​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday, April 16, 2023)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Christ’s Triumphal Procession!”
Psalm 118:15-17; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
 
As you may already know, today is the Second Sunday of Easter which means we are still in the Easter season; that is a 7-week season that begins with Resurrection Sunday and goes all the way to Pentecost.  To emphasize how foundational resurrection is, from the beginning, the Church of Jesus has chosen from day one to gather on Sundays; not only that, but the Church also dedicates 7 Sundays following Easter to highlight the importance of Christ’s resurrection.
 
If Christ’s resurrection from the dead has been so important to the early Church, it should be important to us.  Resurrection is never meant to be celebrated one single Sunday a year, rather, it should be a source of reflection and rejoicing.  So to emphasize the magnitude of that event, I will be delivering a 4-week sermon series on the Church’s response to what God has done in Christ.
 
I would like to kick off this series by looking at one of the key Scriptures that gives us a glimpse of how the early Church understood the Resurrection of our Lord.  This morning we will be reflecting on 2 Corinthians 2:14-17.  “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.”  Looking at the profound impact of Christ’s resurrection and His fulfilled mission, Paul likens Jesus to a conquering Roman Emperor who triumphantly enters Rome.  “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession,” says Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14.
 
Let me briefly say what Paul means by “Christ’s triumphal procession”, then draw a single application from our passage this morning:
 
The Triumphal Procession
We live in a different world.  In 2023, we don’t live in a world where there are many triumphal processions.  Yet, even in small communities we are familiar with celebrations for winning teams.  We honor those who return with state trophies and professional championships.  These always involve team members parading in front of people who cheer for them.
 
In 2 Corinthians 2:14, Paul speaks about something similar to that; something that every Roman citizen of his day would have been very familiar with – and that is, the Roman Triumph.  The Roman Triumph was a remarkable thing.  It was something that people might have only seen once or twice in a lifetime – but it was something that they will never forgot.  No one would have been able to say, “Oh; a Triumph happened the other day?  I guess I missed it.”  It was as a “public” event as a public event could possibly be; and everyone in the vicinity would know about it when it happened.
 
Whenever a conquering Roman General returned to Rome from a campaign, that General was honored with the highest honor the Roman empire could bestow.  He was honored with the Triumph; and it was like the Superbowl, Oscar Night, and the Fourth of July all rolled up into one, huge celebration.
 
A great procession would march throughout the streets of Rome on the way to the Roman capital.  In the midst of the precession stands the General on a chariot, dressed in purple holding high in his hand an ivory scepter that bore the figure of the Roman eagle at its top.  Behind him came all of his victorious troops in full decoration – all shouting, Io triumphe! Io triumphe!  We won.  We won!  That’s how Paul describes Christ after His resurrection.  In the light of this awesome reality, what would be our response:
 
First: Let’s Give Thanks to God
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession,” says the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14. Our proper response for Christ’s victory is thanksgiving.  Paul gives thanks to God for the fact that God leads us in triumph in Christ.  Often times, when we get overwhelmed by the happenings of our lives, we find it hard to give thanks to God.
 
Paul tells us today if you find yourself defeated and if you find it hard to give thanks to God because of your circumstances, give thanks to God because you follow the triumphant one.  In Christ, God made us triumphant.
 
Christ is the Triumphant One – and we are led by God in triumph in Christ because we are united to Him!  A Roman citizen may have never been to a battlefield, but they still can shout in the procession, “We won!”  As Roman citizens and part of the empire, they applied what their army had done on their behalf.   It’s the same way for us as Christians today.  We apply what Christ has done at Golgotha for us today.  As we reflect on this great reality, we can think of nothing but giving thanks to God.
 
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession,” says the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14.  Always is a key word here.  You and I may not feel very triumphant at times.  Paul certainly didn't.  He felt very weak and frustrated at times.  But the fact is that, even then, He was being led in Christ’s triumphant procession.  He was able to say – at the end of his life, as he sat in prison awaiting execution – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 1 Timothy 4:7.
 
You and I may not feel very victorious at times.  You may even feel worn out and defeated and ready to quit.  You may feel deeply overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and weakness.  But here’s the fact: even then – even then, and always – you are being led by God in Christ’s triumphal procession!  You are on the side of victory!  You belong to the Winner!  The triumphal parade may not have appeared on this earth yet, but you are already in it.
 
Friends, today’s message is very assuring!  We belong to a victorious King.  We follow a Risen Lord.  God still assures us that we are being led in Christ’s triumphal procession, and for this we are thankful.  “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” says Psalm 118:15. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Meditation Notes (Easter Sunday ~ April 09, 2023)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Why Galilee?
Psalm 16; Matthew 28:1-10
 
“Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” Matthew 28:10.  Why Galilee?  Of all the places Jesus could have gone ~ why Galilee? 
 
You’d think Jesus would have wanted to head straight back to Jerusalem and show those folk over there a thing or two.  Can’t you just see it?  Jesus walks straight to the home of the high priest, knocks on the front door and says, “Hello, Caiaphas, want to try again?”  Don’t you think He might want to have another meeting with Pilate?  “Hey Gov, now do you want to discuss the subject of truth?”  That’s what Jesus could have done.  That’s what we would have done, isn’t it?  Our script would have been completely different.
 
Why, of all the places Jesus could have gone, he chooses Galilee?  As we celebrate Easter Sunday this morning, let me offer a couple reasons why Galilee.
 
First: Galilee is Where Jesus was Welcomed and Accepted
Galilee is where Jesus was accepted and welcomed ~ for the most part.  Aside from one or two isolated incident, Jesus was loved, welcomed and accepted in Galilee. 
 
Jesus spent most of His public ministry in Galilee.  In Galilee, He spoke their language, shared their country twang, knew their customs, and was very much comfortable.  At least, if Jesus could be comfortable anywhere, He could be comfortable in Galilee.  He was embraced in Galilee.
 
The people of Galilee were less fortunate, less religious, and less educated than the people in Jerusalem, yet they were more receptive to the gospel message.  Jesus performed most of His miracles in Galilee.  He did most of His teaching in Galilee.  Most of Christ’s disciples were from Galilee. 
 
The lesson should be clear to all of us on this Easter morning.  The good news of the risen Lord comes in abundance to the broken hearted, to the humble and lowly in spirit.  The good news of the risen Lord comes to those who have simple faith, child-like faith.  The good news of the risen Lord comes to those who long for it.
 
Second: Galilee is Where all the Story Began
Jesus wanted to see His disciples in Galilee because Galilee witnessed the beginning of Christ’s wonderful story.  In Mark 1:14-15, we read, “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”  In Galilee, the gospel was first proclaimed.  Then here after Christ’s resurrection, the angel said to frightened women at the tomb, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”
 
I believe Mark is saying to us, “Now that you’ve read the story, you know the beginning and the end, go back and read it again... this time, do so with resurrection eyes.”  Now that your minds have been enlightened, go back and re-read the story with new understanding.  Go back and re-visit the places where you had seen God’s power in action and let it speak to your heart in new and fresh ways.  Go back and let the teaching of Christ, the teaching you’ve already heard, and let it sink deep in your heart.
 
One of the major elements – if not the most important element – of Mark’s gospel is the misunderstanding by Jesus’ followers of His mission and intent.  According to mark, the disciples, never got it.   Never.  According to Mark, the only way the story of Jesus can be understood is to go back and do it all again... with and through, as I’ve said, resurrection eyes.
 
So that is where we are, you and I, on this Easter morning.  With Jesus, we’re back in Galilee where it all started.  Today we are invited to go back to Galilee; to re-read the story of Jesus; to allow it to sink deep into our hearts and minds; to think about it from start to finish with Easter eyes.  What difference this is going to make in your life?  And whenever we fail to grasp the depth and the width of this story, let’s try to do it again.  Galilee is a good place to be.  Why?  Because Galilee is a place of humility, a place of child-like faith. Galilee is where the dots can be connected.  The nonsense makes sense; the impossible becomes possible.  Galilee is a place where Christ wants to continue the journey with us.  Happy Easter, Church.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen.
 
 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Meditation Notes (Easter Sunday 09:00 a.m. ~ 04.09.2023)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Tell It Again!”
Luke 24:1-12
 
What is the most important event of Christ’s life?  I am sure the answer to this question varies from a person to another.  Some may say the most important event of Christ’s life is His birth; others may say no, it’s His baptism; still others may see His Baptism and the Father’s affirmation of Christ’s identity.  If you ask me, I would say the most important event of Christ’s life is His resurrection.  The resurrection is the goal of His life; it is the purpose of His life.  The Church got it right from day one.  That’s why the church has chosen to meet on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day that Jesus rose from the dead, to commemorate the most important event of His life and the most important event in human history.  
 
The church did not choose to meet on Friday, rather, the church chose to meet on Sunday, because Sunday is the interpretation of Friday.  Easter is the interpretation of Good Friday.  Resurrection is the divine interpretation of the death of Christ.  Resurrection is the divine vindication of the work that He did on the cross.  Without the resurrection, the cross means nothing, for it has no validation, it has no vindication, it has no affirmation.  But when God raised Jesus from the dead, He was affirming, and validating, and vindicating the fact that He had indeed borne our sins in His own body on the cross, and had satisfied the justice of God with His sin-bearing.  Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless, just another death.
 
Yes, the resurrection of Christ is that important.  It’s that simple and that profound.  Most of us know the story of Christ raising from the dead.  As adults we can get caught up sometimes in analyzing stories, in debating this or that detail, or wondering why it was told in such and such a way.  But think about how children respond to a well-known story.  Those of you who are parents or grandparents, those of you who are teachers, you know.  The minute you finish their favorite book, their favorite story, what’s a child most likely to say?  “Again!  Again!  Tell it again!”  No matter how many times they’ve heard the same story, tell it again.  No matter that they’ve got the whole story memorized by now, tell it again.  The hearing of it – again – brings them such joy.  So we flip back to page 1, and we tell their favorite story again.  The very best stories are well worth hearing again and again.  So back to today’s story.
 
The Easter story should be the Church’s most favorite story.  It’s a story that the church should tell over and over again.  Why?  At least for two reasons:
 
First: It is a Story of God’s Might and Power Working Behind the Scenes
One of our frustrations and disappointments as followers of Jesus is that we don’t always understand how God works in the world and in our lives to accomplish His purposes.  For the disciples of Jesus, the cross and the death of their Lord was a no-no.  They just couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that the Messiah will be crucified.  On one occasion, Peter actually rebuked Jesus for saying that.  “Never, Lord!” Peter said. “This shall never happen to you!” Matthew 16:22.
 
The resurrection of Jesus is a reminder that God is not silent.  He is not idle.  God always works even during those times when we fail to see Him working.  He is not absent.  He is always present.  So when you find yourself facing a situation where God seems absent and silent, remember that God is working behind the scenes.  Charles Spurgeon once said, “When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”  We may be puzzled by our circumstances, but God has it all figured out.  The disciples thought the story of Jesus is over.  But Easter reminds us that there is more to the story.  God is still working.
 
Second: It’s a Story of a God whose Silence Doesn’t Mean His Absence or Inaction
Just because God is silent sometimes it doesn’t mean He is idle.  The intertestamental period, a 400-year gap between the ministry of Prophet Malachi and John the Baptist, God was quiet but preparing the world for the birth of Christ.
 
Easter comes to remind us in away like no other that we believe in a God who is active and present and faithful to His promises.  Times of silence could be scary and requires more faith, but I hope you and I today learn how to keep you rhythm because God is at work.  May we learn how to rest in God while He is working behind the scenes.  Remain confident in the truth that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.  God is all powerful, all knowing and ever present. 
 
Tell it again!  The story of Easter is worth telling.  The story reminds us of God’s might and power working behind the scenes.  Easter reminds us that God wins.  Love wins.  Life conquers death.  We need to hear the Easter story again to remember that goodness is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness, truth is stronger than lies.
 
So as we sing, pray, shout, cheer, and wave our Alleluias this Easter Sunday, remember to tell the story to someone.  In 1866, Kate Hankey, a British nurse and a Christian missionary to South Africa, wrote the hymn, I Love to Tell the Story. In one stanza, she says, “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best, seem hungering and thirsting, to hear it like the rest … I love to tell the story; For some have never heard, the message of salvation, from God’s own holy Word.”  She continued to say: “I love to tell the story; 'twill be my theme in glory to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and his love.” Go and tell it, again, and again, and again.  Christ is Risen.  Alleluia!  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Palm Sunday, April 02, 2023)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“A Visit to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday!”
Zechariah 9:9-12; Luke 19:28-44
 
Palm Sunday is the day the Church of Christ around the globe gets to remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  This was the fulfilment of Zechariah's prophecy given over 500 years before Christ.  Much can be said about the events of Palm Sunday, but what I would like to do today is to take you in a journey to Jerusalem.  Let’s go back in time 2000 years.
 
It was a very busy morning in Jerusalem.  You can tell, it was the Passover week.  The narrow streets of the city were crowded; the Temple was no exception.  Jewish visitors from all over the place filled the nearby hotels and motels.  Just outside of Jerusalem, a big crowd of people were following Rabbi Yeshua, as people called Him. Rabbi Yeshua, or Jesus of Nazareth, was a well-known Rabbi, a compassionate healer who has shown God’s mercy and grace like no other.  You can even hear the crowd shouting out, “Hosanna!” and waving their palm branches in the air.
 
Jesus is approaching the city.  He goes down the road of the Mount of Olives, then he began to descend into the Valley of Kidron where He had a panoramic view of the entire city.  As Jesus looked down on the city, He burst into tears.  The King of Glory burst into tears!
 
This cry wasn’t a normal cry.  The Greek word Luke uses for weeping is “klaio” which means “intense sobbing.”  It is the kind of weeping which suddenly seizes you that you lose control and cry out loud.  How come that in the midst of all the cheers come tears?  Jesus was so overcome with deep sorrow and grief in His heart, that tears began to flow from His eyes, and He openly and verbally expressed His emotional lamentation over the city.  I wonder if Jesus would do the same looking at us today?
 
What was Jesus weeping for?  Why did Jesus weep at the city He loved?  Fortunately, we don’t have to speculate.  The Scripture passage in Luke 19 gives us at least two reasons of Christ’s weeping:
 
First: The Missed Opportunities
Luke tells us in Luke 19:41-42, “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  The people of Israel missed a great opportunity.  “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!  The people of Israel missed the peace that was right in front of them; right in their midst.  They missed God’s shalom. 
 
The Prince of Peace was standing right in front of them, and they missed Him.  They did not acknowledge Jesus as the King of all Kings, the God of all gods.  Instead, they simply viewed Him as a human king who would lead them into victory.  Peace was hidden from your eyes.  They people of Israel missed many opportunities.
 
Second: The Future Judgement
Luke continues to say these words in Luke 19:43-44, “Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.  They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
 
Missed opportunities lead to future judgement.  Christ’s pronounced judgement was fulfilled in 70 AD.  In 70 AD, the Roman General Titus came, and he brought thousands of troops with him.  He surrounded Jerusalem, and the troops waited till the Jews were famished from starvation.  Then, they rushed in and slaughtered thousands of Jews.  Not one stone was left upon another, and the city was burned to the ground.  Seeing that day of judgement, Jesus cried over Jerusalem.
 
Jesus looked upon the city that He loved and wept because He knew the future judgment was coming.  He told the crowds a future judgment was coming because, “you did not know the time of your visitation.”  The word visitation in Greek is “episcopas.”  The word “episcopas” comes from the Greek military community where from time to time, the General would drop in unannounced and review and inspect the troops to see if they were battle-ready. If the troops were battle-ready, they received the praise of the General.  If they were not prepared, the General would bring a hard fist of judgment.
 
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because they weren’t ready when the General came to town.  They were not prepared and missed out on worshipping and following Him.  God in flesh was standing right before their eyes, and they missed it!  Because they missed the General and weren’t ready, a future judgment would come.
 
Friends, Jesus, the General, is visiting with us today.  His visit, “his episcopas”, is full of grace and love.  His arms are open to welcome and to embrace us.  Are we willing to go under His wings before the Day of Judgement comes?  Are we ready for the General to come?  Are we missing the peace that is in front of us?  As we journey together toward the events of the Holy Week this week, I hope you will recognize the time of God’s visitation. Embrace the things that make for your peace.  Open your heart for God’s shalom.  Let Christ mend the brokenness of your life.  Receive the Lord’s wholeness.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.