relationships (Mark 1:1-3) Staying the Course

(Mark 1:1-3)

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

2 just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

     “Behold, I am sending My messenger before You,
     Who will prepare Your way;
3   The voice of one calling out in the wilderness,
     ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
     Make His paths straight!’”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

While the book of Matthew was and is written with a detailed focus for Jews, the book of Mark has a focus more for "the Romans", for gentiles who tend to be people of action.  Notice, we don't see Christ's genealogy here.  People of action tend to be those who say, "Just get to the point.  Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."  While I like action, I'm very cerebral.  I love analyzing things, because I prefer to know and understand something in detail, and THEN if it sounds right, I'm all in!  And after doing a deep dive, going back to read these few verses again, my mind is blown by the great depth within them.

THE BEGINNING:  what is the origin?  where does this gospel come from?

GOSPEL:  means good news, and this good news comes from the Lord God!

JUST AS IT IS WRITTEN:  in God's word, to us, so that we may know that He has always had a plan.  He wants us to know about it; and He wants us to know that He keeps His word.

"BEHOLD, I AM SENDING a messenger before YOU..." JESUS CHRIST,  the Son of God, THE LORD GOD:  this is not the first time we see the interactions of the Trinity.  Genesis 1:26 is the first time we see this, which is when God created mankind.  Now we see the Father speaking to the Son, which demonstrates to us just how relational God is.  And because we see these interactions when it has to do with us, we can be confident in knowing that God wants a personal relationship with us.  That is why He created us in the first place, but then mankind rejected Him and brought sin and death into the world, which separated us from God.  So then, because we needed a way back to God, that is why He came in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross...

(John 17:1-5)  Jesus spoke these things; and raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, 2 just as You gave Him authority over all mankind, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed..."

MESSENGER:  this being John the Baptist who preached the gospel message and baptized all of those who repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And we know from our last portion of scripture in Matthew, Jesus gives all believers the great commission - to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  So we have been given the great honor to serve the Lord by being His messengers, as well enjoying a personal relationship with Him, for all eternity!

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THE WAY:  is all about how one becomes a believer - a saint - a Christian, and it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ.  And it's all about having a personal relationship with Him, who then helps equip, strengthen and guide us on our path... with Him.

THE PATH: is a figurative road which leads us somewhere.  A road becomes well worn, because it will be the course of direction and action that we habitually take.  In this, we can see that our relationship with the Lord is, by implication, a progress and a journey.  How we conduct ourselves in how we think, feel and decide things, will determine how well we stay the course.  Not that we can lose our salvation, but that we will cause ourselves a lot of consequences and messes to clean up.  

MAKE STRAIGHT:  our fleshly desires will want to distract us and take us off this path, and onto dangerous detours, which is not what God wants for us.  He has much a better way.  And His way is easier, because it involves Him helping us, and fighting our battles.  But He will not force us to stay the course, so we must choose constantly to put Him first in our lives.  Like, the address of the desired destination has already been entered in our soul's GPS (which is the indwelling Holy Spirit).  

In the Lord's help and guidance, and through His word (the Bible), and through His other messengers (fellow believers), we will receive directions... if we are focused on our destination (experiencing God's blessings and purpose for our lives), He will lead us on the right path, which is the path of His righteousness, straight-forward, level and true.  The more we stay on this path, the more obvious and "manageable" it becomes, because we will be learning to trust and rely on the Lord in all things. 

relationships (Matthew 28:16-20) Spreading the Love

(Matthew 28:16-20)

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

To all believers, the Lord asks us to spread the gospel message, and baptize those who become believers.  

Baptism doesn't save, it's an outward testimony, as well as a visual demonstration of what the Lord has done for us so that we can have a personal relationship with Him.  Being placed under the water references Christ's death to pay for our sins - as well as representing - our dying to sins (because the Lord has forgiven all our sins: past, present and future).  Coming up from the water references Christ's resurrection and conquering death - as well as representing - our eternal life that we have in the Lord.  

Baptism also represents how we have been washed clean of all sin, becoming a new creation in Christ!  When we become believers, we receive the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit, who changes us from the inside out.  And as we allow the Lord to continue working for us, in us and through us, we become more and more like Him.  In all of this, we identify ourselves with Christ, who came to earth in flesh, not to be served, but to humbly serve us.  Therefore, in our relationship with the Lord, we will serve Him, not because we have to, but because we want to.   

Christianity is not about do's and don'ts.  It is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.  We cannot work towards earning our salvation, it is only through Jesus.  And we cannot even work towards keeping our salvation, it is only through the grace of Jesus!  Once a Christian - always a Christian.  When we put our faith and belief in the Lord, He gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit forever.  Nothing can undo that.  Not even ourselves.  So, no matter what we do or don't do, we cannot lose our salvation.  

Such freedom really goes against the world's view of what love is, and our flesh will still struggle, and we will periodically stray, and take the Lord for granted.  But in this relationship of AGAPE (selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love), Jesus wants us to keep putting Him first.  This is why, in our love for Him, we will want to read and study His word.  This is why we will not neglect the gathering of the saints (another term for Christians/believers).  It's all about our relationship with the Lord!  And then about us having healthy relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  And then, as we go through life, with godly agape love, reaching out and inviting others to join the family of God!

The Lord God does use other believers to give us directions, to help us put Christ first in our lives.  A few verses back, Jesus had told Mary of Magdalen and Salome to go tell the disciples to come to this spot.  Notice that even though some disciples were doubting, they still went.  This is good.  In life, believers will have moments of doubt, even the most seasoned of believers.  The important thing, is that we continue going to God for our assurance, comfort, peace, strength, wisdom, joy and certain hope.  And in this, we can share the Lord and His good news with others!

relationships (Matthew 28:11-15) Get to the Truth

(Matthew 28:11-15)

11 Now while they were on their way, some of the men from the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews and is to this day.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Notice that only some of the men from the guard went to speak to the Jewish spiritual leaders.  Some of them could have become believers, and many of them would have valued their integrity as a Roman soldier and simply wanted to protect their image and jobs.  They had been assigned to make sure that Jesus' body stayed in that tomb, but because of circumstances beyond their control, they failed at their task.  Can you imagine?  You are a well-trained military personnel, part of the world's greatest military force, known for their discipline and prowess, and you are to tell the world that you fell asleep on the job!!!???  It must have been a good sum of money!

Now, what about the Jewish people hearing this false report coming from the Roman soldiers... who were still considered enemies and invaders to their country.  This just shows us how much they didn't want to believe in Jesus and the Truth.  And even today, so many people prefer to believe in lies, opposed to seeking and finding the Truth, the Way and the Life, which is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lies, corruption and manipulation of the truth is nothing new in politics or in life.  That is why it is good to have checks and balances and methods of accountability everywhere, even in our churches, because no one is perfect.  And therefore, as we hear news and reports and information about life and spirituality, we should be diligent in seeking out God's truth.  A good church and pastor will encourage the congregation to - not just take their word for it - but read and study the Bible for ourselves to hold them accountable!

In our personal relationships with the Lord, we can pray and ask Him for His wisdom and guidance in all things, even in understanding His word clearly;  so that we can consider what we know to be true, and measure everything else according to the unwavering accountability and standards that are only found in the Lord God and His word!  As we seek out Truth, we will find it, and we will know the Way, and the Lord will be there to help us along the way, always!

relationships (Matthew 27:62-66) Cannot Manipulate or Control

(Matthew 27:62-66)

62 Now on the next day, that is, the day which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and they said, “Sir, we remember that when that deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘After three days I am rising.’ 64 Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The spiritual leaders had plenty of proof that Jesus was dead.  They had made sure of that...

(John 19:31-37)  Now then, since it was the day of preparation, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look at Him whom they pierced.”

Because blood and water came out, Jesus had to be dead.  This can be explained medically.  After a person dies and the heart stops, the blood will begin to settle and clot.  The heavier red blood cells sink, while the clear, yellowish watery liquid component (serum or plasma) separates.

Now here, of course, the spiritual leaders are concerned about the disciples stealing the body from the grave, and then just saying that He had risen.  The Pharisees certainly did not want that to happen.  So, not only did they seal up that rock in front of the tomb, they had stationed there one or two Roman guards.  Here it mentions one.  Later there were more.  The soldiers could have decided to add guards, or there could have been a changing of the guards.  Either way, Roman soldiers were no joke. So, there was no way for anyone to get through all of that.  No way for any human, that is!. 

Well, when people's most important relationship in the world is with themselves, they will have to lie (to others as well as to themselves) and do whatever they can to manipulate and control the circumstances they find themselves in.  The biggest lie one can tell themselves is that there is no God, or they do not need God, and/or that they can control the Lord God.

One of the things that many people don't understand about Christianity, is that it isn't at all about controlling or manipulating.  And the one thing that many people don't realize about the Lord, is that because He loves us, He will not force anyone to love Him back, and even when someone decides to love Him back, He will never force anyone to be obedient.  Because Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, we will obey - not because we have to - but because we want to!  And we can know that, because we are in a relationship with the Lord, whatever He asks of us, as we are willing and as we ask Him, the Lord helps us!  This is why He went to the cross!  Because He desires to do life WITH us.

relationships (Matthew 27:61-66) Having in Common the Most Important Thing

(Matthew 27:61-66)

55 And many women were there watching from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while caring for Him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57 Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

I think this is important to note.  In our Christian communities and families, we are not to be paternally driven, and we are not even to be maternally driven.  We are to be Christ-driven: If Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, were so important to one's faith, a bigger deal would have been made, not just here, but in the rest of the Bible. Notice that Jesus' name isn't even mentioned as a son.  Instead, two of the four known half-brothers of Jesus are mentioned.  

(Mother) Mary is not even the first one mentioned in this motley mix of believers.  This Mary was like everyone else, born a sinner in need of saving.  We know that she was a believer as a very young woman, even before the angel told her that she would be the one to give birth to Israel's Messiah.  She was called by God to "provide" the human part of Jesus, so that He could be born fully man, while still being fully God.  As a believer, she was already deemed righteous by the Lord, as was her husband, Joseph, who was a carpenter by trade.  Together, they raised Jesus in a humble and righteous household, as they were led by God. 

Now for the rest.  At the top of the list is Mary Magdalene, a woman with a very sordid past, once being a prostitute, and being possessed by several demons, she became a believer, and her life changed dramatically, becoming one of Jesus' most faithful followers and disciples.  Salome, the mother of James and John, came from Zebedee, where the family had been in the fishing industry.  We have no idea when she became a believer, but we know that at some point she did make a decision, as verse 57 indicates.  This verse says Joseph had "also" become a disciple of Jesus, Joseph, being a rich man from Arimathea, a region in Judea or Ephraim..

This group of believers, all from very different backgrounds, had one very important thing in common - they all loved Jesus!  And in God's unity, they worked together.  This is a snapshot of the Church.  This is how it should be.

relationships (Matthew 27:24-54) The Evidence of Love

(Matthew 27:24-66)

24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.” 25 And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head. 31 And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they compelled to carry His cross.

33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him wine mixed with bile to drink; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink it.

35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

38 At that time two rebels were being crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those passing by were speaking abusively to Him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has trusted in God; let God rescue Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the rebels who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.

45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabaktanei?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest of them said, “Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Unless one's spiritual eyes and ears are opened, a person will not recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God... part of the Trinity, meaning, God, Himself.  Even if there is a big sign over His head saying "This is Jesus the King" - the King of kings, and Lord of lords.  

In verse 42, the spiritual leaders were mocking Jesus and claiming that if Jesus was able to save Himself in that moment - THEN - they would believe.  But what they clearly could not understand is God's agape, unconditional, sacrificial love.  What a lot of unbelievers do is try to create gods in their own image.  Since everyone's sinful nature is to be prideful, selfish and self-sufficient, then their gods are going to reflect that.  But Jesus is not selfish or prideful.  

The Lord God IS sufficient, though!  Being sovereign, He is all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere present!   He is also holy, and therefore cannot have a relationship with sin.  But because God desires to have a personal relationship with us, He came in flesh to take our place in death to pay the price for all sins.  We can imagine all the physical and emotional suffering that Jesus endured here, but imagine, the holy Lord God took on all sins, of all people, of all time, onto Himself.  

It is in that moment of taking on sin, that Jesus cries out (in verse 46).  How could God forsake Himself?.  Obviously we cannot capture the depth and entirety of it all, but I think of it this way: because God is omnipresent, part of Himself is able to come in flesh.  Consider this illustration. our body (represents God being everywhere), and our hand (represents Jesus in flesh on earth), and the hand having to touch something gross (represents Jesus taking on all sin), and us having to look away (represents God forsaking His Son).

Being omnipotent, Jesus could have saved Himself, but then none of us would be able to be saved from our sins.  And no one actually killed Jesus, as verse 50 says, Jesus willingly, selflessly, sacrificially, gave up His Spirit.  And when that happened, the earth shook, tombs opened, and believers who had passed away, came to life.  And most poignant was the temple's veil tearing - from the TOP - down.  This tapestry, which was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide and about 4 inches thick, was so strong that teams of horses tied to opposite sides could not tear it.

There is great significance in the temple's veil being torn.  One could see it as when one is in great mourning or distress, in those cultures, they would tear their clothes.  But an even greater significance is that this veil was there to keep people from going into the holy of holies and thereby dying instantly.  Even the priest who would be chosen to enter at certain times, would prepare himself spiritually.  And, they would tie a rope around his waist in case he died in there, so that they could safely pull him out.  The veil tearing from the top down also demonstrates how God comes down to us!  And God does it FOR us!  Because God wants to save and help us!

Well - Jesus' death - in paying the price for all sins - makes it possible for anyone to approach the Holy of holies to receive eternal life, when we humble our hearts and repent of our sins to accept Jesus' forgiveness and salvation.  Such great things happened at this event, that some people recognized it as "something".  Others, like the one rebel next to Jesus, became a believer even before Jesus gave up His spirit and all these other things happened (Luke 23:39-49).  

It is not necessary to have seen this event, or see Jesus in flesh.  We can see Jesus in Spirit, in His word, and in our lives.  The greatest miracle we can ever experience first hand is our salvation, because Jesus gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit, to change us from the inside out.  And as we ask and allow, He will continue to work for us, in us and through us.  I've also witnessed this miracle recently in the radically changed life of our granddaughter!  These events are so undeniable!  And the Lord's presence in one's close relationship with Him is so very evident!

relationships (Matthew 27:11-24) Love That Is Reasonable

(Matthew 27:11-66)

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not offer any answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” 14 And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.

15 Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.

19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. 21 And the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23 But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Jesus only confirmed the truth, that He was (and is) the King of the Jews, but He refused to give any answer to all of the false allegations, even though in that court, a defendant who offered no defense was normally convicted by default.  Jesus knew everything that was going to happen, and knew that it all had to, in order to accomplish His work on the cross, to pay for all sins, for all people, of all time.  Everything He did was out of His great love for all people, and His desire to have a personal relationship with each and everyone of us.  Anyone who repents and believes in Him, will receive eternal life and His indwelling Holy Spirit, who will change us from the inside out, to have spiritual peace, joy and hope, and help us understand His truth and His will.

Satan and his realm, on the other hand, desires to distort, deceive, divide and destroy, and his path only leads to eternal death and punishment.  Satan will do whatever he can to keep people away from the Lord, which includes inciting people towards having "Jesus-derangement-syndrome".  We can see how easy it is to rile up people and create a mob mentality, even in our own society today, where good is "suddenly" seen as bad, and bad is good, and violence is only amping up.

The governor, Pilate, was not a believer, but was an astute politician.  While representing Rome and needing to adhere to their laws, governors had to manage different regions without enabling angry mobs which could rise up and become problems.  Therefore, the governors typically respected the surrounding customs.  Interestingly enough, and probably because he was able to remain more objective, Pilate could see that Jesus was completely innocent and righteous.  By offering up one of the most nefarious criminals to be released, he was hoping that the people would be reasonable, and ask that Jesus be released instead.  But in frenetic events and times, people will become unreasonable.

When and if we ever find ourselves hating someone or hating a specific group of people, we better stop and pray through this.  If there is actual proof of any wrongdoing, we are to hate the words and actions, but not the person.  God tells us to forgive our enemies and love them.  If forgiving them is difficult, ask God to forgive them for you.  

If there isn't any proof of any wrongdoing, that means we have been led to believe in the lies, and we need to confess.  If we have hurt anyone along the way, we will have to apologize to them.  And we will have to forgive those who have been spreading the lies and inciting people to anger and hatred.  Let's beware, so that we do not get caught up in a movement which goes against our Lord and Savior.

The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more we will know Him.  And the more we know Him, the less likely we will become deceived.  The Lord loves us and has a much better way for us to live.  No matter what is happening to us or around us, God has a purpose for us.  So, as we strive in our obedience, with Him leading the way and equipping us with His love, strength and wisdom, we will experience His spiritual peace, joy, hope and blessings.