JOY "Jesus' Answer to the Last Days" March 19, 2014

March 19, 2014

Jesus’ Answer to the Last Days

Mark 13:1-37

I         Do Not Be Deceived           Mark 13:1-6

II        Watch Yourselves     Mark 13:7-20

III       Be Alert    Mark 13:21-37

My daughter-in-law Ashley, told me a sweet story, about a little Hispanic boy, named Brian, who was in her, 4^th grade, Queens, New York, class room, last year------

He got to school one morning and went up to her, the first thing, and said,  “Mrs. Jenkins, I won’t be at school tomorrow…” Ashley said, “Brian, can you tell me why?’ He acted a little embarrassed, as he said, “My grandmother’s, making us all stay at home, the whole family, and my dad’s not too happy about it----she is convinced that the world is coming to an end tomorrow, and she wants to make sure that we’re all together when it does.”

Ashley said, as she questioned him further, it became apparent that the grandmother was listening to someone, other than the Bible, and she was serious about it------so Ashley said she excused him, and continued on with her classroom duties-----

Then, it wasn’t but just a few minutes, before he was back thrusting a slip of paper into her hand-----she said, “Brian, what is this?” And he said, “Oh, I forgot to give you the note about conferences, the day after tomorrow---my grandmother signed up, for when when we could come.” 

Ashley said she knew she shouldn’t have done it, but she couldn’t resist-----she said, “Brian, why do I need this, we’re not going to be here, because the world is going to be gone, by then….” 

She said, he looked at her for a split second, then, he began to laugh, and said, “Mrs. Jenkins, you’re right, that’s a good one, why didn’t I think of that, so that I could tease my grandmother!!!!”

Cute, funny story------ but, as Brian talked about it, all day, to the other children, it opened the door for Ashley to have a serious conversation with various children, in her classroom, as they shared their concerns and fear, with her, about the end of time, especially, because most of them had watched the movie, 2012, (a sci-fi, end-of-the-world thriller)  

She started off, by asking them if they went to church, and then, she asked them if they believed in the Bible-----and when they said yes to both---she told them that she did too.

 And then, very gently, she was able to tell them the truth, about what the Bible says, about the end times…

Which is a great lesson for us all to learn….

What would we do, if we knew that the Lord was coming back tonight, at midnight--- How would we spend the next 13 hours? What about if we knew that He was coming back next Wednesday? Or in a month, on April 20, Easter Sunday morning…would it change our lives or our attitudes or our daily behavior….Would we continue on, like we are right now, without pausing, and just let Him come? Would we run around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to do everything we can, that we haven’t done? Would we fall to our knees and make sure that our account with the Lord is settled, and then go to other people, to make sure that our accounts are settled with them, too? Or, would we stop doing everything….. and go sit outside with our eyes turned toward the Eastern sky, and just sit and wait?

It’s funny, this scripture passage has made people wonder about the Lord’s return, since He first spoke the words to his disciples….Every believer, in every generation, has wondered, would their generation be the one to see Him come back? 

Honestly, I think that the Lord didn’t let us know purposefully, and I think it’s a blessing that He didn’t----I think He knew we wouldn’t be able to handle it; that we wouldn’t know what to do with the bigness, of the truth of it….also, it keeps every generation looking for Him….

I think the Lord told the disciples, so that they, and we, would have an outline of what was going to happen, and how,-----not so much when---- and, so that we would live our lives with the understanding, that this world, is not all that there is-----that there’s a better day coming,---- that our hearts and our eyes, need to be expecting to see Him, at any minute, and living in that hope and joy, as we go about our Father’s business……..until we do see Him coming back in glory---

for believers, that will be, when we meet Him in the air, at the Rapture, and for the remnant of the Jews and any others saved, during the tribulation---it will be when the Tribulation is over and  He comes to set up the Millenial kingdom… 

In this passage….as Jesus and the disciples were leaving the Temple, it seems like the disciples couldn’t help but remark on the beauty of the magnificent building (The Temple, was one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, so the Jews were ethnically proud of its engineering, and of its beauty…and it was even more a source of pride and importance- for the disciples and all sincere Jews, because the Temple was God’s chosen place to meet with His people, and the only place where they could conduct animal sacrifices for atonement,,,)----and Jesus, couldn’t help but turn the conversation, into a time to teach them, more about Himself and the Kingdom, that He was, and is building ,that will far outshine, anything manmade….….He wanted them to know, that there is nothing that man  has built or has been accomplished that God has not allowed or been in control of, and that it only exists, and endures through time, because God has a purpose for it…(The time that God was going to reveal Himself through the Temple was coming to an end…the physical temple was not going to be important any more,---- believers, were going to become, His new living Temple, where God would reveal Himself to His people----and, the physical Temple, was destroyed, in 70 AD.) 

As they sat on the Mount of Olives, looking out over Jerusalem, with the Temple shining like a jewel, in front of them, Jesus’ response to the disciple’s questions, about when, the temple would be destroyed, was more, about warning them, to stay focused on Him; and encouraging them, about how to live, in the last days,  than it was, to provide them with information, about when it was going to happen… 

(“the last days” mean, the time between Jesus’ 1st and His 2^nd Coming)

So, the truth is---we’ve been living in the last days, since Jesus ascended to the Father….and in this passage, we can see that there is a specific way that we need to live, in order, to offer lives worthy, of the Lord’s call on us…

Jesus gives us, just 3 commands, to obey, in this passage----Do not be deceived;  Watch yourselves; and Be alert…  

I     Do Not Be Deceived    13:1-6

Jesus could not have been any clearer, in warning the disciples and us, to not be deceived, by false teachers and false prophets. 

Jesus, warned, that the false teachers would come, so that we need to be careful, that we know Jesus, and we know what the scripture says about Him, so that we won’t be drawn away from the truth, and we won’t be deceived, by the imposters…some of whom, will even perform signs and wonders….

Just after Jesus’ death, there were several people in Palestine, who claimed to be the Messiah----and down through the centuries, there have been numerous people who have claimed the Messiahship for themselves or for someone else….The Jehovah’s Witnesses base a lot of their doctrine, on the belief that Jesus returned in 1814….. and up until 2012, the 92 year old, Korean-born, Rev. Sun Myung Moon was the self proclaimed Messiah and founder of the Unification Church----marriage and procreation was  a large part of his church’s philosophy----he believed that Jesus had failed in His mission, because he was crucified before he was able to marry and have children----and Rev. Moon believed that he, himself,  had fulfilled God’s mission to mankind, by restoring them, to a state of sinless perfection……by producing sinless children… 

And Satan makes these lies so attractive, that even believers can get caught up in claiming, and trusting them…satan loves to entice believers away from the truth of Jesus and lead them into worshiping false messiahs, through incorrect teaching about Jesus…

There are plenty of believers in our churches today, who think that they know all there is to know about Jesus, but what they really know is false teaching….

They think that : 

*”Jesus was a good man and He gave wonderful teaching and His morality was exemplary----and how great it would be if we could just live up to His commandments.”

* “ Jesus came as an example to us, showing us how to love each other and now, all who sincerely try to live a life of love, belong to Him, no matter what they might believe.”

* “ Jesus is a Savior, and that believing in Him, offers us one way to God, so surely, God will honor all those sincere believers in other religions, even if they don’t trust Jesus.”

You can tell by these three statements that we have to be so careful about what we believe and say, because each of these claims include some truth, but then, they each twist back on themselves----it may look like minor semantics and simplification, but the difference in truth, is the difference between heaven and hell…..

The truth is :

“Of course Jesus was a good man, but He is also God incarnate….and if that is left out, then the central message of the whole Bible is missed.”

“Of course Jesus provides us with an example---but He is our indwelling Savior, not an external, glorified role model.”

Of course Jesus is not just a Savior----He is the Savior----in John 14:6, He tells us, “ I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.”

In this passage in Mark, Jesus tells us, in two clear and specific ways, how we can guard ourselves against false teaching….and how we can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what and who, we’re supposed to believe:

Watch for His return----when Jesus comes back, He won’t come as a baby in a manger….He will split the Eastern sky…and will come in the clouds, with great power and glory----there’s no imitation of Jesus Christ, who will come like this! The false messiahs may be able to produce minor miracles, and pull the wool over a lot of people’s eyes,   but when Jesus comes back again, there will be no doubt----we will all recognize Him----the whole world will recognize Him, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.” (Romans 14:11)

Depend on His word….in Mark 13:31, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” So, in order not to be deceived by false Messiahs, or false teaching, about Jesus, we need to depend on His word----we have to delight in it, feed on it, let it dwell richly in us---and desire it, like a new born baby, desires it’s mother’s milk.”

Any teaching, which does not line up with the scripture, is a false teaching and it has to be rejected-----no matter how good ,or safe, or protected, it makes us feel; no matter how much or how little, it appeals to us intellectually; no matter how politically correct it is; or how it moves us emotionally; no matter how sincere its believers are; or how many signs and wonders and lofty talk, it’s leaders perform and expound upon….If it doesn’t line up with the whole of God’s Word, we can know that it’s a lie and the Holy Spirit will help us to resist it….

II     Watch Yourselves   13:7-20

Wars, earthquakes, famines, arrests, beatings, betrayals by family members, hatred by everyone and more trouble than the world has ever seen before is what Jesus promised His disciples, and all future believers if they followed Him…

It sounds awful, doesn’t it?  Jesus, was about to leave, for a long time, it makes you wonder why He wouldn’t use His last few days, to encourage them, not scare them to death….

If you look closely though, it makes you realize that He is encouraging them, for the near, and the distant, future, in His warnings…His encouragement, goes beyond the disciples, and it goes beyond us----

to sometime in the future, when He will come, back and wipe away all war, all heartache, all pain, all betrayal, and all tears----and will establish a new world, of peace and joy, where we will live, in the light of His presence, forever…. 

In verse 23, Jesus says, “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance…”Jesus warned his disciples and the believers that were yet to come, about the persecutions, and the hatred and the struggles of living a Christian life, so that when they came, there would be no surprises….He didn’t want us to think that God had made a mistake, or didn’t care----He wanted us to look back, when we are experiencing difficulties and troubles, and remember His words, to us, and know that because He said it would happen, we can trust Him, to help us walk through, whatever trial, we’re in the middle of…

And Jesus doesn’t just warn us, He, in His goodness to satisfy our curiosity, goes on to tell us, some of the reason, why, these things have to happen…..he compares the wars, famines and earthquakes to the “beginning of birth pangs”-----the process of giving birth usually starts out with a tightening of the tummy with only a little pain, if any at all, then over a period of time, the pain steadily escalates and intensifies, until the mother is in full-blown labor, tolerating, what is seemingly unbearable pain-----but tolerate, is the key word----we tolerate the pain and go with it---- even welcome it---- because we trust that, hopefully, every pain, is bringing us one step closer to our goal ----the pure joy, that comes with the birth of a precious little baby. 

Jesus wants us to understand, that in this world, there will be struggle and pain, with blood, sweat and tears, but we need to tolerate it, and go with it, even welcome it-----because, in the end, that pain will fade away, and in it’s place, there will be wonderful joy!

And, as Jesus went on to explain about persecution and the suffering that goes with that-----He wanted us to know, that the suffering, would be necessary, for spreading the Gospel….he said, in vs. 9-10, “You will stand before governors and kings, for my sake, as a testimony to them, and the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” 

Persecution, trials, betrayals and even, martyrdom, in all its forms, whether it be a physical death or the death of a reputation,  whether the betrayal comes from an enemy or a family member….it has always been a part of God’s plan------it has never been a mistake or a surprise to God-----it is not the result of evil forces, frustrating God’s plan----even though God allows evil people to participate, instigate and implement 

The trouble-----because, as it says in Genesis 50:20, “what men intend for evil, God intends for good…..God uses the evil decisions of men for His glory and for our good, in the way, that only He can----and then, in His gracious goodness, He has given us the Holy Spirit, to sustain and encourage us and to give us the words, we need to say, in every circumstance….

So, the encouragement for us, is that we are to be faithful, and to guard ourselves----we are to keep our focus on Jesus, not on the circumstances that we find ourselves in-----We are to consciously bring our thoughts, our worries and our reactions to the Lord, recognizing and trusting that  He is always in control; He is always sovereign, even when the external events, going on around us, look like He isn’t… 

(Martin Luther wrote a letter to a friend, in June, 1530, who was worried about the fallout, of Martin Luther having nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door---- that was a lesson to him and, it’s a lesson for us….’I pray for you earnestly, and I am deeply pained that you keep sucking up cares like a leech, rendering my prayers vain. 

Only Christ knows, whether it comes from, stupidity or the Spirit, but I, for my part, am not much troubled about our cause…..

God, who is able to raise the dead, is also able to uphold His cause, when it is failing, or to raise it up again, when it has fallen, or to move it forward when it is standing. 

If we are not worthy instruments to accomplish His purpose, He will find others. 

If we are not strengthened by His promises, where in all the world, are the people to whom those promises apply….).

Martin Luther’s confidence, is an example for us….God is in control, He is sovereign-----Satan may hurl his fiery darts; he may even kill us-----but, if he does, God will raise up others, to advance His plan for the Gospel----

Because the truth is, it’s His plan, not ours….

Luther wasn’t telling his friend to take his responsibilities lightly, or to ignore them, or to just sit back and give up-----

He was telling him, to rest in the knowledge, that God is in control,

and that there are no surprises with Him….

The bottom line for us, is that….. our task, is to be about our Father’s business, whatever He’s called us to------ faithfully trusting Him, to handle the results…

III   Be Alert       13:21-37

We spend so much time preparing for things…birthdays, weddings, family reunions, or just family dinners-----we always spend a good amount of time, preparing celebrations----when we are facing a future event we usually put our backs into it and give it all the attention that we can…since our reputation as a good hostess and a good cook , is at stake, being prepared is at the top of our list…Doesn’t it seem logical then, that when we’re faced with the last, great event of our lives, we should prepare all we can, to be ready for it… 

(Billy Graham would often talk about the need for us to be prepared to meet the Lord Jesus, unexpectedly---as an illustration, he would often tell the story about a little boy named Paul Haley. He was a 6 year old little boy from Denver, Colorado, who was dying from cancer. His story hit the newspapers, along with his fondest wish. The little boy wanted to meet Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was then, the president of the United States. 

One day, quite unexpectedly, the president announced to his aides, that he was going to visit Paul Haley. Hopping in the presidential limousine, they drove to Denver, and pulled up outside the Haley home, flags flying from the limo’s fenders. President Eisenhower just strode up the little walk, leading to the front door, and rang the doorbell.

Donald Haley, the little boy’s daddy, answered the door. Faced with the neatly dressed, dapper, stranger, not recognizing who the president was, the daddy just said, “may I help you?” 

Suddenly, a little boy appeared between his daddy’s legs, peering up at the stranger’s face. The president said, “yes, I’m Dwight Eisenhower, and I’d like to meet your son.” 

The little boy scampered out to the limo and the president showed him the car and allowed him to sit in it.
When they parted, it was with a handshake and a hug…

And the whole time, Donald Haley, the daddy, just 

stood in the doorway, awestruck----he had been caught, unaware…

As years went by, Donald Haley often talked about how unprepared he had been, dressed in old jeans, and a dirty t-shirt, to shake hands with the most important man, in the world, at that time…..

Someday the Lord is going to come….we need to be alert, expecting him any minute, so that we aren’t caught unaware….?

There are so many layers of understanding in this Mark passage—it was for the here and now, it was for the immediate future, it was for the distant future, and Jesus used the bulk of this passage, to describe something, according to Mark 13:32, that nobody knows, when it’s going to happen not even the Son knows------and that’s the 3 stages of the Tribulation Period, that is described in the book of Revelation in great detail….

I personally believe, that the church, may be here, for the beginning of the birth bangs, but when the real horror begins, I believe, that we will have already been raptured----because, in the book of Revelation, after the 4^th chapter, the Church is gone------and I believe that our being with Him during this time, and not on the earth, will be a reward and a blessing for us, for our having trusted Him for salvation…. and it will be a great testament to Him, for His faithfulness, for having kept His promises!

The middle and the end of the 7-year period, that scripture says, will be the length of the Tribulation, will be the time, that God will judge the world and will prepare the Jews to recognize and meet their Messiah----After the Anti-Christ, or as Daniel and Luke say, “the abomination of desolation” sets himself and his idols up, in the rebuilt Temple, as the one to be worshiped-----and the Jews finally recognize him, as the falsest, of all false prophets----the judgment of the world will intensify to a point that has never been seen, and will never be seen again…they will be so unimaginably horrible, that God had to determine from the beginning, to shorten those years, for the elect (the Jews and the Gentiles who will come to believe during the tribulation) or no one would survive them…

Satanic deception, will continue to the very end, and false prophets and false teachers, will not stop, trying to lead people away----their miracles will be so believable, that even the elect, will be tempted to believe their lies-----but the tribulation elect, will have to remember, and we need to remember it, as we live our lives, now,----we cannot always trust what we see, we have to line everything up with the scripture----the scripture is the only thing that’s true---it is the final test…..

The Tribulation Period will climax, with the appearing, of terrifying signs in the heavens and worldwide chaos on the earth……

When the time is rIght-----The Lord will appear, with the raptured saints around Him------the Jews scattered throughout the nations, will be gathered, along with those saved during the Tribulation-----and the Millennial Kingdom, will be established. 

Jesus didn’t want the disciples or us, to get so involved in the prophecies of the future that we would stop living in the present and neglect our tasks now, so, to encourage constant diligence, He closed His lesson, according to Mark, with the parable of the doorkeeper (Matthew included two more)

(The master goes on a journey, after having assigned a task, to each of his servants, and asking the doorkeeper to guard the entrance----I love how, Ray Stedman, the author of our lesson books explains this parable, it makes sense to me…..he says, “Now, what is he to watch for? Is he to watch for his master’s return? That’s the way this is usually interpreted….but Dr. Stedman says that, that isn’t it, because the doorkeeper is supposed to start looking, as soon as as the master leaves. They know he’s not going to be back right away….What then is he to watch for? He is to watch lest somebody deceive them, and gain entrance into the house, and wreck and rob and ruin all they have. So, Jesus’ word is, “Be alert, don’t go to sleep; Watch! There are temptations and pressures which will assault you, to make you think that its all a lie, to make you give up and stop living like a Christian, stop walking in faith, stop believing the truth of God. Watch out for that. And in the meantime, do your work. Don’t let anything turn you aside. Don’t let anything derail you from being what God wants you to be in this day and age.” This is the way you watch. We are not to be looking up into the sky all the time, waiting for His coming. That will happen when He is ready. We are to watch so we will not be deceived…) 

If we are as alert and diligent as the doorkeeper---- will be able to protect ourselves and others from any evil attacks….and if we are diligent to the end, whatever that end is, tonight at midnight or a 1000 years from now….whether it’s through death, the rapture or the end of the tribulation, Jesus will take us to Himself, and we will rest in His glory forever.

Jesus final command was “Be alert!” it appears 3 times in the last 6 verses….Jesus doesn’t tell us when He’s coming----he just tells us to be alert---to always be ready---never lazy, never lackadaisical, never uncaring-----never taking a break, from being about the Father’s business , till the end…

When Jesus comes back, we will have no real advance notice, so, we need to make sure that we’re ready, no matter when it is…

JOY "Jesus Continues to Teach the Truth" March 12, 2014

March 12, 2014

Jesus Continues to Teach the Truth

Mark 12:28-44

 I     The Greatest Commandment-----12:28-34

II     A Word of Wisdom------ A Word of Warning   12:35-40

III   The Widow’s Mite-------12:42-44 

There have been few people born, who have so affected history, that their births, and rebirths, marked the era, that they lived in….John 

Wesley is one of the few……He was an 18^th century Anglican preacher and theologian, who along with his brother Charles, began the Methodist, Evangelical Movement, in Great Britain, and the United States… If it hadn’t been for his conversion, and the ensuing revival, and “Great Awakening”, with it’s hugely, spiritual and social impact-----England, it has been said, would probably have gone through something like the French did, with their revolution. 

Historians have cited, that John Wesley’s coming to faith, was one of the most important historical events, in the Western world.

John Wesley was born in 1703, the 15^th child of Samuel Wesley, the rector of Epworth, and his wife Susanna. John enjoyed a good 

up-bringing, under, his unusually talented, dedicated and godly mother-------and went on to a brilliant career at Oxford, including a post-graduate professorship, of Greek and Logic. He also served as his father’s curate twice, and was ordained as a priest in the Church of England, when he was 25.

While he was at Oxford, he joined a group of undergraduates, led by his 

brother, Charles, and the soon-to-be-great, evangelist, George Whitefield----they dedicated themselves, to being a group, who were 

striving, to build holy lives for themselves, and for the people, whose lives they touched… 

He met with the group, every day, for prayer, the study of the Greek New Testament, and for devotional exercises. He set aside an hour each day, for private prayer and reflection. He took communion every week, and he set his mind, on conquering every sin. He fasted twice a week, visited the prisons, and assisted the poor and the sick….

John Wesley, admitted years later, that he wasn’t saved during that time period, he only thought he was…because of all of the rules he followed 

and the works he did----

When he was 32….and still unconverted, he accepted an invitation, from the Society of the Propagation of the Gospel, to become a missionary to the American Indians in Georgia…….It was a great disaster------he was a terrible missionary to the Indians----he argued with his colleagues, and he almost died of disease…

When he got back to England, he wrote in his memoirs, “I went to America to convert the Indians; but oh, who will convert me.” The 

missionary experience, taught him, just how wicked and wayward his heart was…and the blessing of his life was, that, on his way home from America, on board ship, he met some German, Moravian, Christians, whose simple faith, made a great impression on him…So much so, that when he got back to London, he sought out one of their leaders and through a series of conversations, admitted that he had never been saved….

It took 3 more years, but the morning finally came, when John Wesley, 

Couldn’t  deny the Lord Jesus, any longer, and he yielded himself, heart, mind and soul, to the Savior’s love and mercy and direction…

That morning, he opened his bible, haphazardly, and his eyes fell on the text in Mark 12:34--------“You are not far from the kingdom of God…”and he knew the Lord was speaking just to him…. it gave him great comfort and hope, because it pushed him over the edge, into salvation----and he said, for the rest of his life that it was his life verse---because,  it never failed to remind him, of just how lost he had been, before he surrendered himself to the Lord Jesus. 

The sweet thing was, that whole passage actually, paralleled John 

Wesley’s situation perfectly, with the Scribe’s situation,….the Lord conversed with the scribe, a lost man of God, in the house of Israel----- and He conversed, with John Wesley, a lost man of God in a godly home----both men were professed clergymen; both were highly educated; both were bible scholars, who knew the scriptures, inside and out; and both were confronted by the Lord Jesus, with the words, “you are not far from the kingdom of God….”

It’s amazing how God’s word never changes---and that it is relevent to 

every person in every generation----and that it’s power is mighty enough to change a heart and a life in an instant…

We are blessed, that the Lord spoke so candidly to the people he talked to, especially in the last days of His life-----the wisdom and the truth that He shared with them, is the same wisdom and truth that He wants us to understand----our blessing, is that we have the Holy Spirit, to make sure that we know Him, and understand His meaning, and that,He graciously, gives us the ability to trust and obey Him and His word, when we do…

I    The Greatest Commandment    12:28-34

The scribe, who asked Jesus the all-important question, about the greatest commandment, seemed to be, much more sincere, than the other religious leaders had been, who had challenged the Lord that day…

The scribes, as a group, appear here and there, all throughout the scriptures….the early scribes functioned as secretaries to David and Solomon….and by the time of Hezekiah, they transcribed old records and became known for both their scholarship and their interpretation of the Law….They were proud of their ever-increasing wisdom and boasted about it----they were a dominate force among the repatriates, after their return, from the Babylonian captivity----Ezra was a scribe…They gave themselves, so carefully, to the study of the Scripture and developed such stringent rules for transcribing it, that , in time, the words of the scribes, took precedence, over the words of the Scripture…By the time of Jesus ministry, their misapplication of the scripture, was evident in the clever tricks they used, to help them sidestep, even the most simple duties, imposed by God’s Law….as we’ve seen over and over again…

A typical scribe began his training around the age of 13----he would journey from wherever he was born, and enroll in one of the Jerusalem, rabbinical schools----- his studies would last, until he was 30, and then, usually, after becoming a priest, he would be inaugurated into his office. Successful scribes could and would, rise to high positions in their culture---they were doctors of the Law and family lawyers----scribes, who didn’t do as well, and weren’t able rise to prominence, were able to work at copying the scriptures, being notaries,  and writing legal documents, sales contracts and bills of sale…The scribes , as a whole, had a passion for public recognition, at formal functions-----and they loved, being called by imposing titles, as they walked in the marketplace---

A favorite topic, for the scribes to debate among themselves, was a discussion about, which of the commandments carried the most weight. The Jews recognized 613 commandments of the written Mosaic Law….

In the early days, they decided that the ceremonial laws were the most important ones---later, they decided that the moral laws were the most important----and by Jesus’ day, the scribes and the Pharisees placed, the most importance on…. Sabbath-keeping, tithing, and the dietary requirements of the law, ignoring, the more vital aspects of the Law, like justice, morality and truth.

This particular scribe seems to have been an honest man----and dissatisfied with what was going on in his world---he seemed to have been on the same page as Jesus, and not afraid to let everyone know it…He didn’t seem to be trying to trap the Lord, like the other leaders had been…he seems to have been genuily interested in the Lord’s answer…

The Lord quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5. There is only one God. The Lord restated, that very simple fact, which is the foundation, for the whole Law of Moses, and is the first, of the 10 commandments…

The Lord didn’t address the 10 commandments, in answering this scribe---He took him to the basic truth that God is God; He alone, is God, there is no other. There is only one God----- He has ever been, He is now, and He forever will be…He must be enthroned, Jesus reminded the scribe, in the life of the individual, so sovereignly and so supremely,  that every emotion, is a God-centered emotion, every thought, is a God-centered thought, every decision ,is a God-centered decision, and every deed, is a God-centered deed. This means, that our whole being---- heart, soul and mind, is to be centered on God, and He is to be loved and served, with every ounce of strength, that we possess.

Then, the Lord quoted from Leviticus 19:18, telling the scribe, that second only to our love for God, should be our love for our fellowman…

Jesus took the 10 commandments, and reduced them to 2 commandments… and, if we could just obey those 2 commandments, then everything else should fall into place…

This particular scribe’s heart was transparent----he heartedly endorsed the Lord’s words, and then, he added his own comment----evidently, he had a mind of his own and he answered the Lord, intelligently….he was in a better place, than the rich young ruler, who had allowed his money to get in the way of his salvation----Jesus said, that this scribe “wasn’t far from the kingdom”----- 

but, it’s clear, that he wasn’t in the kingdom, yet, either---he needed to be careful, that he didn’t let his reasoning mind, get in the way of his salvation…to get into the kingdom, the scribe had a decision to make… he had to say yes, to the king…. 

And the blessing, for the scribe was that the Lord Jesus, was passing by him, just at that moment----…

Jesus was complementing the scribe when he told him that he wasn’t far from the kingdom…He could tell that the scribe was capable of thinking for himself----Jesus could tell that the scribe understood that the Law was more than a system, that it was a matter of the heart…

Jesus’ words were also a warning---even though the scribe, was close, he had not crossed over the line---and there’s an old adage which says, that “a person can be within an inch of heaven, and still go to hell…”

Jesus could tell that the scribe believed that loving God and loving his fellowman were more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices could ever be….and He could see that the scribe was willing to  pause, and truly think, deeply, about eternal things…and that he believed that the love of God is the highest priority of all------facing this truth, has a way of smacking a person in the face,  because, in our own strength, there’s no way that we can love God with our whole hearts, no matter how hard we try to…only the work of the Holy Spirit,  in a person’s heart, can teach and equip a person to love God, first and foremost. The fact that the scribe realized this, placed him very close to heaven’s door…

The scribe was honest---he didn’t allow his allegiance to the other scribes and Pharisees, keep him from acknowledging the truth---and he was not a coward---he was willing to step out and step up and to let everyone know where he stood…

That’s how John Wesley was----sitting at the feet of one of the most famous mothers, of all time… he was taught that the love of God, was the highest priority, for any life, in any time----Susannah Wesley’s children, every one, lived their lives, serving the Lord----- and she always maintained, that it was because she spent regular time, with each of her 19 children, instructing them, in the things of God. Wesley was a thinking man, and he was honest----honest in personal matters and honest in spiritual matters---after his experience in America, he was willing to bare his soul, without guile, to the people he thought that he could trust to help him-----and he found the way to cross over into the kingdom of God….and he believed, finally, with his whole heart that loving the Lord, his God, with all his heart, mind , soul and strength and his neighbor as himself was the only way to live his life----and he changed his world----and we can pray that the scribe did too.

II      A Word of Wisdom---A Word of Warning     12:35-40

The scribes all agreed, that the Messiah was going to be, a son of King David, descended from his line---they believed what the scripture said about it…..

And there was no doubt, that Jesus was a Son of David, because the genealogical records, which were kept in the Temple, could verify that fact…..the problem was, that even though Jesus kept telling them who He was, the religious leaders, just could not accept, that Jesus was both the Son of David and the Messiah----He was the fulfillment of the prophecy that they claimed to know so well, even though they kept denying, what was right in front of them…

Jesus, in trying to get the scribe to give his heart to him, and to try, one more time, to get the leaders’ attention, hoping they would see just a glimmer of light…quoted from Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said, unto my Lord, sit at my right hand….” The Jews acknowledged that this verse was part of a messianic psalm. In the psalm, David heard, the One, whom he knew to be God, inviting, the One, whom he knew to be his Lord, to come and sit with Him on His throne, the very throne of God. This meant that his Lord, had to be God----no one else could share God’s throne----it had to be the Messiah---- and God told David, that, on earth, the One sharing His throne, was going to be David’s descendant, one of his sons…David was awed and astounded and humbled, that the Messiah, was , somehow, going to be his son!!! 

As He said this, Jesus, wound up capturing everyone’s attention again----He was David’s son, and He was the Messiah----there wasn’t any reason to hide His identity any more,  because, Calvary, was getting closer and closer…… Jesus wanted them to realize, that, either David was mistaken, about what he had heard, and what God had said to him, and the scripture was a lie, and Jesus was nothing more than just a mere human descendant of David-----or, He was both---- David’s son and the Son of God----Jesus left it up to the scribes, and the other religious leaders ,to choose the truth,  about who they believed that He was. 

That’s what the scribe who had discussed the Law, with Jesus, had to decide, for himself…If he wanted to become a member of the kingdom of God, he had to take the step of faith, from just giving intellectual acknowledgement, to the truth------- to personally surrendering his heart, mind and soul, to the Lord Jesus, as his Savior. 

What would he do with Jesus, was the fundamental question, that had to be answered----I love what Peter said when he was faced with the same question, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And the confession that Nathanael made, when he had to give an account of his belief, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” and then, the wonderful declaration, that Thomas made, when he saw Jesus, after the resurrection, “My Lord, and My God.” 

Jesus went on to issue a warning at this point----He wanted the scribe, and everyone listening, to understand that belonging to the kingdom of God, was a matter of the heart---and that it had nothing to do, with the outward appearances, that they so loved---they had a false sense of values, and they were eaten up with pride---their spirit was totally out of sync with the Lord’s Spirit of meekness and lowliness…they thought that the best seats in the synagogue and stylish and expensive robes made them godly----Jesus made it clear, with the next parable that He told His disciples,  that that was a gross, misunderstanding of the truth…

(The turning of the calendar from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000----marked one of the most memorable events in human history----and it’s amazing how that event, was perceived by different people.

Recently, a pastor was talking about that day, to 2 people---one was from America and one was from another country, but they were both believers.

The American confessed, that he, and many other Americans, had been focused on the potential problems of the failure of the computer chips that wouldn’t be able to read the new centuries date…and they worried about everything, from gas pumps, to water supplies, to electrical-generating plants. And the other person, from Europe, told him, that in her country---the main focus had been that the world was celebrating Jesus’ 2000 birthday….

The pastor said that he was stunned by the contrast of what they had each considered important----and was reminded that 2000 years of history, have not changed the most important question, mankind has ever been asked…who do you say that Jesus is? And how important is he in your life?)

III        The Widow’s Mite

One of the duties of the scribes, was to make out wills and other deeds. Very often, they weren’t content with their fee for services, so they would try and get more money by preying on the fears and superstitions and the religious obligations, of the women who had been recently widowed-----they would promise them grace if they would deed their inherited property over to the Temple---when they did, the scribes would receive a substantial proportion of the proceeds----and they would cover up their fraudulent activity with hypocritical prayers, while leaving the widows destitute, with no other recourse, but to beg for hand-outs; or to  throw themselves on the mercy of their closest, living, male relative…

It must have been late in the day----and Jesus was probably tired of all of the contention, and the verbal sparring, with the leaders, so, scripture says, that Jesus left Solomon’s porch, and went down into the Temple, itself, into the Court of Women, which was an area about 200 feet square. The treasury was located there, which was signified by the 13 trumpet-shaped boxes, with various inscriptions, designating their purpose-----there were nine, for legal duties and the temple taxes---- and there were four for voluntary contributions…

 Jesus sat down, for a few minutes, to watch the way people made their contributions---- 

And as He sat watching, He could see, that some people were giving cheerfully, and some were giving grudgingly-----the poor were quietly taking care of business, and the seemingly, wealthy, were giving loudly and extravagantly, so that everybody knew they were throwing fistfuls into the coffers… 

And Jesus was watching them all… how would we feel if the Lord was watching us make our contributions----would they be the same, would they be different? Would we give with a different heart attitude or a different look on our faces? Well, guess what? He is watching, and it should make a difference----- so, how cheerful are we with our giving? how free are we with our giving? how sacrificially do we give? and how quietly do we give?….

God weighs our motivations----which can be terrifying and comforting to us, all at the same time…

The Lord watched the pageantry, of it all, and then, something of eternal significance caught His eye… 

In England, farthings were still used, until 1960. A farthing is a small copper coin, which is worth, one quarter of a penny. The mite, is a thin, small Jewish copper coin, that was worth about, half, of a farthing----and the widow, that Jesus was watching. had just 2 mites-----so we can see, just how poor she was… 

Jesus knew, what was in the widow’s heart----He knew, how much it cost her to give those two little inferior coins-----He knew, what a sacrifice it was-----and He was delighted!!!

Little did the widow know, that the “Lord of Glory” was sitting in the treasury, that day….and little did she know, whose eyes were watching her that day---and little did she know, who was appreciating and applauding, her act of sacrifice and service, that day! And little did she know what joy she had brought to the Savior-----a ray of sunshine, on a dark and gloomy day, of controversy----- a glow, in the gloom that was gathering all around him, the closer He got to the cross. Little did the widow, know, that her gift, that day, would find its way into the Gospels, and that for the next 2000 years, her generosity would be talked about, and preached to the very ends of the earth!

God can do great things with tiny offerings----the two small mites, given quietly, with the widow’s motive, of love and obedience and generosity, have produced more, for the kingdom, in these 2000 years, than all the other gifts, given, that Passover week and ever other Passover since----Down through the centuries, those two miniscule coins, have been multiplied into billions and billions of dollars, for God’s work and the kingdom----as poor people, have given from what little they have; and wealthy people, have given, from how much they have, as they realize, that it all belongs to the Lord anyway, so why not give with a generous heart, and wait to see what He does with what is given…

Don’t you wonder what she found, when she arrived home, penniless, that day----I just can’t help but think, that the Lord blessed her, in some wonderful way----Maybe the Lord sent Judas, as the disciple’s treasurer, with a gift for her…or maybe he sent Zaccheus  to put his money where his mouth was----the week before , Zaccheus had promised the Lord, ‘

half of his goods, to feed the poor.” 

Unfortunately, until we get to heaven, we won’t know about any of it…but one thing we can anticipate, for sure,-----is that, we will all see her, when she gets her great reward in heaven….

I found on utube----a modern illustration of the parable of the widow’s mite…A little girl in a square in Sabadell, Spain put the only money she had, into a street performers hat---a bass player ---within minutes he was joined by a whole orchestra, 100 people strong and a choir…----she gave what she had and the orchestra poured love and joy and experience out on her extravagantly.  

The street performer was playing, Joyful Joyful, We adore Thee---- And He celebrated the generous heart of the little girl. She gave a tiny token, only ,to be given back more than she could ever have expected….isn’t that  just like Jesus….when we give what little we have to the Lord, He meets us with surprise after surprise …blessing after blessing…extravagant generosity  after extravagant generosity… We need to put ourselves in the little girls shoes----are we giving all we have to Jesus? How is He continuously surprising us with His unbelievable generosity? It was amazing as each member of the orchestra joined him with their instruments, by the end, the whole crowd of people were singing at the top of their lungs, the little girl just stood awed in their midst…… That’s what God wants to do for us-----when we give out of the overflow of our hearts, what little we have---the Lord takes it and magnifies it, and then, blesses us extravagantly……

(Outdoor Leadership----with Ashley Denton---Street Level Experiential Learning/Modern Widow’s Mite Illustrations)

JOY "Jesus Can't Be Trapped" March 5, 2014

March 5, 2014

Jesus Can’t Be Trapped

I        By Whose Authority….        11:27-33
II       The Vineyard Parable      12:1-12
III      God vs. Caesar                   12:13-17
IV      The Sadducees and Resurrection    12:18-27

(When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished.

As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.

“Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken.”

“Sorry”, the woman said, “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”

“But I’m starved,” the governor said.

“Sorry,” the woman said again, “only one to a customer.”

Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided, that this time, he would throw a little weight around.”

“Do you know who I am?” he said. “I’m the governor of this state.”

“Do you know who I am? The woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken, and I need you, to move along mister.”)

The moral of this story is, that whoever is in charge, gets to call the shots, no matter who thinks they’re in control, or that they’re important. 

And Jesus, over the last days of His earthly life, most definitely, made it clear, to His disciples, to the great crowd of followers, to the high priests, to the Pharisees,  to the Saddusees, and to the Herodians , that He was the ultimate authority, on all things in heaven and on earth….

By Whose Authority        11:27-33

Jesus stood on Solomon’s porch, on the east side of the court of the Gentiles, at the feet of a forest of Corinthian columns, each rising almost 40 feet, to a richly ornamented roof, which formed a colossal veranda, extending several hundred feet to the north and to the south. And below the immense porch, was the breath-taking Kidron Valley, which was 450 feet down. And looking out, into the distance, was the Mount of Olives and the sun-drenched Judean hillside.

Jesus didn’t have time to enjoy the view, though, because He was engaged in the conflict of His life. He had entered Jerusalem was openly proclaimed the Messiah, had cursed the fig tree, (which represented the spiritually lost nation of Israel) and with righteous anger, had cleansed the temple of the moneychangers and all the brouhaha, that went along with it. 

He was standing on Solomon’s porch, surrounded by the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the elders---basically the whole Sanhedren ----and He was hesitant to tell them, where His authority came from, because of their obvious, and very dangerous, disbelief. 
So, with all the ease, of the person, in charge, Jesus asked them His counter-question about John the Baptist, and when they didn’t dare to answer him, then, He was free to refuse to answer their question too, about where His authority came from. Jesus had succeeded in putting in putting them in their place, and there was not one thing they could say or do about it.

The religious leaders were caught in a quandary ------they had wanted to trap Jesus with a question that would show Him to be either a blasphemer or a weird fanatic….but ,He turned the tables on them and reminded them, that they were the ones, at fault…. because, they should have recognized John the Baptist, and his message, but they chose not to-----by their silence, they chose to side with Herod over his arrest and imprisonment….they hadn’t even tried to help John; they hadn’t even tried to get him released----they had just left him to die, in Herod’s hands.
John had threatened them, just like Jesus was doing…and they were determined to get rid of Him…., as the official guardians of the Law, the members of the Sanhedrin, had both the right, and the responsibility, to investigate anyone who claimed to be sent by God----and that included Jesus.  But, these religious leaders didn’t have sincere motives or open minds-----they were always cloaked in self-interest, they were only concerned about their position and their reputation and their ability to wield power; they weren’t looking for the truth----they just wanted evidence that could get rid of Jesus, once and for all.

In reminding them of John the Baptist, Jesus was letting them know, that by ignoring God’s prophet, they had forfeited their privilege of gleaning any more knowledge from the Lord-----in John 7:16-17, Jesus said, “My message is not my own; it comes from God, who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God, will know whether my teaching is from God, or is merely my own….”
God doesn’t teach us new truth, if we reject the truth He offers us, first.
The truth is, the religious leaders had not accepted what John had tried to teach them, so there was no reason for God to try and teach them anything else; it would have been like, casting pearls before swine. But if they had accepted John’s message, then they would have been ready for the Lord Jesus, and what He had to say-----and they would have welcomed Him with open arms.

The Sanhedrin, and everybody attached to them, were caught in a big mess, of their own making-----they weren’t asking, “what is true?” or “what is right”-----they were asking “what is safe?”, “what gets us the most, with a minimum amount of effort?” Jesus didn’t actually refuse to answer their question, He just refused to accept, and to endorse their hypocrisy and their selfishness and their lies-----He wasn’t being evasive---Jesus was the only person, present, who was being honest.

And before they had the opportunity to escape, Jesus made it even
clearer, by the parable that He told them, just exactly where their sins were leading them…

II             The Vineyard Parable    12:1-12

When Jesus told the parable of the Wicked Vineyard Keepers, the religious leaders, in their minds, would have immediately gone back to Isaiah 5:1-7, where, the great O.T. prophet, described, in beautiful poetic language, the nation of Israel, as God’s beautiful, well-cared-for, beautiful vineyard, and what would happen to them, when the garden rejected Him, and His care. They would have known Jesus’ meaning from His very first words…

It was meant to pull them up short, and to show them God’s gracious desire to reach their hearts, by encouraging them to turn from the wicked path they were heading down…As Jesus tells the story, He reveals 4 major things about God the Father:
The hope of God for His people.
 The kindness of God to those He loves.
  The Severity of God’s wrath.
The Ultimate triumph of God in history.
And this parable can speak to us today, just as clearly, as it spoke to those men that Jesus was talking to----the parable indicts Israel for hurting God’s prophets, physically and for rejecting them spiritually….. And it applies to us, in the same way, in the spiritual sense---- every time we reject one of God’s messengers---- whether it be a pastor, a bible teacher, a spouse or a friend, who has spoken truth to us, that we don’t want to hear…and for believers….the failure to follow Jesus, leads to a loss of spiritual gifts, and the loss, of a sense of Gods presence and His power. We run the risk of Him giving our responsibilities and our opportunities to another person who will use them appropriately.

Jesus began by describing God’s hope and love for Israel, as the same thing as a man, who had built a vineyard, and then waited expectantly for it to produce fruit. He trusted his tenant farmers to care for, and to cultivate the vineyard. The farmer planted a wall around it, to protect it, to keep wild animals out, as well as 2-legged intruders…then he dug a pit for the winepress out of solid rock, forming 2 vats---- an upper, shallow place, where the grapes were trod and a lower vat, that the juice ran into, through a channel in the rock…..  and he built a watchtower, that was 15-20 feet high, which insured that nothing, or no one, could sneak up on the vineyard, to harm it in any way… Then he went away on a journey….He did everything he could to insure good fortune for the vineyard.

The vineyard was a national symbol for Israel----even the Temple, near where Jesus was standing, was decorated with a richly carved grapevine, seventy cubits high, sculpted around the door, which led from Solomon’s Porch, into the Holy Place. The branches, the tendrils and the leaves, were made out of the finest gold. The bunches of grapes, hanging from the vine, were made out of the finest jewels. Herod is who first placed it there and then rich and patriotic Jews would add to it from time to time… Those religious leaders only had to look up, to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who and what Jesus was talking about…

God expected great things to come from His spiritual vineyard. And it was not an uncommon thing to do, for a farmer to rent out his property…and to get about 1/3 to ½ of the produce, or of the money made, by the sale of the produce…God, as the owner of the vineyard had such high hopes and expectations for His vineyard of Israel----He wanted them, to so radiate Him, that they would be a gleaming light, to the Gentiles, around them…But Israel, as a whole, refused Him!

To realize God’s great hope for us, we have to take great care that we don’t ignore the spiritual relevance of this parable for us…We farm a  much richer vineyard than that of ancient Israel. We don’t have any prophets, like Isaiah or Daniel, but we do have the complete Word of God filled with the the testimonies of all of His messengers---and we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of the life accounts, of the Saints for the last 2000 years.  We have the same opportunity to be blessed, that the Sanhedrin did, but we are even more richly blessed spiritually, intellectually and materially, on this side of the cross, than they were….Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much; much more will be asked.”

God the Father, was the man who planted the vineyard---He carefully tended it and made it beautiful----He chose the Jewish nation, protected them from their enemies, gave them His Word, and over and over again, His love and forgiveness; the vineyard is the nation of Israel, the tenant farmers are Israel’s religious leaders, down through the ages; the servants, are the O.T. prophets and priests, as well as John the Baptist, who remained faithful to God, and came as His messengers, to remind the people of God’s Words and His promises, and their destiny; the Son is Jesus; and the others, that the vineyard was finally leased to, are the Gentiles, who have been adopted into God’s family.
The religious leaders not only led their people away from God, instead of toward Him, they also killed the ones who were trying to fulfill God’s purpose for them. They were so jealous and possessive that they ignored the welfare, of the very people that they were supposed to be bringing to God. By telling this story, Jesus was making it very clear, that the religious leaders were plotting to kill Him and He was warning them, that their sins would be punished.

You would think that after sending messenger after messenger, who was either stoned or killed, that God would have long ago, lost patience and would have gone ahead and destroyed them, but He didn’t----He loves us so much that He just kept sending His messengers, one by one, to give us chance after chance, to turn back to Him, till finally, He made the ultimate sacrifice, and sent Jesus to die once and for all, and ended any question about who was in charge…

Then Jesus went on to tell them, that they would reject Him, but that there would be another group of people who would receive Him----He referred to Himself as the stone that was rejected by the builders, the Jewish leaders---but that He would become the cornerstone of a “new” building, the Church…A cornerstone, is used as the base of a building’s foundation, to make sure that the other stones of the building are straight and level----As the cornerstone of the Church, Jesus’ life and teachings are the foundation of the church.

As Jesus, finished His story, and His final words, that day, echoed through Solomon’s Porch and then died away, leaving behind, the memory, of what He had just told them, about God’s hope and love for them, and His kindness toward them, and His severity, that would come to discipline them, and finally His triumph, that would be realized in the end… And the beauty of it, had all been spoken by the most authentic voice that had ever been heard…..

And what did the religious leaders do…they continued to look for a way to arrest Him----but because they were afraid of how the crowd was responding to Him, scripture says, “that they left Him and went away”-----I think this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read-----how lost they were. The leaders of Israel were standing at the pinnacle of the Temple; above their heads, was the great, glorious vine, symbolizing Israel, gleaming in the sun; in front of them stood Jesus, the cornerstone of God’s eternal kingdom; and stretching below them, as far as the eye could see, was the glorious vineyard-rich Valley of Kidron, representing their nation, that God loved so much----and still, they chose to willfully reject Him---

The choice is just as dramatic today, and so are the consequences. The Lord Jesus’ plea, is just as eloquent and just as poignant today, as it was then----and it’s our responsibility as well as the responsibility of every  believer, by prayer and example, to encourage people to choose the Lord Jesus, above anything and everything else.

III.         God vs Caesar    12:13-17

( In the late 1970’s, there were large numbers, of skilled construction workers, known as “Boomers”, traveling around the country, looking for work, on electric power plant maintenance projects. These were short-term (4-8 weeks) with high-overtime (60-70 times per week) projects.

The Boomers loved the overtime, but they hated to pay taxes on their earnings…So, they came up with a scheme to by-pass Uncle Sam… Their scheme worked great for a while, until suddenly, when the U.S. Payroll Dept. noticed something unusual about the W-4’s many of the “Boomers” were filling out, each time they were hired. For most people, the normal number of tax exemptions is 2, 3 or 4 or so, depending on family size. The higher the number of exemptions, the less tax is withheld, from the weekly paycheck. What the Boomers were doing, was filing their W-4’s, with 99 exemptions, which had the effect of eliminating any tax-withholding, from their paychecks.

Needless to say, the IRS took exception to this practice, and required the Boomers to justify, their claim of exemption, from withholding taxes.

But the Boomers were ready for any interference from the IRS-----Each worker promptly produced a letter/certificate from a so-called School of Theology, in Illinois , which declared each Boomer, to be an ordained minister. The Boomer’s letter was on stationary, with letter heads, from made-up churches in Illinois, professing that the Boomer was the pastor of the church, and that all his labor was rendered in the name of God, and therefore, all earnings, belonged to the Church, and since the Church was a non-profit organization, they were, completely, tax-exempt.

The IRS didn’t like that, nor believe it, so the Boomer’s scheme was smashed.

The Boomers were not unlike the Pharisees-----they all, wanted to use God, to deny Caesar, what was Caesar’s. The Boomers were greedy and so were the Pharisees-----but the Pharisees had a deeper agenda----they wanted to trap Jesus---which was a Big Mistake!-----Jesus shocked them, and set them straight, yet again, when He said, “for us to give Caesar what belongs to him, and give to God, what belongs to Him…” Jesus was not of this world, but He lived in this world, and so do we, so we are called to be good Christians, who are known for our good citizenship…

A common threat, forced two enemies to unite, the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Herodians were Jewish collaberators, who wanted to be in charge so badly, that they had no qualms, about cowtowing, to the family of Herod, as well as to the Romans, so that their political party, would be given the authority to rule.

The Pharisees hated the Herodians-----they thought that the Herod clan were evil usurpers to the throne of David----because Herod wasn’t really Jewish, he was an Edomite, descended from Esau…Plus, the Pharisees hated the Roman’s presence, in their land and they bitterly resented, that they had to pay Rome a poll tax (which is a tax levied against an individual, just because that individual exists)… and they despised the fact, that a lot of the tax mone,y went to maintain the pagan temples, and the luxurious lifestyles, of the Roman upper class….

Their temporary alliance was a subtle trap, because no matter which way Jesus responded to their question about paying Caesar, taxes, He was going to be in trouble with the Sanhedrin, Herod or Rome----they thought they had Him right where they wanted Him----but Jesus was so wise…. Because He moved the discussion, from politics to principle, and caught the hypocrites, in their own game…

 If we paraphrased the Lord’s response to the Pharisees, it would read something like this…”Caesar’s image is on this coin, that you’ve just gave me---- so, they must have been minted by Caesar’s authority. The simple fact, that you possess these coins, and use them for purchasing things, indicates that you believe they’re worth something…. which means that you are already accepting Caesar’s authority, or you wouldn’t use his money! But don’t you ever forget that you were created in God’s image, so you are compelled to live, under His authority, too”

In some versions of the scripture, it says, “render unto Caesar what is his and render unto God, what is His…”---the word render, means to pay back, or to pay a debt. Jesus looked at taxes, as a citizen’s debt to the government, in return for services performed for them…

In our world, those government services, would include, fire and police and EMT protection, National Defense and Homeland Security, the salaries of State Officials, special programs for the poor and underprivileged, state universities, state and county hospitals, the armed forces, and many, many, other programs, which make the U.S., the best country in the world to live in. We, as individual Christian citizens might not agree, with all the ways our tax money is used, or how much we have to pay, and even though, we do have the privilege and right to vote, so that we can have a say in things---- but, the bottom line is, that God has established human government, and, ultimately, it’s for our good… Even if we don’t respect the people in office, we need to respect the office----- and the best thing we can do for them, because, badmouthing accomplishes nothing….

But we can never forget, that , as believers, our primary, eternal citizenship, is in the Kingdom of Heaven-----and that requires, for us to pledge our primary obedience and commitment, to God, the Father. As God’s children, we have legitimate obligations to both God, and the government… but its important that we keep our priorities straight----when God’s authority, and the authority of the government, conflict, our duty to God, always has to come first. The coin, bearing the emperor’s image, should be given to the emperor; but, our lives, bearing God’s image, belong to God….. And how to we bear God’s image? In so many beautiful ways….the first of which, is that we have an awareness of existing----in Exodus 3:14, God said, “I am who I am….” This was a statement of his eternal existence-----we are the only creatures in the universe who can say, “I am Yours”------ because God created us, with an awareness, of our existence in Him…and, we have a moral sense of right and wrong…and, we can express emotion---mad, happy glad or sad, we can express it----and, we have the free will to choose, what we want to choose----
What wonderful gifts the Lord has given us by creating us in His image----and how marvelous that we will be able to bear His image for all eternity….And the most wonderful thing of all, is, because we are God’s coin, bearing His image, He owns us, and we can trust Him to take care of us, and use us, in any way, that He wants, or needs to.

Because we are created in God’s image, He can re-sculpt his character in our hearts…this is part of the work of the Holy Spirit, which begins with His sealing our redemption, for eternity…..Just like when an ancient wax seal was placed on a container or a letter, and the owner took his ring and pressed it into hot wax, so that everybody knew that it belonged to him and he was authenticating it------the Holy Spirit does the same thing for us------He warms us up, makes us pliable, and then presses His character into us….And as we grow in the Spirit, the mark of His divine imprint, burns deeper and deeper into us, and as we conform, more and more to His image… it becomes clearer and clearer, who we belong to….

IIII.        The Saddusees and Resurrection   12:18-27

(A lot can be learned by the questions people ask. Two physics students wanted to go to a party, in a town 50 miles away, even though they had a major physics test, first thing, the next morning….the only way that they could go to the party, was to spend the night there, and then return late, the next day, long after the test had been given….

That’s ok, one student said’, “we’ll tell the professor that we had a flat tire. He can’t punish us for having a flat tire…

The other student agreed, so they went to the party and had a wonderful time. When they got back to school, the next day, they told the professor, that they’d had a flat tire, and asked if they could take a make-up test…the professor agreed.

The next day, as they took their seats, for the make-up test, the professor handed out a sheet of paper. “There are only 2 questions on this test, one on each side of the paper”, he said. “Question 1, is worth 10% and Question 2, is worth 90%. Take your time, and answer the questions fully and completely. This final will make up 50%, of your  over-all grade, in this class.” He walked to the front of the room and sat down, s that he could moniter the test…

Both students read the first question: “Who came up with The Theory of Relativity?” Both students smiled. “Albert Einstein.” They wrote. “What an easy test”, they thought, as they flipped to the back-side, of the sheet of paper.

And then they saw the second question….Question 2 was, “Which tire was flat?” And their hearts sank….

This must have been how the Saddusees felt, when Jesus turned the tables on them----they had approached Him, with an irreverent smugness and an attitude of superiority, and Jesus put them in their place, in no uncertain terms…

This is the only place in Mark, where the Saddusees are mentioned. They were a sect of Judaeism, which only accepted the Law of Moses, as their religious authority---if a doctrine couldn’t be defended, from the first 5 books of the O.T., then it wasn’t true, so they didn’t accept it…Because they weren’t addressed in the Pentateuch, they didn’t believe in the existence of the soul, life after death, resurrection, final judgments, angels, or demons. Most of the Saddusees were the wealthy priests, in their community….They considered themselves to be the “religious aristocrats” of Judaism…and they tended to look down on everybody else.

The hypothetical question, that they brought to Jesus, was based on the Law of Marriage, given in Deuteronomy25:7-10. “If woman had a series of seven husbands during her lifetime, all brothers, and they all died, and then the woman died---leaving no heir---if there is a future resurrection, who would she be married to in heaven----would it be one husband, or all seven…?” It seemed to the Saddusees that they had asked Jesus the perfect question---one that He couldn’t answer----- which would turn the tide of support away from Him, if He couldn’t answer such an important question……

The Saddusees thought that they were so smart, but Jesus, very quickly, exposed their ignorance, of 2 things: the power of God and the truth of scripture. The question about the woman was just a smokescreen---so, Jesus ignored it and went straight for what was wrong----their inability to look beyond themselves, and see God.

What they didn’t understand, is that resurrection, is not the restoration of life, as we know it, it’s the entrance, into a new life, that is different from any other life.  It is a life where, the creator of the universe, who gave us our original, earthly bodies, will give us new, wonderful, perfect, bodies, that we will need, for our new lives, in heaven. God’s power was beyond their comprehension…

In John 17:22-24 and 1 John 3:1-2, Jesus didn’t say that we would become angels or be like the angels in every way, because God’s children are higher than the angels, because we’re created in God’s image….What He was saying, is that, in our resurrection bodies, we will be sexless like the angels-----because there will be no need for marriage, because there won’t be any need for procreation and the continuance of the race, because there will be no death…In His statement about, no marriage, in heaven, Jesus didn’t mean that we won’t know our spouses---He just meant that God’s new order will not be an extension of this life, and the same physical and natural rules, that we obey here, will not apply, there. And Jesus’ comment wasn’t meant to be the last word on marriage, in heaven,  either------it was more that, it was Jesus’ refusal, to answer the Saddusees’ question, and falling into their trap.  But the truth is, in heaven, our relationships with our spiritual brothers and sisters will be so perfect, and so filled with love, that earthly marital bliss will seem shallow, in comparison…

What life will be like, after the resurrection, is far beyond our ability to understand or imagine. But we don’t need to be afraid of eternal life, because of the unknown….instead of wondering, what our heavenly life is going to be like, we need to concentrate on our relationship with the Lord Jesus, right now….because we’ll be with Him in heaven,  if we learn to love and trust Him now, then we won’t be afraid, imagining, how heaven is going to be different…

The Saddusees were also ignorant of the whole scripture-----they claimed to accept the authority of Moses, but they failed to notice that Moses taught the continuation of life after death…The Lord took them back to God’s irrefutable conversation, with Moses, at the Burning Bush, in Exodus 3…..in that conversation, God did not tell Moses , “I was, or I used to be, the God of Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob-----He said, “ I am the God of Abraham; I am the God of Isaac; and I am the God of Jacob. The patriarchs were alive when God spoke those words to Moses, which means that the Penteteuch does teach life after death… With one sharp stab…the Lord punctured all the Saddusees believed in and what they didn’t believe in….When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush,  Jacob had been physically dead for 200 years, and Isaac for 225 years and Abraham for 330 years…the reality is, they wear’nt dead, at all, they were very much alive-----and Jesus knew that they were------

Jesus told the Saddusees, that they had made a serious error-----willful blindness is inexcusable----these men had all the evidence that they needed to understand the truth of the scripture,  and it wasn’t that they couldn’t believe, it was that they chose not to believe-----and that is the greatest error of all….