By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 23:33-46 

There’s just something deeply powerful about sacrifice. It touches something deep in my soul when I hear stories of someone willingly choosing to suffer in some way on behalf of another person. 

There is something uniquely good and godly about painfully giving of yourself for someone else. Sacrifice flies in the face of our sin nature which disdains discomfort or pain of any kind and promotes a “me first” mentality always.

We can understand sacrificing something for a loved one. My dad would sometimes skip meals and work extra shifts to make sure his children had food to eat. I will always admire him and thank him for it, but I get that because I’d gladly do the same for my children.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 22:54-62 

This is the story of Peter’s thrice denial of Jesus. After proudly declaring he would be willing to die for Jesus, and after even attempting murder for Him, Peter would defiantly deny that he even knew Jesus.

It is almost funny how fast fear can shift our priorities when we let it in. In all fairness, it probably was not just fear that motivated this denial. Peter was a Jewish man living under the rule of Rome. Many had begun to look for a Messiah who would rescue them from Rome and establish a supreme Jewish state. This was the kingdom so many longed for. 

Considering the type of cultural Messiah for which so many were searching, Peter would have likely somewhat considered the betrayal by Judas as a moment for Jesus to show His power, the moment of action when they would begin a war against those Peter considered sworn enemies. 

He had a sword and he was ready to use it in the name of this Messiah. When Jesus allowed His own arrest, Peter must have felt confused and powerless. After everything, the religious leaders had won, their movement was defeated, the kingdom for which Peter so longed was thwarted.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 22:41-53 

In those last few precious moments before His arrest, Jesus seeks out quiet time with the Father. As He prays in the garden, we get a powerful glimpse at His humanity through His agony. 

Knowing perfectly and completely every iota of suffering and shame that awaited Him, He is not looking forward to the cup of wrath that awaits Him. 

“If there is any other way, any other option, let’s do that.” We might think of Him praying something like that. It is what He prays next that is so amazing. “Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours, be done.” 

His whole life has led to this moment, yet we see Jesus in the garden wrestling with what comes next. He surrenders Himself entirely to the Father’s will.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 22:7-20 

This is a special moment of calm before the storm that is to come in the life of Jesus and the disciples. Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, shares the Passover meal with the disciples. 

This Passover meal is what we now call The Last Supper. Each time that believers gather and celebrate communion, they are pointing back to this meal and the picture it paints of our salvation and our common union in Christ. 

When we gather for communion it draws our hearts to do three things: look back, look in and look ahead. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper causes us to look back at the meaning of this Passover meal. 

We are told the bread is His body, broken for us. The wine is His blood, spilled out for us. Everything about the elements and the action of this ordinance brings us back to the gospel. We look back and meditate on the wonder of our sins being passed over because of the blood of Jesus.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 20:9-19 

Jesus used parables to both frustrate and to inform. This story does both. The frustration of the religious leaders has now reached a fever pitch and they are almost incessantly confronting Him, trying to find any reason to condemn Him. 

In the midst of this, Jesus tells the story of a vineyard owner who leased out His vineyard to others. This man started the vineyard. It was his blood, sweat, and tears that went in to planting the vineyard. 

He went away and leased the vineyard to others who would continue his work. Eventually he sends servants to collect the fruit he is owed from the labor. The wicked men refuse to pay.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 19:1-10 

The story of Zacchaeus is a powerful reminder that no one is too far gone for the grace of God. His name means, “righteous one.” This is very interesting when you think about the man we meet in this chapter.

Perhaps his parents had different plans, more righteous hopes for him than the life he had chosen. He is a chief tax collector, one who not only betrays his people by collecting exorbitant taxes for the Roman government but (aided by the threats of Rome) extorts a great deal extra from them and also supervises others who do the same.

This is not a righteous man but one who steals from his own people and profits off their pain. Luke tells us he was a short man. He is noticeably shorter than others.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 24:1-12 

Reading this text, it is quite the emotional rollercoaster. In these few verses we see multiple strong feelings. The women are grief stricken, having seen the Lord crucified and the hope they had crushed. 

As they came to mourn and to honor Him, they find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Their grief is now mingled with confusion. Did someone take the body? Who would do such a horrible thing? Their confusion turns to terror when they see two men in dazzling clothes who announce that He is risen. He is risen! Can you believe it? 

They must have been awestricken in that moment. As they bow down in terror before these men, they hear this incredible announcement. The King is risen! A great emotional paradigm shift turned them from grief and hopelessness to overjoy and excitement in an instant. He is alive!  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 19:29-40 

This is an amazing passage displaying such peace in God’s sovereignty ahead of such a painful week for our Lord. It displays such peace in the events of His entry. Jesus tells them exactly where to go and what they will see as a colt is tied up awaiting them. 

This is an unbroken colt which has never been ridden yet it will gently and peaceably march the Savior into Jerusalem without an ounce of rebellion. The disciples go and they find everything exactly as Jesus told them. 

Seeing what would seem like two men stealing the donkey, the owner likely asks what they are doing. They reply no more and no less exactly as they were told, “The Lord needs it.” The owner does not fight or shout but sends them on their way with the colt. 

Jesus comes into Jerusalem on the back of this donkey, entering as a royal processional, as the larger group of disciples praise Him and cry out from the Messianic Psalm 118, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” They, unprompted, begin laying down palm leaves in front of Him as he rides into their praise.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 18:9-17 

James reminds us that, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This is a story of two very different men who come before God in prayer. Those listening would immediately recognize the characters, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 

Pharisees were respected with tax collectors being despised in Jewish society. The tax collector prays with humility, knowing that he is a wretched sinner desperate for mercy and hopeless without grace. He would not even look up but cries out to God for mercy. 

The Pharisee stands alone and boasts before God and man the wonders of his own greatness. He was using public prayer as a brag sheet to make sure everyone knew how spiritual he was, though he wasn’t at all. He boasts of all the great things he has done for God and is even praising God that he is better than so many others, even the tax collector. Of the two, it is surprising which one truly understood prayer. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 15:20-32 

The prodigal son, as you likely already know, had shamed his father and broken that relationship horribly for the sake of getting his inheritance early and living his own way. Such an act as this younger son did would have been absolutely reprehensible to even consider. The father gave him his portion of what would rightfully be his one day.

 Living up to the name of this parable, this “prodigal son” wastes all of it rather quickly on shameful living. A famine comes upon the land, forcing him to become a slave to another man not only feeding pigs but being jealous of how well they ate. This man could hardly sink lower. Formerly a Jewish man of prominent family name, he is now a servant to the pigs. 

This is exactly what he deserved. Finally seeing his sin and its effects clearly, he returns home in hopes that his father would at least let him be a servant in the household. He knows he is no longer worthy of being called son but hopes to have any relationship with his father, even if it is only as master. You know the story, the father runs to him and joyfully restores him to sonship. This something he could never deserve, grace.  [Read more…]