Author: Japanese Congregational Church

Today is Trinity Sunday in the Christian calendar. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in Scripture, the concept of God as plural, while remaining ONE….appears throughout. The beautiful benedictions that we close our worship with each week include Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But what can we learn from this mystery – three in one – that would encourage our own faith? Here are a few ideas:

1. God is Dynamic — Always Moving Toward Us

Paul’s blessing is active: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The Trinity is not static or distant. God is always moving toward humanity.

• The Father sends the Son
• The Son comes near us in grace and truth and lives among us.
• The Spirit dwells among us, teaching, reminding, empowering

Sometimes we imagine God as still and silent, arms folded, waiting for us to figure life out. But the Trinity reveals a God who is always reaching, giving, speaking, comforting, restoring.

Even in scripture, the members of the Trinity are constantly interacting—at Jesus’ baptism (where God speaks, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove, the Son is baptized and loved), in the Upper Room discourse (where Jesus prays to his Father, and promises the Holy Spirit’s arrival) and many other instances. God is alive, relational, and active.

If God is dynamic, faith cannot merely be stagnant belief. We are invited into an ongoing relationship.

2. God is Diverse — Unity Without Sameness

The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Spirit. Yet they are one. The Trinity reminds us that difference is not division. In a fractured world, we often think unity means sameness: “Think like me, worship like me, vote like me.”

But God’s own being suggests something deeper: A perfect unity with beautiful distinction.

“At the center of the universe is not loneliness or competition—but harmony.” The Trinity tells us diversity is not a problem to overcome. It may be part of God’s own fingerprint upon creation.

“A healthy church does not erase difference. It learns how to belong to one another.” I see this clearly at JCC!

3. God is Communal — Relationship Is at the Heart of Life

The Holy Spirit is described here as fellowship or communion. The Trinity means that relationship is not something God invented later.

God has always existed in relationship.

Before creation, there was already love, delight, communion. That means relationship is not secondary to life—it is central to life. We are made for connection because we come from a relational God.

“At the center of everything is not power, but relationship.”

People wonder:
“Do I matter?”
“Why do relationships hurt?”
“Why do I long for connection?”

Because we are made in the image of a communal God.

4. God is Loving — Love Is God’s Native Language

Notice Paul’s words:

• Grace of Jesus
• Love of God
• Fellowship of the Spirit

All three are relational gifts. The Trinity teaches that love is not merely something God does.

Love is who God is.

Before there were humans to love, the Father loved the Son in the Spirit. Love is older than creation.

“The deepest truth about reality is not chaos, fear, or survival. The deepest truth is love.”

Our weekly benediction is not merely a formal ending. It is a weekly reminder:

“You are being sent into the world surrounded by the grace of Christ, held in the Father’s love, and accompanied by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

“The Trinity is not a math problem to solve. It is an invitation to know the heart of God.
A God who is dynamic, always reaching toward us.
A God who is diverse, yet beautifully one.
A God who is communal, drawing us into fellowship.
A God who is loving from all eternity.
And every Sunday, as the benediction is spoken, God reminds us: This life is lived inside that love.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on May 31, 2026.)

Mark 3:20-30

²⁰And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” ²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” ²³And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. ²⁸“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—³⁰for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

After healing the man with a withered hand, Jesus went around healing others and driving out unclean spirits. He then chose twelve of His followers as apostles and returned to Galilee.

Jesus’ family heard some people say He had gone out of His mind. They worried about Him and wanted to take Him home. Scribes from Jerusalem were saying that the healing power that Jesus was displaying was not from God but from Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.

Jesus responds by pointing out the illogic of Satan driving out his own demons. He also states that people will be forgiven for their sins, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven.

Every time a scriptural reference comes up about the unforgiveable sin, people are curious to know what that might be.

Both Matthew and Luke also speak of this. In both cases, like in Mark, Jesus states this after the religious leaders claim that Jesus is driving out demons by the power of Satan.

So, have you wondered if you have committed the unforgivable sin? The good news is that if you are concerned about it, then you probably do not have to worry about it. The specific example of this sin described in the gospels is attributing God’s work to Satan. In other words, rejecting the good works of God.

According to Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit will give us power to be witnesses for Christ in near and far places. To spread the good news of Jesus Christ, we first must accept it as truth and then devote ourselves to spreading it.

To sin against the Holy Spirit would be to NOT believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and not believe that by accepting Him as Lord and Savior, our sins will be forgiven and that we will be given eternal life. In other words, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world and through Him, we can have eternal life, then we are not guilty of the unforgivable sin.

To not believe in the work of Jesus is the unforgivable sin. That would be deliberately rejecting God’s truth and grace, even when we recognize it. That is a state of hardened, final rejection of God.

There is no other way to be forgiven except by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the Power of the Spirit, we can accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Also, it does not appear that if we commit this sin once, then it is all over. Jesus’ family thought that Jesus was not quite right in the head, as He preached the kingdom of God. To regard God’s work as something else is no different than what the scribes were doing. And yet, we know that at least some of His family came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It appears that the unforgivable sin is only unforgivable if one continues to deny Jesus until the end. Just like one of the thieves on the cross was saved at the very end of his life, there is always hope available until the end of one’s life.

In his book titled, “The Great Divorce”, C. S. Lewis has the guide George MacDonald explain who will end up in hell and who will end up with God. He says, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘thy will be done.’

Let us all not commit the unforgivable sin and have God say to us, “Thy will be done.”

The important takeaway from this passage is not to try to define the unforgivable sin, and certainly not try to determine who had committed such a sin. The key verses are 28 and 29. The good news is v. 28 – “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.” But to reject that, then v. 29 comes into play – “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”

So even though this terrifying concept of an unforgivable sin was raised in this morning’s passage, it is not something we were unaware of. No matter what sin we commit, whether we consider it small or large, is enough for us to be headed towards eternity without God. However, God loves us and sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we can be forgiven. All we have to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, even if it is late in our lives. But if we do not accept this forgiveness and keep rejecting until the end of our lives, then we are not forgiven.

How tragic that would be, since Jesus had already paid for our sins.

For us who have been forgiven, we should live our lives in appreciation. We should also show love to those who have not been forgiven yet and tell them of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they will not die in their unforgiven state.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on May 24, 2026.)

Mark 2:23 – 3:6

²³One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” ²⁵And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” ²⁷Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

¹Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ²They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” ⁴Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The first thing Jesus does is to call His first disciples – two pairs of brothers — Simon and Andrew, and James and John. Jesus simply tells them to follow Him, and they immediately leave everything and follow Him.

They go to Capernaum and they enter a synagogue on the sabbath. Jesus teaches and people are amazed. There is a man with an unclean spirit and Jesus commands the spirit to come out, and the man is made clean. People are amazed at this show of power. Jesus’ fame starts to spread.

Jesus then heals Simon’s mother-in-law, and by sundown, crowds are forming who want healings and exorcisms.

Jesus travels throughout Galilee preaching the good news, driving out demons, and healing, including a leper. His fame continues to grow.

Jesus then returns to Capernaum – He is using Capernaum as His base of operations. He heals a paralytic as well saying to the man that his sins are forgiven. Scribes are present, apparently being curious about this Jesus that everyone is talking about, and they take offense to what Jesus said, considering it as blaspheming.

Jesus then calls Levi to follow Him, and Levi gets up and follows, just like the others who were called. Scribes, who saw Jesus dining and fellowshipping with tax collectors and sinners were critical of Jesus.

Then we come to this morning’s passage. It includes two occasions that the Pharisees and scribes consider as breaking the Sabbath Law. The first is that Jesus’ followers were plucking heads of grain while they walked through the grainfields. The second is that Jesus heals a man with a withered hand.

 What law is Jesus and His followers breaking, according to the scribes and Pharisees? The fourth of the Ten Commandments says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” This is also reiterated in Exodus 34:21 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15.

But was it an over-reaction on the part of the scribes and Pharisees that they started to seek ways to destroy Jesus? If we look at Exodus 31:14-15, it turns out that the religious leaders were following the law in their minds – “¹⁴You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people. ¹⁵Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.”

We can see that the punishment for working on the Sabbath was death, as it was clearly written in the Torah. What was up for interpretation was whether what Jesus and His followers did constitute “work”. Was plucking grain and healing work? The scribes and Pharisees believed that they were work, while Jesus did not.

For ordinary people to know how to live their lives lawfully, Mishnah and Talmud were developed. They explain to the people how to apply God’s laws in their daily lives, since people have the tendency to interpret laws to their liking. They were traditionally passed down orally and later written down – The Mishnah around 200 CE and the Talmud around 500 CE.

Interestingly, “plucking” and “healing” were not explicitly classified as “work”. However, among the 39 explicitly stated categories of “work”, harvesting was listed. It seems logical that one could interpret what Jesus followers did as “harvesting”. Although “healing” was not listed among “work”, it was discouraged, since healing often could require work, such as grinding to make medicine.

The acts themselves were not unlawful. Farmers were commanded to leave grain on stalks when they harvest, so that people in need could eat what was left. Healing was also not unlawful – In fact, saving lives when it was possible was required, even on a Sabbath. But according to how the scribes interpreted God’s laws, they deemed that what Jesus and His followers did was considered unlawful to perform on a Sabbath.

The irony here is that Jesus, being the Son of God, was more qualified than any human or group of humans to interpret God’s laws correctly. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. This is obvious to us, since we have the completed New Testament and that we live in the age after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, and we also have the Holy Spirit to help us understand all of this.

But these scribes and Pharisees are interpreting Jesus’ actions on Sabbaths as unlawful, which disqualifies Him as being the Messiah, even though Jesus is displaying great power. The way great crowds are being affected by Jesus worries them and they feel a responsibility to stop this powerful man.

It is important to note that Jesus was not going around breaking Sabbath laws just to make a statement – He was interpreting the Sabbath laws. The scribes were following the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath laws. The two sides had different approaches to interpreting these laws. The Pharisees’ approach emphasized precise legal boundaries – They tried to define what actions counted as violations. Jesus’ approach was to emphasize mercy, need and purpose of the laws.

John 8 had a story about the adulterous woman who people wanted to stone and Jesus ends up sparing her. The Old Testament laws had about twenty-five offenses that were deemed as capital and the punishment was death. Adultery was one of them. This highlights what Jesus’ mission is all about. We all have sinned and per God’s laws, we deserve death. In order to give us a chance to be saved, Jesus died on the cross and took the punishment we deserved. By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are assured of eternal life.

In return for the assurance of eternal life, we are to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We often think and feel like the scribes and Pharisees. When we see people living sinful lives, we focus on their sins. Instead, we need to extend God’s love to them so that they too can be forgiven for their sins.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano at our worship of May 10, 2026.)

Luke 18:35-43

One day a man goes to a doctor with an obvious issue—a badly broken arm, clearly visible. Everyone in the waiting room can see what’s wrong. However, when he finally sits down, the doctor doesn’t immediately say, “Let’s fix your arm.”

Instead, he asks, “What brings you in today?”

It feels almost unnecessary… surely the doctor can see what his problem is.

But then the man answers: “Honestly, the arm hurts—but what’s scaring me is that I can’t work, and I don’t know how I’m going to provide for my family.”

The doctor knew about the arm. But the question uncovered the deeper need.

In our text for today, Jesus knew the man was blind. Everyone knew. But by asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” He gave the man a voice—and revealed faith, not just need.

• Jesus and his disciples are traveling to Jerusalem and pass by Jericho.
• A blind beggar is sitting on the side of the road.
• He wonders what’s happening? He hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.
• He begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
• The crowd tries to shut him up….but he keeps crying out.
• Jesus hears him and stops. “Bring him to me” Jesus says.
• When he comes close Jesus asks him “What do you want me to do for you?”
• “I want to see” says the man. “Receive your sight” says Jesus “your faith has healed you.”

Jesus knows the beggar is blind. Everyone knows. But Jesus doesn’t assume anything. He shows the man dignity and respect by asking him the question.

Have you ever cried out to God before?

• In a loud voice? Like the beggar?
• Or maybe in a quiet voice, whispering?
• In desperation?

Close your eyes…..and imagine that Jesus is asking you that question: “[Your Name], what is it that you want me to do for you?”

• Don’t worry about a right answer.
• Don’t worry what the proper church answer might be.
• But today, how would you actually answer that, if Jesus asked you?
• Like a good doctor, Jesus knows what we need the most. But he’s interested in our answer. He shows us dignity and respect. He wants to hear our requests.

But of course, we have a problem don’t we?

• In today’s story, Jesus healed this man right away.
• Does he always answer your requests right away?
• No, we’re aware that God doesn’t always work that way. In fact, rarely!
• But what we can know with confidence is that he ALWAYS hears our prayers. He has NOT forgotten us.

Let me end with two Bible verses that may help us.

• In Revelation 3:20:　“Look, I stand at the door of your heart knocking…If you hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, and eat with you, and you with me.” Jesus offers himself / offers fellowship / offers us his presence
• Philippians 4:6-7:  “Don’t be anxious about anything. But through prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus offers us the peace of God.

Listen! Do you hear his voice? Let him in. Tell him what you need today! And in the meantime, receive his presence and his peace.

They are yours for the asking…..  Amen

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on May 3, 2026.)

Mark 1:1-15

¹The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.²As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, ³the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” ⁴John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” ⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” ¹²The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. ¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

John’s emphasis in his gospel is to focus on the deity of Christ and the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, the savior of the world, and by believing in Him, one can have eternal life.

Mark’s focus is a bit different. He wants us to focus on the fact that although Jesus was the Son of God, He was also the suffering servant who will die for humanity’s sins.

Mark is the oldest of the four gospels and it is also the only one that refers to itself as a gospel. It is believed that Mark was writing to Christians in Rome, who were going through intense persecution. There was a great fire in Rome in 64 CE, and Emperor Nero decided to blame the Christians and to punish them. They were exposed to execution and public suffering, including deaths staged as public spectacles. These included being burned alive as human torches at night, crucifixion in public settings, being torn apart by animals, and killed as entertainment shows in arenas.

Many religions, including Judaism, were legally protected by Rome. However, Christianity was not yet recognized as a religion, so there was no legal protection for them.

The church lost two great leaders during Nero’s persecution. Peter by crucifixion and Paul by beheading, since Roman laws reserved crucifixion for non-citizens, and Paul possessed Roman citizenship.

It was a time when there was much risk in being a faithful Christian. Mark tries to encourage the believers to see that their own suffering as part of faithful discipleship rather than as evidence of God’s failure or abandonment. Mark repeatedly emphasizes suffering, endurance, and the willingness to lose one’s life for Jesus.

Mark starts out by combining Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 to set the mood of expectancy that something that has been prophesied is about to come true, in the form of John the Baptist. John the Baptist is paving the way for the Messiah by proclaiming the need for repentance and telling them that the Messiah is coming.

Then Jesus appears, as if out of nowhere. A mysterious figure whose history we know nothing about. There is no Christmas story nor stories of Jesus’ childhood in Mark’s gospel. Jesus is baptized by John and God the Father identifies Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus is then driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Mark mentions how the angels ministered to Him and kept Him safe from the wild beasts. It is interesting that Mark is the only one who mentions the wild beasts at Jesus’ temptation. Mark was probably alluding to the fact that Rome used wild beasts to execute Christians but that Jesus could not be harmed by them.

After John the Baptist is arrested Jesus starts His ministry in Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God.

Today, when we think about the gospel, we think along the lines of Jesus Christ dying for our sins and that by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior, our sins will be forgiven, and we will have eternal life. This is not the gospel that Jesus was proclaiming – Obviously, because Jesus had not died on the cross yet. Instead, what Jesus is proclaiming is, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus was proclaiming that God is going to act in a very visible way, as was prophesied. It would not be exactly like the Jews hoped and anticipated. They were hoping for the re-establishment of the kingdom of Israel with the Messiah seated on the throne for eternity. The Messiah was going to establish His kingdom, but it was not going to be based on heredity or nationality, but on faith. It would include not only Jews but all other peoples. The final form of the Kingdom of God would come, when Jesus returned as king and judge and the dead believers were resurrected.

Mark’s primary purpose is not to address the non-believers to believe, but he is writing to the believers in Rome. These people had two beloved leaders, Peter and Paul, executed by Rome. They are under persecution and any one of them could be arrested at the whim of Nero and be executed in painful and humiliating ways. Their very faith in Christ could lead to their deaths. They have lost many loved ones to the persecution. And soon, they will hear of Jerusalem being ransacked and the temple destroyed.

Mark is reminding them that God has not failed nor abandoned them. That at this time and place, the suffering is part of faithful discipleship.

It is hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to be a Christian in Mark’s time. It must have been very hard to keep the faith and to pass on the good news of Christ. Today, it is easy to present to non-believers just the good side of becoming a Christian – Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, etc. But back then, people would also be aware of the negatives – Being persecuted and the possibility of being executed. It must have been a hard sell.

The Japanese Christians during the Tokugawa persecution also suffered and the church was driven underground – Not too different from Mark’s intended audience.

None of us are free from disappointment. We have setbacks in our personal lives, especially as we get older. We lose friends and families, we weaken physically, we suffer from disease and sickness, we cannot do things we were able to do when we were younger. We may have to give up driving at some point in our lives.

It can seem like a difficult time to try to witness for Christ and spread the gospel. Non-believers may not see Christians in a very positive light these days. Many churches are not gaining people and concerns about the future abound.

But when we think of what Mark’s church was going through, we have it relatively easy. There are many around us that need to hear about Christ. We have been allowed to enter into the Kingdom of God through what Jesus did for us on the cross, so that we can spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have been ensured of eternal life with the Lord and those who love Him. True joy and happiness await us, which should allow us to endure hardships and hang on to our faith.

Let us be encouraged by Mark to endure any suffering and keep being a faithful servant to our Lord.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on April 26, 2026.)

John 21:15-25

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” ²³So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

In the gospel according to John, after His resurrection, on Easter morning, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. That evening, Jesus appears to the disciples, but Thomas was not there. Then a week later, Jesus appears again to the disciples – this time Thomas is present.

Sometime later seven of the apostles are back in Galilee and they decide to go fishing. They fished all night but caught nothing. At daybreak, although they did not recognize Him, Jesus was waiting for them. Jesus asks them whether they caught any fish, and they answered, “No.” Jesus told them to cast the net to the right side of the boat, and they will find some. They do, and they catch more fish than they can haul in – 153 of them. They realize that it is the Lord and they have breakfast together with the fish they caught and some bread.

After breakfast Jesus invites Peter for a walk to talk privately. Jesus asks if Peter loves Him. Peter answers, “Yes.” Jesus asks again if Peter loves Him, and Peter again answers, “Yes.” Then Jesus asks a third time if Peter loves Him, and it hurts Peter’s feelings. He probably is wondering why Jesus keeps asking the same question over and over. Peter is probably still ashamed about the fact that he had declared that he is willing to die for Jesus, and yet, a few hours later, denied Jesus three times. It made it worse that Jesus knew this all along and had foretold it. Peter was probably also wondering about his role in the new age after the resurrection of Jesus. He used to be the leader of the Twelve, but now he was pretty sure that he no longer qualified.

It just made matters worse that Jesus kept asking Peter whether he loved Jesus. Then Peter realizes that Jesus is giving him a chance to say “I love You” to Jesus the same number of times that he denied Him. Not only that, by Jesus saying, “Feed my lambs” and “Tend my sheep” that Jesus is restoring Peter back to his leadership role.

Then Jesus tells Peter what that love for Jesus will result in – The eventual loss of freedom and crucifixion. Unlike the old Peter, this does not faze him. It must have been a great relief to Peter that now he was sure that the resurrected Jesus indeed is the Messiah, Jesus had forgiven him and restored him again to a leadership role.

Then Peter noticed that John was following them and wanted to know what would become of John. Jesus basically tells Peter that that is none of his concern and that he should focus on being a follower of Jesus.

The gospel according to John ends on a private moment between Jesus and Peter. We can take away from this scene themes of love, repentance and service. Peter’s sin of denying Jesus three times was serious. But Peter had clearly repented of it and Jesus forgave him. Not only did Jesus forgive Peter, He restores Peter to the position of the leader of the apostles.

The experience had changed Peter. History tells us that Peter would not deny Jesus and was crucified for being a follower of Jesus. It is easy enough to say, “I would die for You”, but then renege when danger comes, but Peter overcame his fears and stood with Christ and was martyred for his faith.

It is easy to deny our relationship with Jesus Christ when we are surrounded by people who are critical of Christians. By remaining silent and hiding the fact that we are Christians we are no different than Peter denying Jesus. All of us probably have denied Jesus sometime in our lives. But if we repent, Jesus will forgive us and give us opportunities to identify ourselves as followers of Christ.

Another thing this passage points out to us is our curiosity about what other Christians are doing or not doing. After Peter was told that he would eventually be arrested and crucified for being a follower of Christ, Peter wanted to know what would happen to John. Jesus tells Peter not to be concerned about John but to focus on being a follower of Christ. It is the same with us. Especially when we feel like we are given harder tasks than others, rather than focusing on that, we should just focus on being the best follower we can be.

John 21 has been included amongst the biblical canon, but most scholars believe that the ending John wrote was John 20, and that John 21 was added after the death of Peter and John.

John 20 ends with these words:

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

As we have come to the end of our journey through this gospel, let us carry on the work of John and let us tell those we meet that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on April 12, 2026.)

Matthew 21:1-11

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna [1] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” [2] “Hosanna [3] in the highest!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Last week I received a phone call from North Carolina. The number looked unfamiliar. Should I take it? Was it just another robo-call? I answered …..and from the other end I heard “Well, Hi Tim.” Immediately, I knew the voice…..it was my friend Dale, from college days. We’ve seen each other probably only a hand full of times since college, but I would know his voice anywhere. Just his familiar voice over the phone line was enough to identify him.

Last December, our first granddaughter was born. When you meet a baby for the first time, you still don’t know her well yet. She’s brand new! So we look for ways to identify her as part of the family. Oh, look….she has mother’s eyes….or she has papa’s nose, etc. We look for those characteristics that help us identify her as one of us! After some time goes by….maybe three to six months, we begin to see and know her as her own person….and so we begin to look for her unique characteristics and personality….we gradually get to know who SHE is, apart from her parents. There are more and more ways to identify her.

How do we identify people? How can we tell who they really are? When we say that we know someone….what does that really mean?

Our text today ends with this question. “Who is this?” Jesus has just ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds are shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” It says that the whole city of Jerusalem was stirred….in an uproar.

On that day in Jerusalem, what did Jesus represent to all of these people? Who was Jesus to them?  And in connection to that question, “Who is Jesus to us? Who do I say that Jesus is to me?” Lets think about that a bit together today.

At the end of the account, all the people in Jerusalem are said to be stirred up and asking, “Who is this??!” People in the crowd answer “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” So do they really understand who Jesus was?  Probably not. In the gospel of John it is stated that it wasn’t until after Jesus’ death and resurrection that the disciples understood the meaning of this entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. They didn’t really understand the “donkey thing” and its connection to the old testament prophet’s words. They only and truly recognized who he was….long after this event. In the gospel of Luke, there seems to be a strong indication that the people actually hoped that Jesus would become a king in the political sense, that he would rise up to lead them back to independence against the Roman rulers.

So when everyone in Jerusalem was asking..”Who is this??” it makes sense that no one answered, “He is the Messiah, the Son of God” because they still had not truly recognized him.

So…Who is this Jesus? Who is he to you? How have we come to believe in Jesus?

Throughout the gospel accounts, people saw, knew, understood, and recognized Jesus in different ways. It’s actually encouraging to realize that there was no single pattern or way to a relationship with Jesus. Each person experienced him uniquely and differently. Consider the following examples:

• His mother Mary – she remembered his miraculous birth, the strange words of Anna and Simeon in the temple, the arrival of the Magi from the east, the incident in the temple when Jesus was only 12, and many others. She, more than maybe anyone else, had an “inside” view of who Jesus was. When she “pondered these things in her heart” what was she experiencing?
• His disciples – they saw the signs and wonders, the miracles of Jesus, healings, exorcisms, Jesus commanding the storm to be still;
• Peter, James, and John – the only three who saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain!
• Peter – confesses his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. When asked “Who do YOU say that I am?” He answers, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”
• The Roman centurion at the cross, having witnessed the crucifixion, stated “Surely, this WAS a righteous man.”
• Thomas – believes after seeing the risen Lord, and putting his fingers and hand into Jesus nail scars and his side.
• For many – over 500 disciples! – the appearance and meeting with the risen Christ no doubt led them to a faith and belief in who Jesus was.
• Some of us will know Jesus through the miracles he has done in our lives.
• Some of us may even come to know Jesus through a direct vision (like Paul?)….I certainly have never seen him in this way, nor heard his voice audibly.
• Some of us will believe like the father in the gospels who said “I DO believe, help me in my unbelief.” 
• We too, are given this chance to meet the risen Christ.
• Each of us will come to understand who Jesus is in a different way….and in our own unique time. There is no one way.
• Yet, we are always given the opportunity.

On this Palm Sunday, who do YOU say that Jesus is? Remember the words of Paul to the believers in Corinth. “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” I Corinthianss 12:3

If we confess Jesus as our Lord, it seems that even that is not a conclusion we’ve come to simply on our own….but by the leading of the Holy Spirit. During this season of Lent, and now as we enter the holy passion week, I’m reminded of these words in the song from the musical Godspell:

Day by Day, day by day

O dear Lord, three things I pray

To see thee more clearly

To love thee more dearly

To follow thee more nearly

Day by day

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our Palm Sunday worship on March 29, 2026.)

John 19:17-30

So they took Jesus; ¹⁷and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. ¹⁸There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  ²⁰Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²²Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” ²³When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. ²⁴So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” ²⁵And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” ²⁷Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. ²⁸After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” ²⁹A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. ³⁰When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

If a church does not have a Good Friday service, then we go from celebrating Palm Sunday to celebrating the resurrection on the following Sunday. This means that the focus on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ might get skipped. With Palm Sunday coming next week, we will look at the crucifixion this morning.

Each of the four gospel writers focus on different aspects of Jesus and His work on earth. John focuses on the deity of Christ.

John leaves out the account of Joseph of Arimathea carrying the cross on Jesus’ behalf. Also left out is the agonizing prayer in the garden – John’s Jesus is already cognizant of God the Father’s plan for Him dying on the cross for humanity’s sins. There is also no agonizing over being abandoned – Instead, He simply states that His work on the cross is done by declaring, “It is finished,” and dies.

John wants to make sure that we understand that Jesus came to earth to die for us. He is not a victim of people in power, whether religious or political. He is determined to go to the cross and take the punishment that we deserve, so that by accepting Him as Lord and Savior, we can have eternal life.

At the same time, John is not denying Jesus’ humanity. He wants to make sure that His mother is taken care of once He is gone. While hanging on the cross, Jesus thirsts.

John also continues with connecting Jesus with the Passover. John is the only one who mentions that when the wine was offered to Jesus, a hyssop branch was used. Hyssop was used during the Passover to put the blood on the door posts and the lintel so that the angel of death would pass them over. Also, Jesus is being killed at the same time that the Passover lambs are being killed. Jesus truly is the lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

But just because John does not describe in detail the painful death on the cross, does not mean that Jesus did not suffer. Death by crucifixion is one of the most sadistic and painful means of execution. It definitely was not quick nor humane. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours before He died – And this was considered unusually quick. It is hard to imagine the kind of pain that Jesus went through, not for a few seconds or minutes, but for six hours.

The cross was not an accident of history. Jesus was sent by God the Father according to His plans. Jesus was fully aware of the fact that He came to earth to die for humanity’s sins. As John points out, He is the lamb of God who was to be sacrificed to earn freedom from sin for humanity. Throughout His ministry, He predicted His own death.

What did Christ’s death accomplish?

Salvation for sinners: Redemption from slavery to sin; justification before God; and reconciliation with God.

Revelation of God – The cross displays both God’s justice and His love.

Conquest of evil – Christ defeats the powers of sin, death and Satan.

New freedom – Believers are liberated from the tyranny of the law, flesh, world and death.

How should the cross of Christ shape our lives?

With the knowledge that our relationship with God has been made right, we should live with boldness, joy and gratitude.

In appreciation for what Jesus went through for us, we should deny our sinful selves. We should be mindful of being Christ’s image-bearers. We should live a life of self-giving love.

We should be loving our enemies and pursuing justice and reconciliation.

The sufferings we experience should bind us closer to Christ, who suffered for our sake.

The cross brought painful death for Jesus, but it gives us life. Now it is up to us to live a life committed to Jesus in gratitude and appreciation. We also need to acknowledge that there are many around us that are headed for destruction and Jesus wants to save them too, just like He saved us.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship of March 22, 2026.)

John 19:1-16

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ²And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. ³They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. ⁴Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” ⁵So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” ⁶When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” ⁷The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.” ⁸Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. ⁹He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” ¹¹Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” ¹²From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.” ¹³When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. ¹⁴Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” ¹⁵They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 
¹⁶Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

Pilate had been appointed to his position under the sponsorship of Lucius Aelius Sejanus. But when Sejanus was executed for treason, anyone connected to him was under suspicion of disloyalty. Additionally, Pilate was rather heavy-handed in his rule of Judea and the Jews had complained about him to Rome on several occasions. An example of this was Pilate taking Jewish money collected for the temple.

Every Jew was to pay an annual temple tax of a half-shekel, equivalent to two denarii, or two days’ worth of pay. This was used to maintain the temple. However, Pilate took some of the money to build an aqueduct, and there was a massive protest over this, of which Rome was made aware.

So, Pilate’s standing with Rome was already shaky at this time. The Jewish leaders took advantage of this to pressure him into crucifying Jesus.

John makes sure that we understand what day this is – the Day of preparation for the Passover; the day that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. In the beginning of the gospel, John identifies Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

Right from the beginning of humankind, God required shedding of blood for sins to be forgiven. Right after Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them garments made from animal skins, which of course, required those animals to be killed. This turned into the sacrificial system for Israel where the temple was the place to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.

When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years, the LORD sent Moses to free them and lead them into the Promised Land. When Egypt refused to let them go, ten plagues were visited on Egypt, and the tenth was the death of the firstborn in every family.

Each Israelite family was instructed to slaughter a lamb and then put the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts. That night, when the LORD passed through Egypt to strike down the firstborn, He would “pass over” any households that had the blood on the door and spare that household.

This finally convinced the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. The Lord commanded that the Passover be celebrated each year so that the Israelites would remember the great acts of the Lord in freeing them from bondage.

When the end of this age comes and we all go to our eternal destination, those who have received the blood of Christ will be passed over from eternal death – eternity away from God. Instead, we will be allowed to enter eternity with our Lord and other believers on the new earth. This will be our Passover.

In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus implements communion at the Last Supper. In John, there is a last supper, but communion is not mentioned. Instead, Jesus references it in John 6. In John, Jesus is killed at the same time the Passover lambs are being slaughtered, because He is the ultimate Lamb, whose blood will give us eternal life.

John’s message to us is clear. Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the World, and if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, eternal death will pass us over and we will be given eternal life.

With this in mind, let us review what Jesus said in John 6:53-58 – “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 

In this morning’s passage, Pilate believes that he has the power to either release or crucify Jesus. Jesus corrects Pilate by telling him that he alone has that power because it has been given to him by God.

This is a good reminder for us that even if we do not understand, whatever turmoil that is going on in the world, God’s plans are being carried out. People in positions of power may think that they are in control, but they really are not.

For us who have not been put in positions of making decisions in world affairs, instead of worrying about what is going on around us, let us concentrate on witnessing to the people around us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World, and that by accepting Him as Lord and Savior, eternal life will be given.

(the above is a summary of the message that Shun Takano shared during worship on March 8, 2026.)

John 3:1-21

Our text for today includes perhaps the most famous verse in the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

These famous words are part of a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. I’ve heard this text since I was a child….but I’ll be honest, it’s not an easy text to completely understand. There are several themes and phrases that we won’t touch on today….but I would like to approach this text with two images that Jesus refers to: WIND and LIGHT.   

Nicodemus comes at night. That detail matters. John rarely wastes words. Nicodemus is a serious man — a Pharisee, a teacher of Israel. He is thoughtful, moral, devout. And yet he comes in the dark. He is curious, but cautious. He’s drawn to Jesus, but not yet ready to be seen publicly with him.

Nicodemus says “we know you’re from God. You’re a great teacher….or you wouldn’t be able to perform these miraculous signs.” Jesus seems to ignore his comment, speaking to him first about birth — about being “born again” (this can also be translated as  “born from above” or “born anew.”) Nicodemus hears biology – “how can one return to a mother’s womb and be born again?”; but  Jesus speaks of mystery, using images of water and spirit. “To enter the kingdom of God you must be born spiritually…..from above.”

And then comes that striking image in verse 8:

“The wind blows where it wishes… you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The Greek word pneuma means both wind and Spirit. Like wind, the Spirit is not controlled, scheduled, or engineered. The wind moves freely. It cannot be managed. It cannot be coerced. It is sovereign.

Which means something humbling: none of us can believe unless the Spirit moves first. We will be stuck like Nicodemus – believing that Jesus is good, maybe even a great teacher…. but not necessarily our Messiah, Savior, Lord.

As Jesus shares with Nicodemus in verse 16, the primary condition for entering the kingdom of God, or receiving eternal life…is “to believe” or to have faith in Jesus. Yet, this faith is not a self-improvement project. It is not intellectual achievement. It is not moral effort. It is new birth, through the miracle of the Spirit!  And spiritual birth, like physical birth, is not something that you yourself can initiate. We are reminded of Paul’s words in his communication to the believers in Corinth, “No one can confess that ‘Jesus is Lord’ without a miracle of the Holy Spirit.”

So while we cannot manufacture belief,  we can respond when the wind begins to stir. And that leads us to the second image: light.　

After speaking of God’s great love — “For God so loved the world…” (v. 16)  — Jesus moves from wind to light:

“The light has come into the world… and people loved darkness rather than light… But those who do what is true come to the light.” (vv. 19–21)

Here is the mystery: we cannot make the wind blow — but we can step into the light.

The Spirit moves freely. And when the Spirit begins to stir — when conviction pricks the heart, when truth unsettles us, when grace draws us — we are invited to step forward.

Stepping into the light means honesty.
It means allowing our lives to be seen.
It means bringing our sin, our confusion, our questions out of hiding.

Nicodemus’ “new birth”  began in the dark. But John’s Gospel hints that he did not stay there. Later, in chapter 7,  he will defend Jesus publicly. Later still, he will help lift Jesus’ broken body down from the cross and prepare Jesus’ body for burial – in the open light of day.

For Nicodemus, the wind moved…the Holy Spirit worked in his heart. And eventually, Nicodemus appears to have stepped into the light.

Verse 16 tells us the required response: believe; trust; entrust ourselves to the Son.

But perhaps one very concrete way we “believe” is simply this: when the Spirit stirs, we do not retreat into the shadows. We step forward. We confess. We open up. We come into the light.

We cannot control the wind.
But we can open the windows of our hearts…to allow the Holy Spirit access.

We cannot create the light.
But we can step into it.

And when we do, we discover something astonishing: the light does not expose us to condemn us. After all, Jesus didn’t come to condemn us! Instead, the light reveals that our works “have been done in God.” The Spirit was already at work. The wind was already blowing.

Salvation begins in God’s mysterious movement — like wind.
It grows as we respond and step honestly into the light.
And it results, not in condemnation, but in eternal life.

“For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (v. 17)

The wind is blowing.
The light is shining.

During this Lenten season, let’s step into it!

Amen.

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on March 1, 2026.)