READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

REFLECTION

Hi there, it’s Dave again and I’m back to round up the week. It’s been a great week for STC Foundations podcasts. We’ve had three different people giving their perspective on Isaiah 9:2-7 this week. It’s been really encouraging to hear how God can speak to three people about such different things all from the same few verses. I hope you’ve been blessed as much as I have by the fantastic messages Heather, Paddy and Helen brought to us.

On Tuesday Heather talked about being part of God’s family, bearing the family likeness. On Wednesday Paddy spoke of joy. Helen brought a message yesterday about shouldering the responsibilities that we are given in a healthy way. About lives led in a way that provides stability for others yet are flexible enough to see where God’s Kingdom is breaking through. It’s going to sound simple but the constant theme throughout these messages is Jesus. Jesus makes a difference in our lives and can make a difference in the lives of those we love this Christmas.  Verses two and six read ‘The people walking in darkness, have seen a great light;  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given’. As each of our speakers this week have said, Jesus is the key. He will bring out the family likeness in us; He fills us with joy; He shows us the way to live good lives. Paddy put it so well on Wednesday when he said that we ‘don’t have to train ourselves to be joyful, we simply have to train ourselves to look to God.’  That is what Advent is all about.

Advent is a time of waiting. A time of preparation. A time of anticipation. A time of reflection. But above all, it is an invitation. An invitation to come and see. Come and see and encounter the living God. We have a tradition at STC, at the start of each gathering that happens during Advent we pause. We do this at Crookes Carols, we do this at the nativity, we do it in kids’ Church. Before we sing, before we hear from the Bible, we bring the lights down, everyone goes quiet and a candle is brought in from the back of the room. The Advent candles are lit from it and we reflect on the light coming into the darkness, helped by the words and pictures of a video made by our talented media team. There’s always great anticipation over this video. About a month ago a call went round the building. The world premier was about to happen on the big screens in the worship area! We all dropped what we were doing and went to watch. The lights went down and the video came on. I couldn’t help but be struck by the simplicity and power of the lyrics to the song that they had used. The song is called Noel and the chorus reads like this: ‘Noel, Noel, come and see what God has done. Noel, Noel, the story of amazing love. The light of the world, given for us, Noel. Noel means the birth of the mighty one, the birth of the mighty God. There is so much to reflect on in those words.

My question for us today is the same as Monday: what is God saying to you this Advent? What strikes you from this song, this Bible passage? I’m going to put a link to the song at the bottom of the text version of this. It’s simply called Noel by Chris Tomlin if you want to search for it. I want to encourage you to take time today, this weekend, to pause. Play the song. Light a candle. Reflect on the light of the world, a child born, a Son given. Ask God to speak into your life this Advent and Christmas.

PRAYER

Lord thank you for the truth of this Advent story. Thank you that a prophecy 700 years before your birth spoke of the joy that you would bring into this world. During this season of Advent and Christmas would you speak to us Lord. Let us encounter you through this incredible story. Amen.

Chris Tomlin - Noel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vwu-t7QRaE

READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

REFLECTION

Hi, my name is Helen Ward and, with my husband Alan, I lead Community Church at STC Sheffield.

This week the podcasts are reflecting upon just one Bible passage – Isaiah 9 verses 2-7. Do make time to read all these verses, but today I am just going to focus on verse 6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”  In particular I want to think about the second part of this verse - “and the government will be on his shoulders.”

What God spoke to me about as I read through these verses was shoulders, actual shoulders. This may sound slightly bizarre, so I’ll provide some context...

Two days before I was asked to do this podcast, I went with Alan to an ultrasound scan that he was having on his shoulder. Having only ever seen an ultrasound of our children during my pregnancies, I was curious to see what an ultrasound of a different body part would look like. To be honest, I was disappointed. As Alan moved his shoulder around in different positions, I could see things going up, down and around on the screen, but my untrained eye could not identify anything. The consultant on the other hand was very impressed, and told Alan that the internal structure of his shoulder was so perfect, that he could be a model! And so, 48 hours after discovering that I was married to a man with model shoulders, I was sat at home reading these verses in Isaiah, and asking God what he wanted to say to me through them. The second part of verse 6 just leapt out at me. “And the government will be on his shoulders.”

As I read this verse, I felt God asking me, ‘What does it look like to shoulder responsibility in the way that Jesus did?’

If I think about the phrase ‘shouldering the responsibility’ I most readily think of something that is difficult, a burden, something that stops people from doing what they want to do. Overall it seems quite negative and doesn’t display the attributes that I associate with a life centred on Jesus.

However, a quick internet search for a description of what a shoulder does; reveals something incredibly positive. I learnt that the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the whole body, capable of a remarkable range of motion. The key to a shoulder working properly is the relationship between ligaments, muscles and tendons. The shoulder provides stability and facilitates movement. To operate effectively it must be mobile enough for action, yet stable enough to enable lifting, pushing and pulling.

“And the government will be on his shoulders.”

I asked myself these questions:

- If I want to shoulder responsibility in the way that Jesus does, then am I acting in a way that provides the stability to lift others and to push them further on in their faith?

- Where responsibility has been placed on my shoulders am I operating in a way that facilitates movement and action in the Kingdom of God?

- And in these areas that I am shouldering, am I mindful of my relationship with others, and how we can effectively work together to fulfil God’s purposes in our lives and in the lives of those around us?

“And the government will be on his shoulders.”

And so, as you go about your day today; lifting the kids into the car, pushing the trolley around the supermarket, or maybe even pulling a Christmas cracker, think about the areas of responsibility that God has placed on you. What does it mean to shoulder these in the way that Jesus would? Have they become a burden, leading you to a place of inertia, or are you mobile enough for action in the things that God wants you to do? Ask Jesus to show you how you can be a person who provides stability and facilitates movement. Ask him to help you to work effectively with others in order to see His kingdom move forward and His name be lifted high. Remember that you were made to do something remarkable for God.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you that it is through knowing Jesus, that we can really see the true model of how you intended us to live. Today as we give to you again those areas of our lives where you have given us responsibility – our family, our work, our finances – help us to shoulder them in the way that Jesus would want us to. Thank you that you want to do something remarkable through each one of us. Amen.

READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

REFLECTION

Hello and welcome to Thursday’s podcast. My name is Paddy and I am on the youth team here; I also work at The Sheffield Brewery Company. It’s great to be sharing a word from the Bible with you today. Today we are continuing to look at Isaiah 9:2-7. I would encourage you to read the whole passage again today when you can. It’s just such a great passage.

I want to focus on the first 2 verses though: ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.’

I want to focus on one word in particular today: Joy. The dictionary has it down as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. It says in the New Testament in Ephesians that Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. I distinctly remember saying to my brother once ‘I really think God is teaching me about the gift of Joy’ he turned to me and bluntly said ‘It’s not a gift is it? It’s a fruit’.

I used to always look at Joy as something that I have to work on or as something I have to be ‘good’ at. With it being described as a fruit in the new testament I thought I had to nurture it, to make it grow, to train myself to be more joyful.

I studied at the University of Sheffield and I had an awful final year. Nothing was going right and I felt alone, upset and angry at God. For 4 or 5 months my only active connection to God was to pray the Lord’s prayer and read the same psalm out loud each morning. It was all I could do. I realised though, afterwards, that that was all God wanted me to do. To look to him.

This passage reminds me of that. God just wants us to seek him, because there is a reason to be joyful: ‘a light has dawned’, Jesus. We don’t have to train ourselves to be joyful, we simply have to train ourselves to look to God.

Jesus IS the reason we can be joyful. He is: “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. The prophet here is foretelling Jesus’ coming to earth, that in itself is amazing! That God, who flung stars into space, would humble himself to come as a little baby for you and for me. What’s even more incredible is that he would die on a cross, defeat sin and death and be resurrected all so that we may be able to be with him forever. God is just amazing. More importantly though, God loves you so so much.

I don’t know what kind of day you are having or are going to have but today take some time to just think about one good thing God has given you, a small thing, that you can be thankful for. Remember this day that God loves you so much.

PRAYER

Father, thank you so much for loving us. Thank you so much for giving us reasons to be joyful, however big or small they may be. Help us to look to you today and let your love touch our hearts this day. Fill us with Joy. Amen.

READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

REFLECTION

Good morning! Welcome to Tuesday's STC podcast. My name is Heather Andrews and I'm the Pastoral Coordinator here at Crookes.It's so good to spend a little time with you today.

We are looking again at Isaiah 9v2 to 7, and today I would like to focus on verses 6 and 7. It would be great if you could read the whole passage sometime today. It's beautiful.

So, verses 6 and 7 say:

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He shall reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

I've heard these verses read at Christmas every year of my life, but in 1979 they seemed particularly relevant. On Christmas Eve that year I gave birth to my first born, a son. We didn't do swaddling in those days - it was a 70's dark brown and orange babygro and he slept in a Moses basket. But I think there were some things which would have been the same for us as they would have been for Mary and Joseph.

As we looked at our brand new baby, filled with an odd mix of joy and apprehension at the fact that we, WE, really had become parents, we began to recognise the family likeness that assured us that he belonged to us, that made him somehow even more ours. Mum's eyes and Dad's chin. The family nose. Definitely Grandad's ears... Our son carried the likeness of both families.

And Mary's baby Jesus carried the likeness of both his parents too. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4v4 that Jesus is 'the image of God' and in Philippians 2v7 that he is 'made in human likeness'. As I look at Jesus I see the family likeness - I see something of myself. I belong to him and he belongs to me. Isaiah said 'unto US a child is born, unto US a son is given'. In Jesus, God draws US into his family. He is the one who makes it possible for us to belong. In John's gospel, chapter 1v12, we read

'to all who received him [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.'

As I read these verses again, I thought about who this baby would grow up to be - our Wonderful Counsellor, giving us guidance and wisdom through his spirit in our lives, our Mighty God, fighting for us and protecting us, our Everlasting Father, loving us unconditionally and providing all that we need, and our Prince of Peace, giving us the peace with God that is our salvation.

How marvellous, how wonderful, as the song goes. And it struck me that it's even more wonderful that if we give ourselves to Jesus, submitting our lives to Him, we will have the family likeness too. Glimpses of Him will be seen in worship and prayer, in acts of kindness, in love for others, in standing for justice and righteousness for the oppressed and abused, in doing good in every way we can because that's what our family looks like.

It's a great family to be part of and there are so many people who would love to belong. Over the next two weeks, we have many opportunities to invite people to join us. Who would you love to have in the family?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you that you loved us so much that you gave your son for us. We want to show everyone how good it is to be loved by you and to be part of your family. Help us to show the joy of Christmas and to invite people to join the celebration. Amen.

READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

REFLECTION

Hello and welcome to a special week for Foundation podcasts here at STC Sheffield. My Name is Dave and I’m part of the team here. Last week we came to the end of our journey through Matthew’s Gospel.  As I’m sure you know, the cold weather and the sudden appearance of fir trees are signs that herald the seasons of Advent and Christmas.  We thought what better than to use this podcast, some of the time we set apart to delve into God’s word each day, to look deeper into this Advent story. To explore what it means for each of us this Christmas, 2016 years after the events unfolded.

In fact, we’re going to go back even further than 2000 years, all the way back to the prophecies of a man called Isaiah. We’re going to focus on one passage all week, Isaiah 9:2-7. I’ll read it to us shortly and I think you’ll recognise it, as it’s a classic Advent reading, full of meaning to explore and unpack. To help me do just that, over the next three days you will be hearing the voices of three special guests from our staff team. Then I’ll be back on Friday to wrap up the week.

I’m going to read the whole passage now, but do take the opportunity this week to read it several times for yourself.

As we’re going to be spending some time on this passage let me give a little background on it to set up the week. I’ll then give us a simple question for us to ponder as we start this week.

This prophecy, this foretelling of Jesus, was written over 700 years before He was born in that Bethlehem stable. It was a message to Israel, God’s chosen nation, God’s own people. Israel after all, was the nation that He had nurtured from birth, liberated from slavery in Egypt, sustained through 40 years of desert journey and brought into the great Promised Land. However Israel was not the nation it once was. It wasn’t even one nation any more. Rejecting God’s leadership, Israel had asked for Kings, surely a king would give them all they desired?! All they hoped for? But it didn’t work out like that. The nation divided in two, into Israel and Judah. God slipped down the priorities list and was forgotten. People started turning to manmade idols. They had enemies on all sides and would soon be carried off into captivity and exile. It was into this place, into this dark place, that Isaiah spoke of the light that was to come. It was into this lost hope, crushed dreams, that Isaiah declared the coming of the Saviour. God’s rescue plan. His Son.

My simple question for us today is this; what does this passage mean to you? What words stand out? We’re going to hear over the next few days what God has been saying to some of my colleagues through this passage. But today, this week, read the passage again, what is God saying to you? This is going to be a great week.

PRAYER

Thank you God for this passage, as we unpack it, as we talk of Your great rescue plan, thank you that we can know you. Thank you for Jesus. Speak to us this week Lord we pray, Amen.

READING: MATTHEW 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

REFLECTION

Jesus has gathered his disciples in Galilee far away from Jerusalem. There are eleven of course because Judas –the one who betrayed Jesus has taken his own life.  The Bible says that there were two responses from his eleven disciples: they worshipped him but some doubted.

Jesus went onto to give them what is known as the Great Commission.  It’s very short but deeply significant.  He starts with this:  ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…’  Before the start of Jesus’ public ministry after his baptism – Jesus was tested by the devil to try and undermine his authority.  The devil had been wreaking havoc since the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament.  He was as Jesus describes the ‘prince of this world’.  Jesus brings a new humanity – a new rule – a new way of life under the kingdom of God.  It starts with people.  The new earth (that will come later).  Jesus’ new humanity lived out under the Kingdom of God heals people; it liberates people – it offers dignity to women; it offers radical transformation to the oppressed and shows there is a God life, a new humanity that is possible through Jesus – free from sin.

This week we’ve seen that Jesus going to the cross and rising to new life has defeated Satan.  Satan is not yet destroyed (that comes later too) but he’s lost his power, his authority – now Jesus has all authority and all power.

This is vital because it’s in the name of Jesus and in his authority the 11 are sent out: to make disciples – do what Jesus did – invite people into your life; your world – show them how to live this stuff out.  Go everywhere – baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  They were them as his in baptism.  Jesus sends them out not by themselves but in the power of Holy Spirit.  He has redeemed them on the cross – an act of Grace; commissioned them and then gives them his presence, the Holy Spirit to guide them and fuel them for the journey.  His promise is that he will be with them always until the end of the age.

Well, that’s all well and good but what is a disciple?  Let me illustrate with this story:

I’ve been driving now for 20 years.  I passed my test in November 1996.  I remember the day I passed my test. I could drive our family car all by myself.  I had been waiting for this moment - I made my tape mix of 90’s music so that I could have a soundtrack to my new found freedom.  The issue was that I was to do it in a 1985 1.0L Mini Metro.

The L plates were finally gone.  I was no longer a learner.  It was bliss.

For many years that was my view of discipleship.  Discipleship was a course you did after either first coming to faith.  In fact I can remember a Bishop coming to our church and on top of all his robes, he wore an L plate to prove a point – if you’re a new Christian, you’re starting out.

I’ve come to the understanding that discipleship - or disciples, in the Greek, 'mathetes' (learner, pupil or student) - is something we continue to do.

It isn’t just a course.  It’s not just the preserve of those taking a year out – it’s something we do or should do all the time.  We don’t have to be experts.  The disciples weren’t experts at all.  But we do read in the book of Acts the training Jesus gave them and the empowering of the Holy Spirit took these ‘Northern’ fishermen and made them a tour de force.  Peter, as the Bible says, ‘an unschooled man’, took on the principalities and powers of Jerusalem and such was his authority they knew he was one of Jesus’ lot.

Jesus has not stopped taking ordinary men and women and doing the same thing.  The key is to keep on learning.  Learn from the Bible; learn from church; learn from leaders – learn from everyone.  Then the challenge is do that with others.  Share it.  Live it out.  We never lose those L plates.

And we’re in good company.  Jesus started with 12.  It’s estimated there were 25,000 Christians by AD 100.  20,000,000 by AD 310 and it’s estimated there are 2.4 Billion Christians now.  There are more people coming to faith in Jesus than at any other time in history.

Jesus people are still making disciples.  Still bringing hope.  Still bringing transformation.

Where are you on your discipleship journey? Do you feel static?  If the answer is yes – ask this simple question:  What is God saying to you?  If you’re not sure, read the scriptures – read the passages we’ve looked at this week.  Ask him to speak to you.  Then the next key question: what are you going to do about what he is saying?  Listening and doing.  Discipleship in a nutshell.

PRAYER

I pray, Lord, that in this season of Advent as we prepare for Christmas you speak to us; you challenge us to walk as disciples working out the great commission.  Amen.

READING: MATTHEW 28:1-15

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘You are to say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

REFLECTION

If you want to read a good book this Christmas I can recommend ‘The Insanity of God’ by Nik Ripken.

Ripken came to a crisis is in his own personal faith.  The death of his son while living in Africa combined with the consumer Christianity that he found on his return to his native America caused him to ask many deep questions.

He had so many questions.  So he set off to learn from the persecuted church.  He went looking for a plan, a vision, and a strategy – something he could write down and pass on.  He didn’t find that at all.  What he found was in his own words was this:  ‘we found Jesus – and we found that Jesus is very much alive and well in the twenty first century.  Jesus is revealed in the lives and words and resurrection faith of believers in persecution.  Those believers don’t just live for Jesus; they live with Jesus every day.’

The book is inspiring.  There’s much to say about it.  Like the time he met some Chinese Church planters who said this:  ‘Do you know what prison is for us?  It is how we get our theological education.  Prison in China is for us like seminary is for training church leaders in your country’.  It might have something to do with why when he met some church planters some were known as the people who had seen the dead raised.

Jesus’ physical resurrection changes everything.

It was the fundamental ‘Evangelion’ – good news heart cry of the early church.  Jesus Christ over the came the grave.  He rose from the dead.  We don’t just follow a good teacher whose teaching was simply sentiment.  We follow a real person who died; He disarmed Satan plundering Hell and rose again on the third day.  That person, Jesus Chris, is right now in glory seated next to the father – praying for you and I.

It means as we embrace Jesus Christ and as we turn our hearts over to him we recognise that the same power that conquered the grave, which death could not extinguish is now part our story and our identity.

We are resurrection people.  At STC Sheffield our vision is to meet friends; meet God and live life better.  That better life, the life talked about in John 10:10 – life in abundance, life in all fullness, is the better life.  It’s the resurrection life.  It means death, destruction – the bad stuff of life does not have the final say.  God’s purposes are worked out in the heart of his true disciples – he will bring beauty from the rubble.

I wonder whether the church has lost confidence in the true resurrected Jesus.  But here we read about the risen Jesus appearing to women.  The testimony of women would not have been accepted in that culture.  They were marginalised but Jesus commissions them to spread the good news of his death and resurrection.

It seems so strange in some way to think that we’re reading a part of the Bible usually reserved for Easter day a few weeks before Christmas.

But the wonder of Advent isn’t just preparing for Christmas – it reminds us that the baby Jesus grows up and becomes the man who hangs on the cross.  The resurrected Jesus will return for his people and will make everything new.

Advent is a season of hope because of the resurrection.

PRAYER

We thank you Jesus for your resurrection.  The great act in history that changes everything.  May we know your resurrection power in our lives today.

Amen

READING: MATTHEW 27:57-66

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’

‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

REFLECTION

Are you good at waiting?

Waiting is part of life.  It can be boring and frustrating.  It reveals all kinds of things about who we are.

Our daughter, Hannah had an operation on her eyes some years ago.  An issue had developed and after many tests it became clear that the only option to fix the problem was an operation.  This was shortly before her third birthday.  I can remember the day clearly – it was defined by waiting.  Waiting in the hospital for her turn to go to the operating theatre.  Waiting in the little preparation room outside the theatre.  Waiting for around 3 hours while she was in surgery.

We were aware though that if the doctors didn’t operate on her eye her vision would be affected – she would see double for the rest of life.

While she was in surgery we didn’t know what to do.  So we just walked around.   We prayed for Hannah.  We had been told that Hannah’s doctor had a good reputation.  So I googled the doctor.  It turned out that Hannah’s doctor was the leading expert on the type of issue Hannah had.  She taught at Cambridge University and her research was bringing medical breakthroughs all over the world.  We knew that she was in good hands and we knew the Lord was with her and friends were praying.  That was such a help.  In the waiting we were hopeful.

In our passages today we are dealing with waiting.

We read today that Joseph of Arimetha a follower of Jesus has requested to have Jesus’ body so that he can place him in his own brand new tomb.   It’s an act of phenomenal love and devotion.

While the disciples are in despair the religious leaders – the Jerusalem power base are nervous.  Matthew 12:40 ‘the Son of Man will be for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth’.  Jesus has claimed he will rise again and they go to great measures to prevent this from happening.  They know Jesus’ resurrection will change everything.

While Jesus’ body lies in Joseph’s tomb – his soul descends ‘to the earth’ or down into ‘the earth’ or Hell.  The place where God isn’t – an awful, awful place.  It’s the enemy’s territory.  One bible commentator says it’s like Jesus rips off the gates of Hell.  Jesus defeats Satan. Death could not hold him.  Jesus is victorious.

God is working in the waiting.

From my own experience I know waiting is something that God uses to refine us and shape us.  It’s not always comfortable but I can testify that he is always working.

If you’re waiting for something today or you feel a dream or passion you had is just gathering dust on a shelf – have faith.  At one of the most critical junctures in Jesus’ life – the period between his death and his resurrection – it seemed there was silence but he was working in the waiting.

PRAYER

We thank you for this day.  If we find ourselves waiting I pray that we will know that you are working in our waiting. Amen.