Milo – Page 26

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

PARABLES AND POWERS
Mark 4–5

“With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand” (Mark 4:33).

We may not completely understand the word pictures Jesus gives in these chapters of His kingdom. But there is no mistaking the power He exercises over every natural and supernatural force!

Background
The word translated “parable” is rooted in the Old Testament concept of a “riddle.” There the riddle or parable may be any word play: a brief saying, a vivid image, a longer story. Each kind of “riddle” is intended both to display and to some extent hide information. In each, the hearer is expected to puzzle out the speaker’s meaning.
There are many indications that the Hebrew people took great delight in riddles and parables, and enjoyed both telling and solving them. Yet in this passage Jesus had a deeper purpose in mind than to focus active and attentive listening. Jesus intended His parables to reveal secrets (Gk. musterion, “mysteries”) about the kingdom which those “outside,” who have refused to acknowledge Him as God’s Son, will be unable to understand (4:11). He will not allow hardened individuals who have examined Christ’s claims and come to the considered opinion that He is mad or in league with Satan to understand what God intends (v. 12).
What a reminder for us. The very first and essential issue we face when we come to Scripture is, What is our view of Jesus Christ? Our whole understanding of God’s Word, as well as our salvation, hinges on how we answer that question. If we accept Him for who He is, God’s Son and our Saviour, the Word of God will gradually be opened to us, and produce fruit in our lives.

Overview
The lengthy Parable of the Sower (4:1–9) was explained by Jesus (vv. 10–20), who went on to give other images of His kingdom (vv. 21–34). The divine power that will cause Jesus’ kingdom to flower on earth was revealed, as Christ calmed a storm (vv. 35–41), cast out demons (5:1–20), healed (vv. 21–34), and even raised a dead child to life (vv. 35–43).

Understanding the Text
“A farmer went out to sow his seed” Mark 4:1–9. The first parable Jesus told is familiar, perhaps because He later interpreted it so that we understand its meaning. What the farmer sowed, scattering in carefully measured casts, was the Word of God. Even though some fell on ground in which it could not grow, the Word was sure to produce a crop.
Today over 1,500 radio stations, hundreds of local TV stations, and thousands of churches in the United States scatter God’s Word to our population. Yet I’ve recently been impressed on how ineffective we are as communicators. My wife teaches 11th grade American Literature here in Florida. Many of our early American writers, steeped in the Puritan tradition, made allusions to the Bible in their poetry and stories. What Sue finds is that even in her honors classes, most teens are totally ignorant of the Bible. They read Huck Finn, but have no idea what Twain is referring to when he mentions “Moses and the Bullrushers.” They have never heard of the Flood, and one teen expressed awed wonder as Sue explained the Virgin Birth, saying, “Did that really happen?”
The image Jesus used was that of a farmer, walking in his own field, rather than that of a king or emperor sitting in his palace and writing out decrees. What’s the difference? The farmer owned only a small field, but worked it carefully. He himself walked where he scattered his seed. If communication of God’s Word is to be effective, we need to scatter the Good News where we ourselves walk. For all their apparent power, Christian radio and TV fail to place the seed where it must be if it is to grow and produce fruit.

“Some people are like seed along the path” Mark 4:10–20. In this parable the “seed” has a dual meaning. It is about both the word sown, and the soil on which the seed fell.
The parable suggests that we each have two responsibilities. We are to sow the word as we walk in our own fields. And we are to prepare our own hearts, so that when we hear the Word, it will grow and produce a crop in our lives.

“Don’t you put it on its stand?” Mark 4:21–23 One of the most fascinating features of parables is that the same parable may be used to make different points in different contexts. In Mark 4 the riddle of the lamp on a stand has a different intent than in Matthew 5.
Here Jesus speaks of “the” lamp, not, as the NIV, “a” lamp. In Mark the reference is to Christ Himself. Though at the moment His true identity was hidden, God would surely disclose it, for His identity is “meant to be brought out into the open.”
How was Christ’s true identity, concealed during His life on earth, brought into the open? Paul said in Romans 1:4 that Jesus was “declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.” There is no question now about who Jesus is.

“Consider carefully what you hear” Mark 4:24–25. This is a basic principle of the spiritual life. We must appropriate what we learn, and use it. The more we apply truth the better able we are to understand and apply more.
On the other hand, if we fail to apply what we learn, we soon lose it and the capacity to learn more. There’s a saying that sums up this teaching most effectively. Use it. Or lose it.

“The seed sprouts and grows” Mark 4:26–29. Christ’s present kingdom has two dimensions: the human, and the divine. The Parable of the Sower emphasized each by speaking both of the ability of the Word to produce a crop and of the hearer as soil. Divine/human cooperation produced an abundant crop.
In verses 24–25 Jesus emphasized the importance of considering carefully what we hear. As we respond to His Word, more truth will be given to us. In this saying, it almost seems that spiritual growth is our responsibility alone. But here, in the next verses, Jesus looked at the supernatural element, and drew an analogy. A farmer sows seed, it takes root, and somehow “all by itself,” the seed sprouts and grows. Miraculously, the soil produces a crop. Does the farmer understand the process, or control it? Not at all. He simply plants the seed and observes as the transformation takes place.
In the same way, the Word of God taken into our lives “sprouts and grows, though [we do] not know how.” In some mysterious, supernatural way “all by itself the soil produces grain.” We can’t explain how God works in our lives. We can’t even observe the process of transformation, though we will surely see its results. What we can and do know, however, is that God is at work in us as we welcome His transforming Word.

“It is like a mustard seed” Mark 4:30–32. The mustard seed is not the smallest of all seeds, but was the smallest seed then planted in the Middle East (v. 31).
The Jewish people, eager for the Messiah to come and save them from Roman domination, expected Him to appear in great power and immediate glory. Instead the Christ came as a simple Man of Galilee and, rather than assemble armies, taught and healed the sick. This was insignificant in many an eye. But while the origin of Jesus’ kingdom might seem small, the kingdom is destined to dominate, even as this “largest of all garden plants” ultimately dominates the garden in which it is planted. One day Christ will come, and His kingdom will fill the whole earth.

“Many similar parables” Mark 4:33–34. There is a pattern in these parables. In speaking of His kingdom Jesus focused first on the present work of God within the believer, and concluded by speaking of a future, obvious work of God in the world.
For now, the kingdom’s Word is sown, and produces fruit—very personal, subjective fruit. Yet kingdom power was openly displayed in Jesus’ resurrection (vv. 1–23). For now, the kingdom’s Word is heeded only by believers. Yet the kingdom is destined to dominate all when Christ returns (vv. 24–34). The greatest present evidence of Christ’s royal authority is found in the lives of men and women who have heard and who respond to God’s Word.
What a privilege today, to be living proof that Jesus lives; living testimony to the fact that soon He will return.

“A furious squall came up” Mark 4:35–41. We now come to a series of reports of miracles that Jesus performed. Why does Mark place these here, rather than somewhere else? Because Jesus had been speaking about God’s hidden kingdom work in the lives of His people. While a transformed life is certainly evidence of God’s work among us, it is not objective evidence. It is not the kind of clear, visible proof that so many seemed to require. So, in a series of miracle stories, Mark demonstrated to each reader the ultimate power that Jesus possesses. How wise we are to trust an all-powerful Jesus, even if His present work is experienced subjectively in human lives.
And what of this first miracle? It shows Jesus’ authority over nature. Christ can stop the winds and still the waves with a word. Even natural laws, to which we humans must adjust, are subject to Jesus’ will.

“Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” Mark 5:6–20 There are many helpful thoughts to develop from this passage. We might focus on the plight of the possessed man (vv. 1–5, see DEVOTIONAL). We might note the reaction of the people, who valued their pigs more than the tormented man’s sanity (vv. 11–17). We might notice the witness of a man who had personal experience of Christ’s power to change lives (vv. 19–20). Yet the main point of the story here is to affirm Jesus’ power over all supernatural forces that are ranged against humankind.
As we commit ourselves to live as citizens of His kingdom, we can be confident of His protection.

“Power had gone out from Him” Mark 5:21–34. As Jesus was on the way to the home of a dying girl, He was touched by a woman with chronic bleeding. The search for a cure had cost her all she had, and drained her of hope. But when she heard about Jesus, she became convinced that if she could only touch His clothing she would be healed. And she was.
Again Mark selected a particular miracle to drive home his point. Christ, Ruler of the secret kingdom of God, has power over nature, over demonic powers, and over every illness. Knowing Jesus has such power gives us confidence to live by His Word, even if He should not choose to heal every believers’ disease now.

“Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Mark 5:35–43 The final miracle demonstrated Christ’s power over death itself. In a quiet display of His ultimate authority in the privacy of an inside room, Christ raised a dead girl to life again. Even man’s greatest enemy must bow to the power of Jesus Christ.
In reporting these miracles, Mark did not intend us to expect repeats today. The present kingdom of God has a “secret,” inner expression. One day, when Jesus comes again, all these powers will be openly displayed. Then, suffering and death will be no more. Until then, we live by faith in a King who can but who has chosen not to display His power openly. And yet faith has its rewards even now. In the fruit God’s Word produces in us, the kingdom of Jesus flourishes today.

DEVOTIONAL
It Goes with the Territory
(Mark 5:1–20)
When Richard Rameirez, the Satan-worshiping “Night Stalker,” and killer of at least 13 persons, was led away after hearing the jury’s “guilty” verdict, he remarked, “Big deal. It goes with the territory.”
That’s what we note in the first five verses of Mark 5. Here is a demon-possessed man, living among the tombs and wandering the hills, night and day crying out and cutting himself with stones. Here is a tormented man, without friends and without hope. And Mark wants us to understand that this too “goes with the territory.” Anyone in Satan’s grip is sure not only to hurt others, but to suffer himself!
But then Jesus appeared, and released the demon-possessed man from his supernatural tormentors. And suddenly we find him, well again, clothed, and in his right mind (v. 15). What a contrast! And what a change, as the man returned to his home, joyously telling everyone how much the Lord had done for him.
Perhaps this is our key to understanding the real power of Jesus’ present kingdom. God is doing something more important than marshalling armies, rebuilding a temple, and establishing His authority openly on this earth. He is working in the hearts and lives of those wandering in darkness, and releasing them from every torment that “goes with the territory” Satan controls.
For you and me, citizens of Jesus’ kingdom who have sworn allegiance to Him, there is the experience of the grace of God that frees us to love others, and to serve a Lord who is committed to do us good.

Personal Application
Look for evidence of God’s kingdom within your life and the lives of others.

Quotable
“And if thou be not in the kingdom of Christ, it is certain that thou belongest to the kingdom of Satan, which is this evil world.”—Martin Luther

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

LORD OF THE SABBATH
Mark 2–3

“The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath” Mark 2:28.

Jesus continued to act decisively despite opposition. In incident after incident Jesus demonstrated that He is the Son of God.

Background
Galilee. Most of the ministry reported in Mark took place in Galilee. In the first century Judea and Galilee were both predominantly Jewish districts. But the sophisticated men of Judea looked down on their coreligionists in Galilee as country bumpkins. Galileans were also viewed with contempt because they tended to be much less strict in their observance of multiple laws added by sages to the 613 statutes Jewish scholars had identified in the Old Testament. The Pharisees and “teachers of the Law” mentioned in Mark were almost certainly from Judea, come down to hear and evaluate the charismatic figure rumor held to be teaching and healing in Galilee.
The critical spirit of these experts in Old Testament and rabbinical law is clearly seen in these two chapters. Jesus, however, continued to act as boldly and spontaneously as before, even when His action brought Him into direct conflict with men the people generally respected as Judaism’s spiritual leaders. In the conflict Christ not only claimed, but demonstrated, His lordship. As events make clear, one must either accept Jesus’ claims, or reject them. There can be no compromise in our attitude toward the Son of God.

Overview
Jesus’ claim to forgive sins (2:1–12), His association with sinners (vv. 13–17) and failure to fast (vv. 18–22) ignited opposition. Jesus’ claim of lordship over the Sabbath then aroused the Pharisees’ murderous hostility (v. 23–3:6). Yet crowds and His disciples still followed Jesus (vv. 7–19). Jesus denounced a charge that Satan was behind His miracles (vv. 20–30), and claimed relationship with all who do God’s will (vv. 31–35).

Understanding the Text
“Why does this Fellow talk like that?” Mark 2:1–12 The phrase “this Fellow” showed the contempt the erudite delegation from Judea had for Jesus and other Galileans. But they clearly understood Jesus’ pronouncement of forgiveness of a paralyzed man’s sin as an act that implied a claim of Deity (v. 7).
The claim was proven when Jesus performed a healing miracle, after designating evidence of His power to forgive sins: the paralyzed man got up and walked out at Jesus’ command.
Like many today, those religious leaders acknowledged the meaning of Christ’s words. But they were unwilling to accept the evidence of His acts.
Yet this was Mark’s thrust. Mark intended to prove by an accurate report of what Jesus did in Galilee, that He is, as He claimed, the very Son of God.

“When Jesus saw their faith” Mark 2:1–5. What was it that led to the wonderful exercise of Jesus’ authority described in this story? It was “their” faith. It was the faith of a paralyzed man, joined with and strengthened by the faith of friends who cared enough to carry him to Jesus, and then to dig through a roof to reach Him.
Let’s learn from this story the importance of mutual support. We each need others who will trust God with us, and will come to the Lord with us.

The flat roofs of houses in Galilee were made of mud, daubed on layers of beams and branches, and then rolled flat and smooth. The Mark picture of “digging through” the roof in order to lower the man down to Jesus is totally accurate.

“Tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were eating with Him and His disciples” Mark 2:13–17. A basic tenet of the religious in the first century was that to remain “clean,” they must isolate themselves from “sinners.” If they had any contact with sinners, they would surely be contaminated! To see Christ eating with such people shocked the delegation of religious leaders come to Galilee to pass judgment on the young Prophet.
We need to take Jesus’ example to heart today, and meditate on His answer. Jesus came to heal the spiritually sick, not to retreat to some spa where He could lie around with the righteous. Nor is our mission to the spiritually healthy, but to sinners who need to be called back to God.
Jesus lived, and teaches us to live, a dynamic kind of holiness. Our holiness is not attained by isolating ourselves from sinners, but by being constantly filled with love for God and for others.

“How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but Yours are not?” Mark 2:18–22 This kind of question is still asked often today. It’s not a question of theology—why do you believe what you do? It’s not even a question about morality—why do you live as you do? No, it’s a question about a nonessential practice.
The Old Testament called for fasting on only one day each year—the solemn Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:31). Yet by the first century, the ultra-religious fasted twice a week, on Monday and Thursday. This was a 12 rather than 24-hour fast, from morning to evening. But it was something extra a person did in order to please God—or to appear especially pious. It was one of those “do’s” or “don’ts” adopted to set a religious person apart from the “less spiritual.”
Jesus spoke of new patches that never fit an old garment, and old wineskins that split if filled with unfermented grape juice. The revelation Jesus brought simply would not fit in the categories of first-century Jewish spirituality. In the same way, the quality of a modern believer’s life in Christ cannot be squeezed into the categories some Christians use to measure behavior. So let’s concentrate on celebrating Jesus, and loving others for His sake.

“What is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:23–3:6 The Old Testament commanded the Jewish people to keep the Sabbath Day holy. But, aside from forbidding “work” on the Sabbath, and such things as buying and selling, no details of Sabbath-keeping are provided. Concerned lest anyone even inadvertently do what should not be done on the Sabbath, sages had over the centuries since the Babylonian Exile developed long lists explaining what one must not do. The restrictions were spelled out in detail. For instance, a person might spit on a rock on the Sabbath. But not on dry earth. The spittle might move some of the dirt, and thus “plow.”
It was just this kind of detail that the Pharisees criticized when Jesus’ disciples plucked grain to eat as they walked. Old Testament Law permitted a person walking along a path to eat what grew next to it. It was simply that the Pharisees classified plucking the grain as “harvesting,” and thus “work” on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ response dealt with the Pharisees’ approach to the Law. Scripture itself tells of a time the high priest violated a direct divine command by giving David and his companions altar bread when they were hungry (v. 25). Why then should His disciples go hungry for a merely human statute?
When the same issue was raised another time, Jesus restored a cripple’s hand, saying, as Lord of the Sabbath, that doing good is always right, even on the Sabbath.
Why did this make the Pharisees so furious? Because their entire claim to spiritual superiority was based on rigorous observation of just such man-made rules. And Christ dared to set such things aside as irrelevant!
The passage forces us to stop and evaluate. Do we measure spirituality by some list of do’s and don’ts? Or do we take Jesus as our model, and concentrate not on our acts of piety, but on a spontaneous response to the needs of others for Christ’s sake?

“Many people came to Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan” Mark 3:7–12. While the religious leaders were repelled by Jesus, great crowds gathered to Him from miles around. The excitement was not generated by what He taught as much as by the desire to experience or see some of His healings.
There’s nothing really wrong with this. We all probably come to Jesus first out of a sense of personal need, and in hopes that He can meet that need. But later we must learn to love Him for His own sake, rather than for what He does for us.

“Designating them apostles” Mark 3:13–19. The word apostle means “one sent on a mission.” In New Testament times an apostle represented the person who sent him, and was treated with the courtesy due to his sender. At the same time, the apostle was to accurately and faithfully reflect his sender.
The Twelve named here carried out that mission, even to the extent of driving out demons. What’s important for us to note is that, even in the Gospel era, the Son of God carried on His work through representatives. Today you and I also have the privilege of representing Jesus to others. Let’s rejoice that the effectiveness of our ministry does not depend on us, but on the Son of God who works actively through us.
What we undertake, He will do.

DEVOTIONAL
Your Considered Opinion, Please
(Mark 3:20–30)
It sounds so grim. So final.
The “unforgivable” sin.
The thing that a person does which places him beyond any hope of salvation.
I suppose it’s no wonder that some folks torment themselves wondering whether they’ve committed this sin. But the one absolutely certain fact is, that no one who is worried could possibly have committed the sin Jesus was talking about in this passage.
Think about it.
A delegation of religious leaders had come down from Jerusalem to see this young upstart, Jesus, who was preaching and healing without a license from them. They stayed in Galilee for a few weeks, questioning Him and watching His healings. It was increasingly clear that Jesus wasn’t someone they could control. And also that what He was teaching contradicted their approach to religion. In fact, He was a threat!
But it was also clear that He was performing real miracles. Healings were taking place. And evil spirits were being expelled, crying out that Jesus is the Son of God (v. 11).
So, what were the teachers of the Law from Jerusalem going to do? They had to either abandon their most deeply held beliefs (and their positions), or they had to find some basis for denouncing Christ and rejecting His claims. And this was what they did. They reached and announced their considered opinion: Jesus was in league with Satan! He was casting out demons because the prince of demons let Him.
This is the key to understanding the “unforgivable sin.” It’s looking at all the evidence provided by the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ actions, carefully considering the options, and then choosing to see what Christ did as the work of Satan rather than God.
Why then did I say that anyone worried about committing the unforgivable sin today can be sure he or she hasn’t? Simply because if you’re anxious that Jesus won’t save you, you obviously believe that He can. You may be worried about the quality of your own faith. But your considered opinion is that Jesus is the Saviour. You haven’t rejected the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus: you agree with it!
So what then should you do? Take heart. Jesus came, as Mark 2:17 reminds us, to call sinners. He is ready, willing, and eager to accept you into His family. And since you believe He can save you, all you need do is accept the gift of life He brings. Tell Him, “I accept” and, the transaction done, eternal salvation will be yours.

Personal Application
You and I meet the only qualification Scripture gives to applicants for salvation: we have sinned. And Christ died to forgive sinners.

Quotable
“A man who believes himself a sinner, who feels himself sinful, is already at the gates of the kingdom of heaven.”—Francois Mauriac

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Mark

INTRODUCTION
According to very early tradition, this Gospel is based on the preaching and eyewitness stories told by the Apostle Peter. It was probably written between A.D. 65–70. The numerous explanations of Aramaic words and Hebrew practices suggest Mark wrote for Gentile readers. In the blunt, vigorous speech of the common man, Peter’s interpreter, John Mark, portrayed Jesus as a Man of action, whose nature and mission can best be grasped by observing His works. Almost a third of this Gospel is devoted to the Crucifixion and events of the last week of Christ on earth.

THE SON OF GOD
Mark 1

“A voice came from heaven: ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased’ ” (Mark 1:11).

With almost no introduction, the author plunged into an account of events that proved his theme: Jesus is the Son of God.

Background
John Mark. A very early tradition, traced back to the Apostle John himself, identifies Mark as the writer of this Gospel. He apparently accompanied Peter when Peter was in Rome, and according to very early church historians, reflected Peter’s preaching in his Gospel.
But John Mark himself has a fascinating story. He was the young son of an early Jerusalem convert, a woman to whose house Peter went after he was released from prison (Acts 12:12). Mark traveled briefly with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (13:5). But Mark deserted the missionary team (v. 13). Paul was so upset with him that when Barnabas insisted on taking Mark (who was also his cousin) on another journey, the two seasoned missionaries split up (15:36–41).
Yet later we meet Mark again, in Paul’s epistles! There we see Paul’s attitude had changed: Mark was not only to be welcomed by the churches the apostle had founded (Col. 4:10), but in prison Paul asked that Mark come to him “because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).
What a lesson these few verses about Mark have for us today. First they warn us. Let’s not be too quick to give up on young people. They can and will make mistakes. But with the kind of loving care and second chances that Barnabas fought to give Mark, they can grow and change.
Second, these verses encourage us. Like John Mark, you and I may at times go back on our commitment to the Lord or to ministry. How wonderful to realize that such failures do not disqualify us. John Mark not only went on to become a leader in the early church—God chose him to write one of the books of our Bible!
Whenever we open the Word of God to Mark’s Gospel, we’re reminded that God is willing to give us too yet another chance—and that if we take that chance, He will use us for His glory.

Overview
John the Baptist came in accordance with prophecy to announce Jesus’ appearance (1:1–8). At Christ’s baptism He was identified as the Son of God (vv. 9–13). He began His work by calling disciples (vv. 14–20), driving out evil spirits, and healing (vv. 21–34). Jesus found strength in prayer as He traveled throughout Galilee (vv. 35–39), demonstrating God’s compassion by His healings (vv. 40–45).

Understanding the Text
“The Son of God” Mark 1:1. In Hebrew and in the Aramaic spoken by Jews in the first century, “son of” often represented descent or dependence. In one sense human beings and angels are “sons of” (beings created by) God.
Yet “son of” can have another meaning: a meaning that is rooted in identity. To say a person is a “son of man” means that he or she is a human being.
In what sense did Mark use “Son of God” in his very first verse? Clearly in the most significant sense: Jesus is one with God. Jesus is God.
Mark did not argue this point. Instead he went on to demonstrate it, reporting a series of unique events and acts that made it clear just who Jesus is.
Perhaps this is one of the greatest values of Mark’s brief Gospel. As we read, we are reminded again and again that the One whose adventures we share is the Son of God, come to live in our world; come to display in all He says and does the once-hidden character of our God. If we keep this in mind, we will often be awed by Jesus’ display of the love and grace of God. And we will often be moved to pause and praise.

“So John came, baptizing” Mark 1:2–8. With no further introduction, Mark went into the exciting events that preceded Jesus’ public appearance. In fulfillment of prophecy God sent a messenger to prepare the way for His Son. The messenger, John the Baptist, predicted One “more powerful than I” was to appear soon. He urged his listeners to prepare by repenting, and offered water baptism as a sign of repentance and appeal for forgiveness.
Yesterday a Christian sportsmanship award was given to a member of our church softball team. When the “Jim Smith Award” was given, the presenter had to choke back his tears. You see, Jim Smith had been his “John the Baptist.” Some years earlier Jim had guided him to Christ and shown him how to live a Christian life.
You and I too can continue John the Baptist’s ministry. Like Jim Smith, we can speak of the “more powerful One” who is about to appear again. We too can urge people to change their hearts and minds about God, and receive forgiveness. We can promise that those who do look to God’s Son, Jesus, will not only be forgiven but will also receive God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. We can understand our mission in life as Jim Smith and John the Baptist understood theirs—the mission of messengers sent to “prepare the way for the Lord” in the hearts and lives of our friends.

“You are My Son, whom I love” Mark 1:9–12. John said little about the baptism or temptation of Jesus. What he did say was clear evidence of Christ’s deity. During the baptism, John saw the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, and heard a voice identify Christ as God’s Son (v. 11). And, after being tempted by Satan, “angels attended Him.”
Thus three lines of testimony identify Jesus as Son of God: the testimony of the Old Testament prophets, the testimony of God Himself, and the testimony of miraculous events.
It’s encouraging to remember when we do undertake a John the Baptist-like ministry and point others to Jesus, that God still testifies to Christ’s identity as we share Him. We have the external witness of Scripture. We have the internal witness of God’s voice, speaking directly to the heart of the person we’re witnessing to. And we have the miracle of God’s transforming work in our own lives.

“They left their nets and followed Him” Mark 1:14–20. The other Gospels make it clear that Jesus and these fishermen had spent time together before the call described here. But notice what Mark emphasized in his story. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, they left their nets “at once” (v. 18). “Without delay” He called John and James, and they responded so quickly that they “left their father . . . in the boat” (vv. 19–20).
The urgency we sense here permeates the Book of Mark. Jesus needed to reach as many as possible in the few short years of His ministry. And He needs now, as He needed then, disciples who feel the urgency too.

“He even gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey Him” Mark 1:21–34. Mark continued to demonstrate the truth of Jesus’ deity. He taught with “authority.” He cast out evil spirits, who knew and identified Him as “the Holy One of God.” He healed all sorts of diseases. As the news spread over Galilee, it was increasingly clear that a unique Individual had appeared.
For some strange reason our day has seen a rise in interest in the occult. Horror books and films dwell on the demonic, and more than one serial killer has committed his or her crimes in the name of the devil. Many high schools even have small groups of Satan worshipers, perhaps in imitation of music groups that exploit the dark side of spirituality. Even in our little Florida county, the sheriff’s office made it a point to ask teachers to report any indications of Satan worship by teens!
How good it is to remember that Jesus truly is the Son of God. All Satan’s forces are helpless before Him.

“Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man” Mark 1:40–45. If we ever wondered whether the Gospel ministry should focus just on preaching salvation, or involve meeting a wide range of human needs, here’s our answer. We follow Jesus’ example.
Lepers in biblical times were not only diseased, but also were social outcasts. They were cut off from all normal contact with healthy persons, and suffered not only from their sickness but also from isolation and rejection. When one such person came to Jesus, the text says He was “filled with compassion.” The Greek word indicates that Christ was deeply moved. But it indicates more. It suggests an empathy and emotional response that moves a person to action. In His action Jesus not only healed the leprosy, but He also touched the leper. Christ was sensitive to the need for healing, but also sensitive to the need of this rejected man for the touch of another human hand. Christ’s love moved Him to meet the psychological as well as physical and spiritual need.
No human need should be ignored by those whose mission is to introduce others to Jesus Christ, for Christ’s concern extends to every need a human being may have.

DEVOTIONAL
Boring and Offensive
(Mark 1:35–39)
That’s what my wife called yesterday’s sermon. “Boring and offensive.” No, I wasn’t preaching. And neither was our pastor. It was a guest preacher, who exhorted our congregation to greater involvement in social action. But in the process downplayed the importance of nurturing personal relationship with the Lord. “That,” my wife later insisted, “is a perfect illustration of secular humanism.” And she’s totally down on that.
As usual, my wife’s analysis was quite accurate. Yet the last incident in this chapter pictures Jesus’ deep concern for the physical and psychological health of a leper! Isn’t that social action?
Of course it is. And it tells us, as the preacher yesterday tried to, that you and I too are to have honest concern for social and psychological needs, as well as for the spiritual needs of others. The problem arises only when we isolate our relationship with God from our works. What bothered my wife was the fact that every kind of ministry has to be rooted in and grow out of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Ministry is no substitute for fellowship with God, just as good works are no alternative to salvation.
What we see in this story is that Jesus’ own ministry of preaching and service was rooted in, and grew out of, His personal relationship with the Father.
That’s what’s so challenging. Jesus was so active. He was concerned about every need of the people of Galilee. He was constantly on the go; always in ministry. And yet even Jesus could not afford to neglect time alone with His Father. So what did Jesus do? He got up early. He went off to pray “while it was still dark” because He knew every daylight hour would be taken up serving others and preaching His Good News.
“That’s why I have come,” Jesus said, referring to His preaching. He had to get His work done. But in order to minister effectively, He had to have His time with God too.
That’s really what was wrong with yesterday’s sermon. It failed to remind us that whatever we do, it must flow from our relationship with Jesus, and that even the doing of good deeds must never be allowed to supplant time devoted to deepening our relationship with our Lord.

Personal Application
To be effective in any ministry, spend significant time in prayer first.

Quotable
“I have so much work to do today, I had to spend two hours in prayer first to be able to get it done.”—Martin Luther

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Jude

INTRODUCTION
Jude is thought to be the brother of James and half-brother of Jesus. His short book is an urgent warning against those who were already introducing false teaching into the churches. God will punish those who turn from Christ and godliness, but preserve those who keep themselves in His love.

FALSE TEACHERS
Jude

“They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 4).

Hold fast to Jesus and godliness, and God will surely hold fast to you.

Biography: Jude
Jude’s identification of himself as the brother of James, and a very early tradition, has led to his likely identification as a half-brother of Jesus Himself (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). James’ humility in introducing himself only as a servant of Jesus may reflect his early rejection of his half-Brother as the Messiah (cf. John 7:5; Acts 1:14). While the letter is undated, if the author is Jude the brother of Jesus, its date probably falls somewhere betweenA.D 60 and 80, as it reflects a concern for false teachers that is characteristic of the later letters of Paul and Peter, as well as John.

Overview
Jude wrote to warn of false teachers in the church (vv. 1–4), who will surely be judged by God (vv. 5–16). But believers who hold fast to Jesus and godliness (vv. 17–23) will be upheld by God, who merits our praise (vv. 24–25).

Understanding the Text
“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance” Jude 1–2. References in the Gospels to Jesus’ half-brothers suggests that some hostility existed on their part. They weren’t at all happy at the notoriety Jesus gained as He began His preaching and healing ministry in Galilee. No doubt, like siblings everywhere, they thought to themselves, “What’s so special about HIM?”
Yet after Jesus’ resurrection we find the brothers, with Mary and the disciples, praying in an upper room (Acts 1:14). The Baby born to their mother, the older Brother who roughhoused with them and took care of them as they grew up, was at last known by them as the Son of God.
It’s one thing to know Jesus in the flesh. Today millions celebrate Christmas with no more insight into who Jesus really is than His brothers had. But when anyone comes to know Him as Son of God and Saviour, they like Jude find in Him mercy, peace, and grace in abundance.

“Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” Jude 3. Some things in life are relative. I prefer green, someone else prefers blue. I like popcorn. Someone else likes potato chips. With preferences, it doesn’t make any real difference.
Truth is different. It is absolute, in the sense that truth remains fixed and sure despite human preferences. And so Jude reminds us that when someone says, “I prefer to think of Jesus as just a good man,” we can’t respond, “OK. But I prefer to think of Him as God.”
Contending for truth doesn’t mean being hostile, or shouting at those who do not believe. But it does mean making sure people realize that truth isn’t a matter of preference. Someone may well say, “I prefer to think of Jesus as just a good man.” But when they do, that’s our cue to answer, “I’m really sorry about that. You see, the Bible says Jesus is God the Son, and your whole future depends on whether or know you accept the truth of of that claim.”

“Have secretly slipped in among you” Jude 4. Yesterday our Sarah came home from Sunday School, wearing a large paper medallion around her neck, that said in letters two inches high, “I am forgiven.”
False teachers don’t wear medallions around their necks, announcing, “I am a false teacher.” Instead they slip in secretly. They pretend to be believers, and only after being accepted do they begin to smuggle their heresies into the congregation.
Jude, as did Peter and Paul, reminds us that try as they will, false teachers can’t hide two identifying marks. They deny Jesus Christ, making Him out to be less than God. And they twist that grace which frees us from the grip of sin into a license for sin.
Christmas is our great reaffirmation that Jesus Christ is God, come in the flesh. In remembrance of God’s great gift, let’s rededicate ourselves to live holy and godly lives.

“I want to remind you” Jude 5–7. Jude pointed to three groups whose experience reminds us that God does punish sin. The three groups are linked first in that each rebelled against God, and second, in that each when rebelling turned to immorality.
The most unusual group here is that of “angels who did not keep their position of authority.” Comparing Jude’s reference to first and second-centuryB.C Jewish works, he appears to refer to the “sons of God” of Genesis 6:4 who assumed bodies to mingle with the “daughters of men.” This radical violation of the creation order led to the guilty angels being “kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment.”
Jude’s point is clear. God will most certainly punish the false teachers who share the spiritual and moral depravity exhibited by the Exodus generation, by fallen angels, and by the homosexual communities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Let’s not hesitate to affirm this truth too. Sin merits punishment. And punishment will surely be meted out.

“These dreamers” Jude 8–10. I read science fiction now and then. Flights of the imagination that create new worlds and new cultures intrigue me. But I never mistake the imaginary world of some author for reality.
That’s the problem with false religious teaching. It abandons the reality unveiled in Scripture, and substitutes man’s imagination. “These dreamers” act like “unreasoning animals” in that they ignore spiritual truths and imagine a world in which they can give full reign to their natural baser passions.
This is the utmost arrogance, and Jude alluded to a popular story of his day in which the archangel Michael is portrayed struggling with Satan for the body of Moses after his death. Even in our fiction, Jude seemed to say, the greatest of the angels hestitates to rebuke a being of higher rank! How arrogant for mere men to speak of spiritual realities that are far beyond their capacity to grasp.
Watch out for those who ridicule spiritual things. What they say tells us nothing about God or angels. But it surely tells us a lot about them!

“Woe to them” Jude 11–13. Jude emotionally piled up images that characterize the false teacher. The way of Cain is to strike out at those who do good. The error of Balaam is to trade spiritual services for worldly wealth. And the destruction of Korah is direct, divine intervention to punish those who rebel against him.
The next series of images are powerful and poetic. Each pictures a phenomenon which promises much, but delivers nothing but harm. To be a shepherd is to promise to care for the sheep, but these shepherds take care of themselves! A dark cloud promises rain, but these false teachers bring only shrieking winds and no water. What a contrast to the thousands upon thousands of faithful pastors who give rather than receive, and who enrich our lives.

“Enoch, the seventh from Adam” Jude 14–20. Jude quoted here from a second centuryB.C religious book called “The Book of Enoch.” Jude’s quotation did not mean he saw this book as Scripture, but does indicate he believed the sentiment expressed to be true. The Lord is coming, and with thousands upon thousands of holy angels (cf. 2 Thes. 1:5–10). When He returns, He will judge. And then the false teachers will receive the punishment they deserve.
Until then, we should expect to find scoffers in the church, who will try to divide us (vv. 17–19). So let’s be doubly careful not to fall into their grasp.

“But you, dear friends” Jude 20–21. The angels sang it on that first Christmas. “On earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14).
The strident calls of scoffers have no appeal to us, who know Jesus as God-sent Babe and risen Saviour. We experience peace, as we concentrate on building ourselves up in “your most holy faith,” on prayer, and on keeping ourselves in love as we wait for Jesus to return. If you and I focus on these things we will experience a peace that certainty no one outside of Christ can possibly know.

“Be merciful to those who doubt” Jude 22. Don’t classify those who doubt with false teachers. There’s a vast difference between honest uncertainty and arrogant unbelief. Jude reminds us to “be merciful” to doubters. Show that you care, try to encourage and help, never condemn. By love and mercy you can take a doubter by the hand and lead him or her to Christ.

“Mixed with fear” Jude 23. Love for the lost must always be tempered by a hatred of sin. Jude warns us against identifying so closely with a sinner that we find ourselves drawn into his or her sin. The fear we feel in reaching out to others is not fear of them, but awareness of our own vulnerability.

DEVOTIONAL
Born a King
(Jude 17–25)
There’s a strange correlation between the Christmas season and Jude’s letter. Christmas brings us vivid images of Baby Jesus, lying in a manger, a helpless Infant, watched over by Mary and Joseph and farm animals. Jude’s powerful warnings against false teachers contain vivid images too: images that make us sense our own vulnerability.
But Jude ended his letter with a paean of praise to One he at last came to recognized as God our Saviour, resplendent in “glory, majesty, power and authority.” Jesus was born a helpless Babe. But He was born a King, and as King He now rules over all.
It’s because of who Jesus is, “before all ages, now and forevermore,” that despite our weaknesses we have complete confidence that whatever schisms tear at the church, we will remain safe and secure. We are secure, not because of the strength of faith in Him, but because of the strength of Him in whom we believe. As Jude says, He “is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault, and with great joy.”

Personal Application
Trust in Jesus, not in your faith in Jesus.

Quotable
“Be persuaded, timid soul, that He has loved you too much to cease loving you.”
—Francois de la Mothe Pennelon

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

CHRISTIAN FREEDOM
Galatians 5–6

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

The Christian is freed from the Law in order to become righteous through Christ.

Overview
Law and grace are conflicting principles (5:1–12). Christians are freed from the Law in order to live a life of love, led by God’s transforming Spirit (vv. 13–25). We must be committed to doing good (6:1–10), as God’s new creations (vv. 11–18).

Understanding the Text
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” Gal. 5:1. The Judaizers argued that by rejecting Mosaic Law, Paul rejected righteousness. And this could not be of God! Casting off the Law must lead to licentiousness: man uncaged would have no reason not to sin!
Galatians 5 and 6 give Paul’s response. There are two ways to handle the beast in man. The approach of Law was to cage the beast, though it eagerly tried to break out. The approach of grace is to change the beast! Removing the bars is safe if the man’s nature can be transformed.
This, Paul tells us, is exactly what God has done! Through Christ God has given us a new nature that can be controlled by the Spirit of God. As we yield to the Spirit, we live righteous lives and we experience a gradual transformation. Christian freedom is no license to live according to our sinful nature. Christian freedom is stepping out beyond the bars, to live a life of love in the Holy Spirit’s power. So freedom from Mosaic Law does not imply a retreat from righteousness. Through grace God has done what Law was never able to do. He has changed us within, and by making us righteous He enables us to live good and holy lives.
Don’t be afraid of freedom. Trust Jesus, respond to the Holy Spirit, and use your freedom to live a life of love.

“Christ will be of no value to you at all” Gal. 5:2–6. Paul was looking here at the Christian life, not at salvation. If any Christian turns to legalism, represented here by circumcision, and struggles to live a good life by self-effort, his union with Jesus “will be of no value.” Paul made his position very clear by going on. The Galatians who decided to follow the Judaizers and were circumcised alienated themselves from Christ. They fell “away from grace.”
What do these frightening verses mean? It’s as if a man with a power lawnmower decided to push the mower back and forth over his yard without ever starting it. He would work harder at mowing than if the motor was on, and would get absolutely nothing done! Paul was saying that when we rely on self-effort, guided by Law, to live the Christian life, Christ, though present within us, is “turned off.” We work so hard. And we get nothing done at all!
Don’t fall away from grace. Fall back on it! Rely completely on Jesus, for “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

“Rather, serve one another in love” Gal. 5:12–15. We Christians truly are free. Free to indulge the sinful nature. Free to serve one another in love. Each choice has consequences, of course. But this does not disguise the stunning fact that God now stands back and says, “You choose.”
Maybe before, you and I had excuses. We blamed our parents, our poverty, our bad luck, or our temptations for our failures. When Christ made us free, however, all those things became irrelevant. Never mind the poor self-image. Never mind your weaknesses. All those things are in the past. In Christ you and I can choose to live a life of love!

“Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” Gal. 5:16–18. The reason that we are truly free isn’t that our past has been changed, or our present feelings have changed. We may still feel inadequate, unsure, hesitant, afraid. We are free because God has given us His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God within enables us.
Freedom doesn’t mean life without conflict. It does mean the possibility of life without defeat! Our weaknesses need not drag us down, our past no longer cripples us. The Holy Spirit is on our side in the war against the desires of our sinful nature. We no longer look to Law, and struggle. We look to the Holy Spirit, trust in Him, and do what is right.

“Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” Gal. 5:19–21. Paul listed activities that characterized man’s sinful nature. Those marked by them are, if we paraphrase, “on the road to hell.”
There’s an implied warning to Christians here. In Colossians 1:13 Paul says that believers have been rescued from the kingdom of Satan, and transferred to the kingdom of the Son He loves. We believers have already inherited the kingdom. We live and breathe its richly scented air, and in our spirit we walk with the angels as we talk with God. But never suppose that believers who choose to gratify the desires of the sinful nature will possess this inheritance now!
We really can choose between living by the sinful nature and by the Spirit. But we can’t choose the consequences. Those are fixed. And the consequence of the wrong choice is a present life choked with petty miseries.

“The fruit of the Spirit” Gal. 5:22–24. We can’t choose the consequences that follow our decision to serve one another in love either. God has already chosen them. What if we make this choice, and live in the power of the Spirit? Then God fills us to overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Have you ever noticed that along the banks of a stream the vegetation is always abundant and luxurious? This is what the Bible says about us. As the Holy Spirit flows freely in our lives, a rich and beautiful character grows. We are filled with love, with joy, with peace. In every relationship we exhibit that patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that mark us as God’s own.
There is no way, however much we plow and harrow, or cultivate and hoe our character, to produce this crop by ourselves. This crop is produced only by God the Holy Spirit, and only in those who live by Him (see DEVOTIONAL).

“Against such things there is no law” Gal. 5:23. The Judaizers insisted that man needs the Law in order to affirm righteousness. Paul has given several answers. (1) Law and grace are opposing principles: you must choose one or the other. (2) Law can be summed up in the call to love one’s neighbor: Christ has freed us to serve one another in love, so Law is no longer necessary. (3) Law cannot release us from bondage to our sinful nature: the Spirit can and so, if we are led by Him, Law is irrelevant.
Now Paul made a final point. Laws are passed against sinful acts. No one would think of passing a law against love, joy, kindness, goodness, or patience. It follows then that Law is irrelevant to Christians who live by the Spirit. What need is there for Law in a heart where love, kindness, and goodness reign?
Commit yourself to Jesus, actively love others, and trust the Spirit to express Himself through you. Do this, and you need not worry about the Law.

“You who are spiritual should restore him” Gal. 6:1–5. What a joy to realize that we aren’t expected to step out into this risky world of freedom alone. God has given us brothers and sisters to walk in the Spirit with us—to restore us when we fall, to hold us up when the load becomes too heavy.
There’s a beautiful interplay between verses 2 and 5 in the Greek. The burden we help others bear is a bare, a heavy load. The load we are to carry on our own is a phortion, the normal load for which we were designed. How wonderful that with the aid of God’s Spirit we are now not only able to meet life successfully, but even to help others for whom the burden is too great.

“A man reaps what he sows” Gal. 6:7–9. Again Paul expressed a basic truth. We can now choose our way of life. But God has chosen the consequences. Let’s follow the path that leads to abundant life!

“What large letters” Gal. 6:11–18. Letters in New Testament times were typically dictated to secretaries, who wrote down the words. The author might pen a few words at the end, as Paul did here. Some see in the “large letters” a suggestion of the eye trouble Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. Others take it as emphatic: see, I’m underlining this!
What did Paul underline? His decisive rejection of the legalistic approach to the Christian life represented by the Judaizers, and his own changeless focus on Christ and His cross. Those who wanted the Galatians to cut their bodies as a sign of submission to Law should go the whole way, and castrate themselves! To impose Law on the Christian Gospel of grace would make the Gospel impotent and void of power.
What counts is that we are new creations in Christ. And because of that renewal, we are free!

DEVOTIONAL
In Step with the Spirit
(Gal. 5:12–26)
It’s such a dazzling prospect! To be free to serve one another in love. To be free from the crushing demands of our sinful nature. To be free to experience love, joy, peace, patience—all those things Paul said the Holy Spirit produces in the believer.
But how disappointed many Christians are as they catch a vision of what can be—and tremble to realize that as far as they are concerned, it is not. How disappointing to want the kind of life Paul described here, fail to find it, and never realize why.
I suspect for many of us the reason why is given in the little phrase in verse 25: “Keep in step with the Spirit.” If you were in the army, you might hear a sergeant shouting it at you. “Keep in step, Recruit! Move it!”
Some folks interpret a legalistic life as a life of trying, and the Spirit-filled life as a life of resting. They wait for the Holy Spirit to direct them. And, all too often, if they don’t feel the Spirit moving, they just sit.
Paul said, “Keep in step with the Spirit.” Don’t sit down. Don’t wait for the Spirit to tap you on the shoulder and point. Move it!
Paul told the same thing in other ways. We’re to “use” our freedom to serve one another (v. 13). Right there we have the Spirit’s marching orders. We don’t need to wait for further instructions. We simply need to get out and start serving! “The only thing that counts,” Paul said earlier, “is faith expressing itself through love” (v. 6).
Again we see the same emphasis. Faith must express itself. Faith is active. It moves! Faith doesn’t sit around waiting. God has work for us to do, and if we really trust God to work in us, we naturally get up and get at it!
It seems so simple. And yet so many of us miss it. Do you believe God’s Spirit lives in you? Do you believe He is able to work through you? Then show your faith by stepping out to serve others in love, and in the serving you will experience the Spirit’s power. And in the serving you will find your own character transformed.

Personal Application
God’s Spirit is at work in the world today. Keep in step with Him.

Quotable
“Every time we say, ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit,’ we mean that we believe there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.”—J.B. Phillips