The Hand That Takes Hold 11/4/45
Scripture: John 3: 1-17
Text: John 3: 16; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
More than 17 years ago I knelt with those other seminary graduates in Graham Taylor Hall at the Chicago Theological Seminary, and was ordained a minister of the Gospel in the Congregational Churches. Have you noticed how smoothly one may use that expression - “a minister of the Gospel”? Someone may ask what is “The Gospel?” Perhaps we do use the word as if we take it for granted.
We hear a discussion in church circles of politics or economics, and someone who disagrees with the theories expounded says, “The church should stick to the Gospel.” What do we mean by “the Gospel?” Can we define it in a few words?
Of course the word in English is a translation of a Greek word meaning “good tidings.” In Christian tradition, the gospel is the good news of God as revealed in the life and work of Jesus Christ. As such, it might take all of Christian Scripture, theology and history to define it adequately.
It has been said by Ralph Sockman, and many others, that the heart of the gospel is expressed in a verse from this morning’s Scripture lesson. I remember clearly from childhood how a visiting minister, at a children’s meeting asked every boy and girl present to find John 3: 16 in the Bible and memorize it before the next meeting. We did, as other hundreds of thousands of children have done. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We had learned many a “Golden Text” in the village Sunday School. But that verse has always stood out among them, so that my heart warms in recognition whenever I hear it sung or said. I particularly like to hear it in the music of Stainer’s great Oratorio, “The Crucifixion.” It is a snapshot glimpse of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.”
A philosopher of the last century said that if he were given the privilege of asking the great Egyptian Sphinx one question, that question would be, “Is the Universe friendly?” And really that is a basic question. For if the universe is friendly - if it means something and means well - then we can cling to a solid faith through all the storms of circumstance.
Our gospel gives an emphatic “yes” in answer to the question. God loves our world. Back in the Genesis story of creation, we read that when God made the heavens and the earth he saw that they were good. And so they are. In spite of recurring floods and famine, a Chinese farmer can call his land “The Good Earth.” A competent geologist of Harvard University, Kirtly Mather, shows in a book, “Enough and to Spare,” that the old earth has enough resources to sustain an economy of abundance for all the people who dwell in it.
Mather says that we have mis-read the Darwinian doctrine of the “survival of the fittest” on the earth. We have jumped to the conclusion that the toughest creatures, which can fight most fiercely, are the ones to survive - which he says is not true. Where are the sabre-tooth tigers, the giant mastodons, and the ferocious lizard-like monsters of geology’s yesterday? They have disappeared before the animals which developed skills and cooperation. The creatures which can cooperate and adapt themselves - which can learn - are the ones that survive.
A glance from nature to human nature is also reassuring. It has been hard to see the evidences of God’s love in a world where man’s main business, during years of warfare, has been that of killing or preparing to kill the other man. But look at it steadily nonetheless.
During World War I two men looked over a battle region filled with tangled barbed wire, bloodied mudholes, and blasted bodies. One said cynically to the other: “Where is your God now?” Just then two stretcher-bearers started out under fire to pick up a wounded soldier. At the sight of them the other said to the cynic, “There goes God now.”
Of course evil abounds in a sinful world. But where “sin abounds grace doth much more abound.”
Don’t you suppose that, if it were possible to weigh the thoughts of twelve million men and women in America’s armed forces, the thoughts of home and love would outweigh the thoughts of hatred and killing? Bad as our times have been, and are, there is more love than hate, more faithfulness than infidelity, more beauty than ugliness. It is a world created by love, for “God so loved the world.”
When a new church was being planned by a large congregation some years ago, the architect asked the minister, Dr. Albert Palmer, to suggest a phrase of Scripture, about 16 letters in length, which might be built into the wall in the front of the sanctuary at the back of the chancel. Dr. Palmer says that it came to him like a flash of inspiration - “Love Never Faileth.” The letters and words fit perfectly the architect’s need, and the selection seems to fit perfectly the need of the worshippers. So there it stands near the center of attention for the hundreds of church members who worship there week by week and the thousands of visitors who have entered and prayed there.
But the creation of a good earth did not, in itself, make man good. The story of the garden of Eden symbolizes the sad fact that man sinned his way out of his garden. What could God do to save the children whom he had created? “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.”
So Christ came. He moved among people and many were won by his winsomeness. He brought healing to sufferers. He taught with confidence, like one having authority, but utterly without arrogance. Little children clung to him trustingly. Some folk gave up their own willfulness to his will and acquired a new mastery over themselves.
The vacillating Simon became Peter the Rock. The greedy Zaccheus received Jesus into his house and, after they had dined together, became a new man, announcing in a self-imposed penitence, “The half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man I restore four-fold.” [Luke 19: 8]. A woman of the street sensed the cleansing power of the Christ and became pure. To “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” [John 1: 12].
But long months of teaching and healing found the number who had caught his spirit pitifully small. Could he ever win all people that way, though he lived for centuries, hoping for more and more to copy his conduct?
One day some Greeks came asking to see Jesus. When they were brought to him, he said, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” [John 12: 20-24]. Here Jesus paved the way for understanding the necessity of his death in order to save men.
If Jesus had been just a noble example, people would have said, after he was gone, “Wasn’t he wonderful? Wouldn’t it be grand to be like him? But after all, he was great, and we are so small.” And he would have lived for a time in the memories of some, and then been forgotten.
But “God so loved the world that” -- “his only begotten Son” was given in a complete measure of devotion. He allowed the Son to die, as all others must, and in more anguish of body and spirit than most must, in order to reveal the depth of divine love.
Perhaps those understand best, who, even though with unwilling heart, have had to give the flesh of their flesh and life of their life in death for a cause, the cost of so great love. The harvest of love and freedom of spirit comes at the cost of precious seed which has to lose its own life in the harvest of greater life.
Your life, the life of your surviving loved ones in this country, my life and the lives of our good neighbors, are the harvest of seed planted in the death of splendid young men of this Christian household - immeasurably precious seed. The harvest had better be good to justify the seeding of so much of America’s splendid youth! Just so, and in infinitely more solemn fashion, the life of mankind, springing from seed sown about the foot of a cross whereon Jesus gave his life and became the Christ, may grow into a harvest such as can establish the kingdom of God. The few followers of Christ on Good Friday have multiplied as if by some strange magic since the resurrection.
You may have heard the saying that at 20, men want a leader but that at 60 they want a savior. Jesus was more than a leader. He was more than a martyr - more than a patriot. He is the redeemer of all men unto God “out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.”
In his death be became Savior of the world - of whosoever - whosoever should believe on God. How, we do not know, except by human analogies within “feeling” distance.
The Savior relationship is closer even than love. It imparts power to us.
Dr. Leslie Weatherhead of London suggests that we think of twin brothers, John and Jim. Their twinship makes them subtly responsive to each other’s feelings. When Jim falls into disgrace, John feels it keenly too. He comes to stand beside his brother in his shame, sharing in his suffering. By such brotherly love, he stands by; his love begets the spirit of repentance in Jim; and his loyalty lifts him from his sin back to reconciliation with their father.
This is pale in parallel to what Christ does for us! He comes to us in our soiled or sordid state. His suffering love stirs us to repentance. And repentance opens the gate to God’s spiritual estate.
A lawyer, speaking at a class commencement, told the graduating class how a small boy had been taken by his father on a trip to New York City. In order to avoid getting lost in the great crowds of people, the lad held on to his father’s finger. After a while the little fellow’s own fingers got tired and began to slip. He looked up to his father and said, “Daddy, you will have to take hold of my hand now. I can’t hold on much longer.”
Isn’t that little fellow’s condition like our own? We have held on to great hopes and ideals for ourselves and this world. But in our own strength we can’t hold on much longer. We need to feel the Heavenly Father’s grip taking hold of us.
And that is exactly what he does. “Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, November 4, 1945.