In the Name
of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace
and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord
and Savior sanctify you in the truth, for His word is truth. Amen
Third Sunday after Pentecost (2011)
Is
Christianity Right?
Matthew
11:25-30 (ESV)
At that time Jesus declared, "I thank
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from
the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; [26] yes, Father, for such was your gracious
will. [27] All things have been handed
over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one
knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal
him. [28] Come to me, all who labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light."
It
is impossible today to have a conversation with your neighbor without
discovering that there are many societal questions that need to be answered. People
are asking whether our present education system is adequate to properly train
the minds of our young people; is it adequate to prepare them for life as
useful citizens in our country? Some people are asking whether our economic
system is relevant today, or should we scrap our system of free enterprise and
capitalism and adopt a system of government ownership in a not so unique
American socialism. Some people are asking if armed conflict with those
committed to our destruction as a county is the best way to sway our enemies
against their aggression, or should we rely solely on diplomacy to pacify those
who cannot be pacified? These and other questions related to living in this
world are disturbing the minds of many today and cry out for answers. However, above
and beyond these questions, the most significant question is this: Is the Christian Religion the true religion:
Is Christianity Right? This faith with which God has blessed us, that our
sins are forgiven through the blood-bought atonement of Jesus on the Altar of
the Cross, is this faith dependable? Will it alone lead us to heaven, or do we
have to supplement it with other beliefs? For our comfort and assurance, let us
turn to the only true source for answers; let us turn to the Word of God in the
Gospel Reading for today in answering the question, “Is Christianity Right.”
First,
let us answer the question; where does Christianity come from? What is the true
source of the doctrine that the sins of all mankind are atoned for through the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross? Is this something thought of by the men
who authored the Gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament? Is it nothing
more than a philosophy or ideology that surfaced from the thoughts of some
famous savant? Is it possibly a remnant of the teaching of the scholars of the
Middle-Ages? We know that the world has had to discard many of the things that
were believed to be true centuries ago. As an example, men once thought the
world was flat, but today we all know that was not true. Therefore, we ask is
Christianity based on God’s revelation of His Son, our
Lord, Jesus Christ through the Gospel, or is it just one of many human
religious systems that have existed since the beginning of time? To answer
these questions let us turn to the Gospel Reading for today.
Our
Lord Jesus says, “All things have been handed over
to me by my Father” (v. 27). These words
are from the very One whom God sent into the world to save us from our sin, who’s
life, death, and resurrection are the very foundation of Christianity.
Everything we believe concerning Christianity comes to us through our Lord, Jesus.
The doctrine that we are all sinners living under the wrath of God; the
doctrine that relief from God’s wrath comes only through faith in His one and
only Son, Jesus Christ, the doctrine that repentance and confession move God to
forgive us for the sake of His Son, Jesus; the doctrine that we should fear,
love, and trust in God above all things; and the doctrine that it is only out
of faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus that we can do works that are
pleasing to God, are all taught by Jesus Himself and handed down to His Apostles to continue teaching the Church.
Therefore, all that we believe comes to us from Jesus. Now, Jesus says, “All
things have been handed over to me by my Father!”
The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is God Himself. Thus this Christianity we
enjoy is of divine origin. It is from the mind of God, not the mind of men. It
is not a human philosophy, but a divine teaching to humanity. Every single
thought and doctrine of Christianity, based on the Gospel of Christ, began with
God, and not with man.
These doctrines were known only by
God and they could not be discovered by the mind of man. Truth is the thinking
of humanity runs counter to the doctrines of the Gospel. The Gospel is
foolishness to the mind of natural man (1 Cor. 2:14). The Bible’s doctrine of
sin and God’s wrath is repugnant to natural man; the Bible’s doctrine of the
Atonement does not suit human reason; the Bible’s doctrine that faith alone can
save the soul is inadequate to the logical mind of man; the Bible’s doctrine
that a life dedicated to helping our fellow man is evidence of faith and not
the purchase price of our salvation is not acceptable to the human mind. Man
would never have developed such doctrines. Only God could reveal them, and this
God did through His Son, Jesus Christ, whom He sent to be the Teacher for all
people. From heaven God the Father spoke at the Transfiguration of His Son, Jesus,
and said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”
(Matthew 17:5 ESV).
That,
then, is the source of Christianity. It comes from God and is taught to us by
His Son. Moreover, this answers the question whether Christianity is Right. It is right because what comes from God is
truth. Therefore, Christianity is dependable, it will do for us what we expect;
it will not fail us, it will lead us to God’s forgiveness through His Son,
Jesus Christ and on to heaven. Is there any other religion that promises grace,
forgiveness, and eternal salvation simply through faith; no there isn’t? All
other religions require the performance of works righteousness to be saved.
However, God is adamant that works will not save you. He tells us through the
Apostle Paul, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your
own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may
boast” (Eph. 2:8-9 ESV).
Now
I ask, how often have you depended on something that
came from the mind of man and found it to be unreliable? You know there are some
things spoken and written by men solely with the intent to deceive and there
are some things spoken and written simply out of ignorance. Unless one takes
the time to verify man’s veracity and accuracy from other source documents, it becomes
very dangerous to rely on what comes from the mind of man.
Possibly
you recall the famous poem you had to memorize in school; “The Charge of the
Light Brigade.” Within that poem there are six, unforgettable lines: “Into the
valley of death rode the six hundred . . . Someone had blundered . . . Theirs
not to reason why, theirs but to do and die.” Although only a poem it chronicles
a true event in the history of man. Men give wrong orders, they make wrong
decisions, they give wrong advice, and often tragedy ensues for those who
follow. Perhaps you also recall the Bereans in the Book of Acts who listened
intently to the Apostle Paul, believing what he said, but they still verified
his words by comparing them against Holy Scripture (Acts 17:11). When
However,
having been told all this, we still ask the question: Even if it is true that
Christ brought us Christianity from God, can I be sure that it is meant for me, given the kind of person that I am?
I will grant you that Christianity can save souls, but will it save my soul?
There
are some messages that are not meant for all. A television ad tells of a
wonderful new drug that has been developed that will give strength and health
to many people. However, if that news is heard by a man lying in a hospice bed
with incurable cancer; he knows that newly found cure will not help him. Some
messages of hope are not meant for everyone.
However,
Christianity, based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is for all people. Regardless of one’s condition, no one can say it
is not for them. Doubt that the Gospel is adequate for the needs of all men is
unbelief. In our text today, Jesus says, “I thank you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the
wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (v. 25).
These things our Lord Jesus alludes to are the things He had done as the
Redeemer of the world, of repentance and faith, of Judgment Day, and of heaven
and hell. Our Lord says these things have been revealed to people not
considered among the wise and learned, those who upon hearing the words of
Jesus scorn His truth; therefore, scorning the very Christianity He taught.
However, this Christianity is meant for all, those in the most humble
situations of life and those in most exalted. There is no one so poor but that the
Gospel will make them rich. There is no one so rich but that the Gospel will
make them richer. There is no one so unlearned but that the Gospel will make
them wise unto salvation. There is no one so wise but that the Gospel will make
them wise unto God. There is no one so humble but that the Gospel will raise them
up to new hope. There is no one so proud but that the Gospel will make them
stand in awe of God. There is no one so deeply covered by sin and guilt but
that the Gospel will give them forgiveness and salvation. Christianity is Right because it proclaims the Gospel!
This is Christianity, the
proclamation of the Gospel and its assurance of our pardon. Not just ours
alone, but for all. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). Therefore,
that which Christianity teaches fulfills the greatest need of all people;
salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is yet one more reason for
believing that Christianity is Right. The
world in which we live is a place of unrest, turmoil, and chaos. We live lives bounded
by our work and our responsibilities to others. Often these responsibilities
weary us and cause us to labor even more trying to figure out how we can manage
them. However, this weariness is easily resolved with rest and relaxation.
There is, though, another weariness that is far more serious and that is the
weariness of trying to work out our own salvation. The more serious we try to
earn our salvation, the more we must toil. Moreover, there is no human solution
for the weariness caused by a works righteous life, for you never know if you
have done enough. However, Christianity has the solution for such weariness;
the solution offered by our Lord, Jesus Christ. He invites us, “Come
to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for
I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”
(vv. 28-30).
There is true rest in the arms of
our Savior, Jesus Christ. He alone offers to unload our burden by placing our sin
and its consequence upon His capable shoulders. He offers to become our yoke so
He can carry the burdens of our lives, especially the burden of living our
lives as believers of His in a world hostile to Christianity. He implores us to
learn from Him. Not merely by hearing His words but by being in communion with
Him in all we do and say; listening to Him and believing in His promise of
eternal life, living our lives as disciples of His. He invites us to come to
Him because He is gentle and lowly in heart; humbling Himself by stooping down
from heaven to come to us, bringing us His precious gift of life eternal.
Moreover, when we lean on His gentle and loving shoulders, then our souls,
which are troubled by believing we can win our own salvation, find the peace
that passes all understanding, our souls find true rest in our Lord, Jesus
Christ and the Gospel which He gave us. It is this Gospel which tells us the
truth of God’s forgiveness plan, that, “there is salvation in no one else, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”
(Acts 4:12 ESV) than His Son, Jesus Christ. Is Christianity Right? There is nothing more right than
Christianity! Amen.
May the peace
of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Amen.