Mark 16 The Tomb is Empty! He Is Risen!

Mark 16 NIV
The women go to the tomb to find it empty. They are told by a young man, who is sitting in the tomb, not to be alarmed for Jesus is risen and the disciples will see him in Galilee. They were still quite alarmed. Trembling and bewildered they fled from the tomb. Who would not? Think about the week these women, who loved Jesus, just lived through. Would we not also be confused and afraid?

Often the stories we hear about Jesus life kind of just seem like such nice stories; but, can you imagine living it? Can you imagine watching your loved one being tortured and crucified? Can you imagine going to prepare his body for burial and his body is gone? I can just imagine our stress levels. Yet, in the end, as the days pass by, they will be comforted, as we are comforted with the knowledge that He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Death and the grave have no power over him. It is way more than just a nice story to tell our children.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 15:42-47 Conflict of Interest

Mark 15:42-47 NIV
There was a council member who abstained during the vote of the council of a small congregation. It was concerning the expenditure of about $100.00 for a non-essential item in the church. The budget was very small. The Pastor voted no as a similar item could be purchased for about $10.00 or less, citing poor stewardship. The rest of the council voted for the expenditure. But, this is not about stewardship. It is about why one council member would abstain. It was not a matter of conflict of interest for the council member to vote. Well, I guess there was a conflict of interest. He would not make a decision as a council member in order to stay on the good side of everyone. He simply did not want to offend the Pastor or the rest of the Council by voting against either one so he chose to do nothing. He just wanted to be a nice Lutheran and not offend anyone.

It was the hierarchy in the church that wanted Jesus out of their way. Yet, it was one council member who was willing to put his own life on the line and stand up for Jesus. Jesus was dead, so how was he going to know if Joseph of Arimathea stood by him? But, Joseph had hope in the Kingdom and it was important to Joseph that Jesus have a proper burial. He went to Pilate, knowing full well that the Council would find out, and asked for Jesus' body so that he could give Jesus' body a proper burial. Joseph was not afraid to do what he felt was right. Neither fear of Pilate or the other council members could keep him from doing what he felt he should and must do.

May God help us to do the right thing and not be afraid of what others will think of us or do to us when we stand up for Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 15:33-41 - Kingdom Rushes Forth

Mark 15:33-41 NIV
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (vs 37-38)

Today we have one of the most beautiful pictures in words that I can think of. It is finished. Jesus breathes his last breath as true man and the temple curtain is torn in two. I see not just a curtain ripped, but the wall being torn down. The gate has been opened between us and the Kingdom of God; between Paradise and us. It is not just that we now have access into the Kingdom, but the door has been opened and the Kingdom rushes forth.

Receive that Kingdom. Live in it, for it is yours through the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 15:1-32 The Horror Of It

Mark 15:1-32 NIV
Words cannot adequately describe the horror of how the world turned against God the Son the day that Christ was crucified.

He had been deserted by his friends; the church turned against him; the people wanted him crucified; the soldiers and even the criminals hanging with him mocked him. "The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews." (vs 26)

What do you want done with this one whom you call your king, Pilate had asked. Crucify him, the people replied. Indeed he was; he is, a King. He is our King. What would we do with this one we call our King? Often, we, as they did the day of his crucifixion, continue to turn our backs on him. There are days when it is as though we would rather have him hanging on a cross than interfering in our worldly lives. Our king, our gods, are of this world and Jesus is just in the way. Crucify him! Oh, I know you probably don't think in those terms. But, how often do we act as though he is not our King. After all, aren't we suppose to honor our King in all that we say and think and do?

Crucify Him, the people shouted. What would we say (what do we say) when he calls us to follow Him today? Crucify him? Words cannot adequately describe the horror of how the world (even His followers) have turned against God the Son; the Son of God, this day. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:66-72 - Denying Christ

Mark 14:66-72 NIV
As much as he loved Jesus, when it came to being willing to die for him, he denied him. He denied him, not once, but three times.

We want to serve Jesus. We would really like to say that we would even die rather than deny him. But, when it comes right down to it, none of us really know if we what we would do when faced with that situation. Most of us will never be called to face this type of trial. But, there are those who have faced death and refused to deny Jesus, even in our day. There are those who have died confessing their faith in Him. Let us give thanks for all the martyrs who have taken up the cross and died for the sake of His Holy Name. May God help us to be faithful in confessing all that He has done for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:53-65 I Am

Mark 14:53-65 NIV
"...Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus." (Mark 14:61-62)

I am! Two of my favorite words. When confronted about whether He was the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, Jesus responded simply, "I am." In those two words I am reminded that He is not only the Son of God; He is God. When Moses was busy trembling in his bare feet at the burning bush and trying to figure out how he was going to get out of delivering God's people from Egypt, he asked God who should I say sent me. "God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.' This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14) So, whenever, I hear or read these two words, "I am," I am reminded that Jesus is not only the Son of God, He is God.

I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - three persons - one God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:32-52 Pacing and Praying

Mark 14:32-52
Completely oblivious to the inner torment that Jesus was experiencing; rather than pray with or for Him, the disciples fall asleep.

How many times have we paced the floors in the middle of the night or fell on our faces praying throughout the night, asking God to deliver us or someone else while everyone else was fast asleep oblivious to the trouble around them or about to come upon them? We pace, we pray, until peace comes upon us, the resolution is at nigh. We are prepared to face whatever must come.

The resolution for Jesus is to be betrayed with a kiss by a friend, a follower. What comes for Jesus is death and ultimately resurrection. Sometimes, (OK - often) the resolution that comes is not an immediate reprieve, but a journey through even darker times; a place where even our friends will desert us. What comes is a journey through the valley of the shadow of death so that ultimately, not our; but, God's will is done.

In order to get to the place where we can know peace no matter what God's will is for us, we pray. We find solace in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:27-31 You Will Fall Away

Mark 14:27-31 NIV
“You will all fall away.”

On the night in which he was betrayed, he predicted that all of his followers would fall away. Peter did not believe it. Yet, they did. Judas betrayed him. The rest stayed hidden in the background so as not to end up on trial and crucified like Jesus. Peter flat out denied knowing him.

How many times do we hide in the background? Afraid to speak the truth because someone might not want to hear the truth and ridicule you or ignore you or maybe just unfriend you? Maybe, they might start ugly rumors about you and your faith. They might even call you something like "fanatical Christian!"

One of the rites of the church that I do not appreciate fully is confirmation. It makes me most uncomfortable knowing that these young people (teens) affirm their faiths, and promise to, with the help of God, to serve Him in the church and in the world. I warn them, that they will fall away and that they should really work on avoiding that. I ask them to please not make the commitments asked of them at their affirmations (confirmations) if they already intend not to keep them. I ask them to, please, not attempt to lie to God. Yet, they insist (most of them) that they will not fall away. They are convinced (or try to convince me) that the commitments they will make will not fall by the wayside.  In almost all cases they do fall away immediately following the rite of confirmation. Most fall away at least for a time, till they have children of their own and desire to have them baptized and confirmed. Some will return, long enough, for their children to be baptized and affirm those baptisms. 
The disciples returned, too. But, they stayed. They did not show up for a rite here and there. They stayed and committed their whole lives to following in Jesus' footsteps. May God help all who have been baptized in Christ Jesus to continue to live with and in Him and if we have turned our backs on Him, help us to return.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:12-26

Mark 14:11-26 NIV
Recently, we participated in a rarity at our congregation: a Memorial Service that included the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Not that Memorial Services are rare; but, receiving the Sacrament at one is. It was such a relief for me, to see so many whom I have not seen in a very long time, receive this gift from God. My hope is that they are worshipping God with another congregation. But, I am pretty sure most are not. For some reason, gathering together with the community of Saints, today, is an option.

For Jesus it was not. He traveled (on foot and a bit on the back of a donkey) to participate in the Passover in Jerusalem. As he broke the bread and poured the wine at His last supper, he prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. When they were finished with the meal, they sang a hymn and then went out to the Mount of Olives where he would be betrayed by his friend and handed over to be crucified.

Even as He faced His own death for the sake of His friends and followers, He gathered with them to worship and give thanks to God. May God grant us hearts that would desire to gather together as a community of Saints to remember, to celebrate, and to give thanks for our God.

God's Peace - Pr. J