January 8, 2014
Mark 6:7-8:21
Who Is This?
I Two By Two 6:7-13, 30-31
II Herod and Jesus 6:14-29
III Feeding the 5000 6:30-44
IV. Jesus Walking on the Water 6:45-56
V. Jesus and The Pharisees 7:1-23
VI. The Story Continues 7:24-8:21
I am only going to be able to hit the high-spots this morning because there is so much in these 3 lessons-----so I want you to promise me, that you will go back and make sure you have answered the questions, and read the commentaries-----because they are excellent…..in fact, what I’m going to do, for the most part, is reiterate the commentary, on the things that jumped out to me----I hope you did that in your small groups too-----because that’s the beauty of studying together-----the Lord reveals different things to us at different times, so that we can share them with each other.
I remember a big snow one year, when my children were young----I don’t remember how many inches were measured, maybe 21-----but I do know that schools were closed for about 10 days------Every day, the children in the neighborhood would all go out to play----they built forts for snowball fights and they sledded down the streets, even at night, fighting the mamas and daddies to see who got to use the sled next, and they decorated each one of our houses with snowmen families-----it was a wonderful snow vacation!!!!
I wasn’t a helicopter mama but I didn’t like for my children to be out of my sight for very long at one time, so ------I spent a lot of time, outside with them. And I can remember one day, watching them play Follow the Leader-----the snow was piled high, with huge drifts covering bushes and outside furniture and toys----even making it difficult to get cars out-----there weren’t even tire marks on our street until after the first few days.
I watched as the “leader” led all the other kids, even the little ones, like Lizzie, in a maze through the bushes and trees from house to house, across the blanketed yards----sometimes he would get on his sled for a little while and sometimes he would just pull it behind him-----with everyone trailing behind him like he was the pied piper-----at one point, he tried to lay down and make a snow angel, but there was just too much snow and it was too deep and he sank------but that didn’t stop the followers----they, every one, laid down and waved their arms up and down in faithful imitation of their leader. And the last thing he did was to climb up on a low limb on our Japanese Maple tree, and let himself fall off backwards, into the soft snow-----the other children, with varying degrees of confidence, and a lot of laughter, follow his lead….
Jesus calls us to follow Him----we are to go where He leads, confident that He isn’t leading us somewhere, that He hasn’t been to before. Believing, that He has promised us, that His presence will always be with us, even if He leads us into the dark, or into storms sometimes-----and trusting Him to keep that promise every single time….
Trusting that the darkness and the storms, whether they be through persecution or suffering will highlight the growth and the beauty, of the life and heart, that the Lord wants to develop within us.
No matter where He goes, we need to follow Him, because, just like in the game, by the end of it, we will know more about ourselves, and about each other, but more importantly-----we will learn more about our leader, and what we learn, will cultivate a heart within us that makes us want to follow Him even more…
In this lesson, we are coming to the end of the first, of the two sections, that our commentary has divided the Gospel of Mark into….The Servant Who Rules, Chapters 1-8 and The Ruler Who Serves, Chapters 8-16. And in these final verses of the first section, as Jesus gently leads His disciples into situations and discussions and misunderstood realities, we begin to get a clearer picture of who Jesus is and a better understanding of why He came to us, and (in the words of Richard of Chichester, a 13th century Bishop as he lay dying) a deeper desire to see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly, day by day. (we know this from the Musical, Godspell)
I. Two By Two--------6:7-13
(Alex Haley, the noted author of Roots, had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall----it was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post------when people would ask him about it, he would tell them that whenever he wrote something significant, or every time he read his words and thought they were wonderful and began to fill proud of himself-----he would look at that turtle sitting on that fence post and remember that he hadn’t gotten where he was, on his own-----he had had help all along the way.)
The disciples were sent out in pairs, for a purpose-----individually, they could have reached more areas of the country, but that wasn’t the model that the Lord wanted to leave them with-----He wanted, the example of the disciples and their ministry, to transcend time, and to become the way that we minister too. The advantages of going out two by two outweigh any other plan-----1.) we can strengthen and encourage each other, 2.) we can provide comfort, in rejection and hardship,
3.) we can give each other discernment and guidance, so that fewer mistakes are made, 4.) we can stir each other to action, if complacency or indifference or discouragement set in.
Our strength and comfort and direction, come from the Lord, but He uses teamwork, and our dependence on each other and the personal relationships we share, to meet a lot of our needs.
The Lord equipped the disciples ,with the skills that they needed, to do the job that He had called them to. They were given authority over evil spirits----and over illness and even over death------ they could go out, anywhere, without fear, of anyone or anything-----(so, this tells us, that He never calls us to a task that He doesn’t spiritually equip us for, first-----there is no place, and no situation, and no evil, that is too difficult or too dangerous, for a believer to confront, if the Lord tells us to------it is better for us to be in the Lord’s will, in danger, than it is for us to be out of His will, and safe.)
The Lord deliberately sent them out, just as they were, without a lot of material possessions or tactical preparation, to teach them that He would always provide for them-----to imprint on their hearts, that wherever they went, their needs would always be met, by Him-----Jesus was well aware, that at that point in time----the people were fascinated by Jesus and His disciples, so they would have been falling all over themselves to get to take care of them.
Plus, it is true that hospitality was a cultural absolute in those days----there were no hotels, so people had to open up their homes to care for travelers -----and they all did-----it was a wonderful thing-----(it reminds me of Cindy Bush----you never know who is staying at her house, for indeterminate periods of time-----she is free with her hospitality.)
But later on, before He ascended to heaven, the Lord did tell the disciples, to take provision for themselves, with them, on their missionary journeys, because they would encounter persecution, and doors slamming in their faces: and they would need to fend for themselves in a lot of places---- and at the same time, He also wanted them to know and remember, that He was still in control and that He would still provide and open the doors and direct the journey and protect them from evil and supply the answer, to every single need.
I love what the commentary says--- “that the disciples were not to go out as beggars----and they were not to solicit hospitality or donations….that they were to give, not get. That they were clothed with the authority and power to bless, strengthen and heal. They were to share their God-given power and God-given peace, whenever they came into a house. They were to leave that place, better than they found it----they were to leave behind a legacy of joy peace and hope and a little laughter too.
(I have a friend who always cautions me, when I have to go somewhere I’m nervous about, or scared of, or just plain, don’t want to go or if I have to do something I don’t want to do-----“to go and be a blessing”…..I have found that when you have that mentality, you will not believe how it will change your attitude, and usually the outcome of whatever it is.)
And Jesus gave them valuable advice ----that if they and their message weren’t well received in a place---- then they needed to leave that place, (with sorrow, because the people refused to accept God’s blessing, but without any regret that they couldn’t make them receive it,) and go on to the next place the Lord had called them to. Jesus made it very clear, that each person who hears the Gospel, is totally responsible for what he or she does with it. Neither the disciples, nor we, are to blame, if the Lord’s message is rejected, as long as we have faithfully and carefully presented it.
II. Herod and Jesus 6:14-29
The message the disciples preached, was the same one that John the Baptist preached----it was a message of repentance and forgiveness---but their were 2 differences------ John never performed a miracle and he couldn’t heal or forgive.
But the disciples could----Jesus gave them that authority---- as men and women came to the place of repentance----acknowledging their guilt and need, the disciples were empowered to administer forgiveness and healing and to cast out spirits, in Jesus’ name.
The disciple’s ministry was so effective, along with that of the other 72 followers, that Jesus commissioned to go out, which Luke10:1-23, tells us about-----as well as the work of Jesus Himself----- that it sent shock waves all over the countryside------people everywhere were speculating who Jesus was----even Herod Antipas, the Jewish governor, who had had John the Baptist beheaded weighed in, on who he thought Jesus was-----the people speculated that He was Elijah or some other prophet of old, come back to life-----
And Herod thought he was a reincarnated John the Baptist…..which scared Herod to death…. People had a hard time admitting that He was who He was, the Son of God-----
People still have a hard time with that----and they have to make up their own minds about who Jesus is ----way too often people think that they can rationalize their own interpretation of His power and authority-----they almost think, that they can weaken the power of His claim on their lives, if they name who they think He’s supposed to be----
But what people think, doesn’t matter, because just because they think it, doesn’t make it so, nothing can change who Jesus is!
The furor, that their missionary journey created, proves that the disciples were faithful to the task of seeing Jesus’ name magnified-----it’s clear that they didn’t take any of the credit-----they gave it all to Him. We need to make sure that we don’t take the credit for God’s work, either, nor do we give the credit to the church----- we need to give all the credit to the Lord, because, there’s nothing we can do, in our own strength----it’s what He’s doing through us….
What causes the gospel to spread------is opposition to it,
Persecution, makes it burn all the brighter and spread all the more-----persecution causes people to scatter and take the Gospel with them….
Mark gives us a flashback of what happened to John the Baptist---and, not only does it reveal the character of Herod and his heinous family, but it also gives us some insight into why Jesus sent out the 12 when He did…
Jesus sent out the 12, to continue John’s ministry, of still preparing people for His coming; and of still encouraging them to seek repentance, so that the would be ready to understand and receive, when His walk to the cross ended.
…while teaching the disciples to learn to trust Him more, at the same time at the same time-----
He was trying to teach them, the full breadth and depth of the truth of His Gospel-----but, they didn’t really understand it---they didn’t really understand who He was, or why, or how, He had come to die for the sins of the world----they just knew that God was at work and they had been called to be a part of it….
And in the same way, we have to be faithful to go or stay and to tell what we know to be true…even if we don’t completely understand it either.
III. Feeding the 5000 6:30-44
When the disciples returned from their mission trip, they were wildly excited------ especially, as it tells us in Luke 10: 20, about the fact that evil spirits obeyed them-----Jesus had to tell them that they needed to be more excited about the fact, that their names were registered in heaven, than they were in the fact, that an evil being, who is eventually going to be destroyed would obey them….He could see that spiritual pride could trip them up, if they weren’t careful….early successes can create swelled heads in immature believers-----( success can create a swelled head in a mature believer if we aren’t careful)…”Jesus wanted to protect the disciples from it. So He wanted to get them alone and debrief them…
And, the Lord did not send out great theologians or learned scholars, although He will do that if He wants to, but, He sent out ignorant men, who didn’t even grasp the full truth of the message they were preaching-----they didn’t hardly know what they were doing, but He called them, then sent them out with the power to act----He expected them to learn on the job…..
We don’t have to be experts, He can use us, with just a little bit of knowledge-----(when Lizzie first started to learn how to ride horses, I was astounded that the trainer had her jumping right away-----I thought she would have to become expert at riding, before she would teach her to jump-----but her philosophy was----let’s start as we mean to go on, and we will learn and perfect and grow, as we go along----and now, Lizzie teaches little girls to ride in the exact same way)….
If we understand enough to acknowledge our sinfulness and our need by repenting----then God can begin to work in our lives-----the Gospel starts with repentance in our hearts----and then the blessings and understanding of being saved, and the ability to tell others about it, are added to us, as we go along----If we give God the little we have to give----He will use it and grow it and fine tune it, as we walk the journey of our lives-----So, Jesus wanted to get them alone, to see what all they had learned from their unbelievable experience, and to answer the questions He knew that they had..
And finally, Jesus could also see that they were exhausted-----so He took them away to get some rest, and to have some downtime with him and each other, so that they could compare notes.
Doing the Lord’s work, is what we were saved to do, but Jesus knows that we get weary and confused and that we need a periodic time of rest and renewal and even teaching and training-----
so we don’t have to feel guilty when we get tired and need to find time to take a break-----that’s one of the reasons that the Lord gave us a Sabbath, from the beginning--
But the crowds had seen where Jesus was taking the disciples, so they got there, before him, bringing their sick and suffering families and friends with them….and they were as pitiful as a flock of sheep without their shepherd----
sheep are easily scattered----without a shepherd, they can get themselves into dangerous places----and Jesus couldn’t stand it----He knew that He was their only way----He knew that He was their shepherd---
so, wearily, with His wonderful, gentle compassion, He began to teach them-----we don’t know what He taught, we just know that he talked all day-----
And that in the late afternoon, the disciples came to Him to tell Him that it was time to send the crowd home---because everybody had to be tired and hungry-----
the disciples were shocked when Jesus told them that were going to be responsible for feeding 5000 plus, men, women and children….but Jesus insisted and the disciples grudgingly obeyed Him, and they got to see a miracle among miracles-----
Jesus feeding all those people with 2 fish and five little rolls till they were all full, and then having 12 baskets full of left over.
You would think that it would have opened their eyes completely to who Jesus was, but they just couldn’t fathom it----their understanding had to come gradually, and so does ours…..
How do we react when we’re faced with an impossible task? Probably like the disciples---with skepticism and disbelief---- We need to develop the mindset that a situation that seems impossible to our human minds, in God’s mind, is a golden opportunity.
The disciples did all they could---they gathered food and organized the people into groups--- and then, when they couldn’t do anything else----the Lord Jesus prayed; and God did the impossible….
Our commentary says that Jesus had 4 motivations for performing this miracle, when and how He did:
- It was a deliberate action by the Lord----the people had only been there for a day---they weren’t starving----Jesus didn’t have to feed them----He could have easily sent them home-----but instead He chose to pour His love out on them…
- It was primarily for the benefit of the disciples----He had something He wanted to teach them…He wanted them to be reminded of when God had fed the Israelites, manna, for 40 years in the desert------and that had been a picture pointing to the time when the Messiah, as the living bread of life, would come down from heaven. He wanted them to see that He was the fulfillment of that of that picture---He was the Messiah----
- It was a part of God’s ministry to Israel---- the #12 is usually
symbolic of God and His perfection. God wanted to show them how He will always take care of His own ---- One God, One Spirit, one people.
4.) Meeting the physical needs of people opens the door to meeting
their spiritual needs. As we work to bring wholeness to people’s lives, we can never ignore the fact, that all of us have physical and spiritual needs and there is no better way for us to show God’s love to people than by helping to provide for their physical needs.
IV. Jesus Walking on the Water 6:45-56
After this miracle, everyone was exhausted----so Jesus sent the disciples on by boat, to Bethsaida, while He went up into the mountains to pray…
Being in a storm, should have been no big deal to the disciples----and neither should seeing Jesus walking on the water have been…after all, they had seen Jesus perform countless miracles, and they had even experienced the authority of His power, themselves, as they healed people and drove out demons----but they still hadn’t grasped the central truth of what Jesus was trying to tell them, about Himself…
So, He gave them a test to see how far along their understanding had become----he deliberately sent them out into a storm----and they totally lost it-----in an instant, they forgot what they had already seen and experienced-----
They had been in a storm like that one, once before------but this time it was different----the first time, Jesus had been in the boat with them----this time He wasn’t and they panicked!
We do the same thing, in the storms we find ourselves in-----we feel overwhelmed, and we get scared that the Lord isn’t with us----that He’s left us all by ourselves-----but, the truth is…. He never does, He always has His eye on us---He is always interceding with the Father, for us-----
This incident happened during Passover time, which was always celebrated during a full moon----- and the full moon allowed Jesus to clearly see what was happening on the lake----He could see the disciples struggling, and He knew the fear that was in their hearts, and it broke His heart-----He was filled with compassion for them-----so He left His prayers, and His own troubles, and went to help them.
,Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples as He walked toward them on the water-----At first, He was no comfort to them, because they thought He was a ghost----and then, as he spoke, they recognized Him and he climbed into the boat with them----and the wind died down and the sea became calm-----In his version of the story, Matthew lets us know that this was when Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the water, till he took his focus off Him and started to sink----which forced Jesus to rescue him…
In his account, Mark recorded the amazement of the disciples----they just could not understand Jesus’ miracles and they could not understand who He was-----if they had understood the miracle, of Him feeding the multitude, they also, would have understood Him walking on the water, which, in turn, would have helped them to understand and believe, that Jesus, is Lord over all creation, which gave Him control ,over the bread they ate, and the water they sailed on,.
We need to ask ourselves----do we understand the one who comes walking toward us on the water?----do we recognize the one who sends the storms into our lives to test us? Do we trust the one who makes provision for our needs and then tests us to prove our reliance on Him? Do we believe that He is always interceding for us even when He seems to be far away from us? Do we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is Lord?
That is my prayer for all of us-----that not only would we recognize Him, but that we would trust Him with all that we are and all that we have…
V. Jesus and the Pharisees 7:1-23
The religious leaders sent some investigators from their headquarters in Jerusalem, to check up on Jesus. The delegation didn’t like what they found though, mainly because, Jesus scolded them for keeping the law and traditions in order to look holy , instead of keeping the law, to honor God.
Isaiah, had accused the leaders in his day of the same thing-------so Jesus used Isaiah’s words to accuse the Jewish leaders, and it infuriated them.
Mark explained the Jewish rituals, because he was writing to a non- Jewish audience. Before each meal, a devout Jew would perform a short ceremony, washing their hands and their arms in a specific way. The disciples didn’t have dirty hands---- they just weren’t carrying out the traditional cleansing.
The Pharisees thought this ceremony, cleansed them from any contact that they might have had, with anything that they would have considered unclean. Jesus wanted to make it clear to them, that they were wrong, in thinking that they were acceptable to God, just because they were clean on the outside.
Believers can become like the Pharisees, when they worry that contact with unbelievers, will leave them tainted and unclean…so they avoid the “worldly ‘ places, where sinners hang out and they reject books and speakers and people, whose ideas don’t conform to theirs…Some Christians, and the Pharisees, have a lot in common: both would try to stop Jesus from working in certain places and with certain people.
Jesus went into the highways and the byways and sought out people who needed Him----He wants us to do the same thing…
Hypocrisy is pretending to be something you are not and have no intention of being…Jesus called the Pharisees, hypocrites, because they worshiped God for the wrong reasons, and with the wrong motivation.
Their motivation wasn’t love for their good God and love for their fellowman----it was from a desire, to attain profit, and to appear holy, so they could elevate their status.
We become hypocrites, when we pay more attention to reputation than to character, and when we are so careful to follow certain religious practices, even though our hearts are cold and distant from the Lord’s, and when we emphasize and extol our own virtues over other people’s sins…
The Pharisees had hundreds, of their own rules and regulations ,and interpretations of God’s holy laws, and they tried to make people follow those rules. These men claimed to know God’s will, in every detail of life. There are many religious leaders today, who add rules and regulations to God’s word…causing much confusion in the hearts and minds of believers----this is called legalism…
It is idolatry to claim, that your interpretation of God’s word, is as important as God’s word itself. And its especially dangerous, to set up wrong and unbiblical standards, for other people to follow. We have to lead people to the Lord Jesus and then let Him guide them in the way they should go.
Jesus wasn’t against tradition----he was against people who made their traditions more important than His word. Good traditions shine a spotlight on God’s word----they move us to obedience and they make our hearts sing…They explain and reinforce God’s teaching, in their proper places---
God’s word, should always be the focus, and tradition should always be the means of bringing that word alive.
The Pharisees behavior was especially hypocritical where their parents were concerned…. They used tithing to God, as an excuse not to have to take care of them… They thought it was more important to put money into the temple treasury, which they could use for their own purposes, than to set aside money to care for their parents-----even though God’s law clearly says for us to honor our mothers and fathers.
We should tithe, and we should give money and time abundantly, to the Lord---but we should never use God as an excuse to shirk or neglect our responsibilities.
Helping someone less fortunate than us or someone in need , is one of the most important ways that I know of, to honor God.
As they interpreted the dietary laws, the Jewish leaders believed that they could be clean before God, because of what they refused to eat------bit it doesn’t work that way----Jesus pointed out, that sin begins in the attitude and intentions of the inner person----not in what they eat----He took away any dietary restrictions when He took all sin, to the cross—
It’s healthy for us to be concerned about what we put into our bodies----but we should be even more concerned about what we put into our minds and our hearts---through the books we read, or the movies or TV shows we watch. Jesus is much more concerned about that, than He is what we eat.
(The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the ocean when it was launched in in 1936. She served through 4 decades and a world war until she was retired and anchored as a floating motel and museum in Long Beach, California. During the conversion, her 3 massive smokestacks were taken off, to be scraped and repainted. But once they were placed on the docks, they crumbled into a mess----Nothing was left of the thick steel plate that the smokestacks had been made of…All that was left, was 30 coats of paint that had been applied one after the other, year after year…the steel had rotted away. The smokestacks appeared to be solid, but underneath there was no substance.)
In essence Jesus was saying the same thing to the Pharisees about their “legalistic traditions”. He wanted them to see and understand, that externally, everything about their traditions looked great, but on the inside, there was no substance to their rituals. Instead of bringing them closer to God, their rituals and traditions just drove them away from Him. Life, is the great equalizer, as we struggle to make sense of it, it has a way of stripping us down and revealing us for what we really are. The Pharisees hung on to their external traditions, and missed the boat, and in the end, God condemned them.
We have to be careful, that we aren’t just going through the motions of Christianity----we need to make sure that our faith is real, and authentic, and vibrant, and alive, and working for the kingdom. We don’t want to misinterpret legalism, for faith.
(The Pharisees thought they finally had a way to get rid of Jesus…He allowed His disciples to eat with dirty hands----and for that, they would eventually crucify Him. Never in the history of the human race had there ever been such a prophet: He spoke with authority; He acted with power; He fulfilled the things that the scriptures foretold; He taught in a way like no man ever had; He performed countless, startling and authenticated miracles; he was good beyond all goodness; wisdom, love and power shown in all of His ways------but He didn’t make His disciples wash their hands before lunch, so the Pharisees decided that He was not who He said He was, that He was not the Son of God.
VI. The Story Continues 7:24-8:31
But Jesus walked away from them, and continued on about His Father’s business------teaching and preaching-----and healing anybody and everybody who asked Him, even the ones who just touched the hem of His garments----He continued over and over and over again to prove who He was------in this lesson, Mark noted 3 more miracles-----Jesus healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, from a distance, because she believed so deeply and so fervently, that He was who He said He was, that she refused to take no for an answer, when He tried to make her wait for the child to be healed.
Jesus healed the deaf and mute man in the kindest, most respectful way-----He took Him away from everybody----maybe because deaf people are often embarrassed to have attention drawn to them (Dale has a great Aunt Brownie, who is deaf, and she goes to great lengths to appear to be just like everybody around her----she doesn’t like attention drawn to her).
I don’t really know why Jesus did that but it seems especially sensitive to me---- He knew the man couldn’t hear so it seems that He used sign language to help him understand what was happening----He stuck His finger in His ear to indicate He was healing His hearing, then He spit on His finger and put it on the man’s tongue to indicate He was healing His muteness and then He sighed to show the man just how much He sympathized with Him, then He looked to heaven to indicate to the man that all healing comes from God----He used words in a language the man could understand, which in Aramaic meant “be opened” and immediately---the man could hear and speak---amazing!!!!!
Jesus fed another large group of people that hadn’t eaten in 3 days-----4000 men and their wives and children with 7 loaves and one fish-----again, to the amazement of the disciples, He just kept multiplying the food in His hands until everyone was satisfied and they had 7 baskets full left over…You would have thought that they wouldn’t have been surprised, because they had just seen Jesus do the exact same thing in a predominately Jewish congregation, while this time it was a predominately Gentile one----but the disciples are just like us----no matter how many trials the Lord has brought us through or how many blessings we’ve been lavished with----we forget, and we are so amazed when He does it again----when will we get to the point that we will just expect God’s goodness and His presence, and praise Him for it, instead of being surprised by it????
Our commentary supplies 4 lessons from the feeding of the 4000:
1.)Begin with what you have and the Lord will do the rest----no matter how big or how small, if we give it to Him to use----He will make it be exactly the right thing…
2.) God’s supply will always equal or exceed the demand----God will never stop giving as long as there is a need. We need to learn that He will provide for us, even when there is no visible resource at hand…and it won’t be just the bare minimum---it will be an abundance----more than we need.
3.) Spiritual bread is far more important that physical bread---all of Jesus miracles were performed on a physical level, but they were designed to change people on a spiritual level.
4.) God’s resources are all-sufficient…He will always provide all we need.
Jesus warned the disciples not to fall victim to the teachings of the Pharisees or the followers of Herod-----He warned them to guard against hardened and dull hearts-----not to forget what they knew to be true----
1.)He told them to use their minds-----to study the scripture and to think about all they had seen and to talk to Him about it.
2.) He told them to analyze the state of their hearts-----does the truth of the Gospel still grab you? Does it fill you with joy and peace? Does it move us and excite us?
3.) Look beyond the obvious----look beyond the physical to see the spiritual. Concentrate on seeing the big picture….
4.) Remember all the Lord has done---go back to the places where you know you saw the Lord and where you know He acted in the circumstances----remember and be grateful.
Read the Real Jesus Christ Illustration……from Preachingtoday.com
The greatness of God is most clearly displayed in His son. And the glory of the gospel is made evident in His Son. That’s why Jesus’ question to His disciples is so important: “Who do you say that I am?”
The question is doubly crucial in our day, because no one is as popular in the Us as Jesus. And not every Jesus is the real Jesus…
There’s the Republican Jesus-----who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values and owning firearms.
There’s Democrat Jesus----who is against Wall St. and Wal-Mart, for reducing our carbon footprint and printing money.
There’s Therapist Jesus----who helps us cope with life’s problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves.
There’s Starbucks Jesus----who drinks fair-trade coffee, loves spiritual conversations, drives a hybrid and goes to film festivals.
There’s Open-Minded Jesus----who loves everyone all the time no matter what(except for people who are as open-minded as you are.
There’s Touchdown Jesus----who helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcome of the Super Bowl.
There’s Martyr Jesus----a good man who died a cruel death so we can feel sorry for him.
There’s Gentle Jesus----who was meek and mild, with high cheek bones, flowing hair and walks around barefoot, wearing a sash.
There’s Hippie Jesus----who teaches everyone to give peace a chance, imagines a world without religion, and helps us to remember that “all we need, is love sweet love.”
There’s Yuppie Jesus----who encourages us to reach our full potential, reach for the stars and buy a boat.
There’s Spirituality Jesus-----who hates religion, churches, pastors, priests and doctrine, and would rather have people out in nature, finding the “god within” while listening to ambiguously spiritual music.
There’s Platitude Jesus----good for Christmas specials, greeting cards, and bad sermons, which inspire people to believe in themselves.
There’s Hipster Jesus----who wears tight boyfriend jeans with a single- strapped bag over one shoulder, who values independent thinking, counterculture and progressive politics.
There’s Revolutionary Jesus----who teaches us to rebel against the status quo, stick it to the man, and blame things on “the system.”
There’s Guru Jesus----a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you and helps you find your center.
There’s Boyfriend Jesus-----who wraps His arms around us as we sing about his intoxicating love.
There’s Good Example Jesus----who shows us how to help people, change the planet and become a better you.
And then, there’s Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Not just another prophet. Not just another Rabbi. Not just another wonder-worker. He was the one they had been waiting for: the Son of David, and Abraham’s chosen seed; the one to deliver us from captivity; the goal of the Mosaic law; Yahweh in the flesh; the one to establish God’s reign and rule; the one to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, freedom to the prisoners and proclaim Good News to the poor; the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.
This Jesus is the Creator, come to earth and the beginning of a new creation. He embodied the covenant, fulfilled the commandments and reversed the curse. This Jesus is the Christ that God spoke of to the serpent; the Christ prefigured to Noah in the flood; the Christ promised to Abraham; the Christ prophesied through Balaam before the Moabites; the Christ guaranteed to Moses before he died; the Christ promised to David when he was king; the Christ revealed to Isaiah as a suffering servant; the Christ predicted through the prophets, and prepared for, though John the Baptist.
This Christ is not a reflection of the current mood or the projection of our own desires. He is our Lord and God. He is the Father’s Son, Savior of the World, and substitute for our sins-----more loving, more holy, and more wonderfully terrifying than we ever thought possible. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
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