Mark (Program #39) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (1)

The record in Mark chapters 14 and 15 give a striking account of how the Lord Jesus prepared Himself for His crucifixion. Even manipulating those who would ultimately kill Him to do so according to God’s time table and not man’s.

Often overlook in this portion, however, is that the same chapters also record the experiences of Peter. In a very real sense Peter also was being prepared by the Lord to pass through the process of death and resurrection.

It’s somewhat easy to realize that Peter in these chapters is representative of all the disciples. What’s not so easy to see, but just as significant is that Peter’s experiences of failure upon failure eventually resulting in his been striped of any confidence in his natural strength and ability, represents all of us, the Lord’s believers as well.

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Mark (Program #38) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (12)

Ephesians chapter 1:7-9 tells us that Christ’s all redeeming death was part of God’s eternal plan and purpose. Yet on occasion after occasion when the Lord Jesus spoke concerning His coming death to His disciples especially Peter, they continually express their natural thought that such a thing should never happen to Him.

Furthermore, on the night before His death they one by one declare to the Lord, that they would never deny Him even at the cost of their own lives. Of course we all know the story, Peter representing all the disciples within a few short hours was repeatedly denying the Lord.

On one hand it seems hard to believe that after the Lord had revealed so much to His disciples, that they can still behave in such a way. In fact Peter and his failure is representative of all our natural strength and fleshly concepts.  Yet by the Lord’s mercy, Peter and eventually even all of us His weak and frail seekers are led through a process of Christ’s death has become much more than just an objective fact. We must become those who like Peter enter into His death so that we can ultimately be ushered into the reality of His resurrection.

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Mark (Program #17) – The Move of the Slave-Savior’s Gospel Service (5)

During His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus was continuing harassed by professional opposers. These religious zealots who did not know God in reality but had only the outward trappings of religion and tradition had no way to counter the great and mighty deeds that the Lord accomplished or the rich and nourishing words that He spoke to so many seeking ones. So they were left to try and find any weakness or failure in Him that they may latched onto to discredit Him in His ministry.

Mark chapter 7 gave us such an account and a very interesting one. The opposers were convinced that they had finally discovered something that they might use against Him. Well, what was this grievest deed you might ask?   The Lord Jesus allowed His disciples to break the tradition of the elders and eat their food with unwashed hands.

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Jeremiah (Program #13) – God’s Economy with His Dispensing in Jeremiah (2)

It seems upon casual reading of the Old Testament that the central focus of the book is the law of Moses.  When God brought Moses to the mountain and deliver the ten commandments that surely was a key moment, a key factor in God’s dealing with His people Israel.  But in the New Testament, the apostle Paul tells us that the law was not part of God’s original intention for man, rather it was something added due to man’s failures and sins.   In Galatians chapter 3 he says, “Why then the law? It was added because of the transgressions until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, it being ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. ”  Actually God’s intention for man has never changed.  From the beginning He has desire that He Himself would be everything to man.  And Jeremiah, he lamented that His people Israel had forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters.  If we have this view of God’s eternal desire, our understanding of such Old Testament books as Jeremiah will be greatly uplifted.

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Isaiah (Program #10) – The Judgment of Jehovah Upon the Nations and Its Issue (1)

When God’s people give in to temptation, sin and corruption, God in His righteousness surely must judge and discipline.  Of course, as Christians He also has a way to forgive us and lead us back into His loving presence.  But ultimately the solution for our continuous failures lies not in renew commitment and more earnest and sincere effort.  Rather we need to be fired, terminated and eventually replaced.  We all desperately need to see that God’s solution for us is to be replaced.  Don’t miss this extraordinary life study of the Bible.

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