Mark 2 - Healing and Hassling

LINK: Mark 2

BACKGROUND

39. Jesus heals a paralyzed man: Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

Storytelling: Jesus Heals and Forgives Sins: audio and script

Jesus continues to demonstrate His authority. Apparently, the illness of the paralytic was a result of his sin. Only God could forgive sins (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21). So, He was making a very bold statement about His divinity in this passage by forgiving the man's sin. I had always been confused about saying He has the power to forgive sins but then saying "Rise, take up your pallet and walk" instead until I read Luke 5:24 in the Message version:

Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both.…” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home. (Luke 5:24)  

Of course, this enraged the religious leaders and caused them to begin to oppose Jesus. Jesus knew their thoughts (another example of His divinity) and questioned them. The religious leaders may not have been impressed, but the crowd was filled with awe! 

40. Jesus eats with sinners at Matthew's house: Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32

This is the story of the calling of the author of the gospel of Matthew (also called Levi). He was a tax collector but left this occupation to follow Him. Jesus accepted people from every level of society, even tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus was not going to follow the tradition of the Pharisees, but He was going to go to those who KNEW they had need because they were sinners. The Pharisees followed tradition without any sort of compassion for those who were spiritually sick.

41. Religious leaders ask Jesus about fasting: Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22, Luke 5:33-39

John's disciples wanted to know why Jesus' disciples did not observe the tradition of the fast.  Pious Jews fasted regularly as a sign of repentance and in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus was saying there was no need to fast because the Messiah had already come! It was a time for feasting and celebration rather than fasting. Jesus was inaugurating something new by leading them out of Judaism and into the kingdom based on a relationship with the King (Him) and pursuing His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). 

By the way, there was really only one prescribed fast in the Old Testament, and that was during the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23), but it was often practiced by the people. (Remember Anna who served God by fasting and prayer in the temple from Luke 2?)

45. The disciples pick wheat on the Sabbath: Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-38, Luke 6:1-5

According to Deuteronomy 23:25, people were allowed to pick grain from a neighbor's field, orchard, or vineyard as they passed by, but the Pharisees, with their legalistic rabbinic tradition, said that this was the same as reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food which was all forbidden on the Sabbath.  When Jesus' disciples picked grain, this led to their questioning, and Jesus took the Pharisees to the Word of God when "God's anointed" (David) and his men had eaten the loaves of bread in the Tabernacle. Jesus was saying He was God's new Anointed One and Lord of the Sabbath with authority over all matters related to the Law. 

For his Jewish audience, Matthew quotes Hosea 6:6 again (Matthew 9:13). According to Warren Wiersbe:

The Sabbath law was given to Israel as a mark of her relationship to God (Exodus 20:9-11; 31:13-17; Nehemiah 9:12-15). But it was also an act of mercy for both man and beast, to give them needed rest each week. Any religious law that is contrary to mercy and the care of nature should be looked on with suspicion. (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Matthew 12:1)

Jesus was getting to the heart of the matter. It is not what we do on the outside that matters but on the inside. 

REFLECTION

It is funny that I am writing this today since January is the month of fasting and prayer for the churches in our valley! So, I did a week-long fast the first week of January and am skipping lunch and snacks between breakfast and dinner during weeks two and three and doing a total fast with my Kingdom Community the last week. 

Jesus is not saying that fasting is wrong here. In fact, in Matthew 6 he assumes people will be fasting by saying, "Whenever you fast . . . " It is not a commandment because Jesus was more about getting to the heart of the matter rather than doing the outward "pious act."

I love to fast. It helps me focus on the Lord and not be distracted by meal preparation, planning, and eating. I also know that when it is not of the Lord, it is a PAIN.  Doing anything in the flesh is not a good idea.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that I really value in my life. 

APPLICATION

Read a summary about fasting from the book, Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster:

"Fasting" (p. 42-50)

I heartily recommend the entire book. My husband and I spent a delightful weekend in 2015 with Richard and his son. They discussed the application of all the disciplines. As a result of editing this post in 2016, I started a Celebration of Discipline group using the DVD series, and we practiced the disciplines of each chapter. It has been really fun!

2023 Update: 

The entire video series is online for free now (the DVDs were spendy): 

Celebration of Discipline Series (It is also on YouTube.)

Here is the discussion on Fasting:

PRAYER

Lord, help us to do all things to deepen our relationship with and glorify YOU! Amen. 

Mark 1 - The Preparation of Jesus Christ

LINK: Mark 1

BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF MARK

As a reminder, all of the gospels are the story of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, but they each emphasize different things. Here is an overview adapted from The Life Application Bible, p. 1937:

	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
Jesus is . . .	Promised King	Servant of God	Son of Man	Son of God
Targeted readers were . . .	Jews	Gentiles, Romans	Greeks	The World
Themes	Jesus is the Messiah because He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy	Jesus backed up His words with action	Jesus was God but also fully human	Belief in Jesus is required for salvation “I AM”
The writer was a . . .	Teacher	Storyteller	Historian	Close disciple of Jesus and theologian
Greatest emphasis is on . . .	Jesus’ sermons and words	Jesus’ miracles and actions	Jesus’ humanity	The principles behind Jesus’ teaching and relationship

The gospel "according to Mark" was added later by a scribe around A.D. 125. So, it is technically written by an anonymous person, but there is much evidence that points to Mark as the author. He was not an eyewitness, but he was a close associate of an eyewitness, Peter. He wrote down what Peter said but not always in chronological order (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 3. 39. 15). It is almost certain he is the John Mark mentioned in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37, 39; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24; and 1 Peter 5:13. He was a Jewish believer who lived in Jerusalem with his mother, Mary, in the early days of the church where their home was a meeting place (Acts 12:12).

This gospel was written in Rome primarily for Roman Gentile believers. That is why there is no genealogy and only a few Old Testament references.  He includes no genealogy. It is quick and fast-paced, highlighting Jesus' power and authority through works rather than his words. He is seen as the servant who came to seek and save those who were lost (Mark 10:45). You will notice the keyword "immediately" repeated 39 times in the New American Standard translation. Thus illustrating the action of the gospel.  Mark is the shortest of the four gospels with only 678 verses and is the most chronological of the four accounts. I love to study Mark with non-believers!

"Kingdom/Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven” is a keyword/phrase in the Matthew, Mark, and Luke accounts of the Gospel. By the way, "Kingdom of Heaven” is used exclusively in Matthew, but means the same thing as "Kingdom of God."

Ask yourself these questions as you encounter this in your reading. 

• What is the Kingdom of God? 
• Who is in the Kingdom of God?
• When did/will the Kingdom of God come? Is it now, in the future, or both? 
• Where is the Kingdom of God?
• How does one enter the Kingdom of God?
• What does the Kingdom of God mean to us personally? 

 Here is my husband's definition:

"The Kingdom of God is the sphere or realm of God's influence.

Theoretically, it is everywhere, but God chooses to limit Himself because He wants us to choose to be 'in' it."

Let's really concentrate on what life in the Kingdom really means in our everyday life! Let's allow Him to bear fruit through us!

BACKGROUND 

The number at the beginning of this section is the number for a chronological order of events in the life of Jesus. Here is a list of all the events:

250 Events in the Life of Christ 

Each event has a background that gathers information from the other gospel accounts where they are mentioned with hyperlinks to the references.

16. John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus: Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-18 

Mark skips everything about the background, birth, and childhood of both Jesus and John and goes "immediately" (remember it is a key word in this book) to the beginning of Jesus' ministry that was ushered in by John! 

It is the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, AD 29. Tiberius ruled over the Roman Empire from AD 14 to AD 37 and Pilate was the governor of Judea from AD 26 to AD 36. The reigning Jew over Galilee and Tiberius is Herod Antipas whom we introduced in Matthew 2. His brother, Philip, ruled east of the Jordan from 4 BC to AD 34. Annas was the high priest from AD 6 to AD 15. Caiaphas was his son-in-law and the Romans would install him as high priest from AD 18 to AD 36 even though the Jews continued to recognize Annas.

John has been growing, becoming strong in spirit, and living in the desert until his public appearance in Israel (Luke 1:80). This is that public appearance. As a descendant from the priestly line of Aaron, John could have been a priest, but God wanted him to be His messenger (Malachi 3:1) preaching a very special message in the Judean desert and the country around the Jordan River. His message was direct and to the point:

"Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 3:2

We know from our reading of the Old Testament that the concept of a coming kingdom with a reigning king is huge. The idea of repentance before entrance into that kingdom was a new concept for the Jews. They thought that entrance was automatic for them. John said that they needed to "repent." This Greek word metanoéō comes from the base word noéō which means to "perceive, think, know." Repent means to change your opinion, feelings, or purpose from what you thought you always knew. If what you thought you always knew was wrong the word takes on the sense "to regret" (The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament by Kittel). They thought they knew the way into heaven, but John had come to tell them about the real way, and it came via a man who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John the Baptist exhorted his audience to bear fruit in keeping with righteousness. Just being baptized and Abraham's descendants would not give them an "in" with God!  The Luke account goes into more detail about what would give evidence of genuine repentance: generosity, honesty, and contentment. It is interesting to note that all three are tied to money and material possessions.  It is also interesting to note that the Luke account is the only one that proclaims that "all mankind" (not just the Jews) will see God's salvation (Luke 3:6). This is probably because Luke's audience was non-Jewish. 

7. The baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22

Consider trying a Visio Divina with the art from today's post.

Francesco Albani. (2023, February 11).
In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Albani

After John's announcement, Jesus reappears after an 18-year absence from the narrative. Jesus came to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15) by being baptized; but the Law did not require baptism. What did He mean by this statement? Jesus did not need baptism for repentance, but he needed to identify with sinners.

Only Luke's account (Luke 3:21) states that Jesus was praying at His baptism (one could argue that He was always praying because He was always in connection with the Father). God broke into the course of HIS-story when the heavens were opened with the revelation of His Son! Doesn't it sound like Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1?  WOW!

The Holy Spirit descending like a dove marks a time when all three members of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned. 

18. Satan tempts Jesus in the Wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13

By anonimus [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Temptation of Christ (mosaic in basilica di San Marco)

The Desert is a beautiful meditation of this passage by Pray as You Go.

Pray as you go · Session 1 (The Desert)

After His baptism, Jesus was led immediately by the Spirit for a time of testing by Satan in the wilderness which has been traditionally believed to be near Jericho. 

This might be obvious for those of you who have been through the Old Testament portion of the Bible Book Club, but I wanted to point out the "40 days" motif of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Examples of this motif are seen in Genesis 7:4; Exodus 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8; and Jonah 3:4. Jesus' temptation of 40 days parallels Israel's wanderings and temptation in the wilderness for 40 years. Note He quotes from Deuteronomy which took place during Israel's wilderness wanderings. 

Also, note that Adam and Eve met Satan in a beautiful garden where all their needs were met, and they lost, allowing sin and death to enter into the world.  Jesus met Satan in a barren wilderness where he had nothing to eat for 40 days, and He won, ushering in eternal life for all who would believe (Colossians 2:15; Romans 5:12, 18)!  YAY!

To be tempted comes from the Greek word, peirazein, which in the positive sense means to "try or make proof of." Satan is described here as "the tempter" (Matthew 4:3), and brings out the bad sense of this Greek word, "to entice, solicit, or provoke to sin." This temptation had a dual purpose. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to have His faith tried, while Satan wanted to entice Him to disobey the Father. As our reading goes on, we will learn more about the ways of Satan.

The temptation closely resembles the temptation of Eve:

1) Appeal to the physical appetite 

Satan tempted Eve with the one thing she could not have, even though she had plenty of food from the garden (Genesis 3:1). 

Satan tempted Jesus to make stones into bread while Jesus was hungry (Matthew and Luke 4:3).   

Jesus resisted with Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:3 - God's Word is food for life!

2) Appeal to physical safety 

Satan tempted Eve by saying she would not die if she ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:4). 

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him if He was the Son of God and Messiah, nothing could harm Him if He threw Himself from the highest part of the temple (Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:9).  Satan used the prophecy from Malachi 3:1. It was a common belief that the Messiah would come from the sky into the temple. He was tempting Jesus to display Himself in the way people expected. 

This misquoting of Scripture by Satan caused Jesus to counter with more Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:16 - don't test God!  God would display His Son in His way.

3) Appeal to an easy way to power and glory 

Satan tempted Eve by saying she would be "like God, knowing good and evil" and this was why God was withholding this good fruit from her (Genesis 3:5). 

Satan wanted to give Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:6, 7) that God had allowed him to rule (2 Corinthian 4:4, John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2). God had another way for Jesus to become King and that was via the cross. 

Again, Jesus responded with Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20 - God alone deserves to be worshiped and served.

The score is Satan 0, Jesus 1.  Stay tuned. The battle has just begun.

30. Jesus preaches in Galilee:

30a. Arrival in Galilee: John 4:43-45

30b. Nature of the Galilean Ministry: Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:14-15

Yet not in Jerusalem and Judah will the light first dawn, but in the northernmost part of the land of Israel, a region which lay in darkness and death at the time Jesus came to fulfill the ancient prophecy, and which even John the Baptist had not been able to reach by his call to repentance. (The Gospel According to St. Matthew - An Introduction and Commentary by R.V.G. Tasker, page 56)

This part of the gospels is often called the "Great Galilean Ministry." The major cities included Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Nain, Cana, and Nazareth. Galilee is 60 miles long by 25 miles wide. It is mountainous with fertile valleys and an average temperature of 70 degrees. It was the most beautiful, productive, and populous district of Palestine with grain and olive groves. Flora and wildlife still thrive there.  There was a mixture of races from Jew and Gentile backgrounds. 

Galilee of the Gentiles was a choice cradle for the universal Gospel. Jesus liked to mingle in the crowd. He loved human beings and here He found a dense population made up of heterogeneous elements of all types and nationalities. (The Christ of the Gospels, p. 115)

One interesting thing: not one prophet had ever come out of Galilee.

33. Four Fishermen Follow Jesus: Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20

By Phillip Vere [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons

Tradition says that John the son of Zebedee, was one of the two unnamed disciples at Bethany in the account of John 1:35-51, three of the four fishermen in this present account had already temporarily followed Jesus for a time, but they returned to their jobs as fishermen This is the permanent call. Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately followed Him. 

34. Jesus teaches with great authority: Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37 

Capernaum is now to become Jesus' base of operation since Nazareth had rejected Him. It was also the home of Peter and Andrew (Luke 4:38). The fact that He taught with authority and that an unclean spirit identified Him as the Holy One of God is more proof of the deity of Jesus! He also did this on the Sabbath. Stay tuned for fireworks with the religious authorities over the issue of the Sabbath. 

Remember that Mark and Luke are writing for Gentiles. They both specify that it is an evil/unclean spirit. We know that the Greeks (whom Luke was writing for) believed in both good and evil ones. 

35. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and many others: Matthew 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-34, Luke 4:38-41

The Matthew account points out that these healings were a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:4 because he is writing for a Jewish audience. 

Both Mark and Luke indicate the miracle of Peter's mother-in-law occurred right after Jesus taught with authority and rebuked the unclean spirit. The news was spreading and at the end of the Sabbath day, when healing was permissible, people were bringing the sick to Him, and demons knew who Jesus was even if the people did not yet. 

36. Jesus preaches throughout Galilee:  Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44, Matthew 4:23-25

By this time, Jesus had a busy ministry schedule, yet He rose in the early morning to pray after His busy day and before another busy day of ministry.

While He performed healing to authenticate Himself, Jesus' primary mission was to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. He was the "anointed one" who would proclaim the favorable year of the LORD (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2).


38. Jesus heals a man with leprosy: Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-16

Uploaded by Aavindraa at en.wikipedia.

[Public domain],from Wikimedia Commons

Jesus demonstrated His power over disease, demonic forces, and men. He healed the man with leprosy. There had been no record of any Israelite being healed from leprosy other than Miriam (Numbers 12:10-15). Jesus instructed the man to go to the priest as a testimony. The priests were men of influence, and it was important for the man to go to a priest first (even though the Mark account records that he did not do so) so that he could be examined and the miracle eventually be known via influential channels.

APPLICATION

Jesus, because he has listened to his Father’s ordaining voice (during his baptism), is free to listen to the unordaining or discrediting temptations of the Evil One...Ignatius offers to those who would want to follow Jesus the experience of rejecting the falseness of any identities that come from material or social validation. Jesus has listened and believed and now begins the life of living out his belief in his Father and who he is in his Father’s own words...The Evil One constantly works to falsify our sense of our dignity, our ordination into Christ, and our holiness. We too have been baptized into Christ and his dignity. We too hear the insistent urgings to not believe in the me whom God has created and Jesus has blessed. (Retreat in the Real World, p. 180 [emphasis mine in parentheses])

Jesus knew who He was when He went into the wilderness. Do you know who you are? Satan wants to attack us at the core of our being as God's BELOVED. 

Listen to this BELOVED recording about your belovedness:

God In All Things · Beloved - An Audio Meditation

Do you understand that you are God's beloved? Here is an exercise I have done with numerous groups and people, and it has so blessed them. It originally comes from Henri Nouwen's book, Life of the Beloved, and was made practical by Trevor Hudson. 

Here is a download of it: Beloved Charter

I have my Beloved Charter up on my wall and in my wallet as a constant reminder of who I am. I added my Beloved Charter as an example along with Henri Nouwen's (with Scripture). What a way to battle the enemy!

PRAYER

Another way to battle the enemy is through prayer. 

This is from the "Morning Affirmations" section of Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa. I invite you to pray this daily:

Protection in Spiritual Warfare 

O Lord, guard my heart against the temptations of the world and renew my heart and spirit: 

Since I have been raised up with You, O Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where You are at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) 

I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to You, O God. And Your peace, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-8) 

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:9) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the weaknesses and temptations of the flesh so that I may reckon myself dead to sin: 

Father, I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to You in Christ Jesus. I will not present the parts of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to You, O God, as one alive from the dead, and the parts of my body as instruments of righteousness to You. (Romans 6:6-7, 12-13) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the attacks of the devil and give me the strength to resist him: 

As I submit myself to You, O God, and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7) 

I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9) 

I will take up Your full armor, O God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of Your Spirit, which is Your Word, O God. With all prayer and petition, I will pray at all times in Your Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18)  (Reprinted by permission from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa, pp. 7-9)

Put Matthew on the New Testament Shelf

Matthew 28 - The King's Victory and Commission

LINK: Matthew 28

BACKGROUND

Sunday at Sunrise

239. Jesus rises from the dead: Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10

Try a recorded Imaginative Contemplation of the Resurrection.

He is RISEN! This proves the Kingship of Jesus Christ! He fulfilled His claim that He would lay down His life and take it up again (John 10:17-18).

The order of events can sometimes be confusing when looking at all four accounts. I will try to explain it all in order. 

Before sunrise, an earthquake happened and an angel rolled away the stone and frightened the guards of the tomb (Matthew 28:2-4).

At early dawn, the women who followed Jesus brought spices to anoint His body. The women mentioned were Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9), the "other" Mary who was the mother of James and Joses and wife of Clopas (Mark 15:40; John 19:25), Salome (Mark 16:1), and Joanna (Luke 24:10). We do not know who the "other women" included (Luke 24:9). Since women bring people into the world, it was only appropriate that at least two mothers would be the first to discover the empty tomb! 

Mary left to go and tell Peter and John (John 20:1-2). While she was gone, the other women saw two angels who told them Jesus had RISEN (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-8). The Matthew and Mark accounts focus on only one angel.

Mary came back with Peter and John to tell them that Jesus was not in the tomb, but she did not know that He had risen (John 20:2).  Isn't it funny that John, the author, would say that he beat Peter in a foot race back to the tomb (John 20:4)? They saw the linen wrappings but still did not understand that Jesus had risen (John 20:9).  So, they went back to their homes. 

Many commentators believe that Mark ended his gospel here and an anonymous writer added Mark 16:9-20. They believe this was done shortly after A.D. 100.

This next event is not recorded in Matthew but helps in understanding the chronology of events and might be helpful to read.

240. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene: Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18

241. Jesus appears to the women: Matthew 28:8-10

The women were told by one of the angels to tell the disciples. Then they saw Jesus on the way and worshiped Him! Amazing that the first two appearances were to women!

His third appearance was to Peter and is not described but mentioned in Luke 24:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5.

242. Religious leaders bribe the guards: Matthew 28:11-15

Those soldiers who had fainted because they saw the angel roll away the stone had to be hushed up, but not even a bribe from the religious leaders to make the soldiers say the body was stolen could counteract the truth of His resurrection because of so many witnesses! 

The following events are not in Matthew's gospel but help with understanding the chronology of events:

Later in the Day

243. Jesus appears to two believers traveling on the road: Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-34

Evening

244. Jesus appears to His disciples: Luke 24:35-43, John 20:19-23

Eight days later

245. Jesus appears to Thomas: Mark 16:14, John 20:24-31

Two weeks later

246. Jesus appears to seven disciples: John 21:1-14 

247. Jesus challenges Peter: John 21:15-25

Three weeks later

248. Jesus gives the great commission: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18

Jesus commissioned His followers to go based on His authority. The Greek word here is exousia, and it means "official right or power." In addition, He commissioned them to go to all the nations. The Greek phrase for "all the nations" is panta ta ethne. This does not mean political nations with man-made boundaries but all the different people groups of the world as they tend to understand and define themselves by language, lineage, or socio-cultural factors. This is the clearest mandate for world evangelization given, but if you have been reading along with the Bible Book Club, you have probably learned that, from the beginning, God has always wanted to bless all nations (Genesis 12). Through the whole Old Testament and the four Gospel accounts, it is clear that God has always wanted to bless all nations!  See the REFLECTION section for more about this.

249. Jesus appears to the disciples in Jerusalem: Luke 24:44-49

Forty days later (Ascension Day)

250. Jesus ascends into heaven: Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:9-12

Fifty days later

251. Pentecost: Acts 2

Read about it in Acts 2 of the Bible Book Club, and join me for the rest of the New Testament!  

REFLECTION

In 1988, I had the honor of going to Bangkok, Thailand with a team of seventeen people. Most mornings, our leader and teacher on the trip, Steven Hawthorne, expounded on God's heart for the nations. Here is an article he wrote that summarized what I learned from being under his leadership for 5 months. It deals with a much better exposition of Matthew 28:19-20 than I could ever give. Please take the time to read it. You will be blessed.

MANDATE ON THE MOUNTAIN by Steven C. Hawthorne

The original sidebar has been omitted from the above article. So I have included it in this post: 

"The Great Commission and the Great Commandment" by Steven Hawthorne

The "Great Commission" of Matthew 28 has been seen as a counterpart to the so-called "Great Commandment," in which Jesus points to the most important of all commandments of Scripture. In the familiar passage (Matt 22:25-37, with parallel accounts in Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-37), Jesus says that the "greatest" of all biblical commandments is love for God and love for neighbor. Many significant evangelical voices have put the two imperatives side-by-side as a way of expressing the full responsibility of Christians in the world.

How does the Great Commandment relate to the Great Commission? They are often presented as balancing equals, corresponding to different dimensions of human need. the Great Commission is thought to focus on spiritual issues, while the Great Commandment is considered to address physical and social matters. But when they are held side-by-side as responses to human need, there can be confusion about how to integrate them as Christian mission.

Different: Historical Achievement and Constant Imperative

We may better see how the two commands work together if we respect how they are different. Comparing them as though they were equal may result in us failing to pursue either fully.

Loving God and our neighbors with devotion and service is not something which can ever be completed. Love is something that can only grow over time and must be pursued at all times. But the Great Commission is a global, historic achievement, a task to be completed. In spite of popular understanding, the Great Commission is not a command to do evangelism as often as one finds possible. It is a mandate entrusted to all of Christ's followers to accomplish a work that requires many generations of labor that at the end of history will be finished.

Same Focus: Both are For God 

Try to balance or compare the Great Commandment and the Great Commission may be missing the point of either one. In neither of them is the pre-eminent focus on human need, spiritual or otherwise. The primary end of both is relational reality directed toward God. Though we often pay more attention to "love your neighbor" in the Great Commandment, the main point of Jesus' words is that God would be loved with heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the essential outcome of the Great Commission is equally for God, that He would be served by obedient disciples in every people. 

The point is not just to love God, but to labor that He will be loved. The greatest way of loving our Lord is to see that He is worshiped, followed, and loved in every people. Furthermore, we have been given something greater than merely extending our own love to neighbors. We have a mandate to transform entire neighborhoods by multiplying those who love one another as Christ commanded.

How They Work Together

Neither can be prioritized above or below the other. Ultimately, neither can happen without the other. We cannot evangelize the peoples without excelling in love. And we cannot consider our evangelization to be complete unless people are growing in love for God and obeying Him by loving their neighbors. (Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, Fourth Edition edited by Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne.)

APPLICATION

Be sure to read the articles above and consider taking the entire Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course! Classes usually start in mid-January so if you are reading this according to the traditional Bible Book Club schedule, you might not be too late to join a class! 

No matter where you are in your walk with God, this class will challenge and encourage you! I took it in 1987, and I often grade for the class now. I never cease to love the "shot in the arm" it gives me as I review the things I learned. 

If there is not one in your area, you can also take it online. It is well worth the investment of time and money. If you are still in doubt, take the first two lessons for free online! 

In addition, HERE is a great article and acronym for thinking about Jesus in you!

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for giving us a clear purpose for our lives. May we obey You by loving You and our neighbor and taking the Good News of Jesus to all the peoples of the earth. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.