In this man Jesus

1. Date: 4/9/23

2. Sermon Title: In This Man Jesus

3. Context: Acts 13:38-39

(Acts 13:38) "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

(Acts 13:39) Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

4. Preaching Note

The Acts is a biography of the activities of Jesus' disciples after his ascension. Many people began to believe in Jesus through their missions, including Paul and Barnabas. The scripture we read today is preaching by Paul and Barnabas to the people in the Antioch church after following Jesus.

In verse 38, Paul and Barnabas refer to the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus. The sins spoken of in the Bible are not social crimes. Sin in the Bible is not a speed ticket and not a fault. Sin is the state of turning one's head away from God. It is like when we sometimes live as Koreans and Korean Americans but forget how to live as Christians. If we forget our identity as Christians, we cannot overcome the hardships that we can overcome as children of God.

The son Jesus was sent by God to see those who suffer because they cannot look to God. Although God created the law through Moses, people misunderstood the meaning of the law. Rather, based on the law, they judged each other. When Jesus healed people, Old Testament priests judged the ministry of Jesus through the Old Testament law. This is why in verse 39 people were not justified by the law of Moses. To overcome this misunderstanding and gap, Jesus bridges the gap between God and us. For those who were not justified by the Law of Moses, Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Law. Jesus was the mediator between God and the people.

Even when Jesus was on this earth, people turned away from him. When he healed the patients, people criticized him on the basis of the Sabbath. When Jesus showed love to people, they came to arrest him. When Jesus allowed people to bear fruit, they tortured him. Jesus loved people, but they tortured him and had him crucified. They turned away from Jesus' love and repaid Jesus' love with torture and death.

In front of this fate, Jesus wept and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Please keep this cup away from me. The result of love is death by people whom I love.” but he accepted everything and forgave people. “But if it is your will, let it be done.” When He forgave people, He rose from the dead and made atonement on their behalf so that people could see God again.

Still, as Koreans, and Korean Americans, sometimes there are times when we forget our identity as Christians. There are times when the reality is hard and sometimes, we cannot feel God and turn our heads away from God. This is the reason why Jesus died on the cross. However, for this sin, Jesus rose from the dead. He won over death to be a bridge in the middle so that we can look up to God. Today is Easter. As a Christian, through the resurrection of Jesus, please enjoy this moment. As a child of God, accept the resurrection of Jesus with your heart and overcome the hardships that will come. Jesus is alive again. Jesus is alive again.