Author: Japanese Congregational Church

John 17:20-26

²⁰“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

In the previous few chapters, Jesus has His last supper before His crucifixion, establishes the Lord’s supper, tells the followers that He will be betrayed and that He will be going away. He also tells them that the Holy Spirit will come to them and will help them to remember all the things that Jesus taught them. Jesus also teaches them to pray directly to the Father in His name.

And now in chapter 17, Jesus prays.

What is encouraging about this particular prayer is that He is not praying for the world in general, but specifically for his followers – Not just for the Twelve, but for us. If you look at verse 20, He specifically identifies us – “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word”.

What does He pray for us? That we would be in unity. Just as the Father and the Son have unity, we are to be one with the triune God – v. 21. And why is this unity with God important? So that the world may know that the Father sent Jesus out of love for the world – v. 22.

This is consistent with the new commandment that Jesus gave in John 13 – To love one another. We are to love one another so that others watching us will know that we are Christians.

The fact that Jesus had to give us a command to love one another tells us that we are capable of not acting in love. If our nature were genuinely loving, Jesus would not have to give us such a command.

Most of us remember the time before internet, email and texting became widespread. Home internet access in the U.S. surged after 1995, along with email. Then with the proliferation of mobile phones, texting became widespread in the mid 2000s.

Before this, the way we communicated with each other was face-to-face, telephone or via letters. In each case, we were usually on good behavior, especially with those we did not know well. We were more restrained when we disagreed.

Then things changed when social media became widespread – Facebook started in 2004. When it became possible to make comments instantaneously with no face-to-face interaction, and anonymously, using whatever username we wanted, then things started to turn a bit more abrasive and sometimes ugly. Our true nature started to surface. We became less restrained, less polite, even aggressive at times.

However, these are the times that we can be witnesses for God’s love by being peaceful and loving to others, especially towards other believers.

Ephesians 5:18 reminds us not to get drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit. And Galatians 5:22-26 reminds us how to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit:

²²By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,   ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.   ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.   ²⁶Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Jesus’ teachings all come together on this last evening before being arrested. We are to serve one another. We are to love one another. We are to have unity with God the Father, God the Son, and to one another. Jesus is going away but will send us the Holy Spirit so that we can remember everything He taught us, and so that we can witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

To effectively witness to the world, we need the Holy Spirit to fill us and provide us with love and strength, because we cannot do so without God’s help.

And remember – Jesus is praying for us.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on January 25, 2026.)

John 16:16-24

¹⁶“A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” ¹⁹Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? ²⁰Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. ²¹When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. ²²So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ²³On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus tells the disciples that soon, there will be persecution and even executions by people who think they are doing it for God. He continues to tell them that He had not said these things before, because He was with them. But now, since He is going away, He needed to let the disciples know that these things will happen.

Jesus also tells them that it is better for them that He is going away, since He will be sending them the Advocate – The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will make clear to the world about sin, righteousness and that Satan is as good as defeated.

Then in this morning’s passage, Jesus tells them that soon, they will no longer see Him, but then they will in a little while. He is talking about dying on the cross but coming back on the third day. The world will rejoice at His death, but the followers will be in pain. But that will soon reverse, and the pain will turn to joy when He is resurrected. He uses the example of giving birth to a child. There is necessary pain, but there will be joy in the end. So, as they go through the pain of Jesus’ death, they should know that it will turn into joy.

Jesus tells the disciples that they have not asked anything of the Father in Jesus’ name, but going forward, if they do ask in the name of Jesus, they will receive it, so that their joy may be complete.

Going on in vv. 25-28, Jesus further explains that asking in Jesus’ name does not mean that they must pray to Jesus and Jesus will intercede on their behalf. Instead, they are to directly ask the Father in Jesus’ name.

Does this mean that if we just add the phrase, “In Jesus’ name we pray,” we would be granted whatever we pray for? From experience, we know that is not what Jesus means. Otherwise, there would be no believers who have any lack in terms of health, wealth, etc.

The meaning is probably closer to “if you ask in my stead”. We are to pray for what Jesus would pray for. That is where the Holy Spirit will play a role. He will guide and teach us what Jesus would pray for. It is like we are representing Jesus for what we pray.

In Japanese culture, the traditional way to come to an agreement was not by signature, but by a stamp, called “hanko”. If we had the family hanko, then we represent our household. It is analogous to Jesus handing us His hanko for us to use it for the Kingdom.

When we read the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, we know that all of this came to pass. In the next chapter, Jesus is arrested. He is then put on trial and is executed on the cross, even though He had no sin. Deep sadness was felt by the followers, but it turned to joy on Easter morning, when Jesus came back from the dead. After teaching His followers for forty days, Jesus returns to heaven and promises to come back.

Then on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit arrives. And as the followers spread the gospel, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ, power, wisdom and love were given so that they could preach the gospel, and be witnesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. We see in Acts that Peter, Paul and others are able to escape captivity, heal, drive out demons, survive beatings and stoning. Even though life was not easy nor did they have wealth and health, they had complete joy.

In John 16, the disciples are feeling some doubt and anxiety, because Jesus told them that He is going away. Even though Jesus assures them that all the sadness will turn to joy, they are not sure that they can trust that hope.

When the Holy Spirit arrived, the world changed for them. They no longer had doubt about their final destiny and what they were to do until either they died or the Lord returned. They had motive to live and to hope and joy – Not through becoming rich or healthy or safe, but by serving Jesus and doing Kingdom work.

We are privileged to live in the post-Pentecost era, where as soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit enters into us. He guides us each day on what to pray, what to do, what to say. And if we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it will give us joy complete.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during worship on January 11, 2026.)

John 15:12-17

¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

In the first section of this chapter, Jesus likens himself to the main branch of a grape plant, and God the Father to a vine grower. He likens us to the branches that grow from the main trunk. It is God’s intent to make each of the branches as fruitful as possible.

Jesus further talks about how unless one is attached to the main branch, one cannot be fruitful. The only way we can be fruitful is to abide in Christ. As Jesus abided in the Father’s love by keeping the Father’s commandments, we are to abide in Jesus’ love by keeping His commandments. And the result of abiding in Jesus’ love is joy. Quoting Jesus from v. 11 – “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

Then Jesus proceeds to tell us what His command for us is in verse 12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” And the greatest expression of this love, according to verse 13, is to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.

Jesus explains that masters do not divulge to their servants what they are doing. Jesus chooses to tell us what He and His Father are all about, treating us not as mere servants, but as if we are His friends.

Through Jesus’ teachings and the rest of the New Testament, we know what God’s plan for humanity is. Not being able to save ourselves, due to our sinful nature, God sent His Son to the cross to pay for our sins. By accepting this fact and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are saved. We are saved so that we can be witnesses for Jesus until we either die or Jesus comes back again.

The interesting thing about verse 15 is that although we might think that we chose Jesus, the truth is that He chose us. He chose us to work for Him and to bear much fruit. We do not know why He chose us, but we do know what He chose us for. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that, “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” We should consider it an honor that He chose us for this work.

There are also those out there that are not aware of the fact that they have been chosen, and part of our work is to point people to Christ, so that they too can fulfill the role God has chosen for them.

Jesus uses growing grapes as an example, and since I know nothing about that, I looked it up. There needs to be one woody branch that is going to be the main branch, and give it support so that it will grow tall and sturdy. Then you use a structure to “train” the vines to spread out. For it to be as fruitful as possible, many of the branches must be pruned. If they are not pruned, then you get lots of leaves and few grapes. Now, it is true that there are uses for grape leaves, but most people who grow grapes do so for the fruit, and not for the leaves.

It probably is not a pleasant thing for the grape plant to have a bunch of vines pruned, but it is necessary for it to be fruitful.

It is similar for us. For us to be as fruitful as possible, things need to be pruned. It might be dealing with sins in our lives. It might be mending relationships. It might mean letting go of some money or belongings. It might mean giving up some precious time doing what we like to do. It might mean instead of going to our favorite vacation spot, going somewhere where we can help in Kingdom work.

Probably, we will not be called upon to do what Jesus considers the greatest act of love – to lay down our lives for our friends. But if we are willing to do that, as Jesus commands, then we should be able to show love to others in less drastic ways.

As I look back on the year 2025, I can think of all the time and energy I used in doing Kingdom work – Preparing to teach from the Bible, preparing for sermons, preparing to play on a worship team, help put together the liturgy to be used on Sunday morning, etc. Then I am reminded of Jesus’ conclusion that the widow who contributed two pennies gave more than the wealthy who put in more. His reasoning is that the widow gave all she had and left nothing for herself, while the wealthy kept much for themselves. Jesus is consistent in His teachings in that what he considers the greatest act of love is to lay one’s life for a friend – not keeping anything for oneself.

Using this accounting method, in 2025, I kept much more time and resources for myself, compared to what I did for the Kingdom. I could have done much more. Maybe it is the same for some of you.

But there is no reason to beat yourselves about this, since there is nothing we can do to change the past. However, we can use it as a catalyst to be willing to do a little more for the Kingdom in 2026, to show love to others. Be willing to be more fruitful, even if it means that we go through a little pain in being pruned by our Lord.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on December 28, 2025.)

Luke 1:39-56

³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”⁴⁶And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” ⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Earlier in the chapter, Gabriel, the angel, appeared to Zechariah and announced that his wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to John the Baptist. This was going to be a miracle child, since both were well advanced in age, and Elizabeth was barren – just like it was for Abram and Sarai in Genesis.

Six months later, Gabriel announced another miracle birth. He appeared to Mary and told her that she would give virgin birth to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.

The twelve tribes of Israel existed as a confederation of tribes until around 1020 BCE, when it became a united kingdom under Saul. Then in 930 BCE, 90 years later, it split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

In 722 BCE the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and ceased to exist. Then in 597 BCE the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon and was under their rule for about 60 years, until the Persians defeated Babylon. After that, Judah was under Persian rule for about 200 years. Then came the Greeks, who ruled them for 165 years.

They won their independence in 140 BCE, which lasted for about 77 years, until the Romans took over, about 60 years before Christ was born.

After Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, but while Judah was still independent, the prophet Micah wrote, “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” This was interpreted to be a prophesy of the coming messiah and his eternal rule.

The remaining remnant of the united kingdom of Israel was tired of being under gentile rule and was hoping that the promised Messiah would arrive soon, so that they could be freed from Roman rule and become an independent and strong nation again. The prophecies about the Messiah said that he would establish his rule and that it would last forever. It is understandable that any news of the arrival of the messiah would be welcomed with joy.

There is much joy in Zechariah and Elizabeth’s household when the pregnant Mary arrives for a visit. John, still in the womb, recognizes Jesus’ presence in Mary’s womb and leaps for joy. Through this, Elizabeth is made aware that the child inside Mary’s womb is the long-awaited Messiah.

Mary is joyful of being chosen for her role in giving birth to the Messiah. There is much wonder, anticipation and joy.

However, at this point in time, they had no idea how God’s plans would play out. They could not anticipate that John would be beheaded by Herod or that Jesus would be executed on the cross. Nor could they have guessed that even though the Messiah did arrive, the establishment of His eternal kingdom on earth would still not have arrived some two thousand years in the future.

For the disciples and others that believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they welcomed Him with joy with the anticipation of a revival of the nation of Israel. But that did not happen. Many of them ended up dying for their faith. The world continued on without a visible kingdom of Israel with the Messiah on the throne.

After His resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven but told them that He would come back to rule for eternity at the end of this age.

We now know that the reason the Messiah came to earth the first time was to bring salvation to all of mankind. By dying on the cross to take the penalty that we all should pay for our sins, all we have to do to be saved is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. And if we do this, then we can wait for His Second Coming, not with fear that this world is ending, but with joy that our redemption is drawing near.

The Christmas season is a magical one – a joyous celebration. Family gatherings, Christmas carols, candlelight services, gift exchanges, children opening their presents with delight. But for some, it is a difficult and lonely time. They might be missing loved ones or having no one with whom to celebrate. Or they may have lost their jobs or houses or found out that they have a serious disease.

Many people dread the Christmas season, because they know that their experience will not match the expectations of a magical season. Why is that? Christmas has become a secular celebration. It has become a reason for spending money on presents and gathering as friends and families. Even though it started out as a celebration of Christ’s birth, now….even those who dislike Christ and Christians celebrate it with great joy. People often celebrate Christmas, rather than Christ’s birth.

If we think back on memories of past Christmas gatherings with family and friends, we might find that time spent on the topic of Christ’s birth is miniscule compared to the time we spend catching up, opening presents, talking about past gatherings, future plans, etc. We may also have fallen into celebrating Christmas, rather than celebrating Christ’s birth.

However, even though the joy and the hope that Elizabeth, Mary and the disciples had for the eternal reign of the Messiah did not materialize, the birth of Jesus is worthy of a celebration. It is the only recorded time in history that humans witnessed the heavenly hosts celebrating.

Instead of the nation of Israel coming back to life as an independent state, through Jesus Christ, God had given humanity, not just for Israel, but for all of humanity, a chance to be part of God’s kingdom. Through what Jesus did on the cross, our sins can be forgiven and our eternity assured.

The Bible teaches us that we live in the period before the end, and we have been saved so that we can continue to be witnesses for Jesus until our time on earth is done. We who have been saved have experienced the joy that God gives us. In turn, we have the responsibility to point others to that joy. Even though this life is not easy and it has its hard parts, especially as we get older, there is still joy and hope, all because Jesus was born in Bethlehem, some two thousand years ago. So go celebrate Christmas with friends and family. Or celebrate it in a quiet way. But let us not just celebrate the holiday of Christmas but actually celebrate the birth of Christ. And offer true joy to those who do not yet have the joy of God in their lives by telling them about Christ and the meaning of his birth!

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano at our worship on December 14, 2025.)

Isaiah 64:1-9

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means to come…..and it is the season of waiting for the coming of God into our world. Of course, we celebrate this each year while remembering that first Christmas, when God arrived in our world in the form of a little baby! But we also pray for today….that God would once again come afresh into our lives, into our broken world. And finally, it is a season when we pray “Come, Lord Jesus” as we await his second coming.

Last week I decided to clean out our garage. I have been putting that task off for at least a year and a half. Boxes were stacked all over. There were lots of items that weren’t even mine; junk that had been left from the previous owners when we moved in 5 years ago. There were old, half-filled paint cans of an unknown color, as well as broken items.  There were also lots of good and valuable items – like tools – that I could never find when I needed them because things were so cluttered and disorganized. Anyway, although I did not finish the task yet, I’ve made some good progress and feel encouraged to continue.

Why did I suddenly decide to take on this task now?  The truth is that I would probably continue procrastinating indefinitely except for the fact that we want to do something new with the garage. We’re considering adding a second floor, or maybe  even tearing it all down and building something new in its place. The point is that we can’t proceed with any new plans until we first clear out all the junk.

Our theme for this year’s advent is “Prepare Him Room.”  Before we can welcome Christ into our world, into our hearts, into our “room”, we need to prepare that room. How should we do that?

Just like our garage was filled with all sorts of junk and things that we don’t need, our lives and homes are also filled with items that are not only unnecessary but may actually keep us from fully welcoming Jesus.

• Possessions that take up our time
• Bad habits that steal our strength and waste our time
• Distractions that keep us from seeking Jesus, that keep us from prayer and God’s word.

Our text that we read earlier was from Isaiah chapter 64. This text is usually understood to be the cry of the people of Israel. It is thought to be Israelites who have finally returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. They had come with high hopes. But instead found a city still in ruin, poverty, lack of hope for the future, and discouragement on all sides. Their expectations and the reality they encountered were so different.

• So they cry out to God in verses 1-3.

“O, that you would rend the heavens and come down! Please come down and help us!”  

We, too, are crying out to God. We see our world in shambles, war, and famine. We see our nation torn apart. “God, please come into our world!”

• Next, in verses 4-7 they admit their sin.

They wonder if God is hiding His face from them.  In verse 5 we read “But when we continued to sin against you, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”

Advent invites us, too, to admit our sins, and to seek God’s forgiveness.

• Finally, in verses 8-9 they remember who God is.

“You are the potter, and we are the clay. we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people.”

Our hope is not in ourselves…..but in God’s character.

So in Isaiah we see that we are like the people of Israel:

• We cry out to God to come down!
• We confess our sins and seek healing.
• We recognize that we are God’s…that he is the potter, we are the clay, and that we are all his people.

In light of that, how can we prepare our room today? How can we clear space? How can we make room?

• What are the things in your life that keep you from completely welcoming Jesus in?
• What are the things that need to change?
• What are the items that need to be jettisoned?
• What junk needs to be thrown out?

I love the verse in Revelation 3:20, with the invitation from Jesus himself:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in, and I will eat with them, and they with me.”

Wouldn’t it be a shame if we heard Jesus’ voice…and opened the door, only to realize that he couldn’t come in because there were so many boxes and so much junk stacked up inside that he couldn’t enter?? Or worse yet, that we couldn’t even hear his voice because of all the junk and unnecessary stuff cluttering our home?

We can experience a fresh presence and coming of Jesus this Advent! Let’s make room for Him….by clearing out space!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on November 30, 2025.)

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John 14:1-7

¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Judas has left to go betray Jesus. Peter confesses his willingness to die for Christ, and yet, Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him three times before the sunrise. Now Jesus knows that the apostles’ hearts are troubled and wants to give them assurance that things will be all right.

Jesus tells them that there are places for them in eternity, and although He will be leaving soon, He will personally come back for them. They cannot follow Him now, but later, they will all be together. Jesus tells them that He is the way, the truth, and the life.

The apostles are a bit troubled. After Jesus sets an example of how to love one another by washing their feet, Jesus tells them that one of them is going to betray Him. Then when Peter asks Jesus where He is going, Jesus tells them that where He is going, they cannot follow Him, at least not for now.

Since Jesus had talked in the past about being arrested and dying, the apostles are starting to feel apprehensive about what is about to happen, and it feels like whatever is going to happen, it will happen soon.

When we are troubled by something, especially about people leaving us or dying, and we are told, “not to worry” or “do not let your hearts be troubled”, it rarely helps – We still worry, and are troubled by it, even if we try not to show it.

It is a tough situation for the apostles. They really do not know what is going to happen. After all, this is before Jesus’ resurrection, and before the Holy Spirit was given to them. The only assurance they had was Jesus telling them not to worry and that there is a place for them in eternity.

For us, we have the completed New Testament so that we know that Jesus will be arrested, tried and crucified. But we also know that He will be resurrected and will teach His followers for forty days on what it all means. We also know that Jesus returns to His Father but promises to come back.

Through the writings of Luke, Paul, Peter and John, we know how the church started and that until Jesus comes back, we are to be witnesses for the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. We are to preach the good news of the cross and the kingdom of God.

We are to proclaim what Jesus told the apostles – That Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is not a way, but the only way to the Father. Jesus is not a truth, but the only truth. Jesus is the life — Real life that lasts forever with God and His people.

There are many people who believe that there are many paths to heaven – Many paths to God. But that is not what our Bible teaches us.

Do you believe that Jesus is the way? If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you should, since this is what Jesus is telling us. And if we believe this, then we cannot help but be anxious about those around us who have not yet believed.

We do not have to be anxious about our lives or about our ultimate future, but we are to care what happens to those around us who are not believers. When we get together for the upcoming holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s – There will be opportunities for us to share what the Bible teaches us. Not to argue that they are wrong, but to let them know of the Good News of Jesus Christ. There is a place in eternity for them – If they believe and accept Jesus Christ into their hearts.

I cannot remember which Washington coastal beach it was – Shi Shi Beach, Second Beach or Third Beach – One of those. There is a lower trail that is very scenic, but the danger is that if you are at certain parts of the trail when the tide comes in, you can get stuck there for hours. They always advise that you have a tide chart so you know when the tide will be coming in, to make sure that you do not get stuck.

If you are at one of these beaches and you see people about to take the lower trail, but you know they cannot get back before the tide comes in, you would tell them to take the higher trail if they do not want to get stuck.

All people start out on the more dangerous trail. If they continue, it is not just about getting stuck until the next low tide. It is about where they end up in eternity.

Now that we know that Jesus is the only way to safety, we need to be sure to be on the safe path ourselves. We also need to point out to others the way, the truth, and the life – Jesus Christ.

In this world, there are many things that can trouble us. Conflicts, earthquakes, wildfires, storms, drought, politics, health, getting older, finances, decisions we must make that affect our futures, passing of family and friends, etc. In many ways, what the apostles were facing was worse. They left the lives they knew to follow Jesus, who they believed was the Messiah. But now, Jesus is telling them that one of them is going to betray Him and that He must go away and that they cannot follow Him. Their future seems uncertain, and they do not know how they will continue if Jesus is not going to be there with them. They are confused and anxious.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me”, is what Jesus tells the apostles. He is telling us the same thing. Whatever problems, troubles and worries we are carrying, remember that Jesus is with us through His Holy Spirit. And there is a place for us in eternity with Him and other followers. Because of this, we can seek first the Kingdom of God and boldly witness for the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world – That Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano at our worship on November 9, 2025.)

Luke 19:1-10

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a `sinner.'” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Today we have the short story about a short man – Zacchaeus. Jesus is passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. It says that there is a man there, by the name of Zacchaeus who is both a chief tax collector and is very rich. (probably deeply disliked and marginalized by others) He has evidently heard about this Jesus and wishes to see him. Maybe he has heard about Jesus through other tax collectors, or other neighbors, but he appears to be very curious.

The problem is that he is short and can’t see Jesus because of the crowd. He runs ahead and climbs a sycamore-fig tree to get a look. When Jesus reaches the spot, he looks up in the tree at Zacchaeus and says simply, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

How did Jesus know Zacchaeus’s name? It doesn’t say. Was Zacchaeus surprised? We don’t know, but we can assume that he was surprised and thrilled as he happily came down and welcomed Jesus. The crowd grumbled, “He’s gone to be the guest of a sinner. Why does he hang out with the worst types?”

This is not the first time that Jesus is accused of spending time “with sinners”. Back in Luke 15:2 it says, “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'” And directly following those complaints, Jesus tells three stories: The lost sheep; The lost coin; The lost (prodigal) son. In each case, it is a story of God, seeking and saving the lost….rejoicing over every one that is found!

Zacchaeus announces to Jesus, “I’ll give half of my wealth to the poor, and if I’ve cheated anyone, I’ll repay them fourfold.” Perhaps there was a sudden change in Zacchaeus’s heart – deeply moved by Jesus’ visit to his home. Something about Jesus’ presence brought about a profound change in Zacchaeus.

Jesus then states at the end of this episode “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

What did Jesus mean? How can we understand this account?

• Zacchaeus wishes to “see” Jesus, he “seeks for” a glimpse of Jesus. But He is surprised to find that it is actually Jesus who is seeking (wishing to stay at his home) him. This fits well with Jesus’ final words in verse 10.
• This mirrors our experience as well. When we finally “meet Jesus”, begin a relationship with God, we realize that it all started much earlier, that there is a bigger context. It’s actually God…who created us, gave us breath, and created us with a longing for relationship. When we seek and find God, we soon find that it was God who was seeking a relationship with us first.
• What is salvation? We often think that it is understanding and believing in God, or knowing about the Bible, or believing the right doctrines.  But actually, in Zacchaeus’s case, it was
  • Welcoming Jesus himself into his home. For us too, that is what salvation means – not just knowing and believing correct things, but welcoming Jesus himself into our hearts and lives. Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In Rev. 3:20 Jesus describes his presence in our lives in this way: “I stand at the door and knock.” He is always near and seeking a friendship with us.
  • Choosing correct priorities. Jesus said in Luke 12:31 “But seek His kingdom (rather than always worrying about what to eat, drink, and wear) Make your relationship with God No. 1! Then other needs will be taken care of.” In Zacchaeus’s case, he turned from a life of grasping wealth, to a life of giving and sharing. He no longer had earthly treasure as his goal, but heavenly rewards as his priority.

Zacchaeus is saved when

• He welcomes Jesus into his home
• His life / priorities are changed

How about us?

• Welcome Jesus today into your heart and home.
• Seek first a relationship with Jesus / God….make this our #1 priority! (not storing up earthly treasures….or constantly worrying about what we lack! But instead, seeking the true treasure… friendship with God!)

(The above is a summary and outline of the message shared in worship on November 2, 2025.)

John 13:31-35

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 
³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John tells us in the beginning of this chapter that Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world. He wants to teach His disciples how to live after He is gone. He leaves them the example of washing His disciples’ feet.

Then Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him. After Judas leaves to betray Him, Jesus then gives the disciples the new commandment – To love one another, just as Jesus loved them. They are to love one another in a very visible way that others are going to be able to identify them as Christians by their love for one another.

The fact that Jesus left foot washing as a model of how to treat each other, lets us know that He was not talking about the emotion of love, but the act of love.

In the last section of this chapter, when Jesus tells Peter that he cannot follow Jesus where He is headed, Peter gets emotional. Peter wants to be with Jesus, and he declares that he is willing to lay down his life for Jesus. But we know that emotion of love can fade due to time, familiarity, fear, etc. It is only a few more hours until Peter denies Jesus when he is simply asked, “Aren’t you one of Jesus’ disciples?”

Washing the dirty feet before a meal was a servant’s task. We do not see any of the disciples scurrying to wash Jesus’ feet, and certainly not each other’s feet. That was reserved for the one with the lowest status. Apparently, no one felt that their status was low enough that they should wash other’s feet. But when they saw Jesus getting up and washing their feet and hearing His explanation, they understood what Jesus was teaching them. They are to treat others as better than themselves. Foot-washing is a way to show love and respect through action. It would be easier if we felt a deep love and respect for those whose feet we are to wash, but even if we do not feel it, we are to act in love.

Other passages in the New Testament also teach the same concept. An example of this is where Paul writes in Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

In the gospel according to Luke, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was robbed and beaten half dead. A priest and a Levite both did nothing, fearing that it might be a trap. It also could prevent them from doing their duties if they touched the man and the man died later. It is presumed that the beaten man is a Jew, since there is no mention that the priest and the Levite were withholding aid because the man was a Gentile. The Jews considered Samaritans as enemies, and the feeling was mutual – Samaritans considered Jews as enemies. This was due to historical events that happened and built-up animosity between the two peoples.

Yet, the Samaritan who saw the beaten man acted in compassion. He bound up the man’s wounds, put him on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he gave two days’ worth of money to the innkeeper to take care of the man, promising that if the innkeeper ended up spending more money to take care of the man, that he will repay it when he comes back.

In today’s numbers, average two days’ pay in the U.S. would be about $525. Not only was the Samaritan willing to pay the money (and more, if needed), he was willing to take a chance that the robbers had set a trap for him. This was not due to emotional attachment, since the Samaritan did not know the man except that he was an enemy. This is another example of how to act in love.

This morning’s passage specifically talks about love for one another, meaning other followers. However, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is even harder than loving one another.

It would be great if the Holy Spirit would guide our emotions to feel a great love for our enemies and those around us and they feel a great love for us. But this is not how it works. In Luke 6:32 Jesus said, “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.”

If we are to follow Jesus’ command to pray for those who persecute you, how would we pray? That those who are persecuting us might see the error of their ways and stop? That kind of prayer would imply that we are in the right, and they are in the wrong, which is not exactly a posture of humility – It might even border on pride that we are right.

The example Jesus left us is to get up and wash everyone’s dirty feet. He knows that He is the Messiah and yet He chooses to take the lower position to serve His followers. If we are to follow His example, then it does not matter what we think or feel about the other person – We are to humble ourselves and treat the other with love and respect.

How does it make us feel when we are treated with respect? It is much more pleasant than being treated with disrespect, and we are more inclined to put forward our best selves. Imagine how well it would go in our homes and churches if everyone felt loved and respected.

But Jesus is not just telling how to get along with one another.  He also said the world is going to know that we are His followers by our love for one another. How we treat each other with love and respect is going to witness to the world about Jesus Christ.

God the Father showed His love for us by sending His Son to the cross to die for our sins, so that we can be saved simply by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus gave us an example of how to love one another. We are in turn to treat others with humble love, so that others will see the love we have for one another and turn to Christ.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on October 26, 2025.)

John 12:20-36

²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ³⁴The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah^£ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”

In our passage for today it is Palm Sunday and earlier in the chapter, Jesus had made his entry into Jerusalem. A great crowd that was in town for the festival heard that Jesus was coming and welcomed Him with great excitement.

Some Greek speaking Jews wanted to see Jesus, so they sought out Philip, one of the twelve that had a Greek name. Philip tells Andrew (also with a Greek name) and together, they tell Jesus.

The Greeks probably wanted to talk to Jesus about His coming into power and bringing back glory to Israel. Instead, Jesus talks about His coming death.

This perplexes the crowd, since they believe that the Jewish scriptures teach that the reign of the Messiah will last forever. They cannot reconcile this with Jesus’ words that He is going to be crucified.

Verse 37 says that “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.”

Israel has been waiting for a long time for the Messiah to arrive. Their expectations were based on several well-known scripture passages. Here are two examples.

Isaiah 9:7 – His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.

Daniel 7:14 – To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

They are led to believe that when the Messiah finally arrives, He will establish His kingdom and reign forever as the King of Israel. They hear and see all the wonderful and powerful things Jesus is doing, they get their hopes up that Jesus is the Messiah and that they will be freed from Roman rule.

So, when Jesus starts to talk about His impending death, most conclude that He cannot be the Messiah, even though they have witnessed Jesus doing things that only the Messiah should be able to do. Further, the invitation that Jesus gives them – To follow Him in giving up the things of this earth – does not appeal to them, especially now that they conclude that Jesus is not the Messiah.

Today, thanks to the completed New Testament, we now understand that the establishment of an eternal kingdom under the rule of the Messiah will happen the next time Jesus comes to earth.

Jesus came the first time to suffer and die for our sins. He took the punishment that we deserved, so that by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our sins will be forgiven, and we would be assured of eternity with the Lord and our fellow believers.

However, if our expectations of the role of Jesus in our lives is not accurate, we can still make the same mistake that people made some two thousand years ago.

If our expectations of Jesus is that He is going to help us in our pursuit of earthly happiness, then this will hinder us in our lives. If we really believe that Jesus is our helper in whatever we do, then we will undoubtedly be disappointed when things do not go according to our plans – When we get sick; a loved one dies; we lose our job; when relationships fail; etc.

There are promises that God will help us, but it is associated with when we are pursuing works on behalf of the Kingdom of God. Luke 12:31 – “Strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

Jesus’ invitation to follow Him still stands for us – To put priority on doing the work of the Kingdom, instead of putting first our pursuit of pleasures and happiness. Once we are willing to put to death our selfish tendencies, we will become a fruitful citizen of the Kingdom of God.

There are many around us that need to see the light of Jesus. The opportunity for people to be saved is not endless – The Lord could come back any day. This dark world needs the children of light to make it less dark.

To this world, we need to make the same invitation that Jesus made – “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on October 12, 2025.)