The Resurrection
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "
8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
BACKGROUND READING:
Matthew 27:62-28:20
Luke 24
Dig Deeper
In the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, this is the last section in the book of Mark. The section that will be considered tomorrow is something that was very likely added on by some scribe or church leader to give a proper ending. We will consider the merits of that passage in the reading for tomorrow, but suffice it say that verse 8 is probably the end of what we have of Mark’s original work. This is evidenced by the fact that the earliest of the early church fathers, including Clement of Alexandria and Origen, demonstrate no knowledge of anything in Mark beyond verse 8.
Some scholars have proposed that Mark intentionally ended his gospel here. One of the motifs of Mark, says this theory, is that of the fear caused by God’s work through Jesus (Mark 5:15, 22; 9:6). It is suggested then, that Mark left off at the women’s fear, suggesting that God had performed one more great and mighty work that had confirmed what Jesus had said about himself all along. This may be true, but I believe that it is more likely that the original ending was damaged somewhere very early on and was lost. This may cause great concern to some, the possibility that some of the original, apostle-directed Scriptures have been lost. This should not cause us any concern at all, however. The rest of the book of Mark has clearly demonstrated the power of the Messiah that was sent of God. If God can direct such things as the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then surely he is capable of preserving the portions of Scripture that he wished to be preserved. The most important parts of Mark are still beautifully preserved, and we have accounts of Jesus’ actions between his resurrection and ascension from Matthew and Luke. Of course we are left to speculate as to why God did not deem it necessary to preserve the final portions of Mark, if they did exist, but it’s not something worth spending too much time thinking about, because the answer will be nothing more than speculation.
It is the three women, we are told, who Mark counts as being present on that incredible Sunday morning. They are going there to anoint Jesus’ body, not to witness the resurrection. There was, we should remember no expectation amongst the disciples that Jesus was going to literally raise from the dead at this time. They have gone, realizing that they wouldn’t be able to roll the stone back, but hope that someone strong enough will be there to do it for them.
When they arrive, they find that the work of rolling back the stone has already been done and that a young man is sitting inside of the tomb. The news he gives them must have sent shock waves through their bodies. He tells them that Jesus is not there, that he has risen.
The details that Mark gave us in the previous passage now become rather important. The women were there when Jesus was declared dead. They probably helped prepare his corpse for the first stage of burial. They were certainly present when his body was laid in the tomb. The point of all of that is that they knew that he was indeed dead, and they also knew which tomb was his. Even if they had somehow gotten to the wrong tomb that morning, surely it would have been easy enough for the Jewish authorities or the Romans to go to the correct tomb and produce Jesus’ body. The fact is, it was not there. He had indeed risen from the dead, just as he had told them he would.
The fact that Peter is singled out by this messenger to have the good news reported to him and the other disciples does not show that he is favored in any way. In fact, it is probably meant as a merciful way of telling him and the others that even after his three denials, even he was not beyond redemption. He would still play an important role in the kingdom of God.
We are left with the detail that the women ran off, quite afraid. So afraid, in fact, that they didn’t tell anyone that they had passed along the way. Throughout the pages of Mark, people have been told to remain silent about Jesus. Now these women who have just arrived on the scene of Jesus’ most incredible miracle, remain silent all on their own. Presumably they will not say anything until they find people that they know they can trust and who can help them make sense of what they’ve just been told.
Devotional Thought
If this is indeed the end of the original story of Mark that has survived, then perhaps it provides a bit of theological good fortune in which we are asked to wrestle with the mystery of what happened next. It is up to us to finish the story, the decide what we are going to do with it, and how we will spread the message to our world in our day. Spend some time today thinking about the mission that has been handed down to today’s Christian community and what part you are going to take in it.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mark 15:40-47
40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus
42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
BACKGROUND READING:
Numbers 9:1-14
Luke 23:50-56
Dig Deeper
Professional baseball teams all have a group of pitchers that are called middle relievers. There job is to go in after the primary pitcher, called the ‘starter’, has done his work. What they really are, however, is set-up men. They are not the main story or the climax. They go in to set things for what is called the ‘closer’. This is the big power pitcher who comes in and brings the game home, hopefully preserving the win for his team.
Much like that, Mark uses these verses here as the set-up for what he will describe in the next chapter. As we read through these verses we can almst feel the impatient, trembling, anticipation that Mark had as he wrote down this section. He knows what is going to happen next and can’t wait to tell us. As we read this short passage, though, we will be well served to remember two details. The first is that Mark has not added any detail here needlessly. Every single item is necessary. The second thing is that although Mark knows what is about to happen and so do most of his readers, the real people described in this event have no clue of the miracle that is about to occur. Mark has already gone to great trouble to drive home the point that they had not grasped the idea of one man being resurrected before the full consummation of the age to come.
The first detail here would be one of great annoyance to most men in the early centuries of the church. Women at that time were not considered viable witnesses at all. This is yet another item that the early church would not have made up if this was an invented story. The only reason that Mark includes this detail is because it happened. He wants us to be clear that the women were there when Jesus died. They were watching, they knew he was dead, and they knew where he was buried. This will all come into play in an important way in the next chapter.
The next detail that we get concerns a man named Joseph of Arimathea, whom we are told was a prominent member of the Council. It is likely that Mark includes this detail because Joseph and his family were still well known in Jerusalem at the time he wrote his gospel. If someone wanted, they could seek out Joseph and verify Mark’s account. Being a part of the council means that Joseph would have been there during Jesus’ trial, listening all of the evidence against him. Luke tells us that Joseph did not approve of the decision, a detail that Mark leaves to our imagination.
To fully understand Joseph’s actions, we need to know a bit about first-century burial practices for the Jews. A body would be taken, cleaned, and wrapped with spices to help with the smell. It would then be placed inside a tomb on a shelf and left to decompose for a year or two. At that point the second stage would happen. People would go back into the tomb and take the bones and put them in a small ossuary box which would be placed on another shelf for permanent keeping.
The whole process of preparing the body, though had to be done by nightfall when the Sabbath would begin. This means Joseph had to move quickly between 3 PM and sundown. He has to go from Golgotha to Pilate to make his request, then he still needs to get the necessary shroud and spices for the burial preparation. Then he is slowed down as Pilate sends another centurion to ensure that Jesus has actually died so quickly. Again, this is not a wasted detail. Mark knows that some people will try to claim that Jesus never really died, so he heads that argument off before it can begin. As time continues to fly, Joseph prepares the body for burying. We are not told that the women mentioned earlier assist him in this, but it is a reasonable speculation.
What we shouldn’t miss is the great potential personal costs that Joseph’s actions would have had. For starters, he was handling a dead boy which would have made him unclean for the Passover, and unable to partake in many of the elements of it until later. Then there are the serious implications. Showing sympathy for someone that was just executed for sedition to the Roman Empire was a dangerous move, one that would raise suspicion about Joseph. Joseph had been waiting for the kingdom of God, and we can assume has been a quiet supporter of Jesus. Now, he is so moved that is he is willing to make a move that could cost him greatly in the eyes of the other members of the council Joseph was risking a great deal to care for a Messiah that was showing all the signs of a failed Messiah. Mark has given us yet another example of someone willing to give up everything he has to follow Jesus.
Devotional Thought
Joseph is another example of someone who was willing to give up everything dear to him in this life in response to Jesus. Have you done that completely yet? Mark has given us so many examples of this in hopes that we might really identify with one of the people were willing to give up everything or learn something from those who were unwilling and hung onto their life. Which story has most impacted you so far? Why?
The Burial of Jesus
42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
BACKGROUND READING:
Numbers 9:1-14
Luke 23:50-56
Dig Deeper
Professional baseball teams all have a group of pitchers that are called middle relievers. There job is to go in after the primary pitcher, called the ‘starter’, has done his work. What they really are, however, is set-up men. They are not the main story or the climax. They go in to set things for what is called the ‘closer’. This is the big power pitcher who comes in and brings the game home, hopefully preserving the win for his team.
Much like that, Mark uses these verses here as the set-up for what he will describe in the next chapter. As we read through these verses we can almst feel the impatient, trembling, anticipation that Mark had as he wrote down this section. He knows what is going to happen next and can’t wait to tell us. As we read this short passage, though, we will be well served to remember two details. The first is that Mark has not added any detail here needlessly. Every single item is necessary. The second thing is that although Mark knows what is about to happen and so do most of his readers, the real people described in this event have no clue of the miracle that is about to occur. Mark has already gone to great trouble to drive home the point that they had not grasped the idea of one man being resurrected before the full consummation of the age to come.
The first detail here would be one of great annoyance to most men in the early centuries of the church. Women at that time were not considered viable witnesses at all. This is yet another item that the early church would not have made up if this was an invented story. The only reason that Mark includes this detail is because it happened. He wants us to be clear that the women were there when Jesus died. They were watching, they knew he was dead, and they knew where he was buried. This will all come into play in an important way in the next chapter.
The next detail that we get concerns a man named Joseph of Arimathea, whom we are told was a prominent member of the Council. It is likely that Mark includes this detail because Joseph and his family were still well known in Jerusalem at the time he wrote his gospel. If someone wanted, they could seek out Joseph and verify Mark’s account. Being a part of the council means that Joseph would have been there during Jesus’ trial, listening all of the evidence against him. Luke tells us that Joseph did not approve of the decision, a detail that Mark leaves to our imagination.
To fully understand Joseph’s actions, we need to know a bit about first-century burial practices for the Jews. A body would be taken, cleaned, and wrapped with spices to help with the smell. It would then be placed inside a tomb on a shelf and left to decompose for a year or two. At that point the second stage would happen. People would go back into the tomb and take the bones and put them in a small ossuary box which would be placed on another shelf for permanent keeping.
The whole process of preparing the body, though had to be done by nightfall when the Sabbath would begin. This means Joseph had to move quickly between 3 PM and sundown. He has to go from Golgotha to Pilate to make his request, then he still needs to get the necessary shroud and spices for the burial preparation. Then he is slowed down as Pilate sends another centurion to ensure that Jesus has actually died so quickly. Again, this is not a wasted detail. Mark knows that some people will try to claim that Jesus never really died, so he heads that argument off before it can begin. As time continues to fly, Joseph prepares the body for burying. We are not told that the women mentioned earlier assist him in this, but it is a reasonable speculation.
What we shouldn’t miss is the great potential personal costs that Joseph’s actions would have had. For starters, he was handling a dead boy which would have made him unclean for the Passover, and unable to partake in many of the elements of it until later. Then there are the serious implications. Showing sympathy for someone that was just executed for sedition to the Roman Empire was a dangerous move, one that would raise suspicion about Joseph. Joseph had been waiting for the kingdom of God, and we can assume has been a quiet supporter of Jesus. Now, he is so moved that is he is willing to make a move that could cost him greatly in the eyes of the other members of the council Joseph was risking a great deal to care for a Messiah that was showing all the signs of a failed Messiah. Mark has given us yet another example of someone willing to give up everything he has to follow Jesus.
Devotional Thought
Joseph is another example of someone who was willing to give up everything dear to him in this life in response to Jesus. Have you done that completely yet? Mark has given us so many examples of this in hopes that we might really identify with one of the people were willing to give up everything or learn something from those who were unwilling and hung onto their life. Which story has most impacted you so far? Why?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Mark 15:33-39
The Death of Jesus
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 1
Psalm 22
Matthew 27:45-56
Hebrews 10:18-25
Dig Deeper
One of the great dangers for those of us who have been Christians for a long time or who have grown up reading the Bible, is for the account of Jesus’ death to become routine for us. We have read it so many times and seen it in so many movies, that it no longer affects us the way that Mark intended for it to affect his readers. No matter how many times we read it though, we must find ways to keep this story fresh, to read it anew each time, for it to strike us as a strange story every time we read it.
If we were reading this gospel for the first time, surely this passage would strike us as strange. I doubt that we would have expected anything that Mark describes. And Mark jumps from scene to scene here in his usual breathless but infinitely deep style. Each brief scene is strange and unexpected, only surpassed by the next scene which is even stranger.
The first little scene that Mark recounts for us is that of the strange darkness that fell over the land from noon to three in the afternoon. Because Passover is held during a full moon, we know that this could not have been any sort of timely eclipse. This is clearly a sign from God, that Mark felt was important enough to include. What was the sign, however? I believe that it has to do with the creation of the world, which saw God’s good and new creation brought to reality out of the darkness and void. In the same way, God’s new creation, his new kingdom is breaking forth from the darkness and chaos.
Right at the time that the darkness was receding, Jesus cries out Eloi Eloi lama Sabbachthani. Jesus has taken upon himself, the dark evil of Israel and the world, which has cut him off from the one he knows as ‘Abba’ in a way that he has never known. He has so perfected a life of union with the Father in prayer, that this separation causes him to cry out not in rebellion, but in anguish and despair at the loss of contact he is experiencing for the first time. This is the perhaps the most stunning torture of the whole ordeal of the Cross that Jesus faces throughout the long day. The son, who has been rejected and is about to be killed by the tenants, calls out to his Father in vain. From this scene we see the startling fact that out of the darkness comes new creation, but it is only made possible by the son of God taking on the sin of the world and suffering a cruel death. This is what was necessary for God’s kingdom to break into the present age.
Those standing and watching think that Jesus is calling for Elijah. They were wrong but it does remind us of the earlier theme involving Elijah. Jesus said "Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?" (Mark 9:12). They thought that perhaps Jesus was still waiting for Elijah, the same mistake the disciples had made earlier. But his Elijah, John the Baptist, had come and gone and done his work. Elijah had come and suffered in doing his part, now it was left to the son of man to go through the suffering, rejection, and shame that would bring the kingdom of God to the world.
Just as we begin to settle into the scene about Elijah, Mark shifts us to the vision of Jesus breathing his last breath. At that moment, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This is another sign of what Jesus has been saying since he arrived in Jerusalem. The Temple is finished. It is no longer needed. The curtain that symbolized the separation between God and man was unnecessary through the death of Jesus. In the Old Testament the priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, and only when he had sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal to cleanse the area. In Jesus’ death, his blood had cleansed the true Temple of God once-for-all. Man would now have unfettered access to God for sin has been defeated and the kingdom was now here in the present age.
Throughout Mark’s gospel he has stressed the theme of Jesus being the true son of God, and whether or not people were able to see that. At his baptism, the heavenly voice declared that Jesus was his beloved son. The voice at the transfiguration confirmed the same thing for Peter. The disciples had trouble seeing this truth that blind Bartimaeus had seen readily. The parable of the wicked tenants taught of the beloved son, who was sent by the father, only to be killed by the workers. Caiphas derisively asked if Jesus was God’s son, and the crowds mocked him with the same words. At last someone utters the words that for Mark signals that God’s kingdom has come, but it is not the high priest, a rabbi, or even one of Jesus’ loyal disciples. It is a Roman centurion. This gentle was the first human to say it and mean it, which begs the question for Mark. If the centurion had come to that conclusion, why not you?
Devotional Thought
Mark has constantly brought the theme of seeing Jesus as the son of God to the forefront. Each person had to learn in their own way that Jesus was the son of God and what all that meant. How can you make the message clear to those in your life who have not yet seen that Jesus is truly the son of God? How can you help them to understand all that this truth means?
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 1
Psalm 22
Matthew 27:45-56
Hebrews 10:18-25
Dig Deeper
One of the great dangers for those of us who have been Christians for a long time or who have grown up reading the Bible, is for the account of Jesus’ death to become routine for us. We have read it so many times and seen it in so many movies, that it no longer affects us the way that Mark intended for it to affect his readers. No matter how many times we read it though, we must find ways to keep this story fresh, to read it anew each time, for it to strike us as a strange story every time we read it.
If we were reading this gospel for the first time, surely this passage would strike us as strange. I doubt that we would have expected anything that Mark describes. And Mark jumps from scene to scene here in his usual breathless but infinitely deep style. Each brief scene is strange and unexpected, only surpassed by the next scene which is even stranger.
The first little scene that Mark recounts for us is that of the strange darkness that fell over the land from noon to three in the afternoon. Because Passover is held during a full moon, we know that this could not have been any sort of timely eclipse. This is clearly a sign from God, that Mark felt was important enough to include. What was the sign, however? I believe that it has to do with the creation of the world, which saw God’s good and new creation brought to reality out of the darkness and void. In the same way, God’s new creation, his new kingdom is breaking forth from the darkness and chaos.
Right at the time that the darkness was receding, Jesus cries out Eloi Eloi lama Sabbachthani. Jesus has taken upon himself, the dark evil of Israel and the world, which has cut him off from the one he knows as ‘Abba’ in a way that he has never known. He has so perfected a life of union with the Father in prayer, that this separation causes him to cry out not in rebellion, but in anguish and despair at the loss of contact he is experiencing for the first time. This is the perhaps the most stunning torture of the whole ordeal of the Cross that Jesus faces throughout the long day. The son, who has been rejected and is about to be killed by the tenants, calls out to his Father in vain. From this scene we see the startling fact that out of the darkness comes new creation, but it is only made possible by the son of God taking on the sin of the world and suffering a cruel death. This is what was necessary for God’s kingdom to break into the present age.
Those standing and watching think that Jesus is calling for Elijah. They were wrong but it does remind us of the earlier theme involving Elijah. Jesus said "Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?" (Mark 9:12). They thought that perhaps Jesus was still waiting for Elijah, the same mistake the disciples had made earlier. But his Elijah, John the Baptist, had come and gone and done his work. Elijah had come and suffered in doing his part, now it was left to the son of man to go through the suffering, rejection, and shame that would bring the kingdom of God to the world.
Just as we begin to settle into the scene about Elijah, Mark shifts us to the vision of Jesus breathing his last breath. At that moment, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This is another sign of what Jesus has been saying since he arrived in Jerusalem. The Temple is finished. It is no longer needed. The curtain that symbolized the separation between God and man was unnecessary through the death of Jesus. In the Old Testament the priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, and only when he had sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal to cleanse the area. In Jesus’ death, his blood had cleansed the true Temple of God once-for-all. Man would now have unfettered access to God for sin has been defeated and the kingdom was now here in the present age.
Throughout Mark’s gospel he has stressed the theme of Jesus being the true son of God, and whether or not people were able to see that. At his baptism, the heavenly voice declared that Jesus was his beloved son. The voice at the transfiguration confirmed the same thing for Peter. The disciples had trouble seeing this truth that blind Bartimaeus had seen readily. The parable of the wicked tenants taught of the beloved son, who was sent by the father, only to be killed by the workers. Caiphas derisively asked if Jesus was God’s son, and the crowds mocked him with the same words. At last someone utters the words that for Mark signals that God’s kingdom has come, but it is not the high priest, a rabbi, or even one of Jesus’ loyal disciples. It is a Roman centurion. This gentle was the first human to say it and mean it, which begs the question for Mark. If the centurion had come to that conclusion, why not you?
Devotional Thought
Mark has constantly brought the theme of seeing Jesus as the son of God to the forefront. Each person had to learn in their own way that Jesus was the son of God and what all that meant. How can you make the message clear to those in your life who have not yet seen that Jesus is truly the son of God? How can you help them to understand all that this truth means?
Monday, May 28, 2007
Mark 15:16-32
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" 19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!"
31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! 32Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 22
Luke 23:26-43
Dig Deeper
Even the best occupying armies in the world have their bad moments. One of the toughest things for an armed force to do is to go into a foreign land and occupy it for any length of time without violence breaking out, particularly when the natives are hostile towards them. The task is so difficult that even soldiers who are in a place to keep peace can build up a storehouse of anger and resentment. When they do take prisoners or finally have someone in a vulnerable position, a great of pent up hostility can explode on that one individual. Sadly, this has taken place on a few occasions in Iraq, as even a handful of soldiers inexcusably unleashed their frustration on a few Iraqi civilians.
This is something of the scene here, but with a few differences. There was no danger of cameras or news crews poking around, and their was little danger of public opinion back at home disapproving of any such actions in the land of the Jews. With a chance to take out their frustration on the always resistant and arrogant Jews, the Roman soldiers seized the opportunity. Even better was the fact that this man was claiming to be the king of the Jews. They would do to him what they would really like to do all the Jews, and especially the king of the Jews.
What the Romans do to Jesus is part mocking and part base cruelty. Mark will emphasize again and again, the stark horror and brutality of this scene. The purple robe, which was a symbol of royalty, was certainly an act of mockery. The rest of it, however, was just the Roman soldiers being deeply violent and offensive, two things that they did quite well. The crown of thorns and the extra beating are clearly signs of their rage and hatred for the Jews in general being unleashed in full force on one man.
Normally a prisoner would carry his own cross beam to his crucifixion. The vertical pole would already be in the ground as a semi-permanent structure, and a cruel reminder for anyone who passed by that they were only a whim away from being up on that pole themselves. Jesus, though, has been beaten so severely that he cannot carry his own cross. Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, is snatched from the crowd, as the Romans use their legal privilege to force him to carry the cross-beam. Simon was most likely a Jew on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, living in the Jewish settlement in Cyrene in Northern Africa. Unusual special attention is given to the names of his sons. Rufus was a rather uncommon name at the time, yet Paul sends his greetings to a Rufus in Romans 16:13. It is possible that this is the same person, thus the specific mentioning of his name. Simon was forced to take up Jesus’ cross, yet we can’t help but hear the echoes of Mark 8 and Jesus’ words that his followers must be prepared to take up their own cross. In some respects, as I believe Mark is stressing here, when we take up our cross, we are really taking up Jesus’ cross, just as Simon did.
Mark then draws our attention to the place where the crucifixion would take place. It may have been called The Place of the Skull, because of the look of the hill, but more likely it meant something like ‘the place of executions’. It is just another detail that heightens the sense of horror.
Jesus is determined to drink the full cup of God’s wrath, so he refuses the drink mixture that would dull his senses and his pain. He is brought full shame as his clothes are taken and gambled for. Despite what the movies of this scene show, the Romans stripped people fully naked for crucifixion. This scene is eerily similar to the words of Psalm 22, a point Jesus was well aware of (he will quote from this Psalm in verse 34). It was a Psalm that the early church also used heavily to help them define and fully understand the full meaning of the crucifixion.
It was common for a placard to be placed on the cross, informing people of the crime of the prisoner. Jesus is no different as the charge that mattered to Pilate and the Romans is placed on his cross. We now find out who had the two spots reserved at Jesus’ right and left as he took his crown and came into his glory: two revolutionaries (these were not just thieves as the word is often translated). Mark stresses for us that Jesus is put to death in the midst of the very kind of people that he came to denounce as destructive to Israel’s true calling.
The scene ends as it began, with Jesus being mocked. This time it is the Jews who are mocking, what we, as the readers know, is their true king. Their point is clear. He has been proven to not be any type of Messiah, because in their mind, the Messiah would be killing Romans, not the other way around. What they don’t realize is the same point that the disciples struggled so mightily to understand. This is precisely the way that Jesus was beginning his reign, taking his throne, and coming into glory. This unlikely scene is the way that God’s kingdom would enter the world.
Devotional Thought
Jesus came into his full glory only through pain, suffering, and trial. What does this mean for those of us who would seek to be like him? Do you shy away from pain and struggles or do you embrace it as a situation through which God can teach you and you can grow? What situations in your life have you been avoiding that you need to confront so that you can become the new creation that God wants you to become?
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" 19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!"
31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! 32Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 22
Luke 23:26-43
Dig Deeper
Even the best occupying armies in the world have their bad moments. One of the toughest things for an armed force to do is to go into a foreign land and occupy it for any length of time without violence breaking out, particularly when the natives are hostile towards them. The task is so difficult that even soldiers who are in a place to keep peace can build up a storehouse of anger and resentment. When they do take prisoners or finally have someone in a vulnerable position, a great of pent up hostility can explode on that one individual. Sadly, this has taken place on a few occasions in Iraq, as even a handful of soldiers inexcusably unleashed their frustration on a few Iraqi civilians.
This is something of the scene here, but with a few differences. There was no danger of cameras or news crews poking around, and their was little danger of public opinion back at home disapproving of any such actions in the land of the Jews. With a chance to take out their frustration on the always resistant and arrogant Jews, the Roman soldiers seized the opportunity. Even better was the fact that this man was claiming to be the king of the Jews. They would do to him what they would really like to do all the Jews, and especially the king of the Jews.
What the Romans do to Jesus is part mocking and part base cruelty. Mark will emphasize again and again, the stark horror and brutality of this scene. The purple robe, which was a symbol of royalty, was certainly an act of mockery. The rest of it, however, was just the Roman soldiers being deeply violent and offensive, two things that they did quite well. The crown of thorns and the extra beating are clearly signs of their rage and hatred for the Jews in general being unleashed in full force on one man.
Normally a prisoner would carry his own cross beam to his crucifixion. The vertical pole would already be in the ground as a semi-permanent structure, and a cruel reminder for anyone who passed by that they were only a whim away from being up on that pole themselves. Jesus, though, has been beaten so severely that he cannot carry his own cross. Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, is snatched from the crowd, as the Romans use their legal privilege to force him to carry the cross-beam. Simon was most likely a Jew on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, living in the Jewish settlement in Cyrene in Northern Africa. Unusual special attention is given to the names of his sons. Rufus was a rather uncommon name at the time, yet Paul sends his greetings to a Rufus in Romans 16:13. It is possible that this is the same person, thus the specific mentioning of his name. Simon was forced to take up Jesus’ cross, yet we can’t help but hear the echoes of Mark 8 and Jesus’ words that his followers must be prepared to take up their own cross. In some respects, as I believe Mark is stressing here, when we take up our cross, we are really taking up Jesus’ cross, just as Simon did.
Mark then draws our attention to the place where the crucifixion would take place. It may have been called The Place of the Skull, because of the look of the hill, but more likely it meant something like ‘the place of executions’. It is just another detail that heightens the sense of horror.
Jesus is determined to drink the full cup of God’s wrath, so he refuses the drink mixture that would dull his senses and his pain. He is brought full shame as his clothes are taken and gambled for. Despite what the movies of this scene show, the Romans stripped people fully naked for crucifixion. This scene is eerily similar to the words of Psalm 22, a point Jesus was well aware of (he will quote from this Psalm in verse 34). It was a Psalm that the early church also used heavily to help them define and fully understand the full meaning of the crucifixion.
It was common for a placard to be placed on the cross, informing people of the crime of the prisoner. Jesus is no different as the charge that mattered to Pilate and the Romans is placed on his cross. We now find out who had the two spots reserved at Jesus’ right and left as he took his crown and came into his glory: two revolutionaries (these were not just thieves as the word is often translated). Mark stresses for us that Jesus is put to death in the midst of the very kind of people that he came to denounce as destructive to Israel’s true calling.
The scene ends as it began, with Jesus being mocked. This time it is the Jews who are mocking, what we, as the readers know, is their true king. Their point is clear. He has been proven to not be any type of Messiah, because in their mind, the Messiah would be killing Romans, not the other way around. What they don’t realize is the same point that the disciples struggled so mightily to understand. This is precisely the way that Jesus was beginning his reign, taking his throne, and coming into glory. This unlikely scene is the way that God’s kingdom would enter the world.
Devotional Thought
Jesus came into his full glory only through pain, suffering, and trial. What does this mean for those of us who would seek to be like him? Do you shy away from pain and struggles or do you embrace it as a situation through which God can teach you and you can grow? What situations in your life have you been avoiding that you need to confront so that you can become the new creation that God wants you to become?
Friday, May 18, 2007
Short Hiatus
Due to our move to Appleton this weekend and a brief interruption in internet service, I will not be posting the remainder of the Mark series for a few days. I should resume posting early next week. We'll finish up Mark and then embark on a new book of the Bible.
Mark 15:1-15
Jesus Before Pilate
1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."
5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
6Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, 10knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13"Crucify him!" they shouted.
14"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
BACKGROUND READING:
Isaiah 53
Luke 23:1-24
Dig Deeper
Once again here, we see what Jesus had taught concerning the connection between the one who would try to preserve his life and would actually lose it, and the one who would be willing to lose it for God who would gain it. In the very act of Jesus’ death, Mark will show us one more time the difference between trying to save your life and willingly giving it up.
The sentence hanging over Jesus, as he is brought to trial before Pilate, is crucifixion. This was merely the Roman form of the death penalty, it was a powerful political statement. It was a brutal way of reminding the states and people under Roman control that the Romans were in charge and they were not. It was a stark sign erected that made it very clear what happened to people when they rebelled or got in the way of the Romans. Crucifixion was so brutal that a polite Roman would not even mention the topics of crucifixions or crosses.
Jesus is brought before Pilate who has little to no interest in any sort of a fair trial. Pilate is far more concerned with ensuring that there are no riots or rebellions that break out. In the first century world, the individual life of one person was of little consequence, so Pilate is not too worried with details of Jesus’ actual guilt or innocence. The real charge of interest, then, to Pilate is that of being a Messiah. If he was a false prophet, Pilate would have had him whipped for stirring up trouble. He would have cared little about a charge of blasphemy. Charges of beginning a messianic king movement, however, needed to be paid attention to. That was the sort of thing that could begin riots and cause a great deal of political trouble. Mark draws great attention to this concept by including the phrase ‘king of the Jews’ six times in thirty-two verses. If Pilate didn’t deal harshly with someone claiming to be a king, then word would get back to Caesar, and would make Pilate look highly suspicious. Pilate knows that Jesus is not that type of Messiah, he is not leading that sort of rebellion. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Pilate makes no attempt to round up Jesus’ followers. The issue for Pilate is not the threat that Jesus poses, but the threat that not killing him might pose. If he can get out of the situation without killing him, fine, but if he can’t, that is fine too.
As he stands before Pilate, Jesus refuses to answer the charges against him. The question is, why would he do that, did he seemingly want to die? The answer has to do with Isaiah 53. We already know that Isaiah 53 has served as a model for Jesus’ understanding of what type of Messiah he will be, as he has taken the idea from Isaiah 53 that the Messiah will be a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Isaiah explains that the Messiah will be silent like a lamb led to slaughter, so Jesus will live up to that passage. He will be the silent servant-King.
Jesus has been speaking of his work in announcing the kingdom, which would include his death, as turning the power structures of the world upside-down. He has also been announcing his authority over the Temple and the fact that the Temple had a judgment looming over it. He was now going ahead to meet the fate that had been pronounced on Jerusalem and the Temple.
This is where the concept of saving and losing one’s life comes in. A careful reading of the Old Testament makes it plain that God’s plan to save the world from sin would include the suffering and death of his servant. Israel had been called to be that servant but when faced with truly laying down their lives for God’s cause, Israel had chosen to save themselves. So, Jesus was here to do for them what they were unwilling and unable to do for themselves. Israel had attempted to save their life, but what they would find was that they had really lost it. The one who tries to save their life will find that they haven’t really accomplished anything more than coming under God’s ultimate judgment. For humans it will mean the second death, for Israel it would mean ultimate destruction in 70 AD.
Israel had attempted to save their life and avoid doing the painful work of God, and would be destroyed because of it. Jesus had willingly given up his life for the sake of God, and would be vindicated and glorified.
Mark emphasizes this point with the details of Barabbas. The name means ‘son of a man’, and he was a typical first-century rebel with whom Mark’s first readers would have easily identified. He had thought he could bring God’s kingdom through violence. He truly deserved his death. Yet, here we have Jesus, the innocent one, stepping in to die in place of this ‘son of a man’. Jesus has died for us as surely as he died in Barabbas’ place. The question is will we now be like Barabbas and Israel, seeking to save our lives, or like Jesus, realizing that to gain our life we must forfeit it?
Devotional Thought
Everywhere we look in the closing chapters of Mark we see people trying to save their lives in stark contrast to Jesus who is willingly giving his up: The chief priests, the Jewish authorities, Pilate, Barabbas, and even Israel as a whole. What is your response to Jesus and the kingdom of God? Do you willingly give up your life, hopes, and dreams, or do you try to hang onto them and grasp at the kingdom of God as well? The message that Mark gives us is clear. The only way to have a real life with God is to completely give up our own life in the present age.
1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."
5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
6Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, 10knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13"Crucify him!" they shouted.
14"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
BACKGROUND READING:
Isaiah 53
Luke 23:1-24
Dig Deeper
Once again here, we see what Jesus had taught concerning the connection between the one who would try to preserve his life and would actually lose it, and the one who would be willing to lose it for God who would gain it. In the very act of Jesus’ death, Mark will show us one more time the difference between trying to save your life and willingly giving it up.
The sentence hanging over Jesus, as he is brought to trial before Pilate, is crucifixion. This was merely the Roman form of the death penalty, it was a powerful political statement. It was a brutal way of reminding the states and people under Roman control that the Romans were in charge and they were not. It was a stark sign erected that made it very clear what happened to people when they rebelled or got in the way of the Romans. Crucifixion was so brutal that a polite Roman would not even mention the topics of crucifixions or crosses.
Jesus is brought before Pilate who has little to no interest in any sort of a fair trial. Pilate is far more concerned with ensuring that there are no riots or rebellions that break out. In the first century world, the individual life of one person was of little consequence, so Pilate is not too worried with details of Jesus’ actual guilt or innocence. The real charge of interest, then, to Pilate is that of being a Messiah. If he was a false prophet, Pilate would have had him whipped for stirring up trouble. He would have cared little about a charge of blasphemy. Charges of beginning a messianic king movement, however, needed to be paid attention to. That was the sort of thing that could begin riots and cause a great deal of political trouble. Mark draws great attention to this concept by including the phrase ‘king of the Jews’ six times in thirty-two verses. If Pilate didn’t deal harshly with someone claiming to be a king, then word would get back to Caesar, and would make Pilate look highly suspicious. Pilate knows that Jesus is not that type of Messiah, he is not leading that sort of rebellion. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Pilate makes no attempt to round up Jesus’ followers. The issue for Pilate is not the threat that Jesus poses, but the threat that not killing him might pose. If he can get out of the situation without killing him, fine, but if he can’t, that is fine too.
As he stands before Pilate, Jesus refuses to answer the charges against him. The question is, why would he do that, did he seemingly want to die? The answer has to do with Isaiah 53. We already know that Isaiah 53 has served as a model for Jesus’ understanding of what type of Messiah he will be, as he has taken the idea from Isaiah 53 that the Messiah will be a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Isaiah explains that the Messiah will be silent like a lamb led to slaughter, so Jesus will live up to that passage. He will be the silent servant-King.
Jesus has been speaking of his work in announcing the kingdom, which would include his death, as turning the power structures of the world upside-down. He has also been announcing his authority over the Temple and the fact that the Temple had a judgment looming over it. He was now going ahead to meet the fate that had been pronounced on Jerusalem and the Temple.
This is where the concept of saving and losing one’s life comes in. A careful reading of the Old Testament makes it plain that God’s plan to save the world from sin would include the suffering and death of his servant. Israel had been called to be that servant but when faced with truly laying down their lives for God’s cause, Israel had chosen to save themselves. So, Jesus was here to do for them what they were unwilling and unable to do for themselves. Israel had attempted to save their life, but what they would find was that they had really lost it. The one who tries to save their life will find that they haven’t really accomplished anything more than coming under God’s ultimate judgment. For humans it will mean the second death, for Israel it would mean ultimate destruction in 70 AD.
Israel had attempted to save their life and avoid doing the painful work of God, and would be destroyed because of it. Jesus had willingly given up his life for the sake of God, and would be vindicated and glorified.
Mark emphasizes this point with the details of Barabbas. The name means ‘son of a man’, and he was a typical first-century rebel with whom Mark’s first readers would have easily identified. He had thought he could bring God’s kingdom through violence. He truly deserved his death. Yet, here we have Jesus, the innocent one, stepping in to die in place of this ‘son of a man’. Jesus has died for us as surely as he died in Barabbas’ place. The question is will we now be like Barabbas and Israel, seeking to save our lives, or like Jesus, realizing that to gain our life we must forfeit it?
Devotional Thought
Everywhere we look in the closing chapters of Mark we see people trying to save their lives in stark contrast to Jesus who is willingly giving his up: The chief priests, the Jewish authorities, Pilate, Barabbas, and even Israel as a whole. What is your response to Jesus and the kingdom of God? Do you willingly give up your life, hopes, and dreams, or do you try to hang onto them and grasp at the kingdom of God as well? The message that Mark gives us is clear. The only way to have a real life with God is to completely give up our own life in the present age.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Mark 14:53-72
Before the Sanhedrin
53They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. 54Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.' " 59Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
60Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 61But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
63The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"
They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him.
Peter Disowns Jesus
66While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.
68But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.
69When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
71He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."
72Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 110
Matthew 26:57-68
Dig Deeper
Often times maintaining your dignity and righteousness comes with a price. This is the very concept that Mark will demonstrate in contrasting the actions of Jesus and Peter. Jesus maintains his integrity at the cost of his life, while Peter loses his integrity to save his life. Mark has already described Jesus’ words about the fate of those who would want to save their lives versus the fate of those who would be willing to lose them. Now we have another example of Mark demonstrating in the living color of life what Jesus has already taught.
Peter’s denial of Jesus only highlights the aloneness of Jesus in his final hours. He has come to do for Israel and the world what they could not do for themselves. While he is doing this, those closest to him fall by the wayside, unable to stand up to the task that he now faces. Of his twelve apostles, one has betrayed him, ten have scattered, and Peter, his closest friend will deny him not once, but three times. This is how it had to be, though; there are certain things that only the Messiah can do, and he must do them alone. There is a major bit of irony here: While Jesus is being beaten and mocked for claiming to be a prophet, Peter is outside denying him, proving his prophetic ability.
As Jesus is brought before the high priest alone, there are several things going on at once. The first is that the primary crime with which Jesus is charged is that of being a false prophet that would lead Israel into blasphemy. Jesus had surely done miraculous and amazing things but the authorities had never bought into the fact that he was a true prophet from God (see Mark 3:22 for example). The problem was that the Romans, who had ultimate authority, didn’t really care about a prophet, whether he was true or false.
The second thing going on here is the issue that really got the goat of the high priest and the other authorities, Jesus attitude and teachings about the Temple. Mark stresses in chapters 11 and 12 that Jesus had claimed some sort of authority over the Temple, and had clearly warned that he was using that authority to judge and would ultimately destroy the Temple. The witness that is brought up gives a distorted version of what Jesus actually said, but the point is clear. What Jesus had done in the Temple and said about was the primary cause for his arrest.
Neither of those charges would get them anywhere with Rome, however, so they latch onto the Messianic aspects of Jesus’ teachings. If Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, then there was a certain claim to ultimate authority and kingship wrapped up in that. Claiming to be the Messiah, though, might have been dangerous and even laughable, but it certainly wasn’t against any Jewish law. The chief priest knew full well, however, that the Romans would have no mercy for someone claiming to be king. Crucifixion was the only reward for someone claiming to be the king of the Jews.
In affirming that he is indeed the Messiah, Jesus does several things. First, he answers, I am, in a clear echo of the ancient name for God, YHWH. He then ties together two passages that he has already used to define the true meaning of his type of Messiah: Psalm 110 (Mark 12:36), and Daniel 7:13 (Mark 13:26). Once Jesus affirms that he is the Christ, the Messiah, his fate is sealed, for they now have a charge that they can bring before the Romans. It is ironic that the very thing Mark wanted us to see about Jesus, that finally culminated in 8:29, is now the very charge that will lead to his death.
In that one sentence Jesus is saying that he is the Messiah, he does have authority over the Temple, what he said about it will come true, he will be vindicated as the true Messiah by that act of judgment on the Temple, and he will share the throne of YHWH. The time has come when all of the parables and cryptic sayings are gone. The cards are on the table and things are moving quickly toward the climax.
Devotional Thought
When situations get uncomfortable are you more like Jesus, maintaining your loyalty to God and giving up the importance of your own life and reputation, or are you more like Peter here, selling out your integrity to save embarrassment or repercussions of being a Christian? Remember that Jesus said that one day he would be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him and his words.
53They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. 54Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.' " 59Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
60Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 61But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
63The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"
They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him.
Peter Disowns Jesus
66While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.
68But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.
69When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
71He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."
72Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 110
Matthew 26:57-68
Dig Deeper
Often times maintaining your dignity and righteousness comes with a price. This is the very concept that Mark will demonstrate in contrasting the actions of Jesus and Peter. Jesus maintains his integrity at the cost of his life, while Peter loses his integrity to save his life. Mark has already described Jesus’ words about the fate of those who would want to save their lives versus the fate of those who would be willing to lose them. Now we have another example of Mark demonstrating in the living color of life what Jesus has already taught.
Peter’s denial of Jesus only highlights the aloneness of Jesus in his final hours. He has come to do for Israel and the world what they could not do for themselves. While he is doing this, those closest to him fall by the wayside, unable to stand up to the task that he now faces. Of his twelve apostles, one has betrayed him, ten have scattered, and Peter, his closest friend will deny him not once, but three times. This is how it had to be, though; there are certain things that only the Messiah can do, and he must do them alone. There is a major bit of irony here: While Jesus is being beaten and mocked for claiming to be a prophet, Peter is outside denying him, proving his prophetic ability.
As Jesus is brought before the high priest alone, there are several things going on at once. The first is that the primary crime with which Jesus is charged is that of being a false prophet that would lead Israel into blasphemy. Jesus had surely done miraculous and amazing things but the authorities had never bought into the fact that he was a true prophet from God (see Mark 3:22 for example). The problem was that the Romans, who had ultimate authority, didn’t really care about a prophet, whether he was true or false.
The second thing going on here is the issue that really got the goat of the high priest and the other authorities, Jesus attitude and teachings about the Temple. Mark stresses in chapters 11 and 12 that Jesus had claimed some sort of authority over the Temple, and had clearly warned that he was using that authority to judge and would ultimately destroy the Temple. The witness that is brought up gives a distorted version of what Jesus actually said, but the point is clear. What Jesus had done in the Temple and said about was the primary cause for his arrest.
Neither of those charges would get them anywhere with Rome, however, so they latch onto the Messianic aspects of Jesus’ teachings. If Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, then there was a certain claim to ultimate authority and kingship wrapped up in that. Claiming to be the Messiah, though, might have been dangerous and even laughable, but it certainly wasn’t against any Jewish law. The chief priest knew full well, however, that the Romans would have no mercy for someone claiming to be king. Crucifixion was the only reward for someone claiming to be the king of the Jews.
In affirming that he is indeed the Messiah, Jesus does several things. First, he answers, I am, in a clear echo of the ancient name for God, YHWH. He then ties together two passages that he has already used to define the true meaning of his type of Messiah: Psalm 110 (Mark 12:36), and Daniel 7:13 (Mark 13:26). Once Jesus affirms that he is the Christ, the Messiah, his fate is sealed, for they now have a charge that they can bring before the Romans. It is ironic that the very thing Mark wanted us to see about Jesus, that finally culminated in 8:29, is now the very charge that will lead to his death.
In that one sentence Jesus is saying that he is the Messiah, he does have authority over the Temple, what he said about it will come true, he will be vindicated as the true Messiah by that act of judgment on the Temple, and he will share the throne of YHWH. The time has come when all of the parables and cryptic sayings are gone. The cards are on the table and things are moving quickly toward the climax.
Devotional Thought
When situations get uncomfortable are you more like Jesus, maintaining your loyalty to God and giving up the importance of your own life and reputation, or are you more like Peter here, selling out your integrity to save embarrassment or repercussions of being a Christian? Remember that Jesus said that one day he would be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him and his words.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Mark 14:27-52
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
27"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
30"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
31But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.
Gethsemane
32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Jesus Arrested
43Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." 45Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 46The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
48"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." 50Then everyone deserted him and fled.
51A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 3
John 18:1-11
Luke 22:47-53
Dig Deeper
One of the most frightening and disorienting things that can happen to anyone is when the strongest person in their life suddenly becomes weak. Whether it is a parent, a role model, or even a pastor who is suddenly weakened physically or spiritually it is always a challenging time. This is the backdrop for this scene that Mark paints for us here in in the garden of Gethsemane.
When reading a scene like this we must ask an important question. Why would the disciples include information that makes Jesus look so weak? Why would they include information that makes them look so bad? If, as many critics of the Bible claim, Jesus’ followers invented all of these stories after his death, why would they do this? This shows a clear distinction between Muhammad and the Koran, for instance, a book which claims that Muhammad never made mistakes or showed any weaknesses. This is demonstrated by the fact that none are ever described. In contrast, the biblical writers seem to be recording the detailed truth, painfully so at times.
Jesus tells his disciples that when the time comes, and it is screaming towards them even now, they will all abandon him. He knows that they will do this but doesn’t want them to be totally defeated. Thus, he gives them a bit of instruction of what to expect after everything has happened. Peter, as he does so often, blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind. He argues that he will never leave Jesus, and the others quickly agree. This is another demonstration that they still don’t understand his divinity. Who would, after all, argue with God himself?
As the scene switches to Gethsemane, Jesus asks his disciples to keep watch while he goes to pray. Jesus prays to God, addressing him as Abba. This is not a children’s word, but is an affectionate term for father. Jesus knows that he is about to drink from the cup of God’s wrath. If there is any other way for his work to be accomplished, he would gladly take it, but above all, emerges his devotion to the will of God. He prays three separate times, an event that will have a ghastly parody in the triple denial of Peter that is to come.
In the moment when Jesus was most intimate with the Father, and cried out to him in need, is the precise time that the answer to his prayer is ‘no’. This answer will set in place the course of events that will lead to Jesus being forsaken by the Father on the Cross. Perhaps we should not miss the point that when we want something the most and receive a ‘no’ answer from God, we can realize that it is not a sign of his rejection of us, but a signal that he is about to do something far greater than we imagined.
While the disciples are still groggy, Judas and the authorities are upon them. Judas betrays Jesus with what should be a greeting of brotherhood, a kiss between friends. The soldiers of the Temple come armed, acting as though Jesus is leading just the sort of kingdom that he has been speaking against all this time. This is true irony. They don’t need any weapons of any sort. Jesus has consistently spoken against the kind of movement that would lead to violence and yet, this is how they are treating him. Even so, Peter (as John tells us) does try to fight back, but Jesus quickly ends any thoughts of that sort of thing. With things swirling quickly now, Jesus followers abandon him. Mark tells us that everyone deserted him, rather than using the term disciples. They are not acting like disciples so, here, he will not give them the title.
Mark completes the imagery as he tells us that a young man, most likely Mark himself, has his outer garment ripped off and he is left to flee naked. Mark’s imagery here should not be missed. The disciple running in naked shame in the garden of course reminds us of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. Their disgrace and rejection of God is complete.
Devotional Thought
Are you like the disciples were here? They abandoned Jesus when things got really tough. They weren’t prepared for what was happening and they failed. How can you prepare yourself for the hard times? The key might be right there in the garden. While Jesus was praying and finding strength, the disciples were meeting their physical needs with sleep. Prayer is where we will find the strength to prepare ourselves for things that we cannot foresee.
27"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
30"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
31But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.
Gethsemane
32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Jesus Arrested
43Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." 45Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 46The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
48"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." 50Then everyone deserted him and fled.
51A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 3
John 18:1-11
Luke 22:47-53
Dig Deeper
One of the most frightening and disorienting things that can happen to anyone is when the strongest person in their life suddenly becomes weak. Whether it is a parent, a role model, or even a pastor who is suddenly weakened physically or spiritually it is always a challenging time. This is the backdrop for this scene that Mark paints for us here in in the garden of Gethsemane.
When reading a scene like this we must ask an important question. Why would the disciples include information that makes Jesus look so weak? Why would they include information that makes them look so bad? If, as many critics of the Bible claim, Jesus’ followers invented all of these stories after his death, why would they do this? This shows a clear distinction between Muhammad and the Koran, for instance, a book which claims that Muhammad never made mistakes or showed any weaknesses. This is demonstrated by the fact that none are ever described. In contrast, the biblical writers seem to be recording the detailed truth, painfully so at times.
Jesus tells his disciples that when the time comes, and it is screaming towards them even now, they will all abandon him. He knows that they will do this but doesn’t want them to be totally defeated. Thus, he gives them a bit of instruction of what to expect after everything has happened. Peter, as he does so often, blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind. He argues that he will never leave Jesus, and the others quickly agree. This is another demonstration that they still don’t understand his divinity. Who would, after all, argue with God himself?
As the scene switches to Gethsemane, Jesus asks his disciples to keep watch while he goes to pray. Jesus prays to God, addressing him as Abba. This is not a children’s word, but is an affectionate term for father. Jesus knows that he is about to drink from the cup of God’s wrath. If there is any other way for his work to be accomplished, he would gladly take it, but above all, emerges his devotion to the will of God. He prays three separate times, an event that will have a ghastly parody in the triple denial of Peter that is to come.
In the moment when Jesus was most intimate with the Father, and cried out to him in need, is the precise time that the answer to his prayer is ‘no’. This answer will set in place the course of events that will lead to Jesus being forsaken by the Father on the Cross. Perhaps we should not miss the point that when we want something the most and receive a ‘no’ answer from God, we can realize that it is not a sign of his rejection of us, but a signal that he is about to do something far greater than we imagined.
While the disciples are still groggy, Judas and the authorities are upon them. Judas betrays Jesus with what should be a greeting of brotherhood, a kiss between friends. The soldiers of the Temple come armed, acting as though Jesus is leading just the sort of kingdom that he has been speaking against all this time. This is true irony. They don’t need any weapons of any sort. Jesus has consistently spoken against the kind of movement that would lead to violence and yet, this is how they are treating him. Even so, Peter (as John tells us) does try to fight back, but Jesus quickly ends any thoughts of that sort of thing. With things swirling quickly now, Jesus followers abandon him. Mark tells us that everyone deserted him, rather than using the term disciples. They are not acting like disciples so, here, he will not give them the title.
Mark completes the imagery as he tells us that a young man, most likely Mark himself, has his outer garment ripped off and he is left to flee naked. Mark’s imagery here should not be missed. The disciple running in naked shame in the garden of course reminds us of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. Their disgrace and rejection of God is complete.
Devotional Thought
Are you like the disciples were here? They abandoned Jesus when things got really tough. They weren’t prepared for what was happening and they failed. How can you prepare yourself for the hard times? The key might be right there in the garden. While Jesus was praying and finding strength, the disciples were meeting their physical needs with sleep. Prayer is where we will find the strength to prepare ourselves for things that we cannot foresee.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mark 14:12-26
The Lord's Supper
12On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
13So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."
16The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
17When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me."
19They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"
20"It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."
23Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.
24"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25"I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
26When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 113-118
Dig Deeper
All cultures, especially ours, tend to celebrate and commemorate important events by sharing a meal together. Nearly all of us have been to a birthday meal, an anniversary meal, or a celebratory meal of some kind. There seems to be something ingrained in us that we mark special events with a meal together with our friends and family. It is a way that all those present in the meal can share in the food together as well as sharing in what the meal means.
This is much the same purpose of the Jewish festivals. Most of them were connected to some aspect of God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and shaping them to be his people. The Passover was the chief among these festival times. It was a meal that commemorated the night when God caused the firstborn of all Egyptian households to die, yet spared his people from the same fate. It pointed to the fact that they once were and still considered themselves to be God’s free people. That’s why this meal was not only a social statement, it was also a deeply political statement. It said that despite appearances, they were not going to be subject to Rome for long. They were intended to be God’s free people, and they would be soon once he acted on their behalf and ushered in the age to come.
As far as his disciples are concerned, they will be celebrating Passover. Jesus has something different in mind. He is someone greater than Moses that has been, for some time now, acting out a new exodus. Now the time has come. He is at the Red Sea, about to go face to face with one far more powerful and evil than Pharaoh. He will face an enemy far bigger than the Egyptians. And this meal will be far greater than any Passover meal that has preceded it.
It definitely seems that Jesus intended to institute this new meal as a replacement celebration for his followers. This meal was vitally important to Jesus; it would say to his followers what he most wanted to say to them, and it would be observed every week, not just once a year. It is the meal that signifies that only through his death can his followers experience life. It was a celebration of sorts, celebrating the fact that the kingdom of God had arrived. Believers could now enter into God’s kingdom and be joined with him in the present age and the age to come. This is why John, in the Revelation, refers to the weekly communion as the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Jesus has been trying to explain his death to his followers for some time now, and this is what this meal will do. During the meal it was the job of the father to retell the event of the Passover (They would also sing Psalms 113-118, the hallel, which is probably the hymn that is mentioned in verse 26). Jesus most likely fulfilled that role, except rather than tying the bread and wine back to the Exodus of Moses, he gave them new meaning. They would be his blood and his body. This was the new exodus and his coming actions would free the world from their sin.
Yes this would be a celebration, but a rather bitter-sweet one for his disciples. Throughout his kingdom-announcing ministry, Jesus had been to numerous meals, parties, and celebrations. This meal would bring all of those celebrations together in this one symbolic meal. This is how the kingdom would come. It was through this meal that he would not only explain the meaning of his death, but the meal would continue to bring its work of freedom again and again as it is celebrated each week.
The bread, symbolizing the body, would point back to animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant. It would, however, point back even farther, to the Garden of Eden. That was when Adam and Eve sinned and first felt the shame of sin. They tried to cover that shame with leaves but could not do it on their own. God took the body of an animal and covered their shame. This is what Jesus was doing once-and-for-all. The body would, of course, also point ahead to Christ’s new Temple, his new body, the New Covenant Church. The blood was also vitally important. The life of any creature is, after all, in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). Because sin caused death, it was only the spilling of blood that would pay the price for sins. Animal sacrifice was temporary, but this blood, the blood of Christ, would pay for all sin permanently. Just as the blood of animals was sprinkled in the Temple to cleanse it so that sinful people could enter, so would Jesus’ blood be sprinkled in the heavenly Temple so that humans could enter into God’s presence.
Although this meal was a celebration of sorts, it was also colored by sorrow. Not the least of things causing that was the fact that Jesus knew that one of his own would betray him. What is incredible is that it appears that Jesus knew for some time that Judas would betray him, yet his disciples never knew. That means that Jesus never treated Judas differently from the others, despite his knowledge of Judas’ betrayal.
Devotional Thought
Jesus knew that Judas would betray him and yet behaved in such a way that those around both of them never knew. Could this be said of the way you treat people who have wronged you? Jesus said that we should love our enemies. Do you really love your enemies? How you treat those who mistreat you is really a good indicator of how seriously you take Jesus’ words.
12On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
13So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."
16The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
17When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me."
19They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"
20"It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."
23Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.
24"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25"I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
26When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 113-118
Dig Deeper
All cultures, especially ours, tend to celebrate and commemorate important events by sharing a meal together. Nearly all of us have been to a birthday meal, an anniversary meal, or a celebratory meal of some kind. There seems to be something ingrained in us that we mark special events with a meal together with our friends and family. It is a way that all those present in the meal can share in the food together as well as sharing in what the meal means.
This is much the same purpose of the Jewish festivals. Most of them were connected to some aspect of God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and shaping them to be his people. The Passover was the chief among these festival times. It was a meal that commemorated the night when God caused the firstborn of all Egyptian households to die, yet spared his people from the same fate. It pointed to the fact that they once were and still considered themselves to be God’s free people. That’s why this meal was not only a social statement, it was also a deeply political statement. It said that despite appearances, they were not going to be subject to Rome for long. They were intended to be God’s free people, and they would be soon once he acted on their behalf and ushered in the age to come.
As far as his disciples are concerned, they will be celebrating Passover. Jesus has something different in mind. He is someone greater than Moses that has been, for some time now, acting out a new exodus. Now the time has come. He is at the Red Sea, about to go face to face with one far more powerful and evil than Pharaoh. He will face an enemy far bigger than the Egyptians. And this meal will be far greater than any Passover meal that has preceded it.
It definitely seems that Jesus intended to institute this new meal as a replacement celebration for his followers. This meal was vitally important to Jesus; it would say to his followers what he most wanted to say to them, and it would be observed every week, not just once a year. It is the meal that signifies that only through his death can his followers experience life. It was a celebration of sorts, celebrating the fact that the kingdom of God had arrived. Believers could now enter into God’s kingdom and be joined with him in the present age and the age to come. This is why John, in the Revelation, refers to the weekly communion as the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Jesus has been trying to explain his death to his followers for some time now, and this is what this meal will do. During the meal it was the job of the father to retell the event of the Passover (They would also sing Psalms 113-118, the hallel, which is probably the hymn that is mentioned in verse 26). Jesus most likely fulfilled that role, except rather than tying the bread and wine back to the Exodus of Moses, he gave them new meaning. They would be his blood and his body. This was the new exodus and his coming actions would free the world from their sin.
Yes this would be a celebration, but a rather bitter-sweet one for his disciples. Throughout his kingdom-announcing ministry, Jesus had been to numerous meals, parties, and celebrations. This meal would bring all of those celebrations together in this one symbolic meal. This is how the kingdom would come. It was through this meal that he would not only explain the meaning of his death, but the meal would continue to bring its work of freedom again and again as it is celebrated each week.
The bread, symbolizing the body, would point back to animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant. It would, however, point back even farther, to the Garden of Eden. That was when Adam and Eve sinned and first felt the shame of sin. They tried to cover that shame with leaves but could not do it on their own. God took the body of an animal and covered their shame. This is what Jesus was doing once-and-for-all. The body would, of course, also point ahead to Christ’s new Temple, his new body, the New Covenant Church. The blood was also vitally important. The life of any creature is, after all, in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). Because sin caused death, it was only the spilling of blood that would pay the price for sins. Animal sacrifice was temporary, but this blood, the blood of Christ, would pay for all sin permanently. Just as the blood of animals was sprinkled in the Temple to cleanse it so that sinful people could enter, so would Jesus’ blood be sprinkled in the heavenly Temple so that humans could enter into God’s presence.
Although this meal was a celebration of sorts, it was also colored by sorrow. Not the least of things causing that was the fact that Jesus knew that one of his own would betray him. What is incredible is that it appears that Jesus knew for some time that Judas would betray him, yet his disciples never knew. That means that Jesus never treated Judas differently from the others, despite his knowledge of Judas’ betrayal.
Devotional Thought
Jesus knew that Judas would betray him and yet behaved in such a way that those around both of them never knew. Could this be said of the way you treat people who have wronged you? Jesus said that we should love our enemies. Do you really love your enemies? How you treat those who mistreat you is really a good indicator of how seriously you take Jesus’ words.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
BACKGROUND READING:
Exodus 12:1-30
John 12:1-11
Dig Deeper
An interesting parallel that should not be missed is that the forces that Jesus described in chapter 13 that would be surrounding the Temple, are now swirling about Jesus himself in this chapter. Just as Jesus had become, in his vocation, the new Israel and the new Temple, he would now take on the same fate as Israel and the Temple. The forces of evil that would one day bring the Old Covenant to a close, were now closing in on Jesus.
From here on out, everything in the gospel of Mark is pointing to and leading up to the crucifixion. In this story we see several different events that are all speeding Jesus towards his ultimate end. The details of the chief priests plotting to kill and seize Jesus with the help of Judas, one of the Twelve, assisting them, are clearly pointing to the events leading to Jesus’ death. But what about the woman that anoints Jesus’ feet? This doesn’t, at first glance appear to be as dark and foreboding as the final verses in this passage. Yet, we will find after looking carefully, that they are all pointing towards the same thing.
This final week of Jesus’ life was, of course, Passover week. Passover time was when the Jews celebrated the culminating event of their time in Egypt, when the actions of the Lord led to their freedom and their march towards the final showdown at the Red Sea. Passover was to be the backdrop with which Jesus would have his final showdown. He had been acting somewhat like Moses up to this point by performing striking signs that God was about to work in a major way. Now it was time to face the Red Sea itself. This would be the week that his entire vocation as the Messiah would come to a rather unforeseen end.
The Jewish authorities who wanted Jesus arrested realized that Passover would not be the ideal time to be able to get Jesus. It would be rather difficult because they were afraid that if they attempted to arrest Jesus in front of the crowds it might cause a riot. They needed someone who knew the whereabouts of Jesus and could report his location when he was away from the crowds. That’s where Judas comes into play.
People have spent nearly 2,000 years speculating about Judas’ reasons for betraying Jesus, but we will never really know his real reasons. (Perhaps he was the only one that got the point that Jesus was determined to die a literal death, and figured he might as well make something off of it if it was going to happen anyway.) We do know that Judas was angry about this incident with the woman, but it seems unlikely that this was the sole cause of his betrayal. The gospel of John tells us that it was Judas who was the primary objector to what the woman does. It’s often that way when it comes to worshiping God. Those who are holding something back or hiding something tend to be the most critical about those who feel called to worship God unabashedly. They usually think that displays like this are shameful, embarrassing, and undignified. That’s exactly what Judas thinks about this display. Not everyone will be called to act in such a way, but if they are, the rest of us should respect and honor it.
Jesus’ response to them was probably a bit shocking considering the many other things he had said about the poor. This woman had, in their view, wasted nearly a year’s wages, yet Jesus seems unconcerned about that. Once again, he is trying to tell them something plainly that they just are not catching onto. She is preparing his body for burial, whether she realizes it or not. The whole problem for the disciples at this point is that they cannot fathom the vocation of Jesus in any way, shape, or form that would include a literal death. For Jesus, though, his vocation is meaningless and misguided if he doesn’t die in Jerusalem during this time of Passover. Jesus is not, by the way, implying that this woman somehow knows that Jesus is about to die. She is acting out of the overflow of her heart. She is allowing God to use her without really being aware of all that is going on. It is the men who are trying to think logically through the whole thing, and are really missing the boat entirely.
There are three responses to Jesus in this passage with which we can identify. It is worth considering these responses as we determine what our response to Jesus is. Are we like those who got upset because someone else is so exuberant and unencumbered in their devotion and worship of Jesus? Are we like Judas who perhaps see Jesus as an opportunity to better our own position? Or are we like this woman, ready to give up everything we have in a passionate display of emotion and reverence?
Devotional Thought
Which of the three responses to Jesus most closely resembles your response to him? If you are not like the woman in your worship of Jesus, why not? What can you do to have the kind of innocent and unabashed devotion to Christ that this woman had?
1Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
BACKGROUND READING:
Exodus 12:1-30
John 12:1-11
Dig Deeper
An interesting parallel that should not be missed is that the forces that Jesus described in chapter 13 that would be surrounding the Temple, are now swirling about Jesus himself in this chapter. Just as Jesus had become, in his vocation, the new Israel and the new Temple, he would now take on the same fate as Israel and the Temple. The forces of evil that would one day bring the Old Covenant to a close, were now closing in on Jesus.
From here on out, everything in the gospel of Mark is pointing to and leading up to the crucifixion. In this story we see several different events that are all speeding Jesus towards his ultimate end. The details of the chief priests plotting to kill and seize Jesus with the help of Judas, one of the Twelve, assisting them, are clearly pointing to the events leading to Jesus’ death. But what about the woman that anoints Jesus’ feet? This doesn’t, at first glance appear to be as dark and foreboding as the final verses in this passage. Yet, we will find after looking carefully, that they are all pointing towards the same thing.
This final week of Jesus’ life was, of course, Passover week. Passover time was when the Jews celebrated the culminating event of their time in Egypt, when the actions of the Lord led to their freedom and their march towards the final showdown at the Red Sea. Passover was to be the backdrop with which Jesus would have his final showdown. He had been acting somewhat like Moses up to this point by performing striking signs that God was about to work in a major way. Now it was time to face the Red Sea itself. This would be the week that his entire vocation as the Messiah would come to a rather unforeseen end.
The Jewish authorities who wanted Jesus arrested realized that Passover would not be the ideal time to be able to get Jesus. It would be rather difficult because they were afraid that if they attempted to arrest Jesus in front of the crowds it might cause a riot. They needed someone who knew the whereabouts of Jesus and could report his location when he was away from the crowds. That’s where Judas comes into play.
People have spent nearly 2,000 years speculating about Judas’ reasons for betraying Jesus, but we will never really know his real reasons. (Perhaps he was the only one that got the point that Jesus was determined to die a literal death, and figured he might as well make something off of it if it was going to happen anyway.) We do know that Judas was angry about this incident with the woman, but it seems unlikely that this was the sole cause of his betrayal. The gospel of John tells us that it was Judas who was the primary objector to what the woman does. It’s often that way when it comes to worshiping God. Those who are holding something back or hiding something tend to be the most critical about those who feel called to worship God unabashedly. They usually think that displays like this are shameful, embarrassing, and undignified. That’s exactly what Judas thinks about this display. Not everyone will be called to act in such a way, but if they are, the rest of us should respect and honor it.
Jesus’ response to them was probably a bit shocking considering the many other things he had said about the poor. This woman had, in their view, wasted nearly a year’s wages, yet Jesus seems unconcerned about that. Once again, he is trying to tell them something plainly that they just are not catching onto. She is preparing his body for burial, whether she realizes it or not. The whole problem for the disciples at this point is that they cannot fathom the vocation of Jesus in any way, shape, or form that would include a literal death. For Jesus, though, his vocation is meaningless and misguided if he doesn’t die in Jerusalem during this time of Passover. Jesus is not, by the way, implying that this woman somehow knows that Jesus is about to die. She is acting out of the overflow of her heart. She is allowing God to use her without really being aware of all that is going on. It is the men who are trying to think logically through the whole thing, and are really missing the boat entirely.
There are three responses to Jesus in this passage with which we can identify. It is worth considering these responses as we determine what our response to Jesus is. Are we like those who got upset because someone else is so exuberant and unencumbered in their devotion and worship of Jesus? Are we like Judas who perhaps see Jesus as an opportunity to better our own position? Or are we like this woman, ready to give up everything we have in a passionate display of emotion and reverence?
Devotional Thought
Which of the three responses to Jesus most closely resembles your response to him? If you are not like the woman in your worship of Jesus, why not? What can you do to have the kind of innocent and unabashed devotion to Christ that this woman had?
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Mark 13:28-37
28"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
32"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "
BACKGROUND READING:
Philippians 2:1-11
Matthew 24:36-44
Dig Deeper
Two chapters earlier, Jesus gave a living parable concerning a fig tree. In that passage the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, now Jesus uses the image of a fig tree with its leaves coming out. In this instance the metaphor is using the fig tree more as a time marker than a direct symbol for Jerusalem. The point of this story as well as the next is for his disciples to remain on guard.
Not too many houses in our day have guards or watchmen but this would have been a common occurrence in the first century in the great houses of the wealthy. These gatekeepers would have been responsible to stay awake and check everyone who comes into the house. The job itself was not so difficult, the key was to stay awake and alert. This is the warning that Jesus is giving in both of these passages.
The primary, meaning of course has to do with his fledgling church and their reaction to the destruction of the Temple. If one is alert and watches the fig tree, its budding leaves are a sure sign of summer. The leaves are a sign that point to the fact that summer is near. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples need to watch for the type of events that Jesus has described, especially pagans taking over Jerusalem and the holy Temple. That will be the end and they need to be ready for it.
Jesus is extremely clear that the generation that he is addressing will not pass away before these things come to pass. This is the same point made by the parable of the wicked tenants. Jesus is the last of the prophets, in fact he is the son of the land owner. He is the last possible messenger; there will be no more after him. The generation that rejected the message of the son would be the one on whom the end would fall. This is backed up by Jesus’ solemn promise that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away, which is a hyperbolic way of saying that his words will stand as true, no matter what.
Jesus follows that up with some of the more confusing words, for most people, of his entire life. He says that not even he knows about that day or hour when all of this would take place. This knowledge is strictly for the Father to know, which demonstrates that there is a distinction between the persons of the Father and the Son. In Philippians 2, we are told that Jesus made himself nothing or emptied himself at his incarnation. This is called kenosis, and means that Jesus gave up the independent use of his divine powers. They would only be accessed through the work of the Spirit, which is why Jesus apparently never performs any miracles or signs until after his baptism. This is an instance where the Spirit has not enabled Jesus to know this information. The issue is left up to the Father who, like everything else, has planned the exact timing for these events. This means that there would be no point in sitting down and trying to determine when these things would happen. They should, rather, do the much more difficult and painstaking work of remaining alert and on guard. Working out prophetic timetables is more exciting but that is not the point of Jesus giving signs. The signs are given as a means to be able to be alert and at the ready. The key word is for them to watch.
Passages like this teach us something about God. Jesus is not simply the 21st century version of love and tolerance. God very much engages in righteous judgment. He has and will come in judgment. Unless we can understand what he did in the first century, we will hardly be able to understand what he will do in the future. The judgment that befell the Temple and Jerusalem is but a taste and shadow of the judgment that will one day, according to the New Testament, befall the world. The difference is that the final return and judgment of Christ will come without signs and warnings, despite the best efforts of many to manufacture a timetable by taking passages out of context. The message for us, then, is that we must be at watch every bit as much as the first-century disciples needed to be at the ready.
Devotional Thought
Jesus warned his followers to be ready. The message is the same for us. Are you prepared if Jesus was to return today? Have you done your best to prepare those around you for his immanent return? What do you need to do yet to prepare yourself or others around you for Jesus’ Second Coming?
The Day and Hour Unknown
32"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "
BACKGROUND READING:
Philippians 2:1-11
Matthew 24:36-44
Dig Deeper
Two chapters earlier, Jesus gave a living parable concerning a fig tree. In that passage the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, now Jesus uses the image of a fig tree with its leaves coming out. In this instance the metaphor is using the fig tree more as a time marker than a direct symbol for Jerusalem. The point of this story as well as the next is for his disciples to remain on guard.
Not too many houses in our day have guards or watchmen but this would have been a common occurrence in the first century in the great houses of the wealthy. These gatekeepers would have been responsible to stay awake and check everyone who comes into the house. The job itself was not so difficult, the key was to stay awake and alert. This is the warning that Jesus is giving in both of these passages.
The primary, meaning of course has to do with his fledgling church and their reaction to the destruction of the Temple. If one is alert and watches the fig tree, its budding leaves are a sure sign of summer. The leaves are a sign that point to the fact that summer is near. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples need to watch for the type of events that Jesus has described, especially pagans taking over Jerusalem and the holy Temple. That will be the end and they need to be ready for it.
Jesus is extremely clear that the generation that he is addressing will not pass away before these things come to pass. This is the same point made by the parable of the wicked tenants. Jesus is the last of the prophets, in fact he is the son of the land owner. He is the last possible messenger; there will be no more after him. The generation that rejected the message of the son would be the one on whom the end would fall. This is backed up by Jesus’ solemn promise that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away, which is a hyperbolic way of saying that his words will stand as true, no matter what.
Jesus follows that up with some of the more confusing words, for most people, of his entire life. He says that not even he knows about that day or hour when all of this would take place. This knowledge is strictly for the Father to know, which demonstrates that there is a distinction between the persons of the Father and the Son. In Philippians 2, we are told that Jesus made himself nothing or emptied himself at his incarnation. This is called kenosis, and means that Jesus gave up the independent use of his divine powers. They would only be accessed through the work of the Spirit, which is why Jesus apparently never performs any miracles or signs until after his baptism. This is an instance where the Spirit has not enabled Jesus to know this information. The issue is left up to the Father who, like everything else, has planned the exact timing for these events. This means that there would be no point in sitting down and trying to determine when these things would happen. They should, rather, do the much more difficult and painstaking work of remaining alert and on guard. Working out prophetic timetables is more exciting but that is not the point of Jesus giving signs. The signs are given as a means to be able to be alert and at the ready. The key word is for them to watch.
Passages like this teach us something about God. Jesus is not simply the 21st century version of love and tolerance. God very much engages in righteous judgment. He has and will come in judgment. Unless we can understand what he did in the first century, we will hardly be able to understand what he will do in the future. The judgment that befell the Temple and Jerusalem is but a taste and shadow of the judgment that will one day, according to the New Testament, befall the world. The difference is that the final return and judgment of Christ will come without signs and warnings, despite the best efforts of many to manufacture a timetable by taking passages out of context. The message for us, then, is that we must be at watch every bit as much as the first-century disciples needed to be at the ready.
Devotional Thought
Jesus warned his followers to be ready. The message is the same for us. Are you prepared if Jesus was to return today? Have you done your best to prepare those around you for his immanent return? What do you need to do yet to prepare yourself or others around you for Jesus’ Second Coming?
Friday, May 11, 2007
Mark 13:14-27
14"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 20If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. 23So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
24"But in those days, following that distress,
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
BACKGROUND READING:
Daniel 11-12
Isaiah 13:9-22
Isaiah 34:1-5
Psalm 110
Dig Deeper
How many of us have walked in on the middle of a conversation, and not really been able to understand what was being talked about? Most of us have experienced that to one degree or another. To understand conversations like that, we need to have been in at the beginning of the conversation so that we have the code, so to speak, as to what is being talked about.
This is something of the case here. Mark knows that what he is writing is going to be a bit difficult to have a proper understanding. So much so, that in verse 14 he says, let the reader understand. This tells us that without the proper understanding it will be easy to mistake the message of this passage or to not understand it at all. In order to truly understand this passage, we have to be able to grasp the scriptural allusions and echoes throughout the passage.
It is important to remember that this passage is a continuation of a question about the continued existence of the Temple. In yesterday’s portion of the reading, Jesus was warning his followers to be patient. They would see many signs that would frighten them, but these signs by themselves would not mean that the end was at hand, they were merely the beginning of the birth pains.
The mood of the instructions changes in this passage, however. When they see the abomination that causes desolation, they will know that it is time to flee without delay. This is the sign that Jerusalem is on the eve of destruction, the event that all of the other signs have been pointing to.
We can look back now and realize that this all culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. One need only read the work of the Jewish first-century historian, Josephus, to realize the true horror of this event. The Roman army set up a siege of Jerusalem, yet the factional fighting and warring within the walls added up to more Jews being killed by fellow Jews than by Romans. Gangs of cross-dressing terrorists developed, roving through the besieged city, killing, looting, and raping. Things got even worse as many of the people turned to cannibalism to survive, including one account of a mother cooking and eating her own infant.
The wording of the abomination of desolation comes from Daniel, who wrote of a time when invading armies would overrun Jerusalem, stop the regular Temple sacrifices, and set up a desolating abomination. Jesus is not saying that this will be the same event that Daniel wrote about, which was no doubt a prophecy concerning the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC, he was saying that something of the sort, but even worse, would happen again. When this type of event happened, it would be the time to run, if they hadn’t already.
People in great distress are often easily fooled so Jesus warns them that during these horrible days they need to be on their guard about false Messiahs. In fact, Josephus wrote of many claiming to be the Jewish Messiahs during the war with Rome between 66-70 AD. They were trying to gather an army, claiming that they would be the one to bring rescue and victory to Israel, yet they all failed.
When reading passages like this, we must remember that in the Jewish mind set the only way to do justice to events like chaos, murder, civil war, four Roman emperors in one year (69 AD), and the Roman general Titus surrounding Jerusalem, its doom immanent, was to use the prophetic cosmic language of the type used originally in Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4 to describe the destruction of Babylon and Edom. This was not a prediction of the end of the physical universe and the end of time. If it was there would be no need for running. It was, rather, the end of the Old Covenant, the end of the Jewish way of life. They had failed to be the light of the world and would now be judged.
Jesus says that this will be the time of the Son of Man coming in clouds, language taken directly from Daniel 7. These passages are not about the return of Jesus, but about the vindication and triumph of the Messiah, and the simultaneous judgment that would befall those who had rejected him. This sums up Psalm 110 when the Messiah would make all enemies his footstool. Mark sees this event as the confirmation of all of Jesus’ work, his life, resurrection, and prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple.
There is another thing that would happen at this time. The full establishment of the mission to reach out to the Gentile world, something that Jesus did not do. It would be time for his followers to go out to ends of the earth where the elect (a common Jewish way describing those who would come to faith in the gospel) would be waiting for the good news.
Devotional Thought
Although this passage concerned events from nearly 2,000 years ago, there are still things we can learn from it today. Just as Jesus spoke out against and judged the institutions that had failed to do his work and became dehumanizing, so we should be ready to denounce and warn people and places that have become just like that.
24"But in those days, following that distress,
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
BACKGROUND READING:
Daniel 11-12
Isaiah 13:9-22
Isaiah 34:1-5
Psalm 110
Dig Deeper
How many of us have walked in on the middle of a conversation, and not really been able to understand what was being talked about? Most of us have experienced that to one degree or another. To understand conversations like that, we need to have been in at the beginning of the conversation so that we have the code, so to speak, as to what is being talked about.
This is something of the case here. Mark knows that what he is writing is going to be a bit difficult to have a proper understanding. So much so, that in verse 14 he says, let the reader understand. This tells us that without the proper understanding it will be easy to mistake the message of this passage or to not understand it at all. In order to truly understand this passage, we have to be able to grasp the scriptural allusions and echoes throughout the passage.
It is important to remember that this passage is a continuation of a question about the continued existence of the Temple. In yesterday’s portion of the reading, Jesus was warning his followers to be patient. They would see many signs that would frighten them, but these signs by themselves would not mean that the end was at hand, they were merely the beginning of the birth pains.
The mood of the instructions changes in this passage, however. When they see the abomination that causes desolation, they will know that it is time to flee without delay. This is the sign that Jerusalem is on the eve of destruction, the event that all of the other signs have been pointing to.
We can look back now and realize that this all culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. One need only read the work of the Jewish first-century historian, Josephus, to realize the true horror of this event. The Roman army set up a siege of Jerusalem, yet the factional fighting and warring within the walls added up to more Jews being killed by fellow Jews than by Romans. Gangs of cross-dressing terrorists developed, roving through the besieged city, killing, looting, and raping. Things got even worse as many of the people turned to cannibalism to survive, including one account of a mother cooking and eating her own infant.
The wording of the abomination of desolation comes from Daniel, who wrote of a time when invading armies would overrun Jerusalem, stop the regular Temple sacrifices, and set up a desolating abomination. Jesus is not saying that this will be the same event that Daniel wrote about, which was no doubt a prophecy concerning the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC, he was saying that something of the sort, but even worse, would happen again. When this type of event happened, it would be the time to run, if they hadn’t already.
People in great distress are often easily fooled so Jesus warns them that during these horrible days they need to be on their guard about false Messiahs. In fact, Josephus wrote of many claiming to be the Jewish Messiahs during the war with Rome between 66-70 AD. They were trying to gather an army, claiming that they would be the one to bring rescue and victory to Israel, yet they all failed.
When reading passages like this, we must remember that in the Jewish mind set the only way to do justice to events like chaos, murder, civil war, four Roman emperors in one year (69 AD), and the Roman general Titus surrounding Jerusalem, its doom immanent, was to use the prophetic cosmic language of the type used originally in Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4 to describe the destruction of Babylon and Edom. This was not a prediction of the end of the physical universe and the end of time. If it was there would be no need for running. It was, rather, the end of the Old Covenant, the end of the Jewish way of life. They had failed to be the light of the world and would now be judged.
Jesus says that this will be the time of the Son of Man coming in clouds, language taken directly from Daniel 7. These passages are not about the return of Jesus, but about the vindication and triumph of the Messiah, and the simultaneous judgment that would befall those who had rejected him. This sums up Psalm 110 when the Messiah would make all enemies his footstool. Mark sees this event as the confirmation of all of Jesus’ work, his life, resurrection, and prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple.
There is another thing that would happen at this time. The full establishment of the mission to reach out to the Gentile world, something that Jesus did not do. It would be time for his followers to go out to ends of the earth where the elect (a common Jewish way describing those who would come to faith in the gospel) would be waiting for the good news.
Devotional Thought
Although this passage concerned events from nearly 2,000 years ago, there are still things we can learn from it today. Just as Jesus spoke out against and judged the institutions that had failed to do his work and became dehumanizing, so we should be ready to denounce and warn people and places that have become just like that.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Mark 13:1-13
Signs of the End of the Age
1As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
2"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"
5Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
BACKGROUND READING:
Matthew 24:1-14
Luke 21:5-19
Dig Deeper
When I was a child, one of the most popular shows on TV was a show called Three’s Company. The entire premise of the show was pretty simple. Nearly every week there was a big misunderstanding between different characters in the show. One character would make a statement, and be totally misunderstood by another character who only heard or only paid attention to half of the conversation. Then a whole mess of zany fun and bizarre situations would follow from that misunderstanding.
In a similar way, many people in our time read this passage and the following two from Mark (and the parallel passages in the other gospels) and assume they know what it is talking about. Many others are quite invested in what they want this passage to be about and so do not bother to read it in the plain way that it was intended to be understood.
The key is to constantly remember the topic being discussed. The disciples are commenting on the magnificent building of the Temple. Herod the Great and Herod Antipas had been long at work trying to complete the Temple, and although it was still unfinished it was considered to be the most impressive building in the world. It was certainly the largest and most imposing structure for hundreds of miles either way. Rather than joining in with their admiration, Jesus says something that must have been incredibly shocking. Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down. In other words, Jesus was predicting that this massive, imposing, and impressive structure would be completely destroyed.
What Jesus is doing is saying in words what he had acted out earlier in the week when he brought the sacrificial system to a grinding halt. This Temple that was so vital to the Jewish understanding of being the people of God, was being judged by the one who was claiming to have authority over it.
As we have already seen, the great Jewish hope was for the age to come. They were eagerly anticipating the time when God would come and give birth to his new creation, the age that was full of mercy, love, justice, peace, and truth. They believed that the Temple would be rebuilt, the true priestly structure reconstituted, and most importantly, God’s presence would return to Israel, defeating his enemies and exalting his people once again.
Once again, Jesus is letting his hearers know that this will happen, but not through the means that they had anticipated. This would be the birth pains that he was talking about. What many have tried to make this passage about, but it most assuredly is not about, is the end of the world. Jesus was describing the birth pains that would signal the final end of the Old Covenant, an event that would culminate in the destruction of the Temple. It was a common Old Testament technique to describe events like the fall of a nation or the end of a covenant in massive and cosmic terms. This is precisely what Jesus was doing in talking about the end of the Old Covenant and the destruction of the Temple.
The point of verses 3-13 is to warn them of the time leading up to the destruction of the Temple. Jesus clearly understands that there will be a time when the going will get extremely tough and be rather frightening, and he won’t be there in person for the disciples to draw upon for comfort. They will face the kind of violence and mistreatment that he will face, precisely because they are his followers.
In the midst of all of these signs, they must continue to be patient and stay strong. Yet, they need not worry. Even when they are arrested, and his assumption is that this will be a common occurrence, they do not need to worry beforehand about what to say. This is not, as some have amusingly claimed, to be a message for preachers, it is for those who are arrested and taken to trial for following Jesus. Even in those types of circumstances, they need not worry, for special help will be given to them through the work of the Holy Spirit.
The great Dragon, Satan, will attempt to wipe out the people of God, both Old Covenant and New Covenant in one fell swoop, but he, and the Roman army, do not realize that they are merely instruments of God being used for his greater purposes. The old structure of the Covenant and Temple will be destroyed, but the Church will emerge as God’s people, the glorious beginning of the age to come.
Devotional Thought
Jesus told his disciples that they would need to be patient and see through the circumstances that were facing them. We shouldn’t be surprised that we are called to do the same thing. The circumstances may be different, but the call is the same. We must persevere and endure.
1As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
2"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"
5Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
BACKGROUND READING:
Matthew 24:1-14
Luke 21:5-19
Dig Deeper
When I was a child, one of the most popular shows on TV was a show called Three’s Company. The entire premise of the show was pretty simple. Nearly every week there was a big misunderstanding between different characters in the show. One character would make a statement, and be totally misunderstood by another character who only heard or only paid attention to half of the conversation. Then a whole mess of zany fun and bizarre situations would follow from that misunderstanding.
In a similar way, many people in our time read this passage and the following two from Mark (and the parallel passages in the other gospels) and assume they know what it is talking about. Many others are quite invested in what they want this passage to be about and so do not bother to read it in the plain way that it was intended to be understood.
The key is to constantly remember the topic being discussed. The disciples are commenting on the magnificent building of the Temple. Herod the Great and Herod Antipas had been long at work trying to complete the Temple, and although it was still unfinished it was considered to be the most impressive building in the world. It was certainly the largest and most imposing structure for hundreds of miles either way. Rather than joining in with their admiration, Jesus says something that must have been incredibly shocking. Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down. In other words, Jesus was predicting that this massive, imposing, and impressive structure would be completely destroyed.
What Jesus is doing is saying in words what he had acted out earlier in the week when he brought the sacrificial system to a grinding halt. This Temple that was so vital to the Jewish understanding of being the people of God, was being judged by the one who was claiming to have authority over it.
As we have already seen, the great Jewish hope was for the age to come. They were eagerly anticipating the time when God would come and give birth to his new creation, the age that was full of mercy, love, justice, peace, and truth. They believed that the Temple would be rebuilt, the true priestly structure reconstituted, and most importantly, God’s presence would return to Israel, defeating his enemies and exalting his people once again.
Once again, Jesus is letting his hearers know that this will happen, but not through the means that they had anticipated. This would be the birth pains that he was talking about. What many have tried to make this passage about, but it most assuredly is not about, is the end of the world. Jesus was describing the birth pains that would signal the final end of the Old Covenant, an event that would culminate in the destruction of the Temple. It was a common Old Testament technique to describe events like the fall of a nation or the end of a covenant in massive and cosmic terms. This is precisely what Jesus was doing in talking about the end of the Old Covenant and the destruction of the Temple.
The point of verses 3-13 is to warn them of the time leading up to the destruction of the Temple. Jesus clearly understands that there will be a time when the going will get extremely tough and be rather frightening, and he won’t be there in person for the disciples to draw upon for comfort. They will face the kind of violence and mistreatment that he will face, precisely because they are his followers.
In the midst of all of these signs, they must continue to be patient and stay strong. Yet, they need not worry. Even when they are arrested, and his assumption is that this will be a common occurrence, they do not need to worry beforehand about what to say. This is not, as some have amusingly claimed, to be a message for preachers, it is for those who are arrested and taken to trial for following Jesus. Even in those types of circumstances, they need not worry, for special help will be given to them through the work of the Holy Spirit.
The great Dragon, Satan, will attempt to wipe out the people of God, both Old Covenant and New Covenant in one fell swoop, but he, and the Roman army, do not realize that they are merely instruments of God being used for his greater purposes. The old structure of the Covenant and Temple will be destroyed, but the Church will emerge as God’s people, the glorious beginning of the age to come.
Devotional Thought
Jesus told his disciples that they would need to be patient and see through the circumstances that were facing them. We shouldn’t be surprised that we are called to do the same thing. The circumstances may be different, but the call is the same. We must persevere and endure.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Mark 12:35-44
Whose Son Is the Christ
35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? 36David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." ' 37David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.
38As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
The Widow's Offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 2
Psalm 89:1-37
2 Samuel 7
Psalm 110
Dig Deeper
At first glance, it appears that these two passages don’t really have much in common or belong together. As we look a little deeper, however, we will see the similarity in them and the reason that do they belong together.
In the first passage, Jesus asks a particularly difficult riddle. This is a bit of a twist as it is usually the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who try to trap Jesus with difficult questions. This time, however, Jesus is the one doing the asking.
Part of Jesus’ ministry was to challenge the Jews in their thinking on every level. So far, he has challenged their thinking on important Jewish institutions, what it meant to be God’s people, the place and future importance of the Temple, and now he is about to challenge the way they think about the Messiah.
With what he did at the Temple, Jesus had symbolically asked what will the Messiah be, and he answered that it would be the kind of Messiah that had authority over and would bring judgment on the Temple. He had continued to expand on that theme in various ways with his discussions of John the Baptist, the parable of the wicked tenant farmers, and paying taxes to Caesar.
Now he challenges the common Jewish belief that the Messiah would be a son of David, an assumption based on Scriptures like Psalm 2, Psalm 89, and 2 Samuel 7. How can it be said that the Messiah will be a son of David if David calls him Lord? The by-standers appear to be amused by both the depth of the riddle and perhaps the inability of the teachers of the law to answer it. They no doubt have long experienced the teachers of the law parading their knowledge around, and rather enjoy the spectacle of them being stumped. It’s not, we should be clear, that Jesus is implying that the Messiah is not going to be a descendant of David, it is that he will not just be a descendant, he will be more than that. The early church was very clear in stressing the importance that he was descended from the line of David (Matthew 1:17; Luke 2:27; 32; Romans 1:3). What Jesus wants them to understand is that the Messiah won’t be simply a king from the line of David. He will be David’s Lord in addition to being his son.
To make this point Jesus quotes from Psalm 110, an important Psalm in the early church, used to explain Jesus’ ascension and lordship over the earth. What Jesus is saying is that if they understood what it means to be Messiah in light of this Psalm, they would understand that the Messiah will be a descendant of David, but also rightly be called the Lord of David. In Revelation 22:16, the message from Jesus is that he is the: "the Root and the Offspring of David." How can both be true? Just as your knowledge of the book of Mark, which is in the future for me as I write this, is the cause of me writing (thus, the future causes the past), so it is true that God wished to reveal himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That means that everything that happened in the past was a result of the cause of wanting to send Jesus into the world. Jesus, then, can rightly be called both the root and the offspring of David.
Psalm 110 goes on to speak of the Messiah as a priest forever. In quoting this Psalm Jesus was alluding to an idea that Mark has been brewing ever since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, a point that will bubble over when Jesus confronts Caiphas, the high priest in chapter 14. Jesus is claiming authority over the Temple and the ability to pronounce God’s judgment on it. He is doing this not just as a prophet, not just as the King, not just as the priest; but he is doing this as the true Priest-King, the full embodiment of YHWH, the God of Israel.
Having silenced the teachers, Jesus takes the opportunity to warn people about their hypocrisy in using religion to puff themselves up. Mark then leads right into a story that Jesus tells about a woman who seemingly put in only two coins, but in reality Jesus tells us, put in everything she had.
Once again, Mark has done a masterful job of relating a real story that demonstrates in living color something that Jesus has just taught. You might have thought she was just putting in two coins, but in truth, she put in everything she had. You might have thought that the Messiah was nothing more than a human king, but in truth, in the Messiah, God had given all that he had. He had given nothing less than himself.
Devotional Thought
We know that God gave everything to us, but have you given everything to God? Have you truly made Jesus the Lord of your life? If you have, have you made it your mission in life to help other people learn how to make Jesus the Lord of their life?
35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? 36David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." ' 37David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.
38As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
The Widow's Offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
BACKGROUND READING:
Psalm 2
Psalm 89:1-37
2 Samuel 7
Psalm 110
Dig Deeper
At first glance, it appears that these two passages don’t really have much in common or belong together. As we look a little deeper, however, we will see the similarity in them and the reason that do they belong together.
In the first passage, Jesus asks a particularly difficult riddle. This is a bit of a twist as it is usually the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who try to trap Jesus with difficult questions. This time, however, Jesus is the one doing the asking.
Part of Jesus’ ministry was to challenge the Jews in their thinking on every level. So far, he has challenged their thinking on important Jewish institutions, what it meant to be God’s people, the place and future importance of the Temple, and now he is about to challenge the way they think about the Messiah.
With what he did at the Temple, Jesus had symbolically asked what will the Messiah be, and he answered that it would be the kind of Messiah that had authority over and would bring judgment on the Temple. He had continued to expand on that theme in various ways with his discussions of John the Baptist, the parable of the wicked tenant farmers, and paying taxes to Caesar.
Now he challenges the common Jewish belief that the Messiah would be a son of David, an assumption based on Scriptures like Psalm 2, Psalm 89, and 2 Samuel 7. How can it be said that the Messiah will be a son of David if David calls him Lord? The by-standers appear to be amused by both the depth of the riddle and perhaps the inability of the teachers of the law to answer it. They no doubt have long experienced the teachers of the law parading their knowledge around, and rather enjoy the spectacle of them being stumped. It’s not, we should be clear, that Jesus is implying that the Messiah is not going to be a descendant of David, it is that he will not just be a descendant, he will be more than that. The early church was very clear in stressing the importance that he was descended from the line of David (Matthew 1:17; Luke 2:27; 32; Romans 1:3). What Jesus wants them to understand is that the Messiah won’t be simply a king from the line of David. He will be David’s Lord in addition to being his son.
To make this point Jesus quotes from Psalm 110, an important Psalm in the early church, used to explain Jesus’ ascension and lordship over the earth. What Jesus is saying is that if they understood what it means to be Messiah in light of this Psalm, they would understand that the Messiah will be a descendant of David, but also rightly be called the Lord of David. In Revelation 22:16, the message from Jesus is that he is the: "the Root and the Offspring of David." How can both be true? Just as your knowledge of the book of Mark, which is in the future for me as I write this, is the cause of me writing (thus, the future causes the past), so it is true that God wished to reveal himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That means that everything that happened in the past was a result of the cause of wanting to send Jesus into the world. Jesus, then, can rightly be called both the root and the offspring of David.
Psalm 110 goes on to speak of the Messiah as a priest forever. In quoting this Psalm Jesus was alluding to an idea that Mark has been brewing ever since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, a point that will bubble over when Jesus confronts Caiphas, the high priest in chapter 14. Jesus is claiming authority over the Temple and the ability to pronounce God’s judgment on it. He is doing this not just as a prophet, not just as the King, not just as the priest; but he is doing this as the true Priest-King, the full embodiment of YHWH, the God of Israel.
Having silenced the teachers, Jesus takes the opportunity to warn people about their hypocrisy in using religion to puff themselves up. Mark then leads right into a story that Jesus tells about a woman who seemingly put in only two coins, but in reality Jesus tells us, put in everything she had.
Once again, Mark has done a masterful job of relating a real story that demonstrates in living color something that Jesus has just taught. You might have thought she was just putting in two coins, but in truth, she put in everything she had. You might have thought that the Messiah was nothing more than a human king, but in truth, in the Messiah, God had given all that he had. He had given nothing less than himself.
Devotional Thought
We know that God gave everything to us, but have you given everything to God? Have you truly made Jesus the Lord of your life? If you have, have you made it your mission in life to help other people learn how to make Jesus the Lord of their life?
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Mark 12:28-34
The Greatest Commandment
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
BACKGROUND READING:
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Ezekiel 11:16-25
Luke 10:25-37
Dig Deeper
One of the most nonsensical questions that someone can ever ask a parent is which one of their children they like the most. Any parent worth their salt will not be able to really answer that question beyond the classic, "I love all my children equally but in different ways." In the same way, our first thought might be that this is something of the position that this teacher of the law has put Jesus in with his question.
His question certainly seems sincere enough. It is, in fact, one of the few times that one of the teachers of the law ask Jesus a legitimate question without trying to trap him into some incriminating answer. Yet, Jesus doesn’t seem to have a problem in answering it, even though there are some 613 laws in the Old Testament. How could he pick just one out of all of those? What Jesus shows us, though, is that this isn’t quite like picking a favorite child, because children are all truly distinct and separate. The entire law, however, can be summed up in just one command: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This phrase actually comes from the Old Testament. It is a version of a Jewish prayer called the Shema, which means ‘listen’.
If one were to truly love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, the rest of the law would take care of itself. Creatures who were made in the image of God would be completely whole only when they are in perfect harmony with God. If people could truly live up to the commandment all of the time, then surely the age to come would already be here. That is, after all, what the age to come really is all about.
Even though the teacher only asked Jesus about the most important law, Jesus feels compelled to give his number two answer, which is in some respect tied into the first, but is still important enough to list separately. Again, the ability to truly love others as yourself, is the type of thing that can only fully happen in the age to come. It is one of those commandments that man can’t truly keep.
So why would God give commandments that man can’t keep? That’s the entire idea. God wanted man to see that we couldn’t live righteously without him. We needed something more than just ourselves, or even the law.
The teacher applauds Jesus’ answer and comes to a very important conclusion, something that Jesus hasn’t said directly yet, but has certainly implied. If loving God and loving others is the true fulfillment of the law (and certainly these two commandments sum up the whole of the law), then the whole system of burnt offerings and sacrifices and the Temple itself, are quite unnecessary. This is the same conclusion that the prophets like Hosea (6:6) began to understand. With enlightenment like that it is no wonder that Jesus tells him that he was not far from the kingdom of God.
The teacher seemed to grasp what most people could not. That what Jesus had done in the Temple, was a signal that it was unnecessary once one realized that the Temple simply pointed to something greater than itself. This was the whole point of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus seems to also want people to realize that through his kingdom, is coming the ability to actually fulfill these laws. What the law was completely and utterly unable to do, his kingdom would.
It was once sin entered into the world that people were separated from God and relationships between humans were completely corrupted. In fact, the book of Genesis makes it clear that man was immediately expelled from the Garden after their sin, and, in the very next chapter, we discover that murder and hatred quickly follow as a result. Through the work of his kingdom, Jesus believed that these things could be reconciled and put to rights. Through his kingdom, God would enable people to worship and love him and to love one another in a way that came from renewed hearts, minds, and lives.
Devotional Thought
When all else is boiled away, would these two commandments still stand as supreme in your life and in your church? Could it be said that you are a person who is wholly committed to loving God and loving others in the way that Jesus believed would be possible? Could it be said that your church is a group of people who truly feel that way?
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
BACKGROUND READING:
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Ezekiel 11:16-25
Luke 10:25-37
Dig Deeper
One of the most nonsensical questions that someone can ever ask a parent is which one of their children they like the most. Any parent worth their salt will not be able to really answer that question beyond the classic, "I love all my children equally but in different ways." In the same way, our first thought might be that this is something of the position that this teacher of the law has put Jesus in with his question.
His question certainly seems sincere enough. It is, in fact, one of the few times that one of the teachers of the law ask Jesus a legitimate question without trying to trap him into some incriminating answer. Yet, Jesus doesn’t seem to have a problem in answering it, even though there are some 613 laws in the Old Testament. How could he pick just one out of all of those? What Jesus shows us, though, is that this isn’t quite like picking a favorite child, because children are all truly distinct and separate. The entire law, however, can be summed up in just one command: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This phrase actually comes from the Old Testament. It is a version of a Jewish prayer called the Shema, which means ‘listen’.
If one were to truly love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, the rest of the law would take care of itself. Creatures who were made in the image of God would be completely whole only when they are in perfect harmony with God. If people could truly live up to the commandment all of the time, then surely the age to come would already be here. That is, after all, what the age to come really is all about.
Even though the teacher only asked Jesus about the most important law, Jesus feels compelled to give his number two answer, which is in some respect tied into the first, but is still important enough to list separately. Again, the ability to truly love others as yourself, is the type of thing that can only fully happen in the age to come. It is one of those commandments that man can’t truly keep.
So why would God give commandments that man can’t keep? That’s the entire idea. God wanted man to see that we couldn’t live righteously without him. We needed something more than just ourselves, or even the law.
The teacher applauds Jesus’ answer and comes to a very important conclusion, something that Jesus hasn’t said directly yet, but has certainly implied. If loving God and loving others is the true fulfillment of the law (and certainly these two commandments sum up the whole of the law), then the whole system of burnt offerings and sacrifices and the Temple itself, are quite unnecessary. This is the same conclusion that the prophets like Hosea (6:6) began to understand. With enlightenment like that it is no wonder that Jesus tells him that he was not far from the kingdom of God.
The teacher seemed to grasp what most people could not. That what Jesus had done in the Temple, was a signal that it was unnecessary once one realized that the Temple simply pointed to something greater than itself. This was the whole point of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus seems to also want people to realize that through his kingdom, is coming the ability to actually fulfill these laws. What the law was completely and utterly unable to do, his kingdom would.
It was once sin entered into the world that people were separated from God and relationships between humans were completely corrupted. In fact, the book of Genesis makes it clear that man was immediately expelled from the Garden after their sin, and, in the very next chapter, we discover that murder and hatred quickly follow as a result. Through the work of his kingdom, Jesus believed that these things could be reconciled and put to rights. Through his kingdom, God would enable people to worship and love him and to love one another in a way that came from renewed hearts, minds, and lives.
Devotional Thought
When all else is boiled away, would these two commandments still stand as supreme in your life and in your church? Could it be said that you are a person who is wholly committed to loving God and loving others in the way that Jesus believed would be possible? Could it be said that your church is a group of people who truly feel that way?
Monday, May 07, 2007
Mark 12:18-27
Marriage at the Resurrection
18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
24Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 38:1-10
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
Exodus 3
Dig Deeper
I recently spent almost a year studying the biblical teaching of spiritual beings, including angels and demons, as well as what happens to people when they die. One of the big misconceptions about all of that among modern Americans seems to be the belief that good people become angels when they die. Some have used this passage to bolster that belief. Jesus, of course, is saying nothing of the sort, but what he is saying s a bit complicated and worth taking a deeper look.
Regardless of the society and the social and political situations in that society, it seems that you will always find a group of conservatives and a group of liberals. Many have supposed that because the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection that they were religious liberals. That is not at all the case. They were ultra-conservative politically and religiously, and rejected anything that they thought were new ideas. This included anything that was accepted as Scripture by other groups, other than the first five books of the Old Testament. They regarded the Pentateuch as the only authoritative Scripture and didn’t believe that it taught any sort of resurrection. They believed that dangerous new ideas like that came from much later books like Daniel.
In their estimation, belief in new ideas like a general resurrection of the righteous was dangerous because people who believed in things like that became politically risky. They believed that to die as a martyr for the cause was glorious, because the righteous would be raised to life in the age to come. People who think that God is coming one day to re-create the world and everything in it, including the righteous, will tend to act in risky ways and rebel more often against oppression. The Sadducees tended to be rich and have positions of power, and people like that don’t want a bunch of resurrection-believing revolutionaries going around messing up the status quo.
Now along comes Jesus sounding a lot like just another revolutionary. So the Sadducees want to check him out and see if he is indeed another dangerous revolutionary like the Pharisees. He has had a lot of run-ins with them, however, so he was, no doubt, worth checking out.
They challenge Jesus with a hypothetical situation which depends on the Jewish law of the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Genesis 38:8). The Sadducees, undoubtedly, had used this argument before and felt that it made the idea of a resurrection look silly. If a man had more than one wife, what would he do in the so-called age-to-come?
Jesus doesn’t mince any words as he chides them for not knowing their Bibles very well and for not believing in the power of God. They have made the classic mistake of placing their own logic above the power of God. He then uses a two-fold argument to completely refute their assertion.
The first part of his argument is that although the resurrection body will correspond to the old body, it will be different in some ways, it will be transformed. We must remember that when they are talking about resurrection, they are not talking about the erroneous belief of a disembodied existence after life. They are talking about the age to come when God makes all things new. Also, Jesus does not say that humans will be like angels in any way, except in one respect: we will not be married in the age to come. There will be no need for procreation in the age to come. Marriage, then, is one of those things meant to point ahead to the time when the righteous will be the bride of Christ. When we have the reality, the shadow of marriage will no longer be necessary. This is where they have missed the power of God’s plan.
The second part of his argument backs up his assertion that they didn’t know their Scriptures very well. When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, God told him that he was the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He would not have said that, argues Jesus, in the present tense if they were dead and gone from existence forever. This is not to imply that Jesus was saying that they were ‘alive’ in the afterlife and that was the resurrection. Quite the opposite. He is saying that they are, of course, dead, but since he introduced himself in such a way, God wanted to be known as their God, and so God points to the fact that he intends to raise them from the dead in the future. Resurrection is not another way of saying that they are dead, but in the afterlife somehow, it is saying that God will one day reverse death.
Devotional Thought
Why does a belief in a future resurrection and the age to come, give full meaning to our present life? How does a proper understanding of the resurrection change the way we think about the present life and the present age?
18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
24Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
BACKGROUND READING:
Genesis 38:1-10
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
Exodus 3
Dig Deeper
I recently spent almost a year studying the biblical teaching of spiritual beings, including angels and demons, as well as what happens to people when they die. One of the big misconceptions about all of that among modern Americans seems to be the belief that good people become angels when they die. Some have used this passage to bolster that belief. Jesus, of course, is saying nothing of the sort, but what he is saying s a bit complicated and worth taking a deeper look.
Regardless of the society and the social and political situations in that society, it seems that you will always find a group of conservatives and a group of liberals. Many have supposed that because the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection that they were religious liberals. That is not at all the case. They were ultra-conservative politically and religiously, and rejected anything that they thought were new ideas. This included anything that was accepted as Scripture by other groups, other than the first five books of the Old Testament. They regarded the Pentateuch as the only authoritative Scripture and didn’t believe that it taught any sort of resurrection. They believed that dangerous new ideas like that came from much later books like Daniel.
In their estimation, belief in new ideas like a general resurrection of the righteous was dangerous because people who believed in things like that became politically risky. They believed that to die as a martyr for the cause was glorious, because the righteous would be raised to life in the age to come. People who think that God is coming one day to re-create the world and everything in it, including the righteous, will tend to act in risky ways and rebel more often against oppression. The Sadducees tended to be rich and have positions of power, and people like that don’t want a bunch of resurrection-believing revolutionaries going around messing up the status quo.
Now along comes Jesus sounding a lot like just another revolutionary. So the Sadducees want to check him out and see if he is indeed another dangerous revolutionary like the Pharisees. He has had a lot of run-ins with them, however, so he was, no doubt, worth checking out.
They challenge Jesus with a hypothetical situation which depends on the Jewish law of the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Genesis 38:8). The Sadducees, undoubtedly, had used this argument before and felt that it made the idea of a resurrection look silly. If a man had more than one wife, what would he do in the so-called age-to-come?
Jesus doesn’t mince any words as he chides them for not knowing their Bibles very well and for not believing in the power of God. They have made the classic mistake of placing their own logic above the power of God. He then uses a two-fold argument to completely refute their assertion.
The first part of his argument is that although the resurrection body will correspond to the old body, it will be different in some ways, it will be transformed. We must remember that when they are talking about resurrection, they are not talking about the erroneous belief of a disembodied existence after life. They are talking about the age to come when God makes all things new. Also, Jesus does not say that humans will be like angels in any way, except in one respect: we will not be married in the age to come. There will be no need for procreation in the age to come. Marriage, then, is one of those things meant to point ahead to the time when the righteous will be the bride of Christ. When we have the reality, the shadow of marriage will no longer be necessary. This is where they have missed the power of God’s plan.
The second part of his argument backs up his assertion that they didn’t know their Scriptures very well. When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, God told him that he was the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He would not have said that, argues Jesus, in the present tense if they were dead and gone from existence forever. This is not to imply that Jesus was saying that they were ‘alive’ in the afterlife and that was the resurrection. Quite the opposite. He is saying that they are, of course, dead, but since he introduced himself in such a way, God wanted to be known as their God, and so God points to the fact that he intends to raise them from the dead in the future. Resurrection is not another way of saying that they are dead, but in the afterlife somehow, it is saying that God will one day reverse death.
Devotional Thought
Why does a belief in a future resurrection and the age to come, give full meaning to our present life? How does a proper understanding of the resurrection change the way we think about the present life and the present age?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)