Sermons
The Proverbial Jesus
Series: TurbulenceTHE PROVERBIAL JESUS
Sermon By Terry Siverd / September 27, 2020 / Cortland Church of Christ
During the months of August & September (and we're now adding October), we have asked our church family (and any others who'd like to take part) to read daily one chapter from Proverbs and one psalm. Many spiritual giants have deemed this to be a profitable undertaking for every month of every year.
Proverbs is filled with PRACTICAL EXHORTATIONS - - words of wisdom that need to be put into practice daily. Next Sunday we'll return with another sub-category from among the many practical topics addressed in Proverbs. For this morning, I want to interrupt our study of these practical admonitions to think together about the connection between the proverbs and Jesus.
Luke's gospel records an incident that took place in the time between Jesus' resurrection and ascension. According to Luke in Acts 1:3, Jesus presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days. In Lk.24:13ff, Jesus intercepts Cleopas and an unnamed companion as they walked together on the road that led from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a small village some seven miles from Jerusalem. The two men were discussing current events (i.e., the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus). Vs.16 notes that their eyes were prevented from recognizing (Jesus). Jesus quizzed them (vs.15), What is this that you are you talking about? The text adds, they stood still, looking sad. Cleopas then answered Jesus, saying to Him, Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these days? Jesus continued to “play dumb”, saying, “What things?”. They explained - - read Lk.24:19b-24. Jesus responded to them (Lk.24:25-27) - - O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets had spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory. And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Scholars employ a special term to describe this emphasis on Christ in all of the Bible: CHRISTOLOGY. In elaborating they speak of the CHRISTOCENTRICITY of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus Christ did not experience His first appearance/first assignment in the New Testament gospels. Not only was Jesus prophesied and foreshadowed throughout much the Old Testament, He was also present in a variety of significance pre-incarnate roles. e.g. Creator/Gen.1:26 & Jn.1:3 … Rock/Num.20:11 & 1Cor.10:4 … Passover Lamb/1Cor.5:7 & 1Pet.1:19. Years ago, I taught a class on this very subject - - maybe I'll redo my notes and teach it again. It is a mind-boggling theme that both cocoons and reveals great mysteries from the mind of our Maker.
A short while after the Emmaus Road event, Jesus said to another group of His disciples (Lk.24:44) - - all things which are written ABOUT ME in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Here we see a three-fold designation of the OT - - The Law, The Prophets and The Writings. Psalms was a broader term for the wisdom literature (ketuvim): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etal..
This morning I have titled my sermon, The Proverbial Christ. Over the years, the word proverbial has come to be a synonym for famous. While Jesus is indeed famous, in calling Jesus the proverbial Christ I am referring to His being steeped in the proverbs of Solomon. I think we can rest assured that Jesus grew up being well aware of the Hebrew Scriptures, including Proverbs. Actually, as I have written in today's FamilyMatters Essay, I think Jesus may well have been the fountain (origin) of Solomon's 3,000 proverbs. The language of Proverbs chapter 8 seems to bear this out quite clearly. In many ways, Jesus replicated the teaching style of the proverbs. In Jn.16:25, Jesus told his disciples - - These things I have spoken to you in figurative language/proverbs... Jesus told His followers that for the time being He was speaking to them in proverbs.
Much of Jesus' didactic style featured proverbs and parables. After now having read from Proverbs for two months, if we were to revisit Jesus' sermon on the mount we would notice a similarity in style - - a whole bunch of comparisons and contrasts. We also see this in the parables of Jesus - - “the kingdom of heaven is like...” Notice, too, the way the sermon on the mouth concludes (Mt.7:24-27) - - Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house on the rock. And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.
Someone has said that the book of Proverbs is both the easiest to read and the hardest to read. It is easy because its words of wisdom are short and pithy, as well as direct and to the point. It is hard because the truths pronounced are seldom easily practiced.
In Proverbs, wisdom is sometimes personified yet it more often than not remains an inanimate object. It is a book of ethics, filled to overflowing with rights and wrongs. But when Jesus begins preaching and teaching, he owns wisdom. The “listen to me” of Prov.8:32 becomes “listen to ME” of Mt.7:24. The call to follow wisdom in proverbs becomes a call to follow Jesus in the gospels. This transition is truly remarkable and is replete with significant ramifications. In the many messages delivered by Jesus, wisdom is not just presented as an alternative option for life. The sermon on the mount ends with an astute observation made by the people who heard Jesus. Mt.7:28-29 / ...When Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed as His teaching; For He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. What I want us to consider and dwell upon as we read the proverbs is their authoritativeness. The proverbs foreshadow the coming of the GREAT TEACHER OF WISDOM / THE WISE MAN (Jesus). Jn.14:6 / I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
How I wish we could recapture the power of the word of God. Our present culture is “shifting” and I fear that our foundations are crumbling before our very eyes. In times past, God's Word was held with the highest esteem. If God said it, that settles it. Nowadays, the sacred writings are met with a yawn, “I know it says that, but I'm just not 'feeling' it.”
My first impulse is to pray, may God have mercy on us for failing to honor and heed (obey) His word. But then, after more sober reflection, I realize what a strange and presumptuous prayer this would be. Why should or why would God have mercy on those of us who openly and arrogantly spurn His holy words? So as we continue reading from Proverbs, let us take these words very seriously because they are GOD'S words.
