John 1:6-8,19-28

God entering our human flesh and bones in this Messiah long-promised, chooses a fellow human of the same flesh and bones to point to his move, his presence, his light, his Star of Christmas. 

Makes me wonder that if there is no John the Witness, we might miss Jesus the Saviour? If we don’t hear John’s witness, we might miss the bold move of God to truly be ‘Emmanuel’; God with us.  

You are not a stand-alone individual needing to do life your way. You are deeply connected to and loved by the God who has come near to you and still does. 

Titus 3:4-7

Christmas actually does things to us because this Saviour-child did things and is still doing things he began back in that shed.  

Of course, it is safer to keep Christmas happy and traditional family time. Nothing wrong with family or tradition. But if that is all this celebration is for you who have been on the receiving end of the kindness and love of God, that is short-changing God and this Christ-Child. 

So, what is Christmas meant to do for this local Christian community?

Revelation 21:1-6a 

This picture of the 'sheep and the goats' at our end always seems to come across as an angry God finally getting his payback on people. 

This is no mere piece of art imagined by a mere human being pondering great mysteries unsure of who God actually is. This is God giving the vision of how it actually is and how it will be. 

Even more, this is a vision of the final point in human history told by a real person; a person who claims to be God himself in his own human history and place. He is the baby in the box born for the cross.

Only the skilled Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep in love knows who is who. Only he can draft these animals accurately. Only he really knows them and sees them inside and out.

What and why this Child? Luke 1:26–38 

Mary is not feeling the glow of Christmas lights or the warms and fuzzy vision of a family Christmas lunch! Mary is terrified at the arrival of the news.  

But in her fear, she finds a crucial question. What child is this? 

And even more: Why this child?

Why lies He in such mean estate,
 Where ox and ass are feeding?
 Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
 The silent Word is pleading. 

‘The silent Word is pleading”. Is that Christmas for you. 

I Am Legion

Luke 8:26-39

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. 

I can’t help but think of people I have come across or heard about with huge mental illness challenges when I hear of this Geresene man living outside of town in the graveyard without a thread of clothing, in a constant state of fear and alert, and scars all over his self-harmed body.  

What has happened to this man? How did he get like this? What went so wrong and where are his family, his friends?  

And what on earth is Jesus doing out here in this danger zone of death. He is a Jew in unclean, unknown Gentile territory on the far side of the sea.  

We are watching this happen with the silent disciples. They say and do nothing in this whole account. Maybe they are still shell-shocked after that scary night on the sea they have just experienced – when even the wind and sea obeyed Jesus’ command to be silent. They are silent now…

We don’t even go into town. Instead, we head out to the fringe of thins fringy place. We meet this dangerous man who cannot be chained by chains but is totally chained by the dark side, the demonic, the pain the isolation, the self-harm, the lostness.  

“Legion”. His own name does not count anymore. He is ‘Legion”  

For people in the ancient Roman world, “Legion” had only one meaning: a unit of approximately six thousand occupying, seemingly all-powerful Roman soldiers. Romans rule. Roman control. Roman take your freedom and use it for their gain. Same for demons. They

We all want this final affirmation for living now with some clarity, some hope, some meaning some joy. I want to ‘enter in the joy of the Master’ who knows what I am doing and have done and will do, so that in the end he ticks my contribution as good, useful, meaningful, gospel good news in a very ‘un-gospel’ world. 

Press On toward the goal: Into the Water

          1 Peter 3:18-22 The flood a symbol of baptism

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah  while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God.[b] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 

 Mark 1:9-15 The baptism, temptation, and preaching of Jesus

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ 

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. 

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ 

Friends, as we enter another Lent, we begin with water; the water of Noah’s flood and the water of your baptism into Jesus in the water.  

Peter speaks about both ‘waters’. He does this to speak God’s grace into your heart as you ponder God’s heart of love for you in the innocent suffering and dying of his Son these forty days.  

Peter is speaking to people suffering some kind of “fiery ordeal”. Some say this is something like a mild persecution in their region – being excluded from life in the community because of their faith in Jesus.  

I don’t know what kind of ‘fiery ordeal’ you may be facing at the moment. But Peter says this ‘water’ is the cleansing stream that will enable you to get through well.  

On the experience of suffering, Peter asks the question: Is it better to suffer for evil or to suffer for good? 

Some might say, “Who cares!? I just don’t want to suffer!!” Fair enough. But there is a bit of difference between suffering for something evil you have been engaged with or suffering for doing only good.  

If you suffer for evil, you probably deserve it. You are getting your just reward. But if you suffer for good, then you probably don’t deserve it and are not getting what is just.  

Peter’s little question might have come from well-known words of one of the famous philosophers lots of people in his communities would have known. From Plato:

“To act unrighteously is worse, in that it is more disgra

We Are His Building

John 2:13-22

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’[a]

18 The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’

19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’

20 They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 

What Jesus did this day in the Temple area must have made quite an impression. All four gospel writers recall it.  

John tells us that at the time, they did not really know what Jesus was doing. It is only after the resurrection that they recalled that the Scriptures say that ‘zeal for the Lord’s house’ would consume the Messiah and that the temple Jesus was speaking of on this day was not the temple they were standing in but the new temple of his own body.  

John tells it differently to the others too. He does not share it as being a trigger for the final lead up to the crucifixion at the end of Jesus ministry like the others. John remembers it being at the very beginning – right after the wine at the wedding in Cana. John is saying something different to the others about this.  

When Jesus enters the temple area, nothing is unusual. The whole sacrificial system of animals, birds, grain and exchange of currencies have to be done somewhere. The Jerusalem temple is a huge open market space in the centre of the city.  

Why is Jesus zealous enough to personally make a whip-chord, turn over tables of foreign exchange merchants and rattle the cages of those doves!? He does not call the place a ‘den of robbers’ as Matthew, Mark and Luke tell it. This does not seem to be a protest about malpractice or corruption. It seems to be bigger… deeper.  

For John, Jesus seems to signalling the dismantling of the whole thing – building, system, practices…..  

This temple, this building with all of its associated roles, stories, symbols of religious identity and even national pride is no longer necessary. Jesus is not talking ‘reform’, he is talking complete revolutionary shift. It is being demolished to be replaced by something bigger and better. That is BIG!  

Everyone knows that this is God’s building. What could possibly be better?  

This building was originally established at the Lord’s direct command - first via Tent of Meeting in the Exodus wilderness, then by Solomon, then rebuilt to part of its former glory by retuned exiles under Nehemiah and Ezra and then finally made great again by Herod for his own political purposes and personal ego. We hear that it has taken Herod 46 years to build so far. 

Like security people at the footy, when Jesus disrupts the whole show, the keepers of the Temple are on the job straight away.  

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The Spirit is Working

Acts 7:55-60

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep. 

We have been celebrating the greatest moment that changes the world and created a whole new community in the world this season of Easter. And even is what has been a tough vintage, we have been trying to enjoy our Vintage Festival and Thanksgiving celebrations.  

But now, without warning, we are confronted with this violent episode of the Stephen, the first person killed for faith in Jesus in those first heady days of that first gospel community.  

The whole deadly affair sounds similar to what had happened to Jesus just a short time ago. The great victory over those in power maybe was only short-lived? 

How did Stephen arise?  

The first gospel community in Jerusalem was made up for Greek speaking and Hebrew speaking people – The Hellenist (Greek language and culture) and the Jewish (Hebrew language and culture) disciples.  

Luke tells us that a dispute arose. In the immediate generosity that broke out in this fledgling community, a system of allocating income and food to the more vulnerable people in the new community came to be. Those who had gave to those who did not. A fair percentage of those who were vulnerable were women who had lost their husbands. They had no rights and very few options. Therefore, they often had to live on almost nothing.  

The dispute was about seeming favouritism in the daily distribution.  

The Greek speaking people complained to the Jewish speaking people about their widows being overlooked in this daily distribution.   

Wisely, ‘The Twelve’ – Those 11 eye witnesses of Jesus, plus the one who came into the group to replace Judas (Matthias) took quick action to settle this dispute.  

They appoint overseers of this welfare ministry who would make sure the whole thing was done fairly.  

One of those seven people appointed as Stephen. 

They were all “full of both the Spirit and wisdom” (6:3). But Stephen seems to be recognised in the community as being very gifted. Stephen is the first one named in the group, and the only one to receive specific praise as one “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (6:5) and “full of grace and power,” doing signs and wonders among the people (6:8).  

Stephen is most annoying to those who hold all the power in the city synagogue community because, like Jesus, he speaks in a way that his detractors find impossible to dispute (6:10). This is just how Jesus said it would be in Luke 21:15 as he speaks with The Twelve before they became ‘The Twelve’; 

15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 

So, bold Stephen speaks in front of the powers that be.  

Stephen does not hold back! His sermon is long. It is a lot longer than Jesus’ ‘Twitter’ length responses to those accusing him. It is longer than Peter’s Pentecost Day sermon a little while before this one. This sermon is longer than Paul’s sermons.  

Stephen goes throug

The Treasure We Live and Leave

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 Peter breaks into praise years after those heady days of the resurrection as he writes to encourage his people. 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  

 He speaks of a trusted inheritance that reaches back into the present struggle of life to give joy and hope in that struggle.  

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us ….. an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  

Peter begins with that great event – the Resurrection from death by Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.  

Everything he says and everything good and worth struggling for is founded on that resurrection of Jesus.  

I think a lot of people who do any serious thinking about Christianity soon bump into the news of this resurrection. They then realize that because Christian faith is founded on the resurrection, it is an all or nothing faith and life. Accordingly so many choose the ‘nothing’. It is easier and safer.  

The close circle of people around Jesus got that truth right up close and personal when the resurrected Jesus appeared and greeted them with the all- encompassing peace of God for their new life with him. 

This faith we live is not something you manufacture on your terms. It comes by the grace of God on his terms and for his purposes in your life.  

Jesus is a matter of the heart, not just of your thinking or your will.  

I reckon a lot of people know this and stay away. They don’t really want a Saviour because that would overtake your heart and that would shape your thinking and your will, your decisions, your choices, your decisions – and that is a direct challenge to your very self and your whole life.  

Jesus always knew this. Do you remember that day on the grassy slopes by the Sea of Galilee when he launched into a description of how things would eventually be in this new creation he was here to inaugurate? It is called the ‘Sermon on the Mount. 

 “You’ve heard it said…… But I say….”. 

“You have heard it said (by your parents, your synagogue leaders, your legal people, your priests and your whole community all your life) that that it is an eye for an eye…. But I say, love your enemies,,,, 

Jesus is telling t