By David Faust
Preaching holds such an honored role in church history that the pulpit has been called “the sacred desk.” The word pulpit doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible, although Ezra and other leaders taught God’s Law while standing “on a high wooden platform” (Nehemiah 8:4, New International Version). A letter from Cyprian of Carthage written around A.D. 250 mentions a preacher standing “on the pulpit” (evidently a stage) where he would be visible to the whole congregation.
Today’s pulpits take different forms, from wooden lecterns to transparent Plexiglas podiums. In Western Europe, fancy pulpits require the preacher to mount steps to a perch that resembles the prow of a ship where he towers over the congregation below. I have seen ornate, immovable pulpits carved from stone; and over the years I have used a lot of those light-weight metal music stands that move up or down to adjust to the speaker’s height. Instead of large pulpits, many preachers today prefer to place their Bibles and notes on small tables.
Scripture emphasizes the message itself, not the furniture from which the message is delivered.
Where Jesus Preached
Jesus didn’t need a pulpit to make his points. He often taught outdoors while seated on a mountainside or in a boat (Matthew 5:1; Luke 5:3). He gave a lengthy lesson about the end times while “sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple” (Mark 13:3). Another teaching opportunity arose when he was “reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper” (Mark 14:3). Private homes and dinner tables often served as the Lord’s classroom.
In the Upper Room, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and taught memorable lessons about suffering, servanthood, and the Holy Spirit (Mark 14:17-25; John 13:1-14:31). A garden called Gethsemane provided the setting for the Lord’s heart-felt prayers, his sweat-drops of blood, and his challenging questions for those who betrayed and arrested him (Mark 14:32-50; Luke 22:39-53).
In the court of the high priest and in Governor Pilate’s palace, Jesus boldly claimed to be the Messiah (Mark 14:62, John 18:19-19:16). He even used the cross as a pulpit, offering forgiveness to his torturers and hope to a dying thief (Luke 23:34, 43).
What Jesus Preached
In the first chapter of his Gospel, Mark sums up Jesus’ preaching in three concise points.
He preached good news. “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God” (Mark 1:14). A faithful preacher speaks the truth even when it hurts, but the bad news about sin must lead to grace and hope for the sinner. If our preaching doesn’t include good news, it isn’t the gospel.
He preached about God’s kingdom. “‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near’” (Mark 1:15a). Effective preaching points to the majesty of God, his purpose for the world, and his right to rule in our hearts.
He preached repentance and faith. “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15b). Faithful preaching turns us from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. It moves people to trust Jesus, surrender to his lordship, and be baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).
The power of the pulpit resides neither in physical furnishings nor in preachers themselves, but in the Holy Spirit who empowers his servants to proclaim God’s timeless truth. “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). That’s why whenever we preach God’s Word, no matter the size and shape of “the sacred desk,” it is a sacred task.
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Married for Good.
Author: Christian Standard
Contact us at **@********************ia.com
Yes, the bad news and the good news that saved us from the bad news. Both need to be preached.