Not too many days pass in which we do not get a rather pointed reminder about the uncertainty of life. We read or see on the news about a devastating earthquake. Thousands have died in an instant of time. In some other place, terrorists have massacred another village. A few days later we hear about a commuter train derailing, killing and maiming dozens. The list of such incidents goes on and on.

The point is that we do not know when or where some life-threatening event is going to occur. Though we don’t like to think about it, such an event could happen to us. This is why financial planners, consultants and other experts put so much stress on making a will. If the unthinkable should happen, who will take care of your dependents? Who will get your stuff? Will it be distributed the way you want, or will the state decide?

Making a will is not always easy. It can be stressful deciding who will inherit what. While it can be sort of fun designating that a certain heirloom will go to a particular person, there can also be concern about whether your decisions about who gets what will cause arguments and jealousy.

On the flip side, being named a beneficiary in someone’s will or receiving an inheritance can be a tremendous blessing. It’s a thrill to receive a check from someone’s estate especially when you had no idea it was coming to you.

What does all this have to do with the purpose for which we are gathered here this morning? Those of us who are Christians are part of God’s household. We’ve come together on family business. If you’ll pardon the play on words, one of the things we’re here for is to read and talk about our Father’s will. The legal documents He’s given us (the Bible) say that we’re named as beneficiaries. We have an inheritance coming when we reach our majority.

What is the inheritance we’ve been promised? We don’t really know – at least not the details. Yes, He’s giving us a makeover. We’ll be getting a new body. We’ll have a new place to live. But the Apostle Paul indicates that it’s really far beyond what we can even think or imagine.

Now the pesky thing about inheritances is that they don’t come into effect until after someone dies. Uncle George would get a bit upset if the family tried to distribute his property while he’s still using it. It’s only after Uncle George dies that his beneficiaries inherit the property.

It’s the same way in God’s household. The only reason we are receiving an inheritance is that there’s been a death in the family. Our older brother (Jesus) has died. It’s His death that triggers the provisions of the will.

Another thing to remember about wills is that a newer one always takes precedence over an older one. When someone writes a new will, any provisions or instructions in the old one no longer apply.

The writer of Hebrews describes it this way in chapter 9, verses 11-18. He’s contrasting the effects of the old will God established under the Law of Moses with the will which Christ’s death brought into effect. “When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.” (NIV)

Jumping down to verse 27, he writes, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV)

As I said before, we’re here on family business. We’re here to think about our inheritance. More than that, we’re here to remember our older brother, Jesus. We’re here to remember His death, His sacrifice which brought the will into effect so that we can inherit eternal life.

When He comes back to take us to our inheritance will we be waiting for Him?

We all go through struggles or hardships from time to time. But no matter how rough we have it, it’s pretty easy to look around us and see someone else who arouses our pity. For example, we might be feeling sorry for ourselves because we have car trouble. But then, we see someone who doesn’t have legs and cannot walk. All of a sudden, our transportation problem doesn’t seem quite so bad.

We might be having trouble paying our bills. But then we read about someone who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery like the girls captured by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Maybe we don’t have all the things we’d like, but at least we’re free.

There are people who are even worse off than those who have physical handicaps or have lost their freedom. Several years ago, I was helping to fix up a storefront so it could be rented. One day I forgot to lock the door and a wino wandered in. I climbed down off my ladder to see what he wanted. He was just curious about what I was doing. We chatted a bit about this and that when, all of a sudden – without warning – he began to cry. “I was in the Bataan Death March,” he said. “I saw 3,000 men die.” Then, he turned around and stumbled out the door. I stood there with my mouth hanging open. I didn’t know what to say or what to do.

Later, I tried to help the man, but was unable to do so. He couldn’t overcome the horror he’d experienced over 30 years in the past. I couldn’t get through that barrier.

As much as we might pity a person with poor health or physical handicaps, as much as we might pity a person who is destitute or has lost his freedom, as much as we might pity a person who has been traumatized by torture and unspeakable horror, the Bible tells us that there is another kind of person who should be pitied even more.

Let’s read about it in 1st Corinthians, chapter 15, starting in verse 12. “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NIV)

Did you get that? Paul writes that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, those of us who call ourselves Christians and who put our faith in Christ, should be pitied more than anyone. Why should we be pitied? Because out faith is worse than useless, our hope is misplaced – we’re counting on something which won’t happen. Even worse that that, we are still in our sins. We haven’t been forgiven for the wrong we’ve done.

However, the truth of the matter is that Jesus did rise from the dead! When the disciples came to the grave, they found it empty – in spite of the fact it was guarded by Roman soldiers, with orders to make sure that Jesus’ body stayed right there.

There are times when we doubt. There are times when we question whether we’ve put our faith in the right thing or in the right Person. One of the purposes for Communion, or the Lord’s Supper is to remind us again of the facts. Yes, Jesus died. The bread we eat reminds us of His broken body. The juice we drink reminds us that His blood was poured out as a sacrifice on our behalf. Yes, Jesus was buried. But there is much more to Communion than remembering Christ’s death.

Jesus instructed His disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of Him, but He said to do it until He comes again. When we eat of the bread and drink of the cup, it reminds us that Jesus not only died, but that He rose again. It reminds us that death is not the end.

Scripture tells us that if we die with Christ, we will live with Him as well.

Not only does Jesus give us new spiritual life, because He rose from the dead, we have confidence that we will rise from the grave also.

Because Jesus overcame, we have a sure hope that we also will overcome. Because He lives forever, those who put their faith in Him will also live forever. Because our faith is grounded in the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, we don’t need anyone’s pity. On the contrary, our faith, the forgiveness we have and our hope should be the envy of everyone who has not submitted himself to Christ.

Today as we eat the bread and drink the juice, let’s rejoice in Christ’s resurrection. Let us renew the hope we have, because He rose from the dead.

How many of you play chess? I’m absolutely no good at it, but occasionally it is fun to play against a computer program set on “easy”. I don’t play often. When I do, it’s purely for recreation.

However, to others chess can be serious business or a passion. I once had the privilege of visiting a royal palace in India. One courtyard in particular impressed me. It was laid out like a giant chessboard with alternating squares of red and white. At two opposite ends were elevated balconies which overlooked the board. The emperor would sit in one balcony. Visiting monarchs would sit in the balcony on the opposite side. They would play against each other using real people for pieces. The stakes were sometimes very high. If you won, it might mean that you gained territory from the other king. If your opponent captured your queen, she had to join his harem. Similarly, depending on how the game went, you would gain or lose the services of the councilors and courtiers who occupied the squares on the board.

One of the strategies a master chess player will sometimes use, is that of sacrifice. He deliberately lets his opponent take a piece for no obvious reason. It may not seem to make sense. Why weaken your own hand by giving up a piece? However, as the play develops, it turns out that the sacrifice put him in just the right place to exploit the other person’s position. The sacrifice becomes the key to victory. He turned an apparent weakness (losing a piece) into overwhelming strength.

In a sense, all of mankind was in the same fix as the people occupying the squares on that royal chessboard. God and Satan faced each other across the board. The stakes were high. The play would not just determine who our master would be, but was for our very souls. Whoever won would control our eternal destiny.

For a long time, it looked like Satan was winning. God opened the game by placing mankind in a wonderful garden. Satan enticed Adam and Eve to sin and got them kicked out of the garden. God responded to man’s resulting wickedness with the flood while sparing righteous Noah and his family. Satan countered with the Tower of Babel. To offset that, God chose Abraham and his descendants the Israelites to proclaim righteousness. Satan’s reply was to get the Israelites tied up in idolatry and exiled from their homeland. God sent Jesus to show us how to live. Satan arranged to have Him killed.

Move and counter-move, all through history it looked like Satan had the upper hand. It appeared that he was successful in undermining and undoing everything God attempted. But unknown to Satan, God was playing a deep game using a strategy He’d decided on before the game even began. Just when things looked hopeless, the perfect time came for God to sacrifice the most important piece on the board. God took death – Satan’s own weapon – and used it against him. Because of that one move, the game is over. Sure, there’s still some movement on the board, but it’s only cleaning up the details. God has declared “checkmate!” and there’s nothing Satan can do to get out of it.

Interestingly enough, our word “checkmate” comes from the Persian “shah mat” which means “the king is dead”. At God’s command, King Jesus sacrificed His life to “checkmate” Satan and, in doing so, give us life.

The winning move took everyone by surprise. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-8 NIV)

Each week we gather to remember and to celebrate the winning move which conquered death and broke Satan’s power. The bread we eat and the juice we drink remind us of the sacrifice which won the game. Yet, there’s also a lesson we can learn from it: Often the only way for us to overcome the opposition we face is through sacrifice. God turns our weakness into strength. Speaking of Jesus the Apostle Paul writes, “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you. (2 Corinthians 13:4 NIV)

Are you losing in the game of life? Do you see no way out of your situation? Then, sacrifice self and ambition so that His power may “checkmate” the forces which are against you.

Today as we eat and drink, let’s not only remember God’s winning move, but ask ourselves what we need to sacrifice in order to win.

Our minds are wired in such a way that when we hear a name, we automatically associate certain attributes or characteristics with it. Whether it is true or not, whether it is deserved or not, the image or description pops into our mind. For example, when we hear the name of a particular company we immediately think, “high quality products”. Similarly, we associate another name with “excellent customer service” or “quick delivery”. Advertising people call this branding. Companies spend fortunes trying to ensure that only positive connotations are branded into our brains, because once a company gets a reputation – good or bad – it’s mighty hard to change it.

We do the same thing with people. For example, if we’ve had a bad experience with someone as a child the person’s name can have bad connotations for us throughout the rest of our life. Similarly, certain names have very pleasant connotations. Good or bad, deserved or undeserved, it’s hard to change the image which is imprinted in our minds.

What are some of the associations our minds make when we think of Jesus’ disciples? When we hear the name ‘Judas’ our minds supply the words ‘thief’ and ‘traitor’. ‘Peter’ brings to mind ‘impetuous’ and ‘rock’. We think of James and John as the “Sons of Thunder”. Andrew has the reputation of always bringing someone to Jesus. In each of these cases, the disciples’ reputations are well deserved.

However, one disciple has a reputation which I think is inaccurate and undeserved. It’s Thomas. We call him “Doubting Thomas” because he said he wouldn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead unless he saw and touched the wounds. I think Thomas has gotten a bum rap. If you read the accounts carefully, it becomes plain that the other disciples doubted the resurrection as well. It was only Thomas who had the guts to verbalize it.

It’s unfortunate that people focus on his doubt and forget what Thomas did in John, chapter 11. Jesus and the disciples were in Perea when they got word that their friend Lazarus back in Judea was sick. After a couple of days, Jesus informed the disciples that it was time to go back to Judea and raise Lazarus from the dead.

Most of the disciples were aghast. “The authorities tried to kill you the last time we were there and you want to go back?”

Here, Thomas shows more loyalty and dedication than any of the other disciples. It is he who steps forward and gives the others enough backbone to go with Jesus back to Judea. I think his reasoning went something like this: “Jesus is going to Judea. They want to kill Him there. Since I am His disciple and have committed myself to following Him, I will go to Judea with Him even if it means my death.” It seems to me that Thomas, out of all the disciples, was the one who really understood what following Jesus meant. He, more than any, was willing to pay the price.

Not too long before this Jesus had told them, “…If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25 NIV)

Here’s a question for us: We call him “Doubting Thomas” but are we as dedicated as he? Are we loyal enough to follow Jesus into a situation which we know full well might mean our death?

Hebrews 6:12 says, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12 NIV)

Before us are the emblems which remind us of Christ’s death on a cross. Are we, like Thomas, willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus?

During the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples before the crucifixion, He predicted that the disciple to whom he gave a piece of bread would betray Him. We know, of course, that it was Judas. In describing the scene, John records a detail that isn’t in the other accounts. He writes, “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” (John 13:30 NIV)

I want to call your attention to the phrase, “And it was night.” I think John meant a whole lot more than the fact that the sun had already gone down by the time Judas left the meal. Scripture uses the terms “night” and “darkness” as metaphors for sin, evil and corruption. Evil triumphed as Judas left. John says that Satan had already entered into him (John 13:27).

Judas wasn’t the only one who gave himself to the dark. Later that same night, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus confronted another group. Luke 22:52-53 says, “Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour – when darkness reigns.”” (NIV)

If we are honest with ourselves, it often looks like darkness reigns in our lives as well. We struggle with habits we can’t seem to break. Temptation overcomes us. We lose our tempers or allow our thoughts to travel down forbidden paths. We fight depression or despair. It seems that darkness overwhelms us.

When Jesus was crucified and buried it certainly looked like night had fallen and the darkness had won. Fortunately, that is not the end of the story. In speaking of Jesus, John writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4-5 NIV) That phrase, “the darkness has not understood it” can also be translated “the darkness has not overcome it.”

Yes, the darkness reigned for a little while. They killed the “light of the world”, but on the third day, the light dawned again. Jesus didn’t just die, He rose again!

Each Sunday we gather together to remember the time when it was night and darkness reigned. But more than that, we gather to remember that Jesus overcame the darkness. Because of Him, we, too, can live in the light. Darkness does not have to reign in us. In Ephesians 5:8-11 Paul writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (NIV)

Today as we eat the bread and drink the juice which remind us of the price Jesus paid to overcome the darkness, let’s examine ourselves. Does darkness still reign in us, or are we living in the light?

Our world’s a mess. Just about anywhere you look there is conflict and strife. The news is filled with the butchery that’s going on in the Middle East. There are wars all across Africa. Russia and Europe are facing off over Ukraine. India and Pakistan are fighting over who owns Kashmir. Even in places where people aren’t actively killing each other, nations like China and North Korea threaten violence against their neighbors.

The year 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. Most of us know people who fought in World War II or in the Korean conflict. If we haven’t been personally affected by the wars in places like Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, the Gulf, Afghanistan or Iraq we know people who are.

It shouldn’t surprise us that our world is torn by strife. Jesus said it would be this way. He told His disciples, ““When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”” (Luke 21:9-11 NIV)

All we have to do is reflect on history, or look around us, to see that what Jesus said is true.
But why is it this way? James asks the important question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” He goes on to answer it: “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:1-3 NIV)

As James says, selfishness and greed are major causes of war. Somebody wants something someone else has and decides to take it by force.

However, there is another cause of strife and conflict. Both Peter and Jude write about people who reject authority (2 Peter 2:10, Jude 8). When enough people rebel against the authority over them, it leads to revolution or civil war. Our own country was born out of rebellion against the British Crown. A century later we fought by far the bloodiest war in our history because a significant number of people chose to reject the authority of the central government. Those in the South called it the “Second Revolution”. Their opponents in the North called it “The Rebellion”.

These tendencies toward selfishness, greed and rebellion against authority have been with us right from the beginning. Why else did Adam and Eve eat the fruit God told them not to eat? Unfortunately, the same tendencies are still at work within us. There is something within us which wants to push the boundaries. We chafe at restrictions. We like the thrill of getting away with something we weren’t supposed to do.

The odd thing is that even though we can make excuses for ourselves and justify why it is alright for us to take what we want or to defy authority, we don’t like it when someone challenges our authority or defies the boundaries we have set. For example, we get upset when our children deliberately break one of our household rules. You know something? God feels the same way when we rebel against His authority. He regards rebellion just as vile as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23)

When our children reject our authority and go their own way, it causes alienation and strife between us and them.

When the citizens of a country reject the authority of their government it causes alienation and strife.

When we reject or defy the authority of God it causes alienation and separation between us and Him. As Isaiah writes, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV)

But though our rebellion against God’s authority separated us from Him, His reaction was very different from ours when someone defies us. When our children rebel, we want to punish them. When citizens rebel, the government tries to coerce obedience through force of arms. When we rebelled against God, He gave us Jesus. We’re all familiar with John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (NIV)

The Apostle Paul expands the thought, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11 NIV)

Jesus paid the price for our rebellion. He took our penalty on Himself. God treated Him as a rebellious enemy so we might be reconciled. It is because of what Jesus did for us that we remember Him each week. We eat the bread to remind us of Christ’s broken body – when it should have been us that was broken. We drink the juice to remind us of Christ’s blood – shed for us in place of ours.

Today as we eat and drink let’s give thanks that Christ reconciled us to God in spite of our rebellion and selfishness.

During the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples before the crucifixion, He broke some bread, gave it to the disciples and said, “do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24) After supper Jesus passed a cup around and said, “drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25)

Through the centuries, the church has kept this memorial. But what is it that Jesus wants us to remember? “Ah,” you say. “Isn’t it obvious? Jesus wants us to remember the sacrifice He made for us. He wants us to remember the covenant we’ve entered into with Him.”

All that is very true, but the Gospel accounts imply that there is something more we should remember as well. Matthew writes, “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”” (Matthew 26:27-29 NIV)

From this we learn that Jesus was not only going to establish a new covenant between us and God by sacrificing Himself, He also promised to drink the fruit of the vine with the disciples again. This is a clear indication that Jesus’ sacrifice was not the end. Though He would die, He would not stay dead. He would rise again.

Why is it important to remember that Jesus not only died, but rose again? There are many reasons why it’s important. However, I will just mention one. Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

It was God’s Spirit which raised Christ from the dead. Scripture tells us that if we are in Christ, that same Spirit also lives in us. Yet we so often forget! Writing to the Ephesians, Paul says, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,” (Ephesians 1:17-20 NIV)

This paragraph reminds us of the role the Spirit plays in our lives.

The Spirit makes us wise: Do we lack wisdom and understanding? We need to remember that, in Christ, we have the Spirit of wisdom living within us.

The Spirit gives us hope: Are we discouraged or in despair? We need to remember the Spirit within us who gives us hope.

The Spirit gives us power: Are we weak and unable to bear up under the struggles and cares of life? We need to remember that the same mighty power which raised Jesus from the dead is also available to us through the Spirit.

The Spirit gives us strength: Are you on the verge of being overwhelmed or overcome by forces to great to resist? You need to remember that, “…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NIV)

We’re here to remember Jesus – just as He asked us to do. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, let’s remember that the same Spirit which raised Him from the dead lives in us also.

In our culture these days there’s a lot of talk about privilege and victimhood. Various groups claim that they’ve been oppressed or discriminated against. For example, we hear talk about how the 1% is holding everyone else back. It almost seems sometimes like there’s a competition going on to claim who is the most victimized. It’s become a perverse sort of pride: “I’ve had it tougher than you so I’m better than you!” When you stop and think about it, it’s rather pathetic that people define themselves not by what they are, or by what they could be, but by what has happened to them. They allow circumstances to control and define them. Instead of overcoming they are trapped by the past.

Unfortunately, there are even some who use the badge of “victim” to excuse their own behavior. There’s no question that injustice does happen. When it does, it needs to be made right. But whether it is ever made right in this life or not, we should never justify our own wrongdoing because we were mistreated. Frankly, a lot of times people claim the status of being a victim to avoid responsibility. They have the attitude that because they, or their group, has been mistreated at some time in the past, society now owes them. Their victimhood excuses them from the consequences of their own decisions and actions.

The cross of Christ helps us put things in perspective. In one sense, Jesus was the ultimate victim. Here was a man who had never done anything wrong. He had spent His life trying to help people. He had healed, fed and comforted thousands. He had even raised people from the dead. Everything He did was good, and for the benefit of others. In return, people criticized and mocked Him. They spit in His face and beat Him. They whipped Him and nailed Him to a cross.

But was Jesus really a victim? No! He said, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…” (John 10:17-18 NIV)

Jesus didn’t go to the cross because He was a helpless victim. He could have easily avoided the cross altogether. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He spoke just a couple of words and the Roman soldiers who had come to arrest Him fell to the ground. When Peter struck a blow on His behalf Jesus told him, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? (Matthew 26:54 NIV)

Jesus went to the cross, not because He was forced but, voluntarily. He chose to suffer; He chose the cross as a means to an end. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 2:2 NIV)

Far from making Jesus a victim, it was the cross which unleashed God’s power and made salvation possible. And that same power is available to those of us who belong to Jesus. In Ephesians 1, verses 18 through 21, Paul writes, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (NIV)

Each week we eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of juice to remind us of Jesus’ cross. It reminds us of His suffering. It reminds us of the glory and position that Jesus received because of His obedience and sacrifice. It reminds us of God’s mighty power which raised Jesus from the dead. It reminds us that the same power is at work in us.

But the bread and juice also confront us with a choice. Jesus told us that in this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33). When trouble comes we can let it victimize us, or we can follow Jesus’ example and look beyond to what God wants to accomplish through our suffering. You see, Jesus not only told us trouble would come, He also instructs us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Today when we eat the bread and drink the cup, what will we choose? Will we choose to be victims, or will we voluntarily take up our cross and follow Jesus so that we will experience God’s mighty power?

(I gave this talk one Sunday when the preacher brought a sermon on Job’s suffering.)

Each week we remember Jesus’ suffering by eating a piece of bread which recalls to mind His body on the cross, and drinking a cup of juice which reminds us of His shed blood. When we do this we remember that He went through the agony of the crucifixion for us. It was our sin and wrongdoing that put Him there. It was His death which made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.

But today I want to look at things from a different perspective. Instead of considering Christ’s death from the point of view that it was our sin which put Him on the cross, let’s look at it from the standpoint of His innocence. He suffered even though He had done nothing wrong. Sinlessness did not keep Him from suffering. There’s a lesson it that which we need to remember

There is something in the makeup of most human beings to assume that trouble is always the result or consequence of wrongdoing. When someone suffers an illness, a heartache, or some other kind of trouble or catastrophe we are tempted to ask what they did to deserve it. “If they hadn’t done something wrong,” we say, “they wouldn’t be in this fix!”

Conversely, when things go well – particularly when we come through a situation which had the potential to harm us, we have a saying, “Well, I must have been living right!”

In reality, however, there is no direct relationship between suffering and unrighteousness. Scripture tells us repeatedly that Jesus was sinless. He did no wrong at all, yet He suffered horribly. The Roman governor, Pilate, admitted time after time that Jesus was innocent, but he executed Him anyway.

The Lord’s Supper which we eat each week reminds us that if we suffer, it does not necessarily mean that we’ve done anything wrong. We may be suffering because we are innocent! Living for Christ and doing what is right may be the very things which bring trouble on our heads. “In fact,” Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:12, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (NIV)

As Paul reminds us, we are not immune from suffering just because we are Christians. When trouble comes, we should not be surprised or shocked. Yes, we should take the opportunity to ask why we’re suffering. Eating the bread and drinking the juice gives us an opportunity for introspection. We should examine ourselves. If our suffering is a result of our own sin or wrongdoing, we need to confess it and repent. But on the other hand, we should not automatically assume that we have done something wrong because we are suffering. The bread and juice are also a reminder that the innocent suffer, too.

This ritual we take part in each week reminds us of another truth as well: Suffering is not the whole story. Jesus not only suffered and died, He also rose and was glorified. In fact Jesus’ suffering was a precondition for His being glorified. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it was because of Jesus’ obedience in going to the cross that God exalted Him to the highest place.

Since this is so, the bread and juice are not only a reminder, they are a promise. We may not always know why we have to suffer, but by remembering what Christ went through, we can look forward to the glory that we will one day receive because we belong to Him.

Peter writes, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:12-17 NIV)

Today as we take the emblems, lets look beyond the suffering they remind us of to the glory that they imply will one day be ours.

The Christian life is full of paradoxes. There are many things which are totally opposite to the way the world thinks and works.

For example, the world says that in order to get ahead, you have to take. You have to use every opportunity to accumulate things. But Jesus taught the opposite. He said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV) Further, we need to give with the right attitude. If we give with the motive of getting, rather than to bless others, we will not receive blessings in return.

The world teaches us that the way to become great is to promote yourself. In addition, a lot of people have the idea that in order to rise you have to do it at the expense of others. You have to knock everyone else down so you can get ahead of them. But Scripture teaches the exact opposite. Jesus told His disciples, “…You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45 NIV)

Later, the Apostle Peter wrote, “…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV)

Another one of the paradoxes of Christianity is that in order to live, we have to die. Jesus said, “…whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:35-37 NIV)

Along the same lines Paul wrote, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8 NIV)

The world teaches us not to display weakness. We should hide our vulnerabilities. We are supposed to be strong and act tough. In contrast, the Bible teaches us that we are strongest when we are weak. How can this be? It is because it is when we get out of the way and quit depending on ourselves, that God’s power can work through us.

In 1st Corinthians 1, verses 20 through 31 Paul writes, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”” (NIV)

This is one reason we take Communion each week. It reminds us of reality. It keeps things in perspective. We have nothing to boast about except what Christ has done for us. We are weak, and we need His strength. We are strong only in Him. The bread which represents Christ’s body and the juice which represents His blood, remind us that He died for us. In order to live, we too must die to self and take on His life.