One day, near a sleepy little west Texas town, there was a tremendous explosion as one of the nearby oil wells blew and caught on fire. The blaze became so intense they set barriers around the fire, beyond which nothing was supposed to pass. They called in all the surrounding fire departments, and even special teams to fight the fire, but to no avail. The fire was out of control, and they could not get close enough to fight it. Someone in the crowd was heard to say, “Where’s our volunteer fire department?” Just then the local department’s only engine came bursting over the top of the hill. Bells were clanging, sirens were screaming, and men were hanging all over that little truck. Everyone was sure they would stop at the safety perimeter like all the other trucks, but down toward the blaze they went. Past the crowd they flew to the hottest part of the fire. There was a mad scramble by the men, and in a short time they had the fire out. The town was so grateful they had a fund raising dinner for them. At the banquet, the Mayor presented the fire chief with a sizable check as an expression of the town’s gratitude. Then the mayor asked the chief how they planned to use the money. The chief said, “Well, the first thing we are going to do is fix those sorry brakes on the fire engine.”
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a small donkey, there were no brakes. He had made a purposeful choice that he would not turn back, but ride directly into the fire. It was no accident; he meant to do it. He had set his face steadfastly toward Jerusalem knowing what was before him. Knowing the risks involved, he willingly headed into the danger to save the human race, and become a sacrifice for their sins.
What a wonderful Savior we have! The Bible says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). He went into the most dangerous place to rescue those who were being held captive. This is why it says: “‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Ephesians 4:8-10).
Jesus is our divine example. We are to be like him and imitate his life. He said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). How has Jesus Christ become an example for us? There are countless ways, but today we will consider three. The first one is: Jesus is the perfect example of self-sacrifice. Many of the firemen who rushed into the burning World Trade Center understood that they were not only risking their lives, but would probably die in this one trying to rescue the innocent victims. It was the ultimate sacrifice. But Jesus died not only for the deserving, but the undeserving as well. He died for those who loved him, and he died for those who hated him. He willingly gave his life for those who took his life. The Bible puts it like this: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). He sacrificed himself for those who cared and for those who could care less.
For those of you who watch “The West Wing” on television, you will remember when the character Mrs. Landingham, the president’s secretary in the show, was killed in a car accident. The next day, a California State Assemblyman named Kevin Shelley mourned the character in open session, noting that Mrs. Landingham was “a great American” whose “contributions to the nation were too numerous to count.” All of this when the woman wasn’t even real. She had not made any contribution to the nation, because she was a fictional character. Other legislators were confused. “Nobody could tell if she really died,” as one aide said, or if it was just a way of taking her out of the show. Actress Kathryn Joosten, who played the role, was actually alive and well. Shelley, the politician from California, found out about the fictional death from his wife, saying, “It was tragic. [My wife] was crying. I was upset. It was terrible.” On that same day, nearly 7,000 real Americans died real deaths from various causes, yet none of them came to his attention.
Jesus had real concern for real people. There was nothing fake or pretentious about his love or concern. It was not contrived, it was grounded in reality. This love of his for us would cost him everything. He willingly gave up his place in glory to come to earth and subject himself to the limitations of a human body. He who lived outside of time and space was now confined to human dimensions. He exposed himself to hate and hunger, thirst and temptation, suspicion and rejection, torture and a terrible death. They called him a devil and a liar. They ignored his miracles and the good he did, and criticized his methods. They picked up rocks to stone him. They spit on him as he died. All of this so you would have a Savior.
And there was not a word of self-pity from him. In fact, he laid down the challenge for us to follow his example of self-sacrifice when he said, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This is the ultimate challenge. The problem with having Jesus as an example is that it means we are supposed to follow his example. We are to live self-sacrificing lives. We are to live free of self-pity and live courageously. After Christ’s death and resurrection, he came to Peter and described to him the kind of death with which he would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” (John 21:19). Jesus had already gone before Peter and set the example. And now Peter knew that he was called to follow Jesus’ example of sacrifice and courage.
And this is the important second point: Jesus is the perfect example of courage. I’m not sure what kind of courage it takes to walk up the stairs of a burning building knowing there might not be a way out. I’m not sure I have that kind of courage. I’m not sure what kind of courage it took to walk up Calvary’s hill, knowing there was a way out, but determined not to take it. What kind of courage would it take to ride into Jerusalem and know that some of the same crowd that was yelling “Hosanna” today would yell “Crucify” tomorrow? Just how much did we mean to him, for him to endure the shame and suffering of the cross, and then be separated from the Father as he became a sin offering for us? I know I don’t have that kind of courage.
And once again, our Perfect Example expects us to follow his example. He invites us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. The Bible says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:2-4). And down through human history there have been those who have taken the challenge and followed Christ even to death.
Missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham are at this moment following the way of the cross. You have seen them on television recently. They had taken a brief vacation at Dos Palmas on May 27, 2001, in celebration of their 18th wedding anniversary when they were kidnaped by Rebels from the Abu Sayyaf Group. Life is now very different for them. They have been in captivity over 300 days. The Burnham’s were missionaries with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines where Martin served as a pilot. The Burnham’s are separated from their three children, who are now back in the states. This was not the first kidnaping of New Tribes missionaries. In 1993, NTM’s Dave Mankins, Rick Tenenoff, and Mark Rich were abducted by from a Panamanian village near the Colombian border by Marxist rebels. Their whereabouts and welfare still remain unknown. There are people all around the world who have enormous courage as they face suffering and even face death because of their faith.
We are hearing daily reports of suicide bombers who are willing to give their lives in order to kill people they see as evil. It is still hard to imagine how the terrorists on September 11 were willing to fly those planes into the Word Trade Towers knowing they would kill themselves in an act of hatred. It is amazing that people are willing to die for a cause like that when so many Christians are afraid to let it be known that they are followers of Christ. Jesus was willing to die for us, and he asks that we be willing to live for him. We need to have the courage to dare to be different. You have to have courage if you are going to follow Christ. You have to be willing to stand up and be counted. You have to follow Christ when everyone else is going a different direction. You need to be the kind of person the devil considers to be a dangerous Christian. You have to be willing to follow even if it costs you something. Anyone can follow the ways of the world, but if you want to be a true rebel, follow Jesus.
We want to be like the apostle Paul who, when he got to the end of his very difficult life, said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” He finished by saying, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). It is important that we face life with courage that springs from faith in a God who cares for us.
The final point is that: Jesus is the perfect example of love. It is imperative that we understand that Jesus did not come to us out of a sense of duty, or even pity. He came to us with a love burning in his heart for us. He was not thinking about what he had to give up, he was thinking about what he could give. He was not thinking about his sacrifice, he was thinking about saving us. What causes people like the firemen to rush into a burning building? For some it is a sense of duty, for others it is a sense of adventure and a love for the job, still others are driven by a love for people and a desire to help. For Jesus, love was the motivating factor. Is it any wonder that the best loved words in all of scripture are these: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17)?
This is the example of love we are called to follow. The Bible says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23). Love overlooks the insult and injury because it looks to God and not to the circumstances. Love overcomes obstacles and looks for ways to serve and bless. Christ has called us to follow his example, for he has said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
Kurtis was a stock boy in the supermarket. He was busy unpacking cans from their boxes when he heard a new voice over the intercom asking for a carry out at register #4. Kurtis wanted to get some fresh air, so he decided to answer the call. When he walked toward the check-out stand, the new check-out girl smiled at him. She was an attractive woman who was slightly older than Kurtis, but it didn’t matter. He fell in love on the spot. When his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. When she came into the break room she gave him a pleasant smile. She took her card and punched out; then left. He looked at the name on her card: “Brenda.” The next day, he waited for her and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, so she accepted. Just before she went into the house, he asked if perhaps he could see her again, outside of work. She told him that would not be possible. When he asked why, she explained she had two children and couldn’t afford a baby sitter. Kurtis said he would be glad to pay for the baby sitter. Reluctantly, she accepted his offer to go out on the following Saturday. When Saturday night arrived and he came to her door, she said that she would not be able to go after all. The baby sitter had called and canceled. Kurtis simply said, “Well, let’s take the kids with us.” She tried to explain that it would be impossible to take the children, but Kurt was not taking ‘no’ for an answer. Finally, Brenda brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was very cute, and he couldn’t understand what the problem was. Then Brenda brought out her son in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down’s syndrome. But none of this was discouraging Kurtis. He said, “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?” Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities. After all, that’s what her first husband who was the father of her children did. But that evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, and went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything, Kurtis was there to take care of him. When the boy needed to use the rest room, he picked him up out of his chair and took him. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she wanted to marry and spend the rest of her life with. A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then, they have had two more children. So what happened to the stock boy and check-out girl? Well, Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in St. Louis where he is employed by the St. Louis Rams and plays quarterback. He has been Superbowl MVP and broken several NFL records, but his greatest achievement is his faith in Christ and the example of his love which he lives out before the world.
Christ is our perfect example. The offer of life and love are for those who will follow his example.
Rodney J. Buchanan
March 24, 2002
Mulberry St. UMC
Mt. Vernon, OH
Rod.Buchanan@MulberryUMC.org
www.MulberryUMC.org
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION (March 24, 2002)
1. You have seen the bracelets with WWJD? printed on them. What is the purpose of wearing something like this?
2. Read 1 Peter 2:21. How would your life be different if you lived moment by moment with this scripture in mind?
3. Read Romans 5:6-8. Why is this a surprise?
4. Following Christ is not easy. Neither was it easy for Christ to give us his example. Read Luke 22:42-44. What was he agonizing over?
5. What sacrifices have people made for you? Consider how you could make sacrifices for others to better follow the example of Christ, and then share your thoughts.
6. Read Matthew 16:24. This is perhaps one of the most difficult demands in all of Scripture. What does this mean for us as Christians?
7. Read Hebrews 12:2-4. It is so easy to focus on the problems of our lives. What is our focus to be, and what kind of difference would it make if we did what this scripture says?
8. Read 2 Timothy 4:7-8. What are the rewards of being faithful in following the example of Christ?
9. Read John 15:12-13. What are the limits of love? Take a moment to thank God for what he has done for you.
