Sunday's Message - A Time to Be Thankful for Our Savior

November is a special time to focus on giving thanks. With that in mind, during the four Sundays before Thanksgiving Day, we'll consider how we might effectively use this time to consider why we might offer our thanks to God. We'll consider the following:

• November 2 - A Time to Be Thankful for Our God
• November 9 - A Time to Be Thankful for Our Savior
• November 16 - A Time to Be Thankful for the Bible
• November 23 - A Time to Be Thankful for the Church

On Sunday, we continued this series by looking at how this might be a perfect time to be thankful for our Savior. Below is a video presentation and the text for the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Now, if you were here last week, you know that we started a sermon series dealing with how we might use the eighteen days before Thanksgiving to be more thankful. And since we’re focusing on specific reasons for giving  thanks, last week, we talked about how we can be more thankful for God, specifically how we can thank him for protecting us and for saving us and for loving us. And this morning we’re going to shift our focus just a little to the one through whom God saves, namely our Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God, but also the son of man. 

And you know, during this last week, as I was thinking about this sermon, I remembered a lot of men and women I’ve had the privilege of knowing over the years, and I’m talking about folks whom I can honestly say I’m thankful that God led into my life. For example, there was Gary Russell, my favorite teacher back in high school who sort of fed my love for all things historical. And Jim Carriker, a Presbyterian minister I knew in my twenties who taught me about God’s grace and who encouraged me to attend Union Theological Seminary in Virginia back in the early eighties. And then there was Robb Starck, my very best friend in Weirton, whose character and kindness and curiosity still serves as a goal to which I aspire. And those are just three. I’ll tell you, without question, I’ve been blessed.

But there’s another person whom I always remember this time of year, but not for anything related to the holiday season. You see, back in the Fall of 1978, I did my student teaching in two schools: first, in Norfolk Catholic High School under Michael Borysewicz and second, with Pete Hathaway at Virginia Beach Junior High. And I’ve got to tell you, although they were both very good at what they did, I mean, Mr. Borysewicz had a tank of piranha in his classroom (It was a different time.), Mr. Hathaway was the best teacher I’ve ever known. He taught seventh grade social studies and eighth grade world cultures. And I’ll tell you, not only did he really know the material, he was dynamic and engaging. And he was both funny and firm, a combination that just blew me away. And since, I’ll always think of myself as a “teaching elder,” rather than a “minister of Word and Sacrament” or “pastor,” Mr. Hathaway did a lot to shape the person I became, and for that reason, I’m truly thankful he was in my life. 

And I’ll tell you, I think that’s appropriate to mention this morning, because during this message we’re going to focus on the life of Jesus Christ while he was here on earth, and in particular, three things that he did back in the day for which we can be thankful right now. And for each, we’ll use scripture to consider both what it was and why we should be thankful. In other words, we’re going to discuss how the next few weeks can be a time for us to be thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For example, as we think about Jesus, first, I think we can be thankful for his resurrection, you know, how on the third day he was raised from the dead. And even though I understand that God did the heavy lifting, I still believe we can be thankful that Jesus was resurrected. And I’ll tell you, I think the Apostle Paul would agree. I mean, just listen to what he wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter. 

I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. This part is:

Christ died for our sins,

    as the Scriptures say.

He was buried,

    and three days later

he was raised to life,

    as the Scriptures say.

Christ appeared to Peter,

    then to the twelve.

After this, he appeared

to more than five hundred

    other followers.

Most of them are still alive,

    but some have died.

He also appeared to James,

    then to all of the apostles.

Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. [1 Corinthians 15:3-8, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. You see, through the power of God, his son and our savior was raised from death to life, and I’m talking about, new life, resurrection life. And I think this is really important, but not always appreciated by us. Let me explain. Now, I recognize that we just talked about this a few weeks ago, but for the Jews, this was a big deal. You see, since they believed that souls couldn’t exist without bodies any more than bodies could exist without souls, for them, any kind of real life after death was only possible with a resurrection of both body and soul. And you know, that was the reason they all looked forward to the general resurrection of the dead, when God would cause all people to rise into a new life. And for Paul, this process started with what happened to Jesus on that first Easter. You see, because Jesus’s tomb was empty, we can be confident that some day so will ours. 

And for that reason, the resurrection of Christ can offer a hope that we can all know right now. It’s like Peter wrote in his first letter:

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.

You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns. [1 Peter 1:3-7, CEV]

You see, an understanding of the resurrection can offer us real hope, because it reminds us that God has power. I mean, since he has power over death itself, we can trust that not only can he change sorrow into joy, he can bring new life from the grave. And the resurrection can offer us real hope, because it reminds us , since a new birth is possible, so are fresh starts and radical transformations. And the resurrection can offer us real hope, because it reminds us that, in the end, all those limitations that we now face will be erased and all the pain we now endure will be gone. And together, as the children of God and the brothers and sisters of Christ, we’ll be able to enter into eternity. You see, right here and now, we can be thankful for the resurrection, because it offers a hope we can know. And that’s one reason to be thankful for our Savior. 

And second, we can also be thankful for his crucifixion. In other words, we can be thankful that Jesus knew what he was talking about when “he said, ‘The nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed,...’” [Mark 8:31b, CEV] I mean, just listen to what Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans:

When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.

If we shared in Jesus’ death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. We know sin doesn’t have power over dead people.

As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God. [Romans 6:4-11, CEV]

Now, that’s what he wrote, and I’ll tell you, I think this is really important. You see, for Paul, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, so were we. And when Jesus died, so did we. And since, again for Paul, it’s death that ultimately breaks the power of sin, in Jesus Christ, both he and we have died with respect to sin. In other words, in this sense, we are all dead men and women walking. We are the genuine living dead. Not only do dead men not wear plaid, I’m telling you, they’re not slaves to sin either. You see, from our perspective, that’s what the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is all about.

And for that reason, it offers us all kinds of freedom that we can claim, something that I think the Apostle Paul understood when he wrote this to the Galatians:

When we Jews started looking for a way to please God, we discovered that we are sinners too. Does this mean that Christ is the one who makes us sinners? No, it doesn’t! But if I tear down something and then build it again, I prove that I was wrong at first. It was the Law itself that killed me and freed me from its power, so I could live for God.

I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. I don’t turn my back on God’s gift of undeserved grace. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die. [Galatians 2:17-21, CEV]

You see, since we’ve died to sin, we’re now free to live for God. In other words, since we’re no longer tied to be what the world tells us we should think or want, we’re now free to break that mold and to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to allow his words to shape our values and our opinions and our assumptions and our aspirations. And since we’re no longer bound to rules and laws that have been so misunderstood and misinterpreted that they prevent us from being the kind of people we were created and called to be, we’re now free to become the kind of individuals and communities that don’t just talk about loving others as we’ve been love, but that actually and actively do it. You see, we can also be thankful for the crucifixion, because it offers a freedom that we can claim. And that’s another reason to be thankful for our Savior. 

And third, we can certainly be thankful for the life Jesus Christ lived, and I’m talking about what he said and did as he was passing through our time and space. And I’ll tell you, this was something about which Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians:

Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:

Christ was truly God.

But he did not try to remain

    equal with God.

Instead he gave up everything

    and became a slave,

when he became

    like one of us.

Christ was humble.

He obeyed God and even died

    on a cross.

Then God gave Christ

    the highest place

and honored his name

    above all others. [Philippians 2:3-9, CEV]

You see, as Jesus lived his life, he demonstrated how life could be lived. For example, he demonstrated genuine compassion, especially for those who needed it most, you know, like the poor and the sick, and those considered outcasts by society. And he engaged in humble service, showing that true greatness isn’t shown by men and women who boast and brag about themselves, but rather by those humble servants who sacrifice for others. And he offered sincere forgiveness, even to those who rejected him and abused him and ultimately killed him. As I’ve said many times, Jesus died on the cross to save the people who drove the nails. And he obediently submitted himself to God. I mean, as he said to the people, “I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost.” [John 6:38-39a, CEV] I’ll tell you, this is the kind of life Jesus lived. 

And because of that, he left us an excellent example we can follow. And you know, I think that was his intention. I mean, just listen to what happen when he gathered with his disciple for one last time before he was lifted up on the cross:

After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said:

Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them. [John 13:12-17, CEV]

Now that’s what he said. And you know, if we choose to listen, well, we might decide to follow the example that he left. For instance, we can demonstrate compassion for those around us, you know, to prioritize giving over taking and to be generous with those things that God has given us. And we can engage in the kind of service that’s humble and modest and maybe even unseen. And we can offer real forgiveness to others, which may mean deciding to leave slights and grudges and bitterness in the past as we work to reconcile the differences we might have in the present. And finally, we can obediently submit ourselves to God, which can only happen when we make the decision to learn what God wants us to do and to be. You see, we can be thankful for the life Jesus lived, because it offers an example that we can follow, another reason to be thankful for our Savior. 

Now, do you remember me talking about how thankful I was that I did half my student teaching with Pete Hathaway at Virginia Beach Junior High in the Fall of 1978? Well, the reason he sort of edged out Gary Russell and Jim Carriker and Robb Starck wasn’t so much his example but rather a conversation he had with me back in late October, 1978. You see, after observing him for two weeks, I was so impressed by his energy and humor that I tried to copy his style when it was time for me to teach his classes. And I’ve got to tell you, it was a disaster. The presentations were confusing. And none of the jokes landed. And I just plain felt really awkward performing his material. And I remember, at the end of that particular day, I remember him taking me aside. And he told me that, although he was flattered that I wanted to be like him, I really needed to be myself. And of course, he was right. And I’ll tell you, it’s something I’ve remembered for about forty-five years. And so, to Mr. Hathaway, thank you.

And you know, as we approach Thanksgiving, I hope we can say the same thing about Jesus Christ. You see, as we consider who he was and what he did, I believe we can be thankful for his resurrection, because it offers a hope we can know. And we can be thankful for his crucifixion, because it offers a freedom we can claim. And we can be thankful for his life, because it offers an example we can follow. You see, if this is what we choose to do, I believe we’ll be effectively using this time to be thankful for our Savior.