Joy Comes in the Morning
Notes
Transcript
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
This is our scripture for today, but I’m going to ask you to also hold on to Psalm 30:5 as we talk today. This was one of my mother’s favorite verses and I cherish a coffee mug that she gave me with this on it.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
Joy comes in the morning ...
Introduction
Introduction
We are living in a strange and stressful time. This is a time when we find ourselves confused and worrying. Unsure of what to do or who to turn to. A time when we may not be grieving the loss of a loved one, but we are grieving the loss of security and confidence. It is a time where we are being confronted with her own mortality in the limits of our ability to control things. This is a time that we struggle, and it is a time when God shines.
The widow bearing her son’s body, that Jesus encountered at the city gates, was experiencing a similar, though more significant, moment in her life. In this situation she finds herself saddened with grief at the loss of a relationship with her son but also the fear of the loss of security as she faces a future that is economically and socially threatening. She is alone and vulnerable.
Initial Observations
Initial Observations
Before we look at the scripture more deeply there are a few initial observations that I would like to make.
The body is being carried out of the city for burial. Bodies were never buried inside the city so they had to be carried beyond the city walls by custom the widow or the mother of the deceased would lead the procession. Members of the community who heard a funeral procession normally joined it from behind. However, it is clear that Jesus is approach from the front but he is not simply planning on joining the procession. Jesus’s presence is not just as a comfort of proximity but as part of a plan for healing.
Jesus confronts the widows grief and the reality of her loss directly. Jesus his first words to the widow or not actually words of comfort. They are words that suggest her pain is over. Jesus says to her, “Don’t cry.” Jesus then approach is the body itself. He touches the bier or stretcher that they are carrying the body on. Dead bodies were to be avoided at all cost because they made you unclean in a very profound way. Jesus’s touching of the stretcher shows that he values mercy over purity. He values relationship over ritual. Jesus is there with the window because of his compassion. He saw her in the funeral procession and his heart was moved.
Jesus did not lose focus on the purpose of this action. When the young man is resurrected and stands up Jesus gives him back to his mother. The purpose of the Was not to put on a show or create all. It was to restore a relationship between the grieving mother and her son.
Within the context of these observations I want to move on and look at some broader truths that we can glean from this passage.
God comforts the bereaved and the sorrowful
God comforts the bereaved and the sorrowful
When it comes to sorrow, Jesus truly has a compassionate heart. Jesus conducted a ministry of presence with those who were grieving a death. He went to be with mourners.
Father Van Sloun
I really like how he says that. Jesus goes to be with the mourners. Jesus experiences the loss. Jesus suffers with us as we struggle with our anxiety Jesus understands this concept of being fearful of the future. We saw that in the garden of Gethsemane as he prayed for relief. Over and over in scripture we see Jesus joining with those who are hurting. When the daughter of Jairus died, Jesus went to the home of her parents who were weeping and mourning (Lk 8:51). When Martha and Mary lost their brother, Lazarus, Jesus went to Bethany to be with them, and he wept with them (Jn 11:35).
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Jesus is present with us as we struggle with our sorrow and loss.
(Stanley quote In Touch 3/20/19)
Mourning turned into joy
Mourning turned into joy
Jesus is not content to just be present with us through our pain. He does not stop at simply being with us and sharing our struggle. Jesus transforms our sorrow and mourning into joy. Jesus stops the funeral procession and says, “Don’t cry.” Jesus intervenes and changes everything. Jesus finds solutions that we don’t even think are even possible. And he often does this after we believe the chance for healing and recovery has passed. The widow had already lost her son. The funeral procession was already moving. The grave had been prepared. But Jesus had other plans.
Think of Joseph as Mary revealed that she was pregnant. Can you imagine how Joseph’s hopes and dreams came crashing down? The uncomfortable conversations that were in his future? The criticism and judgement he faced? How could his heart know that the journey that started with the grief of that moment would lead to angels singing hymns to his family as they welcomed this very baby to the world? His mourning would be turned into joy.
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Joy comes in the morning …
Despair turned into hope
Despair turned into hope
One of the powerful things that we share in, through our faith in Christ, is the ability to be hopeful despite crushing circumstances. Even as the widow’s son was washed and prepared for the grave, there was hope. Even as his body was wrapped in burial cloths, there was hope. Even as the funeral procession wound through the city, there was hope. That is our lives. That is our experience. In the middle of despair, we find hope through Christ. Even in the middle of complete loss and destruction, there is hope.
The early church found themselves facing a difficult time as believers began dying. Many had assumed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. But their faith became challenged and shaken as the faithful began dying. But there was hope to be found.
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
You see, even when our core believes and assumptions are proven wrong, Christ remains. And where Christ is, hope is.
Joy comes in the morning ...
Fear turned into assurance
Fear turned into assurance
God gives you the assurance to ‘fear not’! This is a covenant assurance. We know that fear depletes faith, so when God promises us his protection, there is no need to fear. As a Christian this becomes an empowerment for you to march on as a child of God. Believe God and turn dismay, depression, and anger into an anointing to the glory of God. If you are weak spiritually or physically, receive your strength now. Your help is with the Lord, tell Him to help you.
Pastor Peter Okereke Jr.
What do we fear? According to a USA Today survey in 2016, these are the biggest fears:
Here are the top 10 fears of 2016:
Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015) — 60.6%
Terrorist attacks — 41%
Not having enough money for the future — 39.9%
Being a victim of terror — 38.5%
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition — 38.5%
People I love dying — 38.1%
Economic or financial collapse — 37.5%
Identity theft — 37.1%
People I love becoming seriously ill — 35.9%
The Affordable Health Care Act/”Obamacare” — 35.5%0
What do we fear? We fear being alone. We fear being lost. We fear being abandoned. We fear being left behind. We fear failure. We fear loss.
We just fear...
What do we know about fear and God?
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
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.
What did the widow fear that day, walking beside her son’s dead body? Perhaps being alone? Perhaps financial ruin? Hunger?
Joy comes in the morning ...
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me try to pull this together.
We live daily with the reality that we do not know the future. We live daily with the reality that we cannot control all our circumstances. We live daily with the reality that we are vulnerable - physically, medically, emotionally. We live daily with the reality that we are moving towards death. We spend a lot of energy, often, avoiding this reality. We create the illusion of control and safety.
But the truth is, we are all the grieving widow walking in the funeral procession. We are all lost and vulnerable. But there is a difference. The widow had no idea she would encounter the Christ. She had no idea that there was joy ahead of her. We do know. We know that Jesus is walking with us. We know that we are not trapped by the circumstances. We know that Jesus changes everything and is constantly bringing us hope and healing.
We know that God comforts the bereaved and the sorrowful.
We know that God turns mourning into joy.
We know that God turns despair into hope.
We know that God turns fear into assurance.
We know ...
Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
