Mark (Program #35) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (9)

Just two days prior to His death the Lord Jesus gathered with His disciples in a small house in a tiny village of Bethany just outside of Jerusalem.

This little house, the house of a leper that Jesus had cleansed in the beginning of His ministry has become His dwelling place during His final days. Each night He would depart Jerusalem and return to this very humble and simple home. Now as the hours of His death approaches one of the great encounters in all the scriptures take place. Let’s read the account in Mark 14:1-8

“Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to seize Him by craftiness and kill Him,  For they said, Not at the feast, lest there be a tumult by the people.  And while He was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He reclined at table, a woman came, having an alabaster flask of ointment, of very costly pure nard, and she broke the alabaster flask and poured it over His head.  But there were some who were indignantly commenting among themselves: Why has this waste of the ointment been made?  For this ointment could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they were infuriated with her.  But Jesus said, Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a noble deed on Me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you do not always have Me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.
And truly I say to you, Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be told as a memorial of her.”

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Daniel (Program #17) – The Visions of the Overcoming Daniel (7)

The book of Daniel in the Old Testament covers a wide span.  If we have the proper understanding, Daniel shows us the entire Bible actually from Genesis to Revelation.  In fact, it could be said that without Daniel there is no way to understand the Bible as the single unique, divine revelation available to mankind.  We come to our final program today on this life study of Daniel…

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Mark (Program #34) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (8)

Mark chapter 13, is a chapter that’s difficult to understand. In this chapter the Lord Jesus was speaking to His disciples by way of prophecies concerning events that must occur before the ushering in of the kingdom age.

Many people studied this chapter focusing on these prophecies while missing the real significance of His speaking.  For in this chapter He is not just predicting the future events in order to entice us to follow the prophecies but rather He was preparing the disciples as well as all those who would follow the disciples to become His believers in future generations. This preparation was with a definite goal and purpose. Not merely to strengthen our faith in His word by accurately predicting future events. No.  Much more than that.; His speaking in this portion of scripture is to prepare all His seeking ones for the producing and bringing forth of the New Man.

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Daniel (Program #16) – The Visions of the Overcoming Daniel (6)

Anyone who has ever studied history realizes that throughout the ages Israel has been a land of wars and destruction.  Yet it survives and even today after so much turmoil but once again it is the center of the world’s attention and occupies so much space in our newspapers and newscasts.

Daniel saw prophetically that Israel will be such a land of distress.  He also saw how God’s purpose and His people will ultimately prevail as Christ Himself will come to that very place to rule and reign on this earth for a thousand years.

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Mark (Program #33) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (7)

At a critical time during the final few days before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus took the disciples to the Mount of Olives. From that spot looking across to the temple in all its’ splendor, He spoke to them of the coming events that would ultimately usher in the kingdom of God to the earth

Let’s pick up His word to the disciples in Mark chapter 13:1, “And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, Teacher, behold, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!
And Jesus said to him, Do you see these great buildings? There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone which shall not be thrown down.  And as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,  Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?  And Jesus began to say to them, See that no one leads you astray.  Many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ! and will lead many astray.  And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; it must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pangs.”

This phrase, birth pangs is a clear reference to a  coming delivery, a child is been born. But what is this birth that He spoke of and has it taken place,  even yet?  Many clear signs were unveiled in Mark chapter 13.

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Daniel (Program #15) – The Visions of the Overcoming Daniel (5)

Throughout the ages great kingdoms and great nations have battled and men have fought and died.  This kingdoms would come and go and new kings would appear on the scene.  This kind of earthly activity was specially prevalent during the time of Daniel in the Old Testament.  Much of Daniel’s time was occupied by his concern and prayer for Israel.  In chapter 10, the Lord Himself appeared to Daniel as a man and He gave Daniel a look into the unseen spiritual activity going on behind the scenes while all these things were taking place on earth in the physical realm.  We also get a  glimpse into the unseen, spiritual realm on today’s life-study of the Bible from the book of Daniel.

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Mark (Program #32) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (6)

In the last few days of the Lord Jesus’ life on this earth, He was preparing His disciples for this great moment. His preparation to them was as Peter said in 2 Pet 1:19 “And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.“

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Mark (Program #31) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (4)&(5)

In the Old Testament the selection and preparation of the passover lamb was of great importance. Exodus tells us that after selecting the top lamb from the flock, the one without any blemish or imperfection still that lamb would undergo a vigorous inspection during the 4 days prior to been offered up on the day of passover.

As New Testament believers we know that Jesus fulfills the type of the passover lamb, the real Lamb of God, Who is offered up on the day of passover for our sins.  But do we realize in the 4 days prior to His been crucified, He too was examined, tested and inspected by both the religious leaders as well as the leaders of the worldly government. In every way this wonderful one past the testing and was uniquely qualify to be the real Lamb of God.

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Daniel (Program #14) – The Visions of the Overcoming Daniel (4)

The prophet Daniel is often held up as an example of what a godly person should be like.  He was faithful, obedient, diligent and steadfast and he also prayed much. Surely this was one of the giants of the Old Testament.  But not only so, he received visions from God about future events and experienced dramatic miracles.  It is easy to esteem and envy such a one. But of all his attributes, it is his prayer life that serves as the top example.  Because Daniel knew the secret of how to approach the righteous and holy God. He knew never to approach God on the basis of his righteousness and good deeds.  But rather according to God’s compassion and mercy.  Whereas most people take their own need and desires as the focus of their prayer. Daniel prayed always according to God’s Word and God’s need rather than his own. How did God answer such meaningful and effective prayer.  Well, the answer comes from Daniel chapter 9 in the vision of the seventy weeks.

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Mark (Program #30) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (3) & (4)

The Lord Jesus enter into Jerusalem exactly six days prior to His crucifixion. During the first two of these days He was welcomed by the crowd who honored Him and exalted Him really for the first time in His earthly ministry.

The next four days were time of testing and examination by both the religious and the political leaders. These two groups who were natural enemies became united in their desire to defeat the Slave-Savior who had now won the hearts of the people. Various factions of these two groups plotted using the out most of their human cunning and reasoning to trap Him. But each attempt merely afforded the Lord another opportunity to display His marvelous wisdom confounding them on the one hand and inciting them on the other hand to do what they needed to so that He could do what He must do; and that is to be offer up a sacrifice at the hand of these very same leaders, a worldly religion and politics.

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