Who's in control

Big Idea: You are not in control - but someone who loves you is

Intro me

Attention

Some of you might know I’ve been learning to ride over the last year or so. Or at least trying to learn to ride. I have to tell you it is slow going.. And this morning seems as good as any to show you some pics. So here’s me and Cosmo. Yeah he’s a bit of a hansom fellow, right - and really rather big. Particularly when you’re all the way up there on top.

So let’s start with a question here this morning: who’s in control in this picture? Who’s in control? See all those rein-y things and the bit and the bridle. It’s pretty obvious who’s in control here, right? right?

Ok, so what about now? Who’s in control? And for the avoidance of doubt, it is most definitely not me. Who else here has been thrown off a horse? It’s not good, right? It’s a long way down. It hurts!

Everyone likes to talk about their hobbies - why are we talking about mine on a Sunday morning? Not just because I’m on the stage and have the mic - but because I think we’ve got a little picture of life right here.

Empathy

I bet there are people here this morning who feel like “I’m in control. I’ve got the reins. I’m setting the direction. I’m choosing my course.” and it’s all going ok so they’re starting to think “well this is easy - I can really do this. let’s ride faster and jump higher. Bring it on!” I bet there are people here thinking they are fully in charge of their life this morning.

But the truth - the truth that lots of us know first hand - is life isn’t always like that! For most of us, it’s far more of a wild ride.

So who here feels like they’ve been thrown off by life? Caught out by a twist or a turn or a surprise bird flying out of the undergrowth. Maybe right now you’re up in the air - up, up in the air - but you know for sure you’re coming down soon. And quickly! Yep, here it comes, very hard hitting, it’s the ground! Ooof.

Maybe you’re old enough to have been thrown off by life a bunch of times already. And though you’re limping, you know you’ve got to “get back on the horse” so here you go. And today, yes, you’re back on top, holding the reins for a moment - but you’ve got some healthy realism about what that really means, right - about just how stable your seat is, about just much control you really have, how long it might be before you’re back on the ground again.

The question we need to be asking is what - or who - we’re sat on top of: Sure we might have the reins in our hand - but who is it that’s really in control in our life? Maybe there are some of you here this morning thinking “no-one; it’s all just random chance; no-one is in charge” like you’re sat on an untrained woolly mammoth that’s never had a rider before so absolutely anything could happen and no-one is running the show.

Maybe - and I’ve met people who really think and feel this - maybe you’re thinking it’s worse than that: like you’re sat on a pony. And for those of you who don’t know horses, a quick tip for you. The smaller they are, the more evil. Not quite uniform, but that’s the rule of thumb. So if you’re sat on a pony, odds on it wants to throw you off. Probably it then wants to kill you. And then to stamp on you. And then poop on you too.. Maybe that’s how you’re feeling about life; it’s not just random, it’s awful. And you just have to grit your teeth and try and bear it and do your best with what little control you’ve got?

Or maybe, just maybe, you’re sat on a wonderful creature that senses where you’re going and how to best get you there long before you do. One that notices when you’re having a wobble and carefully works steady you again. One that actually rather likes you - not just for the carrots - and wants to take you to amazing places you could never reach by yourself? You’re not in control - but someone even better is..

Why listen?

Why bother listening this morning? Because today’s bible passage is full of people who look like they’re in control, grasping the reins - and people who look like they’re out of control, too. It gives us a great chance to reflect on what we believe about about who’s really in control. And what sort of ride they have planned for us. Very horsey, right? Sorry, it’s very horsey. Not every week, though - that’s a promise!

Context

So just to give you a bit of context, we’re returning to our journey through Matthew’s gospel, his biography of Jesus in the bible, and after two and a bit years walking through this story together - yes, we’ve been taking it slow; it’s been worth it to catch the details - but now we’re into the final few days of Jesus’ life. He’s just concluded his final major block of teaching, teaching us about the end of all things, telling us to be ready, to wait well, and telling us what will happen when he comes again - comes to make that final and forever division between all people.

So let’s read together - and we’re in Matthew’s gospel starting at chapter 26. That’s page 995 in our blue bibles and look for the big 26. Matthews chapter 26, page 995. And Zoe/Rachel B is reading for us today.

Reading Mt 26:1-16

Matthew 26:1–16 NIV

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

See in verse two, we’re just two days from the key Jewish festival of Passover - and Jesus is just two days from the cross. Jesus has been explicit with his disciples about how he will die already back in chapter 20 - but here he gives it a precise timescale too. Jesus thinks he knows exactly what’s coming - and also when.

And lo-and-behold, “then,” verse 3 starts; and that’s an intentional connection, a sequence of events has been triggered. It’s like the switch has been flicked, the countdown has started and the clock is ticking down. Then Jesus’ powerful enemies, key leaders of the Jewish people are gathered together to plot his downfall. And what they have in mind for him is grisly: verse 4 - a quiet arrest out of the limelight - and then death. They’re a bit cautious for such powerful people - afraid of the crowds, afraid of the limelight, afraid of things spiralling out of control - verse 5. And because of that, they think secrecy is going to be critical.

And if we skip ahead to verse 14, notice how it starts again: “Then”, it’s like the next tick down on the clock, the next domino falls. And we know the story so we don’t feel the shock here - but we should: “one of the twelve”, one of Jesus’ inner circle, one of his very closest friends, one of the few who’d walked with him through every step of these past three years, shockingly goes to betray him.

This is not like a political defection, you know an MP walking across the floor of the house and changing parties - I mean there’s plenty of that, and it’s something we pretty much expect nowadays. This is more like splitting a platoon of soldiers, a band of brothers who’ve fought desperate battles together, had each other’s backs through thick and thin. Imagine what Judas has seen Jesus do with his own eyes. He saw thousands fed with five loaves and two fish. He saw the stormy sea stilled in a moment. He saw the sick healed, the leper cleansed - even the dead raised back to life. He saw it all.

How - how could Judas betray Jesus after all that? Betray him to his worst enemies, to certain death? It’s … it’s just unthinkable. And yet he does. And it’s for a petty sum, too. About three months’ wages - that’s thirty pieces of silver - so it’s hardly a life-changing pay-out. Not like the offer was so good, so big, even he couldn’t refuse it. It’s almost like he wants to stick it to Jesus, wants him dead - almost would do it for free. It is hard to get inside of Judas’ mind here. But I don’t think that’s our author’s focus. We’re just getting the facts of what happened here, the actors, who’s driving the plot forward.

And that’s what I think we are meant to be reflecting on this morning. Who is driving here? Who’s in control? Who has the reins? Is it these powerful enemies of Jesus, plotting against him in the palace? Well, it does seem like it to begin with. But when you look closer, perhaps not: they are afraid they’ll lose control - afraid of a riot. They won’t end up controlling the timing - they plan it “not during the festival” - but during the festival it will be. They won’t end up controlling the setting - they plan it to be in secret - but crowds will cry for Jesus’ blood in the end. They’re not really in control.

So who is? Judas? Is Judas in control here? It is his action that’s shaping the plot, writing the script? In the language of our passage, Jesus says he’s going to be handed over - and it is Judas who volunteers to do that, who begins watching for that opportunity, who will hand Jesus over in the garden at night in the end. So is he the one who’s driving? No! Remember how each of these steps is connected with “then,” “then,” these are like dominoes falling one after the other.

Who’s really in charge? Who’s really handing Jesus over? Come with me to the book of Romans, a letter written by one of Jesus’ first followers, and listen to what it tells us: Rom 8:32

Romans 8:32 NIV

[God] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all

And that “gave him up”, that’s translating exactly the same word in the original language. It is God who hands Jesus over. Of course it is. Because God is the only one truly in control. But why would he do such a thing? So we might be “justified” Rom 8:33-34

Romans 8:33–34 NIV

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

And what does “justified” mean? The opposite to being condemned. It’s the opposite verdict to guilty.

It’s everything we’re not. You and I, we not do, say, or think everything right. You might be thinking “I’m not as bad as so and so” - and that might even be true. But that’s not the point. Each one of us has black marks against our name, failures and wrongs we’ve done. Including you. And this is the very heart of the gospel, the good news about Jesus: he was handed over to death by God - for those things. For us. for our justification. So that we could escape from being forever guilty, forever condemned.

God is the one driving, the one in control. And the wonderful news is he’s driving for our good.

Now you might have noticed we skipped the middle section of our passage. I do have a reason for that: it’s a flashback. Notice it doesn’t start with this connecting word “then” like all the other dominoes in this passage do. It’s just something that happened during his time in Bethany, the village he stayed in through this last week of his life. And the particular night it’s telling us about took place four days earlier. We learn that from John’s gospel: John 12:1-3

John 12:1–3 NIV

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

That event was six days before the Passover; We’re down to two days. verse 2. So why does our author splice this flashback in here, and have us glance back? I think this is our window into what’s behind Judas’ betrayal. Over in John again we read about his greed, how he was a thief, helping himself to their meagre money - and how he was more worried about himself than the poor. John 12:4-6 So this woman’s extravagant act of love gets right up his nose.

John 12:4–6 NIV

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Her costly sacrifice - that perfume cost a years’ wages; it’s not Channel number 5 cheap tat - her costly sacrifice gets branded a waste Mt 26:7-9

Matthew 26:7–9 NIV

a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

But Jesus explains she has done a beautiful thing. And just so we’re clear, Jesus is not against social action or saying it’s pointless to try and help the poor. Our bibles are littered with instructions to care for and support the poor and it’s always been the ethic of God’s people. He’s critiquing his own disciples’ failure to see how precious their remaining time with him is - and how short it will be. What she has done recognises and honours that. It is a “beautiful thing” to pour out, to give up something precious for Jesus. Mt 26:10

Matthew 26:10 NIV

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

I expect some of you here know personally what that feels like: to pour something out, to give something up that’s precious to you; it’s costly. To close a door you’d rather have walked through. To let go of something you’d rather have held on to. It is a beautiful thing to give up something precious - and particularly to do that for Jesus.

But here’s the big thing: what she’s done is just an echo, just a shadow, just a pointer to the heart of today’s passage. Because God has done something much more beautiful: He gave up the most precious thing for us - his one and only son. Poured out his blood, leaving it spilled in the dust at the foot of the cross. for us.

Can you imagine the love it takes not just to give up something precious, something costly, but something that’s everything to you? Well, back to Romans: God hands over his son for us all. He’s the one in control in this story. The cause behind all the causes. The unseen director, in perfect control. He did not spare his own Son, hold him back, but instead gave him up for us all. The gift beyond price is poured out for you - in love. Rom 8:32

Romans 8:32 NIV

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all

Maybe this is old hat to you, and you nod at the familiar fact, and feel no different. Well, can I challenge you today: look at it again. Stir your heart.

Maybe this just seems like madness to you: who’d do such a thing to their own son? You need to see the son goes willingly; Father and son together act in love; poured out for you. Philippians 2 speaks clearly of Jesus’ willing submission and active part in the divine plan.

And maybe, just maybe, this is making sense to you for the first time; God is knocking at the door of your heart this morning, showing you his love through his beautiful but costly plan, through the obedience of his son. Calling to you. Offering his love to you.

If that’s you, say “yes”. Say “yes” to him this morning. Dare to believe that you are so profoundly loved as this, counted so precious as to be worth this. Say yes right now - just talk to God in your head. You can receive this - you can be justified in this moment - you can be washed clean from every wrong you’ve ever done, said or thought. Say yes - and tell someone. Tell me if you don’t know who else to tell. Tell our stream host if you are online - use the request prayer button. Because we’d love to help you discover more of the depths and the wonder and the power of this love.

But we’re not quite done. I want to go back to where we started for a minute more as we close. We started with a question “who’s in control?” and while we might be the one holding the reins, it’s definitely not us. So often life feels out of control - not in a nice way - I think most of us know or have known that feeling. I know there are people in this room right now whose life is very wild, very hard, very much seeming out of control.

But is it totally out of control? … no: Someone is in control. Someone is in control and it’s not someone trying to destroy you - it’s someone who loves you. Someone who loves you this profoundly. Loves you so much they pour out their most precious thing for you. This is the God who really is in control in your crazy life. That’s what he’s asking you to believe.

And if this God who is in control really loves you, then the logic is sound when Romans tells us Rom 8:32

Romans 8:32 NIV

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

But I bet you’re wondering “where are these ‘all things’ he promised? how does God’s love fit with my life, my out of control bad life?” Well if you read on, these ‘all things’ clearly don’t make for an easy ride; there’s a whole laundry list of bad still in store: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, facing death, sheep to be slaughtered.: Rom 8:35-36

Romans 8:35–36 NIV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

How come? How can that be, if God will graciously give us “all things”? Because he’s given us every single thing that really matters, the whole lot. And the sum of it is this: his love. His undeserved, unshakeable, unstoppable love. Christian, you have the love of Christ fixed on you. And nothing, nothing at all can shake it. Rom 8:37-39

Romans 8:37–39 NIV

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The stallion beneath you is limitlessly powerful - unpredictable, wild; but also, he loves you totally. And nothing, nothing is ever going to take you off his back. He will not let you fall.

You are not in control - but someone is, someone who loves you.

Big Idea: You are not in control - but someone who loves you is