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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.)

John 18:28-38

²⁸Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ³²This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³³So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After His arrest, Jesus is taken to the high priest, Peter denies Jesus three times, and now Jesus is brought before Pilate.

Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews. Jesus states that He is a king, but that His kingdom is not of this world. This answer does not trouble Pilate, and he concludes that Jesus has not broken any laws of Rome.

Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, refers to Jesus as “. . . the blessed and only Sovereign, the king of kings and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15).

John, in Revelation 17 declares that Jesus “is the Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14).

In this season of lent, it is good to focus on the kingship of Christ and what it should mean to us. Jesus Himself declared that He is king, but His kingdom is not of this world. But this does not mean that He is king only over heavenly and spiritual beings. He is the king of all things and all beings, even those who do not believe nor acknowledge His kingship. He is king of all – Not just over a specific country or people.

For us, who have been saved, He is our king, and we ought to acknowledge Him as our king. What would it look like for us to treat Jesus as our king? There are a few examples for us in the Bible.

Joshua and the commander of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5:13-15) – Importance of obedience to the Lord’s plan, instead of expecting the Lord to help us with our plans. Joshua leads Israel into the Promise Land and the first obstacle they face is the walled fortress of Jericho. Joshua has no experienced warriors, and they are still recovering from being circumcised. They also do not have any tools to get through the wall – No ladders, no battering rams, no catapults.

As he pondered these things, Joshua sees a man standing before him with a drawn sword. Joshua asks the man whether he is a friend or foe, and the man answers, “Neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord, I have come.” Joshua immediately accepts this and waits to be commanded.

When we have a task from the Lord ahead of us, we tend to rely on our talents, experiences, knowledge and wisdom. We might even believe that this is the reason the Lord gave us the task, as if the Lord is depending on us. But the truth is that often, what the Lord is desiring of us is obedience.

Joshua understood this. Even after he hears the commanders unusual plan for defeating Jericho – March around the city thirteen times, blow the trumpet, then yell – He obeys and leads the Israelites to follow the plan.

If we obey the Lord, then the Lord will enable us to bring about the outcome that He desires. This is one example of how to relate to a king.

Another example is David and the Three (1 Chronicles 11:15-19) – Always searching to determine the desires of the Lord, rather than our own needs/wants.

There were three mighty warriors in David’s army who loved their king. They were fighting the Philistines, and the enemy had occupied Bethlehem, David’s hometown. David was probably remembering his carefree childhood days and longingly expresses a desire for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem. There was no way that David meant this as an order and would never risk the lives of valuable men, but the Three immediately went behind enemy lines into Bethlehem and brought back water from the well. These men loved their king enough to always seek to determine the desires of the king, rather than their own needs or wants.

Then there is the example of Paul. At the time of his conversion, the Lord shows him how much he will suffer for the name of Jesus. During his travels, the Holy Spirit tells Paul that in the cities he will visit, there will be nothing but troubles and imprisonments. Paul does not take this as a warning to avoid the cities but acknowledges it as fact and continues. Paul is an example of a man who is committed to serving his king. Not just out of a sense of loyalty, but out of his deep love for his Lord who forgave his sins – Sins that he felt were so bad that he had a hard time forgiving himself – His persecution of Christ’s church and the death of Stephen. He knew he had been forgiven much, and thus his love for Jesus ran deep.

Easter will be here in six weeks. The reason Jesus had to die on the cross was our sins. We sometimes consider our sins as “not so bad” since we know about people who are a lot more sinful than ourselves. However, as far as our salvation goes, there are no degrees of sins. Any sin is enough for us to spend eternity away from God. Any one of our sins that we might consider as “not so bad” necessitated our Lord dying on the cross for us to be forgiven.

Think about the worst thing you have ever done in your life. Something that pops into your head every once in a while, and for which you feel regret. Remember that the Lord forgives you for that. Instead of just regretting it, be grateful for the Lord’s forgiveness, and let it fuel us to love and serve the Lord. Let us live like Jesus is the king of our lives.

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

John 18:1-11

¹After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ²Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” ⁵They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ⁶When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. ⁷Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁸Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” ⁹This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” ¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

In less than two weeks, the season of lent will start. It is supposed to be a time of contemplating our shortcomings and why Jesus had to go to the cross and die for our sins. And to prepare our hearts to thank and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. So, it is appropriate timing that we are at the final portion of John’s gospel.

As was mentioned when we first started this series on John, the author pointed out why he was writing this book. John 20:30-31 – “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But 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.”

John focuses on the deity of Christ. John is not ignoring the fact that Jesus was 100% human, but he wants to emphasize that Jesus is also 100% God. This scene, where Jesus is arrested, has some elements that are unique to this gospel, consistent with John’s approach.

The scene where Jesus prays to the Father that, if possible, the bitter cup of having to go to the cross be taken away, is skipped by John. The reference to the cup comes in verse eleven, where Jesus is certain of His way forward. Even though He has the power to defeat His enemies, He allows Himself to be arrested and taken away. He tells Peter and the others not to resist.

The narrative of Jesus’ arrest in the garden is a familiar one to us, but probably for most of us, we tend to remember it from the other gospels. We remember that Jesus is distressed and prays to the Father and He asks His disciples to also pray. We remember how Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. But these elements are not included in John’s account.

There is one easily missed or ignored scene that only John includes. This is found in verse six. Jesus asks those who came to arrest Him whom they were looking for; they respond that they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. And when Jesus answers, “I am He”, they all step back and fall to the ground. What made them to do that?

We must go back to our series on Moses to understand what is going on here. Moses was born in Egypt at a time when the enslaved Hebrews (descendants of Abraham through Isaac) were increasing in numbers so fast that this worried the Pharaoh, who issued a command to kill all male Hebrew infants. To protect her infant son, Moses’ mother puts him in a basket and floats him in the River Nile. He is picked up by a daughter of Pharaoh who adopts him and Moses spends the first forty years of his life as a prince of Egypt.

After killing an Egyptian in defense of a Hebrew, Moses flees and spends the next forty years as a shepherd in Midian. One day, he sees a burning bush and hears a voice calling to him. The voice explains that He is the God of Moses’ ancestors and is now sending Moses to Egypt to obtain freedom for all the Hebrew slaves. When Moses asks for God’s name, God tells him, “I am who I am”, or “I am”.

Even though scholars believed for a long time that this name was pronounced “Jehovah”, they now believe that the actual pronunciation is “Yahweh”. The reason they were not sure was because of the second commandment, the Israelites concluded that the best practice would be to never mention His name.

Those who came to arrest Jesus were Jews. And when they heard Jesus say, “I am”, they all fell to the ground. Through Jesus’ words, they must have been reminded of Yahweh and they must have felt the power of Jesus at that moment. Otherwise, they would have either just stood there or lashed out at Jesus. But they all fell to the ground.

Back in John 13, after telling the disciples that one of them will betray Him, Jesus said that He is telling them in advance so that when this happens, they will know that He is the Messiah. John 13:19 – “I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place, you may believe that I am he.”

This is in line with John’s intent to highlight the deity of Christ. This also makes it clear that Jesus was not a victim. He was not powerless. He was not without choice. Jesus had the power to save Himself. Instead, He chose to hold back His power and let the men arrest Him. As we shall see in the next few weeks, Jesus will be put on trial, declared “innocent”, and yet be put to death on the cross.

God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to the cross so that He could pay the penalty for our sins. And anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior will be granted eternal life with God and other believers.

This is the good news that we are to share with others who have not heard or who have heard but not yet accepted.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on February 8, 2026.)

Micah 6:1-8

1 Listen to what the LORD says: “Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2 Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 3 “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember [your journey] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.” 6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The scripture for today, particularly verse 8, is one of the most famous verses in the Bible.

“Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” What does it mean? How should we interpret these words of the prophet? To understand better, we look at the verses preceding it: verses 1-7.

Here we have the prophet giving us an image of a courtroom. God appears to be the plaintiff and is  bringing charges against his people, the people of Israel.  “The Lord has a case against His people”….  (v.2)  Then God says in verse 3 –   “What have I done to ever trouble you?” Although God does not list any specific sins of Israel here….the inference is “Why do you behave like this?”  Later in verse 12 we do see that God accuses the people of some specific sins: “your wealthy are full of violence, your inhabitants speak lies.” 

God’s faithfulness to Israel seems contrasted with Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. In verse 4 and 5 we have God stating his many blessings to Israel:

• Israel was led out of slavery in Egypt into freedom
• They were provided with leaders: Moses, Aaron, Miriam
• God even provided them protection through foreigners: Balak and Balam.
• Protection and blessings during their travels from “Shittim to Gilgal” (the 40 years in the wilderness).

Then in verse 6 and 7 it’s Israel’s turn to defend itself. But they have no defense. They give no attempt to deny God’s accusations. Instead, they merely consider what they need to do in order to appease God. (“What will it take to get God off our backs?”) More sacrifices? Burnt offerings? Calves a year old? A thousand rams? 10,000 rivers of oil? Sacrifice our own children – our first born?

But then we have the punchline. We get the answer, from Micah:

“You already know what is right and good. You know what God requires. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.”

Do any of you have a fitbit…or some other fitness tracker? A few years ago I was given a Garmin watch by my children. These devices can count our steps, measure our heartbeat, track various bodily functions like blood pressure, glucose count, etc. They’re getting more and more sophisticated. Consider the following scenario:

You buy one, read the instructions, and learn all about its functions. But then you leave it on the dresser, or in a drawer. You never use it. What would you say about that fitness device? There’s certainly nothing wrong with it! The problem is that you have never put it on your wrist and started to walk!  Just owning it will not help you maintain your health.

Micah is saying something similar to the people of Israel. You don’t need a better fitness tracker. You don’t need new rules or religious practices. God isn’t interested in all of your religious practices and structures. God isn’t interested in your “words only” religion – in lip service. This is what He desires: for you to return to the basics of your walk with God. Treat others fairly, show mercy and kindness (even when people don’t deserve it), stop depending on your own smarts…. Walk humbly with God, recognizing His presence in all things.

One more New Testament text may help us clarify these words from Micah. In Mark chapter 12, Jesus is asked “Of all the commandments, which is the greatest?”  His answer is a complete parallel to Micah 6:8. Jesus begins with the very same words as the prophet Micah.

“Shemah! Hear….listen! “Listen up!”  (v. 1 and 2 in our Micah text)

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord….is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Easy to say, tricky to do. But Jesus says that it is the very ESSENCE of all of scriptural teaching. So think of Micah 6:8 and Mark 12:29-31 as the same message.

Do Justice…. Treat people fairly. Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Love Mercy / Kindness …..treat people with lovingkindness…Do unto others ….

Walk Humbly with God …. Love God with all your heart

Micah did not give the people of Israel a simple check list. These are not items that are “one and done” This is a call to a lifestyle based on LOVE…rather than hate, and fear. We are called to do these things in the midst of our walking with God. Let us pray.

Faithful God,
You have never asked us to impress You,
only to walk with You.

Forgive us for the times
we have spoken the right words
but avoided the hard steps.

Teach us what justice looks like
in the way we treat others.
Teach us what mercy feels like
when it costs us something.
Teach us humility
that listens more than it speaks
and trusts You more than ourselves.

As we leave this place,
turn our faith into movement,
our worship into obedience,
and our love for You
into love for our neighbors.We ask this,
not to earn Your favor,
but because You have already given it to us.
Amen.

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

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.)