Calvary: the Hill Sermons

We arrive at the climax of the Servant Songs, and we are given a detailed description of the task that the Servant would accomplish.

We read a lot about what Jesus did for us. But we don't often get a window into his inner thoughts. Over 700 years before Christ, Isaiah provides us a view behind the curtain of the character and inner life of Jesus.

Isaiah has established that Jesus is going to bring a kingdom of justice, but who will make up the citizens of that kingdom? In the second Servant Song, we see God's sights set on "bringing his salvation to the ends of the earth," creating a kingdom of both Jews and representatives from every nation on earth.

In the first of four Servant Songs, the prophet Isaiah gives us our first glimpse at the future Servant of the Lord, who will bring a kingdom of total justice to bear on the earth.

Paul signs off to he Philippian church with his typical Jesus-saturated farewell, and in turn encourages us toward becoming a Gospel Family. We do that through unity, perseverance, joy, and intimacy, in Christ.

Paul finally arrives at the thank-you part of this thank-you letter. And in true Pauline fashion, he uses it as an opportunity to coach the church through what it means to be truly content, no matter the circumstances.

God is the God of peace. Jesus promised us peace. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. But how do we become people full of gospel peace? Paul walks us step by step in making God's peace a daily reality in our lives.

If the church is a family, then there's bound to be conflict. What is the Christian way to handle this? Paul gives us a robust exhortation that should help us navigate the complexities of life in our sometimes dysfunctional family.

How on earth are we to live in Seattle as citizens of Heaven? How are we to rightly balance our allegiance to Jesus with our allegiance to our neighbors? Paul expertly shows us how.

For Paul, all worldviews pale in comparison with simply knowing Jesus. It is this relationship that has caused Paul to forfeit all other allegiances and avenues. For Paul, the gospel is a person named Jesus.

Paul uses his own conversion story from devout (and zealous) Jew to devout (and zealous) Christian to teach us that there are many "gospels" that vie for our attention; but for Paul (and for us) we need to keep the right gospel (the one where we "glory" in Jesus alone) front and center.

Paul provides us with a riveting story of Gospel Faithfulness in the person and story of Epaphroditus, who nearly died bringing relief to Paul in prison. In his example and story we find tips for us in how to be faithful to the gospel in the midst of the challenges we face in Seattle.

Paul has been exhorting this small church to think in a Christian way towards one another and towards life in general. Now he gives them a real-life example in one of his closest friends, Timothy. In Timothy we learn how exactly we can live a life of selflessness.

After the resurrection comes a "now what?" Paul delivers the "now what?" in no uncertain terms. If Jesus is Lord, then that means we obey him, and it shows in how we as a community move through the world. The glorious thing is that as we step forward in obedience, it turns out God is present and working in us the entire time.

We arrive at the beating heart, not just of Philippians, but of the gospel itself. We see a mini-biography of the second person of the Trinity - God from eternity past, Lord to eternity future - and right in the middle is Jesus's condescension to humanity - one of humility, obedience, and trust in the Father. It's no wonder he is now the King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever.

We're diving back into Philippians, where Paul is encouraging his friends to have a singular focus on "the one thing." What is this thing? (The Gospel!) And what does it look like to be singularly focused on it? (Together with Love, Unity, and Humility!)

Our final Psalm of lament is a doozy. How are you supposed to pray when it feels like it's God who is against you? Heman the Ezrahite has a thing or two to teach us about desperate faith in the midst of unthinkable circumstances.

What if your sin should be the cause of your lament? David, after his twin-sins of adultery and murder, illustrates a robust lament over his sin. This can serve as a template for us when we need to lament over our own sin.

How do we lament when it's our mental health that is causing us trouble? Do the Psalms provide any recourse for us when we are depressed or anxious? The Psalmists of Israel blaze a trail that we can follow: going to God even in the midst of mental and emotional turmoil.

How do we lament when our own bodies turn on us? Whether it's disease or aging, eventually mortality catches up to every human being. This is a good reason to lament to God. The Psalmist uses his current affliction to reflect on the eternity of God, and this leads to comfort and peace since we know there is a future Kingdom awaiting us.

In our first installment learning about lament in the Psalms, we encounter enemies. How are we to navigate our lives when others are the cause of our trouble? How do the Psalms teach us to pray? And how does that square with Jesus's command to love our enemies?

Paul begins the exhortation section of his letter to the Philippians with his primary point: we need to live as citizens of the new kingdom. He will unpack this for the rest of letter, but for now he leaves us with three how-tos for being dual citizens of earth and heaven: we act in unity, without fear, and through suffering.

While Paul is giving the Philippians an update on his circumstances, he ponders the very present possibility of execution. We are given a snapshot into the inner thoughts of Paul, for whom both life and death simply means Christ. He is an example of someone who truly possesses a Hope informed by the Gospel.

Paul has chains around his wrists and his ankles, on constant surveillance by Roman soldiers. He has no personal freedom. But for some reason, he is full of joy. Why? Because he sees every personal circumstance through the lens of one question: "How is this impacting the spread of the gospel?" Paul's posture challenges our day-to-day priorities, and how we view even the little trials in our lives.

Partnership in the gospel isn't just about productivity. Partnership in the gospel leads to flourishing relationships in the family of God. Paul's affection for this partner church is tangible, and it should be the heart that we seek for one another as we partner together in the gospel.