Jehovah-Raphah (Exodus 15:22-27)

Jehovah-Raphah (Exodus 15:22-27) 

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James McCormick and Petr Skrabanek in their book Follies and Fallacies in Medicine (p. 13, The Tarragon Press, 1999) state that "the physician's belief in the treatment and the patient's faith in the physician exert a mutually reinforcing effect; the result is a powerful remedy that is almost guaranteed to produce an improvement and sometimes a cure."
The placebo effect (Latin word “placebo” means "I shall please"), first mentioned in 1955 by Henry K. Beecher, is the phenomenon that a patient's symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment, since the individual expects or believes that it will work. When patients who are actually getting only small amounts of powdered sugar believe that they are receiving huge doses of vitamin C, they catch fewer colds.

Like the placebo effect, the nocebo effect (Latin word "nocebo" means "I shall harm") the evil twin of the placebo effect, is usually generated by "beliefs, attitudes and cultural factors." More than ten years ago, researchers reported a striking finding: "Women who believed that they were prone to heart disease were nearly four times as likely to die as women with similar risk factors who didn't hold such fatalistic views." The study showed that the higher risk of death had nothing or little thing to with the usual heart disease causes--age, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight. Instead, it is closely linked with belief. When patients presume the worst, then that's just what they get.
Both the "placebo" effect and the "nocebo" effect are based on patients' beliefs or attitudes.
Yet, their false or not-so-true beliefs may affect significantly their health conditions.
Then, how could more significantly your true belief in God who is living and heals you affect your physical health as well as your spiritual health?
               

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After Moses and the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea, they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the wilderness without finding water.
When they came to Marah, they found water.
But they could drink its water because it was bitter.
The place 'Marah' was probably named later because of its water's bitterness.
People started to grumble against Moses and God, "What are we to drink?"
Then Moses cried out to God, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood.
Moses threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

This incidence is a type that contains a spiritual lesson.
What is the bitter water?
It is our human life which contains bitterness because of our physical illness, fears and anxieties, broken hearts, disappointments, and hopelessness.
What is the piece of wood which God showed Moses?
That is Jesus Christ who came into our life. Or you may say that the piece of wood is the tree on which Jesus died to heal our spiritual wounds and give us sweet eternal life.
Peter in 1 Peter 2:24 tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
No matter how bitter our life is due to our physical pains and wounds, broken-hearts, disappointments or hopelessness, Jesus can change our bitterness into sweetness.

God told the Israelites in verse 26, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you.“
If we listen carefully to God and keep his commandments, as God promised the Israelites, He will become our Healer and He will heal our pains and wounds.

What kind of diseases does our God heal?
Firstly, He heals our physical diseases.
David in Psalm 103:3 praises God who heals all our diseases.
God healed the Israelites who were about to die when they were bitten by the venomous snakes in the wilderness due to their complaints to God and Moses (Num. 21:4-9).
God healed Naaman's leprosy.
               

Secondly, He heals our inner wounds or broken-hearts.
Isaiah prophesies the ministry of Messiah in Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, ..."

Thirdly, God heals our wounds and pains from critical environments.
In Isaiah 30:26 God tells his people through Isaiah, "The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted."
God tells the Jews in Jeremiah 30:17, "'But I will restore to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.'"

Fourthly, God heals our illness of backsliding.
God tells the Jews in Jeremiah 3:22, "Return, faithless people, I will cure you of backsliding."
Sometimes we may backslide in our faith. But, if we confess our sin of backsliding, God will cure us of backsliding.

Fifthly and most importantly, God heals our spiritual illness that leads us into death.
When Eve and Adam fell by disobeying God and were expelled from the Paradise, they were destined to die in spirit as wells as in flesh.
Jesus came down to the earth to heal our spiritual illness as well as our physical illness.
So Jesus tells us in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

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Jesus' ministry in this world can be summarized as teaching, preaching and healing as Matthew tells us in his Gospel 9:35, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness."
So we, the followers of Jesus Christ, should get involved in Jesus' ministry of teaching, preaching and healing.
               

Jesus in Mark 16:17-18 tells his disciples, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

Jesus' healing ministry was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
So, let us come closer to Jesus Christ, our healer who promises us to heal our wounds and pains in flesh and in spirit.
When we listen to Jesus' Word and pray God, all sorts of our pains and wounds will be healed, as Jesus is our Jehovah-Raphah as God to the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Jehovah-M'Kaddish (Leviticus 20:6-9)

Jehovah-M'Kaddish (Leviticus 20:6-9)

  

 

1

When you get up in the morning, what do you usually think of?
If you usually think of money, you probably are a money-lover.
If you usually think of a certain boy or a girl, you probably love him or her very much as a friend or as a lover.
If you usually think of how to cheat other people, you may become a cheater.
If you usually think of God or Jesus, you are probably a very devout Christian.

2

What is "holiness"?1. "Holiness" is separation from the worldly things and from your old habits.
Paul in Colossians 3:5 tells us: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

2. “Holiness" is getting out of darkness and coming closer to God who is light.
While "righteousness" (or "justification") of a Christian is a right to come to God by believing and confessing Jesus as his personal Savior, "holiness" (or "sanctification")  is a process of coming closer to God every day by continuing to look to Jesus.

3. "Holiness" is restoration of the image of God by listening to His Word and by living according to His Word.

To be holy, you don't have to go to a monastery and sing chants all day long.
To be holy, you don't have to become a priest.
You live your ordinary daily life believing in Jesus and desiring to live by the Word of God who makes you holy.
               

Why should you be holy?1. You should be holy because your God is holy.
God told the Israelites in Leviticus 20:26, "You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."
God repeatedly tells his people in Leviticus 11:44, 45, and 19:2: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Peter in 1 Peter 1:14-16 advised the church people citing the Word of God:
"As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

2. You should be holy because it is God's will.
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified," and in 4:7, "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." God wants us to be holy.

3. Without holiness, you cannot see the Lord and cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
The author of the book of Hebrews in 12:14 tells us, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord."

How can you be holy?You cannot become holy by yourself.
You can become holy by coming to the LORD, Jehovah-M'Kaddesh who makes you holy. You become holy when you listen to and keep his commandments.

In verse 7 of today's passage God tells the Israelites: "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God."
How can you consecrate yourself?
You can consecrate yourself, that is, you can make yourself clean by not doing those things that do not please God and by doing those things that please God.
You should not turn to mediums and spiritists.
You should not curse(v. 9) your father or mother. Instead, you should honor them to consecrate yourself and to be holy.
               

Then, in verse 8 He continues: "Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD who makes you holy (I am Jehovah-M'Kaddishkem.).
God keeps telling his people in several other places that he is the LORD who makes them holy. In Leviticus 21:8, 15, and 23 God told his people that he is the LORD who makes them holy.
God told Moses in Exodus 31:13, "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.'" (Exodus 31:12-13).
Keeping the Lord's day holy  is a way that you show your desire to be holy to the LORD who makes you holy.

Jesus is also the One who makes us holy.The author of the book of Hebrews calls Jesus the one who makes men holy in 2:11, saying "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."
How did Jesus make his people holy?
The book of Hebrews 13:12 tells us, "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood."
Jesus made his people holy by shedding his blood for them.
People became holy not because of their good conducts but because of the blood of Jesus that covered their sins and trespasses.

Jesus tells Paul whom he appoints as an apostle to the Gentiles in Acts 26:17-18: "I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
We can be holy by believing in Jesus Christ and looking to him continually.

3

Do you want to be holy because God is holy?
You don't have to go up to a mountain top to be holy.
You don't have to go to a desert and discipline yourself there to be holy.
You don't have to pray or sing chants all day long like a Catholic monk to be holy.
You don't have to be a vegetarian or an ascetic to be holy.
               

To be holy, you just keep the Lord's day holy by coming to God and worshiping him regularly.
To be holy, you live your ordinary daily life trying to live by the Word of God.
To be holy, you trust in God and lean on him, Jehovah-M'Kaddish, in your everyday life.
To be holy, you look to Jesus in your daily life, confess him your Lord and Savior, and witness him who makes you holy.
Isn't it much easier than what you thought?
Let us be holy as our God is holy.

Zacchaeus Climbed a Sycamore Tree (Luke 19:1-10)

Zacchaeus Climbed a Sycamore Tree (Luke 19:1-10)

In the simple story of Zacchaeus, you may observe several facts.
First of all, what city did Zacchaeus live in?
Zacchaeus lived in the city of Jericho.
Jericho is located about 20 miles north from Jerusalem and the Arabic people live now.
There is a high mountain in Jericho where the Devil took Jesus to show all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor to tempt him.
Nowadays they call it Mt. Temptation.
About fourteen hundred years before Zacchaeus' time, the wall of Jericho was collapsed when Joshua and the Israelites marched around the city once for six days and seven times on the seventh day, with seven priests blowing the trumpets.
Although the city was destroyed, Rahab and her family who lived there were saved because of Rahab's faith in God.
After the destruction of Jericho, Joshua pronounced the solemn oath:
"Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to build this city."(Josh. 6:26)
So Jericho became a cursed city since then.
And Zacchaeus was a cursed person who was hated by people.
However, Jesus changed a cursed person in a cursed city into a blessed person in a blessed city when he arrived at Jericho and called him.
               
The second question from the story is "Who was Zacchaeus?" and "What job did he have?"
The meaning of his name is "the righteous one," but he was regarded by people as "the most unrighteous one."
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector.
What's wrong with that?
As a tax collector he was working for the Roman Government.
As a chief tax collector he would probably have collected more money from his countrymen than his coworkers.
The Jews hated tax collectors because they collected money from them even when they could not afford their living expenses.
Tax collectors sometimes threatened them, cheated them, beat them, and even killed them. They were one of the most hated people, if not the most hated people.
Yet, Jesus thought of them differently. To him, they were not the most hated people. They too were those who were to be saved.
As a matter of fact, Jesus called Matthew or Levi, a tax collector, to be one of his twelve apostles.

The third question from the story is "Why couldn't Zacchaeus see Jesus?"
It is because Zacchaeus was short in his height.
Besides, there was a great crowd following Jesus as he healed many patients, opened the eyes of blind people, exorcised demons from people, and fed many people.
We who want to see Jesus may have shortcomings as Zacchaeus had.
What are our shortcomings that prevent us from seeing Jesus clearly?
Zacchaeus' shortness in height was the internal obstacle.
The internal obstacles that we have are our worries, anxieties, and fear, or doubts.
The great crowd was the external obstacle that did not let Zacchaeus see Jesus clearly.
The external obstacles that we have are our circumstances--poverty or wealth for certain people, tough road, hurricanes or typhoons in our lives.
               
The fourth question is "What did Zacchaeus do so that he would be able to see Jesus?"
When you cannot see Jesus clearly due to whatever reasons, what would you do?
Would you just give up seeing Jesus?
Or would you try to do any attempts?
What did Zacchaeus do to remove the internal obstacle as well as the external obstacle?
He climbed up into a sycamore tree.
He seemed to be a relatively old guy, more than 50 years old, as he was a chief tax collector. But, he did not care his old age and his position of a chief tax collector as he desperately wanted to see Jesus.
Why did he want to see Jesus very much?
It was probably because he still felt short in his life even though he was a very rich man. He could not find the meaning of life.
He wanted to know for what he should live.

The fifth question from the story is "What did Jesus tell Zacchaeus?"
Jesus told Zacchaeus who was up on the tree:
"Zacchaeus, Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Why did Jesus say to Zacchaeus, "Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
It was Jesus' invitation of Zacchaeus to salvation.
Jesus wanted to go to Zacchaeus' house to bring salvation there.

The sixth question from the story is "What was Zacchaeus' response?"
Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly(v. 6).
Even now Jesus keeps knocking at your door:
"Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
               
What was your response when Jesus called you?
Is there anybody here who has not received Jesus as your personal Savior yet?
Or is there anybody who is hesitating to open the door of your mind to accept him as your Lord?
Please open the door immediately as Zacchaeus did so that Jesus became your personal Savior.

The seventh question from the story is "What was people's reaction?"
They began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."
More often than not we judge other people by our own criteria and opinions.
By doing so we cannot understand God's plan for each individual.
Are we better than other people in righteousness and goodness when we judge them?
So, we should try not to judge anybody.

The eighth question from the story is "Who did Jesus say he came to save?"
Jesus came down here to this world to seek and to save what was lost (v. 10).
Who were we?
We were those who were once lost but found by Jesus like Zacchaeus.
We were miserable ones who were without God, without hope and did not know Jesus Christ.
But when we were found by Jesus Christ, we are now within God and have hope for the heavenly Kingdom.

Do you still have obstacles that prevent you from seeing Jesus clearly?
You need to climb up into a tree to see him well without any obstacles.
You need to remove the mist of doubts and the cloud of worries to see him better.
Do you see Jesus clearly?
Fix your eyes on Jesus always because he is your Savior and Lord, and your Life-Giver.
And praise and worship him always.

Those Who Will Reap with Songs of Joy (Psalm 126:1-6)

Those Who Will Reap with Songs of Joy (Psalm 126:1-6)

When the Jews were returning from Babylon to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity, they thought they were dreaming.
They were filled with laughter and they sang for joy.
Peoples in many nations said "The God of Israel has done amazing things for them."
However, when they arrived at Jerusalem, they saw that the city Jerusalem was so devastated that they became disappointed immediately losing their joy and laughter. The LORD let the Jews return to Jerusalem to reconstruct the Temple of God. Yet, seeing the ruined city Jerusalem, they were so discouraged that they could not reconstruct the Temple for a while.
The psalmist asked God in verse 4, "Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert!"
Then, God answered him and his people in verses 5 and 6.
"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest."
A farmer plants seeds of vegetables or transplants rice seedlings in his field in spring. Then he waters them and supplies fertilizer to them.
He takes good care of his field hoping for an abundant harvest.
However, sometimes a heavy rain and some other times a strong wind ruins his vegetables or rice plant.
Should he give up his harvest?
After a heavy rain or a strong wind, he goes out to his field, he erects the fallen rice plant or vegetables and again takes good care of them with tears and toils still hoping an abundant harvest.
When the farmer harvests abundantly after overcoming all the difficulties, his joy will be doubled.
               
A Christian is like a farmer who wishes an abundant harvest.
I heard about many missionaries' stories of planting the seed of the Gospel and harvesting.
A missionary in India sowed the seed of the Gospel in the mission field of India for his entire years with tears and labor, yet he could not harvest anything while he was alive.
After he died, thanks to his prayers of tears during his lifetime, several people accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Then, the number was multiplied.
One American missionary in Japan sowed the seed of the Gospel there with tears for more than 30 years. But he could not reap anybody except his housemaid who accepted Jesus as her personal Savior.
His housemaid told the Gospel to her son who later became a dean of a seminary and educated many students to become pastors.
There are many missionaries in China and some other mission fields who are willing to sow the seed of the Gospel with tears and pains.
Some of them reap some crops during their lifetimes, yet some others cannot reap at all in their lifetimes. However, when they sow the seed of the Gospel with tears, they will harvest abundantly with a great joy in heaven.

A Christian sows the seed of faith in his field-in his heart and in his life.
He waters and cultivates it by praying to God, reading the Bible, sharing God's love and grace with other Christians, and by spreading the Gospel.
However, sometimes Satan sends a strong wind or a heavy rain to deceive and destroy his faith.
His faith may be damaged critically.
Should he give up his harvest of faith?
He should come closer to God with tears of repentance, asking for God's help.
Then, he can renew his fellowship with God and restore his faith.
He eventually can return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves of faith with him.

Furthermore, for an abundant harvest in all circumstances, a Christian as well as a farmer needs to learn how to be patient.
James in his letter to the saints scattered among the nations 5:7-8 encourages them and us: "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." When you are patient in your Christian life, you may harvest valuable and abundant crops.

Above all, for an abundant harvest in heaven, we need to learn how to be thankful to God. Even if you feel that your possession or your harvest in this world is not sufficient, you should give many thanks to God as He had given you His Son Jesus, salvation and an eternal life through Jesus.
Even if you are still poor and you have many difficulties in your life, you should give many thanks to God as He promises you that He will be with you all the time and He is your God as always -- the God of life, salvation, help, and of shelter and fortress.
Habakkuk in his book 3:17-19 confesses his faith: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights."

My Lord and My God (John 20:24-29)

My Lord and My God (John 20:24-29)

1. Tertullian's Confession on Resurrection

Tertullian, one of the most famous church fathers, who had lived in the second and third century, speaks rhetorically of Jesus' death and resurrection in his book 『The Flesh of Christ』:

The Son of God was crucified.         I am not ashamed because it is shameful.

The Son of God died.                       It is credible because it is absurd.

He was buried and rose again.        It is certain, because it is impossible.

It is a shameful thing for the Son of God to be crucified, and it is an absurd thing for the Son of God to die.

It seems to be an impossible thing for any man to be resurrected. Yet, seeing the reckless boldness of Jesus' disciples witnessing his resurrection at the cost their lives, it is a sure thing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he is risen indeed.

Jesus' opponents could not believe the rumor that Jesus was resurrected. So they claimed that his body was stolen by his disciples and that his disciples absurdly said that he was resurrected.

However, if you read the Gospels and the Book of Acts carefully, you will notice that Jesus' disciples had been changed dramatically after they saw the risen Jesus. While they were with Jesus during his public ministry, they followed him, sometimes they swore allegiance to him saying that they would die with the Lord, but they were lack of boldness. Thus, when Jesus was caught, nobody was with Jesus and all of them ran away to save their lives. They were coward indeed.

But, after they saw the risen Lord, they could boldly witness Jesus and could die for him, because they believed now that they could live forever with the risen Jesus in His Kingdom.

2. Doubtful Thomas

Verse 24 states that "Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came."

                                                                                                                                                

Thomas was very troubled with Jesus' shameful death on the cross. So, he probably went to a quiet place to meditate on and solve this mysterious and absurd problem, "Why should Jesus, the Messiah whom God sent, die in this shameful manner?"

When Thomas came back, the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."

What was his reaction?

He said to them: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

What he said and wanted was not the faith but the confirmation of the fact.

3. Jesus' Appearance to Thomas

A week later Jesus came in and stood among the disciples although all the doors were locked. At this time, Thomas was there with the other disciples.

Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace be with you!"

Jesus' peace is important for us believers as he said in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Jesus said to Thomas: "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Was Jesus angry with Thomas for his disbelief?

Did Jesus not love Thomas anymore because of his unbelief?

Not at all. Jesus was not angry with Thomas and still loved him very much.

Yet, Jesus wanted Thomas to believe him and his resurrection even by seeing his resurrected body and touching him.

Thomas probably was very surprised at this Jesus' saying.

'How could he know all about what I said to the other disciples? He must not be a human being but God Himself.'

And at the same time, Thomas was very touched by Jesus' personal loving-care for him who was such a doubtful person.

What else did Thomas need to claim that Jesus his Lord was resurrected?

4. My Lord and My God

Thomas said to Jesus: "My Lord and my God."

While Jesus was still in his public ministry, he once asked his disciples, "Who do you think I am?" At that time, Simon Peter answered with assurance: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"(Matt. 16:16).

But nobody had confessed yet that Jesus Christ was God Himself.

Now, Thomas confesses: "You are my Lord and my God."

Do you believe and confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and your God?

This morning I wish that Thomas' confession could be ours: "Jesus, you are my Lord and my God."

5. Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen And Yet Have Believed

Jesus loved Thomas very much as he also loved the other disciples very much.

That's why he came in here and stood among the disciples to show his resurrected body to his doubtful disciple Thomas.

We who live today cannot see Jesus who had lived 2,000 years, in the flesh.

Some Christians think that if they saw Jesus in the flesh their faith could grow a lot. But, we should pay more attention to what Jesus said to Thomas in v. 29:

"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

That seeing is believing is not our Christians' law of faith.

That believing is seeing is a law of faith as well as a law of life for Christians.

Although you cannot meet the risen Jesus Christ physically, you can still feel him spiritually and invite him into your heart. The risen Jesus is telling us in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

If you really want to see him in Spirit and invite him into your heart, you only need to open the door of your heart.

Then, you will feel the Spirit of the risen Christ and will live with Him forever.

6. Thomas Thereafter

According to a tradition, Thomas who met the risen Jesus went to India to spread the good news, that is, Jesus came down on earth, lived among people, died for the people, and rose again on the third day.

He spread the good news to many people whom he met. However, at last, he was caught and killed by a spear, piercing into his body.

Yet, he was not afraid of his death at all.

He was not a selfish doubtful coward anymore. It's because he saw the risen Jesus Christ who loved him very much and was his Lord and his God.

Do you look to the risen Jesus this morning?

Are you ready to shout that "Jesus Christ is risen!"

Are you ready to confess that "Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God!"

Let us shout!

"Jesus Christ is risen!"

Let us confess!

"Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God!"  A-men.