The Lord’s Message:  The Hands of God Who Holds All Things

The Lord’s Message:  The Hands of God Who Holds All Things
Date:  April 13, 2025
Where:  Tilghman Methodist Church
Scripture Reference:  John 3:11-18, 31-36

            We are continuing our sermon series, The Hand of God.  The first Sunday of this series, we learned that the Hand of God has authority over the physical world. That Hand of God, Jesus, was with God in creating the physical world and saving Peter from drowning.  Jesus could even walk on water.  Nothing is impossible for God.  The second Sunday, we learned that not only does Jesus have authority over the physical world, but Jesus has authority over the spiritual world, including the devil and his demons.  The third Sunday, we learned that Jesus has the compassion and capability of healing all of our sicknesses.  We also learned that the largest sickness that we all have is sin.  God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are at work curing us from this sickness.  The Trinity is at work saving us from our sins.  Last week, we learned that the Hands of God can raise the dead.  This Sunday, we are going to learn that Jesus is the Hands of God who hold all things.

            Let us pray.

            How many of you when you are in a suburban area, and you have to cross the street use the button on the walk switch on the signal post to stop traffic?  The way that this is supposed to work is that after you push the button on the walk switch the traffic light changes from green to red and the walk sign is lit for you to walk across the road.  What if I were to tell you that most of those buttons are not connected to anything.  They are dummy switches.  I got this information from an article written by Jacopo Prisco (CNN) article from 2018 called “Illusion of Control: Why the World Is Full of Buttons That Don’t Work.”  The reason for the button is that we want to do something to solve our problems.  The button gives us the illusion that our finger is doing something to fix our problem.  This also applies to our salvation.  We do not trust God when God says there is nothing that you can do to save yourself.  God’s hands have done this for us. 

The chapter begins with Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council having a meeting with Jesus.  Nicodemus is also a teacher of the law.  He is a very devout and religious learned man.  I believe that Nicodemus wanted this meeting with Jesus to learn what he could do to for salvation.  In Hosea 6:6, God tells Israel that He does not desire sacrifice but mercy and acknowledgement of God. 

            Immediately, Jesus tells him, in verse 3, that he has to be born again.  Nicodemus thinks that Jesus is talking about a physical birth.  In verse 4, he questioned Jesus how can this happen?  Jesus tells him in verses 5-8 that He is referring to a spiritual birth which will bring about a belief the Jesus is the Messiah. 

            Jesus decides to use an example that is more inline with Nicodemus understanding.  In verses 14-15, Jesus uses the example found in Numbers 21 of God telling Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole.  The people rebelled against God and Moses.  God sent poisonous snakes to bite the people and many Israelites died.  The people repented of their sin and ask God to forgive them.  God told the people to look at the bronze snake and they would live.  Jesus would take the place of the snake.  It would be His hands and feet that would be nail to the cross.  Everyone who believe in Him would be saved. 

            This is the reason that God sent Jesus into the world was to save us, verse 16.   If there were people that thought and or maybe thinking today that God sent Jesus to condemn them in verse 17, Jesus makes this very clear that the opposite is true. 

            Jesus gives Nicodemus and all of us warning.  If we think that God is just going to save us without faith, then we are sadly mistaken.  To believe means faith.  If you remember that reason that Jesus could not do many miracles in His hometown of Nazareth was because they did not have faith.  They did not believe that He was the Son of God.  In verse 18, Jesus says that we must believe that He is the Son of God if we want God to save us. 

            The chapter ends with testimony of John the Baptist.  If you remember John the Baptist is Jesus’ cousin.  Before he was born an angel of God told his father, Zechariah, that he and Elizabeth would have a son.  He was to name him, John.  He would be a prophet to prepare the people for the Messiah.  He baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.  He proclaimed that Jesus is the Lamb of God who would save people from their sins.  In verse 33, he is given his certification that Jesus is the Son of God.  He says this in verses 34-36.  The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.  I have put a picture of this at the top of the Order of Worship.  Jesus is holding the world in His Hands.  He is the King of Kings the Lord of Lords.  God has placed all things in His Hands.  But He has come first in humility.  In Matthew 27:40, the crowds laughed, mocked, jeered, spat on Him, and crucified Him.   Being beaten and nailed to the cross, Jesus did not look like He had everything under control, but He did.  He was obedient to the will of God right up to the point that He took His last breath.  

            The Hands of God are still in control of this world.  Jesus is the Leader of this church.  All of us need to submit to Him.  A life of a Christian should be one as John the Baptist described in verse 30.  My prayer is always that you do not see me but see Jesus.  I believe that should be the prayer of every Christian.  Jesus is Lord of All. 

            I believe that when I am planning worship services that it is the Holy Spirit that is leading the planning for these services.  I would like to give you an example of this.   I told Debra that the title for this day’s sermon would be the Hands of God Who Hold All Things.  She immediately said that we need to sing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”  I said yes. The more that I have been thinking about this message, the more that song has become so apropos.   There are several versions of this song.   It is an African American spiritual hymn.   It was first published in 1927.  After I pray, we will sing this song to prepare for Holy Communion.