John 13 - 15

Fruit

A Christian must have a relationship with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and that relationship must bring forth fruit.  In today's reading Jesus speaks, in all three chapters, primarily about how once He goes away, He will send back the Holy Spirit - The Comforter - The Advocate - The Teacher to dwell in the believer.  This will establish an everlasting relationship between God and man and will allow God to work through men and women.

In chapter 15, Jesus talks about He being the vine and we, the believers, being the branches (v.1).  He discusses a progression of fruit bearing that is wonderful. As branches we must bear fruit or we are cut off (v. 2).  As believers we will bear fruit and will be purged to bring forth more fruit. (v. 2).  The fruit is borne and produced by the branch only if it remains in the vine (v. 4).   If we remain in Him, we will bring forth much fruit (v. 6 and 8).  This brings great joy to the Father (v. 8).  Because we bear the fruit of God it is a lasting fruit, a fruit that remains (v. 16).

Thus we see the progression of no fruit - fruit - more fruit - much fruit - fruit that remains.  What is this fruit of the Holy Spirit?  It is the Love (agapo) of God for God and our fellow man.  It is allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our lives.  It is an intimate relationship with God.  It allows the believer to be a Friend of God.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 10 - 12

Resurrection Of Lazarus

The remarkable resurrection of Lazarus is told in John 11:1-44 and John's Gospel is the only one to record this event. Lazarus was a brother to Martha and Mary and all three were friends with Jesus. They resided in the town of Bethany which was just east of Jerusalem.

Their brother became ill unto death, yet they were hesitant to send for Jesus because they knew the religious leaders wanted to kill Him and persecute His disciples. At the same time they knew that Jesus had the power to heal their brother, so they sent a message informing Jesus that Lazarus was asleep.  Jesus knew the outcome would be the resurrection of Lazarus, so he did not respond to their message other than to tell His disciples that Lazarus' sickness was for the glory of God.

After several days, Jesus then tells His disciples that they would return to Jerusalem. They were concerned for Jesus' safety for their own well-being.  After Jesus explained to them that Lazarus was dead and that he was going to "wake" him, Thomas even exclaimed in 11:16 that they would go too and die with Jesus - thus elucidating their fear of the religious leaders.

The declarations of first, Martha, and later, Mary, are identical (v21, 32), "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."  What ensues are some of the most powerful words in the Bible demonstrating the power of Jesus.  He states in verse 23, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha rationalizes, "Yes he will rise in the general resurrection." Then Jesus makes this incredible statement (v. 25), "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."  After expressing His sorrow as a man over the death of His friend and the sorrow of Lazarus' sisters, Jesus then prayed and commanded Lazarus to come back to life. This so disturbed the Pharisees that they swore to kill Jesus and Lazarus (11:53, 12:10).

The lessons for the Christian believer today from this event are clear: We were sick with sin, to the point of death. Our friends and relatives prayed for us asking that Jesus save us from our sin and spiritual death. Only when the Lord knew that we were ready to be raised to new life did He come on the scene. We were saved from sin and had the stench of the world removed from us (symbolized by the grave wrappings).  Our conversion and salvation so disturbs the Devil that he relentlessly attempts to drag us back into sin, but to no avail if we are filled with His Holy Spirit.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 7 - 9

Your Father, The Devil

Today's reading contains many claims by Jesus to be the One sent of the Father, the I AM of His day. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, and Sadducees could not accept that Jesus was from God.  In spite of the miracles He performed and His knowledge of the Law, and His ability to teach in the synagogue, the leaders would not accept Him as the Messiah.

In chapter 8, the leaders press Jesus to identify the source of His power.  He continually refers to the Father and the the Old Testament promises that He would come in their day.  In verse 33, they claim their lineage from Abraham.  Jesus explains that they cannot be from Abraham because Abraham prophesied that one like Jesus would come (Gen 22:17-18).  Next they claimed Abraham as their father, but once again Jesus rebukes them for trying to kill Him - proving that Abraham was not their father.

In verse 41, the leaders claim the God Himself is their father.  This statement is outrageous in Jesus' thinking.  How can they be from the Father and hate Him who is also from the Father?  The answer is obvious, they have the Devil as their father. This ties back to Genesis 3 when the devil entered the serpent and had sexual relations with Eve producing Cain.

Jesus clearly identifies the hypocritical leaders with Cain (v. 44).  Cain was a murderer and they are murderers (v. 44).  Cain hated the truth refusing to offer a proper sacrifice and these leaders hate the truth (v. 44).  Cain was a liar not owning up to the murder of righteous Abel and these are liars (v. 44).  Cain did not accept the offer of repentance from God and neither do the leaders (v. 47).  At this, they are so flustered they resort to racism calling Jesus a Samaritan devil (v. 48).

In the same way John presents Jesus as the Divine One, the I AM and the Messiah, He also identifies the religious spirit that rails against the truth of God's Word and substitutes man-made traditions. Lord help us to believe Your Word and obey Your Will.

John 5 - 6

Many Disciples Leave Him

In today's reading, Jesus reasserts His relationship to the Father claiming a direct descent.  For the religious leaders, this was blasphemy, even worse than His performing miracles on the Sabbath and having the lame man carry his bed on the Sabbath.  In 5:19- 45 Jesus makes the following statements inextricably associating Himself directly with the Father God:

• 19 - Jesus is totally dependent on the Father doing only what the Father wills.
• 21 & 22 - Jesus magnifies the works of the Father in giving life to whomever He chooses and having divine authority to judge.
• 24 - Jesus' message, when heard and heeded, gives the listener eternal life
• 32 - God testifies of Jesus' power and divinity by allowing His works to be accomplished through Jesus
• 43 - Jesus comes in the name of the Father
• 45 - If the religious leaders truly believed Moses then they would recognize Jesus because Moses prophesied that Jesus would come (Deut 18:1-18)

In chapter 6 the story of feeding the 5000 is told, along with the story of Jesus walking on the water.  The crowds follow Jesus over to Capernaum because of the miracles He performed. Jesus rebukes them in verse 26 for following Him for carnal reasons, i.e. fishes and loaves, and not understanding the He is the true bread of God (a reiteration of the message He gave the disciples in 4:34). 

If verse 53, Jesus brings a new level of spiritual teaching to those following Him, telling them, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you."  This was a radical departure from the miracles they were used to seeing.  Verse 60 explains that many of his followers had difficulty understanding this teaching, and like His other teachings, they were thinking of it only in carnal terms. In verse 66 the Bible states, "At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him." Then Jesus asked the Twelve "Are you also going to go?" This is a question all Christians must answer.

Are we following Jesus only for what He does for us physically (healing) and emotionally (comforting)?  Are we in this only for prosperity and financial blessings?  Or do we accept Him as Lord of hour life, consuming every teaching and incorporating it into our being?

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 3 - 4

Born Of The Spirit

Today's portion contains several incidents that are recorded only in John.  The theme of both of these chapters is that the believer must have the Spirit of God, i.e. must be born again.  Nicodemus was a Rabbi of great stature in the synagogue and was well learned (3:10). To his credit, Nicodemus realized there was something special and unusual about Jesus.  Careful to not be seen with Him, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night (3:2).  Jesus immediately tells him that he must be born again or, in the Greek, "born from above" (v.3).

This teaching of Jesus' is critical to understanding the Christian faith. It is not a faith based on geography (as we will see in a few moments) or one based on a set of rules and strict liturgy, it is solely based on being identified with Jesus Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus failed to grasp this at first (3:4), but Jesus continued to explain the importance of the new birth stating that it is impossible to understand spiritual matters without the Holy Spirit (3:5).  He ties this in to His purpose on Earth, i.e. His sacrifice. This is summed up in John 3:16, perhaps one of the most quoted verses of Scripture there is: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  This ties the love of God to the purpose of Jesus' life on earth to the will of God. God loved all; He gave His Son for all; He wants all to have eternal life.

This segues nicely into the meeting of Jesus with a woman in Samaria at Jacob's well.  Jesus is thirsty and asks for water, but the woman is more concerned about racial issues (the dissonance between Samaritans and Jews). Jesus quickly brings up the spiritual thought that He has water that, when drank, slakes all thirst. This ties in perfectly with what Jesus told Nicodemus. She wants this water, but like Nicodemus, she puts a carnal interpretation to Jesus' words. When Jesus asks her to bring her husband, we find out why she is so defensive.

First she was at the well at noon (4:6) instead of early in the morning with all the other women. This was because she was an immoral woman living in adultery (4:18), which Jesus identifies.  She finds this shocking, but yet still understands that Jesus is a prophet (v. 19).  However she then tries to divert Jesus' attention from her sin and starts explaining how Samaritans worship at a certain mountain.  Jesus tells her that the Jews know more (in a religious sense) about worshiping Jehovah than Samaritans, but that soon none of this will matter. The Messiah is ushering in an era of worship not tied to geography or tradition. Instead those who follow the coming Christ will worship anywhere irrespective of man-made traditions and will worship in Spirit and in Truth.

Despite her sinful condition, she knew that the coming of the Messiah was nigh (v.25) and Jesus, sensing her willingness to believe makes an outstanding statement in verse 26, "I AM the Messiah!"  His use of I AM identifies Him with the I AM that was revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14.  So startled was the woman that she ran to the city testifying of Him. Her testimony was convincing because the Samaritans prevailed on Him to stay two days and, according to verse 39, "many Samaritans ... believed in Jesus."

While He was talking to the woman, the disciples returned with food they had gone to purchase and insisted that Jesus eat (v. 31).  Jesus' answer is eerily similar to what He said to the woman, "I have a kind of food you know nothing about." Once again, Jesus speaks of things in a spiritual manner, but His words are interpreted (this time by the disciples in verse 33) in a carnal way.

We see that the new birth, the living water, and the nourishing food from God all are speaking of the same thing - the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer.  We must be born again.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 1 - 2

Marriage At Cana

John's Gospel stands unique among the four Gospels.  Reviewing, we know that Matthew presented Jesus as a king; Mark presents Him as a servant; Luke presents Him as a Man who is Divine; and John presents Him as the Divine God who is a man.  John's Gospel is the most intimate of all four because of the close relationship young John had with Jesus.  This Gospel also contains a larger number unique incidents and teachings than the other three.

The opening verses are reminiscent of Genesis 1:1 and 1 John 1:1 in that all talk about the "beginning" and how the God/The Word/Jesus existed when the beginning began. Using the King James Version we can look at all three of these verses:

Gen 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 John 1: 1 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

The parallels are unmistakable.  God was already in existence when the reality of Earth and Mankind were created. Matthew and Luke provide records of Jesus' human ancestry and lineage, but John provides Jesus' spiritual lineage: The Word - God - Jesus. As we progress through the Epistles and Revelations we will revisit this subject.

In chapter 2, John starts with the first public miracle of Jesus - turning water to wine. In verse 1 we find out that Jesus' mother is present at the wedding and verse 2 tells us that Jesus, and His disciples were invited and attended.  This shows wisdom on the part of those who hosted the festivities in that they wanted Jesus present. Evidently, things were going well because they ran out of wine.  In 2:3, Mary informs Jesus of the problem and verse 4 records one of the most enigmatic scriptures in the Gospels.  The KJV reads, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?  mine hour is not yet come."  The NLT reads, "Dear woman, that's not our problem. My time has not yet come." The Lamsa reads, "What is that to me and to you, my hour has not yet come."  I have long thought about this verse, but to date have not formulated a good understanding of Jesus' response.

Mary was not disturbed at His answer. She tells the servants, "Do whatever he tells you to do." This is still excellent advice today regardless of the problem you are facing.  Whatever Jesus tells you to do will always be the correct course of action.

There were six stone water containers nearby used to hold water for ceremonial washing.  The six speaks to the number of mankind, stone speaks to the earth.  The water represents the old ceremonial law.  Notice that Jesus told the servants to fill the containers with water.  We (the stone containers) must be filled with the water of God's word to become clean.  Then He tells them to pour/dip out the liquid and take it to the master of ceremonies. 

The Bible records nothing about anything specific that Jesus did, it was all done by the servants at His bidding. As His servants we should behave in a similar fashion. Instead of looking for a sign or a miracle, if we do His bidding (what He tells us to do) then signs and miracles will follow and confirm His Word.  The master of ceremonies confirms the miracle declaring this wine to be the "best" (v. 10).  In a similar way, Jesus takes the Word (water) in our life and changes it to the spirit (wine) and puts on display the best (His life living through us).

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 23 - 24

The Crucifixion

Note: Today we complete the third, and largest, book in the New Testament.

Today's reading is Luke's description of the crucifixion and, like much of Luke, he includes details that the other Gospel writers do not provide.  Luke is the only one who records Jesus' interactions with Herod (23:6-12). He is the only one who records that Jesus stops and tells the women following Him to stop weeping for Him and start weeping for themselves (23:28-31). Only in Luke is the account of the two malefactors crucified with Jesus (23:39-43). Finally, Luke alone records the details of the two disciples, one named Cleopas, the other unnamed, on the road to Emmaus (24:13-28). Each of these incidences provides a lesson to the believer.

Herod had wanted to see Jesus (23:8) and was "delighted at the opportunity to see [him]." His reasons were not spiritual or reverential, he wanted Jesus to perform a miracle. Once Herod realized Jesus was not going to clown for him, he began mocking Jesus and encouraged his soldiers to do the same (v. 11).  This is so typical of the carnal observer interested in Christianity only for the entertainment value it can provide.  But Jesus and His followers do not put on magic shows - they are interested in only doing the Father's will.

When Jesus was carrying His cross on the way to the place of His execution, many of his followers trailed behind lamenting at the horrific treatment He had received.  Luke 23:27 states that many grief-stricken women followed.  Jesus, ever concerned about others, turns to them and explains that weeping for Him is not necessary (He was fulfilling the will of the Father) but that they should weep for themselves and the on-coming destruction of Jerusalem.

The story of the two criminals crucified with Jesus is typed by the two criminals in prison with Joseph in Genesis 40.  In Joseph's case one criminal is killed and the other is spared.  In the case of Jesus' crucifixion, one criminal is condemned to Hell because of his attitude towards Jesus and the other is promised Paradise because of his reverence of Jesus. Even at a time when it seemed impossible to believe, the criminal realized the power of Jesus and asks for salvation, and Jesus does not disappoint him.

The final incident is the record of the two disciples travelling to Emmaus. They were doing the correct thing in that they were discussing Jesus.  As is typical, when people start talking about Him, He appears on the scene.  In this case, they were still confused about His death. Jesus appears with them but they are veiled to His presence.  Only when He does something they were familiar with - breaking bread - do their eyes come open.  How many times have we been talking about Him and then fail to recognize His presence?

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 21 - 22

Judas, The Betrayer

Chapter 22 discusses Judas and how Satan entered his heart to fulfill his obligation to betray Jesus to the religious leaders.  A search of the Gospels reveals that Judas never referred to Jesus as Lord.  He called him Rabbi, or Teacher but never, Lord. Thus, for the son of perdition, the betrayal was convenient.

The Bible is silent on the particular events that led up to Judas becoming a disciple of Christ.  He was the treasurer and and a thief (see John 12:6).  Yet, he also was sent out by Jesus when He commissioned the disciples to travel though Judea healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing miracles.  Since there is no mention in the Bible that Judas was excluded, one can assume that Judas worked along side the other disciples and was one of those who proclaimed happiness in that the "demons obey when we use your name." (Luke 10:17).  Judas also received the blessings of Jesus' prayers and observed the many miracles and healings that Jesus performed.

Yet, something was amiss in Judas. His desire for money could not be satisfied by his discipleship.  The lesson for us, as Christians, should not be missed.  Even though we follow Christ, our worldly desires can mitigate and attenuate our zeal for spiritual experiences and a closer walk with the Lord.  We must guard against the influence of Satan to "betray" our relationship with Christ.  Judas succumbed to the internal pressure of greed by accepting money from and conniving with the religious leaders to deliver Jesus to them.

I think it not a coincidence that Judas picked the time of the Passover meal for his nefarious betrayal.  After participating in the meal and hearing Jesus speak of the great sacrifice He would have to make, Judas' heart was so hardened that he still chose to betray Jesus.  He knew that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and thus conspired to deliver Jesus at that time.

His use of a kiss was a mockery of the love Jesus felt for His disciples.  Even the Lord himself was incredulous at being betrayed by a kiss (Luke 22:47, Matt 26:47, Mark 14:43 and John 18:1).  This betrayal was so evil, so out of the ordinary that all four Gospel writers record it.  A kiss is to indicate affection - a greeting of love and happiness, yet Satan, through Judas, perverts it into a betrayal that leads to death.

While we acknowledge Jesus as our Teacher, we must also accept and honor Him as our Lord.  May our "kiss" be one of acceptance and appreciation and not betrayal.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word

Luke 19 - 20

Zacchaeus

Jesus demonstrates His humility in today's reading.  Although He was the Son of God and could have been entertained by anyone, He chose to go to Zacchaeus' house.  Everything about this story speaks to the humility of Christ.

Jesus and His disciples had sojourned to Jericho. Jericho is the lowest city on earth in elevation, sitting approximately 850 ft below sea level.  Jericho was also an evil city identified with the judgement of God (see Joshua 5). When He arrives in Jericho, the person He chooses to visit is an odd choice.

Zacchaeus is a short man (20:3) and is in a hated profession - tax collection - and is the chief tax collector in the region (v. 2).  Evidently, Zacchaeus had a strong desire to see Jesus.  The scripture does not elucidate the details of his need to see Him, but Zacchaeus was will to abase himself and climb a tree to get a glimpse of the Savior.

His actions impressed Jesus to the point that he ordered him out of the tree and essentially invited Himself to dinner at Zacchaeus' house (v. 5).  So happy is Zacchaeus that he immediately begins to explain to Jesus how he will make restitution (per Levitical Law) to those whom he had cheated (v. 8). Because of the correctness and sincerity of his response, Jesus tells Zacchaeus, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham."

The lessons from Zacchaeus should not be lost on the Christian.  Regardless of our low station in life and the sins we have committed, if we have a desire to fellowship with Jesus, He will make a way for that to happen.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word

Luke 17 - 18

Mustard Seed And An Unjust Judge

Note: This is posted early for Monday's reading.

Today's reading has two parables that are radically different yet deal with the same subject: faith. Faith is a quality that the disciples did not seem to possess while Jesus was with them.  A careful reading of the four Gospels will show that Jesus never complimented the disciples for manifesting faith.  He complimented others-the Roman centurion and the woman with the blood issue are two examples-but there is not a recorded instance of Jesus ever bragging on the disciple's faith.  Many times they were completely unaware that faith was available to them-for example when Jesus fed the 5000 and the 4000 and when Jesus was sleeping on the boat and the storm arose.

In chapter 17 verse 5, the disciples make this request, "Show us how to increase our faith."  This request is predicated on the idea that they have faith since they specifically ask the Lord to increase their faith.  Jesus' response addresses this issue.  He explains that faith is like mustard seed, i.e. extremely small and not in need of increasing.  With "mustard seed faith" one can command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and moved.  Mulberry trees live for many years and develop extensive root systems, so this would have to be a miracle and require God's intervention.

He then remind's them that they are His servants (vs.7-10) and, as servants, they should be happy to serve him and expect no reward.  I believe Jesus states this to show that there is no causal relationship between our good deeds and our faith.  Faith comes by hearing God's Word and totally committing to Him and obeying His will.

In chapter 18, the Lord opens with a parable about an unjust judge. The man does not sound pleasant and is not the type of man to put up with nonsense.  However, in the parable, a woman pesters him for a judgement to the point that he can no longer take the annoyance. To get some peace, he renders a judgement in her favor (v.5). The Lord likens the woman's continuous efforts to faith, explaining that even an unjust man is moved by this. He then asks (v.8), "When the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith?"

These two parables are a challenge to the believer. We must have faith.  We must manifest our faith. We must not be shy about asking for the impossible. We must be persistent asking that the Lord render a judgement in our favor.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 15 - 16

Lost and Found

NOTE: Posted early for Sunday's reading.

Chapter 15 contains three parables each of which discuss losing and finding. In the first parable (vs. 4-7) a shepherd in charge of 100 sheep and notices that one is lost.  He does not just ignore this - he leaves the 99 sheep and goes to find the lost sheep. So great is his joy that he calls his friends and neighbors and asks them to "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep." (v.6).

In the second parable (vs. 8-10) a woman discovers one of her ten silver coins missing (probably from her dowry). Panicked, she lights a candle and searches her home until she finds it. She then calls her friends and neighbors and states, "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin." (v.9).

The third parable (vs. 11-32) is the "prodigal son" parable.  A man with two sons, one faithful and one somewhat reckless, gives his reckless son his inheritance early.  The son wastes all the money in a foreign land on wild living (v.13) and reaches the point where he is starving, feeding hogs.  So wretched is he that even the pig's slop looks good (v.16). Somewhere within his mind he remembers his father and determines to return and become a servant to his father.

In the mean time, his father has reckoned him dead (v.24). Seeing his son return brings such joy that the father returns him to a son-ship status and has a huge feast celebrating the son's return. The faithful son must have also reckoned his brother dead.  He is disturbed to find out that his father is hosting a party to celebrate the brother's return.  His reaction is a curious one, but not unlike the reaction of many today when money is involved in an inheritance.  Perhaps he was concerned that his inheritance would be diminished, or that his father would not show him the love and respect he felt he deserved (v.29). The father reassures him that he is still his son and wants him to share in the joy of his brother's return.  The parable is open-ended in that the decision of the "good" son is not recorded.

Notice that three things are lost: a sheep, a coin, and a son.  Each are representative of a relationship with the "finder", the savior. The sheep represents the sinner lost in his sins, helpless until the shepherd saves him.  The coin represents the believer in a relationship with the savior but not careful with all the covenanted promises and obligations.  Aware that something is amiss, the believer shines the light of God's word into their existence to restore the blessings of God.  The prodigal is representative of the backslider, a person who has and is in the inheritance of God, but squanders the opportunity by placing the things of the world ahead of the things of God.  Coming to their senses, they realize that the only correct thing to do is to return to Jesus and ask for mercy and to be restored.  The "good" son is representative of the nominal church member, more worried about their political position in the church and less worried about witnessing to the lost sinner.

Each of us should be able to see ourselves in one and all of these parables.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 13 - 14

Count The Cost

In today's reading, many of the "Kingdom of God" parables are repeated with slight variations from Matthew and Mark. In chapter 14, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd (v. 25) telling them that being His disciple involves more that just following Him.  We know from 13:14 that "all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did." But this does not address the question of what they thought about all the wonderful things He taught.

To be His disciple meant to forsake all.  Jesus states in verse 26, "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple." This is straight-forward and unequivocal. Jesus is not advocating hatred but he is stating that nothing, including familial love, must compete with your devotion to Christ.

For some, this is a tough pill to swallow.  Others accede to this mentally, but their actions show they believe differently than what Jesus taught.  Jesus admonishes in verse 28, "...don't begin [following Him] until you count the cost."  This means, to me, that Jesus is not interested in half-hearted disciples. He wants followers who are totally sold out to him, followers who are willing to burn every bridge to the past and forsake every ambition, friendship, and relationship for Him.

If we think about it, that is what He did for us.  He did nothing to secure His place in the Jewish religious hierarchy, even though the Bible states numerous times that the leaders where amazed and astounded at His doctrine.  He did not seek fame even among the people, telling them to keep quiet about the miracles He performed.  When he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He even relinquished His will to the Father's will. On the cross, He gave His all (literally) so that we could be saved. He counted the cost and deemed it worthy, should we do anything less?

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 11 - 12

Calling From The Crowd

Note: This is for Friday's reading.

Today's portion is large and covers a wide variety of subjects, some of which I have written about when reading Matthew and Mark. There are two incidents unique to Luke's Gospel in this reading, where a woman (11:27) and then a man (12:13) call out to Jesus while He is preaching.

Jesus had just responded to the accusation that He casts out demons by the power of Satan (11:14-15).  In his response, the Lord demonstrates the illogical thinking of this assertion. Why would Satan cast himself out of someone? Why, when he already occupies a person to destroy them, would he allow another person to use Satan's spirit to remove Satan's spirit? This is ludicrous.  In fact, Satan is always looking to possess those whom he can possess.  Even when cast out, a spirit will return to the person, and if the Holy Spirit has not taken over the person's life, Satan will gather seven spirits worse than the first one and reoccupy the person. (11:26).

Jesus had completed this thought when a woman cries out from the crowd, "God bless your mother - the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!" (v.27).  This seems like a curious comment considering it is not related to demon possession.  Perhaps the woman was elated to hear Jesus. Perhaps she was impressed with His wisdom.  The Bible does not explain her motivation, but I believe her comments were inappropriate. Yes, the mother who bore him was blessed, but He, Jesus, delivered a message (The Kingdom of God is with you) which is more blessed. His reply did not deny the blessedness of Mary, however it did correct her statement.  In verse 28 He states, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." So while Mary was blessed for birthing Jesus into the world, ALL can be blessed by hearing His message, i.e. allowing His message to be "birthed" in their heart.

The second incident occurs after Jesus teaches the multitudes to not worry about those who will persecute them for following Him (12:1-12).  He points out that those "who acknowledge me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will acknowledge in the presence of God's angels." (v. 8). This is a continuation of the theme of being blessed to hear His message.  

In verse 13 a man calls out, "Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me." Once again, I think the comment was inappropriate.  His motivation is obvious, perhaps he thought Jesus would use His power to help him financially.  Jesus responds in a manner that corrects the man's attitude. "Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that? ... Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."  As one who owns very little, I can appreciate the Lord's response.

Jesus message was a spiritual message to get people to follow him for their spiritual welfare. This was contrary to the legalistic, human-oriented message the Pharisees and religious leaders taught in that day.  The Lord's message still applies today: We must hear and act on His teachings. And we must value Him above all.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 9 - 10

The Good Samaritan

Note: This is Thursday's reading. For this commentary I am using the King James Version Bible.

Luke 10:30-35

A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him], And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (KJV).

Setting

The setting for this parable (found only in Luke’s Gospel) is after the Seventy returned to report to Jesus their joy that “even the devils are subject unto us through thy name”, Luke 10:17b. Jesus reaffirms that He gave them power, but that their joy should be “because you names are written in heaven”, Luke 10:20b. Jesus then rejoices (see verses 21 and 22) then says to the disciples (I am assuming this is the Seventy and not the Twelve) privately in verses 23 and 24 how blessed they are to understand and participate in the things they have witnessed.

At this point, perhaps envious of the relationship between Jesus and His disciples, a lawyer asks the Lord, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (vs. 25). According to the scriptures, the question was disingenuous. The term lawyer (nomekos) means one who studies and teaches the Mosaic Law, so his ken of understanding would include the knowledge to answer his own question. Knowing this, Jesus answers his question with the question, “What does the Law say?” The lawyer replies that one must love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind and one’s neighbor as oneself. Jesus acknowledges his answer as being correct and instructs him to do these things.

At this point in the conversation the problem arises. The lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29). This question is so typical of the intellectual believer, the Christian who is never satisfied, who has never incorporated faith into their spiritual understanding. Keep in mind that the lawyer did not want an answer to his question rather, he wanted to tempt (v.25) the Lord, to catch Him in some error. Jesus answered with the above parable.

Before getting into the parable itself, let’s look at what happened after Jesus told it to the lawyer. He asks the lawyer in verse 36, “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” The lawyer provides the correct answer, “He that showed mercy on him” and Jesus instructs the lawyer (for the second time) to go and do likewise. 

What is interesting is that Jesus never directly answered either of the questions the lawyer asked. The first question was answered by the lawyer himself. The second question, “Who is my neighbor?” was not answered. Indeed, Jesus led the lawyer to the answer of the question, “How can I be a neighbor?” I find this remarkable. It is more important that we, as Christians, are a good neighbor, than to know who our neighbors are, i.e. WE can be a neighbor to anyone.

Parable

The parable itself is equally remarkable for its didactics and scope.

In verse 31 Jesus says, “A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,…” He was going from a blessed city to a cursed city, i.e. the man was backsliding, heading in the wrong direction. Jerusalem is representative of the heavenly city, while Jericho is a cursed city. Scripture confirms these metaphors. Read Psalms 116:19, 122:6, 128:5, 137:5-6; 147:2; Isaiah 2:3, 4:3, 24:23; 27:13, Zechariah 8:22, 9:9, Hebrews 12:22, and Revelations 21:2 for a few examples of how blessed a city Jerusalem is. Even the name Jerusalem indicates a blessing. It is a compound word from Hebrew yarah and shalom meaning to teach and peace respectively. Jericho was cursed by the Lord through Joshua. Read Joshua 6:26, 10:1, 10:28 and Hebrews 11:30.

And of course when the man backslid he ran into trouble. This always happens when a person leaves the protection of God. Verse 31 (continuing), “and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead.” The man’s condition reminds me of the condition of the modern church in Revelations 3:17, “and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” The man is wretched (and wounded [him],), miserable (half dead ), poor (“and fell among thieves), and naked (stripped him of his raiment) all because he decided to take an ill-advised trip.

The behavior of the priest and Levite is inexcusable. To me they are representative of the nominal church system which could not or would not help him. Anytime a person is in a serious spiritual condition, the Lord has to intervene. To rely on a denomination or on the works of man will always leave the person in a worse condition. A priest is one who offers sacrifices and serves the Lord. A Levite is one who knows the law. So both men would have been intimately familiar with Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. They were under an obligation to help the man, yet chose to pass him by.

At this point, the Samaritan came to where the man was. During Jesus’ time the Samaritans were considered second class citizens. The Jewish religious hierarchy disdained them, deeming them to be on the same level as demon possessed sinners. John 4:8 states, “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” In John 4:9, the woman at the well, a Samaritan, declares that Jews and Samaritans did not interact, “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” Yet, it was the outcast, the despised Samaritan, NOT the religious leaders, who stopped to help the man.

What struck me was the Samaritan’s reaction: compassion. The Greek word (splagchnizomai) translated compassion in the parable is the same word used in Matthew 9:36 and Matthew 14:14 when Jesus had compassion on the multitude. This is also the same word used in Luke 15:20 when the father saw his prodigal son. So we know the reaction of the Samaritan was genuine. The word “Samaritan” comes from a Greek root Samareia which meansguardianship. So in the spiritual sense the Good Samaritan is a type of the Holy Spirit coming to the spiritual aid of the backslider.

Of course the Good Samaritan did not just “feel” compassion he also put the compassion into action by doing the following seven things:

1. He bound up his wounds
2. He poured in oil and wine
3. He set him on his on beast
4. He brought him to an inn
5. He took care of him
6. He gave the inn-keeper two pence to cover the costs
7. He promised to take care of everything else when he returned

What the Good Samaritan did unmistakably parallels perfectly with what the Holy Spirit does for us! 

1. He binds up our wounds – The Lord heals us not only physically but also spiritually, i.e. He removes the stain of the world from us.
2. He pours in the oil and wine – the Holy Ghost and the stimulation of revelation.
3. He puts us on his beast, i.e. He bears our burden with his power.
4. He brings us to an inn – a Holy Ghost filled church, a fellowship of believers.
5. He takes care of us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6. He makes sure the inn-keeper, i.e. the pastor, has all he needs to take care of us spiritually.
7. He promises to come again and reward the inn-keeper for all he’s done – He’s coming to take away His bride.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 7 - 8

Miracles

Note: This is Wednesday's reading and commentary.

These two chapter contain many fantastic miracles.  In  7:18-20, John the Baptist's disciples ask Jesus, at John's command, "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?"  Jesus does not answer the question directly, instead He tells John's disciples (v. 22), "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard - the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor."  This sets the tone for these two chapters.

That which Jesus told John's disciples to tell John (who was in prison) is fulfilled in just these two chapters:

1. A Roman officer's slave is healed - 7:10.
2. A widow's son is raised from the dead - 7:15.
3. Many diseases and physical afflictions are healed - 7:21.
4. An ill-famed woman's sins are forgiven - 7:48.
5. A storm that threatens the lives of Jesus and the disciples is calmed - 8:24.
6. A man filled with numerous demons is delivered - 8:29.
7. A woman with a chronic blood issue is healed - 8:48.
8. Jairus' daughter is raised from the dead - 8:55.

These, and many other miracles documented in the Gospels, are undeniable proof of Jesus' power and divinity.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 5 - 6

Followers and Critics

Note: This is Tuesday's reading and commentary.

In today's reading we see the reaction of those who Jesus calls to follow Him in comparison to those who followed Jesus around calling to Him to criticize.  The differences are diametrically opposed. Jesus wanted followers and He called to them and they followed Him.  However, along with those who followed Him with their heart, there were those who followed Him to criticize - the Pharisee and teachers.

Chapter 5 begins with Jesus preaching while standing in Simon Peter's boat.  Because Simon was kind and allowed Jesus to preach, the Lord instructed Simon to launch out into deep waters and let down his nets. In spite of his bad day of fishing, Simon obeys and catches a great multitude of fish - so great two boats were required to handle the catch.  Peter, realizing the presence of God, bows before Jesus and exclaims "O Lord, please leave me - I'm too much of a sinner to be around you." (v. 8).  Jesus calls him and his brother and James and John to be disciples (v. 10). In verse 11 they leave everything and immediately follow Jesus.

Compare this to the Pharisees and teachers in verse 17, following, watching, hoping to catch Jesus doing something wrong.  During a meeting Jesus tells a man his sins are forgiven (v. 20) for which the Pharisees and teachers accuse Jesus of blasphemy.  In verse 27, Jesus calls Levi (a hated tax collector) to follow him. He leaves everything and follows Jesus (v. 28). While Levi is holding a dinner for Jesus and the disciples, the Pharisees and teachers are nearby questioning, "Why do you eat and drink with such scum?" (v.30).

In chapter 6, verse 1, Jesus and his disciples pick grain on the Sabbath day and eat it. Of course, the Pharisees and teachers are there condemning their actions.  The next Sabbath, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue and a man is there with a deformed hand. The Bible states, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath." (v.7).  Incredible! Their hatred for Jesus and their obsession with their understanding of the Law left no room for mercy.  After Jesus heals the man's hand, the religious leaders are enraged.  Verse 11 states, "At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him."

The lesson for us, as Christians, is that we are not to expect everyone to agree with our stand for Christ. Every action we take, every song we sing in praise of Him, any donations of money, or shunning of sin will be misinterpreted by those critical of the Christian faith.  Our attitude has to match the attitude of the disciples - we drop everything and follow Him.  Additionally our actions need to be like those of Jesus - in the face of obvious criticism and disagreement, He did not fail to act and do what His Father bid Him to do.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 3 - 4

This Day This Scripture Is Fulfilled

Note: Written Sunday for Monday's reading.


Luke chapter 3 contains the genealogy of Jesus tracing His lineage through Mary (daughter of Heli) all the way back to Adam the Son of God.  This genealogy is different from the one in Matthew in that Matthew starts with Abraham and goes forward to Jesus through Joseph the son of Jacob.  There is no discrepancy between Matthew 1:16 "Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary" and Luke 3:23 "Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli."  Joseph was the son of Jacob and the son-in-law of Heli and since this lineage traces through Mary, Heli is noted.

The lineage back to Adam is consistent with Luke's presentation of Jesus as a man who was Divine. The lineage connects Jesus, the Son of God, to Adam, the first man, who also was the son of God. It is interesting to note that Cain is not mentioned in the lineage.  No where is Cain ever identified as a son of Adam or God - because he was not (see my commentary on Genesis 4 in the archives).

After returning from 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee in the village of Nazareth in the Synagogue on the Sabbath.  He reads from Isaiah 61:1-2a, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that eh blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." (other translations of 2a state "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.")  He does not complete verse 2 which states, "and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies."  This omission was on purpose since in verse 21, of Luke 4, Jesus states, "This Scripture you have heard has been fulfilled this very day!" Jesus' first advent brought in the "day of grace (favor)" and thus was fulfilled by Him on Earth.  The second half of Isaiah 61:2 is fulfilled during His second advent when vengeance is loosed on the unbelieving world during the Tribulation.

Since Jesus' first advent was to fulfill the Law and bring in Grace, this is just one of many scriptures His life and ministry fulfilled. As we progress through the Gospels, note the cross references in your Bible on the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus.  A full examination of all of these is beyond the scope of this blog, but is left to the reader to pursue independently.  I recommend a Scofield Reference Edition or a Thompson Chain Reference in addition to the New Living Translation Study Bible (the one I am presently reading) for a complete and exhaustive cross reference of Old Testament prophecy and fulfillment.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Luke 1 - 2

I Must Be About My Father's Business

NOTE: Today we begin the third book of the New Testament and we begin the eleventh week of reading.  I will do double postings on Monday and Tuesday because I will not be able to post on Thursday and Friday. I will resume with Luke 13-14 on Saturday. 

Luke's Gospel is the longest and most complete Gospel covering the time period from before Jesus' and John the Baptist's births to His ascension.  Luke also wrote Acts and as such is the most prolific writer in the New Testament.  Luke presents Jesus as a man who is Divine.  Remember that Matthew presented Him as a King, Mark presents Him as a Servant, and now Luke presents Him as a man who is God and directs his Gospel to a man named Theophilus (possibly a patron or financial supporter). Theophilus means "One who loves God" and thus is representative of all Christians. While technically not a history, Luke's Gospel is based on eyewitness accounts (1:1-4) and dates Jesus' ministry with references to the rulers of His day (see chapter 3).

A harmonic reading of Luke with the other Gospels shows that he omits some details: the angel's appearance to Joseph and the visit from the Magi. Also missing is the account of the death of the children. However, Luke's Gospel contains other incidents that are not recorded in the other Gospels, such as the details of John the Baptist's birth, the shepherd's visit to the new born child, the events in the temple when Jesus is presented on the eight day and the prophecies of Anna and Simeon.  These all help establish the historical accuracy of Luke's account and provided those in the early church with a way to verify the events with those who were actually present at the events.

In Luke 2, he records a curious event that takes place when Joseph and Mary travel with a large party of people to Jerusalem for Passover. Verse 42 states that Jesus was 12 years old - one year shy of entering into His covenant responsibilities as a Jewish male.  After observing Passover, the party leaves and Mary and Joseph assume that Jesus is with the crowd of people with whom they are traveling (v. 44). That evening they discover Jesus is not with them.  In verse 44 the Bible states, "they started looking for him among their relatives and friends." Now this is fine, but Jesus will always be found where you left Him. 

Frantically, they search for Jesus for three days (v.46) finally locating Him in the Temple (where they left Him). He was teaching the religious leaders who were amazed at His understanding of the Scriptures (v. 47). The comments by Mary in verse 48 provoke an amazing response from Jesus.  Mary states, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."  Jesus  replies, "Don't you know I must be in my Father's house?" (v. 49).  Mary in essence denied Jesus' divine birth by referring to Joseph as His father.  But Jesus corrects the error by identifying His Father as Jehovah.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 15 -16

Death, Burial, Resurrection

NOTE: Today's reading completes the second book of the New Testament and completes 10 weeks of reading.

All four Gospels record the events (albeit with different details) of Jesus' trial, death, burial, and resurrection. Mark records very little about the discussion between Pilate and Jesus (and does not record at all Jesus' appearance before Herod). In 15:5, the lack of response by Jesus to his accusers - the Jewish high council - impresses Pilate.

Pilate was a man who had presided over the trials of many men. His experiences provided the knowledge and insight to know when an innocent man was being accused falsely. Jesus answered Pilate when he asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" (v. 2) with a curious answer, "You have said it."  Jesus was basically acknowledging the veracity of Pilate's statement.  Yet, when all the high council railed against Him, Jesus was silent - i.e. He did not dignify their lies with a response (vs. 3-5) "much to Pilate's surprise."

Pilate makes a final offer to the religious leaders, offering to release Jesus (v.9).  He knew Jesus was not guilty of what they charged, and Pilate (though incorrect) did not perceive Jesus as a threat to his power.  Verse 10 explains Pilate's offer, "For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus our of envy."  The tragedy of Pilate is that he did not take a moral stand for right - he remained indifferent to Jesus' plight and allowed him to be tortured and crucified.

While Jesus was carrying the cross to the place of crucifixion, an interesting event is recorded.  Simon, a Cyrenean (a country in north Africa), is pressed into service to carry the cross for Jesus.  Jesus had been beaten so badly that He could no longer carry His own cross.  In verse 21 the following is written, "Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander."  This seems odd and out of place. Why would Mark record what appears to be an insignificant fact? Matthew, Luke, and John do not mention this information.  I think it reflects the personal nature of this Gospel and was included because the readers of Mark knew these men-Rufus and Alexander and thus adds strength to the testimony.

In chapter 16, the behavior of the disciples continues to demonstrate their lack of faith. After Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (v. 9) she tells the disciples (v.10) but (v.11) "they didn't believe her."  Then, in verse 12, He speaks and appears to two of His followers. But in verse 13, "They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them."  In verse 14, Jesus appears to all eleven of the disciples and "rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead."

This display of unbelief is still common today, not only among sinners and the un-churched but also among "believers."  When told of the saving power of Jesus Christ, sinners scoff - demanding proof.  The same is true among even some church members. If someone testifies of a miracle or healing, they are ridiculed as uneducated or as excited or making it up.  Lord help us to believe your Word and see your Spirit move among us.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 13 - 14

Just Say What God Tells You

The two chapters for today closely parallel Matthew 24-26.  Matthew provides more details, but in these Jesus answers the questions the disciples have about what Jesus has prophesied. After a disciple comments on the physical beauty of the Temple, Jesus makes a shocking prophecy, "Yes, look at the great buildings. But they will be completely destroyed. Not one stone will be left on top of another." (13:2). While He was prophesying the destruction of the Temple (which occurred in 70 A.D.), He was also speaking of the demolition of the current form of worship embodied in the Law.

The Temple destruction concerned the disciples.  They could tell from the tone of Jesus' voice and the severe manner in which the prophecy was presented that shortly things would become horribly wrong. The destruction of the Temple was also the destruction of the daily sacrifice and the removal of Jews from the Holy Land for a long period.  Not until the 20th century would the Jews establish their own independent state.

While Jesus spoke, the anxiety of their destiny began to fray the disciples nerves. Jesus was saying that some of them would stand trial. He had already stated that He was going to be crucified. Now, He is stating that the disciples themselves would be severely persecuted. In 13:11, Jesus makes a remarkable promise, "But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."  This promise was powerful and returned their focus back to God where it belonged.  He will speak for us!  He will provide the answers!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 11 - 12

You Are Not Far From The Kingdom

In today's reading Jesus makes a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  For those who loved and followed Him, it was a time of great joy to have have the Messiah in their midst.  However, for the religious leaders, His presence was a constant reminder of their hypocrisy, especially since Jesus was not shy in pointing out their sin.

They constantly assailed Him with trick questions and contrived scenarios in a futile attempt to get Him to speak in error.  In 11:28, the leaders ask him directly, "By what authority are you doing all these things?"  Instead of answering, He asks them a question about John's baptism and whether it was earthly or of heaven (v. 30). Befuddled and overly apprehensive about the people's reaction, they provide no answer to Jesus and He responds in kind. In chapter 12, they continue to beset Him with questions about the resurrection (v. 18), marriage in Heaven(v.23), and taxes (v. 15) and He replies with answers that amaze them (v. 17).

It is difficult to know this for certain, but I feel that some of the leaders came to the realization that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.  In verses 28 - 34, an incident is told about one of the teachers (scribes), who remains nameless, who comes to Jesus with the question, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" (v.28).  Jesus replies with, "Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. Any you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." (vs. 29-31).

The teacher is impressed with Jesus' answer and then adds that these commandments are "more important than to offer all the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law." (v. 33). Now, Jesus is impressed! The man displays a depth of spiritual understanding not normally articulated by the religious leaders. He understands the Law and the spirit of the Law.  Jesus states, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."

Nothing more is said about the fate and destiny of this teacher. Did he become a follower of Jesus, a Christian? Was he in the upper room to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Or did he turn his back on Jesus and return to his tradition?  The scripture is silent and, I think, on purpose.  The teacher types every man who encounters the Lord.  We are not far from the Kingdom, but do we enter the Kingdom when given the opportunity?

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 9 - 10

The Rich Young Ruler

In Mark 10:17-22, the story of the rich, young ruler is told (see also Matt. 19:16-22 and Luke18:18-23). The young man is obviously sincere and perceives Jesus as one knowledgeable in the Scripture and the Law.  His approach is correct, kneeling before Jesus and addressing him as "Teacher/Rabbi" (v.17).  The ruler calls Jesus "good" which provokes a curious response from Jesus. "Why do you call me good?" (v. 18).  Even though Jesus was the only person on Earth deserving this accolade, He knew that the young man's praise was misplaced and thus Jesus reminds him that "Only God is truly good..." (v. 18).

The young ruler (who remains nameless) asks Jesus a vital question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  This is a question every person should ask. We must know God's plan for our life and the role He wants us to perform.  Jesus' answer is curious in that He enumerates some of the Ten Commandments. This was not to imply that merely keeping the commandments enabled one to receive eternal life, rather Jesus used this to gauge the spiritual understanding of the young man.  We find out that he has kept the commandments from his youth.  He must have been raised to honor God and obey his parents and had a deep familiarity with the Law.  However, the man knew enough to know that he still needed more.

The Bible says that "Jesus felt genuine love for him."  The word translated "love" is the Greek word agapao   meaning the love God has for us, a love beyond phileo love, which is the love a man feels for his wife or children. The Lord was interested in his soul and began to discern his life. Jesus' answer this time was a simple one, "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (v. 21). This was not the answer the rich, young ruler expected, but it was the answer he needed to hear. At this point he was presented a choice that required a decision that would affect the course of his life. Unfortunately, he made the wrong choice. He was sad because he had many possessions and could not find it in his heart to give them up.

This is the same type of answer the Lord gives all of us. He wants us to follow Him, but He also wants us to give up the things we are tied to in this life. The things we will put ahead of Him. The choice presented can be difficult when viewed from a historical perspective. We have worked hard to attain our possessions. We have made sacrifices and attained knowledge and influenced people to get where we are. When we survey our past in the light of the present, we struggle to just give it all up.  But, if we view the choice from the perspective of our destiny, our future, the decision is clear.  Nothing we have gained in this life is worth what we will gain with a life dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 10:29-30, Jesus puts the correct perspective on the decision and choice. "I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Gospel's, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property-along with persecutions. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life."  This should make the choice self-evident.

Mark 7 - 8

Take Up Your Cross

Today's reading repeats, albeit in a much more condensed form, many of the miracles that were presented in Matthew. At the end of chapter 8 (see also Matt 16:24-28 and Luke 9:23-27), is the account where Jesus talks to His disciples about "discipleship" and directly relates it to His upcoming crucifixion. The key to understanding this vital subject is Jesus' statement "...take up your cross,..." (v. 34). What does this mean?

The cross represents death.  It evokes the act of crucifixion, the cruel form of torture and death the Romans employed against those convicted of a capital offence. When a person was nailed or strapped to the cross, there was no returning to their former life.  This life was over, the only option was death - which due to the insidious nature of crucifixion, was welcomed.  When a person has a dread disease or is seriously wounded in an accident, there is always the possibility that physicians can provide some remedy to heal them. Even when threatened with death (from a criminal or as an act of revenge) there is the possibility that the threatening person will reconsider or not follow through.  But not so with the cross.  The cross was final. There was no turning back, no remedy, no reconsideration.

How does this fit into discipleship?  Jesus is telling His followers that in order to be His disciple, their old life had to be over, i.e. it must be "crucified."  All prior desires, ambitions, responsibilities, and wants had to be totally killed.  Thus, when we "take up our cross" for Jesus, we identify our old life with death.  The old man dies and we are born again into a new life as His disciple.  When we get into the teachings of Paul, this will become clearer.  In 8:35 Jesus states, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and the sake of the Good News, you will save it." This completely crystallizes the concept of discipleship - first we must give up our life, so that our [new] life can be saved.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 5 - 6

Power Over Demons

Mark 5 begins with a demon possessed man meeting Jesus as He and the disciples land at Gerasenes (some translations use Gadarenes or Gergesenes). The description of the man is telling. He was demon possessed (v. 2) with many demons (v. 9). He lived among the dead (v.2 and 3). He was violent to the point of being incapable of restraint even with chains (v. 3). He made strange noises and harmed himself (v. 5). He feared Jesus (v. 6). He was at least partially unclothed (v. 15).

This is a near perfect picture of the sinner today. Possessed with all types of evil (cursing, blaspheming any thing righteous or holy), obsessed with death, reckless and violent, with no self restraint and afraid of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These type howl at anything good and continually engage in self-defacing and harmful activities (homosexuality, fornication, smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug  use).  They dress in as little as possible (especially women) to provoke a sexual response from others.  Drive by any public high-school or a college campus, or walk through the mall and see if this is not a picture of today's sinner.  What is even sadder is that in the time of  Jesus this man was socially isolated, but today a freak like this stars in a movie or has their own rock band or hosts a television program and actually holds a place of "honor" in the American psyche.

The cure then is the same as the cure now.  All the demons have to be exorcised by the power of Jesus Christ.  It does not take a ritual or some liturgical process in a formal church to do this, it takes one Word from the Lord to rid even the vilest sinner of all their demons. The change in the man was remarkable.  In verse 15 the Bible states, "He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane..."  So complete was the change that he wanted to accompany Jesus and His disciples, but the Lord had another job for him - go and tell others, his family, his friends, and all the people in the ten towns (Decapolis) that were in that region. His testimony must have been effective because verse 20 states "...and everyone was amazed at what he told them."

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 3 - 4

Miracles And Teachings

The religious leaders (in 3:2, the Bible calls them "Jesus' enemies") continued to watch His every move, hoping to find some cause to criticize or find fault.  Frustrated that He knows their intentions without them speaking it, they develop, in their heart, the desire to see Jesus dead.  This causes His enemies to take action (v. 6).  This is just like evil spirits today. They wait for a Christian to do something wrong or something they think will be perceived as incorrect, and then conspire to kill his influence.

Such was Jesus' power over evil spirits, that huge crowds began to follow Him everywhere He went.  In verse 20, the crowd's needs were so great, "he and his disciples couldn't even find the time to eat." At the same time, the religious leaders are calling Him the "prince of demons" (v. 22). The contrast is overtly apparent: Those with a selfish agenda and a jealous spirit hated Him, those with spiritual and physical needs loved Him.

In chapter 4, the parable of the sower is repeated (see Matthew 13:18-23).  The key to understanding this parable is to note where the seed falls.  This is always true.  It must fall in the correct environment to bring forth an increase.  The parable describes four environments into which the seed falls and in three of them, the seed never matures.  Notice that the sower did not fret over this, he merely sowed the seed. That is our commission, to sow the seed of God's Word.  It is also our responsibility to provide a fruitful environment for the seed of God's Word to fall into, thus this parable provides both lessons.

In 4:34, there is a wonderful passage, "[...]When he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them." This is a powerful revelation all believers must understand!  When we are alone with Him, He explains His Word to us.  This ties in with the parable of the sower and the idea of the correct environment.  If our lives are too hectic, too loud, or too sinful, then His Word cannot take root and produce in us.  Lord, help us to be willing recipients of Your Word.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Mark 1 - 2

Jesus, The Messiah

Note: Today's reading completes 9 weeks and starts the second book of the New Testament.

Mark's Gospel (considered by many to be the first Gospel written) presents Jesus as a Servant.  His Gospel is an extended introduction to Christ's suffering on the cross.  Because He is a servant, no ancestry or lineage is provided, like in Matthew and Luke, and nothing about His birth or childhood is written in Mark, only the events of His ministry are presented.

Jesus' ministry caused controversy among the religious leaders of that day.  Nearly everything He did and taught was questioned by the Pharisee and scribes but readily accepted by a group that had been cruelly oppressed by the ruling government, the Romans, and spiritually suppressed by the fastidious religious hierarchy exacting offerings and holding ex-communication over the heads of the Jewish people for even the slightest offense.

Then Jesus comes with healing and salvation and a new attitude towards the Law. This disturbance of the status quo caused consternation among the leaders. In chapter 2, after a group of people with near fanatical faith, lower a man through the roof of the building where Jesus was teaching so that their paralyzed friend could be healed (vs. 1-6), the "teachers" were upset that Jesus forgave the man of his sins (v.7).

After calling Levi and other tax collectors and dining with them, the "teachers" were fault-finding stating that Jesus consorted with sinners (v.16).  They could find nothing good in Jesus.  They thought his disciples should fast (v. 18) and were upset that they gathered and ate grain on the Sabbath (v. 24). Nothing about Jesus was going to please them because, in their hearts, they knew they were hypocrites.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word

Matthew 26 - 28

Betrayal, Death, Resurrection

Note: Today's reading completes Matthew and our first book in the Old Testament.

Jesus realizes His life on Earth is near the end and has the disciples prepare for the Passover Meal.  Before this, Matthew briefly relates (26: 6-13) the story of the women who anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. Verse 8 states, "The disciples were indignant...'What a waste'..." As we will find out, Mark's gospel says "some of the disciples" and John's gospel says, "Judas was upset."  Regardless, it was after this incident, related to money, that Judas took action to betray Jesus to the priests.  His motivation was money and he used the "waste" as the excuse to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver (v.15). 

So pernicious and deceitful was Judas that after arranging the betrayal, he attends the Last Supper - verse 20 states that all 12 disciples were present.  It is interesting to note that this was a "supper" not a breakfast, i.e. it was not served in the morning like most mainstream churches do with mass/communion.  He served broken bread not crackers, and wine not grape-juice.  How this has morphed into a morning ritual with soda crackers or wafers and grape juice is difficult to understand.  The broken bread spoke of His torn body.  The wine of His blood.

Judas was the disciple to betray Jesus, but the other disciples were no less cowardly.  Peter vowed twice (v.33 and 35) to never deny him and "All the other disciples vowed the same (v. 35).  Yet a mere 20 verses later, at Jesus' arrest in verse 56 we read, "At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled."  Jesus was alone. His disciples had betrayed and deserted Him.  Even His Father turned His back on Him and let Him face His accusers as a man.  Despite Peter's best intentions, in verses 70, 72, and 74 he denied Him vehemently, even swearing an oath the last time.

In chapter 27, Jesus stands trial before Pilate who realizes that Jesus in not guilty of any capital offence.  Verse 18 states, "He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy." Pilate made a lame attempt (by washing his hands) at disassociating himself from declaring Jesus guilty (v.24) but he also did nothing to stop the crucifixion. In fact, Pilate turned Jesus over to his soldiers to be cruelly beaten and mocked, and finally crucified.

All of this was to fulfill the requirements of the Law - the sin of mankind could not be erased with the blood of animal sacrifice.  Man sinned, thus man had to pay the price.  Since no man was worthy to pay the price, God had to send His own Son to do this.

Chapter 28 is proof that the sacrifice was accepted, because on the 3rd day after the crucifixion, Jesus resurrected from the dead, declaring total victory over death.  At the moment of Jesus' death, the curtain that hid the Holy of Holies in the Temple, tore from top to bottom (27:51) as a sign from Heaven (top) to Earth(bottom) that the requirements of the Law had been fulfilled. So complete was this sacrifice, that dead saints arose from the grave (v. 52) and appeared to many people.

Matthew's Gospel provides little detail about what took place after the resurrection (the other Gospels provide much more information) but it does contain what is commonly called the "great commission" in verses 19-20.  It is interesting to note that He commissions them to make disciples of "all nations" not just Jews. He also provides a formula for water baptism which, we will find out when we read Acts, has been grossly misinterpreted and applied.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.