2023-02-26 One to Many

Today is the first day of the season of Lent and so we begin a Lenten sermon series called From Darkness to Light which will end on Easter Sunday. (blank) In the church I grew up in, there was no Lenten period. Our Christian celebration days were limited to Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and possibly Pentecost but we were kind of leery of Pentecost because we didn’t speak in tongues or do anything remotely miraculous! When I began pastoring in Reinland I found it interesting that we had an evening service on Ascension Day. I grew to appreciate celebrating Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

Here at GFC, some time before I arrived, our church began to give some attention to the Lenten season. What is Lent? If you’re like me, it may be new to you. Here’s what Wikipedia says, “Lent is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan. It begins on Ash Wednesday which was this past Wednesday and ends on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday.”

It is observed by the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and many other church traditions.

Wikipedia goes on to say, “Lent is a period of grief that necessarily ends with the great celebration of Easter. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, mortifying the flesh (denying yourself luxuries and comfort), repentance of sins, almsgiving (giving to the poor), simple living, and self-denial. In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in imitation of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice during his journey into the desert for 40 days.”

I was curious where the term Lent came from. I assumed it was from Latin. Nope. It turns out it’s from the Old English term for the season of Spring. It literally means lengthening of days. And because the period of fasting in the church was always in Spring, the word for Spring got attached to the church religious observance.

For our series this year we are simply following the Revised Common Lectionary, which gives a variety of scripture for each Sunday of the year. Usually a Psalm, one or two other passages from the FT, one from one of the Gospels and one from one of the NT letters. After reflecting on the various Bible passages for each Sunday and thinking of the connection to Spring with Lent, I came up with the Sermon series title, From Darkness to Light. (blank) In terms of seasons, we will be going from Winter to Spring, from our season of darkness to our season of light. Spiritually speaking, our sermons will speak about how as people we have lived in the darkness of sin and how Jesus rescued us and brought us into the Kingdom of Light.

Regarding fasting in memory of Jesus’ 40 day fast, I encourage you to consider some kind of fast. It could be from something you are maybe enjoying too much like a drink or food or some activity. You could also pick one day a week to fast for part of the day or the whole day. That is what I am choosing to do. For me it is usually not eating breakfast and lunch and then eating with my family at supper.

Introduction to Sermon

At the end of January, all students in High Schools across the country wrote exams for the courses they were taking. They got tested on their knowledge and proficiency regarding the particular subject matter. Most people don’t like getting tested. The only time I ever liked getting tested was when I was pretty confident in my knowledge. Math, chemistry, physics, history, geography. English, biology, phys-ed, not so much. Testing can be about our knowledge, but testing can also be about our character. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to him on an altar, it was a test of his willingness to give up what was most precious to him, the son of the promise. It was a test of obedience and a test of loyalty.

There are many other similar tests recorded in scripture; David was tested when he had an opportunity to kill King Saul, would he or wouldn’t he kill God’s anointed? Daniel was tested re his prayer life and was thrown in the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were tested re their worship of God alone and were thrown in the fiery furnace. Peter passed the test of faith and walked on water. Many, many disciples were tested in Acts with persecution and willingly endured rather than recant their faith. However, there are two stories of testing in the Bible that are inter-related and completely unique. I’m going to ask Daniel and Jessie to come and read our scripture reading for the morning.

Daniel and Jessenia read Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 & Matthew 4:1-11 (blank)

The Tests of the Adams

Adam and Eve and Jesus being tested on their obedience to God. We usually think of these scenarios as temptation which isn’t completely wrong. Adam and Eve were tempted to achieve immortal status, becoming like God, and Jesus was tempted to meet his own needs by making bread, go his own way and avoid the costly path of the cross by achieving a kingdom the easy way.

However, a better way of thinking about these scenarios is as a testing. A testing of character. A testing of remaining true to God, remaining in relationship with God.

How did they compare and how did they fare? Well, the contrast couldn’t be more striking.

Let’s look at the first scenario, Adam and Eve in the garden.

They are in a garden with a ridiculous abundance of food. According to the description in Genesis 2:9-10, “The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” We read later that a river watered the garden which later split into four other rivers. It’s not a small place. The picture is one of great beauty and incredible abundance. They can eat from everything including the tree of life, except for the one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All day long they could eat. Whenever they wanted. We have every reason to believe that when they were tested, they weren’t even hungry. Maybe a little, kind of like you are when you’re hungry for a snack in the middle of the afternoon. Certainly not starving.

Now let’s look at the second scenario

Jesus’ testing scenario was significantly different. He left the lush greenery by the Jordan, a place often thought of as a garden, and went into the wilderness between the Jordan and the fertile areas at the top of the Judean ridge where Jerusalem was located. Here’s what William Barclay says, “The Old Testament calls it Jeshimmon, which means The Devastation, and it is a filling name. It stretches over an area of thirty-five by fifteen miles. It is an area of yellow sand, of crumbling limestone, and of scattered shingle. It is an area of contorted strata, where the ridges run in all directions as if they were warped and twisted. The hills are like dust heaps; the limestone is blistered and peeling; rocks are bare and jagged. . . . It glows and shimmers with heat like some vast furnace.” P63 No lush, beautiful forests and no food on every tree. There are no trees. In this barren landscape Jesus didn’t eat for forty days. For-ty days. Think how hungry you are after not eating one day. He was literally starving. By this time he had lost all his fat and his muscles were being converted to energy to keep his body alive.

Comparison of the two scenarios

For whom do you think the allure of the actual food was greater? Adam and Eve or Jesus? Adam and Eve didn’t need any food and Jesus was desperate for food. But the test wasn’t really about food. The test was about trusting in God. Adam and Eve had been told that eating the fruit meant death. The question was whether or not, (A) they believed him and (B) they trusted him to do what was good for them. For Jesus the test was to rely on God alone for provision. Adam and Eve failed the test. Jesus didn’t. Three times. He passed the test with the food. He passed the test of presuming on God’s protection and he passed the test of the easy path to a kingdom.

What were the consequences of Adam and Eve failing the test?

Devastation. The same name as the wilderness Jesus was in. Adam and Eve went from the garden to the wilderness and from being with God to being alone and barred from the presence of God by and angel.

Jesus passed the test and went from the wilderness to the garden. He went from being alone to being attended by angels of God. Jesus came away from the testing with no shame.

Adam and Eve were immediately full of shame and the consequences piled up from there. Guilt, separation from relationship with God, pain in child-bearing, relational conflict, unending toil and finally, death. One minute the world was bright and cheery, the next, dark and dreary. It’s been that way ever since. Every single person since that time has followed the same general path. All have experienced death except for Enoch and Elijah. All have experienced shame, guilt, broken relationships with other people and God. All have been cut off from God.

The wasting effects of sin and shame are everywhere. But there is hope. If we recognize our hopeless position and our brokenness and confess our sin to God, there is hope and forgiveness. Listen as I read Psalm 32. (read) (blank)

David clearly has assurance from God that if he confesses his sin to God, God will forgive him.

But how will this forgiveness come about? On what basis will it occur?

Adam and Jesus, the second Adam

Turn with me to Romans 5:12-19. Just so you know, Paul’s argumentation is difficult to follow. Don’t worry about catching all of it. But as I read listen for the contrasts between Adam and Jesus and listen for what Jesus brings as opposed to what Adam brought. (read) (blank)

Did you catch some of what Paul is saying?

Sin entered the world through one man (and woman)

The result of this sin is death for all.

Adam is the pattern of the one who is to come, Jesus.

With Adam one sin brought death to all ☹

With Jesus, one righteous act, his death, brought life to all

With Adam one sin brought condemnation ☹

With Jesus one gift brought justification

The disobedience of one man brought sin to all ☹

The obedience of one man brought righteousness to all 😊 (blank)

The story of Jesus’ complete obedience when he was tested in the wilderness tells us that he was not like Adam the first perfect man, that failed. He was a new perfect man that would not fail. He not only lived a perfect life, but he also died as the atoning sacrifice for our sin and rose again, conquering death.

This isn’t the only time Paul compared Jesus to Adam. In 1 Corinthians 15, when talking about the resurrection body that followers of Jesus will gain after they die, Pauls says, (read 1 Cor. 15:44-49) (blank) Here Paul explicitly calls Adam the ‘first Adam’ and Jesus the ‘second Adam’. The first one was a natural, physical being made from the dust of the earth. The second Adam was that, but also a spiritual being from heaven. We, being descended from Adam and made in his image, are natural, physical beings made from the dust of the earth, but when we put our faith in Jesus, the second Adam, we will be made in his likeness and someday gain a spiritual body that will never die.

In Jesus we go from darkness to light! That’s our sermon series title. My sermon title today is One to Many. One Adam brought sin and death to many. Jesus also was a One to Many. One second Adam brought righteousness and life to many. (blank)

So what does this mean for you and I today? What impact can these truths have on our lives?

Conclusion

What we believe to be true matters. If we think of ourselves as dirty, rotten scoundrels, we will act like dirty, rotten, scoundrels. We will live out what we know to be true about ourselves. If we think that we are simply another species of animal, made of the dust of the earth, we will act like animals. If we think this life is all there is, we will live as if this life is short and live for today.

However, if these truths shape our minds, it will change everything.

Yes, we have a bent towards sin, but Jesus has taken it away and given us his righteousness and a bent towards living rightly. We don’t have to live with constant shame and constant guilt. When we put our faith in Jesus, the second Adam, we are freed from shame and guilt. When we confess our sins to our loving God, he will completely release us.

Yes, we are physical beings, made of the dust of the earth, but because of Jesus, we have a new identity as spiritual beings. Jesus has given us life eternal. We have hope for the future. Physical death is not the end. There is a new life waiting for us on the other side. We don’t have to live in fear of death.

If that is the case, how we live matters. We don’t have to live only for what we can get out of this world. We live in an eternal world with eternal purposes. We can live for those purposes now.

If you’ve never done so, I urge you today to put your faith in Jesus. He will release you from bondage to sin and bring you into the kingdom of light. He will release you from the fear of death and give you life eternal.

If in the past you chose to follow Jesus but have drifted off and gone your own way, I urge you today to turn back to Jesus and rededicate yourself to following him in life and freedom.

Let’s pray.

Benediction: Revelation 1:5b

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