************ Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 34 ************
Doctrine: The Apostles' Creed, second line; the title Lord
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on September 24, 2000
Q & A 34
Romans 10:1-13
"Our Lord"
Introduction
What do you and I as Christians believe? According to the Apostles' Creed, you and I believe in God, the Father. But we also believe in God, the Son!
What do we believe and confess about the Son? In the Creed we confess His name and then we confess His titles. In taking us through these faith-statements of the Creed, the Catechism teaches that we believe God, the Son, is named Jesus, meaning "Savior." We believe He is the Christ, the Messiah, Who has been anointed as our chief prophet and teacher, our only high priest, and our eternal king. We believe He is the one and only Son, of the same essence and being as the Father. And, today, we also confess and believe that He is Lord.
Don't forget, we are talking about true faith, about saving faith. True faith, saving faith, confesses with the church of all ages that Jesus Christ is Lord.
By now, many of you should know and realize how warm and personal the Catechism is. Again and again the Catechism applies its doctrinal teachings to our lives. Note, for instance, what the Catechism does with the name Jesus:
WHY IS THE SON OF GOD CALLED "JESUS" MEANING "SAVIOR"?
Because he saves us from our sins.
Notice, "Jesus" saves us from our sins. In dealing with the title "Christ" the Catechism explains why you and I are called "Christian." In telling us about Jesus as the one and only Son, the Catechism states that we also are God's children.
This same pattern is followed today. In declaring to us that Jesus is Lord, the Catechism confesses that we are His servants.
Last time, when we looked at Jesus as the "eternal, natural Son of God," we thought of Him in terms of His origin – what He was from eternity to eternity. But when we think of Him as our "Lord," we think of a title He acquired after He had lived and died on earth. The Apostle Paul says that after Jesus
(Phil 2:8-11) ... humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross ... God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I Christ has Redeemed Us from Sin and Satan
A According to the Catechism, we call Christ "our Lord" because "he has set us free ... and has bought us."
The old translation of the Catechism uses the word "redeemed" here. Christ is "our Lord" because He has redeemed us.
According to the law of Moses, a poor Israelite in desperate circumstances could sell himself as a servant or slave to a resident alien. But he and his family were to be released in the fiftieth year, the Year of Jubilee. However, before the Year of Jubilee an uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in his clan may redeem him or, if he prospers, he may redeem himself (cf Lev 25:47-54).
It is this concept of redemption that underlies the modern pawn shop. A person brings in some item of value, and in exchange receives the loan of a certain sum of money and a claim ticket. In order to retrieve the property, the borrower must return to the shop within a specified time period and pay back the loan with interest. Then the item is returned to its original owner. The item, in other words, has been redeemed.
By nature we all are impoverished and in debt on account of sin and have sold ourselves into the power of the devil. Unlike the Israelite who sold himself into slavery, we are totally unable to redeem ourselves – it is completely beyond our power and ability. Neither can any other mere man redeem us.
Topic: Sin
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Thomas Costain's history, THE THREE EDWARDS, described the life of Raynald III, a fourteenth-century duke in what is now Belgium.
Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus, which means "fat." After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room. This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald's size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter. When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills."
Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn't released until after Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined he died within a year. . . a prisoner of his own appetite.
Raynald's problem with food is man's problem with sin. We are enslaved by our own evil passions and desires. We know we can secure freedom if only we were to get our appetites under control. But, like Raynald, we are unable to do so.
B Today, we confess that Jesus Christ is "our Lord." We confess He is "our Lord" because He has set us free; He has redeemed us; He has paid a ransom, a price; He is the Redeemer.
He has redeemed us from the guilt of sin, from the dominion of sin, from the punishment of sin. He has redeemed us and delivered us from the power of the devil.
C As an aside, too many believers wrongly think that when we fall into sin we become the property of Satan. That is not at all the case. Rather, when we sin, we only come under the power of Satan. For, don't forget our confession about God: that He, not Satan, is in control; that He is the Ruler; that His is an almighty and ever present power (Q & A 26,27). God, not Satan, is Lord over all men and all creation. Also, don't forget what we confessed in Q & A 1:
I am not my own,
but belong –
body and soul,
in life and in death –
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
Finally, don't forget to whom Christ paid the ransom. Scripture makes clear that Christ paid the ransom not to the devil but to God. "Christ," says Paul, "gave ... a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:2). This He did in order to satisfy the claims of God's justice and righteousness (cf Q & A 12).
II Christ has Redeemed Us with His Precious Blood
A The impoverished man of Israel who sold himself as a slave was redeemed only by the payment of silver or gold. But the value of a single human soul is so great that all the silver and gold of the whole world can not redeem it to set it free from the power of Satan. There is nothing that man can give in exchange for a human soul (cf Mt 16:26).
B Jesus is "our Lord," says the Catechism
Because –
not with gold or silver,
but with his precious blood –
he has set us free
from sin and from the tyranny of the devil ...
Jesus is Lord, then, because He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross. Therefore God gave Him the name "Lord" (cf Phil 2:5-11).
The redeemed sinner is set free only by the blood of Jesus. Only the complete surrender of Jesus' life is an acceptable ransom to God. Only the blood upon the cross is sufficient to set man free from sin and the tyranny of the devil.
By nature, no one wants to contemplate anything as ghastly as open wounds dripping blood. That's one of the reasons why twentieth century Judaism no longer has blood sacrifices. The modern Jew attempts to fulfill his or her responsibilities to God in a more civilized fashion. Thoughts of blood and sacrifice, even Christ's blood and sacrifice, are not well received in today's society. Such thinking is contrary to current trends.
Consider the cross and blood of Christ for a moment. A cross can not be described as beautiful. In fact, it is as ugly as a gas chamber or as a hangman's noose or as an executioner's axe. The cross was horrible, built to display the dying nakedness of a criminal, and intended to frighten and awe spectators with the grim reality of wrath, judgment, and punishment. There is nothing beautiful about the cross or the blood that was shed on it.
Yet God, Who made Creation from nothing, is more than able to make beauty from ugliness. From the decaying carcass of a lion, God produced honey (Judges 14:8). From a marriage founded upon adultery, duplicity, and murder, God raised up King Solomon (2 Sam 12:24). And, from the horror of Calvary, God brings forth redemption and freedom.
C What a glorious, wonderful freedom it is that our Lord gained for us by His blood. A redeemed slave gains for himself only an outward and temporal freedom. A redeemed sinner, however, gains an eternal freedom for both body and soul.
III Because Christ has Redeemed Us, We Belong to Him
A With His precious blood Jesus has redeemed us and bought us.
Do you know what this means?
When I purchase something and pay for it, I become its rightful owner. With His precious blood Christ has redeemed us and bought us. Therefore we belong to Him; we are His property. Christ "has set us free ... and has bought us ...," says the Catechism, "to be his very own."
I am not my own,
but belong –
body and soul,
in life and in death –
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
Christ has bought us. Therefore we belong to Him; He owns us; we are His servants or slaves. He is Lord!
B Jesus Christ is Lord! Our mission, our calling is to show this. And, we do this in a number of ways.
First, we must bow before Jesus. In the Ancient World people knew what a lord is. The lord is ruler of the realm. His is power, authority, and dominion. Before him all lesser mortals bow, profess allegiance, and practice obedience or they perish. Today we are told Jesus is Lord. He is Ruler. His is all power, authority, and dominion. Before Him we bow, profess allegiance, and practice obedience or we perish.
Second, we must live a life of service. Do you remember what Jesus said one day about His Lordship? He said He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28). The Master of all has been a slave. And, all who serve our Lord must serve with the same spirit in which He served. This means, very practically, that we must think of our lives as service. When He washed His disciples' feet Jesus drove this message home:
(Jn 13:12-14) "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. (13) "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. (14) Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
In other words, one way to acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to live a life of service.
Third, we must show and acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus in every area of life. If Jesus is your Lord, then you honor Him in body and soul (1 Cor 6:20), you joyfully obey Him (Mt 7:21), you humbly submit to His will, you serve Him only (1 Cor 7:23), and you confess His Lordship before men (Rom 10:9). In other words, people should be able to look at us and say, "There, that person serves the Lord Jesus."
Do we live up to this? I want you all to think about that for a moment, not just the adults, but the young people too. Your spending habits, what you buy, your bank account, your wallet – do they show that Jesus Christ is Lord? The school you attend – does it show that Jesus Christ is Lord? Your recreation, your TV watching, your video movies, your hunting and fishing and golfing – do they all show that Jesus Christ is Lord? What about your marriage, your home, your friends, your relationship with your parents or with your children – do they all show that Jesus Christ is Lord? How you do your school work, your jobs, your chores – do they all show that Jesus Christ is Lord? Your hopes, your desires and wants, even your dreams – do they show that Jesus Christ is Lord?
It is clear, isn't it, that the Lordship of Christ demands an "all or nothing" response.
C I am sure you all realize it is never easy for any of us – whether young or old, whether male or female, whether in or out of church office – to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ over every area of life.
Many times the early Christians got into trouble for confessing the Lordship of Christ. They got into trouble with their fellow Jews because they gave to Jesus the honor that was due to God alone. But Jesus deserves that honor. He is Lord. The early Christians also got into trouble with the Romans because the Roman emperors demanded absolute allegiance. But the Christians' ultimate loyalty was not and could not be to Caesar but to Jesus. Christians believed that even Caesar must bow before Christ. They rightly refused to sacrifice to the emperor. They preferred to die rather than deny Jesus as Lord.
Topic: Martyrdom
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Index: 3487-3488
Date: 8/2000.101
Title: Sanctus
Sanctus was one of the early martyrs of the Christian faith. To get him to renounce Jesus, Sanctus was given every torture his tormentors could dream up. But he remained true and steadfast in his faith. At last, red hot plates of brass were fastened to the most tender parts of his body. But, even then, he continued, unsubdued and unshaken, firm in his confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. Eventually he was martyred for this confession and died with the name of Jesus on his lips.
This basic Christian confession – that Jesus Christ is Lord – may still get us into trouble with our peer groups, with current public opinion, with the governing spirit in most areas of life, and sometimes, with our governments.
Conclusion
With the church of all ages we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! He has redeemed me from the power of sin and Satan and has bought me to be His very own. This means He is my Master and Owner; I belong to Him.
Jesus is Lord. His is all power, authority, and dominion. This means I must bow before Him or perish.
Jesus is Lord. This also means He will not let go of us. He won't let go of us because He paid so dearly for us – with His blood. And, He is able to keep hold of us because He is now so powerful.