Sunday Sermon

"Do You Believe?"
[Mark 16:9-13]
December 24, 2006 Second Reformed Church

Do you believe?

A Jewish boy named Jesus was born in Bethlehem about two thousand years ago. Do you believe?

That's not hard to believe, is it? Jesus was a very common Jewish name -- there were probably dozens of Jewish boys named Jesus about two thousand years ago. The fact that a Jewish boy named Jesus was born about two thousand years ago isn't hard to believe, and it really doesn't mean that much.

Even if we add in angels and shepherds and a star and near eastern astrologers with gifts, it would not have been far-fetched. As we saw last week, there are angels -- they would have believed in angels, and there were shepherds who wandered off and got into other people's business, and eastern astrologers -- prophets and astrologers and mystics were common.

When we add in the fact that Jesus is God Incarnate, many eyebrows would have been raised, but not all, since God had manifested Himself in Israel's sight before. Today, of course, many more eyebrows are raised.

And when we add in, "and He was born to a virgin," even in Jesus' day, that seemed far-fetched -- not impossible, though. Because they had seen many miraculous things happen in the past, throughout their history.

So, I ask again, "Do you believe?"

It's interesting to note that the people of Jesus' day, just as people in our day, found His Resurrection even more difficult to believe in than His Miraculous Birth.

But here's the difference between the people of Jesus' day and our own day: the people in Jesus' day expected sure and convincing proof before they would believe something; they were not as easily fooled or convinced of things as we are. In the United States, and even in the Church, we have put our brains up on a shelf. And when we have been presented with reason and logic and proof, we have babbled back what the "experts" have said.

I was talking to a woman recently who said that she didn't believe in the Jesus of the Bible -- she believes that Jesus was a good and moral teacher, so she thinks -- but she does not believe that He is the Almighty God Incarnate, the only Salvation for humans. She said to me, "The Bible says that Jesus was born of a virgin; so the Bible isn't true. There must be a sperm and an egg to produce a baby; so Christianity isn't true."

We must grant that such an interaction is normally necessary to produce a baby. But tell me, if the Almighty God, Who created everything that is, including the body of Mary, herself, if He chose to created a baby in her womb without the male implantation, is it not possible that the Almighty God and Creator could do it?

The Bible says that we must use our minds -- we must love God with all of our minds -- so often a portrait is painted of people who lived two thousand years ago -- even five hundred years ago -- as being completely ignorant and unworthy of listening to. Yes, we have made great strides in medicine and in the ability to kill each other, but such advances do not mean that those who have come before us are unworthy to listen to. We ought to bring our minds to their testimony and prove what they have said as true or false.

I have talked with people about the issue of abortion, and I have been told that "There's no 'baby' in the womb, it's a fetus." And I explain that the word "fetus" is merely Latin for "baby" -- so the person is saying "There's no 'baby' in the womb, it's a baby."

When people tell me, "I don't believe in Christianity." They very often mean they don't believe in the Church -- they don't believe in the excesses and abuses, the sin and the history of conflict -- but I say, and I would hope you would say, "Look at the Bible. Look at the Holy Scripture. See what God has said. Read the Bible and see if God does not convict you of the truth of what it says."

The Church is not sinless -- not yet. But that Little Baby was born without sin, and He never sinned, so He was able to take our place as the Perfect Sacrifice and receive upon Him the punishment for our sin. That's what the Scripture says -- that's where we ought to direct our friends and families. And we ought to pray for them, that they would believe, remembering, that the best argument that we ever make will not convert a person. Only God changes the heart. Only God enlightens the mind. The Holy Spirit moves like the wind upon whomever it pleases Him to make believe.

Do you believe?

Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses and Salome and Joanna ran back to the disciples -- they did not yet believe. They had met the angel in the tomb and heard his words that Jesus was gone -- He was risen, and they ran away terrified, not knowing what to make of this message, and they went to Peter and the others and told them that Jesus' Body was gone.

And Mark is unable, as he is writing, to restrain himself, because he knows the end of the story, and he writes, "And with this, Jesus sent out through them from the east and to the west the sacred and imperishable Gospel of eternal salvation!" But Mark has more to tell us before we reach this blessed conclusion:

We're told that Mary Magdalene "ran and went to Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.' So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes" (John 20:2-10).

Peter and John ran to the tomb and confirmed that the tomb was open, Jesus' Body was gone, the linen cloth that Joseph of Arimethea had bought and wrapped Jesus in was folded in the tomb. They had proof that what the women said was true: Jesus was gone. But they did not know what to make of the angel saying that He was risen. They didn't believe that yet. They didn't have proof of that. So they went home and continued to mourn the death of their Lord, and now, also, the fact that His Body was missing.

Mary Magdalene did not go back with them; she stayed behind in the garden around the tomb and cried about the loss of her Lord, both to death and now in Body, that she could not anointed Him and complete His burial. "Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him, 'Rabboni!' (Which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."' Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord' -- and that he had said these things to her" (John 20:11-18).

Mary Magdalene believed; the disciples did not. Do you believe?

After this, Jesus appeared to two of His followers, "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, 'What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?' And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, 'Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?' And he said to them, 'What things?' And they said to him, 'Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They went to the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not seen.' And he answered them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

"So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly saying, 'Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.' So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he opened to us the Scriptures?' And they rose the same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, 'The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!' Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:13-35).

Simon and Cleopas believed; the disciples did not. Do you believe?

When the angel came to Mary and told her that she was with child, she said that it was not possible, because she was a virgin. The angel offered her two proofs: her barren cousin, Elizabeth, was with child already, and the God of this world is the Almighty God Who can make a virgin pregnant (Luke 1:34-37).

When Mary told Joseph that she was with child by an act of God the Holy Spirit, he did not believe her, but he loved her and sought a way to divorce her quietly. But the angle came to Joseph and offered him the proof of the prophecy that a virgin would conceive and bear the Savior -- this was Mary (Matthew 1:18-25).

In our society, with our mind-set and world view, it is easier to believe in the truth of Santa Claus and Frosty and Rudolph and all the other wonderful characters of Christmas. But, as fun and enjoyable as they may be, in the end, it really doesn't matter.

The history of this Baby, Jesus, Who also has something to do with the celebration of Christmas, does matter. His History ought not to be judged by looking at the sins of the Church, or my sins or your sins. His History ought to be judged by His History. And we ought not rely on the "experts," but take up the Bible ourselves and ask, "Is this true?" Read it and find out if there is any proof behind what it says. See if there is logic in its words.

Ponder this fact that Paul put before the Church in Rome, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

After all the other characters of the season return to the North Pole, the question -- the ultimate question -- the question that makes the eternal difference -- is still before each one of us:

"Do you believe?"

Let us pray:
Almighty God and Savior, Child of the Virgin's womb, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this time of celebrating Your Birth. We thank You that You have made us to live at a time and in a country where we can take up Your Word and examine it and see if these things are true. Do not let one of us rest until we can answer honestly, thoroughly, and thoughtfully, "Do I believe?" For everything always is for Your Glory, May Jesus Christ be praised, for it is in His Name we pray, Amen.