Turning the other cheek

Let’s reflect for a few minutes on some words from a sermon by – in my opinion – the greatest preacher who has ever lived. The most Spirit-anointed, bold, and compassionate pastor of all time. The greatest preacher and most wonderful pastor of all time, in his sermon on the mount, said this:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

– Matthew 5:38-48

Here are these wonderful, beautiful, deeply challenging words from the Lord Jesus. Of course, there are people who try to claim that the Lord Jesus contradicts the Old Testament Law, when he says ‘you have heard that it was said … but I tell you’. But all of this is God’s word. All of it was given by the holy, loving, just, merciful God. The God who does not change. When God’s Law told people ‘an eye for an eye’, he wasn’t saying ‘get revenge however you can’. No, he was saying, ‘Don’t escalate the feud.’ Justice is important. If someone takes something from you, there should be a consequence to that. But it isn’t two eyes for an eye, and a life for a tooth. It’s an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Justice is to be done, by those who are responsible for it.

And in terms of love, the Old Testament does tell us to love our neighbour, just as the New Testament does. But its laws don’t tell us to hate our enemy. That was being said in Jesus’ day, ‘love your neighbour, and hate your enemy’. But it was a total distortion of the law. In fact, the Law of God had always taught God’s people to love their enemy. Whenever I get to Exodus 23, just a few chapters after the giving of the Ten Commandments, I’m amazed by these words:

“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.”

-Exodus 23:4-5

Even way back in Exodus, soon after being released from the steel grip of Pharaoh, that great enemy of God’s people, the Lord is instructing his people to do good to those who hate them.

So, the Son of God does not contradict the moral commands that God has given his people. But he does intensify them. See, especially in verses 38 and 39 of Matthew 5 the emphasis isn’t on the consequences that should fall on the person who treats his neighbour badly. Rather, the Lord Jesus places all the emphasis on how the child of God is to respond when someone treats them badly or unfairly. In giving his laser focus to what our response should be when someone harms us, he says: “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

And as the Son of God, he has perfect authority to do so. As the One through whom all things were made – including you and me – he has authority to tell all people – including you and me – how to live. To turn the other cheek. Rather than seeking to shame the one who has brought shame on you, instead, you should allow them to shame you further. To keep on doing good to someone who is so unthankful, so inconsiderate of what we are doing for them. To keep on showing kindness to someone who throws that kindness back in our face.

Is this unfair of Jesus, to call us to this? Not at all. Not only does he have the authority to tell us how to live. But he himself has come and lived among us in this way, more perfectly than any other person.

Later on in Matthew’s gospel we read this:

“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers round him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”

-Matthew 27:27-31

The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, even at the moment he instructed his followers how they should respond to those who shamed them: surely he knew that he would be struck and mocked by soldiers a few years later. He knew that he would be mistreated by those soldiers, far more than being ordered to carry a pack for a mile, as we read about in verse 41. He knew how his creations would treat him, without recognising that he truly is the King of the Jews, and the King of the entire universe. Not recognising that the One they had mockingly dressed in a scarlet robe was the One who is Ruler over all. The One who would redeem his enslaved subjects at the cost of his own scarlet blood. Not recognising as they beat him again and again on the head with the royal staff, that the power it represents truly belonged to this pathetic-seeming prisoner. Not recognising that this One with the crown of thorns pressed into his skull really was the One who would rise again and wear the crown of sovereignty. That one day they themselves would bow the knee before him, whether in delight or in defeat.

And it is through this supreme act of being shamed, of turning the other cheek, that life has flowed out to the world. The Lord Jesus went all the way to the cross, not because we had spoken kindly enough to him, or had worked out a way to earn his favour. But because of his grace. His freely given love. His almost-absurd generosity to those who live in his world, without any reference to him.

And the Lord can work through our loving acts, to point people to our Saviour, who so wonderfully turns the other cheek, to welcome them into his family.

This is hard. Just as in Jesus’ day, when people said ‘love your neighbour and hate your enemy’, it’s easy for us to distort the law. To make it easier to live by. But it’s hard for us to live according to the way of Jesus. It’s easy for us to find a reason why our enemy doesn’t deserve our love. It’s easy even to find a reason why even our neighbour doesn’t deserve our sacrificial service. But it’s hard to love others, as our God has loved us.

And so we need the strength of Christ’s Spirit, if we are to consistently do good to those who don’t seem to treat us well, let alone those who actively treat us badly.

Let’s respond in prayer, giving thanks for the greatest cheek-turning of all, that took place two thousand years ago, in order that we God’s justice against sin would be carried out, and that we might receive his mercy. Let’s ask that he would forgive us for the many times that we’ve acted in such unchristlike ways. Have stood on our rights, rather than standing in the way of our Saviour’s grace to us and to others. Let’s ask that the Lord Jesus would help us in these good commands he has given to us. That he would help us by his Spirit, so that we might live more and more in his ways.

RAYE – a brave, strong woman

RAYE’s breakthrough success this year at the Brit Awards was phenomenal – she took home a record-breaking six awards. I have to confess that I hadn’t heard of her until the Brits nominees were announced, and then I happened to hear her song Ice Cream Man on the radio that evening.

When she was introduced on the radio as the artist who had been nominated for so many awards, I was steeling myself for a little fluffy, lightweight pop. However, while I might not have found the music to be my thing, the lyrics to the song are anything but lightweight. Ice Cream Man is about being used and abused by a producer who it looked like could help in her music career; not at all the meaningless lyrics I was expecting, but rather a painful yet tenacious story set to music.

RAYE sang a stripped-down version of Ice Cream Man as part of her performance at the Brits. In the chorus, since there was no effing or jeffing allowed, she altered the lyrics to:

‘Cos I’m a woman
Of faith, a brave, strong woman’

‘Of faith’ – is that merely a cypher to avoid dropping an f-bomb, or is it something more substantial? I would say RAYE’s substituted lyric is deeply meaningful. See we all believe, we all know, that a man should not take advantage of a woman no matter how powerful that man is and no matter how much he can supposedly do for her. But through much of history, this truth has often been ignored – and still often is today. So given how often it is ignored, and how in so many societies the idea that a powerful man could do exactly as he pleased with others wouldn’t even be questioned, why are we so convinced that powerful men shouldn’t be exerting their will on women? What is it that so strongly convinces us that women are brave, strong, valuable?

I might not be as brave or strong as I’d like but I am a man of faith, a follower of Jesus; so here is part of my answer:

The God who made the world made people, both male and female, to represent him. To reflect his goodness. And so, every human – including you – has dignity, purpose, and meaning. So, God has highly valued us. However, humanity has turned away from God; powerful men abusing women does not represent God. And if we’re honest, nor do many of the things we all do, or say, or think.

But God has valued women and men so much that, though we have turned away from him, he didn’t turn away from us; 2,000 years ago God the Father sent the Son, Jesus, to come and live the pure, perfect life that none of us have. And Jesus willingly came and did just that. You see that in the way he served others, dignified women that others wanted to push to the edges of society. Made people whole, both physically and spiritually. And the ultimate value that Jesus placed on people? That he died for them. See, we might look on Jesus’ crucifixion as a travesty of justice and a terrible mistake. It was a travesty; the best man who ever lived should not have been dying the shameful death of a criminal. But it wasn’t a mistake; Jesus spoke of how he had come to ‘give his life as a ransom for many’. He said he came to buy us back, and bring us back to the Father.

RAYE sings about the producer putting his wrongdoing on her: ‘you made me frame myself for your sins’ – and this leads to her ‘silently blaming myself’. This shouldn’t happen; we shouldn’t feel responsible for the wrongdoing of others, we shouldn’t feel shame for their actions. And in fact we can be glad, knowing that the God who made us and rules over all things won’t let powerful people get away with their abuses indefinitely. Yet, there have been times when we ourselves have done wrong, have sinned against others and against God. And Jesus died for just those kinds of sins.

Perhaps you are someone who has been through experiences just as awful, or worse, than those Raye tells us about. I can tell you, Jesus is the safest Man you will ever meet; the One you can absolutely trust. Whatever your gender, whatever you have done, and whatever has been done to you; I want you to know that you can come to him, know he will make you clean, keep you safe. I understand that might feel hard to believe, particularly if your bad experiences have been caused by, or ignored by, those who claim to be the people of Jesus. But I’d say, go straight to Jesus himself; you can read here about the way Jesus interacted with a woman who, for multiple reasons, was rejected by the society she was a part of. See the dignity with which Jesus treats her. See the ease this woman feels in his presence; a woman who had deliberately gone to the well at a time when nobody else was around. Just like the woman in John chapter 4, Jesus will never put shame on you; rather, he will remove your shame.

Like RAYE, we all rightly have faith in certain truths about ourselves – that we can be brave and strong, and that we have dignity which should not be abused. Will you consider faith in the One who made you, loves you, gives you that dignity, and calls you back to himself?

Some Practicalities of a Baptism Service

A baptism service has lots of practical aspects to think about, so I thought I’d put everything I could think of together here, so that I can find it all next time. Perhaps you’ll find it a helpful resource also. There’s probably things I haven’t thought of: I’d love to hear them. I’d bang them in an email something like the following:

This Sunday myself and another elder will be baptising.

I’d encourage you to watch the baptisms in this service (they start about 33 minutes in) to see what they look like. You’ll notice the person has their hands folded across their chest and up to the shoulders, and we take them into the part of the pool near the band, so they can go backwards easily.

(448) Sunday evening baptismal service, 27 November 2022 – Carey Baptist Church, Reading UK – YouTube

On Sunday I will ask these questions before you get into the pool.

[Name] do you believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? [I do / yes]

Have you turned from sin and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, who died and rose to save sinners? [I do / Yes]

Do you promise, relying on the Holy Spirit, to seek to follow Christ and to serve him in every part of your life? [I do / Yes]

[Name], on your confession of repentance towards God, and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and because you have requested this, we baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

I will certainly be praying that the Lord would bless you, encourage other believers, point nonchristians to Jesus, and glorify his name!

Please do get a written testimony to me as soon as you are able to, and no later than 17 May for the 26 May baptisms and 31 May for the June 9th baptisms. It would be great to keep it to under two A4 sides, I’m very happy to chat about it with you if you want help putting it together. I’d encourage you to remember those principles of ‘be pointing to Jesus, be plain, be personal’.

If you could let me know also whether you’d like to give your testimony in full, prerecord it, or be interviewed so that you just say a couple of bits from it, that would be great.

You’ll go in in bare feet. Do bring a big towel and a full change of clothes. If there’s someone you’d like to hold your towel, please do arrange that!

If on the morning service that day you’re able to meet me at the front of the church, we can chat about a couple of things, and pray together. I’ve really enjoyed doing the classes thinking about baptism and church membership with you, and I hope you found them helpful too.

Sharing the Gospel with a Catholic Friend: 3 Wrong Turns

God willing, in Autumn 2025 a book I’m writing will be released, provisionally titled ‘Sharing the Gospel with a Catholic Friend’. I want to point out here that in thinking about the gospel and our Catholic friends, we can make a few wrong turns:

Wrong turn 1: We can think that nothing that the Catholic Church teaches is true. That’s simply not the case. Looking back, I’m genuinely so thankful for aspects of my Catholic upbringing. Because we said the Creeds regularly on Sundays, I really understood that the true God is one God in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I knew that Jesus Christ is both God and Man, and I knew that he had died, and risen again. And every Sunday Mass, I would hear readings from a Psalm, another Old Testament reading, a reading from a New Testament letter, and a reading from the Gospels. That’s more of God’s word being read than in most services at evangelical churches.

And as well as helpful things about belief in God and hearing from his word, there was so much in terms of ethics and morals that was good and true: Things like marriage and sexuality were simply right, according to the Bible. Things have obviously shifted a lot in our culture since the 80s and 90s, but even then, there would have been things I might have been confused about without the teaching I received. And there was a real concern for the vulnerable, both the born and the unborn.

But then there’s Wrong Turn 2: We can imagine that the differences between what Catholics believe and what evangelicals believe are small and unimportant. But there are big, important differences – not just based on church traditions and preferences, but that are very close to the centre of the good news of Jesus. As I say, I knew that Jesus had died and risen again. I even wore a crucifix around my neck for years to remind me of that truth. But actually, even though I believed in the reality of those events, I had no idea what their purpose was.

It wasn’t until I began to read John’s gospel for myself that I realised that I was a slave to sin, chained down, unable to reach up to God. And it was only as I read John’s gospel and heard preaching from the Bible that I realised THIS was the reason Jesus had come – not just to show me how to live, but to live the perfect life I haven’t. THIS was the reason Jesus had died – to take my place, bearing my sin. THIS was the reason Jesus rose again – to give new life freely to all who come to him. And it was that freeness of it all that so excited me, and excites me still. That we don’t work our way to God, but he has come all the way down, to raise us up.

By the way, official Roman Catholic teaching does recognise Jesus as the sacrifice for sin, though like many baptised Catholics I had never understood that. But there are big problems with their understanding of how it works, and how we receive the benefits of it. And there are many other important differences too.

And then, there’s Wrong Turn 3: We can imagine that just because someone tells us ‘I’m Catholic’, they’re telling us a lot about what they actually believe. With 1.376 billion Catholics in the world, it seems unlikely that they will all believe the same. So, in my book, I’ll be introducing you to four Catholics you and I might meet, and how we might best seek to share the gospel with them. I hope, when it comes along, you find it helpful as you seek to share the glorious good news of Jesus.

Pro-Life seems to be the hardest work

Sisters and brothers, I’d so appreciate your prayers today This afternoon some of us will head into Reading town centre to raise awareness of the nature and scale of abortion in the UK, and help people consider the value of human life.

We go out every couple of months with A1 poster boards, and it’s probably the hardest thing I do Though we don’t have boards that show aborted fetuses, people get incredibly angry with what we’re doing (you can see examples of our boards at the bottom). I go out monthly open air preaching, and the reaction to claims of Christ’s exclusivity are nothing compared to simply holding a board that has this kind of message on. So why do it? Because in abortion, men and women, our society, are ending the lives of hundreds of thousands of humans who bear God’s image. This is tragic. This is evil.

We get Christians, Muslims, and sometimes atheists thanking us for what we are doing. We get open-minded people who will discuss and seem to recognise the truth of what we are saying We get people who come in so angry but settle down as we listen to and speak with them.

We have opportunities to share the gospel And even with those who rage without listening, we pray the way we conduct ourselves will show that we truly love them, as well as the unborn, with a love that we have first been shown.

But it’s not easy. I dread it every time. So please pray.
Pray we would listen well.
Pray we would be sensitive to speak the truth in love, without self righteousness but in humility.
Pray that people would pause and consider the thought-provoking messages on the boards.
Pray that men would recognise their huge responsibility in this.
Pray that our life-giving God would be glorified as people recognise the preciousness of life, turn from deadly ways of thinking and living, and embrace life – and Life.

LIFE stories – a new exploring faith course

At Carey Baptist Church, we usually run an ‘exploring faith’ course three times per year. Because we often have a fair bit of overlap between who comes along to them, we don’t have one course that we always use, as this would be very repetitive for return visitors! This means I’m always on the lookout for different ones, but this time around we did something slightly different. Back in 2020, we made some testimony videos, and some apologetics videos, and so I thought I would use some of these to put together a three-week course. If you’re on the lookout to try something different, you’re welcome to make use of this.

Week One: Science, God, and the Bible

Sam A scientist who believes the Bible? – Sam’s Story (youtube.com)

Was there anything from what Sam said that particularly struck you?

Do you think it strange that a scientist would give so much weight to a book that is 2,000 and more years old? Why or why not? (Sam is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Science at the University of Reading)

Sam spoke about a teacher sharing his Christian faith with his class in Ghana. Sam says “particularly what stayed with me at the time was the idea that all of us would be accountable to God one day, and that the way we live does matter.”

Do you agree with Sam that the way we live matters? What are your reasons for WHY it matters how we live? Do you agree with Sam that “the only way that our broken relationship with God can be restored is through accepting Jesus and his work on the cross”?

Jon A New Life, A New Hope – Jon’s Story (youtube.com)

Was there anything from what Jon said that particularly struck you?

Jon spoke about how the Christian faith is both intellectually and rationally credible, and existentially and emotionally satisfying (it fits the facts that we know about the world around us, and it makes sense and gives purpose to our own lives). Which of these aspects do you think is more important for you? Why? Where do you think this meaning is found?

Jon speaks about how he was pretty disinterested in thoughts about God, then interested in exploring the claims of the Christian faith, and now able to know that his greatest problem in life has been dealt with through Jesus. Where on this line would you place yourself? (Or if something different, where?  Where would you like to be?)

David The Bible: Can We Trust It? (youtube.com)

Is the picture of the Bible that David has given (historically accurate, recording true events, not contradictory, personally relevant) the understanding you have of the Bible? What do you think has shaped your view of the Bible?

Have you read any of the Bible, if so, have you found it to have the ring of truth?

Would you be willing to read a gospel and see if it has the ring of truth?

Week Two: Suffering and Faith

Emily Emily’s Story – Knowing God’s Help in the Darkest Time (youtube.com)

Emily seemed clear that there was purpose in her suffering; do you think there is a purpose to suffering?

‘My family are proof of God’s purposes in suffering but Jesus is even greater proof’ – why do you think this is?

Liz Liz’s Story – Even in Grief (youtube.com)

What is your initial reaction to this very emotive story of the death of a child?

Liz and Charlie were obviously helped by James’ words at the graveside. Do you think words spoken to those grieving are always / sometimes / never helpful?

What do you think of the statement that ‘a philosophy that has nothing to say at the graveside has nothing to say at all’? Even if it is overstated, do you think there is a truth to it?

James  Suffering: How could a good God allow it? (youtube.com)

Do you think it’s always the case that people come out the other side of suffering more faithful / deeper / gentler? What kind of factors might make a difference regarding the effect suffering has on a person?

James gives three reasons for why God allows suffering. Are there any you hadn’t thought of before? Are there others he didn’t mention?

In suffering we might run away from God or run to God. From these three videos and your own thoughts / experiences, what are the benefits of running to God?

Week Three: Peace with God through Jesus

Amit (9) Living for the God of Grace – Amit’s Story – YouTube

Amit, you mentioned still appreciating things from your culture and heritage; could you give us some examples?

What is it that convinces you that Jesus is the only way for us to truly know God?

What would you say to someone who thinks it’s a bit unfair that Jesus is the only way to God?

Do you ever wish you hadn’t become a follower of Jesus?

Rich Who is Jesus? (youtube.com)

Who would you say Jesus is?

When Rich spoke about our sin being forgiven being more important than being physically well, what did you think? Do you agree?

Do you recognise your spiritual brokenness, and your need for Jesus?

Katherine How Can We Know Peace? (youtube.com)

Where do you think conflict between people and nations comes from?

Why do you think we long for peace?

Have you ever thought about the cross as a place of conflict? Does it make sense to do so? (Colossians 2:13-15)

Do you think we can have peace with God through Jesus, and would you say you have that peace?

St. Valentine’s Day

Today is Valentine’s Day, and so I’ve been thinking about what card to get for my wife. Because even though we don’t really do much for Valentine’s day, I’ve been married long enough to know that ‘don’t worry about getting anything’ doesn’t actually mean ‘don’t worry about getting anything.’ So, in my research into Valentine’s cards, I think I’ve discovered three main kinds of cards:

The serious, sincere Valentine’s day card.

The common factors are hearts, and the word ‘love’. If someone wants to send a sincere Valentine’s card, they should make sure that both those things are there on the card they give.

Funny Valentine’s cards.

Whether the joke is pun-based with an anthropomorphic slice of pizza declaring ‘I love you with every PIZZA my heart’, or a funny sarcastic one like ‘To my favourite husband’, the card makers are surely pleased when they come up with a good one.

And there’s a third category of Valentine’s card. It’s maybe my personal favourite, though not as well known.

The cheapskate card

You can see a good example of this above, for those who want to lavish their love on somebody, without being extravagant.

So, that’s three different kinds of Valentine’s cards. The serious, the funnny, the cheapskate. But what is Valentine’s Day all about?

Well, it’s named after a man called Valentine. For centuries, he’s been associated with courtly love, and romance, which is why Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and romance. What about the man himself, though? What do you know about his life? Well, if you don’t know anything about Saint Valentine, you know almost as much as the experts do! Not much at all is known about him.

But here’s some of what scholars are fairly sure about. This man Valentine was a Christian minister, living probably in Rome, during the third century. Before Christianity was an accepted religion in the Roman empire. He lived under the rule of Emperor Claudius the Second, who was nicknamed Claudius the Cruel. And Claudius, in his attempts to expand the empire, was losing a lot of his soldiers in battles and wars.

So here was Claudius’ solution, which wasn’t a great one. He decided that being married made men weak, and soft So, his soldiers wouldn’t be allowed to be married. Simple.

Except that Valentine, knowing that marriage is a gift from God, refused to allow even the emperor to overturn God’s word, and stop people from receiving God’s good gift. So, Valentine kept on marrying couples to one another – he was the friend of lovers.

Then, unsurprisingly, Claudius heard about what Valentine was doing. So, this Christian minister was brought before the powerful Emperor, and given a very simple choice. Agree to stop marrying people, and live. Or, refuse to comply with the Emperor’s command, and be killed. What a choice to make!

Valentine though, knew the choice he had to make. He couldn’t, as a Christian, go against God’s commands, even to keep the command of the most powerful man on earth.

And so, Valentine was beheaded. Many believe that that took place on February the fourteenth, 270 AD. Being beheaded isn’t very romantic, is it? It’s about as far from love hearts and boxes of chocolates as you can get.

So, while Valentine in his LIFE was all for love, all for ensuring that couples were able to express their love within the God-given gift of marriage. Surely his death didn’t have much to do with love, did it?

Could such a horrible death have anything to do with love, do you think? Here’s one horrible death. It’s a man who walks into a crowded shopping centre, with a ton of explosives strapped to his body. And he detonates those explosives. He kills himself, in order that others might die. That horrible death has nothing to do with love, does it? It has everything to do with hatred, and frustration, and anger, and bitterness.

And here’s Valentine’s death. Beheaded, for his refusal to obey the emperor. It’s a horrible death. It would be horrendous to watch, and of course even more horrible to endure. But why did he endure it? Well, because of love.

Valentine was killed, because his love and reverence for King Jesus was greater than his love and fear of Emperor Claudius. His love and reverence for King Jesus was greater than his love and fear of Emperor Claudius.

So, a horrible death CAN have something to do with love, can’t it?

But here’s a third horrible death. The most horrible death of all. And yet, the death motivated by the greatest love of all. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ. That death, about two hundred and forty years before the death of Valentine. Up on the hill of Golgotha, or Calvary. That death would have been horrendous to witness – as you saw Jesus himself gasping for breath, as you saw him mocked by the people around. But that death – to endure that death – would have been worse still. Worse than the pain of being beheaded with an axe. And worse than the pain of the many thousands of others who were crucified. Because as you look at the physical pain of Jesus dying on the cross, you’re only seeing the very tip of the iceberg.

There, on the cross, Jesus cries out, not about how much physical pain he’s in. He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Because there, Jesus himself becomes the one who bears the sins of others – people like you and me. And there, the Father – the One who has been in an unbroken relationship of love with Jesus from before the world was made. The Father pours out his right anger at sin. And Jesus receives the punishment that sinners like me and you deserve. So that all may come to this Jesus, turning from our sin, our self-sufficiency, our pride and hatred and loving other things more than God. And know the forgiveness of sin. Know adoption into his loving family.

Can a horrible death be about love? Yes. Valentine’s death was. He died, because he loved and reverenced King Jesus, more than he loved and feared Emperor Claudius. And his loving death was just a little shadow, a slight reflection, of the loving death of Jesus. The one who died, so that others would live. The one who loved us so much, that he left the glory of heaven, to come and die for us, to bring us into his family.

Have you come into his family? Have you received his free forgiveness? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, who died, and rose, in order to save sinners like us?

But maybe you’re quite a way into your life, and you know you haven’t lived for him. How are you possibly going to make things right? How are you going to be able to balance the scales? Come up with enough good deeds to balance out your sins?

Well, here’s the thing: You can’t.

But that isn’t why God sent Jesus! It isn’t why he came! He doesn’t need your good deeds! Listen to these words from the apostle Paul:

“At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

You see? God didn’t send Jesus to die, so that he could get a good value investment out of us!

He did it, because of his LOVE for us! Even when we hated him!

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That’s how great his love is! He died for us, not when we started bringing him flowers and chocolates, but while we were spitting in his face, wanting nothing to do with him.

So, come to him. Come to him, recognising your sin against him. Come to him, recognising his love for you. Because if you come to him, your sins will be freely forgiven. If you come to him, you’ll be brought into his family. If you come to him, you’ll know a love greater than that offered in any human relationship. A love that more than makes up for any absences. A love that will carry on, beyond death, and forever.

And if you come to him, you won’t be powerless any more. By his Spirit, you’ll have the power to do the right thing. The power, like Valentine, to love and reverence Christ, more than anything, or anyone else. And so, the power to do the right thing, even when it costs. Because you’ll know, like Valentine, that you’re secure in Christ’s love.

Even though he has a day named after him, we don’t know much at all about Valentine.  And you know what? I think Valentine would be fine with that. He wouldn’t particularly want us to know much about him. But he would want us to know about the Lord he loved and revered. He’d want us to know about Jesus Christ.

Christians, let’s make that our ambition too. To not care how many people know about us. But to care deeply that they know about, and love, our Lord Jesus Christ. As we seek to boldly show love and speak Jesus, let’s make sure it’s not so that we might gain a name for ourselves. But so that people might glorify the name of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord is my Shepherd

What’s your favourite song?

To be honest, I’m probably more of a Radio 2 man these days. However, I’m noticing that pop music today is dealing with some really important issues. People like Raye and Billie Eilish are facing weighty issues like abuse, corruption and hypocrisy that 20 or 30 years ago would only have been dealt with by indie bands and underground artists. Now though, those important issues suddenly seem to be in the mainstream.

But I’d say there are even more important issues than those that we need to face, and think about. And there is no more important issue than this one: how do we relate to God, and how does God relate to us?

So, for a few minutes, I want to tell you about one of my favourite songs from the Bible. Perhaps you didn’t realise there were songs in the Bible. There are loads! One of the sixty-six books in the Bible, the book of Psalms, is just 150 songs, back to back – each one an absolute banger.

And the twenty third Psalm is maybe the most famous of them all. This song, written about 3,000 years ago, was penned by a man named David, a shepherd who then became king. It’s often read at funerals, because it points to the certain hope that followers of Jesus have, of a home forever with God. But though we’re not at a funeral here today, this is still a good song to think about, because even today, those who put their trust in Jesus, and who follow him – have a home forever with God. And there’s not many things more important than where you will spend forever!

This psalm begins with these famous words: The Lord is my shepherd.

And I want to point out to you three ways that we can read that line, to think about how David related to God three thousand years ago, and how you and I too can relate to God today.

The LORD is my shepherd

That’s the first way to think about this line from the song. That David is able to say it is the LORD who is his shepherd! The One who made everything – stars and planets, oceans and mountains, badgers and beetles. In fact, according to the Bible, the Lord God made everything that we can see, touch, taste, hear, and smell – and everything that we can’t perceive with our five senses too.

And if God made everything – doesn’t that tell you what a powerful Lord he is? He is the One who is able to make everything out of nothing. And he’s the One who keeps this entire universe going, moment by moment.

Can you think of anyone better to have in charge of your life, than the God who made everything – the God who made you? King David couldn’t. I can’t either.

However, maybe you can recognise that having someone very powerful being in charge of your life might keep you out of trouble, but perhaps it isn’t very appealing; after all, there are plenty of world leaders who are very powerful, but we’re kind of glad they aren’t in charge of us, aren’t we? Well, that’s why the second way of reading this sentence is such good news:

The Lord is my SHEPHERD

See, when we emphasise that the Lord is a shepherd, we recognise that he isn’t only powerful, he is also loving. A shepherd cares about his sheep. He spends long, tiring days and nights out in the hills, making sure that they are safe from wild animals. Making sure that they are refreshed with the grass that they need. Making sure to lead them in good ways, even through scary terrain. That’s exactly what David says about the Lord in this psalm:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

For you are with me;

Your rod and your staff,

They comfort me.”

Perhaps when you think about God – either the God you believe in, or the God you reject belief in – you tend to think of him as powerful, but very hands-off. He might have all the strength in the universe and more, but he doesn’t care about you.

Well, that certainly isn’t the way that David thinks about the Lord God, is it? It’s obvious that David considers the Lord to be interested in tiny little him. It’s clear that David thought that the God who made the entire universe was also the One who kept him safe as he was chased down by enemy armies. That the God who kept all things going was the God who heard his prayers.

Did David just have a massive ego? Do Christians just have a hyperinflated sense of self for thinking that such a high and exalted being would be interested in them?

The definitive answer to that is: no! Here’s why: About a thousand years after David sang this song, people saw the truth of it like never before. Because God the Father sent his eternal Son, Jesus, to live in this world. And Jesus, who was able to still storms and receive worship: he is also the One who so clearly cared for people. Like a shepherd finding fresh grass for his flock, the Lord Jesus fed five thousand men, plus women and children, with loaves and fish. Like a shepherd gently and tenderly carrying an injured sheep, the Lord Jesus healed the sick, and gave sight to the blind. Like a shepherd guiding his flock in the right way, the Lord Jesus spoke to people of how they should live in God’s world; how they should live lives of love and purity, humility and service, not lives of hatred and bitterness, pride and conceit. And did you know this – Jesus actually called himself the Good Shepherd. John, one of Jesus’ first century biographers, records these words of the Lord Jesus:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

See sometimes, a shepherd in the middle east might need to go against a fierce wild animal that is looking to destroy and eat his sheep. And the shepherd would fight against that animal, to protect his flock. And the Lord Jesus is saying here, he came to take part in a far more violent fight than against a wolf. The Lord Jesus came to fight against sin, and against Satan, the devil himself. Because sin – our rebellion against God and his good ways – it wants to destroy us. It wants us to live lives of greater and greater selfishness, and unbelief. It wants us to live lives that simply grasp at what we can get for ourselves and don’t honour God, or the people around us. And the problem is, each one us naturally finds that way of living very attractive. Even when we know that we should love and serve others, we find it far easier to love and serve ourselves only. And at the end of a life lived in those ways – we will have been destroyed by sin, and we will be consumed by Satan. We’ll spend forever and ever outside of the good presence of the Lord, who gives us every good thing.

And despite the fact that the Lord who is perfectly good and upright. Who can’t allow any darkness to live with him; despite the fact that he sees our selfishness better than we see it ourselves. He still loves us. And he wants to rescue us from sin and its awful consequences. That’s why Jesus came! That’s why he lived the life that he did. And even more, it’s why he died the death he did. In his death, Jesus was fighting for his sheep. He fought against sin, and he fought against Satan. He did so in order to protect people like you and me, so that we wouldn’t be destroyed or consumed, but so that we might have life.

And Jesus defeated sin and Satan – you can know that for certain! Because the One who died on the cross also walked out of the tomb, three days later! And he lives forever!

And that brings us to our final way of reading this line from Psalm 23:

The Lord is MY shepherd

This hope is certain for all who trust in Jesus. regardless of background. The church I’m part of has people from every continent except for Antarctica. People from all kinds of different backgrounds. But people who have all recognised they have done wrong, and can’t get to God on their own. People who have come to Jesus. And they know him as their shepherd, guiding, leading, forgiving, protecting.

Can I ask: Are you able to read the line this way: ‘The Lord is MY shepherd’. Do you know him? Have you entrusted yourself to Jesus, the good shepherd?

See, he is the Lord who made you. He is the Shepherd who can protect you from Satan, and deliver you from your sin. He is the only One who can rightly guide you – now and always. Call on Jesus. He is the good shepherd. He is the Lord who made you. Turn from your sin, and turn to him. And if you do, all the rest of this song, Psalm 23, will be yours:

He will lead you and guide you in this life.

He will refresh you at all those times that you need that.

He will protect you even in the hardest times, and even against the fiercest opponents.

His goodness and love will follow you, all the days of your life.

And he will bring you into his house, to live in peace, for ever and ever – for all eternity, enjoying him, and delighting in him.

Don’t you want this Shepherd as your Shepherd?

Why not turn to him now and come under his protection. Speak to him; he will hear you, and will not turn you away. And why not read or listen to John’s gospel for free, where you can find out more about Jesus the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.

Questioning Evangelism – discussion – Introduction and Chapter One

Next week I’ll be starting the first of a monthly discussion group based on Randy Newman’s excellent book Questioning Evangelism. Here are the questions I hope we’ll cover. If you’re a Christian and you want to help others consider Jesus, I’d recommend the book to you, too. If you’re a Christian and you don’t want to help others consider Jesus, I’d ask why you’re a Christian.

This is an updated version compared to what I have, and from a brief glance I’m pretty sure the updates will be helpful: https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9780825447808/questioning-evangelism-3rd-edition-paperback

If you don’t think you’re going to manage to read this book, I’d still recommend this approach to you as part of how you seek to share the gospel with others – and I’m sure this video and the part two will be helpful Questioning Evangelism – Randy Newman – Session 1 (youtube.com)

Below are some possible questions for us to think about – though if we don’t get through them all that’s ok.

1) Anything that really stuck out to you? Anything you’d like to explore further? Anything you aren’t sure you agreed with or not sure that it’s helpful?

2) On page 14 Randy points out that in his evangelistic encounters, Jesus ‘used a variety of methods with a variety of people.’ He says all evangelistic approaches require three skills:

-declaring the gospel (articulating the message of salvation, and sharing one’s own story or testimony)

-defending the gospel

-dialoguing the gospel

While recognising that all of these are important, do you think you tend to ‘lean towards’ one of these skills more than the others? What might be the advantages and the dangers of leaning toward one of these skills more than the others?

3) On page 17 Randy states ‘we should be more engaging and less confrontational in our sharing of the Good News.’ Do you agree with this statement, disagree with it, or think it depends? What scriptures might you use to defend your position?

4) ‘It’s uncanny how often our Lord Jesus answered a question with a question.’ (p26)

Have you considered this truth before? Does Randy’s work in the rest of the chapter indicate the truth of it? Do you think you’ll start to notice this aspect of the gospels (and other parts of scripture) more now?

5) After reading chapter one, what are some of the reasons for using questions in seeking to share the good news of Jesus that you’ve discovered or been reminded of?

Mythbusting: Hot Cross Buns

There are a lot of myths floating around about hot cross buns these days. The cheapest ones you can buy from Sainsbury’s cost seventeen pence each – and yet still, every year, I hear a song telling me that I can buy one for a penny, or even two for a penny. This is Fake News. I thought it was time to set the record straight about hot cross buns. I thought it was time we heard the truth about this Easter treat.

The origins of the world-famous hot cross bun lie less than fifty miles from here; they were first made in 1361 at St Albans Cathedral by a man named Thomas Rocliffe. It actually had a different name; it was known as the Alban Bun, but it had very similar ingredients to today, and Thomas would also mark the top of each one with a cross. Back then, they were given away freely to the poor on Good Friday. They might not have been named ‘hot cross buns’ back then, but pretty clearly, that is their origin.

As time went on, these Alban Buns began to become more popular, not only in St Albans but around England and beyond. Alongside this, in the late Middle Ages some strange superstitions began to be associated with the buns: Some people claimed that the buns sold on Good Friday would never go stale, but remain fresh forever. It was said that sharing buns with someone special would guarantee a healthy relationship for the upcoming year. Perhaps most spectacularly, it was believed that hanging buns from the rafters of your home would ward off evil spirits, and that the buns could cure diseases. If all of that were true, I think they’d be sold for a lot more than seventeen pence each!

Queen Elizabeth the First wasn’t very impressed with these superstitions, and she decided to pass a law limiting the sale of the Alban Bun, so that they could only be sold at Christmas, Good Friday, or funerals. The popularity of the buns continued though, and people made slight changes to the recipes, and changed the name to ‘hot cross buns’ to get around the ban. Thankfully, the law isn’t in effect any more, so you won’t be arrested for enjoying your bun today.

The taste of a hot cross bun is very recognisable, but of course the most distinctive aspect of the buns isn’t the way they taste, but the way they look. Even from the days of their prototype form being made in St Albans, these buns have always had a cross on the top. And that’s not simply decorative: it reminds the baker, and the eater, of what Good Friday is really all about.

That cross reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was put to death on a crucifix – the worst form of torture that the Roman Empire had come up with. And that – to be honest – is pretty weird, isn’t it? Why would we want to be reminded of something so grim, when we’re trying to enjoy something so sweet?

Why, in particular, would we want to remember the cruel death of Jesus? Thomas Rocliffe gave his Alban Buns away on Good Friday, but the Lord Jesus fed 5,000 hungry men, plus women and children, with just a few loaves and fish. And that wasn’t a one-off moment of generosity. The entire shape of the life of Jesus was one of kindness, of self-giving selflessness, as he healed the sick, and gave sight to the blind, brought the lonely into families, and set the downtrodden free. So why would we want to remember this wonderful man being tortured?

For this reason: If feeding 5,000 was kind, Jesus going to the cross and dying was the greatest display of kindness and love, of mercy and compassion, that the world has ever seen.

See, we might look on the death of Christ as an awful miscarriage of justice. And it was. We might see it as an awful mistake. But it wasn’t. Here are some words the Lord Jesus spoke before he died, as he and his followers were on their way to Jerusalem, the capital city. Talking about himself, he said:

“The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” [Mark 10:33-34]

He knew what was going to happen there in Jerusalem. He knew that he, the greatest, kindest man who ever lived, would be mocked and spat on, shamed, and put to death.  What would you do if you knew that’s what was going to happen? I’d be running full pelt in the opposite direction! But Jesus went. Because he knew that it is through his death, that death is destroyed for all who call on him. He knew that although the cross would be sour for him, it would be so sweet for his people; because through his death, we have life. Through his being condemned, all who trust him know that we are forgiven – by God himself. Because he was crushed on the cross, we can be made whole.

And he also believed that wouldn’t be the end of the story. Because he said, three days later, he would rise again. You know, you won’t meet a serious historian who doesn’t recognise that Jesus of Nazareth lived, and that he was put to death through crucifixion. But when it comes to the idea that Jesus rose from death. That he himself returned to life, and walked out of the tomb he had been put into. That he spoke and ate with his followers, that they touched him. That they watched him return to heaven. Maybe this seems as superstitious as tying a hot cross bun to your rafters to ward off evil spirits.

But why is it so unbelievable that Jesus rose from the dead? Is it because you’re convinced that nobody could ever rise from death? That might be your belief, but it isn’t scientific to make that claim, without considering the evidence. And with something as important as this, it’s really worth considering the evidence. Because the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is a claim that has shaped history. And the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is a claim that has transformed billions of lives. A claim that can transform your life, too.

If you’re interested in following the evidence, let me mention one thing. As Jesus spoke about his death and resurrection, he was with his followers. And those followers, they claim that, after his death on the cross, they really saw him alive again. In fact, they were so convinced that Jesus had not only died, but risen again, that they went from being absolutely petrified of any trouble with the authorities, to boldly preaching in the streets that Jesus had risen, and that he is the King to whom we must come.

Even when they were exiled, they kept on telling others that they had seen Jesus risen from the dead. Because they knew, ‘even if you can send us away from our loved ones, we are still close to the Lord Jesus.’ Even when they were chucked into prison, they kept on declaring that Jesus was alive. Because they knew, ‘even if you lock us up and throw away the key, we still have true freedom because of Jesus.’ Even when they were in the line to be put to death, they were able to say, ‘you might kill us – but we still have eternal, unending, wonderful life. Because Jesus rose from death! And he will raise us up to life with him, too!’

Could those disciples have been lying? Yes. But would you lie, if the only benefits of that lie were possible imprisonment and death? If you’re interested in following the evidence, and I hope you are, you can read or listen to John’s gospel for free here. This was written by one of Jesus’ disciples; he knew what he was talking about.

And why not get along to a church that believes the wonderful truths that Jesus taught this Sunday. If you don’t know of a church near you, I’m happy to help you try to find one. Here’s the YouTube channel for the church that I’m a part of; if you’re unable to get to a church in person, you’re very welcome to join us.

But please, as you follow the evidence, don’t just recognise that it is true that Jesus died and rose again. Also come to him. Because he is the One who can forgive your sin. He is the One who will welcome you into his family. He is the One who can turn your life, and your eternity, from bitter to sweet. And he will do, if you trust him.