Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.37 - June 1974

 

Remember Jesus Christ!

 

Sermon by Rev. J. J. Van Wageningen, B.D. on 2Timothy 2:8

Scripture Reading: O.T. Psalm 132; N.T. 2Tim.2:1-13

Psalter Hymnal:  Opening Hymn 169:1,2,3;     After Procl. of grace 55:1
                        After 10 comm. 55:4;                      After Sermon 444:2;
                        Before Benediction 451:1,2,3;    Closing Hymn 368:1,2

 

Do you know from where the apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy?  No, he was not seated in a comfortable chair in a nice study.  He was in a prison cell, even in his death-cell, and he was fully aware of the situation.  In the last chapter of this letter he states the facts: "For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2Tim.4:6,7).

These words are clear.  The apostle is facing death.  As far as men are concerned, he is left alone.  1:15, "You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me."  4:16, "At my first defence no-one took my part; all deserted me.  May it not be charged against them.

In this very difficult situation the apostle writes this letter to Timothy.  He calls him his spiritual son, his beloved child.  The young man is a close fellow-worker in the ministry of the gospel.  The apostle Paul knows his spiritual son very well.  Timothy is a somewhat timid, shy young man, a sincere and devoted worker, but inclined to be afraid, when everything seems to be against him.  The apostle also knows the difficulties with which Timothy is confronted.  There is the hostile attitude of the unbelievers, Jews and heathens, who threaten the young churches from outside.  There are the dangerous activities of false teachers, who undermine the young churches from the inside.  There are the sufferings and hardships which must be borne.  These are the reasons why the apostle writes this letter to Timothy.  He wants to encourage him.  He does so in our text by putting straight in front of him Jesus Christ: Remember Jesus Christ!

This is the right encouragement, which all of us need.

REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST!

“           1.  risen from the dead

            2.  descended from David

            3.  as preached in my gospel

            In other words: He lives, He reigns, He is preached.

1.  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.  Some time ago we celebrated Easter, the feast of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our Saviour abolished death and brought life and immortality to light!  (1Tim.1:10).

Jesus lives!  This is a completely new situation.  Think of what John writes in Revelation 1, after the living Lord appeared to him: "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.  But He laid His right hand upon me, saying: 'Fear not, I am the first and the last and the living One; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).”

The fact of Christ's resurrection is inseparably connected with the fact of His death.  "I died, and behold, I am alive for evermore."

Jesus died on the cross.  He is the crucified One.  His death however is unique.  His death is a sacrificial death.  He died a sacrifice for sin.

He, the perfect, innocent Lamb of God, was made sin for us; all our sins were laid on Him.  He was cursed in our place.  He was forsaken by God in our place.  He fulfilled all obedience and righteousness of God's law in our place.  He took away the cause of our eternal death and misery, namely sin.  And He arose from the dead as the Conqueror of death and hell.  Jesus, our Saviour, is alive for evermore!

The apostle fixes Timothy's and our attention upon this glorious reality.  The resurrection is not just an event which took place in the past, without any consequences for the present, like eg. the return of Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus raised him from the dead, but Lazarus was a sinful, mortal man like all of us.  And after he had been called out of the grave, he was still the same sinful, mortal man.  And he returned to the same earthly life he had before, only to die again.  But Jesus Christ is our living Saviour, now and forever.

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, He lives!

Well, Timothy, remember this, keep this in your mind, the apostle exhorts him.

Remember this, not now and then, but continually.

This glorious fact should dominate his whole life, just like it dominated the life of Paul himself.  As we heard, the apostle was in prison, all by himself.  His friends had deserted him.  He faced death.  And he knew himself a weak, sinful man.  But he was absolutely sure of this fact, and it was always present to his mind: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!  My Saviour lives!

It had not always been that way.

No, not at all.

Once, long ago, Paul was convinced that Jesus was dead.  Then he hated Jesus as a misleader, a deceiver, dangerous for the Jewish nation.

He rejoiced in His death and afterwards he persecuted the disciples, breathing threats and murder against them.  Jesus was dead and His followers had to be put to death as well.

Then, all of a sudden, the living Lord appeared to him, "a light from heaven flashed about him and he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?  I am Jesus!!!

His false ideas were swept away.  He saw, he heard the living Lord.  He could not deny it, he could not escape it.  He could do only one thing: surrender himself to Jesus, the living Lord.  Since then he knew, he was absolutely sure of it: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!

Remember it; keep it in your memory, Timothy.

Remember Him, keep Him in your memory.  And this concerns not only Timothy, but all of us.  Let it be engraved in our heart, let it fill our mind.  Never lose sight of Him, your living Saviour.  Life can be difficult.  So many forsake the Lord.  There are so many backsliders, who turn their back on Him.  They love this world and the things of this world,

There is so much that threatens our spiritual wellbeing and that of our children; so much that draws us away from the Lord.

There are disappointments in our life; things do not go as we would like them to go.

There is sorrow, sickness and death.  Life can be dark and dismal.  There are a lot of troubles and worries.

Satan may try to tempt us, to intimidate, to scare us.  And in ourselves we are weak, sinful, miserable men, so often discouraged and afraid.

Oh, Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.  Look upon Him, yield to Him, trust in Him.  He is your living Saviour.  He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

The gospel of the resurrection of Christ has significance for all the days of our life, and for the day of our death.  It is of the utmost importance for all God's people, through all the centuries, till the last day, the day of Christ's coming, when every eye shall see Him.

Remember, Jesus Christ, your Lord and Saviour, lives!

2.  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, DESCENDED FROM DAVID.  In the second place we see that Jesus Christ, our living Lord, REIGNS.  He is descended from David.  He is David's Son.

So He is promised.  Psalm 89:35, 36.  God says: "Once for all I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David.  His line shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before Me."

"Behold God's truth and grace displayed,
 for He has faithful covenant made,
 and He has sworn that David's Son
 shall ever sit upon his throne."

Psalm 132:17.  "There I will make a horn to sprout for David. I have prepared a lamp for My anointed."

So He is announced, when the angel Gabriel came to Mary: "The Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Luke 1:32, 33.

Jesus Christ lives and He is active as King.  He reigns.

As the rightful, spiritual Heir of David, He sits enthroned at the Father's right hand.

The same combination of life and dominion we find in the verses 11 and 12 of this chapter: "The saying is sure, if we have died with Him, we shall also LIVE with Him; if we endure, we shall also REIGN with Him."

We shall live with Him and we shall reign with Him.  Jesus Christ is King.

For Paul this was a living reality.  He experienced it.  He had seen Him in His royal glory and majesty, and he could do nothing but fall to the ground and surrender unconditionally.

He was absolutely sure of it: Jesus Christ, the living Lord, is King.  He disposes of me.  His word is law.  I have to obey Him, and I do not want anything else.  I fully submit to Him.  I give my heart and life to Him.  I dedicate myself to His service.

This is the only right attitude with regard to Jesus Christ, our living Lord.

As we heard, the situation was extremely difficult also for Timothy and the young churches entrusted to his care.

The only way to get rid of fear and anxiety, and to be full of courage and hope, is the way the apostle shows him and us:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David!  Maybe you think: we do not see much of Christ's dominion.  The church is weak and becomes weaker all the time; divided, confused, in a world which, in spite of all the amazing discoveries, is full of hatred, violence, unrest; one big turmoil.

For millions life seems senseless; a matter of struggle and suffering and death; mankind on the road to destruction.

What do we notice of the coming of God's kingdom in this world?  What is the future of the church?

There is so much unfaithfulness, lukewarmness, so much apostasy, falling away from God.  What will be the end of it?

Do not be afraid.  Do not lose courage.

Remember Jesus Christ, our living Saviour, He is King!

He rules the world.  He rules His people.  He rules our life.  We are in His hands, and therefore it will be good.

He makes His kingdom come, the kingdom without end.

3.  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, AS PREACHED IN MY GOSPEL.

In the third and last place, we see that the apostle points to the fact of preaching the gospel, he proclaimed Jesus as the risen Saviour, as the Christ, the King on David's throne.

It is the gospel which has been entrusted to him.  Galatians 1:11,12 "the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man, it is not man's gospel.  For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ."  Timothy heard and received this gospel from Paul, and this is why the apostle writes to him now: Remember it!  Timothy, you accepted this gospel, this divine message.  You lived by faith in Jesus Christ.  Persist, persevere in it, also in this difficult and dangerous situation.

These words "AS PREACHED IN MY GOSPEL" are not an addition of minor importance.  On the contrary, they are of the highest importance.  For what does it mean: to remember Jesus Christ?

Many people nowadays say: I do not know anymore.  I would like to see God, I would like to see Jesus Christ in this present world around me, in my fellowmen, but I do not see anything, only a lot of trouble and misery.

Many people think that God's Word is irrelevant, that the message of the gospel has no bearing on the present situation, and they say: It does not mean anything to me anymore.  I feel lost and lonely, confused and frustrated.  Where is God?  Where is Jesus Christ?  "Remember Jesus Christ, AS PREACHED IN MY GOSPEL" the apostle says in the name of God.

We must go back to God's Word.  We must go back to the gospel.  SO Jesus Christ comes to us.

There is no other way to see Him, to know Him.  It is purely a matter of faith, faith in the Scriptures.  There is no other foothold to stand on but God's own Word.

If you want something else, you are floating in the air.

Jesus Christ, the living Saviour, the King, who has all power in heaven and on earth, is preached through the ages.  He is preached to you; how many times in the past?  and today again.

But what do you do?

Are you so impressed by what the world shows, by what science tells you?

Are you so full of your business, your money, your pleasures and your worries, your T.V., your car, etc., that the gospel gets into the background, that the Word of God is shouted down, drowned in all the noise, the hustle and bustle of this crazy world?  No wonder, you do not see Jesus Christ anymore.  No wonder, you are not interested any longer.

REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST, that is:
            listen to the gospel with your whole heart;
            accept the gospel with a child-like faith;
            pray for the Holy Spirit, that you may see Jesus Christ,
              as He is preached to you;
            and trust in Him, today and tomorrow, every day, in all circumstances.

REMEMBER, it does not mean to think of Him for a moment, and then to forget about Him again; living without Him; going your way all by yourself.

No!  REMEMBER, it means: look up to Him, surrender to Him, cling to Him, AS HE IS PREACHED IN THE GOSPEL.  Put all your hope and trust in Him.  Then you will experience that He gives new strength, courage, confidence.  For then you do not see your life and the church and the world in the light of the continually changing circumstances, but you see it all in the light of Him who has risen from the dead.  Through Him there is a new situation.  Through Him there is a living hope, strong belief and unlimited confidence.  He is the same yesterday and today and forever.  He is our living Saviour, our King!