MEASURES OF THE MESSIAH FROM MARK:
The Walk with Jesus (Mark 13:9-13)
The Walk with Jesus (Mark 13:9-13)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2014
There are consequences for certain actions. There are legal consequences if you exceed the speed limit (and get caught). There are medical consequences if you abuse drugs or alcohol. There are employment consequences if you fail to meet your boss's expectations.
When Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion, the disciples are 'pumped,' ready to accomplish great things. They have not yet grasped the seriousness, the inevitability of Jesus' impending death. For them, this visit holds the prospect of advancing both the kingdom and their own place in it. They are ready to do great things for God. What they are about to get, however, is a reality check, an explanation of what "The Walk with Jesus" will entail for them. Please turn to Mark 13.
When they come to the Mount of Olives, Jesus answers some of the disciples' questions about the future kingdom of heaven. He explains that the end of this world order will not come about for quite some time and that they must be prepared for some difficult experiences. As his disciples, they can and should expect to be persecuted. Their faith will undergo severe testing, so he warns them in v. 9: "You must be on your guard." Jesus explains that people will not always respond positively upon discovering they are his followers. He issues two warnings—neither of which offers any incentive for them to identify with him. If anything, they are a disincentive to discipleship. In vv. 9-11...
I. Jesus warns about legal consequences for disciples (Mark 13:9-11).
Despite the unpleasantness of what Jesus says his followers may face, it does not mean that God has abandoned them. Quite the contrary, in their greatest hour of need...
Most Christians in the U.S. have an idyllic view of discipleship, because being a follower of Jesus costs them very little.6 They suffer no persecution. Their faith does not prevent them from getting a loan or applying to college or going on vacation. In fact, around this area, people generally view a commitment to God quite favorably. Does that mean you will never face what Jesus warns about here?
While many Christians do, indeed, go through life without ever encountering the kind of opposition Jesus describes, the prediction he includes in v. 10 indicates that his admonition applies to more than those in the first century. Matthew preserves a fuller transcription of Jesus' prediction.
However unlikely you are to be on trial for your faith, you still have a responsibility to be a testimony for your faith. Even in rural Pennsylvania, that may not be easy. This area is heavily churched, but it is not entirely Christian. Moreover, some of you venture beyond this area, where fewer of those you meet have a commitment to God. No matter where you are, though, you can still count on the help of the Holy Spirit when you testify about your faith.
It is bad enough that Jesus' followers will be persecuted for their faith, but some will also be executed for their faith. In addition to legal consequences...
II. Jesus warns about lethal consequences for disciples (Mark 13:12-13).
The conditions of Meriam's incarceration were harsh, forcing her to give birth to her child while chained. She could have spared herself, as others had before, by renouncing her faith,11 but she refused, even knowing that her two young children could be taken from her and raised as Muslims. In response to pressure from various Christian groups in the West and, belatedly, from the US State Department, Meriam was released and reunited with her husband. The family has since relocated to New Hampshire, where there is a Sudanese community.12
You will probably never have to endure this kind of persecution for your faith, but there will be other challenges, and how you meet them is a testimony to the seriousness of your discipleship as well as a necessary step in your spiritual growth. As James writes, perhaps echoing some of what Jesus says here...
While the disciples are excited about the coming Kingdom of God, Jesus tempers their enthusiasm with a reality check of the legal and lethal consequences their identification with him will have. To accomplish great things, they will have to endure great things. Are they up to the task? Is devotion to Jesus worth persecution for Jesus? ...On another occasion he said, "whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt 10:33).
When life is not going well, you may wonder if persevering in your faith is worth your effort. Are you up to the task? ...The answer lies in the promise of empowerment now, as God's Spirit speaks through you, and in the prospect of fulfillment later, when God's salvation finally arrives for you. This is what "The Walk with Jesus" entails. Does it describe your walk?
Jeff was a meticulous but mild-mannered engineer. He and his wife Amy were looking forward to being in their new house in the new year. As it was being built, Jeff left notes for the workmen, politely calling their attention to mistakes or oversights. Two weeks before Jeff and Amy were to move in, the floors still were not finished, the bathrooms not tiled, nor were necessary fixtures installed. Amy was sure the work would never be completed in time. On moving day, though, the house was ready to receive them. Curious as to how this feat had been accomplished, Amy went and checked where Jeff always left his notes for the workmen. Posted prominently on the living room wall was his last note: "After January 15...all work will be supervised by our five children."There are consequences for certain actions, some more terrifying than others. In one of the Measures of the Messiah in Mark, Jesus tried to impress upon the disciples the consequences of their commitment to him, what their association with this rabbi might cost them.
When Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion, the disciples are 'pumped,' ready to accomplish great things. They have not yet grasped the seriousness, the inevitability of Jesus' impending death. For them, this visit holds the prospect of advancing both the kingdom and their own place in it. They are ready to do great things for God. What they are about to get, however, is a reality check, an explanation of what "The Walk with Jesus" will entail for them. Please turn to Mark 13.
When they come to the Mount of Olives, Jesus answers some of the disciples' questions about the future kingdom of heaven. He explains that the end of this world order will not come about for quite some time and that they must be prepared for some difficult experiences. As his disciples, they can and should expect to be persecuted. Their faith will undergo severe testing, so he warns them in v. 9: "You must be on your guard." Jesus explains that people will not always respond positively upon discovering they are his followers. He issues two warnings—neither of which offers any incentive for them to identify with him. If anything, they are a disincentive to discipleship. In vv. 9-11...
I. Jesus warns about legal consequences for disciples (Mark 13:9-11).
Mark 13:9 You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.As I said, Jesus' words are a disincentive to discipleship. Who would knowingly and willingly—even eagerly—join a movement that raises the ire of religious and government officials alike? Describing the fate of his followers, Jesus says...1
A. They will forfeit their liberty.Adding insult to injury, he explains that...
The very ones who should be supportive will, in fact, be subversive. That is precisely what happens to many of those who follow this itinerant rabbi.3 Looking for examples in the book of Acts, I was surprised at how many people suffer for their faith.
- Their own countrymen will betray them!2
- Peter and John are arrested and imprisoned, Peter more than once.
- Other apostles are arrested, imprisoned, and flogged.
- Other disciples are arrested and imprisoned.
- Paul and Barnabas are thrown out of Pisidian Antioch.
- Paul and Silas are stripped, beaten, flogged, and imprisoned.
Despite the unpleasantness of what Jesus says his followers may face, it does not mean that God has abandoned them. Quite the contrary, in their greatest hour of need...
B. They will receive immediate help—the Spirit's inspiration.4Therefore, Jesus says...
Again, the book of Acts offers several examples of disciples who were uncharacteristically outspoken under pressure,5 evincing the power of God at work through them.
- They should not grow worried.
Most Christians in the U.S. have an idyllic view of discipleship, because being a follower of Jesus costs them very little.6 They suffer no persecution. Their faith does not prevent them from getting a loan or applying to college or going on vacation. In fact, around this area, people generally view a commitment to God quite favorably. Does that mean you will never face what Jesus warns about here?
While many Christians do, indeed, go through life without ever encountering the kind of opposition Jesus describes, the prediction he includes in v. 10 indicates that his admonition applies to more than those in the first century. Matthew preserves a fuller transcription of Jesus' prediction.
Matt 24:14 ...this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.7Jesus' warning is something disciples in every age will have to take seriously.
However unlikely you are to be on trial for your faith, you still have a responsibility to be a testimony for your faith. Even in rural Pennsylvania, that may not be easy. This area is heavily churched, but it is not entirely Christian. Moreover, some of you venture beyond this area, where fewer of those you meet have a commitment to God. No matter where you are, though, you can still count on the help of the Holy Spirit when you testify about your faith.
It is bad enough that Jesus' followers will be persecuted for their faith, but some will also be executed for their faith. In addition to legal consequences...
II. Jesus warns about lethal consequences for disciples (Mark 13:12-13).
Mark 13:12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.This is where most people would probably draw the line. It is bad enough when others ridicule an individual's beliefs; it is beyond the pale when they kill him because he holds those beliefs, yet that is precisely what Jesus says will happen. Here, too, the book of Acts illustrates his point.8
- Stephen was stoned to death.
- Other disciples were executed.
- Paul was stoned almost to death.
- James was beheaded.
A. They will forfeit their lives.To make matters worse, if they can be any worse...
The very people who should be compassionate will, in fact, be complicit in their death. (For those of you who have loving families, it is probably beyond belief that people could possibly behave this way.) Despite the vehemence Jesus says his followers will experience, it does not mean that God has abandoned them. Quite the contrary, in what appears to be their greatest defeat...
- Their own families will slay them.
B. They will receive ultimate help—their soul's salvation.9Therefore, Jesus says...
Persecution against Christians is foreign to us but not to those living in some other countries, especially where Islam dominates. You may recall the case of Meriam Ibrahim, a pregnant, 27-year old Sudanese doctor, who was imprisoned earlier this year and sentenced to hanging for apostasy, after she received 100 lashes for adultery. The authorities claimed she was a Muslim who converted to Christianity,10 an offense she compounded when she married a Christian (a Sudanese who is a US citizen). Meriam denied the charges, saying that Christianity was the only faith she ever knew, having been raised by an Orthodox Christian mother, but that did not matter to the Sudanese government. Her absentee Ethiopian father was a Muslim, making her, by default, a Muslim.
- They should not grow weary.
The conditions of Meriam's incarceration were harsh, forcing her to give birth to her child while chained. She could have spared herself, as others had before, by renouncing her faith,11 but she refused, even knowing that her two young children could be taken from her and raised as Muslims. In response to pressure from various Christian groups in the West and, belatedly, from the US State Department, Meriam was released and reunited with her husband. The family has since relocated to New Hampshire, where there is a Sudanese community.12
You will probably never have to endure this kind of persecution for your faith, but there will be other challenges, and how you meet them is a testimony to the seriousness of your discipleship as well as a necessary step in your spiritual growth. As James writes, perhaps echoing some of what Jesus says here...
James 1:2b ...whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 ...know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.It is not how much you endure but how well you endure that counts.
While the disciples are excited about the coming Kingdom of God, Jesus tempers their enthusiasm with a reality check of the legal and lethal consequences their identification with him will have. To accomplish great things, they will have to endure great things. Are they up to the task? Is devotion to Jesus worth persecution for Jesus? ...On another occasion he said, "whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt 10:33).
When life is not going well, you may wonder if persevering in your faith is worth your effort. Are you up to the task? ...The answer lies in the promise of empowerment now, as God's Spirit speaks through you, and in the prospect of fulfillment later, when God's salvation finally arrives for you. This is what "The Walk with Jesus" entails. Does it describe your walk?
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs