Mark 15:7-15 Don't Crucify Jesus!

Mark 15:7-15  Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested.  A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.  The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.  “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.  “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?”  Pilate asked them.  “Crucify him!” they shouted.  “Why?  What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.  But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”  Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them.  He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 

In the release of Barabbas over Jesus, we see the culmination of evil not only in the Jewish religious and political elite but in the people too.  In one accord they chose to release Barabbas, a murderer--one who destroys life rather than one who saves life.  They chose death for Jesus rather than life.  Loudly, with passion, they proclaimed: “Crucify him!”  This shout to destroy clearly illustrates God's thoughts about man in the time of Noah: The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  (Genesis 6:5)  There are of course many reasons the chief priests stirred up the crowd to destroy Jesus.  Pilot understood that their hatred of Jesus spawned out of jealousy; they were losing their position of authority with the people if Jesus' teachings were believed and followed, for He was telling the people that only through believing in him could people have peace with God.  Of course the chief priests taught that only through their intercessions for the people and following the law could people find a right relationship with God.  They stirred the people up because they hated Jesus for his teaching about himself: “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)  But in reality, the people would have never followed the priests if their hearts would have been good, for they would have recognized Christ's message of life and light.  "Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”  (John 3:19-21)

Jesus was oftentimes very harsh with the religious elite.  He even challenged them about their basic belief: their claim that because Abraham was their genetic father, they held a special position as God's children.  But Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on my own; but he sent me.  Why is my language not clear to you?  Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!  Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?  If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?  He who belongs to God hears what God says.  The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”  (John 8:42-47)  Jesus was telling these religious elite that they were not following the true Father of heaven but their own evil desires.  We see who their true father is when they stir up the crowd to murder Jesus.  They fulfill Jesus' words, You belong to your father, the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning.  They were so angry with Jesus' words that they go on to say He is demon-possessed or completely controlled by the devil.  "I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me."  (John 8:49)  They would say anything to discredit Jesus.  They carried out their father the devil's wishes when they had Jesus crucified and agreed to this terrible act.  

Why were the people so easily persuaded to kill Jesus and to release a murderer?  Why did they not reject the chief priests' claims?  We know that earlier as Jesus entered Jerusalem the population greeted him as a hero, as a king.  How could their adoration so easily turn to hate, their shouts of "Hosanna" to "Crucify him"!  Maybe they were disillusioned by the fact that their hero, their supposed Messiah, was now in the hands of the hated Romans.  Jesus probably seemed powerless to them now.  How could a savior sent from God be unable to free himself from the grip of the Romans?  Maybe this stark reality of Roman power juxtaposed with Jewish weakness brought on these raw emotions to kill this helpless Jewish man who claimed to do the Father's will.  They had forgotten the one who said, "For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”  (John 6:40)  They wanted power now: at least, Barrabas was strong enough to lead an insurrection, to kill his hated oppressors.  Maybe that was why they wanted him released, not Jesus.  Regardless of the reasons, they wanted Jesus killed that day.  In the past we held public executions.  For many reasons we discontinued them, but we know people used these ghastly events as a chance to celebrate.  The people would gather to view the executions, not with sorrow, but with a certain amount of ambivalence to the cruelty of the event.  Maybe in some ways, these events of the past correlate with how we watch events of death on our televisions and video games.  Not really appreciating the sanctity of life but looking for a thrill, we watch one person after another killed, meeting a tragic or gruesome end.  Yes, Jesus was murdered on that day.  People shouted, "Crucify him!"  Yet we must wonder, how easy it is for people of our day to change our minds from desiring light and peace to watching scenes of murder and mayhem, all for our enjoyment.  We must pray that when the Lord looks at us, He does not conclude: The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  Draw our hearts toward home, Lord.  Teach us your ways; lead us we pray.     

Mark 15:1-5 Was Jesus Subversive?

Mark 15:1-5  Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision.  They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.  “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.  “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.  The chief priests accused him of many things.  So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer?  See how many things they are accusing you of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin accused Jesus of treason so that the Roman government would put him on trial for sedition and eventually execute him.  And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.  He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”  (Luke 23:2)  They knew the Romans would not execute Jesus because of religious reasons such as blaspheming the name of God or undermining the religious leaders' control over the Jewish people by asserting the true way to God was through Jesus.  “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  (John 10:33)  So, to convince the Romans that Jesus deserved death, they accused Jesus of leading a rebellion against the Roman occupation of Israel.  Of course, leading an insurrection was worthy of death in the courts of the Romans.  Pilate addressed this accusation of the Jewish elites immediately with Jesus: “Are you the king of the Jews?”  Jesus responds with "Yes, it is as you say."  Jesus understood fully what He was saying, for He was not only the king of the Jews, He was the king of kings of all people who have ever existed on Earth.  But Jesus did not, as Pilate assumed in his interrogation, think of himself as a potential political leader of the Jewish nation.  When Jesus answered yes to Pilate's question, Jesus was expressing that He, as the Christ, the Son of God, had authority over all that is or ever will be.  He was not a mere man, ready to be judged by the Jewish and Roman authorities, He was God incarnated in the flesh; Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.  He knew all men would someday bow at his feet, none would escape his authority or judgment of the Lord of Lords.  As Peter wrote: But they (those who choose to live in sin) will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  (1 Peter 4:5)  

As with Pilate, Jesus does not have to answer to any of our accusations or complaints against him.  We might want to accuse him of not being on time when we needed him when we were stressed.  We might think of him as lacking power in our lives, not able to come to our aid because we do not receive the answers we want when we want them.  We might blame him for not changing situations or conditions in our lives.  We might even claim He is unfair, blessing others, but not us; rewarding others for their faithfulness to Him, but not us.  We might criticize him for his lack of involvement with our lives, seemingly abandoning us to the vicissitudes of this life.  We might assert many things about Jesus, railing about his shortcomings in our lives; but Jesus does not have to answer any of our accusations.  He is God.  He is the one who has made us: He molded us out of clay.  We are his work, not that He is our work.  As Paul told the church, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  (Ephesians 2:10)   Sometimes we treat Jesus as some super hero who is supposed to be on duty to our call whenever we have a need, a want, a desire.  He is supposed to rescue us from every situation, freeing us from every trial and hardship.  But Jesus is not a mere man: He is God, the Creator of all things, the judge of all things.  He is Lord.  As Lord of all, He knows his children should rejoice in tribulation because tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (Romans 5:3-4)  In today's passage, Jesus' lack of defense leads him to the cross.  Even though He was without sin, even though Pilate knew He was not a seditionist, even though He was as harmless as a lamb, He was led to the slaughter.  Jesus said,  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  (John 10:10)  ETERNAL LIFE: THE GIFT OF GOD!  

We sometimes use Jesus as a support to face life's many hardships instead of as Lord of our lives.  Jesus does help us in all things, and He has sent the Holy Spirit as a comfort and a guide.  But Jesus is much more than the One we turn to in trouble.  He has our destiny in his hands.  Yes, life is hard and sometimes gets harder.  Facing  the finiteness of our lives, watching the unjustness of the world, experiencing wrong, falling under the temptation of the world are all hard; but Jesus is much more than the one who sees us through all of this difficulty and perplexity.  He Is God, the one who said to his disciples, But not a hair of your head will perish, after He told the group He was talking to they would be persecuted and some would be killed by the authorities of this world.  How could He go on to say not a hair on your head will perish, when He had just said some of them will be killed?  Surely, the hair on their heads would perish after death.  But Jesus was telling a truth that goes far beyond what most of us expect in this life.  This world is not home, not where we will reside eternally.  Our troubles, anxieties, and fears will not all be answered here on this journey.  For us we think the hairs of our heads are perishing through what we are experiencing.  The Bible says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  (James 1:2-3)  Jesus the Creator tells us, "You are mine: I take care of what is mine.  Your hair will never perish, your countenance will never fade from my presence.  You will be with me eternally, in the presence of the Father."  No, Jesus did not answer his accusers, his complainers.  He knew who He was.  I AM THAT I AM, remains the eternal answer of God to the world.  The King of all things ever made, the Light of Heaven came to the people who sat in darkness.  Jesus said that if you love the darkness, you will hate the light, But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.  (John 3:21)  Walk in the Light of the Lord today with persevering faith, for He loves you with an everlasting love and has prepared a place for you!    

  

Mark 14:66-72 Don't Deny Jesus!

Mark 14:66-72  While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.  “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.  But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.  When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.”  Again he denied it.  After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”  He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”  Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.”  And he broke down and wept. 

Peter, a soldier for Christ, a defender of Christ, a man who left everything to follow him, finds himself in the courtyard of the high priest, confused and afraid.  He had watched Jesus deal with many crowds.  He probably helped to control the crowds that pressed around Jesus, either to harm Jesus or to receive a blessing from his hands.  For sure, Peter had faced many difficult situations during the years he had walked with Jesus.  But now, alone among violent and hostile people, amongst the crowd that had always wanted to kill Jesus, Peter was feeling the hopelessness of the situation.  His master might be killed, and everyone else who had been close to Jesus might be killed as well.  Therefore, Peter exclaims, I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.  Peter, the man who affirmed first among the apostles that he would never abandon Jesus, now under pressure, asserts ignorance about knowing this man Jesus.  He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about."  In this heart-rending account of Peter's denial, the Holy Spirit reveals to us how weak the flesh is, how we will turn against our own words if the pressure is too great and the situation is too hard to face.  Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we can become liars in our words and in our deeds.  Is it any wonder that Peter broke down and wept, for in his heart this is the same man who said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”  (Mark 14:31)   

How often do we abandon Jesus when the people around us start to look closely at us?   Do we remain true, when they look at us to see if we are one of those people who still believes in this man Jesus who supposedly makes us right with a mythical God that few find relevant in our materialistic culture?  Are we still one of those crazies who believes in sacrifices for sin?  Are we still so primitive in our beliefs?  Don't we know the world has moved on in this scientific age where knowledge has freed us from such thinking?  What does blood have to do with cleansing the mind, the spirit, or the soul?  When people we care about, people we interact with daily, ridicule and define our Jesus as a mere man, do we defend our belief in Jesus or do we in actions and words abandon him, literally proclaiming that we don’t know this man, Jesus.  Under hostile, questioning or at gatherings, do we assert that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save sinners or do we capitulate to the crowd's desire to at best view him as being a good man, a teacher of peace and love.  How many of us forsake Jesus when we think we might be ridiculed or rejected?  How many of us fail to talk about him to friends because we might lose their respect or companionship?  Peter walked away from Jesus because he feared for his life, but how many times do we walk away from him just because we might lose a friendship, a promotion, a job, or the esteem of another person?  Jesus said, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.  (Matthew 10:32-33)

Before Peter denied Christ, Jesus partook of the Passover meal with his disciples in the upper room: And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.  (Mark 14:22-24)  After speaking of his body and his blood given for them, they all go to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus says all the sheep will be scattered, but He will rise again.  Then Peter pledges his loyalty and says, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.  (Mark 14:29)  We can all praise the Lord for Peter's story.  We know that because of God's grace and mercy, 

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

 (Romans 5:8)  Jesus knew Peter loved him, yet He also knew Peter would betray him.  Jesus also knew that after He went to the cross and was raised from the dead, Peter would lead many to salvation through the power of the Holy Spirit after the day of Pentecost.  Jesus does not judge us according to our weaknesses.  We are new creatures, made perfect in him.  Sometimes the enemy reminds us continually of our weakest moments, our worst failures.  We need to tell him that our sins are buried under the blood of Jesus.  Jesus said, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  (John 8:36)  We do not have to carry our sins with us in a pack upon our backs.  Jesus has won the victory.  Peter did not have to go through his life under the guilt of knowing he had denied Jesus.  He could accept God's forgiveness, knowing the price Jesus paid was enough for every sin he ever committed.  John wrote, But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  (1 John 1:7)  This means his blood cleansed us yesterday, it cleanses us today, and it will cleanse us tomorrow.  Thank you, Jesus!  Confess him as YOUR LORD!      

Mark 14:61-65 Do We Strike Jesus?

Mark 14:61-65  Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”  “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  The high priest tore his clothes.  “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked.  “You have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”  They all condemned him as worthy of death.  Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!”  And the guards took him and beat him.

What would it mean to you to strike God with your fist?  In the original Hebrew text, the name of God was considered too holy to pronounce.  He was too immense and all powerful, so beyond human understanding, for his name to be uttered by mere men.  When we see LORD in the Old Testament it represents Yahweh, and it was not spoken or read out loud in honor and deference to God's holiness and man's insignificance.  Men from the beginning had a sensitivity to this Holy Being who had existed forever, a creator no one could adequately define or express in human terms.  No sound uttered from man's lips could sufficiently express the reality of this Blessed One.  But in today's text, as mere men dare to condemn Jesus, we see them spitting on and hitting Jesus the Son of God.  God allowed this to happen, and these events fulfill prophecy.  Isaiah wrote: all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.  But he went on to say, Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness, depicting the brutality Jesus would face at his death.  (Isaiah 52:10 & 14)  Yet these men seemed totally unaware that this man in the flesh was the Son of God.  They were man-handling Jesus as if he were but a man, abusing him emotionally, psychologically, and physically.  Arrogantly, they dealt with him, not understanding He was the Christ, so They all condemned him as worthy of death.  For sure, they knew not what they were doing, for they were abusing the Creator of all that is, was, and ever will be.   He who designed and made at least 200 billion galaxies, with each galaxy consisting of at least 100 billion stars, and each star having many bodies of material moving around it, such as our own planet.  They acted ignorantly and violently; but they were able to act only because the Father God allowed the Creator, his Son, to be struck that day.  The One that John 1:3 says Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

How often we view Jesus as just a superior, loving man--a man, yes, perhaps incarnated with divinity, but basically a person like we are.  Of course in his biological flesh, He was just as we are, experiencing everything as we experience life.  He had to experience the pain and the vicissitudes of living, the temporariness of life.  The writer of Hebrews says Jesus understands everything in creation and goes on to write, Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin.  (Hebrews 4:14-15)  Jesus experienced all of life so He could share in everything we endure and have compassion for us.  But Jesus' can never wear the same tag of mere human: He is the Son of God incarnated.  God confirmed this at Jesus baptism and again at the Mount of Transfiguration: While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!”  When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.  But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.  (Matthew 17:5-8)  Jesus was the Word in the flesh: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  (John 1:1-2)  When they beat Jesus, we see his true identity hidden behind his biological weakness.  We see men who are stronger who are able take him under their authority and maltreat him because Jesus did not resist them.  It seems, we see the victory of wicked flesh over the spirit of goodness as exemplified in Jesus' life and ministry.  However, spitting, striking, ridiculing, Jesus, even putting him in the grave, was not the end of the story, but the beginning of new life and a new way to God's domain.  

When Jesus went to the cross and the grave, He gave all He had, his biological life.  He was the Lamb of God, innocent, led to slaughter.  The psalmist declared God would redeem his son from the grave: Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  (Psalm 16:9-10)  God sent the Holy Spirit to resurrect Jesus into new life, the same resurrection life that raises us from the pit of sin.  When we place our faith and hope in Jesus Christ and accept him as our Savior, we are resurrected with him to new life.  The men who persecuted Jesus thought of him as mere man and could not fathom He was the Son of the Blessed One.  But He was the creator of the life within them, the One who could show them the way to the Father's house.  If He would have taken their breath, their life, away from them in that hour, they would have fallen at his feet as lifeless bodies.  But He did not; He endured their abuse, for He did not come to condemn them.  When Jesus told people God loved the world and whoever believed in him would be saved, He also said, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  (John 3:17)  With such a loving Savior, how then should we respond to him?  How often do we abuse Jesus?  How often do we fail to recognize who He really was and is to us today?  Sometimes, we are the ones who strike at him and dishonor his name by not putting him, The Creator, above everything in our lives.  We are blessed to just say his name, the name above all names.  Yes, He is truly so great, so mighty, so holy, that we mere humans should not even have the privilege to say his name.  But He honors us by allowing us to use his name to escape the land of the dead: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.  (Acts 4:12)  This is our day to exalt the Lord, to give him honor and glory!  Paul wrote: And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:8-11)  We bow before you, Lord! 

Mark 14:55-60 Love Truth, Hate Lies!

Mark 14:55-60  The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.  Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’”  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.  Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer?  What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin in the above excerpt were fulfilling Jesus' words about them: If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on my own; but he sent me.  Why is my language not clear to you?  Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:42-44)  The religious elite on that night were exemplifying their father the devil by using lies to convict Jesus of leading an insurrection.  They chose to use Jesus' words about destroying the temple to validate these lies: I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.   They intended to display Jesus as a danger to society to get rid of him.  They wanted him dead; therefore, they used lies to discredit him and his teachings.  Jesus of course knew what they were doing.  He would not respond to their falsehoods when they asked him to do so.  Are you not going to answer? they provoked him.  The men in control that night knew the stories about Jesus were mere fabrications.  Nevertheless, they pretended they were true because they feared Jesus was becoming a threat to their powerful, hierarchal positions in the Jewish culture.  Every one of these religious leaders knew God's written Word said: Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.  (Psalms 34:12-13)  Yet they wanted Jesus put to death even if it took lies to accomplish this evil deed.    

What is truth?   What axiom is foundational to all truth, to all existence, to the meaning of life?  When Thomas wanted to know the way, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."  (John 14:6)  When Pilate questions Jesus, He tells him He was brought into the world to testify to the truth.  Pilate asks him, What is truth?  (See John 18:37-38)  Because of their sinful lifestyle, these religious leaders chose falsehoods over the truth, accepting lies instead of recognizing the truth of Jesus' divinity.  They stopped their ears to Jesus' teaching.  They blocked the reality of Jesus' words from their hearts and minds and wanted to see Jesus as just an ordinary man.  Their blind eyes failed to accept his miraculous deeds, even though they knew no man from the beginning of time performed such miracles.  They thought they could deal with Jesus as a mere mortal.  By doing this, they lost sight of Jesus' divinity.  Instead, they grasped hold of THE LIE their father told them from the beginning: to disrespect the authority and will of God Almighty who reigns from heaven above.  “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  (Genesis 3:4-5)  God had validated Jesus as his Son by sending the dove and speaking over him at his baptism, by blessing his prayers, by giving him wisdom, by allowing him to have authority other the natural elements of this world and sin and sickness.  But the religious elite thought they could place their authority and power over the will of God.  As one, they agreed to lie about Jesus and his teachings.  Therefore, their behavior and words expressed accurately the will of their father, the devil, who is the author of all lies.  He was a murderer from the beginning; consequently, they became murderers, mimicking their father's nature.  However, they were under the false impression, just as their father the devil, that they could get rid of Jesus permanently.  They were completely wrong, for they did not fully understand Jesus' power and authority as God's Son.  Jesus would conquer death and the grave.  He would rise again and bring resurrection power to all who place their faith in him.  

Those who heard the false witness brought against Jesus should have rejected the lies people told.  But they did not examine honestly the spirits to see if they were of God, for they wanted to believe the lies.  The Bible tells us: Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)  Often, we have wondered why God is so harsh on liars, for He makes it clear in his Word that lying is a serious offense to him.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.  (Revelation 21:8)  How many of us haven't lied?  Surely there are few if any people on the face of this Earth who have never lied.  But the real liar who deserves death and not resurrection to eternal life is the man or woman who lies about who Jesus Christ really is.  And it is here we find our foundational axiom.  We cannot reject Jesus, for He is the foundation of all things in creation.  He is the beginning and ending of all that is--the express image of God.  If we claim to believe in anything else, we are a liar to the TRUTH.  FOR WHAT IS TRUTH?  Truth is that Jesus Christ came in the flesh to give eternal life to all those who believe in him.  We must be born again, and this new birth comes through Jesus the Christ, the Creator of all things.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  (John 1:1-4)  The truth is that nothing was ever made without his voice, without his involvement, his touch.  We who are here on this earth in temporal form were made by him.  Every child of God is a new creature by faith in Christ's grace and creative power.  REJOICE TODAY, FOR THE CREATOR HAS COME TO MAKE YOU WHOLE AND COMPLETE FOR ETERNITY.  Amen!  Love, Dad and Mom

Mark 14:51-54 God Rescues Liars

Mark 14:51-54  A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus.  When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.  They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together.  Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.  

Many people believe the young man mentioned who fled in fear, leaving his linen garment behind, was Mark.  Of course, this happening seems rather inconsequential to the significance of the story.  Yet, by revealing this information, Mark emphasizes that all of the disciples were in fear and fled as we read last week in the previous verse: Then everyone deserted him and fled.  However, he then reveals to us Peter's determination to follow Jesus' captors wherever they were taking Jesus.  Probably, Peter was attempting to carry out his words to Jesus, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”  Peter was a strong-willed fisherman, not a man of an equivocal mind.  His intention was not to abandon Jesus, regardless of the cost.  In fact he was so strong in that belief that he drew a sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the chief priest.  But Jesus did not back him up in his intentions to do violence to his captors.  In fact, Jesus said, “Put your sword back in its place for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."  This of course brought Peter into great confusion, for how could he defend Jesus from his accusers if he could not even fight them?  So Peter withdrew from the scene of the arrest, but then proceeded to follow Jesus to the courtyard of  Jesus' main accuser.  As Jesus said earlier in the garden, “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Peter wanted to prove he was strong in all ways in his commitment to his Lord

Simon's determination, his will, lead him to the place where Jesus was taken; but when the final test came, Peter was not strong enough to overcome the circumstances of that day of days.  Peter was chief of the apostles, the leader Jesus placed so much faith in when Peter called him the Son of the living God, and Jesus said, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  (Matthew 16:16 & 18)  But now as Jesus had predicted, Peter could not fulfill his promise to his LORD AND MASTER to remain true to his calling.  Often, Peter's dilemma  is our dilemma.  We set rules and regulations for our lives.  We promise God what we will do and what we won't do; but when the conflict, desire, or temptation comes into our lives, we are like Peter.  We can hear the words of Jesus: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”  Peter denied Jesus.  He could not continue to believe Jesus could either extricate himself from this circumstance or keep himself safe in the midst of adversity.  He probably was questioning Jesus' deity, power, and authority.  Even though he had seen Jesus do miraculous acts that no man from the beginning of time could do, his allegiance to Jesus as the Son of God wavered; his faith was not built on solid ground.  Prior to this night, Peter thought the man who could calm the seas and quiet the wind, the one who healed the sick and raised the dead could not possibly be helpless in the hands of wicked men.  Surely no men could take the Son of God into custody.  NOT POSSIBLE!  But what Peter was seeing with his eyes and hearing with his ears made him believe that Jesus was not defending himself and God seemed far from the scene.  How could God's Son, Jesus, be powerless and where was the Father who loved the Son?   Peter's conclusion under pressure and in great fear was to deny his Lord.  He went away weeping after he knew he had fulfilled the words, Jesus spoke to him earlier: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 

How often do we deny Jesus' reality and feel that God is not at the scene when we experience difficulties and trials of life?  How often do we say that things just don't change and remain the same as they have been from the beginning of time?  In our despair, the mindset of human nature takes over and the supernaturalness of God takes a backseat in our thinking.  Why pray, nothing will change?  Why serve God, I always have problems?  These attitudes can take over in our lives and dominate our thinking if we give the natural mind a foothold and forget the Lord and his blessings.  We become heathens in our thinking, not men and women of the Spirit.  In reality, God never abandons us.  But when our thinking goes astray, we abandon ourselves.  We leave behind the good teaching and the truth we have received; we leave behind the knowledge of the Word; we leave behind the kindness and help of our brothers and sisters.  Sadly, we even leave behind the miraculous works that God has accomplished in our lives--countless miracles of grace and mercy.  We succumb to the belief that the powers of the world are greater than God's power.  

In today's scripture, Peter was confused, alone, and feeling abandoned by God to the hands of men: consequently, he feared.  But God had a greater plan for him, just as He has a greater plan for you.  As you abide in Christ by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, God performs his perfect will.  Peter knew the Word.  He knew Jesus said, Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.  (Matthew 10:32-33)  But Jesus was not ashamed of Peter when he stumbled.  He knew Peter's heart, his love for God; so He was not finished with Peter.  God is not finished with you even if you have been struggling with unbelief, doubt, or fear.  You are a child of God, and He plans for you to inherit his kingdom and all the heavenly blessings He has stored up for you.  Right now He wants to make your life more productive, more alive in Him through his mighty power in you.  After Peter's denial, God placed Peter as the leader of his nascent church.  What great plans God has for YOU!  Look up, revival is on the way!  

Mark 14:43-50 Jesus, A Savior, Not A Rebel!

Mark 14:43-50  Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared.  With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.  Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.  The men seized Jesus and arrested him.  Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?  Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”  Then everyone deserted him and fled.

“Am I leading a rebellion?”  The obvious implied answer is, "No, Jesus, you are not leading a rebellion to change the nature of civil authority, to do away with secular leadership."  Yet within Jesus' ministry there was a real threat to the rulership and authority of the religious elite and to the culture they represented.  Jesus' teachings oriented the people's thinking toward himself as the pathway to God instead of the rules and regulations of the religious leaders.  Jesus declared, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:6)  The angry people who met Jesus in that garden to arrest him had good reason to want him removed, for they knew their very position and their influence in the Jewish community was at stake.  They knew if the people accepted Jesus' teachings, they would lose their positions of deference and power.  The activities of this night would determine their futures, their relevancy in the Jewish society.  They were playing a high stakes game by arresting Jesus, with winners and losers.  These leaders were hoping the arrest and the eventual killing of Jesus would remove this attack on their positions of authority and influence.  They no longer wanted to hear the judgments of Jesus who said, Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  (Luke 11:43)  The Jewish culture was oriented the way they wanted, with them in power, with them controlling the gateway to God.  They wanted to be rid of this bold man who said, I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  (John 10:9-10)   

God gave Jesus the power to open the people's eyes and to overcome the religious traditions and practices of the Jewish people.  His teachings and activities were directed by God through the power of the Holy Spirit.   I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.  (John 5:19-20)  Jesus traversed the land, doing good as the representative of his Father's love for his people.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, commanded the seas and winds to become calm.  He could do anything He desired because the Father's goodwill was to bless his people with the Good News that a Savior has come to them to wipe alway their sins, to restore them to the image of God, to birth them as sons and daughters in God's family forever.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  (John 1:12-13)  Knowing his Father's great and glorious plans for his creation, Jesus did not come to rebel against the conventions of the secular world, but He did come to change the hearts of men and women to receive all God prepared for them.  He did come to make humans new creatures, those who would have the likeness of God in them, those who could love unconditionally the world and its people.  He did come to make people servants to humanity so that people would be blessed by God himself through his sons and daughters at work for him.  

We must ask ourselves: Are we trying to change the secular world and its conventions or are we trying to change people's hearts by leading them to the transforming power of Jesus Christ?  Are we allowing others to see evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?  Jesus told Peter to put up his sword after he had cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  We see implied, "Yes Peter, we might win this battle: violence might prevent them from taking me tonight, but we wouldn't win anything in God's eyes.  Hearts would remain the same; new creatures would not be created; and eternal life would not be given to sinful men.  Put away your sword.  By winning tonight, you will not win anything but more misery."  Sometimes, we Christians get all wrapped up in changing the world to our liking.  We think we are winning, but we are really losing if we forget the message of transformation through Jesus Christ.  Only Jesus changes the hearts of men and women.  Everything else will fail: our politics, our self-righteousness, our championing of a moral lifestyle.  All our solutions will be futile, earth-bound changes without Christ.  Only He brings eternal life to us.  Dad listened to a man recently who told of a tumultuous childhood.  He lived a violent early life because of horrible circumstances.  As a consequence, his own violence became so devastating that finally he was institutionalized.  Even in the institution, placed in isolation, he destroyed everything he could get his hands on.  He was angry, bitter, and destructive.  But his testimony today is that discipline, lectures, retentions, and even good words and appropriate teaching could not change him.  Only Jesus could change him through the earnest prayers of others.  The resurrection power of Jesus transformed his life.  Jesus brought comfort and peace to this troubled young man.  "Put away your sword Peter, I am not leading a rebellion, I am changing souls for the Father."  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  (2 Corinthians 2:4)  This is our mission.  Bless us, Lord!          

Mark 14:37-42 Don't Sleep, Watch and Pray!

Mark 14:37-42  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.  When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  They did not know what to say to him.  Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?  Enough!  The hour has come.  Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise!  Let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!” 

How many of us are asleep?  In the above passage, we see Jesus' closest followers asleep when moments before He told them: Stay here and keep watch.  Of course they were physically tired or they would not have fallen asleep.  Yes, their lives were busy.  Yes, they had legitimate excuses for sleeping.  Probably each of them could have elaborated convincingly upon the reasons for his fatigue.  But Jesus was disappointed in them, for He had told them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  (Mark 14:32&34)  He asked for their support.  They did not discern the seriousness of the hour.  They thought of their past experiences of living day by day under the threat of persecution while the religious leaders were constantly plotting against Jesus.  Now they did not realize the truth Jesus had spoken of their future when He said, All men will hate you because of me . . ..  (Mark 13:13)  How wrong they were in thinking things would remain the same, for in the next hour they would become fugitives, their lives in danger.  They would see their Lord arrested by the those who had plotted to kill him and now came with his betrayer, one of their own.  Later they would see the cruel judgment of death on a cross carried out against Jesus by the Roman soldiers.  They would experience and see all this in the next few hours.  But instead of being alert in prayer because of the darkness of this time, they fell asleep.  Their slumber was justified in their natural bodies; but in their spirits, they did not discern the hour that had come upon them.  They carried on as if nothing would change, when great sorrow was at their gate.  

The question is: Are we asleep?  Are we listening to what our bodies tell us to do or our spirits?  Are we approaching each day under God's agenda or our own agenda?  In today's passage, we see Jesus' desire for the disciples to pray so they might not fall into temptation.  He did not want them to fall away because of what they would see in the next few hours of their lives.  He wanted them to be strong in the faith when they would view Jesus weak in the hands of sinful man.  But their weariness in the flesh took precedence over Jesus' request to watch and pray.  Of course as Jesus' closest followers, they thought they were willing to pray, but they allowed their bodies to dictate to them what they would really do and that was to sleep.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.  How true those words are for human beings with all our good intentions.  Are we also like the disciples?  We love the Lord, and we often tell him: You are Lord of my life.  But in reality our lives lack discipline.  We fail to keep our promises to God and to ourselves.  We do not consistently pray, meditate, or think about God's agenda, his ways.  Without the Holy Spirit, our thoughts are not his thoughts, and our ways are not his ways.  In the flesh, we choose slumber for the day, the week, the month, the year, the decade.  We slumber rather than pray fervently for people and the world.  Even though we know the Spirit says in James 5:16, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, we fail to pray, to seek our Lord.  Maybe we really slumber because we inadvertently believe what the scoffers do, as Peter references: Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.  (2 Peter 3:4)  As Jesus said to his disciples: Are you still sleeping and resting?  ENOUGH! 

We can easily write this kind of breakfast, but what is difficult for us is to change our habits of serving the Lord.  Of course, everything that was written above pertains to us as well as you.  We realize we are often preaching to the choir, and we do not want to discourage you with a breakfast like today's.  We know most of you pray and seek the Lord for his will in your lives.  But we also know as it is with us, the activities and concerns of the world can easily put us to sleep; and we can find ourselves busily doing our agenda rather than the Lord's.  Although personally, we have a plan to read the Word together daily, several days can slip by when we do not read the Word together, yet we usually watch TV each evening--that is rarely forgotten.  We are trying to let the Holy Spirit search us, making us more aware of these inconsistencies, not to condemn us but to touch our hearts and bring us closer to our Lord.  We want to watch and pray, for the needs are many.  Praise God, the resident Holy Spirit in all of us wants to help up refocus if we will open ourselves to him.  We are so thankful to be called sons and daughters of the Most High God, living under a new and better covenant, sealed by the shed blood of our Redeemer and King.  Our Father promised us: This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.  I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  (Hebrews 8:10)  Therefore as we yield to the Spirit, He will make us alive in Christ, and we will reach others with the Good News that Christ has come to save sinners.  We will be awake and not asleep when there is work to do for the Master.  Jesus will be able to count on us to watch and pray, and we will not fall into temptation.  We will all follow Paul's admonition: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

Mark 14:32-36 Willing to Die For Jesus?

Mark 14:32-36  They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.  “Stay here and keep watch.”  Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

As Jesus Christ the Lord was when He was here with us, so are we but flesh.  There are times in our lives when the stress of living can be so immense we fall to our knees and say as Jesus did: "I am overwhelmed; let this hour pass from me; change my circumstances."  Often we hear of others having to go through serious difficulties and trials.  As Christians, we earnestly pray for an escape in their hour of need, for quick restoration to a more peaceful and secure time.  We pray for healing, release, success, and other good things to benefit them.  We beseech God fervently and even desperately when we learn a loved one or close friend has been attacked by an incurable disease or a permanent disability.  We pray for deliverance, knowing these afflictions that have come upon others would be almost impossible for us to endure.  Right now, we know of Christians in other lands who are facing death at the hands of wicked and perverse people controlled by demons from the pit of hell.  We pray, "Take this cup from those who suffer, deliver them."  But too often, we see the consequences of evil seemingly win the day.  We know, as stated in Hebrews, the world was not worthy of them, such soldiers in the Lord, willing to give all for him.  (Hebrews 11:8)  When we view the world and its turmoil, we often inadvertently or subconsciously expect others to face such problems, but not us.  We will be delivered: our prayers will be answered as we desire.  But we see in the above scripture, the Holy One of God, the Bright and Morning Star, Beloved of God, had to face the burden of carrying all the sins of all those who ever lived to an evil, cruel cross.  He did not have a way of escape.  He experienced sorrow but stayed the course.  

In today's passage, we see Jesus facing an immediate future of pain, humiliation, and death.  We see a perfect Lamb, holy, unmarred by the world; an innocent lamb, led to the slaughter.  A lamb knows not what is in store for him, yet Jesus knew that the gates of Hell would be opened to torment him.  He knew the devil would glory in his slaughter.  Therefore, Jesus said, Take this cup from me.  Yes, Jesus was the Son of God, but He had given his authority over to God the Father.  Yet not what I will, but what you will, Jesus said in total commitment.  Jesus' will in these final moments, even though He had walked toward the cross all his life, was to avoid this awful task, this terrible experience, this horrific death.  But He said, not my will for my life, your will, oh God.  He prayed just as He had taught his disciples to pray.  Nothing had changed in the heart of the Son of God.  He still said: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  (Matthew 6:9-10)  At some time or the other, we all have to say as Jesus said, "Not my will but your will, Father."  We will place our lives in the Father's will, not ours, even though we do not want our present day experience, pain, or sorrow.  Even though we desire to escape from the torment in and around us, we will place our faith and trust in our heavenly Father because of his great love for us.  We will not retreat; we will face the circumstances in our lives, knowing God is trustworthy.  We will praise the name of the Lord, regardless of our pain because we are saved and kept by his grace.  As Paul wrote, But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.  (Ephesians 2:4-5) 

Because of Christ we walk by faith.  Yet how can any of us face tribulation, pain, and even death?  We can only do that with the help of the Holy Spirit.  He is the great Comforter.  Jesus said, Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  (John 16:7)  He said the Spirit would come to abide in us.  The Comforter remains by our side no matter what we experience to remind us of HOME, where there is no more sorrow, no more tears.  He reminds us of Holiness, heaven, where God himself abides.  He reminds us we are sons and daughters in the household of God.  He reminds us that what we see, hear, and know by our senses is not real.  What is real is the kingdom of God that lies in the heart of God where we abide.  None of us want to face trouble.  We would be mentally ill if we desired such experiences, but all of us will face trials that will test our resolve and spirit.  All of us will wonder at some time, Where are you God?  Where are you NOW, for I need you?  But He is constantly, incessantly, saying, "Hold on my children.  Your faith is more pure and precious than gold.  Your hope in me pleases my heart beyond what you can imagine.  That is why, I will not just call you my friends but sons and daughters.  You touched my heart because of your faithfulness, your willingness to die even under the pressures of this life.  You chose me above all things, all experiences, all deliverances.  Your faithfulness will be rewarded, FOR I AM YOUR FATHER!"  We know God loves us, for we read in the Word:  Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  (Matthew 7:9-11)  What is the gift inherent in Jesus Christ, available because of his death and resurrection?  The gift is eternal life in the presence of our Abba Father.  Consequently, we will say with the millions before us: Yet not what I will, but what you will.  Today we join the endless throng and sing praise to God!     

Mark 14:27-31 Do We Betray Jesus?

Mark 14:27-31  “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”  Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”  “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”  But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”  And all the others said the same.

And all the others said the same.  How easy it is for Christians to say that under the threat of physical pain or even facing death, they would never deny Jesus.  As we sit in our comfortable homes, experiencing the warmth and security of our environment, we can express undying allegiance to our Lord, but how many of us would waver if our lives were in duress because of our commitment to Jesus.  In reality, sometimes in far less dire circumstances, such as in a group full of nonbelievers who would reject our witness, we have trouble remaining faithful to Jesus.  Likewise, sickness, family problems, or financial difficulties will sometimes cause us to question our Lord's fidelity to us, and our faith begins to waver.  We grumble, complain about Jesus not coming to our aid to rescue us from our problems.  How quickly we blame Jesus for not eradicating all of the trials in our lives.  Is He really there?  Does He care for me?  Am I believing the right thing?  Maybe I should just go back to my old ways of thinking and living?  Human beings tend to be fickle even when they are not stressed; but under stress, they are even more ready to go back on their words or even lie about their faith while in reality they are full of anger and doubt.  Car accidents or some other sudden vicissitude of life will bring out such a tendency to doubt in some believers.  Normal events such as income tax time tempt many people to skew the truth about their financial situation while they say they are trusting God.  Humans, as in the case of Peter above, tend to lack reliability and trust in their Lord under stress.  Yet many scriptures tell us life will be difficult.  After the cross, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, speaks of the great inheritance we have in Christ, and says, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  (1Peter 1:6-7)  While life is hard at times, we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  (1 Peter 1:3) 

Peter knew the precarious situation that he, Jesus, and the disciples were in when he made his affirmation of loyalty to Jesus: Even if all fall away, I will not.  He knew the authorities wanted to kill Jesus; he knew Jesus' followers might also be put to death; yet even under those realities, he and the disciples all pledged their enduring faithfulness to Jesus.  Their hearts were not false when they made these declarations: they had followed Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, and they had agreed to leave all to be with him.  But as we learn later, they all fled.  None were willing and able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jesus as he faced his enemies who would crucify him.  The disciples were just men, strong in their allegiance but weak in their practice when it came to going to the cross.  How many times in our walk with Jesus have we promised him something and then failed to carry it out because of the weakness of the flesh?  How many times have we allowed our flesh to take priority over our promises to the Lord?  Peter and the disciples were facing real persecution and possible death.  This was not one of those times they would be rebuked by the religious leaders: they knew where Jesus was headed.  Can you imagine the scene when Pilate turned Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took charge of him.  Can you imagine Jesus: Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).  We can excuse the disciples for not carrying out their pledge of allegiance to Jesus, but can we excuse ourselves in this day and age, for not reading the word, not praying fervently, not witnessing?  He does not condemn us; neither did He condemn Peter.  He was ready to use Peter to preach to thousands, and He is ready to use each of us and has work for us to do.  As Paul wrote: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  (Colossians 1:10-12)  

Since this breakfast is read by people all over the world, we know some reading this breakfast are facing persecution if they stand up for Jesus.  We know  some are enduring the real trials that the apostles faced.  How will they remain steadfast?  What can keep them faithful under tremendous duress?  We know that after the day of Pentecost, the disciples went out and gave their lives for Christ.  They were fearless in their pursuit to preach the gospel.  When one city would reject them, they moved to the next to carry the Good News to others.  To do this, they had to have a reality more compelling than just their past experiences with the physical Jesus.  Of course they did!  After Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them in the upper room, they had the indwelling of the Spirit of God.  Every day, no matter their circumstances, they had the Spirit of God comforting them, urging them to understand the nature of their business on Earth.  Daily they needed his words: "SON OR DAUGHTER, I AM WITH YOU.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  THE GIFT I HAVE GIVEN YOU IS ETERNAL LIFE.  MY LIFE IS IN YOU.  YOU WILL NEVER DIE."  The Spirit gave them power and authority to carry on, doing the will of God.  Unless we also hear those words, we will fear, we will step back.  But God is in us, and we are IN HIM.  The Spirit has come to give us courage and to comfort and to guide us.  He challenges us to live confidently IN HIM every day: on the easy and the hard days.  For IN HIM, even while we abide now here on Earth, we are always HOME, present with God.  Because we know who we are, we can believe with the disciples what Jesus said to them and act upon his words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:18-19)   

Mark 14:17-26 Eat the Bread, Drink the Wine!

Mark 14:17-26  When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.  While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me.  They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?”  “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.  The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”  While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”  Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.  “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”  When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 

"Will you betray me for gain?" Jesus asks  “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me.”  Jesus directs his comment at Judas' heart, for He knows Judas will betray him for 30 pieces of silver, money Judas later despises.  How many of us use the gospel of Jesus Christ for gain?   Are we like Judas, trying to get more out of this world because of our acquaintance with Jesus Christ?  For sure, Judas betrayed him, but do we not betray him when we skew his teachings, when we tell people they should believe in Jesus so they might gain more from this world because of their position with God.   Judas betrayed Jesus' whole message when he went to the religious elite for the wealth they promised.  He had heard Jesus' teaching: Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"  (Luke 9:23-25)  Judas obviously did not believe Jesus, for he sought his own wellbeing over dying to this world and its goods.  He was no longer going to deny himself of what the world offered by taking up his cross daily and following Christ.  How tempting it is to use our relationship with Jesus for our self-serving interests.  We like it when the millionaire football player crosses the goal line and points to heaven to acknowledge the supreme being or kneels in a prayerful attitude, but we are not too sure we should cheer the status of a martyr who has given his or her all for the cause of Jesus our Lord.  However, the acclamation for the football hero will be nothing in comparison with the thunderous acclaim the martyrs will receive when they are revealed in the heavenly domain.  These are those we read of in the Word: Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.  They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.  They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.  (Hebrews 11:35-38) 

Luke records Jesus saying these words to the crowd that followed him: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."  (Luke 14:26-27)  Jesus knew people would experience problems totally surrendering to his will, totally committing to serving God.  We can see this problem throughout history as passion for Christ comes and goes in societies.  The church finds itself in a retrograde position when trying to uphold the teachings of Christ.  We are in retreat sometimes to the materialism of this world, finding our position overshadowed by the allurements that tempt people away from their love for Jesus.  Of course, having Christ as Lord and winning the world offers amazing hope and peace and is an attractive doctrine to share with others.  In reality, winning the world and its goods cannot possibly compare to winning Christ as Lord.  He gives life, real life and true freedom.  Outside of him there is nothing but death and captivity to sin.  We who are alive in him have passed from death to life.  If we choose the meagerness of this world as a meaningful existence for ourselves, we will miss out on eternity with God.  The Bible says, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:22-23)   Yes, we all have the goods of this world in our possession, but these goods should not have relevance in or spiritual lives.  If we believe we are blessed because of our beliefs, because of our superior faith, we must be careful about such a doctrine.  It is leaven that will leaven our souls; pretty soon, we will be working for flesh rather than for Christ.  Jesus said He did not have a place to lay his head, and He also said, In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.  (Luke 14:33)

Jesus does not ask for our complete allegiance to him without making provision for us.  He does not ask anything of us that He will not empower us to do through the Holy Spirit.  In today's passage, Jesus takes the bread and the cup of wine and tells his disciples to eat the bread, “Take it; this is my body,” and to drink from the cup, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”  He is preparing them for his death and the offering of his own body on the cross.  But He is also telling them there is life in the body that will be broken for them; there is power in the blood that will flow at Calvary.  They do not understand at that moment all that Christ is saying, but they will come to know what He means when the Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost.  When Jesus talked to them after his resurrection, they wanted to know if He would restore the kingdom of Israel.  He said it was not for them to know the times.  Then He said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  This same power is available to all believers today as we commit fully to Christ and take up the cross and follow him.  We must follow the example of our brother the Apostle Paul, who said, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:14)  As we fall more in love with Jesus, we will be less involved with this world and what it has to offer.  As we serve others, we will care less about the things we once thought so important to our happiness.  To know Jesus as Savior and Lord is truly joy unspeakable and full of glory.  (1 Peter 1:8)  Today, the Lord asks us to break bread with him and to drink from his cup.  He says, "Take up your cross daily and follow me, my child."  In him are the riches of the spirit that we all long to receive.  Bless you dear ones.