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Published on 8 Comments on Thirsty – A sermon on John 4

Audio here

How are you surviving this April heat-wave? I trust that you’ve been taking on board plenty of fluids, keeping cool by any means possible – frozen peas under the arm-pits is my tip. Down on the sea front, the oppressive English sun beating down upon your heads, the sweat pouring from your brow, the glare from the relentless sunshine, it’s enough to send you barmy. So I’m sure if you are mad enough to go out in this Saharan sauna you must be very relieved to see this water fountain, just outside Fusciardi’s the Ice Cream parlour.

Have you noticed this before? You might have thought it was a mirage but no. Here is a water fountain to slake your thirst. And you know what the inscription says?

“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall be thirsty again.”

It’s a direct quote from our passage this morning. It’s verse 13 of John 4, read it with me:

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Now I was being a tad sarcastic about the English weather, I don’t know if you picked that up. But I’m trying to get you to imagine yourself in warmer climes. Imagine this water fountain in the desert.

I grew up in Canberra, the driest city of the driest continent on earth. But even though we’ve gone through terrible droughts there in recent years, still Australians don’t really know about true thirst. We don’t know about true thirst. But billions today do. I was looking up some statistics on the availability of drinking water this week.

Over a billion people have inadequate access to water in the world.

Of the 1.8 billion people who have to travel to get water, they use only 20 litres of water a day. We use many times that amount and think nothing of it – because we don’t have to carry it!

At any one time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases. In developing countries, 80% of all diseases are linked to poor water and sanitation.

It’s a huge issue we rarely consider. We think nothing of showering in pure drinking water. But imagine yourself in a dry, hot land. No domestic plumbing. You get what you can and you carry it on your shoulders. Now imagine Jesus saying these words:

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Jesus is saying as desperately as we thirst for water – and we desperately need water – we have a deeper thirst. And Jesus has a deeper satisfaction. Think of the hottest, driest day, the deepest most desperate thirst and then the coldest, purest most refreshing drink – that’s what Jesus offers in John chapter 4. That’s what Jesus offers today in your life and mine.

To prepare us for John chapter 4, let me very briefly tell you four little Old Testament stories about water in the desert.

The first one is in Genesis and it concerns Jacob. Verse 6 of our passage tells us that John 4 takes place at Jacob’s well in Samaria. Well the OT doesn’t record the time Jacob dug that particular well. But it does tell us about Jacob and another well. In Genesis 29 Jacob met his bride to be – Rachel – at a well. It was the hottest part of the day and Rachel came with her sheep to the well. But there was a massive great stone over the top of the well. As she came in the hottest part of the day she must have wondered to herself, who will roll the stone away. Well when Jacob saw the beautiful Rachel for the first time, he fell over himself to offer to roll away the stone and to water the sheep – like a Good Shepherd. And this was the first step towards Jacob winning his bride.

In fact Moses did a similar thing – that’s the second story I want to share. In Exodus chapter 2 Moses was in the desert by a well and the beautiful Zipporah came with some of her sisters to water her flocks. Some other shepherds tried to chase the women away but Moses stood up for them and saved them and he watered their flocks. Again at this well in the desert, it was the first step towards Moses winning his bride.

The third story occurred later in Exodus. Moses led the people out of Egypt into that same desert. They were parched with thirst – can you imagine it? They grumbled bitterly that the LORD couldn’t be trusted. The LORD stood on a rock and commanded Moses to take his rod and instead of striking the grumbling people, to strike the rock upon which He stood. And water came out of the rock to slake the thirst of the people. From then on the LORD was known as the Rock – He was just like that physical rock – He would be struck to slake the thirst of His people.

Finally in Jeremiah chapter 2 there’s a striking picture of water in the desert. It was our Old Testament reading this morning.

“Be appalled at this, O heavens and shudder with great horror” declares the LORD. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own wells, broken wells that cannot hold water.”

Can you picture this scene in your mind? Here is the LORD Almighty standing before a people with outstretched arms – offering living water. And we have all walked past Him and instead, to satisfy our thirst, we have taken a shovel to dry ground and we have dug our own little wells that can’t even hold the water we so desperately crave. All the while the Spring of Living Water stands, arms outstretched, to provide eternal satisfaction for our thirsty souls. And all the while we work to make our broken wells a little less broken.

Now the water here symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the fulness of life we experience in Him. So here the LORD is saying “I provide overflowing satisfaction for your soul. But instead you trudge on past Me and decide to try to make your own fun. And it will not work.”

We are like a desert people, looking for water everywhere except to the Fountain of Life Himself.

...continue reading "Thirsty – A sermon on John 4"

Published on Leave a comment on The Commander, The Host, The Doctor

Below is an evangelistic talk I gave last week.  It was part of our Passion for Life events.  I interviewed Henry Olonga, former Zimbabwean cricketer who stood up against Robert Mugabe.  He gained international attention by wearing a black arm band in the 2003 World Cup to protest the death of democracy.  He had to flee the country immediately and now lives in the UK.

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QPuS6hUPB4"]

He's a tremendous gospel servant, a straight-talking evangelist with a story of courage and integrity.  And he's a great singer too - he's had a number 1 in Zimbabwe!  And he sang for us on the night.  I'd highly recommend Henry for your church!

Anyway here's audio of the whole night.  And this is my little talk at the end.  The text follows.

...continue reading "The Commander, The Host, The Doctor"

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Published on 3 Comments on Mike Reeves evangelistic talk – The atheists are right

One of my favourite ever talks from my favourite preacher - Mike Reeves on how the atheists are right.  From our recent mission.

Published on Leave a comment on Jesus: Pioneer of the New Birth

Yesterday I posted a quotation by TF Torrance on the new birth.  Essentially Torrance said he was born again when Jesus was born from the virgin womb and rose from the virgin tomb.  What do you make of that?

As Dave commented, it only highlights the objective side of the new birth, and you've got to balance that with the subjective.  That's absolutely right, we need both.  By itself the quote is unbalanced and insufficient.  But let me ask you - have you ever heard sermons/teaching/quotations about Jesus being born again?   Where have you heard about Christ's objective achievement of the new birth through His Person and work?  And how often have you heard about your need to subjectively appropriate it?  Balance is indeed called for!

Recently I saw the "evangelical" episode of Diarmaid MacCulloch's "History of Christianity" (you can still watch it for the next 6 days on BBC iPlayer).  He continually describes the distinctive focus of evangelicalism as "our choice for God."  Of course every time he said it I howled at the tv screen.  Theologically, "our choice for God" is the very reverse of the evangel.  It's His choice for us.  But the more I watched and the more I thought about evangelicalism the movement, I had to admit, it's a pretty apt description.  How much of what passes for evangelicalism is actually "our choice for God"?  "Be more committed, more devoted, more serious, more emotional - choose for God."

So what's the answer?  Well let's think about John 3 a little bit.

"You must be born again (or 'born from above')", says Jesus (v7).  Therefore it is not in your power - not of 'the will of the flesh' as John 1:12 puts it.  Flesh only gives birth to flesh (v6) - it never gives rise to Spirit-life.  Something needs to come down 'from above'.

Think about it - birth is something that happens to you.  When you were born, someone else suffered (your mother), and you benefited.  (cf John 16:21-22).  You were entirely passive in your first birth.  So it is with your second birth.

Or think of the wind (v8).  You don't control it, you just get blown on.  Again it's passive.

Well alright then - it's out of my hands.  Does that mean it's just completely arbitrary?  Is it just a case of drifting about hoping for a favourable wind??

Well let's look a little deeper.  In verse 8 Jesus is using a play on words.  'Spirit' is the same word as 'wind' (or 'breath') and 'voice' is the same word as 'sound.'  So Jesus is saying "The Spirit blows where He wills, you hear His voice."

That's interesting.  The Spirit might be sovereign and invisible - but He is audible.  He speaks.  And the voice of His breath blows on us fleshy corpses to give us life.  Ring any Old Testament bells?  Jesus has just made an allusion to Ezekiel 36 - "born of water and the Spirit" (cf Ezek 36:25-27).   And now it sounds like an allusion to Ezekiel 37 - the valley of dry bones.  Remember?

Then He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them,`Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath (Spirit) enter you, and you will come to life.  (Ezekiel 37:4-5)

Jesus says in John 3 that dead, fleshy people will hear the voice of the Spirit and receive new life.  Proclamation will bring the new birth!  And what is the content of this proclamation?  What will the Spirit's voice be saying?

Well He won't be instructing you about your ascent into spiritual life (v13).  Instead He'll tell you about the Son of Man's lifting up (v14ff).  As Christ is lifted up so we look to Him and find new life (cf Num 21:8).

It's not something we achieve, it's a birth from above.  It's given to us by the Father as we hear the voice of the Spirit and look to the Son.  So the new birth is not our work.  It's nothing that flesh can produce.  But neither is it the arbitrary caprice of some abstract divine sovereignty.

You see commonly people teach that the new birth is outside ourselves - which is true.  But to secure that truth they locate it in a hidden and inscrutable divine will.  Others who find that hard to swallow draw attention to the way the chapter continues.  They point to verses 14-16 and proclaim that this new life is in our power.  After all, they say, we have the power to 'believe' don't we?

And so it becomes a fight between determinism and free will.  One side finally locates the new birth in a hidden divine will, the other finally locates it in us.  But neither side locates it in Christ.  And Christ Himself is the One who makes good both verses 1-8 and verses 14-16.

Because Jesus was the Pioneer of the new birth.

He became flesh (John 1:14) and lifted up that old humanity to suffer its brazen judgement.  Like a seed He took the Adamic ways down into the grave to die and be raised up new (John 12:24).  And when He rose again, He rose into new Spirit-life.

[Christ was] put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18)

At Christmas, Jesus assumed flesh-life.  On Good Friday, Jesus destroyed flesh-life.  On Easter Sunday, Jesus birthed Spirit-life.  Jesus was born again.

The new birth was achieved completely apart from our own fleshly powers.  But it was not done in a secluded corner of heaven.  No, Jesus has been raised up for us in our midst, that the whole world might look to Him and find new Spirit-life.  That's what John 3:14-16 is about.  And it's completely of a piece with the first part of the chapter.  Born-again Spirit-life is the eternal life of verses 14-16.  Jesus is not switching between determinism and free will.  Throughout this passage He's talking about the way new life comes.  It comes from above - from the man of heaven who took the man of dust back into the ground to raise Him up new to become a Life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45).

And so we have been born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:3).  TF Torrance's answer is biblical.  And it's helpful when it points us away from an obsession with our own 'choice for God'.  So many John 3 sermons can make the congregation look within for signs of life.  And all the while the chapter screams to us "Look to Christ!"

Torrance's objective emphasis guards us from thinking our regeneration lies in us - in some experience that we need to work up.  The new birth doesn't lie in me - it lies in Christ.  Look to yourself and all you'll find is flesh.  Look to Christ and there you will find your new birth.

My recent sermon on John 3:1-15

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Published on Leave a comment on A story about guidance

True story:

I sat opposite my, then, girlfriend in the restaurant.  I wanted to make her more than my girlfriend.  So I sought God's guidance in the way that seemed most obvious to me.

I fired up a silent prayer in the restaurant.  "Father, if it's right that we marry, please put into her head the thought of our wedding day."

Instantly she smiles.

I ask, "Why are you smiling?"

She says, "Oh, nothing."

"Were you just thinking about our wedding day??"

"How did you know??!"

"Because I just prayed that if we should get married, you'd think about our wedding!!"

...Awed silence...

Now let me come clean.  This woman was not Emma, who is my wife.  Had I married the woman from the restaurant, lovely woman though she was and is, it would have been an unmitigated disaster.  Nonetheless - I had sought guidance from on high.  And it seemed pretty clear she was the one.

So what do we learn?

For one, we learn that much seeking of guidance is in fact seeking God's rubber stamp for our own desires.  I was not looking for guidance, I was looking for a "Yes."

When we seek after signs we prove very adept at creating them.  I don't know what exactly was going on in that restaurant, but I do know that Derren Brown can create far more impressive tricks.  In a restaurant, in a serious relationship, after serious discussion, it doesn't take a genius to predict thoughts of a future wedding.  And it doesn't take much to turn my wish into a prayer and then take it for a sign.  If you're looking for one, you'll take anything as a sign.

We're not promised guidance through signs, we are promised it through the word of God and the people of God.

I was reminded of all this by reading Proverbs this morning:

Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Later on I read this:

Proverbs 20:5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

I don't know myself very well.  In fact I have deep desires hidden from my own sight.  Yet they drive me in all the wrong directions.  It's madness, but if these desires really get hold of me I want to avoid anyone with Wisdom.

I can maintain the facade of godliness, because - Hey, I'm still seeking God's guidance!

But I'm seeking it in signs and not where God has put His Wisdom.  He's put Wisdom into His book and into His people.  We must seek guidance there.

Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Anyway, here's an old sermon on guidance...

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Published on 8 Comments on An Easter Sermon – Job 19

To listen click here

What words of comfort do you commonly use?

Imagine you tell of some bad news:

My credit cards have been stolen, they’ve cleared out my bank account...

How do you finish that sentence?

...still, worse things happen at sea

... serves me right for being so careless

... I suppose I’m just cursed

... I guess I should count my blessings

... at least I’m not being boiled alive in sulphuric acid

... at least I have my health

... such is life

Whatever we tack onto the end of our stories of suffering gives a little window onto our theology of suffering.

Me and a friend have stock lines we use and we make fun of each other for them.  He calls me a cautious optimist.  I call him a stark realist.  When I get to the end of my news I say: “So we’ll see.”  When he gets to the end of his news he says “So there we are!”

What’s your response to suffering?  In church we often have some more spiritual sounding consolations.  Things like “Just got to keep trusting I guess.”  “God’s got a plan.”

But none of these are a patch on one line I heard recently.  It was from a woman suffering with cancer.  And after she’d told people the seriousness of her condition she’d say “Still, nothing a resurrection won’t fix.”  Now that’s consolation.

Nothing a resurrection won’t fix.

That’s what Easter is about.  The darkest day on planet earth was Good Friday when the LORD of Glory was barbarically executed - slaughtered as a lamb.  When you kill your father it’s called patricide.  When you kill a king, it’s called regicide.  This was deicide – killing God.  The Word of creation comes and we silence the Word.  The Light of the cosmos shines, and we extinguish the light.  The Life-force of the world comes and we kill the Author of Life.

The sun stopped shining and the earth quaked when the LORD our Maker was lifted up on the cross.  Abandoned by earth, forsaken by heaven – He’s thrust into the air, hanging between heaven and earth, He dies the death of the rejected.  Spat upon, mocked, derided, a spear thrust into His heart.  Taken down, His cold, lifeless corpse was laid in the tomb and the entrance was sealed.  God was dead and buried.  It was the worst thing that has ever happened.

But Easter Sunday – He burst out of the ground, NEW.  The same Jesus – but now He’s been perfected.  He has passed through the fires of judgement and come out refined, glorified.  He hasn’t just dipped His toe into death and come back.  He has passed all the way through death and come out the other side into immortal, resurrection life.

And on Easter Sunday we remember the stories of how He appeared to His disciples, still bearing the wounds of His crucifixion.  He keeps the marks of His death, because we will praise His death into all eternity.  But they are glorified wounds.  Jesus redeems death – He redeems even His death, even deicide is redeemed through the resurrection.  There’s nothing His resurrection won’t fix.

And what I want us to understand this evening is that Christ’s death and resurrection isn’t just an example of how, sometimes, good can come out of suffering.  This isn’t an example – it’s the engine of God’s cosmic redemption.  What God did through Jesus that weekend – He will do to the whole universe.  There’s nothing His resurrection won’t fix.

Just before Jesus died He said this in John 12

24 I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Jesus is the Seed who falls dead into the ground, but rises up new to produce MANY seeds.  His death and resurrection is the pattern and prototype and power for MANY resurrections.

Put it another way – Jesus is the Head of a new creation.  And as He takes the old humanity down into the grave He rises as Head of a new humanity.  And all who are united to Him by faith are raised with Him.

Put it another way – Jesus is like the needle going through the thick black cloth of suffering, judgement and death.  And Jesus bursts through the other side – taking with Him, the thread.  Us – anyone who trusts in Jesus is united to Him and takes the same path.

Easter Sunday is not just an example of new life.  It is the pattern, the prototype, the power for cosmic resurrection.  And it’s what God is doing in your life.  He is moving you from Good Friday through to Easter Sunday, and there’s nothing His resurrection won’t fix.

...continue reading "An Easter Sermon – Job 19"

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Published on 37 Comments on You Must Be Born Again

A Sermon on John 3:3 - Audio Here

Mum and Dad bring their newborn baby girl to church to show her off.  Everyone gathers around and sighs and makes faces and says things like “What a beautiful baby!  What a gorgeous little nose!  How soft her skin is!  She’s just adorable!  She’s just perfect!”  One woman calls her husband over and says “Jim, what do you think of the newborn baby, isn’t she just perfect.”  Jim looks her up and down, frowns and asks the mother - “When was she born?”  The mother says “10 days ago.”  Jim says, “I think she needs to be born again.”

Isn’t that the most offensive thing to say?  You need to be born again.  Her mother would be likely to say – “What was wrong with her first birth??!  How dare you say she must be born again!”  It’s very offensive isn’t it?

And it’s no better if you say it to a grown-up.

I was once speaking to a woman at a bus stop.  And we started talking about Christian things – she was a Roman Catholic and told me that she loved the teaching of Jesus.  I said, “Me too, I was reading just last week John chapter 3 – do you know the story of Nicodemus.  She said, ‘Of course.’  I said, well it’s interesting that Jesus says to this very religious man: ‘You must be born again’.”  I asked her – “Have you been born again?”  Instantly she frosted over.  She turned her shoulders 15 degrees to the left and raised her chin 15 degrees in the air, and that was the end of the conversation.  It made for an awkward few minutes before the bus came.

But that’s what happens when you start talking about being “born again.” It is dynamite.  It is offensive.  But Jesus is unrelenting.  He says it again and again.  Verse 3:

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Verse 5:

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Verse 7:

7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'

You must, you must, you must be born again.

[SLIDE – You must be born again]

Jesus says “Don’t be surprised at this”.  We are surprised though.  Perhaps we’re like Nicodemus, coughing and spluttering in amazement, v4:

4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

Is that what you’re suggesting Jesus?  Going back into my mother’s womb?  I don’t think I’d like that, and I’m pretty sure she would object.

No says Jesus – not that.  But nonetheless, you MUST be born again.

Are you born again?  I look out on a room and there’s one thing I can safely assume about you.  I assume that you have been born once.  That’s a fair assumption – everyone in this room has been born once.   But I don’t assume that everyone here has been born again.  I imagine there might be quite a few here who have been born once, but not born again.

And Jesus says, v3, unless you are born again you can’t SEE the kingdom of God.  Or again, v5, unless you are born of water and the Spirit which is another way of saying unless you are born again – you can’t ENTER the kingdom of God.  You MUST be born again.

Are you born again?  Jesus says “You must be born again.”  What about your family members.  Bring to mind family members – they must be born again.  Bring to mind friends – they must be born again.  Bring to mind neighbours – they must be born again.  Bring to mind work-mates – they must be born again.  Everyone you pass in the street today – they must be born again.  As we approach the mission next week, may that shape our prayers and our inviting.

...continue reading "You Must Be Born Again"

Published on Leave a comment on Sermon – John 2:1-11

Audio here

Imagine the conversation between a father and his son, Dutiful Derek.  The father says “One day son, you’re going to meet a girl who’ll steal your heart and you’ll fall in love.”  Dutiful Derek says, “Do I have to fall in love?”  The father says, “What an odd question.  It’s not so much a case of ‘have to’, but when you meet the right person you will fall in love.”  Dutiful Derek sighs and says, “Alright, I’ll try my best to fall in love.”

Later his father says to Dutiful Derek, “We’re going on holiday to Switzerland.  And we’re going to watch the sun rise over the snow-capped Alps.  And we will be awe-struck.”  Dutiful Derek says “Do I have to be awe-struck?”  The father says, “What an odd question.  It’s not so much a case of ‘have to’, but when you see the view you will be awe-struck.”  Derek sighs deeply and says, “Alright, I’ll try my best to be awe-struck.”

Again the father comes to his son, “We’re going to read the bible together, and we’re going to see the glory of Jesus, and we will put our faith in Him.”  Dutiful Derek says “Do I have to put my faith in Him?”  The father says “What an odd question.  I guess in one sense: Yes.  But it’s not so much a case of ‘have to’, but when you see His glory you will trust in Him.”  Dutiful Derek sighs once more, “Alright,” he says, “I’ll try my best to trust in Jesus.”

Well Dutiful Derek grows up.  And when he sees sunrise over the Swiss Alps he just IS awe-struck.  And when he meets the right girl he just DOES fall in love.  But as he sits in church Sunday by Sunday he feels like he has to trust Christ.  And he tries his best to be a dutiful believer in Jesus.

Derek still hasn’t learnt that the beautiful woman, the beautiful view and the beautiful Saviour are all alike.  They are beautiful and if our response is simply dutiful we’ve lost the plot.  When they are beautiful and we are dutiful we must be blind.

The beautiful woman doesn’t want her husband to dutifully admire her.

“You look lovely” – he said

“Thank you” – she said – “what made you say that?”

“Oh, I thought I ought to compliment you.”

Slap

Or

“Flowers, why did you buy me flowers?”

“I felt it was my duty,” he replies.

Slap

Or

“Kiss me” – she says

“Do I have to?” he asks.

Not now he doesn’t.  He won’t be getting a kiss for a very long time!

When she is simply beautiful and her husband is simply dutiful he has lost the plot.  He must be blind.

And likewise, when someone says “You MUST see sunrise over the Alps” they don’t mean for you to dutifully traipse across Europe and stare at the view as a demonstration of will-power.  No when the Alps are simply beautiful and you are simply dutiful you have lost the plot.  You must be blind.

But here’s the thing.  Churches are full of people like Derek – people who are simply dutiful when Jesus is simply beautiful.  In fact it’s a big temptation for all of us.  It’s a trap I fall into, and I wonder if you do too.  It’s so easy to think of Christianity as my duty – trusting Jesus as something I’ve got to summon up by my will-power.  But John’s Gospel was written to tell us – if we are simply dutiful when Jesus is simply beautiful, we’ve lost the plot.  We must be blind.

And this miraculous sign before us has been written down to open our eyes to the wondrous glory of Jesus.

...continue reading "Sermon – John 2:1-11"

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Published on 6 Comments on Exodus 13:1-16 – Dev Menon

From the marvellous Dev Menon.  If you're not reading his blog - go and subscribe now.

Read Exodus 13:1-16 - The Consecration of the Firstborn

The death of the spotless lamb of God allows us entrance into the promised land...

In chapter 13, just after the institution of the passover, we learn about the opening of wombs, the entering into the land of milk and honey and a reminder of the unleavened bread.

Egypt is the watery grave of darkness and turmoil, where everything is meaningless and heading nowhere, a prison of no hope. Christ, through His Lamb's blood, has torn an opening out of slavery - into the promised land. In this land there is no uncleanness, the old yeast of malice and wickedness is thrown away.

Exodus 13:9   And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

This truth needs to be made a memorial on our hand and burned between our eyes - the deliverance of the saints; the redemption of the church of the firstborn (Heb 12:23) - for we are all 'firstborn' in Christ. The animals are given as sacrifice - but the children of God are redeemed.

The King leads us in triumphal procession into Canaan, the city of His choosing. He comes, to raise the bones of Joseph to life eternal in this new land.

As we follow our Champion through the wilderness, He leads us by fire and cloud - we also need to take His path - so also we redeem the beasts of burden, the donkeys, that we may walk similarly through the earthly Jerusalem, till we reach that place outside the city wall, and pass through the cross-shaped doorway, and enter the Heavenly Zion.

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And here are a couple of my (Glen's) recent sermons on Exodus 12-15

Passover and remembrance (Ex 12)

Redemption of the Firstborn, Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Red Sea (Ex 13-15)

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