Mark 16:15-20

Mark 16:15-20  He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;  they will speak in new tongues;  they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.  Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. 

The above verses are not in the older manuscripts, and many scholars believe they were added to Mark's writing much later.  I happen to believe that, too, but regardless, since God allowed these scriptures, let us address them.  Yes, signs should follow those who believe.  That is why we pray.  We believe God changes situations.  In the New Testament, Jesus and his apostles performed many healings and miracles.  Jesus, the apostles, and the early church all prayed; we are to pray as well.  However, Jesus also submitted to God's will.  In the garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  (Mark 14:36)   In the Lord's prayer we again see God's will as preeminent: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We cannot presume God's will at any one time.  Sure, we want good for people.  I want to believe that everyone should be healed, but I have to leave that up to the Lord.  Of course, when people are bitten by snakes, we pray they will feel no ill effects.  If people accidently drink poison (one of my sons did that when he was very young), we pray they will not die, but we can never be presumptuous, for God knows the beginning from the end.  He alone knows the ramification of all things.   

Jesus said you are not to put the Lord your God to the test.  (Matthew 4:7)  The devil wanted Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point on the temple to prove that God would protect him, that He was someone special.  The mystics and the occultists perform acts to gain respect and a following.  In India we see snake charmers, in our country we see snake handlers, and sadly to say there are also those who drink poison to prove God is with them and they are special.  This is not a faith walk--one that believes in God regardless of the circumstances.  From the beginning of time, all men have died except for a few: Elijah, Enoch, and Jesus.  From its earliest years, the church has been persecuted.  Good people, those God loved and redeemed, have experienced horrible deaths at the hands of sinful men.  Also good people have become sick and died.  Almost all old people die of something detectible.  If life were completely understandable, if all the redeemed lived forever, if Christians were the most prosperous of all people, if God's beloved never had any problems, everyone in the world would be a Christian because Christianity would pay off better than any casino.  But we know better.  God will not allow anyone to enter his kingdom except through the door of FAITH in Jesus Christ.  

Then what about the above scriptures?  I suspect they are accounts of actual events such as Paul being bitten by the viper.  Nothing bad happened to him at that time, for God wanted him to witness to the islanders.  And that is what he did.  Are miracles happening today?  Yes, for God's plans and purposes, not man's.  Should we pray for miracles?  Amen!  God is still testifying of himself through us.  However, we don't test the Lord God.  We don't demand that He has to come across or prove himself in a certain situation.  God does what He wants according to his plan, not ours.  Is this difficult for us?  Yes, for it demands that we have faith regardless of the circumstances.  But, in the final analysis, NOTHING PLEASES GOD MORE THAN FAITH, for it places God in control.  Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)    

This ends the Gospel of Mark.  I'll look in the refrigerator and see what we have for tomorrow.

Mark 16:12-14

Mark 16:12-14  Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.  These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.  Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Luke 24:13-16  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. 

How often do we walk along and not recognize that Jesus is with us?  In a world filled with competing activities, thoughts, demands, and voices, we sometimes don't recognize Jesus walking along with us.  We don't hear his footsteps, for we are cloistered within our own needs, thoughts and circumstances.  Jesus' voice seems far away from us in those moments.  In today's passage, Jesus is disturbed with the disciples for their refusal to believe He has been resurrected and is walking among them.  They were refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.  However, the disciples knew full well the circumstances of his horrible death.  Life after that horrible death was hard to accept.  How could Jesus be alive?  The above passage shows us that his disciples were rational men, not hysterical fanatics or mystics.  But Jesus still rebuked them for their lack of faith.  Otherwise, Jesus expected them to believe even though their natural minds said that the resurrection could not have happened.  

Because Christ rose from the dead, we Christians can come to God boldly and present our petitions before him.  Every day by faith, we have the opportunity to believe God is with us and to know Jesus is integrally involved with our lives.  Every day we can chose to believe we are the "peculiar people" spoken of in the Bible, those who have the divine Comforter constantly in our lives, imbuing us with the power of his presence.  Or we Christians can be faithless and not believe any of that.  Regardless of our belief in his reality, Jesus is walking with us.  We are his adopted brothers and sisters, born into the family of God.  Therefore, He will not forsake or abandon us.  However, in our weakness, we sometimes do not believe the spiritual realities of our existence wholeheartedly.  The world just seems too big, too hard for us to understand.  Perhaps our lives are not going the way we planned or there are too many voices, saying too many things. That is when we need to be able to RECOGNIZE HIS PRESENCE.  That is when we need to perceive the Spirit of God within us. That is when we need to hear HIS VOICE and listen to his words.  

Many times I find myself quieting my spirit and listening attentively to a song emitting unconsciously from my lips or a song deep within my heart.  I listen to the words, and usually it is a song of praise to my Lord.  Then I know the Spirit is singing within me.  My outward man may feel fearful or troubled, but inside me there is almost an unconscious song of praise going on, almost as if the song is not connected to me unless I take time to listen.  Other times I'll cry, "Oh Lord, help me, I don't understand."  And I hear a quiet, "I will."  Sometimes, in the tossing and turning in my mind, I'll hear, "I am with you.  I will not leave you."  Then, and only then do I find comfort, for then I hear his footsteps.  I know his presence is near.  In the passage above, they did not perceive Jesus was near, but He was.  Do not frustrate the grace of God by not perceiving that Jesus is near.  He is, and He wants to comfort you today.  If you cannot find comfort in your soul by yourself, call up someone and ask for prayer.  God will comfort your soul through a brother or sister in Christ.  That is a purpose of the body of Christ.  BUT FOR SURE: HAVE FAITH, HE IS NEAR.

Mark 16:6-11

Mark 16:6-11  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.’”  Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.  When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.  When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

It is interesting to note that the disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene's account of what happened to Jesus.  I suspect they thought she was regressing into spiritual confusion.  However, how could they really believe Jesus was alive, for Jesus did not just die a comfortable death.  His death was a violent one.  Because of the beatings and the crucifixion, the disciples had watched Jesus' blood literally drain out of him.  No one can live without blood, so they knew Jesus did not just fall asleep into some comatose condition.  They knew He was very much dead.

Today, millions of people believe Jesus is "very much dead."  They just cannot believe that the resurrection occurred.  How can life begin again after death, but for us Christians this belief in the resurrection is the cornerstone of our salvation.  Jesus said we must be born again.  When Jesus went into the grave, we went with him.  When He was resurrected, we who believe were resurrected into new life in him.  To be born again the disciples had to believe that Jesus was resurrected.  If they believed only that He died an ignoble death for them, salvation would not be theirs.  But by believing and knowing that Jesus not only died for their sins but was risen in new life as well, they could experience new life for themselves, eternal life.  Some people believe that Jesus was a good man who did good deeds, and we should emulate him.  However, they cannot believe that He was resurrected from the grave.  For them, Jesus' life ended at death, for He was not the Son of God.  And for many, all life ends at the grave.  

But for those of us who believe Jesus was the Son of God, who conquered sin and death, we are made living creatures, for his new life resides in us.  He is resurrected in us.  We feel his presence; we know He lives, for He has transformed our lives and has given us a new perspective on life.  If life is only doing good and then we die, we are most miserable.  Paul says, we might as well eat, drink, and live it up, for tomorrow we may die.  If there is no resurrection, we are hopelessly lost.  But Christ's resurrection truly brings life, now and after death.  We enter into that life through faith.  And because of our faith, God has sent an earnest gift to us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit's presence in us is the earnest gift that there is an inheritance to come--life after death.  We who struggle in our faith, who sometimes totter in our faith as an old man walking down the street, can find the assurance of our salvation by experiencing the Holy Spirit's presence in us.  Mary Magdalene was not losing her rational mind, neither were the many others who saw Jesus after his resurrection.  In fact they were so far removed from being irrational that they gave their lives for Jesus' work, even under heavy persecution, for the sake of the resurrected Lord whom they saw.  May we follow their example of commitment and love in sharing the "Good News."

Mark 16:1-6

Mark 16:1-6  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen! 

When the Sabbath was over, when the day of rest was completed, early in the morning the three women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his body. There they met an angel who said, He has risen!  What is the significance of all this for us today?  Why is the cross important?  Why is the resurrection important?  The resurrection validates who Jesus said He was, but why the cross?  Why not just a painless death and then resurrection?     God's plan of salvation is so magnificent, so incomprehensible, it rivals our understanding of the structure of space and its billions of galaxies.  Only a marvelous God could have devised such a plan.  Listen carefully, Jesus came to set us free from sin and death by totally emptying himself for us and becoming nothing.  He literally experienced separation from his Father, the Almighty God.  He walked the pathway of "DUST TO DUST," for all human remains will eventually turn to dust or nothingness.  All awareness of life will be gone.  Time will cease into eternity.  Our existence will be gone.  

Jesus took on the form of man, and in that form he experienced all the temptations and vicissitudes of life that flesh experiences, even death.  BUT God would not allow his Son to decay in the grave.  And because of Jesus' act of shedding his blood for the sins of the world, death and the grave were overpowered by this sacrificial act of the godhead.  Jesus who possessed faith in God and who lived that faith was risen first; He became the first fruit.  Then all of us who are in Christ by faith are risen anew in Him, born again--an act of the Creator, the mother God so to speak.  In Christ all things become new.  We no longer serve God through rules and regulations of the past.  We no longer serve him by implementing the shadow of heavenly things here on Earth.  The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves.  For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  (Hebrews  10:1)  We no longer serve him by observing special days, months,  years.  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.  But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?  Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?  You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!  I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.  (Galatians 4:9-10)   

Although Paul spoke these words of correction to the Galatians, showing the foolishness of keeping certain laws, the heart of his message applies to all people.  We don't serve God by observing the shadow of spiritual realities; we are NOW in the presence of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  We don't observe a special day as our Sabbath, for we have entered into our day of rest, Jesus Christ, because of his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the tomb.  Daily we minister before the Lord God in the name of Jesus his Son--the only name where we find salvation and life eternal.  We now enter boldly into the Holy of Holies and come face to face with God, crying, "Abba Father," for we know we are home at last.  The cross and Jesus' subsequent resurrection brought life to the lifeless and eternity with God as part of HIS FAMILY.  We have been made higher than the angels, for we have been BOUGHT BY THE BLOOD OF GOD, not that of sheep and goats or any other observance.  What a creative plan, greater than the galaxies made by his hands, greater than the universe spoken into existence.  WHAT A PLAN!  This was the message of the early church and it is our message.  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  (Colossians 2:16-17)  Stand fast in the freedom of the cross of Jesus Christ and live a resurrected life!

Mark 15:40-47; Mark 16:1-3

Mark 15:40-47; Mark 16:1-3  Some women were watching from a distance.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs.  Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.  It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath).  So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead.  Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.  When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.  Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

The women were on a divine mission as God's spies.  Primarily, they were there that day to see where Jesus' body was laid.  Members of the Sanhedrin and the high priest knew about Jesus' prophesy of being resurrected, so I am sure they were not very willing to have Jesus' gravesite known.  In fact, they were so worried about Jesus' body being stolen that they actually had soldiers seal and guard his tomb.  But the Holy Spirit wanted us to know through Mark's account that the women fulfilled God's divine purpose for them that day.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. 

Joseph was also on a divine mission.  He was to take care of the body of the crucified Jesus.  He was a member of the Sanhedrin who had rejected the council's decision to put Jesus to death, for Joseph in his heart was looking for God's kingdom to be established.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  (Luke 23:51)  As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had heard all the reasons Jesus should be killed, but somehow he believed Jesus was more than a mere man who could be dealt with by death.  So Joseph put his feet to work and went to Pilate to request Christ's body.  Pilate consented.  Before the Sabbath began, Joseph quickly placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.  Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.  Joseph placed Jesus' body exactly where God wanted him to be placed.  The conditions were right for the resurrection, and for the concomitant announcement that he HAS RISEN.  After the Sabbath, early in the morning, the three women who knew where Jesus' body was, came to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body with spices--the rest of the story is well known.  

What role do each of us have to play today?  Will we be in the right place with the right attitude?  The women at the tomb and Joseph were chosen to fulfill necessary roles in the story of Jesus.  We, in the body of Christ, have necessary roles to fulfill.  The Holy Spirit was sent not only to comfort us but to guide us in all aspects of our lives.  We are his children; as children we can be obedient or disobedient.  The Bible indicates that God disciplines his children, the wayward, the uncontrollable, the frightened, the stubborn, the slow learners, all his children.  Jesus says, some sow, some reap; some prepare and some collect the results.  Christians have the will and the ability to do both, but for sure we are not just automatons.  We can say yes or no to everything God wants us to do, but I believe the Holy Spirit has placed a very strong inclination in our hearts to do God's will.  Is it to visit the sick?  Is it to carry out some important task for someone?  Maybe it's to mourn or to rejoice with someone.  Maybe it is just to be a companion to a lonely heart.  God has a task for us this day.  Is there a person who needs a call from you today, a loving hug?  The women and Joseph had a task and they fulfilled it.  CHRISTIANS, GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH WORK TO DO, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to fulfill those tasks.  James says, "Show me your faith by your works."  Otherwise, show me how much you believe and trust in God by your willingness to work for him.  God bless you today in ALL that you do.

Mark 15:35-39

Mark 15:35-39  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”  One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  “Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.  With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

The curtain to the holy of holies was rent that day; the restriction to the presence of the Almighty God was taken away.  Anyone now could enter into God's presence through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord as their savior, for Jesus paid the price for man's recalcitrant spirit and sinful nature.  Jesus, THE WAY, broke down the barrier that separated sinful man from a holy God.  Through faith in Jesus, we are once again created in his image and now known as the "newborn."  The story of the cross is great, but the resurrection is even greater.  For life begins for all of us IN the resurrection.  We die IN Christ at the cross; however, praise God, we are risen IN Christ on the morning of the resurrection.  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed!  Because He lives, we live also.  Enjoy your new life IN Christ.  Happy Easter!

Mark 15:25-34

Mark 15:25-34  It was the third hour when they crucified him.  The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.  They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”  In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself!  Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.  At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

In this passage, we hear our Lord crying out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”  We see the final emptying out of his physical and emotional strength.  He has been made sin for our redemption.  As with the scapegoat in the Old Testament, the sins of the people have been placed on his head.  Therefore, He is now separated from God by the judgment of God on sin.  He is now the complete sacrifice for sin, that which satisfies God's wrath on sin.  By being the Lamb for sinners slain, Jesus emptied out his right to be in the presence of God.  Otherwise, Jesus was completely alone.  Jesus said He always does what the Holy Spirit tells him to do, for He was filled with the Holy Spirit, but now even the Holy Spirit's voice is silent.  He is abandoned.  With no strength of his own, no supernatural power resting in his being, He is now totally in the hands of God, the Merciful One, with no rights of his own.  But by faith Jesus said through David's lips: "For I know all will be well with me in death -- You will not leave my soul in hell or let the body of your HOLY SON decay.  You will give me wonderful joy in your presence."  (Acts:2:26-28 Living Bible)  

God raised Jesus from that grave; Jesus did not raise himself.  Jesus was not sitting in his crucified body, waiting for three days and then miraculously resurrecting himself.  No, God sent angels to roll away the stone, depicting that God raised his beloved one from the dead, “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  (1 Corinthians 15:55)  Sometimes we feel abandoned.  As we march through life, many difficult circumstances fall upon us.  We pray and nothing happens.  Others who are less spiritual seem to get ahead or not to have the troubles we face.  We feel God has left us.  We feel abandoned by the only one that we want to sing a song to, the only one that we want to praise wholeheartedly, the only one that comforts our souls in the middle of the night.  We feel alone, for we don't seem to hear his voice anymore; we don't feel his presence within our being.  In addition, the world seems to mock us.  Why do you believe in this Jesus?  What has your belief in him done for you?  You'll die just like the rest of us.  

BROTHER, SISTER, GOD WILL NOT ABANDON YOU.  Yes, your situation may look grim, even hopeless.  At this time you feel you're alone, but you are not.  Just as Jesus went to the cross alone, in the flesh we sometimes face difficult circumstances alone, for sure we will face death alone.  In such difficult times or on our journey, we must have faith.  We must look up, for Jesus promised never to leave us or to forsake us.  We must believe God will give each of us wonderful joy in his presence someday.  Even though we feel alone, even though our spirits cry out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  He has not.  We are not left alone without the possibility of redemption.  We do not bear the sins of the world.  He is with us; He knows where we are.  Yes, our spirits may become forlorn, disappointed, desperate, but God is not ashamed of us, just as He was not ashamed of Jesus on that day.  He understood where Jesus was that day, and He knows where you are this day.  You are his child; He will not abandon you.  God will raise you up on that day.  He has given you life, and that more abundantly.  Your present struggle might be answered today, tomorrow, or a week from now, but maybe it won't be answered until you pass through the grave to HIM.  BUT IT WILL BE ANSWERED, FOR GOD INTENDS TO BRING YOU WONDERFUL JOY.  But right now, right this very minute, the Comforter abides within you, and He will give you peace and rest in the midst of anything and everything.  Most of you might not need today's breakfast, but for some of you, it will give you needed strength.  Eat up, let the Lord strengthen your spirit with his Word, FOR GOD IS YOUR ABBA FATHER AND HE IS GOOD.  Amen!

Mark 15:21-24

Mark 15:21-24  A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.  They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).  Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.  And they crucified him.  Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 

This part of the crucifixion story reveals the total weakness of the man, Jesus.  His flesh had become too weak to carry his heavy cross.  The horrific beating and mistreatment by the Roman soldiers had taken such a toll on his physical body that He was UNABLE to complete the journey to Golgotha, carrying his cross.  Moslems do not accept this part of Jesus' life, for they believe that Allah would never allow such a great prophet to be so dishonored.  They reject completely that Jesus was ever weak or naked, and for sure He did not hang on a cross.  To them, God is not weak: He is strong, a controller of all things, and that is why Muslims believe all aspects of a society, a country, should be under the control of Islam, even political institutions.  But in the above passage, we see God clothed in a man's body unable to carry his cross to Golgotha.  We see Jesus, the Son of God, emptied of all his strength and authority.  He is not even able to determine to whom his clothes will be given.  We see Jesus void of his own will; he is now the innocent, harmless LAMB OF GOD, ready to be sacrificed.  Christ suffered, God the Father suffered, the Holy Spirit suffered that day.  What a heavy price for mankind's salvation!  

The book of Revelation infers not even the angels could understand such a plan of redemption.  But for us Christians, this plan: Jesus' journey to the cross and his subsequent crucifixion, brings joy to our hearts, for we understand fully that only through Christ Jesus' sacrifice could we be released from the bondage of sin and death, from the confines of this wicked domain.  The Bible indicates that God also found pleasure in this act, for He knew the end results of such a glorious plan of redemption.   For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his PLEASURE and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  (Ephesians 1:4-8)  God from the creation of the world understood that new creatures would come from the cross, bound to him forever as children of God.  What a love story!  For each of us, God has grasped our hands firmly into his.  He is leading us to his dwelling place.  On the journey, we tell him how much we love him, how much we depend on him.  And on the journey, He says to us, "I am with you now.  My strength is in you.  You will make it to the end.  In my house there are many mansions--one of them is for you."  Through Christ's weakness came God's strength: life eternal for us in Christ our Lord.  Praise the name of the Lord!

Mark 15:16-20

Mark 15:16-20  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.  They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.  Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him out to crucify him.

Then they led him out to crucify him.  The Roman soldiers were a rough lot; they lived a life of revelry, and they were used to killing people.  As all soldiers they obeyed orders from their superiors.  In the above passage, we see Jesus placed in the hands of these hardened soldiers.  They humiliated Jesus in every way.  I am sure they stripped him and maybe even made fun of his physical features.  I am sure they had a hilarious time pretending to bow down to this supposed king of the Jews.  What a dark hour that must have been for Jesus.  This scripture says, Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.   I wonder what Jesus must have looked like when He walked from that palace to the cross.  For sure the muscular Roman soldiers did not leave him unscarred, unbloodied.  Sadly, Jesus, the Jewish man, was now in the hands of sinners, the gentiles, outside of the camp of the Jews.  Jesus was the scapegoat mentioned in the Old Testament that was taken outside of the camp into the wilderness.  The sins of the Jewish people and the world rested on his head.     

Jesus was mistreated by the Roman soldiers that day, but He is just as badly mistreated by many people today such as some who attend Easter services, people who reluctantly attend church once or twice a year.  This is the time they pretend to pay homage to the Christ of all the ages.  They sing songs of praise to Jesus with insincere hearts, perhaps with smirking lips.  They listen inattentively to a sermon, waiting for the last amen.  They shake the preacher's hand on their way out of church, and then proceed to walk into their everyday lives and crucify Jesus again.  They live as if He did not exist.  As surely as the Romans nailed Jesus to the cross, they do also.  They ask, "What does this Jesus have to do with my life?"  They believe they can get along well without him.  To them, He is just a dead historical figure, one they can mock once or twice a year by attending a church service.  Sadly, their attendance at church usually results from the pressure of a loved one.  For others it's the culturally acceptable thing to do; however, their hearts are not in it.  In either case, they believe they can disingenuously call out as the Roman soldiers did, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  "Hail the Savior of the World.  Hail!"  And get away with it.  

However, the time will come when they will have to face a living Jesus and give an account for the deeds done in the flesh.  For sure the Roman soldiers' awful deeds will be remembered by God on that day, but even more so the deeds of the insincere man or woman who walked out of an Easter service with a heart attitude of, "I don't need this," will be remembered.  The unrepentant unbelievers will know then that they have rejected God's plan of salvation.  They will face God alone in their sins.  I am afraid they will experience many times more of the wrath of God than those soldiers who were merely following orders.  No one gets away with rejecting God or mocking Jesus.  No one gets away with placing Jesus on the cross in this life.  Of course, not everyone who comes to church only on Easter has a hardened heart.  Some are full of guilt, shame, doubt, and fear and truly seek the Lord to set them free.  Let us adhere to Jesus, cling to him, knowing He is the way to the throne of God.  Let us lift up Christ this Easter season, in the church and in our homes, so that all may see Jesus lifted up, and our Father God may draw all men to him.

Mark 15:6-15

Mark 15:6-15  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.  

"Crucify him!" was the shout of the crowd.  Crucify who?  The Son of God?  From Adam and Eve, to the tower of Babel, to Lot choosing the best land, to the Israelites wanting a king instead of God to rule them, to killing the prophets, mankind has always wanted to go its own way.  The basic sinful nature of man is like a wild colt, never wanting to come under the control of its master.  Men are constantly pushing away the Giver of life, the Creator, to establish their own will, seeking their own pleasure, mapping out their own lives--seeking to displace God in every part of their lives.  In the Old Testament we see the Jewish people clearly illustrating this point.  The Jewish nation was to be a glorious example to all the people of the earth of the blessings that God pours out on those who follow him diligently and passionately.  But rather than serve him faithfully, they abandoned God's laws and did what was right in their own eyes.   The Jews, his chosen ones, the people who were delivered from Egypt, slavery and the wilderness, abandoned God and chose other gods of wood and stone.  They were spiritual fornicators and adulterers.  

Finally God punishes his wayward people by scattering them throughout the world.  The Old Testament account of the Jewish people's struggle to be God's people is one of a schoolmaster trying to train wayward students, using the Law to show us what evil exists in the hearts of ALL men.  The Jewish people were not thankful, they did not want to be known merely as the children of God, they wanted their own way, they became arrogant and self-willed.  People will even establish their own religions to show off their holiness and ability to be better than other men.  The Jewish priests did this by creating laws and lifestyle requirements that were not from God but from their own wicked hearts.  Religious people will make degrees of holiness in their congregations to manifest how man can attain godliness by human efforts.  Sinful man is incessantly removing God from center stage and placing himself there.  His sinful heart with the smallest amount of urging will eagerly join the chorus of Crucify him!  Remove him from the center of my life.  I do not want this man to be LORD OF MY LIFE--the arbitrator over my life.  I want to live my life as I choose.  I want to determine what is good or evil.  I am accountable to no one, not even God.  

As we rush full speed into self-willed lives with the pain, destruction, and sorrow that so often follow, do we even stop to consider the question asked of Eve in the garden by the serpent along with his beguiling reassurances to her fears: "Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”. . .  “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 3:1 & 4-5)  From the time of Adam and Eve, man's basic intention has been to be LIKE GOD.  Man's basic intentions, his personality essence, his id, are even hidden from his conscious mind.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  (KJV)  That is why we all need the blood of Christ as the cleansing agent for our hearts.  We don't even know who we are, but God does.  He knows our waywardness, our wickedness, our unwillingness to bow down to him.  Because He knew us, He gave us a Savior, his only Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.  Through him, along with the wonderful working of the Holy Spirit within us, we have been made pleasing to our Father God.  We can REJOICE, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE, for Christ has broken down the barrier between us and God.  He has set the captives free!  Amen!  Let it always be so.

Mark 15:1-5

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. 

"Yes, it is as you say."  Jesus gave Pilot a very oblique answer: as YOU say.  To believe in Jesus as king of anything is still a matter of faith.  Yes, I am He to you, if you BELIEVE.  Jesus did not elaborate and explain precisely why He is the king of the Jews in the spiritual sense.  He did not point out his healings and miracles.  He did not tell Pilot about raising Lazarus from the dead.  He just said, as you say.  Even today it is the same: I am personally your King and Lord if you believe I am.  This is a matter of faith.  If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Romans 10:9)  Notice in the above passage that the chief priests accused him of many things.  The chief priests did not want him to be known as king of the Jews.  They did not want Jesus to replace them as the spiritual leader of the Jews.  They wanted Jesus dead.  

Today, many people want Jesus dead.  They don't want him to have any claim on their existence.  They will accuse Jesus and his followers of many things to discount Christ's authority in their lives.  People desire to go their own way, which is the epitome of sin.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6)  Jesus did not answer his accusers even though He could have.  He allowed their words to stand as a testimony against them--their thoughts and their actions.  Their desire not to recognize Jesus as their king will someday be played back to them when they come before the throne of judgement.  Then they will get their will: they will be excluded from his kingdom.  They will not have to be under his authority, and they will participate in the kingdom of darkness, of eternal damnation.  They chose not to believe in Jesus as their king; instead, they chose to take him to the cross.  They chose to crucify a sinless man, a guiltless man.  That day they sowed to the wind, and someday they will reap a whirlwind.  Death began on that day and death will have its finished work.   

The question remains: who do we say He is?  Is He the Christ, the Son of the living God or is He merely a man?  If He is man, we need not follow him.  To us then, He can be put on the cross in our lives.  But if He is God among us, we need to fall at his feet and place our full faith and trust in him, and live for him alone.  I know almost exclusively, the people who are reading this are people who know him as their Savior and Lord.  In our hearts we have affirmed Jesus' statement: “Yes, it is as you say.”  Praise the Lord for that reality and that privilege.  Therefore, let us lift him up today in our midst, so that others may know him as Savior and Lord.

Mark 14:65-72

Mark 14:65-72  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.  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. 

In the above passage, we see Jesus' dire situation overwhelm Peter's resolve to follow Jesus to the end.  These scriptures show Jesus being whipped, degraded, and abused as if he were just an ordinary criminal.  Peter, a believer in Jesus as the Christ, was overwhelmed by the realities of this awful circumstance.  First of all, what could he do?  The forces against Jesus were so much greater than any group of people that Peter could muster together that it was futile to even try to rescue Jesus from their hands.  Secondly, this was supposedly the Christ, the Messiah, who was being beaten and abused.  How could this happen to the Messiah, the glorious one?  How could the all powerful One be taken into the hands of mere men and be so humiliated and mistreated?  I am sure Peter must have been thinking: "What have I been believing in for so long; how could all this happen to Jesus if He were the SON OF GOD!"  Peter's confusion that day led him to renounce Jesus, to retreat into the darkness of the night with bitter tears on his face.  He had not only abandoned Jesus, he had denounced him by calling Jesus "this man."  Jesus was not just "this man," He was the Messiah, the Anointed One.  Peter not only publicly disclaimed any association with Jesus, he publicly proclaimed Jesus was but a man.  Otherwise, he expressed the same disdain for Jesus as those who captured Jesus by stating He was not the Messiah, The Holy One, who was to bring salvation to Israel and to all mankind.  Peter in that day was in great danger, for without faith in Jesus as the Christ, there is no way to heaven.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

We sometimes are overwhelmed by our situations, especially when we feel our prayers have not been answered.  When we find ourselves still sick, still unemployed, still without hope of reconciliation with a loved one, and so on, our spirits may become confused or downtrodden.  We wonder if what we have believed is real.  Is Jesus the Messiah?  Is He the all powerful One?  Is He my healer?  Does God really care for me?  Is faith in Jesus THE WAY?  The answer is to all these questions, is yes: Jesus is your Lord, your everything.  These questions and other questions of doubt or fear sometimes penetrate our thoughts when the situation is dire or unrelenting.  We then wonder.  We then question.  The story of Peter denying Jesus is so very beautiful, for it shows the unfailing love of Christ.  He knew Peter would fall away that day.  He knew Peter would go into the darkness of night, but Peter was not lost.  Christ knew where he was.  He was where most of us are sometimes.  Yet Christ knew Peter would become the leader of his followers. 

He also knows that you will make it through faith in him and his grace.  Christ knew Peter would struggle in his mind when he discovered that He, Jesus, wasn't going to redeem that day by some powerful intervention--when Jesus would seem to be just like all other men with no supernatural answers.  He knew Peter was going to be consumed by doubt and fear, and he would flee not only from the mob but from Jesus, too.  However our Savior always has a plan.  He will perfect that work which He has begun in you.  His voice, his love, will draw you back.  You might wander for a while in the darkness, but you will hear his tender voice say to you, "I am the Way--your hope of salvation."  And your ears will pick out that still small voice and say, "Yes Lord, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  I will follow you."  Jesus' love will draw you back.  Jesus, after the resurrection, reveals himself again as the Messiah to Peter, and Peter becomes the man of God he is meant to be.  Today, regardless of your circumstance, Jesus is Lord of your life.  He wants you to know that.  He is with you, and He will help you through this day.  He loves you, his precious child.  Let him reveal himself to you once again as your Messiah, Lord, and King.