Life for the Dying: In the Night My Hope Lives On (#4, 2016-0424)
Call to Worship, Psalm 100
Children, John
10.1-18
10.1-18
Message, Revelation 5.1-14, with
John 10
John 10
Song, “In the Night”, vv 3-4, 7-8
Song: In the Night (Andrew
Peterson), including lyrics below
Peterson), including lyrics below
I see the slave that toils
beneath the yoke unyielding
beneath the yoke unyielding
And I can hear the captive groan,
hear the captive groan
hear the captive groan
For some hand to stay the whip
his foe is wielding
his foe is wielding
Still in the night my hope lives
on
on
I see the armies of the enemy
approaching
approaching
And the people driven, trembling,
to the shore
to the shore
But a doorway through the waters
now is opening
now is opening
So in the night my hope lives on
Oh
in the night …
in the night …
Well, I remember how they scorned
the son of Mary
the son of Mary
He was gentle as a lamb, gentle
as a lamb
as a lamb
He was beaten, he was crucified,
and buried
and buried
And in the night, my hope was
gone
gone
But the rulers of this earth
could not control Him
could not control Him
No they did not take his life–he
laid it down
laid it down
And all the chains of death could
never hope to hold him
never hope to hold him
So in the night my hope lives on
My need to hear and preach this
Crave
the story and hope of resurrection
the story and hope of resurrection
And
my inability to do so – lack understanding, face death
my inability to do so – lack understanding, face death
Death is such a present reality
All
of us are dying
of us are dying
Life
is a terminal disease
is a terminal disease
I am grieving
Images in the Scripture texts:
(John writing, with roots in Isaiah)
(John writing, with roots in Isaiah)
Lion – Lamb
Victor
and Victim
and Victim
Language
of Israel’s sacrificial worship (Leviticus 14.13)
of Israel’s sacrificial worship (Leviticus 14.13)
Language
of Passover Lamb (2 Chronicles 30, 35)
of Passover Lamb (2 Chronicles 30, 35)
Root
Of
the stump, generates new life
the stump, generates new life
Shepherd, Gate
Lay
down life (shepherd lays down as “gate” for the sheep)
down life (shepherd lays down as “gate” for the sheep)
Images in the song lyrics:
“He was gentle as a lamb”
Isaiah
the prophet, “lamb led to slaughter” (Isaiah 53.7)
the prophet, “lamb led to slaughter” (Isaiah 53.7)
John’s
gospel introduces Jesus as
gospel introduces Jesus as
“The
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”
(John
1.29, 36)
1.29, 36)
Remember
him in his death
him in his death
The
crucifix
crucifix
“No they did not take his life,
he laid it down”
he laid it down”
John 10:17-18 For this reason the Father loves me, because I
lay down my life in order to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.
lay down my life in order to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.
John 15:13 No one has greater love than
this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that he
laid down his life for us– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
laid down his life for us– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
“Service of Death and
Resurrection”
Resurrection”
Hope
for the future
for the future
What
about hope for the now?
about hope for the now?
What
does it mean to live now in the hope of resurrection?
does it mean to live now in the hope of resurrection?
A life laid down is a life lived
Focused
on others
on others
Driven
by love
by love
Sustained
by the hope of resurrection
by the hope of resurrection
Shirley
and Lee Wetzel
and Lee Wetzel
Donna
Druck
Druck
NOT
treating the other as a “project” (Jesse’s teacher)
treating the other as a “project” (Jesse’s teacher)
Dad
a “good investor”
a “good investor”
Resurrection makes it possible to
lay our lives down in hope
lay our lives down in hope
Resurrection makes it possible –
here and now – for us to know the love of the one who laid his life down for us
here and now – for us to know the love of the one who laid his life down for us
Dad: I am going to Love