Category: The Word (Page 27 of 34)

Many Miracles

January 9, 2016 / Allan Babcock

I’ve often longed for the heady days of the early church–permeated with God’s empowering presence (title of an excellent book by Dr. Gordon Fee–http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Empowering-Presence-Spirit-Letters/dp/0801046211/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452105365&sr=1-1&keywords=god%27s+empowering+presence). In some circles today, however, the church is filled with practiced productions and unremarkable routines, but nothing remotely close to the miraculous. With that in mind, here’s a brief look at the early church’s narrative that leads to Sermon 2 of “The Acts Eight”.

After Peter’s Pentecost sermon (https://theoldpreacher.com/not-drunk-like-you-think/), 3,000 were added to the 120 (2:41). The first mega-church. A sizable chunk of an estimated Jerusalem population of 50,000.

Wide-Angle View of the Early Church.

In Acts 2:42-47 author Luke writes a wide-angle view–a summary–of the 3,000-member church’s life in the days following Pentecost . .

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (2:42-47).

Here’s a closer look at Luke’s summary to give us a better picture of the church . . .

Devotion. The Greek word translated “devoted” (proskartereo) means they “occupied themselves diligently” with four things . . .

The apostle’s teaching. They devotedly learned from the apostles Jesus’ teachings. They learned in order to practice. They were all disciples.

Fellowship. They spent considerable time together. If I catch the sense of text correctly, they didn’t squeeze fellowship into a busy schedule. Rather, their days centered in their shared life together. Daily they met in the temple courts. “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” This stuns me whenever I read it. I imagine a family that loses everything due, let’s say, to illness. Others learn of it. They don’t give an offering of spare cash; they actually sell possessions, collect the cash and give it to the needy family. Apparently this was common practice, not a one-time gift. They devoted themselves to this kind of koinonia (fellowship).

The breaking of bread. Luke explains in verses 46,47a–“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” This bread-breaking included joyfully sharing meals together and almost certainly celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

Prayer. This devotion probably included “praising God” (2:47a) as well as praying for unbelievers and interceding for each other’s needs. Whatever form their prayers took, they must have prayed anticipating answers because they knew they prayed to the living Lord.

Signs and wonders. Not only devotion, but miracles marked the early church. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles (2:43). The miraculous wasn’t commonplace; nevertheless, many wonders and signs were done by the apostles evoking a reverent fear, a sense of awe before the miracle-working power of the Lord.

Close-Up View of the Early Church.

In 3:1-10 Luke gives us a close-up view of the early church–in particular the wonders and miraculous signs they experienced. Here it is in my own words . . .

Peter and John were walking to the temple for 3 p.m. prayer time. (Believers in Jesus Messiah still practiced some of the Jewish worship customs.) At the gate called “Beautiful” a man crippled from birth was being carried and set down to beg from the temple-goers. It was how he survived. Coming toward him he saw his day’s first prospects. He begged for money. Instead of rushing past or dropping him a half-shekel, the two looked him straight in the eye and demanded he lift up his head and do the same to them. He looked, expecting money. Peter said, “I have no money, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk!” Peter grabbed the cripple’s hand and helped him up. Immediately the cripple felt strength in his feet and ankles. Suddenly he jumped. Then he began walking around (like we do in the store when trying out a new pair of shoes). From that moment on, the three became a star attraction. Peter and john walked toward the temple; but at their side the former life-time cripple kept jumping and praising God. People couldn’t help but look. And when they recognized who he was–they pointed at him with mouths hung open in amazement (from 3:1-10).

The Church Today.

Except for few who may be fearful of being called “charismatic”, who wouldn’t want to see miracles in the church today? Of course, we can’t make God make miracles. God distributes them according to his will (Hebrews 2:4). But, humbly and needy, we can pray . . .

Miracle-working God who raised Jesus from the dead,
pour out your Spirit on your people today.
We ask for signs and wonders,
not to entertain us, but to heal our hurts and bind up our wounds.
We beg for your full-of-wonder power,
not to attract spectators but to cause the lost to give ear to your Gospel.
We long to know you, Lord,
not just as a quiet comforter but as a rushing wind of power.
We pray for miracles and gifts of the Spirit, Lord,
not to make a name for ourselves but for the glory of your great name.
We humbly pray in the name of the One
with whom nothing is impossible. Amen.

Not Drunk Like You Think (Sermon 1)

January 5, 2016 / Allan Babcock

” . . . do not get drunk on wine . . . but be [drunk] with the Spirit.” With tongue in cheek (I think), John Piper says that’s what Paul meant in Ephesians 5:18. Drunk instead of filled. Peter faces the same mix-up. When they hear the believers ” . . . speak in other tongues” (2:4), some in the crowd mock, “They are filled with new wine” (2:13). Here’s Peter’s “sermon” response . . .

Too Early to Be Drunk.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!” (2:14,15a).

An odd answer. What would he have said if it was 6 p.m? Whatever, Peter quickly moves on to his . . .

Sermon Text.

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'” (2:15b-21).

This “telling the mighty works of God” (2:11) in different languages, Peter explains, is God’s fulfillment of that prophecy. There are four primary points to see . . .

First, since Peter was preaching around 30 A.D., “the last days” began at least about that time—and we are living in them today. Chronologically divide history however you wish; these are the end of days. I know, mockers scoff: “Life goes on as always” (2 Peter 3:3). But we’re in the closing chapter of this world’s time.

Second, these last days are marked by the pouring-out of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is empowering his people to bear witness of him “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8). This is no time to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, NRS) with doctrine that disallows the gifts of the Spirit! This is time to “pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen [us] with power through his Spirit in [our] inner being (Ephesians 3:16).

Third, these last days are marked by universal chaos. Joel prophesied it (Joel 2:1-11). And whatever else these signs may mean—“blood, fire, billows of smoke”, darkened sun, blood moon—they spell chaos on earth. Sounds eerily like today’s news.

Fourth, these last days climax in “the day of the Lord”-—a day of final judgment for unbelievers, but for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord” a day of glorious, eternal salvation!

Jesus Lord and Christ.

The Spirit always points to Jesus. He does that through Peter here. Note these highlights about Jesus as you read Peter’s sermon below.

God certified Jesus by miracles, wonders and signs
According to God’s purpose, they put Jesus to death
God raised Jesus from the dead according to David’s prophetic words
God exalted Jesus to his right hand in heaven
Jesus received the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him out
God has made Jesus both Lord (Yahweh) and Christ (Messiah, Anointed One).

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact . Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (2:22-36).

What Every Preacher Would Love.

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off– for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (2:37-41).

In four decades of preaching, never once did a congregation ask what this crowd did. Yet even without the asking, this what we must do: “Repent and be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of [our] sins.” “Repent” means we change our mind about who we thought Jesus is to who he really is. And we live that repentance out by being baptized in his name and by obeying his commands in this “corrupt generation.”

Peter promises that those who do “will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” He will come to live in us. There will be times when he sweeps us up and overwhelms us with his powerful and loving presence. He will progressively transform us into Christ’s likeness. And he will make us his witnesses to this corrupt generation.

Exalted Lord Jesus Christ,
the believers that day weren’t drunk on wine as the crowd supposed.
They were drunk with the Holy Spirit.
You have received the Spirit from the Father.
Please pour him out again on us,
that we may be empowered to prophetically speak your Good News,
and that many may repent and be added to our number.
For the fame of your name I pray. Amen.

The Acts Eight

January 4, 2016 / Allan Babcock

If I called this blog post “Acts Sermons” we’d all run to our just-remembered root canal appointment. Sermons don’t get the juices flowing. I preached for 44 years; I recognize that eyes-glazed-over look. Hence the title, “The Acts Eight” (eight “sermons”).

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines “sermon” as “a religious discourse delivered in public usually by a clergyman as part of a worship service.” Not one of “The Acts Eight” fits that definition. A “clergyman” didn’t deliver them. (No such critters existed then.) Nor were they delivered in a worship service. Two were preached to a crowd thinking the believers were drunk, one ended when the crowd stoned the preacher, one was a prisoner’s defense before a king, and so on.

Why ponder Acts’ preaching? The sermons reveal what the early church considered central to the Gospel, often in times of conflict. Hopefully they will speak to us as they did then.

To reap benefits from these sermons we have to set them in context. That means following the Acts narrative (because it’s long, we’ll have to read with Bible in hand).

I’m calling the first sermon of The Acts Eight “Not Drunk Like You Think” (Acts 2:14-36). Here’s the narrative that precedes it . . .

In the Last Episode (1:1-5).

Some suggest “Theophilus” may have supported Luke so he could write Luke and Acts. Can’t be sure. In any case, here Luke summarizes what he wrote at the end of the Gospel of Luke–namely, Jesus’ activity in the 40 days between his resurrection and ascension.

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

” . . . many convincing proofs” certify Jesus’ resurrection. The command and promise regarding the Holy Spirit introduce the central role of the Holy Spirit among those early believers and prepare us for what’s coming.

Holy Spirit Will Come Down, Jesus Ascends (1:6-11)

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Here Jesus explains the purpose of the Spirit’s coming: power to be Jesus’ witnesses until he returns.

Matthias Off the Bench (1:12-26). (Due to its length, please read this text in your Bible.)

The apostles, and other Jesus followers (120 in all) obeyed Jesus. Back they went to the city, to an upper room (where they’d celebrated Passover and the Lord’s Supper), where they “were devoting themselves to prayer” as they waited for the promise of the Spirit to be fulfilled.

The rest of this chapter is church-business-meeting minutes. Maybe to fulfill Psalm 109:6-8; 69:24,25, they called Matthias “off the bench” to sub for Judas who’d hanged himself.

Powered (2:1-4)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (2:1-4).

Originally the Jewish Feast of Weeks, Pentecost celebrated the harvest (Exodus 23:16) fifty days after Passover. On this Pentecost “all” 120 were gathered. Suddenly the sound of violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire rested on each one. The Holy Spirit filled them and they spoke in other languages. As Jesus had promised they were “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (1:5) and empowered to be his witnesses (1:8).

My Language or Wine-Talking (2:5-13)? (Again, please read this text in your Bible.)

No wonder these devout Jews “from every nation under heaven” were astounded and perplexed! More than a hundred Jerusalem Jews were praising God at the same time in languages that the “foreign” Jews recognized! “What does this mean?” they wondered. Others, though, dismissed them as drunks.

Overwhelmed by Our Lord’s Presence.

Next time we’ll ponder Peter’s “sermon” to the crowd. For now, let’s consider one personally dynamic meaning of today’s text for us. In his book, Joy Unspeakable, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a 20th century influential Welsh preacher, compares our day-to-day Christian life with what happens when the Holy Spirit “comes upon” us . . .

It is like a child walking along holding his father’s hand. All is well. The child is happy. He feels secure. His father loves him. He believes that his father loves him but there is no unusual urge to talk about this or sing about it. It is true and it is pleasant.

Then suddenly the father startles the child by reaching down and sweeping him up into his arms and hugging him tightly and kissing him on the neck and whispering, “I love you so much!” And then holding the stunned child back so that he can look into his face and say with all his heart, “I am so glad you are mine.” Then hugging him once more with unspeakable warmth and affection. Then he puts the child down and they continue their walk.

This is what happens when a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit. A pleasant and happy walk with God is swept up into an unspeakable new level of joy and love and assurance and reality that leaves the Christian so utterly certain of the immediate reality of Jesus that he is overflowing in praise and more free and bold in witness than he ever imagined he could be.

The child is simply stunned. He doesn’t know whether to cry or shout or fall down or run, he is so happy. The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out. The subconscious doubts—that he wasn’t thinking about at the time, but that pop up every now and then—are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world. And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, “My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!”

Father, I pray for my readers and for myself.
I ask that in our routine daily lives
you might sweep us up and overwhelm us
with your empowering presence.
God the Holy Spirit, we need you
to renew us and refresh us and immerse us with yourself,
so we are assured Jesus lives and loves us,
so joy overflows our heart,
and words about you
and love from you
stream uncontainably
to the people our lives touch.
For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

No One Escapes Suffering

January 1, 2016 / Allan Babcock

Hear that? No one escapes suffering. In my early years I hardly thought about it. I was suffering-free, except for some emotional pains of pastoring. But in my late 6th decade, suffering came. Back trouble hit— from genes and aging. Then came irritating digestive issues. Finally, after several surgeries and multiple tests, doctors decided their diagnosis: primary lateral sclerosis, a chronic and incurable disease that weakens parts of the body, makes walking without assistance impossible and produces other troublesome symptoms.

This morning while exercising I listened to a sermon from 1 Peter (a letter all about suffering), which included this text . . .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith– of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire– may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:3-7).

I preached this several times. But, this morning it awakened me like a jump in a cold swimming pool. I pulled out my Bible and preached it to myself. (If you want to listen to my self-addressed little sermon, you may continue.)

In 1:3-5, Peter praises God for mercifully giving us new birth into a hope that lives through Christ’s resurrection. And he praises God for the imperishable, unspoiling, never-fading inheritance that is ours through faith. This inheritance, Peter writes, is kept in heaven for us and will come through the consummation of Christ’s salvation.

Then in 1:6 he reminds us that this hope/inheritance is a source of great joy. That convicts me, because too often I allow my disability to dampen my joy and it blinds the eyes of my heart to the great good that’s coming.

In the second half of 1:6 Peter has a despite-the-present-reality moment. You greatly rejoice in what is coming (future), “though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” This is the present reality. This is where I live, because no one escapes suffering—not even Christians.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial
when it comes upon you to test you,
as though something strange were happening to you.
(1 Peter 4:12)

Suffering is normal in this sinful, dying world. Suffering is normal for the Christian, because Jesus suffered.

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings
that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed.
(1 Peter 4:13)

But why do I suffer? We all ask that question, right? Why me? Why now? Why this? Is it fate? Bad karma? I look again at 1:6 and 1:7 . . .

In this (your hope/inheritance) you rejoice,
though now for a little while, if necessary (that means God has designed it),
you have been grieved by various trials
so that the tested genuineness of your faith
—more precious than gold that perishes though refined by fire—
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:6,7)

Why do I suffer with this disability? So that my faith may be tested and proved genuine and result in my being praised and glorified and honored at Jesus Christ’s appearing! This is a faith-test. My faith must be proven genuine. And when it is, it will bring me praise, glory and honor when Jesus comes.

Allan (I’m preaching to myself, remember), don’t be discouraged and depressed. Think of the living hope that is yours through Christ’s resurrection. Think of the glorious inheritance he is keeping in heaven for you. Think of how he is guarding you for it through your faith. Rejoice in that!

Yes, you are enduring a trial now. No one, not even you, escapes suffering. But remember God is testing your faith—not because he doesn’t know its quality, but so through testing it may be strengthened and purified. Whether you agree or not, whether you would choose this process or not, your God has sent this into your life. It’s not senseless suffering. It’s refining fire for your faith. And it has extraordinary consequences. As you limp through the fire, persevering in faith, the result will be this: You will receive praise, glory and honor when Christ is revealed to this world in his glory.

So quit moaning and rejoice! Quit grumbling and praise him! Quit pulling the covers over your head and get up for the fight of faith! Because he is keeping you. And in the end, he will reward you with a crown of glory.

Resolved

December 31, 2015 / Allan Babcock

2016 dawns at midnight. Global celebrations. Times Square packed with partyers (and extra NYPD to guard against terrorists). Time, too, for resolutions.

According to Wikipedia, resolution-making has religious origins. Babylonians promised their gods at the end of the year they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.^[2]Romans began each year making promises to the god Janus (after whom January is named.^[3]).In Medieval times knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.^[4

I wonder: Do “Christian” condemners of Christmas and Halloween celebrations abstain from New Year’s resolutions due to its pagan origins? Logic would argue they should, but I think all such abstention foolish. Such observances are what I make of them, not what some ancient folks did.

Even so, I usually don’t make them, because mostly I don’t keep them. Seems I’m not alone. According to “Statistics Brain Research Institute”, only 8% of Americans are successful. 49% have infrequent success. And 24% always fail.

That doesn’t mean resolutions are wrong or useless. It’s wise to aim at “doing better”—especially if our resolve is God-centered. Jonathan Edwards, the well-known 18th century Puritan, made 70, though not at New Year’s. Here’s one: “Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.” More of his resolutions may jog our thinking about appropriate ones. Find them at http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9u
ZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4xNTo3NDoxLndqZW8=.

Considering resolutions, the apostle James’ warning comes to mind . . .

Now listen, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while
and then vanishes.
Instead, you ought to say,
“If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
(James 4:13-15).

As does this wise proverb . . .

In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
(Proverbs 16:9)

As aging crept on, I set a target date: pastor until age 75. But illness interrupted and I had to retire at 71. In context, James is rebuking the proud. I don’t think I was egotistic when I set my goal. I just didn’t know what would happen even the next day. My life is an ephemeral mist. Only the Lord God is an omniscient solid rock. (Odd metaphor. Can solid rocks have wisdom? But you get the idea, right?)

So, in making resolutions it’s best we humbly remember if the Lord wills. He is sovereign.

Yahweh has fixed his throne in heaven,
his sovereign power rules over all.
(Psalm 103:19, NJB)

Of course, if the sovereign is a tyrant, sovereignty can be terrifying. But we who’ve accepted the psalmist’s invitation know the Lord is no tyrant . . .

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
(Psalm 34:8)

So, resolution-makers, make them. Let’s just remember we don’t even know what tomorrow holds and it is the good sovereign Lord who directs the steps of those who take refuge in him.

One more resolution-thought. This quote (from Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind) captures the popular idea that the year-change on the calendar “ deletes the old mistake-cluttered past and creates a new blank-page future. The truth is probably better captured in this quote: “Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.” (Anonymous)

But old habits can go. A new blank-page future is possible. The apostle Paul profoundly proclaims it . . .

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

HAPPY NEW IN-CHRIST YEAR!

Jesus’ cross gives us access to God in prayer

RESOLVED: TO WALK CLOSELY AFTER CHRIST DAILY

Empty

December 30, 2015 / Allan Babcock

I can’t imagine visiting a best friend’s grave and finding it empty. Headstone moved. Dirt shoveled. Open hole. No casket. Empty grave. Actually, the three women who visited Jesus’ tomb didn’t find it completely empty.

Mark’s report.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid (Mark 1:1-8).

Before analyzing that, a textual issue demands attention. After verse 8 in my ESV Bible, a note says, “Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20.” Then it records those verses in double brackets ([[).

Textual criticism (16:9-20).

Textual critics try to determine the original wording of a text, like the original ending of Mark 16. Did Mark write it? Or did someone else add verses 9-20 later? The bulk of textual critics (has nothing to do with their weight!) believe the latter. Here’s the story . . .

Mark wrote the Gospel, 1:1-16:8. Professional scribes hand-copied it (no Xerox) for distribution to churches throughout the Mediterranean world. Copies were made both from the original and from copies. Despite meticulous care, copyists occasionally made an error. Most were minor (spelling of a name, location of a town, etc.) We have almost 5700 Greek-language copies (“manuscripts”), not including thousands in other languages (far more than of any other ancient document). Textual critics determine the original wording of the text by comparing manuscripts and following certain principles (such as, earlier-in-time manuscripts are considered more reliable than later ones—fewer chances of copying errors). We can be over 99% sure that what our New Testament contains is what the authors originally wrote.

Verses 9-20 didn’t appear in manuscripts until the fourth century. Where did it come from? It’s thought that the abrupt ending of verse 8 may have prompted some scribe to suppose that a longer ending had somehow been destroyed. So he gathered information from the other Gospels and summarized what he thought Mark might have written. Naturally copyists copying from that copy copied that longer ending. Hence the explanatory note in our Bibles and my comments on verses 1-8 only. (This information is provided free and will not be on the test!)

The “empty” narrative.

As noted above, the women didn’t find the tomb completely empty. Here’s the story in my words . . .

The sun has just risen on Sunday, the day after Sabbath. Mary Magdalene, Mary (James’ mother) and Salome are on their way to properly anoint Jesus’ body with spices (Joseph of Arimathea’s didn’t have time because he had to bury Jesus Friday before sundown). They know which tomb because two of them had watched the burial (15:47). Theirs, of course, is a sad task, and one not without risk, since Jesus had been crucified for treason against Rome and the Jewish Court had judged him a blasphemer.

Not until they neared the tomb did the women wonder who would roll away the huge stone that sealed the entrance. (A tomb like this was actually a small room cut into the rock with “benches” on three sides where a family’s stone coffins—“sarcophagus”—would be laid.) The “door” was a huge wheel-like stone that fit in a slot that could be rolled open and closed.) The women approach the tomb and see the stone rolled open.

Cautiously entering, they find a white-robed young man. (It wasn’t empty.) Naturally they’re shocked and frightened. (Where is Jesus’ body? Who’s this guy?) The man tries to calm them. He tells them Jesus has risen. He points: “See the place where they laid him.” He gives them instructions: “Tell the disciples and Peter (yes, especially him who denied Christ) Jesus will meet them in Galilee.”

The women are literally shaking for fear. This is a nightmare. First Jesus is horribly crucified and buried and now maybe an evil enchanter is spinning a cruel tale about dear Jesus’ missing corpse. They run for their lives, saying nothing to anyone. (THE END)

The take-away.

I feel like the copyist—there should be more. Why would Mark end the Gospel with scared-to-death women running from Jesus’ empty tomb? Any answer is a guess. But maybe Mark wants us to feel something of the same fear and amazement those women felt. Maybe he wants that abrupt ending to sort of shock us. Maybe he wants us to stand in awe of the Resurrected Christ who had been the Crucified Christ.

I know I don’t. Too many Easter sermons. Ho hum. Risen. When Jesus stilled the storm with a word, disciples fearfully asked, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?” (4:41). Maybe Mark wants to wake us from mental fog to fearfully ask, “Who then is this, that even his own death obeys him?”

And maybe, even more importantly, he wants me to ask, “Will I, a mere mortal inevitably facing my death, run away from Jesus? Or, will I, with unanswered questions about suffering and the death-process and when and why, trustingly run to him?”

Crucified

December 28, 2015 / Allan Babcock

This is holy ground. This blood-stained, dusty, rock-hard earth. This killing-hill where Romans crucified dozens, maybe hundreds, of Jewish law-breakers. This skull-mound, outside Jerusalem city walls, infamous forever because of One prisoner executed here.

We reach this place, Mark writes, “When [the Jewish soldiers] were finally tired of mocking [Jesus], they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified (15:20). Mark continues with a report that reads like choppy headline news with few details.

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross (15:21).

Jesus would have been boxed in by four Roman soldiers with a servant carrying a placard: THE KING OF THE JEWS. At some point en route, it became obvious Jesus was too weakened to carry his cross. Simon was a Jew from North Africa present for Passover. If Simon’s Rufus is the Rufus Paul mentions in Romans 16:13, this family became believers. Did being forced to carry Christ’s cross eventually lead Simon, and then his sons, to faith?

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left (15:22-27).

“They” were Jerusalem women who offered crucified Jews a drug to dull the pain. The Greek tense suggests they tried several times to give Jesus a drink. Jesus refused it. Mark doesn’t explain why.

Such awful agony Mark glosses over when he writes, “And they crucified him”! The Jewish historian Josephus calls it “the most wretched of all ways of dying.” Not the nails, but his body sagging as he hung, made breathing an unrelenting struggle. (For a further description of Christ’s crucifixion, see http://www.alfredplacechurch.org.uk/index.php/sermons/mark/mark-15/1524-25-the-crucifixion-of-christ/.) Eventually death would come from suffocation. But not yet; according to Mark it’s 9 a.m.

Humiliation accompanied suffering. Before they drove the spikes, soldiers stripped the prisoner. Then, after hanging Jesus up, they gambled for his clothes beneath his cross. A perk for the soldiers’ assigned despicable work. Over Jesus’ head they posted the placard with his crime. Common thieves flanked him on both sides.

We might claim the charge false. But in fact he was “the King of the Jews”, even King of the Romans. He was, and remains today, a deadly threat to every authority that refuses to bow. Yet, that day, he was merely a message from Pilate declaring what Rome did with “would be” kings.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him (15:28-32).

Humiliation continued. Passover pilgrims, packing the nearby road, threw Jesus’ supposed words in his face. Chief priests and law-teachers jeered. “Messiah, Israel’s King, jump off the cross so we can see and believe in you!” Even the dying thieves sneered between suffocating breaths.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”– which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (15:33-39).

From noon until three eerie darkness shrouded the city. An angry storm erupting. Creation itself revolting. As if God the Father turned away the light of his face from his Son. Suddenly a heartrending, mournful voice cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Literally hell for the King of heaven. Some misunderstood, thinking he was calling Elijah. They looked for a miracle from the long-gone prophet. None came.

Instead, in the anguish of suffocating death and with a loud cry, “Jesus breathed his last.” The temple curtain tore open top to bottom. At the cross a silent moment. Mourners looked closely. No, Jesus wasn’t breathing. Finally, the Roman centurion, closest witness, pondering the fearful awe of the moment and how Jesus had died, declared, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid (15:40-47),

Mark reveals here what he hasn’t throughout his writing: several women at the cross “had followed [Jesus] and cared for his needs.” Many other women also were there. Unheralded they have played a vital role in Jesus’ ministry. They will again.

But now, according to Jewish law, Jesus had to be buried before sundown. Joseph of Arimathea, of whom we know nothing except that he belonged to the Jewish Sanhedrin and obviously honored Jesus, approached Pilate for Jesus’ body. After ascertaining Jesus was indeed dead, Pilate permitted it. Joseph painstakingly lowered the body, carefully wrapped it in newly-bought linen, and gently laid it in a tomb, which he sealed shut with a large stone. Both Marys looked on.

* * * * *

Unless Mark totally made up this narrative, there can be no doubt Jesus died. The question is: why? Certainly he had the power to blow away his enemies the way he’d driven out demons! And why didn’t Mark explain?

I think Mark didn’t tell us why Jesus died because he wanted us to stand at the cross confused and shaken and ask what the disciples must have: Why? Why did Jesus who claimed to be Messiah, who announced God’s kingdom at hand, who opened blind eyes, stilled a storm, and raised a dead girl . . .

WHY DID HE DIE LIKE THAT?

Still of Jim Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Easy to spout out learned answers. Better to ponder them with our mind focused on Mark’s narrative. If it stuns a bit, so much the better . . .

Coming Christmas Morning

December 25, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Christmas morning. Lois in the kitchen preparing for children and grandchildren coming later. A few quiet moments for me to pray and ponder. Reminiscing about long-ago Christmases when our son and two daughters were children. A familiar reminder to you who have young children: enjoy them this Christmas season. They will soon celebrate in their own homes with their own little ones.

For some reason, woke this morning with these fascinating words from the apostle Paul . . .

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
(Romans 13:12a)

It’s his reason for urging us to live morally upright lives as Jesus’ followers . . .

. . . you know that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then let us cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
(Romans 13:11,12)

I’m not thinking of Paul’s exhortation as much as the far-gone night and at-hand day.

I tend to see this world as “day.” What lies out there in the future, even though Jesus promises glory beyond comprehension, seems “night” both because (unless Jesus comes first) I have to pass through the “night” of death and the future beyond death is unfamiliar territory. But here Paul writes of life in this world as “night” and the future in the world to come as “day.”

It reminds me of Christmas morning when my brother and I were kids. How hard to fall asleep the night before! Too excited! Too much anticipating what would be under the tree! (Our parents never put our presents out until we were safely in bed.) Struggling to sleep made Christmas Eve the year’s longest night.

But then the night was over! I opened my eyes in record time (not like on school days). I think my brother and I had it in our genes to naturally be as noisy as possible to wake up Dad and Mom. Finally they rolled out, warning us to wait in our rooms until they made sure everything was ready, turned the tree lights on, and called us. “Okay, kids. Al. Glenn. Come on.” Down the hallway we hustled toward the living room and the thrill of Christmas morning around the tree half-hidden behind piles of presents.

This world—the world where we live, the world we know, the only world we know—is “night.” It’s filled, as Paul writes here in Romans, with “orgies and drunkenness”, with “sexual immorality and sensuality,” with “quarreling and jealousy.” It’s also marked by disappointment and dissatisfaction and disability and death. It never delivers on its promises. Its “toys” always break down or wear out. Oh, there’s goodness and joy to be sure. After all, despite sin’s ravages, this is still my Father’s world. But the evil one and our fallen natures corrupt and darken even the best of what God has made.

It is night. But it’s “far gone”! The day is at hand! Christmas morning like none other is about to break into this darkness. Jesus, born that first Christmas day, is coming again. He who is the Light of the world will split the night with his glory. He will call us: “Okay, children.” He’ll call us by name. “Allan, Glenn, come.” And we will rise with pounding hearts and wide-eyed looks and breathless hearts at the thrill of this “Christmas morning” around the One who gave his life for us and comes now to gather us home to a world where it will never be night.

That day is at hand!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Holy Words

December 24, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Rejoice! It’s the same Old Story!

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’

Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her (Luke 1:26-38).

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Mary responded, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him. His mighty arm does tremendous things! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. For he promised our ancestors– Abraham and his children– to be merciful to them forever.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home (Luke 1:39-56).

Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus (Matthew 1:9-25).

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior– yes, the Messiah, the Lord– has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others– the armies of heaven– praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors” (Luke 2:1-14).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has still not overcome it (John 1:4)!

A Politician & the Crucifixion

December 22, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Pilate found himself in a precarious place. Early that morning the Jewish Sanhedrin had brought him a prisoner. Mark reports . . .

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate (Mark 15:1).

Mark, in his keep-it-simple style, gives few details. Between verse 1 and verse 2 presumably the chief priest told Pilate the charge.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”(Mark 15:2a). Actually they had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy (Mark 14:64). But, since Pilate wouldn’t have cared, they “upped” his crime to treason.

He answered him, “You say so” (Mark 15:2b).

The original Greek is, “You say.” That’s either a local idiom for “yes” or an ambiguous answer because “king” meant something different to man. Either way, the Sanhedrin is too steamed to stay silent.

Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed (Mark 15:3-5).

What kind of prisoner is this? Why in the world didn’t he defend himself? By now a crowd has gathered. (Pilate held court outside, because the Jews didn’t want to defile themselves by entering Pilate’s headquarters.) Some in the crowd approached Pilate and asked him to keep his Passover-prisoner-switch-custom.

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over (Mark 15:6-10).

Here’s Pilate’s predicament escape. He knew this “king” wasn’t guilty of treason. He heard jealousy in the priests’ voices. And, if there were any people Pilate hated more than Jews, it was the Jewish authorities. Besides, clearly some in the crowd wanted this “king” dead, while others wanted him freed. Either way they might riot. So, hoping for a peaceful outcome that would spare him trouble with the Emperor, Pilate shouted to the crowd: “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

Unbeknownst to Pilate, while he’s holding court, priests are working the crowd. Once cries for crucifixion start, crowd-mentality would rule until the whole mob would want blood.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified (Mark 15:11-15).

Jerusalem was like Jupiter—really far out “nowhere.” When the Emperor appointed Pilate Prefect in Israel, he wanted a wise leader who would keep the repulsive, upstart Jews quiet. Pilate started about the time Jesus began his public ministry. He ruled harshly and the Jews despised him and everything about Rome he represented. If he hoped for a better post or at least to retire with full benefits, he had to make the best of his situation. He headquartered at the seaside city of Caesarea, but as usual he visited overcrowded Jerusalem for Passover to keep the peace.

Now, all he can do to stop a riot is to hand Jesus over to his soldiers for crucifixion. Mark spares us the gory details of the beating that came next, focusing instead on the humiliating mockery Jesus endured . . .

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him (Mark 15:16-20).

* * * * *

This “trial” leaves me with two thoughts . . .

First, politicians haven’t changed much in 2000 years. Sounds cynical. All politicians aren’t “politicians”. And, strictly speaking, Pilate wasn’t a run-for-office politician. But he was a bureaucrat. And, when it came down to a choice between administering justice and keeping his powerful office, well, you know. Thank the Lord our hope for a better future doesn’t lie in hands like his!

Second, Pilate the politician (and the politician-like Sanhedrin) didn’t win. In fact, they didn’t control the outcome at all. John tells us that when Pilate bragged he had authority to release or crucify Jesus, Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).

Since God the Father—together with his willingly submissive Son—was in control, why then did Jesus submit to such injustice at the hand of a self-serving politician? Jesus himself had answered the question months earlier. His disciples had been fighting like politicians for the most powerful, prestigious positions in Messiah’s kingdom. Jesus reminded them how Gentile rulers lord it over their subjects. He insisted if they wanted greatness, they would have to be servants. Then he gave the reason why and at the same time told us why he submitted to a selfish bureaucrat . . .

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY” (Mark 10:45)

Christ Before Pilate, Mihaly Munkacsy

Those who believe him are among the “many”. Are you?

Events like this often make me wonder what would happen if Jesus had been born on earth thirty years ago in our country (or in yours, if you reading this outside the USA). Would our government—whether a democracy, a dictatorship, or some other type—treat Jesus any differently? Would Jesus threaten the nation’s leaders as he threatened Israel’s then? Would government leaders today want Jesus out of the way as they did then? Would politicians, to protect their own power and position, unjustifiably execute Jesus?

I think any government today would treat Jesus essentially the same as Israel’s and Rome’s did then. Why? Because Jesus would be bringing a different kingdom (Mark 1:14,15) that would threaten every government today. They’d have to do away with him.

But here’s what’s incredible: Jesus didn’t die just because the Sanhedrin was envious and Pilate was threatened. ” . . . Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel [did] whatever [the Sovereign Lord’s] hand . . . had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27,28).

or the Mark predictions and ransom—Jesus wins over politicians

Politics played a pivotal part in Jesus’ crucifixion. Clearly ). But the Sovereign Lord used a typical politician to bring about Jesus’ crucifixion.