By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 24:36-49 

After amazing the two men on the Emmaus walk, He appears among the disciples once more. Even while the two men are telling about their amazing encounter with the risen Savior, Jesus Himself stands among them. This brings to my mind Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.” 

Jesus stands in the midst of the disciples as they celebrate together the story of the Emmaus encounter. He exclaims, “Peace to you!” Quite the opposite happens, they are terrified.

They are too frightened to believe the truth they had all already seen, Jesus is risen! They are convinced this must be some spirit. Jesus proves to them His physical resurrection by showing them the marks on His hands and feet.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 24:18-31  

This story gives us a glimpse of the Lord’s great eagerness to reveal Himself to all who genuinely seek Him. These two men were traveling the eight miles to Emmaus after the events in Jerusalem that previous week. 

As they walked and discussed all that had occurred, trying to make sense of it, Jesus joins them in their journey and discussion. They do not recognize Him as He walks with them. 

After all Jesus had said and done, they couldn’t make sense of His death at the hands of the religious leaders and Rome. Like many of the Jewish people of that day, they saw the Messiah as a coming conqueror, but not as a suffering servant. They could not reconcile what they saw happen with what they had been expecting. They are walking and debating what they knew of the Old Testament Scriptures, the death of Jesus, and the reports of His resurrection.  [Read more…]

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…]