Faith Presbyterian Church

Every detail of the events leading up to and surrounding the crucifixion are full of details that fulfill Scripture and facts that show Jesus' humble obedience. But of utmost importance is the word that Jesus uttered on the cross - "It has been finished!"

This last chapter in Deuteronomy both points us to the faithfulness of Moses but also to the One more faithful than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6). While Moses died on the mountain having not seen the promised land, Jesus died and yet lives to bring His people with Him to eternal life.

Even here in His "suffering under Pontius Pilate," Jesus is shown to be both God and man; the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is the King and no Roman governor or Jewish ruling council could change Who Jesus is.

As Moses blesses the tribes of Israel, he clearly invokes the Presence of God upon them in each blessing, noting that God is the Provider and the Warrior Who is present with His people.

It's hard to hear the LORD telling Moses to die on the mountain. Scripture, in its clear, true, reality holds no punches but exposes even the faults of leaders. On the one hand, Moses' unfaithfulness led to his being barred to enter the promised land and yet, by grace, he is still described as a "man of God" who indicates that he is subject to the King.

John, unlike the Synoptic Gospels, includes an interrogation of Jesus by Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas and previous high priest, in the middle of the description of Peter's three denials of Christ. In so doing, John presents a contrast between Peter's failure and Christ's worthiness. Christ alone is our Savior!

The conclusion of the "Song of Moses" highlights the LORD's compassion on His people. Despite their rejection of Him, the One who called them as a nation to be His own and provided for them in amazing ways, He still - even through discipline - showed them compassion even through wreaking vengeance on His and their enemies.

In John's description of Jesus' arrest in the garden, perhaps the most prominent feature is the claim of deity by Jesus which takes down an entire detachment of Roman soldiers along with temple officials. Despite submitting to the arrest, Jesus remained in control, relinquishing no authority and setting no selfish agenda.

The LORD directly speaks to Moses and Joshua about the transition in leadership, the consistency of the people in their rebellious hearts and ways, and commands them to write and teach a song to the people. This song and the law both serve as witnesses against the people of God during the future seasons of rebellion.

In this concluding section of Jesus' high priestly prayer, He amazingly prays for us - for all believers who will come to believe in Him through the ministry of the apostles. He particularly prays for unity, for us to be with Him, and that the Father's love should be in us. What marvelous prayers Jesus made for us, for all His sheep!

Chapter 31 is really the conclusion of the main speech of Moses in Deuteronomy. Here he seeks to encourage the people not only as they look to cross the Jordan to embark on the conquest and division of the land but as they undergo the leadership transition from Moses to Joshua. Yet the most encouraging of all is the Presence of the LORD with them as they go.

Here, Jesus prays for the apostles. He prays for their sanctification, for their protection and for their mission to be sent out into the world.

Reading the law, one gets the impression that there are no "second chances" and yet just as a rainbow comes out after the storm, so God's grace shines through His promises after the curse. With repentance comes renewal and restoration through the power of God changing hearts!

The power of the resurrection not only gives eternal life to God's people but changes them in this life. The power of the resurrection is also, as applied by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, the power to conquer sin.

In this confusing discussion about "little whiles," "coming and going" to the Father, and being alone yet not alone, Jesus refers to the joy of the resurrection, the eternal relationship He has with the Father, and how He has overcome the world. Through His active and passive obedience, Christ truly did overcome the world!

In the early part of chapter 29, Moses brings to mind God's history with them and how they are standing on holy ground. Now he warns them of getting involved in the idolatry that they witnessed in Egypt and the countries around Canaan. Remaining covenantally faithful to the God who revealed to them the covenant is paramount to any healthy community of God's people.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is an amazing gift of God given to His people. This Spirit of Truth will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment - no small thing. The Spirit, all about Christ, puts together God's family and guides them as an amazing Advocate for the Kingdom.

This is not just a pep talk to the people before they cross the Jordan. It is a reminder that they are standing before a holy God about to enter the promised land. It takes God's power to appreciate everything that got them to this point just as it does for us to appreciate how we became a part of the family of God.

In this shocking contrast between the world and the disciple, Jesus warns His followers that the world will hate them because it hated Him. In the Spirit, a believer will testify Christ but in so doing he will also invite the wrath of the world which loves darkness rather than the Light.

The curses found in this text are overwhelming - futility, starvation and spiraling depravity in the midst of a siege, and a reverse of the covenant blessings. Lest we think this is just an "Old Testament" version of God, hell is much worse. Always we should fear the name of the LORD even as we joyfully and thankfully enjoy His blessings.

In this last of the "I AM" statements, Jesus reminds us that apart from Him we can do nothing and that we must remain in the vine (Jesus), in His love, and as His friends. He desires us to bear much fruit as we model Him and are shaped by His Spirit.

Just as the LORD would cause blessings to overtake His people on condition of their obedience, so He would cause curses to overtake His people on the failure to meet that condition. These awful curses are given longer explanation than the blessings in part due to the impending failure of the people to obey the law which the Holy Spirit surely foresaw in inspiring Moses to speak to the people and write the book. How important indeed it is that Christ became a curse for us!

For His obedient people, the LORD Himself will bring blessings which will overtake the people. What a wonderful description of God's covenant relationship with His people.

It is simply hard to believe that the church would do works even greater than Jesus and yet that is what Jesus said to His disciples. Of course that would not be possible without another Exhorter which He also promises to His disciples along with the hope that is present in the love and unity of the believer to Christ and the Father.

The curse of the law and the binding of the people to the covenant curses is no mere ceremony but directly points to the truth of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:10-14. The law puts us all under a curse but the good news of the Gospel includes how Jesus Christ became a curse for us!

In a time when the disciples were troubled and perplexed, Jesus gave them the assurance that He was preparing a place for them in His Father's house. He also reminded them that this Place was only made possible through Himself - Jesus.

The covenant of the LORD should be remembered both for His actions towards His people and His Word. This process of writing on stones and building an altar, accompanied by renewal of the covenant at Shechem was to know the permanence of God's law and His commitment to His people and to remember.

Jesus was glorified in submitting to the plan of salvation by letting Satan use Judas Iscariot to betray Him. To speak of Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial must truly have been a "dark night of the soul." How aptly does John write, "And it was night" in this text and yet how appropriate to know that the light of Christ often shines the most brightly on such a night!

In this conclusion of the detailed case and prohibition laws in Deuteronomy, the LORD reminds us of the joy of obedience in response to His gracious provision. He kept His promise to Israel to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey and He desired for His people to show their gratitude in obedience and giving.

In this portion of the law, God demonstrates His desire for His people to be pro-family, pro-fairness in dealing with others and with respect towards others. Taking advantage of the orphan, the widow and the sojourner is particularly egregious. All of this law is motivated by God's love for His people in rescuing them and prompts His people to treat others as God treated them.

In Jesus' example of footwashing, He is not only teaching a lesson on humility but is indicating the need for His disciples to be cleansed by Him, pointing to His soul-cleansing blood shed on the cross. He is Savior and Lord, Rabbi and the great I AM.

This text, in John's Gospel, concludes and summarizes Jesus' public ministry. Despite His amazing teaching and His miraculous signs, the people still did not believe and the Jewish leaders still opposed Him. Why? Wasn't Jesus inviting His audience to believe in Him and thus have eternal life?

The prohibitions and case law in this text promote the honor of God in the context of the covenant community. The principles contained therein point us to God's holy character and to our need for Christ.

How is God "with us" today? How will Jesus keep His promise never to leave or forsake His disciples when He then ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God the Father? It's by the gift of the Holy Spirit. God is with us and in fact dwells in us who are believers. What a gift and what a way for "Immanuel" today!

700 years before Christ came, the people of God faced real enemies as Judah faced off against Syria and Israel. Assyria was looming and had begun to pick off places like Galilee in the north while King Ahaz turned to everything but the LORD for a way out of the mess. But the faithful remnant was given the promise not of immediate succor but of an eternal solution in the promise of a baby to come who would be both Man and God, Savior and King.

In part 2 of the Immanuel series, we look at just one of the "glimpses" of "God with us" throughout history. In God's continuous Presence with His people in the 40 wilderness years, His protection and guidance assures them. Yet this is just a shadow of what is to come when God comes to His people in the person of Immanuel: Jesus.

In this first of four sermons in the Immanuel series, we look at our need for Immanuel. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, because of their sin, went from walking with God in the breeze of the day to being expelled from His Presence. Yet the hope of a change in that relationship in the future is found even in their punishment!

In the midst of a busy, confusing, bustling Jerusalem at Passover time, the appearance of Greeks coming to see Jesus signifies that "the hour" has come. Come see what this means and what the call of Jesus is to the people as He wrestles with and reflects upon His impending suffering and atoning death.

God is holy! As Moses explains that some would be permanently banned and others temporarily banned from membership among the people of God, it is a reminder of the gravity of sin and the enormity of God's grace in Christ Jesus. We are indeed saved by faith and not by the law and yet the law points us to Christ!

The fact that Jesus is fulfilling the plan of God for salvation is very evident in John's account of the Triumphal Entry. The role of eyewitness testimony regarding the works of God is also quite evident. Finally, the inability of anyone to stop the Word and Spirit of God regarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an encouragement to every believer!

Warning - Parental guidance suggested - both to consider the appropriate age for these matters and to remember the parental mandate to train up your children in the way they should go under the Lord's instruction. These standards of sexual morality are unchanging for God's people and should not be compromised, even as we understand that God can extend the grace of forgiveness even to those of His people who have broken these standards.

How's this for an awkward or controversial meal? A woman (Mary), likely of the host family, pours perfume all over the guest of honor, including his feet and a debate ensues over how bad an idea this was. The guest of honor, Jesus, defends the act and says it was a beautiful way for him to be prepared for burial. In the end, the disciples either betray Jesus (Judas Iscariot) or are dumbfounded and the chief priests plot to kill both Jesus and the recently resurrected Lazarus. Oh to see Jesus!

Life in the covenant community is marked by respect for one's neighbor's and their property, for God's created order, for the resources He has given us as vice-regents of creation, for life, and for purity. Amidst all that, God's covenant people remember His law and value His grace in Christ who became a curse for us.

It is downright amazing to see in demonstration the truth that someone must be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit to come to faith in Christ. Even the power of resurrection was not enough to convince the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the divine Son of God sent by the Father.

For God's glory and the faith of some of His people, Jesus waited to go to Bethany and then He did an amazing thing. He commanded dead Lazarus to come out of the tomb and despite being dead four days, Lazarus responded. Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life!

This is a unique place in the law where the people cry out to God for mercy because there is nothing they can do to atone for the sins of the land. This re-enactment of an unsolved murder with a heifer demonstrates the inability to "fix" the problem of bloodguilt before God and asks Him to atone for them - which He eventually does for those who are justified by faith through His Son Jesus Christ.

2025 Horry County (SC) PCA Reformation Worship with Grace PCA Conway, Faith PCA MB and Surfside PCA participating.