Here We Still Stand-Elyse Fitzpatrick

Luke 2:22-35

The Comfort of the Cross

To Simeon-your going to see the ONE who will bring comfort to Israel before he died

Isaiah 51:3-What we have without God’s comfort is desert, wastelands, with God it will become like Eden

Isaiah 61-We need comfort, we need to know our sins are forgiven, we need good news, we need freedom and release

When you think of Jesus, do you think about him as a consolation, a comfort, a relief?

Do our neighbors think of Jesus as one who bring comfort and relief or as one who is a second Moses?

What does the church think about Jesus?

We are addicted to the thought of the progress. There is no progress. There is Jesus and there is us.

Is what I need just a little boost in my desire to do good works?

Telling your children that they need to do better. There is only one cure for this virus—you can’t do enough for it—you can only die to it.

Where does our vindication come from? If we die with Him, we will also live him. The theology of the cross is the only one that can bring us comfort.

This message and this one who brings the message of comfort will be opposed.

We want comfort and joy on our own terms. We want control and want to do something.

God doesn’t grade on a curve and if He did, Jesus ruined it.

I’m not going to stand here and give you 10 things to bring you comfort. We are not the little engines that could.

So, what do we do?

There is death because of our sin, but there is also vindication because of Christ’s resurrection.
Everything is mine because of what Christ has done, not what I do.
Jesus is ascended and sitting on the throne as my protector, provider.

We rest in His forgiveness. We rest in His righteousness. We rest in His resurrection. We rest in faith in the crucified and risen Christ.

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