relationships (Luke 1:57-50) Dedication

(Luke 1:57-50)

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, after his father. 60 And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
     For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us 
     In the house of His servant David—
70 Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times—
71 Salvation from our enemies,
     And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy to our fathers,
     And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
     Would serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High;
     For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give His people the knowledge of salvation
     By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
     With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
     To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

John the Baptist’s parents had very similar experiences as the parents of the prophet Samuel.  They had both been childless, they prayed, and when God answered their prayers, their children were dedicated to the Lord in service at a very early age.  Samuel had gone to live in the temple as soon as he had been weaned, and here we are told that John went to live in the wilderness (either immediately, or very soon after his birth).  It’s possible that because Elizabeth and Zachariah were both very old, they could have died soon after his birth.  And as it often happened, the reclusive Essenes would have adopted John, to raise and train him.  It’s also possible that the family simply moved away from any possible threats from society.

This miraculous birth, and the sudden prophetic utterances of Zachariah, who had been mute for nine months, obviously got people talking.  And while neighbors and family rejoiced with them, others were afraid.  I’m sure some people might have wondered if John was their anticipated Messiah, even though the prophecy delivered spoke about John preparing the way for the Messiah.  Well, what did that actually mean?  People like to speculate.  And for those in any position of power and authority, if they loved their power and authority, they would have felt threatened, whether John was the Messiah or a prophet preparing the way for the Messiah.

If people actually understood the good news in all of this, they would not have felt fearful or threatened.  They would have rejoiced that this was all about to happen.  If the Jews had accepted Jesus as their Messiah when He came the first time, He would have taken them into the Millennial kingdom, and fulfilled all of their covenants.  Of course, the Lord knew that the people would reject Him, and crucify Him… but it was in this way, He died for all sin, and had victory over death, so that all those who accept Him- believe in Him- can be forgiven of all sins and receive eternal life!

The Lord Jesus redeems us from our slavery from sin, so that in a personal relationship, we can serve Him without fear, serving WITH Him, with His love, help and guidance, in His holiness and righteous, forever!  And we have the honor of sharing the gospel message with those who sit in darkness.  God wants to save everyone, not because we deserve it, but because of His tender mercy and His great love for all people!  The Lord wants to guide us all into the way of peace.  But, it is our choice.

Regarding our children, and/or those we mentor, we should be encouraging.  And what I have found that helps, is to “dedicate” them- “give” them to the Lord… in that, I do not want to have the control of them.  I choose to emotionally give them to the Lord, and let God worry about them.  As a parent, mentor, neighbor, or a friend, I desire that God use me to serve in the way that He desires of me… which includes me allowing the Lord to work in the hearts of everyone else. 

Just like the good news of salvation is not a threat or a fearful thing, we should never use guilt, shame or fear-mongering as a tactic to bring people to obedience.  In His great love, God doesn’t even make people love Him back or obey, although He will discipline those He loves, to protect us from ourselves, as well as other dangers… in a way that will draw us back to Him and His way of peace.   And because Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, it is each individual’s choice, and therefore, their salvation and purpose and walk with the Lord- is- between them and the Lord!  So, let us dedicate others to the Lord, and let the Lord deal with them.  At the same time, let us dedicate ourselves (our time, energy and resources) to the Lord, and be willing, thankful and excited to serve without fear- to serve with Him, with His love, help and guidance, in His holiness and righteous, forever!

relationship (Luke 1:46-56) Being Blessed

(Luke 1:46-56)

46 And Mary said:
     “My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;
     For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
     And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is to generation after generation 
     Toward those who fear Him.
51 He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
     He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
     And has exalted those who were humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
     And sent the rich away empty-handed.
54 He has given help to His servant Israel,
     In remembrance of His mercy,
55 Just as He spoke to our fathers,
     To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Later I’ll dissect the traits of a faithful follower that Mary describes here.  But first, we should establish some facts.  While we do know that Mary was a righteous woman- meaning- she was a believer- that is all.  A lot of people then and now consider Mary “blessed”, as if she was/is somehow extra super human.  Many people even pray to her, thinking that she can somehow tell the Lord Jesus what to do, as if she, as well as the apostles, are able to act as mediators.  But we are told to only pray to the Lord God!…

(1 Timothy 2:5)  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus.

For Jesus to be born in flesh, to be fully man, while still being fully God, Mary provided “the human aspect”.  Even as a believer, she still was not perfect.  We see her fretting and angry at Jesus when He was twelve years old, and they realized that He was “missing”.  Just like it is easy for us to start taking the Lord for granted, and start drifting away from Him, and then wonder where He is and why He isn’t helping us do what we want. 

As well, we see the brothers of Jesus convince Mary to help speak to Him about “toning down” His ministry.  The brothers, who were not believers at the time, probably thought- if anyone can convince Jesus to stop what He’s doing, it’s Mom!  But Jesus was not impressed with that…

(Matthew 12:46–50, [Mark 3:31–35])  While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. ⁴⁷ [Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] ⁴⁸ But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

(Luke 8:21)  :…My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Okay, so now let’s go over these words of Mary.  In these words, which are spoken and written down with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can learn and understand what the traits of believers are, which is- to have a personal relationship with the Lord God. 

And here I want to add something interesting.  Over the years, I’ve heard a few women say, “If the Bible had been written by women, it would be completely different.”  Well, let me say- it would be exactly the same!  Because the Bible is God-breathed!  These are the inerrant words of God.  God chose to use men, for the most part, to write the words down.  And here, we actually have a woman “writing” part of the Bible.  And this “song” echoes the song of Hannah (in 1 Samuel 2:1-20).  So, when we see women imparting words of wisdom in the Bible- it still all fits!  There are no contradictions!  These are NOT Mary’s words, these are God-inspired words.

Now to dissect these words, which describe how to become a believer, and what a believer’s relationship with the Lord looks like. 

Because God is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin.  But, we all start off as sinners, who are “rich” (seeing ourselves as self-sufficient), and proud (determined to be self-reliant)… not wanting or seeing our need for the Lord in our lives.  And if one continues in this sinful state- there will be a day when God will judge a person according to their sins.  And they will spend eternity in a place void of God.

Understand that the Lord desires to have a close relationship with all people.  This is why He came to earth in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross!  In order to offer us His free gift of salvation to all people, which is the forgiveness of sins, to cover us with His righteousness, and give us eternal life.  So, as in verse 48, He has regard for those who sincerely humble their heart- realizing their need for Him, as their Savior.  His mercy is for those who fear Him, which is to be in awe of, and to revere Him.  And He fills the hungry- those who ardently crave and seek after Him with eager desire. 

Now for the traits of a believer, which we receive from the Lord in our relationship with Him.  He fills the hungry with good things, which includes immediately sealing us with His indwelling Holy Spirit of promise.  Therefore, our relationship with Him is forever- eternal- everlasting!  So, we can never lose the Holy Spirit or our salvation, but we can quench the Spirit.  And so, the closer we draw to Him, the more we are filled with His Spirt.  And desiring to live in His will, we will desire to be His servant- His humble bond-servant.  Mary experienced being “blessed”- as being fortunate and happy because of the great things God had done in her life and was going to do.  Just so, God will bless us, protect us, help us and exalt us.  In this, we will rejoice and exalt the Lord God our Savior!

relationships (Luke 1:39-45) True Closeness

(Luke 1:39-45)

39 Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Just as a reminder, when the angel spoke to Zechariah, he was told that …

(Luke 1:14-15) 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 

Being sovereign, God already knows who will become a believer or not.  Because God is love, He will never force anyone to love Him back.  And for those who choose to love Him, He will never force anyone to be obedient to what He asks of us.  Back then, before the Day of Pentecost, God would place the Holy Spirit on people to empower them.  And while it wasn’t a permanent condition, one’s faith was!  Evidence that Jesus’ work on the cross was retroactive, we can look at verses such as Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3-9, 23-24, Galatians 3:6, James 2:3, and Hebrews 11, where God credits those who believed in Him as righteousness.

Now, I’ve run into a few people who claim to have become Christians while in the womb.  But just because, in His sovereignty, God has predestined us- His children- does not mean that we are Christians from the womb.  Even John the Baptist preached God’s message, that one needs to repent and be baptized. 

There are two baptisms.  When one truly becomes a Christian, repenting of one’s sins and putting their faith in the Lord and asking Him into one’s life, God gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit of promise.  This is our spiritual baptism.  Because we are sealed by His Spirit, we cannot lose our salvation.  Then, God asks that we demonstrate our decision of faith to the world by being physically baptized.

Because Christianity is all about having a relationship with the Lord, the true evidence of our faith, will be the Holy Spirit working within us.  Because we have the Lord’s Spirit within us, we will know and recognize the Lord!  And we will- or we should- recognize fellow believers because of God’s Spirit within them.  The closer we grow to the Lord, the closer we will grow together.  And, the closer we grow to the Lord, the more we will strive to be obedient, and the more we act in faith and obedience, the more we will be blessed.  Just as Elizabeth said about Mary- that she was blessed- BECAUSE she was obedient to God’s calling, believing that what He said, would happen.  If we truly believe, this will be followed by us acting upon it.

When we are disobedient, allowing sin into our lives, we are the ones throwing wrenches into our relationship with the Lord.  Like with any other relationship, we will only get back on track when we apologize- confess these sins.  Therefore, it only makes sense that when we embrace what God asks of us, we will find great blessings in this greater purpose, as well as just- being close to the Lord God and His glory!

relationships (Luke 1:24-50) Comforting and Encouraging

(Luke 1:24-50)

24 Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among people.”

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

John the Baptist could have come from any woman- from the daughters of Aaron (from the priestly bloodline of the Levites)- but God specifically chose Elizabeth.  Not only were Zachariah and Elizabeth righteous (true believers in the Lord), and from the priestly tribe, but- both were beyond the age of having children.  This means that their conception was miraculous!  And their son fulfilled prophecy by preparing the way for the Lord Jesus (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, and Malachi 4:5–6).

I fully believe that God did it this way, not just for our benefit, or for the Jews at that time, but very specifically for Mary, as this would have brought her comfort in what God called her to do- to carry, give birth to, and raise God’s Son.  Just like God had Aaron help Moses in what he was called to do, Elizabeth and her miraculous condition, would have greatly encouraged Mary.  God understands that we need strong, supportive human relationships, BESIDES having God as our most important relationship and our first-go-to- for help, support and guidance!!!

Meanwhile, Jesus could have been born through any woman- from the daughters of king David (from the tribe of Judah)- but God specifically chose Mary.  Not only were Mary and Joseph righteous (true believers in the Lord), and from the bloodline of David, but they were engaged to be married, which meant that Mary was still a virgin!  In this way, her miraculous conception, was prophetic.  Notice that in verse 25, the Trinity of God is represented, so in this way, the Lord Jesus Christ would be born as both fully man and fully God,

(Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.

But now, let’s dispel some culturally outrageous interpretations.  One claims that these verses are evidence that God supports abortion, because Mary could CHOOSE to have Jesus or not.  So, look very closely at the words in verse 25… “The Holy Spirit WILL…”  It doesn’t say that the Holy Spirit already has…  God gave Mary a choice to accept or reject what He was calling her to do.  And we see in verse 37, Mary humbly agrees to accept what God had asked of her. 

Let me put this in a practical way which can be applied to us today.  My husband did not force me to have children with him.  He let me know, that because it is my body, it was my choice whether or not we would have children, as well as decide when we would start trying to have children.  Once I was pregnant, there was no way I’d ever consider killing the human that was growing inside of me.  It wasn’t my body- it was the body of our child!  The child that God allowed to grow inside my womb!  The child that God allowed us to have!

Another twisted biblical interpretation that we hear today claims that God is “nonbinary”.  That term still assumes that God is a sexual being, but He is not.  Nor does God “identify” as something, because God "is", and therefore God is neither male nor female.  In His wisdom, God presents Himself to us in the male form, and in masculine terms, although there are a few feminine terms- NOT to identify Himself with any sex, but for us to understand Him and His character traits better.  Here is one name in Hebrew that God gave us to know and use… El Shaddai.

• El: The standard Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern word for "God"

• Shaddai: traditionally translated as "Almighty", its literal root has alternative meanings, including "mountain" (referencing unmovable strength) or "breast" (referencing a mother's nurture, meaning God is the source of all life, provision, and sustenance)

This is not so that we can ascribe a sex to God.  It is to help us understand- that God understands all that we struggle through, as well as help us understand how God is able to help us.  We even see throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, that God is an advocate for women, children, and the vulnerable.  This is to bring us comfort, to know that we were all loved, valued, and created in God’s image.  And just as we are created in His image, for believers, when we reach heaven and given glorified bodies, as...

(Matthew 22:29-30)  ...Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

God loves ALL people!  And so, He came to earth in flesh, to live a perfect, sinless life, and to accomplish His work on the cross, to provide a way to Him.  God desires to have a relationship with Him, which includes comfort, encouragement, help and guidance.  A lot to think about, and my mind immediately goes to mediate on these verses…

(Hebrews 4:14-16) Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

relationships (Luke 1:1-23) The Trust-Factor

(Luke 1:1-50)

1 Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in years.

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

21 And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly made signs to them, and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

How often do we pray for a miracle, but then doubt that God is able or willing to answer that prayer? Curious then why we even bother asking God for any miracles at all?  Well, because, the Bible tells us that all things are possible with God, AND there are miraculous events recorded throughout the Bible, and Jesus does tell us that we do not have because we do not ask...  But, do we really believe that God is willing to do miracles in our lives now?

I remember my mom telling me that, “Yes, God is able to do miracles, but He doesn’t do miracles like He did in the Bible.”  I’m curious if my mom was still alive today, would she still be saying that, or would she have come to realize that God is not only able, but He still does do crazy-big-miracles!  I know personally that He does!  God has worked in my life, and around me, in ways that are undeniable! 

Yet, it’s still so easy to doubt!  Why?!  Even for Zachariah and Elizabeth, they knew from scriptures already written then, that Abraham and Sarah had a son in their very advanced years.  Why NOT them?  And here, Zachariah even had an angel deliver this good news, and still, he struggled to believe this could happen.

Now, interestingly, despite the fact that Zachariah doubted God, and the Lord allowed Zachariah to go through the consequence of being unable to speak until the baby was born, God still answered their prayer and did as He promised!  Perhaps, in our relationship with the Lord, we continue to see Him as a human… as someone who will hold grudges, or someone who will eventually just give up on us, not care anymore, and walk away.   But God wrote this book, His word, for us- so that we can KNOW!!!   So that we can know Him, and know that He does care!

The more we get to know God, His ways and His attributes, the more we can trust in Him.  This also includes knowing Him so well, that we understand He does want the best for us, even when we are going through struggles, or the consequences of our actions, or someone else’s actions.  If and when God does not answer our prayers- in our timeline, or in the way we want it answered- He is faithful, able and willing to do something even better, in His timing, and all to His glory!

relationships (Mark 16:1-20) Trustworthy

(Mark 16:1-20)

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” 4 And looking up, they noticed that the stone had been rolled away; for it was extremely large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9 [[Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.

12 Now after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13 And they went away and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them, either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven disciples themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reprimanded them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen from the dead. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]]

[[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]]

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The portion/s in parenthesis were added shortly after.  Perhaps Mark had simply paused in writing this scripture, and after gleaning more eye witness testimonies, as well as more inspiration from the Holy Spirit, he wrote these last bits.  Nonetheless, nothing contradicts everything else that is in the Bible- which is all God-inspired, and all God-breathed. 

As Lee Strobel's investigative reporting uncovered- if the men who wrote the four gospels wanted people to trust and believe these events MORE, they would not have had women being the first to see the risen Christ!  But throughout scripture, we see how God is a great advocate for women, children and the vulnerable!  So, Jesus admonishes the disciples for not believing the testimonies of the women.  But this is not to say that women never lie, we do!  Let's not kid ourselves.

The point is that these events happened JUST AS JESUS HAD TOLD THEM!!! 

There is the popular Christian bumper sticker that says, "God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It!"  But it should really say, "God Said It, That Settles It! I Believe It!"  Whether we believe something or not- does NOT determine Truth.  Truth is!

Just like in any relationship, when we have grown close to someone who has a reliable reputation of being truthful and living with integrity, we'll say things like, "I would trust that person with my life!"  Well, history and science has only supported God's words.  And there are countless ways that God has worked in my life and other people's that are very undeniable.  The more I trust in what He says, the more I see and know that I can trust Him with my life!  Not just for the afterlife, but for right now!  "God Said It, That Settles It!  I Believe It!"

relationships (Mark 15:16-47) Preparing the Way

(Mark 15:16-47)

16 Now the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 And they dressed Him in purple, and after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began saluting Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they repeatedly beat His head with a reed and spit on Him, and kneeling, they bowed down before Him. 20 And after they had mocked Him, they took the purple cloak off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

21 And they compelled a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to carry His cross.

22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 And they tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man would take. 25 Now it was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

27 And they crucified two rebels with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself by coming down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! 32 Let this Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabaktanei?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 35 And when some of the bystanders heard Him, they began saying, “Look! He is calling for Elijah!” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.” 37 But Jesus let out a loud cry, and died. 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw that He died in this way, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 Now there were also some women watching from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and serve Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

42 When evening had already come, since it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself also waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Now Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And after learning this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been cut out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching to see where He was laid.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Did not plan for this scripture to land on this day, but here it is!  While many people just use this day as an excuse to dress up and get candy, some people use this day to celebrate Satan and his realm of darkness, while some will celebrate death and the dead (of various loved ones, or saints and martyrs).  But for believers, everyday is a day to celebrate and be thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice that He made for all mankind.  In order to have victory over sin and death in His resurrection, He first had to suffer and die, in our place.

We can imagine and understand to some extent the physical and emotional pain that Jesus would have experienced, but we will not be able to fathom the suffering He went through in taking on all of our sin (all sin, of all people, of all time).

One thing to keep in mind is that God is one. In His Trinity, He is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I see this kind of like how a person can be someone's parent, someone's child, and someone's employee... different roles, but they are still one person.  Obviously, God is God, and far more complex.  If we could totally understand, then, we'd be God, but we are definitely NOT.

Another thing to keep in mind is that God is holy, and cannot have a relationship with sin.  With all of this in mind, the Lord (God) Jesus, took on all sin, and the heavenly Father had to allow this act of sacrifice and somehow look away.  I'm trying to imagine how the Father would have somehow separated Himself from Himself.  Heart-wrenching!   And, if one struggles to believe that God was able to somehow do this, just consider how complicated we are as humans, and how we can develop things like dissociative disorders.  The biggest difference though- is that we are not perfect, but God is.  We make mistakes, but God does not.  Even the centurion, in verse 39, came to realize that Jesus was and is the Lord God.

While knowing that mankind would reject Him and desire to kill Him, God still created all of mankind in order to have a relationship with us.  Mankind brought sin into the world, and with that, physical and spiritual death, and separation between us and the Lord God.  But still, because God continues desiring to have a relationship with us, He then came in flesh to prepare a way back to Him.  Notice that exactly when the Lord gave up His Spirit and died on that cross, the veil in the temple tore - from top- down!!!  This was a very, very heavy piece of fabric, several inches thick, which separated the priests from the Holy of Holies, symbolizing the very presence of God.  

The significance of this is poignant!  Before Jesus' work on the cross, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, one priest would enter into the Holy of Holies to light incense and sprinkle sacrificial blood on the mercy seat, while in prayer.  Before entering, a rope would be tied around his waist, in case he fell down dead.  This way, the other priests could safely pull him out, otherwise they would also die.  

Only those who are righteous can stand before God and not die.  So, because of Jesus' work on the cross, when we recognize Him as the Son of God, humbly repenting of our sins, we are forgiven, given eternal life, given the indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, and we are covered by Jesus' righteousness!  So in that, in this, we may be part of God's family, and one day, stand before our heavenly Father- and live- forever- with Him!