Chapter 13, this sermon, is known as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus delivered it on the Mount of Olives just east of the temple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem.
"And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.'" v.2 And, certainly it was in AD 70.
This chapter is dedicated to the end of the age when Jesus will return. It starts with the tribulation and then moves to His second coming. I am not going to do much comment. There are so many different camps on Eschatology (the study of the end times). I was taught one thing as a kid - scared me to death - and believe another as an adult, though I still feel unsettled with the topic until I get a chance for more study. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_eschatological_views
No matter your view, however, the belief that is shared is that Jesus will return: "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven." v. 26-27
This says to us: "Therefore, be on the alert-for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the Alert!'" v. 35-37
If we are going to go through the tribulation or anytime we might be persecuted for our faith, our belief in Christ: "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who will speak, but it is the Holy Spirit." v.11 This brings to mind the young girl at Columbine that had the gun in her face and was asked to denounce Christ. She did not; she proclaimed His name, and was killed.
One particular note in v.14. Jesus says, "...let the reader understand..." Why would Jesus say "reader" when He was speaking in person? John MacArthur says, "This indicates that Jesus was not issuing these warnings to the disciples or to others of their generation who would not experience this event, but to believers in the end time. Those who will read these truths will be prepared and 'understand' the trials they are enduring." Did Jesus say that or did Mark add that as he was writing? Thought it was interesting.
The quotes in the video below are directly from Mark 13. Be sure to watch it to the end. I love the very last picture. Wow!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Mark 12, con't
"What commandment is the foremost of all? Jesus answered, 'The foremost is: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." v. 28-31
Well, I guess, that just about says it. Tough though, huh? Interesting what I learned about the ten commandments: "The rabbis had determined that there were 613 commandments contained in the Pentateuch, one for each letter of the Ten Commandments. -Are you kidding me! LOL - Of the 613, 248 were seen as affirmative and 365 as negative. Those laws were also divided into heavy and light categories,, with the heavy laws being more binding than the light ones. The scribes and rabbis, however, had been unable to agree on which were heavy and which were light." John MacArthur
Seriously, what bondage!
So much of the world is striving for peace, reaching out to one another. However, the world is forgetting the prerequisite for loving one another; to love our God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength. You can't achieve the one without the other.
Well, I guess, that just about says it. Tough though, huh? Interesting what I learned about the ten commandments: "The rabbis had determined that there were 613 commandments contained in the Pentateuch, one for each letter of the Ten Commandments. -Are you kidding me! LOL - Of the 613, 248 were seen as affirmative and 365 as negative. Those laws were also divided into heavy and light categories,, with the heavy laws being more binding than the light ones. The scribes and rabbis, however, had been unable to agree on which were heavy and which were light." John MacArthur
Seriously, what bondage!
So much of the world is striving for peace, reaching out to one another. However, the world is forgetting the prerequisite for loving one another; to love our God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength. You can't achieve the one without the other.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Mark 12...
The next three chapters in Mark I read in Yosemite. They are filled with a lot of food for thought; I underlined a lot and read a lot of commentary.
Let's start with v.19 where the Sadducees approach Jesus with a question. To preserve tribal names, families and inheritance in case of a death (the head of the household), the widow was to marry his brother. So this particular question was: what if the woman loses 7 husbands (7 brothers), which one would be her husband in heaven?
Jesus' answer, "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." John MacArthur's interpretation, "Marriage was designed by God for companionship and the perpetuation of the human race on the earth. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that in heaven there will be no exclusive or sexual relationships. Believers will experience an entirely new existence in which they will have perfect spiritual relationships with everyone else."
This is huge for me, since I have had more than one husband. Note, however, Jesus says nothing about us losing our identities, personalities, or knowledge. For example, will I know my children as my children? I believe so. Jesus says in v. 26-28 "But regarding the fact that the dead rise again,...I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living;..." I love what my commentary says, "Even though all 3 were dead, God was still their God just as much as when they were alive on earth - and more so in that they were experiencing eternal fellowship with Him in heaven." Wow!!
Rereading these verses today since Yosemite was good timing. On Saturday, after having a complete night's rest (that I never seem to have), a sleep where I never woke up in the night, I was thinking, "what if death is like that sleep, where you have no thought, no memory, no existence, you just never wake up?" First off, I don't like the idea of that and second, I don't need to worry about it because these verses just answered that for me!! Yea!
Let's start with v.19 where the Sadducees approach Jesus with a question. To preserve tribal names, families and inheritance in case of a death (the head of the household), the widow was to marry his brother. So this particular question was: what if the woman loses 7 husbands (7 brothers), which one would be her husband in heaven?
Jesus' answer, "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." John MacArthur's interpretation, "Marriage was designed by God for companionship and the perpetuation of the human race on the earth. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that in heaven there will be no exclusive or sexual relationships. Believers will experience an entirely new existence in which they will have perfect spiritual relationships with everyone else."
This is huge for me, since I have had more than one husband. Note, however, Jesus says nothing about us losing our identities, personalities, or knowledge. For example, will I know my children as my children? I believe so. Jesus says in v. 26-28 "But regarding the fact that the dead rise again,...I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living;..." I love what my commentary says, "Even though all 3 were dead, God was still their God just as much as when they were alive on earth - and more so in that they were experiencing eternal fellowship with Him in heaven." Wow!!
Rereading these verses today since Yosemite was good timing. On Saturday, after having a complete night's rest (that I never seem to have), a sleep where I never woke up in the night, I was thinking, "what if death is like that sleep, where you have no thought, no memory, no existence, you just never wake up?" First off, I don't like the idea of that and second, I don't need to worry about it because these verses just answered that for me!! Yea!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Mark 11
Here we see Jesus entering Jerusalem. In modern day we refer to this entry as palm Sunday. He and the disciples were very well known here for their teachings and miracles and the people were very excited to see the entrance of the upcoming King.
" Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; hosanna in the highest!" v. 9-10
The highlighted part of the verse is only recorded in Mark and emphasizes that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. Wow, a sharp contrast to what this same crowd would do to Him later!
"On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry, Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it, and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!'" v.12-14
I thought this seemed awful harsh for this poor fig tree - it wasn't the fig trees fault, after all. The fig tree was unique because usually when there were leaves there was fruit. But not this tree. The highlighted section, once again only Mark records, to let you know the unusual nature of this particular tree.
John MacArthur, "Jesus cursed the tree for its misleading appearance that suggested great productivity without providing it. It should have been full of fruit, but was barren. The fig tree was frequently an Old Testament type of the Jewish nation and in this instance Jesus used the tree by the road as a divine object lesson concerning Israel's spiritual hypocrisy and fruitlessness."
Next Jesus goes to chase the sellers out of the temple and says, "My House shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations." v. 17 The highlighted part, only recorded in Mark, was taken from Isaiah 56:7, and was addressing the gentiles. Jesus was in the only part of the temple where Gentiles were permitted to be.
Now, my favorite part of the chapter, " Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you." v.23-24
"Jesus' point is that if believers sincerely trust in God and truly realize the unlimited power that is available through such faith in Him, they will see His might powers at work." MacArthur
I love this, of course. But case in point: my daughter has just graduated from college and can not find a job in her chosen field. There has been much prayer on my part and hers, but seemingly to know avail. She has done everything she needs to do as far as applying, but nothing. So the question is, what are we doing wrong? How do we truly realize the unlimited power that is available to see His mighty powers?...Doesn't Jesus want the best for her? I was thinking, maybe, He wants to be sure that she (and I) realize that the amazing job he has in line for her is only from Him and not of her own doing, but a gift.
No more blogs for the next week in that we are on our way to Yosemite and I'll be (hopefully) doing my writing by hand to implement when I get back.
" Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; hosanna in the highest!" v. 9-10
The highlighted part of the verse is only recorded in Mark and emphasizes that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. Wow, a sharp contrast to what this same crowd would do to Him later!
"On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry, Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it, and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!'" v.12-14
I thought this seemed awful harsh for this poor fig tree - it wasn't the fig trees fault, after all. The fig tree was unique because usually when there were leaves there was fruit. But not this tree. The highlighted section, once again only Mark records, to let you know the unusual nature of this particular tree.
John MacArthur, "Jesus cursed the tree for its misleading appearance that suggested great productivity without providing it. It should have been full of fruit, but was barren. The fig tree was frequently an Old Testament type of the Jewish nation and in this instance Jesus used the tree by the road as a divine object lesson concerning Israel's spiritual hypocrisy and fruitlessness."
Next Jesus goes to chase the sellers out of the temple and says, "My House shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations." v. 17 The highlighted part, only recorded in Mark, was taken from Isaiah 56:7, and was addressing the gentiles. Jesus was in the only part of the temple where Gentiles were permitted to be.
Now, my favorite part of the chapter, " Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you." v.23-24
"Jesus' point is that if believers sincerely trust in God and truly realize the unlimited power that is available through such faith in Him, they will see His might powers at work." MacArthur
I love this, of course. But case in point: my daughter has just graduated from college and can not find a job in her chosen field. There has been much prayer on my part and hers, but seemingly to know avail. She has done everything she needs to do as far as applying, but nothing. So the question is, what are we doing wrong? How do we truly realize the unlimited power that is available to see His mighty powers?...Doesn't Jesus want the best for her? I was thinking, maybe, He wants to be sure that she (and I) realize that the amazing job he has in line for her is only from Him and not of her own doing, but a gift.
No more blogs for the next week in that we are on our way to Yosemite and I'll be (hopefully) doing my writing by hand to implement when I get back.
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