The Messiah
February 6, 2011
Mark 8:27-91
Key Verse: Mark 8:9
Introduction
The Holy Spirit is our divine Teacher. We cannot know nor understand the Scriptures except the Spirit is our Teacher. Thus the Word of God, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are known as “God-Breathed”—and the understanding of them also of divine Revelation. We are encouraged to study that which the Holy Spirit teaches us through His written Word. The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches us that “it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary: those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased” (I. I.). The Scriptures are to be seen as the “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life,” acknowledging “the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word” (W. I. VI.).
When Jesus asked the question of His disciples, “whom say ye that I am,” He was teaching them how they came to know His glory as the Messiah sent by the Father of the Triune Godhead. In Romans 11:36 we read of Christ that “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.” The term ‘glory’ reveals the need for an unfailing and trustworthy Word (revelation). ‘Doxa,’ translated glory, recognizes a person for whom he is, whether it is for honor or dishonor, integrity or corrupt. Scripture reveals that all have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, lost in our transgressions and sin, we lack the righteous and moral character that God had intended us to have, being made after His image. How then do we know what righteousness is, what moral character is, who God is in all His majesty of Creator, Lord, and Savior? Only by the revealed word and will of God do we know. To glorify God is to testify to His character and nature as He has so revealed Himself in His Word.
Who is the Messiah? –Mark 8:27-30
While Jesus was traveling with His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi, He asked them, “Who do men say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; some say, Elijah; and others, One of the prophets.” Jesus then asks them, “But who say ye that I am?” Following Christ is a demanding task. However, the task is accompanied by Christ himself.
Following Christ is a demanding but promising task. Christ is the only Good Shepherd who enters into the very life of His followers. The followers of Christ have been given a Book of Truth, a rule of faith and practice. The disciple has to be taught. However, he also has the Holy Spirit Himself to teach him. We know our King and Savior by personal revelation through His Word, written. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” How did Peter come to that conclusion? Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (See Matt.16:15-17). The true nature of Christ is revealed by the Spirit of God. We come to the knowledge of who the Son is and why He was sent to take on our flesh is revealed by God alone.
Jesus charged his disciples “that they should tell no man of him.” They still had a lot to learn about Jesus and His work. The Christian needs to learn the lesson that there is more to be learned as one becomes a follower of Christ. It is in fellowship with Christ, that we follow and serve Him. The King does not remain apart from His chosen army. He is before them and with them in service and in battle. By His authority, given Him in heaven and in earth, He sends His servants to “Go . . . and, lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:18-20). His disciples follow Him with this promise, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26).
The Rebuke –Mark 8:31-33
Jesus teaches His disciples, “that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” That gracious act of our Savior on the cross must come before any man can become a follower or disciple of Christ. Our life begins on the cross. We have been redeemed, purchased from the wrath of the Father by the suffering and death of Christ on His cross. Though we will not suffer or pay the death wages of our sin which Christ did in our place, we must suffer with Him in our service on earth. It is written that we are children of God, “joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17).
Like Peter we rebuke or criticize the idea of suffering. We claim His blood but not His suffering at the hands of the Father for our guilt and sin. At least we don’t like to think about it. Peter was rebuked by Christ with these words, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Peter spoke, not the words of truth, but of the deceiver. We still battle that sin which is within us, the sin which speaks more of Satan than of God. We must weigh our words carefully in our witness and teaching of men and of nations. We carry the banner of our Lord, not of the enemy.
Discussion: What does Christ say about His suffering?
The Suffering –Mark 8:34-35
Jesus calls His disciples together that they may learn the lesson of suffering and denial. For these things are integral parts of the life of a follower of Christ. The characteristic of a servant of Christ is this: “Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” To deny self means that one removes self from anything that hinders his service to and fellowship with Christ. The word ‘cross’ in this verse speaks of an instrument of torture. It speaks of Christ’s suffering for our sins. It speaks of His disciples as suffering or enduring affliction for the sake of His Gospel. This denial is further illustrated in this Biblical truth that “whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and gospel’s, the same will save it.” The follower of Christ depends wholly upon Him who chose Him. We must not substitute our criterion for service for God’s demand for obedience.
Discussion: What does it mean to deny oneself for Christ and His Gospel?
The Exchange –Mark 8:36-37
A follower of Christ knows that His soul has been delivered from the darkness of eternal death to the fellowship of the Father in His eternal light. Christ asks the question, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” TV rosters seem to gain more award shows each year. Icons are made of those who pass away that their memory may be honored. The exchange is made. Of what profit is there for the one who gains world recognition but loses his or her soul? The question which Christ raises emphasizes the greatness of denying self and following Christ.
A Christian becomes a profitable citizen of the Kingdom of God as a follower of Christ. There is no greater fellowship in this world. There is a greater exchange, being delivered from death to life. Onesimus became a child of God and a son in the faith of Paul’s. And so he wrote of Onesimus, “Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me” (Philemon 11). Would that we be so profitable to our Master and Savior Christ Jesus?
Discussion: What great exchange do you see in your service to Christ?
The Kingdom –Mark 8:38-9:1
Christ spoke to His disciples, saying that there would be some of them who “shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” John the Baptist was sent by God to preach that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 3:2). Christ told His followers to seek the “Kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Christ’s disciples belong to His Kingdom. John Calvin (Institutes) wrote that the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 11:13) “gave a foretaste of that wisdom which was one day to be clearly manifested, and showed it afar off. But where Christ can be pointed to with the finger, there the kingdom of God is manifested. In him are contained all the treasures of wisdom and understanding, and by these we penetrate almost to the very shrine of heaven.”
Followers, be not ashamed of your Savior, and Christ will not be ashamed you when He comes “in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” You have entered His Kingdom through His death and resurrection. Now serve Him in His Kingdom here on earth. Serve Him as father and mother, sister and brother, as church member and officer, as witnesses to His Gospel. All of life is lived in the Kingdom of God on earth as it in His heavens.
Discussion: How is the Kingdom of God manifested on this earth?
The Beloved Son
February 13, 2011
Lesson: Mark 9:1-13
Key Verse: Mark 9:7
Introduction
The Gospel is made clear in these words of Christ, words which speak of the God the Father’s love for His people, and of the showing of this love in God the Son: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Begotten” reminds us that the Second Person of the Godhead was chosen to the “propitiation” for our sins; that the Son would take our place before the Father on our behalf receiving the just punishment that we deserved: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:23-25); “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
This is the Christ who is the “Beloved Son” (Mark (:7). When Jesus was baptized by John, “lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:16-17). The Son, the great High Priest, is of the divine Godhead, beginning his ministry on earth with the blessing of the Father and the Spirit. “This is the sum of the whole gospel; it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that God has declared, by a voice from heaven, that Jesus Christ is his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, with which we must by faith cheerfully concur, and say, that he is our beloved Saviour, in whom we are well pleased” (M. Henry).
Christ Transfigured –Mark 9:1-8
Jesus, as he traveled in the area of Caesarea Philippi, gathered a number of people together along with disciples teaching them of his coming death and resurrection; by which His kingdom would be recognized as being present on earth: “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” Note the emphasis of “some of them that stand here,” indicating that the coming of the Kingdom would be in their time, the authority of the divine Kingdom of God recognized in the death and resurrection of Christ the Son.
Six days later Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to “to a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them.” A change would take place in the appearance of Christ: “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” Snow could be seen on the mountain ranges of Lebanon, symbolically used to give understanding to the greatest whiteness or pureness of an object. We read in Psalm 51:7, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Christ is seen as being “exceeding white as snow,” as one who is without sin, his divine nature, the Savior who purged us of our sins upon the Cross of Calvary. Therefore, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; see also 1:9). No “fuller” or clothier on earth can make raiment as white; our faith confirmed that Christ the Son of God is able to save us from our sins.
The generations past, the prophets of the Old Testament times, are set before the Disciples of Christ, that they may understand that the promises of deliverance by the Savior is assured and kept in each generation. Elijah and Moses were seen talking with the Messiah, that we may understand these prophets, though generations apart, could fellowship with one another and, especially with the Beloved Son. There is no separation for the redeemed children of God after the death of the body. Thus we rejoice in the hope of our own resurrection and life.
Men like to build statutes and hang up memorials, when life is more precious than these. Peter wants a memorial, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” However, it was not out of understanding but out of fear that Peter spoke. Memorials are not for those who go on before us, but for our hope; yet it does not express the glorious hope that is in Christ. Look for the blessing which has been written upon our hearts that loved ones have placed there during the years of fellowship. And greater still, look upon that great love of God in Christ written upon our hearts and confirmed in His holy Word. The most important truth that His disciples were to learn is of who He is: “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him.” Christ is with us! Hear Him!
Discussion: What have we learned about Christ Jesus?
The Son –Mark 9:9-13
As they came down the mountain Christ charged His disciples “that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.” They kept their experience on the mountain in their hearts, “questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean,” asking Christ, “Why say the scribes that Elijah must first come?” His answer was, “Elijah verily cometh first, and restoreth all things: and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be not at naught. But I say unto you, That Elijah is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.”
As the disciples discussed the resurrection of the dead, they expressed what the scribes were teaching that “Elijah must first come.” The scribes taught the physical coming of the prophet, rather than the truth that one would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The angel of the Lord spoke to Zacharias, about the birth of son whom they were to name John, he said, “And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth, for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord …And many of the children of Israel shall turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:14-17). John the Baptist had come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The Messiah, the Savior had also come. Therefore the disciples are not to be confused, for what was written in the Scriptures about the coming of ‘Elijah’ and the ‘Christ’ is true.
What is written of our Lord and Savior was recorded in the 103th Psalm, words about the wonder and grace of Christ, of whom John would be the forerunner: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared him throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.” Heed, therefore, the words of God the Father, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him!”
Discussion: In what ways are we encouraged following Christ and obeying His Word?
Christ the Son of man
February 20, 2011
Lesson: Mark 10:35-45
Key Verse: Mark 10:45
Introduction
The ministry of Christ, the Son of God, is first seen in His humility, in His incarnation; “in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross” (Shorter Catechism # 27). Christ is the Good Shepherd who came to seek and save those who are lost. He came to do the will of the Father. He was the Suffering Servant who came to save His people from their sins. We were like filthy rags before the holiness of God. “Christ took our flesh that he might make the human nature appear lovely to God, and the divine nature appear lovely to man. …Christ taking our flesh, makes this human nature appear lovely to God. As when the sun shines on the glass it casts a bright lustre, so Christ being clad with our flesh makes the human nature shine, and appear amiable in God’s eyes” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity).
When we first see Christ, we see Him as our Savior. The Gospel has risen in our hearts and we, by faith, come to Him with thanksgiving and praise. We praise the Holy Spirit who has given us a new birth whereby we have repented of our sins, knowing that forgiveness has come by Christ and His shed blood. What a glorious Savior! “Jesus Christ is the sum and quintessence of the gospel; the wonder of angels; the joy and triumph of saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the ear, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart” (Watson). So we see Him as our Lord.
The Request –Mark 10:35-37
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus, saying, “Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.” What could motivate the disciples to come to Jesus with such a request? It should not surprise us, for we too, in our prayers, ask of God those things which would answer our desires. Such askings reveal an anxious spirit. We know that we live and receive blessings by the gracious promises of God. However, we anxiously want more. And, that is understandable, as we see the many blessings of the Lord.
Christ asks His disciples, “What would ye that I should do for you?” There is no doubt that Christ desires the best for His people. The Shepherd feeds His sheep, we shall not want! The Lord promises, “And I will make them and the places around about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; and there shall be showers of blessing” (Ez. 34:26).
What do the disciples ask for? They say to their Master, “Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” From what kind of heart is such a request made? James and John are Christ’s disciples. They have come to follow and to love their Master. Would we not like to sit beside Him? Would we also desire a seat of prominence above the brethren? Is there not a head table at most church dinners? If we wish to sit next to Jesus we must first learn to sit at His footstool.
Discussion: What was the request of the disciples to Jesus?
The Answer –Mark 10:38-40
Jesus answers James and John, revealing the liability or weight of such a position; for one to sit at the left and the other at the right of their Master. “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Whatever we ask of Christ we must be willing to be identified with Him. The cup which Christ drank was the cup of obedience and sacrifice. To be baptized with the baptism of Christ declares an obedient heart that is willing to be identified with Christ and be set apart in His work. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). When we are identified with Christ we are also identified with His cross. Jesus says to His disciples, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:38).
James and John replied to Jesus, saying, “We can.” Jesus confirms for His disciples that they shall indeed drink the cup which He drank, and be baptized with the baptism with which He is baptized. The one who claims the name of Christ will drink the cup of Christ. The disciple is not above his Master. We who claim to be a follower of Christ will bear the image of Christ, or we will bear the image of a hypocrite.
Jesus taught His disciples, early in their relationship with Him, that He would be glorified in His death and victory: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). The principle of service through sacrifice and obedience is seen in the next verse 25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” In this context Jesus expresses the character of those who follow Him: “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (26).
We do not serve the church, society, or even one another, we serve Christ. We become a true blessing to those around us, in the home, church, society, when we, in our service to Christ, are not ashamed to be identified with Him, in His death and resurrection. We are not ashamed to show obedience to His Word, in our faith, life, and duty.
Discussion: What does it mean to serve Christ?
The Great Minister –Mark 10:41-45
The other disciples were displeased at the request of James and John, to want to sit at the left and right of Jesus in eternity. However, Jesus calls His disciples to Himself, reminding them that there are those who rule over the Gentiles, but as to their rule in this world, it is this: “whoever will be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” We are to minister (diakonos, deacon, one who is to render service), for Christ to the benefit of others. This is illustrated in the office of a true magistrate, or governor, who knows his responsibility under God: “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom. 13:4).
For a pastor, ruling elder, deacon, or any office one holds within the Body of Christ, His congregation, to see it as a place of domination does not bear the cross of Christ, does not bear the image of the Savior in his service. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” One must always keep the cross of Christ before him if he is to faithfully serve Christ. We were bought with a price. This price our Lord paid on Calvary. Have we counted the cost? What price will we have to pay? Is it to lose one’s life that we might gain it?
Discussion: What does it mean to be a servant of Christ within the Congregation?
Christ, His Power and Glory
February 27, 2011
Lesson: Mark 13:14-27
Key Verse: Mark 13:26
Introduction
The Messiah has come in great power and glory, and continues to come to be our Deliverer with great authority and glory during times of persecutions. Paul wrote to the Congregation at Thessalonica about the year 50 A.D., encouraging the saints to be faithful during these times of trial: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches (congregations) of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of our own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. Who hath killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:12-16). The power and glory of Christ is seen in the saints as they fervently study the Word of God, which effectually works in their hearts and lives. The Congregations of God encourage each other, for they suffer together the persecutions of the enemy of God who seek to deny us to openly preach the wonderful Gospel of Christ Jesus. Those who war against Christ and His Church (Congregations of faithful saints) face the wrath of God for their sins, “for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”
Tribulation and Hope –Mark 13:14-23
The persecution that the Thessalonica Church felt in A.D. 50 was but a beginning of what would be called the great tribulation of A.D. 70. Christ Jesus spoke of the coming of the tribulation less than 40 years before: “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let him that readeth understand).” The prophecy of Daniel spoke of the desolation to come upon Jerusalem: “for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolation” (Dan. 9:27). May he who reads this prophecy understand, which is given to us in words of Christ: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20). “Standing where it ought not,” is understood in these words of Christ, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination, spoken of in Daniel, the prophet, stand in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). Pagan Rome would come upon Jerusalem and the temple in that time of tribulation of A.D. 70. The hand of the Almighty Lord would bring about this desolation. When the Congregations of the Lord would see this coming, “then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.”
At the coming of this judgment of the Lord when Jerusalem and the temple would be made desolate, there would be those who would flee Jerusalem and Judea, with great urgency, “And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of the house: but woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” This urgency is seen in the desired prayer, “that your flight be not in the winter;” giving the example of God’s Creation, that all things are in His hands, “For these days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” The Lord shows His mercy toward His people, that whatever comes about because of the war against God and His people, the time will be shortened that His saints will know great deliverance.
Christ continues to strengthen his saints in the coming time of tribulation and desolation: “And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there, believe him not: for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, even the elect. But take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things.” The false self appointed saviors, even those who bear the name of Christ, become impatient on the one hand, and on the other, take advantage of the times of persecution to advance their own agenda, enjoying power at the expense of others. However, the chosen people of God, the Christian Congregations made up of the faithful, will not bow before the liars, for Christ who has forewarned us is the Lord who is with us.
Discussion: How does the warning of Christ about the desolation that would come, help us to stand firm in our faith?
The Coming of Christ –Mark 13:24-27
Christ gives to His disciples the hope of endurance and victory through the coming tribulation of A.D. 70: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Though we may think of that last judgment day of the physical coming of Christ Jesus, we need to recognize that there is the spiritual coming of Christ, the Second Person of the Godhead at various times of tribulation and desolations. We take note of the words of Christ recorded by the Spirit in Matthew 24:29—“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” He is not referring to a far distant day, but in those days when desolation will come. Christ emphasizes that these things will happen in their generation: “Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matt. 24:34).
It is that generation, to which Christ speaks: “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” From that generation to each generation to follow Christ the King and Savior will gather His saints into His Kingdom, until that last day when all of the Redeemed of the Lord will be gathered together for that great resurrection upon a new heaven and earth.
Christ spoke these words some 40 years before the coming the Tribulation of A.D. 70. Some thirty years later the Spirit would write through Peter and Paul and John, and others, epistles to prepare and strengthen the Congregations of Christ. In the epistle of first Peter to the scattered congregations of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the apostle teaches them that they, by the resurrection of Christ, they have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you;” and that “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” This appearing will be their victory at the coming tribulation. The beloved apostle, John, also sent out his epistle (Revelation of Jesus Christ) to the churches in Asia. We too are being prepared, and our faith strengthened, for times of persecution; some of our brethren unto death. May our prayers be for the coming of Christ into the trials of this day, that we may see his power and glory.
Discussion: How is the presence of Christ seen in the Congregations today, as they face the trials of persecution?
February 6, 2011
Mark 8:27-91
Key Verse: Mark 8:9
Introduction
The Holy Spirit is our divine Teacher. We cannot know nor understand the Scriptures except the Spirit is our Teacher. Thus the Word of God, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are known as “God-Breathed”—and the understanding of them also of divine Revelation. We are encouraged to study that which the Holy Spirit teaches us through His written Word. The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches us that “it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary: those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased” (I. I.). The Scriptures are to be seen as the “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life,” acknowledging “the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word” (W. I. VI.).
When Jesus asked the question of His disciples, “whom say ye that I am,” He was teaching them how they came to know His glory as the Messiah sent by the Father of the Triune Godhead. In Romans 11:36 we read of Christ that “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.” The term ‘glory’ reveals the need for an unfailing and trustworthy Word (revelation). ‘Doxa,’ translated glory, recognizes a person for whom he is, whether it is for honor or dishonor, integrity or corrupt. Scripture reveals that all have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, lost in our transgressions and sin, we lack the righteous and moral character that God had intended us to have, being made after His image. How then do we know what righteousness is, what moral character is, who God is in all His majesty of Creator, Lord, and Savior? Only by the revealed word and will of God do we know. To glorify God is to testify to His character and nature as He has so revealed Himself in His Word.
Who is the Messiah? –Mark 8:27-30
While Jesus was traveling with His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi, He asked them, “Who do men say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; some say, Elijah; and others, One of the prophets.” Jesus then asks them, “But who say ye that I am?” Following Christ is a demanding task. However, the task is accompanied by Christ himself.
Following Christ is a demanding but promising task. Christ is the only Good Shepherd who enters into the very life of His followers. The followers of Christ have been given a Book of Truth, a rule of faith and practice. The disciple has to be taught. However, he also has the Holy Spirit Himself to teach him. We know our King and Savior by personal revelation through His Word, written. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” How did Peter come to that conclusion? Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (See Matt.16:15-17). The true nature of Christ is revealed by the Spirit of God. We come to the knowledge of who the Son is and why He was sent to take on our flesh is revealed by God alone.
Jesus charged his disciples “that they should tell no man of him.” They still had a lot to learn about Jesus and His work. The Christian needs to learn the lesson that there is more to be learned as one becomes a follower of Christ. It is in fellowship with Christ, that we follow and serve Him. The King does not remain apart from His chosen army. He is before them and with them in service and in battle. By His authority, given Him in heaven and in earth, He sends His servants to “Go . . . and, lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:18-20). His disciples follow Him with this promise, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26).
The Rebuke –Mark 8:31-33
Jesus teaches His disciples, “that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” That gracious act of our Savior on the cross must come before any man can become a follower or disciple of Christ. Our life begins on the cross. We have been redeemed, purchased from the wrath of the Father by the suffering and death of Christ on His cross. Though we will not suffer or pay the death wages of our sin which Christ did in our place, we must suffer with Him in our service on earth. It is written that we are children of God, “joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17).
Like Peter we rebuke or criticize the idea of suffering. We claim His blood but not His suffering at the hands of the Father for our guilt and sin. At least we don’t like to think about it. Peter was rebuked by Christ with these words, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Peter spoke, not the words of truth, but of the deceiver. We still battle that sin which is within us, the sin which speaks more of Satan than of God. We must weigh our words carefully in our witness and teaching of men and of nations. We carry the banner of our Lord, not of the enemy.
Discussion: What does Christ say about His suffering?
The Suffering –Mark 8:34-35
Jesus calls His disciples together that they may learn the lesson of suffering and denial. For these things are integral parts of the life of a follower of Christ. The characteristic of a servant of Christ is this: “Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” To deny self means that one removes self from anything that hinders his service to and fellowship with Christ. The word ‘cross’ in this verse speaks of an instrument of torture. It speaks of Christ’s suffering for our sins. It speaks of His disciples as suffering or enduring affliction for the sake of His Gospel. This denial is further illustrated in this Biblical truth that “whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and gospel’s, the same will save it.” The follower of Christ depends wholly upon Him who chose Him. We must not substitute our criterion for service for God’s demand for obedience.
Discussion: What does it mean to deny oneself for Christ and His Gospel?
The Exchange –Mark 8:36-37
A follower of Christ knows that His soul has been delivered from the darkness of eternal death to the fellowship of the Father in His eternal light. Christ asks the question, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” TV rosters seem to gain more award shows each year. Icons are made of those who pass away that their memory may be honored. The exchange is made. Of what profit is there for the one who gains world recognition but loses his or her soul? The question which Christ raises emphasizes the greatness of denying self and following Christ.
A Christian becomes a profitable citizen of the Kingdom of God as a follower of Christ. There is no greater fellowship in this world. There is a greater exchange, being delivered from death to life. Onesimus became a child of God and a son in the faith of Paul’s. And so he wrote of Onesimus, “Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me” (Philemon 11). Would that we be so profitable to our Master and Savior Christ Jesus?
Discussion: What great exchange do you see in your service to Christ?
The Kingdom –Mark 8:38-9:1
Christ spoke to His disciples, saying that there would be some of them who “shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” John the Baptist was sent by God to preach that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 3:2). Christ told His followers to seek the “Kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Christ’s disciples belong to His Kingdom. John Calvin (Institutes) wrote that the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 11:13) “gave a foretaste of that wisdom which was one day to be clearly manifested, and showed it afar off. But where Christ can be pointed to with the finger, there the kingdom of God is manifested. In him are contained all the treasures of wisdom and understanding, and by these we penetrate almost to the very shrine of heaven.”
Followers, be not ashamed of your Savior, and Christ will not be ashamed you when He comes “in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” You have entered His Kingdom through His death and resurrection. Now serve Him in His Kingdom here on earth. Serve Him as father and mother, sister and brother, as church member and officer, as witnesses to His Gospel. All of life is lived in the Kingdom of God on earth as it in His heavens.
Discussion: How is the Kingdom of God manifested on this earth?
The Beloved Son
February 13, 2011
Lesson: Mark 9:1-13
Key Verse: Mark 9:7
Introduction
The Gospel is made clear in these words of Christ, words which speak of the God the Father’s love for His people, and of the showing of this love in God the Son: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Begotten” reminds us that the Second Person of the Godhead was chosen to the “propitiation” for our sins; that the Son would take our place before the Father on our behalf receiving the just punishment that we deserved: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:23-25); “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
This is the Christ who is the “Beloved Son” (Mark (:7). When Jesus was baptized by John, “lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:16-17). The Son, the great High Priest, is of the divine Godhead, beginning his ministry on earth with the blessing of the Father and the Spirit. “This is the sum of the whole gospel; it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that God has declared, by a voice from heaven, that Jesus Christ is his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, with which we must by faith cheerfully concur, and say, that he is our beloved Saviour, in whom we are well pleased” (M. Henry).
Christ Transfigured –Mark 9:1-8
Jesus, as he traveled in the area of Caesarea Philippi, gathered a number of people together along with disciples teaching them of his coming death and resurrection; by which His kingdom would be recognized as being present on earth: “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” Note the emphasis of “some of them that stand here,” indicating that the coming of the Kingdom would be in their time, the authority of the divine Kingdom of God recognized in the death and resurrection of Christ the Son.
Six days later Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to “to a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them.” A change would take place in the appearance of Christ: “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” Snow could be seen on the mountain ranges of Lebanon, symbolically used to give understanding to the greatest whiteness or pureness of an object. We read in Psalm 51:7, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Christ is seen as being “exceeding white as snow,” as one who is without sin, his divine nature, the Savior who purged us of our sins upon the Cross of Calvary. Therefore, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; see also 1:9). No “fuller” or clothier on earth can make raiment as white; our faith confirmed that Christ the Son of God is able to save us from our sins.
The generations past, the prophets of the Old Testament times, are set before the Disciples of Christ, that they may understand that the promises of deliverance by the Savior is assured and kept in each generation. Elijah and Moses were seen talking with the Messiah, that we may understand these prophets, though generations apart, could fellowship with one another and, especially with the Beloved Son. There is no separation for the redeemed children of God after the death of the body. Thus we rejoice in the hope of our own resurrection and life.
Men like to build statutes and hang up memorials, when life is more precious than these. Peter wants a memorial, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” However, it was not out of understanding but out of fear that Peter spoke. Memorials are not for those who go on before us, but for our hope; yet it does not express the glorious hope that is in Christ. Look for the blessing which has been written upon our hearts that loved ones have placed there during the years of fellowship. And greater still, look upon that great love of God in Christ written upon our hearts and confirmed in His holy Word. The most important truth that His disciples were to learn is of who He is: “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him.” Christ is with us! Hear Him!
Discussion: What have we learned about Christ Jesus?
The Son –Mark 9:9-13
As they came down the mountain Christ charged His disciples “that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.” They kept their experience on the mountain in their hearts, “questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean,” asking Christ, “Why say the scribes that Elijah must first come?” His answer was, “Elijah verily cometh first, and restoreth all things: and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be not at naught. But I say unto you, That Elijah is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.”
As the disciples discussed the resurrection of the dead, they expressed what the scribes were teaching that “Elijah must first come.” The scribes taught the physical coming of the prophet, rather than the truth that one would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The angel of the Lord spoke to Zacharias, about the birth of son whom they were to name John, he said, “And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth, for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord …And many of the children of Israel shall turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:14-17). John the Baptist had come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The Messiah, the Savior had also come. Therefore the disciples are not to be confused, for what was written in the Scriptures about the coming of ‘Elijah’ and the ‘Christ’ is true.
What is written of our Lord and Savior was recorded in the 103th Psalm, words about the wonder and grace of Christ, of whom John would be the forerunner: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared him throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.” Heed, therefore, the words of God the Father, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him!”
Discussion: In what ways are we encouraged following Christ and obeying His Word?
Christ the Son of man
February 20, 2011
Lesson: Mark 10:35-45
Key Verse: Mark 10:45
Introduction
The ministry of Christ, the Son of God, is first seen in His humility, in His incarnation; “in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross” (Shorter Catechism # 27). Christ is the Good Shepherd who came to seek and save those who are lost. He came to do the will of the Father. He was the Suffering Servant who came to save His people from their sins. We were like filthy rags before the holiness of God. “Christ took our flesh that he might make the human nature appear lovely to God, and the divine nature appear lovely to man. …Christ taking our flesh, makes this human nature appear lovely to God. As when the sun shines on the glass it casts a bright lustre, so Christ being clad with our flesh makes the human nature shine, and appear amiable in God’s eyes” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity).
When we first see Christ, we see Him as our Savior. The Gospel has risen in our hearts and we, by faith, come to Him with thanksgiving and praise. We praise the Holy Spirit who has given us a new birth whereby we have repented of our sins, knowing that forgiveness has come by Christ and His shed blood. What a glorious Savior! “Jesus Christ is the sum and quintessence of the gospel; the wonder of angels; the joy and triumph of saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the ear, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart” (Watson). So we see Him as our Lord.
The Request –Mark 10:35-37
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus, saying, “Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.” What could motivate the disciples to come to Jesus with such a request? It should not surprise us, for we too, in our prayers, ask of God those things which would answer our desires. Such askings reveal an anxious spirit. We know that we live and receive blessings by the gracious promises of God. However, we anxiously want more. And, that is understandable, as we see the many blessings of the Lord.
Christ asks His disciples, “What would ye that I should do for you?” There is no doubt that Christ desires the best for His people. The Shepherd feeds His sheep, we shall not want! The Lord promises, “And I will make them and the places around about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; and there shall be showers of blessing” (Ez. 34:26).
What do the disciples ask for? They say to their Master, “Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” From what kind of heart is such a request made? James and John are Christ’s disciples. They have come to follow and to love their Master. Would we not like to sit beside Him? Would we also desire a seat of prominence above the brethren? Is there not a head table at most church dinners? If we wish to sit next to Jesus we must first learn to sit at His footstool.
Discussion: What was the request of the disciples to Jesus?
The Answer –Mark 10:38-40
Jesus answers James and John, revealing the liability or weight of such a position; for one to sit at the left and the other at the right of their Master. “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Whatever we ask of Christ we must be willing to be identified with Him. The cup which Christ drank was the cup of obedience and sacrifice. To be baptized with the baptism of Christ declares an obedient heart that is willing to be identified with Christ and be set apart in His work. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). When we are identified with Christ we are also identified with His cross. Jesus says to His disciples, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:38).
James and John replied to Jesus, saying, “We can.” Jesus confirms for His disciples that they shall indeed drink the cup which He drank, and be baptized with the baptism with which He is baptized. The one who claims the name of Christ will drink the cup of Christ. The disciple is not above his Master. We who claim to be a follower of Christ will bear the image of Christ, or we will bear the image of a hypocrite.
Jesus taught His disciples, early in their relationship with Him, that He would be glorified in His death and victory: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). The principle of service through sacrifice and obedience is seen in the next verse 25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” In this context Jesus expresses the character of those who follow Him: “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (26).
We do not serve the church, society, or even one another, we serve Christ. We become a true blessing to those around us, in the home, church, society, when we, in our service to Christ, are not ashamed to be identified with Him, in His death and resurrection. We are not ashamed to show obedience to His Word, in our faith, life, and duty.
Discussion: What does it mean to serve Christ?
The Great Minister –Mark 10:41-45
The other disciples were displeased at the request of James and John, to want to sit at the left and right of Jesus in eternity. However, Jesus calls His disciples to Himself, reminding them that there are those who rule over the Gentiles, but as to their rule in this world, it is this: “whoever will be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” We are to minister (diakonos, deacon, one who is to render service), for Christ to the benefit of others. This is illustrated in the office of a true magistrate, or governor, who knows his responsibility under God: “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom. 13:4).
For a pastor, ruling elder, deacon, or any office one holds within the Body of Christ, His congregation, to see it as a place of domination does not bear the cross of Christ, does not bear the image of the Savior in his service. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” One must always keep the cross of Christ before him if he is to faithfully serve Christ. We were bought with a price. This price our Lord paid on Calvary. Have we counted the cost? What price will we have to pay? Is it to lose one’s life that we might gain it?
Discussion: What does it mean to be a servant of Christ within the Congregation?
Christ, His Power and Glory
February 27, 2011
Lesson: Mark 13:14-27
Key Verse: Mark 13:26
Introduction
The Messiah has come in great power and glory, and continues to come to be our Deliverer with great authority and glory during times of persecutions. Paul wrote to the Congregation at Thessalonica about the year 50 A.D., encouraging the saints to be faithful during these times of trial: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches (congregations) of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of our own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. Who hath killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:12-16). The power and glory of Christ is seen in the saints as they fervently study the Word of God, which effectually works in their hearts and lives. The Congregations of God encourage each other, for they suffer together the persecutions of the enemy of God who seek to deny us to openly preach the wonderful Gospel of Christ Jesus. Those who war against Christ and His Church (Congregations of faithful saints) face the wrath of God for their sins, “for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”
Tribulation and Hope –Mark 13:14-23
The persecution that the Thessalonica Church felt in A.D. 50 was but a beginning of what would be called the great tribulation of A.D. 70. Christ Jesus spoke of the coming of the tribulation less than 40 years before: “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let him that readeth understand).” The prophecy of Daniel spoke of the desolation to come upon Jerusalem: “for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolation” (Dan. 9:27). May he who reads this prophecy understand, which is given to us in words of Christ: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20). “Standing where it ought not,” is understood in these words of Christ, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination, spoken of in Daniel, the prophet, stand in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). Pagan Rome would come upon Jerusalem and the temple in that time of tribulation of A.D. 70. The hand of the Almighty Lord would bring about this desolation. When the Congregations of the Lord would see this coming, “then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.”
At the coming of this judgment of the Lord when Jerusalem and the temple would be made desolate, there would be those who would flee Jerusalem and Judea, with great urgency, “And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of the house: but woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” This urgency is seen in the desired prayer, “that your flight be not in the winter;” giving the example of God’s Creation, that all things are in His hands, “For these days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” The Lord shows His mercy toward His people, that whatever comes about because of the war against God and His people, the time will be shortened that His saints will know great deliverance.
Christ continues to strengthen his saints in the coming time of tribulation and desolation: “And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there, believe him not: for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, even the elect. But take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things.” The false self appointed saviors, even those who bear the name of Christ, become impatient on the one hand, and on the other, take advantage of the times of persecution to advance their own agenda, enjoying power at the expense of others. However, the chosen people of God, the Christian Congregations made up of the faithful, will not bow before the liars, for Christ who has forewarned us is the Lord who is with us.
Discussion: How does the warning of Christ about the desolation that would come, help us to stand firm in our faith?
The Coming of Christ –Mark 13:24-27
Christ gives to His disciples the hope of endurance and victory through the coming tribulation of A.D. 70: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Though we may think of that last judgment day of the physical coming of Christ Jesus, we need to recognize that there is the spiritual coming of Christ, the Second Person of the Godhead at various times of tribulation and desolations. We take note of the words of Christ recorded by the Spirit in Matthew 24:29—“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” He is not referring to a far distant day, but in those days when desolation will come. Christ emphasizes that these things will happen in their generation: “Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matt. 24:34).
It is that generation, to which Christ speaks: “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” From that generation to each generation to follow Christ the King and Savior will gather His saints into His Kingdom, until that last day when all of the Redeemed of the Lord will be gathered together for that great resurrection upon a new heaven and earth.
Christ spoke these words some 40 years before the coming the Tribulation of A.D. 70. Some thirty years later the Spirit would write through Peter and Paul and John, and others, epistles to prepare and strengthen the Congregations of Christ. In the epistle of first Peter to the scattered congregations of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the apostle teaches them that they, by the resurrection of Christ, they have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you;” and that “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” This appearing will be their victory at the coming tribulation. The beloved apostle, John, also sent out his epistle (Revelation of Jesus Christ) to the churches in Asia. We too are being prepared, and our faith strengthened, for times of persecution; some of our brethren unto death. May our prayers be for the coming of Christ into the trials of this day, that we may see his power and glory.
Discussion: How is the presence of Christ seen in the Congregations today, as they face the trials of persecution?
