1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,000 Many people find a way of managing life 2 00:00:05,000 –> 00:00:09,940 by dividing it into separate compartments. 3 00:00:09,940 –> 00:00:12,620 And folks who do that think a little bit like this. 4 00:00:12,620 –> 00:00:15,600 There’s one compartment for work, 5 00:00:15,600 –> 00:00:17,040 and that’s where you have to deal 6 00:00:17,040 –> 00:00:20,580 with things like business and budgets and sales reports 7 00:00:20,580 –> 00:00:23,040 or whatever happens to be your working sphere. 8 00:00:23,040 –> 00:00:24,139 That’s work. 9 00:00:24,139 –> 00:00:27,160 Then there’s another sphere that becomes family 10 00:00:27,160 –> 00:00:29,040 where you have your marriage, your kids, 11 00:00:29,040 –> 00:00:31,920 everything that goes into maintaining a home, 12 00:00:31,920 –> 00:00:33,980 and then a spiritual compartment 13 00:00:33,980 –> 00:00:38,980 that is about prayer and church and God and eternity. 14 00:00:40,119 –> 00:00:44,119 And if you divide your life into compartments like that, 15 00:00:44,119 –> 00:00:49,119 you will probably feel that God cares about your soul 16 00:00:50,279 –> 00:00:53,939 but probably isn’t integrally involved 17 00:00:53,939 –> 00:00:57,240 in the ups and downs of your marriage. 18 00:00:57,259 –> 00:00:59,419 God is somehow interested in your heart 19 00:00:59,419 –> 00:01:02,660 but not really engaged with the chaos 20 00:01:02,660 –> 00:01:05,360 of your hectic Christmas schedule 21 00:01:05,360 –> 00:01:07,320 with the kids or whatever it is. 22 00:01:08,320 –> 00:01:11,120 And I want us to stop and think about that 23 00:01:11,120 –> 00:01:14,419 and correct that kind of thinking for just a moment. 24 00:01:15,800 –> 00:01:20,800 At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation. 25 00:01:21,959 –> 00:01:25,720 That is God entering the world. 26 00:01:25,720 –> 00:01:26,779 Which world? 27 00:01:27,680 –> 00:01:31,919 God entering the world of noisy kids, 28 00:01:31,919 –> 00:01:36,919 relentless schedules, strained marriages, messy divorces. 29 00:01:37,639 –> 00:01:42,279 God came into this world as we experience it 30 00:01:42,279 –> 00:01:46,239 in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. 31 00:01:46,239 –> 00:01:47,720 At the beginning of John’s gospel, 32 00:01:47,720 –> 00:01:49,620 you remember these well-known words 33 00:01:49,620 –> 00:01:53,820 in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God 34 00:01:53,820 –> 00:01:58,820 and the Word was God, and then John says 35 00:01:58,879 –> 00:02:01,660 the Word became what? 36 00:02:01,660 –> 00:02:05,040 Flesh, flesh. 37 00:02:05,040 –> 00:02:08,320 The Word became flesh and lived among us. 38 00:02:08,320 –> 00:02:11,419 It does not say the Word became Spirit. 39 00:02:12,259 –> 00:02:14,740 See if it said the word became Spirit, 40 00:02:14,740 –> 00:02:18,460 we would have to conclude that the interest God has 41 00:02:18,460 –> 00:02:22,100 is limited to the things of the Spirit in our lives 42 00:02:22,139 –> 00:02:25,699 like prayer and meditation and Bible study 43 00:02:25,699 –> 00:02:27,800 but that is not the message of Christmas. 44 00:02:27,800 –> 00:02:29,619 The message of Christmas is not that the Word 45 00:02:29,619 –> 00:02:33,240 became Spirit, but that the Word became flesh 46 00:02:33,240 –> 00:02:34,979 and that means that God is interested 47 00:02:34,979 –> 00:02:37,399 in every aspect of your life, 48 00:02:38,380 –> 00:02:43,380 your life in the flesh, your life in this world 49 00:02:43,539 –> 00:02:47,080 with marriage and work and kids and schedules 50 00:02:47,080 –> 00:02:51,779 and all the messed up situations of life 51 00:02:51,820 –> 00:02:55,000 and relationships that cause us anxiety and tension 52 00:02:55,000 –> 00:02:59,660 and Jesus Christ came into this world, 53 00:02:59,660 –> 00:03:00,500 into this world. 54 00:03:02,100 –> 00:03:06,940 The incarnation just blows apart the compartments 55 00:03:06,940 –> 00:03:11,000 into which we so easily divide our lives. 56 00:03:12,539 –> 00:03:14,679 When Jesus Christ entered the world, 57 00:03:14,679 –> 00:03:18,059 God was invading our whole life, 58 00:03:18,100 –> 00:03:22,800 home, kids, marriage, work, checkbook, everything. 59 00:03:25,059 –> 00:03:26,520 When Jesus went to the cross, 60 00:03:26,520 –> 00:03:28,800 he didn’t just die to save your soul. 61 00:03:28,800 –> 00:03:31,960 He went to the cross in order to redeem your life. 62 00:03:33,419 –> 00:03:38,419 It’s much bigger and thank God for that. 63 00:03:39,179 –> 00:03:41,199 The word became flesh. 64 00:03:42,300 –> 00:03:44,580 Now, today as we come to Mark’s Gospel, 65 00:03:44,580 –> 00:03:47,699 we’re going to see Jesus surrounded by noisy kids 66 00:03:48,979 –> 00:03:51,360 and pushy parents. 67 00:03:51,360 –> 00:03:54,660 We’re going to hear Jesus interact with people 68 00:03:54,660 –> 00:03:59,399 about the joys of marriage and the pain of divorce. 69 00:04:00,339 –> 00:04:03,059 We’re going to see Jesus in the middle of life, 70 00:04:03,059 –> 00:04:05,940 surrounded by a press of people 71 00:04:05,940 –> 00:04:08,580 with all the stress that that brings 72 00:04:08,580 –> 00:04:13,419 as well as all the joy that goes with it. 73 00:04:13,660 –> 00:04:15,039 And today as we open the Bible 74 00:04:15,039 –> 00:04:18,260 I want simply to raise a cheer for marriage 75 00:04:18,260 –> 00:04:20,899 and to raise a cheer for children 76 00:04:20,899 –> 00:04:23,839 and to help us to see that Jesus Christ 77 00:04:23,839 –> 00:04:27,279 is in the middle of both. 78 00:04:27,279 –> 00:04:30,200 We’re going to see that Jesus seals marriages 79 00:04:30,200 –> 00:04:32,859 and that Jesus blesses children. 80 00:04:32,859 –> 00:04:35,059 So I hope you have your Bible open in front of you. 81 00:04:35,059 –> 00:04:37,380 We’re going to begin at Mark chapter 10, 82 00:04:37,380 –> 00:04:40,160 in verse one we find Jesus as so often 83 00:04:40,160 –> 00:04:44,320 teaching the great crowds of people who came to him. 84 00:04:44,320 –> 00:04:45,359 And in verse two, 85 00:04:45,359 –> 00:04:48,399 the Pharisees come and they test him. 86 00:04:48,399 –> 00:04:50,579 They always seem to have an angle with their question. 87 00:04:50,579 –> 00:04:51,899 This time their question is, 88 00:04:51,899 –> 00:04:55,760 is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? 89 00:04:56,619 –> 00:04:57,619 It’s very interesting. 90 00:04:57,619 –> 00:05:01,160 Jesus is asked a question about divorce, 91 00:05:01,160 –> 00:05:05,880 but he answers with some teaching about marriage. 92 00:05:05,880 –> 00:05:07,959 And I want you to notice that is later 93 00:05:07,980 –> 00:05:11,380 when the disciples ask Jesus in private about divorce 94 00:05:11,380 –> 00:05:14,940 that he answers them in the privacy of a home. 95 00:05:14,940 –> 00:05:18,320 I think, by the way, that that is very significant 96 00:05:18,320 –> 00:05:21,399 because Jesus did not come into the world 97 00:05:21,399 –> 00:05:25,140 to load guilt onto people for past failures. 98 00:05:26,399 –> 00:05:28,980 Important to remember that. 99 00:05:28,980 –> 00:05:31,660 Remember on one occasion he spoke to a lady 100 00:05:31,660 –> 00:05:35,980 who had gone through no fewer than five divorces. 101 00:05:35,980 –> 00:05:37,059 Five divorces. 102 00:05:38,940 –> 00:05:42,000 And Jesus does not condemn this lady. 103 00:05:42,000 –> 00:05:44,779 What he does is he talks to her 104 00:05:44,779 –> 00:05:48,799 about becoming a true worshiper of God. 105 00:05:48,799 –> 00:05:51,700 See that is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 106 00:05:51,700 –> 00:05:53,339 The Word becomes flesh. 107 00:05:53,339 –> 00:05:58,279 He comes into this world with all its pain, 108 00:05:58,279 –> 00:06:01,200 with all its brokenness 109 00:06:01,200 –> 00:06:03,799 and he ministers 110 00:06:03,799 –> 00:06:05,899 to men and women 111 00:06:06,140 –> 00:06:09,940 in the middle of stress of life 112 00:06:09,940 –> 00:06:10,779 in this world. 113 00:06:10,779 –> 00:06:11,959 That’s the incarnation. 114 00:06:13,040 –> 00:06:14,100 Think about it 115 00:06:15,459 –> 00:06:18,200 and thank God for it. 116 00:06:18,200 –> 00:06:21,380 Jesus does not focus on our past failures 117 00:06:21,380 –> 00:06:23,339 but on present realities 118 00:06:23,339 –> 00:06:25,820 and future possibilities. 119 00:06:26,859 –> 00:06:28,700 And I want us to see here therefore 120 00:06:28,700 –> 00:06:31,059 that the focus of our Lord’s teaching 121 00:06:31,059 –> 00:06:33,820 is very much on the dignity 122 00:06:33,820 –> 00:06:35,540 and the value, 123 00:06:35,579 –> 00:06:39,700 the beauty of God’s gift 124 00:06:39,700 –> 00:06:40,739 of marriage. 125 00:06:40,739 –> 00:06:44,279 Well let’s look at what Jesus teaches here in verse six. 126 00:06:44,279 –> 00:06:45,619 At the beginning of creation, 127 00:06:45,619 –> 00:06:48,739 he says God made them male and female. 128 00:06:48,739 –> 00:06:49,700 And for this reason, 129 00:06:49,700 –> 00:06:51,619 a man will leave his father and mother 130 00:06:51,619 –> 00:06:54,040 and be united to his wife 131 00:06:54,040 –> 00:06:57,119 and the two will become one flesh. 132 00:06:57,119 –> 00:06:59,339 So they are no longer two but one 133 00:06:59,339 –> 00:07:02,279 and therefore what God has joined together 134 00:07:02,299 –> 00:07:05,540 let man not separate. 135 00:07:07,399 –> 00:07:10,239 Now notice God’s pattern for marriage here. 136 00:07:10,239 –> 00:07:13,480 I think we can build a very simple understanding 137 00:07:13,480 –> 00:07:16,359 of what marriage is as God intended it 138 00:07:16,359 –> 00:07:19,239 from the teaching of Jesus right here. 139 00:07:19,239 –> 00:07:22,359 First Jesus says, a man. 140 00:07:22,359 –> 00:07:24,739 Now notice that that is singular, 141 00:07:24,739 –> 00:07:26,079 so we’re reminded straight away 142 00:07:26,079 –> 00:07:30,679 that marriage is an exclusive union between two people. 143 00:07:30,679 –> 00:07:34,399 Second, He shall leave his father and his mother. 144 00:07:34,399 –> 00:07:37,200 In other words, marriage is not a private arrangement, 145 00:07:37,200 –> 00:07:39,880 a sort of private agreement between two people. 146 00:07:39,880 –> 00:07:41,959 It is a public attachment. 147 00:07:41,959 –> 00:07:45,679 It involves that leaving, and it is known. 148 00:07:45,679 –> 00:07:48,320 He shall be united with his wife. 149 00:07:48,320 –> 00:07:50,940 United speaking of a lasting relationship 150 00:07:50,940 –> 00:07:54,119 that is to be characterized by love. 151 00:07:54,119 –> 00:07:56,640 The man is united, Jesus says, to his wife 152 00:07:56,640 –> 00:07:58,839 and so quite clearly here the relationship 153 00:07:58,880 –> 00:08:02,160 is between one man and one woman. 154 00:08:02,160 –> 00:08:05,279 The two, Jesus says, will become one flesh 155 00:08:05,279 –> 00:08:08,399 so the loving union of their hearts 156 00:08:08,399 –> 00:08:11,079 will be sealed and will be strengthened 157 00:08:11,079 –> 00:08:14,359 by the physical union of their bodies. 158 00:08:14,359 –> 00:08:17,859 And then, Jesus says, what God has joined together, 159 00:08:17,859 –> 00:08:21,079 let not man separate, so God is the one 160 00:08:21,079 –> 00:08:23,200 who actually seals this bond, 161 00:08:23,200 –> 00:08:26,000 it is God who makes the two one, 162 00:08:26,079 –> 00:08:29,200 and the relationship is sealed by Him. 163 00:08:29,200 –> 00:08:30,799 So I think putting these things together 164 00:08:30,799 –> 00:08:32,700 from the plain teaching of Jesus, 165 00:08:32,700 –> 00:08:36,559 we can define marriage as an exclusive, 166 00:08:36,559 –> 00:08:40,159 public, lasting, loving union 167 00:08:40,159 –> 00:08:42,479 of one man and one woman, 168 00:08:42,479 –> 00:08:43,919 and most important of all, 169 00:08:43,919 –> 00:08:47,299 that is sealed by God. 170 00:08:48,880 –> 00:08:50,940 Now, this high view of marriage 171 00:08:50,940 –> 00:08:54,719 was very, very different from the prevailing ideas 172 00:08:54,719 –> 00:08:58,799 about marriage that existed at the time of Jesus. 173 00:08:58,799 –> 00:09:00,880 At the time of Jesus, 174 00:09:00,880 –> 00:09:03,919 divorce had become very common, 175 00:09:03,919 –> 00:09:06,099 and particularly very common, 176 00:09:06,099 –> 00:09:10,799 by a man putting away his wife, 177 00:09:10,799 –> 00:09:12,679 divorcing his wife, 178 00:09:12,679 –> 00:09:16,599 often for the most frivolous of reasons. 179 00:09:16,599 –> 00:09:18,320 Let me read to you from Bishop Ryle, 180 00:09:18,320 –> 00:09:22,039 who quotes from Rabbi Hillel’s writings, 181 00:09:22,039 –> 00:09:25,799 Rabbi Hillel being one of the main schools of thought 182 00:09:25,799 –> 00:09:28,419 back in the time of Jesus. 183 00:09:28,419 –> 00:09:29,820 And Ryel says, 184 00:09:29,820 –> 00:09:32,320 the extent to which the Jews allowed divorce 185 00:09:32,320 –> 00:09:35,000 for absurd and frivolous causes 186 00:09:35,000 –> 00:09:36,640 would be almost incredible 187 00:09:36,640 –> 00:09:38,239 if did not have the evidence 188 00:09:38,239 –> 00:09:41,919 of their own rabbinical writings on the subject. 189 00:09:41,919 –> 00:09:43,239 Then he quotes Hillel. 190 00:09:44,320 –> 00:09:46,820 Now, what do you make of this? 191 00:09:46,820 –> 00:09:48,719 If the wife, 192 00:09:48,719 –> 00:09:49,859 notice that by the way, 193 00:09:50,820 –> 00:09:52,119 that’s a bad start. 194 00:09:53,780 –> 00:09:57,099 If the wife, says Hillel, 195 00:09:57,099 –> 00:10:00,119 cooks her husband’s food ill 196 00:10:00,119 –> 00:10:01,960 by over salting it 197 00:10:02,799 –> 00:10:04,940 or over roasting it, 198 00:10:05,919 –> 00:10:07,520 she is to be put away. 199 00:10:08,619 –> 00:10:09,460 Incredible. 200 00:10:10,460 –> 00:10:13,580 Well, I mean we laugh because that seems so ludicrous, 201 00:10:13,580 –> 00:10:16,440 but can you imagine the plight of women in that culture? 202 00:10:17,359 –> 00:10:20,200 Can you imagine living in a culture 203 00:10:20,200 –> 00:10:25,200 where the religious leadership actually encourages men 204 00:10:25,619 –> 00:10:27,859 to have this kind of freedom to change their mind 205 00:10:27,859 –> 00:10:30,200 on marriage relationship at their own whim, 206 00:10:30,200 –> 00:10:32,239 just a walk in, walk out. 207 00:10:32,239 –> 00:10:33,919 Done with you. 208 00:10:33,919 –> 00:10:34,780 Move onto her. 209 00:10:37,260 –> 00:10:41,000 The plight of women in this environment 210 00:10:41,000 –> 00:10:45,859 in which our Lord Jesus Christ is teaching is disastrous. 211 00:10:46,559 –> 00:10:48,119 Disastrous. 212 00:10:48,119 –> 00:10:50,239 And, remember, this is what was happening 213 00:10:50,239 –> 00:10:51,619 among the people of God. 214 00:10:51,619 –> 00:10:53,539 I mean, we’re not just talking about theory. 215 00:10:53,539 –> 00:10:54,380 We’re talking about 216 00:10:54,380 –> 00:10:56,479 what had become fostered within the culture. 217 00:10:56,479 –> 00:10:58,640 This is how life was. 218 00:10:59,960 –> 00:11:01,280 And the question, of course, 219 00:11:01,280 –> 00:11:03,320 when Jesus Christ comes into the world, 220 00:11:03,320 –> 00:11:05,780 is well then what does Jesus think about that? 221 00:11:06,679 –> 00:11:07,940 Does he support that? 222 00:11:09,359 –> 00:11:11,039 I that how he thinks of marriage? 223 00:11:11,039 –> 00:11:14,640 That kind of thing that a man can change at will? 224 00:11:15,479 –> 00:11:17,159 What does Jesus say about that? 225 00:11:18,000 –> 00:11:20,659 Jesus responds to his disciples, 226 00:11:20,659 –> 00:11:22,359 if you look at verses 11 and 12, 227 00:11:22,359 –> 00:11:24,400 you’ll see very clearly the teaching 228 00:11:24,400 –> 00:11:26,799 of our Lord Jesus Christ about this. 229 00:11:26,799 –> 00:11:29,719 As he has taught about what marriage is, 230 00:11:29,719 –> 00:11:33,380 it follows very plainly what he has to say about divorce. 231 00:11:33,380 –> 00:11:36,340 He says here that remarriage after a divorce, 232 00:11:36,340 –> 00:11:38,440 in verse 11 and 12, would be adultery 233 00:11:38,440 –> 00:11:43,320 because even if the relationship were ended in law, 234 00:11:43,760 –> 00:11:46,400 even if it were ended by Rabbi Hillel 235 00:11:46,400 –> 00:11:48,880 when a man chooses to put his wife away, 236 00:11:48,880 –> 00:11:51,479 that does not mean that it is ended in the eyes of God 237 00:11:51,479 –> 00:11:52,820 and remember, says Jesus, 238 00:11:52,820 –> 00:11:57,140 it is God, not Hillel who joined the two together 239 00:11:57,140 –> 00:11:59,880 in the first place. 240 00:11:59,880 –> 00:12:01,719 Those God has joined together. 241 00:12:01,719 –> 00:12:05,739 He says, let not man separate. 242 00:12:07,979 –> 00:12:11,179 Well, we hear Jesus saying that those God has joined 243 00:12:11,179 –> 00:12:13,080 together, not man separate, 244 00:12:13,640 –> 00:12:14,960 but that raises the question, doesn’t it? 245 00:12:14,960 –> 00:12:17,239 Well, are there any circumstances 246 00:12:17,239 –> 00:12:19,880 in which those God has joined together, 247 00:12:19,880 –> 00:12:21,159 God may separate. 248 00:12:21,159 –> 00:12:26,159 Are there any circumstances in which God may bring an end 249 00:12:27,340 –> 00:12:28,179 to a marriage? 250 00:12:28,179 –> 00:12:32,200 And I think the answer to that question is yes, there are. 251 00:12:34,039 –> 00:12:39,039 Jesus raises and teachers and recognizes one ground 252 00:12:39,599 –> 00:12:40,479 for divorce. 253 00:12:40,479 –> 00:12:43,820 It isn’t mentioned here in Mark’s gospel, 254 00:12:43,820 –> 00:12:48,359 but it is referred to and recorded twice by Matthew 255 00:12:48,359 –> 00:12:52,119 from the lips of Jesus in Matthew chapter five and verse 32 256 00:12:52,119 –> 00:12:54,359 and Matthew chapter 19 and verse nine 257 00:12:55,359 –> 00:13:00,340 where Jesus speaks against remarriage after divorce 258 00:13:00,340 –> 00:13:04,619 except he says, for marital unfaithfulness, 259 00:13:04,619 –> 00:13:07,200 Matthew 19, nine, anyone who divorces his wife 260 00:13:07,200 –> 00:13:09,200 except for marital unfaithfulness 261 00:13:09,200 –> 00:13:12,200 and marries another woman commits adultery. 262 00:13:13,299 –> 00:13:16,940 Now, why would this be the one situation? 263 00:13:17,799 –> 00:13:20,900 Why would this be the unique situation? 264 00:13:20,900 –> 00:13:22,539 Different from all others, 265 00:13:23,760 –> 00:13:26,599 where what God has joined together 266 00:13:26,599 –> 00:13:29,039 might, by God, be separated? 267 00:13:30,559 –> 00:13:31,900 I think there’s a clear answer 268 00:13:31,900 –> 00:13:33,599 as to why there is a uniqueness 269 00:13:33,599 –> 00:13:37,500 about this particular circumstance, and it’s just this. 270 00:13:38,359 –> 00:13:41,640 Under the Old Testament law, 271 00:13:43,000 –> 00:13:45,640 if you committed adultery, 272 00:13:45,640 –> 00:13:47,159 whether you be a husband or a wife, 273 00:13:47,159 –> 00:13:51,679 if you committed adultery, you would be stoned. 274 00:13:51,679 –> 00:13:54,739 That’s what the Old Testament law prescribed. 275 00:13:54,739 –> 00:13:58,440 So if your husband was unfaithful to you, 276 00:13:58,440 –> 00:14:02,200 he would be stoned, and so you would be a widow, 277 00:14:02,200 –> 00:14:05,460 and thereby you would be free to remarry. 278 00:14:05,460 –> 00:14:07,440 If your wife was unfaithful to you, 279 00:14:07,500 –> 00:14:11,880 she would be stoned, and then you would be a widower, 280 00:14:11,880 –> 00:14:13,960 and you would be free to remarry. 281 00:14:14,979 –> 00:14:17,840 Now remember, as we make the connection here, 282 00:14:17,840 –> 00:14:20,200 the time in the gospels where the Pharisees 283 00:14:20,200 –> 00:14:23,400 had caught a woman in the very act of adultery, 284 00:14:23,400 –> 00:14:24,840 it must surely have been a set up, 285 00:14:24,840 –> 00:14:26,840 but you remember the story of what happened. 286 00:14:26,840 –> 00:14:29,520 The Pharisees came to Jesus and they said, 287 00:14:29,520 –> 00:14:32,440 this woman’s been caught in the act of adultery, 288 00:14:32,440 –> 00:14:35,039 and they said the law of Moses tells us 289 00:14:35,039 –> 00:14:37,520 that she should be what? 290 00:14:37,520 –> 00:14:38,359 Stoned. 291 00:14:39,599 –> 00:14:40,440 See? 292 00:14:41,280 –> 00:14:42,900 And remember what Jesus said, 293 00:14:42,900 –> 00:14:46,559 well, if any of you is without sin, 294 00:14:46,559 –> 00:14:48,880 he should be the one to throw the first stone. 295 00:14:50,280 –> 00:14:53,280 And so beautifully, John describes, 296 00:14:53,280 –> 00:14:56,219 they all went away, the oldest first, 297 00:14:57,080 –> 00:14:58,179 and then down to the youngest. 298 00:14:58,179 –> 00:14:59,119 Very significant. 299 00:15:00,359 –> 00:15:02,520 There really was only one person who would be 300 00:15:02,520 –> 00:15:04,000 in the position to throw the first stone. 301 00:15:04,000 –> 00:15:06,239 That was Jesus himself, and he chose not to. 302 00:15:07,679 –> 00:15:11,359 Because while condemnation came through the law of Moses, 303 00:15:11,359 –> 00:15:16,359 grace came by our Lord Jesus Christ. 304 00:15:20,440 –> 00:15:23,340 So it makes sense in the light of the Old Testament, 305 00:15:23,340 –> 00:15:26,359 when you think about this, that marital unfaithfulness 306 00:15:26,359 –> 00:15:28,239 is in the teaching of Jesus, 307 00:15:28,239 –> 00:15:33,119 the one ground on which Jesus permits divorce 308 00:15:34,119 –> 00:15:39,119 in the Old Testament, the marriage was ended by stoning 309 00:15:39,479 –> 00:15:41,500 under these circumstances. 310 00:15:41,500 –> 00:15:44,599 In the New Testament in the mercy of God, 311 00:15:44,599 –> 00:15:49,599 a marriage was ended not by stoning, but by divorce. 312 00:15:50,559 –> 00:15:55,559 Unfaithfulness tears apart what God has joined together. 313 00:15:55,799 –> 00:15:57,299 That’s how serious it is. 314 00:15:59,000 –> 00:16:02,559 But even here, there can be forgiveness and reconciliation. 315 00:16:02,599 –> 00:16:04,460 And there are across our congregation, 316 00:16:04,460 –> 00:16:06,719 wonderful stories of that actually happening. 317 00:16:08,299 –> 00:16:10,539 Unfaithfulness can end a marriage, 318 00:16:11,840 –> 00:16:13,140 but it doesn’t have to. 319 00:16:15,200 –> 00:16:17,419 There’s grace and there’s mercy 320 00:16:18,799 –> 00:16:21,080 that has come into the world 321 00:16:21,080 –> 00:16:24,080 in the most painful of situations, 322 00:16:24,080 –> 00:16:26,599 in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 323 00:16:27,919 –> 00:16:29,140 Now, that’s enough about divorce. 324 00:16:29,140 –> 00:16:31,840 Let’s come back to the center of Jesus’ focus here, 325 00:16:32,039 –> 00:16:32,880 which is marriage. 326 00:16:32,880 –> 00:16:34,719 And we said from the teaching of Jesus 327 00:16:34,719 –> 00:16:37,239 that marriage is an exclusive, public, 328 00:16:37,239 –> 00:16:41,239 lasting, loving, union of one man and one woman 329 00:16:41,239 –> 00:16:43,539 that is sealed by God. 330 00:16:44,719 –> 00:16:46,659 Let me say this to all the married couples 331 00:16:46,659 –> 00:16:47,960 in the church today. 332 00:16:49,640 –> 00:16:50,840 When you were married, 333 00:16:52,000 –> 00:16:56,820 God sealed a union that makes you one 334 00:16:56,820 –> 00:17:00,880 and makes that union holy. 335 00:17:00,880 –> 00:17:02,219 It’s a wonderful thing. 336 00:17:03,359 –> 00:17:05,040 God joined you together. 337 00:17:05,040 –> 00:17:06,520 God made you one. 338 00:17:06,520 –> 00:17:10,699 God makes your union holy. 339 00:17:12,000 –> 00:17:16,300 There is a world of freedom and of joy in this. 340 00:17:16,300 –> 00:17:20,400 A world of intimacy to be explored and enjoyed 341 00:17:20,400 –> 00:17:22,959 without guilt and without fear 342 00:17:22,959 –> 00:17:26,359 for God has joined you together. 343 00:17:27,800 –> 00:17:29,260 If you are married today, 344 00:17:29,280 –> 00:17:31,680 thank God for this special gift, 345 00:17:32,619 –> 00:17:35,500 and if you find your marriage under strain, 346 00:17:35,500 –> 00:17:37,119 or perhaps I should say when you do 347 00:17:37,119 –> 00:17:39,420 because that is our common experience, 348 00:17:39,420 –> 00:17:44,140 remember that it is God who has joined you together. 349 00:17:44,140 –> 00:17:46,699 This is not some sort of arbitrary agreement 350 00:17:46,699 –> 00:17:47,959 just between the two of you. 351 00:17:47,959 –> 00:17:49,839 God is in the middle of it. 352 00:17:50,819 –> 00:17:54,880 Those God has joined together. 353 00:17:54,880 –> 00:17:57,339 God tied the knot. 354 00:17:57,339 –> 00:17:59,780 Think of it that way, and God ties 355 00:17:59,780 –> 00:18:03,819 a good tight knot, and he is with you in this. 356 00:18:03,819 –> 00:18:08,819 His grace is sufficient, and his purpose is good. 357 00:18:09,239 –> 00:18:11,540 I want to raise a cheer for marriage today. 358 00:18:11,540 –> 00:18:15,300 I want to give this one other word of encouragement, 359 00:18:15,300 –> 00:18:18,819 and this is especially to the younger guys 360 00:18:18,819 –> 00:18:22,119 in the church who are single 361 00:18:22,119 –> 00:18:24,219 and would like one day to be married. 362 00:18:24,219 –> 00:18:25,500 It’s not on everybody’s heart, 363 00:18:25,500 –> 00:18:29,300 but I’m speaking now to the younger guys in the church 364 00:18:29,300 –> 00:18:32,660 for whom this is on your heart. 365 00:18:32,660 –> 00:18:35,859 And here is my word of encouragement, you ready? 366 00:18:35,859 –> 00:18:36,699 Okay. 367 00:18:38,260 –> 00:18:39,599 Go for it. 368 00:18:39,599 –> 00:18:41,180 Go on. 369 00:18:41,180 –> 00:18:43,260 Go for it, in it. 370 00:18:44,140 –> 00:18:45,640 I’m absolutely serious. 371 00:18:46,619 –> 00:18:50,060 This is a good gift from God. 372 00:18:52,079 –> 00:18:55,359 I’ve been asking some guys around here 373 00:18:55,400 –> 00:18:56,699 what they’re waiting for. 374 00:18:59,180 –> 00:19:00,979 It’s very interesting conversations. 375 00:19:02,660 –> 00:19:04,920 I’ve been saying there are some nice girls 376 00:19:04,920 –> 00:19:08,560 around this church, what’s holding you back? 377 00:19:09,459 –> 00:19:10,939 I’m serious. 378 00:19:10,939 –> 00:19:13,680 And I guess there are a lot of reasons, 379 00:19:14,579 –> 00:19:17,079 but I think the biggest ones boil down to two, 380 00:19:18,619 –> 00:19:21,439 guilt and fear. 381 00:19:21,959 –> 00:19:26,780 Guilt, that I have messed up a relationship in the past, 382 00:19:28,920 –> 00:19:32,839 and fear that I might mess up again in the future. 383 00:19:32,839 –> 00:19:35,099 Can I really sustain a relationship? 384 00:19:35,099 –> 00:19:37,280 Can I handle this responsibility. 385 00:19:39,160 –> 00:19:40,979 And fear paralyzes. 386 00:19:42,560 –> 00:19:44,000 Now here’s the word of encouragement 387 00:19:44,000 –> 00:19:47,640 and it’s very practical and it’s from the Bible this morning. 388 00:19:47,660 –> 00:19:48,959 If you are a Christian, 389 00:19:50,199 –> 00:19:53,280 God has given you everything you need 390 00:19:53,280 –> 00:19:57,579 for life and for godliness, that’s 2 Peter 1. 391 00:19:57,579 –> 00:19:59,959 God has given you everything you need for life 392 00:20:01,119 –> 00:20:03,280 and for living it in a godly way. 393 00:20:03,280 –> 00:20:07,459 That includes the ability to sustain 394 00:20:07,459 –> 00:20:11,199 a healthy marriage relationship for a lifetime 395 00:20:11,199 –> 00:20:12,939 as you walk with Him. 396 00:20:12,939 –> 00:20:15,319 If this is what God has laid upon your heart, 397 00:20:15,319 –> 00:20:16,520 you be encouraged. 398 00:20:16,599 –> 00:20:20,160 Jesus Christ will be in the middle of this with you. 399 00:20:20,160 –> 00:20:23,560 So put your guilt under the blood of Christ 400 00:20:23,560 –> 00:20:28,219 and act on the basis of faith, not of fear. 401 00:20:28,219 –> 00:20:32,219 That’s an encouragement in relation to 402 00:20:32,219 –> 00:20:36,400 that which is good, that God has laid before us 403 00:20:36,400 –> 00:20:41,319 as one of His precious gifts in this world. 404 00:20:41,319 –> 00:20:42,339 Go for it. 405 00:20:42,739 –> 00:20:47,739 Jesus seals marriages. 406 00:20:48,300 –> 00:20:50,540 This is a wonderful thing. 407 00:20:50,540 –> 00:20:52,660 Now here’s the second thing I want us to notice 408 00:20:52,660 –> 00:20:54,239 from the Scripture this morning, 409 00:20:54,239 –> 00:20:57,160 Jesus blesses children, 410 00:20:57,160 –> 00:21:01,300 and here we’re looking at verses 13 to 16. 411 00:21:01,300 –> 00:21:03,459 Notice from verse 10, if you just glance back, 412 00:21:03,459 –> 00:21:05,859 that Jesus was in the house with the disciples. 413 00:21:05,859 –> 00:21:08,119 That helps us to picture the situation, 414 00:21:08,119 –> 00:21:11,020 and I assume he was still in the house in verse 13, 415 00:21:11,060 –> 00:21:14,459 and Mark tells us that people were bringing little children 416 00:21:14,459 –> 00:21:16,880 presumably into the house. 417 00:21:16,880 –> 00:21:19,540 They’re bringing him to Jesus to have him touch them, 418 00:21:19,540 –> 00:21:22,520 but the disciples rebuked them. 419 00:21:23,619 –> 00:21:25,900 Now I think we should maybe have 420 00:21:25,900 –> 00:21:28,540 some sympathy with the disciples here. 421 00:21:28,540 –> 00:21:31,020 I mean if you were in a small group mentoring situation 422 00:21:31,020 –> 00:21:35,020 with Jesus, and every few minutes 423 00:21:35,020 –> 00:21:36,619 someone was banging on the door, 424 00:21:36,619 –> 00:21:38,380 and pushy parents were coming in 425 00:21:38,400 –> 00:21:41,459 with yet another group of children in tow, 426 00:21:41,459 –> 00:21:44,140 I think after a while you would become a little tired of it 427 00:21:44,140 –> 00:21:47,239 and say, we’ve had enough kids coming in here for one day. 428 00:21:47,239 –> 00:21:50,880 We want to hear more of the teaching of Jesus ourselves. 429 00:21:51,780 –> 00:21:55,099 And you know what it’s like when sports celebrities 430 00:21:55,099 –> 00:21:58,699 or film stars are signing autographs for kids? 431 00:21:58,699 –> 00:22:00,079 They’ll do a few, 432 00:22:00,079 –> 00:22:02,699 and then eventually they’ll turn away. 433 00:22:02,699 –> 00:22:05,000 And that will be the end of it. 434 00:22:05,680 –> 00:22:07,619 And, 435 00:22:07,619 –> 00:22:09,619 apparently, Jesus didn’t turn away. 436 00:22:09,619 –> 00:22:11,119 He didn’t make an end of it. 437 00:22:11,119 –> 00:22:13,939 And the disciples decided 438 00:22:13,939 –> 00:22:14,900 that they would have to deal 439 00:22:14,900 –> 00:22:16,599 with the interruptions for him. 440 00:22:17,439 –> 00:22:21,099 And I can just imagine Andrew looking out the window, 441 00:22:21,099 –> 00:22:23,739 saying to Peter as he sees more parents 442 00:22:23,739 –> 00:22:27,619 with more kids coming up the path towards the house, 443 00:22:27,619 –> 00:22:29,699 I can just imagine him saying to Peter, 444 00:22:29,699 –> 00:22:31,540 what in all the world are we going to do about this? 445 00:22:31,540 –> 00:22:33,060 This is never going to stop. 446 00:22:33,979 –> 00:22:35,160 At least I can imagine, 447 00:22:35,160 –> 00:22:36,619 and maybe you can picture this too, 448 00:22:36,619 –> 00:22:39,699 Peter saying, don’t worry, Andrew, I’ll deal with it. 449 00:22:39,699 –> 00:22:41,219 So he goes to the door. 450 00:22:41,219 –> 00:22:43,699 And here are these parents with all these kids 451 00:22:43,699 –> 00:22:44,819 and they’re coming to Jesus 452 00:22:44,819 –> 00:22:46,380 so that Jesus might touch them. 453 00:22:46,380 –> 00:22:48,819 And Peter says, I’m sorry, 454 00:22:48,819 –> 00:22:50,920 Jesus isn’t seeing anymore children today. 455 00:22:50,920 –> 00:22:52,359 Perhaps you could come back tomorrow 456 00:22:52,359 –> 00:22:54,579 and I’m sure he’d be glad to see your kids then. 457 00:22:54,579 –> 00:22:56,579 Well, that’s not going to go down too well 458 00:22:56,579 –> 00:22:58,339 with most pushy parents, 459 00:22:58,339 –> 00:23:00,060 don’t you think, you know? 460 00:23:00,339 –> 00:23:03,939 Well, I’ve come with my Benjamin to see Jesus 461 00:23:03,939 –> 00:23:06,300 and I’m not going until my Benjamin sees Jesus. 462 00:23:06,300 –> 00:23:08,640 You know, I’m not going to have you stop me. 463 00:23:08,640 –> 00:23:10,780 Well, you can imagine how this gets a little hot 464 00:23:10,780 –> 00:23:13,839 under the collar after a while, 465 00:23:13,839 –> 00:23:15,479 I guess it got hot under the collar. 466 00:23:15,479 –> 00:23:16,599 Well, no more than guessed 467 00:23:16,599 –> 00:23:19,699 because Mark says that the disciples rebuked these parents. 468 00:23:19,699 –> 00:23:22,459 So this is becoming an ugly kind of an argument now, 469 00:23:22,459 –> 00:23:26,420 a bit of a confrontation and in verse 14, 470 00:23:26,420 –> 00:23:28,939 we are told that when Jesus saw this, 471 00:23:28,979 –> 00:23:33,060 he was indignant, now I looked up indignant 472 00:23:33,060 –> 00:23:38,060 in the dictionary and it says it’s a mixture 473 00:23:38,099 –> 00:23:43,099 of anger and scorn, and Jesus looked at his disciples 474 00:23:44,619 –> 00:23:49,619 just like that, indignant, a mixture of anger and scorn. 475 00:23:50,219 –> 00:23:51,780 So a little bit of participation here, 476 00:23:51,780 –> 00:23:54,160 will you turn just for a moment to the person next to you 477 00:23:54,160 –> 00:23:56,459 and look indignant just for a second? 478 00:23:56,459 –> 00:23:59,619 You see look indignant, oh dear, there’s way too 479 00:23:59,619 –> 00:24:01,280 much laughing going on for indignation 480 00:24:01,280 –> 00:24:02,819 I think at this moment. 481 00:24:02,819 –> 00:24:05,819 But if someone managed to pull indignation on their face 482 00:24:05,819 –> 00:24:08,780 that is what the disciples saw in the face of Jesus, 483 00:24:08,780 –> 00:24:09,739 and why? 484 00:24:10,900 –> 00:24:15,459 Jesus was indignant because the disciples were getting 485 00:24:15,459 –> 00:24:19,699 in the way of other people coming to receive 486 00:24:19,699 –> 00:24:23,959 the blessing of Jesus, and I want you to think about that, 487 00:24:24,900 –> 00:24:27,839 because it may be for some of us in this congregation 488 00:24:29,160 –> 00:24:31,599 that you felt your need of Jesus Christ. 489 00:24:31,599 –> 00:24:33,520 You were drawn to Jesus Christ, 490 00:24:33,520 –> 00:24:36,500 you were in some way drawing near to Jesus Christ, 491 00:24:36,500 –> 00:24:39,859 but someone or something got in the way, 492 00:24:40,780 –> 00:24:43,079 something another person who claimed to be a Christian 493 00:24:43,079 –> 00:24:46,239 said or did was a stumbling block to you, 494 00:24:46,239 –> 00:24:49,540 and now you have been kept at a distance from Jesus, 495 00:24:49,540 –> 00:24:53,319 and you feel that you are not under his blessing. 496 00:24:54,660 –> 00:24:56,979 And Jesus won’t let it rest there. 497 00:24:58,800 –> 00:25:03,219 I love the fact that Jesus removes the barriers 498 00:25:03,219 –> 00:25:08,219 that might keep you from the blessing of God. 499 00:25:09,780 –> 00:25:11,260 He said to them, verse 14, 500 00:25:11,260 –> 00:25:14,119 let the little children come to me and do not hinder them. 501 00:25:15,900 –> 00:25:20,420 For the kingdom of God belongs to these. 502 00:25:20,420 –> 00:25:22,280 So try and picture this in your mind. 503 00:25:22,339 –> 00:25:27,339 You are coming up the path to the house where Jesus is. 504 00:25:28,239 –> 00:25:32,319 You’re coming because you are drawn to him 505 00:25:32,319 –> 00:25:33,560 and you feel your need of him 506 00:25:33,560 –> 00:25:35,479 and you’re seeking a blessing from him 507 00:25:35,479 –> 00:25:36,800 that you need in your life. 508 00:25:38,160 –> 00:25:39,359 And you get to the door 509 00:25:39,359 –> 00:25:42,719 and there’s a great burly fisherman 510 00:25:42,719 –> 00:25:44,599 standing right in your way. 511 00:25:46,239 –> 00:25:48,459 And what’s gonna happen next? 512 00:25:48,459 –> 00:25:52,180 Jesus is in the house, you can’t get to him. 513 00:25:53,280 –> 00:25:58,280 Look, Jesus will not sit in the house letting that happen. 514 00:26:00,060 –> 00:26:01,599 What does he do? 515 00:26:01,599 –> 00:26:04,359 He gets up and he removes the barrier. 516 00:26:06,459 –> 00:26:08,459 He rebukes Peter. 517 00:26:08,459 –> 00:26:10,339 He says, Peter, get out of the doorway. 518 00:26:10,339 –> 00:26:11,479 Let them in. 519 00:26:11,479 –> 00:26:13,099 Let them come to me. 520 00:26:13,099 –> 00:26:14,300 Let her come to me. 521 00:26:14,300 –> 00:26:15,540 Let him come to me. 522 00:26:15,540 –> 00:26:18,520 Let that little child come to me. 523 00:26:19,920 –> 00:26:21,680 Don’t you hinder them. 524 00:26:23,140 –> 00:26:27,979 That is a wonderful snapshot of what Jesus Christ has done 525 00:26:27,979 –> 00:26:30,579 by His coming into the world. 526 00:26:30,579 –> 00:26:36,719 On the cross he breaks down every barrier on God’s side 527 00:26:36,719 –> 00:26:38,719 that would keep you from coming to Him. 528 00:26:38,719 –> 00:26:44,719 That’s why in his death he dealt with sin and death and hell and guilt. 529 00:26:46,599 –> 00:26:50,260 He did that on the cross, to break down the barriers on God’s side 530 00:26:50,420 –> 00:26:56,339 and now by His Holy Spirit, He breaks down all the barriers on your side. 531 00:26:57,199 –> 00:26:58,040 Fear. 532 00:26:59,339 –> 00:27:01,099 Your own sense of unworthiness. 533 00:27:02,500 –> 00:27:04,900 Your own sense that maybe He won’t bless me. 534 00:27:06,339 –> 00:27:09,040 By His Spirit he will break down every barrier 535 00:27:09,040 –> 00:27:12,040 so that He will clear the way for you to come to Him. 536 00:27:12,219 –> 00:27:19,260 I want to say to you today, don’t let anything stop you from coming to Jesus. 537 00:27:19,380 –> 00:27:21,199 Anything another person has done. 538 00:27:21,420 –> 00:27:22,920 Anything that has got in your way. 539 00:27:23,119 –> 00:27:25,319 Anything that has brought pain in your life. 540 00:27:25,520 –> 00:27:29,959 Don’t let that stop you from coming to Jesus. 541 00:27:32,099 –> 00:27:36,099 And I love the way this point is made so simply in a great hymn 542 00:27:36,099 –> 00:27:39,140 that Billy Graham used so often at the end of his Crusades. 543 00:27:39,339 –> 00:27:42,099 Do you know that hymn Just As I Am Without One Plea? 544 00:27:42,339 –> 00:27:46,119 And it talks about coming to Jesus, and there’s one verse that says this, 545 00:27:46,599 –> 00:27:50,579 Just as I am, thy love unknown. 546 00:27:50,640 –> 00:27:53,579 In other words, God’s love that’s beyond what I can understand. 547 00:27:53,839 –> 00:27:56,079 Just as I am, thy love, unknown. 548 00:27:56,280 –> 00:28:00,219 Has broken every barrier down. 549 00:28:00,859 –> 00:8:07,699 So now to be thine, and to be thine alone Lord Jesus Christ, I come. 550 00:28:08,859 –> 00:28:10,699 It’s beautifully pictured here, 551 00:28:11,040 –> 00:28:15,699 and it’s a picture that some of us need to take hold off this Sunday morning. 552 00:28:16,760 –> 00:28:22,300 He’s broken down all the barriers on God’s side that would keep you at a distance from God’s blessing. 553 00:28:22,300 –> 00:28:26,400 And he breaks down by his Spirit, all the barriers on your side, 554 00:28:26,400 –> 00:28:27,839 so that you may come. 555 00:28:27,900 –> 00:28:29,920 Every barrier broken down. 556 00:28:30,079 –> 00:28:33,900 Don’t let anything, anything, anything, 557 00:28:34,260 –> 00:28:38,119 keep you from coming to Jesus. 558 00:28:39,839 –> 00:28:42,400 And then he makes clear how it is, 559 00:28:42,619 –> 00:28:45,560 that we receive the blessing of God. 560 00:28:45,560 –> 00:28:46,560 He says, verse 15, 561 00:28:47,199 –> 00:28:48,199 I tell you the truth. 562 00:28:48,319 –> 00:28:51,060 Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God 563 00:28:51,060 –> 00:28:54,160 like a little child will never enter it. 564 00:28:54,160 –> 00:28:56,400 How are you to receive the Kingdom? 565 00:28:56,400 –> 00:28:59,599 It’s simply the blessing of life under God’s rule. 566 00:28:59,599 –> 00:29:02,119 How am I to enter into this blessing? 567 00:29:03,680 –> 00:29:05,219 The answer is, I came as a child. 568 00:29:05,239 –> 00:29:06,239 What does that mean? 569 00:29:06,239 –> 00:29:11,959 It means, I come with nothing to offer and everything to receive. 570 00:29:12,680 –> 00:29:14,359 That’s how children come. 571 00:29:14,959 –> 00:29:18,239 Nothing to give, everything to receive. 572 00:29:19,599 –> 00:29:21,640 By the way, if you just glance on to verse 17, 573 00:29:21,640 –> 00:29:25,040 you’ll find that while the children found it easy to come like that, 574 00:29:26,239 –> 00:29:28,400 there was a guy who came soon after to Jesus 575 00:29:28,400 –> 00:29:29,680 called the Rich Young Ruler. 576 00:29:29,739 –> 00:29:30,900 That’s how we refer to Him. 577 00:29:31,699 –> 00:29:32,880 He found that very difficult. 578 00:29:32,880 –> 00:29:34,040 He says in verse 17, 579 00:29:34,040 –> 00:29:36,599 what must I do to inherit eternal life? 580 00:29:36,640 –> 00:29:39,880 He wants to offer Jesus something in exchange. 581 00:29:41,060 –> 00:29:42,219 And very interestingly, 582 00:29:42,280 –> 00:29:47,000 He’s the one that goes away without receiving the blessing of Christ. 583 00:29:48,599 –> 00:29:52,020 You can’t offer something in exchange for mercy and grace, 584 00:29:52,280 –> 00:29:54,160 you have to come empty-handed to receive. 585 00:29:54,420 –> 00:29:55,920 Children find this easy, 586 00:29:56,280 –> 00:29:59,219 high achievers find it very, very difficult. 587 00:30:01,140 –> 00:30:02,439 Your knowledge, your background, 588 00:30:03,099 –> 00:30:04,520 your achievement, your goodness, 589 00:30:04,520 –> 00:30:08,420 contribute nothing to receiving the blessing of God. 590 00:30:09,420 –> 00:30:13,400 You come to Him as one who has nothing to give and everything to receive. 591 00:30:13,400 –> 00:30:15,420 Nothing in My hand I bring, 592 00:30:16,300 –> 00:30:18,579 simply to Thy cross I cling. 593 00:30:18,579 –> 00:30:23,699 If you feel that God has put you in a position where you feel that you have nothing, 594 00:30:25,020 –> 00:30:32,579 then you’re just exactly in the place where you can come and receive His blessing 595 00:30:32,800 –> 00:30:36,300 in a whole new way, in your own life. 596 00:30:36,859 –> 00:30:40,640 And then here’s the last thing, which I think is just very, very wonderful, 597 00:30:40,640 –> 00:30:45,540 and may God seal it on some hearts, especially today, 598 00:30:46,739 –> 00:30:51,540 that Jesus imparts God’s blessing on all who will come to Him. 599 00:30:52,760 –> 00:30:56,560 He took the children in His arms, verse 16, 600 00:30:56,560 –> 00:31:00,780 and He put His hands on them and He blessed them. 601 00:31:01,079 –> 00:31:06,079 And here’s what is really struck me as I just pondered 602 00:31:06,079 –> 00:31:08,040 and meditated on this picture 603 00:31:08,040 –> 00:31:11,520 in the scriptures over these last days. 604 00:31:11,520 –> 00:31:16,459 We’ve seen that the situation was one of great stress 605 00:31:16,459 –> 00:31:21,459 and tension and conflict and difficulty. 606 00:31:25,800 –> 00:31:28,560 Think of what is just happened in this house. 607 00:31:29,500 –> 00:31:33,040 The disciples have rebuked the children, 608 00:31:34,760 –> 00:31:36,719 the pushy parents are arguing back 609 00:31:36,719 –> 00:31:38,119 and won’t take no for an answer 610 00:31:38,119 –> 00:31:40,640 so there is an ugly scene going on at the door. 611 00:31:41,560 –> 00:31:44,540 Jesus looks indignant at the disciples, 612 00:31:46,040 –> 00:31:48,180 there’s conflict going on everywhere 613 00:31:48,180 –> 00:31:51,119 and you say, what kind of blessing from God 614 00:31:51,119 –> 00:31:52,839 could ever be known in this house? 615 00:31:54,160 –> 00:31:55,439 And we read in verse 16 616 00:31:55,439 –> 00:31:58,839 that He takes these children up in His arms 617 00:31:58,839 –> 00:32:02,839 and places His hand upon them and He blesses them. 618 00:32:06,040 –> 00:32:07,380 If everything has to be 619 00:32:07,380 –> 00:32:08,760 as you would want it to be 620 00:32:08,760 –> 00:32:11,280 and your life, your home, your family, 621 00:32:13,119 –> 00:32:17,280 if everything had to be as we would want it to be 622 00:32:17,280 –> 00:32:19,760 in our lives, our homes, our families, 623 00:32:19,760 –> 00:32:22,040 before God’s blessing could come, 624 00:32:22,040 –> 00:32:25,880 then God’s blessing would be very, very scarce, right? 625 00:32:27,140 –> 00:32:29,359 If you have a stress-free home, 626 00:32:29,359 –> 00:32:31,079 come and have a word with me afterwards. 627 00:32:31,079 –> 00:32:32,140 I’d love to meet you. 628 00:32:32,140 –> 00:32:33,540 I’d love to meet you. 629 00:32:35,260 –> 00:32:37,199 But, you see, the incarnation is reminding us 630 00:32:37,199 –> 00:32:40,140 that the Word became flesh, 631 00:32:41,180 –> 00:32:43,839 that it came in not to an idealized world, 632 00:32:46,040 –> 00:32:51,040 but a painful world of difficult disciples, 633 00:32:52,380 –> 00:32:56,619 pushy parents, stressed marriages, 634 00:32:57,819 –> 00:32:59,219 messy divorces. 635 00:33:01,119 –> 00:33:02,780 And if you can just try and think 636 00:33:02,780 –> 00:33:06,020 of the tension in the room with all that’s gone on, 637 00:33:07,060 –> 00:33:09,540 and then see that Jesus picks up the child 638 00:33:09,540 –> 00:33:12,140 and places His hand upon one child, 639 00:33:12,140 –> 00:33:15,239 and another, and another, and He blesses them. 640 00:33:16,699 –> 00:33:19,459 You will be greatly strengthened and greatly encouraged 641 00:33:20,359 –> 00:33:23,199 in the middle of all the chaos of your life, 642 00:33:24,400 –> 00:33:25,739 in the middle of all the tension, 643 00:33:25,739 –> 00:33:29,060 in the middle of all the frustrations, 644 00:33:29,060 –> 00:33:31,020 in the middle of all the let downs, 645 00:33:31,020 –> 00:33:35,160 in the middle of all that has gone wrong 646 00:33:35,160 –> 00:33:37,119 in these last moments, in this house, 647 00:33:37,119 –> 00:33:41,060 where Jesus was staying. 648 00:33:41,060 –> 00:33:44,780 He imparts His blessing 649 00:33:44,780 –> 00:33:48,099 on all who come to Him. 650 00:33:49,900 –> 00:33:52,500 This is the good news of the Incarnation, is it not? 651 00:33:52,500 –> 00:33:54,579 The Word became flesh. 652 00:33:56,219 –> 00:34:00,540 And in Jesus Christ, God has entered the real world, 653 00:34:01,619 –> 00:34:03,459 the real world you’re living in, 654 00:34:05,579 –> 00:34:07,500 husbands, wives, parents, children, 655 00:34:07,500 –> 00:34:09,979 aunts, uncles, flesh, and blood. 656 00:34:09,979 –> 00:34:13,280 And he has come to remove all the barriers 657 00:34:13,280 –> 00:34:16,639 that would keep you from God’s blessing in your life. 658 00:34:17,620 –> 00:34:21,679 And he reaches out to you even now to clear them away 659 00:34:21,679 –> 00:34:22,739 so that you may come. 660 00:34:24,580 –> 00:34:27,000 He tells you how that blessing may be yours. 661 00:34:27,000 –> 00:34:28,199 You’ve got to come as a child, 662 00:34:28,199 –> 00:34:31,199 not bringing some kind of perfect life to offer Him, 663 00:34:31,199 –> 00:34:34,320 not having achieved everything to place in His hands. 664 00:34:34,320 –> 00:34:37,219 But nothing in my hand I bring, 665 00:34:37,219 –> 00:34:39,360 simply to your cross I cling. 666 00:34:39,360 –> 00:34:43,959 I come with nothing to offer and everything to receive. 667 00:34:44,959 –> 00:34:47,760 And you don’t have to have everything sorted out 668 00:34:47,760 –> 00:34:49,000 in your life, 669 00:34:50,060 –> 00:34:51,879 your family, 670 00:34:51,879 –> 00:34:53,080 or your home, 671 00:34:54,040 –> 00:34:56,679 in order to come to this Jesus. 672 00:34:57,919 –> 00:35:00,520 Because He’s come into this world as it is 673 00:35:00,520 –> 00:35:02,580 so that in all the stress, 674 00:35:03,919 –> 00:35:05,580 and in all the tension, 675 00:35:06,860 –> 00:35:09,020 and sometimes in all the disappointment, 676 00:35:09,760 –> 00:35:14,379 you may come to Him today. 677 00:35:14,379 –> 00:35:17,399 And if you can picture this being the reality 678 00:35:17,399 –> 00:35:20,479 by His Holy Spirit, He will take up in His arms. 679 00:35:21,899 –> 00:35:25,159 And through Jesus Christ, the blessing of God 680 00:35:26,600 –> 00:35:27,639 will be yours. 681 00:35:28,540 –> 00:35:31,320 Let’s bow in God’s presence in prayer together. 682 00:35:34,120 –> 00:35:35,719 Almighty God, thank You 683 00:35:36,340 –> 00:35:38,340 that the word became flesh 684 00:35:39,399 –> 00:35:40,639 and lived 685 00:35:41,800 –> 00:35:42,840 among us. 686 00:35:44,860 –> 00:35:46,879 Thank You that You have come into our world 687 00:35:46,879 –> 00:35:50,379 with all the joy and stress of family life, 688 00:35:51,760 –> 00:35:55,120 all the joy of marriage and all the pain of divorce. 689 00:35:57,219 –> 00:36:00,040 You’ve come into the world with all the barriers 690 00:36:00,040 –> 00:36:01,080 that exist. 691 00:36:02,600 –> 00:36:04,620 But thank You that in Jesus Christ, 692 00:36:05,139 –> 00:36:07,620 you break down every barrier that keeps us from you 693 00:36:07,620 –> 00:36:09,100 so that we may come 694 00:36:10,300 –> 00:36:12,520 and we may receive Your blessing. 695 00:36:14,219 –> 00:36:18,979 We want to draw near to Your Son, Jesus Christ, 696 00:36:18,979 –> 00:36:21,080 as those who have nothing to offer 697 00:36:22,179 –> 00:36:23,939 and everything to receive. 698 00:36:26,360 –> 00:36:29,399 So come to the stress of our homes, 699 00:36:30,540 –> 00:36:32,060 of our lives, 700 00:36:33,020 –> 00:36:36,439 and impart Your blessing, we pray, 701 00:36:38,060 –> 00:36:41,679 through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 702 00:36:43,139 –> 00:36:44,820 And God’s people together said 703 00:36:45,899 –> 00:36:46,739 amen.