Are You the One?
Unraveling the Mystery of Jesus
Love's Triumph
February 24, 2019 • Rev. Dr. Gerrit Dawson
Jesus received the woman. He received her extravagant gift. He received her touch. He received her in that immediate moment despite her poor timing, out of control life and shameful behavior. Stopping her would have been declining to be her savior. He could save the appearances but he would lose this soul. Jesus made the choice he would always make no matter the cost. He did in this moment for her just what he would do on the cross for all of us. He took sin and returned forgiveness. Ordinary people would be defiled by a sinner’s touch. But our sin did not defile Jesus. Rather, he takes sin, absorbs it into his holiness, burns it up, and then offers forgiveness. He received the filthy touch in order to offer love’s peace. This woman’s sins were borne by Jesus. As she poured out her regret, her shame, her love, her hope, it was as if her very life was taken up in his. And so that life was returned cleansed, her sins were forgiven and her touch declared to be an act not of inappropriate impurity but faithful love. "Love's Triumph" Gerrit Dawson
Confronting the Crowds
February 17, 2019 • Rev. Dr. Gerrit Dawson
What do Pharisees and pagans have in common? They both think they are ok in themselves. They have both relied on their own rightness, their own decisions, their own path as being a sufficient way to live. Refusing the purposes of God occurs whenever I will not submit my will to the Father’s will. Whenever I decide that I own my life, not God. Whenever I determine that I know better than God what makes for flourishing. And I stubbornly choose my will and my way. Down that path lies perishing. Beloved, walk in the truth. Walk in the light. And so walk in the purposes of God. "Confronting the Crowds" Luke 7: 24-35 Gerrit Dawson
Should We Look for Another?
February 10, 2019 • Rev. Dr. Gerrit Dawson
John the Baptist asks Jesus in Luke 7: 18, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Jesus confronts a less visible but powerful foe in this passage: the power of fear. Fear that we are going wrong. Fear that we have wasted our lives. The antidote to such fear is faith. Faith in Jesus that he is the One we’ve been waiting for. Faith that enables us to trust him and give our lives to him. Most times we don’t talk about our faith in worship. We talk about Jesus and trust the Holy Spirit to create admiration in us for him. We proclaim Christ and trust the Spirit to create adoration in us for him. And he does. But sometimes we need to hear the encouragement. Blessed, happy, is the one who does not stumble over me. Jesus says, I am the One. I am the One who alone can fill your emptiness. I am the One who alone can cleanse your guilt. I am the One who alone has conquered your death. I am truly the One. "Should We Look for Another" Luke 7: 18-23.
Interrupting the Dead
January 27, 2019 • Rev. Dr. Gerrit Dawson
Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” That word arise can mean to wake up from sleep. Or to get up from sitting or lying down. It’s the same word used of Jesus when he came back from the dead. He arose from death. He woke up and he got up. This was a preview of Easter. The dead man sat up at Jesus’ command. He began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. He didn’t tell the man to come follow him. He gave him back to his mother. He restored their life together. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. In his ministry among us, God’s only Son so loved the widow that he gave her only begotten son back to her. "Interrupting the Dead" Luke 7: 11-17 Gerrit Dawson
Only Say the Word
January 20, 2019 • Rev. Dr. Gerrit Dawson
Jesus heard authentic humility in the centurion from Luke 7. “I am not worthy to have you under my roof.” Jesus heard love that dared to ask. “Only you can save my servant.” Jesus heard faith that came right out of the man’s deepest understanding of how his life worked. A man who lived under orders and gave orders recognized in Jesus the ultimate authority to speak a word and have it enacted. The centurion saw the power of the Creator Word of God who spoke and worlds came into being. “Only say the word and my servant will be healed.” He believed from both heart and mind. "Only Say the Word" Luke 7: 1-10 Gerrit Dawson