NOTE FROM PASTOR J R FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2022
This week is the Second Sunday IN Lent. In the assigned gospel text, Jesus was being encouraged to flee from where He was at the time because of a threat to His life from King Herod. Jesus doesn’t flee. Instead, He sends a bold message to Herod. It’s a lesson in “Facing Adversity with Confidence.” We discovered in the gospel text the 2 previous Sundays, where Jesus gets such confidence.
It was from affirmation of Who and Whose He is from God. In the gospel text on Transfiguration Sunday, Jesus receives this affirmation from God, “This is My son, My Chosen …” (Luke 9:35) Last week, on the first Sunday in Lent, Jesus faced the adversity of temptation in the wilderness right after His baptism. Immediately following baptism, Jesus received this affirmation from God: “You are My Son, the Beloved, with You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) The confidence Jesus demonstrates toward Herod, is based on the affirmation He has received from God and keeps fresh in His memory.
We should all do likewise. In Wednesday’s Life Lesson, we learned that (1) I am ACCEPTABLE because I am chosen by God and precious in God’s sight. (I Peter 2:4) (2) I am VALUABLE because of what God was willing to do for me using Jesus’ death for my benefit. Such affirmation is designed to give us confidence in facing adversity. We all will face adversity many times in life. However, we don’t have to live in fear that keeps us immobilized and afraid of what the future holds.
It is important that we trust in the affirmation of who God, as Jesus did in Luke 13. It enables us in “Facing Adversity with Confidence.”
Join us this Second Sunday IN Lent, IN-PERSON, by Zoom or Facebook Livestream and discover the wonderful power of affirmation. My sermon will be “Facing Adversity with Confidence” based on Psalms 27:1-6 and Luke 13:31-35.
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