When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned. (Isaiah 43:2)
In 1977 as I sat in a movie theatre with some high-school buddies, I watched the opening crawl of Star Wars light up the screen – “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .” and I was locked in like millions of others and lit up like a Jedi light saber. Years later, after becoming a Christian, I began to marvel at all of the gospel themes in that incredible movie, and all the once to follow, rooted in redemption and rebirth – Good vs. Evil / Light vs. Darkness / Right vs. Wrong / Life vs. Death – just to name a few.
The title of today’s message is a wordplay on the iconic movie catchphrase, “May the Force be with you.” This word of encouragement reimagines the Star Wars pun as a supernatural blessing of God’s personal presence in our lives, rooted in the biblical story found in Daniel chapter 3 about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship the golden image set up by king Nebuchadnezzar. However, when the king looked into the furnace, he said these words, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” His servants replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” The king replied, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
The fourth man is what we theologians call a Christophany – a preincarnate appearance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In their time of greatest need having been thrown into the fiery furnace facing certain death, God shows up and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are totally protected by the presence of God. They are unbound. They are unharmed. They are unfazed. Notice, the only thing that was burned up in the fire were the cords that bound them. Oh, what a Great God we have who meets us in our deepest place of need. The Lord Jesus is with us through every trial and fiery furnace we face.
In closing, happy May the Fourth. Receive and rest in the promise of God to never leave nor forsake you. Embrace that eternal encouragement this Star Wars Day, and remember, He who began that great work in you will one day bring it to completion because the Fourth Man is with you every step of the way.
If you would like to hear the sermon I preached on this subject last year, Sunday May 4, 2025, you can go to Cross Community Church – Deerfield Beach – click on the live sermons and scroll back.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 