Mexborough Baptist Church Sunday 21st February 2021
First Sunday in Lent
It's beginning to feel like winter is nearly over. Spring flowers are beginning to appear in gardens, it's feeling slightly warmer, and our cat has even ventured out onto the patio this week. Easter is on the way and we're at the beginning of Lent, a time of preparation for Easter. Lent commemorates the time Jesus spent in the desert preparing for his public ministry - a time of fasting, prayer and trial, as our first hymn describes. We sing together 'Forty Days And Forty Nights' click on this link
Family Corner
Parents - would you like to ask your children what they think Lent is about?
Here are some children telling us what they think about Lent. click on this link
Today Merys is sharing her first reflection on the journeys of Jesus and Enid is leading us in our prayers. Merys writes...
Together as a church and along with all other Christians all over the world we are preparing for Easter. For the second year running we are not able to be together physically. As we look forward in anticipation of declaring on Easter morning, ‘Alleluia, He is alive‘, we can also reflect on the year that has passed and how our church has been brought together in prayer, Bible study and worship in new and exciting ways. This year, through four Sundays during Lent, we will look at the life of Jesus and His journeys, including time for reflection on how Jesus lived amongst us here on earth. He had family and friends, He met many different people and showed love, compassion and care for all. Jesus spoke in parables that showed us how to live, He chose examples of everyday life and people. He travelled and met people from all walks of life showing the Father's love for us and teaching us how we can move closer to God.
Jesus' journeys on earth are a part of the huge journey that he made - from heaven to earth and back again to heaven - to save us. We praise him for making that journey as we sing 'Lord I Lift Your Name on High' click on this link
Let us pray...
Thank you God for sending Jesus, thank you Jesus that you came. Holy Spirit won’t you tell me more about your lovely name. Lord, as we travel through these weeks of Lent, help each one of us, whatever our age, to experience, through your words and teachings, more of your wonderful love for us. Amen.
Isn't it wonderful that Jesus came to save us, but what does that mean? It's a big question. Part of the answer is that Jesus conquered sin, death, sickness and Satan, and established the kingdom of God on the earth. That certainly deserves our praise and worship as we sing 'For This Purpose' click on this link
Merys continues...
Jesus made a number of journeys in His life. He travelled Palestine on foot, going where the Spirit led Him and reaching out to all who would listen in order to fulfil His destiny to live and die for us. While here on earth He experienced life as a human so that He can speak for us as we stand before our God and Judge, to say that he has shared our life and can understand our weak and imperfect selves. God sent His son to live amongst us and during the time He was on earth Jesus taught us through His understanding, words and actions how to live a life that was a worthy offering to His Father, our God. At the same time Jesus, through living with His family, travelling with His friends and searching out the different people who lived in Palestine, came to know us. Living amongst us He saw at first hand our joys and sorrows, our pain and struggles. Jesus saw the way we desperate, struggling sinners attempt to worship and serve our God whilst stumbling and generally falling short of His pleasure. On the cross, as he suffered for our sins Jesus called out to His Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”, Luke 23:34. Jesus could only say that because He lived amongst us and felt our loss and sin. In His Holy home in heaven, Jesus could not have experienced what we do, but after living with us He can stand beside us before our God and Judge and vouch for us. Jesus observed our pitiful attempts to be true to our God, and Jesus understands that, at best, we are just muddling through. Despite that, He promises us in John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Jesus' journeys through childhood.
The life Jesus lived in Palestine started with a journey before He was even born. Mary, carrying her precious, unborn baby, together with Joseph, travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was usual for the administrators of a country to conduct a census of the population; we ourselves in the UK will be asked to participate in one this year. The Bible tells us that Moses conducted a census of the Israelites, recorded in the Old Testament book of Numbers, after they had left Egypt to plan for security and to ensure that supplies would be enough. Much later, the Roman administration in Jerusalem required all Jews to return to their place of birth to be registered. The timing of this particular census was significant as it ensured that Jesus would fulfil the prophecy in Micah 5.2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.
Before He was even born, Jesus was starting his life here on earth as a member of the Jewish nation travelling back to the town of His forefathers. As we know, there was no grand home for the birth of the Messiah - Joseph and Mary had to make do with a stable - but His welcome into this world was celebrated by the heavens and His majesty recognised by the shepherds and wise men.
Pause and think about the time(s) you welcomed a new member of the family - the joy, the wonder, the new beginning, the excitement, the relief, wanting to tell everyone.
Offer a prayer of gratitude for the happy memory that holds for you, and for the ever present joy we feel when we remember the birth of our Saviour and the promise that we hold.
Jewish tradition meant another journey for Jesus - six miles from his birthplace in Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem where, forty days after his birth, the infant Jesus, God in flesh and blood, was presented to God and held up before the altar by the priest. This commemorated the protection that God gave to the Israelites when He brought about the death of the firstborn of the Egyptian people when Pharaoh refused to let His people go, and acknowledged that the first born son belonged to God. Joseph and Mary knew that God was deeply involved in their child’s life and this tradition would have extra meaning for them.
The Christian Church has similar traditions of presenting children to God - baptism, christening, thanksgiving and dedication.
Pause and think about an occasion when a child has been brought into Mexborough Baptist Church or another church to be presented to God and the congregation, and how we all promise to help bring that child to know that Jesus is his/her friend.
Pray for our children and the children of the world that they may be brought up in love and learn to know that Jesus is their friend.
We can be certain that Jesus loves every child in the world and there's a song about that - 'Jesus loves the little children' click on the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUg-UvjEmSY&ab_channel=JoeyAbellaPiodena
When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus for presentation, two old people were in the Temple that day - Simeon who was righteous and devout and Anna who was a prophetess. They both knew that Jesus was not just another first-born son to be presented but recognised that he was the Messiah, the long promised one, whilst the religious leaders, the priests of the Temple were oblivious. Please read the story in Luke 2:22-38.
The family's next journey was to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod, Matthew 2:13-15. Matthew sees this journey as the fulfilment of Hosea's prophecy, Hosea 11:1
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Jesus spent His early years in Egypt and, once Herod died and it was safe to do so, Jesus and His family left Egypt and settled in Nazareth, Matthew 2:19-23. Joseph was a carpenter and he would have been able to support his family through his trade. Jesus would have worked for his earthly father as a carpenter.
We know very little about the life of Jesus as a child and some writers and teachers have attempted to fill in the gaps with fanciful stories. The accounts in the New Testament give us the details that we need to know and no more. Based on historical information, we know with some certainty that children brought up according to the laws laid out in the books of the Old Testament were included in worship and were taught of their special relationship with God. Luke 2:41-52 tells us that each year Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. We don't know whether they took Jesus with them every time but they did when he was 12 years old - and lost him. Eventually they found him in the Temple comfortably engaging with the rabbis regarding their interpretation of the books of the Old Testament.
As an adult, Jesus made a point of teaching His followers that children were special to him and that anyone who harmed them or attempted to lead them from the true path would suffer at the time of judgment. Jesus also showed His followers that, in order to have a true relationship with God and enter the Kingdom of heaven, we need to become like a child. Matthew 18:1-6. Amen.
Prayers
Father God, we thank you for those very early times in our lives, when we first knew of your love, many of us, still in our childhood. We knew that Jesus loved us, and we learned of your goodness to us. Think about such a time and give thanks to Jesus.
Father God, we thank you for our church leaders and our family members who taught us your word over the years and showed us your love in practice. Think about such a person/people and give thanks to God.
Father God, we thank you for our families and friends, neighbours and the people we meet, whom we are praying for, so that they too will come to know you. Think now about someone you would like to share your faith with and pray for them.
Lord, we live in a fallen world, each day we are tempted to turn away from you and worship our selfish ambition and want our own way, please forgive us Lord. Think of your own weaknesses and pray for yourself.
We thank you, Lord, that Jesus, who was tempted but remained faithful to you, is with us today and we come to worship Him. He was truly human and truly divine and He brought your divine nature close to everyone of us. Thank you, God, for sending Jesus. We pray that these weeks in Lent will bring blessings to our church, to our friends and families and bring glory to your name. Amen.
In these early journeys, Mary and Joseph took Jesus with them. In his later journeys, Jesus invited many people to journey with him, and he still invites us to journey with him. We respond to his invitation as we sing 'One more step along the world I go' click on this link
Benediction
May God the Father who created you, guide your footsteps,
May God the Son who redeemed you, share your journey,
May God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you, lead you on life’s pilgrimage,
and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with you wherever you may go. Amen.
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