Mark 14: Jesus Can Use Me to do the Extraordinary

Today’s reading is Mark 14.

Establishing the Supper

As Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal, remembering the night God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage by the death of the firstborn and delivered Israel from the death of the firstborn by the blood on the doorway, He established a new memorial. Taking bread and fruit of the vine from the table, He declared the bread His body and the fruit of the vine His blood of the covenant. He was establishing not only a memorial meal, but a sacrificial meal. As the Israelites often ate their sacrifices, this new meal pictures us eating our sacrifice. Of course, we don’t eat Jesus’s flesh or drink His blood literally, but in the bread and the cup we participate in the sacrifice of Jesus.

For 2000 years now, since that first day of Pentecost after Jesus’s resurrection, Christians have gathered in groups to eat bread and drink fruit of the vine to remember Jesus’s sacrificial death and proclaim the gospel. We will continue to do so until He returns. No doubt, what the supper represents and what it accomplishes is extraordinary. But, the practice of the supper itself is…well…so ordinary. Jesus took common table items. These were not super special items. They were two things people had lying around their houses all the time. Many of their plain, old, every day meals would include the bread and the cup.

I mean, anyone could take the Lord’s Supper if they wanted. And that’s the point. Jesus uses ordinary means to accomplish extraordinary ends. Think about how we enter Jesus Christ, being brought from death to life, having our sins forgiven. We don’t have to climb a mountain, fast in the wilderness for 40 days, or even isolate in a cave for 3 days. We have someone plunge us under water. How ordinary?! We don’t proclaim the Lord’s death with immense, costly sacrifices. We don’t put on a show of pomp and circumstance. We don’t even have a costly feast that lasts a week. We eat some unleavened bread and drink some fruit of the vine. It doesn’t even have to be much (though the amount is not the issue). The whole observance can take less than 10 minutes.

Comfort for the Ordinary

Jesus uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. I find comfort in this for two reasons. First, I can take part in Jesus’s very ordinary observances. I am not excluded. I can be dipped under water. I can gather with brothers and sisters on a regular basis. I can sing songs (even if not very well). I can pray prayers. I can eat unleavened bread and drink fruit of the vine. None of these very ordinary things are beyond my grasp. An ordinary person like me can participate in these very ordinary activities.

Second, if Jesus uses ordinary instruments to accomplish extraordinary goals, He can use me for amazing victory. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, Paul wrote:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (ESV).

Though I am lowly born, weak, and foolish, Jesus can use me to accomplish His extraordinary victory. Of course, when He does, I will not be able to boast. After all, the extraordinary work came from Him. I am simply an ordinary tool He wields to accomplish His glory. And that’s okay. I’m more concerned about His glory than mine anyway (at least, I’m growing to have that attitude).

As we participate in the Supper each week, let us remember the extraordinary work of Jesus Christ on the cross. But let us also be reminded and stunned that Jesus does His extraordinary work through ordinary instruments like bread, fruit of the vine, water, song, prayer, and even through ordinary people like us.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 14.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Mark 14 admonish you?

Revelation 22: Blessed!

Today’s reading is Revelation 22.

The Final Word

Can you believe it? We’re on the last page of Revelation. We started John’s writings 50 weeks ago. We started Revelation 22 weeks ago. We’ve made it to the end of both. Today’s post could go a hundred different directions.

However, I want to end simply. Over the past 22 weeks, we’ve seen sevens on top of sevens: seven stars, seven lampstands, seven angels, seven spirits, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven bowls of wrath. Let’s end with one final seven. This one, however, is a bit hidden.

Throughout this letter, without numbering them, John pronounces seven blessings. He describes the people who are favored by God, who experience flourishing from God, who have the good life through God.

Let’s wrap up this look at John’s writings with a look at these Blessed people.

BLESSED!!!

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near (Revelation 1:3, ESV)

The point is not that vocalizing the book has some special blessing. The point was in the day this was written, someone would read it to the congregation so the congregation could hear and obey.

In other words, blessed are the folks who don’t ignore this book. Blessed are the folks who take it seriously. Blessed are the folks and the churches who make sure this book is read, discussed, and followed.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:13, ESV).

Jesus had said those who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake are blessed because they have a reward reserved in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12). The blessing doesn’t cease if the persecution ends in death. Death cannot keep those in the Lord from their reward. In fact, all death can do is lead those in the Lord to their reward.

Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! (Revelation 16:15, ESV)

Stay alert. Stay prepared. We don’t know precisely when our judgment will come. We’ll be blessed if we are prepared at every moment.

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9, ESV).

The only ones invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb are the Lamb and His Bride. If we aren’t in the Bride, we’re on the outside. Let’s just say the feast on the outside is not quite as pleasant. I’ll let you read for yourself in Revelation 19:17-21. Thus marriage supper of the Lamb will be an incredible, victorious feast in which our enemies look on but can neither participate nor interfere.

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6, ESV)

Since the second death is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15), the blessing of the first resurrection is a no-brainer.

Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7, ESV)

In case we missed it at the beginning, this book is supposed to produce action. In the seven oracles to the seven churches, the brothers and sisters were called to repent or to hold fast. Those who repented when they needed to and those who held fast when they needed to would be blessed. The rest would face the plagues of this book.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates (Revelation 22:14, ESV).

According to Revelation 7:14, we wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb. In Revelation 12:11, the victors in the war waged against us by the Dragon conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. The blood of the Lamb that was slain gives us victory, allowing us to pass through the gates and passed the angels who guard them. The blood of the Lamb allows us to eat from the tree of life, a right Adam and Eve lost when they ate from the tree of death, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Some manuscripts, represented by the KJV and NKJV, say the blessed ones are those who do the Lord’s commandments. That doesn’t set as well with many today. They fear it sounds like we earn the right to the tree of life. That certainly isn’t true. However, let’s be clear, the blood of the Lamb isn’t just floating around, dousing people willy-nilly. If you want to be washed in the blood, you have to submit to the King. After all, His disciples are those who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit and committed to observe all He has commanded (see Matthew 28:19-20).

Thanks for reading John’s writings with us. Come back next week as we kick off another year in the Psalms.

Be Blessed!

Next week’s reading is Psalm 107.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Revelation 22?

Revelation 22: Outside the City

Today’s reading is Revelation 22.

The Enemies Look On

Nearly a universal favorite among the psalms is “The Lord is My Shepherd.” The Twenty-third psalm is at the top of the list for many Christians. One of the blessings listed within it is “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5a, ESV). This statement has moved from the Lord being our Shepherd to the Lord being our host. He prepares a feast as the enemies look on. They neither participate in the feast, nor can they stop us from feasting. We are on the inside. They are on the outside.

In Revelation 22:14-15, we see a similar picture. Those who have washed their robes or who have followed the Lord’s commandments feast at the tree of life inside the holy city of God, New Jerusalem. Outside, unable to participate or interfere are the “dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (ESV). We know from Revelation 20:9-10, even should these rebels try to mount an attack against the city, they will be consumed by heavenly fire.

A Picture of Judgment Used by Jesus

In Matthew 8:10-12, when praising the faith of a Roman centurion, Jesus declared:

Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (ESV).

We find a similar message in Luke 13:22-30. In this parable, the master of a house shuts the gates on those who refused to enter by the narrow door. When they complain, the master responds:

“I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!” In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God (ESV).

In heaven’s kingdom, a feast occurs. Those in the kingdom dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They recline at table with each other. We can compare this to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in Revelation 19:9. As the feast occurs, those who rebelled against the Lamb, the King, are tossed into the outer darkness. That is, they are tossed into the night. They look on as we feast in the kingdom, but they can neither participate nor interfere. In fact, recalling Revelation 19:17-21, those outside are eaten by the birds.

Reclining With Abraham

The struggle in Revelation 21-22 are the two different pictures given of the sinfully immoral. In Revelation 22:15, they are outside the city. We can easily see that as in the outer darkness. The Lamb’s light shines in the city, but there is no sun. However, in Revelation 21:8, the sinfully immoral have their part in the lake of fire. Which is it? Are they merely outside of the city walls or are they tossed into the lake of fire?

When Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus, He presents a picture that ties this imagery together. While in this life, the rich man “feasted sumptuously every day” (Luke 16:19, ESV). Lazarus, on the other hand, was laid outside the gates of the rich man’s house. Though all the rich man had to do was step outside and toss Lazarus some scraps, he never did. Instead, Lazarus was outside with the dogs who licked his sores.

Both men died. The rich man was in torment and Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom or at Abraham’s side. But here is the key we might miss. The picture of Lazarus being in Abraham’s bosom is not a picture of Abraham giving Lazarus a big hug. Rather, the concept of being in Abraham’s side is the same concept we see in John 13:23, in which the disciple whom Jesus loved, “was reclining at table at Jesus’ side” (ESV). Or as the NKJV says, “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” These ancients did not have a high table at which they sat chairs. Rather, they had a low table. They would lay down around the table, propped up on an elbow, with their feet stretching out away from the table. The disciple whom Jesus loved, John, was reclining at table and in Jesus’s side or bosom. That is, he was next to Jesus, in front of him. If he wanted to talk to Jesus, he would lean back and that would place him against Jesus’ side. That is where Lazarus finds himself. He is not being hugged by Abraham. He is reclining at table with Abraham, leaning beside him in his side or bosom.

That fits the story. This story is about role reversal. The key is in this life, the rich man fared sumptuously. In the kingdom of heaven, Lazarus is faring sumptuously at a feast with Abraham. In this life, Lazarus was outside the gate. In the kingdom of heaven, the rich man is outside the gates. In this life, Lazarus was with the dogs. In the kingdom of heaven, the rich man will be outside with the dogs. In this life, the rich man had comforts. In the kingdom of heaven, the rich man will be tormented in flame.

What picture do we see? Lazarus, in eternity, dines sumptuously with Abraham in the kingdom. The last has become first. The rich man however is outside, but at the same time is in a lake of fire. The first has become last.

Figures and Metaphors

No doubt, these pictures are figures and metaphors. Is there a literal lake of fire? Is there a literal meal? Is there a literal city? What does it look like? How does it feel? I don’t know. How do you have outer darkness in a lake of fire? I don’t know. Are the two groups separated by a city wall or by a great gulf? I don’t know.

These stories are intended to ignite our imaginations more than inform our minds. That is, these pictures, metaphors, figures are not intended to inform us precisely what any phase of the next life looks like. Rather, we are to see with our mind’s eye the horrors of judgment and the glories of the abundant life.

Inside the city is light. Outside is darkness. Inside the city is wealth. Outside is poverty. Inside the city is a marriage feast. Outside is being feasted on by birds and beasts. Inside the city is celebration. Outside is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Inside the city is comfort. Outside is torment.

I get it. In this life, being inside the city doesn’t always feel so great or look so great. A day is coming, however, when the veil will be removed. We will either be ushered into the city in its ultimate fulfillment or we will be ushered out of the city in its ultimate fulfillment. Where you reside today will determine where you reside in eternity.

Are you in the city today? Or are you outside? Can we help you? Let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 22.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 22 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Jesus Only Died Once

Today’s reading is Hebrews 9.

Yesterday, we recognized Jesus offered Himself once for all. Very clearly, Hebrews 9:25-26 says Jesus doesn’t offer Himself repeatedly. Today, I want to springboard off of that to talk about one of the regulations of worship we need to recognize in our time.

Before Jesus died, He instituted a memorial of His death. We might call it communion or the Lord’s Supper. Some call it the Eucharist which comes from the Greek word that means simply “thanksgiving.” Though the New Testament never calls it this, this designation has come from the fact that when Jesus established the supper He gave thanks. Others call it the Mass. Except, we must not be confused. Mass is actually very different from the Lord’s Supper.

When churches hold Mass, they are not partaking in a memorial intended to remind them of the body of Jesus that hung on the cross and the blood He shed to remit our sins and provide atonement. Mass is intended to be an offering of Jesus again just as He offered Himself on Calvary. Though Mass is considered an unbloody offering, it is nevertheless sacrificing or offering Jesus again and again and again. Thus, it is seen in that approach not merely as a memorial but as a sacrament. A sacrament is a means by which people receive grace. Thus, the idea is when people participate in Mass, Jesus is offering Himself again and they are receiving grace in the participation.

However, the whole system of Mass is demonstrated false by Hebrews 9. Jesus offered Himself once. He does not offer Himself again and again and again. The point in Hebrews 9 is not that Jesus offered Himself in a bloody offering once but then offers Himself again and again and again without blood. The point is He offered Himself once, period. There is no other offering, no other kind of offering. There is no visible versus invisible offering. There is no transubstantiation in which the bread and juice mystically become the literal body and blood of the Lord offered on the altar or consubstantiation in which the bread and juice literally coexist with the body and blood of the Lord. Rather, we have reminders of the body and blood of the Lord in the bread and the fruit of the vine.

In the Lord’s Supper we proclaim Jesus has died (see 1 Corinthians 11:26) even though He now lives until the time when He returns. However, He does not die again and again and again. He is not offered again and again and again. He is not sacrificed again and again and again. Jesus died, was sacrificed, offered Himself only once.

As we worship God, may we remember His death with the Lord’s Supper, eating the bread which represents His body and drinking the fruit of the vine which reminds us of His blood. Let us proclaim our faith in His death though He is alive evermore. Let us continue to do so until He returns. And let us praise the Lord because He did die, but He will return.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 9.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why do you think it is important to understand we aren’t sacrificing Jesus and He is not offering Himself again and again and again?
3. Why is it important for us to participate in the Lord’s Supper as a memorial again and again and again?
4. How do you think the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?