Pharaoh. But the birds kept swooping down and pecking at them. Joseph’s face went solemn when he heard this.

“This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” (Genesis 40:18-19)

And so began three agonizing days for the Baker as he waited to see if the dream was true. And indeed, on the third day (which was Pharaohs birthday) the King held a feast for all his servants. And he restored the Cupbearer to his position but he had the Baker taken out of prison and executed. And the vultures and kites came down and feasted on his flesh.

So the interpretation provided by Joseph turned out to be true. But what of the Cupbearer – did he show gratitude to Joseph? Did he remember, when he got his job back, how Joseph had helped him? Did he put in a good word for Joseph? No, he forgot all about him! And so Joseph was going to have to wait another two years before he was released.

(This Cupbearer is like many people who pray to God for help in the time of trouble and make promises to be faithful to God if he will help them. But once the trouble is over they forget to give credit to God.)

Poor Joseph! Once again his hopes are disappointed. So he just gets on with his daily routine in the prison although he has no idea when, or if he will ever, be released.

Joseph just had to keep trusting God – to believe the promise God made to him when he had his dreams back home in Canaan.

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Conclusion

What can we learn from this part of the story of Joseph? It gives us guidelines on how to survive times of suffering and trial:

1) To keep trusting God

Joseph kept his trust in God, and God was with him even in the prison. Jesus has promised us “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

We must hold on to all his promises.

2) Not to become bitter

To avoid self pity and selfishness. Joseph could well have wallowed in his own troubles, but instead he looked for ways to serve others. He became so useful to his master that the Governor put him in charge of all the other prisoners. When we face trials and troubles in life it is good to get on with our duty – the tasks which face us in the world. We can seek to live lives of service.

3) To be aware of other people’s needs

Joseph was not so wrapped up in his own trouble that he failed to see the needs of others. He saw that the Cupbearer and Baker were troubled and he asked what the problem was. He was concerned and he wanted to help. As followers of Jesus we too are called to a life of unselfishness and concern for the needs of others.

4) To point others to God

Joseph did not tell them he could interpret their dreams. He said God could do it.

As Christians we are called to point people to Jesus. We are his witnesses. We have to testify that he is the one who can help them. In Jesus we have experienced forgiveness of our sins, peace in our hearts, strength and help in daily living. Woe betide us if we don’t tell others this good news – if we seek to keep it to ourselves!

May God give us the grace to be like Joseph in our times of trial.

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Believing Thomas

John 20:19-31

Are you surprised at the title of this sermon – “Believing Thomas”? The usual cliché is “Doubting Thomas”, isn’t it? And yet, according to John’s Gospel, Thomas was the first person ever to worship Jesus as God. His words, “My Lord and my God!” ring down the centuries as the greatest affirmation of faith at that time.

I know we looked a Thomas a few months ago in the context of doubt and unbelief but I would like us to look at him again in this season of Resurrection. Let’s look at the character of this man, who came out with such great words of faith.

A negative man

As we look at the three occasions Thomas is mentioned as doing or saying anything (all of them in John’s Gospel) we have to admit that there is a strong note of negativity in his make-up. This man was a pessimist – although he probably would say “realist”. He did not have much time for the pie-eyed optimists of his day – people who were living in a cloud-cuckoo land of false hopes. Whereas for people like Peter the glass was always half full, for Thomas it was always half empty!

Here is an example: in John 11:16 Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is close to death and he delays for a few days where he is. Then he says to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea to see Lazarus”. The disciples were horrified at the idea:

“Lord let’s not do that. Only recently the Judeans were trying to stone you. It’s not safe.”

Jesus then informed them that Lazarus had died and that the was going to his grave.

And that’s when Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” These are pessimistic words indeed. They anticipate that Jesus will be killed and that his disciples also will die.

But before we condemn Thomas for his negativity let us notice the sheer courage in these words. “ If Jesus is going to die as a martyr for the truth then let us die as martyrs too.” Note also that Thomas’s words were not untrue. Perhaps he alone, of the disciples, saw the reality of the situation. That Jesus was going to be killed.

From a human point of view Thomas was quite right. But he failed to bring God into the equation. Yes, Jesus was going to be killed, but God was going to raise him. And his death was going to be the means of salvation for the whole world. Thomas didn’t know this – he just looked at the situation from a human perspective.

Looking at the world today with honest eyes we can become very pessimistic – all the wars, corrupt politicians, global problems. We can get very negative. But that’s leaving God out of the equation. We must have faith in him , his divine purpose for his world and the power of his Holy Spirit.

Thomas was a negative man

An uncertain man

This same pessimism and uncertainty is seen the next time Thomas is mentioned in John’s Gospel. In John, chapter 14, Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the Upper Room. He is telling them he will leave them and go to prepare a place for them. They don’t know what he is talking about and Thomas says,

“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6)

Thomas said “how can we know the way?” These are the words of an uncertain and sceptical man. This also is the cry of the modern man or woman who can see no purpose in life. They are lost. They don’t know the way. But the answer lies in the words of Jesus: “I am the way”.

Politicians always seem to be going on about the social problems of our land – “Broken Britain”, etc. And they bring forward various policies and strategies to solve our problems. But no one seems to have the wisdom or courage to be able to say, “Pray to God for help. Look to Jesus Christ for the answer.” (But then perhaps that is not a politician’s job but a preacher’s job. All too often the preachers do not say it either – we water down the message.) The Gospel provides an answer to the uncertainly of our day.

Thomas was an uncertain man

A sceptical man

And so on to the final passage, the one we had in our reading, John, chapter 20:

Jesus rose from the dead and manifested himself to his disciples. But Thomas was not there and he did not witness it. So he doubted – he refused to believe the words of his friends.

He told them straight, “I don’t believe you. It’s not that I think you are liars. It’s just that I think you are self-deluded. You really wanted it to be true and so you imagined it.” This was Thomas’s way fo looking at it.

When Jesus appeared again he rebuked Thomas gently:

“Stop doubting and believe.”

And then Thomas came out with his wonderful words of faith:

“My Lord and my God!”

These were not the words of an unbeliever.

Thomas had what we would nowadays call a scientific outlook. He was a sceptic. Modern science has made great strides using the tool of scientific scepticism. That is: you don’t believe anything until you have evidence for it. And not just evidence – you need proof. You need hard evidence, not just second-hand stories.

By means of this scepticism science has been able to uncover the secrets of the universe. Centuries of superstition and error have been stripped away and the human race has benefitted greatly. I don’t know about you, but I would not like to return to the pre-scientific age. I would not like to live in a world where witches were burned and medical treatment consisted of being bled and purged. I would not like need to have an operation in a world without anaesthetics or antiseptics. Or to live in a world without cars or trains, or TV or radio, or telephones. We have all benefited from science. The sceptical approach has born fruit.

But in one area it can not work. In one area it hinders rather than helps. And that area is the spiritual realm. Science leaves God out of the equation and it can not deal with matters of faith.

Thomas also had left God out of the equation. He had failed to see that the power of God was capable of raising Jesus from the dead.

You see, something contrary to the normal laws of nature had happened – a dead man had burst the bonds of death and sprung forth from the tomb. But then he was no ordinary man, He was divine. He was God in human form. In every respect he was equal to God the Father.

When Thomas discerned this in his spirit, then he came out with the words “My Lord and my God”.

Conclusion: A believing man

Previously people had acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God and as the Christ. (We can think of Peter at Caesarea Philippi, Martha at the tomb of Lazarus and the Centurion at the Cross.) But Thomas went further – he was he very first person to worship Jesus as God.

· Like Thomas we need to break out of pessimism , doubt and scepticism ,when it comes to the things of God. (scepticism is very good when it protects you from scammers and con-merchants but it is not the way to approach the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer.)

· We need to stop looking at things in a purely human way and to see the power of God.

· We need to bring God into the equation.

· We need to trust in Jesus, the Living One, and worship him as God.

· We need to acknowledge his lordship over our lives.

Then, and only then, will we be able to look at things with the optimism of God rather

than the pessimism of human limitations.

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He has risen

“He is not here, for he has risen.” (Matthew 28:6)

- the words of the Angel to the women at the tomb on that first Easter Day. But let us turn our thoughts, for a moment, from that day and onward seven weeks to the Day of Pentecost.

As it had been at Passover, so once again the city is full of pilgrims. The followers of Jesus are gathered together praying in an upper room. Suddenly the Holy Spirit falls upon them. They hear a rushing wind and see tongues of flame. The disciples (previously very frightened men) are now filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly proclaim the Gospel of the Risen Lord.

And Peter addresses a vast crowd of people:

 Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. (Acts 2:22-24

And so Peter preached to them the Gospel and at the end of the day three thousand people were baptized and added to the Church!

Note with what confidence Peter tells them that Jesus is alive. And we, on this Easter Sunday, as we contemplate the Resurrection of Christ, can draw four points from Peter’s words:

  1) The impossibility of Christ’s defeat

 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. (Acts 2:24)

It was not possible for death to keep its hold on him. Jesus really did die. His spirit departed from his body. And it was because of our sins that he experienced death. The wages of death is sin and Jesus paid that price for our sins when he died on the Cross. But after he had suffered the punishment for our sins death could hold him no more. He had the power of an incorruptible life, and so he rose. As Son of Man it was possible for him to die, but as Son of God it was impossible for him to remain dead. He could not be defeated. He conquered the powers of death on that day. Even on Good Friday on the Cross he had conquered. His cry, “It is finished!” was a cry of victory, not defeat.

And it is this victory we celebrate today on Easter Sunday. We rejoice in the knowledge that death’s power is broken for anyone who believes in Jesus, any one who is “in Christ”.

 Three-year old Norman was asking where his grandmother now lived. His mother tried to get around the question, but eventually admitted that Grandma was dead. “Why is she dead?” was the next question. 

“Because Jesus wanted her to be with him,” she said.

“If she’s with Jesus, she’s not dead!” was Norman’s reply.

And that is the truth. Jesus is alive and we also shall live after our earthly life is over. In Christ we share in the Resurrection victory.

2) The prophetic witness of the Old Testament

It is amazing but true that Jesus was born, lived, died and rose again in fulfillment of ancient prophecies made hundred of years previously. After the Resurrection the disciples remembered the Old Testament prophecies which spoke of the Messiah and they realized that Jesus had fulfilled them all.

Psalm 16 was one of those passages widely believed by the Jews at that time to refer to the Messiah, the Son of David. And so Peter, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost quotes from this psalm:

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. (Acts 2:26-27)

Peter points out that King David could not possibly have been speaking of himself:

Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.

(So David’s body did see corruption)

But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. (Acts 2:29-32)

The point is that if you went and opened King David’s tomb you would find his bones. But if you went to the tomb of Jesus you would not find his body.Thus, he is the promised Holy One whose body would not see decay.

Yes, we see here that the Old Testament if far more than just background for the New.

 3) The eye-witnesses to the Resurrection

Peter said to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.” (Acts 2:32)

They had met with the Risen Lord. In fact they had spoken to him only ten days previously. For forty days before that Jesus had appeared to his followers on numerous occasions.

He ate and drank with them. They were able to touch him, to see the nail-prints, to feel that he had flesh and bones. He walked and talked with two of them on the road to Emmaus and had such a conversation with them that they could never have made it up. Finally he ascended to heaven in sight of them all. Paul tells us that Jesus appeared to more then five hundred people on one occasion (1 Corinthians 15:6). It could not be denied he had risen – there were just too many witnesses.

If we believe in a God who can work miracles, then we need not doubt the Resurrection.

 4) The missing body and the empty tomb

Peter would not have dared to say these things if the body of Jesus were somewhere to be found in Jerusalem. If someone had stolen it or if the women had gone to the wrong tomb, it would have been an easy matter for the enemies of Jesus to have produced his body and put an end to this story of his rising.

If you go to Kandy in Sri Lanka you can visit the Temple of the Tooth which contains one of the Buddha’s teeth. In Medina pilgrims are shown the coffin of Muhammed, containing his mortal remains.

But were is the body of Jesus? Nowhere on earth. Archeolologists will never find his bones, for he ascended in bodily form to heaven. His earthly body was glorified and taken into the heavenly realm.

The Resurrection of Jesus was different from all the other resurrections in the Bible. Elijah and Elisha raised people from the dead. Lazarus was restored to life by Jesus and so was the son of the Widow of Nain and Jairus’ daughter. Dorcas was raised by Peter and Eutychus by Paul. But in every case these people were only raised for a while. They came back to life but they died later of natural causes. But Jesus rose again and lives forever. He did not have to die again.

 Conclusion

Let us not doubt this great truth. Christ is alive today and by his Holy Spirit is present with us now. While he was physically on earth he was restricted – he could only be in one place at a time. But now, by his Spirit, he dwells in the hearts of all who believe in him.

In Matthew’s Gospel we read the last recorded words of Jesus before his Ascension:

“Lo! I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” ( Matthew 28:20)

As we draw near to the Lord’s Table let us remember these words. We do not just commemorate a Saviour who died – we celebrate a Living Lord.

(Sermon preached in Brecon Presbyterian Church on Easter Sunday 2012)

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Joseph in Potiphar’s House

Egyptian women

Genesis 39:1-23

Introduction

When we last saw Joseph he was in the hands of Ishmaelite traders, having been sold by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Then he was taken down to Egypt as a slave. This must have been a devastating experience for Joseph One minute he was his father’s darling,  swanning around in his beautiful robe, and the next he was stripped of that robe and thrown down a pit in the wilderness. Before he knew where he was Joseph found himself trudging, with hands bound, behind a camel on the way to Egypt. And there he was sold at the slave market.

Can you imagine the shock, the trauma, he must have experienced? But this experience was to be the making of Joseph. He was to learn to trust in God in the most difficult circumstances and also to be faithful to all that was good and true.

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Potiphar’s house

In Egypt Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an important court official of Pharaoh. And Potiphar had Joseph work for him as a domestic servant. This was a great mercy, for Joseph could have been sold to work in the fields in the burning sun. But God had great things in store for Joseph.

The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. (Genesis 39:2-4)

And things began to prosper in Potiphar’s household under the stewardship of Joseph. Eventually, after some years, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything – the whole administration of the household. God had blessed Joseph with great talent of administration and he was able to hone these gifts in Potiphar’s household. One day he would exercise these gifts over the whole of Egypt. So things went well for several years.

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Potiphar’s wife

But then temptation and danger reared its ugly head. Joseph was a good-looking and well-favoured young man and Potiphar’s wife started to take an interest in him.

Now it’s easy for us to judge Potiphar’s wife, but we don’t know the exact circumstances of her life. She might have just been a bored housewife looking for some sexual excitement outside marriage. Or then she may have been a deeply frustrated and unhappy woman. Perhaps Potiphar never showed any interest in her. Some commentators have even suggested that Potiphar was a eunuch – the Hebrew word used can carry that meaning. But is it likely that a eunuch would have been married?

Maybe she had had many such relationships with other servants – we don’t know. Maybe she was just an immoral woman. We don’t know what her motives were. All we know is that one day she came up to Joseph and said, “Lie with me!”

Now this was surely a great temptation for Joseph. Potiphar’s wife might have been a beautiful women. She might only have been in her twenties – about the same age as Joseph. She was the mistress of the household and her word was law among the servants. Joseph might easily have made this kind of excuse: “She is my mistress. I must obey her, it’s my duty. And if I do become her lover she will surely reward me with wealth and honour.”

So not only was it a strong sexual temptation – it could also have been seen as a shrewd career move (by the standards of the world).

But Joseph was unique. Most men would have given in. Joseph however did not see this situation with the eyes of the world, nor according to the lax morality of the Egyptians. He saw it as God sees it. He remembered he was one of the Sons of Israel, one of the Chosen People. God had made a covenant with his great-grandfather Abraham, and his grandfather Isaac, and his father Israel. Joseph had to behave as one who believed in the God of Israel. Joseph knew that the Lord ruled here in Egypt just as much as he did in Canaan.

As Christian people we are often in a similar situation to Joseph. The world wants us to compromise and accept its standards. And we have to remember we are children of God and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to maintain a Christian standard of behaviour. Yes, Joseph’s story resonates with us all: whether it be in the area of sexual morality, honesty in business dealings or simple decency of behaviour. The Christian has to be a good witness to his Lord.

Going back to Joseph’s story:

But he refused. With me in charge, he told her, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?  (Genesis 39: 8-9)

Joseph saw the temptation as a sin against his master Potiphar. How could he betray the man who had been so kind and good to him, who had raised him to this high position in the household? But he also realised it would be a sin against God so he resolutely refused the offer.

And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even to be with her. (Genesis 39:10)

He avoided her so as to keep away from temptation.

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Joseph’s downfall

But one day she had her opportunity. Joseph had gone into the house to attend to his duties and the other servants were all working outside.

She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.  (Genesis 39:12)

Joseph did the only thing he could do – he ran away from temptation.

Now Potiphar’s wife’s attitude changed. She was a woman scorned. All her desire for Joseph turned into cold hatred. He had rejected her – the mistress of the household! Who did he think he was? He would pay for it!

So she screamed at the top of her voice and the servants came running from the garden.

“Look!”, she cried, “This Hebrew scum has been brought here so he can insult us. He came here to force his wicked way on me, but I screamed. He ran off leaving his cloak in my hand – here it is”. And she put the cloak aside as evidence to show to her husband.

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Potiphar’s wrath

When Potiphar heard his wife’s story, we are told he burned with anger. But we are not told why he was angry. A superficial reading of the story would lead us to think he was angry with Joseph for betraying him. But did Potiphar really believe his wife’s story? He knew what she was like, and he knew what Joseph was like. This behaviour was so out of character! It just didn’t add up.

I think Potiphar suspected what had happened, but he found himself in a “Catch 22” situation. Taking his wife’s story at face value he should have had Joseph put to death. That would be the normal punishment for a slave who insulted his master’s wife and betrayed his master. He would have been flogged to death, or perhaps worked to death in the quarries or mines.

If, on the other hand, he though Joseph was innocent, then he would have to condemn his wife. She was guilty of false witness and of trying to commit adultery. At the very least he would be expected to divorce her. And the scandal would be immense. He himself would be a laughing-stock – a man cuckolded by his own slave! Perhaps he might even lose his position in the court.

So Potiphar is angry. Angry at his wife for what she has done. Angry with Joseph for getting him into this impossible situation. Angry with the whole situation itself. So he compromises – he has Joseph thrown into jail. That was a much more lenient punishment than anyone would expect. (You didn’t put slaves in prison, you flogged them or killed them.) And it wasn’t any ordinary jail either. It was the prison where the King’s prisoners were kept – political prisoners and officials who had offended the Pharaoh in some way or another. It wasn’t any old sin-bin, rot-in-hell kind of prison. It was a five-star establishment – only the best prisoners went there!

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In prison

Joseph must have been totally devastated. Twice he had been pulled down to the depths. But God was with him still. He gained favour with the warder and soon he was put in charge of running the whole place. Another opportunity for him to practice his administrative skills!

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Conclusion

What a change has come over Joseph. Last time we heard about him he was a conceited young lad – full of himself, lording it over his brothers. Now he is a hard-working and loyal servant, faithful to his master, even under great temptation. An innocent victim of injustice. Faithful to the God he believed in and, despite all his sufferings, receiving God’s blessing.

I think that Joseph has undergone some kind of conversion. Being thrown into that pit by his brothers had been like dying. At one point he had thought they were going to kill him. Coming out of the pit and going down to Egypt had opened up a new life to him. The trauma of it all had brought about a change in him.

He must have resolved that with God’s help he would no longer be arrogant and conceited he would think of other people and not just himself.He would trust in the Lord and serve him. Suffering had refined Joseph’s character and increased his faith in God. It can do the same in us too, if we are open to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

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Joseph the Dreamer

 Genesis 37:1-11, 17b-36

Introduction

The other week I had a very enjoyable evening watching the Brecon High School production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was, I must say, very professionally done, with music, dance and costumes all of the highest standard. It demonstrated a lot of talent and a great deal of hard work on the part of pupils and staff.

And it brought back to me memories of 37 years ago when we performed it with our youth group in the church we belonged to at the time. What we did then was a very amateur performance compared with today’s school productions but I remember it as being great fun. And it was a big thing to do in that church in those days. The words of some of the songs have remained with me ever since.

Of course, it’s a very popular musical which is just as well loved as it was 40 years or so back when it was first performed. Generations of schoolchildren have had their attention drawn to the story of Joseph through this musical. And although the musical doesn’t quite stick rigidly to the story in the Bible one can only hope that it will inspire people to read the original for themselves.

One criticism I would make of “Joseph” the musical is that it leaves God out of the picture. The whole point of Joseph’s story in Genesis is that God was with him in all his trials and tribulations. It’s a story of God’s providence and how we must look to him for guidance in life. The dreams we dream must be God’s dreams, not just our own wishful thinking. And that’s where I would say that Tim Rice, who wrote the lyrics, has got it all wrong when he penned the words “any dream will do”. No, it’s not any dream that will do, but the dream God gives us. Joseph’s dreams were given by God, as was his ability to interpret other people’s dreams.

I want us to to look at the story of Joseph over the next few weeks, as we find it in Genesis, chapters 37-50. It might seem a bit strange to be looking at the Old Testament during Lent but we must remember that these stories were recorded to teach spiritual lessons. They point us forward to the New Testament and to the person of Jesus Christ. This is particularly so of Joseph who is a symbol or foreshadowing of Christ (what the old theologians called a “Type” of Christ).

Our sermon today is based on chapter 37 of Genesis and is entitled “The Dreamer”. It’s a story of human frailty, pride and sin which lead to great suffering and pain for all concerned.

1) Jacob’s favouritism

The first human frailty we see in this story is the favouritism Jacob showed. Now Jacob was a man with two wives and he loved one more than the other.(If you remember the story you will know how he had been tricked by his uncle Laban into marrying Leah the older daughter and only later allowed to marry Rachel. But Rachel was the one he loved.)

At first Rachel was unable to have children and Jacob fathered sons by Leah and then by the two concubines. But eventually Rachel gave birth to Joseph, and then, in giving birth to Benjamin, she died.

So we can understand why Jacob loved Joseph so much. He was the oldest son of Rachel, the beloved wife he had lost, and he reminded Jacob of Rachel. (Next to Joseph, Jacob loved Benjamin, Rachel’s younger son.)

Yes, we can understand why he loved one son more than the others, but we can not condone the favouritism he showed. Jacob didn’t need to treat them differently the way he did. For not only did Jacob love Joseph more than the others, he also rubbed this fact in all the time. He made the others feel they were second class sons. And this was inexcusable in Jacob.

One day Jacob gave Joseph a wonderful embroidered coat. A “coat of many colours” as it says in the King James Version. Some modern versions render it as a “long-sleeved coat”. Either way, it was the sort of coat that would be worn by someone who would never have to do manual work. It was a “boss’s coat” not a “worker’s coat”. It was a sure sign to all of them that Joseph was not going to be required to get his hands dirty looking after the livestock.

As it says in the song from the musical:

 “And when Joseph tried it on he knew his sheepskin days were gone

Such a dazzling coat of many colours, how he loved his coat of many colours “

Also:

“And when Joseph graced the scene his brothers turned a shade of green”

No wonder the brothers hated Joseph!

2) Joseph’s pride

Our next human frailty is the pride of Joseph. He was a young man who was completely conceited, naive and tactless. He also made sure his brothers knew they were regarded as second class sons. Whether Joseph did this deliberately I don’t know – he was only a young lad of 17 and pretty green. It might have been only in a spirit of boyish enthusiasm that he told his dreams to his brothers.

Joseph’s dreams had been given to him from God so that in later life, when he would be sold as a slave and imprisoned, he would have something to encourage him and to keep him going. God had revealed that Joseph was destined for greatness.

But Joseph’s mistake was to tell his dreams to his brothers. He wanted to show off and to stress his superiority. “One day you are going to bow down to me,” was what he was really saying to them. It would have been so much better for him to have kept his dreams to himself, but Joseph was a conceited young man – it never occurred to him to keep quite.

No wonder his brothers hated him – prancing around in his fine robes, and now his egotistical dreams! But that’s no excuse for what they did next.

3) The brothers’ violence

Our next human frailty is hatred and jealousy, erupting into violence. First the brothers plot to kill Joseph and hide his body in a dried-up pit in the desert. Reuben and Judah come over as a little less bloodthirsty than some of the others. Reuben persuades them not to kill Joseph but just to throw him in the pit alive. He planned to come back later and rescue him.

Then Judah suggest that they sell him to some traders who were on their way to Egypt. So Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver and taken off to Egypt. When Reuben returned and found the pit empty he though Joseph was dead and he was distraught. It had been his plan to rescue Joseph and restore him to their father.

Then the brothers killed a goat and soaked the coat in the blood of the animal. They pulled it around and tore it so it looked as if some wild animal had killed Joseph. When Jacob heard the news of Joseph’s supposed death he was devastated. His favourite son had been killed by a lion or a bear. He mourned and refused to be comforted by his family.

The brothers hypocritically sought to comfort Jacob. But if they had really wanted to do that they could have revealed the truth that Joseph was alive. They kept back this knowledge because they did not want to implicate themselves in selling him off as a slave. The brothers kept quiet – how heartless they were!

And so sorrow reigned in Jacob’s family.

Conclusion

Thus we have a story of human frailty and sin – Jacob’s favouritism, Joseph’s pride, his brothers hatred. A grim tale indeed! But that’s what the world is like. It’s very true to life, the Bible is. It tells us that human nature is inherently sinful. It shows us we need the grace of God to change us.

That grace of God is soon going to be apparent in the life of Joseph. He is going to change from being a conceited lad to become a young man who trusts in God and remains faithful to him in the midst of adversity. By the end of this story we will see how the grace of God came to Joseph, to Jacob and to Joseph’s brothers.

The story ends happily because it is a picture for us of our salvation story and symbol for us of what Jesus has done for us. We shall see this in coming sermons as we go through the story of Joseph.

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