Thanks be to God that when we are faithless, Jesus is faithful, even to death, even to resurrection. His own. And yours.
Another faithful saying meets us in the epistle lesson this week, tripartite and centered on Christ, the giver of all good gifts. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 may well reflect an ancient hymn or other liturgical element contemporary with Paul and Timothy, and the Holy Spirit still employs this to proclaim Christ the Savior. Remember that, in the New Testament, the dynamic of opposite poles of a duality often suggests the contours of what we know as the “theology of the cross.” For example, we see this in the language of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), where God “scatters the proud” (1:51), “has brought down the mighty... and exalted those of humble estate” (1:52), “has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (1:53). Likewise, the great reversal Paul describes regarding Christ’s atoning work in 2 Corinthians 5 employs the same game of opposites: Old verses new, what is gone verses what has come, and culminating in, “God made Him sin who knew no sin, that in Him you might become the righteousness of God” (5.21). Salvation in Christ’s cross is, therefore, what we are invited to overhear in the lyric verses of 2 Timothy 2:11-13. “If we die with Him, we live with Him; if we endure, we will reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
Where is the Christ in this pericope? Christ is the one in whom grace is found that strengthens a young pastor like Timothy (2:1), the one in whom salvation is obtained in eternal glory (2:10). The military metaphor Paul employs paints Christ as the commanding officer of His soldiers, those who find honor, even in suffering, by discharging His orders, similar to athletes who play fair and to farmers satisfied with the fruit of their labor (2:3-6). Christ’s person and work is expressed with the clarity of Paul’s concluding thoughts in his first letter to the Corinthians where he prioritizes his resurrection apologetic (1 Corinthians 15), as he says here, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (2:8). That work of Christ echoes in the hymn at the end of the section: Christ is the one who died (2:11), who reigns, and who will judge (2:12), who is ever faithful (2:13).
The hopeful note that the wisdom-saying/hymn ends on (“if we are faithless, He remains faithful,” 2:13) cannot be proclaimed in a way so as to render void the warning of 2:12 (“if we deny Him, He also will deny us”). For a preacher, this may well be the toughest nut to crack in this pericope. What gives? How can both of these things be true? That is quite a crux, and worth your meditation, prayer, and study. This is, in fact, the crystalized law/gospel point of the pericope.
Christ is the one in whom grace is found that strengthens a young pastor like Timothy, the one in whom salvation is obtained in eternal glory.
Denial of Christ (Matthew 10:33, 1 John 2:22-23) carries serious consequences. It has nothing to do with moral degrees of behavior, nor anything to do with intellectual assent to the existence of God or what theologian types of a certain generation once called the “Jesus of history.” Denial of Christ is denial of His person and His work. The one who denies Christ refuses Christ as the one who alone saves. The easiest way to do this is to substitute a savior, to claim one’s own sufficiency, to argue one’s own righteousness, to fear and love and trust a god other than Christ.
Most messages I have ever heard on this topic warn the hearer along the lines of Peter’s denial, pointing up shame and embarrassment in being identified with Christ’s name. Evangelism-forward sermons that attempt to motivate with the law employ the theme to inspire renewed commitment to a bold witness, encouraging their people to seek and save the lost. Here is where a preacher should have caution. The Law does not properly motivate to life in Christ or a witness for Christ, only the Gospel can do that. The Law will invariably cast in your teeth the many times and many ways in which you deny Christ daily. Hear this, preacher: The cure for denial, whether Peter’s or your own, is never trying harder. The cure for sin is always confession and absolution, is always repentance and faith.
Particularly for a pastor and preacher like Timothy, and a pastor and preacher like you, it is incumbent upon you not to deny who Christ is in His person and work. To make Christ just another lawgiver is to rob your hearers of the Gospel. Avoiding this pitfall starts with knowing Jesus and His faithfulness. Be faithful! Be bold! And see above all that Christ Himself is the faithful one. Christ Himself is the bold one. Christ Himself bears witness: I and the Father are one (John 10:30). The son of man has come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And central to the faith, Paul delivers to Timothy and his hearers in this pericope Christ the Lord, the One who rose from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8). “No one takes My life from Me. I lay it down of My own accord, only to take it up again” (John 10:17-18).
Thanks be to God that when we are faithless, Jesus is faithful, even to death, even to resurrection. His own. And yours.
One final word of advice on this pericope, for the sake of illustration – a biblical one. Acts 2-4:4 offers a profound narrative arc on the reality of denying Christ (in His person and work) and coming face to face with the reality of Christ’s person and work in the wake of our Lord’s resurrection and the delivery of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Might I suggest: Why not frame a sermon around telling the story of those convicted by Peter’s sermons in Acts 2 and 3-4.4? Notice the conviction (Acts 2:37) and Peter’s call-to-repentance response (Acts 2:38, 3:19). Notice the second-person fire of Peter’s prophetic accusation of denial (Acts 2:23, 36, 3:13-14). And notice the result of his proclamation (Acts 2:41, 4:4). Also, notice that his sermon is not a “give it the old college try and witness more boldly” kind of sermon to cure a bad behavior. Much to the contrary. It aims at the big potatoes, the big guns, life and death, salvation and damnation. Christ is either who you assume He is, or who He says He is. His resurrection proves the latter. Proclaiming that Christ has its effect in the first day’s post Pentecost. Will not the Holy Spirit kill and raise those who deny, repent, and trust the Lord of glory in the same way? When we are faithless, He is faithful.
The Lord bless you in your preaching this week!
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
