Special

Brilliant.

Okay. Now we're just we're gonna have, we're gonna have a short meditation on, on the 4 gospels. Okay? Now I trust you've all, you know, had a great Christmas. If it was anything like mine, you've you've googled, you've started to Google diet plans.

Right? It was a great Christmas. I actually saw an advert, an advert, a billboard. I was walking the dog I saw a billboard, which is, and it was a, it was surprisingly a, like, a good billboard. You, you never see a good billboard, but, that was a Tesco advert on the 1 way system, and I walked past it, and I saw it.

And I mean, there's 1 Dan's got a picture. He's gonna stick up. It's the first picture. There we go. Tesco helps feed your Christmas spirit and there was there was a massive table of food.

Now obviously physical food isn't is, you know, it's gonna it's gonna help us with our relationships. It's gonna it's gonna sort of bond us together, and that's what they were going for. They were sort of playing playing on words, but tonight, we're gonna we're gonna feed our spirits on spiritual food on on food that will lead to eternal life. And so we're gonna we're we're gonna think about some verses from the first chapters of the 4 gospel. So we're gonna look at Matthew Mark Luke John.

Now I've changed the order in which we're gonna look at them. They're not as they are in in in the the bibles and I know there are arguments amongst Star Wars fans as to, you know, what movie, what, like, the order of the movies you should watch and, and also CS Lewis fans with the narnia books, his big arguments about what you should read first and stuff. We're not gonna argue about this. I'm making the decision. I'm up here.

I've got a microphone. But I think I I'm hoping that you're you're sort of you'll come with me when when I do this. So John starts way back at the beginning and even before the beginning in eternity. There's there actually isn't a place where John starts, right? Matthew starts his, his gospel in the old testament.

You you've got Luke's gospel that starts his, he he starts at the conception of Jesus. And so we're gonna we're gonna go, John, John, Matthew Luke, and then finally we're gonna we're gonna think about Mark. Mark hasn't got time for anything. He he does it's not that he doesn't care about, you know, the, the beginnings. He's just in a big rush, alright?

And so he starts when Jesus is 30 years old, at the start of his ministry, but we're, and we're just gonna finish off looking at that first verse of Mark's gospel. So that's what we're gonna do tonight. It's gonna take maybe 20 minutes to half an hour. We're just gonna think about the gospel, and so let's pray. Father that we thank you so much, for for allowing us to be here for bringing us here tonight, We thank you for saving us, lord.

We thank you for working in us, opening our eyes. And as we've been singing tonight, thank you for giving us second birth, and we pray lord that you would feed us tonight as we as we think about as we think about Jesus and who he is and the fact that he came and why he came, we pray that you would help us to delight in you and to enjoy you and and to enjoy your word and to to be challenged and growing. So we pray for your help now in Jesus' name, amen. So I wanna make this, meditation as practical as possible, because it's Christian meditation. Right?

It's it's we're chewing over god's word. And so, all my head I've got 1 heading for each gospel, and these are the headings. I'm just gonna give you them up front. John's gonna help us to believe in the word who explains life. Matthew, is gonna help us to worship the king who died for us in.

Luke is gonna be is gonna help us to be certain of the things that we've been taught, and Mark is gonna help us to delight in the good news and fear nothing. And so those are those are the take homes. If you're online, you could turn off now if you really want, but, but why don't you stay around for a bit? You might enjoy it. So look, the first verse, of of John's gospel and the fourteenth verse first couple of verses of John's gospel and the fourteenth verse, believe the believe in the word who explains life.

Look look at verse 1 of of John's gospel, verse 1 and 2. In the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god. He was with god in the beginning. In the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god. He was with god in the beginning.

Now, verse 1 is a chasm that I have to jump over, except for 1 thing. I wrote a little bit on it and it just started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I chucked it for another time, but away, the the big thing in John's prologue in the first sort of 18 verses of John's gospel, is is who is the word? That's the big question that he's asking. And, verse 1 and 2 are amazing if, you know, I really would encourage you to go and dig into, John's gospel.

I have some recommendations of books you can go and look at, but just look look at verse 1 and 2. Right? John's John's saying to us that, the the word is a person, and the word has always been a person. And verse 1, it's the words was with that in English are in, you know, in the original Greek language are incredible. They mean face to face in in a a deep intimate relationship.

Yeah. The word was with god. It's not just like he was standing next to him. Alright, mate? Yeah.

I don't know. Good. Good. Thanks. Yeah.

No. It's it's face to face. The this word was with god, and the word was god. And in verse 2, he comes straight out and says that he is he was with god in the beginning. So John wants to tell us the word is a he.

Now why is this important? And the reason why it's important is because, the world into which John's gospel was written, the ancient world, the Greeks had, they had lots of philosophies and beliefs, and they had this they had this word called called word. They they had this word, and in Greek, it's logos, right? Logos. And they have, you know, it they had this term logos, and 1 Bible commentator has said, the Greeks had used the term logos in their philosophical explanations regarding the functioning of the world, how the world works, how the world makes sense Right?

They used this word logos. It was it was impersonal. It was an ordering force, and it gave harmony to the whole universe. That's if you were a Greek in the first century, that's what you would think is like. What's, you know, what what makes the world tick or the logos does?

Oh, yeah. That's that that thing, isn't it? That that, that guiding force, you know? I mean, it does make me think a little bit of star wars a little, you know. That's what the Greeks were, and here comes John.

Here comes John, and he says the word is a person. If if anything in life made sense, it was because of the logos, and John is saying that this logos, this word was a divine person, and he had existed for eternity past face to face with the Hebrew god of the Bible. And this is this is insane. And you you've really got to understand like who John was and where he was. This, you know, this man was a fisherman, uneducated He was from a a puny, tiny, insignificant Po dunk backwater place called Israel, and he's saying that the cosmic transcendent personal god that made the world came into the world here.

It's it's amazing and and no wonder the Greeks used to say this is foolishness when they when they heard the gospel, it wasn't just the resurrection of Jesus that made them go foolish. This is madness. It was it was probably, who Jesus was. Who who who Christians claimed he was? He was the word.

He was the 1 who made everything make sense. Look, look what else though John says in in in these, in these few verses. Look, he he says he says, by all things in verse 3, by all thi by him, all things were made by this this this this person, this word. By him, all things were made without him, nothing was made. That's verse 3.

In verse 4, he says, he was life. He was life itself. In verse 4 again, he was the light of all mankind. If anything good that, you know, if if there was anything good in man or if anything good happened to man, it was because of him. That's what John's saying.

He was the light of all mankind. Thus 5 says he shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. And you you sort of you have to think, well, how how does John know this? He's a fisherman. How does he know this?

And that's where verse 14 comes into play. Verse 14 says the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the 1 and only son who came from the father full of grace and truth. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Hands up if you like chili con carne.

Chile con carne. Right? There we go. If you next time you eat a chili con carne, I I know this is borderline blasphemy, but, praise Jesus and say, look, this is Chile in meat. Right?

Chile Con Carney. Yeah? Right? And and and Jesus is is god in flesh. God in meat.

It's amazing. And and so he came he came into the world. He he was he looked John in the eye and he lived with him for 3 years, and he ate with him, and he laughed and cried with him. And he, you know, he he went and died on the cross. And, you know, remember from John's gospel, he he was he was the only 1 that was there watching it of his of his followers.

And so this is how John knows this. He's he's seen it. He's like, look, nothing else makes sense unless this is true. Nothing else makes sense in the world unless Jesus is the 1 who explains everything thing, unless Jesus really is the 1 who made everything. God, he's he I don't know how he can be, god and the son of god, but I just know that that's what he is because that's what he said.

And everything he did back it up, all the signs, all the miracles. And so that's that's how he knows. He had seen him with his own eyes, and John says, he is glorious. He is glorious, he is full and bring bringing over with grace and with truth. So this this word logos, this, person came into flesh.

And why did he come verse 5 to shine his light to overcome the darkness? And and and this is where I think it really can start to make sense to us. It it this is where it does explain, doesn't it? It does explain, the world. The, you know, god made this world good and and there are good things about it.

We can enjoy things. We can enjoy Christmas. We can enjoy lovely dead birds. They you know, we put herbs and spices on, and and there's loads of wonderful things. I mean, I don't know why I picked turkey.

It's just a terrible thing, but, you know, good there are good things, aren't there? We can enjoy stuff, but but we know that that the world is in darkness as well. The world that god had made, the good world that god has made is in deep darkness, and it's in the shadow of death. And and we're wrapped up in it too, aren't we? And and we actually some, you know, a lot of the time we love it, we love our sin.

That's what the the gospel of John goes on to say. We we love our sin and and, you know, we're we're confused and, and sin blinds us, and we don't know our left hand from our right hand, but This is why Jesus came in the flesh. This is why the word became flesh. He came into this world because we couldn't dig ourselves out of the hole we got ourselves in. We couldn't get ourselves out of the mess that we were in.

It says here that he is the son. We have seen his glory, the glory of the 1 and only son who came from the father full of grace and truth. So Jesus Kate comes. He comes. If he's the son of the father and he's come, look at verse 12.

Look at what me look at what it means. So that verse 12 says, and yet to all who did receive him, and believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of god. Do you know what that means? That means Jesus is is our big brother in the best sense He's not BDI ing us, but he's he's come to stick up for us. I don't know if you've got a big brother, but I have, and that was always 1 of my core memories is in the playground at Sergio Lilly School and getting a fight again and my brother who's actually smaller than me, but don't pick on him.

He he he was like a, you know, he would go wild if you if you, you know, started anything. And he was there backing me up, and that's just wonderful. And, you know, I know it's weird, but, you know, Jesus came into this world to to be to help us to become children of God. He came so that we might have the right to become children of god, you know, that that is that's amazing, isn't it? And so so this is this is Jesus.

This is the 1 we worship. This is the 1, you know, John says, believe in this word. It explains life. It. So the the word who explains everything, the son who took flesh and came to live as 1 of us so that we could be free.

He he is the 1 that we need to believe in, isn't it? So that we can live as god intended us in relationship with him, forgiven and restored. And so John helps us to believe in the word who explains life. I I wonder if that if that makes sense to you. Does it does does Jesus explain life?

Does does it make sense that he made everything and that it's, you know, broken because of our sin and he's the only 1 that could come to fix it, and so he did. So many people in this room, for many many of us, it does makes makes perfect sense. And, you know, if you're someone who is still getting to know this, then keep going with it. And so Matthew helps us next, to to know how to receive him. You know, we believe John says, you believe.

Yeah. Believe believe in the 1 but what does it mean to believe? Well, in Matthew, we we, you know, we meet the king. We we bow, we humble ourselves, we worship him as king, and we surrender everything to him. Look look at the first verse of of Matthew's genealogy, of of Matthews's gospel.

It says this, this is the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. It's is who Jesus is to Matthew. He he's writing to a mainly of Jewish audience, and so Messiah is a big word for him, and you'll see it if you read on in in Matthew's first chapter. You know, how do we how do we know that Jesus is the king. How do we know that he's the 1 that that, that was, you know, gonna come and fix the world?

Matthew says, I'm so glad you asked. He says, look, Jesus is the Messiah because he fulfills all the promises that god gave to his people over hundreds and even thousands of years. The 1 who was the word and through whom all things were made came into the world to be our savior, to be our Christ, to be our our Messiah, our king, and Matthew doesn't wanna hide it. He's not interested in doing that. So he says in in first verse, this is the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham am.

In verse 16, it says, and Jacob, the, with the father of Joseph, the fa the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah verse 17. Have you forgotten already? Who Jesus is? Let me just say again, look, verse 17, thus, there were 14 generations in all from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon and 14 from the exile to the Messiah. And then again, verse 18, 1 verse later.

This is how the birth of Jesus, by the way, if you've forgotten, he's the Messiah. This is how the birth of Jesus, the Messiah came about. And so, you know, Matthew, I I think Matthew's burden is, look, he he wants us to come worship the king who came to die for our sins. And just think about these verses. Look verse 1, he is David's son, son of David, it says.

And if you wanna, a Bible reference for later on, to Samuel 7 7 13, it it god promises that a son will come of David and will build the temple for him. You know, it's a it's a prophecy to David. He says, no, David, you're not gonna build me a house. Your son's gonna build me a house. But and and so there's a a historical context that it that that is going on in to Samuel but there's a greater promise right at the end of the verse.

It says he is the 1 and Solomon did build the the temple by the way. He is the 1 who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Solomon died. His his kingdom wasn't established forever. And so, and so, Christian, you know, Jews, who are waiting for the Messiah and Christians see in in the end of this verse a a a promise of the Messiah.

He's Abraham's son, verse 1 in. He is he's the son of Abraham. And remember the promise to Abraham. God's he no. That there there are a lot of there are a lot of men who who walk around, this this this town, and they walk around like they're god's gift to women, don't they?

Yeah. Or or there were lots of women who, you know, do the maybe do the same. Think about, I'm I'm god's gift to my family. Right? But Jesus really was god's gift to the world.

Right? Remember that the La Promise God mater Abraham. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you, I will curse, and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.

He's so he he's fulfilling these promises. Here comes Jesus. He is the 1 through whom all peoples of the earth will be blessed. And you will be and we we are blessed, aren't we? If we if we come to know him as our savior.

Verse 18 says, he's not just David's or Abraham's son, he's Mary's son. Look at look at verse 18. This is how the birth of Jesus, the Messiah came about. His mother, Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. And it goes on in verse 22 to set to to tell us what this means.

Matthew's saying, look, he's the king. He is the rescuer. He is the Messiah because he fulfills the promises that god gave us. Verse 22 says, all this took place to fulfill what the lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son, and they will call him immanuel, which means god with us.

And so do you see? He's the 1 who is just so worthy of our worship. For a for a first century due to worship Jesus was was blasphemy, and and you know, don't you? Because they were, like, you know, they that's what they were accused of. But if if Jesus really is who the who the the promises say he is, and, then then he is god with us.

And so he's Mary he's David's son, he's Abraham's son, he's Mary's son, and he's Joseph's son, verse 21. Look at verse 21 with me. She will give birth to a son. And now this is an angel in the dream to Joseph. She will give birth to a son, so you can go ahead and marry her.

Don't be afraid. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Joseph, you know, in back in those days, the, you know, the the the man was the 1 that gave the name name to the child, but here's an angel saying, you're not gonna to give him a name because he's got a greater name. He's he's you're gonna you're gonna be a steward of him for a few years, but his father is not of this world. He's the eternal son, and he's come to save his people So here's the question, will you worship this king who died for your sin?

That's why Jesus is named Jesus, isn't it? It it means Joshua, god saves and Christ means king. Jesus Christ, that's not his first and his last name. That is that's his title. That's, you know, that's who what Jesus God saves Christ, the king, the savior.

So will you worship him? Will you will you believe in him and will it explain all your all of your life? Will you worship him? The 1 who died for your sins? What about Luke?

Luke says, look, you can these next 2 are very quick. These this and they're amazing. Luke says be certain of the things you have been taught. Have you been taught? What things have you been taught?

I I just I I love this little section of Luke, the first 4 verses. It's not like any other gospel. He he says many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among So if you read it through fast, you you can just skip over the word things, and it made me think, when when Luke sat down to write this, I wonder what words he thought of first. Maybe he maybe did this, like, many have undertaken to draw up an account of the promises. Yeah.

But there weren't just promises. There were signs. Yeah. But, okay, signs and promises. I've I've gotta have a word that sort of gets them all together.

What there was there were signs and there were wonders Oh, what what about the healings? But then there was the words that he he said so many wonderful words. And his deeds, you know, and then he goes, alright. Okay. Do you know what?

Things? Just we're just gonna put them in a box called things. Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, with this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning. I too decided to write an audio orderly account for you most excellent theophilus so that you may know the certainty of the things that you've been taught. Great.

So, you know, are you certain of the things you've been taught? That's what Luke wants to say. You can be certain in in a world of uncertainties in a and even in a world where you're not supposed to be certain about stuff you know, post modern sort of, you know, coolness. No. Luke says be certain about this thing, you know, fine.

Be uncertain about other stuff. Yeah. I'm I'm okay with that. But but about these things, about the things that were fulfilled amongst them that that Luke has carefully investigated from the beginning. Believe these believe this orderly down.

And I think it will make us like the people who handed it down from, you know, to Luke, wouldn't it? It says, look, these things were handed down to us from those who have the first eyewitnesses, we can't be eyewitnesses, but they were also servants of the word. Yeah. If we're certain of these things, we'll we will also be servants of the word. And so this is why we need to be certain, isn't it?

And also also lovers of God. That's not that that brilliant little word theophilus. It might have been a real bloke. And if so, well done to his mom and dad. You chose a very good name.

Theophilus means, god lover. It might have been a group of people. You know, it might have been sort of 1 of those, antonyms but doesn't really matter, does it? Look, if you are certain of the things you've been taught, you will be a servant of the word and you will be a lover of god. And so, you know, look, believe in Jesus, worship him, be certain of the things you've been taught, and finally, Mark's gospel.

And for this 1, delight in the good news and fear nothing. And I didn't think of this before. I don't know why, but the small in orange class and, cornerstone kids lesson was all about Jesus being in the boat with the disciples and them going through a very scary storm. And, and we learned we learned that we don't need to fear because Jesus is with us, and, which is brilliant. And, and, I think that's that's sort of 1 of the big burdens of Mark's gospel.

I I I I was also wondering, like, I think, I think Mark may have been the 1 who ran away naked at the at the garden. That's what that's what people say. So I think fear was a big thing for Mark. And so look, the first verse of this gospel, the beginning of good news about Jesus, the Messiah, the son of God. This is what he's this is what he he's excited about.

The beginning of the good news. That's what that's that's Mark's big word word, and it's it's good news about Jesus. And, you know, maybe some of you do know that the the good that word good news, it it's the word gospel and it's all also, it's also where we get the word evangelical from. We are we are evangelical Christians. We are gospel Christians.

We believe in the good news. By the way, side note, there are there there is a gap in the market for any mums, any any any families that are having children. We've lost our evangeline. She's gone to Hope church. So now we've got we've got, and you can have the name of Angeline, and no 1 else in the church has got it.

Just just gonna put that out there. Yeah. That that that name, that child is called good news. Yeah? That'll be a wonderful name to call your child, won't it?

But seriously, what are you afraid of? What are you scared about? Is there anyone who is afraid of anything? The dark death sending your kid overseas, stinking Vietnam, maybe, just, you know, not sorry. Vietnam is not stinking.

I mean, yeah. She's she's going on she's going with a friend on her own, and it's 3 weeks before she gets to the safety of Australia. Anyway, what are you what are you scared of? What what what what does 20 25 hold for you? None of us know do do we.

But look, if you delight yourself in the lord, delight yourself in the good news of Jesus in the news that that he has done it all. He it is finished. Your sins have been paid for. He he he rose again from the dead after dying for your sins. This is the good news.

In a every time I read this verse, I can't help think about, our dear brother who can't preach anymore because he's with the lord. Tim Keller, you know, he says that it's not good advice. It's good news. It's about an event that's already taken place. And and so, you know, the the runner comes over the hills and brings the news that the victory is won.

And so we don't need to be afraid. We don't need to be afraid of 20 25. We can go into it. It might not be it might not be easy. It might not be a better roses.

And there might be scary things ahead, but we don't have to fear them if, you know, if we're with Jesus. We don't have to fear without hope. We don't have to fear without joy. Rory last week, you know, preached about Jairus and his daughter and the woman who had, you know, the bleeding for 12 years. I wonder how, you know, they were afraid, weren't they?

But they came to Jesus. And after that, they had a a wonderful testimony. I'm not raid anymore. But this is the good news. We're over we're nearly over time, but there there was a there is a there is a quote just about just about death.

I think might be really helpful for us. And it comes from, the bishop of Alexandria called Athhenasius, who lived in the third and fourth century. I just want to finish on this, because it is, it's it's such a wonderful thing. And I think maybe in this modern age, we've lost this, view of how we view death and and scary things. It goes it just goes like this, and that devil, that once militia easily exalted in death now that its pains were loosed remain the only 1 truly dead.

And the proof of this that before and and a proof of this is that before men believe Christ, this is how they see death. It it's an object of terror and, and, the play of a coward before him. But when they are gone over to Christ's faith and teaching, their contempt for death is so great that they even eagerly rush upon it and become witnesses for the resurrection the savior has accomplished against it. For while still tender in years, they make haste to die, and not only men, but women also exercise themselves in bodily discipline against it You know, the men and the women, they're not we're not scared of death. You know, we're gonna run towards it because we've got hope.

It says, so weak has he become the devil and death that even women who are formally deceived by him now mock at him as dead and paralyzed. For as when a tyrant has been defeated by a real king and bound hand and foot, then all that passed by and laughed it laughed him to scorn, buffeting and reviling him no longer fearing his fury and barbarity. Because of the king who has conquered him. So also, death having been conquered and exposed by the savior on the cross and bound hand and foot, all they who are in Christ as they pass by trample on him and witness into Christ scoff at death jesting at him and saying, what has what has been written against him of old? Oh, death, where is your victory, a grave?

Where is your sting? That's the kind of view of death we need, isn't it? You know, we we we mock it. We we laugh at it. You know, our brother Paul Paul Paul Whitfield, you know, throughout 20 24, facing death, you know, looking at it looking at it in in the face.

You know, this this was his view. And it was incredible, isn't it? Amazing to see him, you know, trusting Jesus living for Jesus doing all he can in the time he's been given. You know, I'm sure there were tears, sure there were there were there was fear, but there wasn't there wasn't fear. There wasn't cowardice.

He could face it because he knew he he has gone over to the the faith that Christ has given him. And so, let's, let's, let's do that. Let's, let's, you know, let's believe in the word, who explains everything. Yeah, ma, let, you know, Luke He he's the 1 who helps us to be certain of the things we've been taught, Matthew, you know, he's he calls us to worship the king who died for our sins, and Mark says delight in the good news and fear nothing. And that that would be a really good, you know, few words to take into 20 25, won't it?

And, and, you know, aim for. How about that as a as a name? Let's pray. Far that we we do thank you for for your precious word. We thank you that it it it is so amazing when we look at it and when we take time to to read it and think about it.

It's been half an hour, and and, we haven't even scratched the surface. There's so much treasure here. There's there's so much food for our spirits, real food. That can that can sustain us in the darkest of times, food that can explain the world to us and and and even, you know, give us life. Lord, we we pray that you would help as we go into 20 25 and as as we, give thanks for 20 24 and, we pray that you would you would help us, to be people of of the book, to be people of the goss fall to be people who believe Jesus to worship him as king and to delight in in him and fear nothing.

And so we pray, you would help us to go from this place tonight rejoicing in the truth. And, we we thank you again in Jesus' name, amen.